featuring guest authors; crafting tips and projects; recipes from food editor and sleuthing sidekick Cloris McWerther; and decorating, travel, fashion, health, beauty, and finance tips from the rest of the American Woman editors.

Note: This site uses Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sunday, September 16, 2018

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MELTED CRAYON ORNAMENT

The stores are filled with pumpkin-flavored everything lately, as well as candy corn and costumes, but Christmas is not that far away. Have you begun your Christmas crafting yet? Today we’re featuring another ornament from Drop DeadOrnaments, the newest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, now available for pre-order. This is a perfect craft for using up your kids’ broken crayons instead of tossing them in the trash. And as with all the other ornaments featured in the book, absolutely no special crafting talent is required.

Melted Crayon Ornament

Materials:
clear glass ball ornament
2-3 crayons in the same color family or opposites (examples: pinks and red, yellows and orange, blues and yellow, blues and pink, etc.)
crayon sharpener or craft knife
hair dryer
9”-12” of 1/4”-1/2” wide satin or grosgrain ribbon in complementary color*

Use the crayon sharpener or craft knife to shave pieces from the crayons.

Carefully remove the metal cap from the glass ball.

Working with one color at a time, place a small amount of the shavings into the glass ball. Hold the hair dryer close to the area of the ornament where the shavings are and heat the ornament to melt the crayons. Be careful you don’t touch the ornament with the hair dryer.

If the ornament becomes too hot as you’re working, take a break to allow it to cool. You may also want to use an oven mitt or glove to protect your hand from the heat. As the crayon shavings begin to melt, rotate the ornament to spread the color.

Alternate colors, continuing until the desired look is achieved.

Reattach the metal cap. Tie ribbon through the loop for hanging.

* You can also substitute yarn, twine, thin braid, or a thin strip of fabric for the ribbon used for the hanging loop.

Drop Dead Ornaments
An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

Anastasia Pollack’s son Alex is dating Sophie Lambert, the new kid in town. For their community service project, the high school seniors have chosen to raise money for the county food bank. Anastasia taps her craft industry contacts to donate materials for the students to make Christmas ornaments they’ll sell at the town’s annual Holiday Crafts Fair.

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

Buy Links
Kobo 
Nook