Cardboard Cave

For our Stake Teen Elect activity, I volunteered to come up with a cardboard decoration of some kind.   The theme was "Even A Caveman Can Do It."  As I have previously mentioned, I love to make stuff out of cardboard!  I found the perfect large flat pieces of cardboard at Costco, that were used to separate levels of items stacked on pallets.  I asked an employee if they were free for the taking.

Yep, free.  My favorite word.  I brought home two and cut a cave opening section out.  Then, I took the cut out cardboard pieces and placed them on the top for a rounded boulder effect, see the 4 cut-out sections below.  The puzzle pieces worked together almost perfectly, with just a little rounding on the edges. Next I taped the pieces together really well with packing tape.

The fourth piece at top left not yet in place

All the pieces together and ready to tape

Next, I wadded up newspapers and taped it on to make a jagged rock effect.  Not a pretty sight, but ultimately it is just to create volume and lumpy rock shapes.

Now it gets sloppy.  I made a big bowl of paper mache goop.  I don't have a recipe for this, I just add the ingredients until it is the right consistency.  I bet you could find oodles of recipes through google.  I used water, Elmer's glue, and flour to make a liquidy paste.  Next, I ripped strips of newspapers and dipped them one at a time into the goop.  I needed it to dry fast, so I squeezed off most of the liquid before placing the strips as flat as possible over the wadded newspaper...

fancy stuff, right?  I let it dry for about 3 hours, then enlisted Berkley's help.  Armed with 4 almost-empty cans of spray paint, and one brand new can of textured stone spray paint... we attacked the cardboard and completed the transformation.

Berkley doing a final inspection before we painted

The painting is finished... next I taped some boards up the back on each side for some extra support, and we duct taped it to two stacks of chairs  to hold it up.  A couple strands of vines were stapled on, and the ring of rocks in front of it finished off the look.

The only item I purchased was the textured stone spray paint from Walmart for $7.97... someone else bought the vines so I don't know the price on those.

We still have two more evenings of Teen Elect, I will post more about the activity when it is finished.

Earring Display Made From a "Stucco Corner"

This project began a few months ago, and I ended up going in a different direction than when I started.  You see, I headed to the Home Depot to find some cool chicken wire... I had seen oodles of fun earring holders made from a photo frame and chicken wire, and planned on making one for myself.  I had already picked up a couple frames from the Goodwill and wanted to have some chicken wire on hand so I could throw the project together one day when I had some spare time.

Sadly, up until this point, my earring storage looked like this... a tangled pile to dig through.

At the Home Depot, I asked a sales person direct me to the chicken wire.  He laughed and said I was the second lady that morning to ask where the chicken wire was located... and he wanted to know what on earth I wanted it for.  The answer of "a craft project" just made him shake his head a little and probably roll his eyes as he turned his head and continued in the direction he was leading me.

To my dissapointment, not only was the chicken wire expensive (they sold it in big bulk rolls, imagine that!)... but even more unfortunate, the selection was UGLY.  I had a certain image in my mind of what I wanted, and it was most definitley not available there.  I scanned the entire ailse looking for an alternative screen or mesh or anything I could trim with wire cutters to give me the look I wanted.  Nope.  But then something caught my eye.  A long bent wire structure.  Hmmm.  The shelf label called it a Stucco Corner, and it was only $2.97.  The woven appearance of wire seemed perfect for dangling earings off of, so I tried to envision how I would hang it, and in which direction.  It seemed like it could work in an empty corner hung vertically... or horizantally cut to any length.  I decided a couple bucks was a price I could afford to experiment with.

This is where it sat for a few months just waiting for me to find spare time :)

Here is a close-up, and the red sharpie dots I used to cut the correct length to fit above my bathroom mirror.

When I got home and held it against the wall, I really liked the way it looked.  Simple and functional.  Next I had to figure out a way to attach it to the wall.  I had a piece of hardware in my mind, but had not been able to find what I wanted at the Home Depot.  I turned to my favorite online store, Amazon.com and searched and searched.  I figured there had to be some kind of hardware to attach wires or cables to a wall... but could only find stick-on ones.  Not really what I had in mind.  I continued my web search on a few more occasions, hoping to avoid the need for driving a million places.  Finally one day in Target, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the perfect solution... for $1.99 each I picked up two broom/tool holders pictured below.

I didn't have any use for the red hook part, but my search was over!  With the busy holidays and my son's birthday thrown in the mix... I finally found time yesterday to install my new earring display.

First I held the wire structure to the wall and made the sharpie marks pictured earlier, then cut it with tin snips at the desired length.

Then I held the structure up again with the bracket in place and made marks with a pen where the screws would go.

Next, I screwed in the bottom screws with an electric drill into the drywall.  I didn't use anchors and hopefully I wont regret that decision later, but I figure it won't be holding much weight at all.

With the bottom screws in place, I slipped the wire into the hardware and then securely fastened it by inserting the top screws.

Ta Dah!

Supplies You'll Need:

Stucco Corner $2.97
2 Broom/Tool holders hardware $1.99 each

Total cost $6.95.

I love that it is up high, which makes it difficult for my daughters to reach... but if you are short this might not be a good placement for you.  I am 5'7" and it is the perfect height for my reach.

Have a Happy New Year! 

SavvyNess

Cranberry Sauce... Made Fresh!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Today I am sharing a simple thing that I just happen to be grateful for... a recipe for cranberry sauce made from three easy ingredients... so delicious and so simple, you will never buy a can of the tin flavored variety ever again!  Maybe you're like me, and think you don't like cranberry sauce because all you have ever tried is the canned kind.  Before you go jumping to conclusions, try this one!

All you need is a bag of cranberries, one cup of sugar, and one cup of orange juice!

First, pick out and discard any wrinkly or icky berries you find.

Next, rinse the berries and set them aside.

Combine the one cup of sugar and one cup of orange juice in a saucepan over medium heat.  Heat the juice and sugar to boiling, stirring occasionally.  Continue boiling 5 minutes to assure the sugar is completely melted, stirring occasionally.

Add the cranberries (whoops, I forgot to take a picture of this step... total amateur) and heat back to boiling stirring occasionally.  Put a lid on the saucepan and continue boiling about 5 minutes longer, still stirring occasionally.  You will hear the cranberries popping!

Remove the saucepan from heat and give it another good stir, allow it to cool for about 20 minutes.  Pour the cranberry sauce into a bowl or container and allow to cool completely before refrigerating.

You're finished product is a delicious sweet and tangy burst of color for your Thanksgiving meal.

Orange Cranberry Sauce

http://www.savvynessonline.blogspot.com/

Serves 12

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (1 lb bag)

1 cup granulated sugar (you can substitute all or some brown sugar)

1 cup orange juice

Rinse the cranberries (even if they are frozen) in a strainer with cool water, and remove any stems and blemished berries.  In a large saucepan, over medium heat, heat the juice and sugar to boiling stirring occasionally.  Continue boiling 5 minutes longer to assure the sugar is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally.

Add the cranberries and heat back to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Put a lid on the saucepan and continue to boil about 5 min longer, still stirring occasionally.  You will hear your cranberries popping!  Remove saucepan from heat, give it a good stir, and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.  Pour the cranberry sauce into a bowl or container and allow to cool completely before refrigerating

My Version of the Fabric Covered Jewelry Hanger

My neighbor saw a jewelry holder I had pinned on pinterest, and wanted to know if I could make a couple to match her daughter's room.  The photo was from etsy (see here)... and didn't exactly include a tutorial.  I assumed the fabric had been wrapped around boards, but on a visit to Micheals I saw a package of cute chunky canvases.  They were the perfect size, and the perfect price after using a 40% off coupon!

For this project you only need a couple items, pictured below.  A drill, a staple gun, hooks, ruler and pencil.

First, mark with a pencil where you want your hooks to be.  I measured this out with the ruler.  You can also put hooks on the sides or front of the jewelry holder, I decided to stick with the original picture since I was making it for a friend, but I think hooks on the front and sides would be cute too!  Drill your holes.

Next decide what portion of the fabric you want to show on the front, make sure you leave enough to wrap around the sides... and then cut your fabric.

Next comes the staple gun part!  The most important thing is to stretch the fabric TIGHT as you staple. Start on the middle of one side, then stretch and staple directly accross from it.  Work your way out to the edge, pulling the fabric tight between each staple.  Make the corners look pretty from the front and sides, then pull them around and staple on the back.

Next screw in your hooks!  I used a straight pin to poke through the fabric to find the holes.

I should probably ask my neighbor for a picture of them hanging in the room!  Such a simple project.

I also attached a sawtooth hanger on the back of each one.

Short Sleeve Tunic

 

from this

 

to this


Since the spring, I have been looking for a cute tunic-shape blouse made of cool, light cotton fabric and most importantly... with short sleeves.  I can't believe how impossible it has been to find one!  Maybe there is some set in stone fashion rule that all tunics must have long sleeves, or no sleeve at all?  Being completely unfashionable myself I just wouldn't know.

The closest options I have found have been cinched around the bottom and billowy around the middle... or have a tie in the back, instantly transforming it into maternity wear.  Some gals might look great in one of these two styles, but not me!  Yikes!  The only other option is sleeveless tunic styles layered on top of a tee which is what I had finally resorted to.

I certainly can't wear a long sleeve anything in Arizona unless it is easily removable.  Even in the winter time, I only wear short sleeves with a jacket.  I had essentially given up the search, although I kept my eyes peeled of course.  One day, as I was preparing a pile for Goodwill, and noticed two shirts... they were tunic style, with 3/4 length sleeves, and had originally been purchased at Goodwill for the Pioneer Trek.  I had an idea.  If the only thing preventing me from wearing these shirts is the sleeve length... maybe I could shorten the sleeves using my limited sewing skills.  And maybe, I thought, if the process goes well... I could find other cute tunic tops and shorten their sleeves as well!  Considering the materials were essentially free and available, I was eager to try the tunic transformation and test my theory!

Tan shirt

Gray shirt

I knew I wanted a cap sleeve, so I went to my closet and found a shirt with a great sleeve length.  Next, I lined up the seams around the shoulders of the two shirts and cut the longer sleeves off leaving some extra fabric for a hem.

After chopping off both sleeves, I folded the shirt in half and compared sleeve lengths.  Wouldn't you know it, one was a little longer than the other.  No big deal, I just trimmed it to be equal in size.

Next came the ironing and then pinning of the hem.  Had I been thinking ahead, I would have folded the hem over twice before stitching... but because of the stiff fabric it doesn't seem to matter so far.  When I sewed the gray shirt afterward, I folded the hem over twice to hide the raw edge.  See, I told you my sewing skills and knowledge are limited!  The Coke Zero really helps with the creative process btw.

And now for the final reveal of both shirts!  I happen to like them both much better now.  I am hoping to find more long sleeve shirts to alter!

Parable of the Purse Young Women in Excellence

Quentin L. Cook gave a conference talk in April 2011 which has become known as the Parable of the Purse.  This talk was the inspiration for our Young Women in Excellence program, "We Believe in the "Purse"uit of Excellence..."

The invitations were created in a scrapbook program to look like a purse, and then printed off 4x6 at Costco.  The corners were slightly trimmed to give it a softer look, and then a ribbon was simply stapled to the top for the handle.

Corners Rounded

Ribbon Handle Stapled

Finished!

The program touched on the different stages of life and related to the type of purse a girl would be carrying at the time.  It was written by our Stake YW President, and included musical presentations begining with a live performance of "I'm trying to be like Jesus", and ending with "I Know That My Redeemer Lives."  In between these two songs were monologues, and Youtube video clips of Where You Stand, I Love To See The Temple, and No Greater Work.  Then The video of The Parable of the Purse was shown. 

The cupcake topper printables were found here at The Lovely Paper Shop blog.

I didn't make the cupcake stands, they were made from styrofoam blocks and ribbons and papers... sorry I don' have specifics on those.

The stage set up.

Display tables for each ward to fill with projects.

A pop of color on top of the piano, tissue paper wadded inside wire balls on candlesticks.

The handouts were binder clips covered with scrapbook paper and some ribbon ties added to the "handle" to look like a little purse.  These can sit on the young woman's nightstand holding her current personal progress goal.  There was also a handout with a quote from Gordon B. Hinckley,

"Jesus said, 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect' (Matt 5:48)"  That is the great crowning example of excellence.  May each of us have a rich and wonderful life moving in that direction.  We will not become perfect in a day or a month or a year.  We will not accomplish it in a lifetime, but we can keep trying, starting with our more obvoius weaknesses and gradually converting them to strengths as we go forward with our lives."