Crafting with Brittany: DIY Christmas Key Chain

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all have been having a fabulous week. Here in Ontario we had some pretty crazy weather at the beginning of the week. Hence, why today when I am writing this, I am curled up on my bed, in track pants and a sweater with some candles lit. I'm real exciting, aren't I? Anyway, as the title suggests, in this post, I am telling you how I made a keychain. This keychain was time consuming, but only because I had so much stuff included and it took me a bit to figure out how to attach some of the stuff. I wouldn't exactly call it budget-friendly either. You will be looking at spending some money - especially if you don't have any of the supplies already. All of the stuff is sold at Michaels, however, you may be able to find it in places such as Dollar Tree, Dollarama and independent craft stores.

Things You Need:
-key chain ring
-link rings
-pliers (if you have ones specifically for jewelry making, USE THEM!!!)
-beads
-various charm embellishments (bells, monogram letter, snowflakes, word plates etc)
-wire pieces (to thread the beads onto to create little bead charms - I'm not sure what these are actually called - but you can buy them at Michaels)

Step 1:
Take your key chain ring and your link rings and attach them together. Keep adding link rings until you have the length you desire.

Step 2:
Next, I took my embellishments and roughly placed them out where I wanted them to go. Play around with this until you are absolutely satisfied. Once you are satisfied, you can start adding them on using the link rings. Once you have finished putting on all the embellishments, put the keychain to one side to work on making the bead embellishments.

Step 3:
Take your beads, your wire pieces for the beads and your pliers and start making your little bead embellishments. For mine, I just stuck a large green bead on the wire and then stuck a small red one on top. I, then, took my pliers and bent the wire and twisted it around itself on top of the red bead. Repeat this step until you have as many as you would like on your key chain.

Step 4:
Once you have made all your bead embellishments, cut off any excess wire using little wire cutters (nail clippers also works - you will have to bend the wire while holding it with the nail clippers).

Step 5:
Finally, add these bead embellishments on the key ring links wherever you would like. Be sure to close the links up tight so they don't come off.

And there you have it! You're very own key chain. I love how well this turned out, despite it being the first time I am making a keychain. I hope you all liked reading about this DIY. If you attempt to do this DIY and you document it on Youtube or on your blog, be sure to let me know, so I can check yours out. Be sure to follow this blog as I will be posting every other week. Also check out my Youtube Channel where I will occasionally be posting DIYs there as well. Thank you so much for stopping by and until next time, Happy Crafting! xo

Crafting with Brittany: DIY Dishwasher Sign

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are having a wonderful start to 2018! Our year started off kinda rough but things are looking up now. So as the title says, today I am showing you how I made a little sign for our dishwasher to update the one I made years ago. It was super easy and budget friendly, but a bit time-consuming. This is definitely a way to streamline your life so that you always know if your dishes are clean or dirty in your dishwasher. So let's get started!

Things You Will Need:
- scrabble tiles
- piece of cardboard
- scissors
- cement glue
- magnets

Step 1:
Glue the scrabble tiles using the cement glue to the small piece of cardboard. Be sure to arrange them so that when you flip it either way it is readable. Let it dry for at least a few hours

Step 2:
Cut any excess cardboard off and throw it away. Take a couple magnets and glue them on the back using the cement glue. Let this dry for awhile.

Step 3:
Put it on your dishwasher door and enjoy!

So that is it! I hope you enjoyed reading this post. If you make this little DIY, be sure to let me know in the comments below, linking to your video or blog post. I would love to see how you put your own twist on this. Thank you so much for stopping by and until next time, Happy Crafting! xo

Deck the Halls with Brittany: DIY Rustic Advent Calendar

Hi Everyone!

So I am trying to get back into blogging regularly and am very exciting to be starting back at it with a Christmasy post. As the title suggests, I decided to tackle making my own advent calendar since I couldn't find one in stores that I really liked. And I'm going to share with you all how I've done it! This project is going to take a couple times - as there is a bunch of waiting involved! Let's get started, shall we?

Things You Will Need:
-wooden advent calendar (I got mine at Deserres for $40)
-stain or paint
-paint brush
-metal numbers (Tim Holtz @ Michaels)
-crazy glue
-items to put in the shadow box part (mini treasures aisle @ Michaels)
-sandpaper

Step 1:
 The first thing you will need to do is to sand the wooden advent calendar. It may have splinters and stuff so it will be good to sand these down so you don't injure yourself down the road. You will want to sand each individual box as well. After you have sanded everything, wipe down everything with a clean cloth.

Step 2:
  Next, take the stain and the paintbrush and stain the entire advent calendar. You might need to do this in stages. I took all the boxes out and did the large wooden box first. While I let that dry, I did the fronts and sides of each box. Then when everything was dry, I put the boxes back in. Once I figured out where they all went, I painted the inside of each little box and put it back in its square to dry. Leave this overnight.

Step 3:
  Once everything is dry, you can take your crazy glue and your metal number and glue them on. In what order you glue them is up to you. I opted to put them on each box randomly instead of in numerical order. Make sure you don't use a lot of glue and be careful when handling the metal numbers - you don't want to accidentally glue your fingers together. Let this dry overnight (just to be on the safe side)

Step 4:
   Finally, take your items you bought for the middle of the advent calendar and glue them in the middle square part. Wait for those to dry and the enjoy!!!

So that is it guys! It's pretty easy other than the length of time this DIY takes. I love the way this turned out. My decor for Christmas tends to be Rustic and I'm glad that it really turned out rustic and goes so well with my decor. I hope you all enjoyed this post! Send me a link or comment down below with a picture if you decide to tackle this project! Thank you so much for stopping by. Be sure to come back for more posts - I plan on doing a few more DIYs this Holiday Season! Until next time, Happy Holiday Crafting! xo

Deck The Halls with Brittany: DIY Christmas Carol Canvas

Hey Everyone!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend so far! I sure am. I have just started watching the new Gilmore Girls episodes... and so far so good! Well, as you can see I am starting my “Deck the Halls with Brittany” series again for the holidays! This series will be on both of my blogs and my Youtube channel, so be sure to check them all out! Not all the content will be the same! With this being said, I am bringing you my first Holiday DIY of the year! I made a Christmas Carols Subway Art Canvas.

Things You Will Need:

• canvas
• paint
• paint brush
• alphabet stamps
• sealant spray
• markers in colours of your paint

Step 1:

Choose your first Christmas Carol and collect the stamps you will need for it. Then take the paintbrush and evenly coat each letter one at a time. Press the stamp down onto the canvas, one at a time until you finish the first carol. 

Step 2:

Repeat this process swapping out the paint colours. You want to make a pattern. For me, it was red, grey, dark grey, red, grey, dark grey etc. Repeat this until you have completed the entire canvas. 

Step 3:

Set the canvas some place in your home where it won't be disturbed while it is drying. 

Step 4: (** I had to use marker over my paint because it didn't come out as opaque as I would've liked)

Once it is dry, you can go over it with the markers and then spray it with a sealant spray so that the paint is protected and so is the canvas itself.  Once the sealant has dried, hang it in your house and enjoy! 

And that is all! Wasn't that easy? It is a bit time consuming, but totally worth it! I hope that you all enjoyed this little DIY holiday project! Be sure to show me pictures of your canvas - I would love to see them! Also, be sure to subscribe to this blog, The Britt Report (Lifestyle/Everyday blog) and my Youtube Channel (Queen Bree) as I have a lot of Holiday content coming up! Thank you so much for stopping by! Until next time, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! xo

Happy Fall Y'all: DIY Harry Potter Tee

Hi Everybody!

Hope you are having a good October so far! I'm bringing you another DIY and I hope all you Harry Potter fans out there especially enjoy it! It is a Harry Potter book title tee. This project is somewhat easy, yet time consuming so make sure you have at least an hour. It can be a bit pricy if you don't have the supplies.... for me, everything costed about $12, because I already had the stamps. Let's get started!

Things You Need:
- plain tee shirt (in a colour you will be able to see the lettering in)
- fabric paint (I went with black)
- stamps
- painter's tape
- wipes (to clean off the stamps)
- a piece of cardboard for the shirt

Step 1:
Carefully, mark where you want the words to go. I put the shirt on and marked where I wanted the words to start with the painter's tape. Take the shirt off (if you did what I did) and finish marking the two sides and the bottom with the tape.

Step 2:
Next, take the stamps and lay them out on your shirt so you get an idea of where you want the first word to go.

Step 3:
Once you are happy with it, take the piece of cardboard and put it between the front and back of the tee. This will protect the back of the shirt from any paint seeping through. After that, take your fabric paint and pour some out onto something you don't mind throwing out after. I used an extra piece of cardboard.

Step 4:
With a paintbrush, generously put an even amount of paint onto your stamp. Then make sure it is lined up and straight before you press it down onto the tee. Continue this process until you have completed all the words.

Step 5:
Once you have completed all the words, put it somewhere it can either lay flat or hang to dry. After it has dried, follow the instructions on the fabric paint bottle before you wear it. I had to wash mine after 72 hours inside out before wearing.

And you are done!!! That is all there is to it! I hope that you enjoyed this little tutorial on making your own Harry Potter tee. I am so happy with how mine turned out. Be sure to let me know if you do this DIY... I would love to see your versions of this DIY. Thank you so much for stopping by! This community means the world to me! Until next time, Happy Crafting! xo

It's Fall Y'all: DIY Plaid Fall Coasters

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying this cloudy Fall Friday lunch hour! I thought it was about time I brought you all a new DIY. I have been busy doing a bunch of DIY-ing so be prepare for some more Fall/Halloween stuff coming soon!

So in this DIY project, we are going to be Plaid Coasters for Fall. I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it was the cutest thing, so naturally I had to attempt this for myself. The project is relatively easy but time consuming so be sure to set aside some time and perhaps binge-watch your favourite show on Netflix at the same time! I will also have a Youtube video of me making this DIY so if you are more of a visual person, then look below for my link to my channel.

The things you will need:
- Plaid Material
- Felt (doesn't matter what colour as you won't see it)
- Sewing thread
- Sewing Needle
- Scissors
- Pins

** If you don't have thread or a sewing needle, you can substitute those two items for a hot glue gun and glue sticks.

Step 1:
Cut the plaid material into squares approximately 4.5 inches by 4.5. Remember that you want to have a little bit of space to be able to sew or glue the two pieces together, but you want it to be big enough to fit the glass or mug on it.

Step 2:
Once all of your plaid material is cut into squares, do the same thing with the felt, cutting it a bit smaller. Don't worry if it doesn't fit at this moment or you cut it too big, you can always trim it down later.

Step 3:
Take your two plaid squares and pin them together (if you need to). Be sure to leave one side open so you can turn it right side out. Then begin to sew (or glue) them together. Do this until you have secured three sides. Then cut the string, leaving enough to tie it. Once you have tied it off, you can cut the little tail and turn it right side out.

Step 4:
Take your piece of felt and put it inside the little pocket you have made. If you need to trim it, do so now. Once you have it inside, fold the two open pieces down inside the pocket. Pin them together so that you have shut the square completely. Then sew the opening shut, using a criss-cross pattern on the inside of the two flaps. ** If you are gluing instead of sewing, this part can be tricky so I would suggest pinning it together and then one by one taking the pins out and gluing on section at a time.

Step 5:
Once you have finished sewing the flap shut, tie it off. Once you have tied it off, cut the little tail off and you are done. You have a beautiful plaid Fall coaster. Continue this however many times you want until you have the desired number of coasters.

Anyways, that is all there is to it! Like I said, it is time consuming but not necessarily hard. So grab your supplies, your computer and turn on Netflix and get crafting! I hope that you guys enjoyed this tutorial. Look below if you would rather watch my Youtube video on how to make these awesome coasters! Thank you all for coming to check out this blog post and until next time, Happy Crafting! xo


Happy Fall Y'all: DIY Autumn Coasters Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ZahViFKB8
My Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4HLUixems2ln2CfNguupjQ
The Britt Report Blog:
http://brittreport.blogspot.ca/

Planner Decor on a Budget: DIY Ribbon Page Flag {Updated}

Hey Everyone!

So since deciding to start a Youtube channel, I decided I would update this post, as I wasn't happy with the outcome of the original post. I felt like I had a hard time trying to convey what the steps were and I forgot to take pictures of each step..... So this time, I've filmed it for you to give you a visual aid of the DIY process for this project.

This project is very simple and not expensive at all. Most dollar stores sell some pretty ribbon and you can find cheap ribbon at places like Walmart and Micheals (check the $1.50 section at Micheals). Paper clips can be found just about anywhere. I got these gold ones at Staples for about $2.50. This project definitely won't break your bank and the end result is a really nice page flag or bookmark! Let's get started!!!

Things You Need:
-paper clips (in the colour of your choice)
-ribbon (in the colour, sizes and patterns of your choice)
-scissors

Step 1:
Choose the ribbon and the paper clip you want to use. With the ribbon,you want to take it out of the package and determine which ribbons you want to group together.

Step 2:
Once you have determined which ribbons you want to use, take it and measure out about 5-6 inches of ribbon. Take the scissors and cut it and then put the rest of that ribbon to the side. Do this for however many pieces of ribbon you are using. Don't worry if the ribbons aren't all the same length... you can trim the ends later!

Step 3:
Next, take the ribbons you cut and place them carefully on top of one another. This will be tricky if the ribbons are bent like mine were. Then take the two ends and put them together.

Step 4:
Take the loop of the ribbons and put it through the solo loop of the paper clip (Please see my video below if you are confused). Don't pull the loop all the way through. Once you have gotten through the centres of all your strings and bring them all through the loop you've made, making sure that you have wrapped the ends around the paper clip while sliding them through the loop made in the ribbons (Again, see the video if you are confused). Pull the ends tight. You may need to do this with each individual ribbon end.

Step 5:
Finally, trim the ends so they are all the same length. Discard the pieces you just cut off in the trash.

That's it! Wasn't that easy!!?? I hope that you guys enjoyed this post and the video linked below. If you want to see more videos like this, be sure to like and subscribe to my Youtube Channel.There will be lots more videos coming up, both DIY and Lifestyle related! Stay Tuned and until next time, Happy Crafting! xoxo

DIY Harry Potter Ipad Mini case {Picture to come}

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all are enjoying this wonderful Monday! The weather here in Ottawa was lovely, hence why I am posting late this evening instead of towards the beginning of the day. Today, I am bringing you a little project I found posted on Pinterest. It is a felt Harry Potter Ipad cover. Now, the post I found on Pinterest was a link to an Etsy store. Money is a tad tight right now and so instead of ordering one from this Etsy store, I decided I could probably make my own. It was way cheaper than the price I had found at the Etsy store... but it is fairly time-consuming and not a project that kids could do by themselves. With that said, let's talk about what you will need!

Things You Need:
-scissors
-sewing kit
-hot glue
-hot glue gun
-felt in white (2), black, red and yellow
-paper
-pencil

Step 1:
Start by measuring how big the white felt needs to be in order for the iPad to fit inside. I made mine a bit bigger as I don't like when it is too snug.

Step 2:
Cut the white felt. Take your sewing kit and using the white thread and a needle, sew the the edges of the felt together.

Step 3:
Next, take your piece of paper and pencil and make stencils for the eyeglasses and the hair. I found these two to be the hardest. You could probably print out templates if you wanted to spend the time searching for some.

Step 4:
Once you have the stencils made, pin them to the black felt and carefully cut along the edges of the templates. Set aside.

Step 5:
Take your red felt and cut out three squares and a lightening bolt shape. The squares will be a part of his scarf.

Step 6:
Take the yellow felt and cut a strip the same width as the red squares you cut moments ago. Make sure it is the same length as the bottom of the white felt.

Step 7:
Plug your glue gun in. Once hot, carefully glue each piece of felt onto to the white felt. I found that if you leave your iPad inside the white case you made it was easier to do. Or stick a piece of cardboard in it if you are worried about your iPad. Make sure to use a fair amount of glue. You don't want anything coming off.

Once you have finished gluing, you are done! Wasn't that a fun project? I had so much fun making my little case for my iPad mini. It turned out so cute. If any of you decide to make this little DIY, be sure to leave me a comment below telling me about it. You can also leave me a picture or a link to your own posts so I can go and see them. Again, I hope you enjoyed! Until next time, Happy Crafting! xoxo

Valentine's Day with Brittany: DIY Gift Ideas for Him!

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all are doing well on this wonderful Friday evening. Currently, I am sitting in my mom's living room waiting for my sister to get off work..... Impromtu visit home for the weekend. So while I am waiting, I thought I would get some writing done. So here I am with my final DIY Valentine's Day post. Today, I'm writing about a couple of DIYs that you can make your special guy for Valentine's Day or for another special occasion. Let's get started with the first one!

Things You Need:
-piece of wood
-3/4" Finishing nails
-embroidery floss (the colours are you choice)
-hammer
-stickers or markers (optional)

Step 1:
Remove the sticker from the piece of wood if need be. I bought my piece of wood at Walmart and there was a massive sticker on the front. After you have removed it, sand it with a light grit sand paper (if you feel this is necessary).

Step 2:
Print out a template of the shape you are using. For example, I printed a map  of my husband and mine's hometown area. Other versions I have seen have used States or provinces. Be sure to make the area that means something to the both of you... or to him. Once you have printed it out, cut it out. Then tape it down to the piece of wood.

Step 3:
Once the map is securely taped down,  start taking the finishing nails and hammer them about half way into the wood (You want enough to stick out so that you will be able to wrap the string around it). Make sure to space them about 1cm apart. Do this until you have outlined the entire outside of the shape you have used. If you are doing something similar to what I did, take some nails and make the shape of a heart around the spot that means something to you.

Step 4:
Next, carefully peel the map or shape template off the piece of wood. The nails should not move. Once your template has been removed, take the one end of your embroidery string and tie it to a nail. Then bring it down to the heart and loop it around one of those nails. Bring it back up to the next nail and repeat until every nail has been covered. [NOTE: Depending on how big your heart is, you may need to put multiple loops on the heart nails so that each border nail has an anchor to the heart]. Once you get to the last nail, you can tie off the string and cut any tails off.

Step 5 (Optional):
If you want, you can put a saying using marker or stickers some place on the board. For me, I put "Where We Began..." because the template I used was the area where my husband and I met. It is also both of our hometowns. I had some kraft paper alphabet stickers that were the perfect size, that I bought at Dollar Tree.

And that's it! You have completed your first little DIY present. This one can be time consuming, so be sure to put aside some time to do it. If you work at this and don't stop until it is done, it shouldn't take more than 2 hours. It was a budget friendly project and it turned out great!

The next project is another time consuming project, but doesn't require you to hammer nails into a piece of wood. This is also a gift that the both of you can enjoy and you can have fun planning a bunch of date ideas for the next 12 months.

Things You Need:
- 12 envelopes
- 12 rectangular pieces of cardstock
- markers
- stickers
- Washi Tape
- Baker's Twine
- 8.5x11" piece of cardstock
- ruler
- scissors

Step 1:
Get or make 12 rectangular pieces of cardstock. They need to be able to fit inside the 12 envelopes you have chosen to use. Outline each of the 12 pieces of cardstock with a red sharpie marker.

Step 2:
About a half inch to an inch down from the top outline, draw a line with the red sharpie 3/4 of the way across the cardstock. Next to this line put a sticker or other decoration. Write the month above the red line you just drew, in black Sharpie. Repeat this for all the 12 pieces of cardstock until you have completed one for every month.

Step 3:
Next, using the black Sharpie, write out the plan for each date. If you plan on giving a lot of information, try to use a fine tip Sharpie ( or write it smaller than I did). Stick them into envelopes.

Step 4:
Use the washi tape to decorate the front of the envelopes. I kept it simple by just using one type of washi tape for each envelope and using the same one to seal the back part of the envelope. Repeat this for each envelope. Once the envelopes are decorated and sealed, tie them together using the Baker's Twine. Make sure to keep them in order so your special someone doesn't open the wrong envelope and the date for that month is spoiled.

Step 5:
Next, take the full sheet of cardstock and outline it in red Sharpie. Then take some washi tape and put it in the top two corners to make it look like the washi tape is what is holding the paper there. In black sharpie, write your own message or use the one I used: To Show That I Love You, Throughout All The Year, I've Made Up Some Date Nights, To Send You Good Cheer! Some May Be Big, And Some May Be Small, But The Time Spent Together, Is The Point Of It All! Lots of Love, Your name here. Then underneath where you signed your name, but a piece of washi tape almost all the way across (from red line to red line) and then put a sticker on top of the red line.


And that's it! That's all there is to it! This one is definitely easier than the other one. I had all these supplies on hand already so it was definitely cheaper than the first DIY. With these two DIY gift ideas, you can definitely tweak them to make them unique. I hope that you all enjoyed reading about these two gift ideas. If you make either of them, be sure to leave me a link to see your blog post about it or leave me pictures in the comments section. I really do enjoy hearing from you all! Until next time, Happy Crafting! xoxo

Valentine's Day with Brittany: DIY Valentine's Day Cards

Hi Everyone!

My Valentine's Day card I made from a Pin I found

So I'm back today with another Valentine's Day with Brittany DIY! This one is a little more time - consuming but is simple enough to make. Just make sure you set aside some time to do this little project. I'm really happy with how these turned out, especially considering I haven't had much luck making my own cards in the past! Let's get started!

Thing You Need:
-card stock
-supplies to decorate the cards with (ie. scrapbook paper, string, buttons, stamps, glitter etc)
-glue
-double-sided tape
-foam tape squares
-markers

Step 1:
Come up with a design for the front of your card. Great places to look are Pinterest and Google. I found a few cute yet simple designs I liked on Pinterest. You can also come up with your own if you are creative and have the time to design it.

Step 2:
Gather all supplies for your card. Once you have everything you need, you can begin to start making it.

Step 3:
This step will depend on what your design is like. For example, the card in the picture above required me to first find a picture of a puzzle piece. Then I had to trace and cut it out of my paper.

Step 4:
After that I chose my card stock and/or scrapbook paper and traced and cut out three different puzzle pieces. Once cut out, I lined them in black marker to make them pop.

Step 5:
Next, I laid them out on the card and figured out how I wanted them arranged. I then took double sided foam squares and attached them to the back of the puzzle pieces. I, then, attached the other side to the card in the layout I wanted.

Step 6:
Finally, I took my marker and wrote a little saying on the front. Because I did puzzle pieces, I wrote 'Love you to pieces' on the front. I left the inside blank so I can write a more personal message.

So that's it for this specific card. I did make a few others but I don't have pictures of them. If you are finding one on Pinterest, there is usually a link to tell you how to make it and what you will need for it! If you are doing one on your own, you can do whatever you like. Make it your own, even with the ones you find on Pinterest. Get creative with it! I hope you enjoyed this post. I thought it would be a great thing to post about seeing as there seems to be greeting cards for everything nowadays and greeting cards are so expensive. Be sure to leave me comments and pictures! I would love to see them and hear from you all! Until next time, Happy Crafting! xo

Valentine's Day with Brittany: Glitter Heart Canvas

Hi Everyone!

So I'm back and I'm kicking off my Valentine's day segment with this really easy and really affordable DIY for your home. It's a simple way to add a touch of Valentine's Day to your home that is subtle and looks great! All you need is a few things. This is stuff that you can find around your home or that you can get at the dollar store. Let's get started!

Things You Need:
-canvas (size doesn't matter - it's up to you!)
-paintbrush
-white paint
-pencil
-glitter in the colour of your choice (I went with red)
-white glue
-newspaper (or some sort of paper to help keep the glitter in check)
-a heart shape to trace (or you can draw one freehand if you are good at drawing hearts)
-sealer spray

Step 1:
The first thing you need to do is to prep your canvas. To do this, take your white paint and paint brush and just coat the canvas in a layer of the white paint. Put the canvas aside to dry.

Step 2:
While you are waiting, you can make your heart stencil. Just take a regular piece of paper. Fold it in half and then make half a heart shape. The two points need to meet the folded edge. Cut along the line you drew and unfold your heart. You can cut it more if you need to fix it.

Step 3:
Once your canvas is dry, take your heart stencil and place it on the canvas. If you need to, lightly put some tape on the back side of the stencil so it won't move around on you. Then lightly, trace around the heart shape. Once complete, take the stencil off the canvas carefully.

Step 4:
Now, take your clean paintbrush and your glue. Put about a quarter sized amount in the middle of your heart (the amount will depend on the size of your heart). Spread it around evenly, making sure to put glue on top of your pencil lines so they won't show. Be a little generous with the glue. If you put too little on, the glitter will not stick properly.

Step 5:
Once you have all the glue spread out evenly, take your glitter and shake a generous amount in the middle of the glue. (Do not worry - you won't be wasting it. You can dump it on a paper and put the excess back in the container afterwards). Carefully, spread the glitter around making sure that all the parts with glue are covered. (The easiest way I found to do this was to beat the bottom of the canvas gently, making the glitter jump around).

Step 6:
Once all the glue area is covered, dump the rest of the glitter onto a piece of paper and tap the backside of the canvas to get any loose glitter off. Then set the canvas aside to dry (This is where you can take the piece of paper and pour the excess back into the container).

Step 7:
Once the canvas has dried, take your sealer spray and spray the front of the glitter. This will lock in the glitter so that none can fall off and get all over the place. You may have some fall off but it won't be nearly as much as it would be if you didn't spray it. Set it aside to dry.

Once it has dried, you are now ready to use it to decorate your home! I hope that you enjoyed this little tutorial. Like I said, it is quick and easy and can be personalized to the individual. You don't have to do hearts. It is totally up to you! Until next time, Happy Crafting! xoxo

Deck the Halls with Brittany: Holi-DIY #3!

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to come on and do one last post.... even if it is after Christmas... and New Years! I got so caught up in festive activities that I didn't have enough time to post this one before Christmas. This DIY is pretty easy to do and allows you to recycle those old Bath and Body Works candles you have that are cleaned out and laying around. Let's get started!

Things You Will Need
-repurposed BBW candle (de-potted and cleaned)
-glass candle stick holder (I got mine at Dollar Tree)
-crazy glue
-chalk board labels

Step 1:
Make sure the bottom of the candle jar and the top of the candle stick holder are clean. Then place the jar on top to make sure you get it centred. Think of this as measuring twice and "cutting" twice.

Step 2:
Once you have found the centre, carefully place crazy glue around the rim of the glass candle stick holder. Then place the candle jar on top, making sure you have placed it where the centre is.

Step 3:
Let dry. You may have to wait a while. You can also carefully weigh it down. I did this by placing single wick candles from Bath and Body Works inside the jar. I typically wait overnight.

Step 4:
Once the glue is dry, or the next day, take the jars and place a chalkboard label on the side where you want it to be. You can leave it blank or you can write whatever you like on it.

I hope you enjoyed this post. You can do this with a bunch of different clear vases to make your own different apothecary jars, instead of spending insane amounts of money on store-bought ones. I love doing this project. It took hardly any time at all and I made a couple of amazing gifts for a couple of my cousins. Be sure to post pictures in the comments showing me your DIY apothecary jars! Until next time, Happy Crafting!

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

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

Gift Idea # 6 - Winter Wonderland Tealight Holders!

Hello Fellow Crafters! 

I'm back with yet another DIY gift project. I recently gave these to my aunt and uncle for Christmas and they turned out rather well. I thought I took pictures of it but I cannot find them, so when I do I will add them. This is another simple idea if you need a simple and fast gift. 

Things you will need:
-depotted candle jars (or vases from the Dollar store)
-epsom salt
-sealing spray
-silver glitter
-mod podge
-tealight candles (enough so it's one for each vase)
-paint brush 

Step 1:
Clean the vase regardless of if it has been de-potted or you bought it new from the dollar store. Dry it and then pour some of the epsom salts in a bowl (I used a paper plate). 

Step 2:
Take the candle holder and mod podge and cover the outside of the holder with mod podge. You will need to do this quickly so the mod podge doesn't start drying. Once the outside is covered, roll it into the epsom salts until every part of the mod podge is covered with epsom salts. 

Step 3:
You might need to do a second coat. Once the mod podge and epsom salts dry, use the sealer spray to seal the epsom salts so they won't fall off as much. Before this sealer dry, take the glitter and lightly sprinkle it all over the candle holders. Let it dry. 

Step 4: 
Once everything has dried, clean it up and then you can put some tea lights in each of the holders you made. 

And that's it! You are finished! These look gorgeous when lit in dim lighting or in the dark. It has a lovely glow through the epsom salts and the light hits the glitter and makes it sparkle subtly. If you need a quick and easy gift for someone, this is a great idea. Happy Crafting!!!

DIY Gift Idea # 5- Decorative Sharpie Mug

Hey All!

I'm back! So sorry I have been totally MIA the past few weeks. The wedding plans and Christmas have been taking over my life... well, it's been mostly Christmas taking over. Anyway, I'm back with some more DIY gift ideas. Today's DIY project is really easy! And you can get super creative with it. You can make one for yourself or you can make it as a gift for someone for any occasion. I made this one for a gift for someone for Christmas. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
-ceramic mug (in your choice of colour)
-sharpie markers (in various colours)
- an oven
-a pencil
-a wet rag (to erase pencil mistakes)

Step 1:
First thing you will want to do is figure out what you want to put on the mug. It might help to sketch things out onto a paper first, if you are scared about messing up. Once you have things decided, you can start sketching it onto the mug. Do not worry about making mistakes. If you have a wet rag, you can just erase it, let it dry and then start over again.

Step 2:
Once you are done sketching your designs in pencil, you can start going over the designs with your sharpie markers. Keep in mind that the pencil may show up through lighter coloured markers, so anything you want in lighter colours, you might not want to use pencil for it.

Step 3:
Once you are happy with your designs with your chosen colour, clean the designs up and then preheat the oven to 350 degrees celsius. Once it reaches 350 degrees, place the mug on a cookie sheet and place into the oven. Leave in the oven for 30 minutes, checking on it from time to time.

Step 4:
Once it has been 30 minutes, carefully take the cookie sheet out of the oven and turn the oven off. Let the mug cool down before you use it or wrap it up.

That is all there is to it! It is such a simple project. You can make these for just about any gift. Be creative with it. I went for a simple black and white look as I had seen a similar mug with this saying on it. I made it as a Christmas gift for someone so I wanted to keep it classic and simple. Happy Crafting!

Ps. Even though you have placed this in the oven and as a result, have let the ink set in the mug, I would still recommend hand-washing the mug!

Christmas Gift Idea # 4 - Glitter Lightbulb Centerpiece

Hi All! 

Hope you are enjoying your Monday night. It is very cold and windy here in Ottawa. Sorry, I didn't post anything this weekend. I wanted to but ended up getting a cold or the flu or something so I've been in bed since Saturday night. Boooo! Anyway, today's DIY is an easy and fun holiday idea. You can give it as a gift or keep it for yourself as a centrepiece or holiday decor for your house. Let's get started!

Things you will need: 
-small glass bowl
-Christmas light bulbs
-paint
-glue or mod podge
-glitter in various colours
-paint brush
-hair spray or sealer spray
-paper plate or piece of paper

Step 1: 
Using the paintbrush, take some mod podge (or glue) and brush it all over the glass part of the lightbulb. Then roll it around in the glitter until every part is covered. Set it aside to dry. Do this to as many lightbulbs in as many different colours as you want. 

Step 2:
Once they are dry (this usually takes about half a day, just to be safe), take them and spray the hair spray or the sealing spray on them. This will make it harder for glitter to get everywhere. Do it to each lightbulb and then set them aside to dry. This will take about 2-3 hours. Make sure to rotate them so they don't stick to whatever you have them sitting to dry on.



Step 3:
While the glitter lightbulbs are drying, you can take this opportunity to clean up the glitter and paint brush. I used a paper plate and what I did was scoop up what i could of the glitter into the jar and then using a piece of paper, i funnelled the rest into it. When cleaning the mod podge or glue off your brush, be sure to use soap; it really works! 

Step 4: 
Once you have tidied up and the lightbulbs are dry, you can clean the glass bowl if needed and then set them into the bowl. You can rearrange this however you like.

Your centrepiece or holiday decoration is complete! I am giving this to someone as a gift, so the colours that I chose reflect that person. I will not say who in case they read this blog. I am hoping to have more ideas for you this week and next so stay tuned! Happy Crafting! xoxo

Christmas Gift Idea #3 - DIY Nail Spa Kit

Hey Everyone!

Woooooooo hoooooo! Three DIY blog posts in one night! I'm on a roll! Hopefully, I can keep this up and keep getting things done so you guys keep getting great ideas for gifts or just fun little projects. So, this is something I put together for a family member for Christmas. I won't say who in case they are reading! This is a little gift idea that is super easy to put together and doesn't take a chunk out of your wallet. It does take a bit of time though! You can also make it very personable and unique to the person you are making it for. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
-Paint
-Paintbrush
-box (wooden or otherwise)
-sealing spray (optional)
-tissue paper
-objects to put in box depending on your theme (mine is a nail spa kit)

Step 1:
Paint the box in whatever colour you choose. Also, be sure to paint the lid. Set that aside and let it dry. You may need to do a second coat. Once it has dried, you need to spray the box with the sealer spray so that it is protected should the box get wet. Set it aside to dry. (I would not suggest spraying the sealer spray on the inside of the lid. I did that to mine and it got stuck and the lid ripped... I was able to fix it but maybe just don't do it)

Step 2:
Once everything is dry, you can put the tissue paper inside the box. If you want things to stand up or be propped up, you may want to use more than one sheet of tissue paper. Once you have it the way you want it, you can start putting your little goodies in it. For my nail spa kit, I bought stuff at Dollarama and Shoppers Drug Mart. From Dollarama, I got some Revlon Nail files, a little bottle of nail polish remover, a head band, a sleep mask, some nail stickers and a little gift set of nail polishes.
From Shoppers, I bought some sticker decals and a nail stamp set from the Essence line.

Step 3:
One the lid, I put a monogram on it for my family member using a stencil I made and some white paint. I sprayed it with the sealing spray. Let it dry and then put the lid on it.

Again, this is super easy but time consuming! Be sure to set aside time if you are going tackle this project. You can personalize it for whoever you are giving it to or give it a theme if you know of a favourite hobby or activity. Happy Crafting! xoxo

Christmas Gift Idea #2 - DIY "Keep Calm and Drink Wine" Shadow Box

Hey Guys!

So second post of the night! Wahoo! I'm doing pretty good! I'll also be doing other posts on my other blog, The Britt Report, so be sure to go check it out! I'll give you the link below!

http://brittreport.blogspot.ca

Anyway, this is another pretty simple craft. It does take a bit of time so definitely do this one when you have a couple of days to kill. Let's get started! 

Things You Will Need:
- a shadow box (I lucked out and found four of the ones I used at Value Village)
-acrylic paint (in whatever colour you want the box to be and a colour for the lettering)
-a paintbrush
-white plain paper
-a pencil
-clear tape
-Sealer spray
-Scrapbook paper

Step 1:
Paint the shadow box the colour you want it to be. I went with black because, well, I just like how classy and sleek it looks. You may need to do a couple coats.

Step 2:
Once you have let it dry, spray it with a glossy coat. (Make sure you take the glass out first). I would also recommend doing this outside if it's not too cold. The fumes can get pretty bad, even if you're outside.

Step 3:
While you wait for the shadow box to dry, use Microsoft Word or another similar program to make the "Keep Calm and Drink Wine" message. Choose a font and a font size and type it out. Then print it out. (Make sure that you don't make it too big. You need to be able to fit it on your piece of glass)

Step 4:
Once you have printed out the message, take some scotch tape and tape it to the inside of your frame. Then you can either take a washable marker and trace your message or take your small paintbrush and the chosen colour for the wording and start painting. I had to do a few coats on the letters.

Step 5:


Once the message has dried, you can take an object with a sharp edge (ie. exacto knife, your fingernail etc) and just go around the edges to clean them up a bit. Spray it with the sealer.

Step 6:
Once everything has dried, you can put the glass back in the shadow box or you can add some scrapbook paper to it like I did (See the picture to the right!) Just measure the paper to fit into the shadow box and glue it in. (If you want to change the scrapbook paper periodically, I wouldn't recommend gluing it. Taping it will suffice). Once you are done, put the glass back in and Voila! An awesome wall decoration or a gift for someone who likes wine.

Again, I made mine as a Christmas present for someone, but haven't decided who. Hope you enjoyed making this DIY. Send me pics of your creations! I would love you see them. Happy Crafting! xoxo

DIY Mini-mergency Kits

Hey Guys!
So sorry I have been MIA the past couple of weeks. Things have been getting really busy with the holiday season coming up. I've also been trying to purge stuff and that has been quite the chore. Anyway, I'm going to be doing a bunch of blog posts hopefully in the next few days, on both of my blogs. Be sure to look for them. I'll link my other blog below.

http://brittreport.blogspot.ca

Anyway, today's DIY is super easy. It is something you can easily make for yourself or for a relative. The ones I am showing you I have made for Christmas; although I haven't decided who to give them to yet. I was watching a vlog a while back and someone was talking about this. It is called a Minimergency Kit and they are super easy to make. They are also very handy to have in your purse. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
-a small makeup bag/pouch/clutch etc (I found mine at Dollarama)
-various things you want to have handy in your little kit (ie. safety pins, bandaids, hand lotion, mints, hair elastics etc)

Step 1:
Take the tags off the bag and take out the stuffing from inside.

Step 2: Fill it with things that you want to have in it in case of emergencies. In these ones, I put a Chapstick lip balm, clear nail polish, hand lotion, hair elastics, a black headband, mints, bandaids, kleenex, safety pins, hand sanitizer, a little notebook and a cute mechanical pencil.

Obviously, you can add to it and make it more personal and more catered to you. I just did a basic one because I am giving it away as gifts. If you are giving it away as a gift, be sure to put a little card in there explaining what it is. I also have one that I made myself. Mine has my EOS lip balm in it, and it doesn't have the clear nail polish in it. Like I said, get creative with it. Personalize it to you or to whoever you are giving it to.

Happy Crafting!!! xoxo