Do you ever get really giddy when you receive something in the mail that is totally unexpected and out of the norm? That is exactly the way I felt after receiving the Platypus Designer Duct Tape package to review and giveaway. Not only are the designs unique, diverse and fun, but the duct tape is actually REALLY useful!

I received the package just before Christmas, and used the ‘Candy Cane’ design to package ALL of my gifts that I mailed out to family and friends. Festive and Practical.  My husband is a HUGE knitter…yes, knitter, and I couldn’t have been more happy to see a Wool/Stocking knit pattern on one of the rolls. I actually created a ‘Stocking Knit’ Duct Tape Wallet!! He snagged the rest of the roll for his skate board…go figure.

You can get a free pattern over at Crafts by Amanda {Our Home and Garden Editor}.

You can see in the photo above that there are 14 patterns to choose from, and if we support this awesome company, I’m sure there will be more to come! I always love supporting businesses that do ‘business’ right, and Platypus is one of those companies. Just the way I received the rolls of duct tape was top notch.

They came in adorable little ‘donut’ boxes, along with a brown envelope with a classy envelope explaining the Platypus Duct Tape Product.

I’m so excited about this duct tape, that I’m going to give away 4 rolls in a cute little donut box of your own so you can make fun things like guitar straps, wedding bouquets, dog leashes, tote bags and anything else you can think of!

Here’s How to Enter:

Competition open to US Addresses Only

1) Leave a comment explaining how you would use Platypus Duct Tape.

2) Giveaway Ends February 10, 2012 11:59pm

3) Leave a valid email address so I can contact you.

This craft is perfect to put a little love in your home this Valentine’s Day! You’ll enjoy spending time with your children making this, while sharing the love with anyone who comes into your home! Visit The Cheese Thief for the tutorial!

Sometimes it can be really difficult to go through flashcards with your children…as they only last about two days before they are torn, ripped or chewed up! Craft Gemini has come up with a beautiful set of ABC and 123 Flash cards made out of Fabric. She has created a workshop to teach you how to make them yourself! She is always giving away some of the Pellon brand materials that you would need to make them! Head over to her giveaway today! It ends tomorrow, so hurry!

Sometimes crafts and great organizations can come together to make beautiful things and make a big difference.  Jamie from Hands on As We Grow has collaborated with the American Heart Association and more than 70 bloggers to make an ebook called The Heart Book.  Starting tomorrow, February 1, 2012, you can head purchase this book filled with over 100 crafts all dealing with – you guessed it, hearts! All proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association. There will also be giveaways every day to celebrate!  Make sure you go to Hands on As We Grow to get involved!

Although this craft was originally thought up to give as a 94th Birthday Present, I think it would be great for a very special someone in your family for Valentine’s Day as well. It involves passing around the heart to get as many fingerprints as you can from those in your family. I love crafts that help bring people together, even if they are miles apart. You can find this project at Busy Kids = Happy Mom. If you could get an entire class to add their fingerprints, it would be a great teacher appreciation present too!

What better shirt for a little boy to wear than this ‘car love’ t-shirt that you and your son can make together! Helping Little Hands uses a distressed freezer paper technique…plus, your son can wear this shirt all year!

This is the perfect craft to do with your teen or tween to spend some ‘love-ly’ time together. You only need three things to make them, so hurry up and head on over to Maize Hutton for the tutorial so you can wear the ring right up till Valentine’s Day! { Found via Sassy Sites}

Tinkerlab is one of my all-time favorite kid craft/activity sites on the internet today. Rachelle came up with a great way to get people to start thinking ‘creatively’. Starting on February 6th, you can join her Paper Bag Challenge. You can even grab a cute little button to put on your blog…. Plus!! You can join in on a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card, and a three month subscription to Kiwi Crate {Creative Challenge Sponsor}. I am seriously thinking about doing this challenge to get my creative juices flowing! Will you join me?  Head on over to Tinkerlab’s Creative Challenge Page to learn more about how to participate.

This beaded Valentine’s Mobile is simple to make, and would be a great addition for the holiday in any home. You can find the tutorial at Crafts Unleashed.

So this isn’t directly about a craft, but I just had to post about it anyway. I’m sure we can come up with some way that this relates to crafts and lesson plans right? This game involves stacking the conversation hearts and seeing who wins out! Head on over to Simply the sweet Life Magazine for more info!!