Mystery Boxes, Michaels Edition — Christmas in April

 Today we took a little break from unclaimed mail and switched things up with a mystery clearance box from Michaels. My friend Heather and I couldn’t resist the temptation.

As expected, they were pretty much filled with Christmas décor, silk flowers, potpourri, and all the festive odds and ends you’d expect from a post‑holiday purge.

We kept a few things for ourselves, passed some goodies along to our crafty coworkers (you know who you are), and the rest is heading somewhere even better. Heather is donating the remaining décor to a local nursing home to bring them some holiday cheer next year.

Paint Your Own Pottery at Home Kits

Check out the super cute new kits from Pottery Awesomeness! These are the perfect project for kids and families to enjoy together. With themed-subscription boxes, like Halloween, Sweet Tooth, Sports Fanatic and more, kids will be excited to receive these boxes that come with everything they need to create their masterpiece! Each box includes three cute figurines, acrylic paint, paint brushes, a glossy sealer and an instruction card with QR codes that will direct painters to painting tutorials and instructions. For every kit purchased, Pottery Awesomeness donates a painting kit to sick children in hospitals. They work directly with the lead art therapist at each hospital to determine what supplies are needed. 

My Thoughts

I loved these! My kids thought they were amazing. We love doing crafts like this. Perfect gift for grandparents or parents alike. It included a good color selection. You can also add your own acrylic colors if you want more, or mix the colors to make your own. I learned how to make brown doing this project lol. It didn’t look like a lot of paint, but it was more than enough. This kit is of good quality and a great value. It also comes with directions, and a glaze to seal them with when you are done. This is one of those wonderful zen like projects where I can turn off my brain and relax. it is like mediation for me. I am actually going to put these up with the Halloween decorations and save them for next year as well. 

The only fault I have with it is that the brushes are tiny. For the pumpkin I used the larger one that they have you for the glaze and went and got a second one from my own collection to apply the glaze with. The kids helped me with the pumpkin. There are tons of boxes to choose. They have standard packages where you can order one box, monthly subscriptions, and party packs. If you wanted to have a home pottery painting party for a birthday, these are perfect. They are completely customizable as well. You can do simple packs or pick out all decorations and themes. They are a party in a box. Super cute. 

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Book Review: Paper & Tape: Craft & Create

Learn how to transform washi tape and paper into beautiful stationery, giftwrap, home decor, gifts, and more--all with just a few simple tools!

Paper & Tape: Craft & Create is full of unique and inspirational ideas and step-by-step projects that are perfect for washi tape crafters of any skill level. From birthday cards and DIY coasters to paper puppets and wall art, this engaging book is packed with helpful tips and beautiful photographs of finished work. Inside you'll discover how to "draw" and "write" with washi tape, make your own cards and envelopes, build pretty washi tape collages, and more. This book also features "Mini Make" projects that show you how to turn five common craft materials into innovative projects using washi tape. Full of inspirational instruction, sophisticated artwork, and myriad ideas to explore and build on,Paper & Tape: Craft & Create is sure to spur endless DIY and craft projects and spark hours of washi tape fun!

My Thoughts

I love washi tape. I don't even want to admit to how many rolls of it I have around the house. It's one of those items I am always buying, but always wonder if I will ever finish a roll. Thanks to Paper &Tape: Craft and Create, I've got some new ideas on how to use the tape.

The book is packed with ideas and the instructions on how to make the items, so you're not left in the dark. It's a big book and I really like the binding on it. The pictures are gorgeous. They are bright, colorful, and eye catching. The pages are smooth to touch and pretty thick, so you don't have to worry about them tearing.

I also really liked in the back, they put templates in it. So some of the projects, you can go to the back and get the template. Such as with the homemade gift tags. They had a variety of sizes as well. If you're a crafter and lover of washi tape, or know someone who is, they will want this book.

If you have the book, check out some more templates for downland HERE.