The Paisley Farmhouse

What you need:
plate/dish
can of chalkboard paint
foam paint brush
chalk
Optional: steel wool & painter's tape

Step 1: Paint a layer of chalkboard paint in the center of your dish. Keep the edges clean and straight as you can. Painter's tape comes in handy on a square plate. Let dry.

Step 2: Use steel wool to smooth, then paint another layer. Let dry.

Step 3: Write a nice message and pair with a plate hanger, plate stand, or chalk for a great gift! Teachers and others will love it!

This project was adapted and inspired from http:tuesdayswithmolly.blogspot.com.

You need: old crayons and a cookie cutter
(We now have cookie cutters at The Paisley Farmhouse! These photos show our bunny cookie cutter.)

This is a great way of recycling old crayons into new, even more fun crayons! I took a bunch of runty old crayons and placed them (unwrapped) in an old baking pan in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Here's the goo all melted into a liquid of swirling colors.

Let the pan cool and use a cookie cutter to make out the shapes when it is still slightly warm to the touch.

Here's the sheet of melted crayons cooled off. Let it cool completely before you handle it and release your shapes. Be gentle.

And here they are: bunny crayons! I LOVE how all the colors melted together to make beautiful swirls of color. Cool, huh?