Glitter Crafts!

So I found some cheap glitter at Hobby Lobby and wanted to try and make some crafts. I know, “glitter is the herpes of crafting.” because once you use it you can’t ever get rid of it. But it’s so pretty! Craft number one: the Anthropologie tree in a jar. I’ve seen these little guys at Anthropologie for $28, and thought to myself… I can make that.

Tree in a Jar

Tree in a jar. Simple looking and adorable.

First I collected what I needed. Jars from Peanut butter were better shaped than the jars from spaghetti. You can use actual Mason Jars if you choose. I didn’t have a small tree on me (you can get them at craft stores in the model town area) so I clipped a few sprigs off my faux garland and decided to hot glue them together.

Here’s the glitter I found for just under $5. What a steal! So much I can do with this…

I gathered these things out of my ornament box since I wanted to add a little more to the jar than just a tree.

I hot glued the little sprigs together then trimmed them into the shape of a tree. The next step was to paint the branches white for the snow.

I used a dry brush technique, where you dab a brush in a little bit of acrylic paint, then lightly dab some off of the brush, and lightly touch the edges of the branches till you get the look you are going for. Let this dry.

I needed the tree to stand upright so I used an old wine cork to do the job. I cut it in half with an exact o blade, then carved out a little hole in the center and hot glued the branch wad into it. Let this cool / dry.

Here’s my little santa in the jar! To finish the jar, you glue the tree into the lid, I also put some quilt batting around the tree and glued it to the lid for fluff. I glued the little santa in there too. I put about a half tablespoon of glitter in the jar then screwed the lid on, and there you have it!

All I have to do now is paint the lid a different color. Since I had everything I needed at home all I had to pay for was the glitter. This would be a great gift idea!

Glitter Clothespins

Next I wanted to make some glitter clothespins for gifts. This is one of the easiest crafts. You need:

• Clothespins
• A roll of magnet tape
• acrylic paint
• glue like Elmer’s or Mod Podge
• Maybe Gorilla Glue

Take your clothespin and if you decide to use white glitter, paint the clothespin in a color of your choice, the color will show through the light glitter.

If you use the gold and silver you can just paint on some glue and sprinkle on some glitter. Shake off the excess glitter, let dry, and paint a coat of Mod Podge over the glitter so it doesn’t keep coming off.

I painted some in blue, and used the white glitter to let the blue paint show through. I had to cut the magnet tape into a skinny strip to fit on the back of the clothespin. Once I stuck the magnet tape on I realized it was starting to curl and come off. Not fun! I tried hot gluing them back on and it worked better, but they slightly peeled off again. Maybe use some gorilla glue and make those puppies stay on there.

These are the colors I ended up with!

Finished! The magnets aren’t the strongest, so think twice before putting something heavy in them. Happy Glitter-ing!

Anthropologie Knock Off Clutch

A friend of mine bought a clutch at Anthropologie a few months ago when we were shopping around in Chicago one weekend. I saw her take it to the register and asked her how much it was, and she didn’t want to disclose the price for a such a small clutch (it was $30 ish.) I thought it looked easy enough to make, and with my supply of fabric scraps, I knew I could do it. With my luck I came across the tutorial thanks to Pinterest about how to make the exact one I wanted.

Here’s one of the Anthropologie Clutches mentioned. Adorable, but no longer available.

Here’s another Anthropologie clutch. Very glamourous.

This is the amazing knock off from the tutorial I found on Pinterest. The tutorial is HERE from Flamingo Toes. I don’t have a tutorial myself, because the one she gave was so good, there was no way I could replicate it. I would check the link and follow the instructions given there. Here’s what I came up with:

This little clutch is made of ALL recycled and found materials, minus the key ring I bought to attach the leather to the zipper. It will be for sale once I open my Etsy store this spring, of more items made of recycled materials.

I bought a bag of zippers at a thrift store that I have been finding small projects for since high school. I thought the blue matched the outer fabric nicely.

I got all of the fabrics from work, using ALL discontinued samples. I used a discontinued piece of leather to make the tassel on the zipper, and super glued a piece around the tassel to hold it all together.

Here’s one sideHere’s the other side.

If you follow the tutorial perfectly, your inside and outside will be seamless. It was a little difficult at times understanding how to attach the zipper, but once you do, and flip the piece right side out, it’s almost like watching a magic trick. I strongly recommend using fabric that’s pliable, not too thick, and easy to sew many, many (a minimum of 8) layers together. I didn’t use the thinnest fabric for the ruffles, and broke a few sewing needles in the process.I love the finished product! And I love the fact that it’s 90% recycled materials. It would be perfect for a summer wedding, night out, or luncheon with friends, where all you need is some money, your phone, your Driver’s license to get you a martini, and some sunglasses. Happy Sewing!