Thursday, July 31, 2014

8 Splendid Weekend Projects!

Happy Thurs-DIY everyone!  If you're new here, this is my weekly catch up with my creative friends.  People who make great stuff all the time. Hop around the web and say hello to them, they're all wonderful.  

The talented Margot Potter makes a gorgeous Folk Art Chic necklace:  http://diydoyenne.com/easy-diy-necklace/
Cathy Attix makes slammin' glitter tattoos and she has nice feet:  http://ilovetocreateblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/henna-inspired-glitter-tattoos.html
Learn to make a Doily Covered Lampshade on A Beautiful Mess:  http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/03/doily-covered-lamp-shade-project.html
I show you how to make a NO SEW painted fabric rugs that will last forever and are super easy to clean. Just use fabric, acrylic coating and Americana Multi Surface Satin Paints.:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u-R976ffzE
Heather Mann shares a fun summer clutch that is rocking the windowpane trend this fall:  http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2014/07/tutorial-make-a-diy-summer-clutch/
Lia Griffith makes beautiful Jumbo Kraft Paper Roses perfect for a party:  http://liagriffith.com/make-jumbo-kraft-paper-flowers/
Check out my Enameled Lucky Penny Necklace that I made with dollar store nail polishes:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5M9is4HO7o&list=UUt4zycubX8BJZ8pZhZ4w8ow
Here's a cute chalkboard and mirror DIY for your locker by Cathie and Steve:  http://handmadehappyhour.com/2013/08/13/video-diy-locker-chalkboard-and-mirror/

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Painted Fabric Rug DIY

Not long ago I was on the hunt for the perfect kitchen rug and couldn't find one to save my life!  I finally decided to paint one on canvas and create another with printed fabric.  I was a bit skeptical at first, but they've held up really well!  They're easy to clean and look fantastic in my crazy kitchen AND they were NO SEW!  BTW, if you have a rug that slips, you can use something called Extreme Tack from E-6000.  It's amazing stuff that works like an extremely strong post-it note glue!  Just squirt a few lines of it on the back of your rug, let it dry and you're good to go.  

 My southwestern inspired rugs.  
Perfect by my kitchen door
Watch the video tutorial here
YOU'LL NEED
1 yard printed fabric
2 yards heavy cotton canvas
1 yard fringe (optional)
E-6000 Fabri-Fuse
Painter's tape
 Figure out the size you want to make your rug and add 1" all the way around
Cut your canvas to this size
Iron the edges in 1"
Add E-6000 Stitchless glue around the edges and iron the edges in place
 Measure the center of each side of your canvas rug
Connect where you marked with painter's tape
Using the first taped diamond, measure in 3" to create a smaller diamond
Measure in again to create the center diamond
Add tape to all your drawn lines
Start filling in with your multi-surface paints
 Black in the center
Next red, followed by turquoise orange and finally green
Remove the tape when it's dry and coat the front and back of the rug with Minwax Polycrylic
Cut your printed fabric 1" bigger all the way around than you want your rug to measure
Cut a piece of canvas 1" smaller all the way around than your printed fabric
With the printed fabric centered on top of the canvas, seal them together with a layer of Minwax Polycrylic
Add more Minwax Polycrylic to the top after you've sealed them together
Add E-6000 Fabri-Fuse to the 1" edges and iron them to the underside of the canvas
Create a 2" boarder 1/2" in from the edge of the rug all the way around using tape
Fill it in with a matching color
Glue fringe under the ends of the rug with E-6000 Fabri-Fuse and let dry


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Tea Light Paperweights DIY

I have TONS of glass candle tea light holders....Too many in fact!  It was time to either get rid of some OR come up with a project for them.  I finally decided on paperweights!  Now if you're crafty you know that a good paperweight is always needed.  I use them for holding fabric when I'm cutting AND for my stacks of papers which seem to fly away when the AC turns on.  These are terrific because you can fill them with any image you want.  Antique photos would be perfect for this project!  Just make sure to copy them with a laser printer at a copy shop.  If you use inkjet copies, you'll need to coat them on both sides with a clear acrylic.  


Watch the video tutorial here!
YOU'LL NEED
Laser printed images
Scissors
Glitter
Plastic cups
Disposable wood stirrers
 Laser print your images
Cut them to fit inside of your glass tea lights
 Pour equal parts of Glaze Coat into two separate cups
Stir thoroughly for 5 minutes
Fill the tea light 1/4" full
Place your image face down and tap in place 
*You'll be seeing the image from the bottom
Fill the tea light the rest of the way
Add 1/2 teaspoon glitter and stir
Let cure overnight outside or in an unoccupied part of the house


Saturday, July 19, 2014

Super Fun Summer Beach Chair DIY

If you're heading to a big body of water this summer, you'll definitely want to make some snazzy chairs to mark your spot on the shore!  These are basic beach chairs that sell at Target for 8 dollars each.  With a little paint and trim,  I turned them into the best seat on the beach!  Use any motif from starfish to your initials.  It's up to you.  Just make sure wear sunblock, OK! 
Not headed to the beach?  Make them for the back yard and turn on the sprinklers!

See the video tutorial!
YOU'LL NEED
Beach chairs
2 yards of pom pom trim per chair
Americana Multi-Surface Paints in Neon Blue and White
Masking tape
Contact paper
Paintbrush
Craft knife
 Use masking tape (or painter's tape) to make stripes on the chair
Fill in the stripes with Americana Multi-Surface Paint in Cotton Ball and let dry
Create your graphic on contact paper and cut out with a craft knife
 Apply the contact paper stencil to the back of the chair
Fill in with Americana Multi-Surface Paint in Neon Blue
Add a line of E-6000 Fabri-Fuse to the edges of the chair seat and back
Add the trim to the edges and let dry
Paint the details on the graphic if needed 

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The Best Shirt to Skirt DIY (with a real waistband)

Today I'm sharing my ultimate shirt to skirt tutorial with a real sewn waistband.  Most tutorials I see for these skirts have an elastic band, so I wanted to kick it up a notch.  I'm also using two shirts instead of one for some added fullness.  Depending on the size of the shirt, you can use either one or two shirts.  It's up to you.  The key is to use as much of the shirt fabric as you possibly can without wasting a scrap.  



Watch the video tutorial here!
YOU'LL NEED
Two men's shirts
Sewing machine 
Matching thread
1/4 yard iron on interfacing
E-6000 Stitch Less Iron On Glue
Scissors
Ruler
Straight pins
Iron
 Cut the front of the shirt along the side seams, across the front right under the collar band and down the side seam again
Cut out the back of the shirt removing the stitched side seams, across the upper back and down the side again
Do this to both shirts
Cut off the tail and up the center back of both shirt backs
Cut a straight line from the hem of the shirt to the shoulder 
 Pin the two back pieces from one shirt to the sides of the front of the other shirt and stitch together using 1/2" seam allowance
*This is the skirt front
Cut off the button and buttonhole plackets on the other shirt, pin and stitch together to create one piece
Pin the back pieces from the other shirt to the sides of this piece and stitch together using 1/2" seam allowance
*This is the back of the skirt
Stitch the front and back together to create the skirt
Press all seams together and zigzag over each one to finish the raw edges
Gather the waist of the skirt to your waist size
Cut the sleeves apart at the seams, remove the cuff and iron flat 
Measure a 3" wide strip down the center of each sleeve (this will be your waistband)
Stitch the two 3" wide strips together to create a long 3" strip
Measure your waist, add 1" and cut the long fabric strip to that size
(if your waist is 32", then cut the strip 33")
Cut an identical piece of iron on interfacing and iron it to the strip
 Finish one edge of the waistband with a zigzag stitch
Pin the raw edge of the waistband to the gathered waist of the skirt (right sides together) leaving a 1/2" overlap on both sides
Stitch the waist band to the skirt using 1/2" seam allowance
Fold the waistband over (right sides together) and stitch the 1/2" overlap on each end of the skirt
Cut the corner at an angle and flip right side out
Press the waistband into place
You will now be hiding the gathering of the skirt inside the waist band
Stitch over the waistband, trapping the gathering inside and catching the finished edge of the waistband on the inside of the skirt
Add a buttonhole above the line of buttonholes in the center front
Stitch on a button
Hem the skirt by turning the hem 1/4" and then 1/4" again
*This is called a turn and turn hem
If you don't want to hem, you can always use E-6000 Stitch Less Iron on glue and iron your hem in place

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Summer Fruit Trays DIY

Need some fun summer trays for your outdoor dining?  These couldn't be easier to make!  Standard 18" table rounds and thin metal spoons for handles and you're halfway there.  I dyed the wood with RIT Liquid Dye which works wonderfully as a wood stain.  Make sure to check out the RIT studio for tons of other ways to use RIT!  



Watch how I made them here!
YOU'LL NEED
Two 1" x 18" table rounds
Thin metal spoons *make sure you can bend them
Rit Liquid Dye in Sunshine Orange and Scarlet
Drill
1" screws 
Paintbrushes
Pencil
Stain one table round with the RIT liquid dye in Sunshine Orange to create the orange tray
Draw a line 1 1/2" from the edge of the tray
Fill in the line with Cotton Ball Multi Surface Paint to create the rhine
With a ruler, draw your orange sections
 Paint over the lines 
Fill in the center and paint on the seeds
Paint the edge with Orange Sherbert
Let dry for an hour
Paint the second table round with Scarlet to create the watermelon tray
Draw a line 1" from the edge and fill in with Cotton Ball
Paint the edges with Turf Green
Add some Cotton Ball to the Turf Green for a lighter shade to create the stripes on the edge 
Coat both trays with Minwax Polycrylic
Mark each end of the spoon
Drill holes in each end of the spoons
Bend into a handle shape and screw into the sides of the trays


Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Easy Jeweled Cell Phone Case

Everyone loves a terrific cell phone case and these were made from dollar store jewelry pieces and 
E-6000 glue which now comes in black and white!  You don't need anything else.  Just cluster on your jewels and get gluing.  No more Decoden supplies and messy silicone!
Have fun!
Danielle rocking her bejeweled cell phone cases! 


Watch the video tutorial here!
YOU'LL NEED
Black rhinestone trim, beads and gems
Crystal rhinestone trim, beads and gems
Basic cell phone cases (I got mine at the dollar store)
 Cut your rhinestone trim to fit the case and make sure to cut out a space for the camera
Figure out the gem placement and photograph it so you can remember!
Glue everything in place with clear E-6000 glue
Sprinkle with iridescent glitter if you want a little more sparkle
Let dry overnight 
Cut and glue the rhinestone trim to the size of your case
Glue on with BLACK E-6000 glue
Add gems and glitter and let dry overnight