  |
 |
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
The Crafty Chica DIY Project Library: a collection of fabulous handmade ideas by Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica! Sunday, October 11, 2009 This is an exclusive project Patrick made for dead.azcentral.com, CLICK HERE for printable directions and all kinds of other educational info about Dia de los Muertos!** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Day of the Dead, Latin-inspired, recycled Dia de los Muertos Felt Flower Headband Supplies:1 headband 1 safety pin Assorted sheets of craft felt cut into leaves and circles (different sizes with different scissors to give it more flair) Crafty Chica Charms Liquid Fusion Adhesive Clothes pin Directions: 1. Arrange your flower into the design you want, glue in place, let dry. 2. Use the safety pin to "scratch" the metal on the back of the charm and on the area on the headband where you will glue the felt. 3. Glue the charm in place in the center of the flower. 4. Glue the flower to the headband, use a clothespin to hold in place while glue dries. ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Day of the Dead, Latin-inspired, wearable art Tuesday, September 08, 2009Shadow Box Pins This is a special project I made for iLoveToCreate.com! Shadow boxes aren’t just for walls or the fireplace mantles anymore. The concept can be shrunk down to make a cool lapel pin that offers a lot of depth, texture and sparkle.
Instructions
** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: jewelry, Latin-inspired Monday, August 17, 2009Rolled paper Boxes I'm a sucker for magazines. It's hard to throw them away. The other day I finished reading my beloved Entertainment Weekly and instead of tossing iti n the recylcing bin, I made crafts from it! Here is a rolled paper shrine box, I also used my Crafty Chica papers to make a little box.Here is video on how to do it! LINK Peace, love, and glitter! Kathy :-) ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Latin-inspired, paper, recycled Sunday, July 12, 2009Popped Out Boxes I never tire of decorating wood boxes. Recently, I was making some for a wholesale account and decided to try something different than the usual flat decoupage style. Supplies: Crafty Chica Paints Crafty Chica Glitters Crafty Chica Loteria or Inspiration Cards Wood boxes, paint brushes High gloss varnish Aleene's Original Tacky Glue I painted the boxes as usual, and then coated the tops with my Crafty Chica Glitters. I then glued the main image on top. In some cases, I cut out a portion of the picture, glued down the background and used cardboard to the back of the cut out piece, so it popped out. I then coated it all in high gloss varnish. They look so juicy and shiny! And now they are for sale at The Phoenix Art Museum too! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Latin-inspired, paint Friday, May 01, 2009Empanada Pin Cushions This may be my kitschiest project yet: Empanada pin cushions! After seeing so many fiber artists have their way with cupcake pincushions, I thought I'd throw a little needle love to Mexican puff pastries.Empanadas are basically fruit turnovers. My Nana Cano used to make them every weekend - cherry, pumpkin, pineapple, lemon, apple and even mincemeat for my dad. Puff pastries are also popular in other countries as well  , but my design is inspired by the ones I've grown up with here in Phoenix.I actually made these last Saturday night at The Dirty Devil nightclub where Patrick's band was performing. Under the light of my iPhone, I stitched away. I used white felt, and then painted it to give it a realistic look. It worked. The next day, both my kids picked these up to take a bite and were mad because they were fake! I would call that a success! NOTE: Yes, you can use a sewing machine on these, but because I knew I would be working in a dimly-lit area (the nightclub), I chose contrasting embroidery thread to hand sew. Here's how to make them!  Supplies:1 piece of white craft felt stuffing, like batting needle, embroidery thread brown, yellow and white paint Scissors 1. Take a piece of white craft felt. Fold it over from the short side, and cut out the shape of the empanada. Keep the fold at the bottom. Now cut the other end of the felt into a strip that is about 3" wide. 2. With the felt still folded in half, stitch the empanada about half away around the curve. Stuff with a lot of batting. 3. Take the strip, fold it lengthwise and stitch it with the embroidery thread along the edge of the curve, gather it here and there to make it ruffled. 4. Tuft the empanada in the center with three stitches. Cut the edge in a curvy design. 5. Add a bit of white and yellow to the brown paint until you get a nice baked look. Use the paint brush to stipple all over the empanada. Let dry. 6. Insert pins! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: fabric, Latin-inspired Swine Flu Mask: I couldn't resist! I just HAD to make a mask. Hey, don't laugh! A friend of mine is sending me shard glitter from Mexico, I should wear this when I open the package! I'm just kidding. But after seeing so many other people get creative with their masks, I just had to make my own for the pop culture factor. I used watered down acrylics and glitter for the lips.Peace, love, and glitter! Kathy :-) ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Latin-inspired Thursday, April 30, 2009Mexican Motif Tea Towels Embroidery work by Jenny Hart for my second book, La Casa Loca: Latino Style Comes Home (Rockport).Here in Phoenix, we have a lot of Mexican gift shops that I L-O-V-E! You can find all kinds of small imports and really super low prices. and practice your Spanish! I especially love the patterned napkins and tea towels. Sometimes they are printed with an outline like the picture below, other times, they are hand drawn with a pencil and/or ballpoint pen. They always have big, juicy flowers, leaves, fruits and other motifs - ripe and ready to be colored with thread.  In my Artful Sewing book, I incorporated a piece of one I embroidered into a belt I made. The time you want to embroider but are out of patterns - draw your own design! For more info on the art of embroidery, check out Jenny's site, SublimeStitching.com! ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: fabric, Latin-inspired Resined table This is nothing new and fantastic, but I made it for my living room as an end table and I like it so, I'm posting a picture. I blew up the loteria game cards, covered them with a layer of Aleene's Tacky, and coated the whole thing in resin. I also added glitter inthere, but thepicture doesn't show it off very well...** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: home decor, Latin-inspired, resin Crafty Chica Loteria Frame This project is inspired by the extra craft supplies in my art room. When Michaels first came out with the $1.00 picture frames, I bought every one they had (at my local store), never realizing that they would be carrying them as a regular item. That's what OCD (Obsessive Crafts Disorder) will do to you!This was the last frame I had from that pricey excursion. Inspired by the Loteria frames from Mexico, I used my Crafty Chica Loteria to make my own. I inserted some glittered fabric, with a DIY applique in the center. ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: home decor, Latin-inspired Lucha Libre Cupcake Toppers I picked up a set of these lucha-themed Loteria cards when I visited Olvera Street last year. They were so cute, I didn't want to use them! Finally I said "This is enough!" and cut up a few of them to make cupcake toppers! All you do is hot glue them to toothpicks. You could even personalize them with a pen if you wanted.** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: food crafts, Latin-inspired Saturday, April 04, 2009Crafty Chica Loteria Wall Clock It's time to get crafty! Jazz up any room with a colorful Crafty Loteria Wall Clock, decorated with Crafty Chica Little Chica Paint Packs, Loteria Game and Picture Charms, adhered with Aleene's Liquid Fusion.
Instructions
Kathy :-) P.S. Check out my new book and product line! ** Labels: home decor, Latin-inspired, paint Friday, March 13, 2009Papel Picado Luminarias These started as blank glass lanterns that I bought at IKEA and had planned to paint on them. They sat in my art room for months and finally, one day, I grabbed them and decided to vamp them up, right then and there. My mission for 2009 is to not abandon any orphan surfaces in my workshop. Because then they sit there for years and I'll end up tossing them down the road.Back to the project... I always happen to have a supply of papel picado banners on me, as well as Aleene's Crystal Clear Tacky Spray. Doesn't every girl? What you do is snip off one of the panels from the banner and wrap it around the lantern. Trim as needed. Once you have the right size, go outside and set the banner face down and spray with the adhesive. Let it set for about 30-seconds and then wrap it around the lantern. If it is crooked, no prob - just peel off and reposition it. You can use any kind of paper/plastic designs - make your own from contact paper, use foreign newsprint, etc... ** MY NEW BOOK: "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Ideas for the Everyday Crafter". See the new line of Crafty Chica products at HERE Amazon.com!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2009. Labels: Cinco DeMayo, Latin-inspired, lights, multi-culti Saturday, November 29, 2008Corazon Candles This is from my Art de la Soul book! These candles will add a rustic, vintage feel to your holiday decor - whether it is for Christmas or Valentine's Day. Heck, we could all use love any time of the year!You take picture printed on lightweight paper ( like thin gift wrap, newsprint, etc), lightly glue it to the front of the candle. Then you take some melted candle wax and brush it over the image so it covers the image. All you need is two coats to make the picture look embedded in the wax. To make it look more worn and aged, run a heat gun over it a couple of times - not too close, just enough for the wax to show through the paper... It's up to you if you want to light them. I bought cheap dollar store candles and I don't light them, I just use them for decoration or photo shoots. They are too pretty to burn away! *** Don't worry, be crafty! Buy Crafty Chica books & art supplies at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2008. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: candle, holiday, Latin-inspired, lights Tin Ornaments & their many uses! Every year I buy these Mexican tin ornaments, hang them on my tree, and then use them as gift tags for Christmas day. I love them so much that I use them all year round in different forms. For example, for this project, I simply snipped off the hang tag from the top and glued the ornament to a chopstick. Hello! Instant plant poke!Other ideas: - Hang several from string to make a banner. - Use them on a cake - Use as the focal point for a shadow box, or a collections of boxes! - Glue on the top of a gift box. - Glue together in a circle, add a base for a fun candle lantern. - Affix to the front of a greeting card. - Use a paint pen to use as a gift tag (that's what I do). *** Don't worry, be crafty! Buy Crafty Chica books & art supplies at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2008. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: holiday, Latin-inspired Frida Jewelry Set I used chunky coral beads and turquoise balls to make this set inspired by Frida Kahlo's jewelry. For the images, I wanted to try something different so I used liquid Sculpey to transfer the images, and regular Sculpey for the background. You can also use decoupaged wood pieces too!This is beautiful set to make for a friend or family member who loves Mexican culture, Frida, or big jewelry. Of course, you can make it for yourself too! And if you don't like Frida, you can use any kind of image... For complete directions, see my Art de la Soul book! *** Don't worry, be crafty! Buy Crafty Chica books & art supplies at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2008. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: frida, jewelry, Latin-inspired, wearable art Saturday, October 11, 2008Reverse Painted Skull Art While everyone else uses the same old decorations, you can add a distinctive touch to your altar by whipping together one of these cheery calaca frames. Visit the local dollar store to pick up a batch of small frames and some paint. Give them as gifts or use them at your next fiesta's table setting. You'll be the life of the Day of the Dead party! Supplies: Directions: Take apart the components of the frame. Set the piece of glass on a flat surface. Using the liner brush and black paint, draw a skull on the glass. Let dry. Now paint on flowers and other decorations and let dry. Paint the entire face with white paint. Let dry and put the frame back together. *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: Day of the Dead, Latin-inspired, paint Tissue Paper Flowers    Easy Paper Flowers
Supplies: Directions: Take four to five sheets of the tissue paper and layer them (if you want multicolored flowers, use different colors). Cut into 8-inch squares. Keeping the sheets layered, take one set of squares and fold it like an accordion so it looks like a thin rectangle. At the center of the rectangle, cut a small v-shaped notch on both sides. Take the end of a pipe cleaner and twist it around the notch. With the stem pointing straight down, gently pull up one layer of tissue into the center. Pull up the remaining layers, one by one. Repeat for the other side of the flower. Once all the layers are pulled up, fluff them in place to look natural. Continue making more flowers with the remaining stacks of squares. Tips and variations: For sturdier stems, wrap two pipe cleaners together. Cut smaller or larger squares to change the size of your flowers. Add more layers for thicker flowers or less layers for thinner ones. For a shiny effect, dip the top edges in white glue and then dip in loose glitter. Glue a pin on the back of a flower for a fluffy lapel decoration. Make smaller flowers and string them together as garland. *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: Day of the Dead, flowers, Latin-inspired, paper Personalized Lucha Libre Mask Lucha Libre is a form of Mexican wrestling, but it actually means "free fighting." The crafters are given Luchadors masks and various crafting tools and materials so that once they decide who their Lucha Libre "character" is, they can decorate the masks to reflect their wrestling personality. Materials: Mexican wrestling masks
Lucha Libre masks can be purchased online or at Mexican import stores, and this is how they come (figure A). Embellish the mask and pick a name for your Mexican wrestler personality.
Tips:
*** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: fabric, Halloween, Latin-inspired Saturday, September 13, 2008Virgin of Guadalupe Jewelry Chest IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE SLIDE SHOW ABOVE, CLICK HERE! This is a jewelry chest I made from IKEA wood organizer shelves and an old step stool. I saw a variation of this idea and decided to try it and revamp it in my own chica way! I hot glued fake roses all over the outside and left a space for the light up Virgin of Guadalupe statue (she is holographic!). I covered the front of the drawers with green glittered vinyl using Aleene's Crystal Clear Tacky Glue Spray. The trick to using this product is to first coat both things to be glued together and let them sit for a minute, and then join them. Super bond!! The fabric goes on so smooth, no bumps or blemishes at all! I wish I could Tacky Spray some other things in my life... ;-) As for the top of the chest, you could put anything in the center as the focal point - a glittered dog, a Lucha Libre bank, a large picture frame, etc... After I placed La Reina on the top, she needed more glitz. So I took a 14" embroidery hoop and wrapped a multi-colored light string around it and added it to the back. I love this piece, I want to keep it after the exhibit!! I'm having so much working on all these pieces for our upcoming exhibit. These are projects I never would have made otherwise. Now I can't imagine life without them! See the new line of Crafty Chica products at select Michaels stores!! All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2008. *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: fabric, flowers, furniture, jewelry, Latin-inspired Friday, September 12, 2008PROJECT: Latina Power End Table The picture doesn't do it justice!It took forever to make! I used all my Crafty Chica Mojito Papers and then sealed it all with Aleene's/Traci Bautista's Sparkles Collage Pauge. The glitter in it is amazing - all different shades of translucent heaven!  I sealed it all under a thick coat of two-part resin.To make this, I first basecoated the dresser with my Crafty Chica paints. Next, I painted over the inset of the drawer with the Collage Pauge and then covered it with glitter. I let it dry and then added swirls of Tulip 3D Fashion Paint (Ruby Glitter). I let that dry and then covered it with resin. I then used Aleene's Tacky Spray and covered the sides of the dresser with purple Day of the Dead oilcloth. Just to make sure it stuck well, I peeled down each edge and painted on a coat of Aleene's Original Tacky Glue. Next I made my paper collage on the top. I used paper images, glitter, stencils and even stickers. I then added two coats of Collage Pauge. Let it dry and then did a little (lot) resin action. I then used Aleene's Tacky Spray to add Indian paper to the shelves I (found it at IKEA). Next I used AOTG to glue down the flat backed cubes all around, and then trimmed the whole darn thing in Mardi Gras beads (red, teal and hot pink). Oh, and shells too.  I still need to add a flashy adornment to the drawer knob! I had such a blast making this! To think I bought this dresser at Goodwill for cheap! It is sturdy, chunky and was even made in Mexico! I'm going to use it in my "inspiration corner" in my room.  (before) *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: collage/paper, furniture, Latin-inspired, paint, paper Friday, August 15, 2008Mexican Tote Wall Lamp I was so delighted to be invited to contribute to CraftStylish.com as a guest blogger! I knew I had to do something totally uber-spectacular, so I hope this does the trick! It is a wall light made from a Mexican tote. I've posted directions below, but PLEASE visit the link here to see a gallery of step-by-step pics! 1 large Mexican grocery tote 1 wood frame, 16 inches x 16 inches 1 piece of white art paper, about 14 inches x14 inches Scissors Staple gun Ribbon Sequin trim Liquid Fusion adhesive Hot-glue gun 1 set of mini-lights (50) Tulip 3D Glitter Fashion Paint, black Crafty Chica™ Paint Pack™ Crafty Chica™ Chunky Glitters™ 1. Cut the handles off the bag, then remove stitches from the sides. Cut along the bottom of the fold. Keep that main piece and set aside the rest of the bag for another project. Cut up your tote bag so that you preserve the image or design that you want to feature on your wall. 2. Take the cut piece of bag, stretch it over the frame, and staple along the edges. If the piece will not fold over the side, just staple along the front edges. Trim off the excess. You can center (or not) the bag image as you stretch your cut piece of bag over the frame. 3. Outline the image design with Tulip 3D Glitter Fashion Paint. Let dry. Have fun highlighting and giving definition to the image with glittery paint! 4. Using Crafty Chica Paint Pack, paint inside the lines, and add Crafty Chica Chunky Glitters over the wet paint. Let dry. 5. Embellish the sides and front edges with trims and sequins, using the Liquid Fusion adhesive. Paint inside the lines and embellish the sides and front edges with colorful sequins or other sparkly trinkets. 6. Flip the frame over, and slip in the white paper so it sits under the frame and serves as a backing for the image. This will allow maximum glow! 7. To add the lights, keep the frame flipped over right side down. You will want to secure them within the inside of the frame's border so your wall light will rest flush against the wall. Use a staple gun to secure the lights—staple over the cording, making sure not to puncture it! If you do puncture it, you cannot plug in your light; you will need a new strand of lights! 8. Plug in and hang! Variation: Use a strand of battery-operated lights if you don't want the cord to show. * Remember always to use caution for any electrical craft project! *** See my new product line at select Michaels stores or buy online at Amazon.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: frida, Latin-inspired, lights Thursday, May 01, 2008Stamped Tissue Flower Pins One of the reasons I started making Latin-inspired crafts was to counteract the goofy Mexican-themed projects out there. Especially around this time of the year (Cinco de Mayo). I swear if I see another clay sombrero guy climbing in a tequila shot glass - I will cry! I'm not about the Haterade, instead let's think of some nice alternatives! Like the traditional tissue paper flower. They are bright, cheery and super easy to make! I made these tissue flowers as pins to wear at Maker Faire this weekend. I love making them, but after I made the first one I thought of the cool, pretty kits that Martha has out. "OK, I am the Crafty Chica, I HAVE to do make my flowers different than Martha's!" I thought. After I cut the squares of tissue, I stamped them! High-five, por favor! I wish I had silver or gold ink, but black worked nice as an alternative. I think these are stunning. There are very Carrie Bradshaw-goes-south-of-the-border. A contemporary spin on tradition! NOTE: These also make excellent Christmas tree decorations - all you have to do is glue an alligator clip or clothes pin on the back of each one and clip iton a branch! Here is how you make them: 1. Cut 8 pieces of assorted party tissue in squares, about 6". Cut 4 squares that are 3" square. If you want to stamp the tissue, do that now. 2. Stack them, and set the smaller set in the center. Accordion fold the stack. 3. Snip little notches on each side in the center. 4. Use a piece of pipe cleaner to wrap around the notches to secure the flower. 5. Carefully separate the sheets, and fluff them as you go. 6. Dab white craft glue and sprinkle matching (or translucent) micro glitter. 7. Turn over and hot glue pinback.  If you are having a Cinco party, or going out to a fiesta, or maybe attending a friend's party - make these and hand them out. Your friends will love you for it! There are so many variations on these that you can do. I would have made more, but I leave for the airport in the morning, and I still have to clean for the house sitters, and pack! *** CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: Cinco DeMayo, flowers, glitter, holiday, kids, Latin-inspired, paper, stamping Tuesday, April 29, 2008Easy Tissue Paper Flowers For normal people, margaritas and machaca are great ways to celebrate Mexican Independence Day this Tuesday. But if you are into handmade decorations, paper flowers are the way to go. Non-crafty types can even get into the spirit because it only involves simple accordion folding - a la kindergarten class. There are more elaborate, artistic ways to create paper flowers, but for starters this method is just right for adding a splash of vibrant color to a table centerpiece or place setting. Supplies: 1 package of multicolored tissue or crepe paper 1 package of green pipe cleaners Scissors Directions: Take four to five sheets of the tissue paper and layer them (if you want multicolored flowers, use different colors). Cut into 8-inch squares. Keeping the sheets layered, take one set of squares and fold it like an accordion so it looks like a thin rectangle. At the center of the rectangle, cut a small v-shaped notch on both sides. Take the end of a pipe cleaner and twist it around the notch. With the stem pointing straight down, gently pull up one layer of tissue into the center. Pull up the remaining layers, one by one. Repeat for the other side of the flower. Once all the layers are pulled up, fluff them in place to look natural. Continue making more flowers with the remaining stacks of squares. Tips and variations: For sturdier stems, wrap two pipe cleaners together. Cut smaller or larger squares to change the size of your flowers. Add more layers for thicker flowers or less layers for thinner ones. For a shiny effect, dip the top edges in white glue and then dip in loose glitter. Glue a pin on the back of a flower for a fluffy lapel decoration. Make smaller flowers and string them together as garland. *** CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: Cinco DeMayo, flowers, kids, Latin-inspired, paper Novela Notecards These are cards I made waaayyy back in 2004. I still have yet to actually send them out, because I love them too much. I'll probably end up framing them. You can use this same concept with Japanese, East Indian, or all-American vintage comic book covers and pages. This lovely project is from my book: The Crafty Chica Collection! *** CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: Cinco DeMayo, Latin-inspired, multi-culti, paper, party favors Frida Fiesta Placemats If you plan on having a Cinco de Mayo fiesta, you can't have boring place mats to go with your fancy home cooked menu! Devote some time to creating these artful collages that are laminated. You can use them all year round and they will add so much more spark and spirit to your party. Trust me! This lovely project is from my book: The Crafty Chica Collection! Supplies: Large piece of art paper Stickers, pictures, etc Scrapbook paper raffia hole puncher Make the collage on the art paper and get it color-copied (times how many place settings you have) and then laminated. Punch holes along the sides and tie pieces of raffia. Use memory wire, beads and decoupaged wood charms for napkin rings. *** CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: Cinco DeMayo, food crafts, frida, Latin-inspired, multi-culti About Me
Mommy, wifey, artist, author, left-handed middle-child Sagittarian. Craft designer, product developer, former newspaper columnist. My first novel, WAKING UP IN THE LAND OF GLITTER debuts March 1st!  
Note to visitors: Hola! This site is the archive of all my past projects for Gannett News Service and The Arizona Republic. These ideas are for personal use only. I make a living as a craft designer, so I will be using these ideas in my published works. If you are thinking of selling or using these ideas for profit, please give respect and "twist" them to make them your own - put your own stamp on them to make them different. It will work out for the best for both of us! Thank you and much respect from one creative person to another! — Kathy Have a burning crafty question? Visit my Ask Crafty Chica blog or drop me a line! Project Categories
I have oodles of categories, here are some of my favorites! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 small frame
If you are into handmade decorations, paper flowers are the way to go. Non-crafty types can even get into the spirit because it only involves simple accordion folding - a la kindergarten class. There are more elaborate, artistic ways to create paper flowers, but for starters this method is just right for adding a splash of vibrant color to a table centerpiece or place setting. 
|
|
