Category: Crafts


Oct
2021

Decoupaged Pumpkins

categories: Autumn, Crafts, DIY

Sunday was such a beautiful day.

I sat on my back porch, no shoes, with the warm sun on my feet, just relaxing after returning from several days away with my family.

Any amount of time I spend with family fills my heart with joy.

There were lots of routine chores that needed to be done, but not on that day.

I decided to set up shop on my porch, so I could enjoy the day, and work on a fall project that has been on my list, decoupaged pumpkins.

I found these beautiful fall napkins at TJ Maxx. They had the perfect colors and floral images I was looking for to try this project.

Using faux pumpkins I purchased at the end of the season last year, I painted the pumpkins with white chalk paint first. I used chalk paint but you can use any craft paint you have on hand.

While my pumpkins were drying, I cut out images from the napkins.

You will need to separate them from 2 ply to only 1 ply to decoupage.

Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the pumpkin, large enough for you image, apply and smooth out with your fingers.

Smoothing out all the wrinkles can be tricky, but remember it doesn’t need to be perfect.

I continued adding the tissue pieces all around the pumpkins.

When dried, I added a coat of Mod Podge to each pumpkin to seal.

They turned out so good!

The colors are so bright and I feel I added just the right amount of cutouts.

Simple, not so cluttered.

I am looking forward to using them in my home each year.

Hope you all are doing a bit of fall decorating and crafting.

Enjoy these beautiful fall days before they are gone.

Blessings, until my next post.


Jul
2021

Trying Something New

categories: 4th of July, Crafts, DIY

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July weekend.

Ours was quiet.

We had all the usual yummy cookout food and watched some neighborhood fireworks from our back porch.

I did make some super easy cupcake toppers.

I found this American flag on Pinterest, downsized it, and printed some on my printer.

Cut out two together, folded over, and glued them to a toothpick.

They added a bit of fun red, white, and blue to our table.

As the title of my post states, I did try something new this weekend.

I made some citronella candles for our porch.

It all started with these cute pots I found for less than a dollar each at my local Meijer’s store.

I ordered a candle making kit on Amazon, soy wax pellets, and some essential oils.

There are many different kits available for many different prices.

I have never made candles before and I was surprised just how easy it was to do.

My kit had everything I needed, a melting pot, wicks and stickers to hold them in place, and a metal guide to keep the wicks straight when pouring the wax.

They came out perfect.

I added lemon eucalyptus oil and citronella oil drops to my melted wax.

I read someplace that lemon also helps to keep the bugs away.

The pots are the perfect size to place around outside.

I love them and will for sure make more.

How fun it will be to make them in different containers.

It always makes me feel so good to learn something new.

Blessings and love to all!


Apr
2021

Are You Ready for Easter?

categories: Crafts, DIY, Easter

Easter is tomorrow, are you ready?

Did you decorate your home with a bunny or two, some beautiful eggs, some Easter flowers?

Have you colored some eggs, made a few cards, put together some Easter baskets for those special ones in your life?

I think I’m ready except for finishing up on my Easter dinner table.

Menu planned from salad to dessert.

Selected the dishes, tablecloth, and napkins, but just needed a little something to place at each plate.

Using some small peat pots, craft paint, and the same floral napkins I used for my decoupaged eggs, I made favors for each place setting.

Painted the pots, and added flowers with Mod Podge.

When completely dry, I glued a wire handle to the inside of each pot, and added some grass.

Just need to add some Easter chocolates.

I’m ready!

Ready to celebrate the holy day of Easter with my precious family, just the three of us, at our kitchen table.

Blessed to be together.

Blessed to have all that we have because of Him.

Love to all during these holy days and always.


Mar
2021

Decoupaged Easter Eggs

categories: Crafts, DIY, Easter

Saturday was the first day of spring.

With it comes hope.

Hope that we can once again gather with our friends and families.

I already have a date with a friend for lunch outdoors, at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

We plan to meet the first day the temperatures are in the 70’s, with lots of sunshine, and after we have had both of our Covid vaccines.

My sister is already talking about a family cookout in the park.

Our family has not been all together in over a year.

I spent my first day of spring working on a project that has been on my “bucket list” for years, decoupaged Easter eggs.

The supplies needed were faux eggs, the kind you can paint and decorate, paper napkins, Mod Podge, scissors, craft paint, and a brush.

The first step is to cut out selected images from the napkins.

I picked floral napkins with lots of different flowers.

When cutting out your images, cut as close to the edge as possible.

Paper napkins are usually 2 or 3 ply, you will need to separate the layers, you want to work with the patterned layer.

Brush the Mod Podge on the egg, enough for your image, and then add the image and gently pat it on the egg.

You should try to pat out all wrinkles, but a few will not hurt.

Smooth out any excess Mod Podge on the egg with your brush.

When dry add one more coat of Mod Podge over the image to seal.

It may appear a bit cloudy, but it will dry clear.

That is it!

Look at my beautiful results.

They look like hand painted watercolor eggs.

I love that I can store them and bring them out every Easter.

I painted a few of the faux eggs spring colors, and I placed them all in the crate the eggs came packaged in, so lovely.

It is not a difficult project, but there are lots of simple steps. Steps that are well worth your time.

I also changed my front door wreath on Saturday, pink magnolias will now greet everyone.

Lots of bunnies around my home too!

After all, Easter’s on its way!

Spring blessings.


Mar
2021

DIY Wood Sign

categories: Crafts, DIY

Today I will be sharing one of my favorite projects with all of you, a wood sign featuring Psalm 46:10.

I purchased this wood piece some time ago at Hobby Lobby, 50% off, of course.

It is a rather large wood piece well worth the $6.00 price.

Wasn’t quite sure just what I would do with it at the time, but I loved those beads around the edges, so it went home with me!

Thought about all the ways I could use this piece, maybe a tray, but I decided on a sign, one I have been wanting for some time.

I painted the piece with several coats of white paint and applied a beautiful lettered decal I found on Etsy.

If you have never visited the Etsy site, I encourage you to do so. It is filled with handmade and custom items.

The decal is one of my favorite bible versus, Psalm 46:10,

“Be still and know that I am God”.

This verse has helped me during many rough times in my life.

After the paint had dried, I applied the decal to finish up my sign.

It turned out perfect.

The decal is delicate, the lettering beautiful.

In no way does it look like a decal, but hand painted lettering.

This was so simple to do, a one day project.

Love the outcome.

It is now hanging in my dining room.

The combination of the beads and the beautiful lettering has made this a favorite project.

Working on projects and being creative has helped me so much during these stay inside days.

Easter is coming and I am now working on some fun projects to share.

Have a wonderful blessed day.

Hugs!


Feb
2021

Love is Kind…Love is Patient

categories: Crafts, Valentine's Day

Life can sure be stressful.

Some days are especially difficult for caregivers.

As a caregiver, I some days forget the way I should be, it can be so hard.

In the bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4 talks about love, describing it in many ways.

Everyone should take time to read this.

There is a project I have been wanting to try, yesterday was the perfect day for it!

Using a blank inexpensive canvas, I traced around a wood shaped heart on the canvas.

Followed up with placing stick on letters around the heart, “Love is Kind…Love is Patient”.

Painted the entire canvas, including the letters, with two coats of white paint. Sorry I forgot to take a photo of this step!

When completely dry, I very lightly painted gold on the letters.

I really wanted the gold to be soft, not harsh, as the letters were out of the package.

A sweet reminder of something we all need more of in our lives, kindness and patience.

“Love” this project, it is especially nice for this upcoming Valentine’s Day.

I plan on placing my canvas in my home where I can be reminded just how much my husband struggles.

Just to walk a bit, takes so much out of him.

He has put up with me for 51 years.

I think that after 51 years of putting up with all my shenanigans, the least I can do is show him love and patience every single day we are together.

Love to all of you folks.

Baking heart cookies today, I hope they turn out as beautiful as I want them to be!


Dec
2020

My DIY Christmas House

categories: Christmas, Crafts, DIY

Every year Hobby Lobby has a section of Christmas crafts, ornaments, kits for children, and so much more.

At the end of last Christmas season I found this unfinished paper mache house.

I am sure they once again carry them, I just haven’t shopped much this year.

I painted the house several coats of craft paint, white with a gray roof.

Love the look, but decided to add a bit of something else, shiny snow!

Painted the house with a thin coat of Modge Podge and then sprinkled on the snow, and let it dry.

I used a Martha Stewart brand of sprinkle snow.

Beautiful!

Glued a small wreath at the door, and added a battery operated candle inside.

It now sits on my kitchen counter along with some snow covered trees.

There’s a warmth it brings to my kitchen.

For as long as I can remember I have loved little white houses.

I have collected several small white ceramic ones over the years, still looking for a little white church.

Maybe this is the year I find one, or maybe, just maybe, Santa will bring one for me!

I suppose I see our homes as a huge part of Christmas, a place we make special for those we gather with and love.

Hope you all are finding some time to work on a Christmas craft for yourself or others.

Enjoy this season with love.


Dec
2020

Christmas Memories

categories: Christmas, Crafts, DIY, Family

Yesterday was a cold, windy, and snowy day.

Brrrrr…..

Our first snow of this year.

It was a perfect day to stay in and work on a Christmas project.

I put together a sweet box of cards, let us call them Christmas memory cards.

One card for each day from today until Christmas Day.

I printed the cute, colorful cards out on my home printer, found them on Pinterest.

Love the whimsy winter pattern.

On the back of each card I typed a Christmas season related question.

Questions about remembering.

Remembering childhood at Christmas.

I have so many regrets that I didn’t ask my Momma questions about her Christmas days growing up poor in Kentucky.

Poor or not, knowing my Grandmother, I am sure she made Christmas for her children as best she could.

So each night at supper, I am going to read a card.

Allowing me, my husband, and son to recall old Christmas memories.

I placed them all in a bright box I found at Hobby Lobby for $2.00 with the 50% off sale.

Can’t wait for supper tonight so that my little family can talk about their Christmas memories.

I sure hope my son’s are special.

Hope you all loved my snowy day project as much as I did putting it together.

Stay warm, enjoy every single day of this season.

Love and blessings.


Jul
2020

Fun With Tote Bags

categories: Crafts, DIY

We all have things, lots of things.

Things we need and must carry with us.

I carry a small purse, so I usually take a tote bag along with me in the car.

My tote is filled with extra glasses, pens, notebooks, pills, and now hand sanitizer and face masks.

Just things I may need when I am out and about.

I bought some canvas bags at Michaels with a 50% off coupon, and started thinking of ways to decorate.

I love Rae Dunn products, she is an American artist using a simple farmhouse lettering.

I have always loved her products, although they can be a bit pricey, so when I saw Rae Dunn look alike stencils on Amazon, of course, I had to have them.

So very happy with the outcome of these bags I completed using my new stencils.

A simple saying, so cute!

Again I used my Rae Dunn stencils on this black and white canvas bag.

Couldn’t resist this little pouch too!

So cute and whimsy!

I love them.

On this next one, I tried for a little Bo Ho style using a tricolor pack of pom pom balls, again from Michaels for $1.99.

Using my glue gun, I glued the balls in a row on both sides of the bag.

What a cute stocking stuffer idea, totes for many folks on your Christmas list.

Roll the bags up and tie a red ribbon around them, don’t forget to add a cute tag, homemade of course!

Yes, Christmas is only 5 months away.

Time to get started.

This last bag is the one I am currently using.

Stenciled with lemons! I love all things lemon.

It just says “summer”.

Totes are great to take along to a farmer’s market or craft event to carry all the goodies you buy.

Before I end this post I want to say something about stenciling.

The most important thing is to use an almost dry brush, you can always repeat if needed.

Too much paint will cause bleeding outside the stencil.

If you want to shade an area on your stencil, go back, after the first coat has dried, with a darker shade.

Just use your craft paints, they work fine.

I have a dear friend, Denise, who is a wonderful sewer.

If I could sew like Denise, I would make tote bags, in beautiful, colorful fabrics, using the simple pattern on the video below.

Get busy Denise, I expect one in my stocking.

Since my sewing machine hates me, I will have to settle for stenciled bags to fill the stockings of all my loved ones.

Hope you all are being creative, staying busy and staying safe.

Hugs.


Jun
2020

DIY Plate Chargers

categories: Crafts, DIY

Hey folks, today I am sharing a simple idea from Pinterest.

DIY plate chargers.

To be honest, I did not know what plate chargers were, or at least that they were called “chargers”.

An inexpensive project, just using scissors, cardboard, fabric, glue and a glue gun.

There is no sewing, no painting.

The first step is to cut out a 12″ circle from a piece of cardboard.

I took a shortcut and used some 12″ cake boards I had from my old cake decorating days.

You will need about a 14″ x 14″ piece of fabric for each charger.

I had fabric left over from a previous project so I used what I had.

It is a lemon pattern, that I love.

This is a large pattern, smaller patterns will allow more color around your plates.

I ironed each fabric piece first, then laid the fabric piece face down, and traced around the cardboard.

Cut out the circle piece, leaving an extra 2 inches all around for turning the fabric up and over the board.

Using your hot glue gun apply a strip of glue on the edge at the top, then turn the fabric up and over the board securing, take care not to burn your fingers.

Repeat at the bottom, left and right sides, pulling the fabric tight as you work around the board.

Continue applying glue all around, securing the fabric.

Trim the edges on the back, if needed, and remove any threads or glue strings.

That is it!

So simple!

I love them!

I finished 4 chargers in less than an hour.

If you are having a special lunch or dinner, impress your guests with your creativity.

The fun part is choosing your fabric, or maybe you have an old print tablecloth you could cut up and use.

Hope you all enjoyed this project, give it a try!

Love this little quote,

“If life give your lemons, make lemonade”

I have sure had a bunch of lemons in my life, how about you!

Blessings.