How to: Fun and cute 'Let it snow' wall hanging.

I'm in no way ready for snow, but I'm slowly getting ready for the holiday season. It seems like every store you go into there is Christmas music playing and holiday decorations everywhere! I've decided since I can't escape it, I may as well embrace it and what better way than crafting!

Perfect wall hanging to keep or give as a gift!

For this project you will need:
1 Wooden wall plaque  16"X4"
Brown craft paint
Medium blue craft paint
Translucent opalescent white paint (optional)
Mod Podge (Matte) 
Sand paper
1-3 foam brushes
"Let it snow" phrase cutout
Snowflake cutouts (several)
Snowman cutout

First sand down any rough edges on your wall hanging, then mix the blue and opalescent paint. I mixed just enough to give the blue paint a shimmer, this is optional I liked the shimmer for a little depth. Cover the entire wall hanging (edges included) with the blue paint and wait for it to dry. Depending on the paint and wood you may need a few coats to cover completely. Once dry, paint the edges with the brown paint and let dry. Once dry, give the brown edges a light sanding to give a "worn" look".
With the frame long ways, apply the "Let it snow" phrase at the top of the frame. Be careful to wipe all access glue away, it will dry glossy. Place snowman at the bottom of the frame and glue on. Between the phrase and snowman place snowflakes to look like they are falling. Once you have everything glued on, apply 1-2 coats of Mod Podge to seal everything down and protect from scratches.

You can also use white (opalescent) puff paint for snow. Either add small to medium dots or make snowflake shapes!
I hope you have as much getting into the holiday spirit as I did! 

"Love Birds" wall hanging how to

Much like many of us, I have succumbed to the fall fashion trends and I am into birds. I love the shapes and all of the different things you can do with birds. I recently made a wall hanging for the living room in my home that is pretty simple.

You need:

A 4”X16” wooden wall hanging

2 bird cutouts

2 small jewel stick on gems

“Love Birds” chip board or letter cutouts

Branch cutout

Buttons

Black paint

Paint brush

Glue

12”X12” paper (yellow luster)

The first thing I did was paint the border of my wall hanging black; then I covered the inside with my 12”X12” paper. I covered the inside with paper because I really liked it, it would probably be easier to paint the inside as well.

After you have your surface finished I added my branches then placed my birds, with jewels as eyes, on. Once I had my birds where I wanted them I added my buttons along the branches. I used different colors and sizes, however they were all mat and fit my color scheme. This is something I played with until I had the right combination and placement. I then placed my “Love Birds” phrase down. Once I knew everything was in place I glued it down.

If you wanted to Mod Podge this wall hanging I would recommend doing it before placing the jewel eyes on your birds and the buttons on.

As a modification, you could also use button as eyes, and even place jewels on top!

How to make an easy and cute fall wall hanging

As fall is mid-way through, I thought my first craft I would bring you is a fall wall hanging. It’s pretty simple and easy to modify if you choose to have a different saying or picture.  

The supplies needed are:

1 pumpkin cutout

1 “Autumn Blessings” cutout

Various leaf cutouts, amount depending on the size of your plaque

1 wooden wall plaque (I used 9”x13”)

1 bottle of dark brown crafting paint

1 bottle of cream crafting paint

Foam or regular paintbrush

Glue/ Mod Podge

Ribbon (optional)

Sand paper

The first thing I do to all of my wooden wall hangings is sand them down. I think that the paint looks better on a smooth surface. Once your wooden plaque is sanded down, apply 1-2 coats of the dark brown paint and let dry. Once dry, apply 1-2 coats of the cream paint, once dry give a light sanding to the outside edges to give a warn look.

Apply your pumpkin and “Autumn Blessings” with a thin coat of glue, making sure to coat the entire surface of the cutout completely. Using too much glue will cause your paper to buckle and give your hanging an uneven look. Once all the cutouts have dried I applied 1-2 coats of (matte) Mod Podge to seal all of the cutouts onto my wall hanging. This will also help seal any edges down that may have pealed up while drying.

Some wall hangings you purchase at craft stores come with nail brackets on the back, others come bare. I like to add ribbon with hot glue to smaller wall hangings. It gives them a more decorative look and is a simple solution for hardware free wall hangings!