Paint on Jeans: What, you don't like technicolor pants?;) LOL! Actually, one thing you could do is get a pair of old jeans from the salvation army or other charity store, and use them exclusively as your "craft pants". that way it doesn't hurt if you stain them, cut them, glue them, whatever, and you don't have to worry about cleaning them either.

Kim From Canada

Removing paint from clothing: I am the one who sent the hint about removing acrylic paint from clothing. just use alcohol, soak it and then use a paper towel or rang to rub off. works great!! I cleaned up several sweat shirts that had become rather variegated over the years. they had been washed many times and the paint still came off.

Gracia from California

Removing acrylic paint: I think I remember reading that a product named GOO GONE works well on dried paint. Check at craft stores or Joanne Fabric.

Fran Schroeder, Virginia Beach, VA

Styrofoam packing; The kind that cushions expensive equipment. Not the "peanuts." This is what I use to make bricks, slabs of rock etc. This stuff can be cut very nicely with a razor saw. I was able to cut the slabs of "rock" into thinner slabs with a sharp, single edged razor going very gently. This Styrofoam is great stuff. The resultant mini project is as light as a feather. I imagine the Styrofoam can be cut to make "rocks" for a stone fence as it does not matter if the edges of the Styrofoam "rock" are uneven. Paint accordingly and glue together to make the fence.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

KFC Takeout: How about using one of the white creamers from a restaurant, adding red stripes with paint, and adding a label cut from an ad for KFC? For the box, search for a similar shaped box on one of the printies sites and add words cut from an ad.

Martha Simpson

Carpets: Look at the upholstery fabric.....some of the small designs are perfect and you can see the weave etc...just fringe the ends...I got mine from sample books (old ones ) in a drapery store.....they usually throw these out.

Heather

baseball rug: I wanted to share something I tried for a rug. In the applique section of Joanne's or other fabric store, they usually have a good size baseball meant to be sewed on a jacket. I found this works on the floor nicely for a rug. I used a small butterfly in the bathroom too.

Lee from Melville, NY

Decoupage:I have never used modge podge and have made lots of things. If you can it's better to use a varnish such as estapol and a lot of coats before sanding, at least six. After that use wet and dry sandpaper dipped in water with a little washing up liquid and sand lightly in a circular motion. Dry thoroughly and apply another coat of varnish. You can do this for as many coats as it takes, more if the paper is thicker but if you are doing it in miniature, the thinner the paper the better. Water based varnish can also be used but needs more coats, gentler sanding, but doesn't yellow your paper. Hope that's helped

Julia

Estapol: Julia suggested a product called 'Estapol ' - which is an Australian product. It is a polyurethane varnish. (There is a water based version as well) I forget what the US brand names are for the same thing (& I used to use the stuff, too)

Charlene in wintry Canberra

Decoupage: I have done quite a bit of decoupage in my life, and I +think+ the problem just may be that you need a few more coats of the Modpoge. I used to wet-sand between every other coat of finish and put on as many as 20 (!) coats to get an absolutely smooth finish. But, was it smooth? You bet! Don't give up, it just takes awhile, and the thicker the paper you used for decoration, the more coats of finish will be required, which is why we usually spray the top of the print to seal it and then carefully remove several layers of paper from the back before we start. Does this make sense?

Marian in New Bern, NC