DIY Friday: Bunting

Who doesn't love bunting?  Really, can you not love it?  Alright, so maybe my husband doesn't like it.  I wanted it at our wedding, but he said it would look like a circus.  So I got doily bunting instead. ;-)

Bunting could not be more easy to make.  You can use any number of supplies, but here is what I used to make this bunting for Bestie Jr.'s baby shower:

{P.S.: it now hangs in my classroom!}

Twine (mine was thin.  Ribbon or yarn work just as well)
A glue gun and refill sticks (quickest, in my opinion)
Cardboard
Scissors
Fabric Scissors
Pen
Assorted fabric

You could get those cheap fat quarters of fabric at the fabric store; they usually go on sale for 40% off, or use a weekly coupon.  I find that if you get a yard or a half a yard for each fabric, you'll have way more than enough, because keep in mind: if you have four different fabrics, you're going to have a total of about two to four yards of fabric.  That's a lot.  Technically you could use paper instead of fabric, but there are so many fun patterns out there!  I usually head to the quilting fabrics. There are tons of designs and they are grouped by color.

I started by simply cutting a triangle out of cardboard.  I found the size I wanted my bunting to be, and I cut it out.  Be sure to use a ruler or something with a straight edge to help you.  Or, if you want to do semi-circle bunting, trace a bowl and cut it in half.  That cardboard is now your template.  

Now flip your fabric upside-down and trace the template on it over and over.

Then tediously cut them all out, preferably while gabbing with friends or watching "How I Met Your Mother," "The Walking Dead," or "Supernatural."  Just saying.

Once you have all your triangles cut out (be sure to use extra-sharp fabric scissors), place them in a pleasing order.

Now simply squirt a line of hot glue along the top and carefully press it into the twine.  I'd suggest the opposite, actually-- press the twine into the fabric.  Might be easier on your fingers.  Leave about an inch or two between triangles, and keep going until you're done!

Then you'll have delightful bunting for your next soiree!

xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Photo Editing

Maybe I shouldn't tell you this.  Maybe I should keep this a secret.  But no, I think you need to know, if you don't already: anyone can pass for an amateur photographer these days.  It's easy.  Don't get me wrong-- there is no faking those extreme talents with an awesome DSLR camera.  That's why they have actual jobs as photographers.  But for the rest of us who just like photography and want to make pretty pictures, we have to use our point-and-shoot and some kind of post-processing.


I'd like to think I possess a little bit of photography skills-- both in the actual taking of pictures and the post-processing.  I'd like to think I have a bit of an "eye."  But maybe I'm just good at using the tools laid out before me.  I used to use Picnik, but they're closed.  Boo.  Since then, I discovered PicMonkey, which I think I like even better.  The only downside is that it seems like after a while, they're going to start charging for some of their features.  Nobody likes that, PicMonkey.  Nobody.


If this is old hat to you, I'm sorry.  But if you're overwhelmed by the website and think you're not creative?  Think again.  You can do this, and you can rescue almost any bad photo.  I mean really bad photos.  Want to see what I mean?

The photo of darkness: no flash= no faces.

OK. so maybe this isn't a FANTASTIC photo, but it's at least artsy and somewhat salvaged.

The blur: somebody moved = shmear. 

Not so bad, right?

This one is not so bad, just a little out of focus.

 

But this one is better, yes?

See? Just a few clicks and we've salvaged/improved photos!  Just mess around and play with the features-- nothing is permanent!  Have fun!


xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Wedding/Anniversary Gift

Do you have a friend getting married, or an anniversary coming up?  Are you short on cash?  Have I got the project for you! :)  Head over to Michael's with your weekly 40-50% off coupon and pick up a frame that has a wide mat.  I find that those wedding/graduation frames that intend for guests to sign the mat work perfectly.  If you can't find one, make your own with cardstock!


Put a cute little picture of the couple inside, and here's where the fun begins.  If you're using cardstock, you could probably create a template and print out words in whatever font you want.  But if you're like me and love handwriting, do this yourself.  It's fun!  Write out the vows of the couple or the lyrics to their first dance song on the mat, and it provides a really pretty, very meaningful gift that will always serve as a reminder of their special day.  Or yours. 


I got this frame for SUPER cheap at Michael's.  Then I broke the glass by accident because I'm a klutz.  So my parents kindly had the glass replaced at Ace (turns out it was inexpensive!), and this is what I found afterwards:

Thanks, Dad.


Here's how it looks now:

Make it personal and meaningful, and have fun!  Also don't run out of ink, and you may want to put pencil lines on so your writing is even... I didn't and I kind of wish I had.  Even so, it's cute!


And PS, this is the song we danced to for our first dance as a married couple: "Love Never Fails" by Brandon Heath.  I couldn't think of a more appropriate song.  It still gives me the chills. :)

xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Special Occasion Plate

I have a confession to make: I did this wrong.  I was SO excited to find these lovely Sharpie paint pens on Amazon for pretty cheap.  The best part was they included a rose gold/copper color.  My favorite!!  My intention was to use these lovely pens to create adorable little gifts such as this (I love this blog, BTW).


I have plans regarding what kind of adorable little gifts I'm going to make, and the first on my list was a special occasion plate for my brand-new niece, Emma.


Have you ever had a special occasion plate?  I think, at one point in my childhood, we had one that said "your special day!" surrounded by confetti and other festive paraphernalia.  I'm sure it made me feel special.  I'm sure it did.  Then when I moved out, Mom bought me my very own special day plate to use whenever I had a special day here in Florida.  Sorry Mom, but I haven't used it.  Probably because it's too pretty.  Or it felt too sad to pull out for myself when I lived alone.  But I'll use it some day, I promise.


So every child should have a special day plate.  I mean, how else will they know when it's their special day?!  Right?!


So I bought a really cute plate at the dollar store (Side note: who is even shopping at dollar stores that have stuff that costs more than a dollar?  Just go to Dollar Tree, where everything is a dollar or under.  Just saying), and I picked up my pens for I think $5 for the three of them.  Cheap gift, right?


Right.  So I free-handed some lettering around the edges, and I think it turned out simple, elegant, and cute.


Then I got a dot of paint where it shouldn't go, and I rubbed it off.  That was the problem-- I RUBBED IT OFF.  You don't want paint to rub off a plate.  It will rub off onto your food, and that's just untasty.  I looked more closely at the paint pens.  "Water based," they screamed back at me.  I wish they had screamed that when I bought them.  *sigh*


In the words of Ree Drummond, a.k.a. the Pioneer Woman, a.k.a. one of my heroines, "Don't be like me, is what I'm saying."


Buy OIL-BASED paint pens, and you'll be good to go.  And the possibilities are essentially endless and very cheap if you have a Dollar Tree nearby.

{please note my gross under-the-nail-bruise on my thumb that I gave myself doing P90X.  Don't ask, and no, I don't do P90X anymore.  Otherwise this plate would be replaced with a picture of my abs.}

Have fun!


xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Heat-Resistant Hair Straightener Cozy

I am the kind of girl who will pack for a trip a day or so ahead of time.  It's one part excitement and one part control-freak that causes me to do that.  But on my bathroom counter, I always leave the few items I'll need to use before packing in the morning.  One of those things is always my straightener.  I have curly, frizzy hair.  I need that puppy for my bangs and flyaways.  Without it, there is chaos.  With it, there is hair harmony.  Yet, I'm always delayed in leaving the next day or in peril of forgetting this precious styling tool, because I don't want to throw it in my bag and have it melt my favorite shoes or burn my favorite pair of underwear.  Don't laugh-- you know you have that favorite pair you wear when you're feeling good.

So when I saw this tutorial for straightener cozy on Pinterest, I knew I had to make it.  This seemed like the simplest tutorial (there are several, so look around if you want something more challenging).  Now, I can sew, technically speaking.  I know how to thread it all up, make the machine go, and sew fabric together and have it not unravel.  But what I can't do, and the reason I don't sew very often, is troubleshoot when something goes wrong, and/or hold it together when I can't figure out what the heck is wrong with my machine.  I lack patience, essentially. 

I don't really think I overestimated my sewing abilities when I attempted this project.  I really think I could have done it expertly if I had been a little more patient and my machine hadn't been finicky/weird.  But, I did make the cozy.  And another one for my curling iron.  Mine were done cheaply and quickly (I finished both in about an hour).  So here's my version-- the ghetto version-- in case you're interested.  If you want a classy one, be sure your machine works and you are patient, then follow the tutorial.  I've been known to deviate from a tutorial when I think I know how to do it faster.  So that's why mine turned out more ghetto.  I mean, they look fine from far away-- basic, but fine.  But up close?  Well, let me just ask you to not look at them up close, OK?

Supplies:

• Oven mitt-- I bought a bulky one from the Dollar Tree for $1.  I'd suggest a thinner one that's not actually a mitt, but a square.
• Fabric-- your choice.  I used quilting-type cotton fabric I had leftover from Bestie Jr.'s baby shower.
• Thread
• Needle
• Fabric Scissors
• Pins
• Sewing Machine (technically optional)

Basically, both cozies cost me $1 to make, as I made them out of one oven mitt and used fabric I already had.  Can't beat that.

I apologize for the lack of pictures during these steps.  I don't think you should necessarily follow my directions-- check the original.  This is just for the ghetto version or if you want to know how my brain works.  Wait, why would you want to know that; that's weird.

First, I put my straightener on the oven mitt and eyeballed how big the cozy should be.  I wanted a tight fit.  I cut out the size I wanted out of the mitt, giving me two pieces of heat-resistant material.  I ripped the original fabric off the mitt and then just had the quilted batting left.  Well, one side ripped off.  The other was fused to the batting, so I left it.  Oh well. 

Maybe if you have an awesome sewing machine, you can sew through the thick heat-resistant fabric.  But I don't.  So I hand-sewed the two pieces together, leaving one small size open, through which my straightener will go.

Then place your little pocket on your fabric (inside out fabric-- have the inside facing up), and cut out the fabric, leaving about an inch on every side.  I then pinned the fabric together around the pocket (again, inside of the fabric facing up), as close to the pocket as possible without pinning it to the pocket.  I then pulled out the pocket, leaving me with a fabric pocket now.

I used my machine to sew up the sides with the pins.  Here is where my machine had a conniption.  I don't know why it hated me, but it did.  I had to really soothe it before it would help me out.  Then I trimmed the excess fabric and thread, and turned the pocket out so now it had the pretty side of the fabric up, and it was a perfect pocket. 

Stuff your insulated pocket inside the fabric pocket.  Fold the excess top fabric inside, and then I hand-sewed it to the insulation, finishing the top.  And done.

I did the same for the curling iron, as well.  My version leaves the cords free, but that wasn't my concern-- I just didn't want it melting anything.

It's functional and kind of cute (in a plain kind of way) from far away.  And oh-so-cheap.  Maybe one day I'll attempt this the right way.  But until then, there you go.  Why don't you try your hand at it?


PS: don't judge my old, crappy straightener.

xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Cake Stands

For the centerpieces at my reception, I knew what I wanted before I even knew whom I was going to marry: cake stands.  The problem was, when it came down to it, I didn't have $20 per table to blow on a cake stand.  So I took the easy and cheap route.  I made them.  These worked perfectly for my reception, plus I sold them afterwards to another bride!  You could make them in any color, for any occasion.  I chose a cream-colored spray paint to match the cute dollar store plates.  Here's what you'll need:


plates
vases or stemware
spray paint 
adhesive for ceramics/glass


Here's how I accumulated my supplies:  I went to the dollar store and bought up about 13 of one really cute style of plates.  That's $1 per plate, folks, at the Dollar Tree.  Then I went to thrift stores and picked up bases. You could really use anything, but I needed tall ones, so I bought vases for around $.25-$1 a piece.  The whole cake plate then cost around $2, not including the glue or paint.  Wow!  Then I matched my plate to a Krylon (the best brand, in my opinion) spray paint color at Walmart (that's the cheapest place I found it), glossy finish, for ceramics.  It was around $4 for the can.  I found the adhesive at Ace, but they probably had it at Walmart, too.  I can't remember how much it was, but it wasn't terribly expensive, and you don't need to use a ton, so it lasts.


At home, I first spray painted all the bases on the lawn outside my building.  Then felt a little tipsy.  Hahaha.  After they were dry (a few hours), I checked for any missed spots, then affixed the base to the plate with the glue.  Be sure it's in the center!  I didn't care if the glue was globby, because it was the underside.  I let it set for at least a day.  Then ta-da, the cake plate was complete! 


ANYONE can do this.  On a dime. :)  And it's customizable, too!

 This is the photographer's shot of one of the centerpieces (in case you're wondering-- un-frosted brownies from Publix, about $7 a piece, and then powdered sugar doily stenciling for table numbers... Thanks Sarah and Jeremy! :) )

 See it in the background?  These are the favors.

My uglier photo for when I was planning the tables.  But it works.  Not the prettiest base of all the ones I had.  Also, note the little votive holder?  DIY mercury glass... that DIY is coming!
xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Lamp Makeovers

Today's DIY is something I did back when I was making my apartment less of a bachelorette pad and more of a home for a man and woman.  So my beloved thrifted yellow lamps had to... not be yellow anymore.  I didn't have money to buy new lamps, because, let's face it-- lamps are unreasonably expensive.  $60 +?!  Who has that for a new lamp?!  Not me.  So I thought I'd be brave and try my hand at spray-painting, and if they looked awful, I'd just have to bite the bullet and buy new ones.


Turns out they look awesome, like they've never been yellow in their lives.


I used Krylon glossy spray paint in a dark gray color.  


I took those suckers out behind my apartment building on the grass and sprayed them evenly, from about a foot away.  It took about 5 minutes per lamp.  After letting them set for a few more minutes, I brought those bad boys upstairs, put a paper towel under them, and let them fully dry.  My yellow lamps now look like this:

Most people don't even realize they're the same lamps, and thought I'd bought new ones.  So here's my DIY encouragement to you: pop into a thrift store.  Find a lamp whose base shape you like.  Find a glossy Krylon spray paint color you love (about $5 from Walmart).  Be sure it's the kind that is glossy, and can be sprayed on ceramics.  Spray that sucker.  Then pop back into the thrift store to find a lamp shade (what I had to do!).  Now you have a new, lovely lamp, completely customized to your color scheme.  Hooray!

*edit: sorry if these pics are so dark!  They were fine on my laptop at home, but viewing this at work... they look like I took the picture in a cave!



xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Fabric-Covered Books

I did this DIY for Bestie Jr.'s baby shower, and they turned out fantastic.  I'm sure there are other, better ways to cover your books with fabric, but here's a little bit of information about me: I am expedient.  I like doing things quickly, mostly because who has time to labor over something that doesn't deserve my labor?  The faster I can get a little task done, the more time I can spend with Hband, or friends, or (especially) the Lord!

So here's a quick way to cover your books with fabric-- use them to decorate in little piles, or put them all on a bookshelf for a very design-magazine look, like this:

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or this:

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Supplies:

• fabric-- any kind of lightweight cotton.
• tape that will hold onto fabric
• books-- I suggest cheap ones bought at a thrift store.  Choose fatter ones rather than slim volumes.
• fabric scissors

I purchased really cute quilting fabric at half price from JoAnn's-- fabric in all sorts of patterns and shades of coral, aqua, and gray.

Then I ravaged my bookshelves for old, fat books.  I originally had bought most of them when I was in my antique book phase, but I realized many of them were not anything special.  So I used those.  I do have some treasured antique books that I'll never harm.  I'm a book lover. 

Open your book on top of your fabric so the covers and spine are flat.  Cut roughly two inches around the perimeter.  Place your book where you want it on the fabric and locate the spine.  Cut the fabric on the left side of the spine and stop at the spine, and do the same for the right side, so you have a little flap as wide as the spine.  Do the same for the other end.  Cut the flap even with the spine or try to tuck it in-- whichever works.

Now simply fold the fabric over the inside covers and secure with tape!  It won't look good on the inside, but from the outside, no one would ever know.

Tip: don't have too much fabric around the edges or when you fold it up, it will be bulky and your book won't close.

And now you have adorable, fabric-covered books that take very little time and very little money, but pack a lot of decorating punch.  They're completely customizable.  Just don't let anyone open them up. :)

xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Clip Art Paper Bags

This DIY project might be too simple for some of you.  I don't want to insult your intelligence or anything.  But seriously, this made for inexpensive and really cute Christmas wrapping for delectable goodies.  


But really, you could put any kind of little gifts inside these bags.  You could use them as party favors, wedding favors, baked goods packaging, and little gift bags.


The best part is, the bags are very inexpensive.  In fact, you can get a pack of about 25 at the dollar store!  They're already a pretty kraft paper color, so all you need now is a printer and ink.  I'm not a big fan of colored ink on these bags, so I think black ink does the trick well.


After you know what you'll be packaging, you can find some appropriate clip art.  This is a website I really like.  You can find all kinds of really cool vintage clip art to decorate your bags, like these:

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Then you'll want to practice.  Run a piece of paper through your printer to see which side it prints on and where, and then you can line up your bag (one at a time).  Don't forget: you will probably want to fold the top down to either staple shut or punch holes in to tie down... so don't place it too high, and make sure it's not upside-down when the bag stands upright.


One it's the size you want and in the position you want, run your bag through and see what a cute, cheap, and easily personalized gift bag you have!


I got the idea from Pinterest, via this site, but I only added a vintage Christmas clip art, not a whole Valentine's Day message.  Give it a try!


xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Chalkboard-Matted Picture Frames!

Welcome, Friday!  Fridays have been dubbed "DIY Fridays..." with good reason, because here's a DIY!  And I fully realize, I am horrible, because I don't actually have any pictures that I have taken of these projects, etc., and no tutorials.  That will come, folks... that will come.  But for now, here are some simple instructions that will yield fantastic results!

Chalkboard-Matted Picture Frames:

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I made a few of these for Christmas presents, and they proved to be hits; they were also very inexpensive.

I think I found some frames on super sale at JoAnn Fabrics, but if you have a Hobby Lobby, Michael's, or really any place that has weekly sales and % off coupons, you can get your hands on nice-looking frames for cheap.  I looked for frames that already had large mats, so there would be room to write in chalk.

You know what works perfectly?  Shop around in June or July when wedding and graduation picture frames go on sale-- they have those huge mats so everyone can sign their names.

Anyway, Get yourself some chalkboard paint.  This is what I bought for my wedding, and it has lasted and lasted and lasted.  And it was cheap to begin with (I got mine at Walmart):

(source)

Take apart the frame and simply paint the mat.  You will probably need two coats.  Let it dry completely,then put your picture in, write in chalk on the mat, put the frame together, and your gift is complete!  I don't recommend chalk pens unless you want your message to be permanent.  I've had to paint over chalk pens because they don't wash off.  Use good ol' chalk for your message, and it would be cute to include chalk as part of the gift!

Go too it-- it's the weekend!  DIY yourself silly!

xoxo, A