Just Call Me "Crafty Cathy"

I was busy crafting away last week!  Ever since I joined Pinterest, I've been adding projects and crafts to do.  I decided to tackle a few of them, and I thought I'd share pictures.


Craft #1:  Mother's Day Cards for the Grandmas and Great-Grandmas
(original idea found here)

I traced Janie's hand on green paper and cut it out.  I made the flower pot out of patterned scrapbook paper and cut out the flowers before attaching gluing them to Janie's fingertips.  I bent the petals to give them a little dimension.  Janie loved this project.  "I make flower hands!  Flower hands for grandmas!"


Craft #2:  Birdseed Cookies  
(original idea found here, but I used this site for instructions)


You need:
4 cups birdseed
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons of corn syrup

Mix ingredients in a bowl to make a big, sticky mess!  Select cookie cutter shapes (I recommend using 3-4 inch shapes).  Spread parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Grease cookie cutters with cooking spray.  Press the seed mixture into the cookie cutters with the back of a spoon, and use a straw to leave a hole.

Bake in the oven at 170 for an hour.  Flip after thirty minutes.  The alternative to baking is waiting for them to dry for several hours.  Bake 'em if you don't feel like waiting!

Voila!  Birdseed cookie!  If your feathered friends aren't interested in the hanging cookie, consider leaving them out on a flat surface like your deck rail.  We love watching the birdies and squirrels come to nibble on the seed cookies.  Jane watches the action on the deck, and she announces whenever we have a visitor.


Craft #3 (I suppose it's more of a baking craft): Ice cream cone cakes  
(original idea from Betty Crocker's site)


Use a Ziploc bag and cut off a corner to pour the cake batter into the ice cream cones.

Fill 3/4 of the way with batter. 

Follow mix instructions or use your favorite cake recipe.

My resourceful husband cut a hole into an empty cereal puff container to serve as a frosting stand.  Clever, huh?

What's an ice cream cone without sprinkles?!  We added different colors to the frosting.  We love the Wilton dyes.  You can find them in the baking section of most craft stores. 




Craft #4: Tile Coaster Tutorial
(original idea from The Cottage Home blog)


These were so fun to make, and they're super simple!


Buy some plain white glazed tiles at your local hardware store.  We found a 100-pack for less than $20.


Cut out squares of your favorite scrapbook paper.  Mod Podge them to the tile.  Add 2-3 coats of Mod Podge over the paper, making sure that each coat dries completely before adding additional coats.  Sponge brushes work great for applying the Mod Podge.  

Once the Mod Podge is completely dry, apply a clear acrylic sealer (outside!) to the tiles.  I used Krylon brand.  This will make the coasters water resistant.  Don't use warm beverages on the coasters for at least a month and make sure the acrylic sealer completely covered the entire surface of the tile.  Otherwise, moisture will build up and cause the paper to bubble.

Apply felt to the bottom of the tiles with fabric glue.  


Voila!  You have a cute little gift!  I bundled mine together with ribbon and gave them to the great-grandmas, grandmas, my sister, and sisters-in-law for Mother's Day.

Now, we're gearing up to celebrate Walt's birthday on Saturday.  Can't wait!