Santa Lucia Wood Peg Dolls

Based on wood peg dolls found on Google:

https://www.google.com/search?q=santa+lucia+wood+peg+dolls&biw=1249&bih=930&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=DMOQVInVMIipogTMq4HQCg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#imgdii=_

Sorry! We did this craft in the early evening and I didn't have good lighting to take decent photos!

Cost: $12 for supplies (enough for 7 crafters to each make one doll)



Supplies:

-unfinished wooden doll bodies (from craft stores, online, wood crafting stores and Etsy) For ex: http://factorydirectcraft.com/catalog/categories/1302_2110_2235-wooden_doll_heads_and_bodies.html
-white paint
-paint (flesh color) for the face, head and part of the neck
-permanent markers in various colors for facial details OR you can paint details on the face if you prefer
-green chenille stems aka pipe cleaners
-scraps of paper (such as recycled greeting cards) to make the candle and flame
-loose gold glitter
-glue including fabric glue
-items to decorate: scraps of fabric including eyelet & ribbon/trimming.


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This looks fun for a Christmas stocking stuffer idea!

http://shopnectar.com/product-ahoy-mini-pirates-peg-people-crafting-kit

Fairy Dust Mini Glass Bottle Necklace

To make:

-fairy dust mini glass bottle w/cork top and metal ring for inserting a chain or ribbon to hang (fairy bottles are available at most well-stocked craft stores and also on Etsy. The ones I purchased came in a set of 3-4? with the metal ring already attached to the cork top.)
-silk ribbon or cording (I used a beautiful soft pastel variegated silk cording from an embroidery shop. I purchased 1 yard @ $1.50 yard. Trust me-you'd rather buy too much ribbon than too little.)
-loose glitter (any color and I chose a girly soft pink of course. I also added some glue and loose glitter where the cork and lip of the bottle meet to firmly secure.)
-very small sequins, jewels, rhinestones, etc. to fill the bottle
-glue (to glue the cork to the bottle)
-paint to decorate the gift box
-little gift box (optional) I found a small  generic papier machè box in the Christmas section on sale at Michaels. I spray painted the box bright pink inside and outside then applied a Christmas gift tag to the lid and "glitterized" the lid around the edges to customize. I also lined the inside with a pink glittery scrap piece of paper. Like this: http://www.michaels.com/artminds-paper-mache-mini-square-box/10260857.html#q=paper+boxes&start=20

Note: Do not fill the bottle more than 2/3 full. Half full would be ideal. Took me about 10 minutes total to make this craft project.








Cost: $4.00 including the box

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Official Christmas Doll 2014: Swirl Dot

http://www.joann.com/funny-fleece-dolls/P449919.html


Welcome Swirl Dot to the family! The paisley pattern is a gift card. I wrote the date on the back of the gift card and used an ink pad to write Swirl Dot's name.

For this *doll, I used:

-1/4 fleece fabric I picked up last year on sale (the fabric print is called 'Swirl Dot')
-stuffing/polyfill (actually I used eco friendly bamboo batting)
-2 buttons for eyes
-ribbon for the arms
-scrap fabric for the legs
-scrap piece of fabric for the hair yo-yo. Adding a yo-yo to the Official Christmas Doll is a longstanding tradition! ;)
-3-4" piece of scrap lace for the pants' trim
-scissors
-sewing machine
-thread
-yarn for the hair
-Fray Check™ for the ribbon ends (optional but recommended)

Time to make: from start to finish about 2 hours.

*Note: I'm going to work on those eyes a little more (replace the buttons with some less menacing or use felt eyes) and add some eyelashes-which I forgot to do before I sewed the body closed. The legs didn't come out as well as I had hoped but again Cap'n Mad Ellen's default excuse: "It adds character". I'm probably going to end up adding some seam binding to the legs.

Cost: ø

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Free printable Jake and the Never Land Pirates' coloring page!

Go to this link and click on the Print icon:

http://disneyjunior.com/print/it-s-a-winter-never-land-coloring-page-4e468a91c5737963001f4933

Recycled Paper Christmas Tree

This easy Christmas craft project I put together in five minutes in the midst of a small craft battle. Official Ship's Gluer? Why Effervescent Ethel of course!

What I used:

-tree trunk: coffee cup "sleeve"with a 3/4" slit on each side to fit the tree form  ^^see photo
-tree greenery: recycled box of Kleenex™ tissues, torn into big pieces
-star: cut from a box of macaroni
-ornaments or lights: hole punched from scrap construction paper and recycled greeting cards
-tree form: cut from an Amazon.com box (we didn't color or paint the tree form)

glue, scissors, pencil, hole punch

Cost: ø
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FAUX-ireplace™ (patent pending)

I should trademark that name!

(Notice the fireplace on the left side needs mending. One word: felines.)

A friend recently posted a *link on FB to a "faux fireplace" made from cardboard boxes. Because this craft has been on Cap'n Mad Ellen's TO DO list for quite some time now, I seized the opportunity! The Faux-ireplace™ measures 19x24". You can make it smaller or bigger-your choice.

*http://www.somewhatsimple.com/faux-fireplace/

To make a Faux-ireplace™:

-clean and dry recycled cardboard boxes  (All of the cardboard was from our recycling bin.)
-glue (lots!)
-masking tape, Scotch tape
-scissors, maybe a box cutter, too
-paper to line the fireplace and the mantle. I used paper from the junior pirate Effervescent Ethel's art easel-slash-chalkboard to paint the brick design.
-construction paper for the inside of the fireplace and flames (black, orange and yellow)
-4"x6" clean kitchen sponge
-paint for the bricks (white paint mixed with little bit of brown and red to make a "brick" color)
-pieces of thin cardboard (thin enough to roll into firelogs), if desired
-string of white, yellow or orange Christmas tree lights for the "fire"

Perfectly themed Xmas fabric runner for the mantle c/o JoAnns' Fabrics!

Cost: .60¢ for 1/8 yard of fabric for the mantle (optional), $1.99 for string of white Xmas lights, $2.99 for battery-operated faux candlestick (optional), approximately $1.00 for miscellaneous Xmas decorations on the mantle: red cardinal, sparkly holly, etc. (optional). Total: Less than US$7.00.

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Toilet Paper Roll Snowpeople Napkin Ring Holders

I didn't use a specific source in creating these napkin ring holders, rather we searched on Google for inspirrrrration.


Cap'n Mad Ellen made the on with the pink buttons and flower scarf in the foreground.

Cap'n Mad Ellen made the napkin ring holder on the left.

https://www.google.com/search?q=toilet+paper+snowman+craft&biw=1249&bih=934&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=g76QVOLlOsm4ogTd5YCYAw&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

To make:

-toilet paper rolls or other types of cardboard tubes from a carton of aluminum foil, paper towels, etc.
-white paint
-paint brushes
-craft items to decorate: paper, recycled greeting cards, fabric, yarn, ribbon, lace, sequins, buttons, self-adhesive rhinestones, pom poms, etc.
-glue
-scissors
-hole punch

Cost: ø

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Disney's Frozen™ Olaf-inspired Snowman, etc.

Not good lighting on these photos and the weather was awful this day. Torrential rain, high waves!

Craft project based on this one: http://citymomsblog.com/houston/snowman-preschoool-home/


Need:

-light colored background paper (light blue preferably)
-shaving cream
-white glue
-white, silver or iridescent loose glitter
-buffalo snow (fake snow)
-paintbrushes
-scissors
-hole punch
-craft supplies to decorate: including to but not limited to scraps of paper and fabric, ribbon/lace/trimmings, recycled greeting cards, sequins, buttons, stickers, self-adhesive rhinestones, etc.



Mix together equal parts shaving cream and white glue. Stir in the glitter. Paint a snowman, snow woman, snow child, etc. on the paper and decorate as desired. Set aside to dry flatly and thoroughly-usually requires about 24 hours drying time. *DO NOT* hang up the picture until it has thoroughly dried.

Cost: ø  


Dalmatian Snow Dog

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Wood Peg nativity

Need:


-two wood pegs one for Mary and one for Joseph
-one small wood peg for the baby Jesus
-ribbon for Mary's outfit
-felt for Joseph's outfit
-natural color felt to swaddle the baby Jesus
-blue felt for Mary's headcovering
-raffia or jute for tying, belt
-paint for the skin
-piece of yarn frayed for the crib
-colored markers for facial features
-excelsior for the crib
-glue and glue dots
-wood popsicle sticks for the crib 

   Ideas:


http://www.clumsycrafter.com/2010/12/peg-doll-nativity/

Cost: about $5.00

Forgot! Made this sweet little lamb for the creche, too!

Source for lamb: http://www.crafts-for-all-seasons.com/lamb-craft.html
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Autumn Fabric Still Life

We hit an iceberg with craft projects this month. One pitiful fail after another... Let us hope the remainder of the year of our Lord 1714 is smoother sailing. We certainly don't want a discouraged crew or captain, do we?!


  It was a bit of a tight squeeze to fit the piece in the frame. :/ Might need to rethink this...

AUTUMN FABRIC STILL LIFE


To make:


-autumn-themed cookie cutters, stencils or templates (you can find many of these templates online free of charge). I purchased the cookie cutters at a kitchen shoppe in port for $1.25 each.
-fabric glue
-sharp sewing scissors
-iron-on interfacing (optional)
-pencil or pen for tracing
-paper or fabric for the background
-scrap fabric for the shapes
-fancy jute ribbon
-flat buttons
-frame (optional) Our frame measured 5"x7"/12.7cm x17.78cm
-iron

Iron the fabric pieces first to make them as smooth as possible for cutting out and arranging on the background paper or fabric. If you wish you can add iron-on interfacing to make the fabric sturdier. (I didn't this time.) Arrange and glue the pieces onto the background. Add ribbon decoration and buttons if desired. 


Cost: $1 for the frame and $3.75 for the cookie cutters.

*Alternate craft project idea*: you can frame the fabric individually in mini-frames (Dollar Tree!) or glue individually to sturdy card stock to make place cards for seating aRrrrrangements at the Thanksgiving table!


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Fall Banner

One of the first few posts to this craft blog was for a Halloween banner using fabric scraps. It's been on my Crafty Swab Bucket List ever since I posted about it. Yesterday I rummaged through the fabric stash and pulled out seasonal autumn fabric, ribbon, hem facing/seam binding, ric rac, lace, and yarn to create this banner. No sewing required!

To make:


-fabric scraps
-other scraps including ribbon, lace, yarn, etc.
-pinking shears or scissors
-ribbon or string to hang up the banner

The scraps of fabric were cut into strips of various sizes. Some were only 1"-2" wide and other up to 4-5" wide. Their lengths varied as well-anywhere from 6"-16". I used the pinking shears to cut ragged/jagged edges to the fabric to give it the texture of autumn leaves.

The scraps were tied on without knotting. That way if I needed to rearrange it would be much easier to do that.

Cost: ø


I'm not sure yet if I like the way the banner is hanging on the wall. I may be repositioning it at some point.

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