Crafts

St. Patrick’s Day has been a holiday I’ve enjoyed since, well, college.  I’m sure you can figure out why.  At a Catholic university Milwaukee, we really knew how to honor St. Patrick and his contributions to Irish life and culture. wink wink

Because I’ve grown up now and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a little differently, I decided to make an adorable bit of St. Patrick’s Day decor – these Rainbow Sand Art Terrariums!

Can’t you imagine a leprechaun finding his pot of gold in these sweet sand art terrariums?

Supplies Needed for Rainbow Sand Art Terrariums

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• Rainbow colored sand 6 pack – the 6 color multipack is perfect for this and much less expensive than buying the sand colors separately!  If you also want pink sand, you can buy that separately.
• Gold glitter
• Faux succulents
• Clear glass vases
• Optional embellishments: shamrock floral picks, paper straw, washi tape
• Optional: long stick to create patterns in the sand

How to Make Rainbow Sand Art Terrariums for St. Patrick’s Day Decor

This project is pretty self-explanatory.  I poured colored sand in rainbow colors into clear glass vases, layering the sand in different amounts and moving the containers around slightly to vary the height of each layer of sand within the containers.  

To make these terrariums extra rainbow-like (kind of like my DIY Rainbow Candle Holders), I poured chunky gold glitter on top of the sand once all of the layers were poured in.  

In the taller vase, I then used a long stick to poke along the edges of the glass.  This created some patterns in the sand that looked kind of cool!  

Finally, I popped fake succulents into the containers.  

In one of them I made a little flag with washi tape and a paper straw, and in another I put a shamrock floral pick for extra St. Patrick’s Day festiveness!  

See how easy and fun this project is?  I love how colorful it is!  If you like it, too, please “pin” it to share!

I’ve been working hard to wrap up my playroom to office makeover, so I haven’t had a lot of time to put toward other projects.  But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been squeezing in some fun crafts when I can!  

Most recently, I made these DIY slate coasters by personalizing them with celebratory greetings in different languages: cheers, salud, prost, and salute, my friends!

These DIY coasters are so fun, are the quickest things to make, and would be really awesome as a holiday gift for anyone on your list (well, maybe not the kiddos).

You can personalize them any way you want, too, so let your creativity flow and make these slate coasters for everyone you know!

Supplies Needed to Make DIY Slate Coasters

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• Slate coasters
• White paint pen
• Chalk
• Pencil
• Computer and printer
• Strongly Recommended: Mod Podge matte sealer

How to Make Slate Coasters

The technique I used to write on these coasters can be used on many types of crafts – especially signs!  So even if you choose to decorate coasters a different way, you may want to remember this method for future projects!

Step One: Print Out the Mirror Image of Your Text

I started by typing the words I wanted to use into my word processing program (like Google Docs, for example).  

I reversed the text so it was a mirror image and printed it out.  (If you want to do this, do a Google search for how to mirror image your text.  It’s different in every program so it doesn’t make sense for me to write it out here.  :-))

Step Two: Get the Text on the Coasters

Next, I colored over the printed out word with white chalk.

I flipped the paper over and pressed it onto the front of one of the slate coasters (so, in the below photo the coaster is underneath the paper that has ‘cheers’ written on it).  

Then I carefully wrote over the printed word with my pencil.

When I picked up the paper, the word was visible on the coaster, written in chalk!

I think you’ll also like this DIY Photo Coaster project!

Step Three: Go Over the Words with Paint Pen

Of course it wasn’t perfect, but it was clear enough that I could easily fill it in with my white paint pen and get really nice writing.

If you don’t have a computer or printer, you could obviously just write the words on your coaster, or use a stencil, too!

And that is ALL I did for each of the coasters I made!

How to Seal Slate Coasters

To be safe, I will seal these slate coasters before using to protect them!  I will use at least three coats of matte Mod Podge to seal and keep the writing looking good.

If you don’t want to use Mod Podge, you could also use a matte polyurethane.

Slate is non-porous, but the writing makes it so these coasters should be sealed.

If you like this idea but don’t love the greetings I personalized my coasters with, substitute in a monogram, last name, or design!  

You could really do anything with these DIY coasters.

Make sure to “PIN” this post to save it.  This would be a great handmade gift for the upcoming holiday season!  

Sharpies – they’re one of the best craft supplies around! I used them on everything, and I am excited to show you how to make stained glass with Sharpies markers!  

 

Supplies for Making Sharpies Stained Glass

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• Glass object (I used pre-filled glass candleholders)
• Sharpie Permanent Markers variety pack or other permanent marker brand markers
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton swabs and cotton balls
• Dimensional black paint

How to Make Stained Glass with Sharpies

Super easy project alert.  These stained glass candles were the easiest things to make!

Step One: Clean the Glass

First, wipe down your glass surface with rubbing alcohol. This will remove any residue that could prevent your marker ink from adhering properly.

Step Two: Draw a Design

Once you’ve done that and the surface has dried, draw a design on the glass with the black marker. (Yes, you can write on glass and mason jars with a Sharpie marker!)  

Step Three: Color in the Design with Sharpies

Then color in the design however you like with other color Sharpies.

Step Four: Dab Rubbing Alcohol on the Ink

Next, dip a cotton swab into the rubbing alcohol and gently dab it onto the colored designs.  This will blend the marker a bit to give it a more authentic look.  TIP: have a cotton ball on hand to dab any excess alcohol and prevent smearing.  

Step Five: Add Dimensional Paint

Once the surface has totally dried, use the dimensional paint around the black edges to give it an authentic stained glass look!  

Let it dry and enjoy your work!  

Now guys, I actually made a video on how to make stained glass with Sharpies!  It’s my first time putting a video on YouTube, so I’d love for you to watch it and let me know what you think.  And if you’re a big YouTube user, please subscribe to my channel and stay tuned for more videos from me in the future.  Hopefully they will improve with time.

This project could be modified in so many ways, and it would even be a fun thing to make with kids!  

  

Well, I hope you enjoyed my DIY method for making your own stained glass!  I’ve never made real stained glass, but I have a feeling this is a lot easier!  That’s my favorite way of doing things.

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 Fall is my favorite time of year to be out and about.  The weather is perfect and there is so much to do – from hitting up the farmer’s market, to taking my family to the pumpkin patch, to fitting in an antique show or flea market – every weekend is jam-packed with some kind of activity.  Because I’m on the go so much, I love to have a variety of tote bags to carry around my stuff and any treasures I might collect along the way.

A recent addition to my tote stash is this adorable no-sew plaid heart tote that I made from an old men’s shirt.  And you guys, it was SO easy to make!  I have a feeling that after reading this post, you will want to make a no-sew upcycled shirt tote bag for yourself, too!  

Supplies Needed for an Upcycled Shirt Tote Bag

• Plain canvas tote bag
• Old cotton shirt (I used a men’s dress shirt)
• Permanent fusible web
• Iron
• Pencil
• Sharp scissors (fabric scissors are probably best)
• Optional: decorative trim
• Optional: permanent fabric glue (if adding the optional decorative trim)
• Scotchgard™ Fabric & Upholstery Protector

A great thing about this project is that you can purchase most, if not all, of the supplies you need at Target during your next Target run!  (Admit it – you know you’re there more than once a week like me!)  And because it may be a little tricky to locate, you can find the Scotchgard™ Fabric Protector in the cleaning supplies aisle near the floor care products.  (You can also snag a $2 off coupon right here!)

Instructions for Making an Upcycled Shirt Tote Bag

Once you have your supplies gathered, you’re ready to go!

First you’ll need to cut a portion of the shirt into a size that will accommodate whatever design you’re planning to use.  I cut a medium-sized rectangle.  Then you will follow the directions on the package of permanent fusible web and iron the fusible web to the back of the fabric you’ve cut.  

Next, draw or trace a design onto the paper backing of the fusible web.  I free-handed a heart, but if you want to use a more complicated shape, you could find a picture online, print it out, and trace it onto the fusible web.  

Cut out your design and carefully remove the fusible web paper backing.  

Follow the directions on the fusible web packaging, and iron the shape to the front of the canvas tote bag. 

If you choose to add decorative trim to the edge of the design, glue it on with permanent fabric glue.  

Once the glue has dried, you will need to protect your adorable new tote bag from the stains and messes that are sure to come your way during your fall adventures.  Cover surrounding surfaces and shake your can of Scotchgard™ Fabric Protector well.  

Hold the can approximately 6″ from the tote bag and apply the Scotchgard™ Fabric Protector with a slow, sweeping motion.  Two light coats are better than one heavy coat.  

Once the bag has dried, it’s ready for anything you put in it or throw at it!  The Scotchgard™ Fabric Protector repels liquids, blocks stains by pushing them away from the fabric fibers, and won’t change the look, feel, or breathability of the fabric.  It will keep your upcycled shirt tote bag looking as fresh as the day you made it!  

And considering the fact that I smeared pizza sauce on this tote bag about ten minutes after I took these photos, it is a GOOD THING that I had applied the Scotchgard™ Fabric Protector!  It came off and didn’t leave a mark.  (Murphy’s Law never fails me.)  

Scotchgard™ Fabric Protector is perfect for so many things in your everyday life, like couches and chairs, curtains, table cloths, pillows, backpacks, hats, clothing, and accessories.  I will definitely be protecting my new fabric ottoman in my living room and some chair seats that I reupholstered for an upcoming project.  If you’re interested, check out even more great ideas for using Scotchgard™ Fabric & Upholstery Protector right here.

And, don’t forget to “Pin” this project so you can make your own upcycled shirt tote bag this season!  

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