Win Crafty Chica Supplies and More for Your Own Craft Party

How would you like to win all the supplies you would need to throw a fabulous crafting party for you and your five closest crafty pals? If you’ve been wanting to host a craft gathering with your friends, but haven’t had the budget to make it happen, we’ve got you covered.

Simply embellish any old tote you have laying around your house, enter it in our Crafty Chica Challenge, and the next thing you know, you could be sitting around a table with your friends and more Crafty Chica craft supplies than you’ll know what to do with. Grab a tote (beach, grocery, diaper bag, etc.) and embellish the heck out of it. Grab buttons, glitter, embroidery floss — anything you can get your hands on, and make that tote shine in a whole new way.
Snap a picture or two of your finished project and add it to our Crafty Chica Challenge Flickr Pool . Get crafting, because even though the contest deadline has been extended to July 24, you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to embellish your little heart out. The winner will get loads of Crafty Chica products and even a few personal items handcrafted by the Crafty Chica herself. You’ll even have a chance to talk to the Crafty Chica and get the scoop on her favorite craft and party tips. For a full list of all the prizes and perks, please see the contest page.
And if you’re looking for a little inspiration, first check out the Crafty Chica’s own Flickr stream. She’s constantly posting pictures of all things sparkly and embellished, and offers loads of inspiration. Also check out the Crafty Chica Challenge Flickr Pool to see what’s already been entered.

Finally, here’s a little something I worked on over the holiday weekend. I can’t enter the contest, but reading about it made me want to embellish a tote of my own. I took a Crafty Chica tote that I got last fall (and have been dying to embellish ever since) and added some freestyle embroidery here and there. Once I was satisfied with the embroidery portion of the embellishment, I whipped out my Crafty Chica glitter. Remember chunky glitter you had as a kid? Now forget about it. Kathy’s glitter is tiny and beautiful and really nice to work with. I added touches of glitter to the flowers, bird, and a leaf. All I need to do now is give it a final dust off and it will be good to go.

Here are some tips:

• Having my tote bag in an embroidery hoop actually helped in my application of glue and glitter. I was able to paint the glue on with a tiny paint brush and apply glitter right where I needed it.
• Lay a towel or sheet or newspapers under your tote bag while you apply the glitter so you can just pick it up and toss it or wash it when you are done. Don’t be like me and apply glitter freely on the ottoman in the living room. You’ll have to deal with grumpy family members who don’t like to get glitter on their socks.

Associate Editor Becky Stern has also been busy with her glitter tote, sprucing up a Mexican-style beach bag she found at a local thrift store. Feeling Kathy’s warm glittery vibes from across town, she set to work jazzing up this airy bag.
All that’s left to do is to start making your guest list for the big craft party! What are you waiting for?