Bead Valentine Card: Easy Tutorial

Dear Chicago House,

Here is a sweet little Valentine card tutorial which is quick and easy and oh-so-elegant.

What you will need

• Florist wire
• Beads
• Hot glue gun
• card Stock

Take a piece of wire about 10cm long and bend it into this shape (excuse my dried out hands...I live in Chicago remember, where dry supple hands in winter, are against the law!)

Add your beads

and when your shape is full twist the free ends together

The with a hot glue gun stick your heart to some card stock

How easy is that!

Love from
Creative in Chicago
XX

Categories: beads, Craft Projects, Crafts Project, How to, How to's, Pretty

Tutorial: Shelll Napkin Rings

Dear Chicago House,

Here is another easy project to glam up a coastal table setting - DIY Shell Napkin Rings

You will need

• Small shells
• Drill (optional depending on your shells)
• polyurethane spray
• very thin elastic

To make this project super easy try to collect shells that already have holes in them. Once you start looking it is surprising how many shells nature has already prepared ! If you can't find any "nature drilled" shells you will have to drill them yourself.

This is a good video which shows you how.

Before constructing your napkin rings lay all of your shells on a piece of cardboard in a well ventilated area and give them a spray with polyurethane, This seals the shells and makes the colors more vibrant.

Once dry you can start threading your shells onto lengths of thin elastic. Knot ends of elastic together when you have reached the desired length.

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Beachy, beads, Decor, decorative accents, DIY, Pretty, Sewing, Tutorials

A Bit of Framing Action

Dear Chicago House,

Am I the only one who takes forever to frame anything?

I really loved the bead shell art work Chicago teenager made over the summer but it has sat on the shelf in my office ever since.

I have been waiting to  make a trip to IKEA to pick up some RIBA box frames and last week actually managed to make it out there...and even resisted the temptation of Swedish meatballs and Chocolate cake.

And here we go....ahhhh I love it.

I have also got a few other box frame projects on the go but haven't got around to photographing them yet.

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Beachy, beads, teenager, wall art

Seed Bead Art

Dear Chicago House,

I can't take credit for these lovely creation made using seed beads, that has to go to Chicago teenager.

She started with the spiral and was then inspired to create more beachy themed designs...a crab, then an octopus.

She simply used elmers glue to stick the beads down.

There is one more in creation that is not quite finished... it is a sea horse.

Enjoy

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Art, Beachy, beads, teenager, wall art

String Art with beads.

Dear Chicago House,

So when I came into my office this morning Chicago teenager was already on a creative roll.

String, yarn, glue, beads and paper. Need some new artwork no problem.

A few hours later and we had some lovely new string art.

I love the bird detail with seed beads in the wing.

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: beads, String, teenager

Seed Bead Art: Arty Farty Friday #19

Dear Chicago House,

Work, work, work...I have had a busy week with little time to flex my creative muscles. However while I have been confined to my office working on SEO projects for a number of clients, Chicago teenager has been a great office companion and on a fantastic creative roll.

While she is happy to create projects to share on this blog she is not as keen to write the posts!

I love this simple piece of art work she made using seed beads

She started with a piece of white card and started sticking beads down using Elmer's glue.

Before long it looked like this.

At this very moment she is making another...she is keeping with the beachy theme and making an octopus.

Proud mama!

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Arty Farty Friday, Beachy, beads, teenager, Tutorials, wall art

A bling pencil pot for my office

Dear Chicago House,

It seems I never have enough containers to keep my pencils so this week I rustled up a little something for my desk

Welcome to a bling pencil pot! If you think you have seen one of these before, you are right check out another one here.

 
Want to make one?

It is easy, here is what you will need.

1 clean can
Decorative vase fillers - marbles
Nail varnish
a sheet of white paper
Modge podge
Hot glue gun

1. Start by painting the backs of the marbles with your choice of nail varnish, I picked two blue (to compliment the decor in my office) but any colors will work
2. Cover the tin can with white paper, inside and out sticking it with Modge podge
3. Cover the can with your tinted marbles - use a hot glue gun

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: beads, Craft Projects, decorative accents, DIY, Pretty

Organize your Jewelry

Dear Chicago House,

Here is a little tip for keeping your jewelry in order. Use a fishing lure box.

Mr Chicago house enjoys the odd bit of fishing and with fishing comes loads of "stuff". When he upgraded his tackle box there were a bundle of these lure boxes going spare. So I "borrowed" them and filled them with beads and pendants and necklaces. No more untangling for me. This box is especially useful as it has compartments I can size to my hearts content.

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: beads, jewelry, Tutorials

Make a bracelet from an old t shirt

Dear Chicago House,

I always knew I was destined to be the shortest member of my household. I am 5'7" and Chicago teenager "over took" me about 6 months ago. Her closet needs a good sort out as there are so many things that don't fit.

So I had a little sort and ended up with a bundle.

But before donating to Goodwill,  I thought I'd have a go at making something from old t shirts and this is what I came up with.

A braided memory wire bracelet

And you can make one too!

This is what you need

1. Old t shirts
2. String
3. Scissors
4. Memory Wire
5. Pliers

And this is what you do

1. Cut 1" wide long strips of fabric from your t shirts, mine were about 16"
2. Stretch each strip so they start to roll into itself.
3. Cut a length of string the same length as your stretched fabric strips.
4. Knot two strips and the string together.
5. Cut a length of memory wire (I used a loop and a half)
6. Place your knotted bundle at the end of the wire and start braiding
7. When braiding go under and over the memory wire to incorporate it.
8. When you reach the end knot your braid and snip off the ends.

I made three in total. The pink and blue one was from a stripy shirt.

What have you made from old t shirts?

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: beads, How to, jewelry, teenager, Tutorials

Wrist Art: Memory Wire Bracelet

Dear Chicago House,

A few years ago I broke one of my favorite necklaces, it was only a cheap piece but Chicago teenage magically strung it all back together. It needed a new clasp and a spin around the previously ignored "bead section" in Michaels had it all fixed.

Little did I know then it would be the start of a bit of an obsession with making jewelry.

I have to confess Chicago teenager is much better at it than me, I tend to think too long about anything I make. She on the other hand, seems to have a natural knack with beads and she loves making things for me...sweet

She has been experimenting with memory wire recently

And here is one of her creations I am wearing today

Just wondering if I should change the name of this blog to "Creative Teenager in Chicago"!

Love from

Creative in Chicago

 XX

Categories: beads, jewelry, Pretty, teenager

Bling Storage for the Bathroom

Dear Chicago House,

Chicago teenager does like her make up but her bathroom usually looks like a bomb has exploded in it, with makeup brushes everywhere and clothes on the floor...sigh.

In an effort to make her a little more organized I made this dandy little make-up storage pot. Bling, bling!

it was very easy to make

You will need
1 clean tin can (this one was home to fire roasted tomatoes)
Scrap book paper
Modge podge
Hot glue gun
Decorative fillers (my local Michaels is relocating and had fantastic clearance items, I got three big bags of these for a $1)

Cover the inside and outside of the can with scrap book paper and modge podge. I used a simple dotted paper but you could get some interesting effects using a more detailed paper.Then glue your decorative filler beads with hot glue. I started at the top and worked in lines.

I hope it will become a permanent home for all those makeup brushes!

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: beads, Craft Projects, decorative accents, DIY, How to, teenager, Tutorials

Turquoise Earrings

Dear Chicago House,

I am pretty certain creativity is a genetic trait. Just look at these beautiful turquoise earrings made by your 13 year old inhabitant. Thing is she doesn't have pierced ears, she made them for me. Sweet!

She has been making beautiful beaded creation in the art room in your basement which I am ashamed to say still has not had the TLC it deserves and still looks like this.

Well if truth be told a rather messier version of the above as it is now littered with beads. I do love the fact we can make as much mess as we want in this room and not have to clear it up straight away. Shut the door and its out of sight and out of mind.

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XXX

Linking with

addictedtodecorating | Homestoriesa2z

Categories: beads, Craft Projects, jewelry, teenager, Treasure