Red, White and Blue Flip Flop Sandals

Sometimes it can be fun to make a holiday craft project that you can actually wear, instead of something to decorate your house or yard. If you’d like to wear something red, white and blue on your feet this Fourth of July, try making this fun pair of patriotic flip flops. They can be fun to wear to a family picnic, to your local Fourth of July parade, or just to wear while hanging out by the pool. They are so easy to make that you might just want to make a pair for everyone in the family.

Materials You Will Need:

1 – pair of inexpensive foam flip flop sandals, solid white
1 – tube of vinyl glue (a good quality of E-6000 glue usually works best)
Red, white and blue craft foam sheets (you can use self-adhesive foam sheets, but you will still want to use the glue so that the shapes are affixed securely to the flip flop sandals.
Red, white and blue ribbon
Red, white and blue sequins
Several pinch-style clothespins
Newspaper or an old vinyl tablecloth to protect the table top

Craft Instructions:

1. Cover the table top surface with a thick pad of newspaper or an old vinyl tablecloth so that it will be protected from the glue.
2. If your flip flops have clear straps, you can cover them with strips of white craft foam so that the other decorations will show up more clearly. Affix the strips with the glue, then clamp in several spots with clothespins until dry. If the sandal straps are already white, you won’t have to do this step.
3. Using the red, white and blue craft foam sheets and ribbon, cut out various shapes and strips which you can use to decorate the vinyl straps. Move these around without gluing until you find a pattern that you like. Remember, both sandals do not have to match. You could use red and white stripes on one sandal, and blue stars on the other. Have some fun coming up with a creative design. Using a stencil shape can help you cut uniform stars.
4. After you have a pattern that you like, use the vinyl glue to affix the shapes to the sandal straps. Use clothespins to hold the shapes in place until they dry. You can also adorn the sandals with sequins for extra color, fun and sparkle. Lengths of ribbon can also be wrapped around the sandal straps, forming stripes. This method of wrapping the ribbon is also good for making sure that the white foam strips don’t come unglued from the sandal straps, if you had to use this method.
5. Use plenty of clothespins to keep everything securely attached until the glue has a chance to dry. Make sure to follow the drying times stated on the glue container.
6. Once everything is dry, remove the clothespins, and enjoy wearing your red, white and blue patriotic flip flop sandals. You can almost guarantee that everyone will ask you where you bought them.

Home design expert, Alyssa Davis of Metal-Wall-Art.com, is particularly skilled in designing with large metal art and silver metal wall decor.

Stripping and Staining Furniture Like a Pro

It was sitting there in the thrift store just waiting for you to come along.  That perfect old buffet that would look great in the dining room was not only the right size and shape, it was also reasonably priced.  The only problem?  Avocado green paint went out of style in the 1970s and your dining room is decorated in country decor.  Never fear!  With the helpful hints below, you will be stripping that ugly paint off and staining furniture like a pro.

Stripping Basics
The first rule of thumb for stripping paint is never to sand.  It may seem like a logical first step, but in reality, sanding off old paint from furniture can lead to serious health hazards, as many old paints are lead based.  Instead of sanding, choose a good stripping compound.  There are many different varieties and some work well on one type of paint, while others get better result on different types.  Ask at the local home improvement or paint store which is the better option for the type of furniture you will be working with.  For a chair with many small rings and divots, a wise choice is a spray on stripper.  It can easily get into those tiny spots that others may not be able to get to.  There are also less offensive paint strippers on the market that not only do not repel from the smell alone, but that also are environmentally safe.  Choose the one that works the best for the piece of furniture that you will be working on.

Let the Stripping Begin
Once the paint stripper has been chosen, don a pair of gloves and eye protection and get to work.  Apply the stripper according to the manufacturer’s directions and give it ample time to work.  Sometimes, two or three coats of the stripper will be required to remove stubborn or multiple layers of paint.  The stripper should make the paint easy to scrape off.  As you are removing the paint, place dirty rags and paper towels into a bucket of water to keep them from combusting.  Paint thinners are extremely flammable and the danger of spontaneous combustion is very real.  Use caution.

Finish It Off
After all traces of the old paint have been stripped away, it is time to finish the piece of furniture.  It is important to have a bare wooden surface for the finish to adhere to.  When applying the finish, don the necessary gloves and safety goggles to protect yourself.  There are a few different types of finishes that work well.  Lacquer is probably the most common and easiest to apply.  It goes on smooth, is highly durable and provides a long lasting finish.  Oil-based finishes are also easy to apply, but usually require many coats to get the best results.  If time is at a premium, oil-based finished will probably not be the best choice.  Shellac is a common finish, but many professionals choose not to use it on furniture that will be exposed to alcohol or moisture, as they break down the shellac finish.  Again, consulting with the staff at the local home improvement or paint store if you are unsure as to the brand or finish to purchase is always a good idea.  They can provide you with insight that may make choosing the right finish a lot easier.

Stripping and sanding furniture like a pro requires, above all else, patience and time.  The professional knows that the paint stripper should do most of the work, and that safety precautions must be taken.  Revel in the fact that the old buffet from the thrift store can come home and grace the dining room, after a week or two of loving restoration.

Alyssa Davis writes exclusively for Metal-Wall-Art.com, and specifically about designing with coffee metal wall decor and large wall art.

Easy Homemade Playdough Recipes

What child does not like playdough?  I know there are a few out there, but most children (and adults) love to play with playdough!  The problem with the name brand stuff is it is so expensive.  You pay big money for a small amount and then the kids end up leaving it out all night and it dries out, so that is a lot of money down the drain.  Not that homemade playdough does not cost anything, but it sure does cost a lot less than the name brand, and you get the added bonus of spending some time with your children being creative in the kitchen.

Homemade playdough also makes a great gift.  Instead of going out and buying packs of playdough as a gift for your child’s friend, or as party gifts, make up a few batches of homemade playdough, divide into cute little containers that you can find at any craft store, and you have a nice gift from that heart and you saved a little money in the process.   Another bonus is that these are usually safe if swallowed, even if they do taste bad.  No additives in it that you would need to worry about.  I have even got a recipe here for peanut butter playdough for those that do not have a peanut allergy!  This works great with little ones that are still prone to sticking things in their mouth.   I do have to admit that our favorite was always the Kool-Aid playdough recipe because it always smelled so good!

So, grab your kids and head to the kitchen and build some creative memories together!  You will be so glad you did!

Uncooked Playdough

Ingredients:

Bowl

1 cup cold water

1 cup salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

food coloring

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. In bowl, mix water, salt, oil, and enough food coloring to make a bright color.
2. Gradually add flour and cornstarch until the mixture reaches the consistency of bread dough.
3. Store covered.

Salt Playdough

Ingredients

1 cup salt

1 cup water

1/2 cup flour plus additional flour

Saucepan

Directions

1. Mix salt, water, and flour in saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Remove from heat when mixture is thick and rubbery.
3. As the mixture cools, knead in enough flour to make the dough workable.

Peanut Butter Playdough

Ingredients

2 cups peanut butter

6 tablespoons honey

Nonfat dry milk or milk plus flour

Cocoa or carob for chocolate flavor (optional)

Edible treats for decoration

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix, adding enough dry milk or milk plus flour to reach the consistency of bread dough.
2. Add cocoa or carob, if desired.
3. Shape, decorate with edible treats, and eat!

Kool-Aid Playdough

Ingredients

1/2 cup salt

2 cups water

Saucepan

1 packet Kool-Aid powder for color

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

cups sifted flour

2 tablespoons alum

Directions

1. Combine salt and water in saucepan and boil until salt dissolves.
2. Remove from heat and add Kool-Aid.
3. Add oil, flour, and alum.
4. Knead until smooth.
5. This dough will last 2 months or longer.

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