How to Mod Podge Crackle a Dress Form

DIY Crackle Dress form @savedbyloves

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:

Dress form detail

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)

Step One

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

Step Two

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.

Mod Podge Home Decor

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

Step Four

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

Step Five

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.

Mod Podge Crackle Medium

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.

Step Seven

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.

Step Eight

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).

Step Nine

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.

DIY Crackle Dress form @savedbyloves

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!

Wood Pallet Cross Tutorial

Wood Pallet Cross DIY @savedbyloves

Today’s project is a great way to use up those wood scraps leftover from previous projects. I will show you how to make this sturdy wood cross using pallet scraps and pocket holes. You will also learn how to easily create the chippy, distressed paint look seen here.

Wood Pallet Cross DIY

To start, I cut one scrap wood piece (2×4) to 18 inches and two pieces to 5 inches long.

I attached the 5 inch pieces to the 18 inch piece using pocket holes with my Kreg Jig (see How to Use Kreg Jig). The pocket holes are circled in the photo.

*Place a pocket hole on the bottom of the 18 inch piece for attaching the finished cross to a base. You want to do this before attaching the patchwork pieces in the next steps.

Folk Art Home Decor Chalk

I used Folk Art Home Decor Chalk to create the distressed paint look. It is super easy!

How to Distress Wood

I brushed base coat on thin pallet wood pieces and let that dry.

Create Chippy Paint Look

Using the Layering Block, I added more colors.

Create Weathered Wood Look with Paint

Lightly dragging the block across the dry painted board adds color in a chippy, random distressed fashion. Layer as many colors as you want, drying between each layer.

Patchwork Wood Cross

Once I had all the boardws painted, I cut them into random sized pieces and placed them on the cross. I made necessary cuts to the patchwork pieces with my mitre saw until everything fit into place.

Reclaimed Wood Projects

I glued the pieces into place and used my Ryobi AirStrike Nailer with one inch brads to secure them.

Reclaimed Wood Cross Tutorial

To finish, I centered the cross on a 2×4 rectangle and attached it with a pocket hole on the back of the cross and wood glue.

For more inspiration, visit our 50+ Scrap Wood Projects:

And our 50+ Wood Pallet Projects:

DIY Dollar Store Eraser Valentine Earrings

Valentines Day Jewelry Tutorial

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!

Dollar Store Craft Idea

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.

ICE Resin Jewelry Tutorial

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

Dollar Store Resin Craft Idea

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.

How to Use Resin

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.

How to apply resin

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.

Upcycled Jewelry

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

How to Make Earrings

 Upcycling

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

Jewelry Making Tutorial

Add ear wire and you are set!

Valentines Day Craft

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

Make Adorable Valentine's Day Earrings Dollar Store Craft @savedbyloves

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

50+Valentine’s Gifts to Make:

50 Plus Awesome Accent Walls

50 Plus Amazing DIY Accent Wall IdeasWhen we moved into our new house, we went neutral with the walls as we painted. My thought was to save the boldness for accents. Well, now it is time for some accent walls. I gathered some of my favorites creative accent wall ideas on a budget to share with you. If I missed yours, leave me the link in the comments below. There are some great ideas on the cheap, and several easily removable temporary ideas. I hope you are inspired to liven your favorite space with some stencils, planks, stripes, panels or something else new!


50 Plus Amazing DIY Accent Wall Ideas FB

Valentine’s Day Washi Tape Charms

DIY Washi Tape Resin Charms for Valentines Day

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.

Valentines Day Washi Tape Craft

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

Valentines Day Washi Tape Craft 3

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

Valentines Day Washi Tape Craft 4

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.

Valentines Day Washi Tape Craft 5

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

Valentines Day Washi Tape Craft 6

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

Valentines Day Washi Tape Craft 7

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.

ICE Resin

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

Valentines Day Washi Tape Craft 8

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

Valentines Day Washi Tape Craft 9TIP: 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.

DIY Washi Tape Valentine's Day Jewelry Idea

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.

Washi Tape Crafts

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

How to Make tshirt yarn and 30 Plus projects to make @savedbyloves

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!



How-to-Make-tshirt-yarn-and-30-Plus-projects-to-make-@savedbyloves

Found Object to Upcycled Lighting

DIY Upcycled Light from @savedbylovesI say “found object” because I am 98.9% unsure what it is. I went through a phase where I scooped up anything that I could picture as a light fixture or hanging pendant lamp and that was cheap. This one I was particularly excited about since I got it for $5 and it was just waiting to house a lightbulb. I finally got around to making it happen as the final step in our laundry room renovation. At the thrift shop where I purchased it, I was told it is an old cow milk filter. Don’t worry, I cleaned it well before mounting it on my ceiling!

Old Cow Milk Filter to Light Fixture

Found object lighting

Here it was to start. I cleaned it with baby wipes and sprayed Mod Podge matte finish on it to seal it.

Update old lighting

I removed this brass fixture that I was dying to replace. It dangled there until my husband got home from work since I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t feel like being electrocuted.

How to update lighting

This milk filter was perfect to wire and hang because of all the holes. We just removed the socket from the old fixture and thread the wires through the top of the filter.

DIY Found Object Light FixtureWe used screws with washers to reattach to the ceiling and that was it!

Upcycled Lighting

We love it! So unique and such an improvement from the brass.  Oh yeah, and it cost $5, let’s not forget!

Visit our 50+ DIY Lighting Ideas for more inspiration!

 

Easy Cheap Hardware Update

How to Update Brassy Hardware With Spray Paint @savedbylovesOne of the first things I knew I wanted to change when we moved into our house was the brass hardware: knobs, hinges and light fixtures. I pictured that happening immediately, but the reality of how much time it takes to renovate kicked in, and I am just now getting to the hardware! I wanted to share with you a quick, cheap and easy way to get the finish you want on your hardware without having to buy all new pieces. The stuff is expensive, so buy a can of spray paint instead and invest a little time! This one change makes a huge difference in the look of your decor.

DIY Mudroom Storage Bench

I finally got addressing the hardware as we finished up the laundry room you have heard me going on about around here lately. It was so perfect… new floor, new built-in mudroom bench, striped walls and laundry room printables.  Then there were the shiny brass hinges, locks and knobs. I couldn’t take it.

How to Spray Paint Door Knobs and Hinges

The solution was a $7 can of spray paint and a little time. I just removed the doors and took off the hinges and knobs, cleaned them with soap and water, dried them completely and sprayed them with Rust-Oleum Metallic Paint & Primer in One – Oil Rubbed Bronze. I let them dry overnight just to be safe, and put everything back the way it was, new and improved!

I gave you a sneak peek at the mudroom bench. You will be getting a detailed how to quite soon!

In case you missed the Free Laundry Room Printables, click here or the photo:

Three Free Laundry Room Printables @savedbyloves

Laduree Hot Chocolate Recipe Knock Off

Laduree Hot Chocolate Recipe Knock Off @savedbyloves

If you read anything about traveling to Paris, Ladurée hot chocolate and macarons are bound to be mentioned. We heard about the place first on Rick Steve’s audio Paris app, in one of his many interviews with Parisians.  Then pretty much everyone we talked to about “must see places” in Paris recommended we go there for chocolat chaud (hot chocolate).

Laduree Paris

Well we went there, and I must say, the hot chocolate was smooth and divine.

chocolat chaud paris Recipe

I came home, and much like with the french onion soup recipe I shared yesterday, I had to try to recreate the experience here in Indiana! After some time with Google, I found this Parisian Hot Chocolate Recipe. I followed it to the letter, using Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips from the local Wal Mart. To grind them, I used my blender on “grind”. I also blended the mixture after adding the chocolate in the same blender on “Liquefy” for 1 minute.

Best Hot Chocolate Recipe

It was so much like the real thing! The next 10 minutes consisted of “mmmm….” and that’s about it. I have made it twice more since then, and it is a huge hit in our house. I won’t make hot chocolate any other way now.  If you can’t make it to Laduree, this is the next best option! Enjoy.

Upcycled Sweater Christmas Ornaments

I am so happy to be here today sharing a tutorial for these Cozy Christmas Ornaments made from old sweaters. That ugly Christmas sweater you have? I bet it would make beautiful ornaments! This is an easy ornament to DIY, and you can make quite a few ornaments from one sweater, so let’s get started.

Upcycled Sweater Ornaments DIY from @savedbyloves @craftsncoffee

Fair-Isle-Sweater-Orn

You are going to need 3” balls of STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam (you could go larger or smaller, too); an old sweater or two; scissors; a sharp pencil; needle & thread; thick, white craft glue; and ribbon for hanging the ornaments.

Sweater-Ornament-Supplies

To start, mark the center top and bottom of your foam ball with a pencil. Then insert your pencil at each point to make a 5/8” hole.

Insert-Pencil

Cut a piece of sweater fabric, measuring about 4” – 5” high and 8” long. If you’re using a patterned sweater, be sure to plan where you cut to best highlight the pattern. Test fit your fabric piece around the ball to be sure it fits – the size of the fabric you’ll need may vary depending on the stretchiness of your sweater.

Fold your fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch a ¼” seam. Turn right side out. Slip the ball into the center of your tube.

Upcycled Sweater Christmas Handmade Ornaments

Place a dab of white craft glue in the hole at the top and using a sharp tool such as a pencil, firmly push the cut edges of the fabric tube into the hole. Try to space the fabric folds evenly around the ball. Repeat at the bottom of the ball.

Tuck-in-sweater

Knot together the ends of a 6” – 8” length of ribbon, and push the knot down into the hole at the top. If you like, add a bow and jingle bell, or any other decorations, to the top of the ball. Let the glue dry before you hang your ornaments.

Red-Orns-on-Tree

Red-Argyle-Orn

I want to give a shout out to designer Kathleen George for helping out with these Sweater Ornaments. I have a few more ideas for repurposing old shirts to make ornaments in the Christmas Ornament series “Mad for Plaid & Paisley” over on Crafts ‘n Coffee. Please come by and check them out!

Repurpose-shirts-for-orname

Thank you so much for having me today, Johnnie. It’s a thrill to guest post here! I wish you, your family, and all of your readers a wonderful Christmas season!

Want more Repurposed Sweater Ideas? Check out our 50+ Ways to Upcycle Sweaters!

Happy crafting.

Sharon

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