camp crafts..oh joy

I haven't posted much lately ABOUT crafts because I've been up to my EARS in crafts. I am the crafts coordinator for our church camp and this Sunday begins my 3rd year of finding crafts to keep these campers busy. For many years, our church held our camp at a 4H camp who provided crafts...leather making, wood working, etc. When that camp facility closed, the youth office turned to me and played on my love for crafting and kids, asking me to coordinate crafts. I've worked a lot of jobs in my adult lifetime and this is HANDS DOWN the busiest job I have EVER worked! The craft house is open for 5 hours each day and I never stop moving...but I love it! I order a lot of ceramics from Oriental Trading, but many of the crafts are ones that I pull together myself, getting ideas from other crafting blogs and Pinterest. In fact, you can see my craft house pinboard on Pinterest HERE.

Here are a few of my favorites in the craft house this year:

 Marshmallow shooters - Pattern found via Pinterest at Or So She Says

Pearl & ribbon necklace found via Pinterest at Dollar Store Crafts

Paracord bracelets - MANY tutorials online. This will be the big hit this year!

Chalkboard flower pots - found via Pinterest at Plaid Online.

Duct tape wallets - we will have more than 50 rolls of duct tape!!

Mason jar nightlights - found via Pinterest at DIY Crafts Online. We use battery operated tea lights. I'm going to make one with sheet music for my son's piano teacher..how fun!

Plastic tumblers w/lid & straw - found at DOLLAR TREE!!



Wooden letters - found at Hobby Lobby. Campers will paint them & add them to many of their crafting projects.

Ceramic robot bank & Ceramic cupcake bank - found at Oriental Trading. Ceramics are a MUST in our Craft House and go QUICKLY! Campers use acrylic paints, lay them to dry, & I finish them w/a clear protective spray.

Chalkboard ring - These intrigued me SO MUCH when I saw them, but they haven't really taken off. I plan to buy larger pendants so they can actually write something on them. I get the wooden pendants at Hobby Lobby. This photo from an etsy store, but the item must be closed because I can't find it now.

Again, if you'd like to check out my Pinterest pinboard of CAMP CRAFTS, go HERE. You can see ALL my boards HERE.

I will be busy in the Craft House with my Craft House Crew next week, so check back in a few weeks for pics of our Crazy Craft House! Each year, I am blessed with new friendships and thankful for the opportunity to share in this ministry. We will be opening our Bibles daily to the book of Hebrews and discussing & applying the idea of community among believers. For more about our church, Sycamore View Church of Christ, go here. Check out what's going on at "The View."

I'm linking up to Doodles & Stitches' Fabulous Friday Linky Party:

chalking it up

I originally posted this tutorial here on my blog, but wanted to post it again since our camp is just around the corner and let's just say I'm feeling nostalgic. PLUS, my friend Nicole over at Doodles&Stitches is doing such an awesome job of staying on top of her blogging game, that I've gotta keep up! So, I'm posting this and linking up her to linky party today. Check it out!





A chalkboard for a little more than $1??? Saw this idea a couple of years ago and MY have the kids at our camp LOVED this! It is likely THE most popular craft in the CRAFT HOUSE!

cookie sheet from Dollar Tree

my new secret weapon

do it the "joy way" - slop it on!!

I hot glued ribbon to cover my "sloppiness" on the edges.

2 coats later...and a little houndstooth ribbon and a swoosh of the paint pen...

Ready for game day!

*** NOTE FOR 2nd POST ***

Since doing this cookie sheet, I have used the round pizza pans and they work just as great! However, the other day when I was strolling through Pinterest, I saw THIS idea:

 

 Images via Pinterest

SUPPOSEDLY, these are *plastic* trays from Dollar Tree...whaaaa? How much you wanna bet that when I walk into MY Dollar Tree, I'm not gonna find it..geeesh.  Anyway, I'm DEFINITELY on the hunt for one o'these babies. Love, love, love the shape of them and love that they are plastic. 

Check back here in the weeks leading up to our camp, as I'll be featuring more items from the CRAFT HOUSE!