Crafts

On Saturday I made my weekly pilgrimage to Dollar Tree.  (Don’t laugh – that place is thebomb.com (yes, I’m bringing that expression back)).  While there, I found a NEW and EXCITING product – moss sheets!  I know that sounds funny, but moss sheets for crafting are typically expensive, so I was ecstatic to find them at Dollar Tree!  I got them home and immediately put them to use on an adorable DIY home decor project – Scrap Wood Nesting Houses!  

These little moss sheets, combined with scrap wood left over from my IKEA Rast Bar Cart Hack, made for one cute project!  Let me show you what you need and how to make them.

Supplies Needed for Scrap Wood Nesting Houses

• Scrap wood
• Saw (I used my Ryobi circular saw, which I adore)
• Sandpaper 
• Paint (I used brown acrylic, creamy white acrylic, and red chalk paint (but acrylic would totally work))
• Paint brushes
• Moss sheets
• Hot glue gun
• Twine
• Scissors

How to Make Scrap Wood Nesting Houses

Not pictured in this post is me cutting my scrap wood into house shapes.  It’s hard to use a saw and photograph yourself, you know?  Just understand that I used a ruler to draw simple house shapes on my board and then cut them out.  

I gently sanded around the edges to make sure I didn’t give myself a splinter.  Then I painted the houses with brown acrylic paint so that I could do a distressed finish on top.  The brown is the base layer, intended to give some contrast.  

After the brown paint dried, I dry brushed some off-white acrylic paint on top, making sure to leave some of the brown showing in parts so that the nesting houses would have a slightly worn finish.  

Next, I cut one moss sheet into strips and hot glued them onto the tops of the scrap wood so that the pieces would look like little moss covered roofs. 

For a little decorative detail, I tied twine at the roofline of each house.

The scrap wood nesting houses were cute like this, but I felt like they were a little plain.  Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner, I decided to paint little hearts on them.  You could skip this part or paint different details!

I gently sanded over the hearts, once dry, to give them an equally weathered look as the houses’ paint finish.  Then they were ready for their close ups.  🙂

OK back to the moss sheets from Dollar Tree.  You might be wondering why they’re a big deal, as opposed to bagged craft moss.  The reason is that they make so much less of a mess!  And they let you get straight lines with your moss, which can be tricky when you’re gluing moss on certain projects.  

For those reasons, I bought all five packages my Dollar Tree had.  #sorrynotsorry

I’ve got another moss project planned for next week.  I can’t wait to share it with you.  In the meantime, I’d love for you to share this project with a friend who might like it!  

-Bre

You Might Also Like This Post on How to Make a Ceiling Medallion Mirror

Use leaves from the yard to make leaf imprint tea towels for gorgeous home decor. Leaf stamped crafts are so easy to make!

Over the weekend I took Jasper (my pup) for a nice walk and couldn’t help but admire all of the beautiful fall leaves on the ground.  I scooped up a few of my favorite maple leaves and brought them home because I knew they’d be perfect for a craft project. 

After checking out the craft supplies in my desk, I knew exactly what to make – a leaf stamped tea towel!  It’s an easy project and adds a nice fall touch to my kitchen!  

Supplies Needed to Make Leaf Stamped Tea Towels

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• Leaves (pick freshly fallen leaves – not ones that have started to dry out and curl)
• Plain tea towel
• Fabric craft paints
• Brayer
• Wax paper
• Decorative trim
• Permanent fabric glue
• Scissors

How to Make Leaf Imprint Kitchen Towels

Begin by mixing fabric paints so that they’re mottled and a blend of shades you see in fall leaves. 

Then, flip over a leaf and paint the underside with a thin coat of paint.  You want to paint the underside because the leaf’s veins are more prominent and will leave more of an impression on the tea towel.  

Flip the leaf over and place it paint side down onto the tea towel.

Cut a piece of wax paper and lay it on top.  (The wax paper prevents any paint that squishes out from under the leaf from getting on the brayer and making a mess on the tea towel.) 

Then gently roll the brayer over the leaf and remove the wax paper.  Repeat this process until the entire tea towel is covered in leaf prints.

Once the paint has dried, attach decorative trim to the bottom edge of the tea towel with permanent fabric glue.  

That is just how easy it is to use fall leaves to make a beautiful leaf stamped tea towel for your kitchen! 

You could also use this leaf imprint method on pillow covers, tote bags, or anything else that’s fabric!  

PRINTABLE TUTORIAL

If you’d like to print or save this tutorial, here you go!  Please let me know if you find this new feature useful!

How to Make Leaf Stamped Tea Towels (With Real Leaves!)

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Estimated Cost: $3

Use real leaves to make a beautiful leaf stamped tea towel for your kitchen! Bring the beauty of nature indoors with this pretty leaf craft project.

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Materials

• Leaves
• Plain Tea Towel
• Acrylic Paints
• Brayer
• Wax Paper
• Decorative Trim
• Permanent Fabric Glue
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Begin by mixing acrylic paints so that they're mottled and a blend of shades you see in fall leaves.  
2. Flip over a leaf and paint the underside with a thin coat of paint. You want to paint the underside because the leaf's veins are more prominent and will leave more of an impression on the tea towel. Flip the leaf over and place it paint side down onto the tea towel.
3. Cut a piece of wax paper and lay it on top. (The wax paper prevents any paint that squishes out from under the leaf from getting on the brayer and making a mess on the tea towel.) Then gently roll the brayer over the leaf and remove the wax paper. Repeat this process until the entire tea towel is covered in leaf prints.
4. Once the paint has dried, attach decorative trim to the bottom edge of the tea towel with permanent fabric glue.

Have you tried stamping with real leaves before?  It’s pretty amazing how well this process works!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and The J.M. Smucker Company, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #1850Coffee #1850CoffeeatMeijer  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Every day I hop on the hamster wheel of life and grind out tasks for my job, my blog, and of course, my family!  Being pulled in so many directions all the time can be draining to say the least.  (I know you know what I’m talking about!)  That’s why I take ten minutes at the beginning of every day (before the kids get up), to drink a cup of coffee, enjoy the quiet, and think about what that day holds.

Folgers coffee has always been in my morning mug, but their new premium coffee, 1850 Brand Coffee, is my now filling my cup.

The 1850 Brand Coffee beans are fire-roasted and ground to bring out rich taste and aroma, and their unique blends deliver bold, yet smooth, taste.  I feel like I’m enjoying a coffee from a nice coffee shop every morning (minus any bitter taste)!  

Starting my day on a positive note is essential to my productivity, and that’s why I value my morning coffee time so much! Drinking my 1850 Brand Coffee from a mug as bold as my drink’s flavor profile is also a favorite way to get excited about the day.  

And guess what? This bold mug is the easiest thing to make!  Let me show you how. . . .

First, you’ll need to gather the following supplies:

• Plain mug (you can buy them at the dollar store!)
• Tissue paper
• Dishwasher-safe Mod Podge
• Paintbrush

Begin by ripping pieces of tissue paper into sizes that will fit on the mug.  

Paint a thin, light coat of Mod Podge onto the back of a piece of tissue paper and press the tissue paper onto the mug.  Carefully smooth any wrinkles, taking care not to rip the tissue paper.  

Once the mug is covered in tissue paper, let it dry for at least 20 minutes.  When the Mod Podge feels dry, cover all of the tissue paper with a coat of Mod Podge.  Let it dry and repeat this process at least one more time.  

Before putting your tissue paper mug through the dishwasher, make sure to read the Mod Podge instructions about curing!  

Would you believe that you can make such adorable coffee mugs with tissue paper?  Make a bunch and pair them with packages of 1850 Brand Coffee for a darling gift that any coffee drinker would love!  Or make one for yourself and enjoy your daily coffee in a colorful and happy mug!  

1850 Brand Coffee is available in four signature ground coffee blends or K-Cups, and will also be available in three ready to drink flavors!  And BONUS for those of you with a Meijer in the area: visit Meijer from 5/6 – 6/2 and take $1 off any 1850 Brand Coffee Product with the mPerk digital coupon (while supplies last)!

Remember that to live a bold life, you must first make a bold choice.  Back in 1850, J.A. Folger started something innovative to help the prospectors as they sought their fortunes, and today, there’s still no better way to hustle than by starting your day with a bold-yet-smooth cup of coffee.  Let 1850 Brand Coffee in a DIY Tissue Paper Mug fuel your original ideas, daily commitments, and new endeavors.  

If you agree, I’d love for you to save this image to Pinterest to help others find it!  

This DIY tissue paper coffee mug makes a great DIY gift for the holidays!  If you’re looking for other great DIY gift ideas, check out this post with 15 DIY Holiday Gifts Under $10!

-Bre