Recycle those Christmas Cards, and make them your own!

I don't throw anything away. I know there is always something to be made from the smallest item, even a greeting card.

I kept my Christmas cards from last year. Recently, I took out my rubber stamps, inks, glitter glues, scrapbook paper, and took a few pages from an old music book. I also grabbed a few stickers and gift tags. I  got some blank cards and started creating new Christmas cards from the store bought ones.

I made a few tags earlier. These cards are also one-of-a-kind.

Happy Crafting!

Rebecca

The Best Crafters December Picks for Best YouTube Craft Tutorials

Photo Courtesy: handmadecharlotte.com

It's never to late to learn a new craft.  And today there are many people who are willing to share their knowledge for free on YouTube.  I've scanned many YouTube tutorials and here are my picks for this month.


These are video tutorials for beginners who want to crochet, knit, scrapbook, decoupage, sew, and mixed media.  Please share these with your friends and motivate people to learn a craft.

Crafting is a great way to be creative. It's a great way to relax after a long day at work. It's a great way to do something while you're watching television, and it's also a great way to take a break from your smartphone.



Learn to Crochet





Knitting Basics






Decoupage in simple steps






Beginning Scrapbooking






Back to Basics Sewing






Mixed Media in simple terms








I've decided that this is going to be a regular thing on this blog. My YouTube tutorial picks! Let me know in comments if you have a favorite. Enjoy!

Blogger Profile: BoBunny full of scrapbooking ideas

If you're like me, you have limited time to craft and surf the web.  Here on Best Crafters we like to profile blogs that offer us one stop shopping for ideas.

Don't ask me how I found BoBunny.blogspot.com , but it is a treasure of information for you if you scrapbook.  Check out all the ideas they have for a scrapbook page layout for Thanksgiving.  There are some awesome ideas.

BoBunny also offers "Sketches." It's a page of sketches to inspire your next scrapbook page layout.  This blog is worth a bookmark.

Have fun!

Make a Halloween Card: Easy, Colorful, Spooky

Boo to You

This was a very easy Halloween card to make.  It actually took me an hour to make several, because I like to make duplicates at one time.
I set up my kitchen (where I craft) with everything listed below, and got busy.

 Here's what you'll need:

• Blank card
• Scrapbook paper: orange textured
• Scrapbook paper with pattern that has some orange
• Scrapbook paper: black
• Stamp: Halloween theme (I used "Boo to You)
• Black Sharpie marker
• Punch: Small Spider
• Rubber stamp:  Spider (Large would be best)
• Rubber stamp: Spider web (can also be hand drawn)
• Glue 
• Scissors

You can probably look at my card and figure out how to make it, because it's that easy. 

First, I took a blank card, outlined enough orange textured paper and glued it on top of the blank card. 

I stamped "boo to you" with black ink on a creme colored piece of scrap paper.  Yes, keep those scraps.

I cut it in a rectangle shape, and then glued it to another piece of leftover scrapbook paper with a pattern.  As you can see mine is black with some orange dots. I cut around the "boo to you" shape, eye balling it to leave a little border.  Done.

Next, I glued the "boo to you" rectangle on the card.  Anywhere is fine.  

I took my big "spider" rubber stamp, use black ink and  randomly stamped on the card. Only two times, because you don't want the card to look cluttered.  One was stamped partially on the "boo to you."  

More card ideas!

With sharpie marker in hand, I added some dashes to make it look like the spider's traveled route.  I then took my small "spider" punch  and punched out a few small spiders from a piece of leftover black scrapbook paper.  I punched out several for future projects. 

The "spider web" in the corner is actually party glitter, the kind you throw on a table to decorate.  If I had to do it again I would use a rubber stamp and stamp a spider web or draw my own.

There you have it.  A Halloween card worth giving away in a package of cards or one to send out to a friend or family member just in time for Halloween. 

Until next time! 

Best Crafter's Blog: It's Just Paper

I’m a busy person and really don’t have time for scrapbook techniques that are complicated.  The other day I ran across the blog "It's Just Paper" by Stacey Michaud.  Now this woman knows how to inspire with some very easy tips.

When I landed on her blog she was talking about stamping. She writes: 

\"I am not normally a user of stamps...I always get nervous about it.
If you stamp right on a page, you can't take it back.
What if the stamp is slightly crooked?"

Stacey Michaud

I scanned her latest posts and she had ideas on several ways to dress up your scrapbook pages. You get what she's talking about from the post titles.  Here are some of them:

• Just keep adding
• Simple stories
• Summer ready
• Triangles

Stacey started her blog in 2008.  She’s also part of a couple design teams for scrapbook products.  She has a lot of experience as a writer and designer.

Book mark "It's Just Paper."  Happy Scrapbooking!

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!

The Queen of Rubber Stamping ideas on Youtube

Sometimes I look at all my rubber stamps and inks and wonder what can I create next? What can “wow” me? I often go through books and blogs looking for inspiration.

Let me tell you, on Youtube you’re bound to find that one person who jumps out with ideas and inspiration. One of my favorites is Stephanie Barnard. She’s informative, to the point, not flashy, full of ideas and is fun to watch. On her YouTube channel she describes herself:

“Stephanie Barnard began scrapbooking in 1997 and became a professional designer two years later. Since then, her work has been published more than 400 times in magazines, books and websites.”

I like her simple ideas on her videos. She has dozens posted on YouTube. I’m thinking I can watch at least two a week.

She’s a natural on video and definitely knows her stuff when it comes to rubber stamping. She actually designs many of them. As she puts it “I’m a stamper and I don’t mess around.”

Though, I’m still trying to figure out who is Ken and Cookie.

The Mobile Organizer: Avoid buying duplicates of anything

Rubber Stamps

If I find a good rubber stamp on sale, I usually buy it. But I ran into a little problem a few years back.

Suddenly, I was buying duplicates and didn’t know it.

I know many of you rubber stampers and scrapbookers have your own tips on how to keep track of what stamps you have in your stash. I needed an inexpensive organizer.


So I bought a journal that was on sale at Target for 3 dollars.  I took each one of my stamps and stamped them into what I call my “mobile organizer.”

Mobile Organizer

I labeled each page with a category: plants, celebration, birthday, baby, etc. It’s basically the same way I keep them in my boxes at home.

It’s important to label everything.

Once I stamp the rubber stamp in my “mobile book” I put a small red dot on the side of the stamp. That lets me know the stamp has already been put in my "mobile organizer."


The great thing about my “mobile organizer” is that I can keep it in my car or take it with me when I know I’m going to hit a good sale at JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels , Hancock Fabrics and Hobby Lobby.

Now I no longer buy duplicate stamps.  It's also a nice book I can flip through for inspiration for my next project: scrapbook page or greeting card.

And guess what? I'm also saving money!