How To Create a Cute Pumpkin

Fall means Halloween is just around the corner, with witches, ghosts and monsters galore. I used to love this holiday because I got to make some fun costumes for Belinda and her friends.  You can start getting in the spooky spirit with Halloween totes, pillows and embroidery designs in Thirty One’s Fall Catalog – and this easy DIY pumpkin painting craft that’s perfect for big and little ghouls alike.

What you’ll need:

• Small pumpkins or gourds
• Acrylic paint
• Alphabet craft stickers
• Assorted paintbrushes

• Paper plates
• Newspaper
• Paper towels
• Cups of water

Optional:

• Glitter
• Rhinestones
• Glue

Directions:

Lay down newspaper to keep your table or counter mess-free. Use paper plates as paint palettes and squeeze out the colors of paint you want to use. Then, get painting! When you need to switch to a new paint color, just rinse out your brush in a cup of water and dry it on a paper towel.

These pumpkins can be as simple or as funky as you want! Go for one neutral color palette, or let the kids go to town by choosing the colors for their own personal pumpkins.

Spell out spooky words like “Boo!” or “Trick or treat” by placing letter stickers on your pumpkin before painting it, then peeling them off after the paint dries. Or go for a bedazzled look with glitter and rhinestones attached with glue. Check out Hallmark’s Think. Make. Share. blog for more pumpkin-painting inspiration.

Bonus tip: Opt to paint your pumpkins this year to save on the mess and cleanup of carving! Decorate your windowsill or mantelpiece with mini pumpkins, or use them as a festive Halloween centerpiece on the dining room table. Plus, they stay fresh much longer than carved pumpkins.

Looking for some place to store all of your craft supplies.  Check out Thirty One’s Get Creative line.  The Get Creative Caddy is great for crafts, work, or church. Craft time is any time when you pack up our specially designed shoulder bag with paper crafts, knitting, crochet, scrapbooking, painting and more. The stylish Get Creative Caddy has three compartments and seven pockets to organize and transport crafting and sewing items as well as toiletries, toys and travel essentials. These craft caddies partner beautifully with our Get Creative pouches and cylinders.

The Get Creative Carry-All is my favorite.  I carry craft supplies to show and have plenty of room for lots of “stuff”.  I have home health aides who use this to carry their supplies.  Teachers love it because it is roomy. Don’t leave home without your favorite project in this craft bag or sewing bag! Pack up your yarn, paper crafting and scrapbooking items, art supplies and more in this stylish and sturdy travel craft bag. The structured satchel top stays open for easy access to projects while you work, while eight pockets organize crochet hooks, knitting needles, markers, brushes and more. This craft bag can be personalized to make a distinctive and special gift.

Share your pumpkin creations with us…. Have a blessed day!

How To Make Fabric Scrap Ornaments

Thank you Vickie Howell and Thirty One for today’s blog post.  I think I have just found the perfect use for those retired fabric swatches.  New angels on their way….

If you don’t know Vickie Howell, you definitely need to check her out!  She  is a TV host, designer, ambassador and entrepreneur in the DIY space. She has LOTS of great tips on her website!

Here is a great way to use those sewing scraps and leftover fabric pieces (or if you are a consultant – those retired fabric swatches.  This is a fun indoor activity for the kids, too.  Let them design their own to give as gifts this holiday season.

Raid your closets and find some fabric scraps – you know the ones you were saving!  We never want anything to go to waste. Admit it, crafters – you have a spot in your closet just like this! I might even have more than one!  Here is what Vickie came up with as a fun way to give old fabric scraps and swatches new life as sweet home décor or heartfelt gifts.

Follow the steps below to decorate your own Christmas tree, fireplace mantel, front door wreath or dining room table centerpiece with ornaments handmade from materials around your home!

Materials needed:

• Clear plastic bulb ornaments (get them online,  at your local craft store or even the dollar store)
• Scraps of fabric, trimmings and/or yarn
• Scissors
• Decorative ribbon
• Optional: Glitter, buttons, sequins

How-to:

1. Gather scraps and cut them into different lengths. (1″-4″ pieces work great!)
2. Organize scraps and other trimmings by color family.
3. Get creative! Combine a small handful of scraps from the same color family – or create your own palette – and insert them into a bulb.
4. Tie a decorative ribbon onto the bulb’s wire loop for hanging.

Wrap your ornament in a little tissue paper and pop it into a Thirty One Little’s Carry All to give as a gift.  Small in size, but big on benefit, it is  the perfect solution for organizing the little things in life. From office supplies to eating utensils and cosmetics, this caddy helps keep your life in order by keeping everything right at your fingertips. Great for a gift basket, small toys, crafts, office desk supplies and wrapped candy.

Feel merry!  Show us how crafty you are! Share your photos using the #partywithHope  Who knows you may find some happy mail headed your way.

Love to get crafty? Be sure to check out Thirty-One Gifts’ Get Creative line of portable craft storage bags and more, including totes, work mats and clear pouches.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Get Creative™ with Thirty-One

Today’s blog post is courtesy of Thirty One and Vickie Howell who is a TV host, designer, ambassador and entrepreneur in the DIY space.  Be sure to check out her website for lots more tips and tricks.  Vickie’s latest endeavor was to team up with Thirty-One Gifts to create a new collection specifically for our crafters and the DIY community.  Check out the Get Creative™ Collection!  It is AWESOME for anyone who crafts, sews, paints or just likes to create things with their hands.  These amazing pieces will help make life simpler and more organized.  There are 9 new products for crafters in the Get Creative™ line.  Something for everyone.

The Get Creative™ Carry-All…

“Calling all sewists, scrapbookers, crocheters, quilters and crafters: This Carry-All is for you! Whether you’ve got an ongoing junk journaling project you’re trying to keep organized, working on the piecing portion of a patchwork blanket, making a sweater for your kiddo or just need a place to contain your paints and brushes, you’ll love the vastness of its main compartment, the stay-open wire frame and its outer pockets. This bag is a next-level helper for the busy DIY-er!”

The Get Creative™ Case…

“Are you an illustrator, painter, planner-buff or paper crafter? Then you’ll love this case! The shape is the perfect storage option for supplies, and the case’s transformability means it works not only as a container, but also as a clean workspace for mobile crafting!”

The Get Creative™ Caddy…

“It’s perfect for the general crafter, jewelry maker and multi-crafter. It has loads of compartments for tools and supplies, zippered see-through pockets for easy access to notions and findings and a roomy main section that can easily hold paints, adhesive bottles or additional pouches. A great grab-and-go option for your next maker meet-up!

Here are some great compliments to your caddy:

• The Creative Slim Pouch was created with longer tools in mind. It’s a great solution for keeping pens, colored pencils, small paintbrushes, crochet hooks and double-pointed knitting needles at bay within a larger tote. Its clear body married with a zipper closure means no digging around or losing supplies!”
• The Get Creative™ Rectangle Pouch will hole scissors, pin tins, embroidery floss, paint bottles and tubes, ephemera and markers. If you only buy one pouch, then this should be the one for its generous size and versatility.”
• The Get Creative™ Sleeve is designed with the paper crafter in mind. Whether it’s linen paper, organizer inserts, book-making sheets, or scrapbooking paper elements, the Get Creative™ Sleeve will act as a protector. It’s also a great option for people who knit, crochet and cross-stitch so they can keep patterns clean and safe!”
• The Get Creative™ Cylinder is vertical storage for a plethora of supplies. They work well for markers, paint bottles, fat quarter fabric rolls and stacks of thread spools. The added feature of a small opening to feed yarn through, also makes this pouch perfect for anyone who knits or crochets on the go. No rogue balls of wool with the Cylinder!

When you are a host (or have $200 in sales), you can grab the Hostess Exclusive Get Creative™ Crate...

It is like a mini-craft room in a box! Grab several to organize and stack different types of supplies or one to contain all of your tools (don’t forget to label them with embroidered personalization!). The Crate works on its own or stuffed with everything from the pouch line!”

Look for all of these items from our Get Creative™ line, and be sure to catch Vickie in “The Knit Show with Vickie Howell” YouTube series and on her Craft*ish podcast.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!