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Quick Weekend Valentine Projects!
By Kathleen Gordon-Ross, senior editor
Looking for a beautiful, but fast project
to make this weekend for a special friend or family member? These
crafts are great sister or girlfriend projects for Valentine's Day.
They are quick and inexpensive, and the end result is stunning!
So make a stop at the craft store, call a few friends for a Saturday
night get together and make one of these fun projects! |
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WHAT
YOU NEED:
-
1 flour sack towel (28"x 29")
- 29" grosgarin ribbon, rick-rack, or other decorative
ribbon or trim in pink or red.
- thread to match decorative trim
- heart shaped foam stamps in two sizes
- pink and red craft paint
- small paint brush
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STEP-BY-STEP:
Iron the
flour sack towel to remove any deep wrinkles. Sew ribbon or
trim 3" from the bottom hem of towel using matching thread
to hide the stitches. (TIP - use white thread in the bobbin
so the wrong side looks just as nice as the top.).
Spread
a few sheets of newsprint or an old bath towel down to protect
your work surface. Spread the flour sack towel over top. Pour
a small amount of paint onto a paper plate. Paint a thin coat
of pink paint on the largest heart stamp. Stamp in a zigzag
pattern starting in the middle of the towel and working your
way to the edges. Pattern should be about 4.5" high from
the top of the highest heart to the bottom of the lowest heart.
Add a thin coat of paint to the stamp after each impression.
Repeat for the smallest heart, filling in the blank spaces
with the small red hearts. Allow paint to dry.
TIP -
Take care when choosing ribbons and trims. Not all printed
ribbons and trims hold up to lots of washings. Rick-rack and
solid color grosgrain ribbons are durable and withstand repeated
washings. .
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| WHAT
YOU NEED:
-
1 small pkg. red with gold glitter polymer clay
- 1 small pkg. pink polymer clay
- heart cookie cutter - 2" wide and 2-1/4" long
- other tools to decorate your pin - tiny clay cookie cutters,
craft punch's, drinking straw, rubber stamps or other surfaces
to impress into the clay, etc.
- 26 gauge craft wire, approximately 5" per pin
- seed beads in coordinating colors of pinks and reds
- sliver charms - hearts, or word charms - we used Blue
Moon Beads small LOVE charms.
- needle nose pliers
- pin backs
- heavy duty clear bonding glue, like super glue or E600
- wax paper and tin foil
STEP-BY-STEP:
Following
the directions listed on the polymer clay, condition it
and roll each color to desired thickness (~3/16") on
a piece of waxed paper. |
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Layered
Hearts - From the rolled out, conditioned clay
cut a red or a pink foundation heart using the 2" x
2-1/4" heart cutter. From a contrasting color of clay
cut a smaller heart (ours measured 1" x 1-1/8").
Using a straight pin or other sharp object, score the back
of the small heart and the top of the larger heart where
the small heart will be placed. Press the two together,
using a small square of wax paper, gently, but firmly, rub
the entire surface of the small heart to insure a secure
union. |
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Textured Heart - Using a rubber stamp, handle on a
decorative spoon, or other texture surface, press the rolled
out and conditioned clay into the textured surface. Cut a red
or a pink foundation heart using the 2" x 2-1/4" heart
cutter. Decorate with small pieces of clay cut free form using
a craft knife or using small punches or cookie cutters. |
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Marbled
Heart - This is a great way to use all your clay.
To accomplish the marbled effect, take your small scraps leftover
from cutting other solid color shapes, and smoosh them together
twisting and folding the clay to create the swirling motion
of marble. Roll flat and cut to desired shape. |
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Beaded
Heart - Using a needle or other thin sharp object,
pierce the clay all the way through in 2 spots on opposite sides
of the heart. Once the clay has baked (following package instructions)
and cooled, cut a 5" length of wire and string with seed
beads and a charm. Thread through the small holes and either
twist the ends of the wire together, or coil each end to secure.
Cut off any excess wire. |
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Inlayed
Hearts - From the rolled out, conditioned clay, cut
a foundation heart. Using a decorative cutting tool (cookie
cutter, drinking straw, decorative punch) cut a shape, or shapes
from the foundation heart. Cut an equal number of shapes from
a contrasting piece of clay. Inlay the contrasting piece(s)
of clay in the foundation heart. Place a small piece of wax
paper over the heart and rub evenly and firmly to insure the
different piece of clay adhere to each other. |
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| To
bake - Line a cookie sheet with a piece of tin foil.
Set oven temperature according to the manufacturers instructions
and bake as directed. Allow clay to cool completely.
To
attach pin back - Place all pins face down on foil
lined cookie sheet. Apply small amount of glue to the base
of a pin backing and center it on the backside of the heart.
Pin backs can be placed horizontally or vertically, crafter's
preference. Allow glue to dry the recommended amount of time
before wearing.
We
were able to make 13 pins out of one package of red and one
package of pink clay. |
WHAT
YOU NEED:
All
items available in the jewelry section of your local craft
store.
- 1 link bracelet
- variety of silver (sterling or antique) heart charms
11-13 in different sizes and styles
- jump rings - one for each heart charm
- needle nose pliers
STEP-BY-STEP:
Layout
charms in the order you want them to appear on your bracelet.
Evenly space them along the links of the bracelet. Using
jump rings and needle nose pliers, attach each charm to
the bracelet.
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