Crafts Direct Blog

2011 Charity of the Month.

2012-01-26T11:16:00.000-06:00

This week we had our last charity of 2011 come in to receive a check for the amount that was raised by the Crafts Direct customers during the month of December. So now the totals - and photos - are in!

Thanks to all of our WONDERFUL customers, our first year of implementing our Charity of the Month program we raised an astonishing $150,000 for charities local to the St. Cloud area. We are so proud of what our customers have allowed us to do with this program and so thankful for it's success in helping the charities that received the donations.

THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OF YOU WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROGRAM IN 2011!!

March Class Calendar.

2012-01-25T11:50:00.002-06:00

Our March class calendar is now available online! Check out some of the fun things we are offering- we would love to have you join us for some creative time or to learn something new. You can view the class calendar here. If you would like to register for a class please call us at 320.654.0907 or stop in and speak to someone at customer service.

Fragrance of the Month.

2012-01-23T12:07:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to pop in today and share with you our Yankee Candle Fragrance of the Month, which is Lemon Lavendar. Right now you can purchase the 22oz classic jar for only $14.98 (the regular price is $25.99).

We also have a few of the new Yankee spring fragrances available, including Lemonade and True Rose. They would be perfect to add a little spring time to your home or office!

You can find all of our candles in our Gifts Department at the front of the store by the Coffee Shop.

Valentine's Projects.

2012-01-19T13:08:00.002-06:00

On February 1st we are going to start our "14 Days of Love" blog series to share with you some of our favorite Valentine project ideas, but today I also wanted to share with you some of the fun projects and decor pieces our Seasonal Department has put together for Valentine's Day!

These projects only require a few supplies and can easily be put together by anyone (as most of them only require applying vinyl and filling them up with treats).

If you want to add a little pink or red to your home or office I'm sure you can find an idea you love out of this bunch:

Quilt Ventures Class: Frosty Fellow

2012-01-18T13:00:00.000-06:00

There are still openings in our Quilt Ventures Class: Frosty Fellow. It starts tomorrow evening at 6pm. The fee is $25 dollars plus supplies and is a 2 session class, with the second session being held Thursday, Jan. 26. If you are interested in signing up, stop in or give us a call at 320-654-0907. You will receive a coupon for 20% off your supplies, when you register. To see other classes we are offering check out our classes & events calendar here.

Hanging Frames.

2012-01-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

Do you have a small wall space that needs just a 'little something'? Or do you want to create a cute gift or valentine for someone that you know they will love?

Our hanging frames would be perfect!! They don't take up much room, they display a 4x6 photo (no photo resizing needed!), and they can easily be altered to match any decor colors or project theme.

Here are a few of the samples we have created recently:

I hope you find some inspiration in them or are inspired with an idea of your own!!

New in Fabrics.

2012-01-17T12:21:00.001-06:00

Today I am excited to share some new items from our Fabrics department with you!!

First up - new tweed stripe yarn from Vanna's collection. Love the colors available and the color combos of the stripes!! You can find these colors (and more!) in aisle 29.

We also just received in these four new Candlewicking Pillow kits. Apparently this is something we carried years ago - but just now got some new kits in. I love the designs and the neutral color palate of them!! You can find them in aisle 23.

Next, if you love the Lots to Love Dolls...we now have Lots to Love Bath Dolls. They are a bit smaller than the other dolls and come with cute outfits and ducks. We have these four styles/colors available and you can find them on a back endcap in our fabrics department.

And finally for any of you that sew or quilt, you can find some really cute Valentine and St. Patrick Day fabrics for your upcoming projects on a back endcap in our fabrics department as well.

New in Gifts.

2012-01-13T11:37:00.000-06:00

We have a few new items in our Gifts Department that I wanted to share with you today.

First up, we now have some new Primitives by Kathy box signs available. Lots of different options for both sayings and sizes of the box signs. Below are a couple of shots of some of the new ones we have:

The Gift Department also has a large selection of new scarves available. The scarf room is stocked full of new patterns, styles, and colors to choose from.

New Memo & Calendar Boards.

2012-01-11T11:20:00.003-06:00

Today I wanted to share with you a few new samples of our memo/calendar boards that Sarah Lynn created.

If you happen to have one that was decorated with a Christmas theme - now is the perfect time to simply swap out the paper and embellishments and create a new look for the upcoming season/month. And if you don't have one already - this is a really easy, fun way to get crafty and also a useful piece to add to your home!

New Fiskar Punches.

2012-01-09T12:47:00.001-06:00

Today just a quick share of something new I spotted in the store on Friday...and am very excited about! We now have these new Fiskars punches available in our Paper Crafts department.

We have the new punches for creating banners, pendants, and tabs:

And we also have a couple of the border punches and the small scallop rectangle too:

You can find all of them (plus the many other punches we carry) in aisle 11.

Towel of the Month-January.

2012-01-06T09:59:00.001-06:00

Welcome to another month of our Towel of the Month kit! We have some really great designs/kits lined up for 2012 and I'm so excited to share each of them with you. I love the idea of starting the new year with this monthly project and ending it with 12 unique embroidered towels.

For the month of January, we have the adorable Valentine themed towel shown above. As always, the kits include 1 towel, 1 instruction sheet, and floss in the color used for the sample. The only things you will have to supply (which you probably already have) is an embroidery hoop, tracing pens or Fabri-Solvy and a needle.

You can find the kits on the endcap of aisle 23 in the store and are available for only $6.99 each!

New Flowers.

2012-01-05T11:33:00.000-06:00

We just got this new line of very cute pin and clip flowers by Laliberi in! They are perfect to add to a headband or hair piece, and could also be used to add a little fun to a sweater, coat, purse or even your shoes! This is just a small sample of the pieces we got in - so be sure to stop in a check them out soon. You can find them with our other headband products in the back of the store by the Fabrics demo counter.

I'm loving the gray one with the silver edging...which one is your favorite?

Wine Cork Holders.

2012-01-04T13:01:00.002-06:00

Today I wanted to quickly share some samples I recently completed with these fun new Wire Wine Cork Holders we just got in. They come in a few different styles and with their neutral color could go with any decor style. What I really love about them is the ability to create them into different styles with just the addition of a few stickers, vinyl, paper, or ribbon.

Here is a closer view of the "Enjoy" Cork Holder - that I embellished by simply gluing on a some glass marbles to the outside of the piece. (A complete project sheet for this project can be found HERE.)

You can find the Wire Wine Cork Holders in our Wine Room in our Home Decor department at the front of the store.

Cheers!

Stamp of the Month - January

2012-01-03T11:32:00.002-06:00

Our Great Impressions Stamp of the Month products for January are now out! (You can find them on the middle endcap between aisles 9&10 in our Paper Crafts Department.) This months stamps follow a Valentine/love theme which is perfect for those Valentine cards and projects you will need during the month of February.

The Stamp of the Month for January is this background stamp, and is available for only $6.50 (half off of the white tag price).

And the coordinating stamps available this month are:

These range in price from $4.49-$11.49 each.
(**Also through January 20th, 2012 these stamps are an additional 30% off of the white tag price!)

More information about the Stamp of the Month can be found on the blog post HERE. Additionally, more information can also be found on the Great Impressions website HERE.

Happy Stamping!

January & February Classes

2012-01-02T09:12:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year! It is a great time to learn something new and we are offering many classes to teach you a new craft/hobby. Everything from cake decorating to card making. Check out our calendar of classes and events here. If you see a class you would like to take stop in to register or give us a call, (320)-654-0907, as many classes still have openings. We hope to see you soon.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 25

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 25: Rolled Paper Tree

And finally, today I wanted to share with you this rolled paper tree we created after seeing the idea posted on Pinterest (you can follow our Pinterest board here.) We used one of our 5x9" wood plaques (painted white) and paper from the We R Memory Keepers line. I love the look of the finished project and I really had fun making it too!

I hope you all have enjoyed seeing our 25 Days of Christmas projects as much as I've had sharing them with you! And I hope you were able to find some time to create some of them too.

Have a wonderful holiday from all of us here at Crafts Direct!!

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 24

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 24: Magnetic Notepads

An inexpensive and quick project...these decorated magnetic notepads would be a perfect last minute stocking stuffer. The notepads have a magnetic flap and can easily be decorated with a single sheet of pattern paper and a few embellishments. And if you missed out on making them for Christmas you can always used different themed paper to make them for any season or holiday!

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 23

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 23: Gift Tags

Today I wanted to share a few gift tag ideas we have created. First, using our unfinished wood tags, I made these gift tags by just adding some paint, pattern paper and a few embellishments.

Another favorite, that Megan created, are these monogram tags. Not only would they be cute added to the top of a gift - but they could be kept out for display all year long!

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 22

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 22: Wood Plaques

Today I wanted to share a few ideas on how to decorate our standard 5x5" wood plaques for the holiday and winter season. Perfect as a little scrapbook page or as a decor piece with a vinyl saying (or snowman face) - you definitely still have time to create one of these pieces for yourself or to give as a gift.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 21

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 21: Snowman Hot Chocolate Jar

If you still need a quick and easy gift idea for a neighbor, teacher, or friend - today I have the perfect idea for you! Using our handled jars, some hot chocolate, mints and marshmallows we created this cute gift jar. It is also really easy to dress it up - using Wilton pens we added snowman faces to the marshmallows and then simply added a small whisk and tag using ribbon as a finishing touch. It was a very fun and easy project to create and I love the end result!

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 20

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 20: Felt Ornaments

Today's project is two different styles of felt ornaments that would be a lovely addition to anyone's tree - or could be used as part of a gift wrapping or even a gift in itself!

The first version are the Felt Mitten Ornaments - a project sheet for them can be found HERE.

Or following the same general idea you can make the Felt Light Bulb Ornaments. A project sheet for the Light Bulb version can be found HERE.

January Quilt Block.

2011-12-19T10:46:00.001-06:00

At the end of November I shared the completed quilt top for the 2012 Quilt of the Month quilt here. Today I wanted to share a little more about the specific block for the month of January. You can see the completed block and read a little more about the background of the block above. Be sure to come in a pick up the supplies to start your January block soon! You can see the quilt top and find all the supplies on the front endcap between aisles 25 & 26.

ETA: Supplies for the January Quilt Block will be available on January 1st. Thanks!

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 19

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 19: Snowman Kit

This project is definitely one of my favorites!! There are certainly some families that I know that would love to recieve this as a gift...and I'm sure you do too!

A project sheet with full instructions and supply list on how to make your very own Snowman Kit can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 18

2011-12-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 18: Shadow Boxes

Another simple way to decorate for the holidays...shadow boxes. The great thing about using a shadow box is that you can decorate and fill it in anyway you like! We have them in a variety of sizes and come with black or white frames so you can match your decorations or home decor easily. For these samples we simply dressed up the shadow boxes with pattern paper, vinyl and some small items as filler in the frame. You could also add a favorite photo to any of these projects as well!

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 17

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 17: Burlap Pillows

I love these burlap pillows that Megan created recently! The only supplies you need are a pillow form, some burlap and fabric paint. Such a lovely, rustic decoration to add to your home at Christmas! You can find a project sheet for the burlap pillows HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 16

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 16: Decorated Wood Pieces

Today's blog post contains a bunch of different projects - but what they all have in common is that they all started out as unfinished wood pieces. With just some paint, paper, and embellishments you can turn a plain piece of wood into such a cute Christmas decoration! Such as this wood sled that I used to display a favorite photo of my kids sledding last year:

Or a wood snowflake dressed up with some glitter paper and a Happy Holidays sentiment:

For this piece I covered the front of the wood piece with a glittery foam sheet and then added little photos to each of the O's:

To display some photos from our trip to pick out this years Christmas Tree I added photos directly to the hanging trees on this wood piece:

For this piece I simply painted the piece and then covered it with a piece of pattern paper that I love:

And this guy got dressed up by just using paint and some rhinestones:

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 15

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 15: Joy Candlestick Jars

One of my favorite projects lately are these candlestick jars. We had created a set for Halloween- which I loved - but now I think the JOY candlestick jars might be my new favorite. All you need for this project is a few wood pieces (the snowflake for the base, the candlesticks, and dowels for the top), the jars and the vinyl letters. Filled up with some Christmas treats - they make a great addition to your Christmas decor or would be a fun gift idea as well! You can find the complete instructions and supply list for this project HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 14

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 14: Christmas Frames

Today I wanted to share with you some decorated Christmas and winter frames. All of these frames started out as unfinished frames, which I love because then I was able to paint and decorate them in any way I wanted. The possibilities are really endless with what you can do with them!

As you can see each one takes on a completely different look- and each of them only require a few supplies. (You can click on each image to be taken to a project sheet for that particular frame.)

Christmas is Best Frame

Family Frame

Jingle all the Way Frame

Let it Snow Frame

Peace Love Joy Frame

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 13

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 13: Felt Ornament Frames

If you need a quick and easy Christmas decoration or gift, these felt ornament frames are the perfect project. They come in the shapes and sizes you see, with openings already cut for the photos and ribbon for hanging - all you need to do is add your favorite photo and embellish in any way you want. For these samples I just used a few pieces of pattern paper and some scrapbooking embellishments.

These would also be a great craft idea for the kids to work on themselves - some stickers or fun kid craft supplies would work great to decorate them up as well!

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 12

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 12: Holiday Mache Cones

Today I want to share with you three ways that you could decorate basic paper mache cones for the holiday season. Fun as a group of a couple or an entire collection I think these are great pieces to add to your holiday decorations. (I'm going to pick up supplies for my kids to work on some of the felt trees over Christmas break and leave them out through the winter season!)

First, how cute are these Santa Hat Cones? A project sheet for this project can be found HERE.

I love these Felt Tree Cones. There are so many options with colors, sizes, and embellishments for this project. I am thinking an entire forest of these would be great! A project sheet for this project can be found HERE.

And finally, these Yarn Tree Cones are very easy to make and the whimsical look of them is wonderful! A project sheet for this project can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 11

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 11: Decorative Dishtowels

Dishtowels are always a useful gift and can easily add a festive touch to your home too. Today I wanted to share a few samples Erica has created that I think would be great gift ideas - and are all really easy and inexpensive to make!

The first towel is this Ribbon Tree Dishtowel. Super simple to make, the only supplies you need are ribbon, a button, some thread and the dishtowel. A project sheet for this dishtowel can be found HERE.

The next towel is the Snowman Dishtowel. For this towel we added fabric to a dishtowel using Heat-n-Bond and then stitched around the appliqued pieces. So easy yet so cute! A project sheet for this towel can be found HERE.

Finally, how about creating an entire set of Days of the Week Dishtowels. Use your favorite fabric to add a few letters to the corners of seven dishtowels...and you have a great (and useful!) gift. A project sheet for these towels can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 10

2011-12-10T16:37:00.000-06:00

Day 10: Coaster Set

Today I have another great homemade gift idea to share with you! Or of course you could always make them for yourself too :)

Megan created these two adorable coaster sets by just using the unfinished sets we have available and some cute pattern paper. You could also always add photos to the coasters for a personalized touch as well. A general project sheet for the coaster project can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 9

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 9: Clothespins

Today I wanted to share a few fun ideas of things you can create using our wood clothespin and doll pins for the holidays.

First, is this Clothespin Nativity Set. Such a quick and easy craft. It would be a perfect project idea for a group to work on! A project sheet for this project can be found HERE.

Sarah also created this adorable nativity ornament using Doll Pins. A project sheet for the ornament can be found HERE.

Another way to use the wood clothespin would be to decorate it and use it as a recipe card holder. For this sample all we did was paint the clothespin and then cover the sides with pattern paper and embellish it with a scallop circle and button. If you have a favorite holiday recipe to share or want to make a little gift for your cookie exchange this would be the perfect thing! A project sheet for the recipe holder can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 8

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 8: Memo and Magnetic Boards

A fun way to add some practical holiday decor to your home or office is with one of our Memo or Magnetic boards. Decorated as a calendar or a holiday board they create a perfect place to keep track of your holiday events, hang Christmas cards, or display holiday photos. The best part is once you have the frame created you can easily change out the embellishments and paper to create a new look for the next month or season. Here are few that we created for December and January:

Stamp of the Month - December

2011-12-07T10:47:00.001-06:00

Our Great Impressions Stamp of the Month products for December are all set up and ready to go on the middle endcap between aisles 9&10 in our Paper Crafts Department. This months stamps follow a birthday/party theme - and are perfect for all those birthday cards throughout the year!

The Stamp of the Month for December is this scroll border stamp, and is available for only $6.50 (half off of the original price).

And the coordinating stamps available this month:

These range in price from $5.99-$11.49 each.

More information about the Stamp of the Month can be found on the blog post HERE. Additionally, more information can also be found on the Great Impressions website HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 7

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 7: Santa Jar & Clear Tube

Today I have two Santa themed projects to share with you. First up is this Santa Jar. For this project we just used Mod Podge to adhere squares of red tissue paper to the outside of a standard jar and then added the belt (which you can find in aisle 19). This would look really cute filled with flowers or a holiday arrangement or also just filled up with some Christmas treats.

The second project is one of our clear tubes decorated to look like a Santa belt with some simple felt and a chenille stem. Filled up with candy this is a perfect stocking stuffer or small gift for someone on your list! A project sheet for the Santa Belt tube can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2012: Day 6

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 6: 25 Days of Merry Recipe Box

If you want a fun way to document the month of December, today I have the perfect project for you! Using a few sheets of pattern paper, a wood recipe box, a vinyl title, and some fun embellishments I created this cute album project.

Each day of December has its own 4x6" card in the box, where you can add some journaling about the day and/or a photo. So at the end of the month you will end up with a box full of photos documenting all of your holiday events and activities. This would also be a great gift to make for someone too!

A project sheet for this project can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2011: Day 5

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 5: Glitter Trees

How can you go wrong with glitter decorations at Christmas? We created these fun glitter trees by painting our standard glass candlesticks white and gluing on top foam cones that had been covered in glitter. You could create these using any color of glitter you would like and using all sorts of different combination's of candlesticks and foam cones to create many different sizes. I think an complete 'forest' of these trees would look awesome across an entire table or mantle! A project sheet for the glitter tree can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2011: Day 4

2011-12-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 4: Glass Blocks

One of the quickest and easiest projects to make are our glass blocks. By simply adding some vinyl or a napkin! to the front and a quick ribbon around the sides you have a wonderful addition to your holiday decor. Or a lovely handmade Christmas gift.

For the first two projects shown below we actually used Mod Podge to adhere and seal a holiday napkin to the front of the glass blocks and then just added a ribbon and embellishments. Another option (that could be used for any of our glass blocks) would be to add some lights to the inside of the block as well. A project sheet for these Decoupage Glass Blocks can be found HERE.

The following samples are just as easy and were created by adding vinyl to the front of each of the glass blocks and then filling them with various items to coordinate with the vinyl saying or decor theme. We have lots of different vinyl sayings available so the options are really endless with what you could add to your own glass block!

25 Days of Christmas 2011: Day 3

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 3: Christmas Canvases

Today I have five projects to share with you- although they all have one thing in common...they all start with a simple blank canvas.

Sarah did an amazing job with these projects - they just go to show that with a blank canvas the project possibilities are endless!

The first canvas is a Countdown to Christmas. All that this project required was paint, a piece of paper, some ribbon and vinyl. Very easy but such a cute holiday decoration to add to your home. A project sheet for this project can be found HERE.

Next up, this Fabric and Button Tree. Sarah created the pieces of the tree by combining buttons and fabric and I love the natural touch that was added by backing the piece with corrugated cardboard! A project sheet for this canvas can be found HERE.

This next project actually uses two canvases. For this project we covered a larger canvas with a piece of pattern paper, and then adhered a smaller canvas, with a rub-on saying, to the piece. I really love the unique look of this project. A project sheet for this canvas can be found HERE.

The fourth canvas I wanted to share is this Santa Canvas, which was created by using a hand print and then painting in the features. I think this project works great using an adult hand (as shown) and would also be fun to do with the hand prints of your kids or grandkids - either on separate canvases or all in a row on one larger canvas! A project sheet for the Santa Canvas can be found HERE.

Finally, Sarah created this Christmas tree on a canvas by using pieces of pattern paper and a Vinyl Saying we have available. Another really easy project for anyone to do - and the finished product is adorable! A project sheet for this canvas can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2011: Day 2

2011-12-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

Day 2: 2012 Calendars

Today I wanted to share a couple ideas to get you ready for 2012. I realize that we are just at the start of December, but I wanted to share them because in addition to being great to make for yourself - I also think these would be a wonderful handmade gift idea!

For both samples I used the SRM Mini Calendar Stickers. For the Calendar Board we actually used a wood clock kit, added some paint and some patterned paper and turned it into a year at a glance calendar board. Of course you could create this same project with any theme or style of pattern paper you would like. A project sheet for the calendar board can be found HERE.

The second idea is to use the Mini Calendar Stickers to create a flip calendar/minibook. For this project I used one of the Calendar Stickers on each page and added a photo for the month as well. And by using a thicker cardboard cover it easily stands up all on its own. Obviously you could create this same idea with more photos, larger photos, or different themed paper too. A project sheet for the Calendar Mini can be found HERE.

25 Days of Christmas 2011: Day 1

2011-12-01T12:00:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone!

Today I'm very excited to kick off our 25 Days of Christmas blog series!! I have a lot of great project ideas to share with you this month...from decor items to fun crafts to do with your family to perfect gift ideas. Every day until Christmas we will have a new project idea posted here - so be sure to check back everyday for some Holiday Inspiration.

Day 1: Advent Calendars

Since we are going to be counting down the days on the blog, we thought we would share some creative ways you could count down the days until Christmas too!!

The first advent calendar was created using a paper mache tree that comes unfinished in white. All we did was add a little paint, some pattern paper and number stickers and you have an adorable advent tree. Each drawer pulls out also so you have a perfect spot to add a little treat or write down an activity for that day. A project sheet for this project can be found HERE.

The second advent idea I wanted to share was this one I created using the Winter Wishes Advent kit from Little Yellow Bicycle. This project actually comes pre-packaged as a kit so all you have to do it put it together and add a photo - everything you see here is included! This would be a great one to use to write down a daily message or a holiday activity to do for each day. The kit for this advent can be found in our Paper Crafts department.

Quilt Block of the Month

2011-11-29T12:48:00.001-06:00

This beautiful "Granite City Quilt" was created for our Quilt of the Month program for 2012. You can take a peak at the finished quilt top in the store - it is hanging on a front endcap between aisles 25&26 - and get ready for the start of the program in January.

Here is a little more about the program:

This Quilt block of the Month program will be a 12 month Historical Journey through St. Cloud and the Surrounding areas. Each block is named after something in the area that has helped shape it into the great place to live that it is today.

The program will start on January 1, 2012 and will be run the same as 2011's program. The quilter will finsih January's block and bring it in anytime in February to get that month's block at the discounted price. This process will be repeated for the remaining months.

Again, we do not require the quilter to take valualble time out of their lives to attend monthly promotional meetings.

Putting this program together has been great fun, and we know you will really enjoy taking the journey with us!

After Thanksgiving Day Sales!!

2011-11-24T21:00:00.000-06:00

As you plan out your Black Friday shopping...I wanted to share with you the sale ads we will have available this weekend. In addition to the After Thanksgiving Sale below (which runs on Friday and Saturday) we also now have our Holiday Gift Guide online - these items are available while supplies last so if there is something you want don't delay!

(You can click on either image below to see the entire ad.)

Also a reminder of our extended hours this weekend:
Friday 6am-9pm
Saturday 8am-8pm
Sunday 10am-6pm

A Time to be Thankful.

2011-11-23T11:11:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from all of us at Crafts Direct!!

We will be closed Thanksgiving Day, but will be opening at 6:00 am on Friday with some GREAT day after Thanksgiving sales and coupons!

You can view our After Thanksgiving Sale ad HERE.

Also we do have extended hours on both Friday and Saturday:

Friday we are open from 6am-9pm

and Saturday from 9am-9pm.

Have a wonderful Holiday...and we will see you on Friday!

Cotton Fleece Yarn.

2011-11-22T09:54:00.000-06:00

Any of you knitters or crocheters out there will be happy to know that our quilt shop now carries Cotton Fleece yarn in a variety of colors! I only photographed a few of the colors that we have available - but you can find the entire line and all the colors in aisle 27 of our store. It's perfect for any of those holiday gifts you still need to work on!

Sneak Peek: After Thanksgiving Ad!

2011-11-21T11:46:00.001-06:00

Today I'm excited to share with you a sneak peek at our After Thanksgiving Sale Ad!! We have some really great items on sale on both Friday and Saturday and coupons available for both days as well.

We also have extended hours for the sale - we will be open from 6am-9pm on Friday and 8am-8pm on Saturday.

You can view the entire ad by clicking on the photo above or clicking HERE.

Pictures with Santa!

2011-11-18T09:30:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow Santa Claus is coming to Crafts Direct!! From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Santa will be in the store and with a dollar donation to the Charity of the Month you will be able to have your picture taken with him.
You will be able to find him at the end of aisle 7.

While you are here you can also make this adorable frame as a free make & take to display your photo with Santa.

We hope to see you there!

LifeStyle Crafts Make & Take.

2011-11-17T11:38:00.000-06:00

Join us tomorrow (Friday, November 18th) for a free Make & Take at our Paper Crafts demo counter from 4-7 pm. Spencer from LifeStyle Crafts will be here to make this Christmas card using the Letterpress & Nesting Dies by LifeStyle Crafts. We hope you can join us and make this gorgeous card!

Nano Blocks.

2011-11-17T09:52:00.000-06:00

Have you heard about Nano Blocks?

They are the micro-sized building blocks that you can use to create amazing *little* pieces of art. Developed in Tokyo, they have now come to the United States and are becoming quite a big hit.

We just received a large selection of the Nano Blocks and they are now available to purchase in the front of our store by the check out registers. Perfect for ages 8 and up, I think they would make a great addition to someones Christmas stocking this year!

Christmas Trees &Garlands.

2011-11-16T09:49:00.001-06:00

This year our Christmas trees and garlands have moved from their previous location in the Closeout Store to a new location in the main store...the classroom!

We have a great selection of wreaths, garlands, and trees set up and lots of room to check them all out. Below you can find a video that will give you a glimpse of what we have available and also a little tour on how to find them if you aren't sure where our classroom is.

Here are also a few photos of what is set up in the classroom. Lots of different tree options:

Many different styles of garlands:

Pre-lit "flat" trees - perfect for smaller spaces or on a porch:

Frosted trees:

And pre-lit garland too:

We hope you can make it in soon to check it all out!!

Holiday Open House, Tomorrow!

2011-11-11T13:29:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 12th, is our Holiday Open House, and we have some fun things planned. At our Coffee Shop from 9am to 11am there will be free cider and cookies. We will also be offering these free make & takes.
From 9am to noon, we will be offering the Alcohol Ink Snowflake Magnet at the Paper Crafts Demo Counter(end of aisle 11). At the Paints & Basics Demo Counter (end of aisle 18) we will be offering the Reindeer Notepad.

From 1pm to 4pm, we will be offering the Snowman Card at the Paper Crafts Demo Counter. At the Paints & Basics Demo Counter we will be offering the Glitter It Snowflake Ornament.

During these times our friend Teri will be available to personalize ornaments, at the front of aisle 7. We hope you, your family and/or friends will be able to join us for the day. See you then!

Studio Calico.

2011-11-10T12:54:00.003-06:00

I'm so excited to share that we now have Studio Calico products available at Crafts Direct!!

I've been waiting a while to see these products in person so it has been very fun to check them all out...(and to make a list of the things I will be buying :)

We have pattern paper, wood veneers, chipboard embellishments, Fabribs, and chipboard journal kits...

AND Huey Masks and Mister Huey color mists!!

You can find all the new Studio Calico products in our paper crafts department. They are in different areas of the department so be sure to ask if you need help finding any of the products.

Christmas has arrived!

2011-11-09T13:03:00.003-06:00

I know that Halloween was just here...and that we still have Thanksgiving to celebrate, but Crafts Direct is definitely getting prepared for Christmas!

This week I spotted some of my favorite Christmas items set up in our Wine Room in the front of the store. Ranging from mugs and cups, to serving platters and spreaders, they are all such cute items! A few I would love for myself (like that coffee mug!) and others I'm thinking would be great items to start my Christmas shopping with (I know someone that would love the snowman salt and pepper shakers). They are all selling fast though so if something catches your eye I would come and get them before they are gone.

Holly Day Card Chaos.

2011-11-07T13:20:00.002-06:00

Today I wanted to share a big Thank You to all of you that made our first Holly Day Card Chaos last weekend such a success. We hope you all had a wonderful time and enjoyed all the cards you were able to create during the event! I will be posting photos and instructions for all of the cards from the event on our Facebook page by the end of the week so keep your eyes out for that.

Here are a few photos from our day of Card Chaos:

Towel of the Month-November.

2011-11-03T10:33:00.003-05:00

Welcome to another month of our Towel of the Month kit! This month the kit includes supplies to create this really cute Santa themed towel...perfect to have ready for the holiday season and would be a lovely Christmas gift as well.

The kits include 1 towel, 1 instruction sheet, and floss in the color used for the sample. The only things you will have to supply (which you probably already have) is an embroidery hoop, tracing pens or Fabri-Solvy and a needle.

You can find the kits on the endcap of aisle 23 in the store and are available for only $6.99 each!

Stamp of the Month-November

2011-11-01T13:16:00.002-05:00

Our Great Impressions Stamp of the Month products for November are all set up and ready to go on the middle endcap between aisles 9&10 in our Paper Crafts Department. This months stamps follow a winter/Santa theme - and are all really great looking cards!

The Stamp of the Month for November is this winter/scroll stamp, and is available for only $6.00 (half off of the original price).

And the coordinating stamps available this month:

These range in price from $4.99-$11.49 each.

More information about the Stamp of the Month can be found on the blog post HERE. Additionally, more information can also be found on the Great Impressions website HERE.

Upcoming Events.

2011-10-31T10:36:00.002-05:00

First of all...Happy Halloween everyone!!

(If you are looking for any last minute Halloween decorations be sure to stop by our Closeout Store - and pick up some DISCOUNTED Halloween items.)

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Also today I wanted to tell you about three events that Crafts Direct is hosting/taking part in during the month of November.

First, our Quilt Time Event that we are hosting this upcoming weekend (November 4th & 5th) at the Moose Lodge. This event will provide a great opportunity to work on any projects you wish, while we provide meals and snacks, prizes, a goodie bag, a store discount, and a mini class (optional). You can find more information about our Quilt Time Event here.

The mini class at the Quilt Time Event will be creating this Ornament Placemat:

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Next, we are also taking part in the Taste of Home event at the St. Cloud Civic Center this Thursday (November 3rd). We will have a booth at the event, where we will be offering a free make and take recipe holder, and we are also selling advance tickets to the event here at customer service for $12!

More information about the Taste of Home event can be found here.

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Last, just a reminder about the St. Cloud Zonta's Christmas House. Crafts Direct is once again one of the decorators of a room in the house, and our decorations will be available to bid on during the event which is the 18th & 19th of November. You can also purchase your advanced tickets to the event (for the discounted price of $7) here at customer service. More information about the Zonta Christmas House can be found here.

And a peek at some of the items we created for the house are shown here:

Doodlebug Layouts & Treat Bag.

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

And finally today, a few layout ideas for all those Halloween pictures you will have next week. Sarah Lynn created these projects using the very cute Doodlebug Monster Mania line. In addition to the scrapbooking layouts she also used the line to create the fun treat bag, which would be great for anyone that you wanted to share some Halloween treats with.

Thank you so much for joining me the past couple weeks as we counted down to Halloween. I hope we've inspired you to do some Halloween crafting of your own and hope you all have a wonderful Halloween!

Wiggly Eye Frame.

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to share with you another one of my new favorite Halloween projects. It doesn't require many supplies and is very easy to create! All you need to do is paint the wood frame and the wood word and then glue on a bunch of googly eyes - which is actually quite fun- and embellish with some ribbon. This is one of the projects that will definitely catch everyone's eye too :) A project sheet for this frame can be found here.

Paper Mache Cones.

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today I want to share with you a few fun new ways to decorate paper mache cones for Halloween. With some paint, glue, and tulle or yarn an ordinary cone and turn into a very cute holiday decoration. A project sheet for the Candy Corn Cones can be found here and the Witch Hat here.

Halloween Tree.

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

The project I want to share with you today is this Halloween Wood Tree. The tree, leaves, and base all come together as a kit of unfinished wood so the options are really endless on how to decorate the tree. For this particular tree I only needed paint, two different pattern papers, and some embellishments. And it is a perfect way to show off some of those Halloween photos that you have.

A project sheet for the Halloween tree (and a Fall themed tree as well) can be found here.

Wood Plaques.

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to share another cute decorating idea for Halloween. Using our plain 5x5" wood plaques you can easily add a little bit of Halloween to even a small space. There are a lot of ways you could decorate these; we've created one using vinyl, one by simply utilizing scrapbooking paper and embellishments, or you can also add your favorite Halloween photo to them. This would also be a great little Halloween gift to make for a family member, a teacher, or a friend. And would also be another fun craft idea for a group to work on.

Spider Web Memo Board.

2011-10-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Want a fun way to display all those spooky notes and Halloween invites? We created this really fun Spider Web Memo Board, by just adding some pattern paper to a frame and embellishing it up a bit with some ribbon and a metal tag. You can also create the cute magnets by using clear marbles, pattern paper or stickers, and magnets.

Clear Tubes.

2011-10-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Our clear tubes are a perfect way to share some of those Halloween treats you will be handing out. They would be great to use at a Halloween party, or as party favors, or could even be given out to your favorite trick or treaters. This would also be a very fun project to do with a group of kids with a club or group before Halloween! There are a lot of options on how to dress them up - you can use paper, or stickers, or some of the fun general craft supplies we in aisle 19.

Ghost Footprint Plaque.

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Next up, this adorable Ghost Footprint Plaque. Not only is it a really cute Halloween decoration for your home, but it is also a fun way to capture and document those little feet you might have running around your house. If you wanted to include more than one footprint, you could always start with a slightly larger plaque and then just do more footprints across the plaque. A project sheet for this project can be found here.

Halloween Glass Blocks.

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to share some Halloween themed projects using our glass blocks. There are definitely a lot of different ways you could use these glass blocks to decorate for Halloween, but here are a couple of ideas that I think are especially fun. First up is the Trick or Treat glass block. Created with lights, tissue paper, a vinyl saying and some tulle - this would be a fun decoration for either out on the porch or in the house. A project sheet for the Trick or Treat glass block can be found here.

The second glass block I wanted to share is this Mummy Glass Block. Again, really simple we just added lights inside the glass block, googly eyes and wrapped fabric around the block. A project sheet for this project can be found here.

Beware Tulle Wreath.

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to share with you this really great Tulle Wreath. Another very simple project that you can easily create and have hanging on your door in no time. The only supplies needed for the project are a metal ring and tulle, and then whatever you would like to use to embellish the completed wreath. We added the "Beware" banner to the center of the wreath but you could embellish the plain wreath in any way and with other colors if you wish. A project sheet for the wreath can be found here.

Boo Candlestick Jars.

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

The next project I would like to share with you are these "BOO" candy jars. For this project we painted three wooden candlesticks and three dowel caps with black paint, and then simply glued them onto the top and the bottom of standard mason jars. Then we added the vinyl letters to the jars, embellished with a few pieces of ribbon and filled them up with some candy corn. This has definitely become one of my favorite projects - it was so easy to make and the results are adorable! A project sheet for the jars can be found here.

Pumpkin Stepping Stone.

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first day of our Countdown to Halloween blog series!! Each day I will be sharing with you some of the fun Halloween themed projects we have created here at Crafts Direct.

I will also be adding them to our Facebook page over the next few weeks and I invite you to also share with us (either by linking up in the comments below or by sharing with us on Facebook) the Halloween projects you have created!

Today I wanted to share this very cute Pumpkin Stepping Stone. We created this just using the standard stepping stone mix and mold that we carry and dressing it up a bit with some paint, tiles and a few wood pieces. The best part, with a couple of quick coats of glow in the dark paint, his eyes and teeth even glow in the dark. This would be a really fun addition to your outdoor Halloween decor!! A project sheet for this project can be found here.

Quilt Time Event.

2011-10-13T08:44:00.001-05:00

Registration is now open for our first ever Quilt Time Event!! If you are interested in attending please call or stop in to register. You can find our FAQ page about the event HERE, and a link to a map and directions to the event location HERE. We would love to see you there!

Card Chaos.

2011-10-12T12:53:00.003-05:00

We have just added a fourth session of our Card Chaos class for the month of October. The new session will be offered on Monday, October 24th from 6-9pm. If you are interested in attending please call or stop in to register. More information about the class can be found here.

Homemade for the Holidays- Santa's Sweet Shop.

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

The next room on the list for our Homemade for the Holidays tour is definitely the "sweetest" - it is Santa's Sweet Shop created by our Seasonal Department.

This room features a bright and fun theme and uses decorations to highlight the sweeter side of the holiday season. In addition to the display tree this room also features many arrangements and decorations that will be displayed (and auctioned) at Zonta House. More information about Zonta House can be found here.

A few of the ornaments that were created for this room:

Chocolate Bar Ornament

Felt Cookie Ornament

Mini Cupcake Ornaments

Smarties Ornaments

For a listing of all of our Homemade for the Holidays projects and links to all the project sheets please check out our projects listings on our website.

Homemade for the Holidays- Jack Frost.

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today's Homemade for the Holidays room is Jack Frost, which was created by our Beads & Basics Department.

This room showcases a more wintertime theme by utilizing a color scheme of blues and whites. It also features a lot of different types of products from our Beads & Basics department including wood pieces, glass ornaments, foam and glitter just to name a few.

A few of the ornaments that were created for this room:

3-D Foamie Snowflake

Snowflake Half Ornaments

For a listing of all of our Homemade for the Holidays projects and links to all the project sheets please check out our projects listings on our website.

Homemade for the Holidays- Trimming Traditions.

2011-10-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Next up on our tour of the Homemade for the Holidays rooms - Trimming Traditions created by our Paper Crafts Department.

This rooms features a more traditional color scheme for holiday decorating and focuses on all those little details that pull a room together. The ornaments that are featured in this room were created using paper from the Fancy Pants Saint Nick line.

A closer look at a few of the ornaments:

This one is definitely my favorite. Created by simply punching shapes out of vellum, dying them with alcohol inks and tacking them into a Styrofoam ball. Really love the look of the finish product.

Vellum Scallop Ornament

Paper Pinecone Ornament

Paper Snowflake Ornament

For a listing of all of our Homemade for the Holidays projects and links to all the project sheets please check out our projects listings on our website.

Homemade for the Holidays- Welcome to Whoville.

2011-10-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

We are definitely gearing up for the holidays here at Crafts Direct! Over the past few weeks each of our departments have taken on our Homemade for the Holidays project and created a themed room all their own.

I'm so excited to share them all with you here on the blog over the next few days and also show you all the creative ornament and decorating ideas that each room holds.

First up, Welcome To Whoville created by our Fabrics department. Obviously a play on the Grinch who stole Christmas, this room is full of whimsy, fun, and bright colors. This room also uses a few of the new flat trees that we have available this year. They are perfect for any small areas and ideal for putting next to a window as they take up a lot less space in your living areas.

Here are a few of the ornaments and projects that were created for the room:

For a listing of all of our Homemade for the Holidays projects and links to all the project sheets please check out our projects listings on our website.

Stamp of the Month-October

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Our Great Impressions Stamp of the Month products for October are all set up and ready to go on the middle endcap between aisles 9&10 in our Paper Crafts Department. This months stamps follow a winter/snowman theme and are so cute!

The Stamp of the Month for October is this adorable snowman stamp, and is available for only $6.00 (half off of the original price).

And the coordinating stamps available this month:

These range in price from $4.49-$12.99 each.

More information about the Stamp of the Month can be found on the blog post HERE. Additionally, more information can also be found on the Great Impressions website HERE.

Women's Showcase.

2011-10-04T08:47:00.000-05:00

Here are a few photos of our time at Women's Showcase on Saturday. Thank you so much to everyone who attended and stopped by our booth....we all had such a great time and hope you did too!!

Towel of the Month-October.

2011-10-03T11:06:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another month of our Towel of the Month kit! This month the kit includes supplies to create this adorable Thanksgiving themed towel. Which gives you plenty of time to stitch this together before the family comes over for Thanksgiving, or to give as a hostess gift to someone else.

The kits include 1 towel, 1 instruction sheet, and floss in the color used for the sample. The only things you will have to supply (which you probably already have) is an embroidery hoop, tracing pens or Fabri-Solvy and a needle.

You can find the kits on the endcap of aisle 23 in the store and are available for only $6.99 each!

Women's Showcase.

2011-09-30T10:34:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow Crafts Direct will be taking part in the Women's Showcase event at the St. Cloud Civic Center from 9am-4pm. We will have a booth at the event and will be offering the four projects below as free Make and Takes at our booth from 9am-12pm and 1-4pm.

We will also have lots of project ideas and store samples on display at the booth, which will be decorated with half a Christmas theme and half a Fall/Halloween theme. You'll definitely want to stop by for tons of creative inspiration and of course to leave with a few cute projects too.

More information about the event can be found here. We hope to see you there!

Snowman Cube Photo Holder

Autumn Greetings Tile.

I've Got My Eye on You Tube.

Let it Snow Wood Plaque.

Holly Day Card Chaos.

2011-09-27T10:08:00.002-05:00

Mark your calendars for our first ever Holly Day Card Chaos!!

The event will be held on Saturday, October 29th and will consist of six full hours of card making...where you will create 20 different cards by the end of the day.

Registration opens on Monday, October 3rd at 9am and will be open to 80 participants (40 open for online registration and 40 in store).

More information can be found on the flyer below as well as on our FAQ's page.

Cricut Swarm still has openings

2011-09-26T16:33:00.002-05:00

There are still openings in our Cricut Swarm. If you are interested in attending you can register online here.

Starbella Yarn Scarf.

2011-09-23T12:11:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to share this amazing scarf sample we just put out at the store.

It was made by simply knitting a skein of the Starbella Yarn, and because of the texture and type of the yarn it creates this very cute ruffled look. The pattern we followed is on the Starbella label and both the sample and the yarn itself can be found in aisle 29 of the store.

Cricut Swarm.

2011-09-22T11:03:00.003-05:00

Mark your calendars for the next Cricut Swarm, which will be held the weekend of October 14th-16th. Registration opens on Sunday, September 25th at 7pm (registration is online only). More information can be found on the flyer below as well as on our FAQ's page, where you can also find and bookmark the link to the registration site.

We hope to see you there!!

Fall Candles.

2011-09-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the cooler fall days we have stocked up on the new fall scents in our candle department.

We have six new scents in our Beanpod line for fall: Gingerbread, Roasted Pear, Minty Spruce, Maple Pumpkin Muffin, Holiday Memories, and Autumn Trail. They come as a 16 oz. jar for $21.99, or as a 2.3 oz. tube of Soy Beads for $3.99.

We also recently added this beautiful new Yankee Candle display to our store. We have new fall scents available from Yankee as well, including the Scent of the Month: Autumn Wreath which is on sale through the end of the month for just $14.98 for a 22 oz. jar.

In addition to the scent of the month we also have all of our 22 oz. Yankee candles on sale for $16.98, which is a great deal!

There is definitely a lot of new things to check out...and a scent I'm sure for everyone. Come in soon and pick out the one for you.

Meet Our Instructors: Season

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Instructor: Season

How long have you been an instructor at Crafts Direct? About 3 years.

What classes do you teach: Beading

When did you start beading: A little over 20 years ago.

What is your favorite aisle at Crafts Direct? The beading aisle.

The necklace above is the project Season will be teaching at this month's Beading 201 class. You can join her on Tuesday September 27th from 6-9pm to make this project. More information on this class can be found here.

Meet Our Instructors: Sarah K.

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sarah Kalkbrenner is the Knit & Crochet instructor at Crafts Direct and has been for nearly 3 years. She learned to knit and crochet as a child and was taught just the basics so she learned a lot from trial and error, making her a great resource to help figureout your projects and patterns at Knit & Crochet Nights. Sarah lives in Little Falls with her husband Eric, her cat Mia and two guinea pigs, Henny and Nellie, and her brand new addition: Napoleon the Angora bunny.
Sarah loves to bring her knitting and crocheting with her everywhere she goes. One of her favorite projects is her Featherweight Cardigan (shown in the profile picture). Sarah knit it with two strands of laceweight yarn held together and loves the versatility.She also thinks this project reminded her what she could do if she set her mind to it since she knit the entire sweater in less than a month last November for National Knit a Sweater Month (NanKniSweMo). Sarah also enjoys spinning her own yarn, baking and scrapbooking.She will try almost any technique and almost any craft once thanks to her adventurous spirit. She blogs about her adventures in yarn and fiber at www.kalketteknits.blogspot.com.

Meet Our Instructors: Genna

2011-09-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello~ I'm Genna Migala and I currently reside in Sauk Rapids with my husband Jason and my son Jackson. I teach the Cricut 102 class along with the Cricut GypsyClass. I have been an instructor at Crafts Direct for 3 years and have thoroughly enjoyed helping everyone figure out how to use their cricut machines. I have been crafting for about 12 years and my friends would say I am a Cricut junkie. I currently have atotal of 7 cricut machines and roughly 250 cricut cartridges. Although, I love the entire papercrafts section at Crafts Direct I would have to say that the cricut area is my favorite. I really love getting inspiration from a variety of places including onlineblogs and message forums. One of the great things about having a cricut is that it can be used in a wide range of areas in scrapbooking, card making, and home decor. If I have to pick three items I could not live with out I would have to say my cricut productsare number one but then I would say a good trimmer and adhesive. Have a good trimmer and adhesive that you like can make all the difference when working on projects.

Meet Our Instructors: Sarah Lynn

2011-09-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

My name is Sarah Lynn Larson, and I teach the Card Chaos class here at Crafts Direct. I'm originally from Mapleton, Minnesota and have lived in St. Cloud for 9 years. I attended SCSU, and graduated with an Elementary Education degree. I have been workingat Crafts Direct for seven years. As well as teaching the Card Chaos class, I am also the Assistant Team Leader and one of the buyers in the Paper Crafts Department.

In my spare time I enjoy scrapbooking, card making, and recently have started embroidery. I also enjoy traveling, as well as spending time with my family and friends.

Meet Our Instructors: Karen

2011-09-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I started with Crafts Direct when they were located inMarketplace Center almost 10 years ago. It was there I truly began my love forquilting. What an enjoyable life journey it has been. I watched and learned fromother quilters, began reading books and magazines even attending differentclasses/retreats and well, the rest speaks for its self. When I look at myquilts, I see family memories, the satisfaction of creating something with myown hands, and the gained skills or inspirations that last a lifetime. If I amnot quilting, you will find me socializing (imagine that!) decorating,gardening, exploring watercolor, playing with 3 beautiful granddaughters or 2boxer granddogs, even spending time in a pop-up camper cooking over a fire!

Join us for Quilt 101 if you are a beginner, QuiltVenture if you are ready to create a project and meet other quilters orcome to Tutoring on Thursdays if you need help with your project or justsome encouragement. I would love to share my skills, experiences, and knowledgewith you.

Meet Our Instructors: Michelle

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello my name is Michelle, I have been married to my husband for 23 years. We are now a retired military familyand have 3 wonderful children with our first grandchild on the way. I am notashamed to say I am a “scrapin’ stampin’ card making” addict.

I have been at Crafts Direct for about 3 years. Ilove to create, learn and share my experiences with others. Throughout ourmoves I have been an instructor of scrapbooking, paper crafting and stamping.

My hobbies include collecting new scrapping/cardmaking tools and equipment. I dabble in jewelry making, embroidery,cross-stitch, sewing, with repurposing things to fit my craft needs along witha splattering of paint here and there.

My favorite things in my craft room are fellowcrafters along with the Cricut, Gypsy, Cutttlebug, rubber stamps and my papercollection.

Hope to meet you soon ~ Happy crafting.

Meet Our Instructors: Marcia

2011-09-12T08:15:00.000-05:00

My name is Marcia Bieniek andI teach the Wilton Method Cake Decorating classes. I have been married for 40 years and have three sons. Two of them are married and I have 5grandchildren. Two are in collegeand three are in elementary school. I once owned a bakery called the Country Connection Bakery. I ran it for 13 years before enteringthe work force. I currently workfor Walmart as the Invoice Clerk. I have worked there for 20 years. My hobbies are scrapbooking and baking along with spending time with mygrandkids. They are my world. Cake decorating is a way to expressyour creativity and at the same time bring joy to someone. Teaching allows me to share my talentand help others create that joy in their world. At the same time I can take pride in the fact that I wasable to share that creativity with others. I hope to see you at my next class!

Meet Our Instructors

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Since we are all in 'back to school' mode this month we thought it would be a great time to introduce you to some of the instructors we have here at Crafts Direct.

Each day we will share a little bit about the instructors that help us offer the best classes around...and who genuinely love to share their knowledge with others. A big thank you to our instructors for all you do throughout the year - and for sharing a little something about yourselves here too.

Hope you enjoy getting to know them all. And as always our complete class calendar can be found here on our website, we would love to see you at a class soon!

Subway Art.

2011-09-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

Last week we received some new vinyl and over the weekend I worked on some store samples to share with you. I really love how they turned out!

Lately we have been seeing a lot of these Subway Art pieces and with these vinyl options the ability to make your own just got much easier.

The vinyl comes on one single sheet and we ordered them specifically to fit onto the canvas or wood pieces that we already have available in the store. So really all you need is to decide what vinyl you like the best, what you want to put it on, and possibly a paint color. The process of making them is just as simple. In the case of the canvas samples I just painted the canvases using Ceramcoat paint and a foam brush, then once it was dry centered and applied the vinyl. The vinyl on the wood square was even easier. I added the vinyl right to the piece as it and then embellished with a few paper flowers and buttons.

I have a hard time choosing but I'm wondering....which one is your favorite?

Stamp of the Month.

2011-09-08T09:52:00.000-05:00

The Great Impressions Stamp of the Month for September is all set up between aisles 9 & 10 on the middle endcap in our Paper Crafts department.

This month the stamps will get you all set to create some really cute Halloween cards and projects.

The stamp of the month is this background stamp and is available for $6.50 (half off the original price).

Below are the coordinating stamps available this month. These range in price from $4.49-$11.99.

More information about the Stamp of the Month can be found on the blog post HERE. Additionally, more information can also be found on the Great Impressions website HERE.

Towel of the Month.

2011-09-07T08:33:00.007-05:00

Today I'm excited to tell you a little bit about a new monthly program we are starting this month, called the Towel of the Month program!

On the first of each month our fabric department will be offering a prepackaged kit that will include 1 towel, 1 instruction sheet, and floss in the color used for the sample. The only thing you will have to supply (which you probably already have) is an embroidery hoop, tracing pens or Fabri-Solvy and a needle.

The kits will follow themes for each month of the year, so for September we have the design below that will be perfect to have ready for the month of October.

You can find the kits on the endcap of aisle 23 in the store. The kits are available for only $6.99 each!

Also be sure to follow or bookmark the blog for updates each month on the latest Towel of the Month kit.

Back to School.

2011-09-02T08:32:00.012-05:00

If you're anything like me, the start of school always seems to sneak up out of nowhere. Between enjoying those last few free days of summer and slowing gathering the necessary supplies somehow the first day is here before you know it.

This week I attended the school open house event for my kids, met all their teachers, and was immediately in a panic about what we should make each of them for a back to school gift.

But in the time frame of a few hours yesterday we came up with some really fun ideas for teacher gifts - and of course I wanted to share them with all of you as well.

Now my only problem is deciding which one to make for their teachers this weekend!

Teaching Touches Lives glass block: Simply adhere a piece of pattern paper to the back of a glass block, add vinyl to the front, tie a ribbon around, and fill with some glass beads. I think this would look great on any teacher's desk!

Back to School Mason Jars: Simple mason jars embellished with chalkboard paint, crayons, and some ribbon.

Pencil Tubes: Fill plastic tubes with treats or cover with paper to create the look of pencil. More information on this project can be found here.

Colored Pencil Vase: For this project we just surrounded a glass vase with colored pencils and tied a ruler ribbon around the outside. We placed artificial flowers in the vase but it would work with a bouquet of fresh flowers as well.

Decorated Notepad/Pencil Holder: We offer these pencil holders and a variety of styles of notebooks plain - for theses samples we just decorated them up a bit with pattern paper and a few embellishments.

"Grind" Gift Card Holder: Again using the plastic tubes, we filled one up with coffee beans (you could also use chocolate covered espresso beans) and added a gift tag and a coffee shop gift card with ribbon. Really simple but so cute!

#1 Teacher Pencil Block: For this project we drilled nine small holes in the top of a wood block, painted the block white, and then added some pattern paper, ribbon, and a cute message using alphabet stickers. Again, a project that I think would be a fun addition to any teacher's desk!

Hope you all have a great holiday weekend...and that if you are a caregiver, student, or teacher that you have a wonderful first day back at school!!

Gumpaste & Fondant Cake Decorating.

2011-09-01T09:34:00.004-05:00

If you've ever wanted to learn how to decorate your baking with gumpaste or fondant icing, now is the time!

We still have some spots available in our Course 3 Cake decorating class, which will cover the techniques of using these icings and start you on your way in creating flowers, bows, embellished borders, and more.

The class is offered on Sunday September 11th, from 1-3 pm. Stop in or call to register for your spot in this fun class today!

More information about this class, as well as our full class calendar, can be found on our Events Page.

Trick or Treat Bag.

2011-08-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday Everyone!

I know most of us are just starting or getting ready for the back to school mode but today I wanted to share with you a really cute (and very easy!) trick or treat bag. Halloween seems like a ways off yet, but before you know it will be putting out decorations and getting costumes together so why not have the treat bags ready to go early?!

Isn't it adorable? And it is so easy - all you need is a canvas bag, a portion of one panel of fabric and some Heat-n-Bond. As you can see from the photo of the fabric panel below you could actually make nine of these bags (and still have five smaller squares for other projects!) from the single panel. The hardest part of the project would be deciding which panel is your favorite.

The best part- there is no sewing required. We simply used the Heat-n-Bond iron on adhesive to adhere the fabric square we trimmed from the larger panel to the canvas bag.

You can find all the supplies for this project and also check out the entire line of KI inspired Halloween fabrics (which are just as cute) in our fabric department.

New in Paper Crafts.

2011-08-17T10:56:00.008-05:00

The past few weeks the ladies in our Paper Crafts department have been busy putting out all the new lines that have been arriving from CHA summer. Since I'm super excited about all of them- and am always asking them "what came in today"- I thought I would share some of the new lines here too.

The line I'm probably most excited about is the Amy Tangerine line by American Crafts. Lots of fun embellishments, double sided pattern paper, and even some more of the fabric paper!We have two new lines by Simple Stories that came in. A Birthday Line and this adorable Baby Steps line:
The new Pebbles Fresh Goods line. I'm loving those butterflies!
And yes...even some new Christmas paper is arriving already. This is a mix of the Pebbles Welcome Christmas and American Crafts Holly Day lines:
Just in time for all those back to school photos we have this new school line by Imaginisce:
And finally another line I'm really impressed with- the American Crafts Nightfall line. A perfect mix of Fall and Halloween with papers that can be used separately for the themes or even nicely together.
Of course this is just a sampling of all the new things we have gotten in lately - and even this morning I saw another cart getting ready to be put out on the shelves (the Echo Park Happy Days line!)- so be sure to stop in and check out all the new products for yourself!