Bug Catcher Necklace Tutorial

**THIS PROJECT WAS FEATURED IN THE 2012 JUNE/JULY ISSUE OF FAMILY FUN MAGAZINE!!**
My 5 year old LOVES bugs. Any living creature gets her sweet heart humming really. Today she found a lady bug at church & had to hold it in her hand all the way home. All of a sudden I thought of those little plastic cases that house the 25cent gumball-style treats. And how cute it would be to have one of those around to hold bugs in. When we got home, I told Pazely my idea & she mentioned she wanted a necklace--so, we got to work right away! What fun we had creating our own bug catcher necklace!

The supplies: beading cord, scissors, beads, a small vending machine plastic capsule, a thumbtack & (eventually) a bug!

*The capsules I used were some that the girls had lying around. But here is a link for some really cute ones at Tiny Things are Cute. They're a bit different than mine, so I'm not sure if they'd "click" together like mine did & hold the bugs securely. The price is right though!

*UPDATE: Caryn, of Tiny Things are Cute, has informed me that, though the capsules in her shop will hold bugs, she does not think they will work for securely "clicking" & being used as a bug catcher pendant on this necklace project. Just an FYI. (I must find another project for those capsules of hers, because they're just so darn cute!)

First you'll want to poke little holes all over the lid of the capsule. And poke a larger hole right in the middle.

Thread one end of your beading cord through the large hole.

Now hold it around your neck & measure how long you'd like your necklace to be. Remember to leave about 1 1/2" at each end for knotting off the necklace.

String beads onto the cord.

When the beads are all strung, push the other end of the cord through the hole. I had to push it through with the tack.

Slide one more bead onto both pieces of cord & knot it a couple times to secure.

Insert bug, & you're done! We put a tiny snack of lettuce inside too.

Remember to not leave your bug in the catcher too long. Eventually let your buggy pet go free!

To see Zoey's necklace, click HERE.

Not so crafty-natured? Let US make YOU some Bug Catcher Necklaces! Click HERE! (And we thank you from the bottom of our buggy-lovin' hearts!)

♥

Wee Pie Tutorial

I have been slaving all day over a hot oven baking these delectable treats.....Not really!! These are adorably sweet miniature pies that I learned to make from one of my favorite crafty shows, Creative Juice. Of course there's a tutorial on their website, but being slightly tutorial obsessed at the moment, I HAD to make my own "how-to".

Here are the supplies you'll need:
marker
scissors
bottlecaps
seed beads
clear glue
pie crust colored felt (a.k.a. tan)

First, trace your bottlecap onto the felt.

Cut out your circle. This will be the pie crust.

Cover the bottom & sides of the inside of the bottlecap with clear glue.

Press the circular felt piece into the cap, pushing with your fingertip all along the sides...

...until it looks like this:

Now, fill the pie crust with glue...


...& pour your choice of pie filling into the crust. In the tutorial I have made cherry pie. blueberry pie & a pink pie that the girls I call "fizzle-berry pie". What about peach or lemon? Ooooh, or CHOCOLATE!

Gently smoosh the beads into the glue. You might want to dump any extra beads out. You can even add a bit more glue & sprinkle more beads on top.

Cut out 6 small strips of tan felt, each about 1 1/4" in length.

Squeeze out some glue & place the strips across the pie to simulate the pastry lattice on top of some pies. I cut my strips a little longer on purpose...

...because you'll cut the extra long bits off.

And that's it! Perfect for a Barbie treat, or add a magnet for some yummy fridge decor!

Tomorrow I'll show how to make a tiny sponge cake!

Craftin' With Candles

When you soak in a gorgeous bath indulging in all your favorite spa fixin's, what else do you need? Candles! Lots of candles! I thought I'd show you a tutorial on this month's craft that I'm doing with my MOPS group.

Every year we have one month set aside for "Spa Day". We have local businesses come in & treat the moms to massages, hair cuts, eyebrow waxing (I actually grew out my eyebrows one month at MOPS so I'd be ready for my first ever super eyebrow waxing session. Bummer thing is, there wasn't enough time for me to get a wax. I walked around with bushy & unmanageable brows for NO REASON!), reflexology, skin care, etc. So, I thought these candles fit the theme well for the crafty part of it all. It's a simple do-it-yourself thing whereas I can dump the supplies on a table & the ladies can step up & create at liesure without any official instructor needed. (Because I'll be off getting pampered!)

So, the first thing involves supplies. The picture at the top shows all necessary items required: candles (Pillar candles work the best. The ones in the photo are more like chubby votives, but I am planning on purchasing pillars for the "real" deal.), sequin pins (These are shorter than regular sewing pins & can be found at your local fabric store NEXT to the sewing pins & other notions. 350 of these cost just under 3 bucks.), & beads. (Make sure the holes in your beads are not larger than the head of the pins!)

Next you'll want to map out your design. A dry erase marker works well--just make small dots. My markings were huge with my big ole pen & it was hard to erase once the pins/beads were in. You could also "sketch" the design into the candle with the tip of a pencil.

Then, simply poke your pin through a bead & stick it into the candle, following your marks. My thumb hurt after a bit of pushing, so a thimble might be handy.

You can get as simple or as complicated as you want. I can totally see a group of pre-teen girls making these at a slumber party. Or they'd make perfect wedding favors--with a silver or gold monogrammed letter on each one!

Totally off topic here, but today is my wedding anniversary! 9years. 9 loooong years. HAHA! Happy Anniversary Mr. WhiMSy love!

Oh, & an update:I am on the mend. My sweet mom took me to the ER last night & I am being treated for an inner AND an outer ear infection. Since Sunday I've had constant pain in my ear & it is not fun. But, VERY slowly, I am getting better.