Craft Masters: Reality Show Competition for Crafters!

Move out of the way "Real Housewives of Orange County."  Step aside Donald Trump and "The Apprentice."  The crafters are taking over the competition thanks to "Craft Masters."

I recently got to be one of the competitors on this production by Michael's  craft store.  I wondered when a show like this would finally allow us crafters to show that we can compete and create some awesome crafts.

As I told the shows producers, I'm a reporter by day and a "Martha Stewart" by night.  Lights, cameras, action!  It was so much fun to create under pressure.  But if you're like me--you're most creative when you have limited time.  Did I win?  You'll have to watch...

Congrats to Darlene who won. Though I made her a bit nervous, she did give me kudos for giving her the glue tip for her eggs.  Darlene and Cathy were so much fun to get to know, and I love what they created.

Watch all the episodes and leave comments.  I'm hoping Michaels can sell this web series to HGTV or DIY channels.

Crafting is a great way to save money and make one of a kind gifts, and it lets you use your hands on something other than the computer.

Happy Crafting!
Rebecca Aguilar

The Crafters Organizer: Pizza Boxes

Do you love pizza? Do you like to recycle? And of course, if you're on this blog--you love to craft.

Well I recently produced a video for Mamiverse.com on how you can organize your crafts with pizza boxes.They're cheap or even free. It all depends on your favorite pizza place.

Check out my video and start getting organized today.  If you're a teacher, you'll love this idea for your students.



Please share it and help others get organized!

Thanksgiving Decoration: Easy to Make Fall Wreaths

Photo Courtesy: Better Homes and Gardens

As soon Halloween is over, I start taking down the decorations and start putting up my Thanksgiving ones. There is no time to lose.

A main focal point in the home is a Fall wreath. They can add a beautiful touch to your door or even a main wall in your home. I even like to have a small fall wreath on the dining room table with a few candles in the center.

I don’t want to spend a lot of money and if I have the materials to make my own wreath at home, even better. So here are a few of my favorite Fall wreath makers on YouTube.

I checked them all out and they have simple tutorials to follow. You can make a wreath or wreaths in one afternoon. Enjoy!

Fall Wreath by Fresh Nest Design



Fall Wreath by the Kohler Gardner

 

Fall Wreath 101 by Leah of May Arts



If you have a favorite Fall wreath artist; share it with us in comments. Gives a link! Until next time!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas under $10

If you haven't figured out what you're wearing to your Halloween party; here are plenty of ideas.  Most of these are costumes you can put together for less than 10 bucks.

We have found some of the best tutorials on Youtube to help you create that last minute costume.

BatGirl Costume

All you need is a couple of yards of black fabric, scissors, and some simple sewing.

 


Dozens of Kid/Baby Costume Ideas

Put together these costumes in a less than an hour: turtle, rubiks cube, UPS man, apple pie, potted
plant.  They are simple and easy to make.




Cheap Zombie Costume

Who doesn't like a good zombie movie.  Well here is one of the easiest costumes to make with a white t-shirt and jeans.  Add a little red paint and dirt, and it's "Night of the Living Dead" all over again. 



Dozens of Costumes for Under $10

Who wants to spend a lot of money on a costume that you'll probably use for one night.  So here are
a few costume ideas for children which can easily become costumes for adults. 



Mummy Costume

Rip up a few pieces of white fabric, throw on a t-shirt and white sweatpants and you're on your way
to becoming a mummy.  Once again, most of these materials are probably in your home and no need to run out and buy anything. 



Hungry Zombie MakeUp

To pull off a great zombie costume, you have to have great makeup.  This one caught our attention,because it's easy to create with make up you can actually buy at the drugstore.  This has the wow factor.



Vampire MakeUp

Throw on a black t-shirt and a cape and you're a vampire, but wait---you still need the make up.  Here's one of the best vampire makeup tutorials we found on Youtube. It's simple to follow.



Happy Halloween everyone!

Greeting Card Tip: Inspiration in the aisles

I enjoy making greeting cards, but I have to admit sometimes I need a good boost of inspiration.  Where do I get my quick fix?  I go to any store that sells greeting cards.

Grocery stores, drug stores, Hallmark stores and the list goes on.  I walk up and down the aisles. I will spend hours--reading and looking over cards. 

What’s great is that most stores have the cards categorized: Birthday, anniversary, sympathy, baby showers, congrats and wedding.

I also like to pick them up and turn them around.  Ouch! A good reminder why I like making my own greeting cards. The price for a card these days can be up to $6.00. 

Now just think how many cards you can make with six bucks? 

Go get inspired!

Hair decorations can be the next bling for scrapbookers

I was food shopping last week when I saw a basket of stuff that read “Sale.”  Well if you know me that word is like a magnet.


So as I’m digging through this basket of stuff, I run across these hair and hand decorations.  I'm looking them over, because they were new to me.  I never knew there was such a thing.

Suddenly my scrapbooking brain went BING!  These little decorations had rhinestones and double sided tape. Wow! They were tiny and cute.  


You know where I'm going.  The heck with the hair---these would be perfect for my next scrapbooking page or greeting card.
Each sheet had more than 50 small decorations.  Now here is the
BONUS....

One sheet more than 50 pieces of bling---for one ONE DOLLAR. You heard me right---one dollar.  How could I go wrong.   

I ran home to see if they looked good on a card.  I didn’t want them to fall off if someone got one of my greeting cards.. 


Here’s one of the results.  A little bling on a felt flower.  It just gives it that extra special touch.

So my tip of the day—go to your local beauty salon or beauty supply shop and see if you can find these inexpensive hair and hand decorations and start blinging your scrapbooks and greeting cards!