Gift Ideas – Page 3

How to Mod Podge Crackle a Dress Form

Hallo there! My name is Amy – from the blogs Mod Podge Rocks, DIY Candy, and Washi Tape Crafts. Yep, I have three blogs. You could say I really love crafts – and also being busy, apparently. I guess that’s just how I roll! This is a tutorial I haven’t share yet, and am thrilled to show you today. Awhile back I made this initial wall art you see above, and at the same time I made the dress form in the photo. Here’s a closer look:

The tutorial for the easy initial wall art is on Mod Podge Rocks, but I never shared any steps for the dress form. That is what I’m doing today! It uses Mod Podge Crackle Medium, which gives projects a fine eggshell crackle in one step. Here’s how I made it.

Paper mache dress form
Wood candlestick
Mod Podge Gloss
Mod Podge Crackle Medium
Fabric – you can use scraps
Acrylic paint – white and two other coordinating colors for the crackle portion – I used light green and dark green
Craft glue
Embellishments – I used a key on gold thread
Scissors
Paintbrush
Old cloth
Flow medium (optional)

Paint your wood candlestick with your lighter acrylic paint color – in my case, light green. Let dry.

Paint your dress form white. This isn’t essential if your fabric is thick . . . but if it’s cotton like mine, the Mod Podge can make it a little transparent and dull down the color. So I always basecoat white because it just takes a few extra minutes.

Paint Mod Podge on your fabric and let it dry. This makes it easy to cut without fraying.

Decoupage your fabric pieces to your dress form. Continue overlapping . . .

until the whole thing is covered! You might have to trim and/or dart some pieces by cutting slits in the middle toward the top. It takes a minute, but you’ll get it. Set your dress form aside and let it dry.

Carefully read the instructions on the package of your Mod Podge Crackle Medium. I know it’s tempting to just re-open the package and begin, but with crackle medium, you need to read to make sure you understand. This is just one step, so it’s not that hard.

Brush the crackle medium onto your candlestick in a medium layer. Don’t keep brushing over and over the same area – just brush it on and try not to overlap. Let it dry.

This step is optional. If your darker paint color is a little thick, adding flow medium to it will help. The reason is because you are going to use a cloth to wipe it off in the next step, so you want the paint to be less viscous (more liquid and not as thick).

Brush the darker color over the lighter color and watch the crackle! Wipe off the excess (not hard, just gently wipe away the extra). Keep in mind it’s a fine eggshell crackle . . . so you can see it, but it’s not going to be huge divots. I personally love the effect!

Once you’re done, glue the dress form to the candlestick and add any embellishments (like my little necklace) to finish. Then display.

Decoupaging dress forms is so fun! Give it a try. For more great ideas, come visit me on Pinterest . . . I also have a Mod Podge Rocks newsletter and DIY Candy newsletter that you should sign up for to get weekly inspiration. Thanks to Johnnie for having me and I’ll see you next time!

DIY Dollar Store Eraser Valentine Earrings

by Johnnie Collier

I heart creating with dollar store supplies. For one, it is cheap, and it challenges me creatively. When I saw these cute Valentine’s Day erasers over the weekend, I immediately thought they need some resin and ear wires! Follow along to see how I made earrings from dollar store erasers!

At first I imagined making a pendant, but then I realized the erasers came in pairs, just perfect for earrings. This project is super cheap and easy to do. Don’t be intimidated by resin if you’ve never used it.

Especially now that ICE resin has made mixing the two parts so simple.

When working with 2 part resin, it is crucial to mix equal parts A and B. If you are off even just a little, the resin may no cure properly. ICE resin comes in a plunger that extrudes equal parts automatically.

Use a craft stick and mix the 2 parts by stirring for at least 1 minute.

TIP: After mixing, let resin sit for 5 minutes before applying it. This lets the mixture settle and decreases air bubbles.

Apply a little bit of resin at a time, starting in the center using the craft stick. It can take awhile to get use to how much resin to use. Just don’t go overboard. You can always add more to create a dome effect after the first layer has dried, but you are in for a mess if you use to much and it spills over the edge.

Let resin cure for 12 hours.

I picked up these screw eyes at Walmart for $0.97.

Just screw the hardware into the top center of your resin eraser.

Add ear wire and you are set!

Do you love them as much as I do? You can make 6 pairs with the pack of $1 erasers!

Find over 50 ways to decorate for Valentine’s Day:

50+Valentine’s Gifts to Make:

Valentine’s Day Washi Tape Charms

by Johnnie Collier

Today’s project is a washi tape and resin craft that makes the perfect Valentine’s Day gift! Follow along as we die cut washi tape and apply ICE resin for a quick and easy charm that you can customize to fit your needs.

I was inspired on a recent trip to the craft store by these Valentine’s Day prints on washi tape by Hampton Arts.

I covered white card stock with strips of the tape as shown.

I folded the excess tape over the back of the paper. If you want your charms two sided, you could cover the entire back in tape as well, or use printed scrap book paper instead of white card stock.

I cut the tape covered paper with these heart dies by Spellbinder’s Media Mixage.

Here is what they look like after die cutting the shapes.

I sealed the front and back of the hearts with Iced Enamels Medium. If you don’t seal the paper tape, the resin will darken it and look funny. Let dry.

I used ICE Resin on my charms. You could use any jewelry grade resin, or Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.

Following the directions on the resin package, I mixed the two parts in a plastic dixie cup with a clean craft stick.

TIP: Place the paper hearts on top of sticky contact paper to keep them flat while resin dries.

Use the toothpick to drip the resin onto the hearts.

Hole punch the hearts once dry. The resin instructions say 6-12 hours. I let mine sit overnight and used a jewelry hole punch to place holes for jump rings.

Add keychain fobs and other charms. I went for keychains with the larger hearts. I will be using the smaller hearts for earrings!

How to Make T-shirt yarn and 30 Plus Projects to Make

by Johnnie Collier

I have been a busy girl creating yarn from old t-shirts. Did you know you can make a continuous strand of yarn and create a sizable roll of yarn from just shirt? Once you have created your yarn, the potential projects you can create are unlimited.

I used the exact process shown in this video DIY from Releve Design. I have a couple of tips to contribute to this excellent tutorial. Try to find the cheap cotton t-shirts without side seams. They are best so you won’t have bumps where the seams would be. If you want specific colors like I did, you can stock up on white t-shirts from you local thrift store and die them. I created a gradient in blues this way, using the same dye and process I showed you in this ombre Father’s Day gift post. I plan to make a rug, but you can pretty much make any crochet or knitting pattern with this upcycled t-shirt yarn. Here are 30+ t-shirt yarn projects to get you going. Enjoy!

DIY Upcycled Cookie Sheet Memo Board

by Johnnie Collier

Hi everyone! I’m Laura from Pet
Scribbles, and I’m thrilled to be guest posting for Johnnie
today!

I’ve got a fun DIY project to share: a copper patina magnet
board from an upcycled cookie sheet!

After seeing so many cookie sheet makeovers on Pinterest, I began
collecting some of our older ones. I also bought this new round one at
the dollar store:

As regular readers of my blog know, I love the look of copper and
patina. I’ve made over quite a few pieces using this technique, from
glass
vases made to look like copper pipes to large wooden planter boxes made to look
like metal. In each DIY, the steps are the same but the patina effect is
always different – just like real patina on aging copper.

Step One: Apply one coat of Modern Masters Copper Reactive
Metallic Paint to both sides of the cookie sheet. Let dry.

For many surfaces, I use the Metal Effects Primer (also by Modern
Masters) as the first coat. On metal, it isn’t necessary as the first
step. However, as you’ll see in the image below, the first coat of paint
did go on a bit more streaky than I would have liked. (Using a primer
always provides some tooth for any subsequent coats of paint to adhere to.)

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Step Two: Apply a second coat of the copper paint to the back
side of the cookie sheet only. Let dry.

Isn’t the paint gorgeous? There’s real metallic particles in the paint,
which is what reacts with the patina solution that will be added in the
next steps.

Step Three: Apply a new coat of the copper metallic paint to the
front of the cookie sheet, then immediately spray the patina solution
onto the cookie sheet right over the wet paint. The patina
solution comes in blue and green. I used the green shade:

Using a sea sponge, I then played around pouncing the solution on the
cookie sheet, just making random patterns. It isn’t necessary to do
this, but it sure is fun!

Step Four: Add a bit more of the copper paint, if
desired. After everything dried overnight, I used the same sea
sponge and pounced a bit more copper paint here and there onto the front
of the cookie sheet. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, just play
with the look until you love it.

Here’s a close-up of the gorgeous patina finish:

Step Five: Drill two holes into the cookie sheet. These
holes will be where you thread your ribbon through, to make the hanger
for your magnet board.

Step Six: Cut two pieces of thin velvet ribbon (or a ribbon of
your choice), which will become small bows on the front of the magnet
board. Cut two longer pieces of the same ribbon, which will be
used to create the hanger. (I didn’t measure my pieces, instead I just
eyeballed it.)

Step Seven: Create the velvet ribbon hanger. Make a
loop with the smaller piece of ribbon (A), then thread
it (B) through the drilled hole, with both ends coming
through to the front. (C) Turn the tray over and slide
one end of the longer ribbon through the loop of the smaller piece.
(D) Tie the longer piece onto that loop with a simple knot.

Repeat this step for the other drilled hole.

Step Eight: Pull the ends of the smaller pieces of ribbon all
the way through the drilled holes. (They will be stopped by the
knots underneath that you made in Step Seven.

Step Nine: Tie the ends of each ribbon together with a simple
knot, then trim the edges to a length you like. I trimmed mine
so each looks like a very basic bow shape and covers the holes
completely. (See image below.)

Step Ten: Tie the long ends together and make a large, floppy
bow. Hang up on the wall and enjoy!

Since it’s Christmas time, I decorated my magnet board with some of my
favorite vintage Christmas postcards. (I also made the glitter marble
magnets, and you can find that tutorial here.)

I added a sprig of a faux pine branch too.

And when the Christmas season is over, my magnet board will be ready to
take on the new year and hopefully keep us more organized! (Unless I
decide to decorate it with more vintage postcards!)

I’ve been a long-time admirer of Johnnie. Whether she’s crafting
bracelets or building furniture, her creativity knows no bounds!

Thanks Johnnie for having me guest post today, and thank you Saved By
Love readers too!

Happy crafting!

~Laura

Psalm 93 DIY Wood Pallet Nursery Sign

by Johnnie Collier

My friend Jordan will be a momma any day now. I wondered if I would end up delivering the little guy the day she came over to make this nursery wall art, but he is not here yet! Today I am sharing how we created this lovely Psalm 93:4 sign for next to nothing out of pallet wood. It is so perfect in her nautical themed nursery! Download the cut file below and follow the steps to make your very own!

SUPPLIES:

Five pallet wood planks (Here is my video: How to Break Down Wood Pallets)

White chalky paint

Blue acrylic or chalky paint

Black vinyl for your die cut machine and transfer tape if you are die cutting the letters (if you don’t have a die cut machine, you could download the phrase below and transfer the letters to the sign to hand paint it like I showed you here: DIY Hand Painted Rustic Wood Signs)

Die Cut machine and software to trace jpg file provided below (this is not needed if you are hand-painting the sign as shown in the previous link)

Drill and 1/2 inch hole saw bit

Rope

Kreg jig

1 1/4 inch Pocket Hole Screws

2 inch flat paint brush and round stencil brush

Psalm 93:4 text download

Free Anchor Clip Art

Mod Podge Matte Finish

TUTORIAL:

Cut your boards to about 45 inches wide and attach them with pocket holes, staggered as shown – (Here is How to Use a Kreg Jig).

Paint the sign white with chalky paint (we used Folk Art Home Decor Chalk).

Let that dry, then dry brush blue randomly as shown. We used a round stencil brush for this.

Let dry and cut or print and transfer text and anchor. We used a 12×24 inch mat and filled the entire area with the text. We sized the anchor to 5 inches and cut everything in black vinyl.

Center and adhere vinyl letters and anchor using transfer tape. Seal letters and sign with Mod Podge Matte or desired finish.

Mark desired placement of holes and drill with spade bit to fit diameter of rope you are using. (We have the letters covered in this image because the Mod Podge wasn’t dry and the saw dust would stick in it. Don’t judge, we were in a hurry)!

We inserted the rope and hung it from a cool anchor hardware piece that Jordan found at Hobby Lobby for just $3!

We LOVE it!! Jordan did a fantastic job with this nursery, and our sign tops it off perfectly.

We hope you are inspired to create your own!

Upcycle Wine Corks to Business Card holders & More

by Johnnie Collier

Display your business cards in eco-friendly style with this simple wine cork to card display upcycle. The same cork can be used for placeholder cards, or to display gift cards, just in time for the holidays. This project is free and requires just a cork and a craft knife!

MATERIALS

Cork

Craft Knife

Gift card or Credit card

Business cards

DIRECTIONS

Use the craft knife to level the bottom of your cork by shaving a small section flat, down the length of the cork.

On the opposite side of the cork, make a slice with the knife down the length of the cork.

Make the slit wider by running a credit/gift card down the length of the slit.

I told you it was easy! You could add a string to one end of the cork and hang these on your Christmas tree with gift cards, or set them next to the stockings on the mantel as a creative way to display your gift cards!

For more inspiration, visit our 50+ WINE CORK CRAFTS:

DIY Fused Mini Amber Glass Bottle Earrings

by Johnnie Collier

So, I am crazy excited to share today’s jewelry tutorial with you. These earrings are my go to piece for several reasons. They are beautiful, unique and go with all kinds of outfits. I got the idea when flattening wine bottles in my kiln. I remembered the tiny bottles, or vials that people fill with mica powder and little notes and thought it would be so cool to flatten them. I wasn’t sure what I would do with them flat, but as soon as the kiln cooled and I laid eyes on them, I knew I wanted to wire wrap and wear them!

MATERIALS

7 Gypsies Amber Apothecary Bottles

Round nose jewelry pliers

Flat nose jewelry pliers

20 gauge jewelry wire

Flush wire cutter

Earring findings

10 coordinating seed beads

Microwave kiln

TUTORIAL

Fuse your bottles, one at a time in your microwave kiln. I showed you how to use that here: DIY Wine Bottle Earrings. You can also use a regular kiln if you have that. Let them cool to room temperature before continuing.

Cut 7 inches of wire and string 5 beads onto it.

Place beads in front and situate wire at neck of fused bottle as shown.

Bring the left side wire around the bottle neck and back to the front as shown.

Wrap both wire ends around the neck a few times, ending with 2 wire tails in the back as shown.

Wrap the two ends as shown so that they are vertical.

Coil one end around the other as shown.

Trim the end of the wire you just coiled.

Use the flat nose pliers to bend the remaining tail to form a 90 degree angle.

With the round nose pliers, form a loop as shown.

Thread the ear wire onto the loop, then trim the excess tail.

I love them! I can’t wait to make more. Next I will use clear vials and color them with alcohol ink. Exciting stuff!

DIY Recycled Glass Bottle Frames

by Johnnie Collier

Display meaningful photos in a unique way while busting through your stash of vintage buttons, ribbons, fabric scraps and found objects. These little medicine bottles can be found in thrift stores, at tag sales and online for cheap. Use them for Christmas gifts, or as photo frames for yourself!

MATERIALS

-Variety of antique medicine and food bottles

-Photos sized to fit in bottles and printed in black and white or sepia tone on copy paper

-Glitter, sand or other filler

-Found objects, beads, vintage buttons, old keys and other embellishments

-Decorative ribbon, twine, lace, burlap and fabric scraps

-Corks for bottle tops

-Copper craft wire gauge 20-22

-wire cutter

-scissors

-hot glue

-Bamboo skewer or pencil

DIRECTIONS

Clean bottle and remove any labels. Let dry.

Add sand or glitter using funnel or folded paper scrap
Drop in a few beads, buttons or other small meaningful objects.

Roll the photo into a tube and insert it into the bottle. Use a skewer to unroll it and flatten it against the inner surface of the bottle.
Embellish outside of bottle with ribbon, lace, twine, vintage pearls and other scraps. Glue on buttons and found objects with hot glue.

Place cork in bottle and embellish with vintage buttons, beads or brooches. Secure with wire wrapped around cork and through button. Add a dab of hot glue at the base of the button to hold in place on top of the cork.

DIY Upcycle Lighted Santa Bottles

by Johnnie Collier

This handmade Santa light-up bottle adds a warm and cozy feeling to any space for the Christmas season. This project requires a recycled bottle and drilling a hole in the lower backside of the bottle. Also required is a fun search for a Santa image. The choices are endless, ranging from recycled Christmas cards, magazines, printed images, and the imagination goes on. Most importantly don’t forget a strand of Christmas lights. Now let’s get started and enjoy the fun.

Materials for drilling a hole in glass

Drill
Drill Bit
Safety Glasses
• Facemask
Spray Bottle With Water

Directions

Drill a hole in the bottle. Through my research I found that using a 1/2 inch hole saw diamond grit drill bit works best for drilling a hole in a bottle. You can find this type of drill bit in most hardware stores and online.

Safety first: Wear safety glasses and a facemask to prevent eye injury and inhaling glass dust.
Starting on the backside and lower end of the bottle place the drill bit at an angle. This will allow you to start a groove in the bottle. Once you have the groove started you will begin to slowly bring the drill to an upright position. Apply pressure but not too much as this will cause the bottle to break. Periodically stop drilling and spray the drill bit and bottle where you are drilling the hole to keep the drill bit and bottle cooled off. This also keeps the glass dust level down while you are drilling.

Tip: I have also seen websites online where you can purchase predrilled bottles from suppliers.

Materials for Santa bottle

Empty Bottle (most types of bottles will work for this project)
Cork (optional)
Strand of Christmas Lights (20-30 bulb strand with a one-ended plug)
Santa Image (of your choice)
Raffia
Christmas Bells (two)
Glue
Water
Paintbrush

Removing labels from the bottle. Soak bottle in warm soapy water until the label is saturated with water. Use a putty scraper or a scraper with a razor blade on the end. Once the bottle is clean allow it to dry.

Tip: If the inside of the bottle has any residue from the drilling process you can tear off a small piece of a cleaning cloth and swish it around with the water in the bottle and that will help to rid of it.

Apply the Santa image. I prefer to make a mixture of Elmers glue and ¼ water. If the image is on thick paper this mixture will work well. If the image is on a thinner paper use a thicker consistency of glue (less water). Note: Other types of glue or Mod Podge products will work. Check your local craft stores to see what products they carry.

Measure the Santa image up to the bottle to insure the placement of the image will be where you want it. Using your paintbrush brush glue on the area where the image will be placed. Starting from the center of the image place your image on the bottle and gently glide your fingers from the center to outer edges of the image. Once you have the image glued down brush some more glue over the top of the image. Start this from the center working your way out as well. If any bubbles occur on the image you can smooth them out with your fingers from center to outer edges. Allow image to dry. Note: Once dry you can add glitter or a coat of crafting varnish on the Santa image.

Wrap raffia around neck of the bottle. Two or three strands of raffia will cover the neck of this size bottle. More strands may be required if your bottle is taller. Start by tying one end of the raffia around the neck of the bottle leaving a little excess on one end to tie off in the end of the wrapping process. Begin wrapping it fairly tight around the neck of the bottle. If your strand starts to run out tie the next strand to the one you started with and keep going until you have covered the neck of the bottle. Now tie off with the excess. Note: Twine, yarn, or ribbon can be used in place of the raffia.

Tying on the Christmas bells. Using another strand of raffia, tie the raffia around the top of the bottles neck, leaving a generous amount on both ends so that you can tie one bell on each end.

Place a cork in the top of the bottle. (Optional)
Inserting the strand of Christmas lights. Turn the bottle upside down to insert lights (this helps the light strand to flow more evenly throughout the bottle). Starting from the bulb end of the light strand insert each bulb individually into the bottle. Once you have your strand of lights in it is time to plug in and enjoy.

How to Mod Podge Crackle a Dress Form

DIY Dollar Store Eraser Valentine Earrings

Find over 50 ways to decorate for Valentine’s Day:

50+Valentine’s Gifts to Make:

Valentine’s Day Washi Tape Charms

How to Make T-shirt yarn and 30 Plus Projects to Make

DIY Upcycled Cookie Sheet Memo Board

~Laura

Psalm 93 DIY Wood Pallet Nursery Sign

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Upcycle Wine Corks to Business Card holders & More

MATERIALS

DIRECTIONS

For more inspiration, visit our 50+ WINE CORK CRAFTS:

DIY Fused Mini Amber Glass Bottle Earrings

MATERIALS

TUTORIAL

DIY Recycled Glass Bottle Frames

MATERIALS

DIRECTIONS

DIY Upcycle Lighted Santa Bottles

Meet Johnnie

Categories

Recent Printables

50+ Roundups

Find over 50 ways to decorate for Valentine’s Day:

50+Valentine’s Gifts to Make:

~Laura

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

MATERIALS

DIRECTIONS

For more inspiration, visit our 50+ WINE CORK CRAFTS:

MATERIALS

TUTORIAL

MATERIALS

DIRECTIONS

Meet Johnnie

Categories

SBLC Topics