All posts in Crafts

Last Minute Gift: Feather Headband How-To

by eclectic on December 10, 2009 in Crafts, Just for Fun with No comments

If you’re still trying to decide what to get your sister or friend for the holidays, why not try making something?  This craft is super easy, looks adorable and less than $10!

Materials:

  • Metal headband
  • Feathers (I got mine from Michael’s already on the piece of fabric)
  • Black ribbon
  • Amazing GOOP Craft Adhesive

Step 1:

Measure the black ribbon so that it fits the length of the fabric on the backside of the feathers.

Step 2:

Next, put Amazing GOOP Craft Glue along the edges of the ribbon (vertically so you have a gap in the middle) and place down on the fabric.  Let it sit for about 10 min or until dry.

Step 3:

Slide the metal headband through the middle section of the fabric and you’re all done!

Unique, beautiful and custom! What could be a better Christmas gift? By the way, it takes about 24 hours for a full cure of the adhesive, so don’t stick it on your head til then.

Show Us Your Favorite Craft & DIY Projects

by eclectic on December 2, 2009 in Crafts, DIY, Just for Fun with No comments
Do you have a favorite craft or DIY project that includes one of our products?  Or, have an idea that you’ve been wanting to try? Share it with us and you could be featured on this blog!

Throughout the month of December we’ll be accepting project submissions. At the end of the month we’ll choose one or more of our favorites to feature.  We want to see what unique and fun projects you come up with using Amazing GOOP, Eco Glue or other Eclectic Products. So, get out your glue, scissors, paint, paper, fabric and show us you’ve got!

Just a few things to keep in mind.  The craft or DIY project submitted must include an Eclectic Product and must include an image(s) and/or video with a how-to description of your project. Those featured will get a gift basket of glue to suit your DIY or crafting needs.

Send submissions to kelli.matthews[at]gmail.com

You can peek at some of our previous guest posts and contest winners to get inspiration:

- RC cars and Amazing GOOP

- ShoeGOO Decoupage(ish) Shoes

- Baby Name Art Canvas How-To

- Mosaic Mushroom How-To

Make Easy Mini Banners for the Holidays

by eclectic on October 30, 2009 in Crafts with No comments
This craft is great to do with your kids and a fun way to personalize decorations for any occasion.  Depending on the size of letters you choose to use, you could hang it on a wall, in a doorway or even on your fridge.  We see this banner most commonly used for Happy Birthday, but with the holidays coming up I think it’d be fun to try Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah.

Supplies you will need

Letters- You can get these from the craft store in the scrapbooking section, or cut them out of a decorative paper you like. If you want a smaller banner, I would recommend using letters about 1 ½ inches high and if you want a larger banner 4 inches is a good size.

Rectangles- The size of the rectangles will depend on the size of your letters.  They need to be big enough to attach to the top of the letter with about a ½ inch of extra space on each end.  A heavy stock paper works best for these pieces.

Extra small brads

Small hole punch

String

E6000 glue

Once you have all of your letters and rectangles, lay them out to make sure everything looks the way you want.  Then, glue the top part of each letter to the rectangles.  Once the glue has dried, punch a hole on each side.

Banner 2

Image courtesy of Zakka Life

Overlap the holes of the two rectangles and secure with a brad.  Continue until you’ve spelled out the entire phrase.  Use the end holes to tie with string and the banner is ready to hang.

Favorite Fall Traditions: Pumpkin Pie, Carving and More

by eclectic on September 28, 2009 in Crafts, Just for Fun with No comments

With the arrival of fall come some of my favorite things: warm cider, carmel apples and pumpkins!  Here is a list of a few things you can do with pumpkins.

Carving.  Halloween is just 4 weeks away and that’s just enough time to get what you need to carve the perfect pumpkin.  HGTV has great tips for carving.  And, if you’re like me and have a hard time figuring out what to carve, try templates.  They’re easy to use and you’re bound to have the best looking pumpkin on the block!

Pumpkin Pie.  This is an absolute must have.  I don’t care if it’s store bought or home made, pumpkin pie is the best.   Here’s a great recipe from Martha Stewart.

Pumpkin Seeds.  I absolutely love, love, love oven roasted pumpkin seeds!  Of course you can buy them from the store, but they are much tastier warm and fresh out of the oven.  Lightly salted, they are a perfect fall snack.

Decorative Topiary. The DIY network suggests creating a decorative topiary with carved pumpkins. Once carved, stack the pumpkins, glue them together so they stay put, and wrap twinkle lights around the outside to complete the look.  This clever project would be perfect next to a fireplace or entry way. Try E6000 or EcoGlue Extreme.

Do you have any favorite fall traditions?

Start the year off right with back-to-school projects

by eclectic on August 26, 2009 in Crafts, DIY, Just for Fun with No comments

It’s that time of year… Back to school! We found a bunch of textbook perfect projects that will help you prepare for the upcoming school year.

Get organized!

Parents know that back to school means homework, school activities, sports, and more. Prepare yourself with projects that help you organize homework due dates, sports schedules, and weekend activities.

Organization frames are simple tools to help you and your kids keep track of deadlines and dates. Lowe’s demonstrates how to create a multipurpose frame system in four simple steps.

Create a study space for your A+ students where they can stay organized and focused and take the occasional study break. The study space features a book nook, art corner, and extra credit/homework dry-erase wall.

Kick off the school year in style!

Back to school shopping can get expensive. Why not create your own fashionable, inexpensive school accessories?

Book bag: Learn how to make a chic oversized book bag that’s big enough for books and supplies. Maryssa “Missa” Stumpf of Missa by Design provides a how-to video with simple steps to create this super cute accessory.

Backpack: Make a backpack out of a mens jacket. Threadbanger gives step-by-step instructions on how to create a hip backpack that’s perfect for the new school year.

DIY Sustainable LunchReusable lunch bags: Stop wasting plastic bags and create a cute reusable lunch bag using old clothes. Amy from Progressive Pioneer uses old jeans to create her reusable lunch bag. They’re cheap, durable, and great for the environment.

Teachers pet?

Start the school year right by impressing your teacher with some unique, homemade crafts such as:

Guest project: ShoeGOO Decoupage(ish) Shoes

by eclectic on July 30, 2009 in Crafts, Guest Project with No comments

We are constantly amazed by the innovative and stylish crafts that people produce using Eclectic Products. Stacie Grissom recently shared her secret to making a cute pair of shoes using some basic art supplies, household items, and ShoeGOO.

Below are instructions… now hop to it and get crafty!

You Will Need:

  • Old pair of shoes, any kind will work.
  • Shoe GOO
  • Anything you want to cover your shoes: pictures, magazine clippings, candy wrappers, comic book pages, poetry book pages, fabric scraps, etc.
  • Rhinestones, beads (optional)
  • Tweezers (for rhinestones or beads)
  • Fast drying glue such as Amazing QuickHOLD

Step One

Step One

Step One:
Organize the items you want to place on your shoes and construct a design. Place the clippings on the shoes, starting with the larger items first. Place a drop of fast-drying glue such as Amazing QuickHOLD on the corner of the clipping to hold it in place and then cover the paper with Shoe GOO. Don’t be stingy with the Shoe GOO.

After the larger clippings are in place, start filling the spaces with smaller scraps until the shoe is entirely covered.

Step Two

Step Two

Step Two:
Once all of the clippings are in place and the shoe is covered, start putting drops of Shoe GOO on the shoe by rubbing it over the shoe. Only rub the the Shoe GOO over the shoe once to get a clear effect. Rubbing over the shoe more than once will cause the shoe to become opaque. Apply Shoe GOO lightly on the most visible parts of the shoe.

Tip: Place a generous amount of Shoe GOO near the sole of the shoe and where the shoe bends. Without a helping of Shoe GOO, the clippings may crack off.

Step Three

Step Three

Step Three:
Place a dollop of Shoe GOO where you would like to add embellishments. Apply rhinestones or beads to the Shoe GOO with tweezers.

Step Four:
Allow the Shoe GOO to dry completely.

Step Five:
Add another layer of Shoe GOO on places that look thin and, again, around the soles and where the shoes bend. Wait for the Shoe GOO to dry.

After this, you are done! You will have a funky pair of recycled shoes that will catch the eyes of people everywhere.

To view more photos of Stacie’s ShoeGOO photos, visit her Flickr page or visit her blog Stars for Streetlights.

DIY Links We Like

by eclectic on July 7, 2009 in Crafts, DIY, Home Improvement, repair with No comments

We know you enjoy DIY – building, crafting, repairing – and sometimes finding interesting, useful and inspirational things online can be very time consuming.

Since we’ve been reading and sharing a variety of projects, innovative ideas and just cool stuff on Twitter, we thought compiling them for you here would be fun, too.  You can join us anytime on Twitter, by the way. @amazinggoop for DIY and craft tweets and @EPI_Industrial for builders and contractors.

***

DIY Gardening: Build a Rain Barrel

It’s gardening season and your plants are thirsty. Make your own rain barrel with used plastic containers. Rain barrels are an efficient, cost effective way homeowners can collect and recycle a valuable resource.

33 Clever, Time-Saving, Money-Saving Reader Tips

Readers contributed bunches of tips that speed repairs and save money. You can find the best of the tips from This Old House. Our favorites were tip number 16, place a bag in a paint tray to decrease the mess, and number 30, unclog hairy drains with Nair hair remover. We’d also add #34: Use a good adhesive.

How to Build a Patio Planter

From our buddy, Danny Lipford, learn how to build a wood patio planter with simple instructions. Summer heat doesn’t mean boring entryways. Add simple late summer or fall plants for a lovely addition to your patio. You can make it even simpler, by using EcoGlue Green Solutions Premium Wood Adhesive.

50 Nifty Tricks for Big DIY Savings

Shrink household expenses with 50 simple ideas. Some of the tricks may help you save $500. Some of the tips include shortening your dryer-vent hose and making your own cleaning solutions. And… Of course, add a tube of GOOP to your toolbox for on-the-spot repairs to save some coin, too.

How to Make an Herb Garden from Recycled Plastic Bottles

Reuse plastic bottles and create a fresh herb garden. This clever project would be great to do with your kids and watch your garden grow. Of course, we recommend EcoGlue for the glue used in this project. The steps are easy and you can have fresh basil before you know it.

19 fresh ideas for outdoor rooms

It doesn’t take much to improve a porch, patio or garden. Here are some easy and inexpensive updates for outdoor spaces. One of our favorites is fresh idea number 8: Create a new outdoor room with a simple change in flooring.

How to Decorate a Table with Bamboo Veneer Flowers

Spruce up a coffee table with an organic, floral twist. This article will show you how to make your own pattern from photos of flowers and apply them with bamboo veneer.

Mosaic Birdhouses

Learn how to make stunning mosaic birdhouses that will brighten your yard and make a stylish home for the birds in your yard. This article provide seven easy construction steps and materials. We’ve provided several mosaic projects on An Eclectic Blog and know that EcoGlue or Amazing GOOP both work well.

Guest Post: Baby Name Art Canvas How-To

by eclectic on June 29, 2009 in Contest, Crafts, Guest Project with 4 Comments

Joanna Gallo is another winner of our giveaway at Cut Out + Keep. We wanted to highlight one of her crafts here on An Eclectic Blog. Please visit her blog, go ahead and snicker, which includes information about crafts, local travels, recipes, entertainment, and more.


Baby Name Art Canvas

Baby Name Art Canvas

You will need:

-12 x 16 inch pre-stretched art canvas
-12 x 12 inch scrapbook paper
-Vintage wrapping paper or other paper with scenes
-Acrylic paint
-Wood letters
-Sand paper
-Mod Podge
-Tube of E-6000
-Bottle of Amazing EcoGlue
-Ribbon
-Ric rac

Step 1 – Begin by prepping the wood letters. Some wood letters may require a quick sanding. Once the letters are smooth, apply a coat of white acrylic paint as the base. Set the letters aside on a sheet of wax paper or a baking rack to dry.

Step 2 – While the letters dry, start working on the canvas. Gather two pieces of scrapbook paper to cover the front of the canvas. Trim one piece of paper to fit the canvas, leaving a 1/2 inch border of white around the edge. If the paper has a pattern, line up the second piece of paper with the edge of the cut side to be sure the pattern matches. Trim the second piece of paper to fit the remaining exposed canvas.

Step 3 – Make a tiny mark at each corner of the paper with a pencil. Apply Amazing EcoGlue to one piece of paper. Line up the paper with the pencil marks and rub over the entire surface. Repeat this step with the other piece, making sure to line up the pattern.

Cut out scenes from the wrapping paper.

Cut out scenes from the wrapping paper.

Step 4 – Cut out the scenes from the wrapping paper. Decide on the placement and mark the corners with a pencil. Place a light amount of Amazing EcoGlue on the back of each scene and line them up with the pencil marks. Rub over the entire surface, making sure edges are sealed.
*If you can’t find vintage wrapping paper, click here to borrow some from Joanna.

Step 5 – By now the base coat on the wood letters should be dry. Apply a coat of color to the wooden letters with acrylic paint. Set them aside to dry.

Step 6 – Once the letters are dry, embellish them with various details such as sponge painting, borders, and more. Once the embellishments dry, seal the letters with glossy Mod Podge or any other sealant.

Add embellishments to the wood letters.

Add embellishments to the wood letters.

Step 7 – Meanwhile, start embellishing the canvas. For example, trim each scene with a bit of ribbon and ric rac using E-6000.
*Quick tip: To keep the edges of ribbon or ric rac from fraying, dip them in clear nail polish.

Step 8 – Once everything is dry, attach the letters to the canvas with E-6000.

Any new mother will appreciate such a thoughtful gift.


Adorably Simple: Spring Projects with E-6000

by eclectic on April 27, 2009 in Crafts with No comments

E-6000 is a favorite of crafters and jewelry makers. We came across some lovely spring projects that use one of our most popular products.

From CraftStylish: Soda Can Brooch

From ZakkaLife: Seed Bead Ring

Jessica doesn’t use E-6000 specifically in this project. I think it would work really well, just be cautious of things like ventilation especially if crafting with your child.

From Dollar Store Crafts: Make Cute Rings

We might have theme with the kids’ stuff here. This project doesn’t specifically call for E-6000, but the blogger uses another of our craft glues: QuickHOLD. Either will work.


Small Magazine: Small Projects – Spring Dragonflies

The directions for these adorable dragonflies call for using a hot glue gun, but E-6000 or QuickHOLD would work, too.


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Take the Craft Night Pledge

by eclectic on March 9, 2009 in Crafts with No comments

craft_night_logo1March is National Craft Month – one of our favorite months of the year! This year, the focus of the festivities (sponsored by the Craft & Hobby Association) is Craft Night, a campaign to encourage families to spend one evening together making arts and crafts.

Money is tight – why not spend time at home together doing something that has proven emotional and physical benefits.

“Whether providing a sense of accomplishment, relaxation, or memory keeping*, crafting has therapeutic benefits that are appealing to people of all ages, looking for a creative outlet,” said Dr. Rallie McAllister, family physician. “Knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, quilting, or almost any craft can help people by reinforcing the many emotional and social benefits associated with focus and repetition. Plus, an economical way to have some fun with the ones you love.”

  • Save some money: A family of four can save more than $150 a month by having a Craft Night at home instead of going to the movies or out for dinner. Try a great family craft using EcoGlue – it’s non-toxic, so it’s fun for kids to use on their little masterpieces. An egg carton caterpillar is a terrific craft for preschoolers.
  • Encourage a sense of accomplishment: Parents can help their school-going kids keep up with the latest fashions with a DIY craft night at home. Have your kids try a craft from Mark Montano’s Big Ass Book of Crafts (like the urban corsage) and let their inner creative genius shine.
  • Girls Night In: Rather than go out, a girls night in gives you a chance to unwind and bond while making clever projects with pooled materials – saving cash, catching up on gossip and strengthening your friendships. This lovely jeweled vase is quick, cheap and easy and adds a little sparkle to a shelf or window sill.jeweledvase

How will you celebrate National Craft Month?

*CHA Attitude & Usage Study – 11/30/08

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