Crafts

Okay, I seriously love Anthropologie.  It’s definitely up there on my list of favorite stores, right there with Target and Nordstrom.

Most things Anthropologie sells are worth the higher price tag, in my opinion.  But once in awhile, something sneaks in there that makes me scratch my head and say “for real?”  Take pushpins with pom poms glued on them, for example.

$15 for a set of 12 pushpins?

No thank you.  I’ll spend my $15 on a crystallized bobby pin or metallic hair tie, thank you very much.  And I’ll make my own pom pom pushpins for a fraction of the price!

Literally all you need are some pre-made pom poms, wide-base pushpins and a hot glue gun.

Did you know that Teacher Appreciation Week is around the corner?  I don’t know how teachers do it . . . putting up with all of the craziness children throw at them on a daily basis.  Some days I can barely even handle my own children, let alone other people’s kids.  Teachers truly are special people, worthy of a week devoted to making them feel appreciated!

I always like to give teachers little gifts throughout the year, and one of my favorite teacher gifts is these DIY Fabric Covered Clipboards.  Swap out teachers’ boring, plain and uninspired clipboards for these fabulous fabric covered clipboards! This is a great Teacher Appreciation Week gift, or a gift for anyone who likes to be organized!  

• Clipboard
• Fabric of your choice
• Mod Podge (I used matte finish)
• Foam brush
• Hot glue gun & glue
• Rotary cutter, Xacto knife, and/or sharp fabric scissors
• Optional: fabric stabilizer (see step six below)

How to Make DIY Fabric Covered Clipboards

It’s so easy to make these clipboards!  

STEP ONE

Cut your base fabric slightly larger than the size of your clipboard.

 

STEP TWO

Cut a space out of the top of the fabric to accommodate the clip portion of the clipboard.

 

STEP THREE

Apply a layer of Mod Podge all over the clipboard.

 

STEP FOUR

Place your fabric over the Mod Podged clipboard.  Smooth out any wrinkles.  Apply a layer of Mod Podge all over the top of the fabric.

 

STEP FIVE

Once the Mod Podge has completely dried, flip the clipboard over and cut the excess fabric from around the clipboard.  I used a rotary cutter and it worked very well.

 

STEP SIX

You could leave your clipboard as is, but if you want to add a pocket to the bottom of the clipboard, cut a rectangular piece of fabric 1″ taller and wider than the bottom portion of the clipboard.  Flip the fabric over and fold three sides in .5″ and iron for a crisp seam.  Hot glue those pressed in sides to the bottom of the clipboard to form a pocket.

 

Note that I applied an iron-on stabilizer to the fabric I used for my pocket, just to give it some extra strength.  I also trimmed the top portion of the pocket with pinking shears to ensure that the fabric won’t fray with time.

I love how the pocket can be used to hold pens and other small accessories, and I like how the contrasting fabric gives an extra dose of personality!

These fabric covered clipboards are sure to be a welcome addition to any classroom!  How will you be recognizing the teachers in your life this Teacher Appreciation Week?

 

– Bre

Last weekend I got to go shopping by myself.

As a mother of small children, do you know how precious that time was?

I was actually able to browse around and go into stores with breakable merchandise.  It was so liberating and SO INSPIRING!!!

A direct result of that shopping trip was this project . . . my knockoff West Elm Brass Base Terrarium.

West Elm’s Brass Base Terrariums are beautiful.  They come in two sizes – small and large – and are priced at $29.50 (small) and $59 (large).  The interesting thing about the West Elm terrarium is that it looks like the bowl is almost tipped on its side, as opposed to being straight up (like mine).  West Elm also sells the succulents to go inside of the terrarium at $12.50 a pop.

I love the low-maintenance nature of succulents and I wanted one of these terrariums.  But I wasn’t about to lug one around the mall with me, nor was I about to pay $42 for a terrarium and one succulent.  So yeah, I decided to try making one myself.

West Elm’s terrarium definitely looks nicer.  But I think mine is okay, too.  And for just $7 all in (like, with the plants), I’ll take it.  And since my glass bowls aren’t tipped on their side, these can be used for taller plants as well.  Bonus!

Faux Brass Base Terrarium Supplies

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Here are the materials I used to make these faux brass base terrariums:

• Small glass bowl vase
• 4×6 piece of wood, cut to size
• Sandpaper
• American Accents spray paint in Aged Bronze (you can find this cheaper in a store!)
• Acrylic paint in bronze
• Elmer’s ProBond Advanced glue

How to Make a DIY Brass Base Terrarium

STEP ONE

Determine the desired size of your wood base by placing your glass bowl on top and deciding how large you want the bottom square to be.  Measure and cut.  (Ignore all the junk in my garage.  We just finished a renovation and had to store a bunch of stuff in there.  It’s normally not this messy!)

STEP TWO

Sand your wood block all over and then spray paint it.

 

 

STEP THREE

Once the paint has dried, coat it with a layer of bronze acrylic paint.  This will make the color look richer and your base piece look less like a piece of wood and more like a bronze block.  (The block on the left has acrylic paint on top whereas the block on the right does not.)

 

 

Check out this other blog post of mine to learn how to create an even more authentic faux brass finish with paint!

STEP FOUR

Once the paint has dried, apply the glue to the bottom of your glass bowl.  Affix to the wood and follow the package’s instructions for proper adhesion.  (NOTE:  the glue does not dry clear so be sure not to apply too much or it will squeeze out the bottom of the bowl and leave a visible glue ring around your bowl and base.)

STEP FIVE

Once the glue is dry, add your plants and enjoy!

I am a total lover of pretty paper goods.  One of my favorite things to do is stroll around cute paper shops and admire all of the adorable card, stationery, notepad and calendar designs.  Luckily I have a Paper Source nearby, so I can stop in for a dose of happy whenever I feel the need.

On a recent trip, I spotted their updated custom stationery line.  After I “oohed” and “aaahed” for a bit and conducted an internal debate on whether to order some of my own (all the while bribing my two year old with M&M’s to stay near me, stay quiet and stop touching everything in sight), I decided to try a DIY version first (primarily because I’d run out of M&M’s and the you-know-what was hitting the fan.).  So, I bought a set of plain notecards and envelopes and off I went.

I guess I’m actually glad my son is insane so I couldn’t order anything.  My stationery turned out pretty well and I saved myself about $17 for a set of 20 cards and envelopes.  (Manicure money.  Holla!)

If you want to try making your own custom stationery, I’m happy to share my tips with you today.  If you have a basic understanding of Microsoft Word, you should be able to do this with great success!

Tip 1 – Download Pretty Fonts
The first thing you need to do is find yourself some pretty fonts.  Search Pinterest for some good fonts and font combinations, and then download them (or similar ones), from dafont.com for free.  If you’ve never downloaded fonts before, make sure to install them once downloaded.  After you’ve installed them, you may need to reboot your computer for them to show up in Word.
Tip 2 – Search Pinterest for Free Graphics Downloads
Pinterest is full of links to great clip art and images that you can use for your stationery!  I found my washi tape clip art and my feather clip art right there.  If washi tape and feathers aren’t your thing, look for something else!  Just make sure that any image you use is not copyrighted and/or that the creator has given express permission for personal use of the image.  Nobody wants to receive a cease and desist over a notecard gone wrong.
Tip 3 – Format Your Page
Once you have your fonts and your graphics, you’ll need to format your page in Microsoft Word so that it corresponds with the size of the notecards you’ve purchased.  In my version of Word (2008 for Mac), you do this by going to File > Page Setup > Paper Size > Manage Custom Sizes.  Then you enter the width and the height of your notecard in the appropriate boxes.  At this time you can also change the size of your margins (the non-printable area), by entering those numbers in the Top, Right, Bottom and Left boxes.  The smallest margins my computer or printer would allow are .25″.
Tip 4 – Use Text Boxes
When you’re ready to enter your name on your stationery, don’t simply type it like you would in a regular document.  Instead, use text boxes to get the placement exactly where you want it and how you want it.  This is how I was able to achieve the stacked and staggered text in this piece of stationery.

Tip 5 – Insert and Format Your Image
To add a graphic to your stationery, simply go to Insert > Picture > From File, and then choose the appropriate file from the drop down menu.
When your image appears in your document, click on it so that it becomes active on the page.  Then click Format > Picture.  A box will appear that lets you manipulate the orientation, transparency, color, size, position, etc. of the picture.  I always click Layout > Behind Text.  This allows me to layer text and images, similar to my feather stationery.  (The tip of the feather image is actually layered underneath the text.)

Tip 6 – Test Print
Finally, make sure to run some test prints before you print your actual stationery.  Although your notecards may look perfect on screen, the margins can require a little tweaking, the colors can be off, and text can run off the page unexpectedly.  If you do some test prints in fast draft mode on your printer, you’ll save ink and frustration.  Be prepared that your stationery probably will not print perfectly the first or second time.  But once you get it, you’ll be all set.

I hope these tips have you well on your way to making your own beautiful correspondence cards.  You can definitely mail me a thank you note later.  🙂

– Bre

I have been going through total furniture painting withdrawal.  The warm weather cannot come soon enough.  I need to get back in the garage and breathe new life into some worn and weathered pieces that have been waiting for me since last fall.

Since reliable outdoor painting weather in Chicago is still pretty far away, however, I have to settle for smaller projects that can be accomplished indoors.  Case in point, a plain wooden tray that I painted with a grain sack motif – a motif I’ve envisioned using on a coffee table that’s waiting for me in the garage.  I needed a place to corral remote controls and coasters in the living room and I figured this tray would do the trick.

This was the perfect chance to test out painting grain sack stripes and to attempt a freezer paper image transfer technique, which is something I’ve wanted to try for awhile now.  It turned out better than I expected, so naturally I love it.  (Clearly my son loves it too.  Or maybe he just loves stealing the tea light out of the bird candle holder I’ve placed in the tray.)

Freezer Paper Image Transfer Supplies

• Unfinished Wood Tray 
• Sandpaper (220 grit will work well)
• Acrylic paint in colors of your choice
• Paint Brush
• Painters tape
• Sealer 
• Spray adhesive (for image transfer)
• Freezer paper (for image transfer)
• Inkjet printer (for image transfer)

How to Paint a Grain Sack Stripe Tray

First, I lightly sanded the plain tray.

 

Next, I painted the tray all over in a creamy white.

 

 

Once the paint dried, I taped out my grain sack design on the inside of the tray and along the top of the handles.  I made sure to press down along the edges of the tape so that the paint wouldn’t bleed through.

 

I then painted two coats of green paint in the appropriate areas.  Once the paint was almost dry (not totally dry), I removed the tape.  

 

I then taped along the outside and continued the process of painting the stripes on the exterior handles.  Once that paint was almost dry, I also removed that tape.

 

Next, I lightly sanded over the entire tray (interior and exterior), to remove some of the color and to give the tray a slightly worn look.  It really softened the color in a way that I like.

 

The fun part started here . . . the image transfer process!  I downloaded a free image from The Graphics Fairy (the most AMAZING resource for crafters and DIY’ers), and studied this fantastic tutorial from Kammy’s Korner on how to do an image transfer to wood with freezer paper.  

 

Because I was basically holding my breath the entire time, I could not take any pictures of how I did this, but if you’re curious on how to do your own image transfer, check out Kammy’s blog.  Anyway, mine isn’t perfect by any stretch, but it looks good enough to me for a first time, so I’ll take it!  (PS I tried image transfer again with my Rolling Firewood Caddy project, and it looked great!)

 

 

Finally, I sprayed the entire tray with two coats of sealer.  I decided not to brush it on because I wasn’t sure if that would smudge the image in any way.  I think the spray sealer was the safest bet.

 

I think this grain sack tray is adorable!  (And I loved it so much, I replicated the technique on this Painted Grain Sack Bench!)  It’s always fun to try something new, and freezer paper image transfer was no exception. I hope you love it, too!