DIY Faux Hand-Lettered Holiday Scroll Wall Hanging

I know this isn't a new confession if you are a long-time blog reader, but Christmas music is not my favorite. There are few songs that make the short list of allowable holiday songs, but O Holy Night is one of them. Every year it seems a different line of that song sticks out to me as one to focus on and this year, the line "and the soul felt its worth" is that line I can't shake. What a powerful line! So much so, that I wanted to hang it in my home somewhere. I was shopping at a holiday market and saw some beautiful kraft paper scrolls and knew that I could replicate it quite easily for a fraction of the price using a line that was meaningful to me. So with packaging paper from the dollar store and a few supplies I had on hand, I made a DIY hand-lettered sign minus the hand lettering. 

As much as I try, I can't seem to make my writing produce the beautiful script, and I revisited a chalkboard hack I shared with you years ago to create this faux hand-lettered scroll wall hanging. See how I created this large holiday wall hanging for around $1!

0

Take Your Letterboard to the Next Level: Using Die Cuts and Stickers

I am obsessed with my new letter board. I've been using it to make snarky sayings and general observations. I happened to be in the craft store the other day and started thinking about getting more letters for my board when I came up with a different idea. Why not use die cuts and stickers to create a fun playful effect? The possibilities are endless! I'm sharing with you what I did and how I got them to stick to my board AND be reusable. Get ready to take your letterboard to the next level with die cuts and stickers!

2

DIY a Modern Tree Stump Natural Wood Lamp

I was wandering the aisles of Target like any suburban mom does and I saw a wood vase just sitting there. It was telling me that it wanted to be a lamp. Well, it didn't speak audible words, I'm not crazy. But I looked at it and turned it all around in my hands and was like where the heck is the rest of this? It was just darn near begging to be turned into a lamp. There was a little knot in the bottom back of it that had a hole that would be perfect for the cord to go through and dang, it looked like something I would find in a high-end store. I just knew I could make it without the high-end price and that is what I did. Well, I didn't as much as I instructed my husband to make it. But I supervised. I love how it turned out and wouldn't you know it, a quick google search found similar modern teak lamps for hundreds and thousands of dollars. Now, I wouldn't spend that on a lamp, but you get the point. Why not DIY one and get the look? And that is what I'm going to do. I'll show you step by step how we created this modern tree stump teak lamp and how you can make your own.

1

DIY Handmade Gifts that Don't Suck

I love a good handmade gift, but it seems like sometimes I'm the only one. I hear people grumble as soon as you say something about gifting homemade gifts, but the amount of time and effort that goes into those gifts seem far better to me than just plucking up the first thing you see on an end cap at Target or clicking "buy this" on Amazon. I've gathered up some pretty great DIY handmade gifts from some of my favorite bloggers. Seriously, I don't think you could go wrong gifting any of these gifts. Some are more labor intensive, and others can be made in no time at all. Why not gather up some friends and have a Christmas craft day together? Or spend a weekend crafting before the holidays. I know just seeing these handmade gifts will have you inspired to create.

0

Faux Enamel Mug with Vinyl

It's never to early too start about crafting holiday gifts. Just ask Hobby Lobby. They've had their Christmas crafting supplies up since July! I digress...It's a great time to start thinking about those handmade gifts you want to make for the loved ones on your list. Who doesn't need a good mug? I found this faux enamel mug at TJ Maxx for a few dollars and it was screaming for some vinyl. I will say, it's hard to find plain mugs now days. When you do, it's like finding a unicorn! OK, maybe not that rare, but for all the crafty folks who want to make and create their own design, when you find them, you better stock up!

So what do you do once you find that elusive blank mug? I've got all the details for how you can create your own design and what kind of vinyl you should be using to make that design last.  Are you ready?

0

Digital Dudz DIY Halloween Costume with Layered HTV

I wasn't lying when I told you last week that I was not even a little bit ready for Halloween. My youngest son was playing a game on the computer when he saw an ad for a costume he just had to have. Well played marketing director at Digital Dudz. Well played. Neither of us had ever heard of this company before so I had to look it up. I'm going to assume you are just like us and have no clue either so let me explain. Digital Dudz are digital t-shirts for those people who may not want to dress up in more than a t-shirt but still look like they put a little effort into it. This is perfect for that middle school boy who might think they are too old for a costume but still wants to dress up. 

Long story short, we looked around and couldn't find any of the t-shirts he wanted in stock. We had just days to get the shirt in the mail, but shipping was estimated for the second week in November. That wasn't going to work. So we decided to put our heads together and we DIY'd our own Digital Dudz t-shirt that is going to work perfectly for Halloween. I actually made my 12 year old do most of the work, and he is wearing that shirt with pride. Come check out how you can make a DIY version in under an hour. Perfect if you are still looking for that last minute costume idea or maybe you just want something nobody has seen before.

 

0

The Secret to Sticking Vinyl on A Canvas

It's no secret that I love my Silhouette machine. It's fun to see the different projects that I can create but I must confess, I'm falling on a steeper learning curve when I use my machine than I probably should. I'm glad I have friends like Melissa at Silhouette School to help bail me out {where was she when I was making these invitations that ended up costing me $115 EACH!}, but sometimes I need to come up with my own solutions. Several years ago, I had a friend ask me to make some canvases for an event. I told her I would but then when it came time to adhere the vinyl to the canvas, I couldn't for the life of me get it to stick. I spent far more hours on it than I should have only to come to the conclusion that it couldn't be done. BUT IT CAN! Why did it take me years to figure it out??? Friends, if you are like me and need a solution to help your vinyl to stick a canvas, I found one. Read on. It will save you!

12

Easy Framed Sign Tutorial

You guys know how much I love to shop at thrift shops and garage sales. Heck, I even wrote a book about it.  You can usually pick up frames quite inexpensively {like for under a dollar}. There is usually an abundant supply of them in all shapes, sizes and colors.  I love the current wood frame sign trend and while you can make your own frame, I know I couldn't pick up the lumber for the frame for a quarter like I picked up each of the frames I used from the Goodwill Outlet. Curious about the Goodwill Outlet? Here's how you can shop if you are a first-timer. Love the sign trend? Keep scrolling for the full tutorial.

3

DIY Drink Local Beer Opener

I don't do a whole lot of crafting for the guys in my life, but trust me, even the men can get behind this Silhouette project. It's easy and can use up some of that scrap wood and scrap vinyl that you may have around the house. Even if you have to buy the beer opener, this project will still not cost you more than a few dollars!

2

Dollar Store Succulent Wreath Tutorial

I am still crazy over the succulent trend. I remember as a kid we called them hens and chicks. Do people still do that? So, I was shopping at my local dollar store, as one does, and found a box full of succulents. I snatched them up because I had been eyeing them at my local craft store and at $4-5 each using them for a craft project of this size, was going to add up! I bought 19 of them because that's how many they had and was excited to get started on making a succulent wreath. It took me less than twenty minutes to whip this wreath up and I love the end result. I'm showing you how you can make your own today.

6

EOS Lip Balm Easter Chick

As my kids get older, I'm constantly trying to find fun creative things to make for their Easter baskets. If you have a daughter, you know the obsession with eos lip balm. Why not add a few scraps of vinyl and create a cute little chick that will make an adorable addition to any spring basket. It's so easy and takes just a few minutes.

6

DIY Leather Laptop Sleeve Tutorial

Do you ever have an idea in your mind of something that you want but you can't seem to find it? Or if you do find it, it's {far} out of your price range? I recently got a new laptop and I knew I needed a case for it, but what I was looking for just couldn't be found. I love the look of leather everything right now. Like I'm obsessed with it. So I had it narrowed down enough to know that I wanted a leather laptop sleeve. Of course the first place I turn is Amazon because as a Prime member it gets here yesterday, but I couldn't find what I was looking for. I started to search on-line and all the cases I was coming up with were $150+. I loved the look of the handmade leather laptop cases I was finding but I just couldn't justify the cost. So like all things, if I can't find what I want, I set out to make my own. This DIY {faux} leather laptop case cost me less than $20 and an hour of my time to make. My goal is to inspire my readers to want to create as well so I'm sharing how I made my laptop sleeve with you. You may like aspects of the case and take inspiration from this to create one that fits your needs.

0

Crate Bookcase with New and Vintage Crates + How to Use Vinyl as a Stencil

I don't know what it is, but I have a soft spot for old stuff. Rusty and worn with the edges peeling up, those are my favorite things. Sometimes though, in the hunt for old stuff, you don't always find what you are looking for. A collection can take years to build up and sometimes you just don't have the patience for it. For the past few years I haven't consciously been collecting vintage crates, it just sort of happened. But before I knew it, I had a half a dozen crates hanging out. I started to stack them and use them and sort of formed a mini bookshelf from crates. But there was something missing. It needed more crates. Just the other day, I was driving past a local food bank and I noticed a pile of crates in their free pile. These kinds of crates are flimsier than the solid vintage crates but I immediately thought of the stack of crates I had at home and knew that the thing that it was missing was more crates. I'm going to show you how I used those "new" crates and made them look vintage with a coat of stain and a stencil made from my Silhouette Cameo. You can't even tell the vintage ones from the new crates, which is my kind of knock off.

Don't forget to enter my blog anniversary giveaway! One winner could win an Expressions Vinyl Silhouette Cameo 3 bundle, a Silhouette Mint bundle, my two favorite appliances from HomeRight {a steamer and a paint sprayer} AND a $100 gift certificate to Dayspring. That's a prize pack that's valued at around $1500! Enter to win here. 

7

Easy Zippered Fold Over Clutch with Leather Accent

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of fabric.com. All opinions are 100% my own. One of the first things I ever learned to do was sew. I had a small sewing kit in a blue tackle box with all these miniature size spools of thread and since my mom had a sewing machine, I had access to a whole lot of scraps. I remember one of the first things I made was a shirt for my cat Alex P. Kitten to wear in the 4th of July parade.  I really should have jumped on that animal clothes bandwagon and capitalized on that far sooner because I hear that gig is a billion dollar industry!  By the time middle school rolled around I was sewing dozens of hair scrunchies to keep my 80's hair accessorized. I still love to sew, though it's not always something I make time for. I think in the new year, I am going to spend more time whipping some things up because I enjoy it so much. I started by making this easy zippered fold over clutch with leather accent. It's so easy that you can make one for yourself in under an hour.  And if you shop at fabric.com like I did, you don't even have to leave the house! 

I've got the full tutorial and all the supplies, so come check it out!

3

Tufted Upholstered Headboard Tutorial

On Wednesday I gave you a little peek at my 14 year old daughters new silver and white glam bedroom makeover. To refresh your memory, my oldest son moved away for college, and my daughter has spent the past year scheming up a design plan for her new room. It's a HUGE change from the teenage boys room full of flags and random things my son collected into this amazingly beautiful grown-up glam girls bedroom.

Part of the transformation included making this tufted upholstered headboard. To be fair, Isabella has been begging for years to create an upholstered headboard for her room. DIY projects don't move too quickly around here {it took me 15 years to get board and batten installed} when we need help from my husband, and my guess is, he was hoping she would forget about it or quit asking. She finally happened to mention it to the right person and her newly retired grandpa offered to help her. I think that it turned out better than any of us could have imagined for their first project together!

Today, my 14 year old daughter Isabella will be taking over my blog to give you the full tutorial on how they created this full size tufted upholstered headboard for her new glam girls bedroom.

2

Easy to Make Watercolor Cloth Napkins

Easy to Make Watercolor Cloth Napkins

I gave you all a little sneak peek to this project when I revealed my embroidery hoop chandelier. I was part of a thrift store challenge, where another blogger went shopping at a thrift shop {on a budget of course!} and sent me a box of goodies that I could create with. I saw a few things in the box that automatically shifted my brain into creative mode, the embroidery hoops were one of them, the plain cloth napkins were the other.  I'm excited to share with you how I used paint in my cabinet to create these watercolor napkins.

2

How to Make Your Own Glitter Yeti Cup

I love my cold drinks, and with these amazing DIY Glitter Yeti Cups, I can confidently drink my cold drinks year round! Even when it's, well, cold. I just like a refreshing drink. I'm seeing these cups {the name brand is Yeti} everywhere and I know why! They are great at keeping your cold drinks cold and your hot drinks hot. So why not take some spray paint and spray glitter and give them some personality. You can even add some vinyl and create a fun image on your cup. I'm so excited to show you how to do it!

Recently our family went on a trip to Playa Mujeres, Mexico. If you read my 6 tips for getting the most out of a resort vacation, you would see that tip number 6 is why I made this spray painted glittered cold cup. It was HOT HOT HOT and drinks would stay cold in my cup, which was such a welcome relief from the heat. In fact, I left my iced coffee in my car for five hours when I went to the mall the other day and when I got back in my car, the ice was still in the cup. No joke! This cup is seriously impressive.

Shine with Your Own Glitter Yeti Cup

16

Easy to Make Leather Key Chain

Several weeks ago, I found a woman at a garage sale who was selling a big bag of leather pieces. I didn't really have a project in mind, but I also had a hard time passing up the bag of leather scraps because I knew that I would regret it. It didn't take long for project ideas to start popping into my head, like this one. In under 10 minutes I whipped up these personalized leather key chains and I want to show you how you can easily make your own, even if you don't find a garage sale with scrap leather at it!

0

Personalized Handmade Muslin Blanket and How to Cut a Large Image

New babies are the absolute best aren't they? It's so hard sometimes to remember how small those babes are when they are first born, such teeny tiny little hands and feet! My newest niece was born last week. Sweet little Lottie James. She's baby girl number three for my brother and sister in law and she's got plenty of hand me downs so I thought she needed a little something personalized just for her. I made a muslin swaddle blanket {like I did for this project}, and used stretch heat transfer vinyl instead of normal heat transfer vinyl. Read more and I will tell you why.

1

15 Easy Crafts to Make for Father's Day

Father's Day is right around the corner. When my kids were little, my husband always complained that he never got any sweet handmade gifts from the kids. School was usually out by the time Father's Day rolled around, and while the moms were usually gifted some handmade sentiment, the dad's got left out in the dark. Don't leave that special dad or grandpa out in the dark! Spend some time making these 15 easy crafts for Father's Day.

0