Paper Watercolor Lampshades DIY

I truly LOVE sewing paper....I love it!  Envelopes and funky stationery are some of my favorite things to stitch on the machine.  Well, now I have another favorite.....paper lampshades!  That's right, tiny, colorful paper lampshades!  The best part of this project is that there is no end to the patterns and colors you can mix and match.  Personally, I'm all about the brights!  For this project I printed some of my favorite adult coloring book pages on watercolor paper and spent a lovely afternoon relaxing and painting with my Graphix Aqua Inks....Watercolors in a jar!  Get creative my sweet friends and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

Join me!

Party perfect!

Just dip and watercolor!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Marabu Graphix Aqua Inks

Double Stick Foam Tape

Book Pages

Decorative Edge Scissors

Ribbon

Sewing Machine

Watercolor Paper

Adult Coloring Book Pages

Battery Operated Tea Lights

Hole Punch

Print pattern on standard size copy paper

*You will need 5 panels per shade

HERE'S HOW

1. Print your favorite coloring book pages on heavy watercolor paper

2. - 5.   Fill in the pattern with Graphix Aqua Inks in your favorite colors

6.  Try different patterns for this project

7. Trace lampshade panels on the watercolored papers using the pattern above

8.  Cut the sides of each panel leaving the top and bottom scallop uncut

9.  Using decorative edge scissors, cut the top and bottom part of each panel

10.  Glue book pages to watercolor paper for other panels

11.  Cut panels from heavy scrapbook paper, too!

12.  Using 1/4" seam allowance, stitch 5 panels into a shade

*Plain sides touching when you sew

13.  Add book page and scrap book panels in between the watercolored panels

14. Punch 2 holes at the top

15.  Thread ribbon through the holes

16.  Using double stick tape, secure a tea light to the ribbon inside the shade

Hang and you're done!

 Ready for an afternoon party!

The more color the better!

Happy SUMMER!

Make Your Own Mouse Pads

Not sure exactly why this happens, but my mouse pads get dirty!  I mean a grimy, yucky kind of dirty!  Because of that I switch them out regularly, which used to be quite expensive UNTIL I figured out how to make them.  Turns out the rubber mats they sell at the 99c store are perfect for this project.  Check out the kitchen department to see if they sell something smooth enough for this project.  If you're stumped for a gift, you might consider making one of these pads with a photo of you and your best friend!  Stay crafty and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

 I'm all about this pad!

 Psychedelic! 

Color me wonderful!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

White or very light colored cotton

Home Printer

Copy paper

Iron and ironing board

Colorful images (Google away!)

Flat rubber matting 

E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

Minwax Clear Lacquer

Loctite Spray Adhesive

HERE'S HOW

1.  Press your cotton fabric very flat

2.  Spray a sheet of copy paper with the spray adhesive

3.  Press the sprayed copy paper on the fabric and smooth it out so it's perfectly flat

4.  Cut around the copy paper

5.  Size your image so it fits the size of the copy paper

6.  With the fabric facing upward, print out the image on the fabric

7.  Peel the fabric away from the paper

8. Seal the printed fabric with the Minwax Lacquer

9.  Cut out the shape of your mouse pad from the rubber mat

10.  Spread E-6000 Fabri-Fuse on the rubber

11.  Press the fabric flat and let it dry

*Place a book or stack of magazines on top

12. Trim the edges when dry and you're ready to browse the web!

Click!

Scrap Wood Chandelier DIY

A few weeks ago I made upholstered stools from thrift store chairs and instead of just tossing the backs (made from beautiful spindles) I saved them to create this colorful, scrap wood chandelier.  It's been hanging from a tree in my back yard and I absolutely love it....It's magical!  It took some time, but was absolutely worth it.  Grab a solar light and stick it right in the middle and you're good to go.  Figure out ways to use all the scraps and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

 Garden gorgeous!

Watch how to make it here!

STUFF I USED

Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint

Thrift Store Chairs

Small Cup Hooks

Wire and Wire Cutters

Jigsaw, Sander and Drill

Wire Plant Basket

 HERE'S HOW

1. & 2. Cut the spindles off the back of the chair and then cut them into 6" to 10" long pieces

3.  Sand the pieces on both ends

4. & 5.  Paint the pieces in different colors of Americana Decor Chalky Finish

*While you're at it you can paint the wire basket with Chalky Finish, too!

6. Dry brush the spindles with contrasting colors so that each piece has 2 different colors

7.  Drill a small hole in the top of each piece

8.  Add a small cup hook to each piece

9. Hang the pieces from the bottom two rows of the basket

10. & 11.  Create S-hooks from wire to attach the top row of pieces

12.  Hook 2 pieces together to create your center hanging piece

Add a solar light in the middle and you're done!

Build a Weaving Loom!

It started with paper plate weaving in a circle and then I advanced to a sturdy shoe box.  It was finally time to see if I could build a little loom for my weaving addiction....and here it is.   You do need some basic power tools, but it's well worth it since you can weave until you're heart's content and then start all over again!  I've given two versions here, one with nails and one with grooves.  Both are just as effective and take about the same amount of time.  Jump in and make something that challenges you this summer and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

 Weaving magic!

I love the way these look on my table!

I used every color in the basket!

Watch how to make a loom here!

STUFF I USED

32" of 3/4" x 1 1/4" wood trim

32" of 1/2" x 1 1/4" wood trim

32" of 3/8" wood dowel

3/8" Drill bit

Hammer and 1" nails

Large blunt needle

Various colors and textures of yarn

Tacklife Sander, Rotary Tool, Jig Saw & Drill

Amazing Goop II Max

Masking tape

1. & 2.  Cut and sand two 16" long pieces of the 3/4" thick wood trim and the 1/2" thick wood trim

3.  Mark 1" in on the 3/4" wood trim on both ends of one 16" piece

4.  Make sure your drill bit is the same size or a bit bigger than the diameter of your dowel

5.  Drill through the 1'' marks on the ends of one piece of the 3/4" thick wood trim

6. & 7. Tape the other piece of 3/4" thick trim to the drilled piece and drill 1/2 way through the 2nd piece of trim

*This hole will be the "resting" place for your wood dowel when the loom is put together

8.  Match the holes, tape the drilled pieces together and mark every 3/8" along the sides (from hole to hole) across the two pieces of trim

9.  Using a rotary tool, create 1/4" deep grooves on each 3/8" line across both pieces of trim

10.  OPTIONAL:  Instead of the rotary grooves, you can also use 1" nails every 3/8" along the edge of the trim as shown

*The nails would be hammered along the edge of the 1 1/4" side, not the 3/4" side like the grooves

11.  Square and glue the grooved pieces to the 1/2" by 1 1/4" wide wood trim as shown

12.  Measure and cut the dowels so that they are about 16" in length and make sure they slide easily in and through the drilled holes

13. & 14  Thread the grooved loom or nailed loom (with yarn) from top to bottom keeping the yarn taught as you move along

15. & 16  Tie a long piece of yarn on the dowel, thread the blunt needle 

and start weaving from side to side

*Slide out the dowels and clip the yarn at the top and bottom when you're done then tie knots or use fabric glue to secure the ends

  Join me for coffee?

Chic Marbled Trays DIY

Gorgeous marble is showing up everywhere in home decor and it can be expensive if you want the real thing.  Marble floors, kitchen countertops and bathroom walls are covered in it in every color! Fortunately you don't have to break the bank to get these gorgeous pieces and they might be just what you need to get a taste of this trend. I started off with some Walnut Hollow wood plaques and added a little paint magic.  It's so easy that in a weekend you could have all of your holiday gifts done!  Remember you don't have to go all-out when a trend hits...A little hint of it might be all you need.  Have a terrific day and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

I love the lapis look of this tray!

 This green is right out of the 80s......and the 80s are BACK!

 

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Walnut Hollow Basswood Plaques

*I used the French Corner Plaque and the Oval Plaque

Americana Acrylics

Drill

Gold Paint Marker

DecoArt Pouring Medium

Brass Handles

Minwax Clear Lacquer

Plastic Cups

HERE'S HOW

1.  Pick your marble colors and fill the plastic cups with about 1 oz. of paint

2. & 3.  Pour 1 oz. of the pouring medium in each color and stir together

4.  Paint the edges of the plaque with the main color you want for your tray

5. Pour the pouring medium/paint mixture on the tray and move the mixture around on the tray to cover most of it

6.  Lightly splatter the other colors

7. & 8.  Move the tray around to get your beautiful marbled patterns

9.  Paint the edges and pour the main color mixture on another plaque

10.  Add splatters of the other colors

11.  Tilt and tap the tray to create the marbled design

12.  When the trays are dry, edge them with a gold paint pen

13.  Spray the trays with protective acrylic finish and let dry

14. & 15.  Measure, drill and screw in the brass handles on the sides of each tray

16.  Spice up your decor!

Tray magnifique!

Go chic or go home!

How to Make a Rug!

I have a rug addiction.  I have them rolled up in my storage, folded under beds and layered under other rugs because there just isn't any more room for them!  Because of this obsession AND the financial hit I take when I press the ADD TO CART button, I decided to see if I could make a rug from scratch.  Something colorful that would appeal to my boho heart and wouldn't break the bank.  Behold my Gel Pressed rug!  A little paint, cotton fabric and 99c store rubber mats and BAM!!!!  I have a rug!  Remember to see if you can make something first and always try to 

Make Your Mark!  

I'm floored!

Love this mix of colors!

Watch how to make it here!

STUFF I USED

Americana Acrylic Paints

Gel Press and brayer

E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

Gel Press Rose Mandala Impressable

Minwax Polycrylic

Dollar Store Rubber Floor Mats

Fringe trim

White cotton fabric

Heavyweight/Heavyduty fabric

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Cut 8" x 10" pieces of cotton fabric

*Make sure you cut enough pieces to cover the size of rug you're making

2. & 3.  Add lighter colors of Americana Acrylic paint to the Gel Press and use your brayer to 

spread it evenly

4.  Press the cotton fabric on the Gell Press

5.  Place the Rose Mandala Impressable on the Gel Press

6. Add some darker color to the Rose Mandala with a brayer

7.  Pick up the rose design with the printed fabric pieces 

8.  Cut your heavy duty fabric about 2" larger than the finished rug you want to make

9.  Cut out the rose mandala squares 

10.  Use the Minwax Polycrylic to adhere the Gel Pressed rose mandala 

pieces to the heavy duty fabric

11.  Add 4 more coats of the Minwax Polycrylic to the rug letting each coat dry for about 

15 minutes between coats

12. & 13.  Cut the dollar store foam rubber mats to fit on the underside of the rug

and adhere them with E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

14. Fold the rug edges over the foam rubber mat and glue it in place with 

more E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

15. & 16.  Glue fringe to the edges with more Fabri-Fuse  

Rug-a-licious!

Flower Headboard Makeover

For some reason I've been seeing these headboards at yard sales and moving sales.  I guess there are just a ton of them out there!  I thought it might be fun to see if I could spruce one up a bit and give it a different look.  After a month of having one on my back porch, I finally decided on flowers!  Why not?  I mean, if you're going to toss the thing anyway you might as well see what you can do with it, right?  Remember to give things a second chance and always Make Your Mark!

Sitting in the sun....Waiting for a bedroom

Watch how to make it here

STUFF I USED

Old slatted headboard

Scrap wood and 1" wide wood trim

Sander, Jigsaw, Paint Sprayer (my Tacklife tools)

Americana Decor Outdoor Living Paint (my favorite paint....ever!)

Amazing Goop II Max

HERE'S HOW

1. & 2.  Cut and sand 3" long pieces of 1" wide wood trim to create the flower petals

*You will need 8 petals per flower so do the math

3. & 4.  Cut and sand leaves and 3" x 3" squares

*2 leaves and 1 square per flower

5. - 7. Paint the petals in Americana Decor Outdoor Living in Garden Party, the 3" squares Harvest and the leaves in Lily Pad

8.  Glue the petals around the square with the Amazing Goop II Max and let dry

9.  Fill the paint sprayer canister with Americana Decor in Succulent 

10.  Add 10% water to the paint to thin it down

11.  Spray the front and back of the headboard and let dry

12.  Glue on the petals and flowers and you're done!

Sweet dreams!