Edit: We had slight technical problems last night so this post is a day behind but I still had to share it or it wouldnt be 14 days of Valentines! And by technical I mean the craft itself wasnt working. But after 24 hours I got it!
February 3rd 2011 post
So maybe you don’t have a boy buying you something special for Valentines day, or you already know he’s not getting jewelry. Maybe your even looking for something to make for a friend. Well here is the simple craft for you! I keep seeing these pop up everywhere online. The ones to buy are usually 20$ plus shipping. But some smart girls out there outsmarted the retail world. And because I don’t like to share a craft without also trying it, I searched my closet for a shirt that was lets say a few chip bags back 🙂
Your going to need a jersey feeling shirt or you can buy the fabric too. But I like to try to keep the craft spending down or else you could really go nuts. And here’s how easy this one was. Cut the shirt into 1 inch strips. Stretch until each ring is formed into tubes.(This was where I ran into trouble, I  stretched mine overnight but the strips didn’t stay in the tube look, So I cut the seams off mine, tied them in a knot and re-stretched them by hand.) Then use another strip to gather them all together. I tied mine off with a knot, but you can sew or glue yours together as well. I’ve also seen them with jewels added and other embellishments. I added a white flower to mine to keep it in Valentines themed colors. I didn’t love the way mine turned out but I feel like giving it another shot with better material next time. But the idea is yours now so see what you can come up with!
Today (February 4th 2011) Post
Today’s craft is A paper topiary. Easy but time consuming. But once its done you forget that and think “I just have to make another of these cute things!” All you will need is 3-4 different pattern papers, scissors, ribbon, paint, miniature pots, and pvc pipe.
You need to cut out 20 circles and make a pattern for a triangle to fit inside. See picture (Mine wasnt perfect but it was close enough and worked great) Next your going to want to fold each flap up.
Glue 5 circles together to form top, repeat for bottom. Glue all left overs side by side. Now take your three parts and glue them all together. I left one of my bottom flaps unglued and pushed the pipe up through that. Wrap the pipe in ribbon. Paint the pot. Use something to keep your topiary upright, foam, rocks, or your other imaginative solids. And Voila! You have a paper topiary. You can make them is so many colors that you can make a new one for each season/holiday!
Ignore my unfinished project. I have all the materials but I have been chasing kids around all week. I will post it finished but you get the how to of the part I was showing off. So hope you guys enjoy your weekend! I am going to be going crazy making crafts the whole time. Just for you!