Eggshell Candles

Saw this idea online and it's so so cute (and easy!) that I had to make some as little Easter gifts. They are a little fragile (obviously, since they are eggshells!), but I like the jagged edges; they'll be fun adorable gifts or table decorations.





To make: carefully break open eggs leaving as much intact as you can (some of mine are pretty much just halves and even that small of an opening worked); remove the egg, rinse the shell, let it air dry.

Cut small lengths of candle wicks and stick them in the bottom of each eggshell with a little soft wax.

Create a double-boiler by putting an inch of water in a saucepan, place a smaller glass jar or measuring cup (or an empty tin can) in the saucepan. Add candle wax along with a chunk of broken crayon in whatever color you want to the glass jar and melt over low heat.

Once it's melted carefully pour into the broken egg shells. The wicks will probably fall over, I held them in place by resting toothpicks next to each wick until the candle wax set up.

Once the wax is solid trim the wicks to about 1/4" or so. Done! What a cute addition to your Easter decorations - put them in egg cups or small bowls on the table, or at each place setting; or put them in empty egg cartons to give as gifts (if you can bear to part with them haha, I might not be gifting these after all!).

I made them with white eggshells and colored candlewax, but dyeing the eggshells would also be nice.

4.15.18: LeDonna's Broccoli Cottage bake

Spring Flower Hanging Wreath

I'm loving this upside down wreath I made to hang from our chandelier - yes, it's a lot going on since the chandelier is solid shells... but I like it. I made it out of dollar store finds so it only cost 7 bucks, you could spend less by not buying as many flowers and/or skipping the garland, and you could make a simple wire ring instead of using a pre-made wreath form.

For my base I saw a plastic and tinsel bunny hanging thing, I only wanted the bigger circle so I just snipped off the top and used the body. Using little wire cutters, I snipped off the flowers and stems from the bouquet base and bent the ends to create little hooks. Before attaching the flowers I needed to hang the thing up so I could build the wreath - using white twine I ran it around the outside edges 4 times to make a hanger, then hung it from a cabinet knob so I could add the flowers. Then working from underneath, push the little hooked ends up thru the tinsel and hook on one of the plastic rings that form the wreath. Fit as many as you want - I made some short, some long, and tried to stagger the different colors thruout the wreath. Once you have it how you want, attach to the bottom of your chandelier using more twine. To finish it I just wrapped a piece of 4' garland around the top part.

Supplies:

• wreath base (if it isn't covered already you'll want to wrap it with something - rope, yarn, garland, tinsel, etc.)
• 5 flower bouquets (each bouquet had 6 flowers in it, except for one of them that I didn't check before buying it and it was missing a flower!)
• little wire snippers or strong scissors to cut the flowers off the bouquet.
• twine to hang the wreath.
• garland to finish (not really necessary but I had it so I used it). 

My dining room table is covered with junk so I didn't take a picture from a distance - hope you can tell how pretty this turned out without a photo from farther away!

one year ago: how to make mod podge
two years ago: make a bracelet out of a zipper

Paper Umbrellas

Here's another easy craft for spring decorating - cute paper umbrellas. I saw the idea for these here - I followed the directions except she made a clay bead for the end and I just hot glued on a bead instead. These turned out pretty cute!

Cut out 10 circles (I used a 2" circle punch from Stampin' Up), fold each one in half and then half again so they form triangles. Put a piece of double sided tape in the fold, and then tape all of the folded circles together to form the umbrella top. Using a short length of wire, make a small loop in the top and glue it in the center of the umbrella. Bend the wire into the "handle" of the umbrella and to glue on a bead to the end. Done.

Note I hung them from my craft desk using additional pieces of wire -  thread or fishing line would also work.

K-Cup Bunnies

Here's another cutie k-cup craft for spring - click here to revisit those adorable blue birds from last week - perfect for Easter and an easy kids craft. 

Supplies:

• clean recycled k-cups, pink and white cardstock, heart shaped punch, black marker or sharpie, hot glue

Directions:

• cut out bunny ears from white paper - I saw someone make a template online using the edge of a mason jar lid but you can easily wing cutting out rabbit ears. Then cut out smaller bunny ears from pink paper and glue them onto the white paper, then glue them to the back of the k-cup overlapping slightly. Draw on a face and whiskers using a black sharpie; punch out a heart from pink paper and glue on upside down for the nose. 

K-Cup Birds

It's almost April and time for some spring crafts for Ronda's seasonal display table...these little blue birds are too cute and I had to make them.  Seriously just try to tell me you don't think these are super cute! Yep they're a little silly and cutesy but I love them.

I got the inspiration for these online and changed them a bit - you don't have to make them just like I did but here's what to do if you do!

Supplies:

• Clean recycled k-cups (I hope you've been saving these now after the couple other cute crafts I've shown you! click here and here for those posts)
• blue tissue paper, orange and black cardstock, black marker or sharpie, mod podge, foam brush, hot glue

Directions:

Cut or rip tissue paper up into small pieces, spread both sides with mod podge and stick in place all over the K-cup. Keep applying the mod podge and paper until the entire surface is covered, overlapping the edges. Once it's dry hot glue a small bunch of crumpled tissue paper on either side for wings, a small orange triangle for the beak, and black feet (note I punched out a flower shape using a Stampin' Up die cut shape I had on hand and then cut in half, you can just cut out whatever shape you want for feet - or draw on 3 little black lines instead). Dot eyes on using the black marker.