Easy Mason Jar Solar Lights

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If you want your outdoor decor to reflect your love for mason jars, these easy mason jar solar lights are just the way to make that happen. With all of the new glass paints and mason jar decor ideas out there, the style options are limitless. They would be cute in red white and blue for July 4th, and can be customized to any occasion.

It took me 5 minutes to make eight of them by purchasing these Solar Mason Jar Lids. I got mine at Rural King, and you can find them on Amazon by clicking the link. I also bought the jars already blue at Rural King for $10/6 pack. You can get regular mason jars cheaper and paint them with glass paint. DecoArt glass stain would work great for this translucent effect, as would Martha Stewart translucent glass paint. Some people use Mod Podge with food coloring, though I have never tried that.

Find out how to paint your jars, and other Mason Jar Decor Ideas:

For other DIY Lanterns and Luminaries:

Faux Pallet American Flag With FloraCraft

by Johnnie Collier

You have probably noticed that repurposed pallet decor is all the rage. I have been hooked since the first project I saw, and have created some pallet pieces myself. I will never forget the look on my husband’s face when he came home to find me mounting a pallet to the wall of my studio (Pallet Organizer DIY). His concern was it’s weight, and I have to say, they are pretty hefty. Some people are opposed to bringing pallets into their homes because of possible toxins, or they don’t have the tools to work with pallet wood. That is why I was so thrilled when I learned about Smooth Finish™, a paintable coating for FloraCraft® Foam. Learn to create this faux wood pallet flag that you could lift with your pinky, and enter to win a product pack from FloraCraft to make your very own!

SUPPLIES:

Smooth Finish™

Make it Fun® Foam 2 – 1″ x 12″ x 36″ sheets

StyroGlue®

Styro Cutter Plus® (you don’t have to have a special cutter, but it makes the process much easier)

Serrated kitchen knife waxed with candle or soap if you don’t have a foam cutter

Red, white and blue acrylic paint

Mod Podge Mat Finish

Antiquing glaze

White star stickers or stencil

Yardstick and chalk pencil

Marker

Craft stick for stirring

Putty knife or spatula

1 inch paint brush

Measuring tape

Medium Grit sandpaper

TUTORIAL:

CUT THE FAUX BOARDS

I divided the foam sheets into three 4 inch wide pieces (36 inches long). I measured each 4 inches and made my cut line with a sharpie.

Plug in the StyroCutter Plus and it is ready to cut in 30 seconds. Be careful, it is quite hot. The cutter works well, just be sure to let it do the job for you. If you force it to move, there’s a chance that the wand/tip will snap off. If you don’t have the StyroCutter, you can use a serrated kitchen knife. Waxing the blade with a candle or bar of soap first will help make the cutting smoother. Just for fun, I cut one of the lines using my jig saw. It worked fine, but there was a lot of flying foam dust. The StyroCutter prevents this my cauterizing at the cut edge.

APPLY PAINTABLE COATING

Open the smooth finish and stir with a craft stick. The consistency is like paste.

I spread it onto the foam in about 5 inch sections at a time since it becomes difficult to spread and stick as it is exposed to the air. Spreading in multiple directions helps fill more of the pockets in the foam for a smoother finish. I wasn’t too concerned about having a perfect surface since I knew I was going for a distressed look, so I worked fast. The coating was easy and quick to apply. Each sheet took one tub of Smooth Finish.

I let it dry overnight, but I am sure that wasn’t necessary. I would say 1 hour would be enough.

PAINT THE FLAG

For 13 stripes, each one is 2.75 inches. I marked and taped them off with painters tape, and taped off the blue square. I painted with a flat brush using acrylic paint.

I did the blue last. The stars were cut using my Sizzix machine, out of Duck tape white sheets. I drew a grid with my ruler and chalk pencil to guide placement.

DISTRESS THE PLANKS

I wanted my pieces to look rough like pallet wood, so I sanded some edges to make them uneven, and removed paint in random areas to reveal the white layer. The texture i left with my spatuala, combined with the distressing provide recessed areas for the antique glazing to highlight at the end.

GLUE PIECES TOGETHER

I used StyroGlue since I know not a lot of glues work with foam. The workbench was the perfect spot for gluing. I used clamps to keep pieces pressed firmly edge to edge while the glue dried.

It holds perfectly!

SEAL WITH MOD PODGE

I sealed the piece with Mod Podge matte finish.

FINAL ANTIQUING

I used Scupley antiquing glaze, which is no longer in production. Any glaze is fine. Just apply and wipe away quickly with paper towel. If there is too much glaze left behind, use a damp paper towel.

Hot glue a loop of twine or wire to the back to hang. You only need a small nail or tack.

I love my flag, and my husband loves it’s weight. This is a great option if you want the reclaimed wood look, but don’t have power tools or if you prefer light weight pieces on your walls.

A big thank you to Sharon at Crafts n Coffee Blog for introducing me to the world of Styrofoam/Make it Fun Foam. She shared a piece with me at a conference that inspired me to make this faux pallet flag. She also sent me the products used in this tutorial, and is standing by to send them to one of you!!

For even more great foam projects to inspire you, check out Make it Fun on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/makeitfuncrafts/

DIY Easy Barnwood Frame and Free Printables

by Johnnie Collier

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I have always wanted to make my own frames. It was time for some new printables so I finally gave it a go, using this Barnwood Frame plan from Ana White as my starting point. You can read on to see how I tweaked Ana’s plan to get 11×17 inch frames and to download your free Wayne Dyer and fruit of the spirit printables.

This project is fantastic because the frames look awesome, and are super cheap. I found 1×2 in 8′ strips for $0.75 at Lowes.

Follow Ana’s Plan linked above, but change your cut list as follows to get 11×17 frame openings:

2– 1x2s @ 14, 1 1/2″ flat side mitered so the shortest length is 11″

2– 1x2s @ 20, 1 1/2″ flat side mitered so the shortest length is 17″

2 – 1x2s @ 15 1/2″, edge side mitered so the shortest length is 14″

2 – 1x2s @ 21 1/2″, edge side mitered so the shortest length is 20″

Corner clamps are super helpful!

Here is an Albert Einstein Printable in a different color scheme that you can also download below…

I made a smaller frame for print in 8×10. I finished with homemade chalk finish paint I made from this chalk finish paint DIY.

Download and print:

Wayne Dyer Heaven Quote

Fruit of the Spirit Printable

Wayne Dyer Change Quote

Albert Einstein Quote

I printed my 11×17 prints on regular copy paper and mounted them to white foam board with spray mount. I cut the foam to fit the frame opening and secured the mounted image to the frame with thumbtacks.

I hope you enjoy the printables, and give making your own frames a go. It is super rewarding!

50+ Creative DIY Jewelry Organizers

by Johnnie Collier

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If you are like me, the organization of your jewelry is… well, not good. It is a problem. Think outside of the jewelry box with these creative organizers you can make yourself in a jiffy. You probably have materials on hand for several of these. My personal favorite is the old rake. How about you? Have you conjured up a way to make your own display? Do share! We would love to include yours.

jewelry organizer	Jewelry Display from a Rake	Pottery Barn Organizer Knock-Off
wooden trays to hanging jewelry organizers	Earring Rack	DIY Bracelet Tower
UPCYCLED JEWELRY STAND	Wooden clothes hangers Repurposed = Jewelry Organization	DIY PROJECT: JEWELRY BUST
Nut and Bolts Organizer	Hook Jewelry Storage	DIY: Necklace Holder
Store Jewelry in Vintage Frames	DIY Jewelry Organizer	Jewelry Board
DIY OMBRE NECKLACE RACK	Grate to Jewelry Display	diy – vintage jewelry stand
Organize Earrings	Hanging Jewelry Organizer	Extreme Jewelry Organizer
Candle Holder to Jewelry Display	Framed Earring Organizer	DIY Jewelry Organizer
Vintage Medical Cabinet Used as a Jewelry Organizer	DIY Message Center or Jewelry Display	framed jewelry display
Framed Display	DIY Jewelry Storage Organizer	“Dew” It Yourself Jewelry Stand
DIY Jewelry Organizer	Old Window to Jewelry Organizer	shutters turned jewelry case
DIY Jewelry Organizer	Peg Board and Accessories Station	Make a Jewelry Organizer from a Secondhand Table
Make a Hand Jewelry Display	Easy Jewelry Display DIY	DIY Jewelry Organizer
Cork Jewelry Display	Cutlery Tray to Jewelry Display	Lovely Jewelry Organizer
Driftwood Jewelry Display	Jewelry Box from Old Book	DIY {Jewelry Display}
Paint Stick Jewelry Display	Burlap jewelry organizer at Songbird Blog	Burlap jewelry board at The Charity Wedding
Records to display stand by Something Created

InLinkz.com

Colorful Word Art Tutorial

by Johnnie Collier

Hello there SBLC! Amy from Plucking Daisies here to share a Colorful word art tutorial with you. Certain words really rev my creative mojo and I’m always inspired by colors. Combining inspirational words with bright colors is sure to jump-start your creativity with just a glance. I’ve got this colorful “Create” word art hanging in my studio and it keeps my creativity flowing day after day. Come along, and I’ll show you how to “create” colorful word art for yourself.

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Can you guess what I used to colorize this thrifted C-R-E-A-T-E sign…once old and cold and grey? I’ll give you a hint: You probably have some shoved in a bag from your last trip to the mall.

That’s right it’s Tissue Paper! Plain old white packaging Tissue.

Some may say,”it’s too crumpled and plain to ever be used again!” I say…” just add Ink”

My Word Art Project was inspired by this fantastic video I found while researching the web for another creative venture. Check it out to see this fun tissue paper technique in action!

How to Mod Podge Tissue Paper

This word art project is easy to create with recycled packaging tissue Mod Podge and your favorite stamps! I’ve found quite a few of these word signs on my thrifting adventures so keep your eyes peeled if you don’t already have one on hand. You can also use this technique on wooden or cardboard words available at most craft stores.

Supplies:

Metal, cardboard or wooden word or letters
Dylusions Spray Inks or other ink spray
Favorite Stamp (I used “Flower Text” Design Block from Hero Arts)
White Packaging Tissue (Recycled from a shopping bag)
Black Archival Ink

STEP 1: Stamp your tissue paper with black archival ink.

*TIP* Use a stamping mat or mouse pad for a clear impression.

STEP 2: Lay your stamped Tissue Paper on a piece of cardboard or inside a cardboard box (this will keep any wayward ink from getting where you don’t want it). Spray with Dylusions. Use a piece of wax paper to create blocks of color.

*TIP* Keep extra Tissue Paper on hand to mop up the excess Dylusions and create custom tissue paper for use in another project or for unique gift wrap. You can find a full tutorial on creating custom tissue paper with Dylusions HERE.

STEP 3: Give the front of your word/letters a generous coating of Mod Podge and lay them on the back of your stamped tissue. Let dry for 15-20 minutes.

STEP 4: Cut away the excess tissue to reveal the letter shapes. Smooth any jagged edges with Mod Podge. Add a second coat to the front of your word art.

*TIP* I had some issues with the ink running when applying the second coat of mod podge so I would suggest A) Seal your word art with Acrylic sealer before adding the second coat of Mod Podge or B) Keep several brushes on hand and switch them out in between colors.

Use your now COLORFUL word art to decorate your workspace or a favorite spot in your home! My fresh and vibran word art is like a ray of sunshine in my basement studio. It really brightens up the room and is so cheerful don’t you think? Now don’t go laughing at my cat head lamp now. Nothing says “crazy cat lady” like a cat head lamp 🙂

If you enjoy decorating with word art I have another tutorial for altering wooden letters I think you might find “Inspiring” HERE.

Thanks for having back here at Saved By Love Creations. I always enjoy visiting and sharing creativity with you. Hope you enjoyed the Word art tutorial and wish you the best of luck in finding inspiring words to make more colorful!

Have a colorful day!

Amy*

Find me at Pluckingdaisies.com | Pinterest | Facebook | and Twitter for more creative ideas and tutorials.

Make Terrariums Galore in Under 1 Hour

by Johnnie Collier

Today I am excited to share my first terrarium project (aside from the pendant I made in Cynthia’s class that I told you about yesterday’s 50+ Terrarium Projects to Make). Since I have a habit of hoarding random glass containers from my junkin adventures, I had just the collection to whip up 5 different succulent planters. The project was done in under 1 hour, and cost about $20 total! I am giving some as gifts, and adding some to my own display in progress.

On this $1 glass bowl from the dollar store, I etched “GROW” using Martha Stewart’s Glass etching cream that I showed you in this doily etched wine bottle post from Monday. Perfect for a terrarium!

SUPPLIES

Various succulents from your local nursery – I even found some at Walmart

Succulent Soil

Activated Charcoal

Little Rocks

Moss

Thrifted glass containers, jars, etc

TUTORIAL

Put some small rocks at the bottom. These drain the water from the soil.

If you are working in a closed container, you want to put a layer of charcoal next. This prevents mold from forming in the closed vessel. If you are working in an open container, this is not necessary.

Next put a layer of moss (I found the bright purple, green and white in a variety pack at Michaels).

Put an inch or 2 of soil next, then stick in succulent cuttings as you like. You can cover the soil with moss, pebbles or other embellishments as desired.

Your succulent will take root if all goes as planned. As Cynthia Bee pointed out, if it dies, just start over. You are out just 1-2 bucks. Watering frequency will depend on your local environment. It is better to underwater than to over water, as the latter leads to root rot. Spritz with water once a week or so, and place in indirect sunlight. Too much direct sun will burn your plant!

Easy DIY Terrariums

Easy Doily Etched Wine Bottle Upcycle

by Johnnie Collier

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You guys know I love to upcycle a wine bottle. I am always bugging the neighbors for their empties since we aren’t drinkers here. It is not uncommon for me to raid the local recycling center, where they kindly let me dumpster dive…

There are tons of ways to repurpose bottles, from cutting to painting, making lanterns, vase, candle holders and more. Today I am excited to share with you how to easily etch intricate designs into your bottles and glass of all kinds.

This process is soooo easy. Just clean your wine bottles with soap and water, vinegar water if the labels are being stubborn. Clean off all adhesive and debris. Wipe clean bottle with rubbing alcohol.

Adhere stencil or silkscreen to bottle and tape off with masking tape to prevent etching cream from ending up where you don’t want it. Use dauber or sponge to generously apply etching cream.

I love the doily adhesive silkscreen from Martha Stewart!

You want a very thick layer of the etching cream. Let it sit 15 minutes, then rinse away under faucet. Remove and clean stencils or silkscreen.

Can you believe the detail?

Easy One Hour Etched Wine Bottles

I saw other people’s projects using this etching cream and decided they must just be really skilled. I was judging based on my experience with a cream in the past. I can’t remember the brand, but it came in a white and purple bottle and I got it at Michaels. It didn’t work even a little. I was so frustrated because I had a project I really wanted to complete and I finally gave up.

How thrilled was I at the ease of use and effectiveness I found with Martha’s version?!

VERY!

I sat down to do a Mother’s Day project (which I will be showing you next week) and ended up glass etching all day. So fun and simple (did I mention it was easy?)…

Stay tuned for what is going to end up being a glass etching week around here 🙂

Don’t forget to check out my other Adventures in Wine Bottle Repurposing:

HOW TO CUT WINE BOTTLES – VIDEO TUTORIAL

50+ WINE BOTTLE PROJECTS TO MAKE

MAKE WINE BOTTLE ADDRESS LANTERNS

PAINT OMBRE WINE BOTTLE – TUTORIAL

Lets not forget those corks – PROJECTS TO MAKE FROM CORKS

Painted Burlap Tag DIY From Fox Hollow Cottage

by Johnnie Collier

Hello Saved By Love Readers I’m Shannon.

While Johnnie is off at SNAP! I am here to share a quicky craft with you from Fox Hollow Cottage.

I recently completed a Linen Closet Makeover and made some fun burlap label/tags for the baskets that I used to help contain the clutter! I thought you might like to make some for you home too so I am sharing a simple tutorial. They are really easy to personalize so you could use then in a bathroom, kids room, a pantry… or like I did here, to for citrus in the kitchen.

Maison Blanche La Craie Colette Burlap Craft DIY foxhollowcottage 500X

How To Make a Painted Burlap Label/Tag

To make label/tags like mine, you will need;

-burlap

-felt (for backing)

-paint color(s) of choice

-paint pen

-paint brush; med and small/fine size

-twine

-glue gun

-Elmer’s craft bond spray adhesive

Step One

Cut your burlap to desired size. Next, cut your felt a pinch smaller then your burlap so it fits nicely behind it. You will back the burlap with a pc. of felt.

Step Two

Lightly spray your felt with the Elmer’s craft bond and place the felt and burlap together.

Press firmly and smooth.

(Tip; I sprayed my felt piece right over my trash can to avoid worrying about over spray messiness.)

Step Three

Place your paint color of choice on the burlap surface and paint away! I used the new Maison Blanche Paint La Craie shade in “Colette” because it’s aqua. If you have ever read Fox Hollow Cottage, or follow me on facebook, you’ll know I am a total aquaholic so this was a given for me!

(If not… Hello, my name is Shannon and I am a total aquaholic!)

(tip; You can get nice straight lines if you follow the texture of the burlap weave as you cut. The Lines are sort of built-in.)

Step Four

Place your text of choice on the burlap with a Elmer’s paint pen. The paint pen offers more control then a paint brush, and I find it easier to use my regular hand writing to put the text on the burlap this way.

Step Five (optional)

If you like, you can go over the paint pen text with a fine brush and black craft paint to bulk it up a bit and fill in.

Step Six

Tie your twine in a knot, then knot again. Snip ends to desired length. Affix with glue gun to corners or the desired location on your project.

Note: You can also attach a small piece of twine

as a hanger (shown below) to the back of the label/tag

or you can glue/affix it directly on your basket or surface of choice, like this…

These are the tags I made for the baskets I used when I organized my linen closet.

The makeover needed a little oomph and they sure did the trick!

You can find my before, as well as lots of inspiration for getting your closets organized if you visit here.

Don’t you love it when the little things just make a space really come together? I do!

And I love them lots more when they don’t take a lot of skill or time to achieve.

That’s It.

Cute. Cheap. Easy.

Have fun if you make some!!

Thanks for having me today Johnnie! Hope you are having a BLAST at SNAP!

A Lamp Transformation; Kelly @ View Along the Way

by Johnnie Collier

Hi fellow fans of Saved by Love! I’m Kelly and I blog at View Along the Way about our attempts to fix up our broken-down foreclosure on the tiniest of budgets.

Saved by Love is one of my favorite sources for repurposed-fabulous DIYs, so I thought it’d be appropriate today to tell the story of how my husband and I found a poor, lonely, down-on-his-luck lamp and gave him new life and a hope for the future. When we saw our little rescue lamp, forgotten, abused, marked down to $1 at a yard sale…

We knew we had to rescue him and give him a good home.

It appeared Lamp had been abandoned to fend for itself, and there was evidence it had been abused, such as its broken leg:

(It couldnít even stand up straight.)

Plus a few wayward bruisesÖ

Öits skinny appearance and, most of all, its skittish, shamed demeanor:

First, my husband used needlenose pliers and brute strength to mend Lamp’s dents and broken bones so he stood straight, proud and tall. Then, I got to play with his finish.

Lately I’ve found myself being more and more attracted to this weathered bronze/brass/whatever, like here on our DIY office bookshelves:

The trick to fabulous, expensive-looking bronze is avoiding that harsh, shiny finish… you know, like poor little Lamp. So I pulled out my trusty Rub-n-Buff and an old sock, and wiped away the 90s gold to replace it with the look of aged, well-loved bronze. (See how I did that in this post.)

Suddenly, Lamp was standing taller, straighter, prouderÖ

But we weren’t finished yet! We wanted him to live on our desk which is centered in the middle of our office:

And we couldn’t have that happen with his pesky cord needing to be plugged in to the wall. So we hacked little Lamp to run on batteries. (See how we did that here!)
And now? Our little rescue lamp has found home with us here. Sometimes I catch Lamp alone at night, remembering its past life on the streets. Look at it, just sitting there, pondering its past.

Truly a story of how love can transform even the most battered, broken down mutts and make them shine. Have your lamps spayed or neutered.

I have lots more DIY projects like this on my blog. I’d love to connect with you there! You can subscribe to the blog via RSS or email, or follow via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Johnnie, thanks so much for letting me hijack your blog while you’re off having tons of fun at SNAP! Such an honor to be here!

50+ Mason Jar Decor Ideas

by Johnnie Collier

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Working on a summer wedding’s centerpieces has gotten me in a mason jar mood. I hope you are as inspired by browsing this list as I was by making it. I will never look at a jar the same again! Enjoy…

Easy Mason Jar Solar Lights

Find out how to paint your jars, and other Mason Jar Decor Ideas:

For other DIY Lanterns and Luminaries:

Faux Pallet American Flag With FloraCraft

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

DIY Easy Barnwood Frame and Free Printables

Download and print:

50+ Creative DIY Jewelry Organizers

Colorful Word Art Tutorial

How to Mod Podge Tissue Paper

Supplies:

Find me at Pluckingdaisies.com | Pinterest | Facebook | and Twitter for more creative ideas and tutorials.

Make Terrariums Galore in Under 1 Hour

SUPPLIES

TUTORIAL

Easy Doily Etched Wine Bottle Upcycle

Can you believe the detail?

How thrilled was I at the ease of use and effectiveness I found with Martha’s version?!

Don’t forget to check out my other Adventures in Wine Bottle Repurposing:

Painted Burlap Tag DIY From Fox Hollow Cottage

(tip; You can get nice straight lines if you follow the texture of the burlap weave as you cut. The Lines are sort of built-in.)

Thanks for having me today Johnnie! Hope you are having a BLAST at SNAP!

A Lamp Transformation; Kelly @ View Along the Way

50+ Mason Jar Decor Ideas

Meet Johnnie

Categories

Recent Printables

50+ Roundups

Find out how to paint your jars, and other Mason Jar Decor Ideas:

For other DIY Lanterns and Luminaries:

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Download and print:

How to Mod Podge Tissue Paper

Supplies:

Find me at Pluckingdaisies.com | Pinterest | Facebook | and Twitter for more creative ideas and tutorials.

SUPPLIES

TUTORIAL

Can you believe the detail?

How thrilled was I at the ease of use and effectiveness I found with Martha’s version?!

Don’t forget to check out my other Adventures in Wine Bottle Repurposing:

(tip; You can get nice straight lines if you follow the texture of the burlap weave as you cut. The Lines are sort of built-in.)

Thanks for having me today Johnnie! Hope you are having a BLAST at SNAP!

Meet Johnnie

Categories

SBLC Topics