X is for Xray

Ok, this is really a stretch but what can you do with an Xray. Fortunately, we have a couple that lend themselves to a crafty use.

On May 1, 2014, my child broke his leg warming up for a league game. It was a long recovery as he was sidelined for about 5 months. Some physical therapy was required but he was back playing in October.

Back on the mound, pitching. 

We laugh at some idioms but in this case the phrase "tough break" comes to mind. For him, it is a play on words but we now use it when he complains about something. It really means that it is a bit of bad luck. 

I have the Xrays from the first set the doctor took after it was set. They decided not to do surgery to see if the chip would mold itself back to the bone. 

So, next Christmas, the boy will be getting a piece of new wall art. Since this is make ahead, I can't show it on the wall but can share the picture. He never reads my stuff so I know it's safe to post. This will be a subtle (or maybe not so subtle) reminder to play it safe and not complain about the small stuff. 

S is for Shrinky Dinks

I needed two gifts for Christmas in a hurry and I was looking for ideas. While I was rumaging through my craft stash, I found the Shrinky Dink paper that I had put away. Terrific idea I thought. So I found letters online and cut them out. I colored pretty flowers on the corners and took them into the kitchen. I pulled out the toaster over and turned it on. After it had warmed up, I put my pretty letters in and watched as they curled into tiny balls that would not straighten out.

Rats! I was running out of time. I decided that I would do 3x5 rectangles to see how they would do. I found two saying for the teen girls and copied them onto the paper. Rushing back to the kitchen, I preheated the toaster oven again and started the process. This was a little better. One did not quite straighten out but it was good enough for a gift. The other one was a lot better.

I had punched holes in them and was pleased the key rings actually fit. The girls loved them.

This is not the first time I have written about this craft. I have a Shrinky Dink page where there is a lot more information. I also found out how to use materials in your home to make your own shrinky paper. What a surprise, I found it on Pinterest.

C is for Clothespin Candle Holder

For Christmas, I was looking for an easy, quick, cheap craft for two of my neighbors.

This is the picture from the website Duitang where I first saw this idea (Pinterest, of course). There is writing I don't understand but there are also pictures which makes it so much easier.

While I was shopping, I bought two cans of tuna. I even got them on sale which was even better. We made sandwiches so I had my first empty can. 

I found clothespins at the dollar store and two candles. The candles are not like the ones in the sample picture. These are the little jars with tops. It took no time to place the clothespin and add the candle. 

The candle holder in the sample photo was not decorated and I thought it looked a little plain. I had some ribbon and flowers left over from my last project so I decided to embellish these. My neighbors and they loved them.  

I'm now out of tuna cans. I can see consuming a lot more tuna in the future. These will make great gifts for other occasions and can be decorated for each celebration. 

B is for Button Flowers

I do a lot of crafts with buttons. I have a page devoted to the cross I made for my
Quilt guild secret sister called Crafting with Buttons. While I have made most of the items I show there, I haven't made the Button Flower.

A is for the April Challenge

I almost decided not to do this challenge until I realized if I actually had to make all these things, my Christmas shopping for next year would be a whole lot less. In our family, we try to make everything ourselves so this is a huge step up on our family Christmas gifts for 2015. We all like handcrafted items and appreciate the ones made for us.

I debated what to do for the letter "A". There are so many choices so I narrowed it down to the one that