Archives for September 2013

Make a Butterfly Necklace with Vintaj

Hi there SBLC friends! Amy from Plucking Daisies here to share a Butterfly Necklace tutorial with you. I created this Necklace using art metals and patinas from Vintaj. This was my first time playing with Vintaj Patinas and I’m so excited to share what I discovered along the way!

Generally I am not much of a Jewelry maker. If I have to open more than a few jump rings I get squeamish so fear not this jewelry tutorial will be relatively easy. I completed this project in about an hour and had a lot of fun doing it and I think you will too.

There were a lot of good sales in the jewelry section of my local craft store this week and I wanted to try something new. I grabbed a few pieces from the Vintaj collection and this multi-strand chain from Industrial Chic to use as the base of my necklace design.

I fell in love with this Vintaj butterfly and decided to try the Vintaj Patinas out to add some color to it.

Start by adding Vintaj Patinas with a paint brush. Allow Patina to dry between coats. You can experiment by layering different colors on top of one another or mixing them together on a craft sheet.

After coloring my butterfly with Vintaj Patinas I added highlights to the wings with Snow Cap Alcohol Ink using a q-tip. I layered on several other colors of Alcohol Ink (with q-tips ) to the outer edges of the wings as well.

Once the Alcohol inks were dry I tore a small piece of cotton from the end of a clean q-tip and wrapped it around the end of a toothpick. By squeezing a few drops of Pitch Black Alcohol Ink on my craft sheet I was able to use the tooth pick to add bold details to the butterfly.

When the detailing was finished I gave the butterfly the once over and touched up areas that needed more Alcohol Ink.

Using a soft file I removed some of the ink from the raised areas and edges of the butterfly to bring out a lovely metallic sheen.

This was my Inspiration photo. Pretty close eh? You can find this inspiring photo and more on my Doodle Diva Pinboard.

To create the necklace I used a bead board to measure the Industrial Chic chain. It was just a touch short so I added some chain from my stash and attached it with Vintaj Jump rings. So far Vintaj Jump rings are the best I’ve ever seen! So sturdy and easy to work with!

Here I have attached toggle clasps to the end of the chain with Vintaj jump rings. When it comes to clasps for jewelry I’m a huge fan of the toggle clasp. I always struggle with lobster clasps and have found that toggles make putting on jewelry a breeze.

Now all that’s left to do is attach that freshly Patina-d Vintaj butterfly with…you guessed it…Vintaj jumprings.

I hope you get a chance to play with Vintaj Patinas and create some fun jewelry pieces of your own.

Wear your art with pride 🙂

Amy*

Easy 10 Minute Chain Bracelet Tutorial

by Johnnie Collier

These trendy mixed metal chain bracelets are a cinch to make, and are a great way to use up those links left over from other jewelry projects. Mix and match as you please. Scoop up costume jewelry and vintage pieces to dismantle and incorporate into your own custom, stylish bracelet. Make some for yourself and give them as gifts. Embellish with charms and fibers for unlimited design options! I will show you how.

SUPPLIES:

2 pairs of jewelry pliers, flat or needle nose

Several lengths of chain about an inch shorter than you want your final bracelet to be

2 8-10mm jumprings and a length of chain to make bracelet adjustable

TUTORIAL:

Open jump ring with both pairs of pliers and add one end of each chain to the jump ring. Add clasp then close jump ring with both pairs of pliers. Pic above shows jump ring still open.

Repeat on the other end with the 2nd jump ring, attaching a 1.5 inch length of chain for the adjustable length connector. That is what the clasp will grab when fastening the bracelet.

Use jump rings to attach charms. Tie coordinating fiber scraps to large jump ring where all the chains meet.

Check out more of our Bracelet Tutorials and Features

Repurposed Cart to DIY Jewelry Storage

by Johnnie Collier

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There are tons of cool ways to make your own jewelry holders using the most random of objects. I shared a roundup with you not long ago – 50+ DIY Jewelry Display Ideas – with some of my favorite ways to store your bling. Today I am excited to share my jewelry storage solution using a cool rusty cart given to me by a friend. I saw it in her barn and lit up, immediately picturing bracelets and earrings dangling from the naturally aged, patina wire grid. She was happy to part with it, and I am equally thrilled with my awesome antique display. This project took a whopping 5 minutes.

I sprayed the cart with the water hose to removed the cobwebs and other debris. Then I wiped it down with a lint free, soapy, wet cloth. This was mainly to get rid of loose stuff. I love the rust, and wasn’t trying to get rid of that!

I spray 3 coats of Krylon Crystal Clear, which I had on hand for sealing polymer clay pieces. This was to protect my jewelry from the rust on the cart. I let that dry and it was good to go!

Need some jewelry to put on your new display? Got you covered:

Check out 50+ Other Creative DIY Jewelry Display Projects:

Ice Resin Bezel Pendant Tutorial

by Johnnie Collier

I have shared several resin tutorials with you, trying out the various types available. ICE resin is quickly becoming my favorite. It is easy to use, and hardens to a strong, clear, glass-like finish. Today’s project is a fun bezel resin pendant using Susan Lenart Kazmer’s papers, Iced Enamels and ICE Resin. You can find everything I used for this piece at your local Hobby Lobby.

SUPPLIES:

Iced Enamels: Shattered Fire Opal

ICE Resin

Spellbinders Bezel

Tim Holtz Word Stickers

Chain

Charm

Image

Pen

Scissors

Popsicle stick and cup for mixing resin

Sealant such as Mod Podge or Embossing medium

TUTORIAL:

Place your bezel over the part of the image you want and trace with permanent marker.

Place word stickers where you want.

Seal image and word stickers with embossing medium or Mod Podge and dry with heat tool. This protects the image from the resin, which can darken it if not sealed.

Sprinkle in Shattered Fire Opal Iced Enamels, or glitter or other mica powder. Anything sparkly will do!

Drip resin into bezel using popsicle stick until it domes. Be careful not to overfill!

Let dry 6-12 hours, attach chain and charm. Enjoy your awesome, custom resin jewelry.

Check out more SBLC Resin Projects:

50 Plus Repurposed Dresser Projects to Make

by Johnnie Collier

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If you liked last week’s 50+ Ways to Repurpose Old Doors, you are in for a treat today. We have gathered 50+ ways to repurpose dressers! From Vanities to organizers to benches and more, you will see ways to transform that chest of drawers into an entirely new creation. If you have a project you think fits that we missed, send us the link. Enjoy!

Flea Market Vintage Table and Chairs Revamp

by Johnnie Collier

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There’s not much better than a good flea market find revamping, which is what I am sharing with you today. This fantastic formica topped, chrome legged vintage table cost a whopping $19 at a local flea market. Why such a steal? There was some work to be done to reveal the beauty you see before you!

This was the state of the legs to start. I had never tried to remove rust from chrome. Off to the hardware store I went.

I found this Rust Stain Remover by Whink. It worked like a charm, and was just a few bucks. I just wiped the legs to get rid of any loose dirt with a damp cloth. I squirted a small amount of the Whink on the yellow side of the sponge, which I had dampened with water. Wipe it on the legs and scrub with green scouring side. Watch the rust vanish!

I cleaned the top of the table with countertop cleaner and the table was good to go. Now I needed seating.

I found these junky gold-ish metal chairs with perfect aqua, sparkly seat pads that would accent my red/aqua kitchen color scheme. I decided to spray paint them to match the chrome table legs. First step was removing the seat pads, which was simple with a pair of pliers. Phew!

Now time to prime and paint. I went with Clean Metal Primer and Metallic Silver Rustoleum Sprays.

I wiped the chairs down with a damp cloth and sprayed with primer.

After primer dried (about 15 minutes) I sprayed with the metallic silver, 3 light coats. When that dried, I replaced the pads to finish.

I am a little smitten on my flea market mix n’ match dinette set. It is perfect in my new kitchen, with all of its vintage charm. All off this cost about $60, spray paint included! Never bypass a good deal because of rust, or the wrong color. Use your imagination, and you can make it exactly what you want.

Make a Repurposed Door TV Console

by Johnnie Collier

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Last week when I shared with you 50+ Ways to Repurpose Old Doors, I alluded to the fact that I had a project in mind for the door I found recently on the curb. It was initially going to be a coffee table, but this t.v. console fit my current needs better, so I made the sides a little taller and here you have it. This project is super easy, free except for the rockin’ 6 inch diameter casters, and you can whip it up in an after noon, stain, sealer and all. I will show you just how to do that!

I found this guy stacked against a dumpster and threw it in my truck! Best day ever.

I brought her home and cut into thirds with my table saw. I just measured and marked so the sides would be equal height. The first step was attaching the two smaller parts for sides to the larger segment (which would become the top of the console). I used my go to connector tool, Kreg Jig. You can read about how to join using Kreg in my DIY Pallet Sign Using Kreg Jig Tutorial.

To finish the building, I cut a piece of plywood to fit as the base of the console, attached the casters which I got at Menards, and added trim from 1×2 furring strips that I mitered.

I recently discovered Minwax Wood Finishing Cloths. Love at first wipe. Dark Mahogany was the perfect color for my living room where this console would be spending its days.

I was actually going to paint this whole thing! I am so glad I went with stain instead. It took me like 5 minutes to do since the door was already stained. I went over it in spots and stained the trim and plywood base. Check out more of my obsession with thoughts on Minwax Finishing Cloths in this DIY Reclaimed Wood Headboard Tutorial!

Old door to console

If you love woodworking and reclaimed wood projects, check out SBLC’s Woodworking Projects Gallery.

Tons of Dollar Store Craft & Decor Projects to Make

by Johnnie Collier

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If I know my sweet readers at all, I know you love dollar store crafts as much as I do.

Last year I rounded up over 60 Dollar Store Craft Projects, and you asked for more. Well, you got it, thanks to DIYCOZYHOME. Check out their 27 Dollar Store Projects roundup. Between the 2 collections, you have 90 projects to keep you fabulous on a dime, or dollar!

How to Distress Furniture With Vasoline

by Johnnie Collier

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Did you know that Vasoline petroleum jelly is a fantastic ingredient for distressing furniture? It is true. The technique is simple and fast. Today I am sharing how I took this chevron painted table I shared with you in a previous tutorial, and used Vasoline to create a chippy, funky distressed piece to go with my new living room.

I needed a coffee table to go with my urban-modern-distressed-vintage-eclectic decor style in progress. You will be seeing reveals as I decorate in my new home. I am into yellow, gray, orange poppy, turqouise, emerald green, navy blue and vintage white these days. My living room kinda has a little of all of these, with yellow, gray and turquoise dominating the stage.

I revamped this roadside find last week, thinking it would be the perfect coffee table for the living room. Well, it wasn’t.

I decided to apply Vasoline to the areas of the table I wanted to look “chippy”, then paint with homemade chalk finish paint (see how to make chalk paint yourself in my barnwood frame tutorial). Valspar’s Pantone Emerald was the perfect color! I picked it up at Lowe’s.

Once the paint dried, I just took my scraper to the areas where I had applied the Vasoline and the it peeled right off, revealing the colors in the chevron stripes. I love the effect! It looks so cool with the random colors.

Once I was happy with the amount of scraping, I sealed the piece with Martha Stewart’s Antique Finish Decoupage Medium. It was my first time using the stuff and it gives a subtle warm antique feel to the piece.

Stay tuned for more DIY home decor as I settle into my new place!

Archives for September 2013

Make a Butterfly Necklace with Vintaj