The House of Smiths - Home DIY Blog - Interior Decorating Blog - Decorating on a Budget Blog I'm so excited to finally have one of the messiest spaces in our house... by FAR totally organized! The Pantry! Believe ME... we were thrilled to even HAVE a pantry in this house (being that the last 3 houses we had lived in didn't even have one) but overtime we had let it get really out of control. Case and Point...lol So with a little creativity, and a LOT of help from IKEA and our local thrift stores, we finally got this space in tip-top, extraordinarily organized condition... and here's how we did it! I started at the bottom, priming away... realized how SMALL and cramped this space was, and gave up. ha. It took Cason finally pulling out EVERYTHING we had in there, to get my booty into gear, again. I found these 3ft pieces of trim at Joann's Fabric on clearance and thought they would be a subtle, great way to jazz up the shelf fronts a bit. After about 3 coats of primer, we used some wood glue and adhered the trim on the fronts of all the shelves. the shelves and molding semi-gloss white. eh. no.
Photo Collage Star Tutorial This post has been updated. You can see the new and improved post here. My dear and crafty friend MyLyn told me about this project back when we were looking for fun, hand-made presents for Christmas this past year and I just loved it so much that I made one for myself. You'll need: A large, metal star-preferably one without any embellishments. Scrapbook paper in 3 coordinating prints 10 pictures-you will probably want to plan ahead which pictures will go where on your star so that you have the right orientation (I recommend black and white pictures if using colored scrapbook paper-it's a little too much with color photos AND color paper) Glue stick-make sure it's acid-free and safe to use with photos (think scrapbooking glue) Mod Podge and brush Paper and photo patterns. Got all that? Trace and cut out 10 paper shapes-one small and large from one piece of paper and 2 of each from the other two ("paper front" should be facing you when tracing your shapes on the paper.) Hang and enjoy!
Homemade soap It's almost Mother's Day! It's time to get my crafting on... I needed a little inspiration so I stopped by Michaels Craft store a few day's ago. I decided to make lavender oatmeal and apple heart soap. Supplies needed: clear glycerin soap (Michaels) white glycerin or goats milk soap (Michaels) fragrance for soap (Michaels) soap coloring large plastic or glass measuring cup tin foil bread loaf pan or loaf sized container mixing spoon cheese grater cutting board knife a small spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol oats- if you are going to make lavender oatmeal soap, I chose to use quick oats instead of regular because I wanted my oats to be a little smaller **Michaels also carries soap making kits with all the soap supplies needed in them** Start out by forming a piece of tin foil into a square by pinching the foil to create sides. You want to wait until the soap is hard enough to form into a heart. Next get your cheese grater out and start shredding soap. Now for packaging....
Yarn Eggs/Balls Everyone else seems to call them Yarn Eggs but I guess the shape of my balloons was more round, cuss that is how they came out... I hope you guys are somewhat excited about this all. I have worked really hard on getting this right and am finally happy with the product. Now I just have to figure out a safe way to move them in a month (oops) and perhaps maybe more colours after that? Okay so here it is, Step by Step how to guaranteed good results: Step1: gather your materials: scissors, paper mache (pot, flour, water, sugar), balloons, yarn/hemp (and my yarn was 100% acrylic so I guess that cotton nonsense was just that), newspaper (i used plastic bags but made more mess), some way to hang the drying balloons (ie. hanger) this is the paper mache Step 2: Make the paper mache (warning: this recipe makes a lot). I got this from the blog, carolyn's homework. It is super quick and easy and all you need to do is, Combine ½ cup flour and 2 cups cold water in a bowl. Bring to a boil again. Let cool.
Marriage Survival Tool Kit I had a lot of fun putting this Marriage Survival Tool Kit together. This was for a wedding gift but the idea could be used for an anniversary, or Valentines gift. I would modify some of the sayings if it was to that special someone rather than to that special couple. Here is what I put in the Marriage Survival Tool Kit - along with the sayings..... Tape Measure - Love beyond Measure Tape - Stick Together Nails - Build your relationship every day ( I was going to put a hammer with this but the tool box I bought didn't let it fit) Assorted Household Hardware Accessories (little things like picture hangers and tacks)- Remember the big things are the little things Mini Screwdrivers - If a screw is loose, tighten it Level - Find balance in your marriage. Glue - Establish a divine bond And of course a tool kit.... I found some marriage advice to go with all the sayings as well. Here is the marriage advice that went with the tape measure: Stephen R. Marriage Survival Tool Kit Tags Thanks for looking!
Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom: Feature Friday- Faux Metal Wall Art Looking for the Faux Metal Wall Art? Since this project was originally published on The Sitcom in December 2010, it has been my most popular project by far. Who knew that a bunch of toilet paper tubes and an idea would become so big? You can now find the full tutorial and FREE patterns on Suzys Artsy Craftsy Sitcom here: Faux Metal Wall Art I want to personally thank all my readers for making my Faux Metal Wall Art so popular! It is an incredible honor to be included in this magazine! A similar project to check out would be my Faux Metal Filigree Frame. For more tutorial fun, please check out my Tutorial Page. Signing you up! If you enjoyed this post...
Paper Bag Journals | Burlap & Denim Paper bag journals are a fun inexpensive craft perfect for trips, camps, or fun summer memories. My family made these at our summer family reunion in Laguna last year (filled with beachy words, photos from the Hollywood sign, and souvenirs from “Pink’s”) and the kids from 6 to 15 loved making them. For YW camp last year they were a hit as well. At a regional camp meeting last year I saw a great journal craft. Supplies (per journal): 3 lunch bags, folded and pre punched with 5 holes22″ twine, taped on one end for easy threadingscrapbook paper pre-cut to fit pages of the journal (16 total, 3 sizes)velum labels (printable below)testimony card for insert (printable below)1 mini zip lock bag 2″X3 1/2″ for nature souvenirs insert1 small envelope for letters insertpictures of Christ torn out from church magazinesribbons and embellishmentsglue stickscissorsstapler Before I bought any supplies, I dug through our closet and used anything we already had. Embellish!
How to make gift bags from newspaper | How About Orange - StumbleUpon When I bought something at a store recently, the clerk handed me my purchase in a bag made from a newspaper. I liked it very much and had to make some more—thus today's DIY recycled newspaper project: gift bags made from the Wall Street Journal. You can vary the dimensions, of course, but here's what I used to create a bag that's 5" tall, 4.5" wide, and 3" deep. Stack two sheets of newspaper on top of each other. This will be a two-ply bag for extra sturdiness. Cut out a rectangle that's 15.5" wide and 8.25" tall. Fold a flap 1.25" down from the top. Cut two pieces of cardstock or chipboard to 4.25" x 1", then glue them on the widest two panels just under the top fold. Put glue on the outside of the 0.5" tab and bring the left-most panel over to form the body of the bag, aligning the cut edge of the panel with the folded edge of the flap. Upend the bag so the 2" flap is now up. Put glue on both flaps and fold them inward to form the bottom of the bag.
Gift Wrap Display and Organization Station | Burlap & Denim Have you ever been to a Paper Source store? On our last trip to Carlsbad my husband and I happened upon one of their adorable stores. One entire wall of their shop was lined with beautiful wrapping papers. I decided to make my own Wrapping Paper Storage Station. After a trip to Lowe’s I found these corner L braces in a 4 pack for $2.97. I took a trip to Walmart and bought 10 28″-48″ Mainstays sprint tension rods for $2.17 each (cheapest of anywhere I found). Here is a layout I did on my kitchen island. After a lot of measuring and leveling, I secured the four braces to the wall. Then unscrew the trim and prep for paint. In classic form, when I drilled my pilot holes I accidentally drilled a little bit too deep in the center of the trim. A quick sand, prop up the boards on some soda cans and paint away. Re attach the dry painted trim and prepare to fill it up. Then I slid a tension rod inside each roll of wrapping paper. I put up one last rod toward the bottom. So, to “wrap” things up:
Glass Etching | Make It and Love It - StumbleUpon Have you ever done any glass etching? Well, neither had I before today. But wow. Check out my new and improved etched Trifle Bowl. The perfect bowl for desserts of all kinds…..and even a great place for fresh fruit on the counter. Glass etching is also a great way to stamp your name on your pyrex dishes, to make sure they come back to you. And how about adding a little extra detail, just because…… (Edited to Add: The font used here is called Smiley Monster and I downloaded the font for free here.) Sweet in every way. Are you wanting to make your own? (This technique permanently etches your glass. First, you’ll need a piece of vinyl with an adhesive back, like the vinyl you buy for vinyl wall decor. Then peel away the shapes, leaving the negative space all in one piece. The Silhouette code for the bird/branch is: bird_on_branch_C00044_23067 01/18/2010 Then peel the vinyl backing away. Then place your vinyl against your glass, making sure to center the image just where you’d like it. Good luck!
Making Gel Air Freshener | Bloom, Bake & Create I’ve never been one to like to use air fresheners. I have always been concerned about what they put in them to make that smell. Anyway, I came across this recipe on Little House on the Prairie Living that I just had to try. Years ago, I purchased a gel air freshener kit. Gel air freshener jars I took Merissa’s recipe and cut it in half. Gel Air Freshener Print This Post 1 cup of water 2 packets of unflavored gelatin 15 or so drops of essential or fragrance oil 1 teaspoon of salt Bring a half cup of water to a boil. I used one of my favorite fragrance oil which smells like coffee and chocolate. Mokalata Fragrance Oil It gelled up pretty quickly and it’s now sitting here in my woman cave. Mokalata Gel Freshener I’ll definitely make more. Thanks to Merissa for her recipe.
DIY - Single Use Antibiotic Packs | Brian's Backpacking Blog The ongoing trend in the consumer market of providing small, ready-to-go, individual size packages of consumables has been a win-win for the lightweight and ultralight backpacking communities. Always looking to shave a few extra ounces or grams off of our overall pack weight, these individual servings are the perfect fit for trail snacks, drinks, condiments - you name it. However, these nicely packaged individual servings can come at a premium. Which brings me to today's topic - individual size packages of antibiotic cream. I recently stumbled upon a really clever solution to this problem that involves a tube of antibiotic ointment (generic), a plastic drinking straw, a Bic lighter and a pair of needle-nose pliers (I use my Leatherman Squirt PS4 ). We're going to make very small, single use packets of antibiotic ointment using a generic alternative to Neosporin and a clean (unused) drinking straw. Turn the straw around and find the point where the ointment went up to inside the straw.
50 Free Apron Patterns You Can Make Home / Crafts / 50+ Free Apron Patterns You Can Make [Updated 2012] Here’s a treat for Tipnut readers, three free booklets packed full of apron patterns! I’ve scanned, re-typed and organized over 50 vintage goodies from my personal collection and organized them into separate eBooks for you to download (they are in pdf format). Please Note: The files are quite large so they may take a few seconds to load. Before getting started, if you’re looking for current designs that I’ve collected from around the web, you’ll find them moved to this page. That collection has also been updated with a bunch of new goodies and currently features over 40 lovely projects to choose from (and I’ll be adding more to it too so you may want to bookmark it). Ready to download your booklets? The first is over 30 pages and consists of half-aprons. The second is 27 pages and features full-aprons, there are some pretty nifty ideas in this bunch too! I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!