Crafts

A couple of weeks ago my brother texted me photos of his new apartment, and pointed out that one particular wall could really use a bar cart – kind of like this one that I made for my sister last year.  Unfortunately he lives in Colorado . . . and I live in Illinois . . . and there is no way I am shipping something like that all the way out there.  (Head to IKEA, brother, and follow my tutorial for making your own.)  So anyway, because I couldn’t send a bar cart as a housewarming gift, I made something much smaller and easier to ship – this cute little DIY Hello Wreath Sign.

It’s a cute little accent piece he and my sister-in-law can hang on their door or display on a shelf somewhere.  And hey, I know it’s not as fun as a bar cart, but at least it’s something!

This little hello wreath sign is a simple DIY that makes a perfect housewarming gift.  You could personalize it any way you like; from a monogram, to a last name, to any other word you like – customization is easy!

Supplies Needed for a DIY Hello Wreath Sign

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• Unfinished wooden plaque (I got mine at Target, but I’ve seen them at Michael’s, too)
• Chalky finish paint in this color and this color
• Foam brush
• Chip brush
• Mini grapevine wreath
• Felt in dark green, light green, and cream
• Hot glue gun and hot glue
• Small eye hook
• Gold acrylic paint
• Artist’s brush
• Pencil
• Thin wire

Instructions for Making a DIY Hello Wreath Sign

I began by painting the unfinished wood plaque.  I started by painting the entire piece in this paint with a foam brush, and once it dried, I dry brushed on the darker color, using a chip brush.  It was a little dark, in my opinion, so I went back over it with the lighter color again.

Next, I cut felt leaves and hot glued the bottoms of each one to fold them inwards and create a more dimensional shape.  I also made a flower with the cream colored felt.

Once the paint dried on the wooden plaque, I wrote “hello” in the center using a pencil.  Then I painted over it with the gold acrylic paint.  Once the paint dried, I erased any remaining visible pencil.

Next, I hot glued the felt flower and leaves to the grapevine wreath.  I screwed the eye hook onto the wooden plaque and wired the wreath onto it.  I also added a little hot glue to the back part of the wreath that touched the plaque, just to fasten it a little more securely.  

And then this little housewarming gift for my brother and sister-in-law was complete!  

It’s friendly, cute, and most importantly when being shipped to Colorado, lightweight!  

Matt and Keily – check your mailbox soon!  I’m hoping to send it out this week.  😉

Bre

Feeling Groovy? Check Out This DIY Peace Sign Wreath, Too!  

Looking for sand art ideas? Try this adorable sand shape art project! It’s a great summer craft for adults (or kids with some help)!

Now that the weather is nice and people are feeling more social, it’s time to get the ladies together for a girls’ night crafting session, don’t you think?  

In my opinion, the keys to a successful craft night party are good food and drinks, great tunes, and a simple project that your friends can make and take in one evening, like this DIY Sandy Shapes Wall Art!  

Keep the project simple and as mess-free as possible, and you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the evening with your friends!  (I know you’re probably thinking that with sand there’s no way this project won’t make a mess, but I promise it’s true!)

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Sand Art Shapes Supplies

Make sure to have these supplies on hand for your adult summer craft or girls’ night craft project:

• Scotch® Brand Permanent Mounting Tape
• Scotch® Brand Double Sided Tape
• Command™ Mini Hooks
• Cardstock in colors of your choice
• Shape templates (available to download here)
• Flat canvases (5″x7″)
• White acrylic paint
• Square dowels
• Small saw (hacksaw)
• Sand
• Twine
• Aerosol hairspray
• Small paintbrush
• Scissors or craft knife
• Pencil
• Optional: paper cutter (for cutting cardstock to size), plastic cup (for pouring sand), cookie sheet (for containing sand)

How to Make DIY Sandy Shapes Wall Art

Once you have all of your supplies, print the shape templates, cut them out, and trace them onto cardstock that has been cut to 5″ x 7″.  

Carefully cut out the designs from the center of the cardstock using scissors or a utility knife.  

If you use a utility knife, make sure to protect the surface underneath the cardstock.  (I would hate for you to end up with nautical-themed shapes permanently engraved into your dining room table!)

Also, you could totally do this with a Cricut machine or Silhouette machine if you have one of those. Just look for SVG files with nautical shapes and cut those out!

Next, line the outer edges of each canvas with Scotch® Brand Double Sided Tape.  Also fill the center of each canvas with the Double Sided Tape.  

You will want the entirety of each shape that you have cut out to be filled with the double sided tape, so it may end up that most of each canvas is covered in double sided tape.  This tape is extra strong and sticky, so it’s perfect for keeping grainy sand in place!

Carefully press the cardstock onto the canvas, making sure to align the edges.  Also be sure to press down around all of the edges of the shape in the middle.

Next, gently pour sand over the entire shape.  Once the shape has been covered, gently press the sand down onto the Scotch® Brand Double Sided Tape, and then shake off the excess sand.

Spray the entire shape and surrounding cardstock with aerosol hairspray.  This will help the sand stick together and keep any stray grains from brushing off of the canvas too easily.  

Next, cut the dowels to approximately 6″ long and paint them with the acrylic paint.  If you’re doing this project as part of a girls’ night, you might want to prepare this step in advance.

Cut a length of Scotch® Brand Permanent Mounting Tape and press it onto the back of each dowel.

The Mounting Tape will likely be wider than your dowel, so trim the excess from the edge of each dowel.  

Press one dowel onto the top face of the cardstock, and one dowel onto the bottom face of the cardstock.  

The Scotch® Brand Permanent Mounting Tape will hold these dowels in place strongly and securely, and you won’t have to worry about your sand art falling apart.  I have used this product on similar projects in the past, and they’re still proudly displayed in my home!

Tie twine or ribbon to the top dowel for an easy way to hang the sand shape art.  

Press some Command™ Mini Hooks to the wall, hang your sand wall art, and enjoy!  

If you’re hosting a craft night party, make sure to send your guests home with some Command™ Mini Hooks so they can hang their art, too!  

I use Command™ products to hang almost everything in my house!  My husband rolls his eyes every time he sees me hanging something else with my trusty hooks or picture hanging strips.  

See how easy and mess-free this project is?  I told you!  No measurable drying time means less mess and instant gratification – totally perfect for a girls’ night.

So what are you waiting for?  Pin this project and invite your girlfriends over for a fun night!

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About a month ago I was in Paper Source picking up some end-of-year teacher gifts.  And of course I couldn’t only buy what I went in there for.  That never happens.  Any time I step foot in that store I end up spending way more money than intended.  It has the same hold over me as Target.

One of the unplanned purchases that day was a set of three plain wooden bangle bracelets.  They were calling to me: “Buy us.  Make us pretty.”  Never one to turn a cold shoulder to those in need, I brought those plain bracelets home with me that day.  And then, some time later, I polished them up and created these super cute and super easy fabric tape bangle bracelets.  

This project was pretty quick and I think it would make an awesome girls’ night activity, or even a birthday party craft for older girls.  

Here are the supplies you need:

• Wooden bangle bracelets
• Acrylic paint in colors of your choice (I used navy, pink, and turquoise)
• Foam brush
• Fabric washi tape  (I got the exact rolls pictured below at Michaels)
• Scissors

Begin by painting your wooden bangles in whatever colors or combination of colors you like.  I looked at the fabric tapes I had and decided which ones I wanted to use on each bracelet prior to painting.  That way I was able to make sure that the colors would be just right on each bracelet!  

Once the paint dries, gently apply the fabric tape to the bracelets in varying patterns and methods.  The great thing about fabric washi tape is that it stretches and flattens as you work with it, so it is easy to use on the rounded bracelet surfaces.  

Get creative with how you apply the tape.  (And if you really want to live on the edge, put a few different tape patterns onto one bracelet.  I wasn’t that risky.)  

That’s all it takes to make some fun and fashionable fabric tape bangle bracelets!  

They’re cute, right?  I can’t wait to start wearing them!  If you liked this post and want to make some fabric tape bangle bracelets of your own, make sure to pin this post for later!

Bre

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