'One Little Word' Tag Display (16 Years and Counting)

For 14 years, I displayed my One Little Word tags from cords, hanging directly on my wall. In 2025 when I made my 15th tag, I ran out of space with my current set up and moved the tags to a wood panel. I was really happy with how they looked, but it was only a one-year solution. There was no space for any additional tags. 2025 Cindy decided that was a problem for 2026 Cindy. 

2026 Cindy had been thinking about it for awhile (and occasionally shaking an angry fist at 2025 Cindy) before coming up with a solution that will last for 14 more years. I started with this 24x12" frame, then used Folk Art's Licorice (affiliate links) to paint the base black. I arranged my tags and stuck them in place with loops of washi tape. I still need to fix some little spacing issues and then put in the plexiglass, but this is how it looks now:  

I love seeing all my tags together and am excited to have so much more space for future years. I really hope I'm still making One Little Word tags 14 years from now.

Dimensional Mardi Gras Fleur de Lis

Mardi Gras is in less than two weeks, so it's a great time to make a fun decoration! This project features the fleur de lis, a symbol that is deeply connected to Mardi Gras and reflects the French roots of New Orleans. It's painted in the traditional colors of purple (justice), gold (power), and green (faith). Affiliate links below. 

Dimensional Mardi Gras Fleur de Lis

Materials: 

• fleur de lis pattern (below)
• Bristol Vellum
• Folk Art paint (green, purple)
• Treasure Gold
• Extreme Glitter (green, purple, gold)
• microtip cissors
• paper trimmer with scoring blade or scoring surface
• craft glue
• fishing line for hanging (optional)

Steps: 

Print three identical fleur de lis patterns. I put four of them on one page and used three (yep - I have a plan for the fourth!). 

Give each a base coat of purple, gold, and green paint. When that is dry, add a layer (or two!) of Extreme Glitter to make it sparkle. 

Carefully cut out each fleur de lis, following the lines as best you can. Then score each piece down the middle. I was concerned that the scoring blade might scratch the paint, but it didn't. 

Bend each piece along the scored line. Glue the right half of Piece 1 to the left half of Piece 2. Glue the left half of Piece 1 to the right half of Piece 3. If desired, add a piece of fishing line in the center between the unglued part, then glue it in place. You'll end up with a three-sided fleur de lis. Unless you cut it perfectly, you may need to trim up the shapes a bit.

Hang your fleur de lis. Because it's three-sided, it looks good from every direction. 

You can find the rest of the Mardi Gras crafts I've made over the years by going to my Winter Crafts page and scrolling down to the bottom. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Peeking Reindeer Painting

I made a companion piece for the Peeking Snowman. It's a Peeking Reindeer!

Peeking Reindeer

Materials: 

• watercolor paper
• Folk Art acrylic paint
• pencil
• Apple Barrel Paint Pens
• black pen
• centering ruler

Steps: 

Cut the paper to the size and shape you want the window to be. With a wet brush, moisten the area where the sky goes, then brush a small amount of light blue paint horizontally onto the paper. Let the paint dry completely. 

Use a pencil to sketch the outline of the reindeer. Paint the reindeer brown, with tan for his inner ears and muzzle. Paint the hat red. Add green trees. 

When the paint is dry, outline the reindeer and his hat with a black pen. Add eyes, a nose, and a mouth. 

Use the brown paint pen to make a window sill by coloring each edge of the paper. Then use the ruler to mark the center of each edge. Draw a vertical and a horizontal line through those center points to finish the window. 

Look how cute the two paintings look together!

   

 Who else can you imagine peeking in the window? Let me know in the comments!

Peeking Snowman

I love snowmen. This one is peeking in the window of a cabin. My tutorial includes the materials I used, but feel free to change it up and use markers, crayons, or any other art material you want. Affiliate links below. 

Peeking Snowman

Materials: 

• watercolor paper
• Folk Art acrylic paint - Light Blue
• pencil
• Apple Barrel Paint Pens
• centering ruler

Steps: 

Cut the paper to the size and shape of the window you want. Use a wet brush to moisten the area where the sky goes, then brush a small amount of Light Blue paint horizontally onto the paper. Let the paint dry completely. 

Use a pencil to sketch the outline of the snowman. Use paint pens to color the snowman's hat, scarf, arms, eyes, nose, mouth, and buttons. Add trees - small ones in the background and a larger one in the foreground. I added shadows with the pencil. 

With a brown paint pen, make a window sill by coloring each edge of the paper. Use the centering ruler to mark the center of each edge. Draw a vertical and a horizontal line through those center points to finish the window.  

Painted Glass Ornaments

I've been painting glass ornaments to give as a gift. This set of four sparkles and shimmers in the light. I like them individually but I love them together as a set. Aren't the colors pretty? Affiliate links below. 

 

Painted Glass Ornaments

Materials:

• styrofoam block
• wooden skewers
• sponge
• plain glass ornaments
• Folk Art Gesso
• Folk Art Color Shift paint
• Folk Art Extreme Glitter
• craft glue
• colored rhinestones

Steps: 

Set up a drying station BEFORE painting. Insert skewers into the styrofoam, leaving enough space between them that the ornaments won't touch. 

Remove the metal tops of the ornaments and set them aside. Use the sponge to cover each ornament with gesso. It's tempting to try to cover the whole thing at once or do sponge painting with the ornament on the skewer, but I found it's easier to cover half of each ornament (while holding it in your hand), let that dry on a skewer, then paint the other half. 

When the gesso is dry, paint the ornaments with your desired colors. (Same recommendation: paint half first, then the other half). For three ornaments I used the three shades of Color Shift that I own, then painted the remaining ornaments with a base coat and corresponding shade of Extreme Glitter. 

When the paint is completely dry, replace the gold hangers. Decorate the ornaments with rhinestones as desired. I found it really handy to use a jewel picker. Add an ornament hanger, decorative cord, or ribbon and they're ready to hang or give as a gift. 

Blueberry Pie Painted Rock

Does this look like a blueberry pie? I hope so. It definitely doesn't taste like a blueberry pie. Not that I've tasted it. If I did, it would taste like a rock. And paint.  

When I first saw this disc-shaped rock, I thought it looked like a pie. So I painted it to be a blueberry pie, which happens to be the state dessert of Maine. Affiliate links below. 

Blueberry Pie Painted Rock

Materials:

• a clean, disc-shaped rock
• Ohuhu Nahuku markers
• Folk Art paint - Yellow Ochre
• brown ink pad
• mini ink blending brush
• brown colored pencil 

Steps:

Use a light blue paint pen to make dots randomly across the entire front of the rock. Use a dark blue paint pen to draw smaller dots on top of those dots. You should mostly fill the space, but leave tiny bits of rock showing through. I colored the sides of my rock black, but in retrospect, that was completely unnecessary, so skip that. 

Paint the sides of the rock with yellow ochre (yes, completely covering the black that doesn't need to be there.) When it is dry, brush it with brown ink to give it some varigation. Then paint vertical lines to form the first part of the lattice. 

Add horizontal lines to complete the lattice. When the paint is dry, use the ink and a mini blending brush to darken every other intersection. This will help give the illusion that the lattice work is woven. 

When the ink dries, use the colored pencil to draw tiny lines around the outside edge to mimic the crimp marks made by a fork. Then you'll have a blueberry pie that looks good enough to eat! But don't. It's still a paint-covered rock. 

I will be taking the next two weeks off as I spend time with both sides of the family. I'll be back with more posts on December 1. 

Chipboard Fiddle Craft

Have you ever wondered about the difference between a violin and a fiddle? The short answer is that they are the same instrument, played in a different way for classical and jazz music (violin) versus country and bluegrass (fiddle). The long answer is a lot more complicated. Since the fiddle has been named the state instrument of Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, I thought it would be fun to design a craft based on this instrument. If you need a violin craft, just follow the same directions! 

Before I get to the tutorial, here I am holding my fiddle to give you a sense of scale. Obviously, you can make it as large or small as you want. 

Chipboard Fiddle Craft

Materials:

• fiddle image (below)
• chipboard
• binder clips
• microtip scissors
• Folk Art paint (Pure Black, Yellow Ochre, Autumn Leaves)
• brown ink pad
• black felt pen
• black ballpoint pen
• pencil
• paper piercer
• 3 mm gold brads or gold pearls
• craft glue

Steps: 

Print the image of the fiddle in the same size you want your finished project. Using scissors, separate the neck of the fiddle from the body. You now have two pattern pieces. 

Use the binder clips to attach the pattern pieces to chipboard. Carefully cut out each one, moving the binder clips as necessary. 

Cut out three more pieces from the scraps of chipboard: the bridge, the chinrest, and the tailpiece. You should have five pieces total. 

Paint the neck of the fiddle black. Extend the paint into the center of the pegbox. Rinse the brush. Mix a dash of Autumn Leaves into Yellow Ochre, stirring until it is mostly combined but not completely. Paint the body of the fiddle from top to bottom (no sideways strokes) to mimic the grain of the wood. The slight color variation will help it look more realistic. 

Paint the pegbox next, allowing some of the black to mix with the wood color. Then paint the scroll and pegs. Finally, paint the bridge, chinrest, and tailpiece. Let the paint dry completely. 

Tape the two pattern pieces back together. Use this technique to transfer the location of the F-holes to the painted chipboard, then color them in with the black felt pen. 

Use the brown inkpad to ink around the edges of all of the pieces. 

Use the ballpoint pen to emphasize the pegs and the edges of the pegbox. Draw a line across the top of the tailpiece. Then poke four holes below the line and add the brads. (Or just glue pearls in place and skip the holes. Much faster!)

Using the pattern as a guide, glue the neck, bridge, tailpiece, and chinrest in place. Draw the four strings with a pencil. 

I am really pleased with how my fiddle turned out. It was a fun challenge to try to figure out how to make it. On to the next project!

50 State Quarters: Coloring Pages Using Folk Art Acrylic Paints

I've finished four more State Quarters coloring pages: Wyoming, Rhode Island, Mississippi, and Michigan. This time, I painted each with Folk Art acrylic paint (affiliate link). Painting in the tiniest letters was a challenge, but otherwise I really enjoyed painting each coloring page. I particularly had fun making the sunset background for Wyoming's quarter.

It's been a lot of fun using different art materials to do these coloring pages. Before this batch, I've used: 

• Ohuhu Kaala markers (Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin)
• ink and colored pencil (Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Montana)
• Flair pens (Delaware, Indiana)
• Sharpies (Maine, South Carolina)
• Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 (Colorado, New Hampshire)

More State Quarters coming soon!

Glitterific Art in the Sketchbook

Every once in a while, I get a shipment of fun goodies as a Plaid Creator. My latest box had the six new pastel colors of Glitterific (affiliate link here and below). I tested them out by playing around in the sketchbook.  

I started by painting a double-page spread with black acrylic paint. Then I added THRIVE using Folk Art White Gesso. 

Then I used the same gesso to stamp flowers on the page. 

While that was drying, I went to the paint shelves to find a pastel matte acryric to match each color of Glitterific. 

I painted over the gesso with matte acrylic. 

Finally, I added the Glitterific on top of the letters... and then went a little crazy and dabbed it all over the pages.  

It's hard to see in the photo, but Glitterific is well-named. So much glitter and so terrific!

Dandelions and Fortune Cookie Messages in the Sketchbook

One of the many things uncovered when Trevor was packing to move into the dorms was a collection of fortune cookie messages. Neither of us remember when he was collecting them. I went through the stack, picked out four that I thought offered the best advice as he's headed off to college, and added them to this dandelion page in my sketchbook. 

 

The right side was already in the sketchbook (here's the tutorial for the dandelions). I didn't like what was on the left side, so I painted over it, glued the fortunes in place, then added the dandelion fluffs and the grass. 

Trevor, please do your best to remember each of these as you navigate through college and beyond: 

• Do not hide your feelings. Let others know where you stand. 
• You will obtain your goal if you maintain your course. 
• The strengths in your character will bring you serenity. 
• People enjoy having you around. Appreciate this. 

Sometimes, there's a lot of wisdom hiding inside a fortune cookie. 

Model Magic Name Art

I'm back to crafting and excited to share my latest name art project! It was a lot of fun to make and is easy to do in the classroom or with other groups. Affiliate links below. 

Model Magic Name Art

Materials:

• white Model Magic
• parchment paper
• Folk Art paint
• Folk Art Extreme Glitter
• white cardstock
• craft glue

Steps:

Decide how large you want the finished name to be. Mine is about 5" x 1", which required a half-ounce of Model Magic. For longer names (or if you want a larger version, regardless of name length), add more Model Magic accordingly. 

Open your clay onto a piece of parchment paper. I used a cutting board because I had it out for another project, but parchment paper is a better choice, because you'll be able to paint your artwork directly on it. Divide the Model Magic into X pieces, based on the number of letters in your name. Some letters, like the I in my name, will need less clay. Add it to letters (like the N) that need more. 

Roll each ball into a snake, then shape it into the correct letters. 

Let the Model Magic dry completely, then turn it over to let the other side dry. Plan for a total of at least 24 hours of drying time. 

When it is completely dry, arrange your name on a piece of cardstock, then mark it and cut it to the desired size. Set the cardstock aside, then pick a paint palette.

Paint each letter with one of the colors. Let the paint dry. 

 

Select colors of Extreme Glitter to compliment your palette. Add a coat (or two!) to add a ton of sparkle. 

Use a small amount of glue to adhere each letter to the cardstock. 

I've been a fan of Extreme Glitter for many years and Plaid has just come out with a palette of pastels. I can't wait to give them a try! Any suggestions for what I should make?

Salt Dough States

When I made the state flag heart magnets, I saved some of the salt dough to make another state-themed project. I just finished painting them and I'm really happy with how they turned out. 

Here's Missouri and Nevada. I was planning to paint them with their respective state colors, but Missouri doesn't have state colors. So instead, I used the red, white, and blue of the Missouri state flag, then added a silver Gateway Arch. For Nevada (the Silver State), I did use the state colors of blue and silver. 

  

Neither Connecticut nor Iowa has state colors, so I used their flags as inspiration for the background colors. I replaced Connecticut's grape-themed Coat of Arms and Iowa's bird-and-banner with hearts.

  

For Pennsylvania and Georgia (no state colors for either) I took inspiration from their nicknames. For the Keystone State, I used the blue background of their flag, then replaced Pennsylvania's overly complicated seal with a keystone. For the Peach State, I ignored the flag altogether and painted an ombre peach background, then drew a peach.  

  

Now that I've shown you what I did, it's time to tell you how I did it! Affiliate links below. 

Salt Dough States

Materials:

• salt dough
• Silpat
• rolling pin
• printed outline of state(s), cut with scissors
• sharp knife
• Folk Art paint
• Apple Barrel paint pens
• silver Sharpie

Steps:

Roll out the salt dough a Silpat so that it is 1/4-1/2" thick. Place the cut-out state shapes onto the dough. 

Use a sharp knife to carefully cut around the edges of the states. 

Remove the paper templates. Do not try to move the cut-out shapes. You can dry them in a low oven by simply putting the Silpat on a baking sheet, but I just air-dried mine for four days. If you choose to air-dry, let them sit on the Silpat for a day without moving them until they are crusted over and pale. The following day, carefully flip them over. After another day, when the second side is crusted and pale, remove the Silpat and let the states dry completely on a cooling rack for two days. Obviously, drying time will vary significantly depending on your temperature and humidity. Make sure they are completely dry before you paint them. 

I started by painting the backgrounds for each state. When those were dry, I used the silver Sharpie and the paint pens to add the details. 

So what do you do with these? I see a lot of possibilities. If you poke a hole in them before the salt dough is dry, you can turn them into keychains. If you press an ornament hanger into them immediately after flipping them on Day 2, you can hang these on the tree. You could add a magnet to the back to put it on the fridge, or you could even use a Sharpie to write the name and capital city on the back and use them like flash cards. Lots of possibilities!