The Self Life took on a Do-It-Yourself Pinterest challenge and landed on DIY Concrete Planters; we couldn’t be more thrilled that they did! The result was easy-enough instructions and some great tips for the rest of us!
We couldn’t get to the hardware store fast enough to mix up some cement of our own and get started.
Please click here to visit The Self Life and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Amanda
Mission: Attempt a DIY medium I have never even thought of working with – cement – to create an adorable home for some sweet little succulents.
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
First mistake was not mixing my cement in a separate container. I of course didn’t realize just how much of a mistake until 24 hours later when I pulled the hardened cement out of the containers.
Also, I wished I would have let it harden for another few hours. It seemed like it was not completely dry on the bottom. Once I got them out I realized the largest container was a great size but I did not fill it high enough and didn’t push the cup low enough. Sadly that one may need to be a candle holder or a giant paper weight!
Oh, and use a sturdy spoon. My plastic number didn’t hold up well!
Pros:
The cement is a really cool look. The texture is very industrial and the color is fantastic.
Cons:
Practice. Practice. Practice. Not so much a con as it is a “to-do” for next time. Definitely make sure you fill your container high enough so you have enough space for your plant.
Tip: use a clear solo cup instead of colored so you can see how deep your hole will be.
Conclusion:
I will definitely be making these again. I feel like I have nailed down the “what-went-wrong” and would love to make a larger pot and maybe paint it partially or something. Plus I have about half the container left over so I HAVE to do some kind of cement project.
Reviewer #2 – Sarah
Mission: To try my hand at using cement in a DIY project!
Details:
Maren, Kristy and I were able to do this project as a group – it is always more fun crafting with your friends.
We set up shop in Maren’s kitchen – placing old towels all over her counter top before beginning.
Getting the Quik Set Cement container open was a process in itself! Maren brought out her big guns to get the job done and we had a lot of laughs in the process!
Maren is always prepared and she had tons of plastic containers for use as well as a watering can for water.
- I had brought a gallon ice cream container to use for my pot and borrowed one of Maren’s smaller ones for the inside inset.
I began by filling my container about half-full with cement and then added the necessary amount of water and started stirring. This is when the stress set in. Knowing we had a limited amount of time to mix this before it began to set drained me. It was hard work!
After I had it mixed I placed the plastic container for the inset in and pushed it down about 3” into the cement. I then used the spoon to smooth out the top and let it sit until the next day.
Once it was dry, I pulled the inset container out and popped the cement planter out of the gallon container. I decided to not use sandpaper to smooth out the top as I really like the rough, natural look of it. I then transplanted my orchid into the pot and I really hope it continues to thrive in there!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Have your water handy in a watering can – this way it is at the ready if you need to thin out your cement mix.
Use mixing utensils that you don’t mind end up in the garbage as they get pretty gunked up during the process.
Pros:
Very minimal items needed to create these and they turn out darling!
Cons:
A little intense during the process of mixing – we used quick set cement and it got us a bit fired up to be speedy so we would get them prepped before they started to set!
After I had mine mixed, I wished I would have put more cement mix in to make it a larger pot. I only ended up filling the gallon container about half full and though I like it, I think had I filled it the entire way, it would have been more of a statement piece.
Conclusion:
These are very darling, but I am curious to see how my orchid plant does in the long run.
I am not sure I would ever attempt to do these again – it honestly stressed me out too much during the process! But, the idea of a large one outside my front door is pretty intriguing!
Reviewer #3 - Maren
Mission: I could not wait to try this project. I have been dying to get my hands on a concrete planter ever since I first laid eyes on one. Although I have seen several listed on Etsy, as Elisa mentioned, they were a little pricey and I couldn’t help but think that I could probably make one myself. Yipeee! Thank you The Self Life!
Details:
- I saved up every dang container that we had from the past couple of weeks to make sure that we had a good selection. I also raided the house for party cups and other small containers. The best choices for me ended up being a 32 oz cottage cheese container, one of Kristy’s $1 store bowls and those little 9 ounce party tumblers (for the inside cavity). I used a Keg Cup for one, and that worked great as well.
- I couldn’t find the Sakrete that Elisa used in her post, but did find Quikrete Quik Set Cement which is basically the same thing – per my husband.
- In my head I swore that I was supposed to sand down the top of the planter when I was done. Apparently not, although I did with my handy little Black & Decker Multi Sander. I love that thing!
- My succulents are babies from my Succulent Tea Cup and my Terrarium! I snipped them off, put them in these cool little things called Rootcups and Wallah! I feel so proud!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Holy shit. Add extra water and be ready to stir! After nearly giving myself a hernia from trying to open the container of concrete, I was not totally prepared for the rampant stirring activity that was before me. I lived though, and it was much easier going forward.
We (myself, Sarah and Kristy) thought about mixing the concrete in one big container and then adding it to our individual containers. Then we read on the package that we only had 5 minutes and realized how unrealistic that was. This was a wise choice since we had a hard enough time as it was getting a frickin’ cottage cheese container mixed in time.
I did have one planter that didn’t get totally mixed and was a bust. One side was so shiny that it looked like marble, the other was gravely and falling apart. Lesson learned.
Here’s a good tip: Holding the cup that you plan to use for the inside of the planter next to the container filled with cement and mark a line on the inner cup so that you know how deep to push it into the cement without going all the way to the bottom.
Other tip: Be patient. The cement sets really quickly, but isn’t ready to be removed from the container for at least a day or so.
Pros:
Super easy and très chic!
Cons:
Opening the concrete container almost killed me.
Conclusion:
I love my planter just as much as I thought that I would. I have already received several compliments on it, and am excited to make them for friends as gifts! They are that easy! Once you have the process down, I bet you could crack one out in less than 10 minutes!
Next up though, I want to make a big one! A great reason to finally get a Paint/Mud Mixer attachment for the drill. Also a great reason for picking up a gallon of ice cream. Tee Hee!
Reviewer #4 - Kristy
Mission: Rustic piece of art for your plants! I love cacti; they have such character and don’t die!
Details:
Group project! Maren supplied the Quik Set Cement and we supplied our own molds.
- I went to the Dollar Tree and bought take away dishes in more of a square shape.
- Maren had cups for the center that worked perfect
- Picked up some fabulous cacti from Home Depot
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Be sure to have water on hand! Maren was prepared with a cute watering can that worked perfectly!
Stir, stir, stir quickly…the concrete had to be mixed and set within 5 minutes! Doesn’t sound like long but it goes by fast!!
Don’t forget to tap the bottom to let out most of the air bubbles within the concrete.
Be sure to measure the depth on the cup, you need to know how far to push down when you center inside your mold! VERY IMPORTANT! Mine were pretty shallow!
Pros:
Very rustic and easy to make! Fun group project!!
Cons:
Just be sure to work quickly and be prepared to know the depth of the interior cup!
My plants roots were exposed as my bowls were too shallow in the center. Cacti are difficult to kill, so I hope they survive!
Conclusion:
This would be a great gift! I love mine; perfect for a window ledge!
It has chips and a few holes on the sides from likely air bubbles but it gives such character!! The plants come in so many different colors, that it gives such a fun pop of color!!
Next time I might make them a little taller to give plants more room for their roots in the center of planter!
Reviewer #5 - Katie
Mission: Make your cement planters for those oh so adorable succulent plants you’ve probably seen everywhere.
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Be patient, and check the label! I purchased and used cement vs. cement patch and that may have negatively affected my finished product or my lack of patience could have contributed to the less than perfect results as well….
Pros:
I’ve been looking for an excuse to buy a few succulents and I think the planters will look cute on the windowsill in my office…imperfections and all!
Cons:
Messy!!
Conclusion:
While this wasn’t an especially expensive project, I tend to prefer the instant gratification of purchasing small planters and not having to deal with smoothing out cement, worrying about air pockets and making a mess from start to finish!
All in all, I’m happy with the results and am excited to display them in my home.
read more
Domestifluff has the recipe for perfectly modern Valentine decor with her Felt Rosette Wreath. Faux rosettes of felt create a simple and chic way to celebrate Cupid’s big day!
Please click here to visit Domestifluff and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Maren
Mission: I’ve only ever done one other project with felt. True story! Saw this bugger and wanted to dive right in. Wait. How many felt circles?
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Pour yourself a glass of wine and pull up a chair, it’s going to be a while! I was certain that I had cut at the very least, my first 30 circles. Nope. It was 12. I was feeling very dramatic. Cut two at a time, and break it up into little chunks, like every time you go in the kitchen, cut 30 circles. This was my plan of attack and it was a piece of cake!
I was so afraid to cute all of these circles, that I went and bought the Martha Stewart Circle Cutter
praying that it could cut my circles for me. Nope. Not going to happen.
I used about 330 circles. I also packed them in a little too tight. I ended up pulling them randomly from around the wreath to fill in the last couple of inches.
Oh! Almost forgot! After reading the bit in Domestifluff’s post about not covering the backside, I decided to cover the back with felt, adhering with my hot glue gun. This way I can hang it on a window and it won’t look strange from the back.
Lastly, I used Upholstery Twist Pins
to attach the ribbon to the back of the wreath! I don’t think that this project took more than a combined total of 3-4 hours. Tah Dah!
Pros:
SO incredibly easy I can hardly handle it. I love this wreath – it’s so cute!
Cons:
Just cutting a lot of circles, which really, was no biggie once I got going.
Conclusion:
I absolutely love this wreath! It is so pretty and festive without being over the top or too girly. I might even try for another one sometime!
Reviewer #2 – Sarah
Mission: To use one of my favorite craft materials, felt, to create a darling wreath for my front door.
Details:
I know many of you have heard me say this before, but seriously, I LOVE felt! It is such a fun material to work with and it is so forgiving for those of us that seek perfection in our craft projects.
- I decided to go with oatmeal colored felt and picked it up at my local JoAnn store. I wanted to make this project a little festive for the month of love – February – so I also planned to use any left over pink and red felt I had from another Crafty Collaborative project.
- I began the process by marking my 3” circles onto my felt using a coffee mug and a pencil. I decided to cut long strips of my felt, doubled up, to allow for three circles across in a row and approximately ten columns. This allowed me to cut approximately 60 circles each time. I ended up using a grand total of 290 circles, 250 in the oatmeal felt and 40 in the red and pink felts. This process took much less time than I had anticipated, so I was able to start the wreath in no time.
- I decided to put my felt rosettes pretty tight together on my wreath form, I just really like the look! Also, I love when designs have something offset, so I decided to add my pop of red and pinks on the lower right hand-side. I really like how it turned out.
- After I felt I was finished adding rosettes, I placed some gold ribbon on the back for hanging – I secured it with about 6 pins just to make sure it would stay in place.
This darling wreath is now adorning our front door!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Felt is very forgiving, so don’t stress if things are cutting perfectly. Double up your felt so that you are cutting more than one circle at a time – this was a great time saver for me!
Pros:
Super easy project once you get set-up and it was a lot of fun to do.
Cons:
Slightly time consuming, but so worth it! My fingertips are slightly sore from pushing all those pins in the wreath form.
Conclusion:
I love this wreath project and really enjoy the simplicity of the final look. Because I went with a relatively neutral color, I may even try swapping out the colored section for other holidays. Maybe I’ll add shades of green in for the month of March!
Reviewer #3 - Janet
Mission: First thoughts, “This looks so cool!” Reading the blog post made me think this project would take ages.
Details:
- Bought navy blue felt, foam wreath and straight pins at JoAnn.
- Also picked up a white ink pad to use for my stencil. I found a cup at home that had a 3″ diameter, which worked perfectly as my stencil.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Fold the fabric in half when stenciling and cutting. This project is very forgiving, the circles do not need to be perfect.
I used about 190 circles…but cut about 300. What to do with all of those extra circles still boggles my mind. Start with about 200 circles and go from there.
For the 300 circles cut, I only used about 1 yard of fabric. Honestly, I didn’t need the extra 1/2 yard.
Buy the white/colored ink, it will save your sanity.
Pros:
Thankfully, it really didn’t take as long as she alluded to on the blog, it really only took me about 3 hours, plus I was doing laundry and watching a football game at the same time. I love to multi-task! It turned out really cute, I love it!
Cons:
I have a ton of extra navy blue felt…what to do, what to do.
Conclusion:
This is a perfect year-round decoration, or can be made specifically for a holiday. Very modern and very inexpensive. I loved this project!
Reviewer #4 - Alicia
Mission: Felt is the magic word for me. I will always jump at the chance to work with it.
Details:
This project took 224 cut felt circles, styrofoam wreath and straight pins.- For the life of me, I could not find a white wreath so I settled for green. I was a bit worried that you would see it between the felt, but it turned out great. You could also spray paint the wreath white if needed.
- I also used white and hot pink felt because I love the contrast and dimension.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Instead of tracing and cutting a million 3” circles on felt, I used a spool of ribbon that exactly measured 3” and used it as my cutting guide. I would then use my spool and cut 2 circles at a time. This saved a bunch of time and patience, which I ran out of. Ha!
Pros:
The completed project is so rewarding and beautiful.
Cons:
You need a lot of felt and time for this project.
Conclusion:
This was a fun weekend project for me. After taking a few trips to Michael’s for felt, and purchasing things I did not need, I feel that my wreath is beautiful additional to my Valentine decor. Or the perfect gift!
Reviewer #5 - Amanda
Mission: Create a festive wreath out of some leftover felt I had from other projects.
Details:
- Once again I am going to coin myself as the lazy thrifty one. I used leftover felt from previous projects so I honestly haven’t a clue just how much I used in total but can tell you that I used 236 circles. I cut out 250 to be safe.
- My wreath form was the exact same one used in the original post and is the perfect size as far as I am concerned! I can’t imagine it being any bigger. I think I would have given up.
- For my circles, I used a good ole plastic IKEA children’s cup (it may be discontinued as I had zero luck when trying to locate it online to show ya’ll). It was the perfect size. I also stole my kid’s giant stamp pad and busted 250 circles in no time!
- In total I would say that once all the circles were cut out it took about 1.5 hours to put the wreath together. I am sure I could have been quicker but my kids were still awake. Enough said.
- You definitely need a small and very sharp scissor to make cutting out 250 circles slightly less painful.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Don’t worry about perfection! This craft is very forgiving. I definitely didn’t have perfectly round circles and it still looked great. I also ended up being just slightly short on my grey circles (about 4 inches remaining on my wreath form) so I ended up pulling some of the circles I had already pinned from random areas on the wreath and placing them in my gap. You can’t even tell! I just fluffed and tugged at the remaining pinned circles and it filled in the gaps left by where I pulled some. No biggie!
Pros:
Pretty, could be fairly cheap (I guess my supplies ended up costing roughly $15-$20) and after the prep work is done you could practically assemble it in your sleep.
Cons:
Oh just the occasional finger jab is about all I could complain about. It was otherwise a craft dream!
Conclusion:
I will definitely make this again or at least use this method. I am considering using it for other tasks like on a tree form or even a ball for holiday décor. It could be really cool used in a shadow box too!
read more
While searching for terrific gift ideas, we stumbled upon The 36th Avenue’s darling Number Stenciled Mugs! This terrific tutorial looks like it has truly gift-worthy results!
We couldn’t wait to give stenciling a try!
Please click here to visit The 36th Avenue and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Amanda
Mission: Throw my hat in the ring with all the other fools and make myself a mustache mug (numbers are cool but mustaches are cooler).
Details:
Products that I used:
I knew from the start that I wanted to create something quirky and fun. Morning coffee just better with a chuckle! I was inspired to create my own stencil from this post on Young House Love. They were making their own stencil for a glass etching project but I figured this would work similarly for this project as well.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Be prepared for a little clean up. Also, don’t hold your breath as you pull the stencil off. You might pass out! It gets a little intense for a moment as you peel the tape back but as I learned, using a pin head or the end of your X-Acto knife you can clean up any mess in no time at all.
Pros:
You could seriously customize anything with this method! I love the idea of creating a simple gift on the cheap.
The 36th Avenue did a fantastic job on writing up this little DIY so I didn’t encounter anything unexpected.
Cons:
Not really a project con but my own personal con. I used a Martha Stewart paint that essentially self-cures in 21 days. This is way too long for me! I already went out and purchased a new ceramic paint and plan to use that on future mug projects.
Keep your fingers crossed that my mustache mug doesn’t get some serious grooming on its first wash (in 21 days of course).
Conclusion:
The next stenciled mugs are already in the works! I plan to make one for my daughter’s teacher, my grandma and also one for my sister. Mug love all around!
Reviewer #2 - Sheri
Mission: I thought this would be a great way to personalize our mugs, and an even better idea for a holiday gift with a personal touch. A personalized mug filled with chocolates!?
Details:
I read the directions. And then I read them again. I really didn’t want to screw this up, but somehow I managed to screw it up on the first try.
- I cleaned the surface of the mug and applied the stencil. I think the key is to have an adhesive stencil. I used these great stencils by Folk Art.
I can’t imagine trying to do a curved surface any other way. Make sure it’s applied very well to prevent any bleeding.
- Next, dab the paint. I purchased the same paint used by The 36th Avenue. As Desiree says, “tap, tap, tap.”
- Remove the stencil IMMEDIATELY. Yeah, I was too busy reading the back of the paint bottle and tending to the whining dog. When I removed the stencil…the paint came up with it. Darn it! (that’s not actually what came from my mouth)
- I got it right with my second go around. Seriously easy.
- The pin trick – super awesome. Works great, but you really need a steady hand.
- It only takes 30 minutes in the oven at 350° to cure it. Then it’s washable!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Rubbing alcohol works great to remove the paint from the mug. If you make a mistake, you can quickly fix it and try again.
Pros:
Easy, inexpensive, and didn’t take much time at all.
Cons:
Not really any…unless the paint bleeds under the stencil. Working with a little pin can cramp your hand.
Conclusion:
Overall this was a pretty quick and easy project, aside from my little mishap of course. I must admit I was a little nervous about washing them, but they turned out just fine. I’ve added a little laughter and love to my morning coffee. I’m thinking of getting some more mugs and putting dinosaurs on them for the boys to enjoy with their hot chocolate! I think they would just love it.
Reviewer #3 - Maren
Mission: Whip up some cute, personalized drinkware to enjoy some holiday cheer! If this project is a winner, guess what you’re getting for your next gift… everyone!!
Details:
DIY Stencil a la Young House Love (Amanda told me about this great tutorial after I told her that I was longing for a doxie mug):
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Okay, so since I did this project a couple of different ways, I have a few tricks to share for each variation!
Sticky stencil: These work the best when you rinse them off after each impression. A pain, but you’ll love the results!
Non-sticky stencil: I don’t recommend it! Even when securing with painter’s tape, it didn’t work. Boo. If you don’t believe me, check out the “snowflake” blob example at the right.
DIY Stencil a la Young House Love: LOVED this! Such an awesome idea! It worked like a charm, but make sure that you use your fingernail to super-press down along the edges of your design. If you don’t do this, the paint will bleed out of the perimeter of your design.
ALL Methods: While The 36th Avenue’s pin trick worked well, I preferred to clean up my edges with a small, lightly dampened angle brush.
I was able to remove goofs as well as sort of “push” the goofed paint back where it belonged!
Less is more! You’ll get more bubbles in the paint the more paint you use, as well as the more that you “Pounce”! Go easy on it!
Clean your surface first with rubbing alcohol, as we learned from our Enamel Vase project! Having said that, it is really hard to keep from touching the mug all over after you clean off the surface. Fingers crossed that my paint doesn’t peel off.
Pros:
Any way you try it, this project is awesome! It didn’t take very long and looks great!
These suckers are gift-worthy!
Cons:
As my first go-round with stencils, I biffed the sticky stencil method about 4 times before it passed the OCD test.
This isn’t even a “Con” because you can just quickly wash the paint off, wipe with more rubbing alcohol and try again!
Martha! Why do you make me wait 21 days to wash this? I sure hope that they really are dishwasher safe!
Conclusion:
I love stenciling! I can’t wait to make more mugs and stencil all sorts of things for our new house!
Also, as a huge fan of the monogram, I am really looking forward to making some truly personalized gifts for housewarming parties, wedding showers and new neighbors!
Reviewer #4 - Kristy
Mission: To spice up my boring white coffee mugs with a little simple design.
Details:
- Headed straight to Michaels with my 50% coupon on hand for vinyl stencil stickers.
Yay! Now the hard part, I loathe making decisions….Martha had a huge stencil selection 
so I stayed for about 15 minutes trying to decide which one! I decided on letters that match my cute monogrammed kitchen towels. Luckily I had the coupon, those vinyl stencils were $16.99. Ouch!
- I went to my handy dandy stash of black Folk Art paint in Licorice
and a small paint brush.
- Stressing again on my design, Mike suggested using both our initials. So I ended up with an E and an H. We will both be equally represented in this household!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Use rubbing alcohol on the mug before painting and to clean your stencils after painting. We learned this very important trick when we tried and failed and tried again at our Enamel Painted Vases.
I wasn’t the best at removing the stickers so I had a few mess ups. Quick fix: once dried…just take a paper clip end to remove extra paint. Now be careful when painting don’t put too much or the paper clip may take off more than you would like.
Pros:
Simple, quick and cute! Loved it!
Cons:
I am a dishwasher type of gal and I think these mugs may no longer be safe for this.
Despite the baking, I am nervous they make scratch so I’ll be sure to hand wash.
Conclusion:
Overall this was an easy project and quick to complete. The most time consuming part was centering the initial. Now I am considering doing Christmas mugs for gifts! This would be perfect gifts for my clients, as well as, friends and family. Being a Louisiana gal, I think some cute Fleur de lis mugs would be my next project for my place…maybe even on bowls! Just a thought!
read more
I’m With Cupcake has shared a terrific tutorial on mitered corners with their DIY Napkin tutorial.
Please click here to visit I’m With Cupcake and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Amanda
Mission: To ACTUALLY sew. Just saying that makes me sweat.
Details:
I decided that since sewing is not really “my thing” I was going to make the most out of this while also being incredible lazy (pattern forming here…). I opted to create the “Perfect Edge” on a piece of fabric I was using for another Crafty Collaborative project. So I basically created a little rectangle with very little purpose but it was just the right size for my first attempt.
- I used a cotton fabric (fat quarter I acquired from a random fabric store visit with my mom and sister who are much better at this than I) with an adorable elephant print.
- I attempted to measure properly for each side but ended up sort of eye-balling it (I am actually very accurate this way).
- I was also using a Singer sewing machine, that is older than, me from the 70’s (I am still quite youthful so this is saying a lot!).
- My thread choices were light but didn’t match perfectly. I chose a pale lilac and white. Again being lazy I made these choices based on the fact that I would have to attempt to fill a new bobbin if I didn’t just go mismatched (I actually did attempt and pictures are featured in this post about my epic fail).
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Be PATIENT. Also it is okay to throw out an f*bomb here or there. In fact I highly recommend it otherwise you might actually get physical with the machine and that never ends well. Definitely read the directions and look closely at the pictures because they really do give you the best idea on how things should look step by step. I didn’t realize I could let the corner overlap a bit creating a smoother, more polished finish.
Pros:
Not NEARLY as hard as I thought it would be! Written well, even for a novice like myself.
Cons:
There really were not any cons. I found this project to be very realistic and the instructions very clear. Visuals are key though!
Conclusion:
An excellent first sewing project for someone like myself and I may venture into doing a few little cloth napkins next. Watch out kids because matching jammies could be on the horizon!
Reviewer #2 - Janet
Mission: Whip up a little something for my home with a perfect corner! It’s always great to learn new (and easier) ways to get great results!
Details:
- I read the instructions, and decided right away that I would have no use for fabric napkins. Instead, I would make a dish towel for my kitchen.
- I have a lot of extra fabric scraps from past sewing projects, so I dug through those first before running to the craft store. Alas, I came across a floral linen fabric that would be perfect for this project!! Sweet success!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I would suggest eye-balling (a technical sewing term) the ¼” fabric press, as it can be cumbersome to have it measured out perfectly. If you’re a perfectionist, which I am not, use a small ruler.
Have fun! Sewing can always be frustrating when you are a beginner, so go into any sewing project with an open mind and be sure to know that it probably won’t be perfect, but that just means it has character.
If you want to make a kitchen towel like I did, I cut the fabric to 17” x 24”.
Pros:
Such a great sewing technique to learn, I’m sure I will use this technique again.
Super easy, definitely a good project for a beginner! Good way to use extra fabric.
Cons:
The fabric I used isn’t ideal for a towel, but I was successful at not having to make a trip to the craft store!
Conclusion:
Overall, a quick and easy project to whip out. I don’t see any use with fabric napkins, but could see it would be fun to make them for a special occasion or a holiday meal.
Reviewer #3 - Katie
Mission: Make napkins in any print/fabric of your choice
Details:
This was my very first attempt at sewing….ever.
I received the fantastic brother as a birthday gift. I got very frustrated trying to create the mitered corners per the instructions…it’s me, not the instructions…I’m terrible with anything resembling math, especially geometry and so I modified the way that I cut the corners. They are not the “perfect edge” but look just fine from the front side of the fabric.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I didn’t use the pins. I forgot all about them.
Pros:
There are endless possibilities for fabric choices; great décor piece to customize for party themes, gifts, etc.
Cons:
For a truly beginner sewer, it seemed like a lot of effort for a napkin.
Conclusion:
I’m sure with more practice, this would be a super quick and easy project to make for any occasion.
P.S. Try kicking this project up a notch by adding your own touch. Check out our Stamped Napkins Review!
read more
Calico Skies has shared a super neat tutorial on how to create your own DIY Screen Print Tee. With simple materials, your own design can grace your garb!
Always searching for new ways to inspire our inner fashionista, we were ready to give screen printing a try!
Please click here to visit Calico Skies and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Amanda
Mission: Create a semi-professional looking screen print for my dino loving middle child.
Details:
- 6″ Plastic Embroidery Hoop
- Mod Podge Original Gloss Finish
- Martha Stewart High Gloss Beetle Black
- Bing image of T-Rex
In the original post she used nude panty hose but all I had was black and with the help of a metallic pen that worked out just fine.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
The Mod Podge application goes on the side of the embroidery hoop that will lay flush with the item you are printing on. I think that doing a couple of coats may help make the image a little more clear too.
I would suggest picking a basic shape for your first attempt. I think the image I chose was a little more advanced for this amateur screen printer.
Getting the nylons really tight on the embroidery hoop is key! I feel like my first attempt it was a little loose. I plan to correct this issue the next time I try this.
Pros:
Not too many supplies needed that you may not have. I did have to purchase the embroidery hoop but that was it. Not bad for creating a unique looking t-shirt.
Cons:
Live and learn. Sadly if you LOVE the shirt you are printing on you may be disappointed with a less than perfect result. I felt better after doing a little test print on a piece of paper before making it “happen” on my little guy’s shirt.
Conclusion:
I already have a unicorn in the works for my daughter and niece. I can’t wait to see if my little adjustments make a difference. This could be an addicting craft for sure…I may run out of surfaces!
Reviewer #2 – Sarah
Mission: To doll up some plain T’s and try my hand at screen printing!
Details:
- I was racking my brain as to what I should do for a t-shirt design and finally landed on going with a CrossFit inspired design. If I haven’t mentioned before, I CrossFit and I am OBSESSED!!! After a bit of research, I landed on a design with a kettle bell – I love me some kettle bell!
- Outside of purchasing the embroidery hoop, the Mod Podge
and the t-shirts, I had the remaining elements on hand.
- I used the Martha Stewart Crafts satin all-in-one paint
and my favorite Martha Stewart paint brushes.
- Maren had lots of panty hose handy (don’t ask!) so she supplied those.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
A few of us Crafty Collaborative gals got together to start this lovely craft, though we weren’t able to finish them together since it was a bit of a time suck. I tell you – that Mod Podge takes a hell of a long time to dry!!! And, if you want your edges to be PERFECT…you better plan on doing a few coats.
After completing this craft, I’d recommend using a fabric only paint vs. an all-in-one paint. The Martha Stewart Crafts all-in-one paint is fantastic, but I had a bit of trouble with my red heart bleeding (no pun intended!) after the first wash.
In addition, I would recommend not putting the paint on super thick if you are using a thin shirt/fabric as mine bled through causing it to become rough and folded when I was wearing it.
Make sure when you are doing this that you put the Mod Podge on the side of the hose that will be lying flat against your fabric surface. AND, most importantly, if you are doing any sort of typeface, make sure you place it on so that when you screen print, it will read correctly and not backwards – this took me awhile to figure out.
Pros:
A fun way to dress up an old t-shirt or show off your favorite things in a wearable form!
Cons:
This project took longer than I had planned due to the application of many layers of Mod Podge as I was pretty finicky in applying it wanted to end up with clean edges.
Conclusion:
I was excited about this project and enjoyed doing the process, but wasn’t as excited with the outcome as I had hoped. I’d love to try this again sometime, but will modify a bit. And, if I for some reason I plan to do a lot of screen printing in the future, I may just find myself a Gocco screen printer online!
Reviewer #3 - Janet
Mission: First thoughts on the project: Looking at the instructions, I figured that Lauren on Calico Skies was making it look way cooler/easier/beautiful than it really was going to turn out. Honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to this project.
Details:
- I had an embroidery hoop, but thought it would be too small for my project. I purchased a humongous one, which I actually didn’t even end up using, because the small one worked perfectly.
- Thanks to all of the other TCC projects, I already had acrylic paint (Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cake in satin),
Mod Podge, and brushes on hand.
- I used a green tee that I already had in my closet from this summer and Maren provided the hosiery at our TCC gathering!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Figure out your design before you buy an embroidery hoop so you know what size to get.
I suggest three to four layers of Mod Podge so you don’t miss any spots.
Don’t select an intricate design…you will drive yourself crazy trying to get the Mod Podge on just right.
Pros:
Actually was very easy (though I didn’t believe it would be from the looks of the instructions) and had minimal mess.
Cons:
The lines didn’t turn out as crisp as seen on the blog. I think if I would have put a little more time into painting the Mod Podge on smoothly, it might have helped.
Not sure how well the shirt will go through the wash, but it was so cheap to make that I won’t be upset if it doesn’t make it out alive.
Conclusion:
Gotta love not having to spend 1 penny on a project! (blessing in disguise that I didn’t have to make yet another trip back to the craft store…I never come out of there without an impulse buy!) This is a great way to spice up an old T, or even make a festive outfit, like my shamrock that I will be rockin’ on St. Patty’s!
Reviewer #4 - Maren
Mission: To learn how to screen print! This seems like a really neat and cost effective way to transfer images at home.
Details:
- I’m from Minneapolis where some of the bad-a$$ kids have “612″ tatts, which is the area code. Since I’m more of the “work-from-home” bad-ass, I decided to emblazon one of my favorite sweatshirts with the digits. LOL
- I found a great neon orange fabric paint called Neon Fiesta Orange. So… it’s glittery. How did I not notice that when I bought it? This might hurt my street cred.
- I used a Small Wash Brush
to paint on my Mod Podge Hard Coat in Satin Finish.
- I happened to have a lifetime supply of those knee-high panty hose that you buy in the little plastic bubble at the drug store for a buck from my days in the salon (I would stuff them to use to fill out elaborate updos. These came in handy for our project!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
It took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to figure out which way to draw the design on. I way over-thought this step. Just make sure that you are able to put the nylons down flat against the transfer surface.
It also took me a couple tries to get the nylons really taut. I think that this proved to be really crucial in getting a good print, as Lauren from Calico Skies mentioned in her instructions.
I think that I applied 5 or 6 layers of Mod Podge to make sure that the edges of the design were perfect. You do need to wait a few hours in between coats, so be prepared.
When I was done transferring my image, I hustled to the sink and gently rinsed the paint off with warm water. The Mod Podge looked a little gummy, but I let it dry out and it’s ready for the next 612 screen print!
I washed my beloved sweatshirt inside out in cool water and dried on regular for the first time and it the design held up perfectly! It may have even looked better!
Pros:
LOVE IT! I also really like the way the fabric paint turned out!
This project was easy to do and super inexpensive!
Cons:
To get a crisp print, you’ll need to take the time to get it right. This project took me a total of about 4 days.
Conclusion:
I really liked this project! Even though it took a few days to complete, I was very happy with the results. I am already thinking of other projects that could benefit from a little screen print action!
read more
Teal & Lime has created a darling DIY Modern Bird Feeder that is sure to give your yard or garden a chic look!
Eager to get our hands on some power tools, the gals of The Crafty Collaborative dove right in!
Please click here to visit Teal & Lime and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 – Sarah
Mission: To use my husband’s power drill and get crafty at the same time while making a darling feeder for our neighborhood birdies.
Details:
- I searched the aisles of Target for the melamine plates I ended up going with – it took me awhile to decide which ones I wanted…I am a picky lady!
- I opted for plates that had a mix of turquoise, red and orange in the design. A little pop of color outside is always a fun thing. My only complaint was that I couldn’t find any plates where the bottom was also a solid color – only white.
- After taping and marking the center of each plate, I found a scrap piece of wood in our garage and set to work drilling the holes. This was easier than I had anticipated. Because the hook I bought was 3/8” in width that is the bit I used. It took a bit longer than I thought it would to drill through the plate and it did chip a bit.
- Once the plates were drilled, the next few steps went quickly because I wasn’t using the caulk/glue to adhere the top plate to the hook.
- Once it was all complete, I hung it from one of our birch trees along our driveway. We have many birdhouses along our driveway, and a plethora of birds around, so they dug in right away! I did just use a paperclip to hang it, but need to determine a more permanent option in the near future.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
My husband was so kind to show me how to change out a bit on the power drill and was there if I needed his help. Using the painter’s tape and marking the center spot-on were keys in getting this to work right.
In addition, being pregnant, I wanted to avoid using anything with stinky fumes, so I received a tip about using a piece called a Shaft Collar
underneath the top plate (the larger of the two) to secure it in place. This not only saved me from having to smell toxic fumes, but also saved me time, as I was able to complete this project all is one day!
Pros:
Super fun to put together – really easy actually.
And, I love how it turned out. Our birdies LOVE the feeder!!
Cons:
Can’t think of any!
Conclusion:
Loved this project and want to make more – would be fantastic gifts and you can easily personalize them based on the plate choices, bird feed choice, etc.
Reviewer #2 - Kristy
Mission: I thought it would be interesting to do this, especially using a power tool while drilling into plates! I gave it a shot even though I really don’t have a place for a bird feeder…so my plan was give as a gift!
Details:
- I found two summer plates on sale so I bought them. Thinking if this turns out, I can also paint these since I am super handy with spray paint these days!
- I purchased the E-6000 glue
- Went to Home Depot for a washer, large eye hook, and 2 bolts
- You will need your handy dandy power drill with bit. I did get some assistance from Mike on this project.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Well, I can say is that mine did not go as planned. I was a tad bit scared of the project from the beginning so I likely wasn’t going into this with the most positive attitude. I think you should drill with protective eye wear as I had pieces of plate flying across the room.
Also, be careful with the drill BE SURE to drill over a wooden block. Since in the moment I thought I had master drilling skills, I proceeded to drill over my sofa cushion. Big mistake, I now have a hole in my cushion! OOPS!
Pros:
Very inexpensive! Costs me about $10.00 and the majority was the E6000 glue which costs me about $6.00 from Joann’s.
Cons:
My plate broke; as a result, my project didn’t turn out. The plate was a bit more fragile than I had anticipated.
Conclusion:
I guess I just became a little frustrated when my plate broke and ruined my sofa cushion. I know, not a smart move on my part but it did affect my mood on this project and whether I wanted to try it again. In the photo, you will notice I am holding my home made bird feeder; this is because the hole was so large that the top plate wouldn’t hold!
Learn from my mistakes and I bet you will make a beautiful bird feeder! Happy drilling!
Reviewer #3 - Maren
Mission: Make a darling serving piece to hold a smorgasbord for the local birdies.
My mom seems to think that this is more of a “squirrel feeder,” but I disagree. I also don’t know if I am too concerned – I like squirrels too, they’re funny.
Details:
After my monthly chat with the wonderful people of my local Ace Hardware store to tell them all about our projects, we came up with an absolutely brilliant idea. Use this handy little thing called a Shaft Collar instead of glue to hold the top plate in place. It’s a little bolt with an allen-wrench thing inside that makes it so it can hug the eye hook where there was no threading for a nut! Genius! Simply purchase one in the size of the inner diameter of your eye hook.- I could not keep my big mouth shut about this amazing idea and had to tell Sarah…
Tips & Tricks Learned:
MELAMINE PLATES ARE FRAGILE!!!
I think that one contributing factor here is that the only eye hook that I could find that was 8″ was also 3/8″ in diameter. That is a big drill bit! I think that if you could find a slimmer eye hook, and use a smaller drill bit, you may have more success here.
After blasting through 3 large plates, I stopped to have a tantrum, and then finally got a hole through a smaller plate (tiny melamine chips were flying at my eyeballs). As nerdy as it sounds, I think that wearing protective eyewear is a must here.
My tiniest [lower] plate was more like rubber, and that was a piece of cake. I would stick with more of a rubbery plastic if you can find it!
Once I had holes in my plates, assembly was a snap! Totally easy!
Pros:
Easy to do, and totally adorable. The birdies at our new house will be so happy!
Cons:
Breaking plates – although I think that if you can find the right type, you can totally avoid this!
Conclusion:
This project was easy and fun. With the plethora of plastic plates and bowls out there, you could certainly find the right combo that works for your yard, or a friends for a gift.
After thinking a little about my mom’s “squirrel feeder” comment, I ended up purchasing a Rubber Serving Tray
(which I painted to look like zinc and then weather-proofed), a rubber bowl, some Silicone Sealant
, two washers and made a hanging bird bath!!
…Or I suppose, it could be a squirrel troff! LOL
read more
Prudent Baby has gone and done it! A totally cute DIY Tray with a million uses and a bajillion ways to customize!
We love great gifts, we love tidying up our homes, and we love totally doable crafts! Let’s do this!
Please click here to visit Prudent Baby and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Maren
Mission: I love to be organized, and I have wanted to try out a project with Mod Podge - I have never used it before! By the looks of it, this tray could be personalized in so many ways, I was really excited to dive in!
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I started with a unfinished tray from Michaels. First, I painted it white with enamel acrylic paint in White
. I then added a coat of acrylic paint in Pearl Finish
that I have fallen in love with after our Faux Zinc Letters! Lastly, I added a coat of my other new favorite thing (discovered when we turned Ugly to Chic!), Martha’s Sprayable Gloss Enamel Finish
. A lot of steps, but I love my shiney, pearly white tray!
One thing that I would do differently, would be to lightly sand the tray before painting. I did have a few rough spots that would have looked much nicer if I had smoothed them out first.
I have a Fiskars Rotary Cutting Set which is PERFECT for any fabric cutting – not just quilting (which I don’t do). A quick measurement and I had a perfectly fitting piece of fabric!
I applied the Mod Podge a little at a time, so that I could make sure that I was placing my piece of fabric evenly onto the tray. I then smoothed out as I went along and it worked out great! I then added a couple more coats for good measure! The cool thing about the Mod Podge that I got, is that after letting it “cure” for 21 days, it will be water resistant! AND the Gloss Enamel Finish is suitable for outdoors! Perfect for the clumbsy gal who will probably spill the drinks that she’s carrying on it more than a couple of times!
Pros:
Frickin’ LOVE this thing. There are SO many ways to make this project your own!
Future house guests be warned, there may be one in every room.
Cons:
Nada
Conclusion:
I am a huge fan! With all of the differnent ways that you can customize this crafty little number, this project would be the perfect homemade gift. You could add a monogram for a hostess gift, use coordinating colors for a friends new home, or just fill with goodies like Prudent Baby did for a new mom! I’ll be making more!
Reviewer #2 - Amanda
Mission: Create a lovely little tray my kiddos could enjoy.
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
ALWAYS read instructions. I did not read the instructions on the Watermelon Krylon Spray Paint and regretted it immediately. I pulled the little plastic piece out of the nozzle thinking it didn’t belong there only to realize after spraying a coat that it MOST DEFINITELY belonged there. I ended up with this horrible, thick coat of paint that wouldn’t stick which was strange. Thankfully coat two SEEMED to cover that ick up.
Things went horribly wrong when I applied the Spray Mod Podge however. It looked fine at the time but when it dried it became cracked and bubbly. Really disappointed me but my kids thought it looked great.
Pros:
Fairly simple craft with great end results if done correctly.
Cons:
Can get expensive so try to use up old spray paint you have lying around instead of starting from scratch.
Conclusion:
I will definitely make this again even though my results were a total bomb (and not like “da bomb” either). I would definitely use craft paper next time and would probably not choose to use the Spray Mod Podge either. It really seemed to create more issues than convenience like I had hoped for.
Reviewer #3 - Sheri
Mission: My first thought for this project when we found it on Prudent Baby was that I have the PERFECT tray for this. Our Friday Night Movie Night tray was in dire need of a facelift. My second thought, “What the hell is Mod Podge?”
I’m a Mod Podge virgin.
Details:
I already had a tray that needed a little bit of love. All I needed to get was Mod Podge and some pretty paper. I didn’t paint the sides of my tray because they have a good finish and I like the natural wood with the leather handles.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Get an entire piece of paper that fits the tray properly…unless you don’t mind seams. The seams made it harder for me to get all the bubbles out.
Pros:
Easy and cheap little fix. Mod Podge is fabulous!
Cons:
None, unless you count you have to wash a paintbrush.
Conclusion:
Mod Podge has just found a new fan. My wheels are turning on all the other projects I could do with this stuff! This was an easy little upgrade to my tired looking tray. The boys are all excited to have “new” tray for Movie Night. I’m just a little bummed that I couldn’t find paper that fit the size tray I had. I don’t like seeing the seams. I am actually contemplating going right over it all with a piece of wrapping paper. We’ll see.
Reviewer #4 - Kristy
Mission: When I saw this tray, I knew I wanted to create one for myself. I also think the trays would make great gifts!
Details:
- I searched Michaels and Joann for an unfinished tray and I didn’t find what I was looking for. I ended up finding a tray that was already decorated at Joann and making it my own.
- I had originally planned to paint the tray sea foam green but then I had decided to leave it. This tray is great in the original wood stain and would go nicely with paper that I chose.
- When at Michaels, I chose 2 hard stock custom sheets of paper to use for the project. There were tons to choose from so get creative!
- Since I had to combine 2 pieces of paper to cover the bottom of the tray, I also purchased a dark contrasting ribbon to cover the lines.
- Of course, don’t forget the Mod Podge, cutting board, ruler and x-acto knife!
- Instead of a paint brush, I used a Sponge Brush
. I scored 20 brushes at 5 cents each from Michaels! Awesome, they are great for all projects!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
The best way to cut the paper is by using a professional cutter with the grid lines, I have one at work because I just wasn’t getting my lines straight and I was impatient. Go figure!
Follow the directions! Ha, I am terrible at this. I was in such a rush to see the final project that I didn’t slowly place the paper on the Mod Podge while pressing the air bubbles out. Once it’s stuck, it’s pretty much stuck. I had to lift mine to get it straight and remove air bubbles. By doing this I had to add additional Mod Podge and I was worried the paper would tear from being soft.
Pros:
Simple and cute! It’s is such a multipurpose project! You can make a tray for so many reasons and in so many creative ways!
Cons:
This project may drive the perfectionist types absolutely crazy, as I even found myself going a little crazy trying to get the paper to fit just perfectly and trying to remove all of those air bubbles.
I wish I had found the unfinished wooden tray from Michaels that was on Prudent Baby. Instead of $3.99, I paid $14.00.
Conclusion:
Loved it! If I had the need for more trays then I would definitely make more! Will make a perfect gift… especially to my clients for house warming gifts! I am already thinking of creative ideas to personalize them for the new homeowners. When I decided not to paint the tray, it’s because it will be perfect to hold one of our upcoming projects! You absolutely don’t want to miss what we have coming up this Fall!
Reviewer #5 - Janet
Mission: To make a cute and handy little tray that is as cute as it is functional.
Details:
Also… I couldn’t help myself after looking at all of Martha’s craft goodies! I grabbed a few more items to add a little something extra to my tray:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
If I were to do it again, I would use a fine grade sandpaper to smooth out the handles and edges of the wood before painting. One 2 oz bottle of paint is enough, unless you really want to coat that sucker.
Don’t be afraid to slather a lot on the first coat on Mod Podge before laying the paper down, and be sure to smooth out the paper when you do put it down. Put about 3 topcoats on, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next one.
Pros:
Simple project, allows for creativity and added touches, and actually will get some use out of it.
Cons:
If you’re looking for something more fancy or expensive-looking to decorate your home, this isn’t the way to go.
Conclusion:
I really liked this project! I forgot how awesome Mod Podge is…definitely going to be using it on other projects. I can see myself making this as a gift for a friend or family member. Thumbs up!
read more
We’ve seen the real deal at Flea Markets and pricey Antique Shops, and we’ve seen the reproductions at trendy stores like Anthropologie. We could hardly contain ourselves when we saw the DIY version by Sugar and Charm!
We were ridiculously excited to make our very own Zinc Inspired Letters!
Please click here to visit Sugar and Charm and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 – Sarah
Mission: To replicate the adorable zinc letters found at retailers like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, etc. as a cute way to add some décor to my house.
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Since I had a free moment while my husband watched the kids, I painted the first coat of the black paint the night before to guarantee that they would be dry and we’d be ready to rock and roll with the pearl paint the next day.
In addition, I used the small sponge style paint brusheswhich worked well for my painting style.
A group of us got together to craft on this project, which made it even MORE FUN! My favorite thing about this project is that everyone’s turns out slightly different – it is all in your paint strokes and style.
Pros:
Awesome project and really happy with the outcome!
Cons:
A little messy (but nothing some newspaper and a wash cloth can’t cure) and a little difficult to do with my young tikes running around.
Conclusion:
Love it! Now I just need to decide where I am going to put my word “Hello.” I’m toying with my nursery for baby #3 or our future home office space!
Reviewer #2 - Maren
Mission: I almost peed my pants when we found this project on Sugar and Charm Blog! I couldn’t wait to test out this neat faux-zinc technique!
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
As I mentioned, I embraced my very distinct brush stroke (the reason I was fired from painting my own kitchen) to get that textured look that you see in vintage zinc and galvanized metal. I really like how it turned out!
These are SUPER lightweight, too! You could easily hang them on your wall using a 3M Command Strip!
Pros:
Incredibly easy to do! Gorgeous results!
Cons:
None! I didn’t even think that it was messy!
Conclusion:
I couldn’t have loved this project any more! Not to mention, a few of us gals did this one together which made it a million times more fun! Everyones turned out fantastic!
After doing this project, I went home and painted “Zinc” rooftops onto my birdhouses!
Reviewer #3 - Kristy
Mission: Enjoy a day with friends making a cool project and learning to paint!
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
My gal pal, Maren, taught me on the job that using random strokes with the second coat of Martha Stewart pearl paint gives that zinc like finish.
The pearl paint is white in appearance, AND YES, this is what you are looking for. I had purchased a metallic silver acrylic paint thinking that this would work for this project but you need the pearl! My amazing friends let me share.
Pros:
So much fun, especially with a great group of gals to complete the project with!
Very quick, it took just a few minutes to dry between coats. The cardboard seams give the allusion of welding seams.
Cons:
Overwhelmed by the paint selection, there are soooo many paint options!
Conclusion:
Great fun and will do these again for sure for a gift! Very versatile, can use the letters in any room of the home.
Reviewer #4 – ???
Who could this pretty lady be? Our newest contributor, that’s who!
Join us next week for the official meet and greet!
read more
Always on the search for personalized gifts and unique home decor, this project seemed nearly too good to be true!
Please click here to visit Shannanigans and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Kristy
Mission: This was a perfect addition to a closing gift I gave to my clients when we closed on their first home!
Details:
- Instead of acrylic for the stamp which is pricey I used the glass from a picture frame
- Black charcoal fabric paint
- Pack of simple white kitchen towels from Target
- Reusable stamps (rustic looking)
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Be sure to practice on a paper towel first! What a frickin mess I would have made! Originally, I strayed from the instructions and dipped the stamp into the paint but it turned out to be a gob mess on the paper towel. I found painting the stamp with paint worked the best for me. It still didn’t leave the desired thickness of paint so I had to go over my strokes with a paint brush.
Pros:
It was super simple!
Cons:
Truth, it wasn’t as simple as I expected, I thought I’d dip and stamp. It took a little more time to paint the stamps each time then touch up.
Conclusion:
Makes a great gift and there so many things you can stamp! Great way to personalize a gift by adding an extra special touch!
Reviewer #2 – Sarah
Mission: To create some darling stamped dishtowels for a useful craft that I can use in my own home, or gift to friends!
Details:
- To get this project going, I had to do some serious searching for the letter stamps – they were HARD to find! I ultimately found them at my local JoAnn Fabrics and did have to splurge a bit…good thing they have their frequent coupons! I think I ended up spending about $25 for the stamps, paint and acrylic forms. I had the kids in tow and didn’t feel like heading to another location to find the acrylic cheaper, so just went with it.
- I purchased my dishtowels at Target and honestly bought the cheapest ones I could find. They ended up being $1 each.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Have fun with this! Use any color of fabric paint you want and be creative with the words you use. I tried using upper case with a mix of lower case and enjoyed adding in some punctuation.
Pros:
A useful outcome! And, pretty darn cute – you could get really creative with your stamped words.
Cons:
Slightly expensive to get all of the materials, but if you took the time to shop around enough, I imagine it can be done for much less.
I do really wish I would have done this on a canvas bag – which I could have easily sewn first. I think I personally would have found that the most useful – like for our library book bag, produce, etc. But, dishtowels are always handy and make cute hand-made gifts!
In addition, I did have a hard time getting the paint to press evenly when transferring from the stamp to the cloth, but all in all, they can’t be perfect 
Conclusion:
Great project to do – easy and fun! And, the tools to do this project will be utilized again and again, so well worth the initial cost
Reviewer #3 – Mandy
Mission: Come up with an easy, cute holiday gift. (Yes, I’m one of “those people” that make my presents… ha.)
Details:
- I went to Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics and could NOT find acrylic letters. I even asked around. This may be an item you have to search around for (or maybe I just had bum luck…) or you may want to consider shopping online for some.
- I ended up buying some wooden letters and shapes that I thought might work as well. Just call me MacGyver.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Give yourself time to find the correct items and do the project. I always try to do thing fast and, therefore, couldn’t get quite what I had in mind.Although they did still turn out cute. The wooden letters worked just fine – maybe just not the “stamped/blocky” look I had in mind.
Pros:
Didn’t take a ton of time and could end up being super cute gifts!
Cons:
Finding the letters. My fingers were covered in fabric paint, so a tad messy.
Conclusion:
Love the concept. I just need to find these letters so I can see if I can make some super cute worded towels!
read more
After much frustration on our first try, we felt even more determined to get this gorgeous glassware into our homes!
A second attempt was born! Kristy and Maren went for round 2, and lived on to tell the tale…
Please click here to visit Sugar and Charm and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Maren
Mission: Get it right! I want to nail this technique so that I can recreate on a much larger scale for our new house!
Details:
In accordance with my last vows to myself, I tried to find a thinner paint and a Surface Primer.
- Surface Primer… I must be a complete idiot. If I would have had my thesaurus with me at JoAnn, I would have realized that “Prime” and “Prep” are basically the same word. Surface Primer MUST be Gesso!!! I felt like a genius. (please be sure to read on to “Tips & Tricks”)
- I used another one of my vintage jars dug out of our property.
- Thinner paint? We’ll see, I guess. I chose Americana Acrylic Paint in Indian Turquoise
. I also added a little pearly paint that I have on hand for an upcoming post.
- Alcohol. Yes, I first first cleaned the interior glass surface with it; I also drank some.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
You may recall my “Frustration Scale” from the last post. I wasn’t entirely out of the water here.
With zen-like calm, perhaps mostly alcohol induced, I began my second attempt at the coveted Enamel Painted Vase.
Feeling like a freaking genius, I began by first applying my Gesso. Fail. It’s F-ing white. Start over. Count 1-2 F-bombs.
I attempt to chill the hell out as recommended to myself in the previous post.
Starting fresh, I applied my first coat of paint and walked away for 15 minutes to let dry as instructed. Upon my return, same problem as before. The paint wasn’t dry enough and when I went to smooth it out, I only picked it up and moved it around. Also, my new paint was only slightly thinner than my Martha paint, and therefore never dripped out like it should have. Oh boy. I let it sit over night and returned to apply my second coat in the morning.
The second coat did the trick. I was done after that! Yay! I did blob some extra paint into the jar and knock around by tapping the side of the jar onto the bottom of my palm. This helped to satisfy my anal retentive side and get a smoother coat on the bottom, even though no one will ever see it.
In the end, It’s great! I’ll still do this project again. #1 thing for me to plan for – letting each coat dry overnight. That’s it. Simple as that.
Pros:
Easy. They look great, no matter how you get there!
Cons:
Requires multiple coats of paint; each coat needs to dry overnight. This can be frustrating.
Conclusion:
I love the end result of this project.
They look great when finished and I truly am excited to recreate on a larger scale once we decorate our new home!
Reviewer #2 - Kristy
Mission: Attempt to redeem myself from the first attempt at the enameled vases. Looking forward to create new staging piece for my home.
Details:
- I read the directions again and noticed once the interior vase is painted, only hold over for minutes not over night as I did before. Ha!! Focus!
- The project called for surface cleaner and I still did not find this so I did without again!
- Used Folk Art enamel paint in Folk Art Enamel Acrylic Paint in Lemon Custard
…perfect color for my décor. I mixed it with the Folk Art Enamel in White Frost
to achieve a frosted look (I honestly have no idea if it made a difference.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Get extra paint, maybe swirling the paint in the vase instead of painting with a brush could work better.
Pros:
It’s pretty cheap to decorate! Great impact of color!
Cons:
It’s fully streaked so I have to put this up on a shelf so no one can peek in the inside.
It took a while to dry and the paint wasn’t flowing out.
Conclusion:
Second attempt was better than the first but nothing like the website. This is a bit too advanced of a craft project for me! Ha!
It does look pretty great but only if you don’t see it from the inside! I most likely won’t do this project for a 3rd time!
read more
Sugar and Charm has shared the trick to getting vibrantly colored glassware for less in her tutorial for Enamel Painted Vases.
We love the chic and modern look of these colorful, and functional pieces.
Please click here to visit Sugar and Charm and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Maren
Mission: I really love the look of these vases. I see them all the time on Pinterest, and I just can’t get enough! I am really excited to learn this technique, as I think that it will be a fun way to add pops of color to our home decor.
Details:
- I decided to start on a smaller scale, so I used 2 vintage jars that I [no kidding] dug out of the dirt in the back of our property! The existing home that was torn down was built in 1904, so they had their own little dump in back. We found all sorts of weird shit; bowling balls, rusty bikes, beer cans… and tons of little glass jars!
- Of course, I used Martha Stewart Craft Paint. I love you Martha.
- I didn’t know what the H surface primer was. Is it Gesso
? I also couldn’t find anything called “Surface Primer” at JoAnn… so I skipped it.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
#1 use a craft paint with a thinner consistency. I love you Martha, but the paint was too thick to drip out as I expected. Also, too thick to dry within 15 minutes – when I went to even it out I just picked up the paint that was drying and moved it around 
This was extremely frustrating. Perhaps this was the purpose of the “surface primer”…
After screwing up my previously painted interior several times since the first coat wasn’t totally dry, I decided that I should probably create some type of “Frustration Scale” for you. Example: This project resulted in 3 F Bombs, 2 S.O.B.’s and an undocumented number of “sh*ts.”
I needed to step away… Rosie and I made our Salt Dough Paw Prints.
The only way this was going to work was for each coat to totally dry. I left them sit overnight. The following morning I was a little sad to see that the deep ridges from my thick paint and brush strokes had dried in tact. Whatever, no one will be looking inside. I proceeded to apply 2 more coats, waiting about 12 hours in between each. Yes, this project took me 3 days to complete.
In the end, I LOVE them! They’re great! I know that I’ll do this project again with the lessons learned – use thinner paint, apply a surface primer – I will use Gesso, and chill the hell out.
A total plus to using Martha’s Paint… if I leave them alone and wait 21 days for them to “cure,” they’ll be dishwasher safe!!! WHAT!! See, I knew I loved you, Martha.
Pros:
They look great!
Cons:
Not exactly the most relaxing project on the first go for an OCD wreck like me, but will be much better the next time! I think that I’ll add vodka first… to me.
Conclusion:
Even though I nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to get these to look perfect, I definitely intend on doing this project again. I truly love the end result. Although they might be rough on the inside… they appear perfect on the outside so no need to fret!
I can’t wait to recreate on a larger scale once we decorate our new home!
Reviewer #2 - Kristy
Mission: I was hesitant to do this project but I knew it was one I would enjoy learning! I am redoing my bedroom décor and I know yellow vases would be perfect. I will start small then I may do a few more pieces for my office.
Details:
- I chose a glass container with a lid as it cost me .60 cents helping keep the cost down and I didn’t want to ruin the glass vase I purchased. This was my tester for color and to see the results before continuing on other pieces. I did not purchase any frost or the surface conditioner so I am crossing my fingers that this project turns out.
- For color I chose Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint, in Bright Yellow
, which cost me $1.00.
- To start the project, I cleaned the jar well then squeezed a generous amount of yellow paint into the container.
- I snapped the lid on to more easily swirl the paint around the container. I was extremely generous on the paint, as a result, it was quick and easy to coat. I did not have a small paint brush on hand so I needed the extra squeeze of paint. The edges were more difficult to cover so I simply used my fingers to spread paint to cover the edges. I did notice a couple of tiny bubbles but so small that I don’t think anyone will notice.
- Once painted, I flipped the container over on a stack of paper towels and let the paint drip out to begin the drying process.
- Being the impatient person that I am, I decided to see how much paint had drained out. A TON, so let it sit. Just walk away or you will have a huge mess!
- Get ready for the extra paint; it looks like most of it will drain out while I have it sit out over-night.
- The finished project did not turn out as expected. I guess having the glass sit out in 107 degree weather with humidity was a very bad idea. Sad, all of the paint dripped out.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Don’t move the vase or container after flipping it, as it makes a huge mess. It’s best just to fold several napkins and set the container directly on top and let it be until it dries.
Be prepared, have the paint brush on hand so you won’t have to use quite as much paint or your fingers. I was a little nervous that the brush might make the glass streaky. You would likely use less paint if you could paint the inside with the brush instead of my technique.
Keep the bugs away; I had little bugs join in the paint party as I was completing my project on the ground.
Beware of the temperature, set it inside if it is too hot or too humid outside.
Pros:
It was cheap and makes such an impact of color. This project cost me under $2.00!
Cons:
It’s a little messy and the unknown of how it will turn out.
Conclusion:
This project did not turn out as expected but I will definitely do again! Next time I will be conscious of the weather as that will play a role in this project. There are so many varieties of colors and textures that can be used. I want to try the frosted acrylics and create white vases for my offices. This is a cute idea for gifts, too! It is an easy project to make such an impact on your home décor, I hope next time the heat doesn’t destroy the finished project.
Stay tuned as I will be redoing this project as time permits!
read more
We loved the simple and charming look of these living crafts, so the gals of The Crafty Collaborative just had to try this project out for ourselves!
Please click here to visit More Design Please and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Amanda
Mission: Create planters out of tea cups to brighten my office space.
Details:
I opted for rocks found in my landscaping instead of purchasing pebbles.
I also used some tea cups I had purchased (cheaply) at a second hand store for a tea party I threw for my daughter. I actually spray painted them because they were definitely old but not in a good way!
I ordered my succulents from this lovely Etsy shop at a steal ($10 for 10!) Bkyard Paradise
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Trying to get all of my little succulents into the tea cups was hard with just two hands. It would have been helpful to have another set handy. Maybe next time I will let my kids help!?
Pros:
This is a great way to re-use and an even better way to brighten up a space.
Cons:
I am not totally sure that the succulents will handle the cup size well and actually survive but that is more my mistake than anything written in the original posting for this DIY.
Conclusion:
I have to admit I am in love with my new little buddies. They actually bring a smile to my face and would make a great get well gift or really for any occasion.
Reviewer #2 - Maren
Mission: To make a sweet little gift for myself!
Details:
- Succulent from the grocery store (I grabbed the smallest one they had and it still seemed huge!)
- The biggest mug that I could find, for $3 at Marshalls
- Tiny river pebbles from the JoAnn
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Do this outside. If you do it inside, like I did… and near the sink… like I did… you may end up with little rocks in your garbage disposal. Shit.
There was a ton of dirt in the little pot that my plant came in – so I didn’t get any extra.
Don’t water these suckers until they’re bone dry. I am a [unintentional] plant murderer; but I have learned that I can handle a succulent. They love neglect! Seriously! I once tried to be better about watering the one I had at my office… dead. Now I just accept that they’re perfect for me, and do what I do best, forget about taking care of them.
Also – succulents seem to do better when their roots are a little crowded. I think that this cup should be a good size for now, but my plant will have to get an upgrade as it gets bigger.
Pros:
Quick! This project only took about 5 minutes to actually complete and I am in LOVE with the result! What a little cutie!
I think that this is a nice way to get smaller succulents started. You can enjoy them on a table or shelf while they’re little, and then replant them somewhere else when they get bigger.
Cons:
None, unless you’re me and you like to put rocks down your drain.
Conclusion:
This project is totally easy, and would make a great gift! I think that they have a lot more character and charm when in a cute cup, than the plastic pot they come in from the store.
Succulents are my favorite, and they seem to be pretty popular these days, too! I will definitely do this project again – so I’ll be on the lookout for those lonely cups at the thrift store!
Reviewer #3 - Kristy
Mission: I was not born with a green thumb, everything I touch dies within 2 weeks. Case in point, my formerly green and beautiful basil and chives plants… dead after two weeks. This is why I chose this project, as I figured succulents are hard to kill so maybe I could actually keep a plant alive. Let’s hope!
Details:
- Two beautiful succulents that I picked up at Home Depot. I am hoping they remain this beautiful.
- This was simple. There was enough potting soil from the plant to replant. I simply flipped over the plant and the dirt stayed intact by the roots. Placed it in a tea cup (ok, coffee mug) and it looked perfect.
- I really wanted to reuse my pots from my old dead plants so instead of keeping my succulent in the coffee mug I used an old pot. When transferring to these new pots, I needed more soil so I used a portion of the soil from the old pot at the bottom then added the new plant with soil intact.
- Once inside the pot, I placed more soil from the old pot around the edges to stabilize the plant.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Use what you like and if the finished project isn’t exactly what you like then modify and make it your own.
Pros:
Easy, the small plant chosen was perfect for the small teacup or coffee cup. No additional soil needed. This would be a cute idea for an office plant! Cheap décor!
Cons:
Dirty nails and a little messy!
Conclusion:
Don’t be afraid to have real plants, just find one that can keep up with your lifestyle. If you have a busy lifestyle then a succulent could be the best for you! Lol, it sounds like I am referring to a pet!
read more
Intrigued by the allure of a personal and thrifty gift, the girls of The Crafty Collaborative rolled up their sleeves and dove in!
Please click here to visit The Imagination Tree and the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 – Mandy
Mission: Bond with my nephews and make a cute (and cheap) keepsake that they can give to mom, dad, grandma and grandpa!
Details:
- I followed the recipe as written except for being strict on the time. Well, actually used Kosher salt as that’s what I had available.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I used more water than the recipe called for so make sure you plan accordingly.
Mine didn’t look as smooth as the photos in the original recipe did. Maybe it was the Kosher salt?? It is a bit grittier than normal table salt.
Pros:
Easy and kid-friendly! Plus, when I put my pup’s (Ruthie) paw in it, she totally didn’t mind as I think it tasted good to her when she got to lick it.
Cons:
Takes awhile to cook. Make sure you are not in a rush and can be at home while it’s cooking. Also, don’t forget about it like I did.
With such a long cooking time, I totally spaced on watching the time! Whoops.
Conclusion:
When I finally remembered to take the creations out (which I still think ended up being around 3 hours later), they cooked up just fine and didn’t burn at all. They could have maybe even gone longer as the centers were still a little moist. Definitely will make these again with my nephews for fun, affordable gifts for the fam!
Reviewer #2 – Sarah
Mission: To create a keepsake of my children’s footprints with salt dough.
Details:
- Salt
- Flour
- Water
- Darling kiddos!
- Acrylic paint
Tips & Tricks Learned:
You have to push the kids hand or foot into the salt dough a bit firmer than you may think to make a good impression of their print.
Pros:
SUPER easy to do and we had all of the materials on-hand.
Awesome keepsake for yourself or a gift for a loved one.
Cons:
My kids are a bit young to really understand the acrylic painting technique – but it all turned out great.
This project is somewhat time consuming – due to the bake time and then paint and dry time. We did the project over the course of two days.
Conclusion:
The kids and I had a great time making the salt dough forms – they turned out really cute too!
This is a sweet family project that you can cherish for years to come – and you could even do this as a yearly project. It would be a great project to do as a new mom with your infant as a keepsake of those cute tiny hands and feet
Reviewer #3 - Amanda
Mission: To turn dough into art! I am creating shapes for my kids to paint on a rainy day.
Details:
- I went into this craft knowing there would be some things I would change and may do differently.
- I decided that I would use my KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer
instead of doing the work manually. At first this seemed like a great idea but then I could tell that no amount of mixing, adding flour and water was going to make it smooth. So I opted to take the dough out of the bowl and knead it like bread dough. This was the trick!
- I lightly floured the counter and kneaded for about a minute and then used the roller to make it smooth and about 1/4 inch thick so I could cut out shapes.
- I used small cookie cutter in various shapes. 3 of each to keep it fair with my kids of course!
- I also used Kosher salt since the recipe didn’t call for specifics. I wonder if that may make a slight difference in texture.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Hand kneading is key and adding just a little water and just a little flour at a time is best. I only ended up adding about 1 tablespoon of water and about 2 tablespoons of flour to get the desired texture.
Pros:
This recipe requires cheap ingredients in small amounts so it is extremely economical and fairly readily available if you need a rainy day project.
Cons:
It is clear that you need to perfect the amounts and your kneading technique to make this a “quick” project.
Plus the amount of time it has to bake might make the waiting unbearable for little ones.
Conclusion:
I still think this will be a fun project to surprise my kids with and I KNOW they will love decorating them. I even cut out some small shapes that we could add magnets to.
I will definitely try this again but may try heating the water and salt together to make the dough smoother. Much like you would with a playdough recipe.
Reviewer #4 - Maren
Mission: The second I saw this project there was just one thing was one my mind. Pawprints! I couldn’t wait to stick my pup’s paw in some dough!
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I don’t think that there really is an exact recipe to make this stuff. Having said that, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to make it work. You just have to wing it. I tried to keep track, but in the end, I have no idea how much salt, water or flour was in the bowl. I did use warmer water though, in hopes that it would help the salt dissolve.
After over-thinking everything, I finally just approached the dough as if I were making cookies. I floured my work surface, and rolled the dough out to an even thickness.
Make sure that you wipe your pups paw off after pressing into the dough. I think that Rosie’s paw was like a mini salt-lick in the end.
My paw print ornaments were not more than 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick, however they felt moist and soft in the center of the underside after baking for 3 hours. I decided to bake for another hour, and then leave in the oven overnight. The following morning they still felt damp on the underside’s center (I wonder if it’s because I used parchment paper?). Since the top part was totally dried out, I flipped them upside down and baked them for another hour at 200 degrees. Wa-lah! Perfect!
When they were done baking, the ornaments looked like they were a little grainy, but they were totally smooth to the touch.
Upon painting my little paw prints, I noticed the dough sucking the paint into tiny air holes, the surface was pretty porous in some areas. Lightbulb! A porous surface should be sealed first with gesso! After this brilliant idea, and after trying one with and one without… it was determined that they looked almost exactly the same in the end. Damn it.
In terms of these bad boys being kid-friendly – it should be noted that I dropped one of mine [unpainted] onto the granite countertop from about 2 feet above, and another one [painted] from my hands onto the wood floor and neither one of them broke. Yay!
Pros:
Totally easy. Super cute!
My doggie was a good sport. We were both happy about this being a pet-safe activity.
Cons:
There was a lot of guesswork in the bake time, but since it was such a low heat – it wasn’t a scary thing.
Conclusion:
This was an easy, fun project! I am happy with how my puppy keepsake turned out, too! I am already thinking of other things that I can make with this quick and easy dough! I think that I might have to steal my nephew’s hand or foot to make a keepsake like The Imagination Tree’s!
Reviewer #5 - Sheri
Mission: Okay here’s that word that I’m not too comfortable with… “Dough.”
Dough needs the right flour to water ratio to work right. Dough gets sticky. You add more flour and then dough get crumbly. I often have a problem with dough. This project should be interesting…especially seeing the boys will be helping me.
Details:
- After reading the instructions I was a little more at ease. 1 cup salt, 1 cup of flour, and half a cup of water. Easy. I let the boys help. They were super excited.
- You simply combine the three ingredients and form a ball of dough.
- The boys flattened their dough and of course wanted to make dinosaurs instead of handprint keepsakes.
- We put them in the oven at 200°F for two and a half hours.
- Logan decided to get creative and make a dinosaur egg fossil. Seeing he put plastic bones in it we couldn’t put it in the oven. I think it’s going to take weeks to dry.
- The following day, they painted.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I found that the dough was a little too sticky. The predicament I hate to be in. I added a quarter cup of flour and the consistency was much better.
Also, don’t use your kids tempera paints…you really should use acrylic.
Pros:
First and foremost the kids had fun. Clean-up was easy. Only 3 ingredients!
Cons:
Kids asking if they’re ready yet 50 times over a span of 2.5 hours.
Conclusion:
I have to admit it was a really easy dough to make. They boys had fun. Big bonus was that the clean-up was easy. I’m already thinking of things we can make with the stuff as gifts.
read more
After seeing her cute creations, we were inspired to start stitching!
Please click here to visit Heather Hales Designs and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Maren
Mission: A cute last minute gift? Here, here!
Details:
I didn’t use wool felt for the entire project, as recommended. I chose a white cotton canvas for the top. I used baby blue polyester felt for the backing instead of wool felt because JoAnn rearranged their entire store and I was having a meltdown and just had to get out of there.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Make sure that you select a pattern that can be easily stitched after you resize it. I made a vintage pattern really tiny, then realized that was not such a great idea when I tried to do some of the stitches.
Pros:
This was easy, and i am happy with the finished product!
Cons:
Only easy if you have all of the equipment handy… if you’re not set up to sew on demand, then this might be a bigger project than you signed up for.
Conclusion:
I liked this little project. I enjoy embroidery and sewing, so this was a quick, happy project for me to do. I am looking forward to using this as a binder band, and making one or two for gifts as well!
Reviewer #2 – Sarah
Mission: To try embroidery for the first time and hone in on my sewing skills.
Details:
- Elastic
- Embroidery Floss
- Embroidery Pattern
- Felt
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Not sure I have any to share.
Pros:
When complete, a super cute and handy tool!
Cons:
Definitely a craft project for the more skilled…or patient-minded kind
Conclusion:
Let’s just say this one was challenging for me! First off…for those of you that can embroider – I bow down to you. I definitely gave it a try and would LOVE to be better at this some day as I always ogle over the beautiful embroidery work I see out and about.
In addition, I was challenged even further as my sewing machine was having technical difficulties, so I had to hand-stitch the elastic and felt pieces together, which I am horrible at and it shows. All in all, I’m not overly happy with the outcome of this project, but want to try it again as I envisioned this as a darling craft!
Loved the idea of this craft – just not the execution I ended up with. Maybe next time!
read more
Please click here to visit Fossil.Life.Style and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Sheri
Mission: Okay, I have to admit they’re just super cute. The question I had was, “Are they easy to make and worth the effort?” I was anxious to see how I would fare.
Details:
The instructions were easy and you didn’t really need too many supplies to complete these cute little notepads. I had everything I needed in the house:
- scissors
- rubber cement
- paper
- cardstock
- ruler
- stapler
- sandpaper… for the added “matchbook” touch
I like to recycle so instead of going out and purchasing cardstock, I just recycled notecards I had and an old wall calendar.
The dimensions for the cardstock is 1.5” x 4.25”; and for the note paper 1.25” x 1.75” (I didn’t enjoy cutting the note paper…tedious without a paper-cutter)
A quick fold and a staple and they were assembled. And of course that finishing touch of a sandpaper strike-board on the back made the piece just more adorable.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I recommend using the edge of the ruler to help create a crisp fold. The use of old notecards was perfect. My brilliant idea of using my old wall calendar posed not to be so brilliant. The paper really wasn’t thick enough to hold good form, but it still worked.
Pros:
Super easy to assemble and they were not very time consuming.
Cons:
I found the dimensions were a bit small to get any “notepad” use out of them.
Conclusion:
Overall the matchbook notepads were really easy to make and not very time consuming. I could definitely see myself making them as party favors. Just make a quick little assembly line and they’re a breeze. My only recommendation would be to make them a little bigger. I think I might even make myself a few for my office with some of my scrap paper. Much better than my cut up pieces of scrap paper I have held with a binder clip at the moment. Again, it’s a great project for recycling! Get out your scrap pieces of paper and cardstock. Heck, you can even use your tissue boxes, those always come in pretty patterns. Grab a stapler and make some matchbook notebooks. It’s so easy and unique! I have to say this one was a success!
Reviewer #2 – Sarah
Mission: To make super cute notepads!
Details:
- Paper
- Sandpaper
- Rubber Cement
- Scissors / Paper Cutter
- Stapler
- Embellishments
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I LOVE rubber cementJ It is a great glue!
Pros:
Super easy and fun to create and adorable too!
Cons:
Not sure of the true end use…a cute gift, but short shelf life.
Someone may mistake these for an actual book of matches, and will turn up disappointed when they find none!
Conclusion:
This is a super easy craft that honestly, anyone can do! It took me back to my days of elementary school where the smell of glue and the sound of scissors was the highlight of my day! I had a lot of fun creating these – and though I am not sure exactly how I plan to use them now, they sure are cute!!
Reviewer #3 - Maren
Mission: Want to make cute little notebooks for my handbag? Yes, I do!
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I completely failed to follow the instructions. My tip would be to read the entire post prior to beginning the project. I guess I got excited.
Pros:
Easy to do. Cute.
Cons:
Not the kick-in-the-pants good time that I was hoping for.
Conclusion:
This project was easy and turned out cute. It just wasn’t for me. Maybe if I was more into the paper that I was using or something… I bet it would be cute to use photos and stamps, etc. I also think that this would have been better if I had one of those mega thick-staplers and perforated paper… because since I’m so anal retentive, it will probably drive me crazy that I have to tear the pages out and they won’t be perfect. See the problems I have? 
read more
Where there are Crafty Collaborators, there are often Crafty Kids! We’re always on the hunt for fun projects to do together!
Please click here to visit Sueños Encantados and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 – Sarah
Mission: Utilize broken crayons and make them new again.
Details:
- Broken crayons
- Mini cupcake pan(s)
- Olive oil
- Kids
Tips & Tricks Learned:
If some broken crayon pieces are still too big to fit in the mini cupcake pan, use a knife to cut vs. painfully hurting your fingersJ
Pros:
A great way to re-use broken crayons vs. tossing them out.
Cons:
Breaking the crayons into smaller pieces was a bit hard on the fingers, but nothing this lady couldn’t handle. We had included some broken Melissa and Doug brand crayons as well, but they did not melt as well as the Crayola crayon pieces.
Conclusion:
The make your own crayon project was a hit! My kids and I had a great time getting the crayons ready for melting and found the directions easy to follow. Overall a great activity!
My son was so excited about them after we were done that he took them to show his friends at daycare!
In addition, the final size of these crayons are great for younger toddlers as they are much easier to hold.
Reviewer #2 - Sheri
Mission: Today’s project…I just call it the Melted Crayon Thing…you can call it whatever you want. You see it all over Pinterest, mostly as school gift ideas for classmates.
Details:
- The first step, aside from pre-heating the oven to 250°, is peeling the paper off the crayons. Let me tell you Crayola crayons paper sticks the best. It was easier to get the paper off the cheap crayons we got from the restaurant. After about 5 minutes of peeling crayons I had to grab the wine. This SUCKED, and it wasn’t even something I had thought of. I was too worried about my pan and oven.
- A few sips of wine and then there was clarity. Pocket knife!! Worked like a charm. I plowed right through that pile of crayons.
- Major thing to NOT forget is to liberally oil the muffin tin. I just used regular vegetable oil. After the pan is oiled you pile in the crayons like so. Make up any color combo you like. I tend to like the warm colors with the warm colors, cool with cool. You get it, right?
- Put them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. I kept an eye on them because as I stated previously I was very afraid of the “blub-blub-blub” and having to scrape melted crayon out of my oven.
- When they were done aka melted completely I let them cool. Then came the moment of truth…would they be stuck in my muffin pan… please no. I took a deep breath, flipped the pan and plop, plop, plop, everyone single one of them came dropping out onto the counter. Success!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
This looked like a cute idea. What home of kids doesn’t have broken crayons? I mean my three-year-old his breaking the things all.the.time! Maybe it makes him feel like Superman? I always end up with a pile of broken crayon pieces, for which my other two boys refuse to use.
I finally started buying the twist ones and still seem to end up with some broken pieces of crayon because they often twist the crayon up too high. However, for this project I needed more than just a couple of broken crayons so I snuck into Grammie’s stash.
I figured this would be an easy project that wouldn’t take much thought and time to come out great. My only worry was my muffin pan…would it get ruined? Oh, and the “blub-blub-blub” factor. If crayon bubbled over and melted all over my oven I would be in tears.
Pros:
Really easy and not very time consuming. You can’t really fail esthetically; Martha’s would look the same way!
Cons:
Peeling the paper off the crayons was a pain in the butt, but if you use my little tip it makes it less painfully tedious.
Conclusion:
I might actually do this with the kids come the next school year. It really wasn’t difficult and you can make a ton at once. Big factor for me was that my pan and oven survived and clean-up was a super easy. The “melted crayon thing” – a success.
read more
Terrariums are everywhere these days! We thought we had better get on board!
Please click here to visit House & Hold and check out the post that we loved!
Reviewer #1 – Sarah
Mission: To plant darling succulents in a terrarium setting.
Details:
- Succulent Plant(s)
- Clear Glass Jar/Pot
- Potting Soil
- Rocks (for filler)
- Embellishments
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Not only are succulent plants adorable – they grow fast!
And, you can use little trinkets you have around the house to adorn your terrarium planting. I had seashells from a previous vacation, a mini deer found in my kids toys and some cute hand-stamped spoons I added to one.
Pros:
This is an easy and fun project to do – all you need is dirt, a darling glass jar/pot and plants. And, you can have fun adoring the finished planter as well! Definitely worth a try for anyone out there!
Cons:
Can’t think of any! What’s not to love about a succulent plant bringing life into your home?!?!?
Conclusion:
I LOVE gardening of all kinds and enjoy having greenery in my home. Creating a terrarium is easy, fun and a great addition to the home. I plan to do this many times over!
Reviewer #2 - Maren
Mission: Can I really make a delightful little terrarium like I have been seeing EVERYWHERE myself?!?!
Details:
- Vase
- Pebbles
- Dirt
- 2 little Succulents
- 1 tiny rubber Deer
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Be careful what you stick in there… initially I had these little mushrooms from the craft store and within a couple of days they were totally furry with mold. Gross.
Pros:
One of the quickest, easiest and most impressive-looking projects ever!!
Cons:
None! I love this thing!
Conclusion:
Thank you, “Do-it-Yourself-Terrarium” for making me feel like a professional gardener and look like I really have my shit together to all who come to my home!
read more
We can’t wait to try this project out!
Please click here to visit House of Earnest and see the instructions that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Maren
Mission: To make super cute color block cooking utensils that make me feel like a cooking fashionista!
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Sand your [cheap] utensils before you paint! Also – be careful to keep them away from each other after spraying with the shellac – they’ll stick together! I also re-taped prior to spraying with the shellac. I did this to make sure that there wasn’t a big ridge of paint that would look bad, and make it so the tape couldn’t totally come off.
Pros:
Super easy and cute – I think that they would be a cute way to color coordinate a hostess or shower gift.
Cons:
None – I loved this!
Conclusion:
It was easy and they turned out super cute! Now that I have the huge can of the Shellac Spray, I am looking forward to making these for every housewarming and shower gift for the rest of time! I hope my friends and family are as excited about these as I am!
Reviewer #2 - Sheri
Mission: When I saw these on Pinterest I fell in love. They’re adorable and looked easy to do.
Details:
- First I grabbed the kids’ paints and tried painting the utensils. That was a quick fail. The paint did adhere very well. I then broke out my acrylic paints and made some progress. I tried getting fancy…another fail. It just wasn’t one of those creative kind of days for me
Tips & Tricks Learned:
What I learned while making these today…stay with simple, and don’t leave wet painted spoons out where the three year old can reach them. Be cautious when removing the painters tape. Don’t apply the paint too thick there.
Pros:
Really not that difficult to do.
Cons:
Not something to do when the kids are around. All kids love to paint!
Conclusion:
They’re cute. Although I had a few fails and my three-year-old ruined a couple of them before they were dry, I think I would still make them again…Minus the peanut crew. I think these would pair really well with a cook book wrapped in a table cloth (another Pinterest fave) for a shower gift. Just stick these on top.
read more
Balancing Home has shown us that a little spray paint can go a long way – turning undesirable items into fabulous and chic pieces of home decor that are sure to wow! Check out the gems that we found, and sprayed to glam!
Please click here to visit Balancing Home to see the post that we followed!
Reviewer #1 - Maren
Mission: To see if my little pink Buddha can be given new life with a few coats of paint!
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
I desperately wanted to use my new Martha paint… so I didn’t use a spray paint. This would have been a bad idea had I not used the AMAZING Martha Stewart Gloss Enamel Finish to shellac my little Buddha man at the end. The super glossy spray covered every brush mark and made my little buddha look incredibly chic! Yay!
Pros:
Super easy and the result is so much fun! I can’t wait to spray some more stuff!
Cons:
Non – I love this guy and this project!
Conclusion:
I love this project! I love Martha’s craft paint and I can’t wait to transform more items from our home! This gives me a whole new perspective when I see weird things at garage sales, or the Goodwill! I am totally inspired!
Reviewer #2 – Mandy
Mission: I love spray painting stuff and just bought a new home to decorate. “Old crap” to mod décor… here we come!
Details:
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Find a spot where you won’t be permanently painting the driveway. Lay down lots of old newspaper or paper bags! Also, exercise some patience and don’t paint too many layers on before fully allowing the previous to dry.
Pros:
So easy! And so cute and economical!
Cons:
Messy. The paint is also hard to get to stick on some surfaces, resulting in flaking paint. I was finding myself having some issues with drippy paint streaks as well.
Conclusion:
It’s a lovely way to utilize the old, ugly stuff you were going to get rid of or throw away. I hate being wasteful and this is a fun way to revive that stuff.
Reviewer #3 - Kristy
Mission: Paint can do wonders to change the look of furniture and accent pieces. I have used spray paint once before on cabinet knobs so I was very interested in using it again for this project. I went shopping at the Goodwill and I found a couple of pieces I wanted to paint, but decided the best item was this gold plastic mirror frame.
Details:
- Picking out spray paint was a bit overwhelming with so many options….glossy, textured, flat, matte, metallic, etc. I also noticed, each can was specific for the material it was be used on. Since mine was plastic, I purchased a plastic friendly spray paint. As for the color, I was considering a color but didn’t find one that I loved love so I went safe with glossy black.
- Next step was protecting the mirror from the tape. I used painters tape and newspaper to frame the perimeter of the frame.
- It was a windy day, so probably wasn’t the best day to do this project but I moved forward. My finance came supervise and informed me that I was applying the paint too thick. Light and short sprays would have been better for the finish
- Finish project, let dry!
- Yikes, bubbles had formed on the edges of the frame. Not too noticeable but depending on where I decide to hang the mirror, I may have to consider sanding the paint off and repaint.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
It’s easier to take the screws off the frame and detach the mirror if you are able to. It’s easier than taping first…wish I had learned this first. Thanks to my fiancé, I finally figured this up.
Don’t spray on a windy day…not sure if this is what caused the bubbles, but it could have potentially caused it.
Use short, light strokes for even finish!
Don’t forget to clean the surface, wipe it down!! This will help for a clean finish.
Hang to spray paint; I think it might have been easier to spray on more evenly.
Pros:
It was super simple! The taping was the hardest part, well most time consuming!
Cons:
Bubbles, unsure of how it occurred. Did some “googling”…it might be from the wind, heavy strokes or because I forgot to clean the surface! Its just on the edges so it looks find from the front.
Conclusion:
Overall, the project was super easy. I definitely will consider spray painting other objects but I will be bold and try more color next time! This is a perfect way to transform an old piece to give it new life. Giving a room a pop of color with a cool piece, can make all the difference!
read more
First mistake was not mixing my cement in a separate container. I of course didn’t realize just how much of a mistake until 24 hours later when I pulled the hardened cement out of the containers.
This worked, sort of. This kind of lead breaks constantly and tugs at the felt, making little fuzzies. Poo.
For the main cutting, I just used my super sharp 
Represent!
I was too lazy to walk down the stairs and get a thimble to protect my thumb, but I survived.
for creating my stencil (you wouldn’t need this if you had one that was pre-made).
as recommended by 
I was inspired by 
instead of the traditional paint-on version. I am not saying this was wise, just saying.
and the 
As far as I’m concerned, any brand would do the trick for this project. I am just a sucker for darling packaging!
- Only used one coat!
Only problem with these brushes is that you occasionally have to pull a hair out of the object that you’re painting!
with 
