Beaded Crosses for Easter

Here is what I have been busy with these past few days...I made these beaded Crosses for Easter to give to my family and friends. Thanks Cathy in Mt for the lovely beads you sent me recently. I also used some shimmering ribbon which my future Daughter-in-law had given me : )

I made these crosses using this pattern. However I altered the tops and tails as instead of the lanyard as a holder, I just made a knot in the ribbon to create a simple circle. The bottom I tied with one Uni knot similar to this method but again I adjusted this to suit my project according to the ribbon I used and added a small tassel to finish it off.





These are great tokens to give to friends, workmates, children in Catechism classes or even made for fund-raising.

In case anyone wants to try making these crosses, I started off with a length of about 90cm. of ribbon. To finish off the tassel tie an extra piece of ribbon, fold in two and tie to the 2 ends to create a tassel with 4 pieces. Maybe the instructions are not too clear but I finished these off in the best way according to how my work proceeded so maybe you will find another way to finish off yours. Have fun trying these out! God bless!

PEG YOUR NOTES ~ An easy Decoupage craft

PEG YOUR NOTES Fridge Magnets ~ This is a very simple craft, one that can be done in only a few minutes. It is a great craft to make with children.




Materials needed:



New wooden pegs


Printed Paper Napkin with small design (ex. flowers or geometric design) preferably on white background
OR any leftover wrapping paper or scraps of colourful paper


PVA glue mixture (see side note)


Narrow paintbrush


Scissors


Magnet small enough to fit back of peg (cut to size from advert magnets - see bottom note)


Sponge


All-purpose glue


Wet cotton rag


Acrylic Matt varnish





Step by step instructions


Place two or more pegs in a row.


Cut the napkin down to size using one piece enough to cover all the pegs in one go. DO NOT CUT OUT DESIGN.


Separate the top layer (the actual design) of the designed napkin from the other 2 plain layers. (Separate by peeling from the corner.)


Spread PVA glue mixture over one side of the pegs using a paintbrush.


Place the designed sheet over the pegs and dab down gently with the sponge (do not rub) or you can even use your fingers.


Wipe fingers on wet cotton rag to remove any glue.


Smooth out creases or air bubbles with fingers.


Let dry completely.


Apply at least another two more coats of glue, letting each coat dry completely. Fix magnet to back of peg using all-purpose glue.


When totally dry, separate pegs by cutting off the excess napkin and trimming edges.


Do not decoupage more than two or three pegs at one go as they might be awkward to handle if you are not used to it.


Finally seal with a coat of acrylic matt varnish or spray.


Make several to peg your notes and decorate your fridge!!

~NOTES~

IDEAS! You can use these decorated pegs to hold notes on your fridge and if you do not attach a magnet to the back you can also use them to seal bags of cereal, snacks or frozen veggies, and also to hold back curtains!

Great fund-raising item for school or church sales! Or to give as gifts!

MAGNETS: If you do not have any advert magnets, try hobby shops or hardware stores for sheet magnets which you can cut down to the required size.

PVA GLUE MIXTURE: See the posting about 'Getting Ready to Decoupage'.

The photos in this posting are from shared files.