Foam Sheet Ruffles and Cardboard Valentine Wreath

Disclosure I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, this post may contain links. I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you! The affiliate money I earn helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

Dress up any door or wall with this adorable Valentine Wreath!  I love crafting with foam sheets - also called eva foam. They can be shaped and manipulated with heat into lovely creations - I think so much better and easier than using felt or paper! You can find some of my previous foam sheet creations here, here, here, and here, just to show a few. The best part about this is wreath is that it is totally a recycle craft starting with a cardboard box and newspaper! And you won't believe how easy it is to make! 

Materials:

Cardboard box 

Newspaper

Marker

Scissors

Craft knife

Foam Sheets

Tacky Glue

DAP RapidFuse All Purpose Adhesive

3" Circle Punch

Small electric griddle/iron

Ribbon for hanging

How I made it:

First, I cut out the side of a large cardboard box for the wreath base.

Then, I created a heart shape template out of newspaper by folding a full newspaper sheet in half, drawing a half heart as large as the height of the cardboard.

Cut that out and open it on top of the cardboard to trace! 

Next, used the newspaper heart to draw a heart approximately 2" smaller to cut out. Then use that as a template to trace a smaller heart in the middle of the larger heart .  .  .

to cut out. 

And then applied tacky glue to one side and placed a foam sheet on top, smoothing it out. 

Let dry completely for a few hours.

While the foam heart shape base was drying, began punching out foam circles using a 3" circle punch. I could get 20 circles from a 12"x18" foam sheet and used four different shades of pink foam sheets to cut out 80 circles. It was easier to turn the circle punch over so I could see and adjust the position of the foam sheet and have less waste between circles.

Once all the circles were punched out, it was time to make the ruffles using a small electric griddle on low.  If you don't have an electric griddle, you can use the flat surface of an iron on low heat that's safely propped up. Once I placed the foam circle on the griddle, I watched closely to see the edges curl up. Then quickly picked up the circle, holding in the sides gently .  .  .

to create the ruffle.

I also used my fingers on my other hand to push in the opposite sides for more ruffles.

Continued heating and picking up the circles to shape into ruffles  .  .  .

until all the circles were ruffles! Then grouped them together in like colors.

Next, I started gluing on the ruffles along one side using a quick drying glue called DAP RapidFuse.  I tried using hot glue first, but hot glue doesn't bond well foam sheet to foam sheet. It was quite messy and took too much time to dry and stick. Phewy! So I got out my trusty RapidFuse glue to use! A super glue would work too.

With the four different shades I was able to glue on a different shade next to each other for a nice visual effect.

I'm quite pleased with how the wreath looks!

  These pictures don't quite show its' fabulous uniqueness!

And finally, I tied a ribbon into a bow and then stapled the tails onto the back for hanging.

How lovely is this!

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy,

Happy Crafting!

How to Make a Wrapping Paper Heart

Thinking of a different approach to the more traditional colors of Valentines?  Forget the reds and pinks! Surprise yourself and make something new and refreshing that will still provide the loving and enticing atmosphere of Valentine's Day!  Think  metallics!  You can make a big impact by using recycle/upcycle materials like gift wrapping in bold metallic colors - that's sure to add a variety of texture and uniqueness to your valentine decorating skills!  And this heart is so easy to make, you probably already have the materials on hand: 

• Metallic wrapping paper - 13ft
• Thick wire (craft 12 gauge aluminum) or just use a wire coat hanger
• Wire cutter
• Scissors
• Skewer stick
• Tacky glue
• Clamp

1.  Cut off enough wire for the size of heart you want (14"x12"), bringing the ends together, curving the wire into a heart shape.

To make the tubes (about 50 for this size), I cut 3" strips of 27.5" wide wrapping paper and placed a skewer stick on the corner edge of paper at an angle. Then wrapped the end tip of the paper over the skewer and started rolling the paper with fingers pressed down on the table first.  Once you've started rolling the paper, lift up the tube so your left fingers are controlling the roll while your right hand is rolling the stick and tightening the tube.
  Just before finishing the roll, add tacky glue to the corner end tip and continue rolling until reaching the end to seal.

Temporarily straighten the heart shaped wire into a "V" to insert two tubes on either side  .  .  .

and then re-shape into a heart.  Glue the ends together at the center curve, and glue on another tube, as pictured.

Begin wrapping the tube around the heart  .  .  .

adding on additional tubes by dipping end into a little glue and inserting into the wrapping tube to make it continuous. You can clamp the tubes together while waiting for the glue to dry and continue wrapping.

As you're wrapping the tubes around the heart go back and forth -  and not in the same direction - until you're satisfied with the look and size.  The end of the last wrapped tube can be glued and inserted down among the other tubes. 

Valentine's Day décor can be as unique and non-traditional as you want it to be. Just be sure to create it lovingly! Isn't that what makes it so special?

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy,

Happy Crafting!

DIY Wedding Favors

Planning a wedding? I'm over on Bowdabra.com with an easy to follow tutorial on how to make this adorable wedding favor! Please stop by to check it out!

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy,

Happy Crafting!

Upcycle Whimsical Painted Urn

It's time for The Thrift Store Upcycle Challenge on the fourth Thursday of the month! Our first for the new year, 2020! Here, a group of creative bloggers come together to share their lovely transformations of a thrift store item. Who doesn't love thrift store upcycle projects - whether it's actually creating one or admiring how an item from a thrift store was transformed! 

 

 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:

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela - Pili | My Sweet Things  

Beverly | Across the Blvd - Gail | Purple Hues and Me 

Chas | Chas' Crazy Creations - Michelle | Our Craft Mom  

Meredith | Thriftwood Home - Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home 

 Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts

It's always fun shopping at Thrift stores! Sometimes you discover awesome pieces and sometimes you don't! I think it just depends on the day! I found a winner when I came upon this beauty a few months ago!  It was only $3.99! What a bargain!

The urn had lots of blemishes and imperfections and it didn't do much good using sandpaper on it since it was concrete. But it was a solid piece! I wanted to paint the urn in a whimsical design using a bit of purple - and not do the usual aged look finish. So I started out using a white chalk paint to cover all of it - inside and out!

Next, I added purple using metallic acrylics to some of the raised designs around the bottom. At that point things were not looking so good.  It still looked plain and when I attempted to add stripes to the upper portion using masking tape, the tape took off some of the chalk paint, so I nixed doing that. 

Then I thought how polka dots would be easy to add and help give the urn a striking design.  So I dipped the end of a wooden dowel into the metallic paint and carefully pressed it onto the urn surface for what I think is a lovely effect. 

After the dots were completely dry, I applied a couple of coats of gloss varnish to seal and give the finish a shiny look!

What a fun way to update a thrift store urn!

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

Stylish Storage Containers Using Paper

Welcome to the first Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop of 2020 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 by creating a few!

 This month's challenge is about organization and storage.  I was quite hesitant to join this month.  I'm so sorry to be saying this, but every new year, it's the same old, same old:  "the new year represents opportunities to get organized and storage solutions!" Why now? I am not motivated to do much in the cold weather especially since I have no extra space (we downsized a few years ago) to build, paint or even rearrange things. I like it when it's warm so I can take stuff outside and do my thing! And it's not a good time for me to sort through things either. We just got finished with Christmas - sorting and rearranging- throwing things out! Whew! I'm already worn out! That's why I was drawn to this pin! So simple and easy!

It's a super easy organization and storage idea using recycle glass jars and decorative papers to create lovely storage solutions anywhere in your home! And the best part, you can change things up by simply replacing the paper! Now, how easy is that! 

Stylish Storage Containers Using Paper Materials:
Recycle glass jars
Decorative Papers
Measuring tape
Scissors/paper cutter 


Here's how:

• Clean and remove the labels from recycle glass jars making sure there is no sticky residue. I like to use acetone (nail polish remover) for this. I guess you figured out I like pickles, huh?

• Measure the height of the jar where you want the paper to stop. Consider any curves in the glass when measuring - that can affect how the paper sits in the container.

• Cut paper out.

• Roll-up paper and insert into jar.

• Now cut out more decorative papers to line those empty jars!

• And then fill those jars with like items!

Now, how easy is that! It's so embarrassingly simple! And if you get tired of the colors and design, just switch out the paper! How about that!

TO JOIN NEXT MONTH’S #PINTERESTCHALLENGE, CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP ⇒ February Pinterest Challenge

---

For more Pinterest inspired projects from this month's Pinterest Challenge hosts, check out the links below ↓

 

My Pinterventures  •  Domestic Deadline  

   Cookies Coffee and Crafts   

Across the Boulevard  •  Slices of Life 

Teadoddles •  Farm Girl Reformed   

Purple Hues and Me   •   Decorate and More with Tip  

 Sew Crafty Crochet  •  Life Beyond Kitchen 

Mom Home Guide   •  Intelligent Domestications   

   Love My Little Cottage   

 Eye Love Knots  •   My Family Thyme 

Create with Cynthia    

Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After 

Christine Faye Repurposed  

   Now, let's see what the other hosts have created ⇓⇓

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter