Cardboard Crowns DIY

Who doesn't need a cardboard crown?  The metal versions are just so beautiful, but a little out of my price range for a decorative item, so I thought it would be fun to craft one up the old fashioned way........with cardboard and glue.  Hey, a little paint and some Mardi Gras beads and no one will even know you made it from a box!  Use them to decorate for the holidays or to wear with your King Arthur cos play costume.  Remember to recycle and always Make Your Mark!

 Perfect for my holiday decorating!

Watch how to make them here! 

STUFF I USED

Cardboard Crown patterns

Americana Decor Metallics in Vintage Brass

Pearls & rhinestone trim

Newspaper and cardboard

Clothespins

Americana Decor Decoupage in Matte

Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Innocence, Treasure and Artifact

Hot glue gun and white glue

1 1/2" foam balls

 HERE'S HOW

1. & 2.  Cut 6 arches in cardboard and newspaper

3.  Cut a 22" x 1" wide strip of cardboard for the band

4.  Glide all the pieces along a table edge to create a slight curve on each piece

5.  Glue the 22" long piece together to create a band

6.  Glue the arches evenly around the band and clamp in place with clothespins while they dry

7. Hot glue the tops of the arches around a foam ball

8.  Decoupage newspaper over all of the pieces of the crown

9.  Mist the entire crown with water and set a small weight (I used the water bottle) on the foam ball and let it dry

10.  Hot glue bead trim down the center of each arch

11.  Hot blue rhinestone trim around the band

12.  Add a decorative edge with hot glue around the edges of the arches

13. & 14.  Base coat the crown in Vintage Brass and then dry brush the color of your choice over the gold

15.  Paint another crown in gray and sponge DecoArt Metallic Lustres on top

16.  Embellish with rhinestone cup chain or trim to finish

To wear to your coronation!

Mermaid Candle Holders

So I'll bet you're wondering why I call these mermaid candle holders.  It was an accident really.  I was painting them and realized at the last minute that if I rubbed a very different color of Metallic Lustre over the paint base paint, it started to look iridescent just like a mermaid's tail.  When that happens you simply have no choice but to use mermaid in the name.  Truth be told I've been making plaster candle holders for a while and the name Plaster Candle Holder just seemed boring!  So here we are.  Remember to mix and match colors, give things whimsical names and always Make Your Mark!

 I love how the Metallic Lustre shimmers in the candle light

The green and purple looks amazing together!

Watch how I made them here!

STUFF I USED

Plastic Planter (99c store)

Cooking spray

Plastic cups

Tape

Americana Acrylic Paint in Wild Orchid & Irish Moss

DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Fab Fuschia and Lavish Green

Plaster of Paris

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint in Gold Leaf

HERE'S HOW

1. Tape the holes closed at the bottom of the planter

2.  Spray the inside of the planter with cooking spray

3.  Mix enough plaster of Paris to fill the planter about 3"

4.  Fill the planter with the plaster and then tap to remove the bubbles

 and even out the plaster

5.  Press 4 plastic cups evenly into the plaster and let the plaster dry

6.  Carefully remove the cups and dry plaster and sand rough edges

7. - 9.  Paint one plaster candle holder in Americana Acrylic Wild Orchid and the other in Moss Green and let dry

10. & 11.  Rub the Wild Orchid candle holder with the Lavish Green Metallic Lustre and rub the Moss Green candle holder with the Fab Fuschia Metallic Lustre

*Allow a bit of the color to show through in areas to give it a true iridescent feel

12.  Decorate the edges with the Allure in Gold Leaf

*Fill with tea lights and sing your mermaid song

Dollar Store Frame Terrarium

I finished this project over a month ago and I've been going nuts waiting to share it with you.  Christmas happened and I was overwhelmed with ornament projects so it had to wait.  Believe it or not, I got everything I needed for this project at the 99c store. Even the laser cut oval frames.  Just in case your store doesn't sell them, they are still very reasonably priced at most craft stores.  One suggestion, make sure to use E-6000 Glue when you put this together because it's waterproof. These little terrariums can trap moister which is not great for water based glues.  Remember, glue things together, paint them bright colors and always Make Your Mark!

The perfect way to protect all of my starter plants!

So chic!

Watch how I made them here

STUFF I USED

E-6000 Glue

6 identical dollar store frames

Laser cut frame

Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint in Revive

Jigsaw

DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Gold Rush

Clamps (you could use tape)

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Remove the glass stays, glass and cardboard from the frame

2.  Glue and clamp the base of the terrarium using E-6000 Glue

*Two frames vertical and two frames horizontal

3.  Glue and clamp the "roof" together as shown

4. Glue the roof on the base of the house with more E-6000, clamping it in place until it dries

5.  Cut off the ends of the laser cut from to cover the gable of the terrarium

6. & 7.  Sand and paint them with the Chalky Finish

8.  Glue the glass panes back into each frame with E-6000 

9.  Touch up as needed

10.  Glue the laser cut pieces over the gables

11.  Add dimension with DecoArt Metallic Luster

12.  Done!

Green and gorgeous!

Alice Through The Looking Glass Mixed Media Bottles

You may not know this, but I'm a HUGE Alice In Wonderland fan!  To celebrate the new Disney movie, Alice Through the Looking Glass,  I created a set of mixed media bottles using images of the main characters.  I had wine bottles on hand, but you could use any type of bottle for this project.  Even a set of pencil holders made out of recycled cans would look amazing.  The rule is that there are no rules!  Every bottle you make will turn out differently.  The key to my success was the DecoArt Metallic Lustres.  They add a beautiful metallic shimmer to any surface....I even painted them on lace!  Water them down or rub them on full strength, it's up to you.  Just remember to have fun, make messes and Make Your Mark!  Big hugs and write if you have a question.....

I'm always around.

My magic garden is the perfect setting!

Metallis Lustres come in a TON of colors!

Watch how I made these here!

Stuff You'll Need

Wine bottles

Book pages

Americana Decoupage in Matte

DecoArt Metallic Lustres (in the colors you like)

Lace

Fabric flowers

Chandelier crystals and marker caps

Rhinestones, chain, charms

Ribbon and fabric strips

Playing cards

Spray bottle

Glue gun

Images of Alice Through the Looking Glass Characters

Here's how:

1. Using Americana Decoupage in matte, cover a wine bottle in ripped book pages

*Always mist both sides of the paper with water to relax it first so it doesn't bubble when you decoupage

2. Print your image on book page paper and on plain paper

(Images are HERE)

3. Cut the book page image about the size of a large wine label and decoupage to the bottle

4. Cut around the image on the plain paper and apply it over the book page "label"

5. Decoupage other images on the back of the bottle

*I used clocks for the White Rabbit bottle

6. & 7.  Hot glue lace and fabric flowers around the image to create a frame

8. 9. & 10. Using the Metallic Luster, paint the bottle and lace and when dry add strips of stick on rhinestones

I started with Fab Fuchsia, added Brilliant Turquoise over it and then highlighted with Gold Rush

11. & 12. Print the Queen of Hearts image and glue it to a real playing card

13. 14. & 15.  Glue a chandelier crystal to an old marker cap and then wrap it in fabric and metallic gold thread to create a decorative stopper

16.  Attach the charms to the chain

17. & 18.  Wrap the ribbon, chain and strips of fabric around the neck of the bottle and then tie the card to the end of one of the hanging strands