St. Paddy's Day with Brittany: DIY "Lucky" Banner

Hi Everyone!

Wow! Can you believe St. Patrick's Day is nearly here?!?!?! I sure can't! In the spirit of the month and the awesome holiday of St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would bring to you a DIY to help you, if you were thinking about decorating your house for the occasion. You will need to have some time to kill because it is a tad time-consuming. It is a fairly inexpensive project and it turned out really good!
Shall we get started?

Things You Need:
-scissors
-green card stock
-ribbon
-foam 4 leaf clovers
-alphabet stickers
-glue gun
-glue gun sticks
-hole puncher
-ruler
-pencil

Step 1:
Take your green card stock and divide it into four equal rectangles. Do this with the second piece of card stock as well. Cut out each rectangle.  You want to end up with 7 rectangles.

 Step 2:
Once the rectangles are all cut out, take a hole puncher and punch two holes in each rectangle. If you want, you can cut a triangle shape out of the bottom of the rectangle cards. This will change it to look more like a banner. To do this, I folded one of the cards in half, lengthwise, and cut on an angle starting at the outer corners. Unfold that first card and then use it to cut the rest of the cards by placing it on top of each of the other cards.







Step 3:
Plug in your glue gun. Once it is ready, start gluing your foam four-leaf clovers onto the card stock. Let them dry.

Step 4:
Once the foam four leaf clovers are all glued on the card stock, start putting the alphabet stickers on five of the four leaf clovers. I spelled the word LUCKY. I found these stickers weren't great for sticking on foam so I actually hot glued them onto the foam.
Using the ribbon you have chosen, string it through the holes you punched out earlier. Be sure to space them evenly apart.

And there you have it! You have made your very own St. Patrick's Day banner. I hope that you all enjoyed this post! If you decide to make a banner, be sure to leave me pictures or the link to your post in the comments below. I will be sure to check them out! Until next time, Happy St. Patrick's Day! xoxo

Crafting with Brittany: DIY Blanket Ladder

Hi Everyone! 

Hope you all are doing well today! Today I have an exciting DIY project for you. I am super excited to share this with you. I found it a month ago when I was browsing through Pinterest and having received a few throw blankets for Christmas this year. I also own a few already and they are really taking up a lot of valuable storage space in my linen closet. So why not display them in my living room? On a blanket ladder? So let's get into it shall we?

Things You Need:
-2x4 pieces of wood [x2] (I actually used long stakes for mine. It really is up to you and how thin or thick you would like it to be). 
-2x4 pieces of wood [x1-2] (These are to make the rungs of your ladder. I made six rungs but only needed 5 of them).
-wood screws
-power drill
-sand paper
-sander (if you have one).
-paint or stain (I used Miniwax PolyShades in Classic Black Satin)
-paintbrush
-saw
-pencil 


Step 1:
Take your pieces of wood and take the sander (or sandpaper) and sand down each piece. Make sure it is smooth. You don't want to get any slivers during the making of this beautiful home decor piece. 

Step 2:
Once everything is sanded, set aside the two pieces you are going to use as the rails. Then take the other one or two pieces of wood and measure how long you want each rung to be. This will depend on how wide or narrow you want the ladder to be. 

Step 3:
Once you have measured out and marked how long you want each rung, take your saw and cut on the lines. Once you have cut everything, sand the edges to smooth them out.

Step 4:
Next, take the two rails you set aside and mark where you want the rungs to be on the rails. 

Step 5:
Take your drill, the screws and the rungs and start to screw the first rung in. Repeat this step until all the rungs are screwed in on both sides. Once I finished this, I noticed the ladder was a bit too tall so I had my husband saw off a small portion of the bottom of each rail. 

Step 6:
Next, take your stain and do the first coat of stain (or paint). Let that dry and then do another coat if needed. Let the second coat dry. If you are happy with it, and once it is dry, you can start placing your throw blankets on it. (NOTE: I actually had to do four coats on stain for it to be almost opaque black). 

So that's how to make your very own blanket ladder. It is pretty time consuming but definitely worth it. I love how mine turned out! It looks so good in my living room and definitely helps in de-cluttering with the living room and the linen closet. I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave me pictures or a link to your blog post or video for me to check out! Until next time, Happy Crafting! xoxo

Planner Decor on a Budget: Personalized binder clips!

Hi Everyone!

I am back again today with another planner decor DIY! I have been really getting into decorating my planner and finding new ways to do so on a budget. Today, I am going to show you how to make some regular, old binder clips go from blah to gorgeous! The best part is, is that it is cheap and affordable and not very time consuming. Let's get started, shall we?

Things You Need:
-Washi Tape
-Scissors
-Binder Clips (you can buy these cheaply at places like Walmart)


Step 1:
Cut a small piece of washi tape, a bit bigger than the length of the binder clip. Carefully, place it on one side of the binder clip. Press it down so that it has stuck to the binder clip.

Step 2:
Where the excess tape curves, cut a slit along that fold towards the edge of the binder clip. When finished, you want to have to separate pieces that are still attached to the part that is stuck on the binder clip.

Step 3:
Carefully, tuck one of those pieces into the inside of the binder clip. Use your scissors to carefully press down on the washi tape to make sure it sticks. Do the same thing with the other piece.

Step 4:
Repeat the above steps for the other side of the binder clip.

There you have it! Wasn't that so simple. Be sure to use Washi tape. It sticks the best and steer clear of Glitter washi tape. It won't stick very well to the other side of the binder clip. I hope that you enjoyed this post! Be sure to leave me a comment in the comment section below. If you do this project, be sure to send pics or leave the link to your own blog or video post in the comments below. I definitely want to see what you guys created! Until next time, Happy Crafting! xoxo

Planner Decor on a Budget: DIY Page Flags

Hi Everyone! 

So I'm back with a cool and easy DIY project for those who have become obsessed like I have with decorating your planners! Sometimes, planner supplies can be pricey but if you have some spare ribbon and some paper clips you can make your very own page flags! Even if you don't have these two things, you can find these things fairly cheaply at places like Dollar Tree and Walmart. Let's get started! 

Things You Need:

-paper clips

-ribbon

-scissors

-lighter

Step 1:

Take your ribbon and cut no more than 10 cm of ribbon.

Step 2:

Fold the ribbon in half. The loop you created on the one end goes through the loop the paper clip has. 

Step 3:

Pull the ribbon loop out far enough that you can pull the two loose ribbon ends through the ribbon loop. Pull tightly. Your piece of ribbon should now be attached to the end of the paper clip. 

Step 4:

Cut the ribbon to the length you desire. Then take the lighter and carefully hold it near the loose ends so that they ends melt a tad. This will stop the ribbon from unravelling over time. 

That is it! You are done! Wasn't that so simple? I plan on doing a variety of these little DIY planner decor posts so be sure to come back and see if there is anything new. I hope you enjoyed this post! If you attempt this yourself, be sure to send me a pic of your creation or the link to the post you did on it! I really enjoy hearing from you all! Well, that's it for now! Until next time, Happy DIY-ing! xoxox

Travel with Brittany: Passport Cover DIY

Hi Everyone! 

How are you? I hope you all are doing well! I am back with the first of a DIY Travel segment I would like to do. Today, I'm going to show you how to make your very own Passport cover. 

After a month of searching for one, I still hadn't found one I liked besides one that had to be ordered and wouldn't arrive to my apartment on time. Then, while I was in Walmart with a friend one evening, I found Duct Tape that was Paris themed and that I actually really liked. So I bought the duct tape. A couple days later, the idea to make a Passport Cover hit me. I had made a wallet out of duct tape, so why couldn't I make a passport cover as well? I needed one as I was going to Cancun, so I figured, let's try to! 

What You Need:
-duct tape
-scissors
-black duct tape or electrical tape

Step 1:
Cut three pieces of duct tape and lie them sticky side up on a flat surface. Take one of the pieces and lie it sticky side up overlapping the first piece. Do this with the third piece as well. 

Step 2:
Cut three more pieces and place them on top of the three overlapped pieces, sticky side facing down. Be sure to overlap the second piece to the first piece and the third to the second piece. You should have a double sided sheet laying on the flat surface. 

Step 3:
Next, take a piece of duct tape and fold it in half, putting the sticky sides together.Cut it so that it fits to the edges of each side of the sheet that you made. 

Step 4: 
Take the pieces you just made for either end of the sheet and use the electrical (or duct tape) tape to seal off the edges. Only do this to the edges that will face the middle of the passport holder. Once those have been taped, place them so that they cover the two sides of the inside of the passport holder. Then tape the outside edges. Do the width sides first (shorter length) and then tape the length sides.  Be sure that your passport will be able to be placed inside the two little pockets you have made. [NOTE: you may want to not tape one edge to the sheet of duct tape. If you leave it untaped, you will have an easier time slipping the passport in and out of the holder]. 

When finished, your passport holder will look like this (see picture to the right). It may take a couple tries to get it right but it can be done. It's fairly easy compared to making a wallet. Now all you need to do is slip your passport in it. I found it incredibly easy to spot my passport in my purse while in the airport. 

I hope that you guys enjoyed this first travel DIY. I'm hoping to be posting a few more as I continue travelling. Be sure to post pictures in the comments if you do attempt this project... or leave me the links to your own posts of this project. Until next time, Happy Travelling! 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