Glittered Pinecones

11th Nov2011

Glittered Pinecones

by Dinah Wulf

My daughter likes to pick the pinecones off the ground when we go to the park. We decided to collect and keep them this time around and get DIYInspired. We like to pick the “ugly” unwanted ones that are already on the ground; pinecones that have not yet bloomed. After you keep them for a few days, they open up and spread their pinecone wings.

The easiest thing to do was, of course, glitter them! After they bloomed, we washed them off (to make sure there were no hidden stowaways), let them air dry, and glittered the tips in white, silver, and blue. I used Mod Podge and a paint brush because I always have those two things handy in my craft room!

We filled two vases (the free ones you get with flowers) and displayed them in the guest room. We saved a few of them to add ribbon and hang on our tree this year.

Here’s a quick picture tutorial, even though this project speaks for itself, because hey everyone loves pictures!

Tip: Keep several paper or Styrofoam plates handy.

Click here for more tips for glittering.

Consider painting or glittering pinecones vibrant bright colors and display them in a glass vase.

[Via]

Attach a pretty ribbon and hang them from a window.

[Via]

Make a pinecone garland for your mantel.

[Via]

Make cute place card holders for a dinner party or wedding.

[Via]

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Category : Crafts, Holidays

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials

5 Comm

04th Nov2011

Decorative Accent Pillow

by Dinah Wulf

Written by: Michal Sparks

Here is an easy DIY decorative accent pillow idea that is great for decorating or giving as a gift. I thought I would share how to use the iron on adhesive that makes your projects look like you really know what you’re doing!! The design I’m doing here is really simplistic. Just think, it would be really cute to do a letter for a kid’s room kinda off center, or maybe their whole name! Actually now that I’ve mentioned it I think I just might do some custom letters…..Anyway, this is simple enough to get you started and you can go crazy from here. I’m only showing how to do the front of the pillow, I will do a pillow tutorial on super simple pillow covers with piping, ruffle , types of closures and all of that another day. Oh, I added a little copper charm on top that is tied on with red embroidery thread for an accent.

1. OK, first you need the iron on adhesive. I bought mine at the local fabric store, no brand in particular, I just like the kind that is a little more heavy duty because I like to fuse heavier fabrics together, even though I sew it too. (I never trust that you don’t need to sew, that’s my old school mentality showing through!!) This was $9.99 for 5 yards and while waiting in line a customer ahead of me passed down some extra coupons she couldn’t use (50%off!!) so it was only $5! Just have to love people like that!! She made my day!

2. When you decide the accent fabric you want to adhere to the main fabric, or in this case the front of my pillow cover, lay it on the adhesive, wrong side of fabric on the textured side of adhesive, and cut out the shape. I chose this olive corduroy from an old pair of my daughters pants.

3. Flip it all over. Now fabric is right side down with adhesive on it and smooth paper facing up. Iron on the smooth paper side with setting of medium, no steam. Iron until you feel the adhesive has stuck to the fabric.

4. Let it cool for a minute then pull off paper backing. It feels weird and rubbery but really cool!

5. Since I’m using a 10″x10″ pillow, I have cut my base fabric (my son’s old jeans!) an inch bigger on all sides. This is for seam allowances and also you can always make something smaller but making it bigger usually doesn’t work. I did a rough drawing of what I was thinking for my design, kind of a modern tree, and cut out the pieces.

You can use a ball point pen on the rubbery side of the fabric to draw the shape you want to cut out. If you do decide to do a letter remember to trace your letter backwards so it will be correct when you iron it on.

6. Cut out your shapes and lay them on your fabric. My fabric is an old pair of my son’s jeans, (kids sure come in handy!)

7. Press with warm iron, again no steam, until everything is fused together.

8. I can’t resist stitching, I call it scribble stitching, where I just kinda freehand move the fabric around go forward, reverse, and let the machine stitch up a storm. Change thread color for more interest.

You know if you don’t want to make a pillow you could stretch this on a craft store canvas and have wall art, just like that!! Have fun!

To see more of Michal’s work, visit her Etsy Shop, A Clever Spark!

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Craft Ideas, Gift Ideas, Guest Author

2 Comm

02nd Nov2011

DIY Table Number Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

Making your own table numbers is a great way to personalize and add character and charm to your wedding or party tables. With all the holiday festivities just right around the corner, let these DIY table number ideas add a little interest to your party table settings. You can use some of these ideas for table numbers, place card holders, or food labels as well.

Old Pictures

I saw these at a recent wedding I went to. They are pictures of the bride and groom when they were the ages corresponding to the table number.

Embroidery Hoop

Make table numbers out of an embroidery hoop like this one from Charmingly Domestic

Make Table Numbers out of postcards for a Wedding

What a great idea! Perfect for the couple that loves to travel; use postcards from different destinations instead of traditional numbers.

Shabby Chic Table Numbers

Making these adorable shabby chic table numbers are easy to do and inexpensive. With scrapbook paper, wooden numbers, and frames you can purchase these low cost items from a craft store.

Vintage Bottles

Stencil recycled vintage bottles… one of my favorites from Savvy City Farmer.

Candle Table Numbers

These beautiful candle table numbers from yourdiywedding.com are made by etching glass.

House Number Table Numbers

Check out these house number table numbers from Style me Pretty. They are attached to a recycled book. So cute and eco-friendly!

Simple Frame

Thought this simple frame from The Pretty Blog was cute.

Martha’s Table Numbers

There was no way I could write a post about party table number ideas without including my favorites from Martha! Check out these simple and cool do it yourself ideas. The last one is my favorite. They are digital pictures of different addresses.

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Special Occasions

Tags : Craft Ideas, Recycling Ideas, Wedding Ideas

1 Comm

27th Oct2011

DIY Candle Holder

by Dinah Wulf

DIY Candle Holder

Making this wooden votive tea light candle holder is quite simple, inexpensive, and makes a great gift (I should know; my brother made this one for me!). I use it as a centerpiece on my dining room table all year round because it is very versatile as each season changes.

Materials Needed:

Any size piece of wood
Sand Paper (100 – 325 grit)
Spade Bit (approximately 1 ½”)
Drill
Stain (optional)
Polyurethane (optional)

Lumber or wood costs less than two dollars per foot and comes in a variety of thicknesses and wood types. Select one to fit your personal style.

To make a tea light holder like this, use a drill and Spade bit to create each hole in any size block of wood. A standard tea light is approximately ½ inch high. Make sure your piece of wood is at least double the thickness. After drilling, use sand paper to smooth out the surface. Next, wipe your holder clean from dust and stain it the desired color. If you would like, add two coats of polyurethane to seal it.

Tea lights are very inexpensive. You can purchase a bag of twenty four from IKEA for less than six dollars. You can also insert glass candle holders as well.

Try these other DIY decorating ideas:

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Craft Ideas, Gift Ideas

6 Comm

29th Sep2011

Napkin Tissue Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

For some reason, my post on how to make tissue paper flowers is my most popular post. To put that into perspective, that particular page on my blog has been viewed well over 3000 times in the last 60 days!

I am always looking for ways to save money, even if it is a few cents. I mean, cut me some slack, I like to help my friends and family with parties and decorations and when you have two or three parties a month, the cost adds up!

I decided to experiment with making tissue paper flowers since it is so popular. Man I am such a nerd, but here are my calculations. A package of 100 sheets of tissue paper is about $10.00. You need 12 sheets to make one flower, so the final cost of one flower is about $1.25. If you buy cocktail party napkins instead, which run about $1.00 for 16 napkins (when you can find them on sale), the cost is only 50 cents per flower because it takes only 8 napkins to make one flower because they are thicker. That’s a savings of 75 cents a flower! See? I told you I was a nerd… a cheap nerd at that! Also, napkins come in a greater variety of colors, themes, and patterns. Using orange and black is perfect for Halloween.

So, here is the tutorial on making COCKTAIL NAPKIN tissue paper flowers.

Step One:

Stack 8 cocktail napkins on top of one another.

Step Two:

Make an accordion fold, approximately one inch in width and tie the end of a ribbon or string.

Step Three:

Gently separate each layer one by one. If you accidently rip the paper, clear tape can be hidden easily in the ruffles (I learned that the hard way).

Step Four:

Fluff the tissue paper flower to your desired shape. If you are hanging them and one side of the napkin is white, make sure the printed side of the napkin hangs down. Cut the ribbon or string in to your desired length.

Here are some after pictures.

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Bridal Shower Ideas, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Paper Flowers, Party Ideas

4 Comm

14th Sep2011

Do It Yourself Wall Art

by Dinah Wulf

When it comes to budget decorating, do it yourself wall art is the way to go. I don’t really see myself as an artist, maybe more of a crafty “ish” person. This DIY wall art I came up with was fun and easy and if you decide to take it on, it’s VERY inexpensive. It also makes a great gift!

I love the silhouette of birds and trees because they are beautiful and modern, so I decided to make these do it yourself art pieces for my daughter’s bathroom. I wanted them to be whimsical and feminine. I already had the frames and the colored scrapbook paper so this project didn’t cost me a dime! By the way, a great source for inexpensive cute frames at IKEA. You can purchase traditional to modern frames starting at 99 cents!

The first thing I did was look online for inspiration, because let’s face it, I’m not THAT creative. Google images is the way to go. I ended up googling “retro bird art” to find my inspiration. I copied and altered a few silhouettes of birds and trees and first cut them out of white card stock. I wanted to arrange them first and make sure I had the right scale to fit the frames. I had to cut and trim them a few times to get it perfect.

Next, I traced and cut out the final images out of decorative scrapbook paper. I used several contrasting colors and patterns to match my daughter’s bathroom and arranged them to my liking. Double sided tape (one of my best friends) worked well to attach each image.

There you have it! Instant budget DIY wall art!

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Category : DIY Artwork, Kid Stuff

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas

4 Comm

30th Aug2011

Dollar Bin Picture Frame Collage

by Dinah Wulf

Dollar Bin Picture Frame Collage

I bought these frames simply because they were cute and cheap (music to my ears) and decided to make a mini family picture frame collage for my daughter’s play area. I purchased these frames at an arts and crafts store like Michaels for one dollar each. Here is how to make your own mini picture frame collage.

The materials needed are: mini frames, paint (optional), glue gun, ribbon, key rings.

Step One: Arrange the Frames to your liking and take a digital picture so that you can easily refer back to it.

Step Two: Remove the stand on the back of the frame. They can easily be snapped off.

Step Three (Optional): Paint each frame the desired color.

Step Four: Print and add your pictures to your frames. I used both black and white pictures and fabric. You can also use, gift wrap, or wallpaper to add to your desired design.

Step Five: Using a hot glue gun, refer to your digital photo and glue each frame together in the desired arrangement and let it dry completely.

Step Six: To make the picture hangers cut ribbon and loop it thru a key ring. Hot glue the ribbon together and then hot glue the hangers to the back of your collage. Because the frames are so light weight, hot glue and ribbon are sturdy enough to hold the collage. I used two key rings for even weight distribution.

Here are some After Photos:

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Category : Crafts, Kid Stuff

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials

2 Comm

02nd Aug2011

Places To Go: Maui, Hawaii

by Dinah Wulf

Places To Go: Maui, Hawaii

The thing about being a tourist in Hawaii is that you are bombarded with t-shirts, hula dolls, shot glasses, and a multitude of flavors and varieties of macadamia nuts. But if you can get past the mass produced Hawaiian shirts and puka shells, there is a variety of handmade arts and crafts.

The Banyan Tree Park is a common tourist stop on Front Street in Lahaina. At 60 feet high with 12 major tree trunks in addition to the gargantuan core, underneath you will find unique artwork and pressed flower jewelry at the occasional arts and crafts fair. Across the street at the Wharf you can find
handmade soaps, wind chimes, and vintage Hawaiian fabrics. On Front Street you can peruse several galleries, discover antique posters and vintage maps.

Artists are everywhere. Just further north of Lahaina in Ka’anapali in Whalers Village you can learn about the art of Scrimshaw. Driving along the
30 you will see painters with their easels finding inspiration from their
surroundings of the ocean, sand, lush plant life and flowers. Rainbows are not uncommon on the way even further north. Along a scenic path and windy
road I found a gift shop that looked like a personal residence in the middle of
nowhere with interesting wood and metal sculptures.

I made my husband stop if we saw signs for craft fairs along the road. We found intricate woodwork, bowls made out of palms, and a local man crafting beautiful wooden tikis with amallet and wood log wedged between his feet.

With inspiration everywhere, you can bring home beautifully crafted souvenirs along with your Maui shot glass and box of chocolate macadamia nuts.

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Category : Places To Go

Tags : Craft Ideas, Everyday Inspiration

3 Comm

01st Aug2011

Floral Artist: Joan Mercer

by Dinah Wulf

Floral Artist: Joan Mercer

Since I started blogging, I always have my eyes open for local Artists and Craftsmen. I think it is a great honor and privilege to meet talent in person and learn firsthand about their creations.

I just got back from an amazing vacation in Maui with my husband. We rented a car, but stayed on the south side of the island in Wailea. We traveled and explored the entire island. Along the way, we found handmade jewelry makers, sculptors, painters, and carpenters. I met a Sculptor in Kapalua and a Carpenter in Lahaina. I ended up finding my favorite right in our hotel during a midafternoon arts and crafts fair in the lobby on our last day.

The first thing I noticed when I met Floral Artist Joan Mercer, owner of Kula Jungle, was the fabulous necklace and matching earrings she was wearing. Of course, a product of her own design, this set was one of many beautiful pressed flower leis among her collection. Her booth was filled with beautiful window ornaments, earrings, leis, and framed art that were constructed and artfully designed from very own garden.

Joan informed me that, with twenty years of experience, she mastered a technique to preserve the natural colors of her flowers. Over the
years, she has developed a following of collectors. Each year she creates a new lei design, and expires the piece after one year. Each unique piece, fashioned from the plush garden in her back yard.

Thank you, Joan for the inspiration!

To find out more about Joan click here for the Maui Crafts Guild website.

Support Other Artists:

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Category : Inspiring People, Places To Go

Tags : Craft Ideas, Everyday Inspiration, Gift Ideas

1 Comm

22nd Jun2011

DIY Nursery Letters

by Dinah Wulf

DIY Nursery Letters

Naming my daughter was one of the toughest things I have ever had to do (not really but it was very taxing). We asked family and friends and even strangers their opinions, searched online and read baby naming books. My husband and I even had 15 minute brainstorming sessions where we would each write down all the names we loved as quickly as possible and then convened to see if any of them matched. I mean come on, there are countries that have baby naming ceremonies… it’s a big deal! So why not commemorate all your hard work by displaying the coveted name in your little one’s room?

Your child’s name in decorative nursery wall letters is a charming DIY craft to personalize a baby’s room, however are costly at $20-$50 each at a baby boutique. I say, do it yourself for a fraction on the price. The letters shown in this project, done by one of my greatest and dearest friends and fellow crafty mom, Jennifer Hostetler, cost less than $4.00 per letter. Add paint or decorative or scrapbook paper to match your theme for a few extra dollars. Jennifer embellished each letter with wire ribbon and a craft rhinestone to match a brown and pink themed nursery for one of our uncrafty besties (isn’t she sweet?). The letters can be found at any craft store like Joann’s Fabric and Crafts for around $3.00 each. One roll of ribbon works well for three letters and costs approximately $2.50 per roll. The total cost for this projects was less than $30.00 for all six letters!

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Category : Crafts, Kid Stuff

Tags : Craft Ideas, Jennifer Hostetler

12 Comm

01st Jun2011

Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festival

by Dinah Wulf

Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festival

My husband, daughter, and I decided to go online to OCWeekly.com out of sheer boredom this past weekend and we stumbled upon the Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festival in Santa Ana. There were only two hours left until closing, but we decided to go anyway (it WAS free, after all). I am SO glad we did.

The festival was filled with brilliant and innovative local artists, crafters and designers. I noticed many of them were Etsy sellers. I was in heaven as I was surrounded by unique handmade items such as, repurposed wine bottles into lighting fixtures and children’s books into notebooks, cool personalized bike bells, and whimsical wooden wind chimes to name a few.

Bombarded with the sights and smells of live music, sweet treats, and creativity, I immediately signed up on the emailing list. Click here for future events.

Here are some of my favorite booths. Click on the link to check them out.

Love Nail Tree – Apparel, Accessories, and More

Loschy Designs – Hand stitched Costume Jewelry

Kelso Doesn’t Dance – Handmade Upcycled Accessories (The children’s books repurposed into notebooks were adorable)

Bottle Hood – Repurposed Glassware reclaimed from local restaurants (Loved the light fixtures)

SpokeNWheel Designs – Bike Bells and Other Accessories

The Poster List – Posters, Cards, and More (Definitely buying a few posters from here, but there are too many cool ones to decide!)

The Urban Craft Center – Studio Rental, Crafting Materials, & Craft Classes

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Category : Places To Go

Tags : Craft Ideas, Gift Ideas

0 Comm

27th May2011

Memorial Day Craft: Patriotic Votives

by Dinah Wulf

Memorial Day Craft: Patriotic Votives

Memorial Day is coming up on Monday. Formerly known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day is when we honor Americans who have died for our country in all wars. Over 100 years ago, it became a widespread practice to decorate the graves of soldiers by friends and family.

With no surprise, Martha Stewart has come up with two ideas that I love; a table top patriotic votive and glowing hanging votives that I thought would be nice to make and to light in honor of our soldiers.

Click here to make these table top votives.

Click here to make these hanging votives.

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party, Holidays

Tags : Craft Ideas, Fourth of July, Theme Party Ideas

1 Comm

13th May2011

Paper Flower Week: Japanese Rice Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Paper Flower Week: Japanese Rice Paper Flowers

Don’t buy paper flowers for your scrapbooking. Make these Japanese Rice Paper Flowers from Our Fun Life.

These are so cool! They can be used decoratively on cards or scrapbook page.

Materials Needed:

Paper
Waxed Paper
Watercolor
Styrofoam Egg Carton
Fine Tipped Marker
Embellishments (optional)

1. Cut Japanese rice paper into random flower shapes

2. Place one cut flower on waxed paper and watercolor

3. Carefully pick it up and hold it from underneath

4. Pinch the center while twisting and overlapping the petals.

5. Place flower in a styrofoam egg carton to help hold the shape while drying

6. When dried, add details with a fine tipped marker

7. Embellish center of flowers with glitter, buttons, beads, rhinestones, etc.

Paper Flower Week: Double Fringed Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Make these beautiful Double Fringed Paper Flowers by Inna’s Creations. Group a few together in different colors and make a flower bouquet. It is the perfect DIY Craft!