I really feel like posting today, but I don't have a project to be posted. Sad story, I know, but alas, I figure I will share some of my favorite free flower tutorials. Please enjoy!
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While perusing Pinterest the other day, I came across the CUTEST wreath and decided it needed to happen for my daughter's room. However, I am currently on a tight budget so I looked for the cheapest way I could make it. I headed to JoAnn's, rummaged through the remnant bins for tulle and bought the cheapest wreath form I could find. All in all, I walked away spending only $6! Materials:
2 Yards of Tulle Wreath Form Scissors 6" Book (for the white tulle) and 9" book (for the purple tulle Ribbon to hang with Refer to pictures. Cut tulle into 2" strips (it doesn't have to be exact). Use the books to cut those strips into 12" and 18" strips. Wrap the tulle around the wreath as demonstrated in the pictures below. Tie a ribbon to hang. Some months ago, I shared the process for creating an acrylic transfer. What is really cool about that method is that you can literally copy an image, what is not so great is that you have to apply a thick layer of acrylic paint to the surface you are transferring the image to. To solve this, I bring you the chalk/pastel transfer method. My sister gave me a small chest of drawers that was asking for some paint in a really cool design. I went online and came across a cool decal of knit stitches and Wall Lettering Made Easy by My Wonderful Walls. This method essentially follows that laid out by My Wonderful Walls. Materials:
Black and White image Object to transfer image to Ball Point Pen Chalk or Pastel (light color is better to prevent staining) Paint Painter's tape Paint brushes Step 1: Cut image down to size if needed, then cover the back with chalk/pastel. Tap away excess powder. Step 2: Attach image to the object with painter's tape, then using the pen, draw around the outline, pressing hard so the image transfers clearly. Step 3: Remove paper, paint inside the chalk outline. After the first coat wipe away the chalk with a wet rag. Optional: Apply a second coat once first is dry. When the second coat is dry, use 150 fine grit sandpaper to distress image. My lovely husband graduated with his Master's a couple weeks ago (YAY!!!). On the same day, the husband of a friend graduated as well. We decided to throw them a joint surprise party to celebrate. As anyone who has graduated college or had a spouse graduate knows, funds are quite low. The budget we set was a grand total of $20 for decorations. I am happy to report that we came in at $11. We planned for the party to be mid afternoon so we wouldn't need to serve a meal and we served finger food desserts so that we wouldn't need forks or plates. Below are the results. List of Materials:
Ribbon from the stash Plastic table cloth from the dollar store Cups, Balloons and Napkins from Zurchers Borrowed Table Borrowed Water Jug Desserts: Store-bought Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Cookie Butter Rice Krispies Cheesecake Cupcakes with Berries We threw the party at a local park near a playground, which was great because the kids just played while the adults chatted. We didn't reserve it or anything, just set up between two trees. It was great! Also, if you are wondering about the dowls on each side of the table, my big idea was to string the balloons and another row of fringe between them but it was too windy, so we opted just for the balloons between the trees. If you remember from my last post, I redid my "getting ready" corner, as evidenced below. After finishing my Necklace Hooks, I realized I needed somewhere to put my bracelets and my hair things. Originally, I was planning on keeping these things in the jewelry box I already had, but it was still just a jumbled mess, so again, I looked to the internet for inspiration and came across some DIY wall pegs for a child's room from Dot Coms For Moms. I used the basic construction, but I wanted to cap it with something clever. After racking my brain for a couple weeks and remaining stumped, I was standing in line at Michael's and looked down at the dollar bin to find some really cute, intricate little frames in neon hues. I grabbed a few and some chalkboard paint and headed home. (The tutorial for this is at the bottom) So, the only issue remaining for this make-over was what to do with my hair ties and bobby pins. I figured that I could solve this through some finds at Ikea so off I went. In the kitchen section, I was lured by the Droppar Spice jars, but was unsuccessful in finding something cheap to attach them to the wall, until I hit the As-Is section. It was there that I discovered the Ribba Picture ledge, which worked out beautifully! I added a couple projects I found online (Crayon Melting from Her Campus and Mod Podge Silhouette from Tatertots and Jello) to complete the look and the make-over was done! Bracelet Pegs Materials:
* 3 Small frames (about 3") * Craft Knife * Chalkboard Paint * Foam Brush * Chalk * 1" Dowl cut into 3 2" sections (you can have this done at Home Depot) * Drill * (3) 1/4" Dowl Screws * Pliers * (3) #14 Plastic anchors * Glue Gun and Glue Sticks Start by opening up the frame and carefully cutting out the plastic with the craft knife and paint the frame if you so choose. Then paint the cardboard back with the chalkboard paint. (Make sure to shake the bottle really well, if it comes out watery, shake it up more. It should be similar to acrylic paint in consistency.) Draw pictures in the frames with chalk. Next, if needed, sand the edges of the dowels, then find the center and mark. Drill a hole here, then with pliers, turn the dowel screws into each hole. Mark on the wall where you want the pegs to go, then drill a hole. Hammer in plastic anchors then screw each dowel into wall. Put a large dollop of hot glue on the back of each frame and push onto the end of each dowel; holding for about a minute to set. It wasn't long after we moved into our "quaint" condo that I bought this little vanity to make a space for me to get ready. It has been almost two years since and the tiny corner of our bedroom has sat looking pretty bland the entire time. A while back, I decided I was sick of trying to find my jewelry amidst the tangled pile in my jewelry box, which sparked a make over of the entire corner. I have to say, I am pretty happy with the results. As usual, I started my quest by looking to the internet (specifically, Pinterest), and found some great ideas to pull from. Below are the inspiration photos: So, today, I will post the tutorial from my Jewelry Hooks and on Thursday I will post the tutorial for the Bracelet Pegs. As for the wall itself, I found a tutorial with tips for picture groupings at Tipnut that you can check out. Jewelry Hooks Materials: * 13" of decorative moulding, preferably chair rail (you can buy this by the foot at Home Depot) * Fine grit sand paper * Acrylic paint * Liquid silver leaf * At least 2 foam brushes * Lint free rag * Nail and hammer * 16-18 teacup hooks * (2) 2" clamps (really cheap at Home Depot) * Scraps of felt or thick fabric * 2 Saw tooth picture hanger Method: * Start by sanding the edges of your moulding, then paint one coat of acrylic paint as a base, then let it dry and paint a coat of the liquid silver leaf and let that dry. Blotch on another coat of the acrylic paint and rub it off with the rag as you go. * Divide the length of your moulding by the number of hooks you have and mark with a pencil Mark the center of the moulding on each line, then set up the moulding on the table with a clamp on each side to steady it and felt protecting the moulding from the clamps (as in the picture). Nail a hole at each of your marks. * I found that it was easiest to take the clamps off and hold the moulding between my knees to screw in the hooks. Also, I used one of the pieces of felt to protect my fingers as I turned the hook. * Turn the moulding so the backside is facing up. Divide the length into thirds and mark, then mark about 1/4" from the top. Center 2 saw tooth picture hangers on these marks and attach. Attach it to the wall and you are ready to untangle your necklaces! You might also like: About a year ago, I came across the picture below, via Martha Stewart. I had been looking for an idea to brighten up our tiny entry and this seemed like the right move. Of course, it wasn't until I made the wreath in my last post that I was pushed to actually do it. So this is really a story of taking all the wrong steps before finding something that worked. To begin with, I headed to Ikea for 16 cheap frames then to Home Depot for some wood joiners. I wanted to connect the frames in an effort to limit the amount of holes I put in the wall. When I began, I thought, "This will be easy, a little hammering and presto!". Boy, was I wrong. I connected all of the frames, but when I hung them on the wall they bowed out almost a foot from the wall. So, it was back to Home Depot for a better solution. I remembered seeing some metal straps that I thought would work, so I purchased a few along with some short, fat screws. When I got home, I was further discouraged by the fact that the screws just tore up the cheap particle board that the frames were constructed of, so, again, it was another trip to Home Depot. This time I spoke to a worker to get suggestions, he said to put super glue in the hole before installing the screw. This worked, however, the frames still bowed out from the wall. The main problem was that the back was held tight but the front wasn't. So, at my husband's suggestion, we tore the frames apart and I went back to Home Depot, bought wood glue and clamps. This did not work either because the frames are painted. With the ridiculous amount of time I had already spent on this stupid thing, I didn't want to go and sand down all of the surfaces so that the wood glue would work. I took the issue to the internet, where I discovered Crafter's Pick, The Ultimate. This product is a water based super glue and claims to work on painted surfaces. After hitting two Michael's, I finally got my hands on some. I glued and clamped the frames together and left them for at least a few hours, but when I came back and un-clamped, a few minutes later, much to my dismay, the frames fell apart. Alas, I had to resort to sand paper. But, success was to be mine! The frames now hang proudly in the tiniest of entries and are accessorized with the lovely wreath I made. Oh, I bought the hook at JoAnn's. Click on a picture below to download the backgrounds for the frames. You will need to cut them down to size. You might also like:Where I partied: Over the holidays I started looking for wreaths I could make for my door. I came across a lovely plum colored wreath, which linked me to the Simple Statement Wreath and my search ended. At first I was planning on it being a holiday staple, but I soon changed my mind and felt it needed a permanent place in my home. The major change I made was the edging. I did a ruffle instead of the eyelet surround that the original suggests. I also added some felt flowers and leaves and I used 5 strands of worsted weight yarn in lieu of chuncky. Materials: * 2 Skeins Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Charcoal Grey * 2 Skeins Loops and Threads, Impeccable in True Gray * 1/2 Skein Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool in Dark Chocolate Brown * Size N Crochet Hook * Styrofoam wreath form * White and Green Felt (I felted old sweaters) * Various Buttons (for flower centers) * Glue and Glue Gun * 2" Ribbon (for hanging) Abbreviations: * SL = Slip Stitch * SC = Single Crochet * CH = Chain * DC = Double Crochet Instructions: Pull from each skein of yarn so you will be working with 5 strands. Start by using the method outlined on the tutorial for the Simple Statement Wreath up until the wreath form is covered, then SL in the first stitch. The number of stitches you have needs to be divisible by 3. Push the single crochets toward the back of the wreath as shown in the photo below Ruffle: Round 1: CH1, SC in first stitch, SC around, Sl into 1st CH Round 2: CH1, SC in first stitch,CH3, *skip 2 stitches, SC in next stitch, CH3, repeat from * around, SL in the first CH Round 3: SL into CH3 space, CH2, 7DC in CH3 space, 8DC in all remaining CH3 spaces, SL in CH2, Bind off and weave in ends For the flowers, I found tutorials for all but two of them so below are tutorials for the two I did and a list of the tutorials I found. Poppy from Positively Splendid, I just did the inner most layer. "S" Flower from the Fickle Pickle 8 Petal Flower: Cut 8 circles with a 2" diameter Fold one circle in half and, with the fold facing down, pull a needle and knotted thread through one of the corners Repeat previous step with remaining circles Pull thread once more thorugh all petals, then pull the thread tight to draw the petals close together and tie off Add a button to the center 3 Layer Flower: Cut 6 circles with diameters of 2" and 2.5" (disregard the smaller circles, I was going to do 4 layers and decided not to) Cut 7 circle at 3" Fold one of the 3" circle in half twice and put a pin in the corner of the folds for the center Open up the circle and place a piece of double sided fabric tape to one side Fold another 3" circle in half once and place a piece of double sided fabric tape to one side of the fold and next to the edge then remove the backing of the tape and secure the fold in that spot and attach to the first 3" circle Repeat the previous step with the remaining 3" circles pinwheel-ing them around the original 3" circle Pin the petals in place with a needle and knotted thread Repeat the the previous three steps to create the remaining 2 layers Add a button to the center During the last Christmas season, we spent some time in San Francisco and, while walking around the Marina District, I noticed the window of an uber hipster shop, Brandy Melville. I have seen a lot of different ways of using doilies, but this has to be my favorite. I took a picture with my phone to bring home and reinterpret. To recreate this, I headed to a local thrift store for doilies then off to the craft store for embroidery hoops and, $10 later, I had the look. As for the process, I washed and bleached the doilies, then sprayed them with water so that they were damp. I tugged and pulled with all my might, put each one over an inside ring, then pinned to hold while I stretched even more. Then put the outside ring on and stretched them a bit more before completely tightening it and voila! You might also like:Where I partied:A couple weeks ago, I was preparing a lesson for church where, as an activity, you give scriptures as clues to what the topic was. Some suggestions were given online and in the manual, but all seemed either boring or not the best for children. As I pondered this, I thought back to New Years and the poppers I bought and realized that would work great! I did a search and every website with a tutorial required toilet paper rolls, but who keeps those on hand... So, for all you last minute party/lesson preparers out there, here is a tutorial for party poppers that does not require toilet paper rolls. Materials: * Card stock (or cereal boxes) * Tape * Tissue paper * Ribbon * Stuff to fill the poppers with Directions: * Start by cutting strips of card stock (or you could use cereal boxes) measuring 6" x 3" * Make a circle overlapping the 3" edge by about 1/2" and tape to secure * Fold your tissue in half lengthwise and again width-wise * Cut along the folds you just made * Cut lengths of ribbon about a foot long * Center a card stock roll in one of the squares of tissue * Wrap the tissue around the roll * Twist one end and tie with a ribbon and stuff the popper with goodies * Twist the remaining tissue end and tie with a ribbon * Curl the ribbon with scissors If you like you can add band around the poppers for more decoration You might also like:Where I partied: |
Hey there! I'm Kristin, aka Kit. Here is just a peek into my crafting mind. I hope you find something to spur your creativity!
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