Recycled refrigerator magnets
- Collect small magnets. These could be old promotional or calendar magnets businesses send you. You also can purchase business card sized magnets from arts and craft stores, such as Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft, and Hobby Lobby. Lush recommends the brand ProMAG for magnets.
- Gather photos and other images from around your home. Find photos of your family, friends or pets. Or get even more creative and find old ticket stubs from music concerts.
- Stick the photo or image to the front of the magnet. Any gel-like glue will work. Lush suggests using Mod Podge or Liquitex glue; you can even put the gel over the photos or art as a sealer at the end to create a finished look.
- Another option is to buy small rigid plastic sleeves from a local comic books store. Put a photo or miniature prints of your artwork in the sleeves, and then glue a magnet on the back. Cut the sleeve as needed. This allows you to switch up the magnet art as you like.
“The refrigerator magnets can be for anyone,” Lush said.
Bird’s nest ball ornaments
- Buy a grapevine ball, a sphere shaped figure made of loosely tied together grapevine material. These can be found at stores that sell dry or decorative flowers, such as Flower Factory in Centerville. Lush said she recently bought a set of 10 grapevine balls at IKEA for $7.50.
- Take scraps of yarn and string. If you do a lot of knitting or crocheting, you should have leftover scraps you can use. If not, you could ask a family member or friend, or buy some yarn or string from an arts and crafts store.
- Fill the grapevine ball with these scrap materials using your hands, or using a knitting needle or similar tool.
- Hang this ornament on a tree outside. Over time, birds will take parts of the yarn and string for their nests, and you'll start to see pieces of your artwork in trees near you.
“That’s a nice gift for any person that has a yard and likes to watch the birds for the winter,” Lush said. “It’s a good grandparent gift.”
Lego jewelry
- Drill small holes through the top and bottom, or through each side, of a square Lego piece. You can use a tool such as a small drill bit to do this.
- String the Lego piece onto a necklace, bracelet or earring wire. You can use pieces of jewelry you already have, or you can find these materials at arts and crafts store.
- Add other decorative beads to the jewelery item if you would like.
“That’s a fun gift for teenagers who it’s kind of hard to buy for,” Lush said. “Teenage girls really seem to like them a lot.”
See items Lissa Lush makes by going to
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