Sparkling New Year's Centerpiece DIY

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!

Laugh every day!

Watch how to make my centerpiece here!

STUFF I USED

Unicorn SPiT Sparkling

E-6000 Glue

Allure Glitter in Crystal and Silver

1" x 12" wood trim pieces (5 per star)

4" x 4" wood blocks

1/4" thick dowels about 10" long

LAUGH EVERY DAY stencil

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Drill a hole in the center of your wood blocks

*The drill bit should be the same diameter as your dowel

2.  Stain 5 pieces of the 1" x 12" trim with the Unicorn SPiT Sparkling in your color scheme

3.  Add Allure Glitter in Crystal to add even more sparkle to the trim

4.  Stain the wood blocks with Unicorn SPiT Sparkling in two colors

5.  When everything is dry, sand the edges for a distressed look

6.  Glue the 1" trim pieces to make a star

7.  Glue a dowel on the back and let dry

8.  Stencil a design on the wood using a pallet knife and Allure Glitter in Silver

9.  When everything is dry, assemble the pieces and wrap the star in fairy lights

To an amazing New Year!

Happy 2019!

Neon Cardboard Ornaments DIY

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!

Brighten up your tree!

Love the sparkle!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Neon Corrugated Cardboard Sheets

*You can easily make 50+ ornaments with this stack

Silver Metallic Fringe

Silver Cord

E-6000 Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint in Silver Glitter

HERE'S HOW

1st ORNAMENT Steps 1 - 6

1.  Cut 2 strips in the same color 12" x 1" and 4 strips 12" x 1 1/2" in different colors

2.  Cut the 1 1/2" wide strips in 1/2 diagonally to create long triangles

3. Roll and hot glue the 1" strips into a disk for the center of the ornament

4.  Roll and hot glue the triangular stripes into tiny cones

5.  Glue the cones on the flat sides of the disk

6.  Glue the rest of the cones evenly around the disk

2nd ORNAMENT Steps 7 - 11

7.  Cut 4 different colors of cardboard in the following sizes:

4" x 4"

7" x 3"

7" x 2"

12" x 1"

8.  Glue and roll the 4" x 4" piece to create a tube

*This is the center

9.  Glue and roll the 7" x 3" piece around the center tube

10.  Glue and roll the 7" x 2" piece next

11. Finish by gluing and rolling the 12" x 1" piece around the center

3rd ORNAMENT Steps 12 -15

12.  Cut two 1/2" wide strips in one color and two 2 1/2" strips in another color

*Cut the 2 1/2" strips on the diagonal to create long triangles

13.  Glue and roll the 1/2" wide strip into a disk

14.  Glue and roll the long triangles in to long cones

15.  Glue the cones to the flat sides of the disk

LET'S EMBELLISH THE ORNAMENTS

16.  Cut a 3" piece of metallic fringe and glue a loop to one end

17.  Hot glue and roll the fringe trapping the loop in the center to create a tassel

18.  Hot glue a loop in the top of each ornament and a tassel at the bottom

19. & 20.  Embellish the ornaments with Allure in Silver Glitter

*Add more glitter while wet if you want!

Happy Holidays!

Magical Origami Star Ornaments

These origami stars are easy to make and you can use them for the holidays in several different ways!  I'm going to hang some on my tree and turn some into Christmas cards.  Use patterned paper or stencil them like I did.  Pop a little gem in the middle and you have something super special.

Let your star shine this holiday season and don't forget to 

Make Your Mark! 

 You're a star!

 Book pages and kraft paper

Add a dab of glitter or a gem in the center....Easy peasy!

HERE'S WHAT I USED

Flat back gems

DecoArt Matte Metallics in Vintage Brass

Kraft paper & book pages

Tracy Moreau Snowflake Stencil

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint in Gold Leaf and Silver Glitter

Americana Acrylics in White

Watch how to make them here!

Mexican Tin Hearts

My first version of Mexican Tin Hearts from a few years ago is still getting tons of attention so I decided to up the game a little and try a few different techniques for this version.  I love the versions I see for sale, but I'd go broke buying every one of them.  Instead, here's an inexpensive way to make your own. Head to the hardware store and grab some aluminum flashing and serrated edge scissors and you're halfway there. Also, if you have some thin cotton gloves, that can be helpful.  I tend to scratch myself when I'm cutting the flashing.  Have fun, make art and don't forget to 

Make Your Mark!

 My trio of hearts

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Aluminum Flashing and Serrated Blade Scissors

Hot glue and glue gun

Prima silicone molds

Americana Acrylic Paints

DecoArt Matte Metallic Paint in Vintage Brass

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paints

E-6000 Glue

Loteria Images

Pattern for heart and frame

Print on standard copy paper

 HERE'S HOW

1. & 2.  Trace and cut the heart and frame from the aluminum flashing using serrated edge scissors

and making sure to cut off the sharp points on the flames

3.  Trace a loteria image in the center of the frame, cut of the corners of the frame piece (to the corner of the tracing) and then bend each side upward

4.  Paint the flame part of the flashing black and the base in a light color of your choosing 

5.  Paint flowers, leaves and teardrops using a small round brush around the heart

6.  Paint gold teardrops on the flame with Matte Metallics in Vintage Brass

7. & 8.  Accent the flowers and teardrops with different colors

*The more color the better!

9.  Paint the outside and inside of the frame piece in two different colors

10. & 11. Using Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint, dot all around the edge of the heart, around the edges of the frame piece and along the top of the flame

12.  Glue the loteria card inside of the painted frame piece

13. & 14.  Fill the Prima silicone flower mold with hot glue, remove the flowers and 

paint in different colors

15.  Dry brush the flowers with the Matte Metallics

16  Glue the frame and the flowers on top of the painted heart

La Sirena, my favorite!

All in all another heart on the wall 

I'll bet your friends would love one!

Floral Lampshades with Unicorn SPiT

I snagged some simple lampshades at a thrift store for a song and you know me, if I can paint it or glue something on it, it's not safe! It's just how I live my life, friends.  I pulled out a few of my favorite adult coloring book pages for a pattern inspiration and then went nuts with my stash of Unicorn SPiT.  I used floral pages, but any pattern would work.  You might try copying the page and coloring it before you jump into painting the lampshade. This way you'll know how you want them to look.  I think they give a stained glass feel and that's just fine with me.  Remember, if it's not tied down, embellish it!  Oh, and always Make Your Mark!

 Flower power!

 Brightening a corner of my kitchen

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Unicorn SPiT

Plain fabric lampshades

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint in Gloss Black

Clothespins 

Pompom trim

E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

HERE'S HOW

1.  Trace the shape of the lampshade on the back of the adult coloring book page and cut out

2.  Tape it inside the lampshade and put the lamp inside

3.  With the lightbulb on, trace the pages lightly with a pencil

4.  Trace over the pencil lines with Allure in Gloss Black and let dry

5. - 9. Slightly water down your favorite colors of Unicorn SPiT and start painting the flowers and leaves

10.  When the shades are dry, spray them with Minwax lacquer and let dry

11.  Using E-6000 Fabri-Fuse, glue mini pompom trim around the rims of each shade

12.  Hold in place with clothespins while they dry

 Brilliant and blooming!

Spring has sprung!

Vintage Heart Ornaments

Got some cardboard, beads and wire in your craft stash?  If so, why not make some vintage heart ornaments to give away this Valentine's Day!  This is the perfect project to use up that stack of Amazon Prime cardboard.  I used stencils to decorate my hearts, but you could hand paint them or decoupage images on them...Whatever you want!   Surprise your loved ones by hanging one from the rear view mirror in their car on Valentine's Day!  I have a feeling they would just love it. 

Enjoy the holiday of love and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

 YOU are the key to my heart...

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Cardboard & book pages

Americana Decoupage

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint in Gold Glitter

DecoArt Stencil

Wire & wire cutters

Keys, ribbon & beads

DecoArt Extreme Sheen & Americana Acrylics in Cadmium Red

Optional: Glitter & Glue

HERE'S HOW

1.  & 2. Cut out cardboard hearts & glue them together in layers of 3

3.  Cut out book pages about 1" larger than the hearts all the way around

4.  After misting the book page with water, spread decoupage on it and place your heart in the center

 *Clip the edges and fold them over the side of the heart and repeat on the other side until the

entire heart is covered in text

5. When the heart is dry, stencil it with red acrylic paint

6. - 8. Embellish with Gold Glitter Allure or glue and glitter

9.  Bend a loop on the end of a 6" piece of wire

10.  Pierce the heart from top to bottom and bend another loop on the end of the wire

11.  Hang beads and a key from more wire from the base and a ribbon for hanging from the top

12.  Glue on a printed banner

 Ready for Valentine's Day!

Vintage Bird Ornaments

Grab some cardboard and some old book pages and make these super cute vintage bird ornaments! Copy a book page if you don't have a damaged book you can use.  Most of what you need to make these ornaments you probably already have, too!  Use curling ribbon or string if you don't have satin ribbon or use scrapbook paper over the cardboard bases if you don't have a stencil. So many variations and Christmas is right around the corner.  I'll bet your friends would love a couple, too.  Happy holidays and always Make Your Mark!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Cardboard

Wire

Small jingle bells

Americana Acrylics

M Squared Stencils

Americana Decoupage

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint in Glitter

Cosmetic sponges (for stenciling)

Book pages

 HERE'S HOW

1.  - 3.  Trace, cute and glue together 3 cardboard birds

4.  Cut book pages 1" larger than the bird pattern (all the way around) 

5. - 7.  Mist with water and decoupage to each side of the bird making sure to cut slits so that the edges fold over to the other side

8. - 9.  Stencil and embellish with paint and glitter

10.  Bend a loop on a 5" piece of wire

11.  Push it through the center of the bird and bend a loop on the other side

12.  Hand a bell on the bottom with a jump ring and tie a ribbon on the top to hang

Bird pattern
Cut 3 in cardboard

Merry Christmas!