No Sew Fabric Lanterns

If it's colorful and you can hang it in a tree, I'm IN!  When I saw a photo of a market in India filled with fabric lanterns I knew it was time to make some.  This is a project for the whole family, BTW!  Hang a solar light from the ribbon at the top and you have something amazing that glows at night, too.  I used Oly-Fun Craft Sheets from Fairfield World for this project because you can get a package of it with tons of different colors!  It's like construction paper, but craft fabric!  I've left a link for you below.  Make sure to check out the video to see how they're done, OK.  

Oh, and always Make Your Mark!

Oly-Fun Craft Sheets....Amazing stuff!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Lantern pattern

Oly-Fun Craft Sheets from Fairfield World

E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint

Hole punch

Ribbon

Rigiline Stitch-On Boning

Pompoms

Hot glue gun

HERE'S HOW

1. - 6.  Cut out all the pieces for the lantern

7.  Glue the panels side by side and the triangles on the top and bottom using E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

*Large triangles on one side and small on the other as shown in photo #7

8.  Glue the yellow squares on the panels 

9.  Glue the flowers in the center of each yellow square

10.  Add pailettes

11. & 12.  In a squiggle pattern, edge the pieces of the lantern with Allure Dimensional Paint 

13.  Add dots around each paillette

14.  When dry, punch holes on the top of each large triangle

15.  Cut a piece of stitch in boning the length of the 4 panels and hot glue it to the edge below the large triangles

16.  Connect the ends of the boning and glue down the edge to create a tube

17.  Thread ribbon through the holes to hang the lantern

18.  Glue pompoms to the end of the smaller triangles at the bottom

Lovely!

Lisa Frank Pottery

Like many of you, I have a closet full of glass vases from flower arrangements, parties and centerpieces from weddings.  I save everything in hopes to use it in a project one day.  Yes, I know that's what a hoarder says and I completely own it!  A while ago I made a very serious version of this project (see below) but thought it just wasn't colorful enough for all of you.......so I tried it again using vibrant, luscious colors.  My assistant, Julie, said they reminded her of Lisa Frank so that's what we ended up calling them.  Remember to use your stash, get inspired by color and always 

Make Your Mark!

My colorful, Lisa Frank inspired (faux) pottery!

I want an entire wall filled with these! 

My first attempt from several years ago using much more serious colors.  

Still, I think they're quite handsome!

Watch how easy they are to make here

STUFF I USED

Krylon Spray Paint

Glass vases

Cardboard

Kid's pottery wheel

Masking tape

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Cut a large cardboard circle and tape it to the top of the pottery wheel

*This keeps it from getting mucked up with paint

2.  Center and tape a glass vase on to the cardboard

3.  Turn on the pottery wheel and spray a base coat of paint on the vase

4.  Heavily spray a second color so that it starts to drip

5. & 6.  Continue until you've reached your desired effect

7. & 8.  Try this technique on different vase shapes

9. Done!

In love!

Pet Portrait Dishes DIY

So you have tons of photos of your fur babies and don't know what to do with them?  Why not turn them into artsy, food safe dishes for your next dinner party!  I asked my FB friends to send images of their pets for this project and got over 1,500 to choose from.  Honestly, they were all so cute I just ended up randomly picking 4 for this project.  I seriously could not decide!  So hear you go....Fur Baby Dishes to brighten up your home.  Remember to turn every day objects (like plates) into art, use your fur baby photos for DIY projects and always Make Your Mark!

King Louis on the bottom, Wilma on the right

Fred on the right!

 Just a few of the gorgeous fur babies sent in!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Americana Gloss Enamels

Pet photos

Americana Gloss Decoupage

Rubbing Alcohol 

Spray bottle

Glass plates

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Turn your image into a work of art at Turbo.Deepart
2.  Print them out and cut around the edges
3. Slit around the sides so that it lays flat when you decoupage it to the back of the plate
4.  Mist the back of the image with water and spread Americana Decoupage on the face of the image
5.  Carefully decoupage the image to the back side of the plate so that you can see the image from the front of the plate
6. Paint the edges using Americana Gloss Enamels with some artsy strokes and let dry
7.  Fill in the rest of the plate with another color of Gloss Enamels
8.  Follow the instructions for curing and baking
9.  Start decorating for your next dinner party!

Artist Side Table DIY

I was at Home Goods the other day and saw a VERY flimsy version of this artist's palette table and thought to myself, I want to make a sturdy version of this!   Since I always grab scrap wood and save old chairs, I had everything I needed to put it together.   My favorite part of this project was being able to use a broken chair for the table base!  Remember to think twice before you toss out old furniture and always Make Your Mark!

Looks so cute on the grass! 

 Watch how easy it is to make here!

STUFF I USED

Americana Premium Acrylic Paints 

Sander & Jigsaw

Famowood Glaze Coat

Old Chair

HERE'S HOW

1.  Create your pattern on butcher paper or a large piece of newspaper

2.  Trace your pattern on plywood

3. & 4.  Cut out & sand your palette shape

5.  Create your messy palette with Premium Acrylics

6. Mix and coat the table top with Famowood Glaze Coat epoxy resin and let cure

7.  & 8.  Remove the base from an old chair and paint black

9.  Screw to the underside of the palette table top

 Love how this matches any room!

Unicorn SPiT Fiesta Pots

 If you follow me you know that I have an obsession with Mexican serape blankets and I'm always trying to paint something with the beautiful color-to-color, ombre stripes.  For this project, I  managed to combine three things I love very much, Unicorn SPiT, my old record player, and a brightly colored serape pattern.  Behold, my Fiesta Pots!  I just LOVE them and I hope you do, too.  Remember, find a an old craft and make it new, add lots of color and always 

MAKE YOUR MARK! 

 I cannot wait to fill these with succulents!

Taking in the sun

Learn my process here

STUFF I USED

Unicorn SPiT

Minwax Clear Lacquer

Masking tape

Serape Inspiration 

Krylon spray paint in white

An old record player

*You could also use a kid's pottery wheel

Terracotta pots

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Spray paint the pot white

2.  Carefully center it on the turntable and tape it in place with loops of masking tape

3.  Choose your Unicorn SPiT colors

4. Starting at the bottom, paint a 2" stripe

5.  Next paint a strip above it and painting downward, blend the colors together

6.  Repeat the process until you're at the top of the pot

7.  Add thin stripes of black and white in between the strips and blend

8.  Seal with several coats of Minwax Clear Lacquer

9.  Done!

Summer Sun Hats DIY

I've had these hats sitting in my craft house for a year and I was finally, FINALLY inspired to do something with them.  I did some research on early Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali hats and versions of these kept popping up.  The sunglasses hat has been interpreted by several designers over the years. I figured, why not bring back some 1930s glamour?  

 Remember to wear sunblock and always Make Your Mark!

My awesome assistant Julie!

 Time for some high fashion!

 Watch how to make them here!

Happy Summer!

Faux Agate Jewelry

My friend Deana always wears big agate jewelry and it looks amazing on her.   She reminds me of a New York gallery owner who is always decked out in the most daring fashion.  When I started experimenting with some real agate slices, I realized that the finished pieces were extremely heavy.  Probably too heavy unless you're Iris Apfel! That's when I got to work and designed a process to give the agate/geode look that weighed about 1/5 as much!  Plus, this is so much more fun than buying  expensive slices of agate and gluing them on jewelry findings.  Hey, I'm a DIY'er and I live to make things!  Remember to experiment, find alternatives and always Make Your Mark!

 Julie "rocking" my new agate jewelry

The bigger the better and light as a feather!

Nothing like a big, chunky ring!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Agate print outs

Gold Crafting Foil & Glue

Acrylic Clear Coat

Famowood Glaze Coat Resin

E-6000 Glue

Brass cuff and ring findings

Glitter and white glue

Silicone disk mold

HERE'S HOW

1.  Print out the agates and seal both sides of the paper with the acrylic clear coat and let dry

2. & 3.  Carefully cut each agate, edge with glue and add black glitter

4.  Add crystal glitter in the center if you want

*I find the glitter gives it dimension and makes it look more real

5. & 6.  Mix the Glaze Coat and pour about 1/8" into each mold

7.  Submerge the glitterized agate print and cover with a bit more Glaze Coat

*Aim for a little less than 1/4"  

8. & 9. Pop the bubbles with a small torch or long arm lighter (or heat gun), cover and let cure for about 6 to 8 hours

10.  While the pieces are still a little "bendy" cut around the agate shapes with some heavy duty scissors

*If you let them cure too much you will have to cut them with a craft knife and break off pieces.  This is much easier!

11.  Add the foiling glue to the edges of each agate and when dry, press the gold foil paper to the glue

12.  Glue the finished agate on metal bangles, ring findings or drill and hang on a chain

Pile them on!