DIY hanging picture frames

This might be one of the easiest projects I have ever done, and maybe one of my favorites. I've made these frames several times, each time evolving it a little more and I think it is now perfected.
I used
6 unfinished frames (4x6)
1 spool Satin ribbon
1/2 yard fabric
Tacky glue
Sissors
Staple gun
Picture hangers of your choice
Foam brush


I started out by painting the entire front, sides and inside of the frame with tacky glue and then cut off the extra. I pulled the fabric over the frame tight, the glue drys fast on a unfinished frame because it soaks into the wood fast. Once you have the fabric in the right place, poke a hole in the center of the picture frame cut a 'X' to the inside edges --just where the picture would be. Add more glue if needed, and push the fabric flaps into the frame and cut off the access. Repeat for the rest of the frames.

Follow the purple lines to cut fabric to inside of the frame

I spaced my frames out, about 6" inches apart from each other on my ribbon and marked on the back with pencil where I wanted them. I used a staple gun, however I think hot glue would work just fine, to secure my frames. At the top I used a half-circle fastener as my hanger, but there are a tons of decorative options available of you would like something a little more fancy.

As you can see from the picture of the back, I did not use fancy or nice picture frames. I got mine from Ikea, 3 for $2. If you want to use finished wooden frames make sure to sand them first!
I'd love to see pictures of you try these!

Happy crafting!

DIY dog treats!

For those of you who know me know, I love my dog! You may also know that he has been sick for most of the last year and it has been hard on all of us. So any way I can give my pup a little extra love, I'm all for it. I found a dog treat recipe that was pretty basic, but also pretty vague. So I tried it and figured out some details that were left out and thought I would share it with my wonderful readers! 

My handsome little man, Conan

You will need:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until soft dough forms, if needed add more flour or milk little at a time.  Roll dough out and cut shapes out with a cookie cutter or roll into 1 inch balls and flatten. Place onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes.
My dough was a bit sticky so I used cooking spray and they came up just fine.

Finished treats!

 

Conan waiting for his treats to cool

These were so simple to make, and with kitchen staples. Conan sat by the stove waiting for them to come out of the oven, he loves them! I know this isn't 'crafts' but it is a super easy and who doesn't love making something for their pup?

Happy baking!

Here is another simple treat recipe

 Peanut butter and oats dog treats

1/3 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth 

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups hot water

 Preheat oven to 350. Mix rolled oats and flout together in a large mixing bowl. Add peanut butter then water to the dry mix. If your dough is too sticky you can add flour a little at a time. Mix until a soft dough forms. Roll dough and cut with cookie cutters or into 1 inch balls and flatten. Bake for 40 minutes and let cool until hard. 

 

DIY baby onesie vest

I recently had oral surgery, so on my down time I've been practicing my sewing. My first project I did was a onesie vest and tie combo for a friends baby. As I've said before--I'm new to sewing so if I can do this, so can you! Although I will tell you, this was my most challenging project to date.
I found the tutorial from this website (Onsie vest tutorial.)

Mine is a little different, I wanted my vest to go all the way to the top of the onesie and I added a tie from ribbon.

I made the inside and outside of my vest from old men's shirts I found at a local Good Will (each $2.99)
The tie I folded into a point at the bottom and ran a stitch, and pinched at the top to create a ''tie" look. I then put a stitch in to hold the tie part and ran a stitch across the top.

As a beginner sewer, I will say that I had the hardest part with all the corners in the vest, if you are a regular sewer than this will be a breeze for you!

Happy sewing!

DIY: Boot Socks

I've been in search of boot knitted boot socks for a while now. I havent been able to find any that I liked so I decided to make my own. Now, I cannot knit or crochet so I did the next best thing. I went to the thrift store and bought a sweater for $1.99 and used that. I got a cable knit sweater, that is the style I was looking for, not necessarily what you need-- any sweater will do. I started by cutting off both sleeves, trying to cut along the seam for minimal sweater sheading.

  

I cuffed the sleeve and ran a stitch with my sewing machine along the  bottom of the sleeve (where your hand would come out. I then cut the other end down to size and folded it over and ran a stitch to prevent the sweater from coming unraveled. 

On the right is the cuffed semi-finished boot sock, left is the cut sleeve

 Once I finished both socks I picked what button I wanted and sewed it in place. I had no brown buttons so I painted large green buttons. I first sanded them down, painted, then applied a layer of mod podge.

Let me just say--I am a beginner sewer, if I can make these; anyone can make these! 

What you need:

1 sweater (mans or womans)

Needle and thread

2 (at least) buttons

Sewing machine (optional) 

Sissors

Happy crafting!

DIY: Make your own buttons!

I found this idea, and let me tell you; it blew my mind! I love buttons, and the idea of making my own, as I wanted them...perfect! Instead of posting how I make them or giving my own instructions I'm posting a link to where I found it. This woman does a fantastic job of explaining how she does it and has pictures of her steps. I'd love to see pictures of your buttons if you try this!
Happy crafting!!


http://scissorspaperwok.com/2011/07/18/how-to-make-clothing-buttons-from-shrink-plastic/

DIY purse notebook

I always like to have something in my purse to write notes or to keep track of things when I'm out. I think post-it's are great, but they get messy in a purse or bag getting bounced around so I covered some up with some card stock, added a monogram, and decoupaged a pen to match. Now I have a personalized notepad exactly the way I want it!

For this project I used:
Patterned cardstock
Pattern sissors
"W" cutout
Circle cutout
Pen
Post it's
Hot glue
Mod podge
Velcro dots

The first thing I did was cut my  cardstock down to size, this will be different depending on what paper you buy. For my post it's, I needed to cut mine to be 3.5" X 8. Place the post it with about 3.5" from the bottom and fold up and over from both ends. Make sure to make a crisp fold at each corner of your notepad.

 

Add a Velcro dot to the center and seal to adhere. As shown, I have a picture of a pen to match. I cut cardstock to match and covered the paper and pen with a thin layer of mod podge. This took some time to adhere. I rolled the pen to make the ends lay flat and applied a coat of mod podge to protect the paper. You may need to make your pen cap bigger to accommodate the paper, I did so using pliers. Below is a picture with no monogram, just to show that it looks nice without embellishment.

 

 

 I have seen something like this given out as a favor for a baby shower or a wedding shower with a rubber duck, rattles, or campaign glasses on the front. These are super easy and quick to make. A great idea for last minute Christmas gifts!

Happy crafting!!

DIY Small gift box

This weekend we wrapped all of our presents at our house, and late Sunday night I realized I forgot to wrap my work secret Santa gift. I looked through all our leftover bags, and found nothing useful, aand my gift was too small to wrap. So I decided to make my own gift box!

I used an almost empty cold pill box, covered it with a thin layer of decoupage glue, and cut scrap wrapping paper to fit!

This ended up being the perfect size for what I needed. I work with kids and am perpetually fighting off a cold, so I have an infinite supply of boxes! These would be perfect for gift cards, jewellery, or other small gifts!

Happy crafting!

DIY Thrift Store Chalk Board

At my last thrift store run I got a coat rack (Link to coat rack tutorial ), a mirror, and a few other things. I have wanted to make a chalk board for our kitchen for a while, but I couldn't find the right frame to make it in. The mirror I got was $10 and I got 2 cans of spray paint for about $6 each. The mirror started out looking like this:

I started out bu sanding the entire frame and mirror surface.Next, I painted the entire surface a high-gloss white, I needed about 3 coats. I waited a few days, then taped and used plastic to cover the white frame. I covered the mirror only part with the chalkboard paint and finished!
We use ours for grocery lists, notes, and reminders, not to mention it covers the fuse box!

For this project I used:
1 Large frame glass/mirror in
1 can of chalkboard spray paint (they also have available in brush on and is less expensive)
1 can of high-gloss white
Sand paper
Masking tape
Plastic grocery bags


Happy Crafting!

Christmas stocking hangers DIY

I have been looking for ways to hang my Christmas stocking without damaging my walls, and I didn't want to use the command hooks. I came up with the idea of using door knobs! I went to Home Depot to look at knobs and not knowing if I want to keep the knobs up as picture hangers later, I was not looking to spend a fortune. I ended up with plain wooden door knobs that look like this:

I painted them black then applied a opalescent coat over the top and applied a small gem in the center. This is the finished product!

I fastened them to the wall with the smallest command strips! To make your own stocking hanger you need:
Wooden door knobs
Craft paint
Small gem or embelishment
Paintbrush

This project took minutes to complete, but I think looks so nice with our color scheme. Best of all, it cost under $4!

Happy crafting!

Holiday Gift Ideas for at Home Crafters

Do you like to make crafts at home? Are you searching for the perfect gift for your crafter? Here are a few gift ideas which will help you or your loved one decorate your home.

Thanks to electronic precision and easy-to-use design, the Cricut Expression personal cutting machine makes it a snap to create beautiful cards, displays, scrapbooks, signs, and labels. Great for home, office, or classroom use, the machine features a generous range for small or large shapes and can accommodate materials from vellum to cardstock to vinyl. Creating a cut requires simply inserting a cartridge, loading the machine, making a selection, and pressing “cut.”

This Cricut Essentials Kit lives up to its name, as it provides all the essential tools and accessories needed for creating successful paper crafts with one of Provo Craft's Cricut personal electronic cutting machines. The perfect companion to a brand new Cricut, the kit enables greater flexibility and dexterity for making unique paper scrapbook embellishments, fun bulletin board letters, and custom stationery.
 

Christmas Card Maker. From your heart to theirs — keepsake cards you create using your home computer and printer! This all-in-one set includes our exclusive Dover Design Studio software with over 250 images, patterns, fonts, and artful greetings; video lessons; and templates for bi-fold cards, a postcard, and envelopes. A gallery of finished cards provides inspiration. Cards and envelopes not included. Mac and PC compatible.

Card Making with Cricut. Demonstrating the endless assortment of shapes and styles that can be made using the Cricut from Provo Craft, this guide helps crafters create unique and sensational greeting cards with ease. With simple instructions, imaginative sample projects for occasions such as baby showers and birthdays, and unlimited design options, this helpful reference explains how to impress friends, coworkers, and family with personalized homemade cards.

Mod Podge is 40 years old, but this classic decoupage glue still has its cool. Crafters of any skill level can create anything from paper keepsakes to jewelry to home decor items. The original formula, all-in-one glue sealer and finish, can be used to decoupage on nearly any surface. Quick-drying formula allows for multiple coat build up and projects dry to a matte finish. Cleans up easily with soap and water. Certified AP non-toxic and water based. 

What are your craft holiday gift ideas?

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How to: DIY Decoupage

Now if you follow my blog, you know how much I love Mod Modge. And if you have ever purchased Mod Podge, you know it can be expensive. So you can imagine how excited I was when I found a DIY recipe for decoupage, and it only has two ingredients!  
You need:
1 bottle of glue
equal parts water
1 jar +lid

Empty the entire bottle of glue into your jar, I used an empty salsa jar, but a mason jar or a spaghetti jar will do just fine. Fill your glue bottle with water, and empty into your jar. The first time I made this I emptied the entire bottle of water and I found my decoupage to be runny. I found it best to add about 3/4 of the water, put the lid on (tight) and shake. Add the rest of the water accordingly.
The last time I bought a bottle of Mod Podge it was about six dollars and it was a small bottle. When I made my decoupage, I bought a bottle of glue for twenty cents!