A few simples supplies make the cutest decorative wire birdcages. Give them as gifts, make tiny versions for your Christmas tree or hang them in your home with a plant inside! So many ways to incorporate them in your world. The supplies to make these are easy to find, too. If you really don't want to use wood, try some cardboard with a little paint. Find a way to improvise and don't forget to
Make Your Mark!
So Tweet!
Grab a roll of 16 gage wire at the hardware store and you can make 20 of these!
I used Walnut Hollow Basswood Country Rounds for the bases
I had the awesome luck of meeting the folks from Shardworx (www.Shardworx.com) a few months ago and have been obsessed with their beautiful glass ever since. When I ran across these window panes on Craigslist, I knew exactly how to use their amazing product! For a while I was totally stumped at how to make the harlequin separations and thought about using thin trim from the hardware store but didn't want to have to cut all the pieces. Yup, I'm kind of lazy that way. Instead, I used wood clothespins and I think they look amazing! Remember possums, use what you have and always Make Your Mark!
Such beautiful colors!
Watch how to make it here!
STUFF I USED
SHARDWORX.COM glass in different colors
Famowood Glaze Coat Epoxy Resin
Wood Clothespins
E-6000 Glue
Old Window Pane
White Spray Paint
HERE'S HOW
1. Cut paper the size of the glass
2. Fold the paper on the diagonal both ways to create an "X"
3. Draw your harlequin pattern evenly using the "X" as your guide
4. Tape the paper under the glass so you can see it on the side your working on
5. Take the wood clothespins apart and spray them white
6. Glue the clothespins along the harlequin lines with E-6000
*You can trim the clothespins with heavy duty scissors if you're careful
7. Fill each diamond with a different color of Shardworx glass
8. Mix the Famowood Glaze Coat 2 part epoxy resin according to directions and then
drizzle it over each diamond until all of the diamonds are coated.
9. Pop any bubbles with a long-arm lighter or small torch and then
This year I thought I'd go a little less traditional for my New Year's centerpiece. I used leftover wood scraps from earlier projects and grabbed some fairy lights on Amazon to add a little magic. The key with any centerpiece is to go high and leave lots of room on the table for the champagne and snack trays. Toss in a few ornaments from your tree and a strand of sparkly garland and you're ready to ring in the new year. However you decorate for the new year, just make sure you add some sparkle! Oh, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!
Got the mylar streamers for a song at a party store!
The 70s have been influencing everything from fashion to home decor for a while now and I don't think it's going to stop any time soon. From high wasted jeans to stoneware, we are in the thick of my childhood! One of my favorite things about the 70s was the beautiful glazed stoneware. All of those gorgeous shiny colors dripping down big coffee mugs and pottery made me super happy. These lamps give that 70s feel without having to put them in a kiln! You can mix up some DecoArt Pouring Medium and make them to match your decor. Pick out some 70s paisley fabric and makeover the lampshades while you're at it. Try to upcycle thrift-store finds if you can and don't forget to
Make Your Mark!
Hippy, drippy chic!
Love the way the colors blend together!
Watch how I made mine here!
STUFF I USED
Americana Multi-Surface Satin Paints
DecoArt Pouring Medium
Americana Spray Sealer in Gloss
Old Thrift Store Lamps
Funky Cotton Fabric
Glue Gun
Braided Trim
HERE'S HOW
1. Mix 50% Pouring Medium with 50% paint in a squeeze bottle and shake
*I chose 3 different colors of blue for one lamp and 3 green for the other
2. If you have one, a lazy Susan is great for this project!
3. Starting with the lightest color, slowly spin the lamp on the lazy Susan while squirting
the paint around the very top letting it drip down the sides
4. Repeat the spinning and squirting with the next darker color letting it blend with the first color
5. Keep alternating colors until you get a design that you like
6. - 9, I repeated the process with 3 different colors of green on another lamp
10. Once the lamps are completely dry, spin and spray them evenly with
Americana Spray Sealer in Gloss
11. Cut 2 pieces of fabric the height and circumference of your lampshade
*My shade was 9" x 34" so I cut two pieces of cotton fabric that size
12. With your glue gun, pleat the fabric along the top rim of the shade all the way around
13. Once you've circled the top, glue and pleat along the bottom while pulling the fabric taught
14. Trim the excess fabric
15. Tuck some trim into a pleat and glue it around the top and bottom of the shade
Amazon.com is my drug of choice. It really does make my crafty life easier. While perusing for some cardboard shipping materials a few weeks back, I found this NEON corrugated cardboard....I immediately ordered it BEFORE I knew what it would become. That's how I know I have a problem! Cut to a 2 a.m. ornament making binge on my kitchen table where these little gems appeared. Grab a stack and start gluing. It's easy! It's never a waste to buy things that inspire your creativity and help you Make Your Mark!
These ornaments are inspired by Shabby Vintages Studio. Check out her work on Pinterest! For mine I added tons of color, seed pearls, glitter and some favorite images to make them fit my aesthetic. I named them Boho Renaissance Ornaments only to realize later that I have a Victorian image mixed in...Things happen. It's the wild west when you're making Christmas ornaments. Once again I used my re•design with Prima molds and the basswood round ornaments from Walnut Hollow. Like all of my projects, you can use the images you want. I'd love to see a set with vintage family photos. Fill your tree with handmade ornaments and don't forget to Make Your Mark!
Renaissance with a dash of Victorian!
Pearls and snow glitter make them even more Christmas-y!
Recently I got some corrugated cardboard in some packaging and like that weird kid who only cares about the box and not the gift, I went crazy! So crazy I bought another huge roll of it on Ebay to keep making things with it. My first project was these ornaments...I LOVE them! Just roll them up with a little glue, paint and then glitterize them. So easy! Kids will love making them, too. I used DecoArt Extreme Sheens because they come in bright, metallic colors. Definitely grab a few next time you're at the craft supply store. Remember to use up that holiday cardboard and always
Make Your Mark!
Just a few of my shiny new ornaments!
Watch how to make them here!
STUFF I USED
DecoArt Extreme Sheen
Wire
Metallic Gold Pipe Cleaners
Corrugated Cardboard
Glue Gun
DecoArt Craft Twinkles
Pattern for Ornaments
Print out for reference, but you'll need to cut your patterns
on larger paper. I used a large manilla folder for
my patterns.
HERE'S HOW
1. & 2. Trace & cut your pattern from corrugated cardboard
3. Starting from largest piece to smallest, Roll and hot glue them together
4. Paint them with DecoArt Extreme Sheen paint and let dry
5. Glitterize them with DecoArt Craft Twinkles
6. Add a wire to hang them from the top using a dab of hot glue
Optional: Add a pipe cleaner at the top for some extra sparkle
