start looking for Holiday Wreath filler

Ok it is time to start looking for what I like to call fillers for making your holiday wreath. If you have an old wreath that needs a new look or redo, that will work toooooo. I found some really cute stuff at the dollar tree store, they already have those small items that make your wreath on the door sparkle. Did I say what a filler is? That is the stuff that makes your wreath or fireplace deco look so good. Filler is also known as pickers at Jo Ann's or Micheals. Please note in the picture that I have just found a few of the items I need. I also added some of the things I have in my craft closet and a umbrella stand that is in my living room in a corner of the room. (I would never show you a picture of that mess, but some how it works in this corner.)

I find really good buys in say "curly willow" and will store it there. Curly willow is a natural branch that curls in really cute angles, it can be cut to fit into your item.) As you know curly willow is very expensive but you only use a small amount, of the branch, when added to an arrangement it will make that item spectacular.

I have added in the picture some ting-ting (who thought of that name?) in a bronze color, it's the long twirly stuff. Make sure to check out the import stores for silver or Gold ting-ting or something like that sparkles. While your thinking of it buy some gold glitter spray, and be thinking of shiney ribbons in a large width, it will make or break your wreath.

Lets make curly ribbons with jaw clips

...

I have attached some pic's of hair clips in progress. Please note that you can see step one is to gather up some curly ribbons. I have gathered a hank of ribbons, I counted approximately about 12 to 14 strands of ribbons. I made the hank of ribbon about 6 to 8 inches long. (this is not a measurement of ribbon that is stretched tight, it is just simply ever so slightly) Now is the question you are going to ask yourself?

Do you want the curly's to look like Marie Antoinette with long slinky ribbons hanging down to your neck? You laugh at this one, thinking what a nut I am, but I have made several of these types, and then you have to cut the darn thing down to size.

Check out my pictures in the isherlcrfts4u.ESTY.com pic's. Do you see the Red $ Green clip? Does it looks longer? Always save your left overs, they will come in handy at a later date. I think of my daughter and her love of long hair as a small child, she loved long ribbons in her hair, she thought of them as having long ringlets. Wow what a mental slap to the head for me the thinks you remember. Any who, moving on....


Now that you have your hanks of ribbons wrap your small gauge wire (about 28 gauge) around the ribbon several times and make it tight, pull it tight so the ribbon doesn't fall out of the wiring.

Wire the ribbon wad to the top of the jaw clip, see it in the picture? Wrap the wire around the top of the clip, wrap it tight. (I like to use needle nose plier to pull the wire very tight.) NOW run the wire across the inside of the clip to the other side of the clip. You repeat the process on this side. Make sure the ribbon is on top of the clip. You don't want the wire to stick your finger or the receiver of your gift so check to make sure the wire ends are not sticking out, if need be cut the left over wire. Use you needle nose plier to pinch the wire down. All you need to do is repeat the process on the other side of the clip. Your good to go!!!!!


Ok, if you want to do big girl or little girl barrettes, you just make a hank of 6 to 8 short ribbons (remember those little snip-its of ribbon here is the place to use them) By short I mean 4 to 6 inches long or if you want those Marie Antoinette curls then go for it. Wrap your wire around the barrettes base remember to remove the small silver bar in the back of the barrette, so you can wrap your wire easier. Wire the wire several times tight. Add your ribbon, then repeat the process, till the barrette is filled up. You need to add back the silver back bar, so the barrette will stay tight in your little girl's hair.

....

Curly ribbon add ons for ladies, girls and babies

Well... I have a picture of the items you will need to make some simply cute hair items. Please note that you will need to buy a few things. If you want to have jaws clips with curly ribbons hanging off of them, you will absolutely need to check you clip drawer and look closely to the clips you already own. One always want to use things you already have in your procession, but this is a must to be successful in making jaw clips.

There must be a hole on the top of each side of the clip. You will need to put a wire through it to tie on your hanks of curly ribbons. Note the two jaws clips, see the holes on top of the clip? Ok go and check out your stash of clips, no holes? I like to go to the dollar stores and buy them there, what the heck let face-it, I like to save money on my crafts..it's part of the fun.

Ok when your out buying your assorted clips, get some large metal clips that are what I call big girl clips and a package of small hair clips too(they're pictured in the above pic, you have seen them everywhere). You can always use them to give to all those little girls, you know. Those little cuties that are always begging for new stuff for their hair. I guess we never out grow the need for new hair stuff. You can put them on gift bags or wrapped packages... use it like ribbon, especially if you work with their mother and it's her birthday. It's a value added gift, it will be better that a fancy lunch to her. There.... is nothing better that a mom walking in the door with something special for her little darling!

Please NOTE......With this project you will need to have narrow gauge wire, like the wire you brought last time you went to Home Depot.

golden ribbon add ons

Here is a picture of the gold ribbon flower that I deemed not the right size for my brown flips, the ribbon was 2 1/2 inches wide. So I put a bit of bling in the center of the darn thing, to jazz it up. I just love bling, I turned the thing over and hot glued a left over green stem from some old silk plant material along with a hair clipper. Do you see it in the pic? Now I can put it in my hair, I am truly a fake hair person. I have entire drawer of store bought hair, so adding a curly ribbon hair clip is a natural to me. But just in case you are not into that look or maybe it is an old lady thing, like me, to add extra stuff to my hair? Not sure what to call it. You can add it to a winter hat or a straw hat or bag.

Photos of ribbon flower and pink flip flops

here is a picture of the purple ribbon in the first turn of making a flower, if you look with your sharp eyes or reading glasses you can just barely see the 2 wires. The start of the flower has the wire turned under.


Check out the finished pink flip flop!

more flip flops pictures

here's a pic of the pink flip finished (i haven't learned enough to get it on the orginal blog) sorry it don't know that much about posting pic's on this web site. I couldn't get my cute pink flips with a fab purple flower. I had taken pictures of my pink flips and purple ribbon flower in the starting process. I know just writing about crafts is not very effective without photos. Must start reading up on posting pic.

Thank you for your good thoughts and if the creek don't rise and hell doesn't freeze over, I will recover from this sett back.

Sherrill

cute Flip Floppers

Well, after much to do about pictures for this project I have gotten them all taken and we are ready to go. Did you get some cute flips?



What kind did you find? Remember you can buy stuff on sale to keep for gifts. I like the ones with a slight rise in the heel. It makes me feel a bit dressy, wearable in all occasions. They will carry you a bit farther, say like out to

dinner, or a show or out on the Casino floor. But come to think about it... any thing you wear on a Casino floor is ok with the management especially if you loose your money on the slots. But that is another thought altogether.

Ok on with the flips. Cut your ribbon to about a yard or so, I measure ribbon by running the ribbon from my nose to the end of my arm, to my figure tips. As my best friend says she has a short arm so she adds more ribbon to that measurement.

Next check the ribbon to determine what side is the front. The ribbon I choose doesn't require to any further inspection, this fabulous purple ribbon is 1 1/2 wide, however, I did buy some gold ribbon that was 2 1/2" wide, this width didn't make a good flower for these shoes, so I turned it into a flower for your hair or to fit it on a hat. I like the 1 1/2" wide.

Hold the ribbon facing you, making a mental note of, what would you like to be the top and the bottom of the flower. On the top edge, hold the wire on both ends of the ribbon, start to gather the ribbon towards the center, (NOTE don't let the wire slip past the end of the ribbon, it is impossible to regather the ribbon).




Now roll the ribbon from one end to the other placing the wire down in the center of the flower, you will need the wire later, DON'T CUT IT OFF AT THIS POINT. The ribbon should start to look like a flower.

You can now thread your wire through a needle and run the wire through the flower and draw the wire up tight so the gathering is held in place. I like to put an "X" in the bottom of the flower. (hide the ends of the ribbon within the flower, you can tuck the outer end of the ribbon under the flower and you have a flower for your flip.

Since your flip at the toe junction is made out of fabric you can thread your needle again... wire your flower to the toe junction or you can hot glue it to the toe. I found some pink heart glams and hot glued them to the center of the flower, and put some cute hearts on the size of the flips. Oh of course I cut off the remaining wire from the bottom of the flower.

I did another flip that I found at Ross's but once again the gold flower wasn't the size I like so I put together some curly ribbon wired together with our wire we got from Home Depot. The recipe the curly flips is take about 6 hanks of 2 1/2 inches of curly stuff wrap in the middle your wire, then repeat the process again so you have 2 groups of ribbons I wrapped the two groups together..then hot glued it to the toe center junction. I really liked that look. What do you think?

Ok folks ...Are you ready for new flip flops, here is what you will end to have really cute one of a kind shoes.  

3 yards of wired ribbon..(I would go to Costco and buy their ribbon roll for around $8.00.  It is wired
      and if you buy it in a neutral color like gold,silver or red.  use can use it for other projects)

craft wired (we discussed this prior hope you got it at Home Depot)
1 large craft needle
one pair of flip flops (I got mine from Walmart and a pair from Ross's) would be better if the flip part is
       made of fabric)

All ready to go with this.   Will post tomorrow with pic's.

Hi... its me again, so some ideas that are floating around in my head.  I want to talk about Halloween wreaths and Christmas wreaths in the next few weeks, however, there is some rethinking to be done prior to that post.  When you go to Home Goods, Michael's, or JoAnn,s or maybe Hobby Lobby please check out those twig wreaths that are sold there.  I don't like them per say, but they will do it you can get them for a good price.  Use some of those coupons.  You will need two, one for the Spooky day and we will be able to modify it to go into Thanksgiving.  Then the day after Thanksgiving prior to going on your Black Friday route, you can change out the wreath for Christmas one.  So keep an open mind for what you think will work for your door.  I like something that is bright and lite and airy.  Home Goods could have some really cute stuff out right now.  Step out of the box and let your mind wonder, and keep in mind buy it now because it will not be there when you come back.

Ok.... going to be doing some flip flops this week, so you will need to get a pair of cute ones, I like the ones with a small platform on the heel.  Also have found when adding a flower or ribbon on the toe hole I like the strap to be make out of fabric not firm plastic.  You can hot glue the ribbon or flower to the flip better,  There are getting hard to find so grab some now, the store around here are putting out back to school stuff.

Question do you have some Rebecka/Black eyed Susan's in your yard.  I simply love these flowers,  I live in So Cal and it is getting very hot here and I plant them in pots out on my patio.  They do very well providing I water them on a timely basis.  So the point being you can get seeds from the dead flower heads.  Cut off the dead blooms, and put them in a paper bag.  Keep the cut blooms in the garage in the paper bag with the blooms.  Providing your husband does toss them out with the trash, the seeds are in the center of the flower, everything that is in the bag, is what is going to give you the best flowers ever next year.  Say in February or when the frost has stopped in your area, toss out the bag worth of seeds (the entire bag ..dead stuff and the center of the flowers) in a nice dirt area that gets water.  Then sometime in early April there will be new starts.  You can than transplant them into your flower pots or move them to the area you want to shine with great looking flowers, happy days for us.

It's me again with craft ideas

Hello .....I am ready to start talking crafts, here are some of the things I have on my plate to talk about
on this blog....Flip flops with ribbon attached to them for that expense look,(cheap flips) waste baskets that match your fabric in the bathroom/bedroom or office etc.  Painted patio furniture....SO BOOKMARK me and come back often.  I have a ESTY web site called Sherlcrtfs4u.esty.com.  I have lots of items that are easy to stuff into a mailing bag or small box to mail to anyone that buys my tee shirts, sunglasses cases, button dolls, curly ribbon hair clips or the ever popular holiday sweatshirts and aprons.

I have made a list of items that are either to big to ship or simply have gotten boring to me since I been making them for years.  Today I am telling you how to make your own curly ribbon items.  As you can see I have only one pic of myself and it is the back of my head.  What a nutty thing to do, but I had a picture of me, but it got deleted, hence the stupid picture.  I am going to have my husband take a pic of me, but I need to have him stand on the "X" so I can focus the camera and stand there,... oh,.. by the way he says he can't be responsible for the picture of me, since the camera only takes pictures of what it sees, so what if I am out of focus.  It may be a awhile till I get a good picture.  Moving on to the curl- lies.


These ribbons are easy to make and I make lots of them since I find the ribbons on sale at Michael's or Jo Ann's for either 3 for $ or on a really good day I found them at Michael's 4 for a dollar.  These are the cheapies that sell for 50 cents a rolls (they come prepackaged as real skinny ribbon, ribbon with ruffly sides... its your choice)  All this ribbon will make lots of hair barrettes for your Grandchildren in my case or great birthday, giveaways or whatever you can think of.


What I am saying you first need to build up a selection of ribbon to bake in the oven.  YES, bake in the OVEN!!! and you are say, your out of your mind!!!! it is hot outside right now.  OK , you need to think New Years eve, Christmas or other December activities, Thanksgiving or don't forget Halloween.
When buying ribbons think about price ....I find that Michael's or Jo Ann's have a lot of ribbons but the one you need to look at are the cheap ones!!!   Think Color.....think ahead, a good crafter always is a month ahead in planning ..It's all about getting things early and at a good price.  Please check to make sure the ribbon is make of polyester, since you are going to bake these ribbons changing the structure of the polyester in the ribbon.  Here is a hint... if the color you want is not there then think out of the box
and get white, off white or beige or black.  You can always make it all one color and add a small amount of colors to get it just right.

Here is the recipe for baking ribbons

1.  Metal rods (small in the size you want your curls) or metal knitting needles.
     Tin foil  cut in small stripes
      Ribbon small gauge
      Craft wire
      Barrettes, jaw clips or small pin curl hair curlers
      one cookie sheet or more

Wrap the entire roll of ribbon on to a metal rod...Keep in mind you can have several different sizes
of metal rods.  I use lots of my old knitting needles some I have used to knit baby items with.
I wrap the tin foil strip on the end of the ribbon when I am done with that knitting needle.  I have found that you can wrap the entire spool and the heat still curls the ribbon

Do lots of knitting needles since the oven is on and it costs the same to do one as to do all the spools you brought at the store.

Put all the knitting needles in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes.  let cool right there on the rack in oven, I will do them just before going to bed turn off the oven and there they are the next day, just don't forget them.

Note ..if you don't have knitting needles, you can find metal rods at Home Depot in the Hardware section of the store.  Pick out some 3/16" or small and mix your choices up.  Get some long rods and have your father, husband or brother cut them for you.  You want them the size of your cookie sheet, cut  with a hack saw or bolt cutter.  My husband says if it is a bolt cuts check the ends to see if they are sharp, use a file to fix the end so they are not sharp.  You will need to look on the hook or display next to this stuff, and find picture hanging stuff.....grab some 28 gauge wire, buy the large size with a cutter, I checked this morning and at my store it was $4.98.  (save some money it is the same wire as the craft stores but cheaper..the only problem I have is I forget where I put it in my house right there in my craft room).  They also have some clear picture hanging stuff there but that is not a good buy.  Fishing line works great for some of our other projects we will be making.

Ok now go and get your ribbons, if you get JoAnn's fliers you can get some fancy ribbons by the yard with using their coupons for a cut fabric item.  So use those coupons and get some lace and ribbons now for future projects.  I like the grosgain ribbons with the polka  dots on them.  Thats my small guilty spend.   Cook those ribbons and put them in a gallon size baggie and then we will make our cute ribbons.