Frida Khalo Earrings DIY

I've always loved Frida Kahlo.  I love her art, her look, the way she dressed and how she approached her life.  There is nothing like unbridled passion for everyone and everything around you.  It's an exhausting way to live, but admirable for sure.  Today I'm making earrings in her honor.  My small way of keeping her spirit alive.  Remember to squeeze everything you can out of life, look for the beauty in all things and always Make Your Mark!

My awesome assistant Julie!

The clip on version 

See how easy they are to make here!

Stuff you'll need

Images of Frida (all over the web)

Drill and jewelry pliers

Jewelry findings and beads

Americana Acrylics in colors you like

Wood disks

E-6000 Glue and Spray Adhesive

Minwax polycrylic or decoupage medium

Here's how

1. & 2.  Drill holes for the beads and earring wires and then paint the surface of the wood pieces

3. & 4.  Cut out the images and glue them to the wood

*I used E-6000 Spray because the moisture relaxes the paper so it doesn't bubble

5.  When the images are dry, punch through the holes with a toothpick

6.  Seal the images with a polycrylic or decoupage medium

7.  Create the dangly bits on a head pin with the pliers and make sure to bend a loop at the top

*You will need 3 dangly bits per earring so 6 per pair

8.  Hand them from the holes with jump rings

9.  Glue clips on the backs of another pair with E-6000 Glue

3 Thrift Store Lamp Makeovers!

For some reason I've been scoring at the thrift store when it comes to interesting lamps!  I find them for less than $5 with the shades and they are always super fun to makeover.   Check out my latest creations complete with shade makeovers, too.  My favorite is the paisley lamp shade with black ribbon trim.  I made 2 for my bedroom and absolutely love them.   Next time you need a lamp, head to the thrift store first and see what you can paint and decoupage to match your space.   So much more fun than hunting around for something to match.  Remember one man's trash is another man's treasure....Oh, and always Make Your Mark!

Perfectly Paisley, Fornasetti Inspired and Flower Power

Watch the makeovers here!

Start with a selection of working, thrifted lamps and shades

(If you can, check the wiring at the store before you buy)

Perfectly Paisley

 Here's how

1. 2. & 3.  Tape over the cord and paint the entire lamp base with Americana Decor Satin Enamels in your favorite color and let dry

4. & 5.  Add highlights using a slightly damp rag with DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Gold Rush

6.  Remove the fabric from the original lampshade

7.  Press paper over one of the sections of wire to create a pattern and trace around it with a crayon

8. & 9.  Cut out the pattern and then cut out the panels in fabric

*Make sure that the fabric panels are all the same if you're using a pattern.  This means cutting them one at a time if you have to!

10.  One by one glue the fabric panels to each wire section of the shade 

11.  Glue 1/4" ribbon over where the fabric panels meet to cover the seams

12.  Glue more 1/4" ribbon around the top and bottom rim of the shade

*When you get to the end, fold the ribbon over 1/4" to make a clean finish

Fornasetti Inspired

 Here's how

1. & 2.  Paint the lamp with Americana Decor Satin Enamel in black

3. Carefully cut out a print that you want to decoupage on the lamp

*Check out http://thegraphicsfairy.com/ for an amazing selection to choose from

4.  Mist the front and back of the image with water to relax the paper

5.  6. & 7.   Add Americana Decoupage to the back of the image and apply it to the lamp

8.  Coat the image with more Decoupage

9.  Add a metallic gold border with a paint marker

Flower Power

Here's how

1. & 2.  Paint the base of the lamp with Americana Decor Chalky Finish in your favorite color

3.  Remove the fabric from the original lampshade

4. & 5.  Fold fabric on the diagonal and cut enough 2" wide strips to wrap your shade

*Do the math:  Measure the shade top to bottom and around and multiply to get a good idea of how much you will need

6.  Glue the strips together with hot glue to make very long strips

7.  Wrap the shade from top to bottom until you've gone all the way around

8. & 9.  Cut out fabric roses and glue them on the wrapped shade

Done, done and done!

No Sew Flower Pillows

By now you all know how much I love color.  The more color there is in a project, the happier I am.   Originally when I was making these pillows I thought they might work in several shades of one color, but after I got going my 3rd-grade-self took over and I ended up using every color in the rainbow.  Ya know,  I couldn't be happier with the way they look!  I also figured out a way to put them together without one single stitch by hand OR on a sewing machine.......Yup, not one stitch.   The only thing that could make these better is if they were filled with Skittles.  Remember, have fun, use color 

and always Make Your Mark!

Flower power!

Ready to sit pretty

Learn how to make them here!

Stuff You'll Need

Several colors of polyester taffeta

Heavy cotton in bright colors

Pillow stuffing

Tea light

Office clips

E-6000 Stitchless, Fabrifuse and Glue

Iron

Pom pom trim

Here's how (part 1)

1. 2. & 3.   Iron a piece of 10" x 18" on top of another color of 18" x 18" fabric using E-6000 Stitchless

*This will give a color-blocked look to the pillow face

4. & 5.  Cut green taffeta fabrics in leaf shapes in descending sizes with the largest leaf being about 4" long

6. & 7.  Cut different colors of circles in descending sizes with the largest circle being about 5" diameter

8. & 9.  Using a tea light, carefully singe the edges of the leaves and circles so that they don't fray

*This will also give them texture

Part 2

10. 11. & 12.  Using small dots of E-6000 Glue, assemble the flowers and leaves and then glue them to the color-blocked pillow face

13.  Cut another 18" x 18" fabric square for the pillow back and glue the pillow front on top of it (around the edges with E-6000 Fabrifuse) leaving a 5" gap

14. & 15. Cut 18" pieces of pom pom fabric and glue them to the edges of the pillow with more E-6000 Fabrifuse and let everything dry overnight

16. 17. & 18.  Stuff the pillow and seal the 5" opening with more E-6000 Fabrifuse and then clamp closed with office clips while it dries

Hello color!

Make A Desk!

My other half just opened a law firm so I was tasked with creating a desk and home office space worthy of an Esquire!  This couldn't be just an ordinary desk, it needed to have filing cabinets and a large work area.  After a few minutes scouring Craigslist, I found some amazing walnut filing cabinets perfect for the base and the rest of the design came together.  A little wood and some paint and the new home office looks like a million bucks.  My secret is that it cost less than $50 to put together.  Remember.......make furniture, rummage through Craigslist and always 

Make Your Mark!

The new office space

Ready for work

Learn how to make the chair HERE!

See how I put it together here

Stuff I Used

2 wood filing cabinets (scour Craigslist for these)

Vintage images for the sides

Americana Decor Metallics and Satin Enamels

Americana Decoupage

1" thick plywood

1" wide trim

Finishing nails and hammer

Here's How

1. 2. & 3. Paint the filing cabinets and plywood with the Americana Decor Satin Enamels

in Classic Black 

4. 5. & 6.  Paint the 1" trim with the Americana Decor Metallics in Vintage Brass

7.  Tape 2" up from the base with painter's tape

8.  Paint along the underside of the painter's tape with more Classic Black

*This is a painter's trick to get crisp lines when using tape for stripes

9.  Paint the base with more Vintage Brass

10.  Cut out the vintage images

11.  Mist with water to relax the paper and decoupage to the sides of the desk with Americana Decoupage

12.  Attach the top to the base with either nails or screws and you're done!

Voila! 

Mismatched Bedroom Furniture Makeover

If you're like me, you probably have a mishmash of furniture in your home.  Maybe it's a table from your parents, a mirror you found on the street and headboard from Ikea.  Well, fear not my mismatched furniture collecting friends!  I'm going to show you how to make mismatched furniture into a beautiful matching set with some easy tricks.  Remember to never toss anything out until you paint it, rescue things from the street and always Make Your Mark!

My new guest bedroom set!

From this......to this!

Getting artsy with the mirror!

Watch how I did it here

Stuff I Used

Mismatched furniture

Laser cut frames

E-6000 Glue

Americana Decor Satin Enamels in Moss Green

DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Gold Rush

Americana Decor Metallics in Antique Brass

Jigsaw

 Here's How

1. & 2.  Center the laser cut frames on the headboard and glue in place with E-6000 Glue

3.  Paint the sides and support with the Metallic in Antique Brass

4.  Paint the rest of the headboard in Moss Green Satin Enamels

5. & 6.  When dry, rub the Metallic Lustre around the frame and on the edges of the headboard

7. Tape paper on the mirror so you don't get paint on it

8. & 9.  Figure out which parts of the laser cut frames you'll need to cover the edge of the mirror frame

10. & 11.  Cut them in pieces and make sure they fit on the frame of the mirror

12. & 13.  Paint the mirror and the frame pieces with the Moss Green

14.   Paint the details with the Metallic in Antique Brass

15.  Glue the frame pieces around the mirror frame with more E-6000 Glue

16.  Rub Metallic Lustre on the edges of the frame pieces and on the details

*I painted a simple side table with the Americana Decor Metallics in Antique Brass to match the set

Time to bring it inside and start decorating.

See you soon!

Make Your Own Buttons!

I recently trimmed some trees in my backyard and decided to hold on to some of the larger branches for a while.  Yup, that's me.....I can't toss anything because eventually I will turn it into a project.  Plus, I'm a bit of a hoarder.  I'm so glad I kept them because they became the most fantastic, colorful buttons that were a breeze to make!  You could use these for everything from a big sweater to a jewelry project.  Heck, glue them around a frame or add them on a scrapbook page.  Go nuts!  The best part this project is that they were free.  Remember to have fun, use nature and always Make Your Mark! 

I like big buttons and I cannot lie!

Stitch ready!

Watch the quick tutorial here!

Stuff I Used

Americana Decor Color Stains

Americana Multi-Purpose Sealer

Large branches

Drill and Jigsaw

 Here's How

1. & 2.  Saw your branches into thin slices

3. & 4.  Drill 2 or 4 holes in the center of each slice

5.  Stain them in different colors

*Stain keeps the beautiful wood grain

6.  Coat them with a multi-purpose sealer

Sew cute!

Famous Art Jewelry

Do you have a favorite piece of art?  If so, how about turning it into a piece of jewelry that you can wear wherever you go?  I used Gustav Klimt for this project because I'm in awe of his use of color and pattern mixed with gold leaf.   That said, any piece of art will work for this project.  Simply print it out on your home computer and follow my instructions to make your own.  Remember to have fun, make messes and always Make Your Mark! 

My stack of Gustav Klimt bangles

I love the face on the middle bangle

Watch the quick video here!

Stuff You'll Need

E-6000 Spray Adhesive and Glue

Americana Multi-Purpose Sealer

Popsicle sticks (I like the jumbo sticks)

Water bottle

Metallic gold paint marker

Gems (optional)

Here's How

1.  Boil the sticks for about 10 minutes until they are soft

2. & 3.  Gently bend them to fit inside of the mouth of a small glass and let them dry overnight

*Different sized glasses make different sized bangles

4.  Position and trace flat Popsicle sticks on your art and cut out the shapes

5. & 6.  Spray the face of the cutouts with water and the back with E-6000 Spray Adhesive and then stick the art to the curved Popsicle stick

7.  Edge the bracelet with a gold paint marker 

8.  Seal with a multi-purpose sealer

9.  Add gems with E-6000 glue and a toothpick

Your arm is now an art gallery!