FUN WITH DECALS This post has been quite a while in the making. It all started with my decal penny pendant project that uses vintage decals. I had received a lot of emails asking where to find such decals. I have so many ideas of ways to use decals that can be custom designed, that I’ll be sharing more than one post over the next few weeks on using the material. You can click on any of the free images to download the PDF files for using on paper stock, label stock or, like I did, inkjet decal paper. The first set was designed using the vintage organizing frame art I posted a while back HERE and HERE. I printed out the image to the decal paper and coated it several times as directed with Krylon clear acrylic. I trimmed out the labels I wanted to use and one by one went about applying them to my canisters. As per the instructions that come with the decal paper, I first soaked the piece. I dabbed it with a towel to press it down and remove the water from the surface. Spray painted the area white,
Crafty Staci I’m gonna tell you right now, you can’t throw a rock and not hit a tutorial for a coffee cup sleeve out there on the web. Reversible, not reversible, buttons, Velcro, skinny, wide, you name it. For that matter, you can probably work a pattern out yourself. I’ve made a few of these for Christmas and birthday gifts. I was trying to decide which fabrics to use for a new one and my wandering eyes landed on my seasonal fabric stack. To make one, you’ll need this coffee cup sleeve pattern . Cut one from cotton batting, two from ironing board cover fabric and two from cotton fabric. I happen to have scraps of batting and ironing board fabric, but if you don’t and will be buying the supplies, another product you can use is InsulBrite. You’ll only need half of the hair tie, so zigzag stitch through the center, about 3/8” long, then clip through the center. Layer the pieces: first, a piece of ironing board fabric, face down. Next, cotton fabric, face up. Last, the batting. Pin in place. Lay flat.
Make a gift bow In gift wrap emergencies when you've got the present but need some wrapping, here's an idea for turning a magazine page into a bow. There may be better ways to stick this thing together, but I used what I had on hand: staples and adhesive glue dots. Double stick tape or brads should work, too. Cut a magazine page lengthwise into 9 strips, 3/4" wide. Leave 3 of the strips full length. Cut one inch off 3 of the strips. If you're using a magazine that's 10 1/2" tall, you'll end up with: 3 strips, 10 1/2" x 3/4" 3 strips, 9 1/2" x 3/4" 2 strips, 8 1/2" x 3/4" 1 strip, 3 1/2" x 3/4" Twist each strip to form a loop at both ends and staple it in the center. Layer the three longest pieces on top of each other, spacing them evenly and securing each with a glue dot. Use other papers, like a map of your city.
Valentine Cards It’s 9:00pm. We have officially finished up our valentines-for-classmates preparations. Things I’m thinking: 1) I have a lot of children. 2) Those children have a lot of classmates. It turns out Colorado has bigger class sizes than New York. It took me until Valentines Day to notice. We used a clever idea I found on Kirtsy — via 24-7-365. To those who are up late making stuff: I salute you with my exacto knife. Earbud Pouch Tutorial I use a little zippered pouch to carry around my earbuds since they are the fancy microphone ones and I don’t want them to break or get tangled. Some of you have commented that you are looking for some small, simple gift ideas. This is definitely simple to make, and a little more fun than the typical rectangular zippered pouch! UPDATE: I have completely re-written this tutorial with twice as many bright, clear photos and more detailed instructions and it is available as a pattern in my pattern shop. First, download the pattern template HERE. Cut from main fabric: 1 circle 2 half circles 1 tab Cut from lining fabric: 1 circle 2 half circles Cut from batting (or medium weight interfacing, if you prefer): 1 circle 2 half circles You will also need a 1″ wide nylon 5″ or longer zipper. Place one lining half circle right side up and place the zipper right side up on top. Place a main fabric half circle wrong side up (right side together with the zipper). Sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Fabulous Ric Rac Flowers Let me start out with a warning or sorry of some sort. The warning is because I have never done a Tutorial before, so I hope this is helpful and easy to follow. The sorry is for how horrible my nails look. I promise I did them after looking through these pics. I thought I would start off with a Flower, I too, just learned how to make. Material: Time-Roughly 20 minutes about 28 inches of Ric Rac ( This will make a flower about 2 inches in diameter) Suggestion: The thicker the Ric Rac the better Felt (Any Color) One sheet will be fine depending on how many flowers you want to make. Optional: Hair Clips, leaves or buttons Step One: Take the two pieces and hot glue them together. Note: You want to glue them together as if they are a mirror of one another. Step two: Lock in each curve of the first piece with the second. Say to yourself “over,under,over, under”. *If your piece does not look like this, then you most likely glued the two pieces going the wrong direction. Pretty right? Cute right? Kayla
DIY Coasters Is everyone ready for today's Pinterest challenge? I know I'm excited to share my project and can't wait to see what everybody else came up with. Pinterest in general just makes me tinkle in my pants with joy! So let's get to it! Lately I have been obssessed with games like Words With Friends, Wordosaur, Scrabble and any other word games that make me use my noggin. Online these babies go for $26, but with a little crafting and an old scrabble game, these can be yours for practically free! Here are the materials you need: 64 scrabble letters (check yard sales, thrift stores, or order some on Ebay or Amazon if you don't have any on hand)1 thin cork board (buy at any craft store)1 x-acto knifesuper gluehot glue gunmodpodge/sealer Step 1. Arrange 16 letters to make 4 words that you are happy with on your coasters (Ex. Step 2. Glue letters together using a thin layer of super glue leaving about 15 seconds to dry between each letter. Step 3. Step 4. Step 5. What do you think?
stencil with freezer paper Yes, I am a nerd. I came up with a brilliant idea for a Harry Potter t-shirt and I couldn't resist. "Expecto Patronum!" However, you can make whatever kind of design you want with a freezer paper stencil. I learned about the joys of freezer paper back in my early college days. Basically, freezer paper is backed with a plastic coating that will stick to soft surfaces when ironed, but it peels off cleanly and easily. To make a sweet t-shirt you will need: paper & pencil a t-shirt an iron a piece of cardboard or poster board fabric paint & brush Start by drawing your design on some regular old paper. My design kept getting bigger, so I taped two sheets together. Next, place your design underneath a sheet of freezer paper and trace it neatly with a sharpie. The marker gives your lines greater width making it easier to cut them out and paint them in later. Now place a piece of cardboard under your freezer paper to protect your table while you cut. Important: Set these shapes aside.
Jersey knit bracelet i don't know what it is about this time of year that makes me just want to have my bare feet in the sand, be watching the sun setting into the ocean, and breathing in the warm salty air of the beach...as i get older, more and more i find myself missing that place i used to go to almost every.single.day. as a teen. (my skin doesn't miss it. as a matter of fact, i now wish i listened more and DID put SPF on my face...hindsight is 20/20). my mom calls me from her walk on the beach almost every morning...*sigh*yeah, i get a little homesick around this time of the year. heck on my pinterest my "dreaming of summer" has the most pictures in it. ah yes. i miss my ocean. case in point. this bracelet, brought a flood of memories, not because i used to have one like it but because i can totally see me wearing it by the beach, not caring that it's gotten salty and wet, because i can totally make another one in like less than 5 minutes flat when i get home. *sigh* okay... *cut off excess tails!
Julie Ann Art I had so much fun making this next project! I tend to grab mason jars from garage sales and thrift stores whenever I can find them (today I actually snagged a turquoise one!). They have so many uses, from baking to crafts projects. This weekend I turned a few of my mason jars into snow globes for Christmas! 2012 UPDATE: Since making this snow globe last year, I'm sad to say the dye from the tree turned the water in the globe green! What you'll need: Any jar that seals Distilled Water Liquid Glycerin Glitter Figurines Epoxy/Crazy Glue (I found the glycerin at the drug store in the pharmacy section.) Using the Crazy Glue, attach your figurines to the lid of the mason jar. Next, fill your jar almost to the top with distilled water. And you're done!