Tag Archives: D.I.Y tutorials

Fabric Scrap Christmas Cards [DIY]

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“Sending Christmas Cards!”…I just can’t seem to get that phrase out of my head from the infamous 12 Days of Christmas song!  Why you ask? I’ve been busy making Christmas cards from fabric scraps!  I got the idea from a recent Fresh Picked Friday’s post I published with similar Christmas cards using fabric scraps…Since I have a bajillion pieces of fabric scraps, I knew this was one project I had to try.  I decided to make reindeer faces out of different fun prints, then draw on the reindeer’s features.  This was such a fun project, and it saved me from having to spend a lot on Christmas cards too!  Here’s how my fabric scrap Christmas cards turned out…

I just love how each card is unique and one-of-a-kind! Plus, I ended up personalizing the cards a bit depending on who I was sending them too; for example, my friends with new babies received a card with two big reindeer and a little baby reindeer =)

These DIY Christmas cards were super easy to make.  First, I picked up some blank card stock with envelopes for $5 at Target (I love that place!)

Then,I started out by cutting pieces of fabric into these round shapes for the reindeer’s head.  I simply cut a wide round bottom, then a small round top like this…

Next, I used a few light swirls of Elmer’s Glue to attach the fabric to my blank card stock…

For this next step, I used fabric paint “pens”, but you could use regular paint, or even markers for a similar effect.

Using my fabric paint pens, I drew the antlers, eyes, and smiles onto my reindeer. You can be creative with this step and have fun with creating different personalities for your reindeer =)

Next, I used a red fabric paint pen to draw the big red noses on my reindeer…this is what really makes them ;)

Now all you have left is to wait for the cards to dry, then personalize each one with a message on the back side!  Who would’nt love to receive one of these handmade Christmas cards?!  I know I would ;)

If you like these DIY Christmas cards, check out these DIY paper mache Christmas ornaments!

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Paper Mache Newsprint Ornaments [DIY]

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One of my favorite things about Christmas is setting up the tree and admiring all the ornaments I’ve collected through the years.  Most of my ornaments have either come from places I’ve visited or bring back special memories.  This year, I decided to make a few of my own ornaments after I discovered these amazing Newsprint ornaments on Terrain…

After falling in love with these ornaments, I figured I might be able to make my own DIY version!  I ended up creating a few different ornaments, but the first was the funky flamingo!  So I started off with a simple paper mache recipe:  3 parts flour to one part water, and a dash of salt.


Next, I added a bit of paint to give the flamingo it’s pink color.  I used a transparent gloss enamel paint by Deco Art because I wanted to be sure the newsprint on my flamingo would show through, all while keeping it’s signiture pink color.  I slowly mixed in the paint until I arrived at the perfect pink color…is it true that flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp?  I’ve always wondered….??

Next, I used 16 gauge wire to create my flamingo body…this took a bit of time to get it just right…

I stuffed a little paper inside the flamingo’s belly to keep it’s shape! Next, I cut newspaper into small strips to get it ready for the paper mache…

To apply the newsprint to the flamingo, I dipped it into my flour, water and paint mixture then simply stuck it onto the flamingo’s body…

I applied two coats of newspaper to the flamingo then let it sit out and dry for about two hours.   He looked great after this, but I decided he needed a bit more color, so I used the Americana transparent gloss paint again and brushed on a very light coat.

My flamingo ornament turned out so great, I decided I would make a few more animal ornaments to go along with him!  I ended up making a whale, seahorse, and a silly octopus…these are the colors used to create them (by Deco Art, Americana):

Here are the rest of my Newsprint ornaments!

Which newsprint ornament is your favorite?

Feeling extra creative?  Check out Deco Art Paint’s 12 Days of Christmas for many more Christmas ornament ideas using their paints!

You can find these ornaments available for purchase at Picklee on Spring!

 

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Fresh Picked Friday [11-30-12]

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Happy Friday! [11/30/12]

Sending Christmas Cards! [DIY Tag Stamps]

Who said fried rice wasn’t healthy? [quinoa fried rice recipe]

Be-dazzle your Christmas packages! [one-minute pom poms!]

Lover of all that it French…[Revived French Armoire]

Gifts for him [100 gift ideas for men]

The perfect holiday dress [Izabel London]

Frosting Christmas goodies [amazing "magical frosting"]

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The Vintage Fan Restoration [before & after]

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Every so often, the stars align just right and I’m able to convince Brett to come along with me on a flea market trip.  Generally, he enjoys those types of things (not as much as me, but enough ;) ), he just gets too busy and forgets!  On a recent trip, we stumbled upon this awesome vintage Kenmore fan.  I think these things are great, I just won’t normally buy them because I’ve got pieces of furniture on my mind.  I was glad Brett tagged along because he convinced me to pick up this fan, and promised he’d take on the restoration, fine by me!

Brett did a fabulous job documenting his transformation.  He first shared it on his blog, DailyMilk, now we get to enjoy it!

We’ll start with the before and after of the fabulous vintage Kenmore fan transformation:

Pretty amazing transformation, huh? Brett did all of this using plenty of tools, a ton of patience, and good quality spray paint!

In order to properly restore the fan, Brett decided to completely disassemble the whole thing.  He wanted it perfectly restored and painted.  The first thing he did was remove the fan cover by taking out a screw on the back of the fan. The cover slid right off to reveal the motor and brackets holding it in. Before he got into cleaning the inside he figured it might be best to remove the fan cage too. He pried the cage off with a screwdriver, cleaned it, and set it aside. Brett thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned every part and every particle of dust with antibacterial cleaner.

Next, Brett removed the fan blade by squeezing an Allan wrench between the blades.

Brett then removed the entire motor. Mainly because he wanted to paint the fan shaft gold, the same color as the fan blade, without getting paint all over the black motor body. Also, since this fan was so old, it had all kinds of dust and grime stuck to the motor and vents, which you could also smell…this absolutely needed to be addressed!

When it came to cleaning the grungy brass “Kenmore” plaque Brett first assumed he’d have to go out and buy brass cleaner.  Then he figured there must be another solution on Google; sure enough, he found a fer great options. What he chose for an easy brass cleaner alternative was good ol’ worcestershire sauce!  He used an old toothbrush and scrubbed the brass with worcestershire until it was clean. It worked really well!

To prepare the fan for it’s paint job, Brett taped up the newly cleaned brass.  He first traced it with a pen to make sure it fully adhered to the brass, then trimmed it with a razor blade.

Now that all the parts were separated, Brett used gloss black spray paint on the fan body, and gold metallic on the blades.  Three coats of paint later, the fan had dried and it was time to put it back together!

What a wonderful transformation!  I’m so glad Brett took this on too, he’s already itching for another one…I can see why, the results are incredible!

This fan fit perfectly on my newly revived industrial modern desk too!

What do you think of Brett’s fan?  Share your thoughts and rate it below!

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Fresh Picked Friday [10/26/12]

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[10/26/12]

It’s Friday, yippee! So sit back, relax with a Spiked Apple Cider Spritzer and take in some great inspiration! 

Snuggle up with some hot cocoa [DIY chalk board mug]

 

Simple dinner with “use what you have” ingredients [sweet & sour chicken]

 

Halloween, Christmas…you name it! [DIY Wopper Candy Garland]

 

Crafts with the kids [DIY felt starfish]

Simple & Chic [rustic planter with white roses]

Now THAT’S what I call a kitchen!

If you’re craving something sweet this weekend, try whipping up this Three Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cake!

Have a fabulous weekend!

 

 

 

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Tangerine Bead Strand Bracelet [DIY]

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When it comes to jewelry (especially bracelets), my motto has always been “simple is better”.  I really don’t like the feeling (and sound!) of clunky pieces clanging together on my wrists… I’m not really a costume jewelry girl either, when I put on a piece of jewelry it usually stays on until it I either get really sick of it or it falls off…partly because I’m not the best at “accessorizing”, but mostly because I get so busy I just forget!  That being said, I’m really loving the string jewelry right now.  It looks so simple & classic, and the best part for me of course is that you barely know you’re wearing it!  I created today’s DIY bracelet with this trend in mind…here it is, the Tangerine Bead Strand Bracelet…

The Tangerine Bead Strand Bracelet [DIY]

For this DIY string & bead bracelet, you will need embroidery string (color of your choice, there’s a million options!), 6-8 tiny beads (of your choice), and a metal finding post. 

First, slide your beads onto the metal finding post…

Secure the beads onto the post by using jewelry pliers to roll the end of the finding into a loop.  Keep in mind that you will need two loops on either side of the finding to slide the string through.


Cut two pieces of string in equal lengths (each of mine were approx. 10″).  Then slide them through either end of the finding.  There should be extra string length so that you have enough string to tie the bracelet around your wrist.

That’s all folks!  Your bead strand bracelet is complete!  Simply tie it around your wrist, trim the extra string and your done!

The possibilities for variations on this bracelet are virtually limitless! Here’s another variation on the DIY Bead Strand Bracelet…

Oh, and if you like that blue & gold chain wrap bracelet click here to learn how to make it!

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Rustic Wood & Iron Table [DIY]

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After finally completing our finished basement, Brett and I (let’s face it, mostly “I” ;) ) were left with the task of furnishing it…  To me, this was the fun part, the moment I had been waiting for!  We had already decided that the basement would be Brett’s space, a “man cave” if you will, minus the flashing Budweiser signs and football branded memorabilia…I’m sorry, I just can’t!  So we found a style we both agreed on- coastal/ rustic (hence the comfy nautical striped built in seating area we created).

As we began filling up the space, one piece we were in need of was a sofa table.  There was no way I was going out to buy one…we’d spent enough money on this basement already!  So since we were going with the whole coastal-rustic vibe, I decided to hit up a nearby marina/ beach for some inspiration.  I came across a huge pile of salvage dock pieces, coincidentally the same length as the sofa table we needed ;) …I convinced Brett to help me load it into the car (despite how ridiculous we looked to onlookers!)  I had a clear vision for my DIY rustic sofa table…I wanted it made from this simple salvage beach wood, and black iron legs, sort of like this rustic farm table from Restoration Hardware:

Using lots of inspiration, I created my own rustic wood & metal table for a fraction of what it would cost to buy one!  Here’s how the finished product turned out…

Rustic Wood & Iron Table [DIY]

The first step I took in creating the rustic sofa table was to measure the exact height that I wanted it to be.  I took my measurements to Home Depot, where I found this fabulous threaded black iron pipe (1″ diameter).  The wonderful thing about good ol’ HD is that they’ll cut just about anything for you!  So I grabbed 4 pieces of black iron pipe, then brought them over to be cut and re-threaded (such a cool process if you’ve never seen it before!).  Once the pipes were cut, I grabbed 4 flanges to mount to the wood (which I would screw the pipes into), along with 4 black iron end caps (these would be the feet on my table).

Here’s a better image of the piece of salvage dock I picked up :)

Once I got my table parts home, I flipped the table top over then measured and marked where I wanted the legs to go.  This was the spot I would attach the flanges to.

l’m getting much better with the power tools!

Next, I simple screwed my pre-cut pieces of black iron pipe into the flanges underneath the table…this is too simple!

For the last step, I simply threaded the iron end caps onto the bottoms of the pipe so they would be the feet for my table….

…and that’ it!  I was really surprised at home simple this table turned out to be, and it looks truly amazing!  I think I’ll leave the table top raw for now, then maybe I’ll apply a coat of poly later…

 

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Pumpkin Teeth & Ghost Poop! {Halloween DIY}

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Halloween is such a fun time of year…not just because we get to dress up and eat lots of candy…but also because it’s one of the only times of year we can go crazy with silly/spooky decor and it’s totally acceptable!  I haven’t gotten too deep into the Halloween decorating yet, but I’ve started with a few small Halloween crafts around the house.  Halloween just isn’t complete without the infamous sugary little orange striped cones-candy corn!  So to get into the Halloween spirit, I picked up a couple of bags of candy corn the other night.  I wanted to come up with a different way to display them this year…here’s what I came up with!

PS. For another fun Halloween project, check out these Nylon Pumpkins too!

 

I had a couple extra canisters laying around, so I decided to fill them with some Halloween treats…I used candy corn and mini marshmallows, then hung silly chalkboard tags around the them for fun!  I still can’t hold back the smile each time a walk by these!

Pumpkin Teeth & Ghost Poop Halloween Candy Jars…

I started out by cutting out two small pieces of cardboard, then painting them with a quick coat of chalk paint (in CeCe Caldwell, Vermont Slate).  My new favorite chalk paint is CeCe Caldwell’s Chalk & Clay paint, it’s 100% natural with no chemicals, VOC’s, etc.  This paint comes in so many fun colors, and it applies like a dream :)

Once the chalk paint dried, I used a pair of scissors to poke holes in the corners of the chalk squares.  Then I thread a piece of twine through the holes, so that I could hang the mini chalk boards around the jars.

Using chalk, I scribbled “pumpkin teeth” and “ghost poop” on the tags, and viola!  Fun Halloween treat jars!

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Simple Curtain Panel Pillows {diy}

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Brett and I recently completed our finished basement (wheew, it thought I’d never see this day!)  Remember when we were just finishing up the floor a few months ago, and I created this vintage cage light? I love the rustic look the light added =)  Anyway, one of the challenges with the finished space was a built in bench that we created to cover up some plumbing pipes, simple solution right?  Well, my concern was that I wanted the built in bench to feel like a cozy, comfortable part of the space.  I decided to cozy up the built-in with lots and lots of fluffy pillows.  We all know how pricey good pillows can be, so purchasing lots of them was not in my budget at this point.  I was at a local flea market one morning when I found a gorgeous stripped curtain panel loose from it’s package for only $2 (a common occurrence at the flea’s!).  I loved the pattern for the newly finished basement space, so I decided to buy it and turn it into pillows for the built in bench!  Here’s how my simple curtain panel pillows turned out….

Curtain Panel Pillow {DIY}

Select an inexpensive curtain panel from (I found a single loose panel at a local flea market).  I chose a stripped pattern with buttons at the top.  Buttons at the top of the panel may make a great embellishment on your pillows.

 

Cut the panel in half directly down the center, this way you are working with two equal sections.  Depending on how large you want your pillows, cut the halves in half again (or into quarters if you are working with a large panel).  The object is to make sure that you are working with equal pieces so the pillows are symmetrical (especially if you are using stripes of a pattern like mine).

 

Now that your pieces are cut, lay two equal pieces of the panel together with the “good” side of the fabric facing in.

Using a sewing machine (**or no-sew fabric tape if you don’t have a sewing machine), stitch together three and one half sides of the pillow.  All three sides should be fully stitched together, the fourth side should be stitched half way so that you can stuff the pillow, then stitch back up!

Flip the pillow right-side-out now.  Use pillow stuffing (I used poly-fill) to fill the pillow.

Now that the pillow is stuffed, fold in the remaining open section of the pillow.  Use your sewing machine (or double sided fabric tape) to stitch up this final open section.

Your curtain panel pillow is complete!  Notice I left the buttons from my curtain panel on the top of some of my pillows, I thought it made a great touch!

 

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Up-cycled Burlap Pumpkin Wreath {DIY}

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Yesterday, I posted a fun Fall DIY on making pumpkins from nylon stockings.  So part two of the project is putting those pumpkins to use!  I decided to use my nylon pumpkins to create a new Fall wreath!  This DIY Fall wreath could not have been simpler to make.  The only material it required was burlap and of course foam tube for the wreath.  Here’s how my Burlap & Nylon Pumpkin Wreath turned out…

Fall Burlap Pumpkin Wreath {DIY}

For this Fall wreath, all you will need is burlap and a foam wreath base.  I like to use 3/4″ pipe insulation, which is available at any hardware store (find it here).  A six foot length of the foam tube only costs $1.18 and it works perfectly for making wreaths!  This little tip will save you lots!  I cut the foam tube to size, then used duck tape to attach the ends together.

Cut your burlap material into 2″ wide strips (and as long as you can make them).  I used recycled coffee bags from a local coffee shop.

Wrap the burlap strips around the wreath base, use hot glue to secure them to the wreath.

Now its time to attach the nylon pumpkins to the wreath.  Click here for the simple DIY on how to make these pumpkins.  Use hot glue to attach the pumpkins to the burlap wreath.

Here’s a close up of the completed Burlap Fall Pumpkin wreath…

 

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