Stained Glass-tic Beads DIY

It actually makes me sad to see the big plastic salad containers just tossed into the bin after just one use.  So much waste and soooo much plastic.  It's frustrating.  Daily I challenge myself to find things to make with what most would consider garbage and I take that challenge very seriously.  Recently I remembered a Tyvec bead project using a heat gun and thought that the technique just might work on these salad clams.  Guess what...It did!  Add a little bit of Marabu Alcohol Ink to give them some amazing color and you have some beautiful, stained glass beads!  Think out of the box (or in this case, salad clam) and always Make Your Mark!

Attached to paper clips for art journals

Strung with gold spacers for jewelry!

Watch how to make them here!

I just can't make these fast enough!

Roll-On Robots DIY - Upcycled and Light-Up!

Robots make me happy!  There is NOTHING better than watching a video of a kitten riding around on a Roomba!  Another thing that makes me happy is recycling and upcycling.   I can't imagine how many roll-on bottles we toss every day.  I'm thinking millions? Time to start saving them for this cute little robot DIY.  Reuse, repurpose and recycle my friends and don't forget to 

Make Your Mark!

A little LED balloon light on top and you've got a party favor!

 Office clips make the perfect arms and feet!

Watch how to make them here!

Big thanks to freepik for this printout!

I just need to find a way to make them talk!

Enjoy!

Upcycled Mini Terrariums

I always try to recycle or upcycle.  It's not the easiest thing to do, but it's important to me.  When I attend a big event, one of the things that goes through my mind is the enormous amount of 1-use plastics we toss away without a thought.  These plastic wine glasses are a party rescue and I was able to give them a 2nd life as mini terrariums.   I used the new E6000 Plus glue from Eclectic Products because it's the only industrial strength glue that does not corrode plastics.  You can even use it on acrylic and plastic gems.  Give things a 2nd life, my sweet friends, and don't forget to 

Make Your Mark!

 My lovely hanging garden

Mini and marvelous!

Just hanging around

Watch how to make them here!

They'll make you happy!

Desk Organizer DIY

Growing up in a small rural town without a big craft store, we were "forced" to use whatever we had on hand to get creative.  For me (like many) it was cardboard, newspaper and glue.  Gotta tell ya, that's about all you need if you want to get your crafty groove ON!  As a result, I love everything paper, cardboard, decoupage and paper mâché.  Anything that uses recycled materials has my name on it.   Not only is this tray a beautiful way to organize your stuff, it's a terrific way 

to recycle and save some cash at the same time.  How awesome is that?!  You can make this tray any shape you want, like simple squares or rectangles.  Experiment with different sizes, papers and paint techniques.  You can't go wrong.  Have fun!  xoxo, Mark

Try different tray shapes like simple rectangles and squares

Make a few for your dresser or vanity

Star struck!

Watch the short video tutorial here!

Stuff You'll Need

Americana Decou-Page paper

Cardboard

Template for tray

Americana Decou-Page medium (I used gloss)

White Americana Acrylic paint

White school glue

Craft knife

Paintbrushes

Scissors

Trace and cut the hexagon

Trace and cut the sides of the tray

Glue the pieces together to create the shape

*You can tape the pieces together while they dry

Add a little water to some white school glue

With a paintbrush, decoupage the paper to the tray with the glue

*This will make it sturdy and keep your pieces in place

When dry, paint the entire tray white

Cut pieces of the Americana Decou-Page Paper to fit the tray

Using the gloss Decou-Page medium, adhere the decorative paper to the tray

Paper and perfect!

Recycled Magazine Bracelets

Summer is here and it's time to recycle that big stack of magazines you've been saving for no reason. Cut them, roll them, paint them and accessorize your summer wardrobe with these colorful bracelets!  The best part is that you can do most of this while catching up on your favorite TV shows. I painted them with bold colorful stripes, but plain black and white would also look absolutely beautiful.

Have fun! xo, Mark

 Danielle wearing a stack of recycled paper bracelets

 Stack them all the way up your arm!

Why not only paint the edges and the inside!?

Make tons!  It's only paper.....

Watch the short video tutorial here

YOU'LL NEED

Cereal box cardboard

Ruler

Scissors

Americana Acrylics

White glue

Americana Triple Thick Gloss

Magazine pages

Paintbrush

 Cut long strips of cardboard

Wrap a strip around your hand to get your bracelet size 

Glue the cardboard into a bracelet and then glue on another strip

*This will make it stronger

Clip the cardboard together while it dries

Cut magazine pages into 3" x 4" pieces

 Roll the pages into tubes (starting at the corner) and then secure with glue

*You will need about 60 per bracelet

Cut the tubes the width of the bracelet

Glue them side by side all the way around

Paint the inside of the bracelet and let dry

Paint the tubes in different colors all the way around

Dab another color on each edge

Coat with Triple Thick Gloss and let dry

*This will make them extra shiny and sturdy 

Try only painting the inside and edges for another amazing look!

Button Jars DIY

I love a good recycled jar project and this one is cuter than a kitten riding a puppy.  With just a little chalky finish paint and some black cord, you can have an entire set of button jars to organize everything from your sewing accessories to your beading supplies!  Why not make an extra set to give as a gift this holiday season.

My new sewing supply jars

I can't stop making these!

Watch the video tutorial here!

YOU'LL NEED

Drill

Scrap wood

Hammer

Jars with metal lids

Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Black (Carbon)

Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint 

Sanding block or sandpaper

Wax

Black cord

Paintbrush

 Hit your lids with a hammer to give them an aged/beat up look

*Not too much, they still need to fit on your jars

Mark your holes and drill them

Paint the lids with black chalky finish paint

After the black paint is dry, rub wax along the edges and dents on the lid

Paint the lids again in different colors

Lightly sand the lids to expose the black paint on the dents and edges

Thread with the black cord

Tie a knot on the underside of the lid

Done!

Acorn Candy Dishes (from recycled cardboard)

It's time to start decorating for fall and these recycled cardboard acorn candy dishes will be a hit on your table!  Create these cute toppers in any size or color for pennies using twigs from your backyard.  Make a few extra and fill them with treats for the holidays. 

Have fun!

I use them on top of 99c store candles and I LOVE the way they look

Try mixing candles and candies for a fun table setting

Watch the video tutorial here!

YOU'LL NEED

Cardboard

Craft knife

Cutting mat

Ruler

Tape

Glass dishes

Americana Acrylics in Burnt Sienna

DecoArt Dazzling Metallics in Rich Espresso

Pinking shears

White glue

Hot glue gun 

Paintbrush

Twigs

Brown fabric or faux suede

 Cut about 15 1/2" wide strips of cardboard

Rub them along a table edge to give them a curve

Hot glue the end of a strip to a small twig

Wrap the cardboard around the twig to the end, tape on another piece and continue until you have the lid size that you need.

*Usually about 1/4" larger than the mouth of the glass piece you're pairing it with

Hot glue the end of the last piece on the coil

Gently press the center of the coil upward to create a dome

Paint white glue on the inside of the dome/lid to keep it in place

When dry, paint the lid in Burnt Sienna and then dry brush it in a Rich Espresso Dazzling Metallic 

When dry, cut out fabric leaves with pinking shears and hot glue them to the twig.

Done!