Home - 30 Minute Crafts

Handmade Peacock Earrings

October 2, 2018 by Carolina 2 Comments

I love walking through the bead and jewelry sections of the craft store. So many gorgeous supplies just waiting to become beautiful jewelry. And for my friends who are “afraid” of making jewelry, try these earrings. They are so crazy simple. If you aren’t into peacocks, you can find just about any set of charms in the jewelry and bead section to whip up some earrings so fabulous your friends will think you paid top dollar!

Supplies (and yes… there are only three):
Peacock Jewelry Charms (or any charms of your choice)
Earring wired
Jewelry Pliers

Start by removing the jewelry charms from the cardboard. This probably goes without saying, but this project really is so simple that I feel like I need to stretch it out so that you feel like you got your money’s worth in reading this free tutorial. So there you go – take the charms off of the cardboard. You might have to twist the wire in either a clockwise or counterclockwise fashion.

Using the jewelry pliers, open the loop at the bottom of the earring wire. You want to use the same twisting motion you use when opening a jump ring. This ensures that the loop will close easily two steps from now.

Slip the charm (in this case the peacock charm) onto the now open loop on the earring wire.

Close the loop, basically reversing what you did two steps ago. You have one earring complete.

Follow these same steps to make the second earring. And you’re done!

There you have it. Go to the store. Find all the pretty charms. Make stupid simple earrings. And then either tell all your friends how crafty you are that you made them all yourself, or let them think you have an insane jewelry budget so they can be jealous. Up to you.

Filed Under: 10 minute crafts, 5 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap, jewelry, quick, quick handmade holiday gifts Tagged With: earrings, peacock, Simple

DIY Cat Face Cupcakes

October 1, 2018 by Carolina Leave a Comment

I’m a big fan of semi-homemade. Sure, in a perfect world we would have all the time in the world to make everything from scratch. But I don’t live in a perfect world. So I do the best I can, which often means adding personal touches to store-bought items, like I did with these DIY Cat Face Cupcakes. I made them for my youngest’s 6th birthday party, and they were an absolute hit. Crazy easy to make (be sure to check out my tips below), these Cat Face Cupcakes come together in just a few minutes, after swinging by your local grocery store!

Supplies:

Pre-made, pre-frosted cupcakes
Candy Eyes
Pretzels
Jelly Beans
Starbursts
Zip-top bag (like Ziplock)

Let’s start by chatting about the pre-made, pre-frosted cupcakes. You might wander into your grocer’s bakery section and see ready-made cupcakes, but they all have sprinkles or decorations already on them. These are not ideal. Ask the person behind the bakery counter if they have any plain cupcakes lying around. Chances are they do! I got 6 chocolate and 6 vanilla cupcakes, all with plain white icing. Easy and done! It took them a few minutes to package them up for me, but that was all the time I needed to take a trip through the store for my other Cat Face Cupcake supplies.

The candy eyes used to be a specialty item, but you can now find them in the baking section by the sprinkles. If your store really doesn’t have them for some reason, you can substitute another candy, like M&Ms.

Pretzel sticks will be the whiskers. Easy. And Jelly Bean noses – if you can find a package with lots of pinks and reds, perfect!

The Starbursts are the real star of the show here! One Starburst will become 2 ears, and here is how:

Select all of your Starburst candies (for 12 cupcakes I needed 12 Starbursts). Put them in a zip-top bag, and seal the bag. Try to remove as much air as possible from the bag. Fill a glass with hot water from the tap. Put the zip-top bag of Starbursts into the hot water. The plastic bag will keep them from getting wet, and the hot water will help to soften the candies, which will make them easier to mold.

While the Starburst candies warm up in the water, give each cupcake two eyes, a nose, and whiskers. I broke my pretzel sticks in half for the whiskers, but you can use whole ones.

At this point, the Starbursts should be a little warm. Take one out of the bag and unwrap it. Cut it on the diagonal to make two triangles. Using your fingers, stretch it out and shape it into an ear. Fold it partially in half, then insert into the frosting. Repeat with the other ear. Then repeat the process for the other 11 Cat Face Cupcakes. So simple, and no need to find fancy fondant or other cake decorating special tools!

Once you have made the cupcakes, you can store them in the fridge for up to a day. Be careful if you have a lot of moisture in your fridge, the condensation can collect on the cat ears and make them sticky. If you’re worried, just make the ears and add them shortly beforehand.

And that is it! Cute, simple, and semi-homemade cat cupcakes for your cat-loving birthday boy or girl!

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, edible, kids Tagged With: cat, cupcake, food

Hot Glue Headband – Make Embellishments with Hot Glue

September 26, 2018 by Carolina Leave a Comment

Hot Glue embellishments are super simple to make, and so very versatile! You can add these fun and simple hot glue embellishments to a headband like I do here, or to pretty much anything! And there are so many different kinds of molds available that you can find pretty much any theme you like to make your Hot Glue Headband or other fun Hot Glue embellished item!

This project is part of Craft Lightning Week. All week long Angie from the Country Chic Cottage and I are sharing crafts and projects that can be made in 15 minutes or less, along with some of our craftiest friends on the internet. Be sure to check out all their amazing projects below! This week all the projects feature Hot Glue, as Angie and I are celebrating the launch of our new book, “Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts” which is available on Amazon, in Barnes and Noble, and in some Michaels stores and independent booksellers. Be sure to get your copy!

To make this Hot Glue Headband you’ll need:
Glitter Glue
Hot Glue Gun
Silicone Fondant Mold
Headband
Heat Gun

Heat up your glue gun so it is really hot. The hotter the better when you are putting glue into molds. Start in the bottom of the mold and fill quickly and evenly.

Once the mold is full, you can lift up the mold and tap it a couple times against the desk to dislodge any air bubbles. Then let the mold sit to cool. It doesn’t take long for the glue to cool on the top, but it may take a few minutes for it to cool all the way through. Give it the time it needs.

While you are waiting, you can fill other designs.

Once the design has cooled, you can remove it. Curving the silicone mold is a great way to pop it right out.

Hot glue is fantastically glossy when you use it, but loses that luster when put into a silicone mold. The mold has a texture that is needed so that the mold will release the glue, but it creates a texture on the glue that makes it no longer shiny. This is especially noticeable when using glitter glue.

Glitter glue is at its best when it is shiny and sparkles. Luckily, you can bring back the shine by adding a little heat.

Use a heat gun to gently melt the very top layer of the glue on your embellishment. Make sure not to over heat the glue, or it will lose its shape. (This is an example of the kinds of “Hacks” that we offer in the book “Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts.” We put our absolute best information in there to make it both a crafting book and resource!)

Allow the top layer of the embellishment to cool, and then glue it to the headband.

That’s it! While I used a bow mold for this headband, there are so many different silicone fondant molds for you to choose from! One last tip – once you have used a mold for crafting, it is best not to use it in the kitchen. Feel free to use the mold to make more hot glue embellishments, mold clay, or mold resin. There are lots of crafts you can make with your mold. If you love the shape and want to make fondant or candy – buy a second mold to use in the kitchen.

Check out all these other projects you can make using Hot Glue!

An InLinkz Link-up

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap, hot glue, jewelry, kids, quick, quick handmade holiday gifts, simple Tagged With: embellishment, hairband, headband, hot glue

DIY No-Slip Socks

September 24, 2018 by Carolina 2 Comments

Did you know that you can turn any pair of socks into no-slip socks by using hot glue? It is incredibly easy to DIY No-slip socks in just a few minutes! In fact, Hot Glue can be used as a substitute for a non-slip surface in a lot of different ways. Add dots or stripes of hot glue to a purse strap that keeps falling off of your shoulder to help keep it in place, similar to the way I will show you how to add hot glue to the bottom of these socks.

This project is part of Craft Lightning Week. You may be familiar with Craft Lightning Weeks in the past – Angie from the Country Chic Cottage and I share crafts on a theme that can be made in 15 minutes or less, and we invite our friends to join in. This week is extra-special as we are also celebrating the launch of our new book, “Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts.” All week long we’ll be sharing fast and fun crafts that can be made with Hot Glue, and sharing some thoughts about the book! Be sure to scroll all the way down to check out all of this week’s fantastic Hot Glue projects, and be sure to buy your copy of Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts from your favorite bookseller!

Supplies:
Socks
Hot Glue
Hot Glue Gun

Lay out the sock so that the sole of the sock is facing up. Heat up your hot glue gun. You will most likely want to use standard, or “clear” (sometimes they are slightly white) hot glue sticks. If you want to add some fun, you can use glitter glue sticks. While colored hot glue will work as well, colored hot glue often sets much harder (less flexible) when cool, and may be less comfortable to walk on.

Use the hot glue to draw designs on the bottom of the sock. I used hearts – you can use wavy lines or stars or dots or circles – anything you like. The trick is that you don’t want large globs of hot glue. You want to keep your hot glue low-profile (not sticking up too high off of the sock).

Allow the glue to cool. While it cools, repeat this process with the second sock.

Once both socks have cooled, you have finished your oh-so-simple DIY no-slip sock! No-slip socks are great for wearing on slick surfaces like tile. They are perfect for the socks of small children or toddlers just learning to walk. And they are great for elderly or mobility-challenged adults who might lose their balance on a slippery surface.

So simple, right? And the book “Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts” has 50 Hot Glue crafts that are original to the book – and none of the details of those crafts will be shared here this week! So order your book or head to the store! And if you need some fun hot glue craft ideas in the meantime, check out all these fun projects:

An InLinkz Link-up

Filed Under: 10 minute crafts, 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap, hot glue, kids, quick, quick handmade holiday gifts Tagged With: hot glue, socks

Hot Glue Earrings – Make Earrings using Hot Glue

September 2, 2018 by Carolina 1 Comment

YES! It is possible to make Earrings using Hot Glue! You can make your own Hot Glue earrings using the steps outlined below. For this project I used glitter hot glue, but you can just as easily use colored hot glue instead for a different and equally stunning result!

These Hot Glue Earrings are part of Craft Lighting Week. All week long we’re sharing Hot Glue crafts that can be made in 15 minutes or less as we celebrate Craft Lightning Hot Glue! This week is also celebrating the release of the book I co-wrote with my longtime co-host for Craft Lightning, Angie from The Country Chic Cottage. We are so proud of the release of our book, “Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts,” and hope that you’ll purchase a copy from your favorite online or in-person retailer. “Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts” is available online at Barnes and Noble and Amazon, and can be found at some Michael’s stores and independent bookstores.

Supplies:

Eye Pins
Earring wires
Jump rings
Jewelry pliers
Glitter Hot Glue
Silicone Mat
Hot Glue gun

Start by drawing your earring shape onto the silicone mat. I chose a large teardrop. You can make whatever shape you like – circle, star, square, diamond, or other shape. Before the glue cools, insert the eye pin with the eye sticking out of the top. Before you insert the eye pin, make sure there is enough glue to cover the entire pin. Trim if needed before inserting it.

Before the glue sets, cover the eye pin with more glitter hot glue.

While the earring cools, repeat these steps making a second earring.

Use the jump rings and jewelry pliers to attach the earring wires.

Your hot glue earrings are complete! Make as many sets as you like – hot glue is wonderfully lightweight and inexpensive. Perfect for making lots and lots of earrings!

Be sure to check out all these other great crafts using Hot Glue – and be sure to get your copy of “Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts.”

An InLinkz Link-up

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap, hot glue, jewelry, quick, quick handmade holiday gifts, simple Tagged With: earrings, Glitter, hot glue, silicone mat

Simple Burlap Placemat

July 27, 2018 by Carolina Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for a simple, rustic, yet fun way to set the table, try out these burlap placemats! They take only a few minutes to make, and you can weave in any color of ribbon into your burlap placemat to match your theme or decor. I’ll show you how easy it is to make a burlap placemat – then make as many as you like!

This project is part of Craft Lightning Week! All week long my friends Angie, Beth, and I are sharing fun and fast crafts that you can make using burlap. And we’ve invited some of our craftiest friends to join in! Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to check out all the fun and fast crafts that you can make using burlap!

To make this burlap placemat, you’ll need:

Large roll of burlap
Rotary Cutter, Ruler, and mat
Ribbon
Scissors

Decide how big you want to make your placemat. Cut it about an inch larger on each side.

Fray down the edges by about an inch on the top and bottom, leave the sides with the finished edge that they had when it came off the roll.

About an inch from one side, pull out enough threads to make a gap slightly wider than the width of your ribbon.

Weave the ribbon into the gap. You can weave up and down every thread, but I found it much easier to go up and down every 4 threads instead.

Trim the ends of the ribbon however you like.

That’s it! Make as many placemats as you like.

And check out all these other fun burlap crafts!

I love this mini burlap decor that Jen Goode wipped up!

Over at See Lindsay, Lindsay made this ruffled burlap wreath.

I love this Oogie Boogie Charger from Michelle’s Party Plan-it.

Loving this burlap hydrangea wreath from Mad in Crafts.

These Burlap Bags were stitched up by Katie of A Sweet Berry.

Over at Creatively Beth, our guest co-host Beth Watson made this cute burlap and pom pom necklace.

My long-time co-host Angie from the Country Chic Cottage made this burlap box.

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy Tagged With: burlap, placemat, ribbon

Burlap Sunglasses Case

July 26, 2018 by Carolina 1 Comment

I’ll admit, Burlap is not generally the first material I think of when making a sunglasses case. But this burlap sunglasses case is lined with felt to make it super soft. And, since the outside is made of textured burlap, it is easy to find even at the bottom of an untidy purse or beach bag.

This craft is part of Craft Lightning Week! You may have noticed all week long that my friends Angie, Beth and I have been sharing burlap crafts. And we’ve invited our crafty friends to join in! So be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page to check out the fun crafts that they have made with Burlap. As an added bonus, any of these crafts can be made in 15 minutes or less!

To make this Burlap Glasses Case, you’ll need:

Burlap (I went with this fun teal color)
Felt (I love the contrast of the pink)
Scissors
Pins
Sunglasses
Sewing Machine

Fold the felt, and cut to fit larger than the sunglasses.

Cut enough burlap to cover.

Stitch along 3 sides, leaving the top open.

Trim the top. You can stop here if you want, but I went a little further…

Flip the top edge over about 1/2″, and pin in place.

Stitch the top edge down, carefully removing the pins and being careful not to stitch over them.

Your burlap sunglasses case is complete!

Check out all these fun and fast crafts made with Burlap!

I love this burlap garland from Marie at the Inspiration Vault.

Over at Tried and True, Vanessa made a cute banner from burlap.

Looking for gift bags? Try making some gift bags from burlap like Kara at Happy Go Lucky.

Michelle from Our Crafty Mom adds burlap to her decor with this burlap valence.

Wrap a terra cotta pot with burlap and Niki from 365 Days of Crafts.

How fun are these dinosaur burlap napkin rings from Blanca at Creativities Galore?

DIY Danielle shows you how to DIY a Serger Mat from burlap!

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap Tagged With: burlap, felt, sunglasses

No Sew Burlap Christmas Stocking

July 25, 2018 by Carolina 2 Comments

This no-sew burlap Christmas Stocking is perfect for a rustic Christmas celebration, or a simple way to celebrate Christmas in July! Make a burlap Christmas Stocking in only a few minutes, then tuck in a few treats to celebrate the holiday.

This craft is part of Craft Lightning week, Burlap edition. All week long my friends Angie and Beth are joining me to celebrate a week of Burlap crafts that you can make in just 15 minutes or less! And we have some of our craftiest friends from around the internet joining in… be sure to scroll all the way down to check out today’s fun and fast burlap crafts!

To make this no sew burlap stocking you will need:

Roll of Burlap
Stocking Template Pattern
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun
Glue Gun finger protectors (optional)

Print out the template, cut it out, then use it to cut out two layers of burlap.

Cut a small strip of burlap to use as a hanging loop.

Remove the top layer. Using the hot glue, make a line of glue about 1/4″ from the edge of the stocking all the way around (but not across the top).

Place the top layer back, lining up the edges. Here is where the finger protectors can come in handy, as you press the layers together. If you do not have finger protectors, use the end of a pen.

At this point, you can add the hanging loop with a dab of glue between each layer of burlap.

Once the glue cools, you can hang your stocking!

Check out these other great crafts that you can make using burlap, and just a few minutes!

How fun are these burlap and felt coasters that Albion Gould whipped up?

I’m loving the simple beauty of this burlap embellished embroidery hoop from Jen Gallacher.

Deborah Quartermain tells you how to make a burlap flower banner.

Great to keep kids entertained, make a burlap tic tac toe bag with Beth over at Creatively Beth.

Angie shows you how a little burlap can go a long way in making this customized drink tub even cuter.

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fabric, fast and cheap Tagged With: burlap, Christmas, Holiday, stocking

Simple Burlap Flower

July 24, 2018 by Carolina 2 Comments

You don’t have to be particularly crafty to whip up this simple burlap flower. The petals don’t have to be perfectly cut – in fact they look best if they are cut very organically. And since you don’t need any special patterns or templates, you can whip up this simple burlap flower in 15 minutes or less!

This burlap flower is part of Craft Lightning Burlap Week! All week long my friends Angie, Beth and I (along with some of our other crafty friends online) are sharing fast and fun crafts that can be made with burlap. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this page to check out their fun ideas, and come back all week long to get fast and fun burlap craft inspiration.

To make this simple burlap flower, you’ll need:

Floral Wire
Burlap in the color of your choice (I went with red)
Scissors
Hot Glue
Hot Glue Finger Protectors
Floral Tape

Cut rough circle-ish shapes from the burlap. Wavy and uneven edges on the circle will make for the most interesting flowers because the uneven edges add more texture.

You’ll need 5-7 circles, depending on how full you want your flower to be.

Bend the top 2″ of your wire over.

Fold one circle in half, then in half again, to make quarters. To keep the interest, make the quarters uneven.

Thread them onto the wire, right near the fold. Stack them all up.

Twist the wire together to secure. Use some hot glue to hold the burlap in place. Use the finger protectors on your fingers as you to push the base together until the glue starts to cool.

Wrap the base and stem with floral tape.

You can trim the stem to whatever length you like to fit your vase or floral arrangement.

Check out these other great crafts that you can make with burlap!

Over at Practically Functional, Jessi shows you how to make this monogrammed burlap sign.

This is another cute way to frame burlap – Doodlecraft paired her burlap with vintage buttons.

Over at Leap of Faith Crafting, Amy shows you how burlap and vinyl are a perfect match.

Over at Creatively Beth, this week’s guest co-host, Beth Watson, added burlap to a vase for a beautiful vintage touch.

And my long-time co-host Angie from The Country Chic Cottage used burlap on a wreath for a fun way to dress up any door!

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fabric, fast and cheap, quick Tagged With: burlap, flower

Simple Burlap Wine Bag

July 23, 2018 by Carolina 2 Comments

Giving a bottle of wine as a gift is such a simple way to thank a hostess, celebrate a birthday, or commemorate a special event. But if you’re gifting a bottle of wine, adding a little flair to the gift in the form of this simple burlap wine bag won’t go unnoticed! Burlap has such a great texture and look. Somehow rustic burlap will pair equally well with a bargain bottle as it will a fine wine. And, it takes just minutes to whip up this simple burlap wine bag!

This 15 minute Burlap Wine Bag is part of Craft Lightning Week! All week long my friends Angie from the Country Chic Cottage and Beth from Beth Creates are sharing fast and fun crafts you can make with burlap – in 15 minutes or less! Be sure to come back all week long to check out the burlap crafts I’ll be sharing, and scroll down to the bottom of the page each time to find the fun burlap crafts that Angie, Beth, and our other friends are sharing this week!

To make this Burlap Wine Bag you’ll need:

Large roll of Burlap
Scissors
Bottle of Wine
Decorative Burlap Ribbon
Sewing Machine
Pins (optional)

Fold the burlap over the bottle of wine. Cut it a couple inches longer than will reach all the way around the bottle.

Remove the bottle of wine, fold the burlap in half.

Stitch along the open side and open bottom of the bag. One long side doesn’t need to be stitched (it is the folded side), and one short side does not need to be stitched because it is the top of the bag.

Turn the bag right side out (hiding the seams inside the bag)

Insert the bottle of wine. Cut a piece of decorative burlap ribbon, and tie it around the neck of the bottle. Trim the ends.

That is it! Your simple burlap wine bag is complete! These would make a great decoration on the table of a rustic wedding, you can whip up a few for a party, or you can make them to have on hand for gift giving. Switch out the burlap chevron ribbon for some Christmas ribbon, and you have a ready-to-go hostess gift for Christmas parties!

Be sure to check out these fantastic Burlap Crafts:

Morena over at Morena’s Corner has weddings on her mind with this great take on a guest book featuring burlap.

At Frog Prince Paperie, Paula has framed her burlap to make great beach décor!

Be sure to come back tomorrow for more fun ideas for using burlap in fast crafts!

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fabric, fast and cheap, quick, quick handmade holiday gifts, simple Tagged With: burlap, wine, Wine Bag

Handmade Peacock Earrings

DIY Cat Face Cupcakes

Hot Glue Headband – Make Embellishments with Hot Glue

DIY No-Slip Socks

Hot Glue Earrings – Make Earrings using Hot Glue

Simple Burlap Placemat

Burlap Sunglasses Case

To make this Burlap Glasses Case, you’ll need:

No Sew Burlap Christmas Stocking

Simple Burlap Flower

To make this simple burlap flower, you’ll need:

Simple Burlap Wine Bag

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