Kids Cardboard crafts

Kids love to play, and crafts can part of that fun.
My grandson asked me to make a "hideaway" for him. We went
to a furniture store, and got 3 large empty boxes for free, and
brought them home.


I cut the cardboard boxes into "walls". Then I cut out the front
of a house, with a door and windows. I cut a separate part for the
upper front wall, shaped like the roof, with a window. We taped
the back side of the upper wall to the backside front wall, with
duct tape.

I realized, that the walls I cut out, were going to make a cardboard house
5 feet by 5 feet, which is too large for our house, so we used only

the front wall. Painting the front of the house is fun and messy. We
put newspapers down over the area where we worked. We painted
the front door, the wall, and roof with details around the bricks,
stones and wooden door.

I cut out rectangles 12 inches by 18 inches, from the left over cardboard.
We painted these rectangles to look like pictures, to hang inside
the cardboard cottage, This is another easy and and affordable project.


Now where to put this hideaway?

We placed the front wall, and door, over an opening
that leads to a small work area in the house. I had to bend
the sides of the cardboard back a little, so the front of the house
would fit in the door opening.


The space behind this new entrance, is now dedicated to my
grandson's hideout. he enjoys being able to sit by the window,
hide from us, and play with his friends there. Inside is a
window, so I put a chair next to the window, and added
a light on the wall.


Using recycled cardboard is a great way to make affordable
crafts for kids!


Buy Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104 here:
http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Crafts-Budget-Kids-Volume/dp/0615640826

Huichol Arts and Crafts

Mexico, is one of my favorite places to travel. I enjoy the north, south, east, west and

the coastline. The people are kind and hospitable, and the food is great.  No matter what

part of Mexico you’re in,  you’ll find inspiration for art.

In Mexico City, the Zocolo houses art and historical objects of interest. It is in

an older area of the Federal District, near  a beautiful church, which amazingly,

remains standing.

I enjoy Mexico, for the people, the colorful houses, brightly painted tiles, 

the artwork of the indigenous people: the black pottery of Oaxaca, the tall wooden

doors, and hand painted crafts celebrating El Dia de los Muertos, in Patzcuaro, the

wooden boxes, and hand carved doors of Tzintzunzan.

The Houchil artisans of the northern states of Zacatecas, Nayirit, Jalisco, and Western

Central Mexico, create some of the most colorful, detailed arts and crafts. They add

tiny detailed bead work on cow skulls, hats, small wooden carved animals, even cars.

The women create yarn paintings, an art tradition that has been passed down for generations. 

Their arts and crafts are vibrant and incredibly beautiful. Their symbolism representing

the Gods, shows corn, peyote, and deer, which is often shown in their work.

Wikipedia defines the Huichol or Wixáritari (Huichol pronunciation: /wiˈraɾitaɾi/)  as a 

Native American ethnic group of western central Mexico, living in the Sierra Madre 

range. They are best known to the larger world as the Huichol, however, they refer to 

themselves as Wixáritari ("the people") in their native Huichol language.

I looked up as many photos of the Huichol arts and crafts, as I could find, to share with you today. 

For more information on Huichol artwork, go to: http://thehuicholcenter.org/huichol-art/

http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/178-yarn-painting-images-of-a-vanishing-culture

http://www.indigoarts.com/gallery_huicholart1.html

http://www.mexicanartdealing.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=3520307

http://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/huichol+art/all

 Buy Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104 here: 

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Crafts-Budget-Kids-Volume/dp/0615640826

Artists Who Inspire

I draw upon memories of favorite places, artists whose work I enjoy,
music, and other art forms, when creating new art and craft projects.
I'm often inspired to try new paper crafts, or a new technique, when
experiencing others work.

One of my favorite artists is M.C. Escher, whose black and white
prints never fail to fascinate me. When I was in high school, I
tried recreating Escher's style, with pencil and charcoal drawings.
I discovered I have my own style, which I embrace. Today, I still look to
Escher's work for inspiration.



I'm reposting photos  found on a website featuring Escher's work.
I hope they inspire you to create new art projects for you and
for your kids.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to know more about M.C. Escher's work, go to: http://www.mcescher.com/

Buy Easy Crafts on a Budet for Kids 4 to 104 here:  https://www.createspace.com/3813688.

Aboriginal Art

I've visited Australia a couple of times.When there, I
enjoy visiting the local markets. I especially like
paintings created by local aboriginal artists. I'm drawn
to the designs, using dots and bright colors. I'm
working on a geographic outdoor painting, so I'm
looking at photos of aboriginal art for inspiration.

Today, I'm reposting photos of aboriginal artwork for you
to enjoy.

For more information on aboriginal art, go to:
http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/index.php

http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-indigenous-art

http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/australian-aboriginal-art-and-storytelling

Beach Theme Crafts

Copyright c. 2013 Fuego Phoenix All Rights Reserved

 
As it gets warmer, I dream of being at the beach.
Bring the beach home with beach theme crafts. The pencil holder to the left, is made from a recycled food can. It can be a crayon holder, a

candle holder, or for holding cotton balls and q-tips.It's made with scrap fabric pieces, leftover
beaded trim, cloth craft dolls, and recycled fish
earrings (taken apart). I made a fabric trim for the
top, but ribbon can be used.

Copyright c. 2013 Fuego Phoenix All Rights Reserved

The beach themed cigar box is recycled for use as a photo box,  jewelry box, shell collection, or memory box. It's made with wallpaper pieces
cut from the roll, and decopaged as a collage.

then, coated with two coats of Mod Podge.

Copyright c. 2013 Fuego Phoenix All Rights Reserved

The pillow is made from leftover fabric remnants. Add a ruffle and zipper for a cottage
style.

If you have any questions about these
projects, email me: 1fuego11@gmail.com


Buy Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104:  https://www.createspace.com/3813688

  

Furniture Embellishment

Here is an idea I've tried on furniture embellishment.

 Supplies Needed

Acrylic Paint
Upholstery nail head tacks
Mallet
Fabric for the trim
Leather scraps
Fabri Tac Permanent adhesive glue
Heat n Bond (only if you're using fabric trims)

The rustic night stand below was originally just a plain wood night stand, I found in Mexico.
You can use a plain wooden night stand and get the same effect.

I added leather to the side panels, and front door with Fabri Tac Permanent adhesive glue.
The fabric trim on the drawer front, and side panels is made by pressing Heat n Bond to
the back of the fabric, then cutting out fabric strips. The Heat n Bond keeps the fabric
edges from unraveling. I added black upholstery trim (gimp), around the inside edges
of the raised drawer and side edges.You can find upholstery gimp at any upholstery
supply store, or fabric store. This idea can be used on headboards, end tables, chest of drawers,
mirrors, and night stands.

Copyright c. 2013 Fuego Phoenix All Rights Reserved

Copyright c. 2013 Fuego Phoenix All Rights Reserved

If you have any questions about this project, email me at 1fuego11@gmail.com.

Buy Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104 here:  https://www.createspace.com/3813688

Kids Crafts

I took my grandson to a fun lego engineering class today. Afterwards
we went to Chick Fil A on South Blvd, in Charlotte, for a lemonade.


I was pleasantly surprised by one of the employees who asked,
"Are you attending crafts time tonight?" I said I didn't know
about it. She told me every Tuesday, from 5 to 7 pm, Chick Fil A
has crafts for kids.  We stayed.

My grandson had a ball creating a "scratch off" mask. The
mask was already cut out. He used a little stick to scratch out
designs on the mask, revealing a multi-colored background.

I'm aging myself by telling you this. When I was a kid,
we used crayons to color a piece of paper, painted over the colors
with black paint, let it dry, then scratched out designs.
Now you can order ready made craft items that have the multi
color backgrounds, and are already painted black. All the kids
have to do is scratch out their designs. (as they did tonight at Chick Fil A).

My grandson also enjoyed scratching off a small picture, the
size of a postcard, which revealed a hidden picture underneath
(also multi-colored). They had crafts for younger kids too. In
fact a little one 21 months old, came up to the table, and said
she wanted to make something. They had oversized card-
board sunglasses for her to embellish with felt tip pens,
and foam stickers.


This gave me an idea for younger ones to do at home. Buy
a pair of kids sunglasses. Embellish the sunglasses with
tiny foam flower stickers, animals, and letters, so they
can add their names. It's an easy project!

Check out your city, and see if Chick Fil A offers crafts in your
area. It's free!

Baby Craft Ideas

I enjoyed a baby shower yesterday in Charlotte, with a good friends
Italian family. It was great food, fun, games and
just an all around good time.

While the mother to be (who is having a girl) was opening presents,
I enjoyed seeing the trends in baby clothes.

I'm inspired this morning, by what I experienced, so
I'm sharing some ideas with you. The restaurant
where the shower was held is Maggiano's. The manager
of the restaurnat brought in a "onesie" for the baby, which is
white with the words "Made from Scratch" silkscreened
on the front. Wouldn't that be an easy item to make?

I noticed the small baby outfits, are embellished
with cloth flowers and tiny little cap sleeves. How difficult
would it be to add a flower to a ready made baby outfit?

Another trend I noticed is matching the mom's baby bag with
the stroller. How stylish! Some of the picture frames, the
mom received, are covered in bright fabrics. That's a
very easy craft project to make. Buy a picture frame at
a Dollar Tree store, or buy one  used at a consignment
store, and cover the frame with a bright fabric.
You can make matching cork boards the
same way.

One item I think is especially fun, is a faux fur coat.
It looks like a dolls coat, it was so tiny. How fun to make?

I hope you're inspired to try new ideas.

Buy Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104 here: http://www.createspace.com/3813688

Crafts from Recycled Materials

https://www.createspace.com/3813688

Did you know you have lots of craft materials around your house?

Food cans make great pencil/scissor holders. Larger food cans

can become tool holders. 

Cardboard box pieces are great for the background of collages, or can be cut out for

displays. Cardboard can be cut into smaller boxes as well. I use the bottom of

gift boxes I receive, to make desk organizers.

Fabric scraps aren’t just for quilts. Fabric scraps make wonderful pictures, and 

wall hangings. Or use fabric scraps to make trims which can be used to embellish 

boxes or furniture. Large fabric pieces are great for repurposing furniture: on dressers,

trunks, nightstand and toy chests. I'll show you how to do this technique in the

near future. Fabric scraps are also great for making one-of-a-kind lamp shades and

light fixtures.

Junk mail is great for making paper mache crafts. It doesn’t take long, to accumulate

enough paper to make a paper mache piñata.

Shoe boxes can be turned into treasure chests. Balloons are great for making yarn easter

eggs, or twine light shades. Twine is also good for making decorative home decor.

I hope I've inspired you to create crafts from things in your house.

Craft Supplies

I am always on the lookout for art and craft supplies. If
you're like me (always looking for bargains), then
I'm going to share some favorite places to find bargains
on craft supplies.


For repurposing furniture, my favorite "haunts" for
solid wood, good quality furniture pieces are: Goodwill,
Habitat Restores and Salvation Army. Habitat Restores
are also great places for finding striped wallpaper, sewing
patterns, craft supplies, and house paint. I've found
Heat n Bond rolls at the Habitat too!

Dollar Tree stores are a wonderful resource. They carry
popsicle sticks, glue sticks, foam board, poster board,
glue, scissors, sketch pads, construction paper, crayolas,
and more! All for $1 each. You can't beat that!

Hancock Fabrics have many craft supplies.
They carry my favorite leather glue: Fabri Tac Permanent
Adhesive leather glue. The clearance area in back
of the store has remnant fabric pieces for good
discounts. Hancock's, is a great place to buy Heat n
Bond fabric adhesive, (which I use often) for my
fabric craft projets. I like Heat n Bond because
it prevents the edges of fabrics from unraveling.

Michaels and Hobby Lobby are great sources for
supplies. I prefer Hobby Lobby for acrylic paints,
because they often have sales where the paints
are discounted.

I find bargains at estate sales, garage sales, and
upholstery supply stores. The cardboard tack
strips (which I use in many projects) can be
found at upholstery supply stores online
as well. (You get better prices when you
can buy a roll rather than the individual pieces).

Some local fabric stores have great deals
on fabrics, and upholstery supplies which are
often used in craft projects. Check you local
listings. I know of a store outside of
Charlotte where leather remnants sell for
a huge discount.

I hope these sources are helpful.

Fuego

Crafts

Enjoy a fun crafts book for kids, moms, dads, or anyone who likes crafting.
Discover Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104, on Amazon.

Do you like creating paper crafts, crafts with fabric,
popsicle stick crafts, and paper mache? Then Easy Crafts on
a Budget for Kids 4 to 104, is for you! Easy craft projects in
the book, are made with recycled shoe boxes, food cans,
cardboard boxes, newspaper and fabric scraps.

Creating craft projects with my grandson is fun. We enjoy crafting
with items found in our home. Enjoy family and summer crafts,
with Easy Crafts on a Budget, for Kids 4 to 104.

For cubism collage, one of the easiest projects in the book,
you will need a pencil, construction paper,drawing paper,
and a glue stick, or make a "kitty bank" with paper mache.

I'll be posting where to buy (bargain priced) craft supplies, in the coming
days.

Fuego