Simply DIY 2

Boy, did spring break go by fast ! If you celebrate Easter, I hope you had a wonderful weekend full of family, candy, and eggs. I'd like to make a quick post about some coasters that I made.  This is a fairly popular project around the internet and it is easy to do.  Last year I made a bunch of these as Christmas gifts but now I'd like some for our house to use outside when we entertain. Materials:  Scrapbook paper with the design of your choice (I've also seen people use pictures, maps, or pretty cloth) White 4.25 X 4.25 inch tiles (got mine at Lowe's) A foam painting brush Mod Podge Sealing spray Cork Tacky glue Cut your scrapbook paper into 4 X 4 inch squares.  Then brush some mod podge on the tile to "glue" the paper on. Place the paper on the tile and carefully smooth it out with the brush.  Make sure there are no air bubbles in the middle. You might also need to hold down the corners and edges for a few seconds so t...

Whew !  I've finally found a little time to get some things done around the house that I have been wanting to do.   In light of the many natural disasters that have been wreaking havoc on our world, the internet has been bursting with ways to be prepared in case the power goes out ( or if you fail to pay your electric bill) , your house gets flooded, or find yourself in a log cabin far away from civilization.  I do have a little first aid kit, some flashlights, and three gallons of water in the basement…and that's about it.  I figured I'd get to storing food and other things ( like this ) later.   However, I did find something fun to do a few months ago...DIY soy candles.  I've never made candles before and I figured it would be a fun craft to attempt.  For Christmas, Kerry's parents got me a 10 pound bag of soy wax and a 96 pack of 6 inch wicks .  This past weekend I purchased 8 oz jelly jars and got to work !  It was actual...

If you haven't noticed, I like making crafts.  Not only do I enjoy making things for myself, I get really excited when someone asks if I can make them something.  Even better…when I make someone for someone and they like it!  Last year for Christmas, my sister, Emily, asked for a memo board and this year, she wanted another one!  I've made many memo boards, but surprisingly not one since I started this blog.  There are plenty of other tutorials on how to make a memo board, but I thought I'd still share mine. Everyone's is a little different.  Of course, you can find memo boards in the store, but they are usually over $15 or $20.  Not only can you do them on the cheap, you can make it just the way you want it! Tools: Scissors Staple Gun and staples Needle Pliers/wire cutter (to pull out staples if needed and to cut floral wire) Ruler Materials: 16 X 20 inch canvas (usually purchased at Michael's with coupon) Quilt batting cut 16 X 20 ...

Pinterest is at it again.  While browsing Pinterest during my daily hourly look through, I found this pretty fall wreath : Since it is on Etsy, I started to look for an online tutorial on how to make a tulle wreath.  I've never seen one before, so I wasn't sure where to start.  Google makes searching for things so easy and I quickly found this  tutorial.  It was very helpful. I got most of my materials at a store called WOW Outlets in Pennsylvania while visiting my family (yes, another trip to PA).  The foam ring is 11" .  I originally started with a 12" ring, but felt it was too big.  I had almost the whole wreath covered with tulle, didn't like it, and took it apart for the smaller ring. I got some of the tulle at the same store, some at the $1.00 section in JoAnn's, and had some cut from a bolt at JoAnn's.  I also purchased some gold ribbon as well. The flower, leaves, and scarecrow are all from fall decorations I had ...

Once I found out how easy it is to make bottle cap magnets, I made some for all of my family and friends for Christmas and birthday presents.  They can easily be personalized and everyone needs magnets! Tools: 1 inch circle punch    Materials: Scrapbook paper (or whatever you want to put in the bottle cap) Elmer's clear glue Resin (I use Envirotex Lite purchased at Michael's) Little magnets (also purchased at Michael's) Bottle caps (my mom has been searching for and finding bottle caps for me at Michael's and a craft store called Pat Catan's.  You can also collect bottle caps and spray paint them) Some sort of super glue (I used FutureGlue Gel) First, take your punch and paper.  Align the paper with the hole to punch out exactly what you want to put in the bottle cap. After you've punched your circles, take the clear glue and put an itsy dot inside the magnet, place the paper circle in and press. Once those are drie...