Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Crafting 101

Do you have scrap fabric sitting in a drawer, taking up space? Do you have buttons or soda pop lids that you would like to do something with? Do you like magnets? Who doesn't...they make great little gifts...

Here's a couple ideas:

Take some quilted batting and cut it the same size as a button. Cut the fabric a little larger so that it will wrap around the button and the batting and glue the fabric at the back. Take a magnet and glue it over the fabric you just glued together and you have a one of a kind magnet for your fridge or your child's locker at school...

For the soda pop lids you would do the same thing only you will probably want to fill the inside of the lid with batting to make it easier to attach the magnet to that side.

For more unique ideas:

If you have someone in the family who enjoys sewing, why not wrap that material around a large empty thread spool, place the magnet on the back of the spool where your fabric meets so you can cover up the seam.

Take a thimble and put a magnet on it...or take a piece of fabric and wrap it around a small piece of cardboard. Take a sewing needle and put it through the fabric and back out again...glue a magnet on the back. It will look like a small sewing project...don't forget to put a small piece of thread through the eye of the needle and knot it, so that it really looks authentic...

Find a small jewelry gift box, if it has a bottom and a lid, glue the lid to the bottom of the box on an angle of sorts...glue some cotton to the bottom of the box...get those little wooden hearts and paint them and write "I Love You, Mom" or something that goes along with who you are giving the magnet to...glue the wooden hear in the box on the cotton and then put a magnet on the back of the lid...now every time they see the gift box, they will think of you....

Dog lovers, cat lovers, gardeners...find material that matches their likes and wrap some batting and material around:

buttons
milk jug lids
icing tub lids (for a bigger magnet)
medicine bottles (if you are giving this to a gardener, wrap the material around it and then purchase some of those small decorative flowers and put them inside so it looks like a vase...put a magnet on the back and they will always have flowers blooming)

A nature lover...find some very pretty rocks (small ones), clean them up...and put a magnet on the back...If you child has quit playing with Barbies...then why not find one of her (or Ken's) old hiking boot and put a magnet on the back of it...

Do you have pieces parts from an old game...checkers or chess...why not cut a piece of cardboard out...put some checkered material on the cardboard and glue a few checkers on your 'board'...magnet on the back..there ya go...

Small toys can be fun to use also...those little yellow ducky bath toys...put a magnet on the bottom of them and put them on the fridge if you have a duck hunter in the family...a fun twist to their sport...

Think outside the box...these little magnets can compliment other bigger gifts that you have gotten...or they can be neat little gifts to hand just to say, "thanks" or "I love you"...or just for fun...

2 comments:

Rena Jones said...

Great ideas, Brenda! We make magnets every now and then in school. The kids love them. I collect cat magnets on my fridge and National Park magnets that are in our travel trailer.

A long time ago I went to a yardsale where a lady was selling fabric scraps by the box loads. I got so much fabric, thread, and other craft supplies from her. I don't think we'll ever be able to use it all.

Susan@The Cozy Chickadee said...

Brenda, thanks for the sweet comment on my blog.I hope you enjoy monkey bread for many years to come! (Iknow you will)
I love the different magnet ideas, I may post on some of your ideas. I think old game pieces in genius, I love it! Thanks for the inspiration.