Holidays - DIYInspired.com
06th Dec2012

Holiday Joy Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

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Joy to sales and dollar bins!  Believe it or not, I made this entire Holiday Joy Wreath for less than $15.00.  First of all, I found these wreaths in the dollar bin at Target a couple days after Halloween on sale for $.75 each! Now, I have made these wreaths before from branches from my back yard, but come on! I couldn’t pass up this deal, amirite?

Then, using a coupon I had, I bought these three letters made of MDF at Michael’s for $5.00. BTW, I have the Michael’s iPhone app on my phone and it’s FABULOUS! No more printing out or forgetting coupons!

Also, after Halloween I bought a bag of plastic bling (hee hee) for $1.19 for the entire bag.  On that same trip I bought the ribbon using a coupon for $2.50.  If you want to count the craft paint I already had from making my recycled T shirt banner, it’s STILL less than $15.00!  Yay me! Can you tell I’m pretty proud of this?

The wreath is pretty self-explanatory.  I first painted the letters with craft green paint.

While I was waiting for it to dry, I strung the plastic gems onto my ribbon to embellish the bottom of each letter.

Next I put it all together and voila! My holiday joy wreath was complete!  I think I’m going to wait until after Thanksgiving to hang it on my door outside because I don’t want the neighbors to think I’m nuts for decorating for Christmas too early.  So for now it will happily hang on a door inside.  Here are more pictures.

Hope you like it!

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03rd Dec2012

Skeleton Key Crafts

by Dinah Wulf

Every time I go flea market shopping or antique shopping I am always drawn to skeleton keys.  I never buy them but I ALWAYS look at them, touch them, hold them up to the light, and wonder what I could do with them.  The other day I saw some replicas at Michael’s in the dollar bin.  One again, I picked them up, touched them, and held them up to the light.  This time I decided to purchase a few.  Why not, they were only $1.50 apiece.  I chose three and threw them in my basket.  I got in my car, brainstorming my skeleton key crafts, all the way home.

The first thing I do when I think about a craft is I check my craft closet.  What’s in there that I can use?  A long time ago I attempted to make jewelry.  To make a LONG and embarrassing story short, I sucked at it.  So, at the bottom of my closet collecting dust, was some jewelry making supplies.  I took them downstairs and decided that my first skeleton key craft would be a necklace.

Skeleton Key Necklace

This was quite easy and fun, and to be honest I think I’m actually going to wear this necklace!  With some pliers, an old chain, and a Swarovski crystal I had, I created this pretty piece.  The pliers make it very easy to maneuver the little pieces.  I took some photos so that you could see the process.  Easy peasy! I’ve worn this necklace out a few times, and I have gotten several compliments on it… and several requests…hmmm… Esty shop?

Skeleton Key Christmas Ornaments

The next two keys were transformed into Christmas ornaments.  They would also make nice embellishments on a gift.  I used some ribbon, chain, a bead, and a vintage charm that I had.  Here are a few pictures of each.

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Here are a couple more pictures of all three.

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29th Nov2012

Hanging Pine Cone Decoration

by Dinah Wulf

 

My husband, daughter, and I went on a walk around the neighborhood the other day and I found the biggest pine cones I have ever seen in my entire life!  HUGE!  Naturally, I stole several from the neighbors and we quickly walked away (I mean, come on, they had a jillion of them lying under their ginormous pine tree).  I decided to make a hanging pine cone decoration for the upcoming holidays.  Here is a photo of one of the pine cones and a regular sized pine cone just so you can see what I mean!

See?  I told you!  Anyway, here is what you’ll need to do this:

  • 5-6 of the biggest pine cones you can find
  • A picture frame eye hook for each pine cone
  • Ribbon
  • Beads (optional)
  • Scissors

Tip: Avoid the sappy pine cones… way too sticky and annoying to work with.

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This project is quite simple and fun to do with kids (especially the finding the pine cone part).  When we got home, I rinsed the pine cones with water to clean them a little and get rid of any bugs because you never know!  Simply screw in your eye hook to the center of the bottom of each dry pine cone and thread the ribbon through.  I tied a pine cone to each end of the ribbon, hung them on a hook, and adjusted each length as I went along.  I also added some plastic gems for some bling!

Tip: When you are trying to thread ribbon into a small hole, cut the ribbon in an angle to make it easier.

Here are a couple more pictures.

 

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27th Nov2012

CD Tower Advent Calendar

by Dinah Wulf

 

I was so excited to make an advent calendar this year because my daughter is finally old enough.  I searched online for some inspiration and saw some great advent calendar ideas but none that I really wanted to do.  Then one day, I was getting my guest room ready for some visiting friends and saw a CD tower that I had from college.  I currently use this piece of repurposed furniture to house guest room necessities like towels, toiletries, pens, paper, and such.  The cubbies are so useful and would be perfect to hold little wrapped gifts for my advent calendar… and it’s RED!  Here’s how I made my CD Tower Advent Calendar.

This project only costs me $20, including all the little trinkets and presents inside.  I know that’s a little more than most advent calendars, but still budget friendly.  I bought items in the dollar bins that had three or more items in a package and broke the package up to save money.  Some things I bought were pens, erasers, candy, stickers, hair clips, plastic play jewelry, and the last one… the grand finale… a Dora Explorer jump rope that costs $1.50.

I bought red and green paper sacks and different types of ribbon to embellish the packages (of course using my coupons AND shopping on black Friday).  I used circle craft punches and printed numbers and letters on my computer.  I thought the circles were perfect because they looked like ornaments.   I punched a small hole on top and added ribbon for each number ornament.  I also alternated the colors.  With my left over paper and ribbon, I made a “days til Christmas” banner to go down the middle on the CD Tower.

Here are some more pictures.

Hope you like it!

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Oh! By the way! Uncarved (it that a word?) pumpkins last forever!  Geesh!  So I had to turn my Hello Kitty pumpkin into a Christmas Hello Kitty!

Until tomorrow!

 

 

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22nd Nov2012

Happy Thanksgiving 2012

by Dinah Wulf

Many Blessings to you and your family!  I am so thankful for your continued support!  Happy Thanksgiving 2012 from DIY Inspired!

 

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16th Nov2012

Thanksgiving Table Setting

by Dinah Wulf

I am so thankful for so many things this year.   My family, of course, is a big one.  I’m loving having a two-year-old right now.  I love that she is a sponge.  She takes in EVERYTHING and now that she’s talking a little more, it’s amazing to hear what comes out of her mouth in that sweet little voice.  We read books all the time because it’s one of her favorite things to do.  So, this year for a Thanksgiving dinner I’m having with some friends, I decided to do a book/reading theme for the table in honor of my little lady. So, here is my Thanksgiving Table Setting.

My table is so big that a normal table runner is too short so I ended up making my own runner by layering two tablecloths.  I made place cards with pine cones, a craft punch, and hand wrote each name with a sharpie.  I also made napkin rings with recycled book pages and ribbon.  I adorned the table with some antique books I have in my collection.  I added some natural elements like shells, nuts, pine cones, and moss to glass containers.  I used some pine cones that we found on a walk we had the other day and spread them randomly on the table.  I also spray painted some mini pumpkins left over from Halloween.

Tip: Pumpkins always go on sale after Halloween.  Some places give them away for free!  They can’t get rid of the fast enough.

Here are some more pictures.

 

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14th Nov2012

Recycled T Shirt Bunting

by Dinah Wulf

I wanted to spruce up my mantle for the holidays so I decided to make a Thanksgiving banner.  Naturally, I wanted to use recycled materials so I found an old wrinkled cotton T shirt in my husband’s side of the closet (my side is neat and tidy of course!).  There was a huge stain on the front right on the chest so this was perfect for my recycled T shirt bunting.

Here are the materials you will need:

  • Old clothing item
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Paper (to make your flag pattern)
  • Iron
  • Spray starch
  • Fabric paint
  • Spouncer
  • Stencils
  • Ribbon or rope
  • Hot glue

Instructions:

Step One: Grab and old T shirt or any other piece of clothing.  Feel free to play with colors and textures.

Step Two: Make your flag pattern.  I used a piece of cardstock (8”X6”).  It’s easiest to start with a rectangle, measure the center of one end, and draw a diagonal line from one corner to the center mark for both sides and cut.

Step Three: Cut out your flags.  I chose to spell out “Give Thanks”.

Step Four: Lay out your flags to iron and spray it with starch.

Step Five: Iron your flags.

Step Six: Stencil your letters using a spouncer.  I chose green my favorite color!  Check out my stenciling tips I from my stenciled place mat project. You can purchase these stencils online.

Step Seven: Allow your letters to dry and then hot glue each flag to your rope.  I bought 3 yards of rope they had on sale for the holidays and cut it in half.  It was perfect for my recycled T shirt banner!

Here are some AFTER photos.

I took these during the day…

 

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12th Nov2012

Easy Fall Centerpiece

by Dinah Wulf

I don’t usually have a ton of Fall decorations at my house.  I always jump from Halloween to Christmas.  I have no idea what happens in between!  I have seen so many inspiring ideas out there too.  I thought I’d better get a move on it.  So, this year I decided to take on some simple decorations.  I’m hoping to have people over for Thanksgiving this year, AKA good excuse to make the house look pretty.  I like this centerpiece idea is because it’s inexpensive, easy, and requires no storage because it’s made from real pumpkins and greenery from my back yard. I already have too many boxes of Halloween and Christmas in my garage…hmmm…maybe that’s why I don’t decorate for Fall!  Here is how I made my Easy Fall Centerpiece.

For this project you will need:

  • small pumpkins
  • spray paint
  • newspaper
  • greenery
  • recycled jars
  • vintage tool box or other container
  • tea lights

I bought a bag of small pumpkins at the grocery store.  These are typically about $5.00 or less (at least around here).

I spray painted them with metallic silver spray paint in a well-ventilated area.

Next I cut some greenery from my back yard.

I used a vintage toolbox I bought from one of my flea market trips months ago.  I filled it with the greenery and recycled mason jars.

Finally, I added the spray painted pumpkins and tea lights.

That’s it!  Easy peasey!! Here are some after pictures.

 

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31st Oct2012

Halloween Round Up

by Dinah Wulf

Happy Halloween!! I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween today.  I just wanted to celebrate by doing a Halloween Round Up of some of the Halloween crafts and projects I featured this year. Maybe you’ll still have time to make some of the easy Halloween treats because they are just that… EASY!!!

Easy Halloween Treats- No cook no bake appetizers perfect for any Halloween Party.
Hello Kitty Pumpkin- A fun and easy pumpkin decorating craft you can do with your kids.
Halloween Jeweled Skull- Glam up some skulls with pirate booty!
Easy Halloween Tree- A low cost Halloween project from items found inside and outside the house.
Dancing Ghosts- Make spooky apparitions that dance in your front yard.
Monster Wreath – A kid’s craft made from dollar store items.
Tissue Box Monster – Another fun recycled craft to do with your kids.
Alice In Wonderland Costumes

I can’t believe Halloween 2012 is practically over! Boo hoo… I already have some plans up my sleeve for next year!  It’ll be here before we know it!  If you are out with your little ones tonight, be safe.  I promise I will too!  :)

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26th Oct2012

Easy Halloween Tree

by Dinah Wulf

This Halloween tree came to fruition when I was trimming some branches in my back yard.  Of course, it’s always hard for me to throw anything away, so when I second guessed myself about these branches I thought they were eerie enough to make a simple Halloween Tree for my decorations this year.  This is the perfect project to do with your kids.  The possibilities are endless.  Consider decorating it with homemade Halloween ornaments, bats, bugs, or cob webs.

I brought them inside, rinsed them (in case there were any unwanted bugs) and let them dry outside in the sun.

Next, I spray painted them with a flat black paint.

I filled a glass vase with some moss I had tucked away from my Halloween decorations last year.

Next, I added cob webs.  What’s a Halloween tree without cob webs?  The trick for a realistic look is to use a small amount and stretch them as much as possible.

I added some glittered bugs I made as well.  For me, the simpler the better :)

OK, so it was REALLY hard to take pictures because of the white cob webs.  I seriously NEED to take a photography class.  I swear it looks better in person! Here is a picture without the flash.

Here is a picture of my Halloween tree with the flash.

This is a SUPER quick and easy and CHEAP Halloween craft project that nicely filled an otherwise empty and non-creepy space!

 

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25th Oct2012

Halloween Jeweled Skull

by Dinah Wulf

Skulls are one of my favorite Halloween decorations because they are so creepy.  The fake foam bag of bones  you can buy at any retail store are usually inexpensive and look realistic.  I was originally inspired by a skull I saw on Pinterest when I decided to do this project.  Naturally I didn’t want to spend any money, so I raided my craft closet and found some beads and plastic gems I could use.  Because I love Halloween so much, I have several skulls and chose one that appeared damaged from Halloweens past.  Here is how I made my Halloween Jeweled Skull.

Materials:

  • Halloween skull decoration
  • Plastic Gems
  • Beads or old/unwanted necklace or jewelry
  • Hot glue gun
  • Hot glue sticks
  • Imagination

I honestly can’t remember why I may have put holes in the eyes of this skull (maybe for bugs? Light? No idea…) but I wanted to cover those up so I added some larger gems and plastic pearls to cover them.  I also took apart an old cheap plastic necklace that I never wear anymore and added a tear drop to the right eye.  I have to say, this project was so much fun and much easier than glittering them.

Here are some AFTER photos.  I may of gotten carried away a little bit! I am now addicted and may have to glam up some more skulls.  Maybe I’ll play with the bones.

These would be perfect for a pirate themed party or Pirates of the Caribbean themed party.  They remind me of a buried treasure.  Hope you try it out!

 

 

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23rd Oct2012

Dancing Ghosts

by Dinah Wulf

My friends (aka my family) are amazing.  So amazing, in fact, that two of them took step by step photos for me while making these awesome dancing ghosts for the front yard for Halloween.  Trina Encinas and Carrie Sparks made these creepy floating apparitions on a dime after seeing them on Pinterest (sorry I don’t have the link!).  Here’s how they did it.

Materials:

  • Three wooden dowel s (approximately 36”)
  • Three foam balls (Tip: foam floral balls are less expensive than Styrofoam balls)
  • A white plastic table cloth
  • Cheese cloth
  • Scissors
  • Three screws

Instructions:

  1. Insert the wooden dowel in the center of the foam ball.
  2. Cut the plastic table cloth in thirds and place one sheet over the foam ball.
  3. Layer the cheese cloth over the plastic table cloth.
  4. Insert a screw in the center of the top of the ghosts head to keep the layers in place.
  5. Repeat steps one through four for the other three ghosts.
  6. Insert each ghost into the ground forming a triangle.
  7. Tie the ghost’s “hands” together.

There you have it!  Trina mentioned that these are California ghosts, meaning that they did not use the fabric stiffener that the original tutorial they found suggested.  However these ghosts have held up nicely over the past couple weeks!

Thank you, Trina and Carrie!  Love you girls!

For another fun Halloween lawn decoration, check out the tombstones I made out of recycled shoe boxes!

 

 

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22nd Oct2012

Tissue Box Monster

by Dinah Wulf

Seventh Generation came out with the cutest DIY tissue box monster video on YouTube showing appreciation for their one million Facebook fans.  Congratulations, Seventh Generation!  Check the adorable video out here:

As a fan of Seventh Generation products myself (I love that they promote healthy products, healthy environment, healthy communities, and healthy company!), I decided to make my own DIY tissue box monster.  This is the perfect family craft to do with your kids.  It’s creative, fun, and quite easy.  Even better, you repurpose and reinvent!  Oh yeah… make sure you ENTER TO WIN some fabulous Seventh Generation swag, as pictured below, at the end of this post!

For my monster, I decided to make a partner in crime for my Monster wreath since I had some extra feather boas.  I started by painting my empty tissue box yellow.  I added black (rotten of course) teeth with black construction paper.  I wrapped my feather boas around the box and glued it with hot glue.

Next I created my monster feet by painting and cutting a paper towel roll into fourths.  I cut a jagged edge on one end and folded them up for toes.

I used scrapbook paper for my monster eye and glued it on.  Here he is!

Here he is, a little more sophisticated, with a bow tie.

******Now for the Seventh Generation Swag GIVEAWAY RULES!******

  1. Must be a U.S. Resident to participate.
  2. Like DIY Inspired on Facebook (if you haven’t already).
  3. Leave a comment on ANY DIY Inspired Facebook post with #MonsterEntry anywhere in the comment.  The comment doesn’t have to pertain to this post.  For example, you can post on a photo that you like, or leave any comment on my Facebook wall.
  4. You can enter up to five times.  One comment with #MonsterEntry = One entry.
  5. A winner will be chosen at random on Monday, October 29th at midnight PST.

Did I miss anything?  Please leave a comment below!

Good luck!

 

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18th Oct2012

Holiday Treat Gift Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

My initial inspiration for this post was poop.  Yes you read that correctly.  Poop.  I kept seeing Pumpkin Poop and Reindeer poop ideas on Pinterest that I decided to write a post on it!  These holiday treat gift ideas are all great ideas, I must say.  They are affordable DIY gifts for a classroom, holiday party favors, or even gifts for a group of friends or family members. Let’s start with the poop, shall we?

This first one is Pumpkin Poop complete with a poem!

I started to carve my Pumpkin, with my carving knife and scoop,

But my pumpkin got so scared that he took a little poop!

It looked so cute and funny, just like a candy treat,

So I’m sharing it with you now, because you are so sweet!

This Pumpkin Poop was listed on Etsy but no longer available.  The beauty of it is you can make it yourself!

Here is another one with a poem.  This time this poem is about Reindeer Poop!

Santa looked at his list.  He even checked it twice.

And he found out you haven’t been very nice.

Since coal is so expensive, here’s the inside scoop.

Santa is filling your stocking with lots of Reindeer Poop!

Don’t like poop?  Try reindeer noses with eight chocolate malted balls and one red gumball for Rudolph’s nose.

OK, last poop one with a poem!  This time snowman poop!

Heard you’ve been naughty so here’s the scoop.

All you get for Christmas is Snowman poop!

This is a simple hot chocolate pack with mini marshmallows.  I’d add in a mini candy cane too!

This is a cute treat to leave out for Santa.  Chocolate donuts, jelly bean red noses, and pretzel antlers.

Another donut idea, these snowmen on a stick are adorable and easy to eat!

This would be perfect for a hot chocolate bar at a holiday party.  Or consider wrapping these marshmallow pops up individually with a hot cocoa packet!

Here’s another fun marshmallow pop idea.

A perfect thank you with a message, “Thank you for giving a hoot!”

The best for last… These chocolate bag of skeletons may possibly be my favorite!

 

 

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17th Oct2012

Four Easy Halloween Party Crafts

by Dinah Wulf

If you couldn’t tell, my favorite holiday is Halloween.  I love everything about it; the decorations, the costumes, the weather, taking the kids trick-or-treating, and of course, the parties.  I’ve recently been able to participate in taking the kids trick-or-treating last year since my daughter is only two.  It’s a big production.  We meet at one house, get the kids dressed up and ready to go, have some drinks and appetizers, and the adults fill their spirit tumbler drink cups with their beverage of choice!  In preparation for this big night, I wanted to share four easy Halloween party crafts.  All four are extremely inexpensive, and add character and an eerie charm to your Halloween party.  Click on the links for further details and helpful tips.

Recycled Halloween Bottles 

Buying Halloween decorations can get a little expensive.  If you take a look around the house, there are probably items that you can reuse and reinvent.  I made these Halloween bottles out of bottles I already had in my cupboards.  With a little help from Google Images, some paper and glue, I made these fun and easy recycled bottle Halloween props.  I gathered some lotion and liquor bottles for these.  Next, remove the labels and clean them.  For the images, I looked on Google images for inspiration, printed them out on card stock and cut them out.  I used plastic rhinestones in the eyes for the skeleton.

 

DIY Recycled Shoe Box Tombstones

Start collecting those shoe boxes, cereal boxes, and other food boxes to make these DIY Tombstones! Mount each box on top of each other and secure them with duct tape.  It’s ok if it’s messy because you will spray write over it with a stone textured spray paint. Decorate them with plastic bugs and gems.

 

Halloween Party Guest Hall of Fame

Honor each guest by turning our bathroom or hallway into an Insane Asylum Patient Hall of Fame.  Who made the cut? Your guests, of course!  Look for pictures of each attendee and print their photo on regular printer paper.  Carefully singe the edges with a lighter and blow out the flame.  Mount them on black card stock and glue on mismatched googly eyes.

 

Glittered Skulls

Finally, make a flashy Halloween centerpiece by glamming up those dollar store plastic skulls with glitter.  Don’t forget about glittering those cheap plastic bugs you can find at the dollar store too!  Place them on top of the skulls or place them so that they look like they are crawling out of the eye socket.  This is a great way to make something cheap and inexpensive look like you spent much more on them.

*****BONUS!!! Here’s a fifth Halloween craft for you!  I am excited and honored to have written an article for Home Made Simple on Black Painted Vases!  Check it out!*****

Until tomorrow!

 

 

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16th Oct2012

Halloween Monster Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

I heart Halloween AND I also heart dollar bins!  This Halloween Monster Wreath cost me about $7.00 to make.  It’s a fun craft you can do with your kids.  You can get creative and mix your colors to make your Halloween Monster your own.  Here is a short video tutorial if you’d like to watch it.  If not, continue reading the step by step instructions!

Materials:

  • Foam wreath from the craft store or dollar store (I found mine at the $1 bin at Target)
  • 4 feather boas (I got mine at the .99 store during the Halloween season)
  • 8 Straight pins
  • 2 plastic balls (golf or ping pong work great)
  • 2 Googly eyes
  • Scrapbook paper (and color of your choice for the eyes and mouth)
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks
  • Ribbon of your choice

Step One:

Pin the end of your feather boa to the back of the wreath.  Continue wrapping it until you reach the other end.  Pin the other end into the back of the wreath.  Repeat this step with the other three boas until your wreath is covered.

Step Two:

Make the mouth.  I used a 3.5 inch circle punch to make it easier, however you can just use paper and scissors.  Cut two jagged pieces.  It doesn’t have to be perfect!  I’ve never seen a monster with perfect teeth!  Glue each set of teeth to the back of your wreath using hot glue.

 

Step Three:

Make the eyes.  I used another circle punch, plastic golf balls from a golf themed baby shower I did, and googly eyes.  You don’t have to use plastic balls to cut down on cost.  Scrapbook paper works well too!

Step Four: (optional)

Dress your monster.  I added a bow tie for a little character.  Feel free to add whatever you want.  Maybe even add some arms or legs.  It’s up to you!

 

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12th Oct2012

Burlap Scrap Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

OK, I’m calling this a Burlap Scrap Wreath because not only is it made out of burlap scraps; this wreath is also made out of craft scraps.  It is made out of plumbing insulation, burlap left over from my burlap stenciled placemats, frames from my daughter’s butterfly themed birthday party, tulle from my daughters Alice costume for Halloween this year, and a ribbon I saved from a birthday present last year.  So, technically, since I recycled items I already had this wreath cost me less than $1.00!  I had to purchase the plumber’s insulation tube for $1.97, but I cut it in half to make two wreaths.

Materials:

  • 3’ plumber’s insulation tube
  • Duct tape
  • Burlap
  • Hot glue
  • Small frames
  • Computer (optional)
  • Tulle scraps
  • Ribbon

First, I made the wreath out of the tube by securing it with duct tape.  I have made this wreath and this wreath out of this tube and it works great.  I would suggest wrapping the entire wreath with duct tape, once you massage out the lumps and get the perfect circle.  That’s the key, massage and maneuver the wreath until you get the perfect circular shape.

Note: If you are adding decorations on the heavy side, reinforce the entire wreath with duct tape before decorating it so it maintains shape.  It’s not necessary if you are making wreaths similar to my other wreaths using plumber’s insulation.

Next wrap the wreath with burlap strips.  I used hot glue to attach each strip.  After the wreath is wrapped, you can begin decorating it.  I painted these dollar bin frames black and printed out the letters of my last name to but in each frame.  I also made burlap flowers and hot glued a cluster to the right side.  I added some white tulle as well to add some contrast.

Finally, I used a ribbon to hang my wreath.  That’s it!  Hope you like my wreath that cost me less than $1.00! Hope you try it out!

 

 

 

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11th Oct2012

Halloween Skeleton Frame

by Dinah Wulf
Welcome, Loren from Pandora’s Craft Box!  So glad to have you again!
I’m so glad you decided to share this AWESOME tutorial!

 

 

The spirits of the other side are ready to come out and play here at DIY Inspired!  Are you prepared the mischief they will cause? I did warn Dinah if I was going to guest blog I was going to bring something spooky and creepy but I am so glad she did!My skeleton is using the a painting as a portal to the world of the living the evil spirits reaches for any passing soul to posses.

 

Watch out it might just me you.
Would you like to make one? Here are a few thing you will need.
Materials:
1. Cardboard (Free)
2. Skeleton (Michaels 14.99)
3. Modge Podge (own or 4.99 at Michaels)
4. Black paint & red paint  (.59 cent)
5. Burlap ($2.00 for half a yard)
6. foam brush (.10 cent)
7. Frame (Michaels on clearance $9.99)
8. Clay ($8.99 Michaels)
9.Tape (own)
10. 24 gauge wire (own)
11. Scissors (own)
12. Saw (own $4.99)

 

 

The first thing you will need to do is to cut the back of the skull of your skeleton because you want him to lay flat on the cardboard. Measure the cardboard to fit the inside of your frame. My frame is 8×10.

 

 

Position your skeleton, my skeleton name is Joe where you want him to be.

 

 

I felt bad cutting Joe up but he feel much better once all the extra weight is off.
I cut through the spice of Joe to make sure he could fit in the frame.

 

Mix modge podge with black paint with a foam brush.

Now the messy part starts, use the mixture and paint the burlap with it.

I told you it was going to get messy! Its going to look a little muddy but it will be worth it once it dries. You will need to cover the entire cardboard. Don’t lay the burlap flat on the cardboard because you will need some depth with it to make it look realistic.

 

Also use the modge podge to clue the down the skeleton. Let the burlap dry for at least 24 hours.

 

 

 
I wanted to have Joe reaching out for someone, so I took masking tape to hold the joints in place. I then used the burlap with modge podge to cover masking tape.

 

 

 
I did not stop there I also cut all the finger off and used the 24 gauge jewelry wire to reattach all the  fingers. Can you believe that Joe had to right hands before I did the surgery? haha. Now his finger can bend and point at you. 

 

 

 
The last thing I did was make a heart out of clay to be place in rib cage. 

 

Imagine that you are done with your skeleton frame tutorial. !!!

 
I think my puppy liked it. 

Happy Haunting’s from Pandora’s Craft Box.

Thank you for having me DIY Inspired.

 

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Category : Holidays
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4 Comm
04th Oct2012

Four Easy Halloween Party Treats

by Dinah Wulf

I always go to my best friend’s house on Halloween to take the kids Trick or Treating.  This is what I brought over for Halloween last year (it was too late to post after Halloween).  I made these because, 1) All of these treats are SUPER easy to make, 2) I can’t cook, 3) They are quick and painless to make because it requires no cooking or baking.  Here are Four Easy Halloween Party Treats:

Monster Fingers 

This version of the traditional rice Krispie treat uses Cocoa Krispies with an almond sliver “finger nail” painted with red food coloring.

Spider Devil Eggs

Traditional deviled egg recipe with a black olive spider.  Cut the olive in half using one half for the body and the other half for the legs.  For my deviled egg recipe, I mixed hardboiled egg yolks, mayonnaise, and mustard. Tip: When peeling hard boiled eggs, run them under cold water to make it easier to peel.

Freaky Fingers

These are my favorite. I have a full tutorial for this candy dipped finger food.  While the candy is still wet, insert an almond sliver as a finger nail.

Candy and chocolate dipped Apples

Simply cut apples into bite sized pieces and dip them with melted candy or chocolate with a toothpick.  Decorate them with festive sprinkles or nuts. Allow them to dry on wax paper.

I made all four treats in no time at all.  I think the hardest part was peeling the hardboiled eggs! How much easier can you get?  Hope you try these out!

 

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Category : Holidays, Sweets and Treats
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3 Comm
02nd Oct2012

DIY Disney Princess Costumes

by Dinah Wulf

As you may already know this year for Halloween my husband is going to be the Mad Hatter, I am going to be the Queen of Hearts, and my daughter is going to be Alice from Alice in Wonderland.  Recently, I did a tutorial for a DIY No Sew Tutu. I wanted to show you that with this tutorial, you can apply it to virtually any Disney Princess character (or any character for that matter) and make your own DIY Disney Princess Costumes.

Here is my skirt for my Queen of Hearts costume using the tutorial.  I used black, red, and white tulle and added three felt red hearts with hot glue.  I also made a crown out of a recycled plastic sour cream container.

This is my daughter’s Alice skirt.  I added the felt spade because I wanted us to match. J She will also wear a white t-shirt with puffy sleeves, a black ribbon in her hair, white tights, and black Mary Jane shoes.

Here are some other color combos you can do to make your own Disney Princess costumes utilizing the DIY No Sew Tutu tutorial:

  • Cinderella – baby blue
  • Snow White – blue, white, yellow, and red
  • Sleeping Beauty – pink and white
  • Arial – blue and green
  • Jasmine – teal
  • Pocahontas – tan and brown
  • Tinkerbelle – green and yellow
  • Mulan – red, purple, pink, and blue
  • Rapunzel – purple
  • Tiana- light and dark green or blue

Tip: Tulle also comes glittery as well.  Consider mixing the two kinds, but if you do, make the skirt outside!  Glitter everywhere (I learned the hard way)!

You can play around with accessories like, tiaras, crowns, wands, gloves, shoes, etc.  Remember: check the dollar store first!

 

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Category : Crafts, Holidays, Kid Stuff
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5 Comm
01st Oct2012

Recycled Plastic Container Crown

by Dinah Wulf

This year for Halloween my family is going to be the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, and Alice from Alice in Wonderland.  As you know I preach recycled crafting and I made a DIY Mad Hatter Top Hat out of a cardboard box and hanger (among other things), but this time I decided to make my Queen of Hearts crown out of a recycled plastic container, specifically an old (but clean) sour cream container.

This was quite easy and fun and I have to admit I got a little carried away with the plastic gems.  I happen to have everything in my craft closet already, so I didn’t spend a dime making this.  The materials you can use are endless but here’s a list of what I used:

  • Clean plastic sour cream container
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Glitter
  • Felt
  • Foam craft hearts
  • Even More Glitter
  • Plastic craft gems
  • Hot glue
  • Clear glaze spray paint (optional)

I started off by cutting off the top trim and the bottom of the container.  Next I cut a jagged edge at the top, using the first triangle I cut out as a pattern to cut out the rest so that they would be even.  Next I glammed it up!  I glittered the entire crown gold and added red felt trim.  I also sprayed the entire crown with a clear glaze to seal in the glitter.  It helps to minimize months of glitter hair!  I decided to glitter foam craft hearts in red and add plastic gems.  I kept adding and adding… I couldn’t help it!  Oh well, it IS a Halloween costume…it can be a little gaudy.

I think these would be fun to make for a princess themed party or even an Alice in Wonderland tea party.  There you have it! A low cost (or no cost) DIY crown.

 

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Category : Crafts, Holidays, Kid Stuff, Kids Craft Ideas, Trash To Treasure
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12 Comm
28th Sep2012

DIY Mad Hatter Top Hat

by Dinah Wulf

Every year, it always takes several days, even months, to figure out what my family is going to be for Halloween. I actually think the brainstorming starts on November 1st!  This year we decided on a popular theme, Alice in Wonderland.  My husband will be the Mad Hatter, I will be the Queen of Hearts, and my daughter will naturally be Alice.  So over the next few days, I’ll show you the progression of our costumes as I make them. Let’s start with the DIY Mad Hatter Top Hat.

I did a Google search and found an amazing tutorial on how to make a cardboard top hat on the Instructables, one of my favorite DIY sites.   I edited it a little bit as I went.  Here is my tutorial on a DIY Mad Hatter Top Hat.

Step One: Construct the Cardboard Top Hat

Materials:

  • Cardboard
  • Duct Tape
  • Pencil
  • Bowls or plates (any circular object for tracing in the desired size)
  • Scissors

I cut four pieces with the help of the bowls in my cupboard, a pencil, and scissors.  The size will depend on the Mad Hatter’s head size.

  1. Large circle for the top of the hat
  2. Small circle for the interior of the hat to hold shape
  3. Large ring for the rim of the hat
  4. Rectangular piece for the cylinder

Using duct tape, create the cylinder.  Cut 1-2” wide slits for the bottom of the hat and cut longer 1-2” slits for the top of the hat.  Insert the small circle in the top of the hat as shown and secure with tape.  Add the rim by folding each slit and taping the cylinder to the rim as shown.  Do the same for the top using the larger circle as shown.

Step Two: Decorate Your Hat

Materials: The materials are up to you, as the possibilities are endless!  Here is what I used.

  • Green velvet fabric (I chose this because it’s easy to stretch and maneuver)
  • Salmon fabric for the scarf
  • Two feathers, one brown and one black
  • A wire coat hanger and a wire cutter for the pins
  • Old buttons for the top of the pins (attached with hot glue)
  • Recycled book page and a black marker  for the infamous 10/6 price tag
  • Rubber band to secure fabric to the base of the hat

The pictures and materials speak for themselves.  I did not use glue, rather duct tape because: 1) it’s easier to use, 2) it’s easily removable if I made a mistake, and 3) it’s less messy, and cheaper!

Here is an after photo:

 

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