Hand Painted Wooden Bowl Knockoff

16th May2013

Hand Painted Wooden Bowl Knockoff

by Dinah Wulf

After I painted this set of bowls the other day, I couldn’t help myself when I found this wooden bowl at the Salvation Army. I loved the shape of it so much that I decided to take it home. I decided to do a hand painted wooden bowl knockoff project on some bowls I had seen in the past. This set of bowls is one of my inspirations as well as these fun and funky various dipped wooden household items.

Here are a couple of before pictures… I love the sleek lines and sexy curves!

As with the bowls I painted last week, I used Martha Stewarts Multi Surface Acrylic Craft Paint. I used this because it is good for wood, for indoor and outdoor use, and after the project cures (which is approximately 21 days), you can wash it in the dishwasher! I would recommend hand washing it prior to then.

I decided to hand paint it rather than dip it because I would use less paint.

I ended up painting three coats.

I also added a gold trim with a metallic gold color to glam it up a bit.

Here are a couple more pictures. I love how a few simple coats of paint can make this old wooden bowl look more new and modern. I tried to be fancy and take a photo of it in a mirror so you could see it better

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Category : Crafts

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

4 Comm

15th May2013

Recycled Food Container Gift Wrapping

by Dinah Wulf

Who says cereal and cracker boxes can’t be pretty? I don’t know about you, but I hate spending money on gift boxes. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most people do to, because at every party I’ve been to in the last few years have gift tables, filled with gift bags with tissue paper hanging out the top. Am I right? So, I decided to use what I already had available and came up with recycled food container gift wrapping.

A very special birthday came up recently for my beautiful twin baby God Daughters. Since it was their first birthday, I went all out and bought matching clothes and a couple other things. Since the clothes are still so very cute but tiny, food boxes are the perfect size for their little outfits.

Oh yeah… I better wrap them. I made some coffee filter paper flowers and decided to die the paper flowers as well. After they were dry, I trimmed the ones that went on the smaller boxes with scissors. It was sort of like trimming a real flower. I cut out green leaves out of card stock and hot glued the flowers on, and added ribbon.

Here is a photo of the gift assembled all together. My God Daughter, Jamie is the pink package and her sister Brooklyn gets the purple package.

I bought the chairs at one of my favorite stores, Homegoods. They just happen to have one purple and one pink so I couldn’t resist! Here is the back.

The actual party isn’t for a few weeks, but I can’t wait to show you the Alice in Wonderland extravaganza that I know it’ll be!

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Gift Ideas, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose

10 Comm

13th May2013

DIY Rope Vase 15 Minute How To

by Dinah Wulf

I recently wrote an article for GMC Trade Secrets on Bringing the Outdoors In. In writing the article, I had so many ideas jumbled in my head. I looked around at my own home to see what I had done myself to get closer to nature. I have a lot of natural elements displayed in my home décor and one of my favorite “chores” is to cut fresh flowers from the garden. I did decide to take my own advice and make a couple new vases. Here is my DIY Rope Vase How To. The best part? It only takes about 15 minutes to make!

Materials:

Glass Vases
Rope
Scissors
Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Step One: Choose your materials.

I had a successful trip to the Salvation Army the other day and I found some nice glass vases for $2.00 each. In choosing a vase, look for the desired shape and choose a heavier more sturdy weight. Sometimes, especially while thrift store shopping, you come across light weight vases that break easily. Those are likely the vases that your flower arrangements come in and collect dust in your cabinet. I chose wide hurricane style vases.

For the rope, I went to the hardware store and found manila rope (3/8 inch X 50 feet). I chose it for the thickness and the color. There were a few options in sisal, but I wanted a darker color. Fifty feet will make at least three vases of this size. I purchased it for $8.00.

Step Two: “Measure” the desired length.

The best way to measure the amount of rope you need, wrap it around the vase without gluing it until you reach the desired height and cut it. This is easy to do with a thicker rope like the one I chose.

Step Three: Unwrap & Glue

Unwrap the “measured” rope and glue the end to avoid fraying.

Step Four: Wrap and Attach

Start wrapping and gluing as you go!

Here is the finished look.

If you are interested in reading more of my weekly articles for GMC Trade Secrets, feel free to come over and visit!

A big THANK YOU to Carolina from 30 Minute Crafts and Angie from The Country Chic Cottage for allowing me to participate in this weeks Craft Lightening 15 minute crafts Be sure to stop by their amazing blogs and say hello!

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

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

8 Comm

10th May2013

8 Fun and Easy Ideas for Stencils

by Dinah Wulf

I must say that stenciling is one of my favorite craft projects to do. It’s a fairly simple task, especially when you know a few tips or tricks. It is also very versatile in that you can use it for small and large projects, from place mats to furniture. Here are eight fun and easy ideas for stencils I’ve done in the past. All of which have complete step by step photo tutorials. I hope you try them out!

Stenciling with Burlap

Recycled Jar Tea Light

This is a tutorial for stenciling a monogram on a lantern made from a recycled food jar. I still have this displayed in my living room today. It also makes a fun personalized handmade gift. Fill it with tea lights or candy and give it to Mom for Mother’s Day!

Stenciled Wall Art

I made this initially as a prop for my daughter’s birthday party one year, but now it hangs in her room by her bed.

Burlap Stenciled Place Mats

Also a great handmade Mother’s day gift idea, these stenciled burlap place mats are a hit every time I bring them out to use for my guests. Make a set of four to eight to give to Mom or Grandma. Consider using words that remind you of her!

Stenciled Furniture

Stenciled Dresser

This is one of my first DIY projects I posted on this blog. In hindsight I may have done it differently but you learn as you grow, right???

Upcycled TV Tray Table

One of my more recent projects, stenciling TV trays gives them a little upcycled flair.

Other fun Stenciling Projects

Stenciled School Spirit Shirts

I made these shirts with my best friend, Jenny for her daughter’s school spirit shirts. Check out the post and Jen shares how she made he own stencil!

Recycled T-Shirt Bunting

I made this for Thanksgiving last year, but it’s a great tutorial for any type of banner or bunting you need for parties or holidays. Make a “Happy Mother’s Day” one for mom!

Shoe Box Lid Wall Art

My thriftiness at its finest, I made this SUPER cheap wall art for my guest room!

I hope you try these projects! Feel free to share some of your ideas in the comments! Happy stenciling!

Ideas for stencils, easy stencil ideas, stenciled furniture, stenciling on fabric

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Category : Crafts, Holidays, Special Occasions

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, DIY Burlap Crafts, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, Upcycling Ideas

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08th May2013

Upcycled Wooden Bowls

by Dinah Wulf

I went thrift store shopping last week and I found a set of wooden bowls for $6.00. The shape of these bowls is what interested me, so I decided to buy them. I wanted to update them a little because to be honest, they reminded me of the wooden bowls, spoons, and other knick-knacks my relatives would bring us from the Philippines… maybe that’s why I was drawn to them. Although I have fond memories of those souvenirs, they don’t exactly fit my style today. Here is how I made my upcycled wooden bowls.

Here are the bowls before.

Although this craft project is self-explanatory, I did want to mention that because of the type of paint I chose, they are still washable and easy to care for and even dishwasher safe! So, with that said, the materials you need are:

Wooden bowls
Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Satin Paint
Paint brush
Paper plate

I wanted to keep the inside and the rim of the bowl wood, and the outside of the bowl white, a classic modern color. I first painted carefully around the edges.

I painted three coats total, allowing the paint to dry for an hour in between coats.

The craft paint instructions indicate that the paint is weather proof. It is good for indoor and outdoor use and cures in about 21 days. You can also do a top rack dish wash…which is fantastic!

I plan on using these bowls for entertaining. Here are a few after photos.

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Category : Crafts

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

3 Comm

25th Mar2013

Plastic Cup Garbage Can

by Dinah Wulf

My best friend Jenny had a brilliant craft idea the other day (BTW, it was recently her birthday! Happy Birthday, Best Friend!). She told me that being the busy on the go mom that she is, she always keeps a large fast food plastic cup in her car for all the litter she accrues throughout the day from having four kids. This plastic cup garbage can for her car is very handy; she admitted however her main complaint is that it’s ugly. So, together we decided to make a car garbage can by recycling large plastic fast food cups. Similar to making a recycled drink container sunglasses case or pencil holder.

Here is what you need:

Large plastic cup with a lid
Scissors
Decorative paper
Paper Cutter
Mod Podge
Paint brush
Embellishments like craft punches or stickers (optional)

Here are the cups we used. Make sure it fits in the cup holder of your car! Some are too large. It’s also best if you have a lid to hide the trash.

We picked out some of our favorite patterns and colors and using a paper cutter, cut out strips to decoupage onto the cup. The angles of your strips will vary depending on the size and circumference of your cup… this part is a bit tricky.

Using a decoupage medium, apply several layers onto the cup allowing it to dry completely in between each coat.

Embellish your cup however you’d like. We used craft punches for flowers and circles for the lid and stickers to spell out “trash”.

Allow it to dry completely… tah dah! There you have it… an aesthetically pleasing trash can for your car!

I hope you enjoyed this creative way to recycle plastic!

**Being the creative recycler that I am, I am excited to partner up with Arrowhead® 100% Mountain Spring Water’s ReBorn™ Bottle made with 50% recycled plastic! Join me and Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water in the recycling movement today! What are some creative crafty ways to recycle a plastic water bottle?** #Spon

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Mod Podge, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas

3 Comm

15th Mar2013

Drink Mix Container Drink Sunglasses Case

by Dinah Wulf

The other day I asked on my Facebook page, “I made a decoupage pencil box out of a Crystal Light drink mix container… what else can I make/do with them?? Any ideas?” I got some great suggestions. In particular, I loved the comment made by Lorena Leon-Cruz when she said, “I use them to store my cut up celery and carrots and block cheese in the fridge. I also decorated one for sunglasses. My aunt uses them for her crochet hooks.” Immediately I knew I would take her suggestion and make a Drink Mix Container Drink Sunglasses Case.

Materials:

Plastic drink mix container
Paper Cutter
Ruler
Decorative paper (I used scrapbook paper and an old map)
Mod Podge
Paint brush

Here is the container that I used.

See? It fit my sunglasses perfectly!

I chose some pretty scraps of scrapbook paper and an old map left over from my Recycled map Drawer makeover I did.

Using a paper cutter I cut one inch thick strips approximately 8.5” in length. I used Mod Podge to decoupage the strips to the container.

Note: Towards the top, where the container is curved, I cut the strips in half due to the angle of the box.

Here is what it looks like when it is dry (approximately 15 minutes).

Here are two more AFTER photos.

This is such a fun and easy DIY gift idea. Some other suggestions from my Facebook page were toy storage, art supplies, and sewing kits. Think twice before throwing away your drink mix containers!

Do you have a project you’d like to share? Submit your DIY Projects or crafts for a chance to be featured on DIYInspired.com!

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas. Mod Podge

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27th Feb2013

Conan O’Brien Glasses

by Dinah Wulf

I often take for granted the many fun activities there are to do here in sunny California. I am always reminded when I have friends from my hometown come to visit. Last week, my friends and I attended a taping of Conan O’Brien (it was the one with Snooki and Jwoww). Of course, we HAD to set ourselves apart from the rest of the audience. So we decided to make Conan O’Brien Glasses.

My friend purchased orange sunglasses (Conan’s signature color) from a discount department store for $2.00 apiece. What a steal!

Her husband and my long-time friend is the owner of Custom Concepts, a signage and graphics business. He designed and printed Conan’s hair, eyes, and nickname, Coco onto an adhesive vinyl. The eyes and nickname had tiny holes in it so that you could cover the lenses and still see through them.

Each of us attending the taping had a craft day and made our own glasses. We even made a “blinged” out rhinestone pair for Conan himself. For the hair, we stuck the sticker onto cardboard and cut them out.

The material made it easy to smooth out.

For the eyes and the nickname, we stuck them directly on the lenses and used a craft knife to trim the edges.

Here are all five pairs of glasses we made.

These are us being complete dorks and messing around and “modeling” in them!

We had a fantastic time making them and attending the taping. We had an audience page give the rhinestone pair to Conan. They were a hit with the staff and fellow audience members. A few couldn’t believe that we made them!

This is a great activity to do with kids (or adults!). Consider making fun glasses like these for a birthday party activity or kid’s craft!

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Category : Crafts, Kids Craft Ideas

Tags : Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Party Favor Ideas, Party Ideas, Theme Party Ideas

1 Comm

06th Feb2013

Recycled Pringles Can Gift Kits

by Dinah Wulf

I have seen a few Pringles can cookie tins on Pinterest. They are cleverly wrapped and hold the perfect sized cookie. I’ve seen them wrapped with Christmas paper complete with a bow and I’ve seen them wrapped like a Mummy for Halloween. These lovely ideas inspired me to create these Recycled Pringles Can Gift Kits with a “pull me” tag and ribbon. The long vertical shape is perfect for this.

Here are the cans I used.

I made these nail kits for a teenage girl is four easy steps.

STEP 1: Choose your gift.

STEP 2: Make a “pull me” tag.

STEP 3: Tie all your gifts together with ribbon.

STEP 4: Insert them into your decorated Pringles can.

Other Gift Kit Ideas:

Sushi Theme- chopsticks, sushi mat, soy sauce dish, packet of soy sauce, instructions on how to make sushi
Movie Theme- different types of candy and movie tickets
Spa Time Theme – loafa, travel sized soaps, bubble bath, bath wash, foot scrub, sponge
Tool Kit – screw drivers, nails, other tools
Sewing Kit – needles, thread, scissors, buttons
Makeup Kit – brushes and makeup
Creative Kit for Kids – crayons, markers, paints, brushes, stickers
Travel Theme – travel sized toiletries, tooth brushes
Puzzles – puzzle pieces and a photo of the completed puzzle
Bachelorette/Bachelor Party Kit- small liquor bottles, shot glass, cards, vail, sash, temporary tattoos, fun straws, games, etc.
Fourth of July- fill it with sparklers, snaps, matches
General- fill it with holiday themed candy and decorate accordingly

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials!

What else can you do with a Pringles Can???

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Holidays

Tags : Birthday Party Ideas, Bridal Shower Ideas, Christmas, Dinah's Tutorials, Easter Ideas, Father's Day, Fourth of July, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, Party Favor Ideas, Valentine's Day

8 Comm

31st Jan2013

My Funny Valentine Seas and Peas Giveaway

by Dinah Wulf

I know I’ve said this a thousand (ok maybe six-ish) times, but one of the reasons I started blogging was to help promote other people, products I believe in, small businesses, and whatever else I feel like writing about that day. I feel so lucky to e-meet so many creative people on a daily basis. I reached out to Chad from Seas and Peas because EVERYTIME I saw a post on Facebook from his page I would literally laugh out loud. He was so forthcoming to my email that he generously agreed to a Seas and Peas giveaway for not one or five, but 25 of his top selling cards for different occasions to one lucky winner!

With the omnipresence of text messaging, email, and social media, the hand written note is easily forgotten. Chad said that, “One thing I am passionate about though, is the preservation and survival of hand-written correspondence. Getting a physical card from someone is very special; it conveys forethought and sincerity in a way that an email, a text, or an eCard cannot.” I completely agree.

That said, today we are sharing the hilarity that is Seas and Peas! Here are the giveaway rules:

Must reside in the United States.

OK, yeah that’s about it. So I hope you enter! In the meantime, browse through the Seas and Peas collection of greeting cards, button sets, and magnet sets and I guarantee you’ll be LOLing too. Maybe you can purchase a funny Valentine (or a birthday card for yours truly) while you’re there! It was hard enough for me to pick out ones to share on this post…Gah…too hard to choose!

DIY Drink Coaster Tutorial

by Dinah Wulf

I am so excited to have Heather from Setting for Four today! She is sharing one of my favorite tutorials of hers, a DIY Drink Coaster Tutorial. Also, she included a bonus of my absolute fave, her DIY Beaded Sunburst Mirror! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Please feel free to share it too. If you Pin it, I’d love it if you pinned it from her website to show her some LOVE! Welcome, Heather!

Hello everyone! I am so excited to be here at DIY Inspired to guest post today!

My name is Heather and I blog at Setting for Four:

I’m a Military wife with a passion for family friendly design that won’t break the bank or sacrifice style! I am a mom of two teenagers and married to my best friend, an Infantryman, whom I am so proud of! I love to create things by hand, cook healthy meals and most of all create a comfy and cozy space for our family of four.

Here’s my DIY Drink Coaster Tutorial:

Drink Coasters are a great Do It Yourself project to make for your home or give as presents!

They are great to have in your living room, kitchen, office etc. but can be expensive to buy, so let’s make our own!

DIY Coasters:

Custom DIY Coaster Tutorial from Setting for Four #coaster #custom #diy #personalized #diy #modpodge #tutorial

Many coaster tutorials use tiles but I find them to be a bit too big .

This tutorial uses coasters I found at the Dollar Store. They are the perfect size and they are backed with cork so that step is already done!

Tile for DIY Coaster Tutorial from Setting for Four #dollar #tile #coaster #diy

Supplies:

Scrapbooking Paper – Michaels, 99 cents. This paper has the added bonus of reversing to a different pattern, so you can alternate the colors of your coasters to make a set that looks beautiful together. But for this project I just used the script side.

Script Scrapbook Paper from Setting for Four #paper

Coaster – Dollar store, $1.00 each. (More expensive than Lowes 20 cent tiles, but as I mentioned, the Dollar store’s are already backed with cork.)

Mod Podge
Polyurethane

Paint brush

Custom Coaster Tutorial:

Cut out a piece of scrapbooking paper to the exact width and length of your coaster.

Brush on Mod Podge to the reverse side of the paper and apply to top of coaster.

Make sure there are no bubbles and all edges are glued down by pressing firmly.

Seal the paper and apply one or two layers of polyurethane.

These custom coasters are great to make for hostess gifts, birthday and Christmas gifts too!

Personalized Coasters

DIY Drink Coasters from Setting for Four #diy #tutorial #drink #coaster #paper

I love how these drink coasters turned out and have made a couple of sets for my home.

Here they are with my new mugs from Target:

DIY Cup Cozy Tutorial here!

DIY Cup Cozy Tutorial from Setting for Four #diy #tutorial #cup #mug #cozy #knit

…Do you love this pretty watery blue scrapbook paper? Then check out my…..

DIY Beaded Sunburst Mirror tutorial

Thanks Dinah for letting me visit your readers today!

Please swing by Setting for Four and say hello! You can also visit me at:

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Stumble Upon

Hometalk

~ ~ ~ ~ Heather

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Craft Ideas, Gift Ideas, Guest Author

8 Comm

03rd Jan2013

Recycled Craft Jars

by Dinah Wulf

OK, I’m not going to lie. Sometimes I purchase things because of the packaging. If I know I can reuse things, I feel like I get my money’s worth. That’s what initially attracted me to Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup. OK, the packaging was a bonus but I also liked that the ketchup is an all-natural healthy alternative to the average commodity ketchup… much better for my little Mia! It has half the sugar and half the sodium of regular ketchup! So, after I used up my jars (BTW, I used it in my turkey and vegetable meatloaf…. And it was amazing), I decided to turn them into Recycled Craft Jars for my new craft room (that post coming soon).

Here is what you’ll need:

Clean Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup Jars
Drill
Drawer Knob
Old Book Page or magazine or scrapbook paper
Circle craft punch
Scissors and/or paper cutter
Ribbon
Double sided tape or glue

First, I cleaned out my jars (a regular and mini… so cute and perfect for glamping).

Next, I cut out an old book page to fit around the existing label; two inches wide for the regular jar and one inch wide for the mini jar.

I also covered the regular sized jar with some decorative ribbon.

Using a circle craft punch, I cut out a circle for the lid and attached it with double sided tape. I didn’t cover the mini jar because the knob I chose has a base that covers the label perfectly.

After the top is covered, drill a hole in the center of the lid.

Insert your drawer knob.

Ta Dah! Super adorable recycled craft jars or anything jars! I used mine for beads and straight pins. I have made these before with Mason Jars and they make the perfect candy jar and gift.

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Sponsored, Upcycling Ideas

2 Comm

26th Nov2012

I Can’t Sew

by Dinah Wulf

I can’t sew. Really. Well, I can sew in a straight line, but that’s about it. I did however, do one sewing tutorial on how to make envelop pillows when I first started blogging. Prior to this, the last time I used a sewing machine was 15 years ago. I tried to follow a simple pattern for a T shirt. I thought it’d be a good place to start. The key word is “tried”. It turned into an off the shoulder half shirt. Ever since that happened sewing has always intimidated me.

Fast forward 14 years, my amazing brother bought me a new sewing machine for Christmas 2011. I took a picture for you.

Yep… still in the box as of November 2012.

I even had to read the directions to make sure I wound the bobbin and threaded the machine correctly.

So, just to be clear this post isn’t a sewing tutorial, rather it serves as social proof that I made these pillows for my guest room from the extra fabric I used to upholster this bench and used this very generous present from my brother. Here are some pictures to prove it.

On a side note, the entire time I was making these pillows I was thinking about how I made these same pillows in seventh grade home economics class. My teacher would be proud! Anyway, to my brother, I promise I will continue to try my hand at more sewing projects and it won’t be another 15 years before I do… maybe 10 or 12 but definitely not 15. Just kidding! Labu.

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Gift Ideas

7 Comm

13th Nov2012

Shoe Box Lid Clock

by Dinah Wulf

I recently painted my guest room and I wanted to add some DIY wall art so I decided to recycle some shoe boxes and make shoe box lid wall art instead of buying paint canvases from the craft store. For one of them, I thought I’d turn into a clock using a clock kit from a craft store. You can turn practically anything into a clock! Consider using other recycled items like books or paintings. Here is how I made a shoe box lid clock.

Here is what you’ll need:

Shoe box lid
Craft Paint
Paint brushes
Stencils
Spouncers (sponge stencil brush)
Clock Kit
Drill

I started off by choosing my color pallet and laying out my shoe box lid and painted it with two coats. Allow it to dry in between coats. It dries fairly quickly (approximately 15 minutes). Using stencils and spouncers, I added my design by carefully saturating the tip of the brush, removing some excess, and stamping the paint down onto the stencil in an up and down motion. This helps prevent bleeding. Allow the box to dry in between stencils if you are using more than one.

Next, drill a hole into that area you want your center of your clock to be. Follow the directions on your clock kit. Typically you put the hour hand first, the minute hand second, and the second hand last. Add a battery. Viola! There you have it!

I ended up hanging my shoe box lid clock with a thumbtack among other lids that I painted. You can add rubber putty at the tip of your thumbtack to prevent slipping.

Here are some more after photos.

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Category : Crafts, DIY Artwork, Trash To Treasure

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

3 Comm

25th Sep2012

Diaper Cake and Diaper Cupcakes

by Dinah Wulf

I am helping host a golf themed co-ed baby shower for one of my best friends. Check out the sneak peek I did. I can’t wait to show you the rest soon. Anyway, I have always wanted to make a diaper cake and thought that this would be the perfect time to try it; so here is my quick and easy tutorial. I had extra diaper so I ended up making a diaper cake and diaper cupcakes as well.

For most tutorials, they tell you to roll each diaper and secure it with a rubber band. I have actually received a diaper cake before and it’s kind of a pain to take off all the rubber bands. So, I decided to use tape. The tape isn’t as secure, however it is MUCH faster and easier to use. The trick is to make about three rolls and then wrap your rubber band for the entire layer around the rolls and add as you make them.

I made three layers as shown. My top layer had seven diapers, my middle layer had eighteen diapers, and my bottom layer had twenty-eight diapers. Layer your “cake” and insert two BBQ Skewers to secure it as shown. Add ribbon or cardstock as desired. I found a plastic golf game at the 99 cent store and used the clubs for the topper. The cupcakes were left over diapers. I simply made a top layer with seven diapers and added a thick piece of scrapbook paper to represent a cupcake wrapper, I used the plastic golf balls from the golf game from the 99 cent store as “cherries”.

Here are some after photos.

I hope you try it!

Have you signed up for my emails? I’d love it if you did!

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Category : Kid Stuff, Special Occasions

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Theme Party Ideas

3 Comm

27th Aug2012

Junk Drawer Crafts

by Dinah Wulf

I made these simple junk drawer crafts for a fundraiser coming up. I call them “junk drawer crafts” because they are recycled crafts literally made out of items I found in my horrendous kitchen and completely unorganized kitchen drawer (I was totally inspired to do this because I’m watching Craft Wars…awesome show!).

I decided to make kitchen magnets out of these items I found:

Scrabble tiles
Used gift cards, flyers, and business cards
Paint color swatches
Bottle caps

Here is a quick two and a half minute YouTube video I did for these if you prefer not to read! LOL By the way, I apologize for saying “um” so much…

The Scrabble tile magnets are self-explanatory. I actually had these left over from two crafts I had done last year, Scrabble tile art and Scrabble tile Christmas ornaments. You simply make words, cut your gift card to size (they are the most sturdy), hot glue the tiles onto the card, and glue a magnet onto the back using a strong bonding agent like E6000.

The bottle cap magnets are essentially the same idea. I had made these before with Mod Podge and recycled Christmas card photos. This time however, since they were for a fundraiser and not me I used Easy Cast which is a Craft Casting Epoxy.

Materials:

Bottle Caps
Paint color swatches
Craft Casting Epoxy
- Wooden stir sticks
- Two disposable plastic cups
- 1” Circular craft punch or a quarter and a pencil
- Small Stickers
- Round magnet
- E6000 Multi-Purpose Adhesive

First cut out the circles using your craft punch out of the color paint swatches. You can get these in a variety of colors at any hardware or paint store. Place the desired sticker on top. Consider using holiday, sports themed, school themed, or letters. Next place it into the bottle cap.

Follow the instructions for your casting agent or resin. For Easy Cast, you mix equal parts resin and hardening agent in a plastic cup. Stir it for two minutes. Transfer the mixture into a second cup. With a new stick, stir for another minute. Carefully pour the solution on top of the magnet. Bubbles will appear, however they will go away as the solution hardens. Allow it to dry. I let mine dry overnight. Attach your magnet to the back using a strong bonding agent like E6000 Multi-Purpose Adhesive.

Since these were for a fundraiser I made small packages using treat bags, scrapbook paper, and printed address labels. Consider making these for stocking stuffers, party favors, or teacher gifts too!

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Category : Crafts, Holidays, Kid Stuff, Kids Craft Ideas, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Christmas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Party Favor Ideas, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas

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22nd Aug2012

Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

If you follow me on Facebook, you saw this Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath I found on Pintrest.

A few of us were commenting on how to make it and inspired each other to take this project on ourselves (Thank you, Elise, Rose, Katie, Jo, Michelle, and Zach & Lois… you all are the best!). The best part? This wreath cost me NOTHING! This is my version.

I ended up making two, a large one and a small one. Here is my tutorial on how to make a Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath.

Step One: Make the butterflies

Materials:

Old book, map, magazine, etc.
Scissors
Pencil

I used an old book I had from another recycled book page wreath I made last year. At first I used a butterfly stencil that I had but after tracing and cutting the first three, I thought it’d be more fun to free hand them instead. It’s easiest to fold the page in half and draw half the butterfly so that you have two identical sides. Use a pencil so that you can erase any lines if need be.

Step Two: Gather the branches and prep them

Gather your branches. Remove any leaves from the branches and soak the naked branches in water. This makes it easier to work with and will cause less breakage.

Step Three: Construct the wreath

Materials:

Wire hanger (one for small wreath, two for large wreath)
Prepped Branches
Water
Sink
Hot glue

Simply unwind the wire and create a circle, twisting the end together. One by one, wrap, twist, and tuck each branch around your wreath until you have the desired width.

Allow your wreath to dry. (Optional step) Once it is dried, on the BACK of the wreath, use a hot glue gun to secure and loose branches.

Step Four: Assemble the Butterflies

Materials:

Pre-cut butterflies from step one
Plastic Beads, Pearls, Shells (anything you want to use for the bodies)
Hemp string (I found this to work best so that the antennas will stay erect)
Scissors
Hot Glue

You can use whatever your heart desires for the bodies. I chose to use plastic beads and hemp string. Using a hot glue gun, glue your beads together and while the glue s still hot, insert your antennas (as shown). Next, glue the body onto your butterfly. Make sure the butterfly wings are folded up so that they appear as if they are in flight.

Step Five: Attach the Butterflies to Your Wreath

Materials:

Assembled butterflies from step four
Constructed wreath from step three

I placed the butterflies on the wreath and moved them around to arrange them in the order and position I wanted BEFORE I used the hot glue.

Ta Da!

Here are some photos of the large wreath.

Here are some photos of the small version.

You can make these wreaths for the holidays and embellish them as you wish! I hope you try it! Email me a photo if you do… oh and say hi! dwulf@diyinspired.com

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials! In case you missed them!

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Category : Crafts, Holidays, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Bridal Shower Ideas, Centerpieces, Christmas, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas, Wedding Ideas, Wreaths

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09th Aug2012

Back to School Time

by Dinah Wulf

I have seen so many status updates on Facebook lately about how much back to school items cost. One of my friends said that she paid $125 for supplies and hasn’t even bought a backpack yet! That is a lot of money for most of us. I’m a huge believer in searching for Back to School coupons online, saving as much as possible, and avoiding the department store crowds. And of course there is also the back to school clothes shopping. We like to shop for our favorite brand names, so we are left to scrabbling and searching for the best online deals at stores like Crazy 8, The Children’s Place, and DisneyStore Coupons.

I have also noticed that in the social media world there is an abundance of Back to School teacher gift ideas. Pintrest is littered with some great and inspiring ideas. I love these because they show creativity and you don’t have to spend too much. I recently posted a tutorial for a clever Back to School highlighter gift set. This vibrant piece was fun to make with my daughter.

Here is another cute inexpensive Back to School teacher gift idea I saw on Pintrest (sorry I couldn’t find the source!). It reminds me of the Sweet Gift Idea post I wrote not long ago. This gift is great because with the help of your craft closet, you spend a few cents for a unique and personalized gift.

Here are some candy sayings well-suited for a teacher:

Snickers – Teacher, we love how you make us laugh and “SNICKER”!
Junior Mints – Teacher, you are worth a “MINT”!
Peanut M&M’s – Our class is “NUTS” about you as our teacher this year!
Rice Krispies Treat – I think it’s a “TREAT” that you’re my teacher!
Peanut Butter M&M’s – Teacher, our class thinks you’re Magnificent and Marvelous!
Milky Way – Teacher, our class thinks you are out of this world!
Zero Bar – You’re not a “ZERO”. You’re our hero!!
Heath – Sugar and Spice you’re everything nice!
Twix – Just be “TWIX” you and me, we love you as our teacher!
Rolos – Teacher, you’re my “ROLO” model!

Back to School season is an exciting time of year; however with smart shopping habits and a little creativity, it doesn’t have to break the bank!

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Category : Kid Stuff, Sweets and Treats

Tags : Gift Ideas, Party Favor Ideas, Sponsored

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18th Jul2012

Great Gift Ideas for Kids

by Dinah Wulf

So, I realize that not all of my DIY Inspired readers are work from home moms who have a lot of time to craft and tackle their own Do It Yourself projects. Sometimes, we are just looking for inspiration and ideas so that we can give a thoughtful gift to our loved ones. So, here are some great gift ideas for kids that I put together that you can make or buy, it’s up to you!

Gift Idea #1: A Personalized Gift Basket.

Make It!

Personalized gift baskets are great because they are just that…personalized! Here are some examples of baby shower gift baskets that were featured on DIY Inspired.

Buy It!

If you don’t have the time, check out GiftsnIdeas. Here you can find several options for gift baskets from sports themes to baby themes there is an option for everyone. The best part is that it’s international! Don’t forget your GiftsnIdeas coupon codes either!

Gift Idea #2: Personalized Wall Art.

Make It!

Wall art is so much fun to make and it’s actually quite inexpensive to do. I like to reuse thrift store paintings and cover them with fabric, or I have also painted inexpensive wooden frames or flea market frames as well. By stenciling a monogram or name with craft paint you give it a personalized touch.

Buy It!

Rather buy it instead? Personalized Nursery Vinyl Wall Art are a great way to go. They can easily be removed without damaging the wall as well.

Gift Idea #3: Play Activity Table.

Make It!

I have refurbished two play tables so far. One was free and the other was five dollars! Garage sales are the best for these. With a little paint (or duct tape), these play tables make the perfect upcycled gift for your little one that they will use for many years.

Buy It!

Babies R Us Coupons make it easy and affordable to purchase these fabulous activity play tables. They have a large variety from folding and portable play tables to classic wood or character themed tables.

A special thank you goes out to CouponSnapshot.com for sponsoring this post.

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Category : Kid Stuff

Tags : Gift Ideas, Sponsored

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09th Jul2012

Stenciled Butterfly Wall Art

by Dinah Wulf

Recently, I wrote a post on DIY Butterfly Wall Art from items I found in my craft closet. With my daughter’s garden themed birthday party coming up, I decided to make another craft scrap art piece. I wanted to use it as part of the decorations at her birthday party, as well as hang it in her room after.

Once again, I didn’t have to buy anything new. I had every item already sitting in my craft closet. I even had another ugly painting that I inherited when my husband and I moved in together. If you don’t have an old ugly painting, blank canvases can be purchased at any craft store. Also consider going to a thrift store and recycle an old one. It may even come with a frame you can reuse.

Here is what I used for my Stenciled Butterfly Wall Art project.

Old painting or canvas
Burlap
Staple gun and staples
Craft paint
Spouncer
Stencils
Paper plate
Glue gun and glue sticks
Craft Butterflies

I started off by covering the painting with burlap that I had from my Stenciled Burlap Placemat project by attaching it with a staple gun. Make sure you pull the fabric taught as you staple it. Next, I laid out my stencils and butterflies in the order I wanted them placed on the canvas and took a digital photo of it.

I stenciled my daughter’s name on the bottom right and stenciled a butterfly in the center. Check out my Stenciled Burlap Placemat project for stenciling tips and tricks. Next, referring back to my digital photo, I hot glued each butterfly onto the canvas.

Both quickly and easily I have a unique and personalized party and room decoration that didn’t cost me a dime!!

Have you signed up for my emails? I’d love it if you did!

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Category : DIY Artwork, Kid Stuff

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, DIY Burlap Crafts, Easter Ideas, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, Party Ideas, Recycling Ideas, Stenciling, Theme Party Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

8 Comm

14th Jun2012

Father’s Day Bouquet

by Dinah Wulf

Here is something you can do last minute for Father’s Day. I hope I’m not posting it too late, but I’m taking the chance that my husband won’t look at my website until Monday! It’s very easy and inexpensive.

I think many of us enjoy receiving bouquets of flowers, however for many men in our life, I think they’d rather enjoy this Father’s Day Bouquet. Here are the main materials needed:

Gifts for your recipient (see below)
Container (preferably recycled!)
Foam or floral foam that will fit inside the container
BBQ Skewers
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Card stock
Computer (optional)
Ribbon (optional)
Stuffing (preferably recycled!)

Gift ideas for your bouquet:

Candy bars
Wrapped cookies
Cigars
Matchbook or lighter
Gum
Mini liquor bottles
Beef sticks
Small packages of cookies, crackers, pretzels, etc.
Travel sized items (deodorant, shave gel, razors)
Concert, movie, or game tickets
Gift cards

First, insert the foam into your container.

Next, using your glue gun, attach each gift item to a BBQ skewer. I used a small piece of card stock to make it more secure and aesthetically pleasing from the back. The best part of this project is that you can change the size of your skewer accordingly by breaking it. Start long, and break it as needed. I glued the entire skewer and broke each one as I made the arrangement. Another great thing about this project is that you can take out and insert each skewer anytime to create the desired arrangement.

Lastly, I used made a small sign on my computer, framed it with decorative scrapbook paper, and glued it to the skewer as part of the bouquet. I embellished it with ribbon and stuffed the inside with recycled phone book paper (who uses the phone book anyway???).

There you have it! A manly Father’s Day Bouquet! Here’s another photo

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Category : Special Occasions, Sweets and Treats

Tags : Birthday Party Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Father's Day, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, Repurposing Ideas, Valentine's Day

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31st May2012

How to Make Organic Deodorants

by Dinah Wulf

Written By Alexis Thompson

How to Make Organic Deodorants

How many deodorants are there out in the market? How many have you actually tried? Come on, be honest. Who hasn’t tried a lot of deodorant brands promising to make you smell cleaner for longer hours, or to make it less itchy, or make it smoother or lighten the color? Unknown to many, commercial deodorants contains a lot of ingredients like aluminum, penetration enhancers and fragrance, among others, that are harmful to ones health.

In the dawn of organic products when people now believe in the power of anything homemade, it not surprising that people makes anything from their own pantry. If you are guilty of this, raise your hand. (Raises my hand.) Who needs to spend extra cash on a $30 scrub when you have some brown sugar and olive oil in your house? Need a hair mask? Use some mayonnaise and plastic wrap on your hair. Body wash? Add some milk to warm water and wash away for a smoother skin. But have you ever thought of homemade products for your more delicate parts like arm pits and privates? Me neither. Have I tried it? Yes and no, I don’t stink.

So what do you need? Without further ado, here are your new best friends:

4 tbsps. Coconut oil – softens skin and has antibacterial properties. It is your best weapon against bad odor.
1 tbsp. Shea butter – softens and smoothens skin even after shaving or after waxing.
4 tsps. Clay - Keeps sweat from reaching your clothes.
1 1/2 tbspas. Beeswax – keeps the deodorant solid and stay its shape in the container
10-20 drops of Essential oil/s like tea tree, rosemary, lavender, lemon, or peppermint -serves as odor-stopper. It is antibacterial and anti fungal.
You also have to keep a sterilized deodorant container with you where you will put the mixture in.

Time to channel your inner Giadda or Barefoot Contessa. Here’s what you need to do:

Melt the beeswax and coconut oil together in a very low heat while mixing it slowly and continuously, take a bigger cup and fill it with hot water and place the two ingredients together in a small cup and put it on the bigger cup.

Once it has melted, whip in the shea butter in the mixture and remove from heat. The mixture should now be in liquid form. Sprinkle or fold in the clay and mix well.

Finally, add in the essential oil/s of your choice. Let the mixture cool down for a while and then spoon in a sterilized container. Refrigerate the container until it has hardened.

Surprisingly, there have been a lot of recipes of homemade deodorant available online and its ingredients are found in the comforts of our own kitchens. Like many other homemade things, you can be assured that your deodorant contains only harmless materials. Creating your own deodorant not only saves you the horror of bumping into someone in the alley of deodorants, while you inspect the components of the new product that claims “24-hour protection“, but also saves from harmful things, saves a lot of money in the long run, and saves a lot of dark underarms.

It is easy to make your own deodorant. Just make a small amount, maybe just half of the portions I mentioned and try it for a week. I bet you will swear by it by the time you try it.

Author bio:

Alexis Thompson is a former Mountain Backpacker and a 26 year old mother of 2 daughters, Sophie and Rhian. She is into almost all types of Music especially The Fray and Hillsong. She also has a passion in Singing and Scrap Booking. Follow her escapades on her Twitter.

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Craft Ideas, Gift Ideas, Guest Author

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