Fall leaves are hard to come by in my neck of the city. So unless you are planning a trip up north soon, you'll have to check out the floral aisle at the craft store.

Whether they are the real thing or not, fall leaves are a lovely sign that fall is finally here. So why not incorporate them into your latest craft project?

This embellished frame is a wonderful way to embrace November and all it has to offer.

Fall Leaf Frame

Supplies:
1 wood picture frame
Gold paint, brush
Assorted silk fall leaves
Scissors
Hot glue
Gold micro stars
White craft glue
Green spray glitter.

Directions: Paint the frame gold and let dry. Snip the stems from the leaves and sort the large leaves from the small. Hot glue the large ones around the front of the frame in a random but balanced fashion. Hot glue the smaller leaves to cover bare spots. Apply a tiny drop of glue on one of the leaves and place a micro star on top of it. Continue until the micro stars are evenly distributed around the leaves. Let dry. Take it outside and lightly spray on a mist of glitter. Let dry.

Variations: If you have real fall leaves, place them inside a floating frame to preserve them. Use silk leaves to adorn napkin rings, lapel pins and more.



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* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2006. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: home decor, inside, Thanksgiving

This Thursday is more than just about turkey and cranberry sauce. It's about "giving thanks", remember? So spread that reminder message at the dinner table by whipping up some of these lovely napkins rings! You don't have to be a pro designer or artist to put together some soulful accents; and to prove that, here is a crafty recipe for beaded napkin rings that come with a heartfelt message.

Stringing beads on memory wire is a standard technique, but the extra touch is a dangling wood disc adorned with a personalized message or photo for your guests. You can use inspiring quotes, family trivia or photos, and place one napkin ring at each setting. After the meal, each person can take the napkin ring home and attach it around a small ivy bowl, a pillar candle or wear it as a bracelet. Now that's something to be thankful for!

Be Thankful Napkin Rings

Supplies:
1 package of medium memory wire (bracelet memory wire)
1 pair of needle nose pliers
1 pair of wire nippers
1 package of small beads
Assorted beads in size, color, shapes, etc.
1 package of small wood discs (dime size)
Assorted face photos of family members, or phrases printed from your computer
White craft glue
Handheld drill
12 millimeter jump rings

Directions: Using the nippers, cut the memory wire into single rings; you can have the ends overlap if you like. Grip the end of one of the rings and use the pliers to bend the raw end into a tiny loop. This is so your beads won't slide off and so the end won't snag on anything. Slide one of the small beads onto the end of the ring. Now add the other beads to fill up the ring, leaving a 1-centimeter tail at the end. Slide on another small bead and create another tiny loop with the pliers. Glue the picture onto the wood disc, drill a small hole at top, insert jump ring and attach to the center of the beaded napkin ring.

Variations: Instead of a wood disc, stamp an initial into a small circle of polymer clay. You can also use rubber stamps to decorate the disc, or fancy papers. Instead of words, you can glue a picture of the face of each person and use as the place markers. If you don't have time to make the discs, add a dangling charm.

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STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* 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, other holidays, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving greeting cards? Why not? These gorgeous cards were designed by Jamie Valimont, owner of xpedx Paper & Graphics. The secret? Wordsworth Wild Card Template! These are very cool cardmaking templates. HERE ARE THE DIRECTIONS FOR THE PROJECT.

* By Kathy Cano Murillo, copyright 2005. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: collage/paper, other holidays, Thanksgiving