When I saw the soft, yet strong velvet paper from SEI, I knew exactly what I wanted to make with it-- colorful Spring flowers. They are the perfect tabletop decoration for Mother's Day, bridal showers, girls' birthday parties, Teacher Appreciation Day... basically any event that goes with flowers.
To create the form, I decided to use plastic eggs leftover from Easter. I've used plastic eggs before (for these fabric pinecones), and they easy to work with and economical.
First, cover the bottom (rounded part) of the plastic egg. Cut out a 2-inch square from the velvet paper and, using a hot glue gun, attach it to the center.
Make 4 cuts and glue down the paper so that the base of the egg is covered. This will become the center of your flower.
Now it's time to make the detailed center of the flower. Using a 1-inch circle cutter, cut out 10 circles and then cut them in half into semi-circles.
Using a hot glue gun, apply a dab of glue to the corners of the semi-circle. Starting just off center, attach the semi-circle to the egg form. The semi-circle should have a little lift, so glue it down with a small arch. Then move onto the next semi-circle, overlapping and making a small square or pentagon in the center before moving down to the next layer. Stagger each piece so it has a "realistic" look. Do this for all 20 semi-circles. This should cover about 1/3 of the egg.
Now it's time to make the petals for the flower. I made my own templates for the petals. There is no set rules for this, but keep the base of the petal at 1-inch or less. Anything larger is harder to attach to the egg.
Using your template, cut out your petals from the velvet paper. I used around 10-12 petals per flower.
Use the end of a pencil to add a little curl to the petals.
Using a hot glue gun, apply a little glue to the base of the petal and attach it just beneath the center detail. Stagger the petals for a more realistic look.
The final step is to cover the base of the flower. Cut out a 3-inch square from the green canvas. Similar to step one of covering the base of the egg, glue down the center, make four cuts and wrap & glue down the base.
I had so much fun blogging here at SEI this week. Thanks so much for having me over! If you're interested in more craft ideas, please stop by bliss bloom {blog} or my facebook page.
Thank you, Melanie! We love your blog and thoroughly enjoyed this entire week. Not only did you share great ideas but you also taught us exactly how to do them too. The only problem now is a longer project list. :)
To celebrate a fun week, we are having a GIVEAWAY!! Follow the directions below to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Boys clothing... Ahem... Speaking for myself, it's not the most exciting stuff out there. My kids will follow a few trends-- skinny jeans (they're both skinny, so they fit more like "regular" jeans), the occasional button downs... but anything beyond that is no-go. And I'm perfectly fine with that. I want them to look like little boys and not like short little 20 year olds.
Anyhow, they are not fashionistos but they like the occasional cool t-shirt. I've found that "cool" tees are either uber expensive or loaded with product placement. So when I saw this on-trend iron-on sunglasses set from SEI, the wheels in my head started spinning.
I seldom have the opportunity to make things for my boys to wear, but when I ran this idea by my seven year old, he was excited and totally onboard. When one of my boys is onboard with one of my ideas, I run with it!
This is a quick and easy project. Just follow the instructions on the packaging!
First, prewash the t-shirt and air dry.
Lay the shirt on a hard, flat surface. Cut out the sunglasses of your choice and position it on the shirt.
Lay it face-down (paper backing side up) and iron it with DRY iron set to 350 F (cotton or linen setting on most irons). Press Firmly for 15-20 seconds and let cool for 1 minute.
Slowly peel back the paper backing. Then turn the shirt inside out and iron the design on the reverse side with Firm Pressure for 10-15 seconds.
That's it! A quick and easy project that has the boys' stamp of approval.
Here's the "top gun" shirt that I made for my younger son. He wasn't up for modeling so a hanger on the door will have to do. :)
It’s never too early to start planning for Mother’s Day… right??!! After all, it IS the best day of the year following Christmas and Easter. :) This year, I made some pretty gift boxes for my mom and mother-in-law. Now I just need to find something to put in those boxes. Hmmm…
DIY Chrysanthemum Gift Box
My mom has a green thumb and always has a garden full of beautiful blooms, so I knew right away that the floral papers from the Diane Collection would be perfect.
Cover your papier mache box with the decorative papers. First, measure the box and cut the paper to size. Using a flat paintbrush, lightly apply a thin coat of mod podge, then gently pressed on the paper, smoothing out any wrinkles. Apply another thin layer of mod podge on top of the paper.
Repeat the process with the lid. If you have a round or oval shaped box, you may have to get a little creative with the edges of the lid. I wanted the lid to look seamless, so I cut the paper large enough to cover the top and sides of the lid. I then had to make a cut at every inch to allow the paper to fold around the curves of the lid easily. Embellish the edge of the lid if you'd like.
While your box is drying, it’s time to assemble the chrysanthemum. The chrysanthemum is inspired by this flower kit from Paper-Source. I simplified it a bit and created my own template. Click here to download.
Using the template, cut out your petals. You will need four sets of petals to create the bloom.
Use the end of a pencil to curl the petals. The petals at the center should have the tightest curl, and less so with the remaining three sets. They should nestle together nicely.
You can either glue or use a brad to hold the flower together. I used a brad to hold the flower together as well as attach it to the lid of the box. Use a craft knife to make a tiny slit in the center of the lid. Works like a charm.
DIY Butterfly Gift Box
As you probably have guessed, my mother-in-law LOVES butterflies. So of course I had to use the beautiful butterfly papers from SEI's Field Notes Collection.
Similar to the Chrysanthemum box, measure the box and cut the paper to size. Using a flat paintbrush, lightly apply a thin coat of mod podge, then gently pressed on the paper, smoothing out any wrinkles. Apply another thin layer of mod podge on top of the paper. Repeat the process with the lid.
The hexagon lid was a lot easier to cover than the round lid. I cut the paper large enough to cover the top and sides of the lid. At each angle, I made a straight 90 degree cut. The longer pieces were glued down and tucked under and those 90 degree cuts pretty much lined up to each angle, so it made for a clean looking lid.
While your box is drying, cut and assemble the butterflies. I used both a craft knife and small scissors to cut out the butterflies… the scissors were easier for me, but use whatever works for you.
Using a wire cutter, cut your wire at varying lengths, twisting one end into a small loop.
Use a hot glue gun to glue the wire to the butterfly. Do this for each of the butterflies, then arrange to your liking. Twist the ends of the wire together to secure.
To attach the butterflies to the lid, I cut a small slit in the center of the lid and pushed the wire through. I secured it with a little more hot glue and also tape.
A whimsical and fun box for the butterfly-lover.
Pretty gift boxes for the special ladies in your life!
Coming up tomorrow is a quick and easy 5-minute project.
I’ve been wanting to do a batik project for awhile, but fabric dyes, and the inherent mess and hassle that accompanies them, have always deterred me. Well, those days are over! I think I've stumbled upon the easiest and most mess-free way to dye fabrics.
I played around with the idea of using wax to make this more of an authentic batik process... but then I found an easier alternative. So easy that I was able to complete this project in the time it took the hubs to take the kids to their favorite ice cream shop. Now that's my kind of project!
How to Make Faux Batik Material
materials needed:
48-inch strip of soft, knit fabric; I used jersey knit since it does not fray… which means less sewing for me :) SEI tumble tie dye fabric paint in turquoise
painter's tape or easy to remove stickers
craft paper or newspaper (to protect work surface)
instructions:
Lay the fabric on your paper. If you need to, tape down the edges. Create your design using painter's tape. You can also use stickers-- letters, numbers, hearts, circles-- all would look really neat. Just remember that this is not a "perfect" look with sharp lines. The ink will seep under the tape/stickers in some places and not in others, so the simpler the shape the better.
Spray your "designed" fabric with SEI's tumble dye fabric spray paint. Spray one light layer, then follow with another until you're happy with the color. Don't worry about the overspray or drips. The best thing about batik is that it looks imperfectly perfect. In the original batik process, the dye puddles in places and seeps beneath the wax resist. So this is not meant to be a "perfect" look. The beauty is in the imperfections and the one-of-a-kind design.
Let the fabric dry to touch. Remove the tape/stickers.
Lightly spray another layer of paint on the fabric. This softens the overall look without overpowering the original design. I purposely wanted some drips and overspray, so I held the bottle with the nozzle pointing straight down.
Let the fabric dry completely then throw it into the dryer on high heat for 20 minutes.
If you're making a circle scarf, sew the two ends of the fabric together. And that's it! Your own custom designed, batik-inspired scarf.
Coming up next is a project using pretty papers. Have a wonderful day!
Hello, I’m Melanie and I’m excited to be guest blogging at SEI Lifestyle this week. I’m a wife, mom, blogger… and I like to make pretty things. A little bit about myself? I’m a beach girl at heart; I’m a Southern California native with family roots in Hawaii. I’m lucky to come from a long line of craftsmen and DIY-ers; although my own interest in crafts and DIY didn’t come about until I was an adult. I guess it finally caught up with me! Living a creative life is a priority for me and is something that I hope to pass on to my children. For me, it’s not just a hobby, but a way to think creatively and find happiness and satisfaction within.
When I’m not caring for my family and shuttling my two young boys to school and sports activities, I can be found puttering around my blog—blissbloomblog.com. It’s a place where I share inspirations, great ideas and my own projects. When you have a chance, stop on by!
I like to work with different mediums, but my favorite projects are ones where I change things up a bit-- using fabric instead of paper; upcycling to create a new life for something destined for a landfill; finding a way to make a “difficult” craft easier and more efficient.
Here’s a round-up of some of my favorite projects over the past few years—
