overdue family meal or for a gathering of friends for a nice dinner and a glass of wine, shows that you’ve taken the extra step to make your guests feel welcome, appreciated, and loved. Napkin rings are the perfect finishing touch for such a setting. One of my favorites is an easy-to-make DIY craft that features beaded rings with tassels, feeding off of today’s popular farmhouse trend. For this project, you will need 16 mm wood beads, twine (jute or baker’s), scissors, upholstery needle, a 4-inch wide piece of cardboard, and a tape measure.
BY DOLORES RIGGINS
CRAFTY WAYS
TO CHASE
THE WINTER BLUES AWAY Chilly days. Colder nights. Winter is here, and odds are likely you’re spending more time indoors where it’s nice and warm. And while sitting by the fire and binge watching your favorite TV show is nice sometimes, winter boredom quickly creeps up on us. To chase that boredom away, tap into your creative
T
side and tackle a couple of simple yet fun craft projects. he two I am featuring here today both make great gifts for friends and family if you’re in need of a birthday or hostess gift, or a little something to show some love to those special people in your life this Valentine’s Day.
DRESS UP YOUR DINNER TABLE
In today’s busy world, setting a beautiful table isn’t something we do nearly often enough. But a lovely tablescape, whether for a long 22
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To begin, use the tape measure to cut a 20-inch piece of twine (go ahead and cut out the corresponding amount of pieces needed for the number of rings you intend to craft). Thread the needle with one of the 20-inch twine pieces and string beads onto it. Then wrap twine (from the roll) about 16 times around the 4-inch wide piece of cardboard (you can do more, if you prefer – the number does not have to be exact). Next, slide this off the cardboard while maintaining its circular shape. Cut the twine in half. This gives it a U-shape and will become your napkin ring’s tassel. Again, if you are making a set, go ahead and prepare the twine for the tassels for the additional rings. Tie this onto the beaded piece of twine with the excess string (I suggest double-knotting it). At this point, wrap one length clockwise around the top of the tassel, where it’s connected to the napkin ring. Then wrap the other piece counterclockwise. Tie the ends of the twine together, pulling tightly, and finish by trimming the ends if needed. Once complete, you have just crafted beautiful adornments for your dinner table. Your friends and family are sure to be impressed that you knocked these out on a cold winter day, and will appreciate knowing you went the extra mile to make them feel appreciated.
SPELL OUT YOUR LOVE As you know, Valentine’s Day falls right in the middle of Ol’ Man Winter’s favorite time of year – again, a wonderful indoor opportunity to create something special for loved ones and friends. There are so many creative and fun crafting ideas for this holiday that I found it awfully hard to choose just one to share. But after much thought, I decided on the super cute and functional Scrabble letter coasters that spell L-O-V-E. The wonderful thing about this simple-to-make project is that it can be used as a gift any time of the year, not just for Valentine’s Day. For this endeavor, you will need wood squares that measure about 4” x 4” or 4.5” x 4.5”. These can be found at any store that sells craft supplies. Choose a wood stain that you like. (Stains can now be found in marker form, making this part of the process even easier because it dries almost immediately.) If you don’t already have some on hand, pick up a small can of stain varnish sealer. You will
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