Must Have Craft Supplies From the $1.50 Store!

Here in Seattle, we have a store called Daiso Japan. Unless otherwise marked, everything is $1.50, which is just about everything in the store.

If you don't have a Daiso near you, they also carry quite a bit of product in their online store, which I will link below.

Make a Chinese New Year Wreath!

We recently received an invitation to celebrate the Chinese New Year with some friends who moved here from China. I went to Chinatown to purchase some red envelopes for the children who will attend the party, but while I was there I was so inspired by all the pretty papers and colors in Chinatown!

We used to live in the neighborhood, but I had forgotten how much we enjoyed living there. Our Chinatown is also known as the International District, and represents a lovely mix of cultures. As I walked around, I was reminded of the night my husband and I ate green tea ice cream in our new apartment -- the only utensils we could find were lobster forks, so that is what we ate ice cream with. Now, on special occasions, we always eat ice cream with lobster forks.

I walked a bit  more and remembered how my son used to play Go and chess with some older gentlemen in the neighborhood at a local restaurant when he was between semesters.  They were so gracious to teach him, and somewhat amused that this young man with wild platinum hair, ivory skin, and pale blue eyes would want to sit and and play board games with them in the evenings.

I remembered watching a young boy learning to ride his bicycle in a communal courtyard, the same courtyard where local dance troupes would give seemingly impromptu performances. During festivals, there were parades, and the dragon teams were amazing to watch.

The Peking duck hanging in the windows of local shops brought back memories of  walking up to King Street on rainy evenings to get the BEST duck and barbecue. You really had to walk, no matter how rainy. The barbecue up there is so popular that there is nowhere to park, so you just zip up your rain jacket, pull your hood up, and climb the hill! It's totally worth getting soaked to the bone.

Walking around Chinatown, I realized I wanted to make something for myself for the Chinese New Year -- a reminder of those early days exploring our new city.

Along with the traditional red envelopes (these are filled with money and given to children for New Years), I found some lovely handmade paper, some patterned deli paper, and some washi paper (our local Chinatown tradition includes remnants of an old Japantown).

Using the papers I found, I made this festive Chinese New Year rosette wreath. I was inspired to make a rosette wreath by this project, found at Sowdering About  in Seattle.

To make your own wreath, you will need to make an assortment of rosettes in different colors and shapes and patterns. To make my rosettes, I altered the instructions from these folded paper stars.  Basically, I made as many pleats in the paper as I felt the rosette needed, then folded them in the center and stapled. For larger rosettes, I sometimes stapled two pleated papers together. Then I glued the petal edges together to form one round rosette.

Before gluing your rosettes together, you can cut petal shapes into them, or you can leave the edges straight.

I folded several of the red envelopes into rosettes for the wreath, as well.

For a wreath form, I cut four layers of poster board into "donut" shapes, using a plate and a saucer for templates. I glued the layers together for rigidity. Next, I stapled a hanger onto the back of the wreath form (I used a sandwich bag twist tie to form a hanger -- nothing fancy). The rosettes were attached with hot glue.

I tucked a couple of red envelopes into the wreath to add a celebratory touch, and because that's how this whole project started.

Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? I'm looking forward to our friend's party, and hope to learn more about this tradition.

If you have enjoyed this tutorial, be sure to subscribe to House Revivals so you won't miss any of the fun projects we have planned.  Be sure to "like" us on Facebook. You can find us on Pinterest, too, by clicking the link in the sidebar.

Thanks for stopping by!

{10} Amazing Craft Supply Deals From the Dollar Store!

Do you live near a Dollar Tree?  I try to visit one every few weeks or so. I go to Dollar Tree to stock up on certain guest supplies for the beach house (you never know when a guest will forget their toothbrush, or a little one will need a new and novel activity to keep them entertained).

Dollar Tree can also be a great source for craft supplies! There are certain craft supplies I buy from Dollar Tree every time I go, and I am always finding new items.

Make a Wire Wrapped Crystal Pendant!

Warning: Once you've been bitten by the wire wrapped jewelry bug, no small object is safe. I shared with you this wire wrapping tutorial several weeks ago, and since then, I have not looked at wire or small objects the same way!

Recently, my son's friend was visiting, and she saw some wire wrapped projects that I did. She had a couple of crystals that she had mined herself, and wanted to learn to wrap them, to give as gifts. The only wire I had on hand at the time was copper, steel, and brass wire from the hardware store.

She chose the brass wire, which was about 20 gauge, I believe. We practiced a few times, and this is what we came up with.

It turned out pretty cute. We added a "messy" bail, which is such a trendy look right now.

This was done using the same method used for these glass gems.  We both loved how the first one turned out, and she is busily working on a second pendant!

Do you craft with guests? I'm not sure how it started, but I seem to craft with guests quite often -- when we're not hanging out on the beach or playing a rousing game of scrabble!

Make an Elegant Pendant From Dollar Store Glass Gems!

A few weeks ago I shared how to make wire wrapped pendants from dollar store supplies.

It has been a popular post! Today, I want to share how I "stepped it up a notch", using gold craft wire, and a twisting technique that makes the wire wrapping super snug.

I still had lots of glass gems left from my dollar store trip, so I used those.

I wanted to used gold wire, so I grabbed some blue stones that would look great with the gold wire.

(Here is a picture of one of the original glass gems, made with steel wire, next to a more elegant looking version made with gold wire. Both settings are fun, and I've kept the "messy" look going with the loose wrapping around the bail.)

I used a slightly different wrapping technique this time, too.

Begin with two wires, each about fifteen inches long. Cross them in the center and twist three or four times.

Lay your glass gem on top of the twisted wire and begin wrapping the four tails around the gem, twisting ends together here and there. You can be very random, or very systematic -- that's up to you.

Once you have enough wraps for the gem to be very secure, bring the tails to the top of the pendant and twist together.

Form a bail (a place to hang your pendant onto your necklace), using your round nosed pliers, or by wrapping the wires around a pen or dowel.

Wrap your loose tails around the neck of the bail, trimming where desired.

You can trim and tuck your wire ends, or form them into pretty spirals. Now, take the ends of your long nose pliers and grab the wrapped wires and twist little notches into them. This will make the wire sit very snugly against your stone.

To see my original wire wrapped glass gem tutorial, click here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my sidebar for lots of ways to subscribe. Please feel free to use the icons below this post to share on your favorite social media sites. Thanks for visiting, and be sure to check back often for lots more fun and easy tutorials!

Make Decor Spheres from Old Magazines and Leftover Yarn!

The other day I needed to come up with some quick and cheap decorative spheres. I stage a foyer table for a local condominium, but their budget is very small, so I have to get pretty creative with it.

Staples for this foyer include inexpensive or free things, like branches and thrift store accessories and Reader's Digests with the covers ripped off and tied into bundles. And LOTS decorative bowl filler. In the fall, we used dollar store pumpkins, painted cream. Over the holidays, we used artificial pears.

How to Make Jewelry From the Junk Drawer

What do you have in your junk drawer? I have a super organized friend (I LOVE her) who has only a pair of scissors, an old steak knife for opening boxes, a hammer and a screwdriver, extra batteries, some string, and a roll of tape.

On the other hand, there are people like me who have multiple junk drawers that we keep stuffing more and more random objects into and that have to be crammed closed. We fill them so full that stuff falls out the back and we find those items years later behind our pots and pans in the lower cupboard.

If you are like my dear friend, you may need to raid your neighbor's junk drawer to do this project (don't worry, she will never notice stuff is missing). Look for any small random objects, suck as bottle tops and washers, ribbons, chains, and broken or orphaned jewelry.

In my case, I had an orphan earring, an orphan napkin ring, a broken chain, and some random wire.

First, I cannibalized the napkin ring for it's pretty blue beaded flower. Then I grabbed some of the wire and scrunched it into a tangled ball with a bail.

My inspiration was this tangled wire ball that I bought with a 50% off coupon from Hobby Lobby.

All the bits and pieces were wired and chained together to form a tassel style assemblage necklace. I used a mysterious brass ring, also from the junk drawer as the "base" that the flower was wired to, and the chain, earring, and charms were suspended from.

I added a couple of charms from this stash-busting project, and strung the new pendant onto a cord. So fast, so easy, and it cost nothing!

Now, I have a lovely new necklace, a (slightly) emptier junk drawer, and a happy pocketbook.

Do you enjoy creating new things from cast off items?

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my side bar to subscribe and for links to lots more tutorials. Please feel free to use the icons below this post to share about House Revivals on all your favorite social media sites. I'm so glad you stopped by. Be sure to stop back often so you don't miss any of the great projects we have planned for 2015!

Easy Valentine Dollar Store Decor

Here is an easy Valentine project for kids of all ages!  These little heart ornaments would make cute little gift tags, or they would be fun to tuck into a Valentine's card.

I used them to decorate glittery branches in a condominium foyer that I stage.  They are cheery and lighthearted, greeting the residents when they return home at the end of the day.

To make your own, you will need a package of glittered foam hearts from the Dollar Tree.

You will also need some string or cord or ribbon. I used embroidery floss from Daiso Japan, an import store where everything is $1.50.

Using tacky glue (you can use school glue, but you will need to wait longer to hang them), glue a loop of floss between a small heart and a large heart.

Make lots!

Hang them from a pretty branch and enjoy!

If you enjoyed this tutorial, be sure to subscribe to House Revivals, so you won't miss any of the projects we have planned. Feel free to link this post to your favorite social media sites. Check out the sidebar for links to lots more fun tutorials.

Be sure to check out this fun Valentine garland made with materials from the recycling bin!

Make a Pocket Planner From a Vintage Romance Novel!

When I was in seventh grade, our neighbor gave me a huge box of 1950's era Harlequin romances, in exchange for babysitting. The books were sweet, unrealistic, and innocent.

(this post contains affiliate links)

Although I was a voracious reader, I think I loved the "retro" cover graphics more than I enjoyed reading the stories.

Easy Ways to Embellish Paperclips!

It's that time of year when we are filling in and organizing new planners and calenders! I've always loved getting a brand new calender or planner and filling in birthdays and anniversaries and all those other "hard" dates right away. I like to keep several paperclips in my planner to hold my place, or to hold lists or receipts.

I am not into complicated planners -- my system must be simple or I just won't do it.  If a planner adds another layer of complication to my life, I don't want it. For instance, paperclips are awesome, but they need to be easy to see and differentiate from each other and grab.