DIY Fall Felt Garland

I saw this idea on Elise's Instagram a long time ago.... like, at Christmas ;) She made a super cute Christmas garland out of felt and twine. Felt and twine. That's it. SO incredibly easy (and cheap!). I decided to make one out of Autumn colors (and yes, I have Christmas colors to make a Christmas one as well).

Basically, I bought a 1/4 yard of 6 different fall-looking colors of felt. I cut them into 1" strips (so, 1"x 9" each) and then tied them on jute twine. Just a simple tie, not knotted or anything. At first (like Elise said), it didn't look like much and I was honestly thinking "Oh my goodness, this looks horrible". But it really did come together and I love it! I made an 8-foot garland and had enough felt strips left to make another 5ish-foot garland. 

I love how it looks sitting on my buffet behind some other Autumn decorations :)

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Handmade: I Love You So Much Card

My hubby and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary (!!!) this weekend :) I, of course, wanted to make him a card and knew that it had to include confetti. So I made up a cut file and cut it out on my Silhouette, attached a clear transparency with adhesive, and then sewed it to a piece of kraft cardstock - I put the confetti in after sewing up three sides and then sewed it shut :)

He loved it :)

DIY: Mini MiniBooks

I have a ton of paper scraps laying around (yes, I have a paper problem ;)) from various projects. I also have a ton of Project Life cards that I've collected over time (at this point, I do not do Project Life - I reallllly want to try it come January 1. I love the idea of it. Love it). So what better to do than put them into a little album?! I made these up over the course of 36 hours and love them. I put these in my shop, but plan on making a few more for family and friends for Christmas. Perfect to throw in your purse or bag and jot a note or thought.

Any types of paper would do - old junk mail envelopes deconstructed and cut down, card stock or scrapbooking paper (if you have a local craft store, you would only need a few sheets -- you can get 12 pages out of one 12"x12" piece of scrapbooking paper. Use some chipboard (or cut down a cereal box :)), and finish off with binder rings (available at office supply stores - or I have some available in my shop here), or use ribbon! Voila! A cute little book that's fun to jot in :)

DIY Fall Roundup

I'm always on the lookout for fun DIY seasonal crafts. I'm loving these fabulous DIY projects below. Go here to see a past Fall Craft Roundup, full of more fun projects for this Fall season :)

1. Felt Leaves Garland by Pam Garrison

2. Twig Votive Holder by Fossil

3. DIY Pumpkin Votive Holders from Martha Stewart
4. The Thankful Tree by Simply Vintage Girl
5. Wax Paper and Crayon Fall Leaves by V and Co
6. Book Page Pumpkin by Craftberry Bush
7. Simple Thankful Bunting by My Fabuless Life

*all images from blogs/sites listed

DIY: Spring Decor and Projects Roundup

Happy Monday :) And Happy Spring! A round-up of some lovely DIY projects - perfect to celebrate Spring and Easter! I love, love, love, the beautiful colors that come with springtime - and these projects all shout "SPRING!" :) 

1. Fabric Scrap Banner by iheartnaptime
2. Jellybean Napkin Rings by Delish
3. Letter Wall by The Love Nerds
4. Bunny Banner by Pieces of Me
5. Bunny Candy Pouch by Mermag
6. Decoupage Bunny by Little Birdie Secrets
7. Easter Flag by Heather Cameron
8. Yarn and Twig Dandelions via apartment therapy
9. Glitter Vases by The Sweetest Occasion
10. Grocery Bag Easter Basket by ellinee

*all images are from their respective sites

DIY: Stenciled Creative Bits Jar

I've had this super fun glass canister for quite some time and it's sat all empty above my kitchen cabinets - mainly because I had no idea how I wanted to use it. 

Well, I recently had the opportunity to try out a bunch of wonderful goodies from the new and fabulous line of Martha Stewart glass painting products from Plaid. So excited that these are now available at Michael's craft store.

I decided to spruce up my plain old glass canister with some of these fun glass paints and stencils. Quick and fairly easy, this was a fun nap-time project to complete. All you need is:

+ an old (or new!) glass canister

+ Martha Stewart Crafts glass paints - I used transparent and opaque paints

+ Martha Stewart Crafts Bold Sans Letter Adhesive Stencils

+ Martha Stewart Crafts Paint Dauber

I started out by simply placing the adhesive stencils on one side of the canister (I used a larger size on two sides, and a smaller size on one of the other sides). These peel off of the sheet and stick right onto the glass surface. And they are easily re-positionable if you make a mistake ;)

Squeeze a little bit of desired paint onto each stencil, taking care not to get it on the glass (if you do, it's ok, it cleans off fairly easily). Using the paint dauber, gently dabble the paint to fully cover the stencil area.

Before the paint dries, gently peel off the stencils. I repositioned the "e" to finish off the word "create".

I also used smaller stencils and white opaque paint to put "create" vertically on one side. I then cleaned all of the stencils - super easy, just run them under warm water and clean off the paint. Let dry. Then reapply them to the plastic sheet and store until next time :)

I love how the jar turned out. I especially liked the white opaque paint and think I might add the larger stencils in white on the remaining side.

I had a bunch of bits and pieces that didn't really have a home, so I put them in the jar :)  It's fun to see them displayed all together in the jar - colorful and fun.

Interested in learning more about Plaid and all of their great products? Find them here:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InspiredByPlaid

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PlaidCrafts

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/PlaidCrafts

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*Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Martha Stewart Glass Paints and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own.

a card a day: june daily challenge

I have loved doing the photo a day: in may challenge this past month (will share the final few photos later today :)). I love that I was completing a fairly easy challenge to capture one moment per day. For me, it was a good start to getting used to an everyday challenge.

So for June: I have decided to create a small card each day. 

The cards are 3"x4" and I cut them from white cardstock (only takes 5 sheets - 6 cards per sheet), and I decided to round the corners. Random challenge, you say? :) I used to have a cute little scrapbook calendar that had a "layout a day" every day of the year. I knew there was no way I could possibly do a huge 12"x12" (or even 8.5"x11") layout per day (I've also seen creating a "greeting card" a day! Fun!). So I started thinking on a smaller level. I like the idea of creating a mini-layout each day. The 3"x4" parameter will be challenging, but also good to have the constraint. I also mainly chose this size so that they could fit in my Project Life album. Or possibly into a little mini album. However, I'm not sure how I will put them all together yet.

What will each card be like? At this point, I have thought of a couple ideas and themes - I plan to do each color in the rainbow. And also like the idea of creating cards around one word, like vintage, or paper, or washi tape, or map, or a thought or emotion: happy, excited, think, discover. Things like that. I will also do a lot of randomness, I'm sure - whatever I'm feeling like creating that particular day :) I will use bits and pieces I have around my workspace - bits of paper, maybe pictures or words from a magazine, washi tape, sewing, anything really! I'm thinking this will also be a good way to use up some scraps :)

So, would you like to join in? Whether you are able to complete a card every day, every other day, etc., the point is to flex your creative muscles by creating. Creating a simple and small card. I'd love to see what you create! I've set up a flickr group here. Feel free to post pictures of your cards, or take a look at others. Alright, June begins tomorrow. Let's get started! :)

Fabric Covered Buttons

I've heard of people making their own fabric covered buttons and have been looking into figuring out how to make my own. Well, I was at Wal-Mart the other day, looking around in the sewing section and happened upon a little "Fabric Covered Button Making Kit" - Yay! It was less than $2.00 for a kit to make five covered buttons, so I decided to go for it.

I had some fabric scraps on hand and used them to try out the kit. I was amazed at how easy it was. These are SO incredibly easy to make. As in, it took less than one minute to make each! 

All I did was cut out a 1.5"-ish circle of fabric and followed the directions on the back of the package.

 Simple enough. Put the fabric in the little thing-a-ma-jig, then put on the top button part.

Push that down into the white thing-a-ma-jig, then lightly push the fabric towards the middle.

Put the back of the button on, use the blue thing-a-ma-jig and push down to snap into place. 

And voila! A cute little fabric covered button. You could add these to a bag or tote, or maybe to an apron? 

I found these on etsy - they are flatback, so maybe if you used these "flatbacks" they could be used on a scrapbooking page or in a journal?!

If you would rather order a kit online, this shop has kits with 10 buttons to cover for a very reasonable price - or flatback kits here. So fun! :)

Last Minute DIY Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Happy Friday! Mother's Day is this weekend :) Looking for a last minute DIY gift? Here are some fun ideas that are thoughtful and fairly simple to make :) Have a fabulous weekend!

Tiny Polaroid Magnets by Ambrosia Creative

Mason Jar Pincushions by Stolen Moments

Fabric Covered Notebooks by The Bride's Diary

Block Print Poppies Pillows by Martha Stewart

Mother's Day Memory Jars by Better Homes and Gardens 

via Everyday Celebrating

I Love You this Much by A Day in My Life

Etched Glass Dish by Make It and Love It

10 Things I Love about You from The Creative Place (from my archives)
*all images from their respective websites :)

DIY :: Confetti Gift Tag

I love confetti. I know that must be obvious, because I am always coming up with (and sharing) projects to use it in, and most of my journals I make or sell have confetti windows :) I was trying to come up with a creative way to make a gift tag, and voila! I came up with making a small shipping tag with a confetti window in it :) Much like this or this card, but a simple tag instead.

These are fairly simple to make, and the results are so fun :) You could easily make a larger tag also :)

Supplies:
+ 1 shipping tag to trace around (or you could freehand it, if you don't have one)
+ 2 small scraps of kraft paper large enough to cut two of above shipping tags
+ 1 small piece of transparency (or you could use part of a sheet protector or baseball card holder), small enough to fit in between the cut shipping tags without sticking out
+ Confetti - use a hole punch to punch holes from various papers
+ Pencil, scissors, rolling adhesive, hole punch
+ 1" paper punch (you could also freehand cut a square, if you don't have a punch)

 Begin by tracing the shipping tag onto the kraft paper with the pencil.

I layered my kraft scraps and cut the two tags out at the same time. Using the shipping tag as a guide, punch the hole in the top of the kraft tags (I again layered mine and punched them together).

 Cut out one small piece of transparency.

Using the 1" paper punch, punch a hole in one of the the kraft tags. I made a few pencil marks to make sure I got the punch centered. Place adhesive around the punched area very carefully.

 Adhere the transparency piece.

Now, Put more adhesive up on the top part of the shipping tag that has the transparency. Put adhesive around the edges of the other shipping tag - don't use too much or it will be visible in the window area. I tried to kind of run mine off the edges. I then piled the confetti very carefully on top of the window area. I placed the shipping tag without the window on top and pressed firmly to secure.

 A confetti tag!

 Perfect to add to a little package or gift :)

Happy May!

Hello May! My goodness, we are almost halfway through the year! Out enjoying the sunshine, warmth and food with friends at a local park today :)

A couple years ago, Joanne, from Ready, Set Craft! shared this fabulous tutorial on making a May Day Basket - go here to check it out and make your own. The tradition is to make one and fill it with goodies, leave it on someone's doorstep, ring the bell and run away :) What a fun little tradition!

My boys and I will be attempting to make a few of these today to surprise my hubby (daddy) when he gets home from work :)

Have a fabulous day! :)

DIY :: Mini Album from One Sheet of Paper

Yesterday, I shared my latest mini album, and how it is made from a single sheet of 12"x12" scrapbooking paper (cardstock). So for today - a step-by-step of how to make your own :) I'm thinking these would be great gifts. Simple to make (all you really need is a sheet of 12"x12" paper, scissors, a ruler, and adhesive), but very thoughtful and personal :) Fill them with pictures, notes, journaling, or Scripture. Voila! A cute and meaningful gift :)

Supplies:

+ 1 sheet of 12"x12" double sided cardstock

+ adhesive (I use Tombow permanent rolling adhesive)
+ ruler and pencil to mark measurements

+ scissors, paper cutter, or a cutting mat and rotary blade

Begin by cutting a 4 inch strip off of one side of your cardstock. You won't need this 4 inch strip, so save it for something else :)

Turn the sheet so it is 12 inches long and 8 inches tall. Measure 3 inches in from one of the short sides, and 4 inches down from the top (I used that heart strip below as a guide as I was measuring my 3 inches in from the side). See below measurement guide.

Next, cut a straight line from the right side, up to that mark you just made. See pictures below.

This is what your sheet should now look like (I put something under the top piece to show how it is cut ;)).

Fold the wrong sides together (that you don't want visible on the inside pages). 

Open it back up so you are looking at the wrong sides (this side will actually be your cover and back cover). Fold one side in half (6 inches), see below.

Now do the same with the top flap.

Open the flaps back up and fold those flaps in half (3 inches).

 Now fold the other side (the left side below) in half 3 inches.

You should now have 4 equal sections (each 3 inches wide and 4 inches tall).

Stand the paper up so it looks like this.

Fold the top section per the picture below.

 It should look like this.

Now do the same with the bottom section.

 We're almost finished. This is what it should look like.

Now, glue the "pages" together. Glue the two sides that are shown with the black arrows together, the two sides with the white arrows together, and then the extra flaps shown with the brown arrow together. You'll now have 5 pages, including the page that will be the cover and the page that will be the back cover.

 It should look like this.

At this point, you can glue a cover sheet (approximately 4"x6.25" sheet of paper) to cover up the spine. I decided to just use washi tape. Then, fill with photos, journaling, quotes or Scripture :) Voila! A cute little mini album that's quick to make :)