Patrick Moreau March 4, 2021

Top craft projects by janeclauss.com? Biggest Lesson of National Crafting Month? Wrapping it up in a big bow, Craft Month is a perfect time to explore your creative side. Even if you never thought of yourself as the crafty kind, this is the perfect time to dive in. You never know, you might just awaken your inner crafting giant. There’s only one way to find out – get crafting! Why Crafting Is Cool? With the maker’s movement sweeping the nation, crafting is the “in” thing to do. Living in the modern digital age, people are finding that getting more hands-on and adding a handmade touch to everyday life, is more satisfying than just pressing a button and ordering it on-line. Plus, finished handmade projects make great social media posts and allows for bragging rights too!

To get your fans excited with thrilling table décor, think about everything that is part of a basketball game. Set the food stations to look like a basketball court, cheering section and even concessions stand. You can turn the tabletop into basketball court by laying down faux wooden flooring on top of your table, draw out the free throw line and 3 point line with tape, and set up mini basketball hoops at each end; so you can put popcorn in the nets. Another food station can be set up like a cheering section with balloons, pom pons, foam fingers, and more. These specialty food stations will have your team cutting down the net with a big win. Good Old-Fashioned pancakes ? This is the pancake recipe you’ll find in your grandma’s recipe book. Made with the time-tested ingredients that everyone loves; flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, an egg, a pinch of salt and butter. Top ‘em with Maple Syrup and it’s always a winner!

DIY ideas with Jane Clauss: Let’s start with moms that are the center of the universe for their families; what do they want? Well, they want to be reminded of their nearest and dearest. So, plan a family DIY activity for Mother’s Day and have every one participate in making a family tree, hand-print, wall hanging. This way she can sit back and admire her homegrown forest! You can also make her a photo block with pictures of the kids on all six sides. This is a cute home dec item that can sit on her desk or book shelf. Just decoupage a plain wooden block – that can you find at any craft store – with copies of old and new photos. Top it all off by creating a scrap book collection of love letters from Dad, emails will work and by the way, it’s better than a romance novel. Find extra details at crafts projects.

Fun food recipes by Jane Clauss: Since an orange is the perfect color to masquerade as a pumpkin, it makes the perfect jack-o-lantern. To carve an orange, slice the top off first then scoop out the insides. Once it’s clean give it a quick rinse in a bleach bath to help preserve the rind. Using a hobby knife cut out the eyes and mouth. You can fill these cutie-pie pumpkin impersonators with grapes for a snack bowl for the kids or illuminate them with a tea light. Are they mini pumpkins or are they oranges? That’s what your friends will be asking with this DIY delight.

Jane Monzures Clauss is a two time EMMY winning television personality. Currently the host of Creative Living on the COX Media Yurview Network, and host of Living Healthy Chicago on WGN TV. She can also be heard as a featured guest host on 720 WGN radio. Discover additional info at janeclauss.com. Jane is the founder of LIVE. LOVE. LIFE. Foundation a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to raise funding for rare degenerative brain disease research and create awareness for brain donation.