Jim Noonan >>
How did you become so crafty?
Both my mom and my grandfather are crafty folks who love the
challenge of repurposing everyday materials to make beautiful
things or to solve little problems. After years of helping them
with their projects, I think their creativity and resourcefulness
rubbed off on me!
What do you do when you are not crafting for Sweet Paul?
I always have a whole bunch of things going on at once. Right
now I am working on 2 projects for Scholastic, finding ways to
utilize crafting as part of the learning process. I also stay pretty
busy with Professor Figgy’s Fabulous Science Kits, my business
that sells educational science kits ( professorfiggy.com). I’m
always making kits and developing new projects that make
learning about science a lot of fun! When I’m not working, I love
to cook, and then to clean and organize. I find all of these things
very relaxing.
Amadillo Ball
YOU WILL NEED:
tennis ball
metallic gold paint
paint brush
gold thumbtacks
small screw eye
hook
1. Paint tennis ball, and let it dry completely. 2. Cover ball with
thumbtacks. Start by pressing 1 tack into the ball and then
continue adding tacks in a circular pattern, covering any spaces
between tacks as you go. 3. Once ball is covered, choose
where you want the screw eye to be. 4. Press a tack into ball
and remove. 5. Twist screw eye securely into hole. 6. Put hook
through screw eye and hang on branch. (Note: with a pair of
wire cutters you can turn a paper clip into a great hook!)
Elise Dee >>
How did you become so crafty?
Growing up, my parents were always very encouraging of
creativity in our house. For our birthday parties, they would
cover the floors in kraft paper so we could draw all over the
place. They bought me my first easel and oil paints. They let
me use a hot glue gun in elementary school. They were always
on board when I wanted to make overly complicated school
projects and dioramas. I had no creative boundaries growing
up, so I was always encouraged to be crafty and resourceful.
What do you do when you are not crafting for Sweet Paul?
I am an assistant display coordinator at Anthropologie on
the Upper East Side. I work with the visual team to create our
windows and in-store displays. I also make faux Staghorn ferns
for my Etsy shop, etsy.com/shop/EliseDee
Terrarium Ornaments
YOU WILL NEED:
medium to large undecorated glass ornament (available at
Michael’s craft store)
small stones
charcoal
potting mix
persevered moss
tiny terrarium plant
small charm, broach, or trinket
tweezers for placement and assembly
1. Fill up an empty glass ornament about 3⁄ 4 of an inch with
stones. 2. Add a little bit of charcoal, to keep your terrarium
fresh. (If you want to use a plant that is usually in soil, add
potting soil.) 3. Add a layer of preserved moss. 4. Add your
plant. You can use any tiny plant you can find! 5. Add a
charm or trinket and place it in your terrarium with a pair of
tweezers. For a hanging trinket, hook some sting onto the lid
of your ornament. 8. Follow the care instructions for the plant
you’ve chosen.
