Star & Stripes Necklace

Diamond Glaze and I have a love/hate relationship. I LOVE what it creates, yet hate how it doesn't work for me. Every time I'd try to make a cute necklace pendant, the glaze would bubble and... grr... we just don't get along.

I'm slightly determined, so I bought circle pendants on sale a while ago, telling myself I'd try the necklace again. The problem was I could never really pump myself up to trying it again, mostly because I couldn't come up with a cute idea that I absolutely HAD to try.

Until the Fourth of July and it's patriotic beauty came around. I grabbed my pack of pendants and tried again.

This time, it worked.

Stars & Stripes Necklace

Gather It:

• blank necklace pendant
• scrapbook paper
• scissors
• diamond glaze
• needle

Create it:

1. Basically, trace the correctly-sized pendant circle onto the scrapbook paper and cut it out. I thought it would be great to have one Star and one Stripes pendant---hence the name of the necklace. I know, rocket science.
2. Trim until it fits in the pendant and place it in flat in the pendant. Make sure there is no space between the back of the paper and front of the pendant.
3. VERY VERY slowly drip the glaze into the pendant, until the pendant is full. Make sure not to get any bubbles because they will dry as bubbles (ask me how I know).
4. Wait overnight to dry, then string onto chain, ribbon, whatever you want to put around your neck. Enjoy!

Patriotic Decor

Happy FIFTH of July! We had a fun neighborhood get together at our house yesterday (and my in-laws came in town for the holiday), so naturally I had to add a little bit more to my Patriotic decor. Here's what I got:

Stars and Stripes Banner


I completely spaced on creating a tutorial for this... if there's enough interest. It's a lot like the {USA Hang}.

Table Runner
Last year, I participated in a {U-Create Create with Me challenge} to make {quilted table runners}. I loved the idea so much that I've made one for almost every holiday. I just need to make St. Pat's next year and my day-to-day one and I'll have a complete set.

Subway art and Dresser Cover

Found the Subway art {HERE}, got the America at Hobby Lobby on sale, and used my extra fabric from the Table runner to make a quick cover. I love the extra color it brings in.

Cutie Tutu

I know she isn't a decoration, but I couldn't resist making her a Patriotic Tutu (since I had tulle leftover from the banner and door hang). Tutus are super simple; elastic sewn just smaller than your subject's waist and lots of loop knots to create the full skirt. I used the tutorial {HERE}. The only thing I did differently was cut the width of the strips in half, so they were 3 inches wide, instead of 6 inches. She LOVES it.

I also made the matching bow with three leftover strips, a little bit of wire, ribbon, alligator clip, and glue gun.

Did I mention I LOVE the Fourth of July? ;)

Fireworks!

I found {THIS} idea and decided it needed to be tweaked to fit me and added to our growing Patriotic Decor. Our TV shelves just looked entirely non-festive.

Wooden Fireworks!

Gather It:

• Wood--- mine is 7, 10, and 13 inches tall (2x2 wide)
• Red, White, Blue Paint
• vinyl/stencils for stars, stripes, and words
• Drill & bits
• wire (cut into 9 3-ft pieces)
• needle-nose pliers
• pencil or marker

Create It:

1. All three fireworks need a base coat of white. I used glossy wood stain, but it would be just as easy (probably easier) to use craft (acrylic) paint.
2. After they dry, choose which one you want to be stars, stripes, and words. For the Stars/Stripes, place the vinyl over it and then paint over any white area you see.
3. For the white firework, use the negative vinyl as a stencil and paint the words on.
   (I used the Jane Austen font). As always, I'll email you the doc, if you have a silhouette. Yes, I used the church news to protect my table--- hopefully that's not too bad. ;)
   
4. Add a few coats and wait to dry.
5. After dry, drill a whole in the center top for the wire 'whicks,' I used the tiniest bit available.
6. Holding the firework in one hand and wire in the other, start to fish the wire in the hole. When it gets difficult, use the needle-nose pliers, instead of your fingers. Repeat three times for each firework.
7. To get the whick curly, wrap the wire (starting from the top) around a pencil or marker (I used a fat dry-erase one). Continue until you get to where the wire and wood meet, then gently pull the marker out. Repeat for the rest of the whisks!
8. Enjoy your new fireworks! Sure to bring that extra BANG to your celebrations!

Simple USA Wall Hang

Before this year, I had minimal Fourth of July decorations; this is a minor tragedy because the Fourth is my FAVORITE holiday. I LOVE everything about it; patriotism, the colors, BBQ, swimming, parades, fairs, fireworks (professional and not-so-professional). This is actually the holiday when my husband met my parents for the first time (and asked my Dad for my hand), I think you get the point that I love the holiday.

Not decorating for it felt like a crime, so I dusted off my thinking cap and came up with a fun, easy and inexpensive door hang for our laundry room door (it must be passed by anyone entering/leaving our house---high traffic area).
Disclaimer: Excuse the pictures of the random steps in the process. I'm still getting a hang of the whole document-while-crafting thing. :)

Gather It:

• 3 wood stars
• Acrylic Paint
• 1 11x17 foam sheet (they're 1.99 at any craft store)
• 3 in wide ribbon, 29 inches long
• 1/2 wide ribbon, 3-5 inches long
• patriotic scrapbook paper and solid cardstock
• Red, White, and Blue Tulle (I got the 6 in' wide rolls at Hobby Lobby) you need 3 24 in strips
• Glue Gun, Mod Podge, and a couple felt scraps

Create It:

1. Before I start any explanations, one of the reasons I LOVED this idea (besides the fact that I came up with it) is that it is very versatile. Depending on your decor (and budget), you can do do one color of paint, tulle and scrapbook paper or you can do what I did and alternate it. It would be cheap to do the first option--- but the choice is yours!
2. Paint your stars. I know it sounds like a cheesy song title, but do it anyway.
3. While the stars are drying, trace and cut out circles in the paper and foam craft sheet. You'll need three paper circles and six foam circles. I used a kitchen bowl to find the circle size I wanted; it was 5 inches wide. Cut out the USA letters by either tracing them onto the cardstock or use your craft cutter (I used my Silhouette and used the "Lumos" font).
4. Attach the paper circles to the foam circles using Mod Podge; wait 10 minutes to dry. Apply Mod Podge to the back of a letter and put one on each circle, then seal the whole thing with a top coat of Mod Podge.
5. Now's the time to break out the glue gun. After the stars and circles are dry, apply glue liberally to the back of the foam circle and attach to the center of the star.
6. (Reminder: I had a method to my color combinations. I had Red, White, and Blue in each star section. For example, the top star was Red with blue scrapbook paper and white lettering and tulle. Then White Star-Red paper-Blue lettering/tulle and Blue Star-'White' paper-Red lettering/tulle. You could just do all the stars one color, paper another and lettering/tulle the last, but I really liked the affect mine created).
7. Next, glue the stars to the 29 in long ribbon. I started by taking a scrap piece of regular ribbon and scrap felt to create the loop to hang the creation. Then, about half way down the star, I applied hot glue TO THE STAR and attached the beginning of the ribbon. My stars were 4 inches apart from bottom corner to top point. In order to put the glue in the right place, I traced the ribbon down the middle back of the star and applied hot glue in that section. Repeat the same process with the third star.
8. If you want, you can stop here. Hot glue the other foam circles to the back of each star to secure the ribbon and your done. I thought it needed something extra, enter the tulle. If you want to add the tulle, don't glue the back foam circles just yet.
9. Take your 24 inch strips and cut them into 4 sections... that's 6 inches each. So you should have 4 6x6 squares of tulle for each star. At this time, cut a few more scraps of felt too. You need the felt to secure the tulle. See, I told you random picture of felt...
10. Take one square and fold it accordion-style all the way across. Then, fold the square in half. Place your tulle in one of the four corners of the star and apply hot glue to the bottom of the tulle. Then, CAREFULLY apply the felt piece to secure the glue and tulle. Seriously, I had a few HOT moments because I decided to leave my finger on the felt a little too long. Repeat until each corner has a piece of tulle. Add the back circles and admire the extra Patriotic flare you gave your special high traffic door!

Signed Book Giveaway

Our Aunt is celebrating her {blogoversary} by giving away a SIGNED copy of {Uncommon Criminals} by {Ally Carter}. It's the second book in Carter's {Heist Society} series. In the time that I don't craft, I read (who really wants to clean their house anyway?) and Heist Society is a fun, fast read. I highly recommend it.

If you want to enter the giveaway, go {HERE}.

Also, stay tuned here because I've got a WHOLE bunch of crafts from the past few months to show y'all!

We LOVE Frames

Looking for a fast Father's Day gift? Or just a unique way to tell Grandma or Grandpa that the kiddos are thinking about them? Check out these:


The We LOVE frames. We (I say we because my kiddos did the painting behind the cardstock) made one for Daddy and the two grandpas for tomorrow, however the possibilities are ENDLESS. I can't remember if I've seen this around or not, but I LOVE the possibilities (I think I already said that...)

Gather It:

• Regular weight paper
• Paint
• Frame
• Cardstock
• Exacto Knife, Cricut or Silhouette

Create It:

1. Let the artists have some "paint time." Personally, I just let the kiddos paint whatever they want.
2. While the masterpieces dry, create the cardstock mat. I used my Silhouette to type and cut out the right size. However, if you don't have a cutter, type it up in Word (or a similar program), print out on the cardstock, and cut out what you printed with the Exacto knife.
3. Once the kiddo art is dry, cut it out to fit the frame. Since I have two kids, we bought double-frames: one frame is art from Knight and the other from Princess. :)
4. Now, here comes the hardest step, put the cardstock and art in the frame and enjoy everyone's 'hard' work. ;)

Mother's Day? = Everyday and a FREEBIE

Getting back into the blogging habit may take some time, but I'll figure it out. I'll just blame the whole directing a HUGE production thing for getting me out of the habit. Luckily, I started creating things again and, with luck, I'll be able to show y'all what I've been up to.

Onto to Mother's Day... I know it's a month late and Father's Day is a couple days away, however, I may argue (being a Mom myself) that you don't need a holiday to give Mom's a gift. Here's a list of what I made for Mother's Day:

Let's start off with a FREEBIE I made, I found this poem somewhere on the blogosphere. Since it was anonymous, I copied it to use as a Mom's gift for friends. If you ever have a friend who has a bad day, this would be perfect to share.
We made Handprint Flower Magnets for all the grandmothers (greats included). Found it {HERE}. Really simple all you need is: fingerpaint, laminating materials, E6000, glue gun, clothespins and the tongue depressor/popsicle stick. Make the prints, let them dry, laminate, glue stem and flower together. Then, glue in this order: stick, clothespin, magnet. IMPORTANT: let the glue dry between each step. I loved these so much, we made a set for me for Mother's Day! ;)

My MIL is really into gardening so we made her {THESE} plant markers.

(The picture is from the website I completely forgot to take a picture of the ones I made). Really simple, we even made her a strawberry marker since she LOVES to grow strawberries (she is Californian after all).

My other MIL (yes, I have TWO) enjoys her coffee so she got three new {coffee cozies}.
Really simple and really personal. Just click on the link to get a picture (because I forgot... again).

We went to Disneyworld with my parents shortly after Mother's Day(it.was.awesome.), so I made my Mom a tote to take with her. I basically cut out fabric Mickey ears, sewed them on and the {freezer papered} the writing onto the bag.
A few of them got this tile...
Oh boy, do I love my {silhouette}. It's just a 5x5 tile with vinyl adhered to the front. If you have a silhouette, I'd be more than happy to email you the document.

And I may have gone a little crazy making a bunch of {these} bracelets.

Some for me, my daughter, friends, and my mom; because everyone deserves new bracelets now and then. {HERE} is a video tutorial for you visual learners. ;)

Now, I know Mother's Day just passed, but I think any of these presents will excite 365 days of the year.