Christmas Crafts: Make your own Glitter Tape Baubles

Christmas crafts are my favourite kinds of crafts. There’s something really lovely about sitting down with my son and making decorations for the tree, or little gifts for people. I’m always on the look out for new products to craft with and when I saw the Sellotape Glitter Tape I knew straight away they would be perfect to make some Glitter Tape baubles with.

Sellotape are currently celebrating their 80th anniversary and they very kindly sent me some craft goodies to have a little play with. I love this vintage style Limited Edition Sellotape tin too. Perfect for holding some little crafty bits and bobs once I’ve used all the tape!

Sellotape began life in 1937 and has been used in a wide variety of applications since then. It became a regular at the crafting table in the 1970s when it was used fairly extensively on Blue Peter. This iconic sticky tape is a year round essential, not only for wrapping presents, but for all manner of crafting and DIY jobs around the home.

In my hamper of Sellotape goodies was an assorted pack of glitter tape. I really liked the different designs and it seemed a waste of something so glamorous to use the tape for just wrapping presents.

The glitter tape tears really easily, so you don’t need scissors or a dispenser to use it. It was beautiful and shimmery, so I thought I’d see how it worked on a bauble.

The tape sticks really well to the styrofoam ball, but slightly raises at the edges, which creates an effect I actually really quite like. But if the cracked ice on a frozen lake look isn’t your thing, then you could paint it all over with PVA glue to seal it all down.

Christmas Crafts: Make your own Glitter Tape Baubles

What I especially liked about this glitter tape was that the glitter stays on the tape. Not a speck of the sparkly stuff came off on my fingers, clothes or ended up shimmering on my face for three days. This sellotape glitter tape is really good stuff!

Make your own Glitter Tape Baubles

You will need:
A roll of sparkly glitter tape
One styrofoam ball
Ribbon
Brass paper fastener

How to make your Glitter Tape Baubles
The Sellotape glitter tape is easy to tear by hand. Tear small pieces of tape and stick in random places all over the styrofoam ball. Make sure the ball is completely covered in the tape; cup the ball in your hand and squeeze it to make sure the tape is in place.

Using the brass paper fastener; pierce the ribbon and create a hanging loop with your ribbon and press the fastener into the top of our bauble. Hang on your Christmas tree and enjoy.

Remember the tape does curl a little on the edges, but it doesn’t come off. I’ve had my bauble hung up for a couple of days and it looks the same.

Christmas Crafts: Make your own Glitter Tape Baubles

I really like my Glitter Tape Baubles, they’re a bit different and look quite stunning when the light catches them. I enjoyed working with the glitter tape, which does not shed and tears really easily. Watch this space for more Christmas craft ideas!

Christmas Crafts: Make your own Glitter Tape Baubles

We were sent a small hamper from Sellotape in return for this blog post. All images and opinions are our own.

Craft Kit Review: Out Of The Box Pebble Painting Kit

We were sent the Out Of The Box Pebble Painting Kit for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

It’s weird how some craft trends seem to come out of nowhere. Over the summer you couldn’t move for people painting pebbles, so I knew I needed to give it a try for myself. Despite pebble painting being a pretty simple craft, having a craft kit to get you started is always a good idea.

We tried the Out Of The Box Pebble Painting Kit (rrp £8). The kit is suitable for ages 3+ and contains everything you need to transform ordinary pebbles into beautiful characters or creatures.

Craft Kit Review: Out Of The Box Pebble Painting Kit

The Out Of The Box Pebble Painting Kit contains –

5 x pebbles
Paint
Googly eyes
Felt
Glue
Gems
Pipe cleaners

The kit is well thought out with lots of decorations for your pebbles. It’s worth noting that once you’ve painted your pebbles you need to let them dry properly before you can decorate them. We painted them one day, left them to dry and then decorated them the next day.

You can paint and decorate them however you want. I wanted to copy a couple of the examples on the box; specifically the whale and the ladybird. My son wanted to do his own thing and make up his own magical creatures.

Craft Kit Review: Out Of The Box Pebble Painting Kit

These days I’m a complete glu dot convert because they are so quick and easy to use and you don’t have to wait for the glue to dry. So I put aside the glue which came with the kit in favour of some glu dots. This meant we could instantly stick on eyes, gems, pipe cleaners and felt pieces.

Pebble painting is a lovely, easy craft for people of all ages. It’s great for encouraging creativity, developing their imagination and developing hand – eye co-ordination. My son really liked painting and decorating the pebbles and was really enthusiastic about the whole process. I really enjoyed it too. Pebble painting is really good fun. We just need some more pebbles now!

The Out Of The Box Pebble Painting Kit is a great starter kit for this craft. My six year old approved of it and as it’s currently available for just £5 I think that’s excellent value for money and would make a great Christmas present for a crafty kid (or adult like me).

Craft Kit Review: Out Of The Box Pebble Painting Kit

Crafts: Spooky Halloween Pom Pom Spiders

Pom poms are a pretty easy thing to make and with a little imagination you can turn them into all kinds of different creatures and characters. This month I was tasked by Craft Merrily to create a Halloween craft. I’d been wanting to master my new pom pom maker, so I decided to make some pom pom spiders. They’re easier than you think and an easy craft to do with children.

Crafts: Spooky Halloween Pom Pom Spiders

We’ve all made pom poms before using two rings of cardboard you laboriously wind wool around, then cut, tie and you’re done. I’ve bought a set of pom pom makers on the recommendation of my friend Lucy – an expert pom pom maker. She is right, they really are a pom pom game changer!

Lucy showed me how to use the pom pom maker. You wind your wool around two semi-circles of the maker, then wind it around the other two semi-circles, clip them together, cut them and the tie them around the middle and you’re done. Easy. Not just easy, but quick and easy.

Crafts: Spooky Halloween Pom Pom Spiders

You can make your pom pom spiders as big or as small as you want (if you’re not sure how to make pom poms, there’s a video you can watch here). Use whatever colours you think would work best.

How to make Pom Pom Spiders

You will need –
Pom pom makers (or make your own cardboard rings)
A ball of wool
Scissors
Pipecleaner
Googly eyes
Bostik Glu Dots

How to make your Pom Pom Spiders –
Wind your wool around your pom pom maker, make sure you are generous with the winding. The more wool you use, the fuller your pom pom will be.

Before you cut and tie your pom pom, cut your spider legs out of the pipecleaners. I used four identical lengths of pipecleaner (which make 8 spiders legs). Twist the pipecleaners together in the middle and put them through the centre of your pom pom.

Cut the wool around your ring and tie you pom pom together tightly with a long length of wool. You should have a pom pom now, it may need trimming up slightly so it is even all over.

Using the Bostik Glu Dots and the googly eyes, stick eyes onto your pom pom spider. Bend its legs to make spiders legs. You pom pom spider is now complete. You can leave the long piece of wool on him or cut it off if you prefer.

Your pom pom spiders are ready for Halloween. Hang them around the house, make a pom pom spider garland out of them or decorate your Halloween party table with them. How would you use your pom pom spiders?

Crafts: Spooky Halloween Pom Pom Spiders

I am a Bostik craft blogger and I was sent the materials to create this craft from Craft Merrily.

Check out my other craft tutorials here!

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

It may only be the start of September, but I’m sure Halloween preparations get earlier every year! My boy is already making noises about going trick or treating, it’s too soon for me, but it’s never too soon to get crafting. This month I was tasked by Craft Merrily to create some Monster Crafts. We’ve done two monster crafts this month, one ideal for a playdate or party and the other is just a simple craft you can do with as many children as you want.

Monster Crafts – Shower Puff Creatures

You will need:
One shower puff per person
Bostik Glu Dots
Pipe cleaners
Googly eyes
Cardboard
Scissors
Felt (you can use card if you don’t have any felt)

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

How to make your shower puff monster:
This is pretty simple. Using your pipe cleaners, twist them into a shape you like and wrap them tightly around the monster’s head. I had them as weird ears, but you could use lots and do crazy hair.

Cut out some circles (or other shapes if you prefer) and stick your googly eyes on to them. I drew lines around the eyes to make my monster look more monstrous. Using the glu dots, stick your monster eyes wherever you think your monster might have eyes.

Cut a mouth shape out of the felt (or cardboard), make a tongue or creepy teeth if you prefer and stick them in the mouth. I used a pen to draw some detail on the mouth and tongue. Once you’re happy with you mouth stick it in place using the glu dots. You are done! Find a nice place to hang your monstrous creation.

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

Monster Crafts – Create your own monster!

You will need:
Cardboard
Bostik Glu Dots
Felt tips or crayons
Assorted craft things to stick on – feathers, glitter, stickers, eyes etc

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

I have drawn up some of my own monster templates which you are more than welcome to download here. I printed them out on card. If you don’t want to use my drawings (I’m no artist) then you can draw your own on paper or cardboard.

Colour, stick, create, go wild, let you imagination know no limits and conjure up the monster of your dreams, or nightmares! As you can see the boys had lots of fun creating and decorating their monstrous creatures.

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

The boys really liked this little crafting session, perfection was not required and they loved using their imaginations. They gave their monsters very cute names too, like Ghosty and Mr Colourful. I really like this one, this is Ghosty and he is multicoloured with green accessories, oh and you can walk him with your fingers too.

This is the kind of craft activity that they can do with fairly minimal supervision and you can use their creations to decorate the house come Halloween too.

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

Note: I am a Bostik craft blogger and I was sent the materials to create this craft from Craft Merrily.

Crafts: Easy Halloween Monster crafts for kids

Check out my other craft tutorials here!

Crafts: Make your own Button Craft Bag

Button craft is really popular at the moment. My craft group did some button art earlier in the year, although I missed the session I was keen to try it for myself. The world is your oyster when it comes to buttons, glue them, stick them, sew them, the only limit is your imagination. This month Craft Merrily have challenged the Bostik Bloggers to create a back to school themed craft, a tricky topic I think, but a decent challenge.

When I opened by box of craft goodies I found a bag, big enough to use as a book bag (or pop my iPad in). I also noticed a handful of buttons in the bottom of the box, not enough to do anything with but enough to give me ideas. I was a little bit inspired by a wedding dress we were sewing bright buttons onto at The Lost Carnival at Dunham Massey over the weekend. So off I went, hunting for my old button box. I think most households have one of these, an old sweetie tin filled with an assortment of buttons of all shapes, sizes and colours.

I had enough buttons to monogram the bag with the letter A. Choosing the brightest and the best, I set to work with my rudimentary sewing skills and an hour later I had something which I was fairly pleased with. It’s a simple enough craft and one I’d happily do with a child who was past the beginners sewing stage.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR Button Craft bag

You will need:
1 fabric bag
A selection on buttons in different shapes, sizes & colours
A needle
Thread (I used cotton embroidery thread)
Scissors

How to make your Button Craft bag:

Have a look at your bag and visualise the letter or image you want to sew on it in buttons. You might want to softly sketch your design onto the bag with a pencil. This will help you to follow it when you’re sewing.

When you’re happy with our design, thread your needle with the thread and start sewing the buttons onto your design. Think carefully about where to sew your buttons. Make sure you’ve got a good spread of colours and sizes across your design.

Keep sewing until you’ve finished your design. Make sure your buttons are secure. My design took me around an hour and I’m pretty average at sewing.

I’m quite pleased with how my first foray into button craft has turned out. It has inspired me to raid the button box again and see what else I could rustle up.

Have you tried button craft? What would you make?

Note: I am a Bostik craft blogger and I was sent the materials to create this craft from Craft Merrily.

Check out my other craft tutorials here!

Easy Crafts: Make your own Manchester Bee

This month we’ve been busy getting ready for Didsbury in Bloom. We’ve been sprucing up our front garden and helping to build a bug hotel on our road. This year Didsbury in Bloom celebrates our connection to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) which was founded in the village and we’ve been learning about how we can help encourage birds and bugs into our gardens.

We have plans to build our own bug hotel and we are collecting the materials we will need to put it together. We’ve also been searching in our garden to see what bugs we could find, with all the rain lately we’ve seen a lot of slugs and snails!

Rather fittingly, this month Craft Merrily have challenged the Bostik Bloggers to create a creepy crawlies craft. I wanted to do something simple, and knowing I had some kids to entertain on a play date, I sketched up these templates, one of a Manchester Bee and the other, a butterfly. I then printed them out and set the boys to work.

To make and decorate your butterfly and Manchester Bee you will need –

Templates printed out – they’re sturdier if printed on card
Colouring pens
Glitter or other embellishments
Bostik fine & wide glu pen
String or ribbon
A hole punch
Scissors