These coasters look like little rafts.
For each coaster, gather 22 small, straight twigs, and trim them to a length of 5 inches. Double a length of waxed twine, loop center an inch from the end of first twig, and tie once. Tie twine around remaining twigs, one by one. Tie knot at end; cut twine close to knot. Repeat on other side.

Collect leaves of various shapes and sizes.
Using leaves for craft projects is one way to capture the beauty of autumn. Fallen leaves can be used as stamps to decorate a tablecloth.
You’ll need fabric paints in fall colors, such as brown, dark green, and deep red, etc., and you can customize your own colors by blending the paints.
To make your tablecloth design, experiment by moving the leaves around on the fabric. You can create a border, or even cover the entire tablecloth with leaf prints.
~Materials~
Sponge brushes
Leaves of various sizes and shapes (make sure they are not brittle)
Fabric paint
Light-colored cotton or linen tablecloth, prewashed
Paper towel, parchment paper, or kraft paper
Brayer or rolling pin
Iron
Muslin or scrap fabric (optional)
1. Use a sponge brush to lightly coat the veined underside of your leaf with fabric paint.
2. Place the leaf, paint side down, onto the tablecloth. Cover the leaf with kraft paper, parchment paper, or a paper towel to prevent the paint from getting on the brayer or rolling pin.
3. Roll the brayer over the paper a few times, firmly pressing the painted leaf onto the fabric. Keep the paper as still as possible; if it shifts, the paint beneath the leaf will smudge. Lift up the paper and the leaf.
4. Repeat the process, using a different leaf and different piece of paper for each new print.
5. Before heat-setting the paint, wait 24 hours. With the pattern side down, press the cloth with an iron set at medium high. Protect your ironing board by covering it with a piece of muslin or scrap fabric first.

~Materials~
Blank note cards
Ink pads in medium-value colors such as green, blue, orange, red, purple, and lavender
Watercolor paint
Small brushes
Leaves with pronounced veins
Select the leaf and make sure it is clean and dry. Press the underside of the leaf onto an ink pad, pressing gently with your fingertips to ink all areas. Lift the leave and check that it is completely covered, repeat if necessary.
Press the inked side of the leaf onto the card with your fingertips, pressing gently. Pressing too hard may cause the leaf or stem to smear the image. Lift the leaf. Use watercolor paint to fill in the leaf. Mix green with blue and yellow for an interesting shade. Let the ink and paint dry.

Your imagination can run wild with decorated clay pots. You can give them empty, fill with gardening themed gifts, or give with a lovely plant already in the pot. You can even put herbs, and other culinary items, in the pot as a "gift basket" then wrap with cellephane, and raffia. They are fun and easy to create.
~Materials~
Clay flowerpots
1" foam brush
scissors
fine-point brush
gesso or acrylic paint
assorted craft paints
assorted seed catalogs pictures or magazine pictures
Decoupage Finish
Step One:Brush a coat of gesso or primer paint on the surface of the flower pot and let dry.
Step Two: Paint the pot a solid color or create stripes, bands, and other interesting designs. You can paint the top of the pot a different color or use dots, stripes, zig zags etc. to decorate. Let each color dry before adding another. While the paint dries thumb through your catalogs or magazine and cut out pictures of flowers(or anything else you like) to decoupage.
Step Three: Arrange cutouts and lightly mark positions with a pencil. Place each cutout on a paper plate and brush with the decoupage finish on the back of your cutout. Lift by edges and press in place on pot, smooothing down to eliminate air bubbles. Wipe off excess finish with a damp paper towel.
Step Four: Continue with all of your cutouts, and you may add accents like leaves and more background around the cutouts with paint. Seal with one or two coats of the decoupage finish.

By Brenda Hyde
You can also tea dye patterned fabrics to give them a vintage look.
It is recommended that you use a pan and utensil just for dying. You can usually pick up an older pan, 16 quart works well, at a thrift store or garage sale. Keep an old pan on hand for messy jobs.
~Materials~
Stainless steel 16 quart pot
3 gallons tap water
1 yard cotton or linen fabric
8 ounces loose black tea
cheesecloth or muslin and kitchen string
strainer
tongs
mild detergent
Fill sink with cold water and soak your fabric completely. Bring 3 gallons of water to a boil in your pan. Tie the tea in a square piece of muslin (or cheesecloth) tightly with kitchen string. Add to the boiling water and continue to boil for at least 30 minutes. The longer you boil the darker the dye; so go an hour if you can. Remove the tea bag, and use strainer to grab bits of loose tea if necessary.
Wring out your wet fabric, and add to the pot of tea water. Turn off the heat and allow it to steep for several hours or overnight, stirring occasionally to dye evenly. Remember when checking the color that it seems darker when wet. When the fabric has reached the color you like, rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear, then gently wash with the mild detergent and rinse again. Wring out the fabric and hang or place on an old clean towel to dry.

~Materials~
~ light switch covers in unfinished wood
~ acrylic paint in your choice of colors
~ small foam stamps of your choice
~ spray clear acrylic
Instructions:
Prepare a work surface by laying newspaper down on a large area.
1. Base coat the cover with the color of your choice. You will probably need at least a second coat, maybe a third. Let each coat dry before applying the next coat.
2. Stamp on your design. First, plan your design, then practice stamping. To do this, using a small paintbrush, paint the acrylic paint onto the stamp then press onto paper firmly but being careful not to turn it to get a smudge. Once you are comfortable with the feel of it, then go ahead and stamp your design onto the base-painted switch cover.
3. If desired, spray with clear acrylic for protection and easy cleaning. This is best done outside on a piece of cardboard or newspaper. Let dry then put the light switch covers on as usual.
You can sponge paint them, paint on free-hand designs, decoupage or whatever else may inspire you.
© 2001 Monica Resinger

By Karen Hegre
Whether you wish to give your kitchen a refreshing aroma, to keep insects at bay, or simply to store your culinary herbs in an attractive way...... this traditional herb ball is the ideal decoration. Some of you may have these herbs growing in your garden already.
~Materials~
Half a stub wire
3 inch diameter floral foam ball, soaked in water
String
Selection of herbs such as rosemary, bay, sage, purple sage, mint, marjoram and thyme
Caraway seedheads
Satin ribbon one half inch wide.
For a long-lasting decoration, make your choice from the evergreen herbs....bay, rosemary and sage, and from spice seedheads such as caraway, fennel, and dill.
Bend the stub wire in half to make a staple and push it into the foam ball. Hang the ball on a piece of string while you work on the decoration. Cut the stems to almost equal lengths..you don't need to make it perfectly round..and build up the design by mixing the various herbs all the way around. Position the caraway seedheads more or less evenly around the ball. Remove the string and hang the ball on a ribbon. Tie a bow on top.

The flower holders (cones) are easy and inexpensive to make. They can hang on the backs of chairs, at the end of a pews, or from doorknobs.
~Materials~
A heavy-weight construction paper for the inner shell
Any high-grade decorative paper or a favorite textured or raised patterned wallpaper for outer shell
String (or wire if you prefer) strong enough to hang on a door, or ribbon
Rubber bands, small plastic sandwich bags and ties
Scissors, staples, clear tape, hot-glue gun
Instructions:
Place both inner and outer papers on a flat surface and, with a compass, draw a circle about 12 inches wide (or any size you choose), and cut out with scissors or penknife. Then cut the circle into quarters. Each quarter makes a 6-inch single cone.
. Make sure the strongest paper remains inside, pretty paper outside, as you roll the circle into a cone. Staple, tape, or hot-glue one end over another.
. Gently punch a tiny hole on either side of the cone with a pencil point and pull your string or ribbon through the holes, securing them on each side with a large knot. Leave enough string/ribbon for the cone to hang freely.
. Gather your freshly cut flowers in a bunch and wrap a wet paper towel around the base of the stems and secure with a rubber band before putting into a small plastic bag. Tie the bag with elastic or twist tie. Place the flowers in the cone.