Do away with plastic bowls, and go fancy. This lovely project is from my book: The Crafty Chica Collection!

Supplies:
1 terra cotta large saucer
1 terra cotta bowl
water-based craft paint, brushed
water-based varnish
glass dish to go inside bowl
large wood balls for feet.

Paint the whole thing, let dry. Give it two coats of varnish, let them dry in between.
Glue on the feet. Put glass bowl inside for the salsa.


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* 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, Latin-inspired, multi-culti, outdoor

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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: garden, inside, outdoor, wedding

I admit I'm not a fan of sports.
The thought of the subject makes my face flinch as much as when I tasted liver as an 8-year-old. When I got married, part of my criteria for a husband was that he had to have a low interest as well.
So I thought it was the end of our marital bliss last year when I caught my husband glued to the TV set night after night watching baseball. Luckily, it was just the World Series -- a worthy exception.
My next scare came from the morning set of 12 News Today, where each Friday I happily trot in with my glue gun and glitter to share craft projects. My serenity ceased one day when I was approached by friendly but persistent weatherman Dave Kingmen, who confronted me with a horrifying question.
"Why don't you ever do man crafts, Kathy?" he asked. "Can you do something, like, with sports?"
"Umm, sure, I guess," I replied. I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth. I thought for sure he would forget about it by the following week.
Not a chance.
"Hey Kathy, where's that sports project? I'm still waiting!"
To make matters more stressful, the cameraman got in on it, too: "Will you be able to do a sports project for Monday Night Football? There has to be something neat you can do."
Ack! I caved in to the pressure, and this is what I came up with. So this project is for my husband (who had fun watching me assemble it) and the morning sports fans at 12 News Today.
P.S. Forgive me if I don't have the "right teams." For that, you have to make your own snack set!
Football Snack Set
SUPPLIES
1 serving tray.
Cork coasters.
Assorted football magazines.
Poster board.
Scissors.
Glue stick.
Industrial-strength craft glue.
DIRECTIONS: Cut out various pictures and articles in different shapes and sizes from the magazine and set aside. Measure and cut the poster board to fit as a liner for the inside of the serving tray. Lay the poster board on a flat working surface and begin to lay out the magazine cutouts in an eye-appealing arrangement. When you find the design you like, use the glue stick to adhere them. Trim the excess from around the edges of the poster board. Take the decorated poster board to a local copy center, make the desired amount of color copies for use as place mats and coasters, then have each sheet laminated. Pop one into the tray for use, use one to line the top of the cork coasters (use industrial-strength craft glue) and use the remaining for place mats.
VARIATION: Make different arrangements for other sports, or use trading cards or family photos for a more personalized look.

* For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: collage/paper, home decor, inside, outdoor

By now, many creative homeowners have made personalized stepping stones for their gardens and lawns. Making the decorated discs is as easy as buying a kit-in-a-box at the local craft store. But why be limited to grass and tootsies? Here's an idea that breaks the plastic mold: Shrink the concept.
In an afternoon, you can whip up mini-versions that work wonders as playful drink coasters that carry the fun to patio parties, backyard bashes and the family room. Escalate the whimsy by gluing small pictures under clear, flat pebbles, and then embedding them in the wet cement. It's easy enough to follow up with a whole new set of the concrete stepping stones to match. Wilma Flintstone would be impressed.

Supplies:
1 bag of large, flat-sided, clear glass pebbles.
Small pictures or stickers.
White glue.
1 box of cement mix.
Plastic disposable bucket.
Popsicle sticks.
Plastic coaster molds.
1 bottle of water-based varnish.
1 sheet of colored felt.
Optional: acrylic paints and brush.
Directions: Add a dab of glue to the flat side of the pebble and set it on top of the picture. Have both on a flat surface so the pebble won't slide. When dry, trim the excess paper. Add a layer of white glue to the back of the picture to secure it and seal the edges. Each coaster will hold eight to nine large-size pebbles, so be sure to fashion enough pebbles for the number of coasters you wish to create.
Mix the cement in the plastic bucket (or bowl) according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour the mixture into the molds and let set for five minutes. Press the pebbles into the wet cement in desired pattern and let dry for 24 hours. The glue under the pebbles will turn white but will eventually dry clear. Carefully remove the coasters from the molds. Turn them over and let them dry from underneath for several hours. Add a coat of varnish to the visible cement areas on top and sides. Apply felt to the bottom of each coaster to protect furniture.
Variations: Instead of clear pebbles, press colored pebbles or other objects into the wet cement. Add a layer of paint on the back of each pebble so the color will show through or paint borders around the coaster edges for a brighter look.

* For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: garden, home decor, inside, outdoor

LINK

Patio season is in full swing. These outdoor covered soirees unite friends and family, inspire hearty conversation and promote an agenda of lip-smacking foods -- we're talking fun and festive to the extreme. If you throw your own backyard bash, make your decorations the "light" of the party. Twinkling bulbs add the perfect accent, and, thanks to the new book Decorating With Mini-Lights (Lark Books, $19.95), there are an abundance of bright ideas to choose from. The 112-page book offers quick and impressive projects for a variety of occasions.
I couldn't resist the one that gave new life to white table-tennis balls. The balls can be found in the sporting- goods department, and the minilights and other materials at local craft stores.
Ping Pong Rainbow Lights
SUPPLIES:
* Acrylic paints in desired colors
* Paper plate
* Cup of water
* Small paintbrush
* 15 table-tennis balls
* Paper towels
* Paint pen
* Craft knife with several sizes of blades
* 1 strand of 15 clear minilights
* Hot glue gun and glue sticks
DIRECTIONS: Add a drop of one of the colors of paint to the paper plate, and add a few drops of water. Mix with the paintbrush until paint becomes watery. Dab your finger in it and lightly pat it on the surface of one of the balls. Continue the process on the remaining balls. Repeat process with other colors. Rest the balls on the paper towels to prevent spreading the paint on your work surface. When the paint is completely dry on all the balls, add accents with a metallic or black paint pen.
There will be a logo on each of the balls. This is where you will poke a hole with the craft knife. Cut hole just large enough to fit over the light bulb. Add a small drop of hot glue to hold it in place.
VARIATION: Make your lights look elegant by using gold or silver metallic paints as a base coat. Food coloring can be used instead of paint as a coloring medium, see book for directions.

* For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: crafty video, garden, lights, outdoor

Birds come in all sorts of shapes and sizes -- and most certainly with their own distinctive personalities, too. For every fluffy, happy bird that belts out cheery tunes, there is a macho feathered friend that prefers just to chill out and look cool.
Enter the cigar box birdhouse, a crafty idea from my co-worker Randy Cordova. This simple creation involves only a bit of drilling, sanding and gluing, and will lend a masculine and classic touch to your garden. Unless, of course, you can't resist dressing it up with a splash of color. Thankfully, you don't need to be a cigar smoker in order to make this birdhouse. Cigar boxes are readily available at local cigar shops, thrift stores or online auctions.
Cigar box birdhouse
Materials:
* Medium-size wood cigar box with sliding panel
* Drill
* Sandpaper
* Glue gun
* Outdoor polyurethane varnish
* Optional: beads and glitter
* 12-inch piece of jute cord or wire
Directions: Remove sliding panel from box, and drill a 1 1/2-inch hole 2 inches from the top. Sand the edges of the hole to smooth. Take the box and apply a thin line of glue to the grooves and slide the panel back in place. Let dry. Drill two small holes at the top of the box. Cover the birdhouse with two to three coats of varnish. Add beads and glitter, if desired. When completely dry, thread the cord or wire through the top holes, tie off and hang.
Tip: If you'd prefer to decorate your cigar box, decoupage pages from bird handbooks or pictures of birds. For a more eclectic look, glue bottle caps, trinkets or other found objects, or add a dangling ornament at the bottom of the birdhouse.

* For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: garden, outdoor

From silver stars to pink flamingos, patio lights have become must-have accessories for indoor and outdoor recreation rooms. I first learned of this clever light-string idea from my Auntie Linda, who is the ultimate crafty lady in the family.
She has always had a magic touch when it comes to creating cozy and whimsical atmospheres in her house. Every time I visit, I'm awestruck by how many colorful creations she has come up with -- plant pokes, lawn ornaments, photo collages, table centerpieces, down to the handmade party invitations she sends us every year. However, it was these terra cotta patio lights that made me gasp in delight.
I used fabric scraps from a Mexican serape and raffia, but you can easily coordinate alternative fabrics and/or ribbons to match your decor. Supplies can be found at most craft stores.
Terra Cotta Patio Lights Supplies:
* String of white outdoor minilights
* Terra cotta pots (2-inch size)
* Fabric
* Ruler
* Scissors
* Fabric glue stick
* Newspaper
* Glue gun
* Raffia or ribbon
Directions: Count the number of lights on the string and purchase the same number of pots. Cut the same number of fabric strips measuring 6 1/2 inches by one-half inch so there is one for each pot. With the glue stick, attach fabric strips to the rims of the pots. Let dry, then go back and trim any excess fabric.
Place one light inside the hole of a pot so it goes all the way through but still fits snuggly. If the hole is not big enough, open a pair of scissors and use one blade to scrape inside the hole to enlarge it. Work on top of newspaper, because this will create a pile of terra cotta "dust." Do this to all of the pots until the lights fit firmly inside the hole.
Using a hot-glue gun, attach the lights inside the pots one by one. Let dry. If desired, add raffia bows in between the pots.
Tip: Don't have fabric scraps? Ribbon works even better!

* For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: Cinco DeMayo, garden, holiday, Latin-inspired, lights, outdoor

When I was a kid, my mother and I used to ring in the New Year by running outside and banging pots and pans together in the street. It sounds strange, but I guess it was my mom's idea of a wacky way to celebrate the midnight hour.
However, when I demonstrated this tradition to my own kids a few New Year's Eves ago, they freaked out on me. I'll never forget the look of sheer terror on their faces as I stood in the middle of our street clanging together two large saucepans and chiming, "Come outside with Mommy, kids, this is fun!" They tearfully screamed back from the doorway, "Mommy! Why are you doing that? Please come back in the house!"
OK, these days, the cookware is only used at mealtime and the kids have recovered nicely. But I still enjoy doing something fun (and normal) on New Year's Eve. I've toned the partying down to making crafts with the kids and throwing confetti at midnight.
This year our New Year's will revolve on menudo, tamales, tortillas and animated storytelling by my animated dad. Everything from the food to the fables is rich with color and culture. So I thought this year I would decorate to follow suit.
When I first saw this floating candle idea in a book, it was used with elegant champagne glasses and gold glitter. I can't think of the last time my family used champagne glasses at a gathering, so I adapted it with something more fitting: margarita glasses.
Not only will they add a fun accent to the dinner table, but once the partying is over with, these candle-lighted creations are casual enough to keep out year-round.
But by all means, if the champagne design is more your style, more power to you.

What you need:
* 2 margarita glasses you won't ever use again
* 2 red or green floating candles (I like the stars and heart shapes)
* Multicolored star glitter
* Colored glitter
* White glue
* Spray sealant
* Food coloring (optional)
How to make it: Using your fingertip, apply a thin layer of white glue to the rim of the glass, then sprinkle enough of the colored glitter to cover. Let dry, and then lightly spray with sealant so glitter won't flake off.
Carefully add water (and food coloring, if desired) and top off with dashes of multicolored star glitter.
Place floating candle in center and light. It's guaranteed to be the brightest idea of the night!
* For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: lights, outdoor

Stained glass looks elegant on windows, but here's a clever and contemporary way to incorporate it into a living room or patio accessory.
The secret is the black leading. It looks as if each outline were painstakingly created by hand. Wrong! The credit goes to Redi Lead. Produced by Gallery Glass, this adhesive lead comes in convenient packages of strips and circles. I fell in love with both. Simply peel them off, arrange a design on the lamp and fill in with color. Upside: The leading is very flexible and allows room for shaping. Downside: I had leftover leading. This project was so addicting that I confiscated every glass item in my house in order to use it all.
Polka-dot hurricane lamp supplies:
1 large hurricane lamp
1 package of Redi Lead circles
Assorted colors of Gallery Glass paint
Pillar candle
Paper towel
Directions:
Clean your lamp with glass cleaner. Peel off largest size of Redi Lead circles and position them randomly around the entire area. Do the same with the other sizes of circles in descending order until they are evenly distributed. Use the center dots from the Redi Lead circles for the middle of the largest circles. Keep in mind that Redi Lead is removable for a couple of minutes after placement, but sets permanently soon after.
Next, fill in the circles by squeezing the Gallery Glass stained glass paint and lightly spreading with a finger or Q-tip. Use a paper towel to wipe excess from the Redi Lead. Let dry for one hour, then reapply color for a more intense look. Let dry for another hour until paint dries clear.
Cut the excess leading left on the paper into tiny squares and place on the lamp to fill in spaces.
Set the lamp on a holder, place the candle inside and light.

* For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: garden, home decor, inside, lights, outdoor

When the Crafty Ideas column launched in December, we put up a message board at home.azcentral.com to accompany it. Since then, dozens of creative folks have visited and shared ideas about everything from pottery to tarot cards to classroom activities.
One of those online guests was Sharon Knight of Scottsdale. Last March she wrote, "I have a lot of beveled mirror pieces from an old leaded bedroom section. I've saved the pieces that didn't get broken and plan on having them framed, but there are a lot of leftover broken large sections. I'd like some insight on what to make with them."
Here's a way to let your outdoor garden benefit from the excess material. By gluing mirrors to fishing line you can add a sparkling New Age touch to trees. The multiple mirrors will flicker as they reflect light. It's best to make several strands for a brighter effect and arrange them in clusters.
Mirror pieces are available at any home-improvement or craft store.
Back to the message board -- special thanks to everyone who has visited. It's a great place to discover new ideas and share tips on the joys and hazards of crafting. Your idea may even end up right here.

Supplies:
* 15-20 small mirror pieces (1 inch wide) or 10 larger mirrors (2 to 3 inches wide)
* Fishing line or thin decorative ribbon
* E6000 glue
* Thin colored ribbon
Directions: Cut a 14- to 16-inch piece of fishing line. Tie a loop at the top large enough to fit over a tree branch. Apply a dollop of glue to the back of one of the mirror pieces and lay flat, glue side up. Place the fishing line on top. Press another mirror on top, so that the line is sandwiched between the two mirrors. Continue until you have several in a row. Take several strands of ribbon and tie them to the bottom of the string for color.

* For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: garden, inside, outdoor

Coffee bean candles
MATERIALS:
* 1 oversize coffee mug
* 1 cup of whole coffee beans
* 1 short vanilla or cappuccino-scented candle
DIRECTIONS: Add a small layer of coffee beans at the bottom of the mug. Insert the candle and pour the remaining beans around it evenly.
VARIATION: Use containers such as clear candleholders, trays or decorative tins and fill with Red Hots, beads, beans or dried cranberries.
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* For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: holiday, home decor, inside, lights, outdoor

As a kid I used to come up with some of the best ideas in the middle of the night. But I could never wait until daylight to launch my plan. Instead I opted to work quietly and furiously in my dark bedroom during the wee hours of the morning.
My parents were too busy snoring to notice.
That memory came back to haunt me recently. One night when I was exhausted, I couldn't fall asleep because this idea of making a bell out of a coffee mug popped into my head. I tossed and turned all night, stumped as to how to drill a hole through the cup.
As I discussed it with a friend the next day, we managed to find a clever alternative. Just in time for the warmer weather.
Now that spring is here, you'll want to clear out some of those coffee mugs or teacups -- seeing that hot drinks aren't in high demand anymore.
Select a few of them that look good upside down and follow the directions to transform your drink ware into cheery "drill-less" hanging bells for your porch or patio.

Supplies:
2 pieces of twine or thin, colored cording (12 inches each)
2 medium buttons
E6000 glue
1 coffee mug or teacup
Pencil
2 washers (1 inch wide)
Decorative item to dangle
Large wood bead
Directions: Thread the twine through one of the buttons. Repeat for second button.
Apply a dollop of glue to the bottom of one of them. Attach it to the inside center of the mug. Use the pencil to press it into place. Let it set for 30 minutes.
Turn the mug over so the bottom is facing up. Apply another dollop of glue to the second button and attach it to the top of what is becoming your bell. Let it set for 30 minutes, then lay the mug on its side for 24 hours so the glue will cure.
Stack the two washers (they act as the ringer), string through the twine hanging inside the mug, and tie a knot. You may need to glue the washers to the knot. Tie or glue on a decorative dangling item to the twine. At the top of the bell, slide the wood bead through the cording.
Tip: You can also drill a hole through the mug; use a diamond or masonry bit.
* For more artsy goodness, check out http://www.CraftyChica.com *

Labels: outdoor

When I became a proud homeowner, the first duty on my renovating list was to rip out the bland-looking carpet and replace it with beautiful Saltillo tile.
However, I sadly discovered that there were other projects that took precedence. You know, little things -- such as furniture, cookware and bedroom sets. But I wasn't about to let that carpet get the best of me. Being a devout DIY-er, I conquered my disappointment with a shabby chic favorite: a hand-painted floor cloth. The key is the primed canvas. Craft stores sell a project kit for less than $10 that is perfect for novices. An alternative is a bulk roll (approximately $60) that leaves material for more projects. Tips: Make sure the canvas is primed; otherwise you will have to apply gesso, which translates into unnecessary costs and time. Sketch a draft of your design before beginning. Work in a shaded outdoor area for extra room and ventilation. The result will liven up any room and hide less-than-perfect carpet. Chances are it will even look great on Saltillo tile!

Supplies:
1 piece of primed canvas measuring 50 by 74 inches (alter size if necessary)
Chalk
Ruler
Scissors
Iron
Rubber cement
Spray adhesive
1 piece of rubber rug backing to fit
Acrylic paints
Paintbrushes and/or stencil brush
Decorative rubber stamps and/or stencil templates
Large sponge brush
32-ounce can of polyurethane gloss varnish
Fabric cutouts (optional)
Heat N' Bond (optional)
Directions
With the cloth right side up, use chalk to outline a 1-inch border all the way around. Snip off the tip of each corner where the chalk lines meet. Flip the cloth over and fold over at the border lines, then iron flaps to create a sharp crease.
Use rubber cement to glue the flaps in place. Spray a layer of adhesive and attach rubber backing.
Turn your cloth right side up and dust off the chalk lines. Apply base coat with desired primary color. Let dry, then use chalk to lightly outline the general layout of your pattern. Use rubber stamps and/or stencil brush and templates to complete your design. You can also apply fabric cutouts with an iron and Heat N' Bond. After Heat N' Bond is cool, use the sponge brush to add the first coat of varnish. Apply a thin, even layer until the floor cloth is covered. Let dry, then repeat six times. The varnish layers will ensure a long life. You will eventually see it wear down. Repeat the varnish process.

* For more artsy goodness, check out http://www.CraftyChica.com *

Labels: home decor, inside, outdoor