Then I remembered that I had some chalkboard paint leftover from a home office project, which I then used to paint the other side of the cookie tray. I’ve since discovered that there is also a chalkboard contact paper that you can use if you don’t want to bother with painting on the chalkboard surface. Now I had a tray that the kids could use with dry erase markers on one side and chalk on the other side, and of course the tray itself works great to take along in the car, on the plane, in hotel rooms for childrens craft kits, craft projects, magnetic games, etc.

Note: because this easy Christmas ornament uses a glass light bulb please do not leave your child unsupervised while working on this project.

Materials:

• burned out incandescent light bulb
• dishwashing liquid cap
• water or soda bottle plastic cap
• decoupage items such as photos, magazine pictures, etc.
• ribbon and decorative trim scraps
• gold, silver or copper wire
• heavy duty crafters or jewelry glue
• metallic paint pen or metallic paint to match your wire
• acrylic enamel paint
• crackle medium (optional)
• clear shellac or varnich
• hot glue
• old color beads of choice (1 for the bottom of ornament and 1 flat bead for the top center)
• rubbing Alcohol or white Vinegar

Wipe the light bulb with a little rubbing alcohol or white vinegar and a piece of cotton from a vitamin or med bottle or a soft cloth. Allow to dry.

Wash bottle caps with hot soapy water and allow to dry.

Using a small nail, poke a small hole in the center of the soda cap. Bend wire into a U-shape and thread both ends through the hole in the cap. Secure the wire ends on the inside by twisting together. Now you have a hanger for your ornament.

Using heavy duty craft or jewelry glue, glue the soda cap to the socket of the light bulb and the dishwashing liquid cap to the bottom center of the bottle cap. Allow the glue to dry.

Paint the glass portion of the light bulb with enamel paint. Paint the socket section, the bottle cap and dishwashing liquid cap with a metallic paint. Allow paint to dry and apply additional coats if needed.

Glue your decoupage items to the painted light bulb.

Follow the manufacturers instructions to apply a crackle finish. When crackle finish is done apply a small amount of an antiquing medium such as burnt umber paint. Allow this to dry and then apply 2 to 3 coats clear shellac or varnish. Do not apply clear protectant to the metallic painted areas, as the varnish will dull the metallic paint.

Use hot glue to apply small pieces of decorative trim to hide the socket area and disguise the dish-washing cap.

Glue a bead to the bottom center of the ornament.

Note: you can leave the dish-washing liquid cap either open or closed. If you decide to leave it open, place a dot of glue inside the cap to keep it from closing.

Ribbons and Bows

Cut each recycled candy wrapper to the same width and tape to package as a decorative ribbon. You can then loop each length of candy wrapper and tape or glue it to the package as a bow. You can face the shiny side out or the writing side out.

Decoupage

I hardly ever buy silver leaf anymore. I just use recycled candy wrappers and recycled potato chip bags.

When carefully opened and washed the shiny side of these wrappers can be used in a decoupage or collage project, or to simulate a body of water in a doll house or Christmas gingerbread house.

I like to use recycled candy wrappers to cover smaller surfaces or surfaces like a frame where a long skinny shape is best. I use recycled potato chip bags for larger surfaces such as pots, trays, etc.

Antique Foiled Frame

I’ve covered scratched wooden frames with the shiny side of recycled candy wrappers. First crumple the candy wrapper. Smooth with your hands. Cut to fit, and glue to the frame. Wipe the foil with brown or black shoe polish to age it.

Contemporary Foiled Frame

Cut wrappers into squares or rectangles. Glue pieces to frame, butting together or overlapping.

Mod Frame

You could use the packaging label side to cover a frame for a retro mod look.

Decorative Tray or Box

Any of the ideas above can be used to cover a tray or box. I’ve used candy wrappers to cover a tissue box, then I use the box to store spare change.

Materials:

• white clay
• toothpick
• plastic fingernail (a true IA devotee would use a fake fingernail that had fallen off and was too damaged to be re-glued on)
• glue
• dark fingernail polish

I do not like those pens that businesses give away. They’re unattractive and they don’t write that well. This project is a good way to make use of those pens. Ghastly Pens make great party favors or a fun take-along for school during the month of October.

For each Ghastly Pen, cover a ballpoint pen with approximately a ¼-inch thick layer of white clay or similar material, leaving the tip of the pen exposed. Use your hands to mold the clay into the shape of a finger, using your own finger or a willing hand as a model. Use a toothpick to make wrinkles and creases for the knuckles.

Glue a plastic fingernail near the pen tip making sure to leave enough room to be able to write with the pen. Trim the nail so that it’s a bit ragged. Use the toothpick to form lines for the cuticle area. Paint the nail with a ghastly shade such as green or black. Let clay dry completely before using.

Glamour Pen – use flesh colored clay instead of white clay. Don’t trim the fingernail to make it look ragged. Paint the fingernail a bright red, or do a French manicure on it.

Teen Scene – use flesh colored clay. Paint the nail a cool color such as light blue or bright orange. While polish is still wet carefully place a decal, sticker or charm on the nail. When polish is dry cover entire nail with a couple coats of clear polish.

Cut carpet protector to the desired size and use as a boot tray. It won’t hold water run-off but it will protect your floors from mud and dirt.

Use an old carpet protector as temporary car mats when involved in messy activities like the beach or hiking.

Take with you when camping to use as a boot tray to keep the dirt or snow out of your camping home.

Use as a drop cloth when working on messy projects or painting a room. If you have a larger project then place a drop cloth in the middle of the room and line the edges of the room with the carpet protector. This saves having to tape down the drop cloth.

clean your home without chemicals

Use squares of old carpet to wash textured walls. It gets into all the crevices and won’t scratch your walls like a brush would.

Glue carpet to a scrap piece of wood to make a cat scratch post or use a piece of carpet to recover an old cat scratch post.

Cut carpet into small pieces and place under the feet of heavy furniture or appliances. This will make it easy to move the piece around as well as protect your floors.

Place a piece of carpet in the back of an enclosed truck or van to protect the bed from scratches and make it easier to slide large items across the bed.

Place carpet in the garage to make activities in there more pleasant.

Use scrap pieces of carpet as temporary car mats when involved in messy activities like the beach or hiking.

Take scrap carpet pieces with you when camping to keep the dirt or snow out of your vacation home.

Take larger pieces of carpet to line the inside of your tent for a more pleasant walking surface.

Scrap pieces of carpet can be used to redecorate a doll house.

Line a pet bed with scrap carpet.

Scrap carpet in good condition can be glued to one or more walls in a child’s or teen’s bedroom. Not only does this add a decorative element, but more importantly it helps to deaden sound (especially helpful in a teen’s room!).

Flea Market Style

Cut:

· 2 pieces of light cardboard (such as that used to package clothing) to a 3-inches x 6-inches rectangle

· 2 pieces of wallpaper or fabric to a 4-inches x 7-inches rectangle

· 1 piece of writing paper to desired length and 5-inches wide

· scrap of ribbon at least 12-inches long

Accordion fold the writing paper into a 2-inch wide rectangle. Unfold and write your letter, poem, invitation or story on the paper. If you end up with an odd number of panels, leave the bottom panel blank as it will be glued to the cover board. If the number of panels is even the glue will go on the back side.

Cover cardboard lightly and evenly with a glue that won’t cause the paper to wrinkle. You can use a glue stick or rubber cement but spray on glue is easiest. Center cardboard on back side of wallpaper/fabric. When glue is dry clip corners of overhanging paper/fabric, fold edges to back side and glue to secure. Repeat with second piece of cardboard.

Thinly coat the back side of the top panel of letter with glue. Center and glue onto the uncovered side of one piece of covered cardboard. Glue bottom panel of letter to uncovered side of second piece of covered cardboard. When glue has dried, fold entire project closed.

Position a length of ribbon around the packet, and if desired, glue ribbon to bottom card only and tie ribbon into a bow around the letter.

How to Make Cards & Invitations

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Cut a hole in the shape of your choice from the center of the smaller piece of cardboard. This is the frame. The uncut piece is the backing. The hole should be large enough so that the portion of the photo you’re using that you want to show will. Decorate both pieces of cardboard in any way you choose making sure that the backing where the photo and frame will be attached is flat.

Try using a diamond shaped frame over a square or circle backing. The diamond shape can be larger or smaller than the backing.

Glue the photo onto the cardboard backing. Glue the frame onto the backing over the photo.

Glue magnet> to backside of frame backing.

more magnetic projects

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Cut two identical shapes from a piece of salvaged cardboard. They can be a circle, square, oval, etc. One piece will be the frame and the other piece will be the backing.

Cut a hole in the shape of your choice from one of the pieces of cardboard. This is the frame. The uncut piece is the backing. The hole should be large enough so that the portion of the photo you’re using that you want to show will show. Decorate this piece of cardboard in any way you choose.

Glue the photo onto the cardboard backing. Glue the frame onto the backing over the photo.

Glue a magnet salvaged from a promotional magnet or broken decorative magnet to backside of backing.

are you in the mood for another craft project?

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