Win It Wednesday at Bonney Lake's Ben Franklin

We are happy that so many people are excited about this promotion. It is a lot of fun for us, too!

This metal plant cart is our WIN IT WEDNESDAY Facebook giveaway prize for Wed. April 30th, 2014! The retail value of the cart is $129.99 and right now the cart is on sale for $49.88.  To be entered to win, go to our Facebook page and COMMENT, LIKE and SHARE this week's WIN IT WEDNESDAY Facebook post!

Ann, our Floral Department Manager, created this beautiful display with the metal plant cart for your inspiration. This would look stunning on a front porch or back yard patio! 

The winner will be announced on our Ben Franklin Crafts & Frame Shop Facebook page on Thursday, May 1st.

(Facebook has complete release by each entrant or participant. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.)

Visit our Facebook page weekly to participate!

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop
21121 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253-862-6822
www.bfranklincrafts.com

DIY Paper Flower Gift Box for Mother's Day

This is a fun way to decorate a gift box! This would be great packaging for a small Mother's Day present.

These Secret Garden 3-d Roll up Flowers and Accents come pre-cut. All you need to do is pop them out and roll them around your finger or a pencil to create a 3-d embellishement.

They pop out easily - then just twist and roll. Glue the end piece to keep them in place.

Supplies:
One White Paper Mache Box
One Package Secret Garden 3-d Roll Up Flowers and Accents
Pink acrylic Paint
Green Acrylic Paint


Directions:
Paint the box with acrylic paint. Allow to dry completely.
Punch out the flowers and embellishments from the Secret Garden 3-d sheet.
Twist the flower around a pencil or your finger until you create a flower.
Glue the end.
Repeat with all of the 3-d shapes and flowers.
Glue the accents to your painted box to create your flowerscape.



Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop
21121 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253-862-6822
www.bfranklincrafts.com

Teacher's Appreciation Gift

Here is a simple gift you can easily create for a favorite school teacher. All you need is a computer, color printer and a few items from our bead department!

Supplies:
Ball Chain (your color choice)
Charms
Metal Pendant Kit with Round Glass Dome

Directions:
Create a one inch square with your teacher's name and a colored or patterned background on your computer.
Print this off on your color printer.
Use a 1 inch diameter punch to cut out paper to create the circle.
Glue the paper to the metal pendant and press the glass dome on top.
Open the chain and slide the pendant loop on to the chain.
Add the charms and close the necklace.

This jewelry project will not take long at all to finish and makes a thoughtful personalized gift.


Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop
21121 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253-862-6822
www.bfranklincrafts.com

May Arts and Crafts Classes at Ben Franklin

Guess what Bonney Lake residents? Our class calendar is posted on our website and we have some fun, new classes to share with you! We also have the regular classes that repeat each month.
If you are looking for a new hobby to occupy your free time then be sure to visit our classes web page.

View our schedule on our website.

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop
21121 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253-862-6822
www.bfranklincrafts.com

Don't Miss Our Mother's Day Events on Saturday May 3rd!

Did you know Bonney Lake has three great events going this Saturday may 3rd to help you create gifts for Mother's Day?

Kids Photo Shoot

Saturday May 3rd and May 10th from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.
Photos will be taken in the store near the framing department using "MOM" letters as props.
For $35.00 your package includes your photo session,  three 5x7" black and white photos of the kids which spell out MOM, a 10x20" 3-opening mat and frame. This great gift item will be fully assembled and ready for you to gift wrap!
As an additional gift item you may want to add an 8x10 package. These would be great for the grandma Mother's Day presents. This $20.00 package includes a photo session without props, a black and white 5x7 photo that is matted and framed in an 8x10" frame, again fully assembled and ready to go.

Kids Make and Take Mother's Day Craft

Saturday May 3rd from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Create an adirondack chair plant holder for Mom!
$5.00 fee - no registration is required.

Mother's Day Tea

Saturday May 3rd from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Join Milly in our fabric and yarn department of the store to mingle and make a FREE wool felt cup cozy. Tea and cookies will be provided.
This event is free, but registration is requested to help us prepare!

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop
21121 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253-862-6822
www.bfranklincrafts.com

Pillowcases for Childrens Hospital

 Good Neighbor Nights!

 

 

Milly's Good Neighbor Nights has been created to create projects for charity.
Come and join Milly in our Ben Franklin fabric department, aka Quilt Cottage, for Friday evening fun, good company and use your sewing skills to create pillowcases for a good cause! These Good Neighbor Nights will be on Friday nights from 6:00 - 8:00 pm April 25, May 2, May 9th and May 16th. While the pillowcase project has been a yearly community project at our Bonney Lake Ben Franklin store, it is now being created as a specific Friday nights event. Can’t stay to make a pillowcase? Drop off your completed pillowcases to add to the total!

We have joined in the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge of American Patchwork & Quilting®! Join us to make a pillowcase and make a difference for the children being treated at local childrens hospitals. American Patchwork & Quilting magazine is challenging quilters, crafters, and sewers across the country to make a difference as part of the One Million Pillowcase Challenge. The challenge encourages sewing enthusiasts to help the magazine reach the goal of making and donating one million pillowcases to local charities. To find out how you can help, visit www.AllPeopleQuilt.com/millionpillowcases.

Click here for more information on the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge.

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop
21121 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253-862-6822
www.bfranklincrafts.com

Ben Franklin Warehouse Sale in Bonney Lake

You are invited to shop our Warehouse Sale that starts today! 

We will have items up to 70% off on:

• Craft Supplies
• Scrapbooking
• Stamping
• Toys
• Home Decor
• Frames and more!

Our warehouse is located near our Bonney Lake store (see address and map below).

Thursday April 24, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

Friday, April 25, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 26, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

10221, 214th Ave. E

Bonney Lake, WA 98391

This is a great time to stock up on all kinds of crafting items!

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop
21121 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253-862-6822
www.bfranklincrafts.com

WIN IT WEDNESDAY: Crafter's Tote Bag

UPDATE: Thurs. April 24, 2014

CONGRATULATIONS to Misti Lehnhoff who is the winner of this week's WIN IT WEDNESDAY prize! Thanks again to everyone who Liked, Commented and Shared our Facebook Win It Wednesday post from yesterday! Be sure to LIKE our Facebook page to become a fan and follow along to see what next week's WIN IT WEDNESDAY giveaway will be!

https://www.facebook.com/BFranklinCraftsBL

 We are back with another WIN IT WEDNESDAY Facebook giveaway prize for Wed. April 23rd, 2014! To be entered to win, go to our Facebook page and COMMENT, LIKE and SHARE this week's WIN IT WEDNESDAY Facebook post!

|| Christy is holding one of our Facebook friends’ new TOTE BAG! Our prize this week is perfect for all crafters! Store all your treasures in this colorful tote valued at $39.99! ||

Win it Wednesday Facebook Prize: Tote Bag

The winner will be announced on our Ben Franklin Crafts & Frame Shop Facebook page on Thursday, April 24th.

(Facebook has complete release by each entrant or participant. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.)

Visit our Facebook page weekly to participate!

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop
21121 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253-862-6822
www.bfranklincrafts.com

Earth Day Repurposed Glass Jar Projects

Today is Earth Day and we would like to share a few facts with you. Did you know that Americans throw away enough garbage everyday to fill 63,000 garbage trucks. Of the garbage Americans throw out, half could be recycled, which is enough to fill a football stadium from top to bottom everyday.
In today's society the terms recycle, re-use and repurpose are common knowledge and a large effort is in place to reduce the everyday waste that is thrown away.

We would like to share some upcycle projects with you.

Glass
Glass can be recycled and reused over and over again…forever. It never wears out. Recycling one glass bottle saves enough electricity to power a computer for 30 minutes.

Project 1: Here is an easy way to upcycle your glass candle jars.
All you need to do is remove all of the used wax from the jars and wash them. They make great containers for cotton balls and other bathroom items.

 Project 2: Create canisters with knob lids from recycled pickle and condiment jars.

Supplies needed:
Clean Pickle Jar (or any other type of glass jar)
Montana Gold Acrylic Spray Paint
Crop-A-Dile Big Bite Hole Punch
Knob (your choice of style)

Directions:
Wash the jar and lid completely and remove any labels.
Spray paint the lid in the acrylic paint color of your choice.
Allow the lid to dry completely. I would suggest leaving it overnight.
Now take the Crop-A-Dile Hole Punch and using the large puch setting punch a hole through the center of the lid.
Place the knob through the hole and then screw the lock nut on screw on the under side of the lid.

We like the look of assorted colors and knobs grouped together.

What great upcycle project are you planning for Earth Day? Feel free to post photos of your creative craft projects on our Facebook page.

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop
21121 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253-862-6822
www.bfranklincrafts.com

Bonbons Miniature Balls of Yarn by Lion Brand Yarns

Indulge in color with Bonbons Yarn by Lion Brand Yarns, which are collections of 8 miniature balls of yarn. Just to give you an idea, the entire bag measures only 5.5" x 5.5". So these are mini balls great to create small projects.

Each collection includes 8 shades, perfect for any project requiring multiple colors, such as amigurumi, colorwork, embroidery, and embellishments. Bonbons are also great for friendship bracelets and kids' crafts. The price is $7.99 for a pack of 8 mini skeins.

The pattern we used to make this adorable doll outfit is from the book Knits for Dolls by Nicky Epstein.

In the book KNITS FOR DOLLS by Nicky Epstein, who is a designer, author, teacher, and knitting celebrity, you'll find a stylish delight: 25 playful, fashion-forward patterns for 18-inch dolls. What a great way to use these adorable Bonbons Miniature balls of yarn!

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

DIY Jewelry: Create Your Own Beaded Bracelet

Created by Nancy

This is the beautiful Barbara Bush Bracelet that Nancy, our beads department manager, created recently. Creating your own jewelry can be therapeutic and it also makes great gifts. This would be a spectacular Mother's Day gift, or you may just want to keep this beauty for yourself.

Here at our Bonney Lake Ben Franklin store our goal is to help you create projects you love. We have many jewelry projects on display in our bead department and many of those have project sheets with complete instructions for you to take home. We want your beading to be fun and easy. If you have questions on your bead projects bring them in and our bead shop staff will be happy to help you!

Supplies Needed:
Fireline 6# Beading Thread
Big Eye Beading Needle
1 Strand 6mm Pearls (21-26 pearls approximately)
1 Tube Size 11 Seed Beads
1 Strand 4mm Bicone Crystal
1 Clasp (your choice of style)

Tools Needed:
Wire Cutters

Directions:

• Use 3 yards of thread. String 2 core beads (6mm), leaving a 12" tail. 
• Loop 1 and 2: string one section of side beads ( 4 size 11 seed beads, 1 4mm fire polish crystals and 4 size 11 seed beads)
• Pass the needle through the two core beads to form a loop.
• Repeat once again to form a loop on the opposite side of the core (figure 1).
• note: picture shows five size 11's. If beads are small, use 5.

• Loop 3 and on: String 1 core bead and one set of side beads.
• Slide the beads down to the work and pass the needle through the same two core beads to form a loop on the opposite side of the core, on top of the previous loop (figure 2)

 

Repeat until you have the desired length, stringing 1 new core bead for each pair of loops, and flipping one loop to each side of the core beads before starting the next loop.

Clasp:

• With needle exiting the size 6 fp, string 4 size 11 sb, one end of the toggle, and two more size 11 sb.
• Pass back through the first two 11's and the next two size 6 fp.
• Follow bead path through the loop beads on the side of the bracelet, out and around the clasp again.
• Repeat on the other loop and ending by tieing around one thread by the size 6.
• Pass the needle on through a couple of beads and clip.
• Repeat with the tail thread on the other end of the bracelet.

key:
sb - seed beads
fp - fire polish crystals

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin of Bonney Lake is Closed Easter Sunday!

We are happy to tell you that Ben Franklin will be closed Easter Sunday, April 20, 2104. The employees will be spending the day with their loved ones celebrating a day of resurrection.

Please come visit us on Saturday for any last minute craft supplies or gift baskets items. We will gladly help you find creative and personalized items you will love. On Monday, we will return to the normal store hours schedule  ready to inspire you to create new crafting projects.

Today's modern Easter is a blend of religious celebrations and various folk customs and traditions including baskets of Easter eggs, bunnies, and of course, a special day of gathering with friends and loved ones. However you spend your holiday, we wish you a day of peace and happiness.


Visit us on our website.

Hostess Gifts and Easter Gift Baskets

We like the phrase "think outside of the box" and these gift baskets are a great example of it by not showing the traditional rabbit, chicks and eggs in a basket. This is our idea of the perfect Easter hostess gift or Easter basket for adults. Instead of bringing flowers for the Easter dinner table, why not bring something unusual for a centerpiece?
Today we are sharing our vision for the perfect gift basket.
1. Pick a theme
2. Choose colors that go well together - paint store swatch samples are a great help if you are feeling overwhelmed.
3. Choose your basket or container. We really were thinking of boxes today and love these home decor boxes.  These can be placed on surfaces or hung on your walls.
4. Pick items that are aligned with your theme.
5. Place a colored shred in the bottom of your basket and then add your gift items. You may need to rearrange them  to achieve the look of a great gift basket. (hint: stand back and observe from a distance to get a new perspective).
6. Wrap the basket with a large sheet of cellophane.
7. Finally, add a color coordinating bow and a gift tag to complete the package.

Rosemary Themed Gift Basket:

Margarita Themed Gift Basket:

Rustic Farmhouse Gift Basket:

Fresh Yellow Easter Gift Basket:

We hope you enjoyed this inspirational blog post. We have pre-made gift baskets available in the store, and would also be happy to help you with your own gift basket theme and items that match. Come visit us for ideas and help making your gift basket.

Visit our website for great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on facebook, we love it when our customers share photos of their projects!
Visit us on Pinterest for more great inspirational crafts.

Ben Franklin's Win It Wednesday

UPDATE: Thurs. April 17, 2014

CONGRATULATIONS to Cortnie Goodin who is the winner of this week's WIN IT WEDNESDAY prize!!! Cortnie, please contact Anita, the marketing coordinator at 253-862-6822 to claim your prize.

Thanks again to everyone who Liked, Commented and Shared! Be sure to LIKE our page to become a fan and follow along to see what next week's WIN IT WEDNESDAY giveaway will be!

https://www.facebook.com/BFranklinCraftsBL

It's that time again - time for Win It Wednesday on our Facebook page!

WIN IT WEDNESDAY | Facebook Giveaway
Every Wednesday we will give away a beautiful prize which will be announced on a Facebook post!
To be entered to win, go to our Facebook Page and COMMENT, LIKE and SHARE the "Win It Wednesday" post to get yourself entered for a chance to WIN!

This week's prize is the Mosaic Star Stepping Stone Kit that contains everything you will need to create a one of a kind stepping stone. This would make a great Mother's Day gift.

A random winner will be announced on our Facebook page on Thursday April 17th following the Win It Wednesday post. The winner has 14 days to claim their prize before it is considered void.

(Facebook has complete release by each entrant or participant. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.)

 

Click the link below to go to our Facebook page -
Ben Franklin Facebook

Beach Memories Wall Art

The recent sunny weather feels like summer is on it's way! Here is a little summer beach inspiration for you.

Supplies:
Unfinished Wood Plaque
Canary Yellow Acrylic Paint
Turquoise Acrylic Paint
My Best Memories Scrapbook Paper by SugarTree
Package Braided Wire and 2 Eye Hooks
Package of Mini Clothespins

Directions:
Paint entire wood plaque with turquoise paint. Allow to dry.
Now paint the sides with yellow paint and allow to dry.
When completely dry, sand the sides of your plaque to allow some of the turquoise to show through in a random manner.
Glue the scrapbook paper to the front of the plaque.
Screw one eye hook in the wood of each side of the plaque.
Thread wire through the eye hook and twist until it is secure.
Repeat this for the other side.
Finally, clip the clothespins on the wire and your project is finished!



Visit our website for more great projects and inspiration.
Visit us on Pinterest for inspiring images.

Knit Dishcloth Dresses by Debbie Trainor

Aren't these Dishcloth Dresses cute! Leisure Arts has this easy-to-follow book filled with knitting patterns and beautiful pictures to create these beautiful Dishcloth Dresses! These make quick and easy gifts, too!

Knit Dishcloth Dresses Book by Debbie Trainor from Leisure Arts

Dishcloth Dresses add some fun to your kitchen counter! Dress your dish detergent bottle in one of these whimsical cover-ups made of thirsty cotton yarn. Each colorful dress can double as a dishcloth.

The 12 easy projects, designed by Debbie Trainor, include: A Night on the Town, Princess for a Day, Company's Coming, Dress With Apron, Going Dancing #1, Going Dancing #2, Wedding Day, Happy Day #1, Happy Day #2, Prom Date #1, Prom Date #2, and Garden Party.

Information and photos of models are courtesy of Leisure Arts.

Dishcloth Dress can double as a dishcloth

Dishcloth Dress made with thirsty cotton yarn

Dishcloth Dress adds a whimsical touch to your kitchen

Use our Sugar'n Cream Yarn, which is at only $1.88 per skein, to create these cute little dresses! Oh, by the way, we also have the book available for $5.99.

Sugar'n Cream Yarn is perfect to make these Dishcloth Dresses!

Confused or frustrated by a stitch? Leisure Arts offers a huge selection of high definition videos which precisely illustrate every time the crystal-clear instructions you need. Check out their website and get started! http://www.leisurearts.com/hd-instructional-videos/

Visit our website for more project ideas.

DIY Fabric Bunny

This is a fast and easy sewing project that everyone loves!  The novice and advanced seamstress will enjoy creating this bunny. Choose a fun cotton pattern or soft, plush fabric.  Make one, or make a basket full to display during the spring Easter season.

Supplies:
Fabric (2 pieces approximately 8" x 6" wide) remnants work great
Ribbon For Bow, approximately 8 - 10 inches
Pillow Stuffing

Directions:
Place two pieces of fabric together with right sides facing in.
Cut fabric using the attached pattern. You will need to cut 1/4 inch larger than the pattern for the seam allowance.
Stitch the fabric bunny pieces together with your sewing machine (or by hand if you prefer a rustic look).
Leave a two inch opening to stuff the bunny.
Turn fabric right side out.
Fill the bunny with stuffing.
Now stitch the opening closed with a needle and thread.
Your final step is to tie a ribbon bow on the neck of the bunny.

For a larger bunny place the pattern on a large piece of paper and just draw a slightly larger outline.

Visit our website for creative inspiration and craft projects.
Visit us on Pinterest to where we pin our favorite crafts.

Everything You Need For Creative Easter Baskets

We can help you find everything you will need to create personalized Easter baskets for everyone in your family from the smallest child to those who have outgrown the traditional baskets. Pick out your basket or container, add some Easter basket grass, basket stuffer items and wrap the entire package in cellophane. Tie a bow around the package and your Easter gifts are finished! It is a fun and easy one stop shopping trip.

 

We have some great toy selections that your children will love. The new Sands Alive kit will be a great source of entertainment and will not make a sandy mess on your floors. You have to come in and try this out in person at the store - we all had fun experiencing this activity. The traditional Easter basket sand toys and animal play sets just add to the fun.

The Bubble Squee-Z-Bubs Bunny is a cute way for children to create bubbles. We think Easter baskets are not complete without bubbles to entertain the kids.

Glitter Mold and Paint Springtime Friends is a craft project for all ages, but is great to do with your kids.

Great items for the older kids such as nail polish and nail polish pens, bead charms, head massagers and our new waterproof cell phone bags that allow you to operate touch screen devices and capture amazing photos through the waterproof bag.

 

We have bejeweled 3 in 1 VersaCables compatable with the latest iphones, ipads and Samsung Galaxy.

We also recommend a basket filled with soft skeins of yarn for the needle craft lover or charm packs of fabric for the quilter in your family.

 There truly is something for everyone and we can't wait to show you the treasures in our store!

Visit our website for creative inspiration and craft projects.
Visit us on Pinterest to where we pin our favorite crafts.