APRIL Art and Soul

MAGNETIC BOARDS
12" x 18" (or 12" x 24") sheet metal, pre-cut at Lowe's (I prefer the thinner metal, about $5)
Fabric of your choice
Glue gun
Ribbon
any embellishments you want to add

1. Cut the fabric to wrap around the metal sheet. With your glue gun, secure the fabric on the back of the metal, wrapping the metal like a package.

2. Cut your ribbon to allow enough length to hang your board. Secure with the glue gun on the back of the metal. Be sure and glue all the way to the top edge on the back.

3. Cut another piece of ribbon for the front of the magnetic board. Tie a knot in the middle, and cut each end to look pretty--with a "V" sorta look on the end. Using hot glue on the knot and each end, secure to the front of the magnetic board at the top.

4. OPTIONAL: you can add a button over the knot, ribbon or ric rac along the bottom--or an iron-on letter--any other idea to make it pretty!

5. You can buy magnets OR use glass beads with scrapbook paper mod podged behind the glass and a magnet hot glued to the back. You can also mod podge scrapbook paper on the front of a clothes pin and hot glue a magnet on the back to create a magnet.

*MARCH* Art & Soul Beaded Watches

Supplies:
--Bar Watch face (www.beadalgo.com or www.goodybeads.com are both good sources)

--Jewelry elastic cord (Hobby Lobby, Michael's, JoAnn's)

--Beads of your choosing

--4 Lobster clasps per beaded band

--2 Jewelry spacer bars per beaded band

--Super glue

--Scissors

Instructions:
1. Cut a length of elastic cord that when doubled, is long enough to go around your wrist. Place a lobster clasp on it.

2. Add 2-3 beads after the lobster clasp, then add a second lobster clasp, facing the same way.

3. Pull the cord so that what you have already beaded is in the middle of the cord. Add your beads to each side--you may want to bead so that both sides match. Go about 1/3 of the desired length.

4. Add a spacer bar, looping each side of the cord into the spacer bar, then continue beading until you get to about 2/3 of the way through the length. Add another spacer bar here, and then finish your beading. *It's easy to make your band too long! Don't forget the cord is stretchy and the watch face takes up space, also. So continue to check the length against your wrist.

5. Hold one end of the cord at the end of the beading. At the other end of the cord, after your beading, add another lobster clasp facing the same way as the ones on the other end.

6. Add your 2-3 beads, then the fourth and last lobster clasp.

7. Tie a TIGHT and secure knot with the cord after the fourth lobster clasp and the other end of the cord.

8. Add a drop of super glue to ensure your knot will not slip.

9. After the super glue is dried, cut off the loose and long ends of the cord.

10. You can now add your beaded watch band to the watch face with the lobster clasps.

11. Make multiple bands per watch face and enjoy switching them out!

Framed Initials (February Art and Soul Project)

SUPPLIES
Frame of your choice (Dollar Tree 8"x10" is what we used)
Paint or scrapbook paper to decoupage the frame
Paint brushes
Black initial of choice (we cut ours on our Cricut)
Triple Thick
Mod Podge if you are decoupaging
Embellishments of your choice
Ribbon to hang the frame from
Hot glue gun

1. Paint the top of your letter with triple thick. (can use mod podge, although not as glossy a finish, or any other paper glaze product).

2. Set letter aside, and take your frame apart. Either paint or decoupage the frame to your liking.

3. Glue the letter to the glass of the frame using triple thick.

4. Decorate around your letter with embellishments, using either mod podge or hot glue, depending on embellishments. Rub-on's work GREAT, as well as ribbon, buttons, stickers, etc.

5. Place the glass back into the frame.

6. Using your glue gun, place a ribbon (with or without bow) at the top of the frame for hanging.

7. OPTION: you can spell out a whole word, and hang letters together. OR, take a curtain rod, and hang the letters onto it to spell a word. If you choose the curtain rod, I'd make a loop of your ribbon at the top of the frame, then place onto the rod, and tie a bow at the top of the loop near the rod to secure.