An Altered Item-Clothes Pins

I am in the altering business for this post, and it is a YouTube swap I am in with Scrapdaworld (TMika), who is the host of this swap.  My task, should I choose to do it (and I did) was to make 5 packs of 3 Altered Clothes Pins.  Before I show you the end results (all except one, which is for TMika's eyes only, LOL, plus I have not made it yet), I want to talk to you a little bit (just a little) about what the heck you use these clothes pins for ( in addition to the daunting task of hanging clothes up).
Well for one, you can use them in  mini albums.  All the pin does is hold a photo in place.  You can also use it to hold a journaling spot, tags, layouts, bookmarker, post a note pad, and just for decorative purposes.  They are fun to make, and for a minute, I thought to myself, "what the heck did I get myself into."  I never felt the need for a clothes pin (except to hang clothes), but the more I looked at it, the more I said, "Hum, very interesting", especially after seeing her video on the swap.  I love getting goodies, especially goodies I could use.
So, I had three paper brands to work with; Graphic 45, Prima, Recollections (Michaels brand), My Mind's Eye, and Washi Tape.  I have the Recollections Garden Florals and My Mind's Eye's Lost and Found-Portobello Road to work with.  I thought I would be able to find my Washi Tape, but for some reason, both roll are lost in the abyss of my office, so for the moment, I will make due with what I got to work with.  One of the pins, I need to put a little bling on it, and I need to put a topper on the bag,  So here is the first one:

 These pins were covered with the My Eye paper.  With all of them, I cut the paper to size, placed Scor tape on the clothes pin first, then the paper.  I tried to paint the clothes pin, which you are welcome to do so, but I left them in their natural state, because for one, there is a bit of a task to painting around the metal wiring, and then letting them dry.   I would not recommend using a heating gun for fear of setting the clothes pin ablaze, and I do not think the fire department nor my attached neighbors or my parents, who own this place would be too happy with my decision.  I did add a coat of Glue & seal to make sure it was well covered and protected.

The next two sets were covered with the same pink and green paper from the Recollections Garden Floral paper pad.  Please note:  You can cover 10 clothes pins with one sheet of 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.   The bling is courtesy of the $1 bin at Michael's .  I used rhinestones from Studio 18, about a quarter of a inch stud.  No bigger than that, or it will not look cute and dainty.

 This last set comes from the same paper pad as the last two sets, only I used blue and yellow.  If you have been following this blog, yes, it is the same paper that I use in the layout.  By all means use up your scraps.  If you are giving these away as gifts, no one will notice you used your scraps to cover your pins, unless you tell them, and there is no shame of doing so.
 The main point to this project (or any project for that matter),  is you are the master of your craft, and no one can say otherwise.   I love doing these projects, I love sharing them, so you can know that you do not have to buy the products they advertise.  In fact, you can make a kit using these by just customizing your embellishments to your liking.  They do not look like the others, and you will have the know how to make things on your own, instead of depending on others.
So let's recap:

Materials and cost:

Clothes pins- $1 at Deals (or any dollar store)
Rhinestones- $1 in the dollar bin at Michaels, Joann's, or LSS (Local Scrapbook Store)
paper -$0 if you are a scrapbooker or crafter and have a stash or scraps.   $1 if you do not, look for paper in the same place as you found the rhinestones.
Double sided tape $1-3.50 depending on if you find it at a drug store, higher if you go to LSS.  You may be able to get on sale if you have a coupon from Michaels or Joann's.
Overall, this is about a $10 project that you can complete in about an hour.   The project is a winner if you want the kids to do it.  I would say a 6 year old can do it.   Great rainy day project.

Well that is it for now.  Have fun, involve the kids, and have a blessed, crafty day.