Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Video Tutorial! DIY Mini Donkey Pinata for Cinco de Mayo




Time to fiesta! 

Check out this new Arts & Crap! Video tutorial for making the most darling little pinata you've ever seen. This craft is SUPER inexpensive, fun, and uses no dangerous tools (would be great to do with kids!)

I would love to have these as party favors for a big Cinco de Mayo get together. Hope you enjoy the craft as much as I did!

Here's a link to our step-by-step guide to the craft as well.

xoxo,
Bridget 

Monday, April 29, 2013

CRAFT LIKE ITS 1999

They say 2000 Zero Zero party over, whoops! Outta time
So today we're gonna craft like it's 1999

This collection of 90's Inspired Crafts by Buzzfeed is seriously spot on.
BRB, gonna go make #6 right now


xoxo,
Bridge

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Cinco de Mayo Tiny Donkey Pinata Tutorial!



(Video tutorial for this coming early next week!)


I'm proud to call San Antonio my hometown, and that crazy city is in full-on Fiesta mode right now, y'all. I'm talkin' drunk tourists, rivers that are also walks, and of course, pinatas EVERYWHERE!

Cinco de Mayo is also just days away, and so my apartment (and I'm guessing yours, too) was in DESPERATE need of some streamer-covered-candy-filled-donkey-shaped-boxes.

Being an apartment dweller, I don't have a tree to hang a real pinata off of, but these little guys are perfect to put as a table centerpiece, or to give away as party favors! They actually hold quite a bit of candy, and were SO cheap and easy to make! The only thing I even had to buy was the streamers, which cost a grand total of $3.

So, in short, make this right now! It would be a great craft to make with kids as well, as it's easy and doesn't involve any dangerous materials. I guarantee you can't help but smile looking at these (and of course, eating their contents)

Materials: 


- Streamers in three different colors- I picked these!
















- Scissors
- Glue
- Pencil
- Permanent Marker
- Empty cereal box
- Masking tape
- Candy

Step 1! 


Cut your cereal box down all sides until you can open it flat. 















Step 2!

Draw a donkey! Mine was about 5 inches tall, see the picture below for some inspiration! When you're done drawing, cut your little donkey friend out.













Step 3!

Flip your donkey around and trace a reverse version of him on the cereal box. Cut this out as well.












Step 4! 

Now cut off the spines of the cereal box and tape them together (Spine should be about 1.5" wide. If you have an extra large box with a larger spine, then trim it down to about 1.5"). You can also cut 1.5" strips from the rest of the box to add to length of the combined strip.












Step 5! 

Take this long strip and using small pieces of tape, attach it along the edges of one of your donkey cutouts until you make your way all around the donkey. You'll need to bend the strip quite a bit in this process, but it's much easier than I thought it would be.









Step 6! 

Now attach the other donkey to the back. This donkey may seem too small to fit at first, but it will! It just needs a little bending and a lot of tape.









Step 7! 

Now you can already see how adorable your little donkey will be! Time to decorate him (or her!). On each roll of streamers, make cutes up to the middle of the streamer (as pictured below). Make LOTS of these. You can always keep doing more, though, as you continue crafting.












Step 8! 

Put a little line of glue on the donkey and, with your first colored streamer, softly press the streamer onto the donkey's leg and go all around the leg. Cut the streamer. Do this for the other leg as well, then work your next color streamer around the base of the donkey itself, gluing along the way. Cut the streamer when you get all the way around. Make sure to cut around the flap. Move on to the next color, and keep repeating!













Step 9! 

Once you've covered the entire donkey with streamers, if you'd like, take your permanent marker (or even some googly eyes!) and create a face for him/her!














Step 10! 

Stuff with a few handfuls of candy, and you've got yourself an adorable Pinata worthy of any Cinco de Mayo celebration!















May your day be filled with tequila and candy!

xoxo,
Bridge

Friday, April 26, 2013

Pin-Ups: Arbor Day Tree Crafts!

“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” 
- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Today is Arbor Day, so let's craft for the trees! Here are 5 great Pinterest tutorials to celebrate 

1) Make-Your-Own Truffula Trees! by Paperblog 

    Could these get any cuter?!?!? 


















2) Watercolor "Triad Tree" Tutorial by Dreamscaping with June Rollins

    Such a beautiful painting, and a detailed description of how to make it! 
    
    
    
















3) Moss Topiary Tree by Crafts Unleashed
    http://www.craftsunleashed.com/decor-home/moss-topiary-tree-2/


    If you're like me and canNOT keep a single plant alive for more than a week, this gorgeous faux 
    version might be the solution!




    
















4) Lollipop Tree by Crafts n' Coffee 
    http://craftsncoffee.com/2011/06/10/a-crafty-candy-topiary-tutorial-how-to-make-a-lollipop-tree/

    lollipop, lollipop, oh, lolly lolly lolly 



    

















5) Cherry Blossom Twig Trees by Piikea Street 
    http://www.piikeastreet.com/2012/04/cherry-blossom-trees/

    So pretty and sweet, I think I might have to make this one myself! 

    

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Pin-Ups: Cheer Up a Friend!

A collection of my favorite Pinterest tutorials to put a smile on someone's face! 

No matter how bad your week is going, remember-  it's already hump day! Half way there, crafters!

1) Printable Paper Fortune Cookies by Kind Over Matter:
    http://www.kindovermatter.com/2009/03/kind-over-matter-fortune-cookies.html

    If life's giving you a bad fortune- just make one up for yourself!

   
2) Seven Days of Love Care Package by The Dating Divas
    http://www.thedatingdivas.com/wp-content/uploads/corie-seven-box-and-strips-600x400.jpg
  
    Let someone know you think they're awesome Monday through Sunday!


3) Smiley Face Cookies by Blooming on Bainbridge
    http://www.bloomingonbainbridge.com/2010/06/smiley-face-cookies-im-lovin-it.html

    It really doesn't get much more happy than this.


4) Rainbow Cake in a Jar by Babble
    http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/rainbow-cake-in-a-jar/

    I'm pretty sure making someone this would get you to instant-BFF-status (or at least it would with me)


   
5) Notes Inside of Balloons! by She's Crafty
    http://choosecraftiness.blogspot.com/2012/01/birthday-balloons.html

    In this tutorial, she puts dollar bills inside of balloons, then blows them up. You could do the same with
    little notes of encouragement! I guess you could mail them as the tutorial shows, but I would just bring the
    balloons over to someone's place and make them pop them on the spot!

   


xoxo,
Bridge

Video Tutorial! Flower Umbrella DIY



Today in Austin (where I live, also known as "the-greatest-town-in-the-entire-world-but-please-don't-move-here-because-traffic-is-bad-enough-already") the chances of rain are pretty high so I sure am glad I have this RIDICULOUSLY cute umbrella to tote around just in case.

I mean really. I would pay like 40 bucks for this little cutie in a store somewhere- but I won't have to (and neither will you!)

It's crazy how much a plain ol' black umbrella (I bought this one for $5 at Walmart) can transform with just a little crafting.

Enjoy (and stay dry!)

xoxo,
Bridge