Chalkboard Picture Frame

This chalkboard picture frame project was inspired by this frame at the Home Decorators Collection. I immediately loved the idea of being able to write messages on the frame as you change out the photos, but I wanted a budget-friendly version.

It dawned on me that I could simply buy chalkboard paint and basically achieve the same result. I had a plain wood picture frame sitting around that I hated, but I knew would work perfectly for the project.

The prices are approximate based on what I paid and what similar items sell for currently. Technically I didn't invest any money in the sandpaper since we have sheets hanging out in our garage from years past but you can find it cheap at Walmart and home improvement stores.

You Will Need:
1 wood or wood composite frame (like these from Target) -- $5
Sandpaper (use a medium grain, 60-80 grit) -- $3
Chalkboard spray paint (I used a Rust-Oleum paint) -- $5

1. If your frame is varnished, gently sand the surface. Wipe residue away with a clean, damp cloth.

2. Apply 2-3 coats of chalkboard paint according to directions. Remember to always spray paint in an open, well-ventilated area. Put down clean drop cloth to paint on. In my project I've used an old plant tray.

3. Once dried, break in the paint by gently rubbing chalk over the writing surface and wipe clean with a damp cloth.

4. Put your favorite picture in the frame and write your message!

Valentine's Day Crafts

While I don't necessarily buy into the modern incarnation of Valentine's Day, I'm a crafts and decor addict, and I couldn't resist creating a few simple and sweet February hearts.

I've always like wood cutouts because they come in so many designs and shapes, and they're inexpensive. This project cost me about $15, including the items that I already owned. The following item list and instructions are loosely based on what I've done, and I've left them a little vague for you to change to your tastes.

You will need:
Wood cutout hearts
Pink paint (I used Americana brand, Baby Pink)
Red paint (Americana brand, Cherry Red)
White paint (Folk Art brand, Wicker White)
Small foam brush (or a flat-style brush)
Small detailing brush (round or rigger style)
Your choice of ribbon
Scissors
Glue gun
Wood glue

1. Paint the hearts to your liking with the foam or flat brush. Let dry completely between layers. You will probably need to do two or three layers to achieve a rich base color. 

2. Use a detailing brush to write letters or create a decorative design. Let dry completely

3. For the layered hearts look (a la the "be mine" hearts), arrange the hearts in the shape you like. It helped me to make a light trace with a pencil on the front of each heart to show me where each should be. Fill in the traced space with wood glue and glue the hearts together. Place a couple of heavy books carefully on top of the hearts and let them dry for a couple of hours.

4. Choose your ribbon. For a reference, I cut about 15 inches of ribbon for the red hearts. It may seem like a lot but there's nothing more frustrating than working with a short piece of ribbon. 

5. Use a hot glue gun to attach the ribbon to the hearts and let cool before hanging up to enjoy! 

 

Horseshoe Decor

While I was cleaning out some old things for Goodwill this past month, I found an old horseshoe a family friend had bought me when I was in the midst of my young girl horse crazy days.

I almost threw it out when I realized I could probably make something pretty out of it instead. I also had a bouquet of silk flowers I'd bought at Michael's that I hadn't yet found a clever use for. 

I pulled several flowers apart from their stems and used floral wire to wire the two roses and ranunculus together, and left a tail to anchor the mini-bouquet to the horseshoe. 

There were more than enough flowers to make a second mini-bouquet so I paired another purple ranunculus with cluster of light purple flowers that evoke hydrangea, but I don't really think are hydrangea.

I couldn't decide which bouquet I like better, so I'll keep both handy for when I want a little change. 

Handmade Birthday Card

Today is one of my very dearest friend's birthday, and instead of purchasing a card from the store, I decided to make one for her.

I've been very inspired by the current trend of using birds on cards and stationery. I also thought it would be cute to forgo the usual "Happy Birthday" and use another image to convey that sentiment.

I have lots of craft paper and card stock around from other projects, and I knew that would be a great place to start. 

To make things easier on myself, I traced patterns for the speech bubble and bird, traced them onto the paper, and then cut out the shapes.

On the back, I cut out white card stock with paper edger scissors with a scalloped pattern.

Crafty When I Want to Be

Around and after the holidays I finally found the time to create and finish some jewelry projects.

First on my list was to salvage one of my favorite pieces, an opera-length string of coral-colored beads. I bought the string at Macy's a year or so ago, but this past spring the silk knotting untied. At first I used some craft wire to connect the two ends, but it looked really ugly and bit into my skin.

 I was in Michael's a while ago and bought some coral colored ribbon for another project, but I realized I could use some of it and a few jump rings to fashion a really pretty "clasp" for my beads.

 After some experimentation, I placed two jump rings on each end of the string and then threaded a 12-inch piece of ribbon through them to create a small bow. The rings have held up well to the weight of the strand and I really like having the bow detail in the back.

 
I almost lost two of the beads when the silk snapped, but I managed to hold onto them and create them into matching earrings.

The next two pieces I've finished are very winter appropriate. I struggled with my stag pieces because I couldn't decide how many strands to make for the necklace. I really wanted to showcase the white and red beads, but they were getting lost when I tried to pair them with a solid strand of the red coral beads and some red plastic beads.

 I finally gave in and went with a one-strand necklace, and I like how it turned out. If I could ever find more of the red and white beads I might redo the whole thing with more strands.

 My second winter piece is this pair of simple metal snowflakes. I wrapped them up with a bright winter blue crystal to add just a bit of color without overpowering the little flakes.

And, last, but certainly not least, I finally finished my little owl necklace! After spending several months trying unsuccessfully to track down some more of those plastic apple green beads, I went ahead and strung the necklace. I gave it some length using 6/0 seed beads. I really love this piece and I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can show it off.

Trick or Treat Halloween Banner

I had a little last minute Halloween decorating inspiration, and I designed a paper and ribbon Trick or Treat banner. I took my time creating this, but if you're moving right along, this should take you two hours or less.

You will need:
Print out letters -- I used this template from marthastewart.com
Black paper -- construction paper or thicker
Scissors
Glue stick or rubber cement
Colored ribbon -- I bought this black and orange striped version from Hobby Lobby
Orange marker
Hole punch (a 3-hole works fine)
Bowl
Pencil
Glue gun (optional)

Step 1: Save the letter template to your computer. Using Photoshop or Microsoft Office Picture Manager, crop the letters you will need and save them as individual files. This way you can print the exact letters you need, and be able to size them to your liking.

Step 2: In a Word document, insert and arrange 3 T's, 3 R's and 1 A, C, E, I, K, and O. Hint: Double click each image and under Format>Text Wrapping click Square. Will make it easier to move them. I made mine about 4" across. Print and cut out your letters.

Step 3: This is where the bowl comes in. I used one that is about 5" across, which gave me about an inch border around my letters. Use whatever you have on hand and that you like visually and leave enough room to punch a whole at the top. Trace the bowl with a pencil on your black paper. Cut out the circles.

Step 4: Glue your letters onto the black paper circles. Let dry for a few minutes.

Step 5: Punch holes at the top of the black circle. You can do one or two, like I've done, to really show off your ribbon.

Step 6: Embellish your letters. I simply added some orange around the star in each letter, but you could draw curlicues, color the letters completely, draw pumpkins, etc.

Step 7: Cut enough ribbon to string your letters, plus an extra foot to give you some room to work with. For this banner, there are 12 letters 5" across, so multiply that and you'll need roughly 6' of ribbon.

Step 8: String your letters onto the ribbon and space to your liking.

Step 9 (optional): If you have a glue gun, heat it up and glue the ends of your ribbon in a loop for easy hanging. Trim the ends if they're a little ragged.

Step 10: Find a place to display your banner and enjoy!

Pretty Jewelry

Ah, the fruits of my labor. I've been working on a few jewelry projects this week, and here's a peek at what I've finished (or thought I'd finished) so far.

I strung these jade beads together for a simple bracelet to match (kind of) my jade elephant that I bought at World Market. Love that store, btw. You can also see I've got matching earrings. I'm not crazy about how the bracelet and earrings came out, and will probably end up re-doing them. I think my stumbling block is that I'd like to mimic the black string used with the elephant -- but I haven't tried my hand at using that before, so I'll make do with the beads and spacers I've got.


The second project has been a looong time coming. I bought this coral and fire agate necklace about three years ago (a Trisha Waldron design) and eventually found some stones that I liked to match. I'd wrapped them in craft wire because at the time I couldn't afford silver/silver-plated wire.

Not surprisingly, the craft wire tarnished and the earrings really looked like yuck. When I was home a couple weeks ago, I ran by a bead store I used to frequent and bought a couple feet of silver-plated wire. I definitely love these earrings again now that the wrapping looks so nice.

Last, but not least, is my little owl. What a cutie, and what a pain. I strung those amber and apple green beads onto two strands, thinking that would look neat, clean, and awesome, but I hate it. If I'm going to make this cute little avian into a charm, he should be paired with something just as cute, right? After thinking about it for a few days and rummaging through my surplus beads, I pulled out these apple green leaf-shaped beads that look really nice with the owl.

I may have to mosey down to to bead store this weekend or next week and find some more of those leaf beads, since I already know I don't have enough. It just so happens that I saw a commercial last weekend on TV (while I was beading, no less) for a shop in Helena. Google tells me there are other shops that are closer, but I'm superstitious, so I will probably end up in Helena.

More to come as soon as I can translate my ideas into tangible pieces.

I'm getting itchy

Perhaps I'm just glutted on TV and movies, but I've been feeling the urge to get creative this week. I've got some silk flowers, ribbon, empty cans, and lots o' beads sitting around, just waiting to be picked up, mulled over, and somehow put together.

I think my brain is also craving projects that have a finite life. Form idea. Act on idea. See finished product. Being crafty is about so much more than acting on my imagination -- it's also about focusing my mind, following through, and having the satisfaction of seeing the product of my labor.

So much in my life in the opposite, especially when I think about my future and career. My parents talk about having plans. You know, when you create a five year, ten year, life plan of where you want to go and what you want to accomplish. Seriously, I can't even think past August. As of now, my planning skills only work a day to a week out at a time.

So, this weekend, I'll be crafty.

Crafty Cans

If you’re like me, you use many food products that are canned, and after a few weeks of groceries, you’ve got a bunch of soup/veggie/fruit cans lying around.

Instead of throwing them away, I’ve decided to give mine a new use and a cute new look. I happen to have several spools of ribbon to use, but you can also complete this makeover with colored or patterned paper.

What you’ll need:

Ribbon of your choice

Scissors

Hot glue gun

Aluminum can

Wash and dry your can. Then pull the label off. Soak it in water for a few minutes if you’re having trouble pulling the label off.

Cut enough ribbon to cover the circumference of the can, giving yourself an extra inch or two to make it easier to work with. You can use this to measure your other pieces. Play with the colors and patterns until you find the ones you like best.

I’ve found it also helps to line up the ribbon, use a piece of tape to keep them together, and then line up the pattern on the can to determine how many pieces I’ll need.

Dab a bit of glue on the can and press the ribbon carefully onto the spot. I usually glue the ribbon in the same area where the label was glued, since it's not an area I would display anyway.

Pull the ribbon around the can, add another dab of glue next to the first, and press the other end of the ribbon onto the glue.

Repeat until you’ve covered the can to your liking.

Now you’re ready to store your pens, pencils, receipts or even a small bouquet! This cute can’s uses are only limited by your imagination.