Home - 30 Minute Crafts

Cars Movie Inspired Fun Glasses

June 16, 2017 by Carolina Leave a Comment

Whether you’re planning a Cars Movie themed party, or you are looking for a fun afternoon of play, these Cars Movie Inspired Fun Glasses are fun to make, and kids will love wearing them to dress up as their favorite Cars Character! These glasses could also make a great addition to a Cars themed Halloween Costume – like a Lightning McQueen Costume or a Mater Costume.

If you’re a fan of the original CARS movie, you’re going to love the new CARS 3 Movie. I was invited to see the movie earlier this week, and my son and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We loved the original movie, and this new film picks up the storyline after the original, with no need for spycraft or international intrigue. A heartwarming story of mentors, goals, and finding your way… we both loved the new movie! I was inspired to create these fun glasses using the 3D glasses frames from the movie theater.

To make these Cars Movie themed fun glasses, you’ll need:

3D Glasses
Glasses Printable
Scissors
Markers
Glue

The printable has several sets of eyes for different characters from the CARS movies.

Print the printable. Pick which eyelid set you want to use, and color it in.

Pop the lenses out of the frames.

Cut out, and glue to glasses frame.

Make as many pairs as you like!

Kids and adults will have fun trying on the different CARS glasses!

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap, paper, printable Tagged With: cars, Disney, glasses, movie, Printable

Cars 3 Craft: Miss Fritter Inspired License Plate Bracelet

June 7, 2017 by Carolina Leave a Comment

My boys have grown up loving the Lightning McQueen, and all the Cars characters that create the movies. Mater, Sally, Doc, Luigi, Guido, Miles Axlerod, Professor Z, Finn McMissile, Holly Shiftwell, and so many more! To celebrate the new Cars 3, I created this fun Cars 3 craft – a License Plate Bracelet inspired by Miss Fritter. She is a Thunder Hollow Speedway Legend – a schoolbus weilding a stop sign blade, and wearing a collection of license plates commemorating former victims.

Recently, my 8 year old and I were invited to the “Road to the Races” tour here in San Diego. Lightning McQueen and his friends are going on a cross-country tour to celebrate the new Cars 3 movie that will be in theaters starting June 16th. We got to see a short clip from the movie that featured Miss Fritter, as well as see Lightning himself, and make some fun Cars themed crafts. Scroll all the way down to check out photos from the event.

To make the Cars 3 Craft: Miss Fritter inspired License Plate Charm Bracelet, you’ll need:

License Plate Printable
Shrinky Dinks (printable kind is best)
Oven/pan/brown paper bag for baking Shrinky Dinks
Scissors
Hole Punch
Clear Nail Polish
Jewelry chain
Clasp
Jump Rings
Jewelry Pliers

Print the license plates onto the shrinky dink material.

A huge thanks to family and friends for helping me come up with the Vanity Plates for this project. Shout outs to Frits, Heather, Keri, Rebecka, Christie, Noah, Jasmine, Francina, Neil, Stacie, and Catherine!

Don’t worry if it bleeds a little – remember that the final version is 1/3 this size, and it will look fine. Also, we’ll be trimming the edges in the next step.

If you don’t have shrink plastic, you can print these license plates at 30% on paper, and use resin like I did in my resin jewelry.

Trim the license plates with scissors. Try not to touch the ink if you can, it can stay wet for quite a while, even when it looks dry. Use a hole punch to punch a hole in each. The holes don’t all have to be in the upper left hand corner – you can do some on the right, and some on the bottom, depending on where it fits best.

Bake according to the Shrinky Dink instructions. To keep the ink from smearing if the bracelet gets damp, seal in the ink side. My favorite way to do this is with clear nail polish. If you think the bracelet is going to get a lot of wear, add a second coat.

Measure the chain for your bracelet, and cut to length.

Add a clasp on one end, and jump ring on the other.

Lay out your license plates to determine an order, and to see how far apart to space them. I’m putting mine on the large links in this chain so they will be evenly spaced.

Use the jump rings to attach the license plates.

Once you have them all added, your bracelet is ready to wear! I love the noise the plates make when they tap against each other… makes it feel so authentic!

Enjoy wearing your bracelet… maybe on the 16th to the opening of Cars 3?

Here are some photos of the fun we had at the Road to the Races event in Belmont Park!

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Filed Under: 30 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap, kids, printable, quick, sponsored Tagged With: bracelet, car, charm, Disney, disneyside, movie

Captain Underpants Inspired Comic Book Templates

June 2, 2017 by Carolina 1 Comment

Last week, the kids and I were invited to a pre-screening of the new Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, which opens in theaters today. My 8-year-old was familiar with Captain Underpants from reading some of the books in the collection. I have seen the covers, but didn’t have much experience before watching the movie. Which I enjoyed. And my boys REALLY enjoyed it. The movie follows the unlikely misadventures of two best friends, Harold and George. They love creating comic books together in their treehouse – one of their comicbook heroes is “Captain Underpants”, who comes to life in the movie.

The boys loved watching the movie, and I really loved the creativity. I’m looking for activities to keep the kids busy this summer, and was inspired by the comic strips that Harold and George create together. So I created some Comic Book Templates that the kids and I can use to create our own comic strips featuring unlikely heroes.

I’ve made using these templates as easy as possible. Start by printing the cover.

Put the cover back in the printer so that you can print on the back. On my HP Envy, that means putting it back in the printer tray printed-side-down.

Then pick one of the inside pages to print. Either the plain inside, the curly inside, or the action inside. I’ve designed the inside pages so there is no “right” top or bottom. As long as your cover and inside pages print on opposite sides of the page, you don’t have to worry about directionality.

Fold on the center fold line, then let your kids get started with creating their own comic.

I got into it, too. The kids loved my choice for an unlikely superhero!

You don’t need to be a great comic book artist to make a fun comic. Grab some markers, crayons, or colored pencils, and come up with a fun storyline. For my first comic, “Super Mom and the Adventures of the Dirty Laundry,” I chose a mom as the super hero. And of course mom’s biggest nemesis – the laundry.

The back of the cover page lets the artist add some details about the story or series, as well as the publisher’s seal.

If you’re interested in my heroine, you can see how the dirty laundry turned out:

The kids thought it was pretty funny. I thought it was hysterical. I might be more easily amused.

If you have ambitious kids who want a comic that is more than two pages, just print more of the inside pages back-to-back, fold them, and staple into the middle of the comic book.

Here you can see what the center pages look like. The plain:

The curly:

and the action:

I hope you enjoy whipping up your own comic book pages this summer!

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Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap, kids, paper, printable Tagged With: draw, Printable, template

Firework Cookie Jar

May 26, 2017 by Carolina Leave a Comment

This fun craft turns an oatmeal can into a firework cookie jar! Perfect for putting patriotic oatmeal cookies in. You can make this firework cookie jar in the time it takes the cookies to bake!

This craft is part of Craft Lightning Week. All week long Angie from The Country Chic Cottage, Laura from Me and My Inklings and I are sharing patriotic crafts you can make in 15 minutes or less. And we’ve invited some of our craftiest friends from around the internet to join us! Check out their ideas at the bottom of this page.

To make your Firecracker Cooke Jar, you’ll need:

Large Decorative Paper
Oatmeal Can
Glitter
Paintbrush
Paper Plate
Scissors
Ribbon
Paper Straws
Glue Gun

Wrap the can with the decorative paper.

Mix glitter and Mod Podge, and cover the lid. Allow to dry.

Cut about 2″ of the straw. Cut small pieces of the ribbon.

Roll up ribbon.

Tuck into end of straw. Glue in place.

Glue to top of lid.

Fill with some patriotic cookies, like these patriotic oatmeal cookies!

If you’re looking for more fun and fast patriotic craft ideas, check out these great crafts!

Scrappy Chick design made this fun patriotic decor.

Over at Doodlecraft you’ll learn how to whip up this trendy string art.

You’ll find instructions for this patriotic sign over at Gingersnap crafts.

Get the details on this patriotic framed sign at It Happens in a Blink.

Don’t you love this felt banner? You can get the low down at A Sweet Berry Blog.

Beth Watson shows you how to make this upcycled banner.

Our crafty guest-host, Laura, made these felt firecracker placemats.

My long-time Craft Lighting Co-host made these yummy looking Strawberry Cheesecake bites!

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap Tagged With: 4th of July, patriotic, summer

Patriotic Sparkle Sunglasses

May 25, 2017 by Carolina 1 Comment

Looking to add a little sparkle to the holiday? Whether you’re spending on the porch or at the beach, these patriotic sparkle sunglasses will add some flair to any 4th of July outfit.

This project is part of Craft Lightning Week. All week long, I’m sharing patriotic crafts you can make in 15 minutes or less… and so are my crafty co-hosts – Angie from The Country Chic Cottage and Laura from Me and My Inklings. And we’ve invited our crafty friends from all over the internet to join in! Check out their fun projects below.

To make your own Patriotic Sparkle Sunglasses, you’ll need:

Red sunglasses
Blue Glitter
Gold Glitter
Mod Podge
Paper Plate
Paintbrush

Mix the Mod Podge and blue glitter together on the plate.

Paint it onto the sunglasses. I used chunky glitter, which is a little more tricky than fine glitter. It gets painted on in big clumps that then get pushed and shifted around with the paintbrush.

Do the same with the gold glitter. I created a flag-like design with a blue “star” field, and red and gold stripes.

Allow to dry. Your fun patriotic sunglasses are complete!

If you enjoyed this fun and fast patriotic craft, you’ll love all these quick patriotic projects!

These fun painted rocks from Jen at 100 Directions are an inexpensive craft that everyone can enjoy!

These Wine Charm Tassels from Danielle at Story Piece are easy to make, useful, and cute to boot! That’s a crafty trifecta!

Duct Tape and Denimn made this Patriotic tassel will add some holiday flair to any bag.

Annmakes shows you how to include your pet in the holiday fun.

This Chalkboard Star Decor from Laura’s Crafty Life adds so much patriotic flair!

I just love this Patriotic sign from Yesterday on Tuesday.

See Lindsay made this Confetti Popper that is sure to brighten your 4th!

Laura shows how to make these patriotic paper flowers over at Me and My Inklings.

And my Craft Lightning co-host, Angie from the Country Chic Cottage pulled out the sewing machine to whip up this 15 minute Bandana Apron – how clever is this!?

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap, kids, simple Tagged With: Glitter, mod podge, patriotic, summer

Patriotic Star Coasters for 4th of July

May 24, 2017 by Carolina 4 Comments

I love adding touches of holiday decor that aren’t overwhelming. These star coasters are easy to make, easy to set out and enjoy during the holiday, and easy to tuck away when not in use. You can make your own 4th of July Patriotic Star Coasters with very little work – and the raised star center makes them look very labor-intensive!

I made these Star Coasters as part of Craft Lightning week. All week long, I’m sharing 15 minute or less Patriotic-themed crafts along with my Co-Host Angie from The Country Chic Cottage, and our guest Co-Host, Laura from Me and My Inklings.

Plaid sent me some of their new Folk Art Coastal paint line. I love the texture that this paint adds – a rustic look without having to pull out the sand paper. I was excited to use it as part of this project.

To make these Star Coasters, you’ll need:

Wooden Star blocks – found in the decorative wood trim section of the Hardware Store
Folk Art Coastal Paint
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
Paintbrush
Optional – red and white paints

Start by painting the wooden block. Set aside to dry.

Fill the center with Mod Podge Dimensional Magic. Do your best not to let air bubbles in.

Allow to dry overnight. If, in the morning, your coaster looks like this… don’t worry! The thick layer of Dimensional Magic sunk in the center.

Just re-fill any holes and allow to dry for another day. You might have to fill a hole or two the following day. But then they turn out awesome!

If you like, you can add touches of red and white paint to really add to the patriotic theme.

Allow to dry, and your fancy-looking but oh-so-simple Coasters are complete. And with less than 15 minutes of hands-on crafting time!

If you enjoyed these patriotic coasters, you’ll love checking out these other fast and fun patriotic crafts:

Emily at My Mom Made that whipped up her own Star Coasters… how fun are these?

Learn how to customize a drink bucket for the 4th over at Everyday Party Magazine.

Jessica at Mad In Crafts made this Patriotic Floral Centerpiece – with waterproof LED lights!

Albion Gould shows you how to make your own rustic Americana Banner.

Over at Sparkle Living, you’ll learn how to whip up this patriotic wreath.

Carla Schauer has a Patriotic Word Search that will keep the kids occupied while you’re waiting for dusk so you can light the fireworks.

Karen Marie at Dragonfly and Lily Pads has some fun tied-ribbon decor.

And be sure to check out Rita Barakat’s Patriotic craft video on her site.

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, fast and cheap, quick, summer Tagged With: 4th of July, coaster, patriotic, star

Star and Tassel Earrings – Patriotic or Grad Craft

May 24, 2017 by Carolina 4 Comments

Looking for some fun patriotic jewelry to wear on the 4th of July? Or unique earrings for your graduate? These Star and Tassel Earrings are the perfect design for both events! I’ve made them using patriotic colors, but you can whip up some star and tassel earrings using the colors of your grad’s soon-to-be alma mater.

This craft is part of Craft Lightning week. During Craft Lightning week, my co-host Angie and I, along with our co-host for the week (this week it is Laura from Me and My Inklings), create crafts that can be whipped up in 15 minutes or less that match the week’s theme. And we invite our crafty friends from around the internet to join in… check out their great ideas below. This week’s theme is Patriotic, and I’m having so much fun creating patriotic crafts that you’ll love to make!

To make these star and tassel earrings, you’ll need:

Mini tassels (check out the full mini tassel tutorial here)
Star Charms
Necklace Chain
Jump Rings
Earring Wires
Jewelry Pliers

Start by making the mini tassels. These earrings don’t take much time at all, so I counted the time it took me to make the tassels into my 15 minute crafting time!

Cut the necklace chain into two pieces, each about 2″ long. Attach the earring wires to the top of each. Later I added a star charm here as well, to save time, add the star charm now.

Add a star to the bottom of each chain.

Add the two tassels, using the jump rings you used when making the tassels.

Finish up the second earring, and your star and tassel earrings are complete!

If you enjoyed these star and tassel earrings, you’ll be sure to love all these fun and fast Patriotic craft ideas!

How fun is this Patriotic Coloring Book from Liz on Call?

Jamie at CRAFT whipped up these clever patriotic t-shirts.

I love this framed patriotic wreath that Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything created.

Vanessa at tried and true has firecrackers the kids can play with – paper firecrackers.

Cindy from My Creative life created this clever embossed seal.

You’ll want to add Kelly from Here Comes The Sun’s Patriotic Decor to your home!

Kids will love playing with these firecracker straw rockets from My Very Educated Mother.

If you’re a fan of simple, you’ll fall for this gold foiled printable from Practical and Pretty.

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap, jewelry, quick, simple Tagged With: earrings, graduation, patriotic, star, tassel

Patriotic Star Hoop Art

May 22, 2017 by Carolina 5 Comments

Hoop Art is simple to make, and a great craft for teens, tweens, and anyone with some spare time for crafting. You don’t need expensive supplies or fancy equipment to make this Patriotic Star Hoop Art, and an experienced stitcher can whip one up in 15 minutes! Even less experienced stitchers will be able to create their own Patriotic Star Hoop Art in a short time – and you don’t need lots of practice to make it look great!

This project is part of Craft Lightning week! This week, my long-time Craft Lightning co-host Angie from The Country Chic Cottage, and this week’s guest co-host, Laura from me and my Inklings, are whipping up Patriotic crafts in 15 minutes or less. And we’ve invited our craftiest friends from across the internet to join in! Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this page to check out all their fast and fun patriotic projects.

To make these patriotic hoops, you’ll need:

4″ wooden embroidery hoops
Squares of felt
Cotton fabric
Embroidery Floss
Embroidery needle
Ribbon
Scissors
School Glue or Hot Glue

Hoop the fabric. Trim it down to a manageable size.

Cut the felt to the size of the hoop.

Cut the felt into a star shape. If you want something exact and less rustic, feel free to trace a star-shaped cookie cutter, or use a stencil.

Split the embroidery floss so that you’re using just 3 strands instead of all 6. Thread the needle. Tie a knot at the end. Start the needle up from the back, right next to the felt. Cross over the felt and stitch in.

Bring the needle back up next to the felt, catching the loop. Then take another stitch into the felt.

Go all the way around the star. I was able to quickly stitch around my star in about 10 minutes. Tie off the thread at the back. Then trim the fabric all the way around the hoop.

Using school glue or hot glue, glue the inside edge of the hoop.

Secure the fabric to the inside of the hoop. If your fabric doesn’t stick well immediately, use clothespins to secure the fabric.

Tie ribbon to the top to hang.

Make hoops in different patriotic colors to hang around for your 4th of July decor!

If you’re looking for more fun Patriotic 4th of July crafts you can whip up in 15 minutes or less, check out these fast and fun projects:

How awesome is this Patriotic Decor by Jen Gallacher?

Over at Try it Like It you’ll learn how to whip up some simple Patriotic Bracelets.

Jessica at Cutesy Crafts shows us that some of the most fun crafts aren’t difficult or time consuming – like this fun doily table runner!

Michelle at Michelle James Designs shows you how to transform ordinary glassware into fun patriotic drinkware.

These classic frozen treats have been given a transformation over at Happiness is Homemade – she made Bomb Pop Soaps!

This paint stick flag was created by Kreative in Life – I love the touch of the hand print!

Make this 4th extra photo-worthy with this patriotic backdrop from Swordfights and Starry Nights!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more fast and fun patriotic crafts – I’ll be sharing them all week long!!

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Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fabric, quick, simple Tagged With: 4th of July, embroidery, hoop, patriotic, star, stitch

DIY Mini Tassel – Tiny Graduation Tassel

May 18, 2017 by Carolina 2 Comments

These mini tassels are simple to make using thread and jewelry making supplies. And you’ll find that making a mini tassel is super addictive as well! These cute, tiny tassels are perfect for making a cap-and-gown for a doll, for use in scrapbooking or card making, or for making jewelry with, as I will be doing next week!

To make a mini tassel, you’ll need:

(I’ve added affiliate links which help support this site at no extra cost to you)
Thread
Scissors
Crimping Beads
Crimping Tool
Beading Pliers
Small Jump Rings

Wrap thread around your fingers. You’ll need 20 lengths of thread for each tassel. Cut thread.

Put a loop of thread through a crimping bead.

Insert the bundle of threads through the loop. Center the loop midway on the thread bundle, then pull through the crimping bead.

Use the crimping tool to secure the crimping bead.

Add the jump ring, and remove the white thread.

Trim to length. I used the width of my finger to get a similar length when making multiple tassels.

Make as many mini tassels as you need for your project… or until you can’t stand the cuteness any more!

Filed Under: 10 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap, jewelry, quick, simple Tagged With: graduation, mini, small, tassel

DIY Sparkle Unicorn Horn

May 18, 2017 by Carolina 5 Comments

This Unicorn Horn is surprisingly easy to make! I made this Unicorn Horn in about 20 minutes – depending on how big of a perfectionist you are, you should be able to make your own Unicorn Horn in under 30 minutes. Then let it dry overnight, and you’re ready to wear a beautiful and sparkly Unicorn Horn!

When the folks at Plaid (the makers of Mod Podge) asked me to share a fun craft for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Mod Podge, I knew I wanted to share this Unicorn Horn. The sparkly glitter on this Unicorn Horn is made by mixing together Mod Podge and small iridescent glitter flakes until it is almost paste-like. Mixing glitter in Mod Podge is my absolute favorite way to use glitter – it makes almost no mess, and there is very little wasted glitter! Any glitter you get on your hands peels right off when the Mod Podge is dry.

This post contains affiliate links which help support this site at no extra cost to you.

To make this Unicorn Horn, you’ll need:
Large Styrofoam Cone
Styrofoam sculpting tool
Mod Podge (I used Sparkle Mod Podge)
Glitter
2 Skinny Headbands
Wire
Wire Cutter & Pliers
Paintbrush
Hot Glue

Watch the video to see how it is done. I have detailed written instructions below if you’d rather follow written instructions.

Use the Styrofoam sculpting tool’s pointy end to carve a swirl into the horn.
Mark notches at the top splitting it into thirds. Carve swirls into each of these thirds.
Use the thick end of the sculpting tool make the swirls deeper.
With your fingers, curve the sides of the swirls to make the horn look very natural.
Carve two notches into the bottom of the horn to match up with the headband.
Cut 4 pieces of wire, each about 5″ long. Bend each into a “U” shape.
With hot glue, secure the headbands in place. Push the pointy ends of the U-wires on either side of the headbands to secure the headbands in place.
Mix Mod Podge and glitter to make a paste consistency.
Paint onto horn to coat.
Set aside to dry overnight.

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Filed Under: 30 minute crafts, fast and cheap, quick, simple, sponsored, video Tagged With: costume, Glitter, mod podge, Unicorn

Cars Movie Inspired Fun Glasses

Cars 3 Craft: Miss Fritter Inspired License Plate Bracelet

To make the Cars 3 Craft: Miss Fritter inspired License Plate Charm Bracelet, you’ll need:

Here are some photos of the fun we had at the Road to the Races event in Belmont Park!

Captain Underpants Inspired Comic Book Templates

Firework Cookie Jar

To make your Firecracker Cooke Jar, you’ll need:

Patriotic Sparkle Sunglasses

To make your own Patriotic Sparkle Sunglasses, you’ll need:

Patriotic Star Coasters for 4th of July

To make these Star Coasters, you’ll need:

Star and Tassel Earrings – Patriotic or Grad Craft

To make these star and tassel earrings, you’ll need:

Patriotic Star Hoop Art

DIY Mini Tassel – Tiny Graduation Tassel

To make a mini tassel, you’ll need:

DIY Sparkle Unicorn Horn

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