Everyone is born with creativity. But those people who appear to be super creative have a secret. They know that creativity has to be developed and exercised to come easily. I am on a quest to immerse myself in creativity of all kinds. I hope you will join me!

It took me 2 minutes to make this cute polka dot bangle.

 I found these great new shoelaces at Michaels this morning, called Crazy Laces.  They come in several styles for $1.99.  With the shoelaces, you get instructions on how to lace your new shoelaces in a fancy way.  Each package has instructions for two different lacing designs.

The shoelaces alone would make a cute gift, but we can't leave it at that, can we?

 I had this plain wood bangle in the stash.

 Why not lace up the gift bag, too?  Cut a 3/4" wide piece out of the front of the gift bag.  Punch 6 holes on either side.  Use a hole punch or poke holes with a pen or pencil.

I used the instructions for "The Ladder" method of lacing to put these gorgeous organza ribbon laces on the bag.  Then, I added a charm for good measure.

When you take the ribbon laces off the card, they are wrinkly. If you would like to iron them, put the iron on the lowest temperature.  With the iron standing up, rub the lace across the bottom.  Works great.

I know that is will give you ideas of things to do with these really cool shoelaces.  Please share!

Take Your Vitamin C!

 I learned this quick and impressive origami tea bag holder from the nicest woman who came and sat at the Make it Take it with the Amazing Helen at CHA.  She was the epitome of a lifetime crafter, generous, giving and creative.

I was thinking about it tonight and thought I would show it to you. You can make this little gift in 2 minutes. Literally.  It could be a small yet thoughtful gift for someone who needs a pick-me-up at any time.

Or, you could do it like a parlor trick in front of your friends.  They will oooh and aaah.

 This is the one the sweet lady gave me.

 Opened up, you see there are pockets for a tea bag and a packet of sweetener.

See where she punched hole at the top to string a ribbon through? That is how she tied the holder closed.

I am not kidding when I say you can make this in two minutes.  Get a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" paper and make one with me watching the video. You don't even need a practice. You can make one on the first try.

This is my friend Queenie. The world knows her as Jo Pearson. She is the creative genius behind craft projects at Michaels. She is one of the most creative people I know. And I travel in a circle of artists, so that is really saying something. 


She uses her creativity muscle every day in her job, and that makes it easy for her to use it in her personal projects too. If you don't already, you should definitely follow her videos on facebook.  She will fill your brain with creative ideas. You will, of course, find her page listed as Jo Pearson.