Make a DIY father's day gift photo prop to create an adorable and unforgettable personalized keepsake gift. Today I want to share a quick and inexpensive photo gift that would be perfect for Father's Day! I made these for Valentine's Day this year, but I think they would be perfect for any other gift giving occasion. The DIY father's day gift photo prop is so simple to make! This post was originally featured at Happy Hour Projects for Mother's Day. I think it would work for Father's … [Read more...]
How to Make Your Own US Map Wall Art
Add a punch of color to your wall with this DIYmap wall art project! My oldest son's room has a retro car theme, and I have seen several license plate maps that I wanted but didn't like the price tag. So I decided to make my own wall art. I started by using my Silhouette to cut out three maps: two on cardstock and one on scrapbook paper. Then, I taped the cardstock map to a piece of foam (I repurposed an old foam play tile) and used my razor blade to cut the mat to fit the outline. I … [Read more...]
Faux Pewter Bird and Flowers Pedestal Bowl
Make faux pewter bird and pedestal bowl with this technique. Can you believe that this rich looking pedestal bowl cost less than $5 to make? And that it's made of glass, not silver? Read on to learn how you can recreate this look yourself! I started with three items from the Dollar Tree: the bird (I removed it's wire legs), the candle holder, and the candle stick. I also used Rockin Beads Brand, 700 Frosted Mix Lily Flower Acrylic Beads, E-6000, white spray paint, … [Read more...]
Farewell, Mr. Sendak
I'm in the milk and the milk's in me.... Maurice Sendak is easily my favorite children's author, and I was saddened to hear of his recent passing. Many of his books were my favorites as a child, and I carried those books into my classroom when I became a teacher, and then brought them home to share with my own children. In the Night Kitchen is one of our favorite bedtime reads. We all like to chant "Milk in the batter, milk in the batter, we bake cake and nothing's the matter!" and … [Read more...]
Keyhole Garden: How to Make Your Own
Learn what a keyhole garden is, how to build your own using supplies you already have, and how to maintain your keyhole garden. A garden design that is drought resistant and incorporates recycling? Yes, please! The second I read about keyhole gardens I knew I wanted to make one. Read on to learn how my family made ours, and how easily you can build one, too! The keyhole garden design is popular in arid parts of Africa where good soil is scarce. As I read about keyhole gardens in a … [Read more...]
Bottle Cap Bracelet (Superhero Version!)
My oldest sons are VERY excited about the new Avengers movie opening this weekend, and they are passing the time by reading books and googling the different superheroes. I always struggle with finding "boyish" crafts I can make for them, so I was excited to see if this idea would work. I am not a jewelry maker, so I made do with supplies I had on hand. Since I hoard purchase quite a bit from Mindy Mae's Market, I dug through my stash and used the following: bottle cap and epoxy … [Read more...]
Tips for Creating a Memorial Shadow Box
Advice for how to make a memorial shadow box to remember a loved one who has passed away. When a loved one passes away we often look for ways to honor that person's life and to keep their memory alive. A shadow box is one way to preserve and display precious memories. When my father passed away unexpectedly two years ago, one thing I worried about was how to keep his memory alive so my young children would not forget him. I searched online for ideas but couldn't find anything, so I … [Read more...]
Jute Flower Wreath
While designing my jute flower bouquet I tried different ways to cut, fold, and paint my jute ribbon. My "rejects" were too pretty to throw away, so I incorporated them into this fun wreath, complete with vintage ribbon! Keep reading to learn how to make this cute little wreath! I started with a square of jute ribbon. Fold in half. Fold one corner up towards the center in an angle, as pictured. Repeat the same thing on the opposite site, making sure they overlap … [Read more...]
How to Make Faux Blue Mercury Glass
When I saw a challenge at The CSI Project to create something with items from the dollar store, I knew exactly what I wanted to try: painting glass! This tutorial will show you how incredibly easy it is to paint a dollar store glass candle holder to match your home decor or party theme. Heidi over at Mom's Crafty Space did a tutorial on how to DIY mercury glass, and I was itching to see how it would look with other colors. I started with a very nice block candle holder from Dollar … [Read more...]
Make a Jute Flower Centerpiece
When I saw this trio of buckets at Tuesday Morning for just $10 I snatched it up! Then I had to figure out what to put in them! I decided that jute would look great with the antiqued buckets, so I played around and came up with jute flowers (inspired by hydrangeas) with upholstery tack centers. Supplies: Bucket jute or burlap upholstery tacks floral foam or styrofoam brown paper Cut your jute ribbon into two inch squares. Fold in half. Fold in … [Read more...]