MY Bathroom (part 2)

Crafty Creations for April 4th, 2013
-In light of April becoming our month to "Burlap".  I thought I ought to finally share the other half of "MY Bathroom" Project.

 I figured after a few hot steamy showers the burlap would relax a litter, and eventually it did.  This was very simple.  above the mirror I hammered in two small nails on each side of the light to hook the burlap.  On the drapes where it was a bit too thick and around the upper corners I just tucked some of the fabric behind the mirror and it automatically secured itself.

 Above the burlap as you can see I cut up some silk flowers and fake floral with some needle nose plyers (DO NOT USE SCISSORS) to give me about 3 inches of thick wire and just stuck the fake plants into the the burlap's tiny squares, no glue, and was secured.  Same with the the nest, although I had to glue the eggs in with my cool glue gun, but the nest had long stick pieces to secure into foam or other material, which worked well with the burlap.

 The birds came with clips on the bottom of them so I just clipped them to the floral as if they were sitting on them, and moved the floral around some so I could hide the clips in order to give that "natural" nature allure.

I had bought everything from my local JoAnn's store, except for the pine like branches, I had purchased at my local Hobby Lobby store.  I'd say all the materials cost me no more than $30 (max.). I collect my coupons and get everything on sale or discounted somehow, between apps, e-mails, mailers, and site coupons, it can all add up in your favor.

I truly hope you enjoy this project because even though someone may have done something like it (which I haven't seen yet), this is one of those special ideas that just popped into my head, and I really think it came out to be a beautiful project and inspire some of you!

A Tu-Tu-rrific Birthday

This year my daughter was turning 3, and last summer I had gotten Disney Princess Dresses for a local garage sale group on Facebook.  And they just wouldn't hold up and they're expensive and cheap looking (sorry Disney).  My daughter LOVES to dress up, and I thought to myself, why can't I make my own princess dresses?  And not to be "too full of myself", I thought "I could do it and do it better!"
I hate sewing always have, but now I find it kind of relaxing... I have became my mother (lol).....
So I thought Tu-Tu's and I'll just design my own tops because I couldn't find a pattern I liked.  (FYI, I know how to sew, but NEVER designed clothes or done anything like this).  So this is how I done a "Tu-tu-rrific Birthday"

 I had seen many ways people have made tutu's but I figured the easiest way would be to tie the tulle around the elastic waist band.  So I found on Pinterest a blog that gave a tutorial so I knew that I had the general idea right, funny this gal is from Indiana too.  You can check out her blog and tutu's here: http://simplyinspireddesigns.blogspot.com/2010/12/diy-tutu.html
*I cut mine into 4 in. wide pieces and 26-28 in. long. and tied them around the waist band.  When finished I went and hung the tutu's on one of my kitchen chairs and would cut the ends to make sure they were all an even length.  I wanted mine long and full for growing room.

Here is one half finished without trim and to see how well it fit my daughter. (Rapunzel outfit).

Then here's one of my finished products. (Aariel, the Little Mermaid). -front

-and back.

Okay I added rings, and thin ribbon to tie the tutu tighter, because I made them a little big for again, growing room.  Then I sewn a sash to wrap and tie to hide the small bulk of that tie.
I apologize I do not really have a tutorial for the tops because I literally randomly designed these things as I went and I was stressed on time.

Also a friend of mine, Miss Kelsie Ann at http://cutcraftcreate.blogspot.com/ has some awesome sewing projects, and has been participating in blog hops related to other sewing projects, which is why I making sure I get this shared and out there to all those who do love to sew because of a recent event.  Check out her site, and she has posts that'll guide you to those other blogs with such amazing projects so you too can get your craft on! : )

When it comes to Making a Gift for a Guy, You Gotta Get Creative!!!

Although, this one wasn't, all lovey-dovey and Valentines-ie.  It was for him...lol

Believe it or not ALL the Ninja Turtle Sticker looking things is actually from this old self-adhesive wall paper my mom had in her basement for a crafting project she never done for years.  My fiancee, Casey, with us being born in the 80's and watching most of our cartoons throughout the 90's, you can only image he grew up on this ans is still a fan... lol

I took a smaller rather than medium art canvas, painted my background aka "the setting", then I cut out all the character/pieces in the wallpaper that I wanted to stick on the canvas to do a sort of 'collage' (collage art is sort of my strong suit, if you haven't noticed, you eventually will). When I cut out some of the piping, I stuck that on first then finished painting the rest of the piping. I had also to a empty toilet paper roll and painted it to make it just a wee-bit 3-D, and added more of a sewer look, with the HUGE sewer pipes we all imagine.  I glued it on with a hot glue gun.  I know that may sound weird to do or tricky, but really it's not.  I just done took the glue more on the inside edge, so it wouldn't seep outward to look tacky.  While it's still warm (I don't know about you but I have became immune to the hot glue guns wrath over the years), I take my nails and fingers to help squish the glue down. ( I made this back in 2010, and hasn't fell apart yet!) Then I added the rest of the wallpaper that I had cut out, and Ta-Da!  Needless, to say, he LOVED it! So, just because it may be Valentine's Day doesn't necessarily mean, it has to go along with that theme.  Do something that'll mean something much more! <3

No-Sew Burlap Curtain

Yes, I said NO-SEW! :-)

How to DIY:
I don't know how, but this idea just popped into my head one night.  It's a "NO-SEW BURLAP (STORAGE COVER) CURTAIN".  Now what I did here is I took a dowel rod, painted the same color as the mirror, screwed in ceiling hooks (these can be found in same isle as nails in hardware at like Walmart for example).  When cutting the burlap give yourself some slack so if your cut isn't even, especially cutting long lengths, you can fringe it, and the cut to shape it up as it's hanging, like giving it a hair cut! But before you even hang it, I fold the burlap about 7-8 inches over, then pushed thin hemp rope through the tiny squares of the burlap, then the hole of the buttons, and ties them into bows.  It give's a natural and country look too.  Then you push the dowel rod through hang it, straighten it, give it a hair cut if you must and you're done.  Yes, it is that simple! And you could do this on really any window in the house, especially if you're going for something simple, natural, or kind of a "country" look.

More pics....

MY Bathroom (part 1)

Okay I've been trying beautify my bathroom, slowly and cheaply for a few months now.  So I'm going to share a bit of stuff that's already been added, what I've worked on here recently with DIY tutorials, and some info on what's yet to come.

Above, is what it looked like earlier this week, before I really started getting crafty, Although I've already had added to it before doing a post about it so we will get to those next.

With these I saw these two pictures in their cheaper than cheap frames from the dollar tree and inserted them   into these from with scrap-booking card stock since they didn't fit exactly perfect.  I was sick of the old art that was in there and couldn't afford bed, bath, and beyond again, so I just pulled it apart simply replaced the prints.

 It's high up on this shelf because my 2 year old loves getting a hold of my brushes and ruining them.  But I think I saw this idea somewhere on Pinterest, but they had but pebbles in a glass kind of vase.  I didn't have a vase, I had this little basket that wasn't being used for anything else, and again, amazingly the Dollar Tree sells these little decorative rocks, 2 bags, $2.

 I had gotten the two gardening decorative plaques quite a years back at JoAnne's near the end of the summer on clearance  (and by the way, they can have fabulous clearance deals) for my "English Garden" themed Bedroom.

Always wanted one of these as my "night light" for my bathroom, it was a GREAT find!  Got it this past November on clearance for $5.

 Love this curtain, as you can see there's a lot of butterflies in my "nature" themed bathroom.  Bought this at K-mart on Sale for I think maybe $17, not too bad.

 Oh my goodness I swear, we cannot get enough storage between the 4 of us!!! I got this at my local Walmart for $30, very happy with it too!

With the mirror, I obviously painted it, but I played around with mixing colors until I got the right kind of "bark-like" color.  Once I got it all painted and dry. I took sand paper to it light on the smooth areas, but a little more rough on areas of engravings and edges to enhance them, and make a little more visible with an antique look.

I saved the best for last, because I don't know how, but this idea just popped into my head one night.  It's a "NO-SEW BURLAP (STORAGE COVER) CURTAIN".  Now what I did here is I took a dowel rod, painted the same color as the mirror, screwed in ceiling hooks (these can be found in same isle as nails in hardware at like Walmart for example).  When cutting the burlap give yourself some slack so if your cut isn't even, especially cutting long lengths, you can fringe it, and the cut to shape it up as it's hanging, like giving it a hair cut! But before you even hang it, I fold the burlap about 7-8 inches over, then pushed thin hemp rope through the tiny squares of the burlap, then the hole of the buttons, and ties them into bows.  It give's a natural and country look too.  Then you push the dowel rod through hang it, straighten it, give it a hair cut if you must and you're done.  Yes, it is that simple! And you could do this on really any window in the house, especially if you're going for something simple, natural, or kind of a "country" look.

Saving a Lamp from the Dumpster

 

Absolutely HIDEOUS!!!!

Supplies:

• Paint Brush (s)
• Primer (you can use regular white crafters paint on this one, but the best primer I like to use is "Gusso" found in the art/painting isle.)
• Paint - color(s) your choice
• scrapbook paper
• Buttons
• Hot Glue-Gun
• Scrapbook adhesive stickers (your choice) -  and/ or -  picture cut outs.
• (A Lamp Shade if you do NOT already have one.)
• Matte Medium Gel (found in the art/painting isl of your local craft store.) And here's a picture of my preferred brand, and also so you know what you're looking for:

 Directions:

1. Wash off the lamp of all dust and dirt. (I prefer to use wet wipes, because they're actually really good for that and many other things!)
2. Begin to prime everything you plan to paint and collage.
3. After that dries, paint all of the surface you want the paint to show. (DO THIS BEFORE THE COLLAGE!!!)
4. Then you take your scrapbook paper and tear it to whatever size you want, some will be BIG / SMALL REGARDLESS, and if you are working with a Curvy Lamp, it's a bit more tricky like a puzzle and you'll definitely have those smaller pieces. After that, you take a small flat paint brush then brush on your matte gel to the back side of your torn piece of paper and place to glue it to the lamp. NOW DON'T FREAK OUT! It may not stick very well, so I get some more gel on my brush and brush it over that piece of paper. It's seals it and glues all down.  (Also, I like to tear my paper into whatever pieces/ shapes as I go, because like I said, it's kind of like a puzzle and certain shapes fit better in certain areas/ doesn't over lap with the same pattern of paper.) And you continue until you see no more primer and the collaged area is filled.
5. Any adhesive scrapbook stickers or cut outs you add now.  Cut outs go on the same way you as you had put on your paper, with the matte gel.
6. Once you're finished adding the stickers/ cut outs and it's DRY, you can add your buttons however many / wherever on your lamp with the hot glue gun.
7. Then put in back together (shade/bulb), plug it in and sit back for an hour or so and admire your work! ;)

 (half-way done, collage area is filled.)

Finished, up close.

The whole thing, finished. I added a new (vintage) shade I got from my grandma's barn still wrapped from the 70's or 80's. ;)

How To's by My Design

The "Inspiration Aquarium"

Originally, I was trying to do this (from Pinterest):

And I didn't like the way my wax melted and I just left it out and looked at it and my boyfriend walked in the kitchen to check it out and he says "Babe, it looks like an under the sea thing" so there I went with that theme. (A plus to it was because my 2 yr. old is obsessed with fish. lol)

 And let me tell you, this was the biggest pain in the butt, EVER!!!  I went and got a 16x20 shadow box, for a 16x20 canvas, well inside the shadow box, it ISN"T 16x20.  So I chip away some of the wood in the shadow box (can't take it back now), still doesn't fit, then busted it, but still doesn't fit.  So I had to cut off the canvas fabric, cut down that wood, sand it, staple it back together, FITS!!!, and then nail the box back together, and finally hot glue the things that popped off back on and add some from chipping off some wax...
Like I had the biggest pain EVER! If you're interested in a "How To" leave me a comment, if you're brave enough to take this on! lol