Birds and Butterflies Under Glass

Part 2 of my Curiosity Cabinet series is here!

I love the Museum of Natural History in NYC.....LOVE IT!  Not only is it suggested donation only, you can easily spend an entire summer day in there escaping from the brutal heat.  Not bad for a buck, right?  I often find myself imagining what it would be like to live in a room filled with the birds, bugs and butterfly specimens.  Something about how they're displayed makes me feel like I'm stepping back in time.  You can easily make your own versions of these displays with simple supplies that you can find anywhere.  Don't feel like forking over the cash for the feather butterflies?  Just print some out on your home computer.  Yup, they look just as good.  Remember, have fun, use your imagination and 

never forget to Make Your Mark!

My tiny version of the Museum of Natural History

Fill glass jars with printed vintage bug images......DONE

Next week we'll tackle how to make a cabinet to house your curiosities

Watch the video tutorial here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

E-6000 Glue

Feather and printed butteflies

Glass Jars and vases

Faux flowers

Americana Decor Metallics in Vintage Brass

Faux feather birds and real twigs

Wood disks

Images of butterflies and bugs

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Paint your wood disks with the Vintage Brass Americana Decor Metallics

2. Glue twigs in the center of the disks

3. A simple straight twig for the butterflies and fuller for the birds

*Make sure your glass vases easily fit over the twigs

4.  Paint the twigs with more Vintage Brass

5. & 6.  Glue the faux birds and flowers to the twigs and then glue the mouth of the glass to the base

7.  Glue printed and feather butterflies to the long, straight twigs 

8.  Glue the tall thin vase over the butterfly twig

9.  Print out vintage bugs, place them in upside down glass jars and then glue a large shooter

 marble on top

Create different heights by using candle holders

Faux Bugs In Resin

Curiosity Cabinet Part 1  

A while ago I became obsessed with curiosity cabinets and decided I wanted to make one and then fill it with handmade curiosities.  These faux (plastic) bugs trapped in resin are my first of several projects. I know they're a little creepy but let's face it, not quite as creepy as the REAL bugs trapped in resin.  Poor little guys.  I love that you can paint toy plastic bugs and make them look like rare beetles using DecoArt's Metallic Lustres.  Truth be told, I went a little nuts making these so if you leave me a comment I'll enter you to win one, OK!  Have fun, make messes 

and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

Love the metallic shimmer!

Perfect in my cabinet with my other projects (coming soon)

Watch the video tutorial here

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Glaze Coat Resin

DecoArt Metallic Lustres

Black Americana Acrylic Paint

*Dries matte so it's the perfect paint for this project

Plastic bugs

Silicone molds

*Got my mini cake molds at the dollar store

Paintbrushes

HERE'S HOW

1. & 2. Paint the bugs in the black Americana Acrylic and let dry

3. & 4. Embellish the bug with DecoArt's Metallic Lustres

*Mix colors like Brilliant Turquoise and Elegant Emerald

5. & 6. Mix a batch of Glaze Coat making sure to follow the instructions to a "T"

7. & 8.  Pour the Glaze Coat into the molds and then pop the air bubbles with a small torch or long arm lighter

9.  Place the bugs in face down, cover the filled molds and let cure overnight

Remember, leave a comment and you're entered to win one of my little treasures!

Boho Bench Makeover

Not sure about you but I have several pieces of furniture that look like they're ready for the trash heap!  This bench was still pretty sturdy, but the wood was wrecked and more than once I've had to remove a splinter from my rear end!  A little sanding and some Americana Decor paints and it was ready for a new life as the centerpiece of my colorful, boho patio.  Always think twice about tossing old pieces of furniture.  It's amazing what a coat of paint and a stencil can do.  Have fun!  Make messes!  Oh, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

I love it!

Grabbed these pillows on Amazon for a song!

See how easy it was to makeover here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Bench in need of some love

Sander

Americana Decor Metallics in Antique Brass

Americana Decor Satin Enamels in Aubergine

Americana Decor Light Satin Varnish

Americana Decor Mandala Stencil

Stencil brush and paint brush

Masking tape

Optional: Cosmetic sponges

HERE'S HOW:
 1. & 2. Sand and wipe down your bench to remove any splinters.  This also helps remove some of the dirt!

3. & 4.  Paint the entire bench in Americana Decor Satin Enamel in the color of your choice

5. & 6.  Stencil your design in the center and on the edges (or arms) of your bench with Americana Decor Metallics Antique Brass

7.  For smaller accent designs, tape around the center of the stencil
*Cosmetic sponges are terrific for painting stencils.  Get a bag at the 99c store

8. When dry, sand the hard edges of the bench

*This is a lovely way to outline the shape of the bench

9.  Since my bench is outside all year, I protected it with Americana Decor Light Satin Varnish

Have a seat!

Mixed Pattern Pendant Lamp DIY

Years ago I was on a show called While You Were Out on TLC (which still airs on Discovery Family, BTW).  We gave an unsuspecting homeowner a room a makeover in two days, mostly to their delight, bus sometimes not.  Because we were always on a budget, this hanging pendant lamp became a staple for me.  It's bold, can be made to match any room and allowed me to spend my budget on more important things like sofas and rugs.  I often find sets of lampshades at thrift stores which are perfect for this project, so keep an eye out when you're shopping.  These were $2 each.  Remember, have fun and make messes...Oh, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

Spicing up the patio

Watch how I made them here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

E-6000 Glue & Spray Adhesive

2 Matching lampshades

Fabric of choice

Glue gun

1/2" wide bias tape

Butcher paper, ruler and scissors

HERE'S HOW:
1. & 2. Carefully roll the lampshade on the butcher paper (while tracing the edges with a pencil) to create the pattern and cut out

3.  Pin and cut on folded fabric

4. & 5. Spray the lampshade with E-6000 Spray Adhesive and press the fabric to the shade

6.  Hot glue the edge of the fabric down 

*use very little hot glue for this

7.  Match the fabric seams and glue the shades together with E-6000 Glue 

*don't use hot glue because the heat of the bulbs may cause your glue to melt

8. . Hot glue the 1/2" bias trim around the side to cover the seams, center and edges of the pendant

9.  Fold the end of the bias over 1/4" to give a clean finish

 Hang and enjoy!

Faux Stained Glass Feathers

A few weeks ago I saw some amazing stained glass feathers and instantly wanted to learn how to make stained glass.....Cut to me realizing that this new hobby might be a little more involved than I anticipated.  I decided instead to use some of my favorite paints from DecoArt (Americana Crystal Gloss Enamels) to create faux stained glass feathers.  You know what?  I love them just as much and they were soooooo much easier to make.  Plus, I made a ton of them and just put them everywhere.  You will, too.  Remember, make messes, have fun and always Make Your Mark!

 Hang them from a cheap-o embroidery hoop like I did!

Hang them from a curtain rod for a beautiful boho look!

See how easy they are to make here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Americana Crystal, 3D and Frost Gloss Enamels

*These can be baked on glass for a permanent (dishwasher safe) stained glass look

Embroidery hoop

Yarn

Clear plastic sheets

*You could use old plastic folders or even clear plastic take-out lids

HERE'S HOW

1. & 2. Design your feathers on white paper and place the clear plastic over the top

3. & 4. Trace the design with the Americana 3D Opaque Gloss Enamel and let dry

5. - 8.  Fill in the designs with different colors of the Crystal and Frost Gloss Enamels and let dry

9.  Cut out each feather

10.  Tie four pieces of yarn around the embroidery hoop so that you can hang it

11. & 12.  Tie yarn to the end of each feather and then hand from the embroidery hoop

Boho Beautiful!

Love they way they look in my window

Floating in the wind

Fabric Jewelry DIY

I've always loved making fabric jewelry and lately I've been inspired by the work of Lillibulle.  She's a fabric jewelry artist who is absolutely amazing, although she hasn't made jewelry in many years.  I decided to give my version a try with an image from one of my favorite artists, Lisa Falzon.  Lisa was kind enough to let me use her painting of Frida Kahlo for this project.  It's a copyrighted work, so if you are going to make this project, it's best to get permission from the artist first.  However, there are many images on the web that you can use that are copyright free.

Have fun!  Make messes!  Don't forget to Make Your Mark!

The center image is the copyrighted work of Lisa Falzon

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Sewing machine

E-6000 Glue

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paints

Thin and thick cotton fabric

Heat transfer paper

Yarn

Thin strips of fabric

Seed beads, fabric & plastic roses

Glue gun

Iron

HERE'S HOW

1.  Copy your images onto the heat transfer paper

2. & 3.  Iron the images on thin cotton fabric,  cut it out and cut a matching piece of heavy cotton fabric

4.  Zigzag around the image in an oval shape

5.  Zigzag different colors & textures of yarn around the image to create a frame

6.  Create fabric twine (like I did in my 2011 book, The Big Ass Book of Crafts 2)

7.  Twist two thin strips of fabric together clockwise while twisting them together counterclockwise

*Jump in, you'll get the hang of it

8. & 9.  Hot glue the fabric twine around the image and embellish with fabric & plastic flowers

10. & 11. Embellish more images with E-6000 glue and seed beads and Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paints

12.  Add your pinbacks to the backs with more E-6000 Glue

Wear as a brooch, on a bracelet or as a necklace

Bejeweled Boho Cardboard Mirror

A few weeks ago I bought a huge bag of gems for absolutely no reason other than IT WAS A HUGE BAG OF GEMS!  Who can resist something like that, I ask?  I purposely left the bag on my craft table so I would have to make something with them.....in order to justify the purchase.  This boho mirror is what happened and I'm super happy with it!  Cut to me sitting in bed watching a 6 hour mini-series and rolling cardboard rings.  It was the perfect day made even more enjoyable with the original BBC Pride and Prejudice.  Talk about a guiltless day in bed.  Remember, have fun, make messes and always MAKE YOUR MARK!

Looks great on my boho inspired patio!

I took it for a test drive in my living room for a spell

Watch how easy it is to make here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Americana Decor Metallics in Vintage Brass

Clothespins

White glue

Cardboard strips

E-6000 Glue

Flat back gems (I used only the round gems for this project)

Tubes in different sizes

99c store mirror

Cardboard or thin plywood circular base

  1. & 2.  Cut and roll thin cardboard strips around different sized tubes and then glue the end down to make cardboard disks and rings

*Make sure the tubes are a bit larger than the diameter of your gems

3.  Clip the end of each ring and disk in place and let dry

4. 5. & 6. Paint your cardboard or wood circular base in Americana Decor Metallics in Antique Brass

7. Center the mirror on the base and pencil around it

8. & 9.  Figure out your design and then glue the disks and rings around the penciled mirror line using E-6000 Glue

10.  Paint the disks and rings with more Antique Brass

11. & 12. Glue the mirror in the center and the gems inside and on top of each ring and disk

Ready to hang!

Outdoor Table Makeover

Part 2 of my patio makeover......THE TABLE!  Wow did this need some work. It was warped and weighed about 150 lbs!  I didn't want to get a new one because I really like the legs.....They're amazing legs (just like mine).  I flipped it over, took off the original table top and worked some makeover magic.  At first I thought the stripes might be a little much, but after a week I was in LOVE.  Plus, I can always toss a tablecloth over it if I get bored!  Think twice before you toss things out my friends.  Remember.....Make messes, have fun and never forget to MAKE YOUR MARK!

Working on the chandelier next!

Got these Suzani pillows on Amazon and they match everything I own

See how to makeover your own table here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Disfigured patio furniture

Hammer and nails

Sander, Drill, Screwdrivers

1" x 6" pine planks the length of the table

1/2" thick plywood the size of the table top

Paintbrushes

Americana Decor Outdoor Living in Adirondack, Iron Gate and Picket Fence

Americana Decor Light Satin Varnish and Golden Brown Crème Wax

 HERE'S HOW

1. 2. & 3. Remover the original table top and replace with a piece of 1/2" thick plywood in the size you want

4.  Arrange the planks across the table

5. & 6. Paint half of the planks black and half white

7.  Sand along the edges to expose the wood and give a distressed look

8.  Paint the base of the table in Adirondack (or any color you love)

9.  Nail or screw the planks in place on top of the plywood

10.  Protect the entire table with a coat of Light Satin Varnish

11. & 12.  Paint on and wipe off the Golden Brown Creme Wax to give depth to the white planks

Have a seat!