Paper Covered Switch Plate I’ve been working on revamping my powder room. New paint, some new art on the walls, it was all coming together. When Wendy released her Fleury kit this past month, I was seriously swooning! The colors were perfect for this room and I had to figure out a fun way to incorporate my favorite paper from that awesome kit. And then a light came on (pun somewhat intended!) – - switch plate covers! Switch plate covers are such a neat, unexpected way to add a bit of personality to your room. You’re going to need: Fleury Kit by Wendy Page (or digital kit of your choice)Mod Podge (I used Glossy)pencilcutting mat & exacto knife (and/or sharp pointed scissors - I love my CutterBee scissors!) 1. 2. 3. 4. Note: You may want to lightly sand your switch plate here. 5. 6. 7. 8. Enjoy your fun little creation!! Other Articles by ccouch:
Letter Art « 346 Living 6 Jun Hi All! Hope your Monday is going well. We all know the zinc letters at Anthropologie, right? Well they’re totally cute but at $18 a pop, that just won’t do. I decided to DIY them by using paper mache letters I got at Joann Fabrics. I sprayed it pretty heavy so I could get that blotchy uneven look. And here they are hung up in the kitchen! Ok next up! We used these two colors, first he sprayed the top coat in the lighter gold and then lightly sprayed some of the darker gold over it. Here they are on top of our mantel, I’m obsessed. I love how using two colors made them look a bit more aged and not so perfect. This project was so easy and fun, I seriously want to keep going but can’t think of anything else cute to write. I’m definitely going to do this in the babies room. Like this: Like Loading...
Monogram Mugs Friends! I’m so pleased to share our first gift DIY of the season. Maude made these fantastic monogrammed mugs over the weekend. Don’t they look terrific? The idea came when we saw these fun initial cups at Anthropologie and remembered our kitchen was lacking in hot cocoa mugs. We decided to create a whole set. It’s a very doable project. 1) We started with a trip to Goodwill, where we collected 8 plain white mugs. 2) Then we gathered supplies. For the font, I had something very specific in mind. 3) Cut out an initial and a piece of transfer paper. 4) Trace the initial. 5) Take your Porcelaine pen and trace over the lines of the initial. 6) Once the lettering is done, let the mugs sit for 24 hours. 7) And that’s it! The project turned out so well that it has my mind spinning with other possibilities. What do you think? Need more sibling gift ideas?
Make Your Own Aromatic Reed Diffusers As Fall approaches, I love to fill my home with all the warm inviting scents the season brings along. With my precious little guy running around, it’s important to try and find scented alternatives that are not only flameless but safe and non-toxic – unlike most of the commercial fragrances sold in the stores today. Reed diffusers are a great option, especially if you make your own. They work really well in smaller areas since they do not have a very powerful scent throw. They are quite simple to put together and pretty inexpensive plus you have the option to create your own favorite fragrant combinations. Materials Needed:Tall container – preferably glass to safely hold the oilsCorksReeds or Wooden SkewersCarrier Oil {see below}Essential OilsVodka When looking for a reed container, make sure you use one that is made of glass or another material suitable for safely holding the oils. There are many online retailers that sell reeds specifically for diffusers as the porous fibers work best.
The Easiest Pillow Cover Ever This is the easiest pillow cover ever. No measuring! No sewing! Just fold and tie. I used pinking shears to cut the fabric so it wouldn’t fray. Then fold the top down to the center. Fold both ends like the picture. Bring one side over the top of the pillow. Then the other side. Now tie the ends in a square knot. Ta-Da! I love the knot. And it looks great on the loveseat. It even looks great on the back if I want to switch sides. I’m linking to these awesome blog parties: Air Your Laundry Friday at Freckled LaundryTutorial Tuesday at Hope StudiosTip Me Tuesday at Tip JunkieGet Your Craft On at Today’s Creative BlogShow Me What Ya Got at Not Just a HousewifeTutorials and Tips Tuesday at The Stories of A2ZWhatever Goes Wednesday at Someday CraftsTransformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic CottageHookin Up With HOH at House of HepworthsHow To’s Day at The Lettered CottagePoint of View Pillow Link Party at Gwenny Penny
DIY comic book geek coasters It’s so hard for me to think of crafts for men! You may be like me and have a brother who loves comic books – in which case, geeky coasters are the perfect gift for said brother. And trust me, I’m not throwing stones. I’m a Star Wars fanatic. I’m quite pleased with Man Podger David’s project because I know a lot of you are looking for gifts and project ideas for the men in your life. —————- If you’ve visited my Etsy store you know I’m the coaster guy. You can buy round wood or chip-board blanks for coasters but for me they are just too lightweight (nothing is more annoying than a coaster that ALWAYS sticks to your glass). For this project you will need: I wanted a white coaster, so after a light sanding with some 220 grit sandpaper (just to rough up the surface and give the paint something to stick to) I used some Antique White spray paint and allowed it to dry thoroughly. I love old comic books and decided to use some graphics from a book I found on the Remainder Table a while ago.
Be Paletto!: A Forum-Like Pallet Pavilion, Constructed by Students in Denmark Cool Copper Projects Warm metallic hues are easy to love but often pricey. When you create the look... Easy Doily Bowl Craft a decorative bowl from a doily picked up from a flea market, antique... Camper Birdhouse Encourage birds to stay awhile with an adorable vintage birdhouse. lemontreecreations.blogspot.com/2011/05/doormat-wall-art.html I made these awesome wall hangings last year and they are one of the few decorations in my house that I have never gotten sick of or moved around. I saw the idea in Lowes Creative Solutions and obsessed over it until I could make them for myself. I shared them on my family blog at the time, but I've received so many compliments on them recently that I thought I'd share them here as well. I started off with a few pieces of poplar board, 1 inch x 12 inches x 6 feet. I had them sawed in half, which left me with two 3 feet x 12 inch boards. I sanded and stained the boards a dark walnut color, lined the edges with painters tape, and covered the boards with this doormat that I picked up from Lowes. I then spray painted 4 light coats of Valspar's Ivory through the doormat - 2 straight down on the mat and 2 from different angles to try to fill in all of the gaps. I allowed the paint to dry for about 30 minutes after the last coat, and when I pulled the mat off I literally squealed with delight.
DIY Roman Shades & It always feels great when you have your mind set on how you want something to look and then it all comes together. This is exactly what has happened with my entry way/porch area. I knew I wanted to put stripes on the wall but it was a matter of finally getting around to it. Once that was done and the porch was all cleared out I knew I had to make it something that was worth having. That’s when I ordered my desk and watched the space slowly turn into what I had envisioned. I had my cream and tan stripes, I had my white lacquered desk, now it was time for some color. Waverly Chippendale Fretw Quartz Premier Prints Gotcha White/Candy Pink Waverly Cross Section Raspberry I knew I wanted a geometric pattern so that almost immediately eliminated the second fabric (Waverly Chippendale) and I wasn’t too sure about that first print because of the whole papaya part. Fabric, Measuring Tape, Scissors, Fabric Glue, Mini Blinds. 1. 2. Should look like this when it’s all done. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Bits Of Everything: Wall Picture Collage I have been wanting to hang something on the wall in my kitchen ever since we moved in. Between Emily and I, we finally dreamed up this Wall Picture Collage after looking at lots of other people’s photo collages- and I love the way it turned out. Here are all the things that I bought. (all found at walmart) This entire project was under $20. *pictures you want to use (I had free prints from Costco) * 2 20×30 foam core boards (I got two black ones $2.88 each) *poster hanger thingies ($2.44) *foam brushes ($.97) *double sided tape ($3) *mod podge (I already had some) This shows you how thick the foam core board is.. First I drew out a plan.. Then I cut some computer paper first, and made sure it would work before I cut up my pictures. Then I went to work cutting my 4×6 pictures into 4 inch squares. I then laid them all out on the floor in the order that I wanted them, and then taped them down with double sided tape. Then I took it in the kitchen and painted mod podge all over it. and straight on.
crafty decorating: painted cork-tile pinboard « the happy home Reusable Lined Snack Baggies Perhaps you already caught this tutorial when I shared it over at SevenAlive last week, but in case you didn’t, I’d like to show you a fun and simple sewing project that’s a great addition to any summer picnic basket set – a reusable, plastic-lined snack baggie. Not only can you make use of some of the plastic bags they push on you at the grocery store (seriously – I think the only reason they withhold paper bags is to get me to buy their reusable bags), but you can also cut down on buying disposable plastic baggies and change it up with something cute and personal with a very simple sewing project. That’s a win-win-win, right? What you’ll need for each snack bag:4-8 plastic grocery bags (I used 6)Parchment paperIron Fabric scrap at least 7″x15″ (optional, it just makes it pretty!) Part One: Fusing your plastic. 20 minutes. A note about this. Flatten your bags and trim them down. Trim two sheets of parchment paper. I started with three bags – three layers. Now, fold up your baggie.