Last weekend I had the pleasure of having my niece, Aletha, over for a slumber party. There was no baking involved, but these craft ideas were too cute not to share! Since it was so close to Valentine’s day, we decided to make a few Valentine’s crafts. The first project we made were “Gumball Necklaces”. I spotted these babies at onecharmingparty.com. I immediately wanted to try them and what better excuse than a sleep over with a seven year old! They required a little more work than I initially planned on, but were totally worth it in the end. These would be great as a craft/party favor at a birthday party!
Materials:
-Gumballs (Large and/or Small) – I couldn’t find the large ones on such short notice so we made do with smaller ones….which still turned out pretty cute!
-Ribbon – ½ inch or smaller.
-Metal Skewer
-Power Drill – I ended up needing to use a drill bit for the smaller gumballs. Just make sure you put a stack of magazines under where you’re drilling and be sure that the drill bit makes a big enough whole to thread the ribbon through. (I learned this the hard way by drilling them twice, once with a smaller size and then again with the next size up.)
-Large Needle – Make sure it’s big enough to thread a ribbon through.
Instructions:
1. Using the metal skewer, pierce one side of the large gumball. Hold the top of the gumball steady as you guide the skewer. This will prevent the skewer from slipping off the slick surface of the gumball.
2. Flip the gumball over and pierce another hole directly opposite the first hole. If you try to poke a hole straight through both sides at once, the gumball will crack.
3. For the smaller gumballs make a small notch with the skewer so the drill wouldn’t slip off the side of the gumball. Position the drill at a 90 degree angle to the gumball and drill. Make sure you drill completely through the gumball before removing the drill, or else you will crack the opposite side of the gumball as you push the drill bit through. ( I’m sure you could use the drill for both the large and small gumballs. The larger ones tend to be a little more soft, so be careful not to press too hard and squash it as you’re drilling.)
4. Use a large needle to thread the ribbon through the gumballs. Thinner ribbon is easier to string. Tie a knot between each gumball as you string it.
********************************************
Our second project was a “Yarn Puff Headband”. I was just as excited to make these as I was for the Gumball Necklaces. They are incredibly easy to make and there are endless possibilities to the combinations you can make.
Materials:
-Yarn – A multi colored skein works well, but you can use any type you’d like.
-Scissors
-Buttons – Medium to large size ones work the best.
-Elastic Headbands
-Large Needle – It just needs to be big enough to thread a piece of yarn through the ‘eye’.
Instructions:
1. Wrap the yarn around your first three fingers about fifty times. Be sure not to wrap it too tight because you will need to be able to wiggle your fingers out when finished. The more times you wrap the fuller and fluffier your “puff” will be. (If kids are making these with you, just lower the number of times they wrap the yarn around their little fingers….maybe 30-40.)
2. When you’ve reached your desired amount of loops, snip your yarn from the skein and delicately slide your fingers from the ring, keeping it intact.
3. Tie a piece of yarn large enough to fit around the middle of the ring. Make sure you tie it tight because this is what holds the “puff” together.
4. Snip each of the loops and WAH-LAH, you’re “puff” is done! These could be used for all sorts of decorations….string them like garland, through them in a bowl, scatter them around a party table…the potential uses are never-ending.
Now for the headband:
5. Cut a piece of yarn long enough to thread through your button and still be able to tie around the “puff”. Usually about 8-10 inches…..It’s always better to have too much than too little.
6. Thread the yarn through the button making sure you leave enough of a tail (about 4 to 5 inches) to be able to tie around the “puff” when you’re done.
7. Now tie the button onto your “puff” around the same spot the tied your original knot to secure the “puff” together.
8. Now tie your “puff” around the elastic headband. Ta-Da! You’ve got a trendy, custom made hair accessory.
**We of course had to make a matching one for Rebecca, her American Girl doll. Just make your “puff” a little bit smaller and replace the headband with a regular ponytail holder.
