Valentine’s Day Projects
Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday of the year. All that red glitter...Hope you like these ideas!


Flirty Word Heart Lights
Lovely Vintage Hangbag
Soldered Heart Necklace
Sweetly Simple Valentines
Soldered Heart Necklace

Heart of Glass Ornaments
Valentine Granny Bag
Chocolate Box Valentine
Mighty Mosaic Magnets
Embossed Heart Pillow
Conversation Candy Heart Coasters
Glittered Love Box
Bejeweled Champagne Flutes
Queen of Hearts Window Box
Sweetheart Candy Box
Waxed Roses
Cigar Box Love Shrine
Valentine Collage Shadow Box



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* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: Valentine's Day

Here are three more ideas for inexpensive wedding projects. These are little giveaways that you can whip up in a snap while downing a pitcher of margaritas. They'll still come out stylin'.

First up: Glittered centerpiece


One hurricane lamp filled with fairy dust glitter (everyone uses sand or marbles, boring!), and then it has a glass votive holder inside with more fairy dust glitter. For this project, I used a battery-operated tea light. These are brilliant because they last for 100 hours and are very inexpensive. They work great for churches or banquet halls that do not allow lit candles. You can find these at most craft stores. Here in Phoenix, you can get them at Diane Ribbon and Notions.



Next: Letter box



This is just a simple jewelry box from the gift wrap aisle at the craft store. I covered the top in pretty scrapbook paper and then stuck on a glittered initial.

And last: Treat bag


You can buy these small colored bags in bulk. Insert a gift or baked goods, fold the top over, punch two holes and add some tule and a charm.

See? Easy!

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* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: wedding

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* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: garden, inside, outdoor, wedding

This project goes out to Dana from Tucson who wrote me about my lack of wedding crafts. I have one, The Wedding Cake Card Box - so yuppers, I agree I'm lacking. So I'm adding a few wedding themed ideas tonight.

This soap is super easy. It's made from Melt N Pour soap, candy sprinkles and packing tape. You can leave these sweet little babies around the wedding recpetion bathrooms. Unless you are having a Godfather-sized wedding, I don't think they will get worn down enough for the candy to come out. The idea is to insert an image or phrase, or the wedding date info. If you are worried about them getting used, just give them as party favors, people will want to preserve the memory and won't dare use them at home. Unless later on at home, they run out of Caress Body Wash or something...

Supplies:
Printed phrases or photos
Clear packing tape
Candy sprinkles
Scissors
Butter knife
2 pounds of clear glycerin soap, fragrance optional
Plastic pitcher and spoon
Rubbing alcohol
Soap coloring (optional)
Soap mold trays (smooth tops only)
Small spray bottle with rubbing alcohol
Clear plastic wrap

Directions:
1. Create messages by writing or printing them from a computer. Cut to fit in the molds. Cover each picture with packing tape, make sure edges are sealed.

2. Chop the block of glycerin into 1-inch cubes. Separate the cubes into piles if you are going to color them (see note). Put a handful of cubes in the plastic pitcher and melt in microwave according to directions. Remove pitcher and stir contents until completely liquefied. Stir in desired amount of fragrance drops.

3. Pour a super thin layer into each of the molds. If tiny bubbles appear, spray with rubbing alcohol.
Next, *carefully* set a message facedown on the layer. If it falls crooked, do not lift or move it or your soap will become cloudy. Add another super thin layer of melted soap. Sprinkle on a thin layer of the candy sprinkles. Top off the rest of it with more melted soap.

4. Let the soap harden for an hour. Remove and pop soaps out by twisting the tray. Wrap each bar in clear plastic wrap. Use a colorful sticker on the bottom to seal the ends.

Note: To color and scent the soap, add desired number of drops to liquid after removing from microwave and stir. Don't use too dark a color, because you want to see the messages clearly.

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* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: beauty, wedding

January is the time to think about all the great events of the past year. You can ponder the memories over a cup of coffee, or you really can get into it and put together a time capsule. First, find a roomy box and decorate it. Next, collect as many items from 2006 that define the period - basically anything that would conjure up funny comments on a VH1 I Love the (fill in the decade) show. Once the box is filled, you can choose what to do with it: bury it in the backyard or store it.

The most important aspect of this project is to write a letter that chronicles that year from your life. Put the letter in an envelope and seal it. Someday you can pull the box out and present it to your grandkids to show what life was like "back in the day."

NOTE: The box in the photo was made by the ultimate Mistress of the Bead herself, Margot Potter!! She is a dear friend of mine and was kind enough to make it as a purse for me. During Christmas week, I was in a time pinch for my craft column (I thought I had a week off) I used the box to hold the contents of the time capsule and did not credit her. It was a totally unintentional oversight on my always-in-a-rush disorganized self and I wanted to make sure you know that is her artwork!! I've always credited people, websites, authors, etc, properly on this site and in my column and wanted to apologize to Margot for this one falling through the cracks. I work really hard to keep everything running, keep people happy and this time I tripped and am taking full responsibility! Thank you Margot for being so kind about my mistake. I'd like to think I don't make them often, but when I do, they are big ones :-(
I'll post a full picture of the gorgeous purse very soon (my kids used up the batteries in my camera today!).

Click here for the directions


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* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: collage/paper