1. Cut paper into small flames.

2. Paint sticks any color you like and assemble to make a very festive menorah!

Can you believe it’s November?! It seemed like as soon as Halloween was over the holiday ads started up. I love this time year and all the holidays that come along with it. Thanksgiving tends to kind of be forgotten holiday, but it’s really one of the most important and a great time to relax and enjoy a day of family, food, and blessings. Making turkeys, pilgrims, and other cute crafts with your children is always fun, but this Thanksgiving board is something a little different and just as fun and easy to create. All you need are left over scraps of scrapbook paper or wrapping paper, index cards, ribbon, and a large piece of poster board or cardboard. Use the scraps of paper, along with glue, to create pockets (one for each day of the month). Then fill each day with something you and your family are thankful for. You’ll all have a great time sharing what you’re thankful for each day!

image via

We’re all about decorating for the season, especially when it’s something that can be enjoyed and remain out in your home for a lengthy period of time (and surpass the Halloween craze). We absolutely love these cute fall bottles. They are super simple DIY project that can be done in minutes and at a low cost. All you need are four amber bottles from a local craft store (or maybe you have some at home– left over from a girls wine night?), vinyl stick on letters from your local craft store (we happen to heart Hobby Lobby), and some super fallesque wheat stalks or any fall floral you like (also from your local craft store). We think these cute fall bottles would look amazing on your mantle, entryway table, or dining buffet. Happy fall decorating!

Halloween is coming up soon and we’ve got all things scary on the brain. We love the idea of DIY, simple projects that you can do with your kids and these cute, spooky spiders are perfect. We love pumpkins because they make for great fall decor that can last from September to November, but these fun spiders will add a little extra fun to your displays around Halloween time.

What You’ll Need:

6 mini pumpkins (or as many as you like!)

black glitter glue

small paint brush

googly eyes

black pipe cleaner (for spider legs)

craft glue or glue gun

How to Make it:

1. Hold pumpkins by the stem and cover in black glitter glue. Allow pumpkins to dry.

2. Apply googly eyes and (shaped) pipe cleaner legs to pumpkin using craft glue or glue gun.

Fill a vase with your favorite shells. This works best with a lot of small shells. You can fill several vases of different sizes and then place them on a buffet table, mantle, or in your bathroom. This could also make a wonderful table centerpiece. Just remember, shells of different sizes and colors work best. You can also add some sand to the bottom of the vase to give the shells a little base to sit on.

For your bathroom…During the summer months seashells add a wonderful decorative touch to bathrooms. You can use large shells you may have as a soap dish or even a catch-all for jewelry or loose change you might remove while at the sink. If you have a flat framed mirror and a lot of small shells, arrange the shells around the mirror and glue into place with craft glue or a hot glue gun.

Create a little door decor. Wreaths are a wonderful addition to any door in your home. If you want to add a summery feel to your entryway create a seashell wreath, perfect for greeting guests during the summer months. All you need are your shells, a blank wreath from your local craft store, and any other nautical items you may want to add, such as netting, starfish, etc. Arrange the pieces on wreath. Once they are placed how you like, attach with hot glue or use wire, depending on how your pieces need to attach.

Outdoor lighting. If you want to jazz up your screened porch or back deck, you can create a string of seashell lights from a string of small white lights. To do this, you’ll need flat, thin, clam-like shells. Just lay the string of white lights on a table and apply epoxy to the straight edge of a shell. Then, attach the shells to the base of each light on the string. The light from each tiny bulb will shine through the shell setting off a nice glow, perfect for creating a nice summer mood at your next BBQ!

]]> http://sharpmoms.com/2011/06/22/what-we-love-right-now-june-22-2011-decorating-with-seashells/feed/ 0 http://sharpmoms.com/2011/05/21/beach-craft-activities/ http://sharpmoms.com/2011/05/21/beach-craft-activities/#comments Sat, 21 May 2011 21:11:34 +0000 admin http://sharpmoms.com/?p=1474 If you’re lucky enough to hit the sand this summer, collecting shells and other beach treasures will more than likely be one of your child’s favorite activities. All those shells will probably make it home with you and then you may be left wondering what to do with those them. Here are some super cute and easy seashell craft ideas.

1. Seashell Mobile

This would make a great addition to your child’s bedroom or playroom for the summer!

What You’ll Need:

Shells

Two dowel rods equal in length

String

Craft Glue

Make it Fast:

1. Use the string to make the dowels into an X shape.

2. Glue the shells onto different lengths of string.

3. Allow to dry several hours to ensure the shells will hold on string.

2. Beach Memory Jar

Fill a large jar with all your treasures and keep them (safely!) forever! Best of all your child can rearrange and move things around whenever they like, creating almost a whole new look.

image via Martha Stewart

3. Shell Frame

If you are going to the beach chances are you’ll snap more than one Kodak moment! Your child can put their favorite picture in a great seashell frame.

What You’ll Need:

5×7 Frame or larger, with wood trim

Small shells

Hot glue gun

Make it Fast:

Arrange shells on frame and glue. Let stand several hours so glue can set.

*for added use foam pieces or letter stickers to personalize with your child’s name

Sea Turtle

So simple! Simple paint your paper plate or cover in torn pieces of construction paper. Then make some legs, head and tail. Add a wiggly eye and draw a mouth!

Fish

Again, all you need is your plate, some paints and paper!

Sun

Make this cheery sun with handprint rays. Sure to brighten up your child’s day!

photo courtesy of Home Made Simple

1. Pom Pom Ornaments

This craft is ridiculously simple. All you need is a some cardboard (maybe from an old shoe box or moving box). Then, simply create your ornament template (candy cane, wreath, snowman) using the cardboard. Next, glue on the pom poms to cover the cardboard. Attach ribbon as the ornament hook. You can even add other adornments like rhinestones, sequins or glitter.

2. Pine Cone Christmas Tree

You’ll need a small tip paintbrush, sequins and green glitter glue for this craft. Spread the glitter glue onto the cone using the paintbrush and add sequins as “ornaments” before the glue dries. You can even add a construction paper star to the top of the tree as a finishing touch.

3. Reindeer Food

You might leave out cookies and milk for Santa, but what about his trusty reindeer? Sure carrots are good, but this version of “reindeer food” is much more fun! You’ll need raw oatmeal, glitter (red, green, gold or silver), a brown paper bag, and ribbon. Let your child decorate the paper bag for their favorite reindeer. Then place about 4 tablespoons of oatmeal and a teaspoon of glitter in the bag. On Christmas Eve sprinkle the reindeer food in your yard for Santa’s reindeer to eat once they get to your house!

Don’t forget to check out our Cute Candy Cane Reindeer and how to make an Easy Advent Calendar.

All you need are…

Candy Canes

Wiggly Eyes

Brown Pipe Cleaner
Small Red Puffy Balls
Craft Glue

1. Glue wiggly eyes and red puffy “nose” on candy cane.

2. Bend Pipe Cleaners into “reindeer ears” and wrap around candy cane.

It’s that easy and the finished product is adorable!