Wednesday 24 December 2014

Deck the Halls with Brittany: Holi-DIY #2

Hi Everyone!

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope everyone is having a great day today, despite the dreary weather. Today, I'm coming at you with a simple little project that you can do if you are looking for a last minute gift or if you need to add a little Christmas to a corner in your house. Today, we are making a little Christmas/winter scene placed in a lantern. Let's get started!

Things You Will Need:
-glue gun
-glue gun sticks
-mini lantern (can buy at Dollarama - had mine from my Spring wedding)
-mini Christmas village figurines and trees (Dollar stores and Walmart)
-fake Christmas snow

Step 1:
Make sure you take all stickers and tags off all the things (if you needed to buy them). Make sure things are clean.

Step 2:
Open up the lantern and place your figurines and trees into the lantern to get a sense of where you want things placed. Once you have settled on placement, plug your glue gun in and wait for it to heat up.

Step 3:
Once the glue gun is ready, start gluing your figurines and trees in. I had to place mine on top of the rim for the tea light candle. Once you have everything glued into place, take your bag of fake snow and carefully sprinkle it into the lantern. If you have a little tea light holder in your lantern, be sure to put enough snow in it to completely cover that up. Once you have done that, your little craft is complete.

As you can tell, this craft is super simple. I made four of these before my Christmas party to give as an extra little gift to my girlfriends. It's also a nice little craft to make with some older kids. You may need to handle the glue gun though. If you had a bigger lantern and wanted to get more crafty with it, you could put those bigger houses in it to get it to light up and you could make a whole scene. It is entirely up to you. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed this quick little craft post. It's been awhile since I posted on here so I figured I would post a few little things. Until next time, Happy Crafting! xo

Thursday 20 November 2014

Deck the Halls with Brittany: Holi-DIY #1

Hi Everyone!

So today I have decided I'm going to kick off my new series of Holiday posts. It will be purely Christmas related as I live in Canada and have already celebrated Thanksgiving. If you are looking for Fall DIY's then please look at my I Love Fall series.

Today's Holi-DIY is going to be very simple and is not time consuming at all. You can even do this with kids at home or in a classroom. Let's get into it, shall we?

Things You Will Need:
-old picture frame
-Christmas themed paper
-ornament(s)
-glue gun
-glue gun sticks


Step 1:
Take your Christmas themed paper and the back of the frame and trace around the back of the frame. Cut out what you have traced. Remember to cut inside the lines to make sure that the paper will fit in the frame.

Step 2:
Once the paper is cut out, place it in the frame and put the backing back on and secure it shut. Turn the frame around so you can see the paper you just placed in there.

Step 3:
Plug in your hot glue gun. While you are waiting for it to heat up, decide which ornaments you would like to place on the paper. I decided to keep it simple and only put one ornament but you could get creative with it and do more than one. It's entirely up to you.

Step 4:
Once you have decided, take your glue gun and carefully place glue on the back of the ornaments. Remember, try not to wait too long because hot glue dries quickly. Stick the ornament onto the paper. Keep doing this step until your frame is how you like it.

Step 5:
Once you have finished gluing the ornaments onto the paper, place it somewhere in your house or apartment to add some festive cheer!

So that was a very easy DIY for Christmas decor. I found similar things on Pinterest and Youtube so you can look there for more ideas of what to do with different ornaments. I hope you have fun doing this little project. Be sure to leave me pictures in the comments section. I would love to see what you all come up with! Until next time, Happy Crafting! xoxo


Saturday 15 November 2014

Happy Halloween: DIY Halloween Wreath!

Hello my fellow crafters!

Hope you all are enjoying this chilly weekend! So as the title states, I'm bringing you another Halloween DIY! I know Halloween is now over, but I figured I would still post it so that people can make it for next year. It only takes about 20-30 minutes. It is also fairly cheap. The stuff I did have to buy I bought at the dollar store or at Michaels. Let's get into it, shall we!

Things You Need:
- a styrofoam circle wreath (I got mine at Michaels with a 50% coupon - I paid $5 instead of $9)
- a crow figurine (I got mine at Dollar Tree - It had metal wire coming out of its feet)
-black crepe paper
-a glue gun and glue gun glue sticks
-a piece of cardstock
-computer and printer

Step 1:
Unstick the end of the crepe paper and put some hot glue on the end. Stick it to the styrofoam wreath. Very carefully, start wrapping the crepe paper around the wreath covering up the green styrofoam. If you are wrapping tightly, be careful. I ripped it a couple of times. When you are completely done wrapping, put some glue on your other end and glue it down.

Step 2:
Stick the crow figurine into the styrofoam. He may not be really sturdy so you may want to think about hot gluing his feet to the wreath. Wait for it to dry.

Step 3:
In a Word document (or a word processing software similar to Word), find a font and font size you like and type out "Happy Halloween!" It can be whatever you like but i chose to go with Happy Halloween. I also made it so the background colour was orange. Print that out once you are satisfied with it.

Step 4:
Glue your sign to the wreath. I glued the front side of the sign to the backside of the wreath. Be sure to leave space for your hook or over-the-door wreath hanger. If you want, you can add a bow with some of the crepe paper. All you do is cut about 3-5 inches of crepe paper. Then you glue down the ends so they meet in the middle. Then glue and wrap a small piece of crepe paper around the middle so that the bow bunches. Next, cute a longer piece of crepe paper. Fold in half. This will be the hanging ribbon part. Cut a upside down "V" into both ends. Glue it to the bottom of the wreath. Then glue the ribbon on top of what you just glued down.

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Happy Halloween: DIY Jack-o-lantern Bowl!

Hi Everyone!

So Halloween is almost here! I can't believe that October is nearly over! A lot of you will be prepping your houses for Halloween, so while you are doing that, why not add this cute little Jack-o-lantern bowl to your decor? He is super easy and cheap to make. Let's get started!

Things You Need:
-Round glass bowl
-Orange paint
-Black paint marker

Step 1:
Take your glass bowl and carefully wash it with soap and water. Rinse it out and dry it.

Step 2:
Once it is dry, you can pour some of the orange paint into the bowl. Slowly, rotate the bowl around on its side. The goal is to cover the inside with the paint. If you need to add more, feel free.

Step 3:
Once you have covered the inside, you can pour the excess back into the paint bottle or you can leave it in the to dry at the bottom of the bowl. I did the second one because there wasn't a lot of paint in my bowl left. Leave it to dry.

Step 4:
Once it is dry, take your black paint marker and draw on the eyes, nose and mouth however you would like. If you feel it is too thin and you can see orange through the black paint, very carefully go over it a second time. I found that dabbing the areas that were thin worked better than drawing over top it. Let that dry and then you are done!

So that is the little Jack-o-lantern bowl decor piece. I haven't decided where I am going to put him, but I'm sure I will find a spot for him. I hope you enjoyed this DIY Halloween project! If you do this DIY, then be sure to leave me pictures in the comments section.
I would love to see them! Happy Haunting! xo

Tuesday 14 October 2014

Spruce up those boring Notebooks!

Hi Everyone!

I'm back again with another post I had originally wanted to do back in September, but due to slacking on my part, it is going up now. Personally, I like to have a notebook on hand when I'm in class so I can jot down notes for each day. I always go to the Dollar Store to get my notebooks, but sometimes the covers are kind of ugly. So I figured I could spruce it up on my own. This project is easy and won't take too long to do, depending on how creative you get with it. Let's get started, shall we?

Things You Will Need:
-scissors
-notebook
-different things to decorate the notebook
-full sheets of sticker paper (the kind that isn't pre-cut)
-pencil


Step 1:
I didn't have anything else to use to cover the notebook, so I used sticker sheets. I traced the one side of the notebook. Then, I cut out the sticker paper and after peeling back the backing on the sticker paper, I stuck the sticker paper to the front of the notebook. (Note* You may have to do this a couple of time depending on how opaque or transparent the paper is). You may also need to do this to the back of the notebook.

Step 2:
Next, decorate the notebook as you see fit. Get creative with this part. I kept mine fairly simple. I may add to it, but I haven't fully decided what it will be used for yet. You can use all sorts of things for this. Use things like washi tape, scrapbooking paper, scrapbooking stickers, stamps, materials, ribbons etc. Once you are satisfied with your notebook, you can begin using it. Enjoy!

I hope that you enjoyed this DIY project! If you do these yourself, be sure to share them with me! I would love to see what you all create! I hope you have a great afternoon! Happy Crafting! xoxo

Spruce Up Your School Pencils!

Hi Everyone! 

It's Brittany, and I'm back with another DIY project! I had originally planned on posting this project back at the beginning of September for Back to School, but I never got a chance. Anyway, this is a simple and budget-friendly project to revamp those boring Number 2 pencils for school. Let's get started! 


Things You Will Need:
- Pencils
- Washi Tape
- Scissors

Step 1:
The first thing you need to do is choose a washi tape that you wish to use. Once you have chosen a washi tape, take the tape and start to unravel it from the roll. Do this slowly. You only want to unravel enough for the length of the pencil. 

Step 2:
Place one end of the tape underneath the silver metal part that holds the eraser. Match the other end of the tape to the end of the pencil. If there is some excess, you can cut that off with your scissors. 

Step 3:
Repeat the last step until you have covered the pencil. Cut any excess off the bottom. Press down on the tape to make sure that it is all sticking to the pencil. When you are ready to use, you can sharpen it! 

And that is it! You have spruced up your boring old pencils with just a couple of materials. This is such a fast way to do this and you will have some pretty fun pencils to use for school. Happy Crafting! xoxo

Friday 10 October 2014

What Should I Do With An Old Picture Frame?

Hi Everyone!

So I am playing catchup for this week, so I'm back again with another DIY post. This is another easy and cheap project. A while back I was sitting here with a picture frame I had used for something in my wedding and I really wanted to keep it because it looked nice and vintage. However, the little prop on the back was nearly broken off. I wondered what I could do with it. Then I remembered something I had seen on Pinterest to hold little pictures. So that is what I made.

This DIY is so cheap and so easy. It took me about an hour to an hour and a half. I didn't spend any money because I already had everything I needed in my craft room. If you do need these materials, Michaels and Dollarama are good places to look for supplies.

So if you are ready, let's get started!

The Things You Need:
-old picture frame
-twine
-mini clothes pins
-glue gun
-glue gun glue sticks
-spray paint (optional)

Step 1:
Take the frame apart. Discard the back and the glass.

Step 2:
Put newspaper down in the area you are going to spray paint the frame (this is optional. I didn't like the colour of my frame so I spray painted!).

Step 3:
Once you are prepped for spray painting, set your frame down and put on the first coat. Let that dry (This could take anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type of spray paint you use).
Repeat this step as many times as you need. The paint can be as opaque or sheer as you like. It's completely up to you.

Step 4:
Once you are happy and the paint is dry, bring it back to your work space and plug in your glue gun. Wait for it to get hot.

Step 5:
Once hot, glue one end of the twine to the back of the frame. Then drape the twine to the opposite side and glue it down with the hot glue gun. Cut off the excess twine. Repeat this step as many times as you want. I only did it twice because my frame is small.

Step 6:
Once the glue has dried, attach the mini clothes pins and you are done. Instead of an old picture frame, you now have a newer, more modern version on a picture frame and a nice new decor piece for your home. I hope that you enjoyed this DIY. Definitely let me know if you want to see more home decor DIYs. Also, if you make your own version of this, be sure to send me a picture in the comments or attach a link so I can view them on a different social media site! Have fun and Happy Crafting! xoxo

Thursday 9 October 2014

I LOVE FALL DIY: Leaf Candle Holder

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy trying to play catch-up and actually get some stuff done so that I will have stuff to post on here. Anyway, I'm back with a quick, easy, and cheap DIY home decor item for Autumn. Let's get started!

What you will Need:
-candle jar that has been cleaned out
-glue gun
-glue sticks
-fake leaves (I got mine at Dollar Tree)
-twine

Step 1:
Open the package of leaves and determine how big they are. Start laying out how you want it to look when glued around the glass candle jar. Do this while you are waiting for the glue gun to get hot (Oh ya, remember to plug in the glue gun!)

Step 2:
Once your glue gun is ready and you have decided about the placement of the leaves. Start gluing the leaves to the jar. You will want to do this part as fast as possible because the glue dries and hardens fairly quickly. Glue leaves all around the jar. You can put as little or as many as you like.

Step 3: Once you have glued leaves all around the jar, take your twine and cut enough twine so you can wrap it around the jar more than twice. I wrapped it around three times on mine! Once you have knotted it and then tied a bow, you are done! Now you have a cute little Autumn candle holder! Wasn't that easy?!?!

I hope that you enjoyed this simple and cheap tutorial. As you can tell, I only spent about 2 bucks on the leaves because I had everything else at home. If you make your own version of this, I would love to see it, so be sure to leave me a picture of it in the comments or leave me a link where I can view it on another site! Happy Crafting! xoxo

Friday 3 October 2014

I LOVE FALL: DIY Framed Subway Art!

Hi Guys!

So I'm coming on here today, with another DIY Autumn decor project. This one is super simple and cheap to do. Let's get started!

Things you Need:
-scissors
-computer
-printer
-frame (I got mine from the Dollar Store)

Step 1:
Go online and find pictures of Autumn and/or Thanksgiving Subway Art. When you find one that you like, save the picture to your computer.

Step 2:
Open it from where you saved it on your computer. Copy it onto a Word document. Resize it based on the measurements of your frame. You want it to fit the whole picture frame. Print it out!

Step 3:
Let it dry a little and then cut it out. Open the frame up and fit the picture into the frame. Put everything back into the frame and close it up.

And there you have it! Your own subway art. You can do this for every holiday, just by doing the exact same thing! I plan to switch mine at Halloween and for Christmas! I also made one that was a Fall Bucket List, using these steps. Happy Crafting! xoxo



I Love Fall: DIY Canvas Subway Art

Hi Everyone!

It's Brittany and I'm back with another Autumn Decor DIY! I'm so excited to share this one with you. I started this project last Thanksgiving but ran out of time to finish it and so this year, I figured I would finish it and show you guys. This one is really time consuming so definitely start this one early. Let's get started!

Things you need:
-canvas
-sharpie markers
-pencil
-eraser
-computer (optional)
-spray sealant

Step 1:
Take your pencil and eraser and lightly plan out what you want your canvas to look like. Really make sure to do it lightly so that you can erase things if needed. You might need to look up different fonts on your computer.

Step 2:
Next, take the Sharpie marker in the colour you have chosen for your background and colour in the background. This is where things are going to get time consuming. Colour in the background. Be sure to go around all of your lettering.

Step 3:
Once the background is completely coloured in and you are happy with it, take the colour you have chosen for the different fonts and start colouring the words in. This is another time consuming portion, but if you make a mistake it is okay. You will be able to go back and fix things up.

Step 4:
Next, take the other colours you chose in colour in any pictures or fonts you decided were going to be coloured.

Step 5:
Go over the canvas and fix up any mistakes as best you can. Let it dry and then spray it with a sealant so it is protected from water. Let that dry and you are finished!

I hope you enjoyed this Fall DIY! I am so happy I finally got this done and can now enjoy it in my living room. Hope you have just as much fun making it as I did! Be sure to share them with me, by leaving a picture in the comments! Happy Crafting! xoxo

Thursday 25 September 2014

I Love Fall: DIY Autumn Wreath!

Hi Everyone!

I am back with a fairly easy, yet time-consuming DIY project for Autumn. I love Autumn! It's my favourite time of year. I love the crispness of the fall air and the beautiful colours that come with the changing of the seasons. Today, I'm bringing you a DIY Autumn Wreath for your front door. Like I said, it is easy and fairly cheap but it is a bit time-consuming. Be sure you have the time... or start it and then come back to it later. Let's get started!

Things You Need:
-grapevine wreath
-fake autumn foliage
-scissors
-hot glue sticks
-hot glue gun
-ribbon
-wreath holder for the door
-wooden letter (optional)
-paint
-paintbrush

Step 1:
Cut the foliage so that it isn't in a big bunch. (This is how you buy it at the store). Once you have separated all the pieces, decide on the colours you want, which ones you want to use etc. (NOTE: make sure you leave a few inches of the stem on each piece - do NOT cut it right under the leaf or flower etc).

Step 2:
Carefully, start placing the foliage in between the vines of the wreath. You may have to really work it into some places. i struggled a bit with some of my pieces. But once they are in, they are in. (NOTE: I hot glued some of mine in that weren't staying between the vines).

Step 3:
Once you have all the foliage the way you want it (don't be afraid to get creative and play around with it), you can take your ribbon and cut off a considerable piece. I just made a simple bow and glued it in a spot I felt had a little less going on.

Step 4:
Next, paint your wooden letter in the colour that you desire, if you have decided to do this step. I had this wooden letter as a decorative piece on one of the tables at our wedding. I didn't know what else I was going to do with it so I glued it to this wreath. You will need a lot of glue for this part. I also recommend getting a slightly lighter wooden letter, as mine is heavy and the wreath becomes lopsided easily. Once the letter is dry, glue it to the wreath.

Step 5:
Let the glue you put on dry. Once it is ready, take your wreath door hanger (I got mine at Dollarama) and attached it to your front door (or wherever you plan to put this). Then put the wreath on the front of the door. And voila! You are finished a beautiful Autumn Wreath for your door.

I hope that you enjoyed this DIY post! I had an enjoyable time making this wreath. I might do one for Christmas as well. Other than the wooden letter, I bought all the materials for this project at the dollar store! If you do this project yourself, I would love to see them. Post them in the comments below! Happy Crafting!!! xoxo

Monday 22 September 2014

I Love Fall: DIY Fall Arrangements!

Hi my crafty friends!

Hope you all are staying warm on this chilly day! So today, I'm posting about a DIY that I did for Fall over the weekend. It took about an hour to do both arrangements. It was fairly easy and budget friendly. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
-scissors
-vase
-rocks/sand/pebbles
-different fall flower and leaf bunches
-ribbon


Step 1: 
Cut all the flowers and leaves off the main stem. Be sure to leave a stem on the actual flower that is about 3 or 4 inches long. If you can't, that is fine. Just make it as long as you can.

Step 2:
Take your vase and fill it with whatever filler you have chose. In one of my vases, I used gold rocks I had around the house and in the other, I used the pebbles that you put in a fish aquarium. I had leftovers from when I made my centrepieces for my wedding reception.

Step 3:
Next wrap the ribbon around the outside the vase. This step is optional. You don't need to wrap ribbon around the vase.

Step 4:
Now, start putting your fall foliage into the vase. Play with it until you get it how you want it. Once you are happy with it, you are done!

Wasn't that easy? I made two in an hour and a half. Remember that there is no bad looking arrangement. It's up to you and what you like. Get creative with it! I hope my first Fall DIY was enjoyable! I'm going to be doing more in the next month or so, so be sure to check back periodically! Happy Crafting! xoxo

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Wedding DIY: Easy Seating Chart!

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are having a great Wednesday afternoon! Today, I've got an easy DIY for those of you who are getting married! As you all may know, I got married a few months back so I thought I would share with you how I made my seating chart for the reception. You will only need a few things, it's that easy! Let's get started!

Things You Need:
-Picture frame
-Wrapping paper
-White Computer paper
-Computer/Laptop
-Printer
-Scissors
-Tape or Glue Stick

Step 1:
Buy a picture frame. I bought mine at Ikea for $20 (I think, I can't remember). Also buy some wrapping paper in your wedding colours. I found this at Michael's in the $1.50 bins.

Step 2:
Take the back off the frame. Take the fake picture out and use this as a guide for how big to make the wrapping paper background. I attached the fake picture that comes in the frame to my wrapping paper. Cut off the excess.

Step 3:
Next, take your computer/laptop and open a Microsoft Office (or the equivalent - I used Libre Office) and make your page landscape. Then format the page so that there is three columns. I chose a font similar to Brush Script and I centred everything. You will need to play around with until you get it exactly how you want it.

Step 4:
Once you have got it how you want it, print the page(s) out and cut them out as straight as you can. Then tape or paste them down. I found the easiest way to make sure it ended up centred in your frame was to take the border out of the frame and set it on top of wall paper. This allows you to see the area you have to work with. If you are doing a "Seating Chart" title, be sure to leave some space.

Step 5:
Once you have everything where you want it and glued down, go back to your computer and using the same font, type the words Seating Chart. Print it out and then cut it out. Glue it down in the space that you left. Put the border back in the frame. Then the wrapping paper and then the back of the frame. Once it is all back together, you are finished!

And there you have it! Pretty Simple eh? I hope you have enjoyed this Wedding DIY. If you are interested in other Wedding DIY's, be sure to check out my other Wedding DIY posts. And be sure to go over to The Britt Report to see more of my daily life and what I've been up to lately! Happy Crafting! xoxo

Monday 15 September 2014

Re-Vamp that Bookcase You Dislike!!!

Hi Everyone!

So today, I'm coming at you with a very easy bookcase revamp! It literally took me like 10-15 minutes and I am so in love with how it turned out! It took a ugly, slightly damaged book case and made it a little more modern. It might be a little time consuming but not too much! Let's get started, shall we?

Things You Need:
-contact paper (in a cool pattern or colour)
-scissors
-ruler
-pencil

Step 1:
Clear off the shelves on your book case. If you need to, wipe them down. This is especially important to do for the back of the bookcase. You want to make sure the area you will be putting the contact paper is clean.

Step 2:
Take your ruler and measure the length and width of the back of each shelf (the area where the contact paper goes). Take the contact paper, turn it over and measure out what you measured for the back of the shelf. Carefully cut it out.

Step 3: 
Carefully peel the backing off the contact paper and stick it to the back wall of the bookcase. You may need to do this slowly and carefully. I had some air bubbles in mine. You can flatten these out for the most part but you may end up with crinkles. What I like about the pattern I chose is that you really can't see the crinkles.

Step 4:
Repeat the previous steps for each of the other shelves in your bookcase until you are finished. Put everything back on your bookcase and you are finished.

I hope you enjoyed re-vamping an old bookcase! I think it's a great way to save some money and to keep something and turn it into something better. I think I only paid six bucks for the contact paper at Canadian Tire as I had the rest of the materials already. Happy Crafting! xo

Monday 1 September 2014

DIY Magnet Sign

Hi my fellow DIY-ers!

Happy September! I cannot believe that the summer is over and school starts tomorrow. With the spirit of getting organized in order to start a new school year off right, I came across a little DIY project on Pinterest a few weeks ago. It is a magnet sign for your dishwasher so those in your family will know whether the dishwasher is clean or not. It is a good way to let people know whether or not they can put things in dishwasher or if it needs to be emptied. In my household, this is going to come in handy because with my husband at work a lot and me at home, he never knows if I've turned it on or emptied it and I never know if he has looked after it while I was out or busy. It's a very simple little DIY that will only take an hour tops! Let's get started, shall we?

Things you will need:
-scissors
-sticker paper
-magnet (one large enough to write on)
-pencil
-markers

Step 1:
Place the magnet over top of the sticker paper. Take your pencil and trace around the outside of the magnet. Cut it out

Step 2:
Carefully, peel the backing off the sticker paper and place on the front side of the magnet (the side that is not magnetic). You may need to cut out more pieces from the sticker paper. I had to do this with mine so you couldn't see what was on the actual magnet.

Step 3:
Once, the magnet is covered to your satisfaction, take your pencil and split the space in half horizontally. On one side write Clean and then flip it around (so that Clean is upside down) and write Dirty.

Step 4:
Use your markers to design it however you like. Do this until you are satisfied with it. Then hang it on the magnetic part of the dishwasher. (Note* Make sure your magnet is strong enough to stay on the dishwasher. Mine is not, so I need to get a stronger magnet and attach it to my sign.

And that's it! You're done your magnetic sign for your dishwasher. Hope this was a good tutorial and that you had fun creating this sign. Happy Crafting! xo


Wednesday 6 August 2014

Wedding : DIY Frames

Hi Everyone!

So I've been completely MIA lately. I have been incredibly busy, which is crazy considering all the wedding stuff is now over. We have been busy though. Anyway, I'm sorry and I'm back hopefully, with more regular posts. Tonight, I'm coming at you with another DIY project for weddings (or for any party). They are DIY frames and they are super easy. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
- frames (different sizes, in your desired colour. I found two of mine at Dollarama and the other was at Value Village)
-paint (in your desired colours if you bought the frames from the Dollar store that you paint yourself)
-paintbrush
-nice wrapping paper or scrapbook paper (I got black and white damask wrapping paper for $1.50 at Michael's)
-White printer paper
-Computer
-Printer

Step 1:
Take the frame apart and paint it.You may need more than one coat on them depending on the desired colour. Let those dry.

Step 2:
Once dry, place glass back in the frame. Take the little paper and use this as a guide to cutting out your decorative backing. I traced the outline of the piece of paper onto the back of my wrapping paper. I think I might have even secure it to the little paper with tape.

Step 3:
Once you have all the right sizes for the decorative backing, go to your computer and using Word or a program similar to word, type out what you would like to say in the frame. You can play around with font and style of font after you have typed out what you want. For examples, you can google what you are looking for or refer below for  "Welcome to our wedding", "Candy Bar" and "Guest Book" templates.

Step 4:
Once you have what you have done on Word, print it out. Cut it out so that it fits nicely on your decorative frame but isn't hidden by the frame (if there is an overlay). Tape your sentences down. Try to make sure it is centred.

Step 5:
Once everything is taped down, put everything back into the frame and close it up. With that you have a great frame that can welcome guests or instruct guests as to what they need to do for a specific table.

I hope that you all have enjoyed this DIY project. Like I said, it can be used for a birthday party or a wedding or any kind of party. It is a nice and easy way of instructing guests about what to do. Happy Crafting! xoxo

Monday 7 July 2014

Wedding DIY : Labels for Candy Bags!!!

Hey Crafters!

So I figured I would post another DIY project tonight seeing as I have been on such a long hiatus!!! So here is a Wedding DIY project! This one is rather simple!

Having a candy bar at a wedding reception was a cool idea and something that my husband and I did since I love candy so much! Instead of getting candy bags professionally made by someone else, and spending a ton of money, I decided I would make my own and save a buck! It was rather simple, but a tad time-consuming. I now know why people get these things done by someone else. Anyway, let's get started!

Things you will need:
- un-cut label sheets (I had this sticker paper from awhile ago and just used it. I don't think it is supposed to be used for labels. It doesn't have any pre-cut borders etc).
- printer and ink
-scissors
-pencil
-fine point sharpie
-computer

Step 1:
Using your computer, go into Microsoft Word or a similar program and create a sheet of labels. You might have to download a template if you can't find what you are looking for. I had to do this using Open Office.

Step 2:
Once you have chosen the look you want, play around with it. Add a thick border, put your names or initial or whatever you want it to say. For the candy labels (see the picture to the right), we put our names, a saying "Love is Sweet!" and the day we got married. It's up to you, and how you want them to look. I wanted them to be simple yet classy.

Step 3:
Since I'm not computer savvy, I don't know how to make fancy designs on the labels. So I got the nice design on underneath "Love is Sweet!" by tracing a line design off my computer. The sticker paper isn't suitable for tracing so you might need to get a piece of scrap paper and use that to trace. If you rub the back with pencil lead and then just use it as a transfer onto the stickers, it should work. Once all your labels have the transfer on them, go over the transfer with a fine-point sharpie pen. Try to do it with a steady hand. I would suggest a design that isn't too elaborate.

Step 4:
Now, very carefully, cut out each label. Cut outside the black border you put around each label. It makes it was easier to cut them out because it gives you a guide to look at while cutting. Try to cut as close as the outside of the black border as possible.

Step 5:
Once they are cut out, centre it on the bag. Then peel the backing off and stick it on. Do this for the rest and you have your own personalized candy bags!

I hope you guys enjoyed this DIY project. You don't have to do this for candy bags. You can do this for lunch bags, binders, books etc. The sky is the limit! Happy Crafting! xo

Tuesday 3 June 2014

Fun and Easy Fruit Skewers!!! Perfect for a summer evening snack!

Hi Everyone!

I'm finally back after a bit of a hiatus! Just a little life update before I get into this easy and fun DIY project! I got married! As most of you know, over the past year I have been posting some wedding related DIY projects! This was because of my upcoming marriage. Now I can tell you that Jesse and I are officially married now! Yay!!! So if any of you were wondering why I haven't really posted a lot of stuff on here, it has been because the wedding planning and then actually getting married was my biggest priority. I'm back now, so hopefully, I will start posting projects a little more regularly than I have in the past!

Anyway, let's get started! Today's DIY is a food related one. I made these on Valentine's Day for my now-husband as our dessert after I cooked him dinner. They are fruit skewers with chocolate drizzled on them. I mimicked the ones you see in Godiva. One of my best friends and I stopped in Godiva once and had a fruit skewer - DELICIOUS! But they are just as easy to make at home.

Things you will need:
- Variety of fruit (I went with bananas and strawberries since those go the best with chocolate)
-skewers (you can buy these in packs of 100 at the dollar store)
-semi-sweet chocolate chips
-microwaveable bowl
-microwave
-ziploc baggie
-scissors

Step 1:
Wash any fruit that needs to be washed. Then cut or peel the unnecessary parts of the fruit. Once you have done that, slice the fruit into pieces. You want them to be thick enough to stay on the skewer. I would say about 1cm is good. I found that if you cut them thinner, they would slide off and if you cut them thick, they were too heavy and would slide off.

Step 2:
Once you have cut the fruit up, you can put it on the skewer. I patterned mine. I started with a top of a strawberry and then a banana and then another piece of a strawberry until i have covered nearly the entire skewer. I only made two but you can make as many as you would like.

Step 3:
I then set the skewered fruit aside and put about a quarter of a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips into a microwaveable bowl. I placed it in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time. You don't want the chocolate chips to burn. Once they are fully melted, open your little ziplock bag and put them melted chocolate in it. Try and put it more to one end. Close it up and make sure you get the air out.

Step 4:
Cut the tip off the end where you put all the melted chocolate. Use the bag as a piping bag and drizzle the icing over the skewers. Try and use all the chocolate but don't worry if you can't. Just keep it someplace safe for next time. Place the skewers in the freezer so the chocolate can harden again. Leave it for about half and hour. This should give it enough time to fully harden. Once they are hardened, you can take them out and enjoy. Be careful with the pointy end of the skewer. Happy Eating!!! xo

Saturday 25 January 2014

DIY Shadow Box - Valentine's Day Edition!!!

Hello Again, my fellow Crafters! 

I'm back with yet another inexpensive and easy diy decor project. So with Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought I would try and post some Valentine's Day themed DIY projects! This one is similar to my Christmas Shadow box post. It's quick, easy and so festive. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
-shadow box
-paint
-paint brush
-scrapbook paper
-foam letter stickers
-festive decor to put inside the frame

Step 1:
Obtain a shadow box. I got mine from Value Village on a whim. But you could also find paintable ones at places like Micheal's. If you don't want to paint them, I know you can find little ones at Dollarama. 

Step 2:
So if you decided to paint one, you can start now. You may need to paint a few coats onto it. Let it dry. If you opted for one that couldn't be painted, go to the next step.

Step 3:
Once you have let it dry, take the scrapbook paper you have chosen and measure out the size of the background. This could be tricky if you have one like me. Try to get the edges as close to the sides as possible. Once you have it how you want it, feel free to secure it to the back of the shadow box. I chose not to because I want to interchange the backgrounds and decor. 

Step 4:
Next, decide on a saying or word that you want to put on the scrapbook paper. I went with "xoxo". My foam letters are pretty big so if you do use foam letters, try and find smaller ones. Other things you could put are "smooch", "heart", "love", "kisses" or "hugs". The possibilities are endless! 

Step 5:
Once you've done the word/wording, you can put your little decor into the shadow box. I went with these red glitter balls. I think it makes it look so nice and festive. Then you can close it up and you're done! 

It was that easy! Now find a spot for it and enjoy! Happy Crafting! xoxo



DIY Shadow Box Decor - Christmas Edition! (Better Late than Never!)

Hey Everyone! 

I'm back again with another easy decor project. This one is a little late since it is a Christmas one, but hey, better late than never! This could be given as a gift or just made for a space that needs a little bit of decorating! It is super easy and fun to do. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
- shadow box
-paint
-paint brush
-scrapbook paper
-scissors
-scrapbooking stickers
-different sized Christmas bells

Step 1:
The first thing you need to do is obtain a shadow box. You can get these anywhere. If you want to paint it a certain colour, I would suggest going to a craft store like Micheal's. If not, you can get them at places like Dollarama. I lucked out and found a few at my local Value Village so you can always check out places like that too.

Step 2:
Once you have the shadow box of your choice, you can paint it a preferred colour. I went with Christmas red. You may need to prime it or do more than one coat. I think I did two coats on mine. Let it dry.

Step 3:
Once it is dry, you can take your scrapbook paper and measure how much you will need to fill the background. I found this to be the trickiest part because my shadow box was made a little bit weird. Try and get it as close to the edges at you like. Once you have chosen a background and cut it out so it fits, you can place it inside the shadow box.  (I didn't secure mine to the shadow box because I'm going to interchange the little paper and decoration inside the frame, but you can secure it if you wish)

Step 4:
Once the background is in, place your scrapbooking sticker(s) to where you want it. I chose "Jingle All The Way" because of the bells I am placing in it. You could also use foam letter stickers. I was going to but mine were too big.

Step 5: 
Once the scrapbook sticker(s) have been placed, go ahead and place in your Christmas bells. I chose silver because I couldn't find gold ones. I think it looks just as nice. Go ahead and close it up after that and voila!!! You are all done!

I hope you enjoyed this quick, easy and inexpensive little diy project. I will be posting more diy projects in the near future because I am doing a lot of diy wedding stuff so look for that! I also hope to get some Valentine's Day stuff up as well! Happy Crafting! xoxo

Monday 20 January 2014

DIY Boutonnieres for Groomsmen and Groom!

Hey Everyone!

I'm back from my little holiday hiatus. I was actually going to post some DIY projects over the holidays but then got so busy that I didn't have any time to. Anyway, I'm back now and have been diving into wedding stuff, so get ready for a bunch of wedding DIY projects. Let's get started with this one. 

So if you are like me and think that flowers are great, but it's really not worth spending a small fortune on just to toss them in the air or decorate the church or reception hall with them, then go with fake ones. They are just as good, they will last waaaay longer and you can find some really nice looking ones if you shop around. I found mine at Ikea around the time the holiday stuff came out. The boutonnieres we are making today are just rose buds off the flowers I used for the bouquets. (Look for that post coming soon). Let's get started!

Things you will need:
-wire cutters
-floral tape
-flower(s) of your choice
-ribbon of your choice
-hot glue gun sticks
-hot glue gun
-scissors

Step 1:
Once you have chosen the flower you want to be in your boutonniere, you need to cut the stem to the desired length using the wire cutters. I say to use wire cutters because my flowers had wire in the stem, which I'm assuming most fake flowers would. 

Step 2:
Decide on how you would like the boutonniere to look. For me, I had three options. The first was to have the rose bud with three leaves. The second, to have it just stand alone with some ribbon and the third, to have the rose bud with one leaf to the side. Make sure you decide how you want it to look before you do any gluing or taping. I chose the one leaf on the side because three leaves was too much and the rose bud by itself looked weird. 

Step 3:
Once you have decided on your look for the boutonnieres, you can start gluing the leaf to the rose bud. I glued the stem to the back of the rose bud and put some glue on the bottom of the leaf to attach it to the rose part of the flower. Do this for all the boutonnieres. Let them dry. 

Step 4:
Once the glue has dried, take the floral tape and wrap all the stems as far as you can go. Floral tape is a little tricky if it's your first time using it. You have to stretch the tape first to activate the adhesive and then stick it to your stem. This will also help the tape stick to itself. Do this for all your boutonnieres. 

Step 5:
Once all the boutonnieres are wrapped in the tape, you can wrap them in the ribbon. Be sure to always glue on the backside of the boutonnieres. You don't want the glue or end of the ribbon to show in pictures etc. I found that starting from the bottom and working your way up worked best. Put some glue at the bottom of the stem and place the ribbon on it. Hold it there until dry. Then wrap as tight as you can up the stem until you get to the top. (Be sure to cover as much as you can). Place some glue at the back of the stem again at the top and hold the ribbon down until dry. Using scissors, cut the ribbon as close as you can to where the glue ends at the back of the boutonniere. 

Step 6:
Go over each boutonniere and get rid of the glue strings and excess chunks of glue so that they look polished and nice. 

That's all there is to it! Once you get the hang of it, it becomes rather easy. It is rather time consuming so make sure you set aside a lot of time to do this task. Good luck and Happy Crafting! xoxo