Button Monogram

I am currently redo-ing my son's room into a big boy room with an airplane theme.  Its been a slow-going process but it is getting there.  Here is a sneak peak of one of the projects that I have completed... a Button Monogram Wall Art.  I love monograms.  I would cover all my walls with monograms if I could.

Materials:

Different sized buttons (I found mine in the dollar bin at Michaels)

Shadow Box

Cardstock

Glue gun

Scissors

Directions:

Choose your font and print your letter onto cardstock.  Choose a simple font and format the font to print an outline only.

{I don't have a picture of this step.  I was too eager to get to the next steps!}

Cut your cardstock to size to fit into your shadowbox. I used an 8.5x11 and only had to trim it slightly.

Arrange your buttons within the outline of the letter.  Do not glue them down yet.  Play with them/move them until you get them how you want.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  

Hot glue one button at a time onto the cardstock.  Put the glue on the back of the button and press down lightly.  Make sure you don't use too much glue or it will squirt out around the button.  You just need a very little dab.

As you can see, the final product {after gluing} is a bit different than the picture before.  Sometimes your buttons will shift and you just have realign them as best as possible.

When the glue is dry, place the cardstock into the shadow box.

Hang and admire.

I chose to use all red buttons because red is an accent color in my son's room. The beauty of this project is that it can be done with any color/size buttons.  You can also use other trinkets in place of or in addition to the buttons.

Stay tuned for the reveal of my son's airplane themed room.

Sharing this at:

While He Was Napping 

Tatertots & Jello

Smile Monsters

Ladybird Lane

Under the Table and Dreaming

Versatile Blogger Award

I have been offline for a while due to a little thing named Irene.  We were luckily out of town during the whole thing and came back to only minimal damage.  A tree in our back yard blew over but fell away from the house and not on it which was such a blessing.  We arrived home to a house with electricity which is more than I can say for some of my friends.  Some of my bloggy friends in Maryland still do not have power.  My heart goes out to them and also to the people in New England towns that got obliterated by all the flooding.

Upon returning home, I was very excited to find out that Jen from Domesticated Nomad awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. 

A big thank you to Jen.  It really made my day. She's got a great blog, by the way, you should check it out. Now to the "rules".  After receiving the Versatile Blogger Award, the recipient must:

1. Thank the person who gave the award and link back to them in your post

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Pass the award on to 10 recently discovered blogs

About me:

1. I just turned 35 this past weekend and am NOT happy about it at all.

2. I am a stay-at-home mom who formerly worked in the environmental field.

3. I live at the beach.  I live where people vacation.  Enough said.

4. I've discovered that I do not like this hurricane business one bit.

5. I'm hopefully going to run a half marathon in a few months. We'll see how that goes.

6. In my humble opinion, The Hangover is the best movie ever made with Anchorman coming in a close second.  They never get old.

7. I love crafting and being able to decorate my house for next to nothing. 

And here are the blogs that I am passing this award onto:

The Muddy Princess

Come Together Kids

The Life of Jennifer Dawn

Owens Olivia

The Crunchy Mamacita

Capital B

I Heart Crafty Things

My Oatmeal Kisses

Preschool Alphabet

Too Much Time on My Hands

The authors of each of these blogs have inspired me with their creative ways.  If you have not visited them already, you need to check them out.

Dining Room Update

The title of this post should have been Dining "Nook" Update since the area that we dine in is not really a "room".  Its very tiny and I had no idea how to decorate it.  I never know what type of art should go in dining spaces.  I was at a loss until I saw this on Pinterest.

source

I really love it and it would look perfect over my window.  Unfortunately, I could not find the "&" sign or any lowercase letters at any craft store  (sigh).  So here is my take on this....

{please pardon the bad pic.  

it was night and I just couldn't wait till morning}

I used big uppercase letters {the same letters that I used in my Kid's Art Display}.  

I also used the same technique of Mod Podging the scrapbook paper onto the letters.  My Mod Podging skills have improved with  every craft.  This time I used a popsicle stick to smooth out any air bubbles in the paper.  I worked from the middle out toward the edge.  I am proud to say that I have no bubbles in my finished project.  Its a first for me and I'm impressed with myself.

After the Mod Podge dried, I hung the letters on the wall using 3M picture hangers.  I LOVE these because there is no damage to the wall.  You can hang some pretty heavy stuff with them too.

I repurposed my DIY chalkboard by spray painting it an aqua color and removing the ribbon.  I believe the name of the color is Ocean Breeze.  It used to look like it was floating in space on that empty wall but by placing it next to the letters, I think it looks better.

There is also some canvas art in my kitchen that I am not very fond of.  I tried many times to remove it but it is STUCK to the cabinets.  Someone must have used gorilla glue or something.  To make it "flow" with the dining nook, I covered the middle section of the canvas with the same scrapbook paper by using a runner adhesive.

I think one of my favorite finds has to be my "new" dining table and chairs.  I searched forever (we've been eating off a card table for 6 months!)  and finally found this at a store that sells old furniture that has been "fixed up".

I still plan on giving it a coat of white paint and possibly distressing it.  I'm also thinking about painting the top a different color...maybe the same aqua blue as the frame or a light green.

I love the way my dining nook looks now. A few more projects and it will be complete.

Sharing this at:

Someday Crafts

Gluesticks  

Gingersnaps Crafts 

Sugar and Dots 

Sweet Peas and Bumblebees 

Storytime and Craft: Apple Countdown

In preparation for the beginning of school next week (EEK!),  I did a Storytime and Craft with Madison  using "Apple Countdown" by Joan Holub.  I bought this book for my daughter last fall through the Scholastic Book program.  I really love the program and I hope her new school offers it.  My daughter has mastered counting 1-10 but still has difficulty with 11-20.  This book covers 1-20 which I think will help her progress.

After reading the book, we made Apple Prints

You will need:

Apples

Knife

Paper

Tempera Paint (washable!)

Paintbrush

I cut the apples two ways: vertically and horizontally.  With a vertical cut, you get the entire apple shape for the stamp.  With a horizontal cut, you get a star pattern.

{apple cut vertically}

We then experimented with different amounts of paint on the apples.  I found that you do not need a lot of paint to make a decent print.  The less paint the better. If you use too much, the apple sticks to the paper and is hard to get off, leaving a gloppy mess. We got the best prints by brushing the paint on with a paint brush and then stamping the paper. 

Push down on all sides of the apple to get the best print.  We were not able to get a "full" apple print but did get some decent stars and apple outlines.  Don't worry if it isn't perfect.  True art never is, is it?

This kept her busy for a decent amount of time.  You can even use this as wrapping paper for a back-to-school teacher gift.

Sharing this craft at:

Come Together Kids
Sun Scholars
Skip to My Lou
Keeping it Simple
Tip Junkie
Creative Blog
Sugar Bee Crafts

Beach Glass Vases

I love the look of blue mason jars. However, I only have two and I swiped them from my mom's house a while back.  I'm not sure if they even make them anymore.  I can't find them in stores but then again..I may not be looking to hard since my kids' idea of a fun day does not involve a trip to the craft store.  Did you know that you can create this effect on your own?  Yes.. you can get beautiful blue colored glass {or any color glass} with just a few supplies that most people have lying around. I found this wonderful tutorial at Krafty Kat.

You will need:

A clear glass jar or vase

Mod Podge 

{if you don't have any, you can make your own}

Spongebrush

Food coloring

Dish soap

{oops.. the dish soap did not make it into the picture}

Directions:

Use Mod Podge or make your own by adding 2 parts glue to 1 part water. Add food coloring to your Mod Podge and mix well.  I mixed blue and green to get my end result.  Add a tiny bit of dish soap.

Using your sponge brush, apply the Mod Podge to the glass.  Start at the top and use one even stroke the entire way down the jar/vase.  Be sure to avoid drips. I found that a sponge brush worked better than a regular paint brush.  The sponge brush made less streaks and gave the glass the frosty look.  It will look streaky at first but the streaks will disappear when it dries, leaving you with a very pretty glass jar.

You can customize this for any decor/season. Here they are on my mantel next to my summer Subway Art. I'm slightly sad that Fall is coming.  It does not seem like Fall is right around the corner since it has been hotter than the blazes here. Seriously, it was 89 degrees here today and it felt like Fall to me after all the 100+ days we have had.   I'm happy these little beauties can stay for a little while. I need to get some flowers for them to dress them up. I'm planning on doing some red/gold ones for Fall but those probably won't make it to my mantel until the air gets crisp...sometime in October or November?

Linking to these parties:

Someday Crafts

Gluesticks  

Gingersnaps Crafts 

 Sugar and Dots

Sweet Peas and Bumblebees 

Creative Blog

Glitter Nails

Do you have a little girl who loves all things sparkly and shiny?  Well, I do.  And she loves to paint her fingernails.  Sometimes I go into her room and the first thing that hits me is the smell of nail polish.  I immediately starts looking for spills and I usually find the nail polish open and within reach of my almost 2-year-old son. Not a good situation.  I've seen glitter nails on Pinterest lately and thought I'd give it a try.  I tested it on myself before attempting it on my daughter.

You need:

Clear nail polish

Glitter

Three steps:

Put on a coat of clear nail polish.   

While nail is still wet, dip nail in glitter. Shake off the excess.

Put a topcoat of clear nail polish on to seal the glitter

We did this while she was watching a movie in order to keep her distracted from the process since it is a bit more time consuming than a regular coat of nail polish.  She loves them.  The glitter should last a few days at least.  She nicks her nails a lot and some has started to come off (hence the picture of only three fingers, above).  This would be a cute activity at a little girl's birthday party.  I may use it at my daughter's princess party this fall.

Linking to these parties:

Someday Crafts, Gluesticks, Gingersnap Crafts, Sugar and Dots,
733,  Fireflies and Jellybeans, Somewhat Simple, Momnivore's Dilemma,

Katie's Nesting Spot, T.G.I.F, Its Playtime, House of Hepworth's, Bear Rabbit Bear, 

Rainbow Fish

Have you ever read the book Rainbow Fish?  

My daughter loves it.  She loves anything with sparkles.  My son and I did a craft at our local Children's Museum during weekly "Toddler Time".  I thought it was so cute that I immediately made it with my daughter later that week.  This craft ties in perfectly to "Rainbow Fish".  

Here is what you need

Paper plate

Glue

Tempera paint

Paintbrush

Shimmery sequins

Googly eyes

Stapler

Directions

Cut a triangle out of one side of the paper plate. {This will be the fish's mouth}.

Staple the triangle to the opposite side of the plate. {This will be the fish's tail}

Mix some glue and paint together {I don't have exact measurements here, sorry}

Let your kids paint the fish and the sprinkle the shimmery sequins on it

Glue on the googly eyes and Viola!

Now go curl up and read "Rainbow Fish" with the kiddos.

Sharing this craft at:

Sun Scholars

Smile Monsters

Skip to My Lou

C.R.A.F.T

CraftOManiac

Beneath the Rowan Tree
Running With Glitter
Bear Rabbit Bear

Painted Striped Pillows

I love the look of striped outdoor pillows.  They remind me of summer and lying in a cabana by the pool sipping a cocktail.  Like I ever get to do that, right?  They actually remind me of the summers that I used to spend at my grandparent's house when I was a kid.  They lived up in the New Hampshire countryside and had a beautiful old farmhouse with a view of the Green Mountains of Vermont.  They had a pool that overlooked the gorgeous scenery.  And there was a golf course/restaurant up the road that we used to walk to and eat out on the porch. The restaurant had these bright yellow and white striped awnings. I wanted some pillows to dress up my porch and was inspired by the color combination of light blue and yellow.  I followed a fabulous tutorial here.

MATERIALS:

Muslin fabric

Painters tape

Acrylic paint

Fabric Medium

Pillow stuffing

Sponge Brush

Ruler

T-square

Stitch Witchery  

DIRECTIONS:

Cut your muslin into a square measuring 21 inches on all sides. Use the folded edge as your top seam and you will have a double layer.  I used 2.3 yards of muslin and was able to make 4 pillows.  Place stitch witchery along the 2 sides and adhere together, leaving the bottom open. Make sure to use a damp press cloth or the steam setting (and wool setting) on your iron.  I found that using the steam setting worked better. Line your stitch witchery up with the edge of the fabric and press with your iron. Turn your fabric right side out.

{You can also stitch down the sides if you like.  I happen to like no-sew projects.}

Use the pattern below{courtesy of Stephanie Lynn} to tape off your stripes with painters tape. Use a ruler and a t-square to keep your stripes straight. Your stripes will be 3 inches wide and there will be 3 inches of white between each stripe.

Mix the acrylic paint and fabric medium (2:1).  Fabric medium is a clear liquid that, when mixed with acrylic paint, turns the paint into a fabric paint. Fabric medium helps to paint bond to the fabric to prevent cracking, peeling, and fading. 

Paint your stripes. I chose  Lemon Yellow by Americana and Baby Blue by JoAnn Craft Essentials. Be sure to paint from the tape "into" the center of the stripe.  By doing this, paint it less likely to bleed underneath the tape.

Let the paint dry 24 hours and peel off the tape. Heat set the paint using an iron for 30 seconds on each section of paint. I painted the front of the pillows only but you can do both front and back if you like.

To make a clean edge on the bottom of the pillow, fold the edge under once and adhere with stitch witchery.  Now you have a clean edge that will be easier to close.

Stuff your pillows using store bought stuffing or recycled stuffing from pillows that you do not use anymore. Close the bottom of your pillow using stitch witchery.

I love the way that these turned out.  Although they are not made from outdoor fabric, I think they will hold up quite well on my screened-in porch.

Sharing this craft at:

Gluesticks 

Gingersnap Crafts

While He Was Napping

Fireflies and Jellybeans

Somewhat Simple

Momnivore's Dilemma

Katie's Nesting Spot

T.G.I.F

Tatertots and Jello

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Ladybird Lane

I Heart Naptime
The Shabby Nest
More the Merrier Monday
Running With Glitter
Skip to My Lou

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

My kids LOVE popsicles.  My little guy will point to the fridge and say "pop" when he wants one. He has even mastered the art of biting it instead of  just licking it. And then he says  "it co" meaning "its cold".  Its so cute. But popsicles can get pricey.  So we made our own.

INGREDIENTS:

Lemonade

Strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Popsicle mold

DIRECTIONS:

Fill the popsicle mold about 1/2 - 3/4  full with lemonade

Place a few pieces of cut fresh strawberries (or thawed frozen strawberries) into the mold

Freeze and eat!

With this method, the top of the popsicle is mostly strawberry and the bottom is lemonade. I love the chewy bites of real strawberry that you get. If you want a more consistent popsicle, you could mix up some strawberry lemonade first and then pour it into the mold but you wouldn't get the yummy strawberry goodness at the top.

Sharing this treat at:

These Chicks Cook
Cast Party Wednesday
Come Together Kids