Free nursery art

Of course... this project was free 'cause I had all the supplies, but it wouldn't be expensive anyway.

 

 

Take small wooden plaques and Mod Podge your paper on. I did a layer of cute brown paper and then a layer of a plain paper because I wanted my letters to stand out. I then Mod Podged over the paper again to make sure it was all sealed up.  I had to paint my chipboard letters white (they were blue) before I could glue them on. To make sure they stayed well I used E-6000 to glue on my letters.

Pick some ribbon.

Cut one end of your ribbon (it will hang down so make it cute!)

Again, I used E-6000, but you could use hot glue. 

I then glued the ribbon straight down the backs of my little plaques. I also took the top bit of ribbon and glued it into a loop for hanging.

Hang on your wall and voila: cute, cheap (or free) nursery wall art. I used the letter Q,R,S because I wanted to do something a little different than your typical A,B,C.

Why I am always behind.... a Valentine's project

The title seems ironic... Valentine's isn't here yet. How can I be behind?
Well, usually I am on top of holidays and ready long before they get here. And you could argue that since it is still a month away I could still say that. But I feel behind. And there is something to be said for that. Ever since having my kiddo I have felt perpetually behind. And I can't seem to catch up. Does anyone else feel this way? I always plan to get organized, to be prepared, to make elaborate things and REALLY get into holidays. But. Anyway. I have caught the Valentine's bug and had to make something today. All of this came from stuff I had lying around in my craft... blob. So, free. Bonus.

Wooden plaque. White paint. Heart cutouts. Bakers twine. Rub-on "love". Mod Podge.

You know the drill. Paint the plaque. Mod Podge the hearts down. Rub on the "love". Mod Podge to seal. Tie mini knots. Dip paint brush end in Mod Podge. Put paint on knot. Press. Dry. Voila! I have put mine resting in a black five by seven picture frame. Which is in a plate rack... thing. You could glue ribbon to the back and hang. You could drill holes. Whatever.

Have a happy day. Looks like we may actually get some snow. Better now than May, I suppose.

Pap, pap, papioca... PAPER

So do you remember this:

from this post?

Well I bought the paper towel holder at Ross for 2 or 3 dollars. It was white and it had a rooster. I'm not a rooster person, not really. So I made it ME. I had hoped to make more as Christmas presents for my sisters but could never find any for a good price and it was hard to find any that were un-varnished.

Recently I was at my local thrift store and picked up two for $1.50 each. SCORE! They had clear coat on them but I just sanded them before painting.

One of these is for my sister. My other sister has one she likes so I just made over the other one for fun. Maybe I'll sell it at a craft/ yard sale I'm planning.

As always: Pick your coordinating paper, cut it out, mod podge, smooth, mod podge, and put together.

I did a smaller circle of a coordinating paper for some visual interest.

My sister has simple taste and her kitchen is black and white so I just did this paper. Simple, but cute. I could have painted the top black, and if she wants me to I still will.

And for the reveal:

Valentine's project!

I must admit that I love Christmas but the very next day I want my tree down, the clutter gone and the house to be organized.
Most years I am actually able to get the tree down and the decorations put away very quickly. This year was no exception and I am loving the open, fresh, clutter-free feeling.
But. There's still snow outside and that depresses me.
I set a goal for myself that I would stop looking so far to the future and enjoy what's happening now. I guess I'm not doing a very good job ;).
About this time each year I get excited to spread spring through my house. Spring is reaching for it, I suppose and so I settle with throwing some pink (a very springtime color) into my life.
I do not, however, own Valentine decorations. I know. I just never really bought any. And then last year I was going to make a door hanging, but I didn't start it until the week before Valentine's day and it took too long so I made a spring one instead. Here's that post.
So I made my first ever Valentine's Day decoration. Let me know what you think!

As always, not great pictures, but I think it turned out kind of cute!

I used a wood plaque and then the large "Be Mine?" card from the "Vintage Valentine" Valentine Cards paper from Fancy Pants Design (Nancie Rowe-Janz apparently designed it).
Painted the plaque with a mix of sea foam green and moss green paint (dull down the sea foam). The paper has the light green as the "Be Mine?" background and in the polka dots so I thought I'd do something other than standard pink and red.
Mod podged a layer, papered, then mod podged again.
Used my hot glue gun to attach tulle (pink and aqua), yarn bits that look like feathers, paper flowers, and a bronze flower.
I used dimensional magic to go over the frame on the paper once the Mod Podge had dried and in the center of the middle flower.

What are you planning to make for Valentine's Day? What colors are you thinking about using?

Copy-cat me makes a pendant light

;) so you all have such good ideas. I found this one and knew I HAD to make it for my buck-a-roo's room.
Remember his safari room? I just had to had to had to add this lamp.

What do you think?! Check that link above from where I got the idea and you can get the tutorial. Time consuming but easy project and I am in LOVE!

wow. Time flies.

It's been a while since I posted (again) but I have lots to share with you! I do. All the pictures are on hub's computer, though. But I did complete a project today that I am excited to share.

A few months back I made my hubby a giant, magnetic wall hanging that looks like a retro 'big chill' fridge (pics and tutorial to come soon!) to hang his students' work on. He needed magnets and any old thing just would not do! So I made him the following. 

So. I love how bottle caps look so fabulously retro. Don't you? They fit perfect with the retro fridge.

Using multiple colors or whatever color you like spray paint your bottle caps. I chose orange because I picked funky ecelectic papers and wanted it all to stand out.

 

Cut circles for the center of all or some of your bottlecaps. The should sit a little inside because bottle caps are rounded and if you make them the exact size, they won't glue down all the way. Mod Podge the circles on and then Mod Podge over them again.

Using Mod Podge dimensional magic or Glossy Accents create a clear epoxy-like finished top to your magnets.

Then using carboard or foam or anything else you can find, (you need this so the magnets will line up with the bottom of your bottle caps or they won't work as well) glue the filler in with hot glue and then glue a high powered, light weight ceramic magnet inside.

I know, I know, I don't take great pictures. But you get the gist. Aren't they cute?!

Dining room makeover 50% done

So I live in an apartment. I make space where I can and I maximize design to the best of my ability. It's kind of hard. When we moved in there was clearly a space for a table in the corner of a nice-sized kitchen and there was a large spot in the front room off to the side that seemed far better for a formal dining area. Cupboard space was extremely limited and there was no place for my china, our dishes, pots and pans, AND food. We bought a couple of storage cupboards that serve perfectly as free-standing pantries for the kitchen and moved the table out into the front room.
You remember this post? All about making over my dining room table.

This is my before picture of how my dining room looked. Kind of bare (I really don't like the blue of the table anymore) and unfinished.

This is my dining room now. I am in love. Okay. I am admitting (for probably the tenth time) that I am not a very good photographer and my camera is not the best. I can't really capture just how great this looks.
BUT I say 50% done because... I am re-doing my table again! I bought some wicked awesome stuff that I am so excited to try out. It is stripper in a spray can!!!!!  Should make it a little easier to get the table and chairs done. I am going to stain it this time maybe espresso, maybe provincial. I am doing the chairs too this time and they will probably all be the same color. What do you think? If you have suggestions PLEASE leave me a comment about it. I would super, super appreciate it.

The mirrors are what I had you guys vote about a few months ago and I finally got around to painting and Mod Podge-ing them. I found the perfect paper with a vintage feel but also looks kind of fancy and french. It also draws out the creamy pale yellow, reds, and deep browns in my painting. Just the colors I wanted to highlight.

And yes, that is a chandelier and yes, I made it!

So: three different size macrame rings. Spray paint. Attach to each other with beaded wire (four for each)
Make dangles using two different sized crystals and then some smaller beads on wire.
make sure four of your dangles on your top ring have jump rings attached for hanging the chandelier once you are done.
Hang the dangles spaced as you like them by wrapping the wire ends of your dangles around the rings. Glue them in place with kraft glue.
Touch up chipped paint and paint your visible wire with white acrylic paint.
Bead more wire that can wrap around your rings. Hot glue in place.
Hang with ribbon, wire, or painted chain.

I plan to wire this so it can light up, but for now it's more like ceiling art. Sparkly, lovely ceiling art.

Have fun!

I'm linking up to SNS at funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com 
and to
the Weekend Wrap up Party at Tatertots and Jello

4th of July wreath project

So. No. this is not a wreath. BUT. I have this fab wreath. Simple but perfect for spicing up for each holiday. Thought I needed something for the 4th. I don't have any decorations for this holiday. Considering I am up for a party any time and love holidays because they provide the opportunity to do just that... this is a weird thing!

I got this really awesome frame at the thrift store. Big, chunky, awesome. Ugly, too. That's where my plan began.

I bought some thin carboard at my local craft/school supply store and used their die cutting machine to cut out the star. I cut out two carboard stars so I could glue them together to make it more sturdy.

Using spray adhesive I glued the two cardboard stars together and then glued my paper on. I had traced my stars onto the paper and then cut them out. Had I been thinking I would have just die cutted my paper stars too. oh well, huh?

I sanded the edges where my paper hung off. If you die cut you can skip this part. I took barn red acrylic paint and just painted the edges of the star where you could see the cardboard.

I then had my ultra-strong hubby punch a hole through the star.

Mod Podged the whole thing front back AND edges/sides.

Spray the frame and the star with clear coat (I use matte) so it will hold up outside.

I used one pattern on one side and then another pattern on the other so I could have a more cute one and then a fancier one. I might layer a smaller star in the middle, add some glitter... but for now I wanted to put it up AND I thought it was pretty cute as is. Just hang the star by a thread so you can flip it if the mood strikes.

Have fun and happy Fourth.

Notebook makeover!

SO by the way. I have been a slacker. naughty, naughty. BUT. I have posted on project already and am about to post another. I will bombard you with projects!

This one was made for the bachelorette shower I just threw my sis-in-law. I made an advice book for everyone at the party to write down awkward wedding night advice or just good old fashioned marital advice in. You could, however, use this same process to make a new-mom advice book or a cute journal or notebook for yourself.

Take a plain  notebook. punch a hole in the cover in the front and the back and thread ribbon through on each side. I threaded a loop through and then threaded the ends through the loop to secure. Make sure you have plenty of ribbon so you can then tie it in a bow.

Cut paper the size of your cover. I only cut paper to cover the front and back but NOT the binding. You still want to be able to open up the book and if you decoupage on the binding you won't be able to bend it.

Put a piece of paper between the cover and the front page.

Layer of mod podge.

your paper smoothed out nicely (unless you want the wrinkled effect which might be cute if you're trying to make it look like an heirloom).

trim/sand with an emory boar the edges for a finished look

distress edges with ink (optional)

I took a 1 1/2 inch ribbon and hot glued along the front, folded it over and hot glued along the back.

I still had that funky orange showing so I glued more ribbon and rick rack on to fill in the gaps.

Turned out to be kismet. I LOVE how it looks with all those ribbon layers.

*Note: I did this step later but wished I had thought of it before. I glued a long strip of ribbon under the 1 1/2 inch ribbon (onto the actual notebook)to use as a book mark.

Embellish as desired.

Voila. A cute and personal notebook/advice book/ journal.

Clothespin wreath

Had this posted yesterday as a guest post at thecountrychiccottage.net

So. Today I am going to show you a craft I imagined up while doing laundry. Our laundry rooms are often bland, but I thought it would be fun to make a wreath out of clothespins for my laundry space (note, my 'laundry room' is the back half of my bathroom and shares space with the toilet. They get along swimmingly.).

Supplies:

A wooden wreath form (or cut one out of cardboard to save $$$), scissors, matte Mod Podge, Foam brus(es), 36 clothespins (one package from the dollar store!), various coordianting papers, paper cutter, nail file, acrylic paint.

Paint your wreath form along the outside and inside white. Paint any other part that might show, too. I.e. I am hanging mine on a mirror/window in my laundry area and so the back will be visible. I painted the back white as well.

Trace and cut paper to cover your wreath form. I wanted my background to be simple so I chose white. Measure and cut two 12" by the width of your clothespin of each of your papers. If you have double sided paper cut four strips.

Mod Podge your backgroud paper onto your wreath form, trying not to get any bubbles in your paper. I got a few but since I am covering it up it wasn't a HUGE deal. Use the nail file to 'sand down' any paper that hangs off the side.

Mod Podge your strips of paper onto your clothespins. Coat a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the clothespin and then carefully attach your paper strip. Using scissors trim the strip off at the end of the clothespin.

 Repeat for each clothespin. Then finish them with a couple of coats of Mod Podge to seal.

Lay out your clothespins on your wreath to arrange how you would like the to look. You can do more clothespins for a tighter look, just buy a second package!

Hot glue your clothespins one at a time to ensure the spacing stays how you want it.

I like simple and clean and fresh in a laundry room so I am not planning to embelish mine (although I may buy some wooden or chipboard letters to spell out 'laundry' and attach them later) but you can add a bow, or flowers, or words... it is completely up to you!

Hang in your laundry room and enjoy!

 

Two quick ideas (that are really the same idea) for Mod Podged clothespins. Think about Mod Podgeing clothespins and attaching magnets to the back and then using them either:

On a magnetic message board in your kids' room

or

On your fridge to hang your child's art or grades. You can use paper to make them match any decor.

You can also spray paint the clothespins first for a less 'natural' look. I wanted my clothespins in my laundry room to still look like clothespins, but if you sprayed them hot pink first and then Mod Podged girly paper on them, they would look SO stinkin' cute. I would embellish with buttons, glitter, sequins, ribbons, stickers, etc. if I were putting them on a message board in my kid's room