Supplies you will need:

• AdTech® 0450 Lo-Temp Glue Gun  Click here to buy on Amazon
• AdTech® Multi-Temp Mini-Size Glue Sticks  Click here to buy on Amazon
• Battery-operated LED string lights (Must be LED bulbs that don’t heat up! This project has not been tested with plug-in LED lights.)
• Tiny beads for the eyes

IMPORTANT: Anything made with hot glue will start to melt above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not leave your finished project in a hot car, near a heater, run it through your clothes dryer, etc. 

Step one: Attach the glue stick to one of the lights.

The number of glue sticks you’ll need depends on how many LED lights you have on your string. I used 4-inch mini glue sticks and put one on each light. You can cut them down if you want smaller ghosts, or if your glue sticks happen to be a longer length. I cut mine down to about 2 1/2 inches long. You will also need extra glue sticks for the texture layers and arms.

Heat up your glue gun. I prefer a low-temperature glue gun for this project because it will make your glue stick base less soft while you’re working, and your hot glue will be less runny.

Pick up a glue stick and push the nozzle of the gun into the end of the glue stick to melt a divot into it – long enough to submerse the bulb part of the light.

IMMEDIATELY push one of the light bulbs into the glue divot to bond. Hold for a few seconds until it bonds. If it doesn’t bond all of the way, just add a little hot glue around the top of the bulb to bond it in place.

Tip: You can leave these glue stick lights as-is. They look pretty cool just as plain sticks and will put off more light than the bulbs alone. Another alternative to ghosts is to make icicle lights for the winter season. There are a ton of things you can do with glue sticks and lights!

Cut your sticks if necessary. I cut mine down to about 2 1/2 inches long.

Step two: Add hot glue layers.

Using your hot glue gun, add layers of hot glue over the glue stick base, alternating sides. If your glue stick base starts getting too warm and flexible, wait a few seconds before adding more hot glue.

Just keep adding lines of hot glue until you get the shape you want.

Step three: Add arms (optional).

If you want your ghosts to have arms, just add a blob of glue and hold your ghost at an angle so the blob “wings out”. You can also use AdTech’s Finger Guards to shape the arms once the glue has cooled a little.

Step four: Add the eyes.

You can add any kind of eyes. I found that tiny beads work well. Just hot glue the beads onto the head area.

That’s it! Each ghost takes a little bit of time, but you will end up with something really unique and inexpensive. I hope you enjoy this project using hot glue as a medium!

Love what you created? We will, too! Tag us in your image on Instagram, @adtech. Use the hashtags #glueasamedium and #thisishotglue so others can see your creation!

I happened upon a similar project over at Everyday Mom Ideas, and was inspired to create a new version using our AdTech® Crafter’s Gift Pack (available at Amazon and other retailers, and contains our Project Pro Glue Gun, MultiTemp Glue Sticks and Permanent Crafter’s Tape). Besides those items, all you need is some scrapbook paper and one or more small tree branches.

The original project called for wiring the leaves onto the branches. I decided to up the simplicity factor with hot glue. Worked like a charm!

Supplies you will need:

• AdTech® Crafter’s Gift Pack
  Click here to buy from Amazon and get 20% OFF with promo code 20STUDIO5643!!
• Small branches (We had several trees down due to a recent snow storm, so I used those branches.)
• Scrapbook paper in different colors & patterns
• Scissors
• Spray paint (optional)
• Container or vase for the base

Step one: Spray paint the branches (optional)

This is pretty self-explanatory. Shake the can well and spray outside away from objects… like cars, people and pets. You can spray the branches or leave them natural. I felt like white was more spring-y.

Step two: Make a paper sandwich

If you have large 12″ x 12″ paper like I did, you’ll want to cut it into more manageable pieces. I cut each large piece into quarters. (It really doesn’t matter what size. Just use a size that you are comfortable cutting leaves out of.)

Next, apply the Crafter’s Tape to the wrong side of one piece. I ran the tape one way every half inch or so, and then ran a couple of lines across the other way, and around the border.

Place another piece on it (wrongs sides together), so you see a different pattern on each side. Press together.

Step three: Cut the leaves

I didn’t make a template. I just cut out leaf shapes. Pretty easy!

Make a bunch of leaves – as many as you think you’ll need for your tree.

Step  four: Bend the leaves

I took a ruler and bent the leaves a little, to give it a nice effect and show off the undersides of the leaves more.

Step five: Hot glue the leaves to the branches.

Add a small drop of hot glue to the bottom of the leaf.

Touch the leaf to the branch and hold for a few seconds until it bonds. (No need to touch with your fingers. It bonds well just touching the leaf to the twig. Bonus!)

Just keep adding leaves until you get the look you want.

Step six: Add flowers (optional)

This is totally optional, but you can add some paper flowers if you’d like. I happened to have a flower punch kicking around, so I made some quick blooms. I used hot glue to adhere the layers, and a dab of hot glue and a small bead for the center.

That’s it! I hope you liked my version of this awesome project! If I could do it again, I would have made the leaves a little bigger for a fuller effect, but all in all I’m very happy with it. I got a lot of “oooohs and aaahhs” from the AdTech staff, and our receptionist, Cindy, will be taking it home for Easter. (The tree is about 3 feet wide, so I hope she has room!)

Love what you created? We will, too! Tag us in your image on Instagram, @adtech. Use the hashtags #glueasamedium and #thisishotglue so others can see your creation!

Looking for a Valentine project that’s simple to complete (even in bulk) that doesn’t require baking or buying chintzy, over-priced, mass-produced cards?

Good, because we’ve got one for you!

These adorable little “book of love” chocolate valentines are easy to make in any quantity. You can cut the paper pieces assembly-line style, print this book of love template or make a design of your own, and even snack on chocolate as you go. It’s really the perfect project.

Supplies you will need:

• AdTech Crafters’s Tape/Permanent Glue Runner (pictured; could also use AdTech Archival Permanent Glue Runner; both would work, though archival is actually stronger)
• Colored cardstock cut into 2  1/8″ x 1.5″ rectangles (these are the backs of the books)
• Patterned scrapbook papers cut into 1″ x 3″ strips
• A printed page of our PDF file, cut along guides (download here)
• Scissors or a paper cutter
• Hershey’s Nuggets in any flavor (see image to be sure you get the right shape)
• Thin ribbon or paper, cut into 2 ½” lengths (very thin… use paper if you can’t find ribbon 1.8″ wide)

Step one: Wrap chocolates with decorative paper

Pick one of your decorative, 1″ x 3″scrapbook paper strips. Use your Glue Runner to apply adhesive to both the 1″ ends, along the blank side. Place one of the 1″ ends down at the middle of the underside of the chocolate nugget, as shown (below). Wrap around, and press to seal, creating a sort of wide belt around the chocolate.

(In the end, you’ll only be able to see the decorative paper along the sides of the book, but this makes the project much cuter, we think!)

Step two: Apply adhesive to the cardstock

You’re going to fasten down your chocolates with your glue runner. Because it’s like tape, it’s not going to melt or potentially seep into your chocolate.

Be sure to leave about 1/4 -inch around the edges.

Step three: Place down the ribbon and chocolate

Place the ribbon in the center of the cardstock, with almost all of it sticking out the center of one of the longer sides (off the edge of the card).

You want 2 pieces of wrapped chocolate per valentine. These create the illusion of pages in an open book. Place these side by side on the adhesive, in the center, with the long sides touching. The long sides will be placed over the ribbon, and facing the same direction as the ribbon.

Step four: Fold your valentine message

We created this handy PDF with the definition of “love” on it. The dimensions should already be correct if you print full-page on an 8 x 11″ piece of printer paper. Trim each definition according to cutting guides. Fold in half so that it looks like a page.

Step five: Fasten the message to the chocolates

Place your adhesive closer to the edges of the back of this message than the center, and tuck the fold down (slightly) between the chocolates before pressing message down. This is just more likely to make the pages look even and not crooked.

Step six: Create your ribbon bookmark

Carefully apply adhesive from your glue runner along the side of the ribbon that is facing up, then fold it snugly over the seam of the “book” and press to secure. Trim as needed.

Step seven: Hand out your valentines!

These chocolate “books” are the perfect balance between handmade, which shows thought and care, and simple, which means you can hand them out at work or to friends or classmates. You can even modify them for other occasions: Make school “textbooks,” or “literary fiction” for libraries, or even Bibles for church events!

Love what you created? We will, too! Share your project image with us on Instagram. Be sure to tag @adtech!

Are you ready for a #Giveaway?

December is here, and the countdown to the holidays has begun! In the spirit of the season, we are ready to hook 3 lucky people up with themed stockings, worth over $100 each. 

These 3 stockings, which we will be giving away over the next 3 weeks, are full to the cuff with awesome products not only from AdTech, but also from Fiskars, Singer, Etsy shops, and more.

For the last five or six years, I’ve basically missed Halloween. I’m definitely someone who wants to Go Big or Go Home on this holiday, so when I’ve had too much going on, I’ve just, well, skipped it.

This year I realized that if I don’t find a median between “Go Big” and “Go Home,” I’m never going to get to be a part of the fun dress-up tradition again… and I LOVE Halloween and I hate to miss it! So this year, I am going simple. I’m dressing up… as SnapChat!

Now, this will really only work if I can find a few other people to dress up with me. SnapChat filters change every day, so if someone doesn’t happen to see the one I choose for my costume, it won’t make any sense. But if 3-5 of us come together as different filters, I think it will be hard not to see right away what our costume is!

Below are 3 SnapChat filters that I found were super easy to replicate (even at the last minute!), and if you and your friends want to trick-or-treat together, each of you can use a different disguise below and still go out in “group costume.” Ready?

#1: Oh, Deer

SnapChat has offered different versions of the fawn, doe, and deer over the year I’ve been on the app—but I think anyone would quickly recognize this SnapChat filter. And of course if some people don’t, it can be just a deer, or even Bambi. 

All you need is a headband, some brown, taupe, and pink foam, glitter, and your AdTech Project Pro glue gun. This was the easiest of all the filters to recreate!

#2: I Heart U

Another headband and wire getup, this costume could be “Valentine’s Day Incarnate” if you party solo, or it could be the love filter on SnapChat if you go out with friends who dress as other filters. Two pink felts, this stencil, some stuffing, a headband, wire, and your AdTech Precision Pro will make this costume possible in less than an hour!

#3: Crown of Flowers

For this one, I borrowed a couple flower designs from this post. I thought the crown was perfect for the SnapChat disguise! I did make the flowers a little smaller than the blogger’s, even though on the filter they are quite large, because I thought the costume would be too ostentatious next to the other filters I recreated. In a group costume, everyone would notice the flower crown and kind-of not see every other filter.

If you’re in a hurry, I recommend maybe creating flowers this way instead, as I think the process might go a little faster. I used the AdTech LoTemp Mini to make the flowers bond fast without crinkling the paper.

What do you think? We’d love to hear your comments and see your costumes! Share with us over on Instagram and Facebook!

Setting a table for a feast (or even just a large group) calls for some strategy. To keep the mood relaxed and enjoyable, you want to balance a variety of comforting cues with cleanliness and spaciousness—meaning, you want familiar aromas to fill the air and decorations to abound… and you also want to keep the table clear of dirty dishes and make sure each guest has enough elbow room.

Sounds simple enough—until you realize you want to put both a gorgeous centerpiece and your carefully prepared meal in the same spot on the table. Or that you’ve invited twelve, but only have enough china for ten. Then suddenly you find yourself saying something you never thought you’d say before: “The rules for a traditional table setting would come in really handy right about now!”

I’ve got you covered. Back in the day, I had to learn for a job which silverware was used for what—and in so learning, I actually learned the right way to set a table at the same time. As you plan to host holiday meals this year, consider these 5 handy tips for maintaining the energy of your party from appetizers to dessert.

#1: Plan to keep the food in the kitchen.

Some decisions are best made in advance, and this is one of them. Either plan to forego the cornucopias, gourds, and other fall decorations at the table and go forth with the take-one-and-pass-it tradition when it comes to food… or choose to decorate a formal table and keep it fresh all evening by leaving the food in the kitchen. I recommend the latter.

Here’s why: When food is the centerpiece, the table stops being lovely after that first round of serving. Water glasses get tipped over; serving spoons fall out of the sweet potatoes right onto your fine linens; gravy sloshes out of the boat—not to mention that the dishes themselves look ransacked.

Also, at occasions like Thanksgiving, with large groups of people, the amount of food can really interfere with the atmosphere, because there’s simply too much on the table. If you keep the food in the kitchen, there’s only one room to deep-clean once the meal is over, and you can decorate the center of your table with festive decorations that hold up all evening, give your guests their space, and look great for pictures.

#2: Set the table intuitively.

Large meals often take a long time to prepare—which is how multi-course meals were invented. While your guests are waiting for the entree to be ready, their hunger is kept at bay with small dishes, like salad and bread.

If you opt for multiple courses, set your table “top down.” This means have all the dishes your guests will need already at their place settings, with the first dish they will use on top, and the last dish they will use on the bottom. As each course is completed, the used dishes can be taken away, and the next piece of dinnerware that is needed will be ready and waiting underneath, clean and fresh for the coming course.

When it comes to silverware, place the first piece your guests will need at the outermost position (like a butter knife for a bread course or a salad fork for a starter salad). Remember that traditionally, to keep folks from digging in before the blessing, forks are placed on the left side of the plate (harder to reach for the large population of right-handed people), and spoons and knives are placed on the right. Knives should be placed with the blade facing inward.

If you like, you may wrap the first course’s silverware in the handkerchiefs or napkins guests will place on their laps, and position this silverware either above the place setting or directly on the topmost dish (pictured), and position all other courses’ silverware in their traditional locations on either side of the place setting. The napkin rings in this post are a great way to make place settings festive.

#3: Use placemats to designate each guest’s space.

Tables can get tight very quickly without some intentional planning. One thing you can do to ensure everyone has a little acre at the table is to put down placemats.

The technique I’ve used here is to layer two different placemats—one large, and one small. The larger placemat accommodates the silverware on either side of the guest’s entree plate, as well as the water and wine glasses.* The smaller draws the eye in to the food. Together, they offer each guest the impression that his space has been specially prepared for him, and he is welcome to get comfortable there.

Depending on whether you plan to serve a different wine with each course, how many napkins/kerchiefs each guest receives, you might opt to use a single placemat to keep the table feeling breathable and spacious.

*Guests are traditionally offered water before a meal, often alongside bread, intended to cleanse the palette. The water should be available all evening long, so water and wine glass should be separate.

#4: Leverage the season if you’re short on coordinating dishes.

As you can see at this table I’ve set, each place has approximately the same pieces—an entree plate, an appetizer plate, and a salad bowl. But not all the pieces coordinate from place setting to place setting. That’s okay!

The chances of you inviting the precise number of guests that you have coordinating china is slim. Especially in the autumn, when all the colors of the season work together, you can mix and match to create a curated, cozy effect. This can also help to put your guests at ease if they’re not entirely used to sitting at a completely formal table.

#5: Tier your centerpiece decorations.

There are two things you want to avoid when decorating the center of the table for a large meal: One, having centerpieces that are too tall for your guests to speak easily with one another across the table, and two, having centerpiece decorations that are too low and therefore come off as “flat.” Both provide distractions throughout the meal.

You can find a happy medium by using a three-tier system for decorations. For example, you can have a “tall tier” of tall, slim candles every 18 inches or so down the middle of the table; a “medium tier” of bowls of dried-cranberry-filled water and floating tea lights; and a “low tier” of greenery and small embellishments, such as gilded pinecones or dragon tears. See this post for how to create gilded pinecones and custom candle sticks that you can use as two of your centerpiece tiers!

The rest is up to you! The right food, music, games, and conversation will keep your meal merry all night long. Share the images you take of your formal table with us! We’d love to see!

I just moved into a new place, and I’d kind-of forgotten after living in the same place and making it my own for more than 6 years how much TLC a new home can require.

Matt has already set about making small repairs and painting, and I’m working on making the place festive for fall! We hit a fair in a nearby town last week and I have been feeling particularly inspired.

Our place has an inactive fireplace with a nice mantle for decorating. Here are 3 super easy projects that each take less than an hour to complete which you can use to make your own mantle a centerpiece in your home for autumn.

I’m also including a scrumptious apple cider recipe, because autumn isn’t just vivid harvest colors—it’s aromas and flavors, as well! Let it simmer on the stove for 15-20 minutes, and your whole home will fill with fall fragrance that will make you want to stay in all evening.

Project #1: Twine vases

This project is very cheap to make. All you need are some glass vases, twine, and a hot glue gun. You can get vases for as little as a dollar each at Goodwill if you’re not picky about the shape, or at Michael’s for a few dollars more if you know exactly how you’d like them to look.

Decide where you want the “back” of the vase to be, and glue a portion of the twine vertically to the bottom of the vase. The twine doesn’t need to be cut yet; it can roll directly from the spool. Then wrap the twine around the vase a few times, securing as needed with glue to cover up the vertical piece.

Then spiral the twine around the glass in the design of your choice, glueing down as needed, preferably on the back if you can, that way less glue spots are likely to show. At the top of the vase, wrap the twine around several times again, and tuck in the end when you finally cut from the spool.

Fill with sheaves of wheat, sunflowers, or other fall botanicals!

Project #2: Gilded pinecones

The hardest part about these is waiting for the gold paint to dry! You can gather pinecones from the great outdoors if you live near pine trees (try to get a variety of sizes), or you can pick them up in a craft store or buy them online.

Using liquid gilding or gold paint, dab the ends of the bristles. This will be very subtle, but will allow the pinecones to pop if you spread them over your mantle or, like I did, stack them in a clear jar!

Project #3: Homemade candlesticks

Fun fact: My mother sells vintage dishes for a living, and I know because of that how much chipped dishes lose their value. If you have a chipped saucer and an old wine goblet that could reuse repurposing, this project is perfect!

Just flip the goblet over (be sure to give it a good scrub first), spray with primer, and finish off with spray paint in the color of your choice! I chose cream to add a bright neutral to my display. Pro tip: Paint outside so you’re not breathing in fumes. (Matt was a little annoyed when I started this project indoors!)

Do the same with a saucer that’s both a good size to fit the base of your goblet and catch the drippings from your candle, and then glue the two together. I created three tiers of candles using this method—and they look great!

On the Mantle

When it comes to using these three projects together on your mantle, go for varying heights, and pull them all together with greens, berry stems, flowers, gourds, pumpkins, or pinecones wound around their bases. Make sure not to light any candles underneath wheat or flowers so that your fireplace doesn’t—well, catch fire! Then warm up and enjoy your display with some hot spiced cider.

Recipe

• 1/2 gallon local apple cider
• 1.5 cups orange juice
• 3 fat cinnamon sticks—3”
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 pinch allspice
• 1 pinch nutmeg

Bring all ingredients to a simmer on the stove, and allow flavors to blend on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Turn off heat. Use a ladle to extract cinnamon sticks and cloves. Serve hot! Makes 6-8 large mugs of cider.

I actually saw that someone else had done this and posted about it in an Amazon review, and I had to try it for myself. It took a couple tries to figure out the best way to do it, but once I did, I was surprised at how simple these “wax” seals were. All the perks of a fancy wax seal without the flame!

The trick, believe it or not, is simply to press the seal into ink before pressing it into the hot glue. Then, in just a few seconds, it peels away as easily as a sticker!

I have a few ideas for how to use these. Coming soon in another post, perhaps?

Supplies I used for this project:

• AdTech HiTemp Mini glue gun (could probably also use the LoTemp Mini if you wanted the seals to set faster)
• AdTech Glitter Glue Sticks in gold
• AdTech Mini Multi-Temp Glue Sticks
• Silicone mat (such as this one)
• ColorBox ink pad in gold**
• Custom seal from this Etsy seller
• Cardstock and envelopes

**There are a variety of gold ink pads out there. Pick one that is a hue you really like, because it will affect the color of your final seal, even though most of the seal is the glitter glue itself. Also, I specify ColorBox because in my experience, they have the longest-lasting ink pads, in the vividest colors, with the most even dispersal of color. Not an affiliate, just a really big fan!

Step one:

Warm up your HiTemp Mini with a gold glitter stick in it. Since this is literally the easiest glue gun project in the world, you don’t need a fancy glue gun. Plus the size of this tool puts you really close to the nozzle, so it’s easier to control how round your glue dot will be.

Step two:

Pump glue 5-6 times onto your silicone mat, taking care to form a pretty nice round. (With a HiTemp, the glue will settle pretty quickly into a fairly round shape. This might be harder if you opt to use the LoTemp.)

We actually have an entire tabletop here in the Studio that resists glue, so that’s why you don’t see a silicone mat in this shot!

Step three:

While the glue is still hot, press your seal into your ink pad, then press the inked seal into the center of the glitter glue you’ve pumped onto the silicone mat. Allow to sit 4-5 seconds.

Step four:

Peel the seal away, and then repeat until you have as many seals as you want.

Step five:

Replace the glitter glue in your HiTemp Mini with AdTech’s Multi-Temp Mini Glue sticks. Use a small dot of this glue to adhere your “seals” to the envelopes of your invitations, newsletters, or announcements.

And you’re done! Is that not the easiest project, or what?

These Save-the-Date cards were inspired the day I made these “wax” seals. I loved making these seals, but I also kind-of thought, what am I ever going to send that’s so fancy it would call for wax seals? Invitations to Buckingham Palace?

Then I decided any occasion can be fancy enough for wax seals if I make it so! And although I chose Save-the-Date cards for such a project, you could apply the embossing technique outlined here to invites for any event—a surprise party, a wedding shower, a baby shower, an anniversary, you name it! You could also use it for your annual holiday card or for Valentine’s Day.

Another note: I used Jill’s Instax camera to get the shots you’ll see below of me and my man friend, Matt, but if you don’t have an Instax camera, you could order some Instagram prints or just trim down photos you took on a disposable camera. The idea is to include a memento that the receiver can peel out and stick to the fridge or put into a frame. The removable tape makes it easy!

(By the way, in case you’re wondering: Matt and I are not actually engaged—you’ll notice the “wedding date” on these cards is for 2052! He was a very good sport and agreed to be my stand-in for these pictures. What a wonderful man.)

Ready to try a super easy method to make your cards super swanky? Let’s go!

Supplies needed for this project:

• Cardstock and envelopes in the color of your choice (choose something sturdy)
• Gold ink pad
• “You’re Invited!” or “Save the Date!” stamp (I ordered a design I liked from Paper Sushi – I LOVE this shop!)
• Gold embossing powder
• Handheld embossing heat tool (available at Michael’s or on Amazon)
• Gold gel pen
• AdTech Temporary Glue Runner (you can get a single at Walmart, but the bulk buy is cheaper!)
• Instax camera (or just some small photo prints)
• The items from the wax seal blog post, if you want to pair these two things together

Step One:

***Read this step fully, because it’s actually several steps but they have to happen fast!

Press your “Save the Date” or other invite stamp into the ink pad, press onto card stock, lift, and swiftly, before the pattern dries on the card, pour embossing powder over the wet ink.

Step Two:

Remove excess embossing powder by dumping it onto another piece of cardstock or paper, and then funneling it back into the powder container (waste not, want not!).

Step Three:

Repeat the above two steps with each succulent stamp (or other embellishment stamp).

Step Four:

Use your handheld embosser to melt the embossing powder into a shiny finish. To do this, turn on the embosser, and hover 2-3 inches away from the paper until all the power has melted. There should be no dark spots.

Step Five:

Customize any information that can’t be stamped onto the invite by writing it out in gold gel pen. Be sure to leave room to attach photos!

Step Six:

Use your Temporary Glue Runner to add a Post-It like effect to the back of the photo you plan to attach, then center it in the space you left for it on the card.

Step Seven:

Now all that’s left to do is seal, address, and send! And if you want to make the cards extra swanky, add these wax seals for a perfect finish.