Spices- subway art

I love the look of subway art.  It's been all over pinterest and is a new decor item.  I don't have a cricut or a silhouette or photoshop.  So all the tutorials I was looking to follow you needed one of those items.  I have iworks pages.  I managed to do it.

I really wanted one for my kitchen with different spices.  I'm pleased with how it turned out.

But I'm still on the search for a frame.

Organize desk area

I have been racking my brain for a while now on how I can organize my desk area.   I don't have a big desk and that means I don't have anywhere to organize things.  I am too cheap to buy wall organizers.  Especially when I just don't love how most of them look.  Especially if I can't see in them then I won't remember the bills in them.

I was looking on the Martha Stewart  website for ways to cover boxes.  I found she did cereal boxes covered with paper.  All you do is wrap them like a present.  I can do that.  So I went in my pantry and took the graham cracker box and the popcorn box (it's ok if they aren't empty, I have an idea, I need them).  I have scrap book paper left over  and used that.

• Cut the top and half of the front off of each box
• Wrap the paper around the sides and front (you don't see the box, so why waste paper)
• Then it involves alot of cutting and taping
• I then printed labels for the front of each
• And used fabric covered push pins, I made before

I love them, so much better then anything I could have bought.  I think I need to make one more though

Trick or Treat, Smell Our Feet

Again, another Pinterest idea.  Although I saw this on pinterest, but there were no directions.  I searched online on how to paint plates that are oven safe.  I found enamel paint is safe to paint and put in the oven.

I went to the Salvation Army and bought a china plate for .90.  I used 2 coats of orange paint, and let that dry over night before adding more.  The next day I took white paint and painted one foot of each kid and put it on the plate.  Then paint around the foot, for the appearance of a ghost.  I used a paint marker in black and wrote, "Trick or Treat, Smell Our Feet" and added bats.

Let that dry 24 hours before baking.  I wasn't sure if my plate was oven safe, I searched too see if China was and I got both replies of yes and no. I went for it, with the thought I could redo if it broke.

Follow the directions of the paint.  Bake at 350 for 30 mins and let cool in the oven.

"Dream Big Little Ones"

I saw a sign I loved, "Dream Big Little One" and I thought I want that sign in my kids room.  Then while scoping out pinterest I saw a cute night light made on canvas.  It was from the blog, Styleberry.  Here is the link: http://styleberryblog.com/diy-night-light-canvas-a-fancy-grown-up-version-of-light-bright

However, I didn't want to copy either idea completely so I put my own twist on it.  I combined the two ideas.

It was very easy.  I searched online for ideas on how to get the writing style I want (I don't own a cricut machine)

• First I painted the canvas, 2 coats
• I found the font and size I wanted
• Printed it out
• Cut out the words
• Color with chalk on the back of the word
• Lay the words out and trace with a ball point pen (it will trace with chalk very faintly on the canvas 
• Then I was able to paint the letters, 2 coats
• After all is dry, you use an exacto knife and poke holes (I went for the design of stars and a moon)
• You push mini Christmas lights through the holes

Voila!

Homemade "fishing"

I saw a cute on idea, I'm sure somewhere on Pinterest, on making indoor fishing for the kids.  We found sticks in the back yard and tied string to it and a magnet at the bottom.  Then we made fishies out of pipe cleaner and and layed them on a lilly pad ( I didn't have blue felt).

The kids loved it!

Monogram door

I saw a cute monogram door on pinterest, and thought that was a nice variation to a wreath.  However, I do still want to make my hydrangea wreath. 
 So I just finished painting my shutters and had extra paint, so that's the what I used for my letter B.  I took a stainless steel scrubber and roughed up the paint.  It was nice got rid of the shiny finish and gave it a bit more of an antique finish.  I made a few rosette flowers and did one yellow for an accent.  I felt like it needed more and added a touch of lace to it.  

I'm happy with how it looks, but feel like it might still need something to pull it all together.  I'm not sure what, but it will eventually come to me.

I'm so happy with the changes.  Big improvement!  

T-shirt Scarf

I went to a craft night, the other night, at my sisters house.  We made scarfs out of t-shirts.  I saw one on Pinterest that I really liked.  Oddly enough I even had a t-shirt that was almost the same color.

(I wish I could get a better picture.  If I do I'll repost it)

It was so simple, I cut my shirt in 1" strips, tied 1 end together, braided, and then attached the two ends together and took a little strip cut from my t-shirt to cover the combined ends.

Not much of a scarf for warmth, but very stylish. I was so excited to wear it!

Cotton Ball Sheep

It was a rainy afternoon, so Parker and I made cotton ball sheep.  I couldn't get my printer to work so I had to hand draw the sheep for him.  I then put glue, on a plastic plate, for him to dip the cotton balls into glue and put on the body of the sheep

He loved it.  Great activity and not very messy!

Craft organizer

So I was constantly putting all of my craft supplies in different areas, keeping them in bags, and never able to find anything.   So I won't say it's 100%, but it's a start.  I have my before and after photo:

I bought a sweater holder in the dollar section at target for $2.50

Sidewalk Paint

This was fun and so easy to make.  It only lasted for about 30 mins before they dumped the cups. :)
I used a muffin pan and put styrofoam cups in it.  Then you mix 1 C of water and 1C of cornstarch, and then put food coloring in the different cups.

Parker and Kinsley loved helping mix them.

Then I bought four brushes at Farm and Fleet for .50 each.  

 They had so much fun, I think we'll do it again tomorrow. :)
It's pretty messy though, so I hope it comes out of the clothes.

Ugly Monsters

My son is afraid of just about everything, one being monsters.  So I decided I was going to make him his own monster.  I told him, "Now with having your own monster that means no others can come by you."  I saw some really cute ones and thought to myself, 'Hey i could totally make that'.  Again this is one of those projects that I thought to myself, 'what am i getting myself into.'
I did it in 2 nights.  The first night was the cut out.  I used left over fabric from the Bam Bam Halloween costume I made 2 years ago, and some from baby receiving blankets.  The second night I sewed the monster.  I took me about 1 1/2 hours to sew.  I am by no means a professional sewing.
Here is my finished monster.

As you can see Parker loves his monster.  However he does still come in my room at night.  But it was well worth making it. 

Now I need to make one for Kinsley :)