silhouettes

As you probably know by now I am a fan of all things handmade and my children most of the time. So of course when I saw this idea a while back I had to try it. I don't remember where I got the idea as it was years ago.

Nevermind the leaves I added to the middle frame. It has all of our names on that frame and I like to keep some things private.

These silhouettes also make great gifts for family members.

Oh, and yes these photos were taken around Halloween.

  Here's what you'll need.

1. a camera
2. white cardstock
3. black acrylic paint
4. a sponge or paint brush
5. scissors
6. printer
7. frame (5x7 or larger)
8. scrapbook paper is optional to use as a background

Ok here are your directions...

1. take a side profile photo of your child.  Having the background a solid light color (like a white wall) will help and upload it to your computer
2. open your photo in microsoft word and resize it so that your child's head fits in a 5 in by 7 in. frame
3. print your picture onto white cardstock
4. now the hard part...cut out your child's head.  Be sure to keep the cute curls and small details
5. paint your child's head (the cut out of course) black.  It will take a few coats.  I like to paint on a paper plate.
6. Once dry...frame your picture OR you can scan it and make make several copies for family.  I would suggest an oval 5x7 frame or a matted 8x10 but it all depends on how big you print your child's silhouette.

I used this fantastic scrapbook paper as a background for my silhouettes.

pottery barn vase on a dollar store budget

I love Pottery Barn as much as the next gal but if I can make a similar product they carry for 90% less, I'm gonna do it. 

I love filling vases with leaves, acorns, ornaments, and well, just about anything really.

These vases from Pottery Barn linked HERE retail for $39-$59 each plus shipping.  I found another way of making them for about $3 a piece.

Here's how I did it.

1. Go to the dollar store or thrift shop and pick up a glass vase (cups work too) and a glass candle stick
2. Next go to the craft store (or Wal-Mart) and pick up glass and China glue
3. Make sure bottom of glass vase/cup is clean and dry (follow your glue's directions for best results)
4. Apply glue to candle stick top (I probably use more than really needed)
5. Apply pressure and push the vase/cup to the top of the candle stick
6. let dry
7. fill your new vase with whatever you want

This vase and candle stick was purchased at the Dollar Tree for $2 total.



My smaller vase was a glass cup and candle stick purchased at my local thrift shop for $1.50 total.

Of course my photos aren't as great as Pottery Barn's but once I get these babies filled with some goodies and displayed, you'd never know that they cost me a few bucks.  Oh, and here is another great idea for filler this holiday season.

masking tape art

I think the title says it all on this one.  I took great photos of the whole process to share with you but they disappeared when my hard drive crashed along with 5 years old of photos. 

Still wanna cry just thinkig about that.

Moving on...

My assistant was very happy to help me show you the goods used.

I grabbed a canvas 2 pack from Michaels (don't forget your coupon), some masking tape,  paint, paint brush, and this little decorative tree I got from Ikea a couple years back that has yet to find it's purpose in my home.

I basically followed the design of the tree with the tape making sure to split the tree in the middle of the two canvases.  After I was done taping the design I started painting.  I needed 2 coats.  When dry pull off the tape and wa-la.  My lines weren't perfect (which is what I was going for) but I bet if I used some green or blue painter's tape they would be.  I used the color we used on the opposite wall. 

You can read that post {here}

So there you have it.  For under $10 that blank spot on top of my dresser is finally filled.  Oh, and I must thank my fabulous hubby who saw that I hung these completely crooked and fixed them for me.   Thanks Honey! 

6 years old

It's kinda ironic that my last blog post was about birthdays because yesterday my son turned 6 years old.  Sorry no great birthday decoration photos to share. 

This year we had his party at an indoor water park and they supplied everything.  No joke...we couldn't bring anything in.  At first I was a little bummed about it cause I've always made the decorations, invites, party favors, etc.  But the closer to his birthday we got the more relieved I was that I didn't have to make all these things.  My parents flew out from Arizona to visit and my 8 month old daughter got pretty sick within days of his party and I seriously don't know how I would have put together a party with everything going on around here. 

And you wanna know something?  He didn't care that his party decor wasn't handmade.  I doubt he even remembers what his invites look like.  But one thing he will remember is all the fun he had.  He didn't even make it home before passing out in the back seat.

I did however make one special thing for him to wear on his birthday.  His shirt sporting his new age...6.  I actually made it the night before the party.  Wanna know how?  Sorry no photos due to complete chaos while making this but maybe next time since I use this method often to personalize his blank tees.

1. I printed out a number six in a font I liked in Word and then cut it out
2. I cut out a square of fabric for the 6, and a square of double sided fusible interfacing (you can get it at JoAnn's)
3. You want to iron the back of the fabric square to textured side of the interfacing square BEFORE you cut out the 6 or decal (this makes it much easier to cut and keeps your fabric from fraying)
4. pin the 6 to the outside of the fabric so it's not backwards and cut out
5. peel off the back of the interfacing and iron it on to your shirt
6. I sewed a sloppy line around the 6 to reinforce it but it really didn't need it
7. you're done

I was called crazy when...

I spray painted fabric and sewed it up into pillows.  I wrote about it here.  I wish I was the brains behind this idea but it was Vanessa's idea! 

Well, I did it again, and again!  I LOVE the way they turned out with the white canvas material!  Love it!  I plan on changing them out for the different seasons.  Here are my spring and summer pillows.  The possibilities are endless!

Did you know...

that you can basically spray paint anything?  Seriously.  Of course, I haven't tried to spray paint every single item in or around my home but you get my point.  Surprisingly, I never thought to spray paint fabric.  I have painted fabric with a sponge and paint but I have never spray painted it.  So when I came across this tutorial on how to make yourself an easy pillow using spray paint, I knew I had to try it.

I just used some leftover fabric from some curtain panels I made and some spray paint I happened to have on hand to try it out.  Now that I know it works and looks good, I will be making a pillow that actually matches my living room.  Check out the rest of v & co.'s tutorials.  She is one crafty lady.

my pottery barn inspired mosaic

While browsing through tons of fabulous tutorials and crafty ideas online I came across the Remodelaholic's tutorial for a Pottery Barn inspired mosaic that she featured on U Create.  After you check out this tutorial be sure to check out her blog.  She has a ton of great ideas.  My husband is thinking about using her bathroom vanity tutorial for our bathroom remodel.  This mosaic idea was both crafty and thrifty and as you know that's right up my alley.  My total cost was under $10.00!!

The only things I did different was:

1. 
   
   I wanted to use a large square piece of plywood or board but they were all too bent and I was worried about the weight of it.  I went with a 18x24 in. stretched canvas from Michael's craft store.  I do however wish I would have gotten a bigger canvas (if such thing exists).
2. 
   
   She added the square pieces starting from the outside and working her way into the middle and I started on the left side and worked my way up to the top right side using an L shaped pattern.  I felt safer knowing I wouldn't run out of room this way but I am sure either way would work fine.

I am linking to A Soft Place DIY Day

patchwork wall art

Remember my Must Make List for 2010?  If not, you can read it here.  On my list I have a link and picture to a ballard designs inspired wall art tutorial by Hope Studios. 

My hubby and I decided a few months back that we are tired of having a thrown together master bedroom.  We are no longer newlyweds using hand me down furniture.  It's about time we make our room what it should be.  So we have been working hard on creating the perfect master bedroom.  The patchwork art is one of the new additions to our room.    You can find different tutorials on this project online and they are probably similar.  Here is how I created mine.

Supplies:

1. 
   
   1x8x8 pine board cut into 8x8in. squares
2. 
   
   mod podge (I used a matte finish)
3. 
   
   foam brush to apply mod podge
4. 
   
   9 sheets of scrapbook paper or pictures
5. 
   
   black laytex based paint satin finish (got my quart in the paint department at Lowe's for $9)
6. 
   
   picture hanging hardware for back of squares, you'll need 9
7. 
   
   paint brush
8. 
   
   sand paper

Click on the pictures to make them larger

I went to Lowe's and picked up the straightest 8 in wide by 1 in deep by 8 ft long pine board.  It cost me about $5.  I had the Lowe's employee (who was super nice) cut it in as many 8 in. squares possible.  I did this so I would have a back up in case there were any defects in one of them.  I picked up 9 sheets of 12 by 12 in. scrapbook paper that compliment eachother in colors/ patterns I like.

I sanded the wood squares by hand until they were semi smooth.  My husband has a sander but I didn't have time to mess with that out in the garage (my garage is 30 degrees with a heater and I can't bring the baby out there).

I painted 2 coats around the outside of the squares using paint that I had bought for another project.  Placing them on styrofoam cups to dry worked great (unless you have little ones who will hit the table or cups).

I added picture hanger hardware to the back of the squares next.  Use a ruler and try to make them as even as possible so they are easy to hang later.

Next I turned the square over and traced it onto the back side of the paper.  Even though each square should be 8x8 in. they are all a little different so I cut each paper to fit the square it goes on.

The last two steps are decoupaging the paper onto the wood.

Apply an even coat of mod podge on your sqare making sure it covers the whole area the paper will cover.  Apply the paper and do it quickly because the the glue dries fast.  Once you get it on smooth it out with your hand or a card to make sure there are no bubbles.

Repeat this step with all of them and by the time you are done the 1st one should be dry and ready for a top coat.  Once again apply a smooth even layer to the top of the paper with the mod podge.  Make sure you cover the edges of the paper and don't worry about getting it on the wood cause it dries clear.  They will dry pretty fast.

Once they are dry you can hang them.  That happened to be the hardest part.  Luckily my husband hung them for me and he's a perfectionist when it comes to those things so they are as close to even and spaced out as you could get.  Thanks honey!

Nevermind the blinding white snow out my window.  I am hoping it melts sometime in the next month so I can see outside without going blind again.

And here is the original patchwork wall art from Ballard Designs. I like my version better and I paid quite a bit less for mine (under $20)  Oh, and I was thinking this would also look great using black and white photos. I may have to try that next.

easy peasy weekend project

I have been wanting a clipboard to hang by my sewing table for a while now. But just any clipboard just wouldn't do so the project had to wait until I had time. And well, I still don't have time so I just didn't do the laundry so I could finally complete this. Hey, something had to give.

I bough the clipboard and the scrapbook paper. If you sew you probably know this paper is also a fabric by Heather Bailey and she makes FABULOUS prints. I bought the paper on sale for 40 cents at the scrapbook store in the Mall of America (the name escapes me at the moment) when we went to Minneapolis last month.

I had the white acrylic paint, the foam brush, and mod podge.

I painted around the outside of the clipboard with the white paint. The paper wasn't long enough so I used the backside of the paper (that was trimmed from the side) in the middle of the clipboard to add a little something. If you plan on writing on the clipboard this isn't a great idea cause there will be a small bump where the papers overlap.

Once it's all ready just put a layer of modge podge on the board and add your paper. I used a stack of flash cards (cause that's what I had handy) to push out all the air bubbles but you can use a credit card or something similar. Wait until the glue dries (at least 30 minutes) before you coat the top of the paper with the modge podge. The glue dries fast but if you do it too soon it makes a mess. This stuff gets on your hands whether you want it to or not so it could mess up your whole project of you don't wait.


And here it is in all it's glory just hanging there waiting to be used. I still need to finish bringing stuff back in my craft room after painting and organizing it all so if may be a while before I get to use my new clipboard. Luckily, it's beautiful and matches my wall color as it hangs there waiting to be used.

burgundy

We are so close to being done painting my craft room (just need another gallon of paint for one more coat) and it's so much brighter. Hopefully sometime in the next 5 years when it's all done and put together I'll share a picture of it with you. I'm not a blue person so that shade of blue was new thing for me and I am glad I chose it now.

Speaking of color...I have been obsessed with burgundy. I am usually a green and brown kinda gal. You know what looks great with green and brown? Yup, burgundy. I made this scrunchy scarf out of jersey knit cotton in and the color goes with everything I wear. I just love it and it's lightweight enough to wear year round. Here's the tutorial if you want to make one yourself or if you want to see how cool it looks on (cause I am not modeling it for you).

A few days ago while shopping I came across this beautiful cotton yarn in burgundy and so I bought it. I have been wanting to make a neck warmer/ cowl for a while and it looks pretty easy to do so I gave it a try.

Here's a picture of the style I was going for. This one is for sale on Etsy. This is not me or my neck warmer. She has a lovely neck and warmer so I thought I would share hers with you.

And here is my finished neck warmer modeled by my lovely lamp.

You can wear it open or shut. I love the way it turned out and actually plan on making a navy one next using some vintage sailor buttons I came across. Maybe navy will be next next favorite color

chalkboard tutorial

Before I get started on my recent craft I must vent. You know that adorable crib set I found at Target for my little girl who is due to arrive in 9 weeks or less? The set we painted the nursery walls to match? (sniff sniff) If not, here it is again. I found out yesterday that it's back ordered and no one has any idea of when or if it will ever be available. I pouted a lot yesterday but today I am getting proactive and starting a new quest for a better set. You should never mess with an emotional pregnant lady like that so I am canceling my order regardless and boycotting their online store. Take that Target!

Ok, now on to my project. I wanted to add a chalkboard to the kitchen but couldn't find anything that didn't belong in a classroom so I went on a mission to make one. My first stop was the thrift store where I found this beauty.

My thrift store is overpriced so I paid $5 when I should have paid $1 for it but I knew it would work so I forked over the $$.

Then I went to the hardware store and bought premium shiny spray paint (the boy at the store said there was no need to prime with this stuff so I was sold) and I bought chalkboard spray paint. I didn't even knew this stuff existed but now I can't live without it.

(See my berries in the background? I just picked them from the garden.)

I took the frame apart placing the glass on a sheet of newspaper and the actual frame on some newspaper and sprayed away. Ok, my husband helped to reduce exposing my unborn child to any toxic fumes. Thanks honey! And yes, I just sprayed the glass with the chalkboard paint and went over both of the colors a few times to make sure I had a good thick coat.

The chalkboard paint dried faster than the spray paint but both were ready the next day.

I treated (rubbed the chalk on it's side on the board and wiped it off) the chalkboard and put them back together and wa-la!


I am loving it and I am thinking I could use another one for upcoming craft shows. Maybe a white frame next time. Hmmmm....