Thursday, July 21, 2011

GIANT SCRABBLE TILES


I had these wooden baby blocks in my daughters closet that weren't being used so I decided to repurpose them by turning them into giant scrabble tiles.



They were plain stained wood on the back so I just flipped them over and using my Cricut and Sure Cuts A Lot software gave them new life.


In case your wondering I used the KALINGA font for the letters and ARIEL font for the numbers.

I've started making my own tiles for gifts so I'll be sure to post my tutorial when I'm finished. 

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

BRASS FIREPLACE REDO

I really should of done this many years ago but better late than never right? I guess you can say nesting got the best of me yesterday since I decided to tackle my gold fireplace surround.

I don't have pics of the process since I was in a hurry to just get it done, however, I'll share what I did with some before and afters.

Here is my fireplace BEFORE....warning blindness may occur when looking at the BRASS


1. Start by removing your brass surround pieces. If you're unable to remove them or it's too yucky outside to spray paint you can use Rust-oleums high heat brush on paint instead.

2. Take them outside and lightly sand the brass. The idea here is to rough up the smooth slick surface so the paint adheres better.

3. Wipe and dry your brass pieces.

4. Gather your protective equipment that should be used when spray painting....safety first people!! 
*respirator
* protective eye wear
*long sleeve clothing


5. Cover your work surface with a drop cloth or cardboard. I wouldn't suggest plastic since your spray painted stuff will stick to it.

 Oh and spray paint outside in mild temperatures with no wind, unless you want the side of your house or your children spray painted in the process.

7. I used Rust-oleum's High Heat Spray Paint in black. It cost me a whopping 6 bucks from Home Depot.

8. Follow the directions on the spray paint can and start to paint your pieces.

Because the rain was on its way I only did two coats of spray paint where I probably would've done three of four....I'm obsessive like that.
Really a fireplace surround rarely gets touched so two is probably all you need.

9. Once your pieces are completely dry slap em back onto your fireplace and say goodbye to the 90's.


Wednesday, July 6, 2011

DIY COFFEE TABLE TRAY

I've been s-l-o-w-l-y working on projects and it seems as though I have a million of them going at once.

I'm happy to say I finally have one complete and off my to craft list, and that is this coffee table tray.

I started with a piece of flat board and some 2 x 1's I found in the garage....hmm I think those are 2 x 1's, I'm no professional wood worker ok.


I cut and sanded my wood pieces down to size so they all fit nicely together to create a tray. I used wood glue and small nails to keep it all together.


Next I painted the tray using two coats of my Behr Black Suede interior paint from Home Depot.

Once the paint was completely dry I enlisted my little assistant to help me sand the tray down to give it the worn, primitive look.


To complete the tray look I added these window pulls I purchased from Home Depot. They were a lot cheaper than  any of the handles in the knobs and handle section and I liked that they looked a little more shabby and worn looking.


At the last minute I remembered I needed to give this baby a coat of my Mini Wax Dark Walnut Stain.

There she is all done!!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

DIY Prints With Picnik

The other night I was browsing on ETSY (my guilty pleasure) and I came across some cute prints perfect for a child's room.

I then got to thinking "hey I could make those....I once saw a great tutorial over at 
I Am Momma Hear Me Roar,
that explains how to make your own printables easy peasily using the free program PICNIK"!! 

Before you head on over there to become inspired  check out the prints I made for my soon to arrive son's nursery.
If your looking for some inspiration for your own prints head on over to Etsy.
I printed these Picnik creations on my printer using best print quality and glossy or matte photo paper.

Once you've printed them add them to a cheap frame found at Walmart or Ikea and voila, instant art!!
I'll show off the real thing once I get them framed.


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

CHEAP DIY VINYL ART

Two weeks ago we were delighted to find out that we are adding a baby boy to our family. With that confirmed I got down to creating some decorations for his nursery.

We've decided on a friendly monster theme for our little dude and so far it's turning out to be a fun theme.

Using canvas from the dollar store and some vinyl I created these wall hangings...


Wanna make some too??? The possibilites are endless and did I mention they are cheap to make??


Grab yourself some canvas from the dollar store and paint it with acrylic paint. I chose this metallic teal colour which seemed kinda space/monsterish.


Draw your designs on paper, or better yet use your Cricut or Silhouette machine to cut them out.
I couldn't find any monsters I liked so I just freehanded them.


Cut out your paper shapes and trace onto the back of your vinyl if your doing the freehand method. Be sure to flip them so they turn out the right way once you cut them out.  


Use a scalpel for fine cuts and a punch for perfect circles...

Once your design is cut out on your vinyl use some transfer tape to stick your designs onto the canvas. To save money I use cheap old clear contact paper from walmart. It does the exact same thing for half the price.


Peel the backing off the contact paper and stick to the front of your vinyl design. This will now allow you to peel off the backing from your vinyl exposing the stickiness so it can be placed onto your canvas.


Stick your design onto the canvas and smooth out any bubbles using a popsicle stick or credit card.
Don't press down too hard or you will stretch out the canvas.


Gently pull back the contact paper slowly making sure the canvas is adhering as you go. If it starts to pull up just press down with your finger and try again.

Here is all three together....my husband thinks the middle one looks kinda like a frog....it's a monster frog ok!!


Psst I'm linking this to...

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

CUSTOM BLOG LINK BUTTON FOR iPHONE/iPAD/iPOD

Last week I said to my husband " I wish I had my own custom link button on my iphone that with one click would take me directly to my blog....
Then bam this morning MISS CRAFTY PANTS
posts this wonderful tutorial on how to do just that.

It took me less than 10 minutes to make my custom button and install it on my iphone.
This tutorial also works on the ipad and ipod too!
Have fun!!



Saturday, April 9, 2011

GLASS VINYL SIGN KNOCKOFF

I've seen these beauties in a few gift stores around town with a hefty price tag attached to them. 


Purchasing one at $100 would mean my family wouldn't eat for a week so I decided to make my own....the cost you ask??
Under 10 BUCKS!!

I purchased an unfinished poster frame from the dollar store for $5 and painted it black.


I roughed up the edges with my sander
then stained it with my Mini Wax dark walnut stain.

I printed my vinyl letters on my Cricut machine and stuck them onto the front of my piece of plexi glass (this was the hardest part, getting them centred and straight).

Ok so it's not glass like the the big ticket frames but once you get it on your wall you could never tell the difference.


Psst I'm linking this to..

Thursday, April 7, 2011

FELT CAR MAT

This project has been on my "to craft list" for a very long time. When my daughter showed an obsession for matchbox cars it gave me the nudge I needed to start working on her felt car mat.

My husband and I thought of all the places a town needed like a Tim Hortons Coffee shop and a Target..haha.  
I made a sketch on paper of how I wanted Ashtyn's town to look.
I used inkjet cotton sheets (from Michaels) to print off each business logo so Ashtyn could recognize each business.


This project was definitely a labour of love and it was sometimes tricky sewing the smaller pieces of felt. But all in all I'm happy with how it turned out and best of all Ashtyn is one happy customer.

TIP: if your pressed for time use a glue gun to affix your pieces onto your mat.





Psst I'm linking this to...

Monday, April 4, 2011

I'm BAAAACK

Hello my friends....no I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I've been working on a big project that is set to make an appearance in October. Lets just say that this project has taken all the life and energy out of me. I wont' keep you waiting much longer....here is a sneak peak of what I've been working on...


I've got a few great "craft" projects that I'll be posting in the coming days. Thanks for your patience while I dragged my butt through my first trimester!!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Camera Strap Cover Tutorials


Last week I whipped up these cute DSLR camera strap covers for myself and a girlfriend. They just slip right over the Canon and Nikon strap that comes with your camera. They are super handy since they have a little pocket to hold your lense cap and are padded for extra comfort on your neck. Ok so we havent really learned to use our cameras yet but at least they look cute.


Wanna make your own??
Here are some great camera strap tuToRiALs

(this is the one I used)




Monday, February 7, 2011

Easy To Make Coat Hook

Not too long ago this is where my daughters coats could often be found. 

To nip the mess in the you know what, I made this coat hook for her belongings.

Like many other projects of mine it was cheap and easy.

{You will need}
* a piece of wood cut to desired length
(dont have tools to cut? Places like home depot will cut wood for you)
* hooks
* paint
* stain (optional)
* vinyl letters or numbers to personalize

Lets get to work

1. Paint your wood and let it dry completely
2. Sand the edges if you want the distressed look and
stain if you desire. I always do, it gives it more of a finished look and protects.
3. Screw on your hooks. I used 4.
4. Add your vinyl whether it be your children's names or numbers or symbols.
5. Hang your new coat hook on the wall and give yourself a pat on the back because you no longer have coats on the floor.





I'm linking this project to...





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