Holiday Gifts Ideas with Dot Jewelry

Vicky Eva, Klutz buyer, DIY queen, and (most importantly) proud mama

I love making jewelry with my almost 10-year-old niece; she is a feisty fashionista and loves wearing all kinds of accessories. With the holiday season quickly approaching I wanted to get a head start on a gift for her, but I wanted something special, something handmade. The Klutz Dot Jewelry book was my inspiration for the perfect gift for my niece—handmade jewelry.

The shapes and patterns are fun to use and to wear. I grabbed some of my jewelry findings like earring wires, jump rings, and chains from around the house and started to get to work. Since I knew I would be adding holes into the paper pieces from the Dot Jewelry book, I used some laminating sheets for added reinforcement. I can’t wait to give her these gifts!

Even after making all these pieces for her, there are still more than 1,000 dots and other shapes left from the kit! I can’t wait to see her for the holidays and continue our jewelry-making experience.  

Craft Day at Grandma's (with Potholders and Other Loopy Projects)

Kim Ryon, sales manager and grandma extraordinaire

What better way to bring out my inner seventh-grade crafter on a special afternoon with my granddaughters than to tackle a project that I remember doing during summer camp—Potholders! I have clear memories of sitting on a rickety picnic table at a community park creating these colorful kitchen accessories.

I couldn’t wait to make new memories with my granddaughters when I saw Potholders and Other Loopy Projects. This Klutz activity kit is packed with hundreds of colorful loops and a loom that makes it easy for kids of all ages to weave a variety of fun crafts. It was a perfect activity to take on with my granddaughters, who are 4 and 9. We planned a “Craft Day at Grandma’s” so that I could share my exceptional knowledge of welting and weaving with them, but in a last-minute panic my daughter-in-law asked if she could leave her son with me too. I couldn’t say no to my grandson, but I was sure that Isaac would be bored out of his mind since his favorite thing to do at our house is help Grandpa with yard work, or fix anything that needs repairs. But boy, did he prove me wrong. By the time his older sister, Lena, was done picking out the colors for her potholder, Isaac was already halfway through his own.

We only had two looms so the youngest, Lyla, took pictures while she waited her turn (but she was itching to make a potholder of her own). Once it was her turn, she loved stretching the loops straight across the loom, and I loved seeing how proud she was of her color combination! The second layer of loops was a bit harder for my youngest granddaughter, since it required weaving over and under, but I was excited to reminisce about my own childhood and share my expertise (with a quick glance at the instructions of course).

Voilá! After only about an hour we had two finished potholders, three happy kids, and lots of precious memories!

The crafts were supposed to be a surprise gift for their mom on a later date, but as soon as she walked in the door, they couldn’t wait to show her what they had made her. They were so proud of their accomplishments that they have been begging me for another project ever since. So stay tuned for the next “Craft Day at Grandma’s!”

Spring It On with Mini Pom-Pom Pets

Today’s post is brought you to by Flora Kim, a product editor with Klutz. 

Early spring in NYC is tough. One minute it’s sunny and gorgeous, and the next thing you know it’s freezing and you have to break out your giant puffy coat (again). While I was waiting for Mother Nature to make up her mind, I decided to craft a little springtime magic for myself with one of my favorite Klutz books: Mini Pom-Pom Pets.

All you need to create your own menagerie of pom-pom animals is a dinner fork and a little elbow grease. Wrap some yarn around a fork, tie it up in a bundle, a few snips with the scissors, and ta-da! A pom-pom is born.

Tip to the craft-wise: When I first cut the loops of my yarn bundle, my pom-pom looked . . . weird. I was a bit alarmed. But I promise you, after a good trim, no one will know if your pom-pom had a less-than-adorable start.

The book also comes with eyes, noses, and other extras that transform your plain pom-poms into cute critters. My favorite extra? The blush marker—it was the perfect finishing touch for my ducky.

 

I decided my new pet pal needed to be on display, so I made a mini springtime wreath. I crafted this wreath base by twisting some old packing paper, but you can use a premade wreath, too. After adding paper flowers and leaves, I glued on my ducky. How CUTE is this little guy?

Be sure to check out Mini Pom-Pom Pets, and I hope that you’re not waiting too long for spring, wherever you are!

Christmas Crafting Season Begins (with Loop Loom Bracelets from Klutz)

The moment November hits, you can already see the first signs of the holiday season ahead. Stores swap Halloween for Christmas decorations, Starbucks releases those familiar red cups and, in Toronto, The Bay reveals their stunning holiday window displays. 

There are many who lament this early start to the Christmas spirit. As a warm weather girl and a November baby who likes her birthday to have its space, I can relate. But the crafty gift giver in me is grateful for the reminder that it's time to start my Christmas crafting. If I want to go DIY with decorations and gifts for all the people on my Christmas list, I've got to get busy!

I popped over here to choose an exciting new Klutz kit  (or an old favourite) to start with. It was a tough choice -- and I can't wait to share my other projects in the coming weeks -- but in the end this girly girl went straight for the jewelry!

Loop Loom Bracelets is Klutz’s take on the rubber band bracelet trend, with one big change. Seven colours of stretchy cord are the medium of choice in this kit, so you can bead-dazzled your bracelets to your heart's content without any danger of them falling apart if one link breaks!

I was looping up a colourful stack of bracelets for my favourite cousin when inspiration struck... These stretchy bands would make great gift-wrapping ribbon too! So I’m making as many pretty beaded ribbons as I can, and boy am I glad I got my early start! This Christmas, my presents are going to be just as pretty on the outside! 

Playground Pop-Up Shop (with Face Painting from Klutz)

When the sun is shining and summer is in full swing, even not-so-great days can turn out to be pretty wonderful!

A few weeks ago, I had a play date with my little friend, Ben, and his mama and papa too. We were meeting at the park on Saturday morning to laugh and play the day away, and I couldn't wait! Unfortunately, when our date came around, poor Ben wasn't feeling very well. But he put on a brave face and asked to go the park anyway, so we decided to downgrade our playground play to something a little more low key. Luckily, I'd just received this big box of goodness from my Klutz fairy godmother, so I picked out some favourites and we planned a Klutz party in the park.

You’ve already seen the hilarious results of our Cat’s Cradle play, but we also had some fun with Face Painting that day. Back when this blog began, I did one of my first posts about painting pumpkins with these great paints, and I was really excited to use them again.

We parked ourselves on a bench by the playground, spread out our supplies and opened up a fun little temporary tattoo shop. We painted bees and bears and some decidedly abstract art pieces all up and down our arms and pranced around the sandbox sharing and showing off our cool arm art. Our pop-up shop was the hit of the playground and Ben’s spirits began to brighten! Soon, we were galloping through the grass, planting flowers in the sandbox and snacking on sandwiches, and our quiet park day had turned into quite the adventure!

Summer Sticker Celebration (with Washi Tape Stickers from Klutz)

If you haven’t heard of washi tape yet, then get thee to the nearest craft store, STAT! This multi-tasking tape, which hails from Japan, is easy to stick on and peel off and comes in tons of fun patterns and prints, making it a crafting must-have.

I’ve used it to recover old notebooks, add flair to my phone and iPod, decorate vases and so much more. But Klutz’s take on the washi tape craze is my favourite by far! With Make Your Own Washi Tape Stickers, you can shape this colourful tape into completely customized sticker designs that are perfect for any occasion!

With the sun shining up in the sky and the great outdoors calling my name, I pulled my copy out onto the deck at the cottage and washi-ed the summer sights all around me. I mixed and matched the tape in six fun colours and patterns, chose from a ton of easy-to-trace designs, and snipped out seascapes, beach scenes, and sweet treats! Now I’m sending my postcards to some friends so that they can peel-and-stick washi stickers and share in the summer love.  

One of a Kind Father's Day Date (with Toolbox Jewelry)

My dad may not be the handiest on the block, but with that big brain of his, there’s not a project he won’t try. My skills, well they're less in tools than tape and glue, but I’ve got that same determination to take on any crafting adventure. Together, my papa and I have put our skills to use for all sorts of projects, from a bright pink bench to this cool book clock and the light box I use to photograph all my Klutz crafts!

He’s out of town again this Father’s Day, so we scheduled a Skype date to celebrate. To carry on our tradition of handy crafts, I grabbed my copy of Toolbox Jewelry and together I whipped up a stack of cool arm hardware as we chatted the day away. Even though we couldn't be together, we still found a great way to spend our early Father’s Day date!

The last time I made these cool cord bracelets, it was the dead of winter, so I wrapped them around my mini-Christmas tree. But, now that the warm weather is here, I can finally sport these neon-coloured beauties myself. And every time I look at them, I’ll remember my awesome dad and our one-of-a-kind Father’s Day date!

Tissue Paper Pretties (with Tissue Paper Crafts)

Maybe it’s because my momma's thumb is bright green, but when I think of Mother’s Day, I think of flowers. So even though I've been swooning over Klutz’s dreamy spring offering, Tissue Paper Crafts, since the day it came out, I knew I had to save this cute little kit for this most special occasion.

Thankfully, since Mother's Day is almost here I am finally free to take a crack at some tissue paper crafts! I was practically bouncing with excitement as I peeled back the cover of this pretty pink book to reveal a rainbow of tissue paper to work with. I started small, making a single flower with frilly pink petals. It was so darn cute that I potted up a pale green succulent with a pretty orange flower. But I still wasn't done! I made a colourful flower garland to play "ring around the mirror" and some branches upcycled with delicate white flowers. But the pièce de résistance? A beautiful gold birdcage made from pop-out pieces and a papery little bird to inhabit it!

I am pleased as punch with these tissue paper pretties and I just know my mom will love every one. And when Sunday rolls around, I’ll send her on a treasure hunt around the house to seek out her tissue paper treats!

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's to Never Growing Up with Straw Shooter Jets and The World According to Klutz

I like to do arts and crafts, eat ice cream for dinner, and stay up waaaaaay past my bedtime playing video games. So if you were to call me childish... I just might have to agree. But mischief, well, that’s never really been my strong suit. This sweet little face of mine is an open book. Forget lying and deception — I'm too easy to read. But since April Fool’s Day was just around the corner, I decided it was time to work on my poker face in preparation for a day that’s all about playful pranks. I grabbed some supplies and began my week of April Fools prep.

If I was going to earn my stripes as a prank-master, I needed to do a little studying first. Where else would I turn but the silliest books around to get a view on The World According to Klutz. Within this little box set, you'll find three volumes of utter hilarity! The Greatest Facts in the History of Facts for some believe-it-or-not conversation starters, a hall of fame edition of The Klutz Book of Inventions, and the manual for my week of April Fools' Day prep: The Encyclopedia of Immaturity. As a sweet bonus, this little box set also included some silly stickers to get me started.

After I had learned the basics, it was time to branch out. My weapon of choice? Straw Shooter Jets, Klutz's latest incarnation of paper airplane play. Klutz's DIY aircraft had already taken me to the moon with my dad, on a wild dragon ride, and to battle evil with Buzz Lightyear, but these newest, far-flying paper planes were just plain up to no good.

No family photo, piece of food, cereal bowl, unsuspecting pedestrian or plant was safe from my wild stickering or dive bombing planes. And now that I’ve test-driven some truly silly stunts, I’m all set to celebrate today in style.

Happy April Fools' Day!

Introduction to Transfiguration with Felted Friends

The greatest thing about this blogging gig is getting to share how fun and accessible arts and crafts can be. With a little help from Klutz, even Muggles can create a little crafting magic.

I had exactly zero experience with felting when I got my shiny new copy of Klutz’s Felted Friends. So I didn’t know what to expect as I unpacked fluffy bundles of wool, a foam block and a green felting tool. I mean, I like to think I’m a pretty fantastical crafter, but even I couldn't quite figure out how I would conjure those cute little creatures on the cover with what was in front of me. But I knew Klutz had my back, so I cracked my Transfiguration textbook, picked up my wand and set to charming up some Felted Friends.

I poked and jabbed my wand into those fluffy clouds of wool and I started to see things take shape. A little head with a button nose, a round body with a white tummy, a fluffy tail and long ears — suddenly, there was one seriously cute bunny in front of me!

Before long I had perfected my practice and had three pretty pastel forest animals to complete my collection. And while the truth behind felting is slightly less magical than I imagined*, I still like to think these three little guys would have earned me an Outstanding on my Transfiguration O.W.L.!

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* As you poke the felting needle back and forth, it twists and tangles the wool fibres until they bunch together to become dense and compact. The same principle applies as you attach one piece to the other. The fibres tangle together to become one, without tape or glue. Magic!

(No) Signs of Spring, with My Style Studio

In case you haven’t heard by now, here in Canada, We are Winter. Me, I’m not much for winter sports but I show my true Canadian colours by bucking the cold weather and wearing skirts and dresses year-round. It can get chilly, but I’m not gonna let a little thing like snowy, blowy weather keep my style at bay.

But even us crazy Canucks start to feel winter dragging by the time March rolls around. And since the snow shows no sign of stopping, I need a little warm-weather inspiration to cheer me up. So I grabbed a copy of the boxy new edition of My Style Studio to sketch up some spring fashions to look forward to. And with visions of T-shirts and maxis and bare legs (oh my!), I think I just might make it through.

For a peek at more of my Klutz-made style inspiration, check out My Fabulous Book of Looks, My Style Studio fall line, Paper Fashions summer style and holiday wear, my Fashionably Me back-to-school style, and more!

My Furry Valentines with Klutz Pom-Pom Puppies and Pom Pom Monster Salon

Last year, my little sis' moved to a different city (sniff, sniff…), so every time she comes to visit, we make sure to plan something fun. Last weekend, the weather was pretty wet and miserable so our plan to go skating wasn't looking so great. Luckily, I always have some emergency Klutz kits on hand, so I put together a last minute sister crafternoon.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I had been brainstorming ideas for another year of outside-the-box valentines. You all know my thoughts on boxed valentines, but even with my crafty Valentine's creations, I still hadn't found a fix for the problem of all the cards that end up in the trash on February 15^th.

So I started thinking about what kind of valentine people might keep around, and suddenly, I knew just what to do. I grabbed my copies of the two cutest Klutz kits around, borrowed an idea from my super-fun NYE photo booth adventure, and little sis' and I made some one-of-a-kind furry valentines!

First, we printed out some punny Valentine’s Day speech bubbles (click here to download a copy) and taped those silly sayings to toothpicks. Then, we wrapped, snipped, and styled some too-cute-to-toss Pom-Pom Puppies and Pom Pom Monsters and put them all together!

I can’t wait for next week, when I get to hand out my furry valentines to all my friends! I can’t see anyone getting rid of these little cuties anytime soon! For more great out-of-the-box ways to celebrate with Klutz, check out my Friendship Bracelet cards, Paper Flower bouquets, and love-ly Nail Art!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

New Year's Eve Night in with Klutz

Happy New Year fellow crafters!

How did you celebrate the start of 2014?

This crafty girl decided to ring in the New Year in DIY style! I had a Klutz crafternoon with some favourite friends and a special surprise for our party at night.

Choosing my favourite Klutz books of 2013 was easy: Make Clay Charms, Nail Style Studio, Beaded Bands and Toolbox Jewelry. I pulled out my copies, spread them out on the table and we each got to work beading, painting, knotting and sculpting fun accessories for the night ahead.

We put on our party outfits and as the countdown finally drew near, it was time to reveal my special surprise. With my laptop, a bed sheet and some printed props, I set up a makeshift photo booth so we could snap pics of our fancy new accessories and get a little silly!

It was an amazing night with good friends and great crafts—and I didn't even have to leave the house. Who could ask for more? The best part was the next day, as we headed home to 2014, we had fun accessories and hilarious pics as souvenirs of our send-off to another great year!

Wrap it Up With Klutz Stencil Art and Twirled Paper

There are a million things to love about Christmas: friends and family, gingerbread and eggnog, giving and getting gifts, and so much more! But as much as I love this holiday, there are a couple of things that just don't make sense.

My biggest beef? Gift wrapping! The crafter in me acknowledges the beauty of a perfectly wrapped present with pretty paper and big bows, but my thrifty side saddens a little at the thought of spending money on something that only has a few moments in the sun before heading straight to the landfill.

So, this year, I saved my wrapping budget and got a little creative— with Klutz, of course! 

I dug out my copies of Stencil Art and Twirled Paper and set to work creating my very own wrapping paper. With a dab of ink here and a curl of paper there, my wrapped gifts look so pretty that my friends will never know I only got down to wrapping on the eve of the big day!

Looking for more Klutz fun to get you through the winter break? In Christmases past, I made a pretty faux snow globe and Velvet Art Christmas cards, I planned my holiday wardrobe with Paper Fashions, and I decked out my tree three ways. There's tons of Klutz fun to be had before 2013 comes to an end, so get busy!

Wishing you the craftiest of Christmases and looking forward to another year of creating wonderful things, being good, and having fun!