Patriotic Letters

I was inspired by this DIY patriotic craft and set out to make my own.  It was incredibly easy and very inexpensive.  Plus, it took no time at all to make!

Supplies:
3 5x7 frames (Dollar Store)
3 5" wooden letters ($.99 at any craft store-can be cheaper if on sale or with a coupon)
Scrapbook paper ($1 each-can be cheaper if on sale or with a coupon)
Red Spray Paint ($3 from Home Depot)
Hot glue gun
Double sided tape

I spray painted the letters red and let dry.

I took the glass out of the black frames and saved them for a future product.

I found some sparkly blue paper that I measured to fit the frame.

Using double-sided tape, I attached the paper to the backing of the frame.  Then, insert it back in the frame.

Next, attach the letters to the blue paper using hot glue.

That's it!!!  You have a beautiful patriotic craft ready to decorate a table, mantle, or anything else you desire.

Photo Coasters

Coasters are such an easy and inexpensive gift to make.  You can personalize them any way you want.  I recently gave my family sets of coasters using photos of their kids.  They loved them!

Most of the items needed I already had or bought over time using coupons.  Here is what you need:

• Mod Podge (used 40% off coupon)
• Gloss Acrylic Sealer (used 40% off coupon)
• Sponge Brush (on sale 10/$1)
• Felt tabs or felt cut into squares (used 40% off coupon)
• Tile coasters ($.13 at Home Depot)
• Photos ($.19 at CVS)

Measure and crop each picture to fit the tile.  To make sure the picture would be centered on the tile before cutting, I used index cards to cover up the part of the picture that would be cropped.  I made adjustments as needed to make sure I got the part of the picture I wanted on the tile and then trimmed off the edges.

Centered perfectly!

I actually cleaned off the tiles with a cloth before the next step.  Sitting on the shelves at Home Depot, they can get dusty.  You definitely don't want Home Depot dust stuck to your tile to remember forever!!!

Next, you will brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the tile and a thin layer on the back of the picture. Place the picture on the tile.  Once it's exactly where you want it on the tile, gently push down.  Spread a thin layer of Mod Podge, going side to side, over the entire coaster and picture.

I brushed on 3 coats of Mod Podge, letting it dry completely in between each coat.

After the last coat is completely dry, spray a thin coat of acrylic sealer over the tile.  I sprayed 2 coats, again letting it dry completely in between.   The sealer will protect the photos from any water droplets, etc.

Finally, when completely dry, turn the tile over and add your felt circles on each corner.  Or you can cut out felt squares and glue to the back.

And done!

Beautiful coasters, capturing great memories.

Dates of Love

We just celebrated Valentine's Day and I wanted to make something special for my husband.  I saw these signs on Pinterest that list the important dates throughout a couples journey.  I love it!!!  

Source: etsy.com via Desiree on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Desiree on Pinterest

I decided to make my own to customize and give to my husband.  I'll admit, I did have to look back on the older dates to make sure I had them correct.  ;)

For our sign, I used Bodoni font in black at size 56.  For each description, I used Ballpark font in red at size 28.  Just play around with it to see what you like best.  The more dates you have, the smaller the font size.  The Scripture at the bottom of the sign is a verse that has inspired our relationship since we began dating.

I printed the sign on white cardstock.  I bought a white mat with black trim that fits an 8 x 10 size picture.  Then, I put both of them in a black 11 x 14 frame that I got for half price at Hobby Lobby.

That's it!!!  So easy and so special.  It was the perfect present and I can't wait to hang it up.

Craft Room Confessionals: Ribbon Holder

Ever since I completed my craft room, I still needed a place for all of my ribbon.  For the extra scraps, I organized them by color and put them in jars. But what about the ribbon still on the roll?

I thought about buying lots of ribbon shelves and hanging them on the wall...

Source: blog.craftzine.com via Desiree on Pinterest

...or I thought about having my husband make me a big ribbon rack made of wood and dowels...

Source: flickr.com via Desiree on Pinterest

...or i could simply stick them in buckets and thread the ends through the holes.  The possibilities go on and on.

Source: spunkyjunky.blogspot.com via Desiree on Pinterest

While out shopping at Hobby Lobby recently, I spotted this metal tiered rack in the Clearance section (I always head to that spot first).  Bingo!!!

It is now proudly standing in my craft room, storing all my rolls of ribbon.  It's easily accessible and I can immediately see what colors I have.

Love, love, love my new ribbon holder!!!

Kitchen Sink Platter

I attend a MOPS group once a month at my church.  It's a great organization and we always have such a great time at each meeting.  We also do a different craft each month (which I love!) and this month's craft was so easy to make and multi-functional.  

My friend, Susan, was in charge of gathering supplies for this craft she was going to teach to the ladies.  She headed to our local Ikea store and picked up some clear glass plates and candle holders for $.99 each.  She measured different colored fabric around the plate and then cut it out using pinking shears.  It gives the edge of the circle a nice design without looking plain.

Grab your plate and cover the bottom with a layer of Mod Podge.  Place your circle over the Mod Podge before it dries and smooth out the fabric.  Next, cover the circle with another layer of Mod Podge.  Be sure to cover the edges very well so you don't have fabric hanging off.  Let it dry.

Finally, glue your candle holder into the center.  These are smaller candle holders that you can double to give height.  I used E-600 glue, but super glue would probably work just as well.

You could easily flip it over and use the stand as a very pretty cake platter.  I've done similar platters with just a decorative plate and candle holder, but never tried fabric before.

However, I saw on Pinterest a way to organize the clutter along your kitchen sink is to use a platter of some sort.  So, I gathered my kitchen supplies that are always sitting out...

...and put them on my new platter!  It will be easy to clean and keeps everything in one place.  I love it!!!  You could also use it by a bathroom sink or tub. Thanks for the craft today, Susan!

Craft Room Confessionals: Scrapbook Cart

I love my Cricut machine and wanted a special place for it in my craft room.  I also wanted to keep all my paper organized and sorted by color.  My husband said he could build me a cart...out of old display shelves from his grocery store!  He brought them home months ago, but we weren't quite sure what to do with them.  But once we figured it out, it only took him a couple hours to get it done.

The shelves were black, which matched perfectly.  Each shelf had one side with a metal trim.  That just made it look even better.

These were the only supplies needed:  L-brackets, screws, and casters so I could move the cart around.

My husband lined up the shelves and screwed in the corners.

The edges were unfinished so we used a small can of Rust-Oleum Protective Enamel in black.

My 8 year old daughter helped touch up the edges.

Finished!  It looked great.  After a quick wipe down, it was ready for my craft room.

I love my Scrapbook Cart!  Thanks hubby!

Craft Room Confessionals: Completed

I LOVE my craft room!  It is decorated how I've always wanted and it's inspiring and cozy and I could spend all day in there.  FYI, I enlarged all the pictures so you can get a good look at them.  Just ignore the margins.  :)

After my hubby painted the walls, it took awhile to decide if I wanted hanging shelves or bookshelves, etc.  Target had a deal on their 5-shelf bookshelves so I decided to buy 3 of them. 

Once those were built, I was so excited to pull out the totes of all my decor that have been stored away for years!

Here are the shelves!

I love vintage Hollywood.  I've always been a fan of old Hollywood movies and decor.  I am a HUGE Wizard of Oz and Elvis Presley fan, so I got to mix it all in with some modern decor.  I chose a black, white, and red color scheme to go along with the gray walls.  Let's take a closer look at some of the shelves.

The 3 clear jars were a steal at Goodwill for $1 each.  They came with lids, but more on that later.  The cookie jar is something I got for Christmas about 12 years ago.  It's Dorothy's ruby slippers and her basket.

I used to collect Coca-Cola, but got rid of a lot of that stuff.  I can't collect everything!  I kept just a few pieces and the red matched perfectly.  I love Elvis tins!  The black and white round boxes and square baskets were all found on clearance at different craft stores.

The ceramic black and white dishes were originally $24 at Michael's.  I grabbed them when I saw them on clearance for $1.60!!! The vintage postage stamps make a nice decoration.

I saw on idea on Pinterest where you turn a wine rack into a yarn rack.  Brilliant!  I've searched consignment stores for a long time to find a decent one and found one just a couple weeks ago.  I touched it up with some black spray paint.  Remember those clear jars?  I spray painted the lids too. 

I have a great Wizard of Oz collection and these dolls are my favorite.  I've had them since high school and they've been stored away, in their boxes, for most of the time.  Now, I can proudly display them.

My two craft totes fit perfectly under my craft table (another refinish by my husband).  This tote holds craft projects, felt sheets, and lots of foam stickers.

This large tote is my gift tote.  It contains cellophane bags for every occasion, tissue paper, shredded paper, and lots of goody bag prizes.

This is the scrapbooking cart my husband made for me.  I can't wait to share the tutorial.  You'll never guess where we got the supplies.  This contains my Cricut, blank cards and envelopes, thank you cards, stickers, die cuts, and paper in every size and color (separated by color).  Plus, it's on wheels so I can move it around very easily.

Tucked in one corner is the desk, computer, and filing cabinet.  My parents bought me a black/white office set to match the room.  Since I'm very involved with music and teach it to preschoolers, I have a collection of CD's that I need to access easily.  The red board on the left of the desk is a magnet board a former student gave me with music note magnets.  Perfect match!

This is an old popcorn can that just happens to be in vintage Hollywood style.  I use it as my garbage can.  Everything has to match, right?

I just love the room.  Every container has some type of craft supply inside of it.  Since my parents also just bought me a label maker, I can't wait to make all the labels.  I also have lots of things that are waiting to hang on the walls.  I can't wait to share that with you!

This style is not for everyone and is definitely unique.  However, it fits me and will continue to inspire me over and over.