Make It: Halloween Shrink Plastic Charms

Not every Halloween project has to be spooky. Today I'm sharing a charming little Halloween craft using printable shrink plastic and some smiling jack o' lantern photos. When you see how easy it is to make this Halloween charm bracelet and matching rings, you won't make just one:)

Ever since I saw these Wildflower Rings by A Kailo Chic Life, I've been looking for a project to try using printable shrink plastic (Shrinky-Dinks). What better excuse than Eighteen25's Spooktacular September? I had the pleasure of sharing this not-so-spooky Halloween craft over there last month.

Quite a few years ago I took this photo of a glowing jack o' lantern and used Adobe Photoshop Elements to take a little creative license with the colors. I ended up with a fun set of smiling jack o' lantern photos that come in handy this time of year. (I must admit this isn't the first time I've made use of these favorite images and it's not likely to be the last either.)

Kids' Artwork Pendant DIY

Easy DIY jewelry is fun to create and makes a great keepsake gift for Mother's Day.

What mom doesn't love children's artwork? Especially that done by some of her most favorite people? (I'll admit I've had a hard time parting with any art my children--and nieces and nephews--have made over the years.) This project showcases a favorite piece of art (new or old) and makes a lovely Mother's Day gift.

Make It: Jack-o'-Lantern Pendant

Earlier this month, I shared an easy DIY jewelry project for Halloween on Landeelu.com.  If you've got a few minutes, there's still time to make one (or several)!

Glass tile pendants are a fun and easy photo jewelry craft. Ever since I helped my niece make one featuring her favorite pooch, I've been wanting to try some of my own. For this Halloween version, I used a favorite "glowing" jack-o'-lantern photo that I took several years ago.

Choose a Halloween photo for your pendant or download mine below. Gather your supplies.

Supplies Needed for Glass Tile Halloween Pendants

• Glass Tiles (Mine were about .9" square. I ordered online, but I've also seen them at my local Hobby Lobby.)
• Pendant Bail (one per necklace)
• Black Satin Cord (or necklace chain of your choice)
• Mod Podge or other jewelry decoupage medium (read label to make sure it can be used on glass)
• Small Brush
• Scissors or Paper Trimmer
• Halloween Image (printed and cut to fit your tile)

Make It: Easy Twisted Cord Bracelets

Looking for an easy summer craft? Try these easy twisted cord bracelets I first shared last month on Landeelu.

Whether you're looking for an easy summer camp craft, inexpensive gift, or an afternoon boredom buster, these simple wrap bracelets are sure to please. Similar to woven friendship bracelets or the simple braided bracelets that some call "wish bracelets," these take only a few minutes to make.

Make It: Color-Wrapped Mystery Braid Bracelet

Hello! Do any of you like to pack up a project or two when you travel? Or maybe you're looking for a few new projects to do at home while the kids are off school? With it being spring break season, I thought I'd pull out this fun bracelet idea that I first shared last summer on i heart naptime.

Many of you have probably made or received woven friendship bracelets. And, some of you have probably seen the mystery braid bracelets too! When I had my supplies pulled out one day last summer, I started wondering about making the Mystery Braid bracelet more colorful in some way. After a couple of false starts and a knotting lesson from my sister, I came up with this fun version.

What You Need:

Mystery Braid Bracelet kit (I found mine at Michael's)

Cotton Embroidery Floss (3 skeins in colors of your choice)

You'll also want a scissors and tapestry needle on hand for ending off each thread color.

Make It: Bit of Luck Hand-Stamped Pendant for St. Patrick's Day

As many of you know, I contribute monthly over on Landeelu. Last month, I shared this fun little hand-stamped pendant for St. Patrick's Day. I've been wearing my pendant already! I hope you get a chance to make one too!

Do you wear green on St. Patrick's Day? Whether you go all out or just need a bit of green to keep you pinch-proof, this little hand-stamped pendant will complete your look.

Happy New Year & Top Posts of 2014

Happy New Year to you all!

While I started sharing a few posts here in 2013, the close of 2014 marks my first full year of blogging. I thought I'd kick off this New Year with a round up of my most viewed posts of 2014. Looking at the numbers, a few of last year's Christmas posts would actually be in this year's top ten! I decided to limit the list to posts published in 2014, but I'll give you a peek at those popular posts of 2013 later:)

So here it goes, my top ten most viewed posts of 2014:

Make It: Hand-Stamped Pendant for Mom

What mom wouldn't enjoy receiving an adorable hand-stamped washer pendant made just for her this Mother's Day?

With Mother's Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to design a new washer pendant for the occasion. I'm sharing the how-to here today.

Make It: Hammered Metal Shamrock Pendant

Recently I came across One Artsy Mama's Hammered Wire Coffee Mug Necklace. Check it out, if you haven't seen it. It's darling! Since I've been wanting to make a pendant for St. Patrick's Day, I thought I'd give a Shamrock a whirl using the same process she did. I'm pretty happy with how it came out!

Make It: Hand-Stamped LOVE Pendant

I enjoyed making and wearing the Hand-Stamped JOY Pendant that I made for the holidays so much, that I thought I'd try to come up with a similar design for Valentine's Day. If you're new to metal-stamping this little washer pendant is a fun beginner's project.

Stamped Valentine's Pendant Tutorial

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This little pendant goes together very quickly. Once it's stamped, there's very little to it!

Make It: Hand-Stamped JOY Pendant

Over the summer I made several hand-stamped washer pendants as personalized graduation and reunion gifts. I got great feedback, so I wanted to come up with a simple design for the holidays. This little bit of Joy made me smile when I first put it together. I hope you enjoy it too!