Industrial LampWhile attending an arts festival, we saw a lamp like this and decided to make our own.
Old Jewelry PendantThis was made from old jewelry and charms that I have been collecting.
Lacey Barefoot Baby SandalsI saw a baby wearing this type of sandal and thought they were adorable. Inexpensive to make and so cute!
Zig Zag Christmas Table RunnerThis table runner could be used for any holiday themed table runner. I had a lot of Christmas fabric so I made a Christmas themed one. It was a fun way to use up scraps other than making a traditional nine patch block, etc.
Square in Square Quilt BlockEasy quilt block pattern with a square inside.
Halloween MasksI made these for my daughter-in-law's special needs class from leftover scraps of felt. I looked online for ideas for decorating the masks and found a basic pattern.
Eyeglass HangerMade from a little bit of wood and a chain makes your reading glasses readily accessible.
Granny Square Quilt BlockThis block is a way to use up smaller size quilt scraps. You can make a potholder, a table runner, or a quilt using this fun design.
Pista NecklaceJust got a bag of pistachios from my mom-in-law. I enjoyed snacking on it while setting aside the shells because it gave me another concept of art. It's amazing 'cause the shells are hard and I know it is a stable material for handicrafts. Here's the first craft I made from pista shells.
Personalized Flat Felt DollMy grandson likes Mario so I made him a personalized "Mario" doll.
Spin Me Around Quilt BlockScrap strip quilt block design
4th of July Inspired Paper Cup RocketI made a paper cup toy to entertain my youngest child. I thought the 4th of July would be a nice subject for this art since it is already fast approaching.
Crochet RoseThese are simple, little crochet roses that you could use to decorate something. I made 25 of them to go on a quilt I made.
Bicycle WreathAnother idea for wreath making for the bicycle lover.
Tablet HolderThis project makes a handy addition to the kitchen if you are following a recipe from the internet while cooking or it can be used anytime you need to prop up the iPad while you are doing something.
Crochet and Fabric Fusion QuiltThis was my year long "T.V." project. It was time consuming but fun to make. It is more of a display quilt.
"Butter" Knife FlowerIn a previous posting, I submitted a craft on making a dragonfly out of forks and butter knives. This craft shows how I used up the "leftovers" from the dragonfly which was a "thrifty" use of leftovers. It is made from the end pieces of forks and knives.
Dresden Plate Quilt BlockLearning a new quilt block design and made it into a table runner.
Silverware DragonflyUsing old silverware to create an outdoor sculpture adds interest to my collection of backyard sculptures. Some of this old silverware was what I used in my childhood my parents had given to me. I wasn't sure how I could use these "keepsake" knives and then came across this idea.
Folded Flower Table RunnerThis was a cute and different table runner to make. Reminded me a little bit of paper folding or origami.
Strip Block PotholderI've become interested in quilting and all of the neat ideas for quilt blocks. Because there are so many, I decided I would make a variety of quilt blocks and turn them into potholders so I can try out a lot more designs and it wouldn't be as time consuming.
Surprise Pullout BoxHere's another craft idea that I learned from my son. He is preparing a lot of unique valentine greetings for his teachers. What I like most about these crafts is that you won't need to spend so much for a gift. And it will take only 10 minutes to make.
Origami Heart BoxMy eldest is the sweetest person next to his dad. The most thoughtful kid ever. I saw him cut out some pieces of art paper and asked him what it's for and he said he'll give it to his teacher. He said he doesn't have much money to buy her a gift so he tried searching for ideas online. I helped him with his work and it turned out really nice.
Book Picture FrameA unique way to display pictures, vintage garden style!
Seasonal Gnome Porch SitterThis is a gnome that can stand upright on the front porch and be decorated with changeable holiday or seasonal decor. This one is for Valentine's Day. For other holidays, you could use a shamrock for St. Patrick's Day, an egg or an Easter basket with eggs for Easter, flowers for spring, flag for 4th of July, school book or apple for fall, pumpkin for Halloween, and tree for Christmas.
Valentine's Day StockingsI started the tradition of Valentine Day stockings a few years ago. We enjoyed filling them with sweets and love notes.
Crochet BasketMade with a CD base, this was a fun little basket to make. I filled it with a small tube of lotion and some treats for a friend's birthday gift.
Cherry Blossom Out of Egg CartonsFor my son's school project, he only needed the plastic bottle vase. As a "mom of extra", I insisted on making the flowers to put into his vase. What I like about making this project is that I don't have to go to the craft shop to find the materials. I used what I can only find around the house.
Woven T-shirt Yarn BasketWith my leftover t-shirt yarn from another project, I made this basket to hold mail. It is nice and sturdy made from the yarn.
Roll Holder BasketOld-fashioned roll basket!
Screw and Nail OrganizerGreat organizer for small spaces! Holds sixteen jars in a 15 inch space! My husband's original storage container.
Fall Pumpkin Patchwork Table TopperA good way to use scraps. My daughter-in-law loves the fall season and pumpkins, so I made this for her.
Tissue Paper Roll Face Switch ToyI got the idea from my eldest son. I found him playing with a tissue paper roll as if he was telling a story with 3 characters and changing his voice as he switched the tp roll.
Teacher's Day CardTomorrow we'll be celebrating World Teacher's Day. My son asked me to help him do a simple greeting card with a small token attached to it. He chose to put a box of chalk since "it's the best reminder of being a teacher", he said.
Indoor Canning Jar Herb GardenI used these cute Mason jar glasses to plant an indoor herb garden.
Pumpkin Candle HolderA nice fall table centerpiece!
Octopus SocksHere is a way to reuse old socks and turn them into octopus sea creatures !
Kinetic Wind Spoon SculptureI saw a kinetic wind sculpture on Facebook and so I looked up a few ideas with how to make one. My husband was the brains behind this project and used a few ideas from various sources and added his own. Following is what we came up with.
Strip Quilt SquareI was given a lot of fabric from a friend. Part of the donation included long strips of fabric so I found this quilt pattern for using up strips of fabric.
Fan PullMade from a wooden spool and a few trinkets
Loghouse Hexagon Quilted Hot PadMade from scrap strips of fabric.
Nine Patch Quilt SquareSimple instructions for making a nine patch quilt square.
Rosette DecorationI wanted to add an embellishment to a nightgown I made so I made these little rosettes from the leftover fabric.
Recycled Ceramic Look VaseI used plaster of Paris to make this ceramic looking vase from a soda bottle.
Loom Knit BagThere are many options for making things from a knit hat loom besides a hat. I found this fairly simple pattern to make a "purse" which could be used for a swimming bag (has holes for the wet swimming suit to dry) or for whatever purpose you might want to use it for.
Portable PlayhouseThis is a Goldilocks and the Three Bears playhouse. I used a pattern online and adapted it for this fairy tale story.
Bow Quilt PatternTrying out another simple quilt pattern. This project shows how to make one bow square. These squares can then be put together to make a cute quilt, whatever, size you want.
Create Your Own Pride FlagFor a Pride month activity I created this craft for the art room. Everyone can make their own flag, either a traditional rainbow, or one of the many other flags which represent different identities.
Doggie ShoesIt gets pretty hot here in Arizona so I made these crochet doggie shoes for my daughter's dog to wear when we take her on walks at night when it "cools" down to 100 degrees!
Money Sash For All OccasionAfter being able to do all the money surprises (money cake, money umbrella and money boquet), I thought that will be the last money project I can make. Then here comes my sister in-law asking me to make a money sash for her younger brother's wedding.
Baby QuiltThis is a fairly easy baby quilt I made using scraps. I like how the design turned out.
Handmade Men's TieThis was my first attempt at making a man's tie. I made it out of fabric that matched my daughter's homemade Easter skirt. Her boyfriend wore this tie for Easter to go with her skirt. Turned out great!
Clipboard Gallery WallIf your kid is anything like mine, there is a slew of artwork being made each day. I wanted a way to display my child's art in a way that could be easily changed. This is the solution I came up with. I wanted to be able to have both verticle and horizontal pieces of art, so I got two sizes of clipboards so that art would be contained within the parameters of the clipboard. I added some patterned contact paper to some of the clipboards to add interest and also painted the clips black to match. In retrospect, I don't think the contact paper was needed, as I am sure these will always be full.
Drawstring BackpacksI made these for a charity who gives backpacks filled with various items to cancer patients who are children.
Rope TrivetI needed a trivet to go with a lot of my placemats and dishes and found this idea.
Easter Bunny and EggsI saw the idea for these bunnies and eggs in a magazine and decided to use them as an inspiration for making these.
Foam Dice BunniesCover and decorate foam dice with balloons to make a cute and easy bunny. In winter, use white balloons and make them into snowmen.
Bunny Candy PouchesI made these for my daughter-in-law's school class so she could give them a fun little treat.
Cupid's ArrowsLet me share to you another unique way of sending messages to your lovies with Cupid's arrows. I learned this cute craft way back in high school. Here's how to do it.
Love MailboxThe best Valentine activity we had in high school was putting up a Love Mailbox. Receive your love notes and valentine goodies thru this cute looking mailbox.
Reverse Glass LetteringDon't want to buy vinyl lettering? Don't have good handwriting? I came up with this idea after researching "reverse glass painting" projects.
Recycled Chair Leg Candlestick HoldersI had four chair legs left from a previous craft project (posted on Thriftyfun a few months ago). Rather than discard them, I made them into candlestick holders.
Ladybug RocksI saw cute painted ladybugs on Pinterest and decided to make some. I live by a landscape/ mulch yard and bought stones the sizes I needed. I think you can buy rocks at hobby stores too.
Valentine CenterpieceI love decorating bottles. This is a Snapple bottle and a CD which I used to make this Valentine centerpiece. It could also be filled with Valentine candy.
Balloon Dip BookmarksThis is such a simple technique with amazing results. Both adults and children can have a fun, slightly messy, crazy craft session together - although children may need a bit of guidance and probably some help blowing up the balloon
Recycled Spice Shakers for CampingRecycled spice shakers.
Vintage Valentine Violet JarsI love decorating bottles. I wanted to make a unique candy jar this year to give to some lady friends. I found violet candy to put in my violet decorated jars. These are recycled spice jars.
Porcelain FlowersI had some plaster of Paris and wanted to use it for a craft item. I found out that I could make my own porcelain looking flowers.
Crochet Wire Bangle Bracelet with HemispheresUsing wire from old transformers, you can crochet a very beautiful jewelry, for example like this bracelet. The hemispheres look like unusual flowers.
Double Glass Framed PictureSomehow I had collected several pieces of glass from picture frames over the past few years and came up with this idea how to make an all-glass picture frame.
Origami BagThe design of this bag was inspired by origami. The bag has the shape of a regular hexagon. I decided not to overload the design of this bag with unnecessary décor, since the flower formed from the folds of fabric is a sufficient decoration for it. You can change the look of this bag and use it as a purse or a shoulder bag or wristlet or pouch or minaudière.
Origami ButterflyWith just a few simple folds you can make this easy and impressive paper butterfly.
Fish Scale RingFish scales, wire, and some instant glue are all you need to make this beautiful ring. Use wire from an old transformer and then this ring will cost you almost nothing.
Knitted 3D Wire HeartYou don't need expensive materials and special tools to make beautiful jewelry. To make this original heart, you only need wire from an old transformer and knitting needles. Knitted wire jewelries look really amazing. This heart will look great as a pendant. You can add a brooch pin and you will have a beautiful brooch.
Peacock Feather WreathWhile vacationing in Nevada, we stayed at a bed and breakfast that had a lot of peacocks wandering the grounds. I had a lot of fun picking up their feathers. When I got home, I decided to make a wreath with them.
Colour Smudge BookmarksMake beautiful patterns with ink and water and turn them into useful bookmarks. You can, of course, do this with watercolour paint but the finished product will not be so durable and vibrant. Watercolour would be a better medium for children because ink stains on carpet and clothes are permanent.
Potpourri CandleUsing leftover pieces of candle wax, I created this layered candle.
Upcycled PaintingI like to save things to re-use and I painted a canvas and glued on things I had around the house to make a very decorative painting. If you don't have a canvas, you can use stiff cardboard or any hard surface.
Pop Top BraceletThis is a thrifty and fun way to up-cycle your drink can pop top tabs and this bracelet doesn't require a lot of supplies. It's lightweight, yet nice and 'chunky' and would make a really great gift for a teenager, as well as an interesting 'conversation piece' for an adult. This bracelet will fit a 7 inch wrist and you will need 20 pop top tabs, 26 half inch diameter rings, as well as a clasp.
Recycled Magazine ArtI made this as a gift for a friend who has a band called Black Cat Road. I used the back of a broken guitar, magazine page (black for the cat), sheet music, black shoelaces for the trim, and I attached a mini washboard, as the lead singer plays a washboard. The pages are rolled and glued using a glue stick (not the gel ones, as they are too sticky). They are cut to size and glued using Mod Podge, then the entire piece is sealed with Mod Podge, then sealed with clear spray acrylic.
Activity ApronThis activity apron could be used for a variety of purposes--for a teacher, for a children's church class, at home use with your own children, a grandma with grandchildren, etc. Items or activity cards are placed in each of the pockets and worn by the teacher, leader, parent, etc.
Turn Transparent Hot Glue into Colored Hot GlueIf you need some colored hot glue to craft, then you can make it yourself very easily and quickly. You will need transparent hot glue and a colored wax crayon.
Pumpkin Pendant from Wire and Hot GlueMake this pumpkin pendant to complete your Halloween look. It is very simple, easy and inexpensive to make. This Halloween pumpkin pendant is suitable for making the necklace, bag pendant, keychain.
Upcycled StoolIn our neighbor's trash with a broken leg. Cost of project: free. I had fabric and paint and glue on hand and it looks like a new stool for my shabby chic bedroom I have been decorating. If I hadn't snatched it, it would have gone to the dump!
Brooch Tree from Plastic BottleAn effective way to do our part in reducing environmental pollution is to reuse or recycle the disposable plastic items we have. I figured out how to make this wonderful brooch from a plastic bottle. It is not at all difficult to make this brooch and it will cost you almost nothing.
Crochet Button from Fishing LineEven small but original things can perfectly highlight your look. I figured out how to crochet this button from a fishing line. Thanks to the fishing line, this button has a solid shape. It is very easy and not long to make.
World Map BlanketI really like the combination of rough burlap with satin fabric. I just had a piece of blue satin fabric that reminded me of the surface of the ocean. And the rough burlap reminds me of soil. So I got the idea to combine these two contrasting fabrics and sew a blanket in the form of a world map. I didn't buy burlap, but used four burlap bags. So even from the bags, you can sew this original blanket.
Nautical Decor with Easy Wood StandI used an idea for a wooden pumpkin to make this lantern candle holder stand.
Belt with Braided BarkOriginal accessories will stand you out from the crowd. I figured out how to make this original belt decorated with braided bark. It is very easy to make, especially if you know how to braid 3 strands.
Old-Looking Compass from JunkAfter watching a YouTube video on making an old compass from a teething ring purchased from Dollar Tree, I came up with this original idea.
Pendant from Drink CanUpcycle a drink can into this beautiful pendant. The geometric shapes of this pendant will match a laconic look. You can make earrings in the same way.
Bangles from Plastic BottleLots of plastic bottles are thrown away every day, that are harmful to the environment if not recycled properly. I figured out how to make bangles out of plastic bottles. It's very simple and costs absolutely nothing. Use colorful plastic bottles to get colorful bangles.
Origami EnvelopeThis is a really cute and impressive way to send a letter, a message or an invitation.
Beaded Pendant from Drink CanInstead of trashing a drink can, make a pendant out of it. This is fairly easy and quickly to make. You can use beads in different colors. This pendant can be a nice gift.
Beaded Bracelet Using Old Brass ZipperIf you have an old brass zipper, then don't throw it away. You can use it to craft this bracelet. It is not difficult to make. This bracelet looks very original.
Making New Candles From Used OnesOne of our daily traditions and incredible comforts in this time is to light a candle for Dad every evening in front of a photo of him. At first, my mum and I were spending so much money on the mass amounts of candles. Soon enough, we realized it was best to turn the used candles into new ones. If you enjoy scented candles, follow the additional step to add your favourite aroma. My father's favourite aroma was Jasmine!
Copper Earrings from Old TransformerDisassembling a transformer from an old computer, I found copper foil and decided to make earrings from it. The copper foil is easy to fold, so I decided to fold the earrings. I really liked the simple and original look of these earrings.
Key and Wallet Holder DecorThis is a quick, decorative craft I created for my husband who likes to throw his keys and wallet on the top of his nice, oak desk. I was afraid it would get scratched and thought it would look tidier to make this cute little key/wallet holder. I picked up the crate and trim on the Dollar Tree clearance rack for $1 and the 3D stickers for $1. Total cost: $2
Toilet Paper PumpkinsMaking toilet paper pumpkins for fall home decor is a wonderfully easy craft to complete. Use a simple, no-sew method to create these delightful pretty fabric home pumpkin accents.
Buckle from Drink CanIf you need a small buckle, you can quickly and easily make one from pull tag of a drink can. This buckle will fit a strap about 1 inch wide. You can also paint the buckle any color you like.
Bangle with Beads and RibbonSatin ribbon looks great with beads. Original, but at the same time simple weave of ribbons distinguishes this bangle. I used blue beads and white ribbon, but you can use any other color combination.
Origami Copper TulipI like origami, so I decided to try using the origami technique not for paper, but for copper foil. As a result, I got a very beautiful tulip. You can use this tulip as a brooch or decorate something with it.
