Chinese Fortune Sticks

Happy Chinese New Year! It is the year of the dragon which is especially good for me since I have a large blue Chinese dragon tattooed on my back shoulder. Yes I am the girl with the dragon tattoo! I had it done before the height of popularity of the book, but it is pretty funny that Lisbeth Salander (the heroine) also has hers on the shoulder. In honor of the Chinese New Year I am making a set of Chinese Fortune Sticks. Who doesn't love a fortune? Chinese Fortune Sticks are a fun take on the cookie. You have 50 numbered sticks. You draw a stick and read your corresponding fortune. If you have a party it is a fun conversation piece. Unlike cookies it can be left out and reused. Kids especially love pulling out and reading their fortune. All you need is a container to decorate (I made mine with a dollar store votive) and craft sticks. You can print out the sheet of fortunes I made for the project or go online and find ones you like. There are all sorts of fortune cookie fortunes on the internet. You can pick general, romantic, or funny. Just number the fortunes and use the same amount as your sticks. This is an easy project that even kids can do. It would make a fun Chinese New Year gift or group kids craft.

You will need:

Jar to decorate-Any container works as long as the craft sticks fit into it and can be pulled out easily. For this tutorial I used a large votive from the Dollar Tree Store, and a small jelly jar.

Scrapbook Paper or Fabric to line the inside of the jar

Craft Sticks- I used the thinner ones sized 4 1/2" x 3/8 ". You can also use the regular sized craft sticks and write the fortune directly onto the stick.

Ribbon and Charms (I found the Asian charms at Michael's in the clearance area where they are currently 70% off )

Marker

Determine how long to cut your paper by sliding it into the jar. 

Mark the paper at the top of the jar. Remove and trim the paper about 1/2" shorter than the marked line so the paper will fit just below the top of the jar.

Use double stick tape or tape runner to tape your paper into a circle.

Put paper inside jar.

Decorate the jar with ribbon and charms. 

If your charms are heavy hot glue the ribbon to the jar, or use a glue dot.

You can make a charm by using an earring wire. Add beads and then bend the top into a loop to attach to the bow. Or tie on the charms with thin ribbon.

Count out 50 craft sticks.

Number the sticks 1-50 on one side. Leave the other side of the stick unnumbered so the numbers are not seen from the top of the jar.

Print out fortune sheet. 


Download here: 
http://www.mediafire.com/?ydqa3je833gqphz

http://www.mediafire.com/?c3x82v5xjbj55pe

Print out fortune#1. (1-25 fortunes) 


Then run the paper back through the printer upside down to print on the reverse side fortune#2 (26-50) 


Fold the paper and tuck inside the jar. You could also hand write fortunes to make a little decorative booklet. 

Option 2: Use the wider Craft sticks and hand write fortunes directly onto the stick. Or print out the fortunes and tape runner onto the stick.

Distress Your sticks with Stayz On ink (optional).

This is definitely my year!


Check back soon for our next tutorial!

XOX,

The Rebel Crafter

Web Finds

Here are some fun web finds. Just click on the photo to take you to the website.

Design your own fabric with no minimums! Just upload your design. How cool is that!

Love the look of this free Valentine's printable. 

You can make heart shaped cupcakes with a regular cupcake pan. They show you how.

Glam up your keys!

Change the look of a plain sweater by adding fabric.

Stamp and distress book pages into tags. There is no tutorial but you get the idea! 

Create a fun jumbo jewelry display.

For those of us Pinterest addicts make a pin board.

For those of you not on Pinterest this is a popular pin. Use a recycled wipes container to hold your plastic grocery shopping bags. They show you how to fold the bags to fit into the container. Clever!

Check back soon for our next tutorial!

XOX,

The Rebel Crafter

Shabby Chic Napkin Rings

I love a fancy table and I love bling so I am excited to share this project with you. I wanted to make unique jewelry inspired napkin rings when I saw an artist transform antique broaches into them. The project proved too involved for me because broaches have so much hardware to remove and they were also soldered onto metal rings. I discovered a much easier, and faster way to create the same look using pendants and small curtain rod rings. Pendants are so much easier to find than broaches, and all you need to do is snip off a bale to prepare them. Start looking for ones you like at garage sales, thrift stores, and Michael's Crafts in the jewelry supplies section (I purchased mine there at 40% off). The recent trend in jewelry is very large pendants so you can easily find ones in excellent shape that are nice sized new or recently used. Think about one thing in common to tie your set together. All the same color metal, all owls, all crosses, or all antiqued for example. I chose all silver metal with bling. A set of these handmade rings combined with cloth napkins would make a brilliant house warming gift. I am still gathering more pendants, and I'm enjoying the search for ones that inspire me. I love that when I am finished each dinner plate on my table will have a unique look. 

You will need:

Pendants -Look for nice large ones with a flat back. You can use curved backs but they are trickier to glue. 

A pack of Small Wood Curtain Rings with an inner width of  1.25 " (for 3/4" rod)  Buy the thicker rings about 1/4"+ thick (mine are about 1/3" wide) 

I bought mine at Bed Bath & Beyond in the clearance bin for $3.99 for 7. 

Wire cutters or jewelry snips

Emery Board or Sand Paper

Instant Krazy Glue, Gorilla Glue, or Jb Weld. You need instant krazy type glue that bonds metal and wood. Hot glue will not be strong enough.

Start by removing the curtain ring finding. Unscrew it by hand from the ring.

Choose nice sized pendants with smooth backs, or backs that have a flat enough area to glue. Smaller bales are best. Some have bales underneath the design which is even better because they will not need removing.

Remove the pendant bale by snipping it off with wire cutters, or jewelry snips.

File any rough edges left from removing the bale with an emery board or piece of sand paper.

Add a number of drops of Krazy Glue to the curtain ring OVER THE HOLE WHERE THE FINDING WAS REMOVED.

Add some more glue to the back of the pendant and center it onto the ring covering the hole at the same time. 

Hold the ring in place while firmly pressing. After a few minutes of firm pressure prop up the ring so it stays straight and the pendant doesn't shift while drying. 

Some pendants are OK drying upside down while others will need propping up to dry straight. I found a little plastic container that held mine in place while drying.

Let dry 24 hours. Because of the nature of gluing metal make sure to let dry the full time.

Check back soon for our next tutorial.

XOX,

The Rebel Crafter

Two is better than one. Dress for every occasion with the C.E.O. Prestige Plus for the iPhone 4S/iPhone 4. Not only do you get the sophisticated, stylish C.E.O. Prestige leather hip case, with a built-in belt clip; you get the world’s thinnest and lightest iPhone 4S/iPhone 4 case, the Marware Membrane, as an added bonus. Protect your iPhone in and out of the hip case!

Performance
• Compatible with all iPhone 4S/iPhone 4 devices and carriers
• Slim, built-in belt clip
• Push-through bottom for quick, easy removal of iPhone
• Includes Membrane shell case (‘Smoke’ color), the world’s thinnest and lightest iPhone 4S/iPhone 4 case

Protection
• Durable, protective genuine leather hip case
• Soft magnets keep lid securely closed
• Soft, scratch resistant microsuede interior
• Covers 98% of the iPhone while allowing access to headphone jack and silence button

 

Link: http://www.marware.com/c-e-o-prestige-plus-iphone-4s-case-black-smoke?sc=44&category=27519


Marware C.E.O. Prestige Plus for iPhone 4/4S, Black
602956009948

MSRP:SGD59.00 before tax
Our Price: SGD52.00
 
..complimentary normal postage
note: we will not be responsible for lost mail via normal postage. Registered mail with tracking number are highly recommended. Additional singpost charge applicable.

Elegance gets a much-deserved makeover with the Marware C.E.O. Prestige iPhone 4S/iPhone 4 case. Made of genuine leather, the C.E.O. Prestige balances stylish leather protection with quality. Equipped with an ultra-slim, built-in belt clip, you can take this sophisticated case with you on your waist, in your purse or in your pocket.


Performance
• Compatible with all iPhone 4S/iPhone 4 devices and carriers
• Slim, built-in belt clip
• Push-through bottom for quick, easy removal of iPhone


Protection
• Durable, protective genuine leather hip case with microsuede interior
• Soft magnets keep lid securely closed
• Soft, scratch resistant microsuede interior
• Covers 98% of the iPhone while allowing access to headphone jack and silence button

link: http://www.marware.com/c-e-o-prestige-iphone-4s-case?sc=44&category=27519

Marware C.E.O. Prestige for iPhone 4/4S, Black
602956009931


MSRP:SGD49.00 before tax
Our Price: SGD43.00


..complimentary normal postage
note: we will not be responsible for lost mail via normal postage. Registered mail with tracking number are highly recommended. Additional singpost charge applicable.

Features
Terahedron™ microfiber will not scratch your iPhone or iPod like other "protective" cases do.
An outer pouch for easy earphone storage.
Includes a detachable hand strap.
Free of chemical treatments and is machine washable (cold wash, no bleach, delicate cycle).
Use iPouch to safely wipe away dusts and particles gathered on LCD screens.
Easy removal of smears and fingerprints with in-situClean™.

Description
Specifically tailored for your iPhone, Moshi's iPouch is a simple and elegant case designed to keep your iPhone pristine-looking since the day you bought her. Made with Terahedron™, iPouch's inner layer micron-sized filament construction will remove smears and fingerprints with in-situClean™ technology; making your iPhone shiny and new each time you slip it in the iPouch.

Its suede-like outer layer is designed to gently brush away dust particles that can scratch your iPhone's sleek finish; it is also splash-proof and anti-static treated to protect your iPhone from contaminants and electrical discharge.

  
 

Moshi iPouch (2012) Terahedron Microfiber Pouch, Lavender Purple

4712052312319

Moshi iPouch (2012) Terahedron Microfiber Pouch, Sahara Beige

4712052312326

Moshi iPouch (2012) Terahedron Microfiber Pouch, Zen Black

4712052312302

MSRP: SGD39.00 before tax

Our Price: SGD32.00

..YOU SAVE SGD7.00 (10% OFF)

..complimentary normal postage

note: we will not be responsible for lost mail via normal postage. Registered mail with tracking number are highly recommended. Additional singpost charge applicable.