Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Make Your Own Stick Pins & Flags (and a giveaway!)

Need just one more thing on your page but you don't know what?  Down to a few scraps and not much else?  Have some *other* crafty stuff hanging around?  Then maybe I can help!

Here are the flags and stick pins I made and used with the MME Indie Chic Citron collection this month:

Flags and stick pins turn out to be pretty easy to make with a few supplies that you may already have on hand.  And if you don't - no worries.  For less than $10 and a quick stop at a local hobby shop, you can have enough stuff to keep you (and maybe a lucky scrappy buddy) in flags and pins for a while.  In fact, I'll bet if you know a beader, you can trade a stack of handmade cards for everything you need.  Throw in some chocolate too, and she might let you walk away with some crystals! 

You'll need super glue, head pins 2" or longer, seed beads, some larger beads, spacers, and 1/2" strips of paper and/or banner stickers.  The flower print paper was just my reference for finding the right colors of larger beads out of my stash.  A word about beads:  Notice the bag of "bead soup"?  Those are just leftovers from other projects or things the kids had.  Most beaders I know have a bag of leftovers like this.  And would be glad to unload it... remember the chocolate!!!  Otherwise, you can pick up a cheap collection of beads at a craft store.  Cheap is perfect and grab bags are great!

I use fewer beads for flags.
Assembling the flags and stick pins are pretty straight-forward.  Put a few beads on the head pins.  If it looks good to you, then you've done it right!  Use the super glue to hold the bottom bead in place.  I like to put a little glue on the head pin between the last and second-to-last bead.  As I push the last bead in place, it runs into the glue and sticks into place.  For flags, just fold the paper or stickers around the pin, and trim the end.

Look familiar?  Yup, those ended up on a card!



Using head pins results in pins that won't poke you - or your page protectors.
And now about that giveaway... one randomly selected commenter will win the 6 stick pins shown directly above!  You have until the next post goes up to enter.  Good luck - and I hope you'll try making your own!

Theresa

16 comments:

  1. Love these! You are so creative Theresa :) (Leave me out of the drawing please)

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  2. Love how you incorporated the beautiful stick pins with the flags! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  3. Theresa, those are just lovely! Time to go get me some beads :)

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  4. These are beautiful! Thanks so much for explaining how to make these Theresa, for I would never have thought how to do it. I would love to win them!

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  5. Beautiful pins! Gonna have to give that a try - thanks Theresa!

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  6. Very nice stick pins. I've made my own flags and stickpins in the past -- but never once thought of combining the two. Duh. Thanks for the kick in the seat of the pants.

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  7. Gorgeous pins!! I love the beads.. I need to make some of these.. what a great idea!

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  8. Super cute, I'm going to try this one! Thanks for sharing such a fun idea.

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  9. Neat idea! Can't wait to try this-just the inspiration I needed. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. This is great! I like being able to customize things like that, not just open a package :)

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  11. HOW do you make this look SO EASY!!???! WOW!! Fantasta-rific! LOVE!!!!

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  12. So simple, but yet I've never really made my own pin. Thanks for the tutorial.

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  13. I've made a few of my own flags before but nothing like this! love the idea! Thanks for sharing

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