MAD IN CRAFTS

Over 40 Under $10 Craft Tutorials

2013-06-18T08:01:00.001-04:00

On Mad in Crafts it is obvious that I love to make crafts on a budget. I have gathered together most of my under $10 projects here in this round-up. If you are also a fan of cheap crafting, I have some news for you! I have started a BRAND NEW BLOG called All Cheap Crafts.

All Cheap Crafts is a blog dedicated to providing craft ideas for décor, parties, gifts and more even if you don’t have much money to spend on supplies. On All Cheap Crafts NO PROJECT will cost more than $10 to complete! So, please enjoy this round-up of inexpensive craft projects and then head over to All Cheap Crafts for even more great ideas!

DECOR

Typography Art Globe

Spring Pillow Covers

Animal Head Bookends

Studded Mint and Gold Art

PB-Knockoff Mirrors

Placemat Pillows

Upcycled Typography Art

Embellished Pillow

$6 Nailhead Table

Mexican Paper Flowers

Magazine Index Binder

Snow Globe Soap Dispensers

Rainbow Ribbon Bins

Snowflake Crayons

Fork Curtain Tieback

No Sew Fabric Pumpkins

TARDIS Closet

OUTDOOR AND FLORAL

Front Door Bouquet

Dollar Store Outdoor Plaque Fix

Fire & Ice Lanterns

Simple Nest Wreath

Floral Wire Pumpkins

Fashion Designer Inspired Vase

Party Streamer Seed Tape

Twine and Yoyo Wreath

HOLIDAY

Speckled Robin’s Eggs

Pumpkin Watering System

Jingle Bell Swag

Snowflake Coasters

Sugared Egg Centerpiece

Gold Leafed Pumpkin

Christmas Quote Art

Dollar Barn Christmas

Christmas Ornament Wreath

GIFTS AND WEARABLE

Raspberry Coconut Scrub

Message in a Bottle Necklace

If you like these tutorials, be sure to check out MY NEW BLOG, All Cheap Crafts today!

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Thanks, Jessica

Mad Skills Party #160

2013-06-16T22:54:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the 160th Mad Skills Party!

If you have participated in a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party in the past, you have probably gotten one of my emails. I like to highlight a few of my favorite submissions each week, and email is a great way to do it! I also like to be able to thank all of you for participating in the party. It really means so much to me that you do. Commenting on each project is no longer an option for me, and I (legally) can’t spam you all with unasked for emails. BUT, if you sign up for the newsletter, I can still say thanks for your hard work AND you get to see the highlights from the weeks’ parties!

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the NEWSLETTER section of my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

For the Mad Skills party, as usual you can link up a post, old or new, to share with other readers. The only rule for the party is that the post MUST BE A TUTORIAL. The tutorial can be written, pictorial, or a combination of the two, but it should be a project or a process that another crafter would be able to replicate. Any Mad Skill level, from novice to advanced, is welcome!

There is a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party button that can be found by clicking HERE! Please add to your blog post or update your party pages! You have until midnight (EST) on Thursday to enter your projects!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

Stencils and Sweets (Weekly Wrap-Up)

2013-06-15T08:17:00.001-04:00

This week was a mishmash of posts ranging from simple stenciling projects to whimsical sweets tables! In addition to this week’s Mad Skills Tutorial Party, I shared these posts:

Hot Air Balloon Themed Sweets Table

Stenciled Watercolors

25 Stenciling Projects

Instant Typography

Thank you to these great sites for featuring me or my work recently:

This week’s throwback post is from TWO summers ago (see, I was still a “blogspot” URL!) I made some Upcycled Hanging Lanterns from old solar lights that had been left at our house by previous tenants. The process was simple and nearly free!

Do you like a good round-up post? They are so handy, especially on Pinterest, because all the applicable tutorials are assembled and organized ahead of time. I love round-ups and just created a Pinterest board JUST for Craft and DIY round-ups! Follow along for tons of project ideas.

Follow all my Pinterest boards for ton more DIY and craft inspiration!. You can also find me using any of the social media links found below. Let’s keep in touch!

Or you can sign up for the Mad Skills weekly newsletter HERE.

My NEW ebook is now for sale on E-Junkie. Find out more about it HERE!

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica

Instant Typography

2013-06-14T08:08:00.001-04:00

Looking for a way to waste a some time this weekend? I have you covered, friends! Recite is an addictively fun website that instantly turns your words in to stylish typographic images.

Type in whatever you like, and instantly see what those words would look like in a variety of layouts. You can then share the image via social media or download it to your hard drive.

If you can’t think of anything witty to turn into a graphic, worry not. Recite has a resource of quotes organized into helpful categories.

And, if all else fails, Beatles lyrics always win.

Or maybe TV shows are more your style:

Check out Recite when you’ve got a while to play around with it. It’s good, time-wasting fun. (PS This isn’t a sponsored post; Recite knows nothing about me. I just thought the site was really fun.)

The first commenter to correctly identify the Beatles songs and TV shows quoted above gets a virtual high five via Twitter and Facebook.

My NEW ebook is now for sale on E-Junkie. Find out more about it HERE!

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica Hill

25 Stencil Project Tutorials

2013-06-13T08:14:00.001-04:00

Home décor and craft stencils have come a long way from stenciled grapevine borders and country goose-adorned napkin holders. Newer stencil projects come in all shapes and sizes and can decorate anything from walls to fabric. I rounded up just 25 unique stenciling projects here today!

Stenciled DVD Coasters – Crafts by Amanda

Monogrammed Teacher Mugs – Dollar Store Mom

Powdered Sugar Stencil – rockscissorpaper

Stenciled Quote Wall Hanging – Always Expect Moore

Stenciled Glass Vase – Just Paint It!

Painter’s Tape Trellis Stencil – Just Paint It!

Stenciled Doodle Leaves – The Swell Life

Stenciled Flower Pots – Dollar Store Crafts

Spray Chalk Stencil – Oh Happy Day

Stenciled Watering Can – Mom Endeavors

Stenciled Dumpster Table – Pretty Handy Girl

Stenciled Baker’s Rack – Mad in Crafts

Stenciled Lampshade – Home Stories A to Z

His and Hers Tray Tables – Crafts by Amanda

Reverse Stenciled Dresser – Flor

Finger Painted Lyric Art – Mad in Crafts

Easy Heart Stenciled Shirt – Dollar Store Crafts

Stenciled Boy Backpack – I Love to Create Blog

Stenciled Glitter Frame – Always Expect Moore

Stenciled Mirror Growth Chart – Dollar Store Mom

Stenciled Burlap Runner – Just Paint It!

Fast Stenciled Napkins – 30 Minute Crafts

Bleach Stenciling on Fabric – Gypsy Moment

Stenciled Treat Bags – 30 Minute Crafts

Glittery Stenciled Table Runner – Just Paint It!

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica

Stenciled Watercolors (for People Who Can’t Paint)

2013-06-12T08:39:00.001-04:00

I love abstract floral watercolors. I think they are so lovely and soft, but they also have a graphic punch. I tried to recreate that look with the watercolor curtains in my daughter’s bedroom, and I wanted some artwork to match. Unfortunately, I don’t have the artistic skills to create the finished product that I wanted. Instead, I found a hack that makes it possible for anyone who can hold a paintbrush to create gorgeous watercolor paintings!

To make Stenciled Watercolor Paintings, you will need:

^{Some of the following links are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.}

watercolor paper

watercolor paints (mine were kids paints from the dollar store!)

paintbrush

small bowl of water

stencils

stencil adhesive

It’s important to use watercolor paper for this project. It’s not that expensive, and it makes the end product look so much nicer. Spray the back of the stencil with a bit of stencil adhesive and position it on the paper. Begin by adding a few basic colors to the stencil.

Add in more colors, using the water to blend them together. DON’T be fussy about where the colors go. The more they blend, the more beautiful it will look.

Remove the stencil and admire your artistry. Some of the color will seep under the stencil, but that is just fine. It adds to the “painterly” look of the piece.

When I say that this tutorial is for anyone who can hold a paintbrush, I mean it. It’s a great way to have your kids create colorful artwork that can easily be framed and hung on a wall.

The more colors used, the better. The only way to mess it up would be to douse the paper with water. That might make the colors spread around the stencil more than you want, blurring the shapes. Otherwise, you can just go to town!

These make beautiful place cards or greeting cards too, just fold the paper in half. You know, in case you forgot that FATHER’S DAY IS THIS SUNDAY!

Look how pretty the prints look matted and framed! There is no way I could have created that freehand, but I don’t think you could tell that I used a stencil either. The process is so simple and quick, that you could make enough paintings for an entire room in one morning.

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica

Hot Air Balloon Sweets Table Inspired by “Oz the Great and Powerful”

2013-06-11T08:45:00.001-04:00

^{This is a sponsored post. I was compensated and given complimentary materials to use, but the opinions in this posts are 100% my own.}

For all the surprises and joys in life, sometimes things can be just a bit… un-magical. Every now and then it is fun to escape on an exciting adventure to a colorful world. And those escapes often happen through a good movie. Oz the Great and Powerful is just the kind of movie that lets you get away for a few hours and immerse yourself in the gorgeous, lush world of Oz.

But, as the Wizard will tell you, you can’t just drive to Oz, you have to take a balloon! After watching an advance copy Blu-ray of Oz the Great and Powerful (and feeling super fancy while we did), I was inspired to make a sweets table that features a few handmade hot air balloon decorations. This dessert table would be adorable for a birthday party or baby shower, or a screening of Oz the Great and Powerful, of course!

To make the Hot Air Balloon Decorations, you will need:

balloons (mine were dollar store water balloons)

small favor tins

washi tape

baker’s twine

scissors

double sided tape

Blow up the balloons until they are roughly 5 inches tall and four inches wide.

Cut 8 lengths of baker’s twine that are between 12-14 inches long. Tie them all together at one end.

Separate the pieces of twine so that you have 4 pairs of two lengths of twine. Tie each pair together two inches away from the top knot.

Pay no attention to the stripes on this balloon.

NOTE: These pictures were taken while I was still in the prototype phase of this project. I initially put washi tape directly onto the balloons to decorate them. While it looked really cute, I found that after 24 hours, the balloons had shrunk enough to make the washi tape buckle and pop off. If you were making these decorations the day of your party, you might be able to get away with it.

Position the top knot of twine at the top of the balloon. If you want to prevent the twine from slipping while you are working on the rest of the knots, you can hold it in place with a small piece of double sided tape.

Set the balloon in a small cup so that it is easier to finish tying off your twine. Divide the pairs of twine that you tied together previously. Tie one piece of each of those pair with one piece of the pair next to it. See the picture above if that is as clear as mud.

Do the separate-and-re-tie process once more slightly further down.

Take the lid off of the favor tin and remove the plastic window from the lid of the tin. Wrap the tin with washi tape.

This step is a little tricky, so don’t get frustrated if it takes you a few tries. Set the tin (without its lid) on a table, and hold the balloon a few inches above it. Dangle the twine so it pools into the tin. With your free hand, replace the lid and push it down to secure the twine in place.

Scoot the twine around so that the “ropes” of the hot air balloon are evenly spaced. You can also adjust the twine in the tin to make the balloon “basket” hang straight.

Cut a length of washi tape that is roughly 14 inches long and wrap it around the widest part of the balloon. Thread some monofiliament through the top knot of the hot air balloons and hang them above your sweets table!

The tins are the perfect size for mini cupcakes, so you can make it look like the cupcakes are coming in for a landing right on the table!

I took help from the store for my sweets table. I bought frosted mini sugar cookies and sliced up some strawberry crème snack rolls.

I also gave store bought mini cupcakes a quick dunk in some pretty nonpareils to give them more color (and because the lousy bagger at the store bagged the container of cupcakes in such a way that it immediately fell out of my cart upside down onto the floor – whoops).

I hope I captured the color and magic of Oz the Great and Powerful in this fun dessert table. The movie is so visually stunning, it really does feel like magic. If you are interested in bring the magic of Oz into your home, you are in luck because the Blu-Ray combo pack is being released TODAY!

Stay up to date on all the Oz news and fun on facebook, twitter, and pinterest.

For more Oz-inspired creativity, click the thumbnails below!

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica

Mad Skills Party #159

2013-06-09T23:56:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the 158th Mad Skills Party!

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the NEWSLETTER section of my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

Talking Curb Appeal (Week Wrap-up)

2013-06-08T08:27:00.001-04:00

I didn’t really mean for this to end up being Curb Appeal week, but once it started to shape up that way I just decided to go with it. It was meant to be! In addition to this week’s Mad Skills Tutorial Party, I shared these posts:

Driveway Repair

Bench Opinions

Choosing New Landscaping

10 Ways to Add Curb Appeal on a Budget

Thank you to these great sites for featuring me or my work recently:

About this time last year, I was transforming our new dining room from dated wallpaper to bright stenciled walls. The Royal Design Studio stenciled dining room is still one of my favorite spaces in our home. I have another RDS project coming up in the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled!

I am still looking for the perfect color for our beat up park bench. I pinned a few more options on Pinterest:

Follow all my Pinterest boards for tons of DIY and craft inspiration!. You can also find me using any of the social media links found below. Let’s keep in touch!

Or you can sign up for the Mad Skills weekly newsletter HERE.

My NEW ebook is now for sale on E-Junkie. Find out more about it HERE!

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica

Curb Appeal is Worth the Work!

2013-06-07T09:03:00.001-04:00

I was doing some reading this week and was surprised to learn that of all the improvements you can make to your home, the ones that give the best return on your investment come from adding curb appeal. The return on prettifying your front yard is even better than those from a kitchen or bathroom remodel!

Thankfully not all curb appeal projects need to bust your budget in order to provide a great return on your money. In fact, current trends suggest that smaller projects can be a better investment than large scale remodels (thank you very much, crappy real estate market). Even simple projects can add value to your home, and make it a prettier place to live.

1. Paint the Front Door

Giving your front door a fresh coat of paint is an incredibly easy way to up your home’s curb appeal. AND its ROI (return on investment) is almost always worth the short time it takes to paint the door. East Coast Creative has a great tutorial describing the right way to paint a front door.

2. Upgrade Your House Numbers

When people, especially potential buyers, come to your house for the first time, what are they going to be looking for? The house number, of course! It seems like such a small detail, but attractive house numbers can make your home stand out immediately. You can find a wide variety of styles at your local hardware store, or you can be ambitious and make your own using this tutorial on Curbly.

3. Install Landscape Lighting

Soft, accent lighting makes a home look welcoming, and it doesn’t have to be expensive to add some to your front yard. Solar stake lights are available for a few dollars a piece, and just a few lights lining a walkway or flower bed make a difference. For lights that will really impress, consider installing wired accent lighting. Pretty Handy Girl explains how.

4. Upgrade House Lighting

Replacing existing light fixtures like porch lights and garage lights can be pricy. But even giving them a coat of spray paint can freshen them up and give them new life.

5. Makeover Your Mailbox

There are so many ways to dress up a standard mailbox, from spray paint to magnetic decals, that it’s a crying shame for anyone to have a boring mailbox. If you want to put your creativity to work and WOW your guests, you can create a mailbox that looks like your house!

6. Add Hardscaping

Adding hardscaping to your front yard will require some elbow grease but pays off in curb appeal. If you can find salvaged materials, you can save big bucks too! Check out this tutorial for adding bricks to a flower bed.

7. Stain your Driveway

Replacing a driveway is a big, expensive job – trust me, we just replaced our driveway approach. However, you can give a concrete driveway a facelift with stain. Specially designed concrete stains can protect and beautify the driveway you already have. Young House Love outlines the process of staining their concrete patio.

8. Green Up your Lawn

Even if your home and driveway are perfectly maintained, your curb appeal can still be killed by a weedy, brown lawn. Feed your grass, and up your curb appeal with these simple green lawn tips.

9. Plant Some Color

Add some color to the face of your house with flowers, either in pots or in the ground. Annuals are a cheap, but temporary, option. Flowering shrubs and perennials will cost more out of pocket, but keep producing year after year.

10. Keep It Clean

The easiest way to improve your home’s curb appeal is just to maintain what you already have. Cut your grass, weed your flower beds, sweep your porch, wash your windows. It won’t cost much more than a few hours of your weekend and can make a surprising difference.

In addition to being a great way to increase your home’s value, curb appeal tends to be contagious. If your neighbors see you working hard in your front yard, they might get inspired to make new efforts on their own homes. Before you know it, your whole block is prettier AND more valuable!

Do you have any tips or posts about upping a house’s curb appeal? Leave the links in the comments!

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica

Choosing New Landscaping with HGTVGardens

2013-06-06T08:43:00.001-04:00

^{This is a sponsored post. I received compensation in exchange for my work, but the opinions in this post are 100% my own.}

When we were house hunting last year, one of the things that first attracted us to The Mad House was its curb appeal. The house had nicely maintained hardscaping and smart choices in landscaping. Unfortunately, one of the shrubs was dead before we even moved into the house. Since then we have been trying to decide what kind of plant should replace it.

The spiral shrub on the left side of the photo has gone to the great greenhouse in the sky. We intend to dig it out and replace it this summer, but I have been waffling about what kind of shrub should replace it. I would like the shrub to fit the following needs:

Needs to add color to the yard.
Needs to NOT grow too big (so it doesn't encroach on the sidewalk).
Needs to work with existing landscaping: hydrangeas, hostas, boxwood, flowering pear, and yews.
Needs to grow well in partial sun.

In order to get a better idea of what I wanted, I turned to a new, helpful gardening resource. I became a member of the HGTVGardens community. I was able to very quickly set up a profile which gives me access to the gardening community and information specially designed for my needs!

I first clicked over to the website Plant Finder. The HGTVGardens website uses the information you provide when you sign up to automatically determine your growing zone and narrow down appropriate plants for your region. Since we are looking to replace a spiral shrub, I clicked the “Shrub” icon. 1,057 results! All of them had pictures and clickable links to take me to all the growing information for each plant. I scrolled through all of them, making note of possible candidates as I did so. But I was still overwhelmed with choices, so I decided to ask more talented gardeners than I.

That meant that my next stop was the Ask & Share section of the HGTVGardens website. Here you can post questions or tips to the community and get responses. I asked my question (and eventually added a picture of the front of The Mad House) and was ASTONISHED at how quickly I had a response from a member of the HGTVGardens team! She was incredibly nice and gave me a plant suggestion with a link.

all photos via HGTVGardens

Here are a few shrub options that I am considering after doing my research on the site. They all have pros and cons.

Azalea – Suggested by the HGTV team member. Gorgeous flowers. Tricky to grow?
Pieris – Beautiful bright red new growth each spring. White flowers and evergreen leaves.
Burning Bush – Common in the area. Turns vibrant red in the fall. Grow very large, but can be pruned.
Lavender – Lovely, fragrant purple flowers. Attracts bees.

I am MUCH closer to deciding on new landscaping now that I have found HGTVGardens. Plus, I killed a bunch of time, ahem, educated myself by surfing through all the other fun information on the site, from hardscaping ideas to craft projects! Yes, craft projects! If you have any plans for your outdoor space this summer, you should check it out!

SEEKING YOUR HELP!!! If you were re-landscaping that section of our front yard, what would you plant? Let me know below.

Brought to you by the gardening crew at HGTV.

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Thanks, Jessica

What Color Does This Bench Want to Be?

2013-06-05T08:18:00.000-04:00

I NEED YOUR OPINIONS! We have had this cute park bench sitting on the front porch of The Mad House, but it needs some love. Years of exposure to Michigan’s four seasons have all but stripped it of its polyurethane finish and even of some of its stain. The wrought iron supports are starting to show signs of wear too.

I have already taken it apart and given the wood a good sanding with my new orbital sander, but I can’t decide what to do with it from here. That’s where you come in. Here are the options I am considering.

via

The simplest and most classic option would be to re-stain and poly the wood and spray paint the metal accents. The upside of this option is that I have stain, poly, and ORB spray paint on hand already; the downside is that it would continue to look the way it always has. Not very exciting.

penny stain recipe, penny stained letters, steel wool tea stain and table project

I am also really interested in trying out a homemade wood stain, and this could be a really cool project on which to try one. I would be taking a risk of the experiment failing, and having to start all over after putting in all that work though.

green, red, yellow

I could go full color with the bench by painting the whole kit and caboodle. This would probably be the easiest option, since I could just spray the whole bench. I would risk really clashing with our house if I went with a a bold color though.

blue, green, yellow

A less risky option would be to add color to either the metal OR the wood, but not both. It would require more supplies and more time, but would result in a more sophisticated, classic look.

left, top, bottom

As long as I am taking the time to redo the bench, I could go all out and do something wild like rainbow stripes or gradient color. It would mean a lot more work but would give us a real conversation piece.

I trust your opinions, so please sound off in the comments! What do you think I should do with my park bench? Do you have an idea other than the ones I shared above? Let me know!

My NEW ebook is now for sale on E-Junkie. Find out more about it HERE!

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica

Repairing a Driveway is Hard Work…

2013-06-04T08:18:00.001-04:00

…That I didn’t have to do! Generally I am the one doing the DIY work around the house, usually with my dad’s instruction and help, but when my father-in-law is in town I get to sit back while he tackles the jobs that I have no idea how to do. This past week he and my husband took on the back-breaking job of removing our beat up driveway approach and replacing it with new concrete.

This is what the driveway approach looked like a year ago when we bought the house, and it didn’t magically heal itself once we moved in. As the repair progressed this week, my father-in-law explained that there were a few mistakes made the last time the driveway had been poured that caused this damage: 1) uneven depths of concrete and 2) lack of a “seam” in the concrete slab.

They rented a jackhammer, and my father-in-law, husband, and dad took turns breaking up the driveway approach. The concrete was 5 inches thick in some places and almost a foot thick in others. After the rocks were excavated and hauled to a recycling center, the guys leveled out the ground underneath, built up the forms, and called for the inspector to take a look.

And the inspector was not pleased. Although they had done an excellent job removing the approach, the inspector want them to cut out into the street so there wasn’t a break right at the end of the driveway. That meant renting a concrete saw, heavy work with a sledgehammer, and more excavating. Thankfully that was enough to please the city inspector.

Finally it was time to call in the mixer truck. Mixers are my son’s favorite construction vehicle, so I made sure to race him down from nap so he could see it up close and personal. This is how the conversation went:

Me: It’s your very favorite truck RIGHT IN YOUR YARD! Aren’t you excited?

Son: Mom, I have seen mixer trucks before. You don’t have to freak out.

Okay, then.

Even though the boy wasn’t as impressed at I thought he would be, I was floored at how skillfully the truck driver maneuvered the truck and the chute. We live on a pretty tight cul de sac, that was parked up with cars, and he managed to drive the truck with one hand and perfectly aim the chute with the other. It was really cool to watch.

If he hadn’t proved that he obviously had done this kind of job many times before, we might have been more worried when we saw this happen. He completely inverted himself into the top of the truck in order to wash out the chute before the concrete hardened and gummed it up. No worries. He climbed out unscathed.

I also enjoyed watching the efficient and speedy process of leveling out the concrete after it had been poured. It has to be an almost choreographed effort in order to get it all done before the concrete sets.

My father-in-law made sure to include a seam down the center of the approach. I asked for the reasoning behind this, and he explained that it creates a guaranteed weak spot in the slab, so if it’s going to crack, it will crack down this seam instead of where we wouldn’t want it to crack.

While the concrete was still wet, we were able to get the kids’ handprints, a 2013 penny, and the kids’ names embedded into the corner of the approach.

It’s sentimental touches like these that make paying out those monthly mortgage payments a bit less paintful!

A big thank you to my father-in-law and my husband for the week of difficult work in hot and humid weather. You did a fantastic job and our cars’ tires thank you!

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica

Mad Skills Link Party #158

2013-06-02T23:13:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the 158th Mad Skills Party!

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the NEWSLETTER section of my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

Totes Adorbs Week

2013-06-01T08:21:00.001-04:00

If you missed it, it was TOTE BAG WEEK on Mad in Crafts! I shared three of my easiest tote bag tutorials and then shared 60+ more in a huge tote tute round-up. In addition to this week’s Mad Skills Tutorial Party, I shared these posts:

Block Printed Tote

Simple Doodle Tote

Tie Dye and Crayon Batik Tote

60+ DIY Tote Bags Round-Up

Thank you to these great sites for featuring me or my work recently:

Last year my cousin Mollie and I made this slightly crazy, but mostly awesome, dress form out of duct tape! The form was made to perfectly replicate her body so that creating new patterns would be so much easier! Pin the tutorial if you are interested in making your own.

It was a busy week in The Mad House and I captured some of the fun on Instagram:

Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to make some crowd-pleasing ice cream desserts for our family’s Memorial Day picnic.
My in-laws brought the kids these glow-in-the-dark bubbles. They were cool, but super complicated!
My husband and FIL replaced the end of our driveway this week. The kids were excellent supervisors.
This is not something you see everyday!

Follow me on Instagram under the screen name @madincrafts for more behind the scenes glimpses into life in The Mad House. You can also find me using any of the social media links found below. Let’s keep in touch!

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My NEW ebook is now for sale on E-Junkie. Find out more about it HERE!

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Thanks, Jessica

60+ Totes Adorbs Tote Bag Tutorials

2013-05-31T07:40:00.001-04:00

This whole week has been dedicated to totes adorbs tote bags. Because there are so many possibilities for creating and decorating tote bags, the internet is full of great tote bag tutorials. I have gathered over 60 of my favorites here in this round-up. Enjoy!

SEWN TOTES

Sew a Simple Tote (seen above)

Braided Handle Tote

Anthro-Inspired Lace Tote

Patchwork Pocket Tote

One Hour Tote

Reverse Applique Tote (seen above)

Pillowcase Tote

Mesh Tote

Ruffled Grocery Bag

Keep Calm and Carry Yarn Tote

Rope Tote (seen above)

Fold Up Tote

Beach Towel Tote

Library Card Tote

Mending Tote (seen above)

Jute Webbing Tote (seen above)

Fat Quarter Tote

Felt Tote/Kids Backpack

Trick or Treat Totes

Reading and Sewing Totes

Fussy Cut Tote (seen above)

Placemat Tote

Upcycled Jeans Tote

Drawstring Camera Tote

Small Jean Tote

Roll Up Tote

PAINTED TOTES

Magnetic Tote (seen above)

Ombre Chevron Tote

Eraser Stamped Tote

Footprints in the Sand Tote

Stamped Ikat Tote

DIY Painted Tote

Leaf Print Tote (seen above)

Beach Tote

Stenciled Tote Bag

Silk Screened Bride Tote

Block Printed Tote

Spray Painted Tote

Stenciled Totes

DRAWN OR DYED TOTES

Drawn Flowers Tote (seen above)

Dip Dyed Geometric Tote

MISCELLANEOUS

Turn Any Tote into a Camera Bag (seen above)

Leather Handled Tote

Monster Tote

Recycled Plastic Bag Tote

Embroidered Child’s Drawing Tote

Photo Transfer Tote

No-Sew T-Shirt Tote

Doily Embellished Tote (seen above)

Doggie Tote

Duct Tape Tote

Fringe Tote

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Thanks, Jessica

Totes Adorbs: Tie Dye and Crayon Batik Bag

2013-05-30T07:49:00.001-04:00

Batik is a type of textile that originated in Indonesia and that is created using dye and wax. The wax acts as a resist to the dye to create beautiful and intricate patterns. Batik artists use canting (the tool seen in the top right of the image below) to draw the wax patterns onto the fabric.

Batik prints tend to crop up in spring and summer fashions because of the wide range of colors and patterns possible with the technique. Its island origins probably have something to do with it too. :) You can create a version of batik at home with simple craft materials. Today I am going to share how to create a batik tote bag, using tie dye and crayons!

To make a Tie Dye and Crayon Batik Bag, you will need:

^{Some of the following links are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.}

plain canvas tote

paint brush

white crayons

heat safe bowl

candle warmer

fabric dye

tub or bucket

iron

paper towels

Break up a few white crayons (the white ones are pretty much useless other than for this project, right?) and put them in a heat-safe bowl. Set the bowl on a candle warmer and let them melt. The candle warmer will keep the wax melted while you batik the tote.

Using a paintbrush that you are willing to trash after this project, begin painting designs with the melted wax. The wax acts as a dye resist, so any areas that you cover with the wax will remain white after you dye the tote.

I created a kind of tribal pattern all over one side of the tote and then flipped it over and repeated the pattern on the back of the tote. The heavier you apply the wax the more defined the resist areas will be, and vice versa.

Soak your tote in water and place it in a bucket or tub. I used Tulip Tie Dye for my project because I love the fact that you mix the dye in squirt bottles, so you only use as much dye as you need. I wanted a painterly look for my bag, so I didn’t completely saturate the bag with dye.

Let your tote sit in the dye according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Remove the tote bag from the dye and rinse it until the water runs clear. Don’t put it in the washer! Let the tote air-dry.

Lay the tote on your ironing board (or a makeshift ironing board like mine). Place a piece of paper towel inside the tote bag and a few sheets on top of the bag. If you created a wax pattern on both sides of the tote, place a sheet or two under the bag as well.

Turn the iron on medium to medium-high heat and slowly run the iron over the paper toweling. Adjust the heat of the iron to avoid scorching the paper towel.

The heat of the iron will melt the crayon wax, and the paper towel will absorb the melted wax. If the paper towel becomes too saturated with wax, switch it out for a new sheet. Remove the wax from the first side of the tote, flip the tote over, and repeat on the other side of the tote bag.

After the wax is removed, you will be able to see your finished batik pattern emerge!

I think this tote bag has a great, beachy vibe to it but done in a different pattern or dye color, and it would be an entirely different bag. The possibilities are endless!

Have you checked out the other tote bag tutorials I have shared this week?

Easy Block Printed Tote Bag

Doodle Tote Bag

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Thanks, Jessica

Totes Adorbs: Simple Doodle Tote Bag

2013-05-29T07:40:00.001-04:00

I have a craft blogger problem. Because I am always focused on creating projects for my home and for the blog that are beautiful and on-trend and aesthetically pleasing, I don’t often let my creativity just go. I plan out projects that are somewhat safe because I want them to turn out well, both for my sake and for the sake of any reader who might try the project at home. Also, I am cheap and hate the idea of wasting crafting materials for something that might end up being hideous.

But that’s not a great long-term strategy for a creative type. Those kinds of boundaries can prevent me from trying new techniques, from expanding my skill set, and from just having fun! I decided that for this second tote bag tutorial, I was going to remove my usual restrictions and let the creativity flow. It might turn out great; it might be silly. After stripping away my usual rules, I ended up taking myself down to the most basic artistic level: the doodle!

If you have never used fabric markers before, they are such a fun way to decorate anything made of fabric from shirts to shoes, pillows to pocketbooks. I used my fabric markers to create a fun, funky doodle tote bag, and I had so much fun!

To make a Simple Doodle Tote, you will need:

^{Some of the following links are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.}

canvas tote bag

fabric markers

The only design plan I had when starting off the tote bag was that I wanted to create a sort of Aztec-like stripe pattern down the front of the tote bag. With that idea in mind, I got to doodling.

The fabric markers draw on the canvas like a dream, and once they have dried the tote is completely washable. I won’t lie, I was a little nervous about not really having any idea how the bag would turn out, but after a few lines of doodles I was really enjoying just making things up as I went along!

I will probably use this tote to transport craft materials or projects since it has such an artistic vibe. When you are working with your fabric markers, you could make your doodles graffiti-like or maybe a little hippy mod. It’s completely up to you!

So, are you like me? Do you have trouble really letting go with your creative projects or are you a free spirit who creates as inspiration moves you?

Be sure to check out yesterday’s Block Printed Tote tutorial, and stay tuned the rest of the week for more tote tutes!

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Thanks, Jessica

Totes Adorbs: Easy Block Print Tote Bag

2013-05-28T07:43:00.001-04:00

Tote bags are the workhorses of the accessory world. They carry beach supplies, library books, and farmer’s market veggies. They can be stuffed to the brim to store goodies or rolled up to be stored themselves. And plain totes can be stamped, dyed, embroidered, painted… I am beginning to sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump.

I bought an inexpensive 3-pack of plain canvas tote bags, and this week I am going to share the easy ways I transformed them from boring to beautiful. Today’s tutorial is for this trendy geometric block printed tote bag. The process is so simple and fun that you might end up block printing all the fabric you can get your hands on.

To make a Block Print Tote Bag, you will need:

^{Some of the following links are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.}

plain canvas tote bag

craft paints (or screen printing ink)

foam brushes

Begin by cutting your shape out of a piece of craft foam. I chose a triangle since repeated triangle patterns are trendy right now (and they are easy to cut). I mounted the triangle of craft foam on a piece of stryofoam with craft glue. After the glue dried, I trimmed the styrofoam around the craft foam triangle. Trimming the styrofoam makes it easier to accurately place the stamp.

WHAT IS UP WITH MY HAND?!??!

Once you can tear yourself away from gawking at my weird-looking thumb, you can move onto adding paint to the foam block. I applied a layer of acrylic paint to the stamp with a foam brush. Try to avoid brush marks as much as possible, because they will transfer to the project. Some brush marks are inevitable though.

After you have added the paint, wipe down any excess paint on the edges of the stamp with a piece of paper towel or a rag.

Position the foam block over the fabric and press down firmly. Pull the block straight up to avoid smudging your print.

Repeat the process all over the tote bag. I wiped my foam block down between colors and didn’t have any trouble with the paint mixing together.

Without spending much time or money, you will have a chic new tote bag to sling over your shoulder!

Stay tuned because this whole week is going to be dedicated to pretty and pretty useful tote bags that are perfect for Spring and Summer!

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Thanks, Jessica

Mad Skills Party #157

2013-05-26T23:39:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the 157th Mad Skills Party!

Thank you to all the members of the military, past and present, and their families for all the hardships and sacrifices that they have willingly endured for the protection of this country. We thank God for you.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the NEWSLETTER section of my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

Simple is the Way to Go

2013-05-25T07:27:00.001-04:00

It was another week of simple projects and recipes on Mad in Crafts this week. In addition to this week’s Mad Skills Tutorial Party, I shared these posts:

Grandma’s Easy Rhubarb Dessert

Year Round Wreath

Quick Sesame Ginger Dinner Salad

Summer Skies Jello Snack

This week I participated in a Google+ Hangout on Air series and completed my first ever live craft tutorial. It was a tiny bit terrifying, but I am glad to have my first one under my belt. I went back afterwards and turned on YouTube’s automatic closed captions. I was amazed that, even though I was actually talking about fall decorations, they were able to read what was going on in my mind.

Heh. Very funny, YouTube. To hear what I was really saying in the video, you can watch it on my YouTube channel.

Thank you to these great sites for featuring me or my work recently:

The Three Ingredients Cookies that I shared last year are a great easy treat for you to make with your family this spring. The recipe is easy, and the cookies are tart and refreshing. Give it a pin to try out!

There were a few other pins that I found when I was searching for inspiration for my son’s last day of preschool snack. These are the cute snacks I pinned:

String Cheese Pencils on Money Wise Mom
Smiling Sun Cupcakes by Good Housekeeping
Beach in a Cup from My Royal Kitchen
Sand Pail Cupcakes on Parents

Check out all my Pinterest boards for more fun, inspiration, and silliness. You can also find me using any of the social media links found below. Let’s keep in touch!

Or you can sign up for the Mad Skills weekly newsletter HERE.

My NEW ebook is now for sale on E-Junkie. Find out more about it HERE!

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Thanks, Jessica

Summer Skies Jello Snack

2013-05-24T08:11:00.001-04:00

This Wednesday was my son’s last day of preschool. I can hardly believe he is old enough to be walking and talking, let alone graduating from preschool. ((cue chorus of “Sunrise, Sunset”)) There was a small reception after the school’s end of the year program, and I volunteered to bring a simple snack. I wanted an idea that wasn’t too fussy, and that focused more on the beginning of summer than on the end of the school year. And, it’s cheap to boot!

I found the idea for Blue Sky Jello on Anastasia’s Palace, and it was just what I was looking for. I dummied down the already fairly simple process, to make these cute individual treats for the kids.

To make Summer Skies Jello, you will need:

blue jello mix (made according to package instructions)

canned whipped cream

clear plastic cups*

plastic spoons*

yellow and orange construction paper*

scissors

smiley face stamp (optional)

double sided tape

*found at the dollar store

First, I made up four large packages of blue jello according to the directions on the box. The four boxes of jello ended up yielding 26 good-sized portions of the jello. You will have to adjust the amount you use for the number of people you will be serving. Figure roughly 6 people per box of jello.

After the jello had fully set, I stirred it up with a large spoon to break it up so that it would conform to the shape of the plastic cups. In the cups, I alternated small scoops of the blue jello with little squirts of canned whipped cream.

Once the jello and whipped cream settle into the cups, it looks just like a gorgeous summer sky, full of fair weather clouds! I cut some smiling suns out of cheap construction paper and taped them to the ends of the plastic spoons. The spoons stand straight up in the jello so the suns were shining above the clouds.

The whipped cream melted a bit on the car ride over to the school, but otherwise they help up pretty well.

This would be a fun treat to welcome your kids home on their first day of summer vacation or an easy activity to keep them occupied two days later when they are already bored. Happy almost summer vacation!

My NEW ebook is now for sale on E-Junkie. Find out more about it HERE!

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Thanks, Jessica

Quick Dinner Idea: Sesame Ginger Salad

2013-05-23T08:24:00.001-04:00

Today it was a “lovely” 88 degrees with 80% humidity, which is not uncommon in a Michigan summer. I become a super grump in hot weather, and the last thing I want to do is cook. No, check that. The last thing I want to do is be outside. Second to last is cooking. Because of this I am always on the lookout for fast, mostly heat-free meals to get us through the sticky summer months.

Some lovely person brought this delicious salad to our recent Sunday School picnic, and I bought the ingredients to make it at home as soon as I could. This is a quick and healthy summer dinner that your whole family will love. If you have more time, you can grill up your own chicken instead of taking the help from the store. However you choose to make it, it will be a hit!

To make this tasty salad, you will need a few things from the store:

baby greens
grilled chicken
whole almonds
mandarin oranges
Newman’s Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger dressing

That last bit is crucial. You NEED to shell out a couple extra dollars for the Newman’s Own dressing. It’s beyond good. Sesame dressings can cross the line into cloying very easily, and this dressing walks the line expertly.

Attention, Bieber fans. This is what a man looks like.

Heat up the chicken and cut it into bite sized pieces. Toss together all the ingredients and drizzle on some of the delicious dressing. A little goes a long way, so don’t overdress the salad (and this is coming from a girl who normally downs her salads).

If you would rather serve it as a side or a starter, just ditch the chicken. It makes a lovely and colorful addition to a summer dinner party, and nobody has to know it only took minutes to pull together!

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Thanks, Jessica

Year-Round Wreath LIVE Tutorial

2013-05-22T07:58:00.001-04:00

Today I will be doing my first ever LIVE craft tutorial. Are you excited? Google+ has a cool feature called Hangouts on Air, and with it I can create a live broadcast which will show up right here in this blog post! Be sure to come back at 5 PM EST to watch me create a year-round wreath live on air. If you can’t make it at 5, the video will be archived and will be viewable here and on my YouTube page.

^{This is a sponsored post. I received complimentary materials in exchange for my work, but the opinions in this post are 100% my own.}

This live hangout is a part of a Crafty Hangouts series sponsored by Floracraft. Nineteen bloggers were each sent a styrofoam wreath and challenged to create something LIVE on air. I am going to show you how to create a wreath that can be decorated over and over again, so that it can be displayed all year long!

To make a Year Round Wreath, you will need:

^{Some of the following links are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.}

Floracraft Styrofoam wreath

burlap ribbon

floral pins

In the video I will show you how you can take this neutral foundation and turn it into a decorative wreath for any season! Click on the video below to see how to make all of the following wreaths!

For the American wreath, you will need:

craft foam

scissors

dollar store sign

For the Fall wreath, you will need:

fall leaves

faux wheat

dollar store filigree pumpkin

For the Christmas wreath, you will need:

plaid ribbon

bells

floral wire

(see how I made the bell swag HERE)

For the Valentines wreath, you will need:

pink wired ribbon

scrapbook paper

paper cutter

twine

tape

For the Anniversary wreath, you will need:

vintage photos

silk magnolias

For the Wine wreath, you will need:

faux grapes

wine corks

If you are interested in seeing what the other bloggers did with their wreaths, hop over to Crafty Hangouts for all the archived videos (plus dozens of other video tutorials!).

Thanks again to FloraCraft for sponsoring this hangout series. You can find them on facebook and pinterest for more fun styrofoam ideas!

Did you like this post? Think it’s worth sharing? Please share with your friends using the social media share buttons on the toolbar at the bottom of the page!

Thanks, Jessica

Grandma’s Easy Rhubarb Dessert

2013-05-21T08:01:00.001-04:00

My grandma made the best food. She made real, homey recipes; the kind that grandmas are supposed to make. There were wonderful casseroles and buttery vegetables, but the best were her baked goods. From elaborate baklava to easy drop cookies, she always had yummy treats on hand.

One of my favorite things that she would make was something simply called Rhubarb Dessert. I don’t know if it qualifies as bar cookies, or a coffee cake, or what exactly, but it was tart and buttery and amazing. And I wanted to make some myself.

I am proud to say that I inherited some of my grandmother’s crafting ability and cooking skills. Unfortunately it seems that poor recipe documentation also runs in the family. Just as I tend to cook with “handfuls” or “dashes” of ingredients, my grandma’s recipes are frustratingly unclear. This particular recipe of hers didn’t even mention how much rhubarb to use! Just “enough to cover the crust.” Hrmm.

In order to be able to replicate the recipe down the line, for my sake as much as yours, I tried to pay close attention to specific amounts and measurements as I made my grandmother’s recipe. It’s a very simple dessert to make, but it’s slightly easier when you know how much of everything to put in.

My grandmother’s recipe calls for shortening in the dough, but I didn’t have any on hand. I am sure that the shortening is what made her crust slightly more flaky than mine turned out to be. Feel free to use either her recipe or my substitution for your version.

The dough will be not quite as crumbly as shortbread dough, but not as gooey as cookie dough.

Press the dough into the pan with your fingers. There’s no use trying to be sanitary and using a spatula to press down the dough, it will never work. You will need the warmth of your fingers to get the crust to spread all the way the edges of the 9x13 pan. Made with love, folks.

Dump the cut rhubarb over the crust and sprinkle the whole thing with a package of strawberry jello. The jello is what makes the magic happen when you bake the dessert.

Mix up the streusel ingredients and sprinkle it all over the rhubarb. It’s a lot of streusel. There is no such thing as too much streusel.

I am not sure exactly how long to tell you to bake the dessert. My grandma’s recipe said to bake it “until the rhubarb is tender.” Helpful. I tried to get an accurate time from my version, but the oven got turned off halfway through bake time, so I have no clue how long it would have taken if a non-idiot was baking it. If I had to guess, I would say to start checking the oven after about 30 minutes. You want the crust and the streusel to be golden.

This dessert is so good. The jello combines with the moisture of the rhubarb to make a gooey filling, and the streusel is so buttery that it balances out the sour tang of the rhubarb. My family polished off this whole pan in an embarrassingly short amount of time, so I already have my eye out for more rhubarb to make another batch.

GRANDMA’S RHUBARB DESSERT

1 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 T. shortening (or 1 T. coconut oil and 1 T. butter)
1 egg beaten with 1 T. water
4 c. sliced rhubarb
1 pkg strawberry jello
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. butter

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix in shortening (or oil and butter).
Add beaten egg and mix well.
Press into a greased 9x13 pan.
Pour cut rhubarb over the crust and sprinkle with jello.
With a fork, mix together sugar, flour, and butter. Sprinkle over top of the dessert.
Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes, or until the crust and streusel are golden.

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Thanks, Jessica