Sunday, March 16, 2014

Nail Polish Marbled Hanging Ornaments

Paper marbling is method which dates back hundreds of years and the intricate patterns created by skilled crafts people are stunning.  I've experimented in the past with marbling on water using more traditional materials such as alum and prepared paints.  Even the "mistakes" look impressive!

Have you ever tried using nail polish as marbling paint?  Just regular nail polish will float on water and allow you to do a bit of manipulation to it before it dries!


You do need to work fast though, as well as using a small surface area because the polish will start to dry on the surface within a minute.



Cardstock easily absorbs the nail polish design that you drip on the water, and I've found using some metallic polish adds an interesting, shimmery accent.

Watch the quick Nail Polish Marbling demonstration on my channel Giddy Up Workshop for how to do create these hanging Easter egg ornaments in no time.  :)


Friday, March 14, 2014

Funny Bunny Pom Poms

Okay, I admit that I'm addicted to pom poms.  There are much worse things so I figure I'm still ahead of the curve, right?  :)  I believe having a love of pom poms kinda comes with the crafting territory.

Now that Spring is officially here, and Easter coming up, bunnies have been on my mind.  I was playing around with pipe cleaners and came up with these adorably nerdy pom pom bunnies.


Follow the links for full video instructions for Pom Pom Bunny with Glasses, and the video for Pom Pom Bunny with Bowtie from my Youtube channel Giddy Up Workshop.

Pom Pom Bunny with Bowtie tutorial.

Pom Pom Bunny with Glasses tutorial.






Thursday, January 30, 2014

Cat's Eye Pom Poms

Okay, so I may have actually become pom pom crazy.  :S  They're just so freaking easy to make and once I figured out how to make designs in them I can't seem to stop.  Oh well.  I'm gonna go with it.



My kitties are always wanting to "help" during my crafting.
Alley is such a good model.  :) 

To start off all you'll need is three different colors of yarn, pom pom makers (I made mine from cardboard), and a SHARP pair of scissors.  I usually end up using manicure scissors for their tiny, sharp tips.

CLICK HERE for video tutorial on making your own pom pom maker.

Remember this tutorial from earlier in the month?  Cat's Eye is just a variation
of the same general technique.

I'm the kind of person who really needs to see a technique in action.  I made a video tutorial for creating a Cat's Eye Pom Pom from start-to-finish on my channel Giddy Up Workshop.
CLICK HERE to check it out!




Sunday, January 19, 2014

"Most Wanted" Kermit Eyeball Pom Poms

I am a HUGE Muppet fanatic, especially classic Muppet Show.  What better craft than making Kermit eyeball pom poms to celebrate all things Muppetational?


You can use these in so many decorative ways - make a pin back brooch, hair fascinator, but my favorite is to use them as shoe clips!


There are very few materials needed - black and white yarn, sharp scissors, green felt and a set of pom pom makers that you can either put together yourself out of cardboard, or plastic ones you can purchase.


CLICK HERE to see the whole process in my tutorial video!





Saturday, January 18, 2014

Happy Valentine's Heart Pattern Friendship Bracelet

Friendship bracelets are timeless.  I made them as a kid and it was the first product that I made and made money off of.  My mother set up regularly at craft shows with her handmade leather products and I would go with her and have a basket of my bracelets on the corner of her table.  I can still remember how thrilling it was to have someone want to give me money for something I made - even if it was only $2.50.  :)



While embroidery floss is the traditional material for these knotted bracelets, I used colorful twine from the Dollar Store to make a bolder, chunkier piece!


This heart pattern uses just one variation from the standard chevron pattern, and your starting thread layout should look like this:


While supervision (and interference) from a cat isn't mandatory for success in this project, I often find it helpful.  :)


CLICK HERE for a link to my step-by-step video tutorial.






Monday, January 13, 2014

Easiest Mini Yarn Poms Poms EVER!

All you'll need to make your own quick and easy mini yarn pom poms is yarn, scissors and a fork.



Wrap the yarn around the tines of the fork about 30 times for a good, fluffy pom.  Tie in the center and cut through the loops.  After some trimming, the pom pom is done!  CLICK HERE to check out the quick video I made for my Youtube channel Giddy Up Workshop to see the process in action:



Friday, January 10, 2014

DIY Custom Clothes Hangers



My video tutorial was featured on Right This Minute as well as Craftgawker - yay!

This is least expensive craft that I've attempted yet - these hangers cost me less than 20 CENTS EACH!  All you need are photocopies of faces, cardboard, spray glue and a craft knife...

Printed out the cropped faces at home and then enlarged them at Staples - $0.14 each for 11x17 (tabloid)
I've provided some additional tips for sizing and placement in the video tutorial below.  You can also get a free download of the hanger template that I made (just for you) on my Giddy Up Workshop Pinterest board.

CLICK HERE for the full tutorial video or watch below: