Archives for March 2013

Aluminum Can Easter Egg Wreath

[pinit]

It’s no secret that I love to transform recycled aluminum cans into home decor and jewelry. This aluminum can Easter egg wreath fits that bill. See how I used a new Sizzix die and Tim Holtz Distress Paint for this colorful and unique recycled can spring decoration!

SUPPLIES:

Recycled aluminum cans

Sizzix Framelits Die Set 10PK – Egg

Embossing folders of your choice

Tim Holtz Distress Paint

Foam Mount Adhesive Squares

Sandpaper

Wreath Form

TUTORIAL:

Cut your cans into sheets like I show you in the aluminum can rose pendant video:

Emboss the sheets in your favorite folder, then cut into egg shapes using Sizzix. I cut 2 egg sizes. It doesn’t matter exactly what size, as long as you have one bigger and one smaller size.

Paint eggs with Tim Holtz Distress Paint. This is the first time I have used this new product. It is pretty awesome. It is great for metal, such as cans! Unlike alcohol inks, which you have seen me use on cans in the past, the distress paint is opaque. I love the color palette too! There is a chalky kind of look to the finish, which is fabulous.

Sand once paint is dry to reveal aluminum can color on raised areas of embossed/painted eggs.

Arrange eggs and adhere to wreath form as shown, using foam adhesives for varying height of eggs compared to one another.

I am loving it! It is staying up until fall.

Old T-shirt Craft

by Johnnie Collier

Turn your old t-shirts into fashionable attire with this DIY Chevron t-shirt revamp at Clones N Clowns. The tutorial is simple and you will be sporting your own version in no time. Great for spring and summer fashion!

Want more T-shirt crafts? There is a 50+ for that!

Decoupage Rainbow Planters

by Johnnie Collier

[pinit]

When I saw Margot Potter’s tissue decoupaged planters on the I Love to Create blog, I just knew that was a project I would be doing. It is perfect for spring, and so easy to do. Well, as luck would have it, I got a package from my Thrifty Stashy SNAP! Swap partner with just the supplies I needed for not only that project, but several others on my to do list.

The tissue paper was perfect for the project. Using the tissue and Mod Podge, I followed Margot’s tutorial linked above, with just a couple of tweaks. I made my strips wider for wider color stripes. To seal and and sparkle, I sprayed my decoupaged planters with Mod Podge Pearl.

I love the end result! The project is so easy, cheap and quick. I must say it is a little creepy how my swap partner, Jessica from Mom4Real, sent me so many things that I need for upcoming projects. I think she may have my house bugged! If you haven’t visited her blog, you are in for a treat. She has some serious style, and she shares tons of creative ways to decorate your home on a budget. This is the first of several projects you will see not only from me using the awesome supplies Jessica sent, but from the rest of the talented bloggers participating in the swap, so be on the lookout. We are all attending the upcoming SNAP! conference and are getting to know each other beforehand by participating in this fun swap and create event.

Check out the other projects from the participants. The list will be growing as they post their projects, so stay tuned!

DIY Crepe Paper Roses

by Johnnie Collier

[pinit]

Spring is in the air and paper flowers are popping up all over the place. Today’s project fits right in with the flower mania, and can be created in loads of colors to fit your style. Crepe paper is perfect for making realistic looking roses. It stretches and curls in a way that is perfect for mimicking actual petals. Grab some crepe paper sheets in your favorite colors and let’s get started!

SUPPLIES

Crepe Paper Sheets in Petal colors (streamer rolls won’t work for petals since they are not wide enough)

Green crepe paper sheet or streamer roll for leaves

Scissors

Glossy accents or other paper glue

Floral tape

Floral Wire

Pencil or bamboo skewer

Petal and leaf template (click thumbnail below to reveal full size template and print)

TUTORIAL

I showed you how to make roses using scrapbook paper and the above template in this PAPER ROSE DIY WITH TEMPLATE post.

Follow the same steps, using crepe paper instead. I had a hard time finding crepe paper sheets, but then ran into a huge stash of it at my local Goodwill. Score! I linked where you can find some on Amazon under supplies above.

You can cut several layers of the crepe paper at once, for several petals with one cut.

Making these with crepe paper was easier than using cardstock since the crepe paper is thinner and wraps around the floral wire more easily. You can stretch the petals by lightly pulling with your fingers and curl them with the skewer or pencil to shape them more easily too.

I am in love with them! Won’t they make such a great Mother’s Day gift?!

How to Make Charms

by Johnnie Collier

Happy spring time SBLC friends! Amy here from Plucking Daisies to share with you how to make some sweet springtime charms. These charms are super easy to make and use for a variety of crafty ventures! You can use them for custom jewelry pieces, ornaments or even wine charms for your Easter Brunch or spring celebrations!

I used my charms to decorate an Easter Bunny Tree. They are a lovely addition to my spring table decor and oh so charming!

How to make Charms

You can make your own charms for adornments, jewelry, gifts and pretty much anything you can dream up. Grab your favorite images and prepare to be “charmed”!

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Facets or Fragments

Glossy Accents

Images or Photos (copies NOT originals)

Ribbon or Chain

Alcohol Ink

Ranger Foil Tape Sheets

Adhering Images to Charms

You can select any image you like to use when making your charms, a favorite photo (color copy), old greeting cards, a childs artwork…the possibilities are truly endless! For my charms I used these delightful vintage Easter Images from Tim Holtz Seasonal Paper Stash.

STEP 1: Apply Glossy Accents to the back of your charm and press down onto image.

STEP 2: Flip paper over and use a credit card or craft scraper to press out any air bubbles.

STEP 3: Allow to dry for several hours then trim off excess paper.

Create Metal Backing for Charms

To finish and complete the look of your custom charms you can easily create a metal backing with Ranger foil tape sheets. Not only will the foil tape enhance the look of your charms, it will also smooth any rough edges and ensure your image stays put.

STEP 1: Ink a sheet of Ranger Foil Tape with Alcohol Ink. I used: Shell Pink – Salmon – Citrus – Aqua

STEP 2: Emboss Alcohol Inked foil tape with Sizzix Embossing Folder. *I used Sizzix Dots and Flowers set A2

STEP 3: Peel away the backing of your embossed foil tape and press cut out charms onto it. Cut around the charm leaving a slight edge all the way around. Fold edges over onto charm to secure your image.

Hanging Charms

Now that your charms are complete you will need to hang them. Whether you will be using them for jewelry, gift wrap or decor you can customize how you hang them just as easily as you made them!

STEP 1: Add Jump Rings

STEP 2: Reapply Alcohol ink to blending tool and stamp (DON’T swipe) onto Metallic ribbon.

Use your stamped ribbon to create pendants, ornaments or “Charming” gift toppers!

I hope you enjoyed this little lesson in Charm making and will take what you learned to make some “Charming” gifts, jewelry and decor! Thanks for having me back at SBLC! Until next time…

Have a Charming Day!

Amy*

American Chocolate Week: Walmart Bakery + Starbucks = #DeliciousPairings

by Johnnie Collier

We are in the middle of marathon training in this house, which means there is a lot of tired and hungry. When things get tough, it helps to reach for some of my favorite things – enter coffee and chocolate. Coffee is a must in my daily routine all year round, but especially during training. My chocolate consumption increases too. It is a fantastic fuel source and I feel like I deserve it with all the running. This is one of the great perks of being a runner, after all! Plus it is American Chocolate Week. I have a patriotic duty to partake.

With American Chocolate Week in mind, we took a trip to Walmart over the weekend, visiting the in-store Starbucks Mocha demo. I am a huge Starbucks coffee fan. I visit the stores when out and about, but more often brew at home with Starbucks whole beans from the grocery store. In Walmart stores nationwide you can find Delicious Pairings display to help you pair various Starbucks coffee blends with different bakery goods, creating deliciously paired breakfast or treats to savor. At the demo, we learned that pairing Starbucks Mocha blend with a chocolate treat really compliments the flavor of the coffee. This was enough of a reason for me to purchase the Starbucks Mocha Grounds in the coffee aisle, and The Bakery at Walmart Brand Double Chocolate Muffins in the bakery…

I brought my goodies home and brewed a pot of the new Starbucks Mocha. I tried the coffee black, which is not my usual. I am a cream and sweetener kind of coffee drinker. It was actually pretty good. The Mocha flavored coffee is made with a light roast bean, so I could take it black without protest. The flavors were strong and pleasant, but after a few sips, I was ready for something to take the edge off of the bitterness. I took a bite of the double chocolate muffins with a sip of the coffee… BLISS. The coffee bitter notes were subdued by the chocolate, and the chips melted on contact with the hot liquid for a delightful celebration of American Chocolate Week in my mouth! The flavors complimented one another for a duo worthy to be called a delicious pairing. I can see this becoming a regular happening!

To learn more about the Mocha Roast and Double Chocolate Muffins, visit the links:

Starbucks Mocha Ground Coffee

The Bakery at Walmart Double Chocolate Muffins

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. All opinions are my own. #cbias #SocialFabric

Cute DIY Button Wall Art

by Johnnie Collier

Today I am sharing with you a great project for decorating your craft room walls. Michelle Decor and the Dog created this button wall art as part of a Pinterest Challenge. Isn’t it so cool? The color palette is calling my name too. Go over and see how she made it happen!

Love Buttons?

Make an Upcycled Plastic Bag Bracelet

by Johnnie Collier

[pinit]

Today’s project is a fun plastic bag upcycled bracelet! Fusing plastic bags creates a fabric that can be stitched, die cut, painted and embossed for some cool effects. The possibilities are endless. Keep your eyes peeled for brightly colored shopping bags and start hoarding!

SUPPLIES:

Plastic Bags

Copy paper

Iron

Ironing board

Chain Bracelet

Jump rings

Jewelry Hole Punch

2 pairs of chain nose pliers

TUTORIAL:

Turn iron onto Setting 4

To create the “fabric” cut the handles from the bags and cut rectangular sheets smaller than your copy paper. Layer 5-10 sheets and sandwich between the 2 sheets of copy paper

Iron 30 seconds (continuously moving iron to avoid melting plastic), flip sandwich over and iron other side for 30 sec. Let cool 15 sec and check. If plastic is not completely fused into one sheet (air bubbles and crackle sounds), repeat ironing and check again.

Die cut or hand cut small ovals and squares. Hole punch and attach to bracelet chain with jump ring. Alternate ovals and squares.

For loads more plastic bag creations to make, visit our 50+ roundup!

Easy DIY Paper Daisies

by Johnnie Collier

[pinit]

It was time for some new paper flowers to usher in the spring around here. If you have been here long, you know I am a fan of making paper roses. I decided to switch it up a bit and create daisies this time. For a cheap, simple and beautiful DIY spring decor idea, look no further. These would be great for weddings and other centerpieces too!

For this project, you don’t need much. I used my SIZZIX machine and a flower die, but a die cut machine is not necessary. You could easily do this with a paper punch too.

Supplies:

Sizzix Flower Layers and Leaves Die

White Cardstock

Yellow Quilling paper

Paper quilling tool or toothpick

Craft glue (I use Glossy Accents for paper to paper since it dries in 5 sec and holds great)

Floral wire

Floral tape

Hot glue gun

Tutorial:

Cut several 8 petal flower shapes, either from a paper punch or die. You will use 2 of the shapes per daisy.

Fold each petal lengthwise, as close to the center as you can get.

Once your petals are folded, stack one flower shape on top of another, adhering with glue, such that the petals are alternating (see pic below).

For the center of the flower, coil yellow quilling strips using a quilling tool or toothpick. I used 2 strips of quilling paper for each flower center. When one ends, just glue the second there and continue coiling.

Glue flower center in place.

Make a bend in the end of your floral wire to create surface for hot glue to grab and glue wire to flower back.

To finish, I wrapped my wire with floral tape. This is not essential. I just like the look of the wrapped wire better.

If you love paper daisies, check out the crazy awesome project Amy from Plucking Daisies shared with us awhile back:

50+ Ways to Upcycle Plastic Bags

by Johnnie Collier

[pinit]

Today I am going to blow your mind with over 50 things to make using plastic bags. You know, the kind that are piling up in trash cans landfills in an epidemic fashion? Turns out you can make some amazing jewerly, home decor and other accessories with this abundant and overlooked resource!

Archives for March 2013

Aluminum Can Easter Egg Wreath

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Old T-shirt Craft

Want more T-shirt crafts? There is a 50+ for that!

Decoupage Rainbow Planters

Check out the other projects from the participants. The list will be growing as they post their projects, so stay tuned!

DIY Crepe Paper Roses

SUPPLIES

TUTORIAL

How to Make Charms

How to make Charms

Supplies:

Adhering Images to Charms

Create Metal Backing for Charms

Hanging Charms

American Chocolate Week: Walmart Bakery + Starbucks = #DeliciousPairings

To learn more about the Mocha Roast and Double Chocolate Muffins, visit the links:

Starbucks Mocha Ground Coffee

The Bakery at Walmart Double Chocolate Muffins

Cute DIY Button Wall Art

Make an Upcycled Plastic Bag Bracelet

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

For loads more plastic bag creations to make, visit our 50+ roundup!

Easy DIY Paper Daisies

For this project, you don’t need much. I used my SIZZIX machine and a flower die, but a die cut machine is not necessary. You could easily do this with a paper punch too.

Supplies:

Tutorial:

If you love paper daisies, check out the crazy awesome project Amy from Plucking Daisies shared with us awhile back:

50+ Ways to Upcycle Plastic Bags

Meet Johnnie

Categories

Recent Printables

50+ Roundups

Archives for March 2013

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Want more T-shirt crafts? There is a 50+ for that!

Check out the other projects from the participants. The list will be growing as they post their projects, so stay tuned!

SUPPLIES

TUTORIAL

How to make Charms

Supplies:

Adhering Images to Charms

Create Metal Backing for Charms

Hanging Charms

To learn more about the Mocha Roast and Double Chocolate Muffins, visit the links:

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

For loads more plastic bag creations to make, visit our 50+ roundup!

For this project, you don’t need much. I used my SIZZIX machine and a flower die, but a die cut machine is not necessary. You could easily do this with a paper punch too.

Supplies:

Tutorial:

If you love paper daisies, check out the crazy awesome project Amy from Plucking Daisies shared with us awhile back:

Meet Johnnie

Categories

SBLC Topics