A Days Reverie

Button Clock

2013-03-16T18:31:00.001-07:00

We recently had an Estate Sale at my Grandma's home. One of the things my Grandma loved most is clocks, she had A LOT of them! This is one of her clocks, it had no sentimental value and was in fact still in the packaging when I got it. I got a few other cherished items from her along with her sewing table and ALL its contents! It was full of old sewing materials including wooden thread reels and tons of buttons. I thought it fitting to make something with these items and add it to my craft wall.

Here is what I used:

Clock

White paint

Mod Podge

Foam Brush

Fabric 14X14

12 Buttons

Hot Glue Gun

I removed the hands and painted the face of the clock white to hide the design. You might not need to do this but my fabric was thin.

Next I cut a hole for the center

Then using fabric Mod Podge I began adhering the fabric to the clock face. I then added 2 additional coats over the top to seal.

I went through all her buttons and decided to go with red. I did 12 and 6 first, then 3 and 9, then filled the rest, using hot glue to stick them on.

Here is the finished clock. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Here is another look at the clock on my craft room wall. I think the color pops well and I enjoy looking at it while I work in my projects!

DIY Mod Podge Switch-plate Cover

2013-02-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

I've seen this idea floating around the Internet and have always wanted to give it a try. I found a great tutorial via shealynns-faerie-shoppe blog that gave some great tips on how to makes these covers.

Here's what you will need:

Switch-plate cover

foam brush

X-acto knife

Mod Podge

Fabric/scrapbook paper

scissors

I started the project with the intention of using fabric. I changed to scrapbook paper once I realized the fabric I wanted to use was too think and I didn't have the correct Mod Podge to make it stick well enough.

Start by cutting your paper slightly larger than the plate you are going to cover. then apply Mod Podge with foam brush to plate and paper. Lay paper on plate and smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles. If you get bubble use a damp finger to smooth out. Wait for this coat to dry before applying the next.

Once dry cut excess paper around outer edge of plate.

Apply a coat of Mod Podge to surface of plate. And let dry completely. After this coat I cut out the opening for the switch with the x-acto knife along with the holes for the screws. You could do this at anytime but I wanted the paper to be firm before I cut it.

Apply another coat of Mod Podge and let dry... Repeat 2 more times letting each coat dry in between fully. If you are covering a plate that is used more frequently you could then spray a clear coat to seal it.

Here is the finished project. This is the plate for my craft room and it matches the room great. After doing this project I also did my son's switch-plate cover in Spider man scrapbook paper and it turned out awesome!

Frame Art

2013-02-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

I first saw a piece of art like this at one of my favorite local stores to go to called The Comforts of Ella's. I had a frame that already had an aged looked to it but was missing the wire on the back. Here is a little step by step on what I did to make this cute piece of art!

Brand new aged frame

I cut a piece wire slightly longer than the width of the frame. I then stapled one side of the wire and folded the wire down to hold. I then pulled the wire tight and stapled the other side. I chose to put my wire in the middle of the frame, but you could put it anywhere you wanted.

Here is a look at the frame with wire done.

I then went in search of a quote that I liked. I found this and loved the message it had. I typed it up on the computer using Typewriter font and printed it on heavy card stock paper. The mini clothes pin I found at the local craft store.

Here is another look. I really like how simple it looks and how you could change the saying

Chicken Wire Display

2013-01-17T19:41:00.001-08:00

I was searching the web for more ideas to add to my craft room. I was looking for different ways to display art or photos. I've seen a lot of uses of chicken wire on Pinterest and Etsy and thought this would be an easy DIY project. I found this frame at Goodwill. I took the picture and matting out and painted the frame blue.

I then cut an old piece of chicken wire to the approximate size of the the frame opening.

Using a staple gun I staple the chicken wire in place every couple inches. I found this part a little challenging. if you pull the chicken wire too much to one side it will change shape and look crooked. After stapling all around I cut off the excess wire with wire cutters.

I'm really happy with how it turned out. I also added some handmade fabric flowers to the corner for more color. I used mini-clothes pins to attach my favorite pieces of my son's art

Rudolph Christmas Party!

2012-12-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

We go pretty big on out family Christmas party and this year was no different. We decided early on that we were going to do Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer theme. We generally try to make everything in this room for all the kids at the party and believe me, they had a blast!

Here is a Semi-before picture of the room we used. Its a great sized room with high ceilings.

We set up a castle to represent Misfit Island and the obstacle course next to it is the reindeer games.

The castle is an outdoor play castle that we found on Craig's List. There is also a tree behind the castle that has mini stuff Misfit Toys on it. Each kid got to bring home a couple Misfits to keep. The back wall has a wall decal of a wintery forest that makes a nice backdrop.

We couldn't have Misfit Island without Kind Moonraser! We found him at Costco and added wings that we got during the Halloween season, he did have a crown too that was added after the picture was taken.

I made signs for each section of the room. I made them with PVC pipe and a flat piece of plastic that we just had lying around.

The obstacle course was great! I made obstacles with pool noodle, a sock-em bop-em and PVC pipe painted red for them to climb threw. There is another wall decal on that is of Santa's Workshop.

Using a light projector we projected the image of a few of the movies characters onto MDF. We then traced and painted each character.

This side of the room was supposed to be the Abominable Snow Monsters Cave! We used a bouncy castle covered in white sheets too look like a cave (we did take the sheets off when this kids got in to jump) The red sled has a bench across that we used to take pictures in when Santa came.

Here is a closer look!

The party turned out great and all the kids had a great time! I hope this inspires you to create your own Holiday party for your kids!!

Tile Coasters

2012-09-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a tutorial on how to make coasters from tiles. This was an easy project to do, however it did require patients due to wait for each coat to dry fully.

Here is what you will need: Scrapbook paper or photo, Mod Podge, Tiles, Ink pad, Paint brush, Decorative scissors, clear spray paint, Hot glue and Felt

I started by cutting 4 pieces of paper to the approximate size of the tile, I then used the "ripped" decorative scissor to give it a torn paper look

I then rubbed the edges of the paper on the black ink pad. This gives it an aged almost burned look

Next step is to apply the paper to the tiles. I first started by putting Mod Podge on the back of the piece of paper and laying it on the tile. I used a mini rolling pin to get all the air bubbles out. Then I waited for this coat to dry. Once dry I brushed on a coat of Mod Podge over the top as seen in the picture below. I repeated this step 3 more times allowing each coat to dry fully in between. I also sprayed a clear coat of paint as a finishing touch to make it water proof

I cut out felt for the bottom of each tile and used hot glue to attach it

Here's a look at the finished product!

Added 2/9/13: Since posting the tile coasters I have made a few more sets. Here I used book pages and symbols cut out with my Cricut. For Christmas I printed maps of my parents favorite vacation spots and used them for the coasters. they really turned out well!

DIY Keepsake Art

2012-09-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to find a neat way to display some of my Grandpa's fishing tackle that I received when he passed away. Some of my best memories are fishing with him and I wanted to make something that did my memories justice. I decided to add it to my craft room wall.

I took the frame apart and removed the mirror/picture art that it had in place. I saved the backing to use for later. I then painted the frame yellow. It took quite a few coats since the wood was so dark.

I used a piece of scrap fabric that I thought went well with the tackle. I used spray adhesive to attache the fabric to the original backing of the picture. I then used fishing line to sew the pieces into place.

Using a staple gun I attached the backing onto the frame and cut the excess material off. I'm really happy with how it turned out and think its a great way to display something that means so much to me.

Button Letter Art

2012-09-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

For my next project for my craft room art I decided to do a button letter. Again, something I've seen done in different ways on Pinterest. I have been going to Goodwill's and other thrift stores to stock up on unique frames for this and future projects for my craft room. I decided to use a basic square frame. You will also need: Buttons, Elmer's Glue Spots, Paint (if your frame needs painting), background paper or fabric

I lightly traced a K on my paper so I would have a general idea of where I wanted the buttons placed. I then did a flat covering of buttons using the glue spots to keep them in place. I tried to get the buttons as close together as I could knowing there would be gaps.

I then added a second layer of buttons filling in the gaps and adding dimension.

I decided to paint the frame white, it took several coats since the frame was so dark

Here it is! I think it will look a lot better once its hung! I have a lot of ideas and things planned for this wall and don't plan on hanging anything until there are all done! Stay Tuned!!

Ceiling Medallion Wall Art

2012-08-25T06:28:00.001-07:00

Using Ceiling Medallions for wall art is a great way to add color and texture to your room. Pick out a few different shapes and sizes of the medallions and arrange them on the floor in a pattern you like. I recommend buying and odd number, its generally more pleasing to the eye to group things in odd numbers. Each Medallion needs to be primed before painting and will most likely need a few coats of primer and paint. We used spray paint for both. We added wall hanging hooks to the back of each medallion and they were ready to be hung!!

Here is a look at the finished project! We love the how the yellow really pops in against the gray walls!

Framed Dry Erase Weekly Planner

2012-08-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of similar ideas of picture frame dry-erase planners on Pinterest, I was the most inspired by one that used a collage of frames to display the weeks schedule. I found this frame at a Goodwill for only a few dollars and it works great! I use mine to write down important events or appointments for the week along with dinners for each night and an extra space for a "TO DO" list. I've also seen frames used for meal menu planning as well.

The project was very easy to do. After finding the frame I wanted to use, I cut out scrap book paper to fit each section. I used my Cricut Cutting Machine to cut out the letters for each day of the week and glued them to the paper. Then added the paper like you would a picture!

I have it hung in the kitchen, near the coffee pot, so every morning my husband and I can look at what we have going!

DIY Game Room Art

2012-07-26T19:59:00.002-07:00

I wanted to make a unique piece of art for our game room in the basement. We have a variation of all entertainment art ranging from music, movies to games. I had an extra "Monopoly Game" and "Scene It DVD Game" game and thought if I hot glued the boards together along with a few other game related items it would look pretty cool. Here is the finished product along with a few close ups. I mainly used a hot glue gun and cardboard wedges to add dimension!"

Cricut Road Sign Art

2012-07-18T20:08:00.002-07:00

I wanted to make a few accent pieces of art to go with my Transportation Book Art that I made last week. I didn't make a tutorial on how to make these but here is a general step by step on what to do.

I bought a piece of black tag board and cut into the shapes of the signs I wanted to do. I then cut white scrapbook paper in the same shapes of the signs only slightly smaller so an outer black line would show. I used my Cricut to cut out all of the letters in black paper and simply glued them in place.

I made 3 signs; Route 66, Speed Limit and a Railroad Crossing sign

Here is what the signs look like in my son's room. The railroad sign is not pictured, I hung that by his door.

DIY Kids Artwork for under $10

2012-07-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

As I transitioned my son's room from a nursery to a "Big Boy" room I wanted to create some fun artwork to put in the space. We decided to go with a transportation theme since he loves all things car/trucks/tractors ect. What you will need for this project: Tag Board, a book, and hot glue gun

I started out with a cardboard transportation book and cut the pages apart. I then spaced them out on the tag board so I could space the colors apart and get a plan before I started to glue them down.

I also cut up a few pieces of cardboard and stacked them together to raise some the pages off the board to add dimension

Here is the finished project! It was cheap, quick and easy, and he loves looking at all the vehicles on the board!

After adding the Road Signs this is what it looks like hanging on my son's wall

DIY Kids Floatie Project

2012-07-04T04:36:00.000-07:00

My son loves swimming in our pool and likes to wear the Swim School Training Suit to help him stay afloat. I really like the idea of these training suits, however they can be very difficult to get on and off, especially when wet! I looked at the suit trying to figure out an easy fix and thought adding a zipper to the side would do the trick!

Sewing is not one of my strongest abilities. I've done pillows and curtains, but never a zipper. There were a few challenges with the zipper mainly due to the bulk of the floatie and material of the suit getting that through my machine without bunching.

I first cut the top shoulder straps and then down the side along the seam. I chose the side with the inside tag so I could cut the tag out at the same time. My son always complained of the tag scratching him while he swam.

I then sewed the zipper in! I found a zipper at Walmart close to the same color green as the suit. I was surprised how well it turned out with my mediocre sewing abilities.

Here is another look. As a finishing touch I folded the shoulder straps over and sewed them down. As an alternative you could add a clip, button or snap to the shoulder strap to make them easier to get on/off as well.

Kids Blocks DIY Window Treatment

2012-06-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to find a unique window treatment to finish off my son's playroom. As I was going through his toys to take out what he doesn't play with anymore I came across a bin of foam blocks. I thought they would make a fun window treatment and fit the theme of the room.

This is what you will need: Foam Blocks, shower curtain rings/hooks, curtain rod, pliers, long screw driver, fishing line and beads

I pushed the screw driver through each block so they would be ready to string on the fishing line

I then measured the width of the window and place blocks on either end so I could loosely map out what I was going to do

Shower curtain rings come in a pack of 12 so I made 12 rows and put 4 blocks in each row. I pre planned to be sure I had enough blocks and to spread the colors out. I then simply started to string each row, putting beads in-between the blocks to separate them and to add additional color.

Here is a closer look at the shower curtain rings, I also add some beads to the ring. I thought it looked better then just the plain white ring

Here is another look of the finished product! Im very happy with how it turned out and I think it looks great in the room!

ABC Book

2012-06-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

I saw this idea on Pinterest and loved it. What better way for a kid to learn their ABC's than using pictures of their toys! With a camera and a little help from Shutterfly this was a pretty easy project. The hardest part was finding

a toy for letter U!

I made a list of all the letters of the alphabet then put a name of a toy by it until I had a toy for each letter. I then took pictures and uploaded them to Shutterfly. Here is my picture for "M is for Monster Trucks"

Here are a few pages of the finished product. I am really happy with how it turned out and my son loves looking at it!

Inspired by : www.modernparentsmessykids.com

No Mess Finger Painting

2012-06-20T19:23:00.001-07:00

This is a great idea for rainy days or when you don't feel like cleaning up the mess that comes with real finger painting. What you will need: Finger paints, Ziplock bags and packing tape.

I then added paint to each bag. I decided to do this one to show my son what happens when two primary colors mix.

Use the packing tape to attach the top and bottom of the bag to the window or counter. I prefer the window because I think the effect is much cooler for the kids.

This project always keep him occupied for awhile. He likes to draw shapes and patterns on the paint. Sometimes we take his toy trucks or animals over the paint to see what kind of track they make.

Creative Wall Art for under $20

2012-06-17T13:32:00.001-07:00

First here is a look at the finished product. These were very easy and

inexpensive to make.

What you will need: 3 picture 8x10 picture frames, 3 small glass jars (preferably with a lip on the top), twine, flowers of choice, hot glue gun, staple gun and
nails/hammer to hang

We started by removing the back of the pictures so only the frames remained. I decided to hang them on the wall next to get the placement I wanted. I figured it would be easier to get the nails in place before the frames had the vases attached.

Using twine and my hot glue gun. I glued the twine around the neck of the bottle and then wrapped the excess over the top of the frame. I glued the twine to the frame as well in ensure it stayed in place. I would also recommend putting a staple in the back to hold the twine to the frame securely. I also added a thin line of hot glue to the back of the bottle. Once dry that allowed the bottle to have
some grip against the wall when hung.

We then added flowers to give a pop of color! The flowers could also change with the seasons or to give your room a different look!

Inspired by: http://favim.com

50th Birthday Party, Alaska themed

2012-06-13T18:09:00.002-07:00

I recently helped plan a 50th birthday party. They wanted the party to be Alaskan themed since the birthday boy was taking a motorcycle trip through Alaska for his birthday. We decided to go more rustic with the decor with a vintage travel look. Here are a few pictures of the centerpieces, the room lighting was very dim so the pictures don't do the centerpieces justice.

Each table setting had a handmade postcard that had different fun facts about Alaska. I was surprised by how many people went to each table to read each postcard.

I bought scrapbook paper that look like a map. I antiqued the paper by poring coffee and dry coffee grounds on it. I then dabbed it dry with a towel and baked it on a low setting for just a few minutes. For added affect I burned the edges.

We also used specialty candy to add a little extra to the table settings. We used Gold Mine gum, that came in a little sack, chocolate covered rocks and blue/white rock candy to look like glaciers/ice

Instead of a guest book I used the matte of a picture frame for all the guests to sign. This way the birthday boy can put a pictures of his trip inside and have it as a keepsake!

Jack's Playroom

2012-06-13T17:32:00.001-07:00

I wanted to re-do Jack's playroom to make it more functional, personal and fun! I found some easy DIY art projects and bought a gallon of paint and in one weekend the room was done!

Here are a few views of the finished room

I have the toys higher up that are more supervised toys that are easily broken or have lots of small pieces. He knows to ask if he wants to play with anything he can't reach

Rain gutter books shelves worked great! I love that they don't take up any of the valuable floor space

Family Hand Print Artwork: I traced each of our hands in scrapbook paper and just layered them on top of each other

Crayon Art: This took some planning to get just right. I did look up on the Internet other crayon letters to see how to make the angles just right

ABC's Art: I bought a blank canvas at Walmart and painted it white. I then picked out some colorful pieces of scrapbook paper and cut the letters of the alphabet out with my Cricut. To attach the letters to the canvas I used Mod Podge and that worked great!

Inspired by: http://the3rsblog.wordpress.com