DIY Crafts & Projects

Are you ready for a quick and fun project. Anyone can do this. No matter what your skill level is. It is great it to take an old chair, give it fresh new paint, and whahlah you have a super cute chair. 

The items you will need are:

- Wood or metal chair

- 1 Yard of Material

- 1 Can Spray Paint, or Primer

- Small piece of fine grit sand paper

- Hot Glue Gun

- 1 Yard Desired Cording, length of cording varies depending on chair

1.  Start by sanding the wood of the chair.  Just enough that the paint sticks to the wood. 

2.  Using a primer spray paint start spraying the chair.  Keep the spray can about 6" - 8" away to allow even paint coverage. Keep the spray can moving so paint doesn't start running. You will want to do two coats to ensure even paint coverage. ** If you would like a distressed look, once your paint is dry use your sand paper and remove a little bit on the paint until you achieved your desired look.

3.  Place material on the seat of chair. Tuck material into areas around where the back of chair meets the seat. Smooth out the material. Cut the material with an inch of extra material.

4.  Roll the extra material under. As you get the material to the edge, hot glue the material to the edge. Being careful not to let excess glue dry on the wood.

5. Glue the edge of material down as you pull the material gently to smooth out material.  

6.  Attach cording edge buy using the hot glue gun.  Take your time around corners. Add small amounts of glue until you get the hang of it. Some cording might start to unravel so you might need to use a dot of hot glue on the cut end to stop unraveling before you attach to chair.

That is all it takes.  Please show me your finished projects.  I love seeing ideas come to life.

Thanks for visiting,

~ Jeannine

DIY Laundry Detergent. 

Easy Easy Easy, cost .02 cents a load.
Three items needed, 10 minutes to make.

Here is your DIY Laundry Detergent Instructions.
- Find a two-gallon container.  

- Pour in:
3/4 Cups Borax
3/4 Cups Washing Soda
3/4 Cups Blue Dawn

- Add 2 Cups VERY Hot Water.  Apply lid and shake until the Washing Soda, and Borax is dissolved. (Should take about 5 minutes.)

- Now fill the container with cold water.  Reapply the lid, and you are done. I love the container I found with a valve on the front.  I place it over my washing machine where the detergent goes in.  No lifting just turn on valve to dispense laundry detergent.  Anything that makes laundry easier, makes me happy.

To use:  Add 1 Cup of detergent to laundry. 

Thank you for visiting,
~Jeannine

Easy Charlie Brown Christmas Decorations

To come up with your Stencil simply:

- Find a picture of your favorite character. 

- Using a ruler draw 1 inch by 1 inch grid on your picture. 

- Look at each square and draw only what you see in that square on a blank sheet of copy paper. 

- Once you have done this for all the squares, tape your pages together, and cut the outside edge. 

- Now that the excess paper is off your picture, you now have a stencil!

How to make your decoration simply:

- Lay down a sheet of plywood, and trace your picture.

- Take a skill saw and cut on your lines. Being careful to cut on the line. When the saw is cutting in one direction, you will notice it doesn't turn in the other direction easily. Just stop the saw, pull the blade out of the wood and start sawing in the other direction to obtain the  desired cut.

- Once your object is cutout, sand the edges with an electric sander. If you don't have an electric sander you can use a handheld manual sander. Dust off your cut out once you are done sanding.

- With a pencil draw in your pictures inside lines. This will show you the paint lines. 

- Once your lines are drawn, my favorite part begins ... painting! Use craft paint (the paint found in little tubes at your local craft store). I recommend 3 coats of paint. 



- For the outside edges, and details use puffy paint. (Again found in small tubes at your local craft store).

- Once paint is dried, attach backing. This will keep decoration standing up. Attach a strip of plywood 4" by (your desired length from your board to the ground). Just use a tape measure to obtain your desired length.

- If you live in a windy climate, you can drill a small hole at the bottom of both sides, and attach to a tent steak in the ground. 

It's that easy! Now I am off to make more Peanuts characters. Stay tuned I will post others and I complete them.

Happy Painting!!

~Jeannine

How To Make A Red Hooded Cape

This cape can be used for a Superhero, Witch, or Little Red Riding Hood costume. This tutorial is for a child size. 

Cut crushed red velvet material in a half oval shape.  From the top of the hood to the bottom is 14".

Have your sweet one hold the cape material around them. Then cut around the bottom at desired length. Keep cutting around the base while keeping a consitant length.

 Very easy to get the right length and easy to make it even.

Cut 2 strips 2" by 22", these will be your tie straps. 

Fold the tie strap material with the nice side IN, and sew the edges. Once done, attach a safety pin to one end, and pull through the middle until it turns RIGHT side out. Sew one end of your strap closed. Do the same to the other tie strap. You're getting closer :)

Sew all the edges under on the cape.

Take the cape material, and FOLD IT IN HALF. This allows you to locate the center easily.

Pin the hood to the cape, and sew. Just be sure you keep the straps going forward while sewing. And, you are done! Watch your little one run around the house and wear it for hours having fun.

Please leave any comments, or questions you have. I love hearing from you all.

~Jeannine

Spice up your kids room with butterflies, turquoise, inexpensive place mats, tissue pom-poms, and clouds. 

Supplies Needed:
1-2 Gallons of BEHR paint
1 Small Butterfly Punch
1 Large Butterfly Punch
White Copy Paper
12 Dark Turquoise Place mats 
4 Packages of Tissue paper  in white and Turquoise
Stapler
Double sided tape
Wire
Metal Wreath Frame
Hot Glue Gun
Glue for Glue Gun


Here the room was painted with BEHR turquoise semi-gloss.  Paint the entire room, or just one wall if you prefer an accent wall.

  

Purchase a butterfly paper punch.  You will need a Small and Large Butterfly Punch. I purchased mine online from EK Success. Large Slim Punch Butterfly - $14.

Small Butterfly Punch -  $18.

Use copy paper and start punching away.  Kids love using paper punches so let them help you.  You will need about 45 small butterflies, and 100 large butterflies.  Cut small strips of double-sided tape. 

Draw with a pencil a small circle, looping the circle around again.  Erase any pencil marks after butterflies are attached to wall. Tear off one side of tape on double sided tape, attach to body of butterfly.

Start in the center and tear off the other side of tape attach to wall.  Press firmly. 

Start attaching butterflies close, then as you move out of the center attach butterflies a little further apart.

I found inexpensive place mats, using a stapler attached place mats to one wall. 


How to make Pom-Poms:  (Watch this quick & easy video)

http://youtu.be/bfork_fpbWc

How to make Butterfly Chandelier:


Punch another 80 butterflies using the Large Butterfly Punch.  Wrap wire around inner circle of metal wreath frame,  cut wire in 18" lengths. Cut about 10 in this length.  Cut another 10 in 12" lengths.  Start from the bottom, using a hot glue gun and "sandwich" two butterfly pieces together with the wire staying in the center of the butterfly.  Leave an inch space, and glue another until you reach the metal wreath. Continue with all pre-cut metal wire lengths.

Happy Decorating!

Jeannine

Red Front Door Wreath

Inexpensive and Easy to Make 

I love wreaths, and this one is my favorite. Fun to make and once you add an item, or two it looks great for all occasions

Here is what you need:

18" Grapevine wreath

4 Yards of Material or Burlap. Pick a color your like, and a material that doesn't fray

Glue Gun

Glue Sticks

Cut material using square pattern. 

Material Pattern 4" Square:

Fold material in half, then half again. Trim corner of material. Add hot glue to the bottom of the material and add to wreath. As you add another row hot glue the sides of the material together (if you don't want to see the grape vine through the material).

 Add wire to the back of your favorite Holiday Decor, to change the look for all occasions. It's fun how quickly the look can be changed by adding new décor!

Directions for the X and O:

You need:
X wooden letter
O wooden letter
hot glue gun

White craft paint
I added the X and an O covered in rolled roses so for the ever so cute Valentines theme.
1. Start by painting the X and O white. Great projects for kids!

2. Take 1/2" white ribbon, and your hot glue gun.  Start by rolling the ribbon small add a little dot of hot glue to keep it together.  Keep putting a little hot glue on the bottom of the rose as you turn the rose.  Periodocially add a extra amount of ribbon before going around the rose.  This gives it the "rose look."

Thanks to ALL of you for reading, pinning and making your own wreaths!  Don't forget to share your pics!