2x4 Harry Potter Books

We come from a family BIG on Halloween. I love getting the whole house decked out in a tastefully spooky nature. Each year, we add to our decorations (something I picked up growing up). One of the things we added this year was my "ode to Harry Potter." I'm a rather big Harry Potter fan (still jealous that Meg a.k.a. Mule went to the World in Florida). So, I was bummed our Halloween decorations had no Harry Potter in them anywhere. Que this idea. I loved them so much, I shared the idea with the planning committee for our church craft day and everyone wanted to do them.

2x4 Harry Potter Books

Not attending our Super Saturday and want to make some too?

Gather It:

• 2 ft of 2x4 wood
• 2x2x2 wood cube
• dark stain (optional)
• orange, black, green, purple, cream & gray paint
• vinyl or contact paper
• 2 black pipe cleaners
• acrylic sealer
• glue gun or gorilla glue
  

Create It:

1. Cut your wood. You need two 4 1/2 inches long and two 6 inches long.
2. Stain it using the directions on the stain can. This is an optional step. I wanted my book to look worn & used, so I added an extra layer of color to make the books look really distressed (it's showing through on the Quidditch book).
3. Paint. First, paint the pages. Using the cream paint, paint three sides to make each block look like a book. After that is done paint each book a different Halloween color. I double-coated everything. Don't forget to paint the spider.
4. While you wait for the paint to dry, hop onto the computer and create the book covers, spines & spider face. I used my Silhouette to cut it out of vinyl (or you can use contact paper---thickness 1, speed 2) and use the negative as a stencil. OR-- if you don't have a cutter--- an exacto knife is your friend (I did it A LOT before I got my machine). Trace it onto the contact paper and cut it out with an exacto knife. If you want the Silhouette document, email me.
5. Put the stencils on your books & paint. The bottom books just have spine stencils; the top two have small pictures too. After everything is dry, use a little bit of gray paint to make the books look even more used and distressed--- then seal it so they don't get scratched-- unless you want them to look even MORE distressed.
6. Cut the pipe cleaners into fourths (half--- then half again). Using your glue of choice, glue just enough of the tip of the pipe cleaner to the bottom of the spider... since it's a spider... glue four legs on each side.
7. Assemble the books from bottom to top with a layer of glue in between each, all the way up to the spider. Remember to put the glue on the small book FIRST when you transition in sizes.
8. To glue on the side book, put a strip of glue along the edges of the stacked books, then gentle push the side book on the glue. After that dry, flip the whole thing upside down, and add a little more glue to the bottom of the side book/stacked seams (for added strength).
9. Let dry and enjoy your new Harry Potter addition to your Halloween decor.

If you're not a Harry Potter fan, I also have just Halloween stencil too. The book titles are: Haunting Haunts, Perfectly Potent Potions, Spooky Stories & Tales, and Spells & Charms.

Enjoy!

I link {HERE}.

FREEBIE: Halloween Subway Art

So-- I've been spending most of my time prepping for my church's annual crafting Saturday. We are doing a 'year-round holiday' theme. Every craft has to do with a holiday.

For our super-easy craft, I made (and found some favorites--{Eighteen25} is a GREAT source) Subway Art. The women can either paint a frame or use their own. Like I said, super simple.

One that I designed was the Halloween one. I LOVE how it turned out. Since I loved it so much, I thought I'd share it with y'all.

It was made to be 8x10 or 5x7. Click on the picture, until you get the largest size, then save it. Print it through your favorite store--- personally, I go with Costco.

Happy Haunting!

Click on the link, if you missed the {Easter} one. We included that as one of the Subway options too.

Linking up {HERE}

Millennium Falcon Shirt

As I've said before, my boy is a rather big Star Wars fan. One day, we went clothes shopping and out-of-the-blue, he asks me for a Star Wars shirt. This is how the conversation went:

Knight (what I always call him on this blog): Mama, can I get a Star Wars shirt?
Me (not panicked yet, because that seems do-able): We can look (because we were going to a consignment shop). But, don't you have one? (A Clone Wars one I got at a consignment sale).
Knight: Yeah, but I LOVE the Millennium Falcon. I want one with the Millennium Falcon.

First, I thought it was ADORABLE he was that specific, and then I started to panic. How in the WORLD was I going to find a specific type of Star Wars shirt that was probably sold THIRTY years ago. I know retro shirts are popular, but specifically one with the Millennium Falcon? I knew the odds were against me.

Until, I remembered I was crafty. So, we bought a plain shirt (for $2) and in a couple of days, he had this to wear:

A Custom-made Millennium Falcon Shirt.
Want to make one for your Star Wars fan?

Gather It:

• Plain T-Shirt
• Printable Fabric ( I got mine at Joann's a LONG time ago. It was $20-30 for a roll and I've used it for NUMEROUS projects and STILL have LOTS left. GREAT investment).
• Wonderunder (if desired)
• thread or sewing machine
• freezer paper
• Silhouette or exacto knife
• acrylic paint

Create It:

1. Find a picture of the Falcon using googleimage search. Make sure the pixels are big enough so the picture doesn't look grainy.
2. Follow the directions on your printable fabric to print the Falcon print onto it. (duh). Mine needed to be cut to the right size to fit in my printer. Print and wait for the ink to dry. Follow the rest of the directions to prepare the picture for sewing.
3. Fuse Falcon to shirt with Wonderunder. OR just sew it on with a straight stitch. I did both.
4. Use Silhouette (or word editing software) to create the saying.
5. If using Silhouette, just type and cut with Freezer paper (I use the vellum settings when I cut freezer paper). Be sure to measure the size of the shirt, so the words aren't too big. If using word software, print and trace onto freezer paper. Then, cut out with exacto knife. I did this method before I had my Sil (what I call her), and it worked great too.
6. Paint with acrylic or fabric paint. Wait to dry between coats. Do 2-3 coats.
7. Iron an uncut piece of freezer paper to top of shirt to heat seal the paint.
8. Pull off and let your Star Wars fan enjoy the fastest ship in the galaxy!
   

I think he liked it.Seriously, he does. He wears it almost immediately after it is washed (nope, the picture doesn't fade in the wash). Just remember to follow the fabrics' instructions on how to launder.

I hope you enjoyed my trip to the galaxy far, far away. The force is telling me, I'll probably blog about it again (especially since my knight--- maybe Jedi Knight is more appropriate now---wants to have a Star Wars Birthday party for his next birthday).

Linking {HERE}

Yoda Onesie & Rattle

I know my last post was about Star Wars, I just can't resist. Actually it took my best friend to have a little boy to get me to do more shirts. And what did I make him?

A Yoda Onesie & Matching Rattle

I found the idea {HERE}. She makes incredible Star Wars shirts; Leia, Chewy, Boba, etc. and they're super cute. The problem for me was the price, when I knew I could make it too. So I bought felt, wonder under, and created my own pattern.

After I made the front, I added something to make it different. The other famous quote from the green jedi master.
Courtesy of a little bit of Freezer-Paper magic.

I'd share it, but I don't want to seem like I'm taking away business. Instead, I'll give some tips.

• Use things around your house to match the shapes for yoda. I used a bowl, bobbins, spools.
• Make a pattern out of paper FIRST before you trace or cut your felt.
• Remember to do the face details BEFORE fusing it to the shirt (or sewing the rattle).
  
• Wonderunder is your friend. My iron plays nice with WU when I set in on the cotton blends setting. First step (fusing WU to the piece) says 3-5 seconds--- count on 5. Wait until it cools down to pull it off. If when you start to pull, set it back under the iron. With the second step (WU to fabric) have the damp cloth (I use old kitchen towels) and I iron it in 10 second intervals; I check every 10 seconds to see if it's fused. Iron until completely fused.
• Work from the bottom up. Here's the order: dark brown middle piece, ears, robe (sand-colored) pieces, head, cane, hands.
• You can sew in on with a machine, but I don't recommend it. I like the detailed look of the blanket stitch.
  

One more Star Wars themed post, something for the budding space pilot.

Linking {HERE}

I'm also attempting to enter this:




maybe it'll give me more 'posting' motivation...

Motivational Yoda Plaque

The Hubs and I are rather big Star Wars fans (my inner-nerd loves to come out occasionally).

So big, in fact, we dressed up as the whole Skywalker clan for Halloween last year. Hubs was Anakin (pre-Darth Vader), I was Amidala (Clone Wars pre-carefully placed rips), and the kids were Luke and Leia.
Yes, we're training our kids to enjoy the certain galaxy far far away. They may or may not be able to hum the theme. They can.

A couple days before Father's Day (I know, a little late on the posting about it, Amber!), I had a BRILLIANT (easy and inexpensive) idea for a gift.


This has got to be one of Yoda's most famous lines. We quote it all the time to each other when we say 'I'll try.'

Gather It:

• 6x12 wooden plaque (I got mine at Michaels)
• Grey Acrylic paint
• Key Lime & Black Vinyl (or similar colors in paint--- got my vinyl at Expressions Vinyl)
• Silhouette, Cricut or Exacto Knife
• Small L brackets
• Glue or 3M stickers

Create It:

1. Paint the plaque. I did a couple coats and I left a little wood showing because I wanted it to look a little rundown, like Yoda.
2. Cut the vinyl. I used my Silhouette and the font SF Distant Galaxy. For the Yoda image, I found a pumpkin stencil, imported it into my software and traced it to get our favorite green Jedi Master. I'll email you the doc, if you have a Silhouette and want to make your own.
3. If you don't have a Silhouette, I email you the stencil to cut out with your exacto knife... win win. Print the stencil and then trace it onto your vinyl and carefully cut the pieces out.
4. Take all of the negative vinyl out and use some transfer paper (glorified masking tape--- you didn't hear that from me) to 'transfer' the vinyl to the board. I applied Yoda first and then the words on top of him.
5. In order to get it to stand, secure the L-Brackets on the back bottom corners with 3M tape or glue.

Voila! Your local Star Wars fan will now of daily force inspiration. Hubs took his to work and it's displayed where everyone can see it when they walk in. (Personal victory because He LIKED it!)

Linking up {HERE}

Take the Money & Run

A new reality game show premieres tonight on ABC at 9/8c. The premise is pretty cool. The contestants have an hour to hide $100,000. After the hour is up, they get arrested and it's up to another team, made up of law enforcements officers, to find it in the following 48 hours. If the law finds it, they keep it; if not, the hiders get the cash.

Working with the law team are two professional interrogators, the only series regulars, and one of them is my Father-in-law. Here's a clip of him at work:



It's really surreal for us, especially my husband. Imagine seeing your step-dad (or Dad or Grandpa) on a reality show and then you might understand how he feels. We've never had a chance to see him in Detective mode. The kids even get excited when they see Grandpa on a commercial. It'll be fun too see him in action.

So, if you need a show on tonight while you work on your latest craft, watch Take the Money and Run.

And ask yourself the question, where would you hide the cash?

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!