Photo Boards

I saw this on a blog and loved it so I made a few for myself. I purchased the boards at Michaels. I painted the back and edges of the board either black or brown depending on the color scheme. Next I cut scrapbook paper to fit the area I wanted covered. I used Modge Podge to glue the paper and picture to the surface. File the edges of the paper with a finger nail file until it's even with the edge of the board. Once the Modge Podge was dry I covered the entire surface with Modge Podge using a foam brush. Then decorate with buttons, ribbon, etc. Here are a few of the ones I made.

Craft Projects

My role as Creative Activities director for our local MOPS (Mother of Preschoolers) group challenges me to come up with crafts on a budget for our moms to do. Here are a few of the crafts we've done. I'm always searching blogs and Pinterest for new ideas.

Beaded Silverware

I purchased the serving pieces at the Dollar Store. We used pre-cut floral wire from Michaels and threaded the beads on the front side only. On the back you just twist the wire so it will hold. Needle nosed pliers made the twisting easy. They do have to be hand washed because eventually the wire will rust. Makes for a cute gift when you take a meal to a friend! Washer Necklaces

These were a huge hit at MOPS! The washers were super cheap at Home Depot/Lowes. I used scrapbook paper and traced a circle around the outside edge of the washer and the inside circle. Cut out the circle with scissors. I was able to cut out the inside of the circle by using and exacto knife. Glue the paper to the washer using E6000 industrial glue found at Michaels/Hobby Lobby. Make sure the glue is spread out evenly (use a q tip if necessary). Once the glue has dried take a finger nail file and file the edges of the paper so it's even with the washer. Other blogs suggested using Diamond Glaze on top of the paper and washer but I couldn't find it so I used Modge Podge Dimensional Magic. It works the same way and gives you a hard finish on the surface. It's self leveling to just squeeze a little bit on top of the paper and work it around the surface. If there are any bubbles use a tooth pick to pop them. Let the Modge Podge dry overnight lying flat. We just used black twine for the necklace and a twist clasp. There are so many possibilities with this necklace!

Magnets

Another super easy craft are these magnets. My 5 year old daughter even enjoyed doing this with me. All you need are those clear marble vase fillers that have a flat side and scrapbook paper. Cut the paper to fit the marble and glue using any clear drying glue. I used Tacky Glue. Affix a magnet to the back and you're done! Here's a picture of the clear marble, magnet strip and finished products.
Scripture Memory Cards

If you haven't noticed, I love using scrapbook paper. It's inexpensive and fun! For this craft we cut scrapbook paper to fit the back side of index cards. Glue the paper to the index card using Tacky Glue. Punch a hole through the index card and bind together with a ring holder (not sure if that's the technical name for it). On the index side of the card we wrote scripture verses to memorize. It's small enough you can keep it in your purse of car.