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The Crafty Chica DIY Project Library: a collection of fabulous handmade ideas by Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica! Wednesday, December 23, 2009How to Make a Fluffy Ribbon Bow LINK Right now all the ribbon is on sale at craft stores, I LOVE the wide sparkly stuff. I scooped up this gorgeous gold. Using Cheryl's technique, I used wire to secure my bow, and I added a brooch in the center. For gifts you are going to give away, you can add a button in the center, a charm, a polymer clay or decoupaged design. you get the idea!  ** 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. Saturday, December 12, 2009Chubby Girl Delight: Andes Mint Tree  This is a design I created in 2004. The funniest thing about this project is my memory of demonstrating it on the live local news. I had it pre-prepared the process in stages, one of which was a tree-shaped Rice Krispie Treat base that I was going to add the chocolate on to. Well, the station had a new anchor, and during the commercial break he walked over, said "I love Rice Krispie Treats!" - picked up the tree with his chunky man hands, and took a huge bite out of it! I squealed in horror and had only a matter of seconds to get my shizizzle together before the camera light turned on. I shooed him away, and quickly smashed the tree back into a tree shape the best I could, and then wiped my gooey hands off on the back on my expensive black skirt. The rest went off without a hitch. He didn't last too long at the station. Ironically, last I heard, he is working as a host for an HGTV show!Overall, this mint tree project is a snap to create, but I must share a secret . . . I'm more of a crafter than a chef, so I learned the hard way that the Rice Krispies treat mixture is sticky. I was very proud to have molded my tree, but when I tried to remove my hands, they were stuck. I did manage to pull them away, but I took half the tree in each palm. Then I reached for the roll of paper towels, and it stuck to my hands, too. I had to call my husband into the kitchen to come clean me up. Together, we tackled the rest of the process through trial and error. Our finding: Wax paper makes all the difference. Chocolate Andes Mint Tree Supplies: 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 10 ounces marshmallows 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal Wax paper 1 bag of chocolate melts (found in the candy aisle of the craft store) 4 boxes of Andes mints Red and green M&M's White cake glitter Saucepan, mixing bowl, spoon, frosting knife Directions: Heat the butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan on low heat. Stir until they are melted into a thick sauce. Add the Rice Krispies, and mix until covered in the sauce. Let cool a few minutes, then scoop the mixture onto a decorative dish or cake tray. Using wax paper on your hands, mold the mixture into a tall vertical tree shape that is smooth around the sides. Let cool. Empty the package of chocolate melts into a mixing bowl. Heat on high in the microwave for one minute. Remove and stir. Heat it another minute if needed. Stir until creamy. Frost the tree. Set the remaining chocolate aside and place the tree in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened. Unwrap the mints. Take the tree out of the fridge. Reheat the chocolate in the mixing bowl until it is melted. Begin to build your tree in circles from the bottom, going up. Take a mint and dab it in the chocolate sauce and place it vertically on the tree. Continue all the way around the base. Add the next layer of mints, making them overlap the first layer. You will be adding fewer mints as you go up because the cone tapers off at the top. Let cool until all the mints are "glued" in place. Add red and green M&M's to look like ornaments. Sprinkle white cake glitter. Variations: Use any kind of candy on your tree. Drizzle white chocolate over it for a different look. Suggestion: Use butter on your hands to prevent Rice Krispies mixture from sticking. ** 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, holiday Monday, November 30, 20092009 Holiday Round Up Looking for ideas for the holidays? Here is my round up of projects I've made over the years. I love bright colors all mashed together with lots of glitter and triple details. My projects express my excitement for life, friends, family - all of it. The more the better! Head's up - I'm not Martha. I'm not into polished and perfectly pretty. Every time I try that style, I FAIL miserably. My hands shake and I add gobs of more dealybobs. These days I've come to accept my kitschy style. So take these ideas and make them your own. Go over-the-top like I do, or scale back as you wish! Check back often, I'll be updating daily! Tips for holiday craft vendors! Crafter's Holiday Wreath Shimmery String Candle Holder Affirmation Advent Calendar Snuggie Mash-Up Advent Calendar Wreath Quickie Gift Box Glittered Resin Snowflakes Michoacan Mochas Andes Mint Tree Awesome Advent Calendar Bejeweled Champagne Flutes Bottlecap Tree Candy Kebobs Changable Art Purse Christmas Charm Earrings Christmas Tree Jewelry Coffee Bean Candle Cups Corazon Candles Corn Husk Wreath Crafty Time Capsule Crystal Game Card Ornaments Custom Collage Wrapping Paper Domino Shrines Embossed Tin Cards (That Double As Ornaments!) Etched Reindeer Mirrors Family Tree-In-A-Box Festive Spheres Flowered Gift Tower Gift Card Book Gift Card Book, part 2 Gift Tags Glittered Boxes and Ornaments Glittered Cactus Garden Glittery Greeting Wall Art Glittered Vases Hanging Card Holder Holiday Canvas Art Jump Start Scrapbook Pages Kwanzaa Shadow Box Lucha Libre Snowglobe M&M Wreath Matchbox Ornaments Mini-Light Tomato Cage Tree Mini Mirror Garland Mini-toy Wreath Mirrored Mission Ornaments Ornament Centerpiece Ornaments - 5 Ways! Paper Doll Ornaments Party Poppers Peppermint Snowflake Bark Ribbed Crochet Cap Quilted Christmas Card Sassy Snow Bowls Scrabble Tile Ornaments Silver Foil Vases Snickers Tree Superhero Ornament Set Tempting Tea Lights Terra Cotta Candle Stakes Tin Ornament ideas Tricked Out Christmas Shoes Twinkle Canvas Wish Upon a Star Bracelets ** 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: holiday Crafter's Holiday Wreath Guess what? I found a festive way to display all my colorful spools of thread!They look so pretty in my sewing box, I couldn't even think of keeping them hidden, so I slid them on a holiday wreath. Of course, I didn't stop there. I added embroidery thread, golden bobbins, beads, mini-mirrors, gems and all kinds of other doodads I could find. For the Merry Christmas title, I used a large glittery chipboard sticker I bought at the craft store. The cool thing - I can remove the title if I want and keep it up all year round. Now whenever I need a new spool of thread, I can just pull it off the wreath! ** 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: holiday, home decor, sewing Shimmery String Candle Cozy (Photo credit: Scott Wilkensen)Create a shimmery little cozy for your holiday candles! Turn embroidery thread into festive décor with Aleene’s Fabric Stiffener & Draping Liquid and Crafty Chica Chunky Glitters. Supplies:
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. Affirmation Advent Calendar This is an idea that Chica from Chica and Jo gave to me, and I LOVE it!! It is super easy and you can personalize it as much or as little as you like.The concept is to use envelopes as your gift holders. Just envelopes! How simple is that? You can go old school and use basic white ones, and decorate them with stickers or markers, or you can take it up a notch (waves hi!) and take apart an envelope to use as a template and make news ones from glittery scrapbook paper. I then wrote out the numbers with Aleene's® Paper Glaze and sprinkled on some magical Crafty Chica™ Chunky Glitters™! As far as what to put inside the envelopes - you can slip all kinds of things like gift cards, coupons, money, bookmarks, jewelry, anything else flat and light. My version? I'm thinking happy and uplifting. I am going to slip in a different affirmation for each day. Quotes, memories, jokes, photos, personal statements, etc. The most valuable gifts are priceless and come from within. Sure, you can use this idea for the holidays, but why not all year round? I would love to make one of these with 365 envelopes for each of my kids. To hold my envelopes, I used a wood cigar box that I embellished with a rubber stamp.   ** 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: empowerment crafts, holiday, paper Sunday, November 29, 2009Snuggie Surgery Arizona Republic reporter Richard Ruelas asked me to participate in a Snuggie makeover feature recently and this is what I came up with!The criteria was to take a Snuggie and make it more fashionable - but make it still be a Snuggie. I took two Snuggies and chopped them in quarters, sewed on appliques, added some iron-on transfers and then sewed the pieces back together. We now have two Snuggie mash-ups in the house! I didn't think I'd ever wear one of these, but I must admit, it works great for late night crafting and writing! Here is the article! ** 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. Friday, November 27, 2009Advent Calendar Wreath Today for Inspiration Friday, we have a special guest post from my amigas at ChicaAndJo.com! They run one of the cutest, most resourceful, passionate, happy and innovative DIY sites out there! It is jammed packed with everything from crafting to cooking to organizing! I asked if they would want to contribute to I.F. and look what they came up with! OK, on to the show! (psst...don't forget: ChicaAndJo.com!) ** Advent Calendar Clothespin Wreath from Chica and Jo Hello, Crafty Chica readers! We are fellow crafters named Chica and Jo (no relation!), and we are friends of Kathy's. We are so honored that she asked us to share a project with you on her blog today, and we think you'll really enjoy it. It's covered in glitter, so what's not to love? Back before Thanksgiving, Jo came up with a really fun idea for making an interactive Thanksgiving wreath out of clothespins, which all of her friends and family could personalize with the reason they are thankful. It was such a huge hit that we decided to expand the idea for Christmas, and make an advent calendar using the same technique. The results are gorgeous and the project is SO EASY that you can do it in no time at all! Here's how: Supplies needed: 12" wire wreath frame about 50-55 traditional wooden clothespins red craft paint silver marker silver glitter glue 1 or 2 decorative wooden shapes (we used snowflakes) red and silver ribbon for a bow Directions: Start by painting your clothespins bright red with regular craft paint.  Then use a silver marker to write numbers 1 through 24 on the clip end of 24 of the clothespins.  Clip the clothespins onto the wreath, alternating between numbered ones and solid red ones. You should have a gap left that you can fill with four or five solid red clothespins. That's okay, these will be at the top and will look fine. Apply glue to the tips of the numbered clothespins and to the entire surface of the solid red ones. Then sprinkle liberally with some silver Crafty Chica Glitter. Ooh, so pretty!  Now take one or two decorative wooden shapes and paint and glitter them however you like. You can then add words to them if you like, such as your family's last name and the year. We chose to put "Christmas Means" on them, since this wreath is going to remind us of all the things Christmas means to us.  Tie a bow with the coordinating ribbon on top of the wreath. The wire frame makes this so easy to do!  The wreath is now done and ready to hang on the door. The fun part, though, is using it. It is an advent calendar, after all, so every day from December 1 through 24th, gather your family together and come up with something that Christmas means to you. Then use a silver pen to write that on the clothespin for that day. By the time Christmas comes around, you'll have a great collection of things that will remind you of the spirit of the season and how blessed you really are.  And besides, just look how gorgeous this thing looks on the front door!  We hope you enjoyed this project and big hugs to Kathy for letting us share it with you. May you all have a wonderful holiday season and may it be filled with glitter! Chica and Jo Would you like to submit an article for Inspiration Friday? I feature a different person every week! Click HERE for the guidelines   . -SUBMIT your piece with INSPIRATION FRIDAY in the subject line and email to kathy[at]craftychica[dot]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: empowerment crafts, holiday Monday, December 22, 2008Quickie gift box  CLICK HERE FOR MORE HOLIDAY PROJECT IDEAS! *** 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: gifts to make, holiday, paper Monday, December 15, 2008Glittered Resin Snowflakes Here in Arizona, snowflakes are hard to come by. So we have to be creative and create our own faux-chilly version. Snowflake-shaped silicone molds will do the trick. Use them to create a serious collection of colorful decorations that can be hung in your house or outside on your patio, or even from trees. The trick is to use resin and mix in glitter, sequins or anything else to create an artful look that would make Frosty proud. Glittered Resin Snowflakes Supplies: 1 large silicone snowflake mold (I bought mine at the Target Dollar Spot) 1 box of Envirotex Lite resin Chopstick Assorted Crafty Chica glitter, sequins. Wax paper Dremel tool Fishing line Directions: Line your work area with wax paper. Use one-fourth cup of each part of the resin and pour in a paper cup. Mix vigorously with chopstick for two minutes. Pour in the glitter or sequins and stir again. Pour into mold. Let sit for 24 hours until fully hardened. Use the Dremel to drill a hole at the top. Add a long strand of fishing line. Repeat for make more snowflakes. Hang in different lengths from your ceiling or from outside trees or patio trim. CLICK HERE FOR MORE HOLIDAY PROJECT IDEAS! *** 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: glitter, holiday, resin Wednesday, December 03, 2008Holiday project round up! Looking for ideas for the holidays? So much to do in so little time, right? Well, ditch the popcorn garland already and dive in! Andes Mint Tree Awesome Advent Calendar Bejeweled Champagne Flutes Bottlecap Tree Candy Kebobs Changable Art Purse Christmas Charm Earrings Christmas Tree Jewelry Coffee Bean Candle Cups Corazon Candles Corn Husk Wreath Crafty Time Capsule Crystal Game Card Ornaments Custom Collage Wrapping Paper Domino Shrines Embossed Tin Cards (That Double As Ornaments!) Etched Reindeer Mirrors Family Tree-In-A-Box Festive Spheres Flowered Gift Tower Gift Card Book Gift Card Book, part 2 Gift Tags Glittered Boxes and Ornaments Glittered Cactus Garden Glittery Greeting Wall Art Glittered Vases Hanging Card Holder Holiday Canvas Art Jump Start Scrapbook Pages Kwanzaa Shadow Box Lucha Libre Snowglobe M&M Wreath Matchbox Ornaments Mini-Light Tomato Cage Tree Mini Mirror Garland Mini-toy Wreath Mirrored Mission Ornaments Ornament Centerpiece Ornaments - 5 Ways! Paper Doll Ornaments Party Poppers Peppermint Snowflake Bark Ribbed Crochet Cap Quilted Christmas Card Sassy Snow Bowls Scrabble Tile Ornaments Silver Foil Vases Snickers Tree Superhero Ornament Set Tempting Tea Lights Terra Cotta Candle Stakes Tin Ornament ideas Tricked Out Christmas Shoes Twinkle Canvas Wish Upon a Star Bracelets *** 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: holiday Ornament Centerpiece This is a project I did in 2004. It didn't quite come out the way I envisioned it, but maybe you can take the concept and refine it! In my world of glitter and glue, coffee and crafting go together like cookies and milk. During the holidays, I enter mass-production crafting mode and amp up on quad venti mochas. (For non-coffee drinkers, that translates into four shots of espresso). One recent day while waiting for my caffeine confection, I fell in love with the coffee store's shiny silver decorations, which were set high on shelves. I stood on my toes to see that they were made from ornaments turned upside down and inserted into a platform base. I rushed home to make my own version. It was harder than I imagined, and I'm still tinkering with the design, but here is the basic plan. Ornament Centerpiece 1 round Styrofoam disc Bamboo skewers Green spray paint Assorted bulb ornaments Hot glue and glue gun Green pipe cleaners 1 package of faux pine garland Wire nippers 1 faux pine wreath (big enough to fit around the outside of the Styrofoam disc) Optional: Miniature ornaments, flowers, tinsel or glitter spray Directions: Outdoors, spray paint the Styrofoam disc and bamboo skewers green. Let dry. Put the disc on a flat surface. Remove the top from each ornament so the hole is exposed. Apply a drop of hot glue to the flat end of a skewer and insert it in the ornament. Press in place until firm. Wrap the remainder of the stick with a pipe cleaner or pieces of pine garland. Repeat with the rest of the ornaments and skewers. Stick the skewered ornaments into the Styrofoam disc and hot-glue them in place. If desired, use the wire nippers to cut the skewers to different lengths. Use the nippers to cut small branches from the garland. Stick these pieces into the disc to cover the bare areas. Set the wreath on a flat surface and place the disc inside; press into place so it is snug. Attach small ornaments or other decorations to the wreath branches, if desired. Variations: Use a rectangular or square Styrofoam base for a different look, and pin garland around the outside for a fluffy look. *** 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 Holiday Card Hanger Show off your cards in style! To make this you need -1 dowel wide ribbon Thin ribbon White craft glue or hot glue Straight pins, or heavy glue dots Cut four long strips of the wide ribbon and align them across the dowel. Secure with the white craft glue. Tie/glue the long strand to both ends of the dowel. Pin or 'glue dot' your cards to the ribbon! There are gobs of variations, this is the easiest! *** 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 Crystal Game Card Ornaments Break out the glitter-spray faux snow - serious December crafting is under way. Here is a shimmery ornament project: 1 small blank paper mache or wood ornament Acrylic paint and brush 1 playing card from Old Maid or another retro game Scissors Aleene's clear tacky glue 1 piece of paper 1 bag of clear micro glass balls Directions: Paint the ornament in a desired color and let dry. Cut out the picture from a playing card to fit the ornament and adhere with glue. Press and seal all the corners. Place the paper in front of you on the table. Apply a thin layer of the clear glue on the entire surface of the picture. Pour the micro beads on top of the picture so it is completely covered with one even layer. Let dry. Variation: You can also use glass or ceramic ornaments. *** 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 Monday, December 01, 2008Paper Doll Ornament Clips    By Kathy Cano-Murillo Special for The Arizona Republic Looking for a way to make your tree pop this year? Standard glittery glass bulbs will do, but why not crank it up a notch? My first thought was to make large flowers or butterflies from watercolor paper, but I settled on paper dolls. These dolls are inspired by a drawing class I took over the summer from artist, Suzi Blu (http://www.suziblu.net/). If you don’t feel like breaking out the sketchbook, you can use any kind of magazine, vintage, or even copied images from family album. The real magic comes from the body, because you can embellish it with glitter, fabric, trims, etc. Add a clothespin to the back and you have one happy tree! Paper Doll Ornament Clips Supplies: Pictures of faces that you either drew or photocopied, approx. 2” round Thin cardboard, heavy watercolor paper Fabric, paper, ribbon scraps Glue stick, white craft glue Crystals or gems Crafty Chica glitter Clothes pins or alligator clips Crafty Chica Markers or paints Scissors Directions: To make a batch of paper doll ornaments, you want each one to be about 7” long. Cut long triangles (to make the body/dress) from the cardboard. Decorate them with fabric and trim, using glue. Apply the picture of the heads to cardboard. Cut out sets of feet and hands from cardstock. Sort the heads, bodies and limbs in piles. Before you glue, mix and match all the pieces until you create a doll you like. Glue the heads to the bodies and add the feet and hands. Embellish with glitter and gems, let dry. Hot glue the clothespin on the back and clip to your tree! TIP: If your doll feels flimsy, glue a strip of cardboard to the back and then the clip. *** 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 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 Mirrored Mission Ornaments This is a project from my Crafty Chica Collection book. All you need is tin, a ballpoint pen, a magazine, glass paint pens, crystals and small purse mirrors.You cut the tin to look like a mission church (there are templates in the book), set them on a magazine, emboss designs using the pen, color the areas, add the crystals, and then glue the mirror to the back. Don't forget to punch a hole at the top so you can hang it!I made these for the holidays, but you can do larger versions for your home decor. *** 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, home decor 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 Kwanzaa Shadow Box As you can see by the price on the stamp, I made this piece a few years back. That's what makes me love it even more - I could have used that stamp to send a letter and never have seen it again. Now I have it preserved for years to come! I love the philosophy behind Kwanzaa, and this little box helps me remember to practice the seven principles 24/7.*** 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, kwanzaa, multi-culti, shrines Flowered Balconey Gift tower This is super fancy gift wrap idea from my sister-in-law, Michelle Cano. She comes up with the most outlandish decorating ideas! This is three boxes wrapped with fabric and tied together with ribbon. She hot glued mini-flower pots to give it a garden-y look. For complete directions, check out my Crafty Chica Collection 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 Family-Tree-in-A-Box Come holiday season, it's hard to think of each person to buy a gift for and what they want or need. And especially what you got them last year. I come from a BIG family, and so does my husband. We need help keeping everyone in order! Think of this project as a filing system for your family members. Make a section for each family (friends too!) (like a recipe box!) and then decorate a card for each person with all the important details. That when when it comes to shopping for them you can see remember their favorite colors, hobbies, etc. It will make your gift all the more personable! You can do it digitally, keep it in a folder and update whenever you want, or just hand write updates.  *** 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 Warrior Angel Shadow Box This is from a book I contributed too, Angel Crafts. I call it an Angel Warrior box because I believe we all have powerful angels flying around us, that are soft and pretty - but they can also kick butt to protect us, just like warriors! To make this project you need: Crafty Chica Paints Crafty Chica Rockabilly Ruby Glitter 1 shadow box bottle cap Decorative paper Wood heart Milagros Tulip Crystals Hot glue Markers, scissors Sandpaper Cotton balls Scrap fabric Yarn Paint the box and then sand the edges. Paint and glitter the wood hear and glue it to the back of the box. Paint the bottlecap as a face, glue it to the wood heart. Make the dress and wings out scrap fabric or paper, glue in place. Add yarn for hair. Paint accents around the border and glue down milagros and crystals. *** See my new product line 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: empowerment crafts, holiday Friday, November 28, 2008VIDEO: Terra Cotta Candle Stakes
Having a party and need some flashy decorations for your walkway or patio? Maybe you just want a little glitz for the season? Try this idea! LINK *** 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: crafty video, holiday, home decor, LifetimeTV VIDEO: Christmas Tree Jewelry!
We spend so much time and energy picking our the ornaments for our holiday tree - but what about what we hang them from? Here is an easy idea that is literally off the hook! LINK *** 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: crafty video, holiday, LifetimeTV VIDEO: Christmas Charm Earrings!Need a colorful pair of danglys for the season? Check out this easy pair I made exclusively for MyLifetime.com's "Crafted" series! LINK *** 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: crafty video, holiday, jewelry, LifetimeTV VIDEO: Mini-Mirror Garland Click here to see the video if you can't see it above... *** 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: crafty video, holiday VIDEO: Glass Etched MirrorsLooking for a last minute gift to make that is easy and inexpensive? Do this: Tomorrow look in the local paper for a 40% off coupon for Michaels. Use it to buy a jar of glass etching cream. Also pick up some mirrors and stencils. And then watch this video! I used mirrors from IKEA, stencils from Stencil1.com (along with a special rose one of mine). If you can't see the video up there, CLICK HERE *** 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: crafty video, holiday, home decor Saturday, October 11, 2008Empowerment Guardian Angel We could all use an angel looking over our shoulder 24/7/365. This lovely guardian angel will do the trick! Just choose your favorite colors, then add layers of glitter and crystals to make sure her light shines bright! Keep her for yourself or give her to a special friend. Designed by Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica Materials List
Instructions
*** 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: empowerment crafts, holiday 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
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