36. Paper Heart Bouquet
A paper heart bouquet looks like a real bunch of flowers and takes about 30 minutes. Cut three same size hearts for each flower, fold them in half and glue the halves together into a 3D bloom. Glue each one onto a drinking straw stem with a low temp glue gun (that part is for grown ups), then roll a sheet of glitter card into a cone and tie it with twine. Any paper scraps work. It makes a sweet Mother’s Day, birthday or teacher gift.
Get the full tutorial at Kids Craft Room.
37. DIY Pebble Art
DIY pebble art turns a twig and a handful of backyard stones into a framed picture of two birds on a branch. Lay everything out on white cardstock first and move pieces around until it looks right. Two larger pebbles become the birds and the tiny ones become leaves. Pencil in beaks and feet, trace them with a fine black Sharpie, then glue every piece down with super glue and gloves. Use a frame with the glass removed so the stones have room.
Get the full tutorial at Crafts by Amanda.
38. Plaster Trinket Tray
A plaster trinket tray gets the speckled ceramic look without a kiln. Mix acrylic paint into the water first, then stir in plaster of Paris at about two parts plaster to one part water until it pours like batter. Fill an oval silicone mold, tap it so the plaster reaches the corners, and let it cure for about half an hour. Splatter it with paint and seal it, because raw plaster soaks up everything. It holds jewelry, glasses or a soap pump nicely.
Get the full tutorial at Moms and Crafters.
39. Faux Metallic Gift Toppers
Faux metallic gift toppers look like hammered brass but are really white polymer clay. Roll the clay to a quarter inch, cut shapes with cookie cutters and press in a stamp, a monogram or a name. Poke a hole for the ribbon before baking. Once cooled, paint them gold or silver, working the paint into the grooves, and wipe a little black into the lines for an aged look. Tied on with baker’s twine, they double as an ornament after the wrapping comes off.
Get the full tutorial at Craftaholics Anonymous.
40. Fleece Gloves
Fleece gloves can be sewn in about an hour with a free pattern in three sizes and a quarter to half yard of polar fleece. Cut with the stretch running across the hand, not along the fingers, and remember fleece has a right and wrong side, so fold it to get a left and a right. A strip sewn around the fingers forms the sides, then a ribbing tube becomes the cuff. Sew a test glove from scrap fleece first if the size is in doubt.
Get the full tutorial at So Sew Easy.
