Accessory Board

Every girl knows of how hard it is to come by a great way to store and display your awesome accessories what ever they may be. I myself have been having troubles with my Christmas loot of necklaces and scarves.

So what does a crafty girl like me do? Well I scour pinterest of course! I have found great ways to make your very own accessory board. And honestly I love most of them but one idea I loved more than others.

Here it is.... Knobs.... Whether they be door knobs or cabinet knobs they will work. And where might one find such knobs of various styles and awesomeness when garage sales aren't going on? Well Hobby Lobby of course!

Now knobs can get pricey I mean who wants to pay $4-$8 for one knob right? Well I sure don't! Well about once a month the knobs at Hobby Lobby go on sale usually they are 50% off or something like that. That is the best time to go. Also scour the clearance area for sometimes you can find some awesome ones over there for a buck like I did!

Now once you have your knobs picked out you are gonna need something to put them on. The best thing I found was a piece of old barn siding that came from my grandpa's barn before we tore it down. Thank goodness for my dad for saving a bunch of boards.

With the help of my dad and some power tools we were able to create something. Awesome! First we had to cute the length of the board that I wanted. Then we payed out the knobs where I wanted them. We proceeded to drill holes for the knobs. We drilled all the way through the wood.

Know you may notice that the screws in your knobs are too long. This is also where having your dad's power tools come in handy. He was so gracious to shorten them to the length needed. We then had to flip our board over and counter drill the holes with a bigger bit so that we can put the nuts onto our knobs . We did it this way so that no metal was sticking out as we don't what our awesomeness scratching the wall.

After all the holes and counter holes where drilled and the knobs shortened we put them in place. We then put two saw teeth on the back so that it could be hung on the wall.

The first boar I made was for my dear sister. It turned out rather cute don't you think?!

Happy pinning and crafting!

-Jenny

Sparkly Gem Bottles

Hello fellow crafters! Jessica here. For the past week or so I have been working on re-purposing a blue wine bottle I had sitting on top of my fridge. I used the same gems Jennifer used to make her gemmed heart, mod podge, and a paintbrush. For the first wine bottle I made, I started at the top of the bottle, but after I finished and made a second one (this time using mutli-color gems) I found that starting at the bottom was actually easier because then you can hold the neck as you work your way up the bottle. And the gems can't slide down the glue because there are gems beneath them on the bottle. When I finished the bottle, I determined it is a bit...loud. I wish I would have left space in between the gems rather than pressing them all together. But for a super girly girl or a bling themed party (oooh maybe New Year's Eve center piece) it would work great. It was cheap and easy...just time consuming. I also made a smaller one with the different colors...I spaced the gems out more and liked the results better. Again, these may have to be party centerpieces because they are a little over the top for my taste. But it was easy-peasy~

DIY Gemmed Heart

A few years ago my mom gave me this chipboard or a hard paper mache heart. Originally she wanted me to paint it or something for Valentines Day as a prop for her photography studio. Lets just say that never happened. So long story short this heart has been in my box of random art supplies for the past two years with no purpose in life.

Well today that heart was found a new purpose. Thanks to Pinterest. Well sort of. I saw a pin a while back that I of course pinned for future projects. It's not the same, but it is essentially the same idea. The original pin had the letters for Love and they used quarters hot glued to the letters. Forming this neat mirror effect. So I was digging around in my things today looking for a easy craft to try out without having to get too messy or buy more things seeing it was pushing 5 PM and most craft stores would be closed before I got to them. I found the unused heart along with my container of small gems. I bought the gems a few months ago for another project and then had a lot left over. I grabbed my mod-podge and voila! Craft project formed!

What I love about this is that it captures light as well as reflects it. Great piece to add to any room!

Things I used that you might need!:

• Mod-Podge (But you can use craft glue if you'd like)
• Craft Paint Brush (One you don't mind throwing away if it gets nasty)
• Paper Mache Heart/Chipboard or even a wooden letter! 
• Box of Gems
• Paint if you want to paint your piece first (I didn't do this step for I felt it wasn't needed for what I wanted!)

Step One:

Prep your area and items. If you are using mod-podge make sure you follow the directions for it. Shake it well. Keep it sealed when not in use. If it helps pour a little bit in a butter lid and seal the container so that it doesn't dry out. When using mod-podge place a piece of a plastic sac down NOT newspaper. Newspaper and mod-podge DO NOT MIX!!  I use a plastic grocery bag and tap it down to my work surface. You can also use a garbage bag if you want. I didn't put anything down for I didn't think I needed it. If you are messy when it comes to mod-podge and glue do it. 

Step Two:

If you are choosing to paint your piece first do that now. Make sure the paint is dry before continuing on!

Start brushing your glue or mod-podge on your piece. Don't cover all of it for it will dry before you get to it. Work in small amounts at a time. 

Step Three:

Once you have some of the sticky substance down on your piece you can start placing your gems on it. Arrange it how you see fit. Pattern or Random it's up to you. 

Step Four:

Keep doing step three until  your entire piece is covered. 

If your piece has an edge on the outside like mine does than you can do the same to the edge. But just so you know. It is a bit harder 

to mod-podge the gems on a curved 

surface. So take your time!

Step Five:

Let dry. Use a command Velcro strip to hand on the wall! Or put a piece of ribbon on it and make it a hanging wreath for the door or window!! And Enjoy it! 

Table Leg Snowman

Got some old table legs? Maybe some old rail spindles? Have no use for them? Well now you do! Re-purpose them into Winter Decor! Yes you heard me! I came across a pin about using table legs and spindle as a craft base. They can be used for a lot of things....but we will only do one for today.

Items I Used That You Might Need!:

• Table leg, Chair Leg, Stool Leg, or Spindle (I used an old one I had laying around but you can buy them at Menards or at a Habitat Restore.)
• Craft Paint (Black, White, and any other color you might want)
• Wood Primer (Optional)
• Snowy Glitter or any Glitter
• Paint Brush(s)
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue
• Embellishments (Buttons, Beads, Etc)
• News Paper
• Paper Plate or Foam Plate or a Paint Palette

*Note my table leg is 4-5 inches thick. It is flat on the bottom so it will stand on it's own and it has a good weight to it. If your's isn't like this you might want to get a small piece of a 2x4 or a 2x6 to screw it to to give it a sturdy base*

Step One:

Prep your spindle and work space! Take your News Paper and lay it out on your counter, table, or surface you are crafting on. This will help with the clean up. Don't worry about your hot glue gun just yet. Can't use it while the paint is wet so just set it aside right now. 

If your table leg is dirty like mine was you will want to wash it off. I used a damp wash rag and sprayed some 409 on the cloth and then wiped the spindle down.You don't want any dust or dirt on it while you are painting for it will clump your paint and will look a bit messy and dirty.

Got that done? Good!

Step Two: 

Once your spindle is clean and ready to go you are gonna want your paint, paper plate, paint brushes, and the primer I mentioned.

If you are choosing to Prime your piece first obviously you will want to do this first. I chose to not do this for I liked the stain of the wood to show through my paint a little.

If you Prime your piece before you move on to painting it I suggest you let the primer dry. Follow the directions on the bottle/can. If you don't let it dry properly the wet paint you are putting on your spindle will grab the primer and will pull it around with the paint. If you see your paint clumping and start to be tacky stop! This is a sign that your paint/primer isn't fully dry.

Once your piece is dry you can start to paint it. Decide what part you want to be that hat if you choose to have a hat. Paint the part for the hat black or what ever color you chose. Then take your white craft paint and paint the body. Be careful to not grab the wet paint areas of your snowman if you need to turn it while  you paint. Doing so will leave finger prints in the paint and get paint on your hands. If you happen to do touch the wet paint do a quick touch up and wash your hands for you don't want colored paint on your white parts of the snowman. If you do happen to get black on the white you can take a damp cloth and wipe it away the best  you can and do a touch up.

Let this coat dry. If you didn't use primer you might see the stain of the wood start to show through. The darker the stain the more visible it will be. I decided from this point to do a 2nd coat of white paint and the paint for the hat. Let that coat dry. From this point make the decision if you need to do a 3rd coat of just paint. 

I ended up doing 2 things at once. I wanted a snowy feel on the snowman. I wanted to used some snow glitter to give it texture. I first tried brushing craft glue on it and putting glitter on the glue. Unfortunately the craft glue I was using wanted to dry yellow on top of the white paint. So I quickly scraped it off using a razor blade and a wet wash rag. I was able to get most of the gooey mess off.

So I decided to do it differently. I mixed my white craft paint and the glitter on a plate. It will look kind of clumpy like cottage cheese. Start brushing it on. It will look very speckled. This was what I wanted. So coat to your liking. So not only are you getting your 3rd solid coat but you are also adding texture. Now you don't have to add the glitter if you don't want the cottage cheese look. Let this dry fully. I let mine dry over night for I was working late. But an hour or two should be good.

Step Three:

While your piece is drying you can take the time to pick out your embellishments. I used various buttons for the mouth and the buttons down the front. I was doing button eyes but once I put them on I didn't like them and took them off. I used a orange bead for the nose. And picked a green fabric for the scarf. 

If your piece is going to be outside you can use an acrylic spray sealant on it to weather proof it. It still may fade with time, but it's worth a try. I didn't do this step and realized I should have before I glued the buttons and other items on.... Oh well shoulda coulda woulda....

Step Four:

Get your Glue gun hot and ready. Once hot you can start adding your embellishments. If you decide you don't like a button or an embellishment that you have glued on you can pull it off. But be advised that this can and most likely will pull the paint off with it. If you are just going to put a new embellishment over that spot don't worry about doing a touch up, but if not you might want to get the paint out again for that spot.

I used the black paint from the hat to make his new eyes since the buttons didn't work out for them. See Creepy eyes     >>>>>

For my snowman's hat I wanted a bit more definition on the lip of the hat. Depending on your spindle or table leg you might need or want to do this if there is not rim there in the wood already. I took my hot glue gun and made a long line around the spindle at the bottom of the hat. I let it harden and then painted over it with the black paint. You can get a wood piece or card board or something else to glue on and paint over to get this look 

but I didn't have anything so I just used the glue. 

Now that everything is dry and in place take your fabric you are using for the scarf. Cut it to the size and length you want. You can sew it if you like. For mine I didn't. I hot glued it in place and then topped it off with a North Pole button that I had in a variety pack. 

Step Five:

Place your piece where you want it to be. Outside, inside don't matter. And enjoy!

Remember to make it your own!

Happy Crafting!

Jenny

Twine Wrapped Wreath

My first craft I completed is a twine wrapped wreath with fabric flowers and wooden letters of family's last name. I have found a lot of wreaths via Pinterest. I fell in love with the idea of using twine to give it that rustic fall feel. So off to Hobby Lobby I went. You will find out very quickly that Hobby Lobby is like my 2nd home....

Items I Used and 

Things you might NEED!:

- Doughnut shaped foam wreath. (I used a 16" hard foam wreath. NOT the floral wreaths that fall apart if you work with it!)

- Twine

- Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks (lots of glue sticks!)

- Craft glue or elmers glue (Optional)

- Paint Brush (if you are using the craft glue)

- Scrap fabric (Try Joanne Fabrics Remnants Section. You get scrap fabric 50% OFF!) 

- Wire

- Wooden letters with a hole at the top to thread a wire or string through.

- Buttons, (Optional)

Step One:
I didn't do this but wish I had. Like yarn you might want to ball up your twine. Makes it easier to handle and will most likely make the twine wrapping go faster. I know making a twine ball isn't fun and time consuming, but trust me! You will thank me later!

If you don't want to make a twine ball I would recommend making long strands. About a yard long or shorter. The shorter the strand the more control you will have over it and the less chance of the twine tangling while you are wrapping. Depending on the size of your wreath will decide how many strands you will need and how much twine you will need.

Step Two:
Get your glue gun ready! Find a good comfy spot because this might take a while....Took me almost 2 hours to wrap mine....*sigh*

Now here is a tip that I didn't try with this wreath but might help. I just didn't know about it at the time....
First take your craft glue while your glue gun is warming up. Use a paint brush to help spread a thin layer on your wreath. Inside and out. I would do it sections at a time for if you do all of it or too much at once it will dry before you get to it. This will help hold the twine in place Before you go at it with a glue gun.

Take your first strand of twine or your ball of twine whichever you chose to do. Start wrapping it tightly around your foam wreath. If you need to use a bit of hot glue to hold the end in place that is okay. Keep wrapping it tightly until you reach the end of your strand or about 10-15 wraps around with the twine ball. Start using the hot glue in a few spot and move your twine as needed. If you rotate the twine that is already wrapped it helps to move it to where it needs to be. Secure the twine with as much hot glue as you feel it needs.

Keep doing this process over and over and over again until you reach the end. Feel free to take a step back and a break from time to time. You can always move onto Step 3 before Step 2 is done to give yourself a break from the twine! Stretch your legs. I actually did this in about 2 days...took it at a half hour at a time. Once it's done you can give yourself a pat on the back! And move on to the next step.


Step Three:
*These are a no-sew fabric flowers*
Remember the scrap fabric I was talking about? Well now's the time to pull it out. I try to have at least 3 different types of prints or colors for my flowers. Make sure they don't clash though...unless you want it to look like that...

The nice thing about the remnant fabrics is that you have enough fabric to create many flowers from it. You will want your fabric to be about 4 inches wide. The length on the fabric will depend on the size of your flower. The longer the fabric the bigger the flower. I would start out with about 16 inches in length just to get the feel for it. You can always cut off the extra if you don't want it bigger.

Take your strip of fabric and fold it long ways so that it keeps the length. Secure one end with a bit of hot glue if you want. I find doing so helps to hold the fabric in place while you are making your flower. Now if you want a big flower height wise you are going to continue onto the next part.

BUT if you are wanting a smaller flower like the ones I created for my wreath you are going to want to fold your piece of fabric over again and hot glue the end in place.

You should at the point have either a 2 inched strip or a 1 inch strip of fabric. Now are going to start rolling/folding your end in like you are making a swiss cake roll. You are going to start making the inner bud by doing so. You are going to want to use hot glue as you turn. I did at this point put a small dab with one every rotation around the point.

Once you think your inner bud is big enough you are going to start folding the fabric back and forth. Wrapping it in it's self. Make sure you use the hot glue as you go to hold it all together. Beware of possibly burning your fingers with the glue....it hurts! If your 1 inch fabric unfolds some and become a 2 or a 3 or even to the 4 it's ok. I did this some as I got to the outer petals to make the flower fuller. If you don't want this and want a smaller flower you can always fold it back in place and use some hot glue in the crease to hold it in place. Now you can keep doing this until the end of your strip or if you think it's getting too big you can cut the extra unwanted length off. Now before I did that I took some of the extra fabric and folded to the bottom of the flower and used some glue to hold it all in place on the bottom. You don't need to do this but it gives it a nice finish. Some crafters use a piece of felt or other fabric to do this, but I find it easier to use the fabric already in hand.

You are going to want to make as many flowers as you feel needed. Try and change up the size of them to give your wreath a little depth and variety. Use different colors and patterns as long as they match to get a nice bunch going!

**note the orange flower shown has a floral wire in it. You can do this if you like just when making your inner bud hot glue it in there before you get to your folding motion of the petals**

Step Four:
If you have letters you are wanting to use please keep reading this step. If now please move on to Step Five!

You are going to want some floral wire. It is very flexible. I recommend not using the stuff that is wrapped in thread or cloth for it doesn't like to stay on the wire once you start putting it through objects and in this case wooden letters.

I weaved my wire in and out of my letters connecting them and then I went back through the other way so that it was nice and secure. Do this however you feel it should be done. You can use other things like ribbon or thread to do this. It's all up to you which I love!

Step Five:
Now comes the fun part of putting it all together!!!
Start by laying out your flowers on your wreath to see where you want them to be. DON'T GLUE THEM DOWN YET! Wait until you are happy with where they are at. Because once they are down they are not coming back up!

Secure your flowers with hot glue when you are happy with their placement. I then took some scrap fabric left over from my flowers. Made them 4 inches wide and wrapped them above and below my group of flowers. Hot glue these on when you are happy with where they are at. If you are unsure you can always use some sewing pins to hold them in place and come back to them when you are done with everything else.

I used a few buttons to embellish my wreath. You don't have to do this if you don't want to. But I felt that it need a bit of something else. I used more left over fabric to make the tie the top that it hangs from. I just messed around with it until I found a way that works for me. Do what you want here...you can use ribbon, twine....whatever you think will work best!.

I then cut another piece of fabric and folded it over like I did with the flowers and created my ribbon of sorts to hold my wooden word in place. And again used buttons to embellish it.

Step Six:
Hang where you like! And ENJOY!


I hope you enjoyed my wreath! And I hope you try it out yourself! Remember make it your own! Don't try and copy everything piece for piece. It's okay to make changes as you go and be creative. There is now wrong way to make any of the things I showed you here! If you find a new or a better way to make any of these items feel free to share!

Happy Crafting!
Jenny