Home - 30 Minute Crafts

Class Teacher Appreciation Gift – Gift Card Book

April 7, 2015 by Carolina 3 Comments

We’re celebrating teachers, and what better way than with a whole book of gift cards! Teachers spend so much of their own money paying for supplies for their class… a book filled with gift cards helps offset some of those costs… and gives them some sweet treats as thank-yous! Think about what your teacher uses most, then fill their gift card book with what they need… craft supply gift cards, grocery, box stores, or maybe their favorite coffee chain?

All week long I’m sharing fast and fun teacher appreciation crafts like this one, along with my co-host Angie from The Country Chic Cottage, and our Guest-Host Jessica from Mad in Crafts. We’re also sharing fast and fun teacher appreciation gifts from our crafty friends here online – be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to check out their fun ideas!

To make this little book you’ll need:
Envelopes
Hole Punch
Scissors
Ribbon
Teacher Appreciation Thank You Printables (set of 8)
Gift Cards

Start by cutting out the printables. You can send these home with students, and ask them to color them in. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can ask them to bring back the tags with a gift card for the teacher. It doesn’t have to be much… every little bit helps!

Punch holes in the envelopes. Start by punching a hole in two at the same time. Put one to the side, then line up a new envelope under the first. Punch through the first hole into the second envelope. Repeat. This way all your holes will be lined up perfectly!

And make sure that your flaps are on the opposite side of each hole…

Glue the printables to the envelopes.

Tie together with a ribbon.

Slip a gift card into each envelope for a stack of treats any teacher is sure to love!

Check out these other great teacher appreciation crafts:

Lisastuf made this sweet Teacher Note Necklace.

This great Teacher Lanyard was made by My Craftily Ever After, and she shows you how to make your own!

These cupcake Liner flowers with chocolate candy centers are adorable. Check out Dolen Diaries to learn how to make them yourself!

I love this inspirational key ring made by Duct Tape and Denim.

How perfect is this DIY Gift Card Holder from Simply Kelly Designs!?

My co-host, Angie from THe Country Chic Cottage has a fun Gumball and Ball jar teacher appreciation gift idea.

And our Guest Host Jessica from Mad in Crafts has a Baseball-themed teacher gift!

Come back tomoorow for more fun Teacher Appreciation Gift ideas!

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, paper, printable Tagged With: gift, Teacher Appreciation, thank you

Flowers and Printable for Teacher Appreciation Day

April 6, 2015 by Carolina 2 Comments

When I was little, I loved giving my teachers flowers. Pick some flowers from the garden, wrap up the base with some damp paper towel and tinfoil, and take them to school. And the teachers always loved them… because who doesn’t like getting a fistful of flowers? Especially from a child so excited to give them? So, for Teacher Appreciation Day this year, consider sending some flowers, along with this sweet printable, that your child can color in.

All week long I’m going to be sharing more fun and fast craft ideas for Teacher Appreciation Day and Teacher Appreciation Week, along with my Craft Lightning co-host Angie from The Country Chic Cottage, and our Guest-host Jessica from Mad in Crafts. We’re going to share a new fast and fun teacher appreciation gift each day, and share some fun teacher appreciation ideas from our crafty friends around the internet!

For this craft I used (I added some affiliate links to help you out):
Teacher Appreciation Printable
Watercolor Pencils
Q-tip
Scissors
Oly*fun
Ribbon
Flowers cut from garden

Cut out the printable, and color in. I used watercolor pencils to get a super simple watercolor look.

Blend the color with a damp q-tip, then allow to dry.

Wrap any pokey stems with the Oly*fun and a ribbon, add your printable poem, and you’re done!

Check out these other fun and fast teacher appreciation craft ideas:

This adorable Mason Jar Teacher Treat from Artistic Endeavors.

A super sweet I am NUTS about you printable and snack mix from 100 Directions.

This Owl Themed Teacher Appreciation Gift from Yesterday on Tuesday.

The Silly Pearl’s cute Handmade Teacher Appreciation Bookmarks.

A Sweet Berry made this great stenciled monogrammed tote.

These fun Teacher Appreciation Notepads were whipped up by 4 You with Love.

And can you believe how cute this Teacher Appreciation Gift Box from 365 Days of crafts is?

Be sure to come back tomorrow for more awesome, fast, and fun Teacher Appreciation gift ideas!

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap, kids, printable Tagged With: Printable, Teacher Appreciation, thank you

Easy Duck Tape Bunny Ears

April 4, 2015 by Carolina Leave a Comment

Looking for a simple last-minute Easter craft? Whip up these cute Duck Tape Bunny Ears! As easy as they are adorable, you can make these bunny ears in only a few minutes!

To make your own Duck Tape Bunny Ears, you’ll need:

Headband
White Duck Tape and Glitter Duck Tape
Scissors

Start by cutting or tearing two 20″ pieces of white Duck Tape. Fold almost in half… leaving about an inch of exposed adhesive.

Cut both into ear shapes

Cut ear shapes from the gold glitter, smaller than the white ears. Stick to the insides of the white ears.

Wrap the bottoms of the ears around the headband.

If needed, add another layer of Duck Tape to make the ears less floppy.

Love Crafting with Duck Tape? Check out these Fast and easy Duct Tape Crafts.

Save

Filed Under: 10 minute crafts, Easter, easy, fast and cheap, kids Tagged With: bunny, duck tape, Easter Craft

Spray Painted Bunny Bowl

April 3, 2015 by Carolina Leave a Comment

This simple bunny bowl was so quick and easy to make using Plutonium Paint! I was sent the paint to create some fun projects… this was not only fun, it was super easy to do!

To make your own bunny bowl, you’ll need:
Plutonium Paint in white and Pink
Plutonium Pro Spray Caps
White Felt
Vinyl Nose and whiskers cut out
Wooden bowl

This spray paint dries amazingly fast, and goes on beautifully smooth!

Watch the video to see how it all comes together:

Filed Under: 30 minute crafts, Easter, easy, paint, video Tagged With: bowl, bunny, spray paint

Simple Beaded Bracelet

March 30, 2015 by Carolina 3 Comments

I’m super excited to share this simple beaded bracelet with you today, because it also means that I can share with you some exciting news! I’m part of the Cousin Beads Ambassador team! I met with the amazing folks at Cousin back in January. Since then, life has been crazy with our big move to California… but I have had a blast getting to know the other ambassadors. They put together a fun challenge – each of us was sent an identical box of beads and supplies, and we had to make something.

When I got my challenge box, I was stumped. All kinds of beautiful beads… but where to go with them. I picked a few strands, and made this fun and simple bracelet. I love that it has a pattern, is sparkly, but still understated… very my style. And you can whip one up in 15 minutes or less… which is perfect for me!

I’m on the team with a bunch of insanely talented ladies… be sure to check out their projects:

Allison at Quiet Lion made some beautiful Bohemian-inspired pieces Dawn created a lovely animal print inspired necklace
Shelly made several pieces including a copper wristlet that I LOVE
Rachel made a turquoise and copper bracelet I might have to copy with my leftover beads
Molly made several awesome wire-wrapped pieces
Rebecca made a really cool stacked bead and chain necklace
Check out what Lisa made

So… let me show you how I made my bracelet! In addition to the beads I used (affiliate links added to make it easy):
Lobster clasp and jump ring
Tiger Tail Beading Wire
Tube Crimp Beads
One Step Crimping Pliers
Jewelry Pliers

Start by cutting a length of tiger’s tail, I use about 1.5-2 times the size I’m going to need, just so I don’t have to worry about beads spilling off the ends. String on a crimping bead, the lobster clasp, then string the tiger’s tail back through the crimping bead.

Use the one-step crimping pliers to secure the clasp in place.

I added my beads in a pattern, then added a crimp bead, the jump ring, and threaded the tiger tail back through the crimp bead.

I tugged on the end to make everything snug, used the one-step crimping pliers again, and my bracelet was done!

Really, the toughest part is deciding on a pattern… and with these beautiful beads, it is hard to go wrong there!

I had so much fun (and these are so easy) that I whipped up a whole wrist full of them!

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, easy, jewelry Tagged With: bead, bracelet, crystal

Simple Crinkle Blanket

March 20, 2015 by Carolina Leave a Comment

Today is the last day of Craft Lightning Recycled, and I’m super excited to share this Simple Crinkle Blanket with you… because the inside is made of something that would otherwise be garbage. You’d never think to hang on to a potato chip bag, would you? Well, now you’ll think twice, because that’s exactly what I used to make the crinkly center of this fun crinkle blanket!

Craft Lightning week is a week where my Co-host Angie from the Country Chic Cottage and I, along with a guest host, share 15 minute or less crafts. This week our guest host has been Carissa from Creative Green Living. She has so many fun upcycled, recycled, and other green crafts on her site – check her out! And be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for even more fun and fast craft ideas from our blogging friends, who are also in on the fun this week!

To make this fun crinkly blanket you’ll need:
Fabric – I went with this fun print from Fabric Editions on one side, and Shannon Cuddle on the other
Cheetos Bag, washed and dried – any bag that makes a crinkly sound will work, but Cheetos are a favorite around here
Sewing Machine
Pins
Ruler and Rotary Cutter

DISCLOSURE: Having any plastic or mylar bag around a small child could be a choking or suffocation hazard. Be smart about the age child you give this to. Be smart about supervising that child. Poking or cutting holes in the bag might minimize the risk, but any risk is something you should consider before making this project.

Start by cutting your fabric. You’ll want to open the bag into one layer, and cut the fabric and bag the same size. You need two pieces of fabric – I love Shannon Fabrics’ Cuddle because it is snuggly, and the bright Fabric Editions print went so well with it. Make the pieces as large as the chip bag will allow… or smaller if you like small.

Layer. Cuddle on bottom (fuzzy side up), print goes next (right side down), then the chip bag (up or down, doesn’t matter). Pin the layers together.

Stitch all the way around with a 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving a 4-6″ gap for turning. Clip corners.

Turn right side out through the hole. Pin the hole closed.

Top stitch 1/4″ away from the edge, all the way around.

Blanket complete! I dare you NOT to crinkle it. So. much. fun!

And check out these fun and fast recycled projects from other bloggers around the web:

Amy from One Artsy Momma made this fun Balloon Car that any kid would love playing with.

Bree at BumbleBree converted an old basket and knob into a clever food cover, perfect for any picnic!

Over at Ann Butler Designs, you’ll see how she gave some thrift store plates a makeover.

Lisa at Stuff n Such whipped up the cutest i-Pad stand from recycled materials.

I made milk carton easter baskets as a child, but I don’t remember them being as cute as these milk carton easter baskets by Fawnda at Fireflies and Jellybeans.

Carissa from Creative Green Living made these fun upcycled plant markers.

Angie from The Country Chic Cottage made these adorable bottlecap bunnies:

Angie also made this Metallic Gold Arrow – did you know that you could make decor this cute from recycled items?

And Carrisa shows you how to make a no-sew market bag from a shirt.

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap, kids, quick Tagged With: baby, blanket, quilt, recycled, upcycled

Etched Savings Jar

March 19, 2015 by Carolina 1 Comment

Whenever I find coins in the laundry, or on the table, I had them to the nearest child to put in their piggy bank. Which isn’t always equitable, but it solves the problem of having random coins lying around. When I was a child, my mom had a piggy bank on the kitchen counter for random coins, as well as money from recycling or garage sales, or other random small-time money makers. We’d save up the money until we had enough to get something fun, like the ping pong table. It is surprising how coins and bills can add up so quickly!

This week is Craft Lighting Week, and together with my co-host Angie from The Country Chic Cottage, and our guest host Carissa from Creative Green Living, we’re sharing fast and fun crafts made with recycled items. I whipped up this etched savings jar in less than 15 minutes from a large lemonade bottle. It was so easy to do… let me show you how! And scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the fun ideas from my co-hosts and the bloggers that are joining in on this fun series!

To make the jar you’ll need:
Large jar
Vinyl
Vinyl Transfer paper
Cutting Machine
Etching Cream
Rubbing Alcohol

Start by peeling the labels off your jar. Use rubbing alcohol to remove any residue or ink from the glass.

Cut the design into the vinyl with the cutting machine. I chose “Fun Fund” for mine. Remove the letters from the vinyl to create the stencil.

Place transfer paper on top of the stencil, and remove the backing.

After you’ve carefully removed the backing paper, secure the vinyl to the side of the jar.

Carefully remove the transfer paper, leaving the vinyl behind.

Spread on the etching cream according to the package instructions. Mine only needs to sit for one minute, then is washed away.

Once you’ve washed away the etching cream, peel away the stencil. Dry, and your jar is done!

Check out these other great recycled crafts:

Jen at Insiteful Living made this fun Altered Teen Clock.

This Scentsy Warmer turned planting pot was made by Kimbo at A Girl and a Glue Gun.

This upcycled pen storage was whipped up by Jen Goode at 100 Directions.

Over at Happy Go Lucky, Kara created this fun gift idea.

Erin shows us that even coffee sleeves can find a new life… as in this coffee sleeve bracelet she’s sharing over at My Very Educated Mother.

Ashley at My Craftily Ever After made some cute vase decor.

Danielle at My Craftily Ever After made these paper plate Easter baskets.

Cori at Hey Let’s Make Stuff made a glam ice bucket from an old paint can.

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap Tagged With: etching, glass, recycled, upcycled

Faux Gemstone Necklace

March 19, 2015 by Carolina 1 Comment

These faux gemstone necklaces are super simple to make! I had the idea to use toilet paper rolls for molds as I was playing with the new Mod Melter. The necklaces turned out just as I had hoped – and can be made with just 15 minutes of hands-on time!

I made this faux gemstone necklace as part of the Craft Lightning series. Each day this week, my co-hosts and I are sharing a 15 minute or less craft project with a recycled component, as well as sharing quick, easy, and cute craft projects from some of our crafty friends online. With the recycled theme we have going this week, of course I had to use toilet paper rolls in one of my projects… and this is it!

You’ll need:
Toilet Paper Tube
Paper Straw
Scissors
Colored Mod Melts and Mod Melter
Mod Melts Mold (turned upside down)
Jar or container with water
Scrubby Sponge
Ribbon

Cut a 1″ slice from the toilet paper tube. Pinch one side to make it teardrop shaped. Place on the back of the Mod Melts mold. Cut a 2″ piece of straw, place near the top. Don’t touch the tube with the straw, though.

Make sure your Mod Melter is HOT before you start adding the glue. The hotter the Mod Melter is, the smoother the surface of your faux gemstone will be.

Fill the whole mold with the colored Mod Melts. You want two colors to mix. You can do this by either inserting only 1/2 a length of each color instead of the full stick. If the color hasn’t changed yet and your mold is more than half full, squeeze the excess to one side until you notice the color change.

Allow to cool. Put in water overnight.

Peel away the excess toilet tube cardboard, and pull out the paper straws. Use a scrubby sponge on the sides to help remove any leftover paper fibers from the toilet tube.

Use scissors to cut off any uneven edges.

Cut a length of ribbon, fold in half, thread the ends through the hole.

Put the ends through the loop, and pull tight. Add an overhand knot to secure the ends.

Your faux gemstone is complete – you won’t believe that something so cute is so easy to make!

Check out these other fun recycled craft projects!

Lisa from Mabey she Made it used springform pans to create mirrors.

Make a Marquee Light from Recycled materials with Jessica from Mad In Crafts.

This upcycled Jewelry that Heidi from Happiness is Homemade whipped up is super cute!

Jars and a crate were the starting piece for this decor piece by Frugelegance.

Jennifer at Hydrangea Hippo used an old cell phone box to make a jewelry box.

These adorable jewelry holders were whipped up by Tracy at Scrappy Chick 101.

Old Jeans find new life in this decorative hoop made by Albion Gould.

Carla Schauer made some adorable upcycled lacing cards.

Carissa from Creative Green Living, the guest host for this series, made these adorable ladybugs from egg cartons.

And my co-host, Angie from The Country Chic Cottage made these cute herb planters.

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, jewelry, kids Tagged With: mod melts, necklace, recycled

Bottle Turned Bud Vase

March 17, 2015 by Carolina 1 Comment

When you have a pretty flower you want to pop into a vase, you don’t need to dig into the big cabinet above the fridge, you can grab a bottle from the recycling bin to put your flower in! If you want to jazz up your recycled bud vase, you can add a few Swarovski Crystals to make it special.

This project is part of craft lightning week, this week my co-host Angie from The Country Chic Cottage and our guest host Carissa from Creative Green Living are sharing fast 15-minute-or-less crafts made from recycled and upcycled materials! Check out the bottom of this post for their ideas and those of other awesome craft bloggers!

Supplies:
Bottle
Swarovski flat-backed crystals
Super glue
Rubbing alchohol
Crystal setter (optional but makes life easier)

Peel off the label and clean the surface of your bottle with rubbing alcohol. You want to make sure all the adhesive residue is gone, as well as dirt and fingerprints.

Use a dot of glue to hold each stone in place. If you have a stylus to set the crystals, it makes things easier. I used the Krystal Katana – it has a wax tip that easily picks up and places the stones.

Make your shape – I went with a heart, but you could make another shape if you like. Nudge the crystals in place before the glue dries.

Put it on its side to dry.

Your bud vase will be good to go as soon as the glue is dry… now to pick some spring flowers!

Check out these other fun and fast crafts you can make using items out of your recycle bin!

Kadie at 7 Alive made these picture frames from yarsticks that might otherwise gone out with the trash.

These toadstools made from leftover plastic easter egg pieces were whipped up by Melanie at Artzy Creations.

Over at Illistyle, April shows you how she took old craft projects to make them new again with this fun Easter Wreath.

This Easter Vase idea was whipped up by Michelle at Weekend Craft.

Lightbulbs get new life in this DIY by Jessi at Practically Functional.

You can enjoy the cookie bozes long after the cookies are gone with these cute Girl Scout Cookie Box Bookmarks that Randi from Sowdering About made.

See how these cute bottlecap magnets were made by Kelly at Simply Kelly Designs.

Paula at Frog Prince Paperie dug deep into her recycle bin to make this fun puppy fire hydrant as party decor.

Our Guest Host for the series, Carissa from Creative Green Living made this clothespin plant marker:

And my co-hose for this series, Angie from The Country Chic Cottage made this cute upcycled map tray.

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap, quick handmade holiday gifts, simple Tagged With: crystal, recycled, upcycled, vase

Upcycled Shirt Wreath

March 16, 2015 by Carolina 2 Comments

All week long, I’m going to share fun recycled crafts. Like this Upcycled Shirt Wreath. Recently, we moved out of state. My son left the charter school he was going to, meaning we had lots of uniform shirts he’d no longer be wearing. Most of them were fine to give away, but one had some holes in it. Instead of throwing it away, I decided to turn it into a bow for a wreath. While my son was in school, I would often help out with bulletin boards and door decorations. Since we were leaving, I thought it would be fun to give his teacher a wreath to decorate her door.

This week of recycled crafts is another fun Craft Lightning Week. Each day I’ll share a recycled craft that can be made in 15 minutes or less, and along with my Co-host Angie from The Country Chic Cottage, and our Guest Host Carissa from Creative Green Living, we’ll share lots of other fast and fun recycled projects from other crafty bloggers – make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post to check out all their ideas.

To make a wreath of your own, you’ll need:

Grapevine Wreath
Shirt
Metal Lid
Scissors
Rotary Cutter & Ruler (optional)
Hot Glue

Cut out the embroidered crest on the shirt. Make sure to leave enough margin to be able to glue the edges of the shirt to the back of the lid.

Glue the crest in place.

Cut strips out of the shirt.

Cut the strips to make 4 loops, and two tails.

Glue the raw edges of the loops.

Pleat the glued together raw edges, glue down the pleats.

Notch the bottom of each of the bottom strips for the bow. Pleat just like the loops.

Glue the bow in place on the wreath, and you’re all done!

This wreath makes a great gift for a teacher at the end of the year! Oh… and check out these other great (and fast) recycled craft ideas:

Laura Kelly used old magazines to turn plain composition books into fun journals.

Laura from Pet Scribbles made upscale looking vases from lotion bottles:

Over at Tried & True, Vanessa made a bird feeder out of a thrift store find:

If you’ve ever crafted with old jeans, you probably had the thick seams left over… 4 You With Love shows you that even denim inseams can have a new life… as a key fob.

Carisa at Messes to Memories shows how an old juice bottle becomes the perfect child-sized watering can.

I would never have thought that dryer sheets could have a second life, but Brooke at Artistic Endeavors showed me how dryer sheets become adorable Angels.