Q: I would like some creative ideas for making a dog collar or dressing up a plain cheap one.A: Obviously you're an animal lover who wants to pamper her pet just a bit. Here are a few suggestions:
- Start with a purchased dog collar and sew or glue contrasting ribbon down the center of the collar. You can even rubber-stamp images with permanent ink onto the ribbon before you apply it to the collar for a really customized look.
- If you're set on making your own collar, choose a heavyweight ribbon and fuse two layers of it together with fusible interfacing to give it more body. Sew hook-and-loop tabs, which you can get at your local crafts store, to the end of the collar so that it can easily be removed when needed.
.I hope these suggestions make your little pooch the prince or princess of the neighborhood!
Q: Stickers are so expensive. Is there any way to make my own?
A: There are many different ways to make your own stickers. Doing so allows you to be very creative and to completely customize the look you're trying to achieve. Using adhesive-backed acetate and die-cuts is a great way to start. (Do like I did and decorate a gift bag with stars cut from adhesive-backed holographic paper.)
Another option is to photocopy line art onto adhesive-backed acetate. Once that's done, cut out the image and apply to interesting paper.
Double-sided tape is perfect to transform into stickers. To make a "party tag," I simply bordered the edge with double-sided tape and covered it with glitter. Use double-adhesive letters in the same way: stick them to the tag, remove the release paper and add glitter.
Q: My daughter's jewelry box is always a mess, and she can never find the right necklace, earrings or bracelet. Any suggestions on how to get her more organized?
A: How about a cute jewelry holder? It's simple enough to make that your daughter can do it herself.
You start with a wooden picture frame. Paint it the color of your choice and let it dry completely. Then embellish the frame with wooden shapes, glitter and rhinestones. Paint the shapes and, before the paint dries, sprinkle with glitter. Use a stencil and glue to create glitter shapes.
Measure and trim plastic needlepoint canvas to fit on the back of the frame and glue into place. Glue the front, flat portion of each picture hook onto backs of wooden shapes. Push the tacks through the plastic canvas and secure with earring backs. Hang necklaces and bracelets from the hooks and attach pierced earrings directly through the plastic canvas.
Maybe this will help keep your daughter's jewelry organized.
