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Woven Ribbon Pillow

This woven ribbon pillow becomes a fun and interesting addition to your decor. It also becomes a conversation piece when family and friends comment on its beauty and craftsmanship.

Take a look at the easy how-to-make steps and the inexpensive materials and tools on our main web site: Woven Ribbon Pillow.

Enjoy making different varieties for yourself or as gifts from the heart.

Vendor hint: If you are in the Atlanta Georgia area, you can find a large variety of ribbon at Grosgrain Annie’s Ribbonemporium located in the Lakewood 400 Antiques Market. The market is open the third weekend of each month: Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 9am to 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. She has the ribbons easily visible such that you can readily see and choose the colors and styles you want.

Framed Doily

Do you have doilies that someone crocheted and shared with you but you don’t know what to do with them? Perhaps you think they’re pretty but you don’t want to use them as people used them in years past.

Your great grandma, your grandma or maybe even your mom used crocheted doilies as protection for the arms and backs of chairs and for placing under tchotchkes on end tables or coffee tables.

With today’s styles, what can you do with doilies?

A framed doily makes a beautiful, interesting and warm decoration for your home. You can use a favorite color or a color that coordinates with your decor as a contrasting background within the frame. Or, if you have several, framed doilies make beautiful gifts too.

Take a look at this example:

This one happens to be a gift to the person (my sister-in-law, Kee) who gave me the doily. She didn’t use the doily and thought I could find a purpose for it. This framed doily version incorporates her favorite and second favorite colors, ocean blue-green and crimson red, to contrast and highlight the beauty of the doily.

This framed doily will make a pretty addition to her home.

You can find the simple, easy and fast instructions here: Frugal Fun Crafts – Framed Doily.

Enjoy!

Mobius Bracelet Out of Ribbon

Have you seen Mobius bracelets in stores and catalogs? Do you wonder about them? And, why are they called Mobius bracelets?

We show you how to make your own Mobius bracelet using simple and inexpensive materials. Take a look at our funEZcrafts web page: How to Make a Mobius Bracelet Out of Ribbon.

The steps are easy and the results quick.

Take a look at two different versions of the bracelet:

This view shows how the bracelet alternates between the stripes and polka dots around the bracelet:

Or, how about this one announcing “I’ve Been Nice” to all who see it:

Too bad, “I’ve Been Naughty” ribbon was not available. The two ribbons in one bracelet would be apropos as most people cannot be nice all the time!

Have fun making your own versions of the Mobius bracelet – take a look at the how to make steps, tools and materials on our web site here: How to Make a Mobius Bracelet Out of Ribbon.

Enjoy!

Doilies Offer Many Possibilities

A doily pillow represents just one way to highlight the beauty of the delicate and intricate work of the crocheted stitches.

Take a look at this pillow – one side shows multicolored green yarn and the other multicolored yellow yarn. Both sides highlight the artistry of the crocheted doilies:

Maybe you have a crocheter in your family and friends. Or, perhaps you purchased some doilies for their beauty then didn’t know what to do with them.

This easy-to-do doily pillow adds a beautiful accent to a group of pillows on a bed, a window seat or anywhere a soft pillow works in your decor.

Plus, the look varies by the choice of pillow fabric – light or dark, matching or contrasting – and the type of ribbon you use to weave the doilies together.

With just a few inexpensive tools and materials and a short amount of time, you can make a pillow today. And, when you want a different look, you can easily change the fabric and ribbon to make another pillow with the same doilies.

Take a look at the how to steps on our web site: funEZcrafts Doily Pillow.

Have fun!

Punched Quilt Heart – warm and inviting

Do you enjoy the beauty and heartwarming feeling quilts provide?

Take a look at our Punched Quilt Heart project that uses a few inexpensive materials and tools but provides beautiful results.

This easy and fun project uses small scraps of material, a 9×9 inches piece of foam core board and felt for finishing the back. The tools are simple, too.

Your finished project can be displayed on a stand (shown above) or hung on a wall to enjoy.

The project can be fun to do as gifts for friends and family as well.

Enjoy making your own creation!

For the pattern and how to instructions, click here: Frugal Fun Crafts – Punched Quilt Heart

Celtic Design – 12 Circles

Our easy paper crafts project shows how to make this Celtic design with 12 circles using simple tools and inexpensive materials.

The results are both beautiful and interesting.

The first version uses construction paper for the design and background. The yellow matting is simply 24#, yellow 8.5×11 printer paper.

The next version used five different colors of 8.5×11 printer paper on a black construction paper background.

The tools are simple too: scissors, pencil, eraser. As for the frame, it’s optional. The versions here are in a simple acrylic frame found in office supply stores. Or, you can place your design with a matte in a nice frame for a stunning picture. Or, more simply, just glue the project together and display as a paper design.

Even more fun, the components do not have to be precision cut. In fact, wavy lines and slight variations in the widths of the cut forms make the design even more attractive.

Have fun creating your own version of this project!

Click here: Easy Paper Crafts – Celtic Design 12 Circles to download the patterns and see the how-to steps.

Tooth Pillow – Mr. Smiley Tooth

The tooth pillow, soft and cuddly Mr. Smiley Tooth, helps young children with visits to the dentist. He also serves as a tooth fairy pillow with a pocket to hold the tooth and the treasures from the tooth fairy.

Take a look:

Mr. Smiley Tooth’s huge smile forms the pocket for a tooth that came out, for the gift from the tooth fairy or for other treasures important to children.

He’s soft and can easily be held by the child during a dental visit.

You can find the how-to-instructions, the materials and tools list and the pattern on our web site here: Easy Felt Crafts Tooth Pillow.

Have fun making Mr. Smiley Tooth and giving him to the young children in your life.

Easy Napkin Pillow

Take a look at this Easy Napkin Pillow project. You can make these with simple materials, tools and steps. Plus, they’re fast and fun!

The how-to steps along with the lists of materials and tools can be found on our web site by clicking here: Frugal Fun Crafts – Easy Napkin Pillow.

You can add a bit of softness to your decor, make them fast and inexpensively as gifts or make them to sell at craft fairs or church bazaars.

Have fun!

Simple, slow-cooker chili

If you are a chili connoisseur with your own special concoction, this recipe may not be for you. However, if you just like chili and are a fan of easy, slow-cooker recipes, give this one a try.

Easy, Slow-cooker Chili

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 lbs. ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped (coarsely chopped is ok if you don’t mind big pieces of onion)

2 cloves garlic minced

1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed tomato soup

1 can (12 ounces) V-8 juice (vegetable, not one of their fruit mixes)

1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes (do not drain)

2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno pepper (from can or jar) plus 2 tablespoons of the liquid

2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon of ground cumin (more or less to your taste)

2 tablespoons of chili powder (more or less to your taste)

1 beef bouillon cube

1 teaspoon salt (more or less to your taste)

1/2 teaspoon pepper (more or less to your taste)

Chop the onions and mince the garlic (can also use garlic press).

Brown the ground beef and drain the greasy liquid. (Tip: leave the ground beef in the pan, push it to one side. Tilt the pan slightly such that the grease flows to the side opposite the meat. Use folded paper towels to absorb the greasy liquid. Use tongs to put the paper towels into the hot greasy liquid. With the tongs, remove the greasy towels to a glass dish. Continue until all the grease is absorbed and discarded.)

While the meat cooks, chop the jalapeno peppers into small pieces.

Place the finely chopped onion and minced garlic in the pan with the ground beef. Cook the mixture on medium heat until the onion becomes translucent.

Pour the meat mixture into the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until mixed.

Cook on low heat 4 to 6 hours. Midway through, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Note: Add a can of beans if you like beans in your chili. (I do, I just didn’t have any when I made this.)

Enjoy!

NEW: Felt or Paper Woven Basket Ornaments

We’ve added two new ornaments to our Easy Christmas Crafts section: a felt basket ornament and a paper basket cone ornament.

These two ornaments use the same basic steps and very similar tools applicable to the two different materials – felt and paper.

Take a look at one of the felt versions:

Now, how about a similar version but done in paper:

These simple projects provide fun and accomplishment for all ages. Plus, the inexpensive materials allow you to make a few or many. The results can be gifts from the heart to friends and family. Plus, children can feel important and special as they make these to hang on the tree or give to others.

Take a look at the other versions along with the easy how-to steps on the funEZcrafts’ felt basket ornament and funEZcrafts’ paper basket cone pages.

Enjoy!