American Crafter Round 1 Projects

The projects are in!

And let me tell you- they are fabulous!

You still have 1 week until V-Day, so be inspired:)

Our 3 Fabulous Judges provided us with some excellent commentary. The final decision though is up to you!

You will be able to vote for 3 Favorites
***Click on any of the photos to see an enlarged version- don't want to miss out on those beautiful details!

#1 Marshmallow Conversation

by...Michell (Girl in Air)
Tutorial

 

Here's a simple sweet treat.

You most likely have these items in your pantry.

1. Food Writer Pen 

2. Marshmallows     

3. Hot Cocoa          

Write your sweet message and serve up your hot cocoa with a little added LOVE :-)   

 

and for the little ones a marshmallow necklace!! 

YUMMY!

Happy Valentine's Day to YOU!

This is a fun, easy idea to do with kids. They would love writing their names on the marshmallows. I love that she made it into jewelry too. 

This is so simple, yet so fun!  I bet my kids would LOVE practicing writing their letters on Marshmallows.  And that picture of them melting in the hot chocolate - perfect!  One of my favorite entries.

How fun to surprise your loved one with a hot cup of cocoa filled with {marshmallow} love notes! Great kid craft too!

#2 Some Sugar for my Valentine

by... Jamie (Pure Joy)

I made these for my daughter because she LOVES to pretend to bake and plays "Food Network" all the time. She also likes to have tea parties so I thought these would be perfect for her. This Valentine's Day bake up something truly sweet for your Valentine- some darling play sugar cookies.

Felt food is a great way to encourage creative play. I love the cookies that she made. The hearts and the different way she embellished the cookies are so great! 

I have never attempted felt food, but every time I see it I wonder why I haven't - so cute.

I want to take a bite out of those yummy looking cookies! I like that it is something that your daughter can use after v-day as well.

#3 If Only Cupid Were a Girl

by... Ashley (Give Me the Simple Life)

These sweet flowers were made with varying fabrics in different shades of red, pink, white, polka dot {my fav!!} and zebra {awesomeness!}!!  They are made with two sizes of circles...a large and small circle.  The larger flower consists of 6 circles which are folded in half and folded in half again then sewn down to the bottom piece.  It is a fairly simple flower to make...minus pricking your finger a couple of times {or ten}!  The small flowers are made the same way.  Once the flowers were sewn I adhered them to the ribbon-wrapped headband with hot glue.  I love the dimension these flowers provide!!  It really stands out when worn on a headband.  The different textures...such as tulle, really make the flowers pop up and give them depth.  I cannot wait to make a lot more and start wearing them around town!!  

This headband is so funky and different. I love the colors that she combined together with the colors and patterns. Very playful and fun!

This is cute, but I've seen lots of headbands floating around so I'm not too "wowed".  Although I do love the fabric combo - -

I'm such a sucker for headbands! <3 I liked how Ashley used different fabrics and materials to make the flowers flirty and fun. 

#4 Versatile Valentine's Dress

by...Hope (Sparkle)

 My inspiration, Butter by Nadia, was well out of my price range. At $246 I had better things to spend my money on... but the dress was so beautiful. And I LOVED the versatility of it. From a conservative restaurant to a beach party to a flirty night out this dress can do it all-just wrap and tie the straps differently and each time you'll have a CUTE dress. My version cost about $30 to make and has one continuous seam around the waist making it great for beginners or a last minute project for the more experienced seamstress.

This dress idea is so clever. I love that it can be worn so many different ways. What a great piece to take when traveling. And I love that her version was so inexpensive. Very clever!

I've seen these "versatile" dresses for sale before and am always intrigued by them.  All those looks with one garment - fascinating!  And with just one seam, sounds easy to make.

this is brilliant! It's like the little black dress on steriods! errr....v-day candy! {way to go modeling too!}

#5 Peek-a-Boo Valentine Dress
by...Leslie (The Little Apple Seed)

I am so excited for this weeks theme! I decided to make a Valentine's dress for my daughter. I decided I would create my craft from the supplies I already had on hand. I knew I had a vision in mind but I am not a pattern maker and the only pattern I had on hand in my daughter's size was a Raggedy Ann costume. I figured I could alter it enough to my liking. I changed the collar, shortened the sleeves and added cute ruffles to the back of the dress. I crocheted a heart and hand embroidered "love" on the front of the pinafore. I also made a matching hairband. It was a lot of fun creating this dress and I am SO happy with the way it turned out!! 

This little Valentine dress is so sweet. I love the pinafore that goes over the top. And it has great details like the hand sewn love and heart. And the back has equally great detail with the colors and ruffle. Very cute!

I love how this takes a pattern and makes it into something that works for their needs.  Let's us all know that we can tweak patterns to make them work for us.  The embroidery just adds that punch of wow!  Also love those ruffles in the back.  One of my favorite entries.

awww how adorable is that?! I love the details-the buttons, heart, stitched "love" and coordinating headband!
 
#6 Door to My Heart...
well window screen to my heart
by...Ashley (Being Grown Up)
Tutorial

Happy Happy Valentines Month and First Week of American Crafters!! It took me FOREVER to figure out what I wanted to craft for this weeks theme!!! My house was all decorated for Valentines already, BUUUUT my front door wasn't! When I finally decided I would decorate my front door, I couldn't think of anything to do that a billion bloggers haven't already done! Proudly I can say I made this project up ALL on my own!! Hopefully everyone likes it as much as I do:) This craft was SUPER cheap and even more SUPERLY easy!! (yes I just made that word up) The only thing I had to buy for this was the window screen! Everything else I had laying around my craft room (AKA the CRAP room as my family calls it)! Some quick steps: Cut 3 different sized hearts out of the window screen, HAND paint these hearts (spray paint was a FAIL, but latex paint worked), tape them together and put them on your front door!

I hope everyone enjoys my first American Crafters Craft as much as I do!! If you have any questions about this come check out my blog, I'll be posting a tutorial later on today! Happy Voting:)

This heart door decoration is very fun. I love that she used an unexpected element - the screen to add texture and make it unique.

I'm not in love with this one - but I bet in person I could see more of what's going on.  I do like how it's a unique project.

Who doesn't love a big, red heart?! seriously.

#7 Love Notes Board

by...Amy (Ameroonie Designs)

I wanted a place where I could leave little notes/treats for my kids this Valentine's season.  I really wanted it to feel special and to take some extra time to let them know just how loved they are, and why.  These little fabric envelopes are hung with wire to a beadboard frame and are just the right size for a loving note and a sweet treat!

This is such a cute idea. The black shutters are so striking with the pouches. I love the idea of making pouches for each child and leaving little love notes in the pouches! 

Shutters are everywhere right now, and this kind of has that look - cute for a love notes board. 

I love this one! The colors, the fabric, and the whole concept is great! {plus I'm totally into black painted bead board right now, so that prob is a factor!} 

#8 Love Story

by... Jessica (Mommy Creations) 

When I found out this weeks theme I immediately thought of 'my valentine'. I was excited, because how often do I craft with my husband in mind?  Face it like the rest of my life my crafting revolves around my kids. I used the quote "Every love story is beautiful...but ours is my favorite" to create a mixed-media art piece representing "Our Love Story".   Do to sickness and the ridiculous amount of snow we have been getting I had to get creative and use only things which I already had (which I'm sure my husband appreciated). The background is a piece of cardboard with the wrapping ripped off to expose the corrugation, giving it more texture. Then I just started adding things until I felt it showed my vision. My favorite part is the clothes pin where my husband and I can leave each other love notes. This was a lot of fun to put together, and I love how it turned out. To see more more pictures of how I put it together check it out at Mommy Creations.

I love that this piece is so personalized and means so much to the creator. It is a beautiful mixed media creation. Very colorful and pretty!

I like the idea of doing something for my husband, but for me I'm not sure this is it. I'm pretty sure he'd rather have something a little more manly.  But it's cute - love those little birds.

What a better way to celebrate your love!

#9 Cupid Dress Up Costume

by...Ashley (Achieving Domestic Bliss) 

After struggling for several days over what kind of project I should do, I finally had some inspiration.  My 16-month-old daughter, Karrington, was playing around wearing an old pair of fairy wings that belonged to her big sister.  They were all ratty, but Karrington was prancing around as though they were the prettiest things ever!  I got my inspiration – a Cupid Costume for Valentine’s Day!  Who can resist that milky white skin and dark curly hair?

I wanted everything to be completely original, so I didn’t Google anybody else’s previously done anything.  I used those ratty old wings and turned them into beautiful white feather wings, and added pink flannel bloomers with “Cupid” zig-zag stitched on the bum.  I made a matching feather & heart hair clip for her headband.  And no Cupid would be complete without their set of Arrows,  a Quiver, and a Bow!  All items are made from assorted flannel, felt, batting and ribbon, and I used a mixture of machine sewing, hand sewing, and hot-gluing.  ALL items were handmade by me for this project, save for the pink crochet headband and the fairy wings wire frame.

 The felt bow and arrows, along with the quiver are designed to be toys and to be played with.  My 6 year old son really enjoyed playing with it as well; he wants his own set in blue!  The bow’s string is a curly-baked ribbon, designed to “stretch” and bounce back.  The arrows are gently reinforced so they will stay straight.  The quiver can hold up to 7 arrows ;}  And yes, these toys will be played with under adult supervision.

You can see the full tutorial and more pictures at my blog here!

What a sweet dress up costume. I love that she used it as a photo prop. This is perfect for that type of use. The wings are incredible and I love the embroidered pants and the bows and bow holder. Such a darling outfit!

My girls love to dress up, so this appeals to me.  Having a whole set is fun, but I know the wings would be the biggest hit.  Or maybe the bow and arrow - weapons are always in demand!

What a fun dress up outfit! And they double as awesome photo props for your v-day photo shoot! Would love to see this in a boy version. {all boy home over here!}

#10 Geeky Conversation Hearts

by...Bree (The Extra Ordinary Bree)

Last week I was running through the mall with my many kids in tow when I found a little boy's shirt that made me pretty mad.  It said "eligible bachelor" another next to it said "future stud".  It got me thinking about our little girls shirts... would I put my little girl in a shirt that said "single and ready to mingle" or "future babe"?  I think not!  So I set out to make a Valentine's Day shirt that was cute and fun and wholesome... something that didn't make me feel like I was pimping out my boys.

And the binary conversation heart was born.  Binary is so very geek but worn with a double popped collar and you've got the perfect blend of cool.
One shirt says "I like smart girls"... shouldn't we all!  And the other simply says "love".

These shirts are so fun. I love that they have a sense of humor and I love that they are made for boys. It is so hard to find cute ideas for boys for Valentine's Day. Great project!

LOVE IT - this gets my vote!  Boy valentine's projects are hard to come by, and when you do, they're kind of lame.  LOVE the uniqueness of this!!  I know I'm a geek at heart.

Yes, a fabulous boy v-day project!! wahoo! LOVE the shirts! Pop that collar and rock that awesome shirt boys!

#11 I HRT U, Valentine

by...Larissa (Just Another Day in Paradise)

Make sure your Valentine knows just how much you love them by saying it twice. First give them their very own plushy, felty, hearty conversation heart valentine which declares perfectly "LUV U". Then say it again as they find the private stash of conversation heart candy hidden in the back pocket. What a perfect way to declare your Little Man's or Little Lady's feelings for their favorite friend, their favorite parent/grandparent (you,of course), their teacher, or yes even their whole class.

These felt conversation hearts are adorable. And they would be so much more fun to receive than a store bought card. I love this idea. And i love that you could personalize them with the receiver's name or nickname. Cute!

I like how these are pockets for candy - fun all-around.

First, that pic of your lil guy is awesome!! He's adorable! Second, what cute, eco-friendly valentines! I love that you can use them next year {and the next and the next...}

#12 Be Mine- Vintage Valentine Banner

by...Angela (Better Together)

This year for the valentine holiday I set out to decorate my home in a way that would give it a vintage feel. When I heard this weeks competition was going to be Valentines themed, I knew that I wanted to create something for my home to add to it’s already vintage valentine theme. I decided to create a fun Be Mine banner. Vintage book pages came in handy for this project, as well as recycled cardboard. I think the best part about this is that it is strung along a beautiful strand of lace which gives the banner the perfect amount of charm. I hope you enjoy.

I am also thinking of using this as a gift and writing personalized love notes on the back of each banner piece. More details will be posted over on Better Together on Saturday.

What a pretty garland. I love the vintage vibe. And the silhouette couple are perfect. This is a very eye-catching idea and would be a great showpiece on a mantel!

Banners and Book Pages are all the rage right now - fun to use those ideas for Valentine's Decor. 

Angela did an awesome job mixing cardboard and lace! They paired perfectly to create the vintage feel she was going for. Mix in some book pages and you have one fab banner! 

#13 Valentine Garland

by...Lizzie (Dancing Toad Photography)

"I like to keep my projects as fun and wallet friendly as possible.  I
used remnants from the fabric store and what I had on hand to make this
Valentine garland.  I am learning to crochet so I decided to get some
practice in by crocheting the rope that I attached the hearts to. It turned
out a little different than I had planned (doesn't everything?!) but I like
the result and the simplicity and uniqueness of it makes me happy."

What a fun garland. I love that she used fabric scraps that she already had on hand. It's so thrifty. Plus the red and white are classic and beautiful!

Again, garland is all the rage, so it's fun to incorporate that into Valentine's Decor.  Love the bright Red.

 I like how Lizzie crocheted the string. {don't worry, you're not the only crafter that things sometimes turn out differently than planned lol} Those fun hearts are a great way to use up some fabric scraps!

#14 Car Valentines
by Lori (Lori's Storys)

I am really EXCITED to be Crafting with all these Great Ladies.

This wasn’t my original craft for Round 1 but I think it is the Greatest Valentine’s Day gift… ever.

It’s made with Magnet roll material for signs, vinyl goods and lots of love. We found a design online (free) and cut it out and taped it to the magnets.  I plan on using these on Valentine’s Day for my friends & family. I’ll put them on their cars for a surprise.

Ok, this idea is fabulous!! What a fun idea. Teenagers would love to do this to each other's cars. Plus, it would be a great way to ask someone to a dance. Very creative and different!!

One of my top favorites - unique and fun way to give someone a valentine!

These would make for a fun family activity to go put these around the neighborhood on v-day eve! 

#15 Special Delivery Truck
by...Diane (From Blank Pages)

Don't just hand over your Valentine's Day card or chocolates or gift to your special someone, but deliver them in style with this "Special Delivery Truck". Measures approximately 8 inches tall by 12.5 inches long. The back opens up and has more than enough room to deliver whatever special items you want to share with your loved one. Filled with 100% Polyester Fiberfill, this truck delivers nothing but softness. With children around, it's sure to be enjoyed long after that special day is over. Deliver your love all year long. :)

What a great project! I love how bright and colorful it is and also the fact that the back can be opened up so a child can put things in the back of the truck. Very smart!

I really like this one - again, boy stuff is kind of hard so nice to see something for them, yet this could be for a girl too.  I can see my kiddos playing with it year-round.  Love that heart button on the back flap - so cute!

Very cute little truck! What a great way to deliver those love notes!


You may each vote 1 time for your 3 favorite

the Top 10 will move on to Round 2
Voting closes Sunday at Midnight
Results will be up Monday at 10am (MST)
***To vote you need to be on the actual blog, so if you're on Google Reader or you're an email subscriber- come on over:)

This post sponsored by: