Picture Frame from a board

So, this week started out not being to busy, but ended up being insane. Most days I wasn't home all day, my kids didn't get to bed on time all week, and I didn't get to any of my projects. But I don't want to neglect this blog anymore that I already have this week! So, I am going to post about something I created for a craft day with my church a few months ago.

They are easy, cute, and make great gifts! Here is one example...

Since I made these awhile ago, I don't have any pictures of the process, but it is pretty simple.

This supplies that you will need are:
ribbon

a drill

clear craft plastic

clear photo corners

paint

Rub-on words or vinyl lettering

a 1x8 board cut down to 10", or an 8x10 wood plaque that you can get at most craft stores.

Here is the craft plastic you will need. I got mine at Michael's. I used it for about 60 frames and still have some left.

Here is a frame I made using a wood plaque from Michael's.

So here is what you do. If you don't get a plaque you need to go to Home Depot and have them cut a 1x8 into 10 inch boards. (You can get 7 frames out of a 6 foot board for the same price as a pre--cut one at Michael's.) Then drill your holes. Mine are about an inch in from the side and 1.5 inches from the top and bottom. I used the biggest drill bit in my husbands bit set...I think it was 3/8th's. You can either make the frame vertical or horizontal, depending on your picture. Now sand everything down and paint it your desired color. When it is dry sand edges for a distressed look if desired. Cut the clear craft plastic to the size of picture you plan on using. I have done some with 5x7s and some with 4x6. Layer your photo under the plastic and put a clear photo corner on each corner and place it on your board wherever you think it looks best! Be sure to leave space for your lettering though! Now for the lettering. I have made some with vinyl lettering, but the ones we did on a craft day were all using rub-ons used for scrapbooking. The green frame just above is using rub-ons. Both work great. Just follow the directions on the package for application. And finally put your ribbon on and tie your bow. Make sure there is no wet paint in the hole you are threading the ribbon through, or you will end up with a paint streaked ribbon! If you don't want to use ribbon it would also look cute with twine or a strip of fabric.

Since they are so easy to make, I think they are a bit addicting. I have 6 of these in my house right now. They look cute propped up on shelves or sitting in easels. If you want to want them on the wall you could just attach some picture hanging hardware on the back.

Here are some more with my cute kids...

I have some projects I hope to get finished next week involving some lamps. Hopefully I can get to them! Happy crafting everyone!

Dream necklace

Well, my actual dream necklace might have a few more sparkly things on it, but I really did dream about this necklace. The past few nights I have been staying up waaaaaaaaaaaay to late watching the Olympics and getting some projects done that have been one my list for a very long time. One of the projects that I have been working on are those washer necklaces that are all over blogland and have been for awhile. They are addicting to make. I feel the same way I did when I made those glass tile pendants that are everywhere too, I need one for each shirt I own! So I've been making a BUNCH of them.

Then other night my dear son woke up at 2 am needing to got potty and a drink of water. I must have been dreaming about making these things, because the first thing I thought was "You should wrap one in a hemp chord." Brilliant, I know!

Now someone out there may have already thought of this idea. In fact, I am sure someone has! There are so many crafty people out there! I have't seen it anywhere though, so I'm going to feel super creative about literally dreaming up this idea!

I seriously love it! I didn't get a good picture of it though, so pardon the bad lighting.

Here is it on me. And don't you love the sticker on my shirt? My son, the same one that got me up at 2 am, gave it to me and said that it means we will be friends forever! Awwww, sweet. I forgive you for waking me up at 2 am!

To make it all I did was cut a big length of hemp, tied it around the washer, then wrapped and scrunched and wrapped and scrunched over and over. By scrunch I just mean I kept pushing the hemp together. To finish it off, I just slipped the end under some of the wrapped part. Then lace another piece of hemp around it, add a bead, and your done. Well, almost done. You need some crimp beads with a loop, 2 jump rings, and a lobster clasp for the ends. I don't have any pictures of the process, but I want to make more in different colors. So I will get some pictures and hopefully get a tutorial up. I'm sure a bunch of you already know how to make the washer necklaces since I feel like I am the last person to make them! You finish these up the same way.

I know Hobby Lobby has some red hemp and I hope I can find some more colors, like a cool teal or pink or something. How cute would that be!

More Topiaries-St. Patrick's and Easter style

My Valentine Heart topiary is one of my very favorite things that I have ever made. So, I decided to give the idea a twist for St. Patrick's Day and Easter. And again, I LOVE how they turned out.

Here is the Easter version...

Here are the supplies I used...

And once again, the Dollar Tree came through with the picks, the hanging eggs, and another lovely pot, this one yellow. The Styrofoam balls come in 2 packs...so that means I need to make at least one more topiary since I have one left!

I did this one about the same way I did the Valentine one that I showed you here.

You pretty much just take the picks and string off the eggs and glue them on like this...

Then you just fill in the spaces with floral moss, no glue required.

I love how it looks like an Easter Egg nest!

Here are some tips for the egg one.

I was going to paint the pot to cover the egg. But now I think I am going to just be lazy and turn the flowers to the back. But you could paint it or over it with paper if that would bug you. :)
The eggs come off better if you twist them off instead of pull them off.

The holes are a little harder to hide since the eggs don't lay as close to the ball as the hearts did. If you point the hole down they hide better. Plus use lots of moss.

Since just using the sticks off the picks for the trunk worked so well on the heart one, I did the same here. I actually used the egg picks on the St. Patty's one too.

I needed three packages of eggs, unlike the picture that just shows two. I had already started taking them apart when I remembered to take a picture. I get to excited to get stuff done that I forget the picture part a lot!

Here is the St. Patrick's Day version...

I again hit up the dollar store for some shamrock garland. I used another 4 inch Styrofoam ball from Hobby Lobby.

To start I just stuck the end of the garland into the ball like this...

then just started wrapping it around the ball. Every wrap or so I used some straight pins to hold it all into place, like this...

I used two garlands to warp it to cover all the Styrofoam and to make it nice and puffy looking. Then I took this lovely light green pot from the Dollar Tree...

and covered it with shamrock scrapbook paper to hide that not very St. Patty's like flower.

And this is what I ended up with!

LOVE IT!!

By the end of the year, I am thinking I will have a topiary for every season! They just turn out so cute!

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My life, right this minute

You can tell this week is much less crazy that last week, two posts in a row! I thought I would show you a glimpse at my life, so you can get to know me a little better. Now this is a for real look at me and my house, no cleaning or special prep for this.

So here is what I look like, right this minute.

And here is what my kids are doing, right this minute. Well, one is at school, so I obviously don't have his picture, but here is my younger son.

Yes, my four year old is awesome and still takes naps. Something his older brother stopped doing when he was almost 3. Fingers crossed that this continues!

And here is my sink, right this minute...

Ummm, not to bad actually, but if you noticed in my self portrait, the lunch dishes are still on the table. And here's a confession. Those pots have been there since Sunday, and will probably stay there until tomorrow, when my husband does not have class, so he is home at night and always does the dishes for me.

And a look at my bed, right this minute...

I can't take the credit for the bed being made. My husband makes it every morning, unless I am still in it. I can take credit for the piles of stuff on it though! :)

And here is what I am reading right now...

Jane Eyre. It's this months book group read.

And here is what is on my TV, right this minute...

The Winter Olympics. I love when they are on and always am sad when they are over.

But I am planning on parking myself in front of the TV every night and enjoying them. I have lots of projects to work on while I watch, so stay tuned!

My attempt to sew a denim purse

I don't sew very well. Practically every sewing project I have done has been with my Mom holding my hand every step of the way. But I have been wanting to make a purse out of an old pair of jeans for a loooooooong time. That is the great thing about having a blog. It is motivating me to get some projects done since now I have someone to share them with. Someone besides my husband that is. I am sure he is grateful! :)

So here is not only my attempt to sew this purse, but also to write a tutorial about it, which could be tricky, since I was pretty much making this up as I went! I am sure that if there are any real sewers out there reading this they are cringing at my method, or lack thereof! But it all came together fine in the end and I am happy with the final result!

Remember I showed you this a few days ago...

Well, I got the finishing touches done on it and am now ready to show you how I did it.

I started with an old pair of jeans. These were some of my favorites and I was so sad when they got a big hole in the knee.

First I cut them like this...

Then I cut here...

and here...

I wanted the top of the purse to be the seam that was already in the pants. Less work that way! :)

I did that for both back pockets. Then I cut both of them to size. I cut them to 11" by 9".

Then I cut the sides. Like I did for the front and back, I wanted the hem of the pants to be the hem in my purse. The less sewing the better for me! I cut the sides to 5" by 9.5", allowing for a 1/2 inch seam at the bottom. Since I was just using the hem for my top hem, I didn't need to add anything for that hem.

Then I cut the bottom of the purse from the other leg. I cut that to 12" by 5" allowing for a 1/2 inch seam.

Then I sewed the bottom and the sides together.

I pinned it all together like this.

First I sewed the sides up, then the bottom. I don't have any pictures of this part of the process because I was to busy shaking my fist at my sewing machine. This is where I wished my Mom were here! She knows the tricks to get my old machine running smoothly!

Now for my favorite part of the purse, the strap. I cut the waist off the pants like this.

I cut it in half and sewed it in the middle of the sides of the purse. Then I gave the purse a haircut and cut off all the frayed parts on the exposed hems. Oh, and I also had to put a stitch or two in each of the belt loops since when I cut them off the pants, they got cut to.

To make the purse even cuter, I added a few fabric flowers. I have seen this method of making flowers on a few blogs, but for the life of me couldn't find which ones. I searched and searched and couldn't find the link anywhere. So, if it was you that showed how to make these, (or you know where the link is) let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

Here is how to make them. Cut the fabric into a circle.

Then you just start gathering the edges into the center like this...

Then put a button in the center to cover it all up. I sewed my button on, but you could probably just hot glue it on.

So cute and so easy! I am definitely going to be making more of these!

And here is the finished product! I love it! I love that there is two pockets on the outside, for my keys and my phone. No more digging around the bottom of my purse for them!

So if you have never sewed before, I promise you can do this! I did! And if I can, you can! And if you are an old pro at sewing, take my idea and make it better!

P.S. Does anyone else get super nervous watching the Olympics? I can't imagine how all their Mom's are feeling right now!

P.S.S It is weird for me to think that the last time the Winter Olympics were on, I was watching them in the hospital after having Isaac. Still can't believe he is four!

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Exhausted

Well, I am exhausted. This week has been busy, busy, busy. I mentioned before about church responsibilities, snow days, getting rear ended, and my son's birthday party. This month is also my turn to teach preschool for my younger son, so I did a Valentine's party for him yesterday, plus I was the room mother in charge of my Kindergartner's Valentine's party today. And my husband, who is getting his MBA is taking 3 classes this term, and working full time. So three nights a week he is in class, and the other nights doing homework. So all the bed time and kid stuff falls to me. But enough whining! I'm just sayin', I'm exhausted! Thank goodness it's the weekend and I have a date with my hubby tomorrow night! Here is the card I made my husband for Valentine's.

I found this great stamp and Michael's for a dollar.

If you can't tell, the words say "totally nuts for you."

And made this card...

Not my most creative card, but still shows how I feel about him! And that's what matters, right?

So, I do have a million projects that I want to do. Hopefully next week I won't be so exhausted and busy and will have time to do some of them.

But right now I am just gonna veg and watch the opening ceremonies for the Olympics.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Puppy Dog Cupcakes

Today my baby turned 4. And he loves dogs. He was a dog for Halloween and right now his favorite toy is a stuff dog, which he has named Puppy Dog. Original huh! So, to celebrate his birthday and his love of dogs, I made some puppy dog cupcakes. I saw these on a friends family blog and when my son Isaac saw them, he wanted them for his party. So thanks RaQuelle for the great idea! They were a hit!

I used Tootsie Rolls for the ears, Star Bursts for the tongue, a marshmallow and M&M for the nose and more M&M's for the eyes. You just kind of work the Tootsie Rolls and Star Burst back and forth in your hands and kind of mold them into the shape you want. I used a butter knife to make the groove in the tongue. Put the ears, eyes, and nose on first, and the tongue last. The marshmallow get put on at an angle, just do what looks best!

Some things I learned while doing them are:

1. They are time consuming. Having a couple hands doing them would be better!

2. Frost the cupcake right before adding the candy so it will stick better. I ended up having to add more frosting to get everything on.

3. I think they would have been better off if I hadn't have covered them. I did them at night and then covered them and in the morning the candy was really sticky and some of the ears that were touching were sticking together. I don't think that would have happened if I had left them uncovered.

4. You will eat a lot of candy while making them!

But they were worth the effort! My little Bubba sure liked them a lot!

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