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

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

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

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

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!