Thursday, March 28, 2019

Welcome, Spring Link Party

It's time to welcome springtime! We're celebrating the beginning of spring with a group of our blogging friends with a link party for all things Spring! We hope you'll join us and share your springtime crafts, diy projects, recipes, and activities. We can't wait to see all of the inspiration!
Meet the co-hosts!
Each co-host will be sharing a spring time post to kick off the party. You’ll find our links in the first in the Link Up below. Please visit the links and check out all of the kick off posts. You’re sure to find lots of inspiration!

Everyone loves to see Spring finally arrive after a cold, dreary winter. Say "hello" to Spring with new craft ideas and creations with this awesome link party! 

Check out how much fun it is to transform an egg carton into something pretty here!  This recycled craft idea is perfect to hold and display decorative, decoupage eggs! And oh so easy to make!
You’re invited to share any spring related posts: Crafts, Decor, Activities, and Recipes. If it’s a way to celebrate spring, we’d love to have you share it with us! We’re looking forward to seeing your spring time creativity! We'll be pinning and sharing your posts over the next couple of weeks. The party is open through April 11 and on April 15 each host will be posting her features, so be sure to stop by for that.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter
Now, it's your turn! Share your Springtime Creativity with us!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Decoupage Birch Wood Planter




The Rules:

  • Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
  • There's no monthly theme.
  • There's no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Angie | Flippin Fanchers - Denise | My Thrifty House 
Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts - Lynne | My Family Thyme  
Meredith | Southbound Blog - Marie | The Inspiration Vault 
Pili | My Sweet Things - Amanda | Domestically Creative 
Ali | Home Crafts By Ali - Carmen | Living Letter Home 
 Emy | Semigloss Design - Jeanie | Create and Babble 
Marie | DIYAdulation -  Heather | Glitter On A Dime

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

Imagine my surprise to see a plain birch wood planter sitting on a shelf in the Goodwill!  It looked like it was handmade using real branches from a birch tree - complete with a roughness and variation of wood colors! And, for just four dollars, too!

But I hate to tell you that I've had this for almost two years now - not really knowing exactly what to do with it. It does have a lovely rustic charm but I didn't know how to fit it into my decor .  .  . until now.

I've been doing a lot of decoupaging lately and came across a napkin that had wood markings similar to birch wood, and a heart flower design in my favorite colors, as seen here! 
So I began by tearing out the heart-shaped flower image on the napkin. It's best to tear by hand instead of cutting out with scissors to avoid any sharp edges.  Most napkins are 2-3 ply layers so you need to separate the printed ply sheet from the plain layer sheets. 
Then, brush Mod Podge on the wood where you plan on placing the design. Then, place the design over the mod podge and gently smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles, working from the center out, being extremely careful over the rough wood spots. Apply additional mod podge where needed and let dry.
The mod podge seemed to darken the flower design and I didn't like that! I did try white paint underneath, but that didn't make a difference. 
But, the planter is still perfect for holding spring flowers - adding a natural beauty to any decor!

And now for more thrifty goodness!
Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Decoupage Egg Cartons for Spring

Check out how much fun it is to transform an egg carton into a pretty container for Spring! This recycled craft idea is perfect to hold and display decorative, decoupage eggs! 

Imagine my surprise to see cute little cardboard cartons of eggs sitting among all those styrofoam containers for sale. A light bulb went off in my head .  .  .

and I knew I had to transform at least one of these cartons into a pretty container to hold my decoupage eggs .  .  .


 a perfect project for this year's Welcome, Spring Link Party!

This post contain affiliate links.  I may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra.  The affiliate money I earn per month helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

Let's get started!

Materials:
Small cardboard egg carton
Decorative napkin designs
White acrylic paint/brush
Mod Podge decoupage glue
Gloss varnish
Ribbon

Directions:
Dampen the label to remove the label intact. Let dry. Use the label as a pattern to make a decorative design to decoupage onto the carton. 

Next, paint the egg carton white, inside and out and let dry.

Here's a picture of the napkin design that I used. 
The actual napkin design was too large for the carton and I didn't want to tear and decoupage it on, so I scanned the design onto cardstock using a laser printer. And used the dimensions of the label, sizing it in Word to fit the carton. Then, print and cut-out the new label design.  

Next, apply Mod Podge over the label area and lay the cardstock design on top. Use a plastic baggy to smooth out any wrinkles. 


Add additional coats of Mod Podge over the label and let dry between coats.

 Once completely dry, sealed the entire egg carton with gloss varnish for a shiny, glossy finish that gives it a somewhat ceramic look.
Have fun decoupaging lots of eggs .  .  .


and decoupage a design inside the carton, too! 

 
For a fun look, tie a bow ribbon to secure it all and you're set!

Welcome, Spring!


Be sure to stop by our Welcome, Spring Link Party starting on the 28th to join in the fun!

Thanks for stopping by
and take a little time to enjoy,

Happy Crafting!

Monday, March 25, 2019

Tobacco Basket Floral Bow Wreath

Tobacco baskets are very popular in home decor these days! They create a special unique look when combined with a decorative floral wreath and bow! 

And you won't believe how easy it is to make a lovely Tobacco Basket Floral Bow Wreath using pansy stems, floral wired ribbon and of course, the Bowdabra! Just perfect for Spring!

Please stop by Bowdabrablog, where I'm on the Design Team, for the complete, easy to follow tutorial on making one!
Thanks for stopping by,
Happy Crafting and Bow Making!

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Faux Furry Stool DIY


  Welcome to the March Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop hosted by Erlene @ My Pinterventures.  If you aren't familiar with the Pinterest Challenge, it's a monthly event that challenges us to not just be pin hoarders, but to make it happen!


This month, I wanted to make a faux furry stool - you know the type you see in so many home decor scenes! The stools are quite popular these days and there are lots of different styles to be found on Pinterest.

My idea to make a furry stool came about when I found this small table at the Goodwill for $6.00! 
Do you remember years ago when these tables were so popular as an accent piece in the bedroom? They were usually made of fiberboard and packaged in a flat box located in the tabletop section at stores like Linens-n-Things or Bed, Bath and Beyond. You could also get a round tablecloth covering to match your comforter and then add a glass top for under twenty dollars or so? Those were the days! 



And combine the table with some faux furry fabric like I had already from a sewing project that never materialized.


I found two packs of 16" round chair replacement foam at Walmart that fit perfectly on the table. I just glued all the foam pieces together for a 9" height and then glued it to the table and placed a heavy object on top until dry. I didn't need to use any batting because of the fluffiness of the fabric.


With the table and foam upside down on top of the fabric (furry side down) pull one side of the fabric up and over the wood top. Measure and mark how much is needed to cover sides and a bit of overhang on the wood. Smooth out the fabric and using a ruler, measure around foam and top forming a circle.


Cut out fabric following the drawn circle.

Next, pull up the fabric, smoothing out along sides and over the wood.  Staple fabric about an inch and a half away from the edge. Then go to the opposite side, pulling up tight, smoothing out and staple in place.
Do the same with the other sides as you move around the wood. Continue pulling up and smoothing out the fabric over the wood and stapling in place, creating a smooth edge. 
Once the fabric is secured, cut off the excess around where stapled.

What a quick and easy way to make a popular statement piece!

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.This post contain affiliate links.  I may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra.  The affiliate money I earn per month helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

To join next month's #pinterestchallenge, click here to sign-up ⇒ April Pinterest Challenge 

Let's meet this month's Pinterest Challenge hosts!Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop

Erlene - My Pinterventures  •  Jenny - Cookies Coffee and Crafts 
Debbee - Debbee's Buzz  •  Lynne - My Family Thyme 
 Pili - My Sweet Things  •   Bri - Halfpint Design 
  Julie - Sum of their Stories   •  Erin - The DIY Nuts  
  T'onna - Sew Crafty Crochet   •  Beverly - Across the Boulevard 
  Kristie - Love My Little Cottage  •  Roseann - This Autoimmune Life 
  Terri - Our Good Life    • Ali - Home Crafts by Ali  
 Cherryl - Farm Girl Reformed  •   Leslie - Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
  Kelli - K's Olympic Nest  • Lauren - Mom Home Guide  
 Joanne - Our Unschooling Journey  •  Shirley - Intelligent Domestications 
  Gail - Purple Hues and Me •   Audra -  Renewed Projects 
  Habiba - Craftify My Love   • Kristie - Teadoddles   
Marie - The Inspiration Vault  •  Susan - Suzerspace
Lydia - Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen •  Maria - Simple Nature Decor 
Sam - Raggedy Bits  •  Emily - Domestic Deadline 
  Marci - Stone Cottage Adeventures     
  Alayna - Alayna's Creations   • Terrie - Decorate and More with Tip

Find the hosts' Pinterest Challenge Inspired Projects below ⇓⇓


Monday, March 18, 2019

Decoupage Eggs with Colorful Napkins

It's that time again for our monthly Craft Room De-Stash Challenge!
Every month a group of bloggers are challenged by C'mon Get Crafty to create a new craft or project from their own stash of goodies! 

Spring is almost here and Easter is just around the corner, so for this challenge I'm once again using paper napkins (like I did here last month) but this time I decoupage napkins to eggs for a beautiful decorative look for Easter! 

It's a fun and easy DIY craft to make and it's quite a popular Easter project this time of year!  It's so much prettier than dyed eggs! But the best part, I had everything I needed to make these in my stash!

Materials
  • Faux eggs (white)
  • Printed paper napkins
  • Small scissors
  • Mod Podge decoupage glue
  • Soft bristles paint brush
  • Cardboard tube/craft knife  
Here's how:
  1. Cut out designs from printed napkins using small scissors. Separate the printed layer from the white layers.
  2. Paint a thin layer of decoupage glue on a white or painted white egg, and then lay the cut-out design on top, smoothing out from the center of the design out to the edges with a paint brush. You can also use your finger dipped in decoupage glue to remove any wrinkles. Let dry.
  3. Add additional napkin designs as desired following the same previous steps.
  4. Seal with additional decoupage glue to the entire egg and let dry.
  5. Make egg stands by cutting small pieces from a empty cardboard roll.
  6. Have fun cutting out additional decorative napkin designs to decoupage on eggs!
What crafty creations could you make today from YOUR craft stash? #CraftRoomDestashChallenge
  
Every month, a group of bloggers challenge each other to create a new craft or project from their own stash of goodies! Check out some awesome creations you might be able to make from your own stash! #CraftRoomDestashChallenge    
Check out some awesome creations you might be able to make from your own stash! Everyone is allowed a $10 max to create a new craft utilizing mostly their own stash of craft supplies! 

If you'd like to join in the Craft Room De-Stash Challenge, you can request to join our Facebook group here!


Let's Meet the Hosts!



 

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Make a Colorful Bows Centerpiece


Whether you're decorating for Mardi Gras, St Patrick's Day, or any holiday for that matter, let me show you how to make a one of a kind colorful bows centerpiece!

I'm over on Bowdabrablog today sharing a brand new, easy to follow tutorial on how to make this lovely centerpiece using my Bowdabra!  

Click on over and be inspired by a simple and unique way to decorate with bows! You won't be disappointed!


Happy Crafting and Bow Making!