Mini Chalkboard Disply Sign Tutorial

Today I am showing you how to make these adorable mini chalkboard display signs.  These little signs are so cute & can be used for buffet table, wedding table numbers, craft show displays, or just around your house.

I was given the great opportunity to do a little shopping at a new online craft supply store called Consumer Crafts.  I found that they have a wide variety or really great products & the cheapskate in me just loved their awesome prices!  Shipping was also very quick.  I received my order in about a week.  I purchased the following supplies for this project from their website:

Galvanized metal pails - 2 3/4 inch
Wood dowels
Wood rectangle cutouts - 3 inch
Dry floral foam
Acrylic paint
Preserved sheet moss
Glue gun

In addition to the items above, I used the following supplies that I already had on hand:

Chalkboard paint
Foam paintbrushes
Painter's tape

Okay, here is how it's done...

Cut off a chunk of the dry floral foam & press it into the bottom of your pail.  You want it to fit snug.  I held the foam up to my bucket & then eyeballed it.  Just cut the foam off with a sharp kitchen knife.

Next tear off a little bit of moss & attach it to the top of the foam with hot glue. This moss is so fun!  I love, love, love it!!

Now it's time to paint both your dowel & your rectangle piece.  I chose a nice turquoise color.  I also cut a few inches off my dowel with scissors before painting, just cause it didn't need to be as long as it was or it would look weird in the end.

At this point, I hot glued my dowel to the back of my sign.  You could do this now, or wait until after you paint the chalkboard.

Apply painters tape around the edges of the sign to create the little turquoise border.  Then paint with chalkboard paint.  Paint one coat with brush strokes going in one direction.  Allow that to dry & then paint another coat with the brushstrokes going in the opposite direction.

Once dry, remove the painters tape.  Insert your dowel into the moss & floral foam in the center of the bucket.  And you're done!  You can remove the sign to write on it & then place it right back into the pail.

Check out Consumer Crafts today!  They really do offer a great selection of craft supplies at really great prices!  They also have an awesome blog, Crafts Unleashed.  And you can keep up with them through twitter, Facebook & Pinterest as well.

Also don't miss the Refer-A-Friend Contest they are currently running.  They are giving away $250 shopping sprees to 6 winners! 

I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Consumer Crafts and Blueprint Social.  The opinions in this post are my own.

Painted Canvas Curtains DIY

This summer we moved into a little home of our own, after living with my parents for the past few years, and I've caught the decorating bug bad.  I've never been much into decorating.  I think because we've always rented & I've always felt like we didn't have the extra funds for it.  And even though we are still renting now, I feel so much a desire to make our space beautiful & comfortable & nice. 

In our living room, I knew that curtains would make a big impact for a small price.  I'd seen a few DIY painted curtains on pinterest & loved the look of big stripes!  So I bought a canvas drop cloth & picked out a nice mustard yellow paint color at the home improvement store & set out to get these curtains made!

I measured my panels & cut them down leaving one side on the drop cloth hem intact (less sewing later).  Then I measured my stripes (mine are 10 inches tall) & then taped them off.  Next step was painting.  This took more time & paint then I originally thought.  But a few days of work during school & nap time & they were done.  The material sucks up a lot of paint, but it is also really easy to get nice clean lines on the canvas.  I ended up using about one quart of paint on these curtain panels.

For the unfinished edges of the curtain, I just folded them under & ran them through my sewing machine.  I would suggest doing this before you paint as you won't want to use your hot iron on the painted sections.  I painted first, but luckily the canvas folds over really easily & it wasn't difficult to hem without ironing.  You could also just hot glue the hems if you didn't want to sew.

I made hidden loops on the back of the curtains for hanging.  And because I was so excited to get them up, I didn't take any photos of that process!  I used this method here.  My loops are spaced about 5 inches apart.  I think all curtains that I make in the future will be done with these hidden loops.  They are so inexpensive, and easy & make the curtain hang so nicely.

These curtains took more time to make than I expected, but it was totally worth it!  I spent about $35 to make them & I got the exact look that I wanted.  I love them! 

Last Minute Handmade Gifts for Kids

Thought I'd share some cute tutorials that I've pinned over the past year for that are just perfect for little handmade gifts for kiddos.  My shopping is done, but I'm hoping to make a few handmade gifts still for my kids.  How about you?  Are you still trying to squeeze out a few handmades?

felt flowers, cereal box houses, sock octopusus

mooshy belly bunny, painted geo blocks, chalkboard blocks

slippers, magnetic dress up dolls, headband

DIY Painted Chevron Tote Bag

Hello Friends!  Today I am guest posting over at GingiberSnap & I'm showing you how to make this super, super cute painted chevron tote bag.  So be sure to pop over & check that out!

Sadie totally stole my bag to use as her school bag today.  Looks like I'm going to need to make some more of these!  She looked so cute.  As I watched her walk into school, I said to myself, "Dang!  That's a great bag!"  :)

And can someone please tell my kids to quit growing up so fast?  When did Claire get so tall?

Hot Air Balloons

This week I cut out lots & lots of little hot air balloons from cardstock & made lots & lots of little hot air balloon ornaments.  Dylan put together the images for me & once printed, they were cut out, folded in half & glued together with elmer's glue.  I added a coordinating loop of embroidery floss for the hanging string.

These were used for the Young Women Excellence night where our theme was "The Sky's the Limit".  They hung from branches in a vase as centerpieces & then the girls each got to take one home as a reminder of the evening.

They turned out pretty sturdy & could really be made into just about any shape or using any image.  I'm thinking Christmas ornaments.  In fact I think a few of these balloons just may end up on my tree this year.  :)

Would you like to make your own?  Download the hot air balloon pdf right here.  One reader thought that these would make a great mobile & I agree!!

Guest Post - Smile and Wave

Hi, I'm Rachel Denbow from Smile and Wave! My husband, Brett, teases me about taking pictures of pictures. I've been documenting my favorite Instax photos by photographing them on top of vintage fabrics for the last few months. It only made sense to recreate that concept in a photo frame and what better place to share it than on another vintage sheet lover's blog!

To make your own patchwork photo frame you'll need the following: A frame with glass and a cardboard backing, fabric scraps, low loft batting (or two layers of flannel), fabric for the backing, straight pins, a sewing machine, scissors, fabric glue.

Measure the size of your frame. I suggest something larger rather than smaller but it depends on how much fabric you want showing. Then decide if you want small or large squares. I cut mine to 3.5" x 3.5". I used a variety of my favorites for a colorful  effect.

Once you've decided on the arrangement you like best, pin them together in rows and then stitch them together. Iron the seams flat.

Next, pin the rows together and stitch them. Iron flat as you go.

Don't worry too much if your corners don't match up all the way. It's charming, right?

To get a flatter look, iron all of your seams in the same direction. This is what your back will look like.

Place your fabric backing down (I used a regular white sheet but if you decide to use a print, place it with the wrong side up), then lay the low loft batting on top, and finally your patchwork top.

 Pin them together with straight pins.

Stitch on either side of each seam starting from the center and working to either side. Remove your pins as you go. Trim your ends.

Center your cardboard backing over your patchwork, trim excess.

Center your photo (or photos) on your patchwork top and place just a little bit of fabric glue on the back of your photo and press it down. Place it in your frame and double-check that it's centered.

I painted my frame a minty blue once I decided on my fabric choices rather than the green and then hung it on the wall on Ruby's side of the room. If you want a more worn look, get your patchwork piece wet (before you trim the edges) and stick it in the dryer. Another non-sewing alternative is to find a cutter quilt and trim it down to size.

It's a sweet addition to a nursery and would make a thoughtful shower gift! Enjoy.

Thanks for having me, Candace, and congratulations on such a handsome little man!

xo,

Rachel

Guest Post - Kiki Creates

Hi everyone! I am so happy to be here at Sparklepower today to share a fun little project with you while Candace is busy loving on her new little boy.

My name is Kiki from Kiki Creates, my little piece of blogland where I share projects, DIY, free printables and the inspiration where it all comes from. 

I, myself, have 3 little munchkins and am due with baby #4 in December, so you can probably imagine that I have baby on the brain!  One of my favorite things to take to a friend who has just had a baby is a jar full of treats..and not just treats for anytime but a jar of treats for those 4 a.m. wakeups that happen so often from the start with a newborn.  It takes just a few minutes to put together, but can give mommy OR daddy a little sweet treat for being up so early!

All it takes is a jar...you can buy one at the store or recycle an old jelly or pickle jar.  Pick out some special treats...and you can make it ANYTHING...if they don't like sweets try something else! Fill the jar:

And use the free downloadable tags I am giving you today to embellish it.  You can make it as simple as can be:

This one was simply printed on sticker paper:

Or as embellished as you would like:

On this one, I ruffled some streamers, ruffled some felt and sewed around the tag that I printed on paper. I made a strap for the jar from paper that has been punched on the sides.

Either way, you have a really fun and easy project to throw together to take to a friend who has just had a baby!

To download these free tags, go HERE.

Thanks, Candace, for having me!  Congrats on your new baby!

Guest Post - 397miles

W R A P: VINYL TYPE & TWINE BOX

Hi! My name is Christine and I am the color loving lady (and graphic designer) behind the blog 397miles.com. I share the blog with my talented lady friend, Jessica, who lives 397 miles away. I enjoy sharing all things I make, eat and am inspired by.

That said, I am a h u g e fan of gift wrapping and love to find fun and easy ways to spice up my packages. Just the other week I made this petite paper skillet for my husband’s birthday. In excitement for the arrival of baby boy Todd, this is a cute and colorful way you can liven up a simple kraft box for a lovely baby boy!

SUPPLIES

• 3 - 2.5” x 3.75” cover stock cards (I hand painted these cards but you can easily substitute with solid or patterned paper.)

• Hole Punch

• Twine (I used Divine Twine, an eco-luxe twine that can be found at Olive Manna’s shop.)

• Scissors

• 2” Vinyl Letters

• Kraft or white box (like this one from Etsy)

MAKE IT

1. If desired, hand paint 2.5” x 3.75” cards. If using colored or patterned paper, skip this step.

2. Punch cards on top and bottom.

3. Measure all 4 sides of the box. Add additional 3” to total length. That will be the length to cut 3 pieces of twine.

4. Feed twine through punch and center card on twine.

5. Peel and apply vinyl letters to cards. (Vinyl is repositionable.)

6. Assemble by wrapping twine around box and secure with double knot on the back side.

7. Hand deliver or ship to loved one.

This little gem will be shipped to Mrs. Candace asap. Congratulations dear!

Guest Post - Gingiber

Hello! My name is Stacie, the artist behind Gingiber Nursery Decor and occasional blogger over at my blog, GingiberSnap. I’m pregnant with my second daughter, Lucy, so preparations have been underway to turn my oldest’s (Violet) room into a super fun shared space.

Violet has been upgraded to a big girl twin bed, and I have been searching for an affordable, vintagey feeling headboard with little luck :( That’s when I decided to DIY a super fun chalkboard headboard!

Supplies 
5 Wooden Yardsticks ($.69 each!)
Chalkboard Paint (I had some on hand)
Dozen 1/4 inch Nails (had on hand)
Piece of 48x39 Inch Plywood ($10)
Wood Stain ($5)

Here's how I made it:

1. I went to my local hardware store and had them cut a piece of plywood to my dimensions, 48x39 inches (39 inches is the width of a twin bed)

2. Then I cut and stained the yard sticks with Kona colored wood stain to make the yardsticks appear aged

3. I painted the plywood with 3 thin coats of green chalkboard paint and let it dry

4. After the yard sticks had dried, I cut down the yard sticks to size, put them in place, then nailed them onto the painted plywood

Finally, I placed the handmade chalkboard at the head of Violet's bed. Add some chalk and Viola! Interactive Headboard! What almost 3 year old wouldn’t love this?

I love the way the yardsticks make the headboard feel a bit oldschool :) And all for under $25! Megascore!! And Violet has definitely taken to her new bed, which makes this momma happy!