Hello again!

Since I'm not hosting a party this holiday weekend, I sadly have no excuse to buy cheesy dollar store decorations or craft up anything flag-themed.  HOWEVER, my latest, out of nowhere, as of last week obsession is PINWHEELS, and they make awesomely cute decorations for any party, so I figured Bits and Bobs Craft Club would share with you all just how stinkin' easy they are to make.  These are great as centerpieces, or as lawn ornaments for your BBQ.... or you could make mini-verions for cupcake toppers... or string several together for festive bunting... the list goes on!

Here's how to make them:

Step one: Cut a piece of paper into a square. I used card stock. Fold the square in half diagonally from opposite corners to create an X.  Mark the center of that X with a dot.

Step three: Insert your pin in the right point of one of the corner flaps, from the back of the paper.  Repeat with the remaining three flaps, following a clockwise pattern.  

Step four: Finally, insert the pin through the center dot of the square.

Step five: Press the pin through a straw or pencil-top eraser. If you use a sewing pin, you'll have to bend it flat to make it stay in place and not poke anyone.  You'll probably also want to slap a piece of tape over it.

*****Ta-da!*****

OH, and did I mention these are totally functional?  Have fun! Happy 4th of July!

I think it's safe to say that I am a photo booth enthusiast.  I can't resist hopping in anytime I see one and have been known to plan a weekend night or two around which bars have their own booths.  I just think a little bit of magic happens in photo booths... First of all, everyone acts like a super weirdo.  The modern day rules of flattering angles and selfie faces tend to go out the window after the first or second flash goes off.  Everyone gets excited and small glimpses of their truly goofy and strange personalities are captured.  Anticipation builds as you wait two or three minutes for the photos to be printed, rather than immediately review them on your phone screen, like we are all used to.  It's just great!  

I've accumulated close to fifty photo booth strips over the years (yes, I know I have a problem),  and I've been needing to do something with them.  I've been working on different ways to hang them all up, but I'm realizing that hanging 100+ tiny pictures of yourself in your own room is a little bit unusual, even if 99% of them are also of your best friends. . .  And so, Bits and Bobs Craft Club presents to you-- MINI PHOTO ALBUMS MADE FROM A PAPER BAG!

These are the perfect size for traditional photo booth photos, but you could also use these to jot down some memories, write a very cute letter, or even write a little story.  Perhaps you could make one into a nice Mother's Day gift!

You are now reading the first ever official blog post of the Bits and Bobs Craft Club!

Being a busy person who loves creating, but doesn't always have the time, energy or cash to devote to a long term project, I've always loved crafts that are relatively quick and inexpensive. I'm not talking about slapping together some construction paper and pipe cleaners and calling it a day (though there's nothing wrong with that!)... I want to make a satisfying end product that I would be proud to use, display, give as a gift, etc.  And that's what Bits and Bobs Craft Club is really all about -- realizing that you do not need a ton of time, money, or experience to create something great!

One of the easiest, cutest things you can make on a budget are Cover Button Earrings.

These little guys are super simple!  Once you get the swing of things, you can make a pair of these in about five minutes.  Really!  Here's how:

Step one:  Gather your supplies.

• Cover button kit 
• Earring posts and backs
• Fabric swatches (this is great way to use up scraps leftover from other projects)
• Scissors
• Glue suitable for metals
• Pliers (not pictured)

****A quick note on cover buttons****

If you have never used cover buttons, make sure to buy a whole kit, not just the fronts/backs.  Those white and blue plastic pieces seen in the photo are necessary tools to put everything together.

If you already have the tools and are just picking up more buttons, make sure you purchase the appropriate size.  If you want to use larger or smaller buttons, you will need to purchase a kit that comes with properly sized tools.

Step two: Remove the hook from the button back.

• You'll need to get this out of the way to make space for an earring back.  You can pry it out pretty easily with a pair of pliers.
• If you were lucky enough to find flat-back buttons, you can skip this step!

Step three: Cut out your fabric.

• On the back of your cover button package, you'll find a circle-shaped stencil.  
• Cut the stencil out and use it to trace circles onto your fabric.
• Cut out your fabric circles.

Now that you've gotten everything in order, the building process is going to move along very quickly.



Step four: Assemble!

• Grab your white tool.  Place it on a surface, open side up.
• Center one of your fabric squares on top of the white tool, wrong side up-- i.e. the faded side or back side.

• Place the front of a button on top of your fabric, rounded side down.
• Press the button into the white tool until you hear a little pop. 
• Your button should be pressed all the way into the white tool, leaving a a ring of fabric sticking up around the edges, as seen in the photo on the right.

• Wrap the excess fabric edges into the button.
• Place the back piece of the button over the fabric you just folded in.
• Put the blue tool from your kit on top of the button back.

• Press!!  Keep on pressing until you hear a pop.  You will be able to feel that the button back is firmly attached to the front.

• Flip over the white tool and push out your newly covered button. Voila!

• Glue on the earring backs and you're done!
• Be sure to let the glue dry completely before wearing these, following the instructions on the glue bottle.  Maybe even let them sit overnight to fully bond. Nobody wants a super-glued ear.  Not that I learned from experience or anything....

There you have it!  Wasn't that easy??

Most cover button kits won't stand up to thicker material like canvas or tweed, but they work great for just about anything else!  If you're using a sheer or lace fabric, be sure to layer with a thin, solid-colored piece of backing fabric, otherwise the metal of the button will show through.

You can buy cover button kits in small packs of five or so, but do yourself a favor and go for a bigger pack. A couple more bucks up front will give you much more bang for your buck in the long run, and earring posts and backs tend to come in much higher quantities, anyway.  Trust me, after you make a pair or two of these, you'll want to keep going.  When all is said and done, these earrings cost about $2 a pair to make, or even less if you get really into it and buy supplies in bulk!  Not too bad! 

Thanks for reading!  I hope you made some lovely earrings.  More of these quick, cheap and easy tutorials are on the way, so stay tuned!