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

DIY Black Cat Halloween Costume

Hey Crafters!

Sorry this is soooo late! I have barely had time to sit down, let alone write. I am seriously hoping my schedule will settle down once I am done figuring things out. I'm hoping to do a lot more posts in the near future as I have a ton of things coming up to share with you all. For now, I'll share with you all how I did my black cat costume for Halloween this year. Look on my other blog on how I did my makeup.

Things you will need:
-black pants/ tights
-black shirt/ sweater
-furry cat ears
-furry bow tie (optional)
-furry tail (optional)
-makeup for your face

Step 1:
Find an outfit, preferably all black since it is a black cat. If you don't own a lot of black, then get creative. Try and find things around the house. Perhaps a family member has some stuff or your significant other. If not, you can always go to your local thrift shop and find something there. Put this on first as it will be harder once your ears and hair are done.

Step 2:
Next, you will want to make or buy some fuzzy cat ears. For myself, I went to my local Dollarama and purchased the ears, bow tie and tail in a set. (I didn't have time to make this stuff) It was 2 bucks, I think. They had a bit of variety and so you have some options if you're not into the whole black cat thing. It's entirely up to you. I didn't end up wearing the tail anyway. Ha ha!

Step 3:
The next step is to do your hair and makeup. For my hair, I just used my straighter to straighten it. Then I put the cat ears on. To do my makeup, I clipped my hair back and then started on my face. I looked at a bunch of youtube tutorials on how to do cat makeup for halloween. I would definitely recommend doing that before starting. I found it super helpful.

Once your makeup is complete, put on your bow tie and tail if you want. And voila! You have been transformed into a black cat. Happy Spooking.... I mean, Crafting!!! xoxo


Below are two pictures: one is of my outfit, the other is a close up of my face, hair and ears.

Closeup of my makeup and hair!!

My outfit: black v-neck sweater, black pants and black vest

Little Ghosty Friends

Hello, my fellow crafters!

So sorry I haven't posted recently. I have been super busy, preparing for wedding and starting to think about Christmas. I hope you all have been well and have been busy crafting! Today's craft is a super simple one, and you can do it with little kids. They are little tissue ghosts. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
- kleenex
-marker
-string or twist ties
-cotton balls
-needle and white thread

Step 1:
Lay the kleenex out flat on a hard, smooth surface. Place 3-4 cotton balls in the centre of the kleenex.

Step 2:
Gather the cotton balls in the kleenex so that you have formed a head. Use the string or twist tie (whatever you have laying around) to secure the cotton balls in the kleenex.

Step 3:
Take the marker and draw whatever kind of face you wish on the head of your ghost friend.

Step 4:
Take the needle and thread and use it to attach the thread to the top of ghost's head. What i did is fed the one end of the string through the hole in the needle. Then I cut it to the desired length. I knotted the two ends and stuck the needle through the top of the head. I looped the needle through the end of the string so that it would catch and stay in place. You don't want to pull to tightly as it is kleenex and it rips easily.

And voila!!! You are finished! I hope you enjoyed this easy little craft. It can be something really fun to do with children around Halloween time. In a classroom setting, you could have them even created a whole story about the little guy they have created. Happy Crafting!

DIY Puzzle Guest Book

Hello My Fellow Crafty People! 

I hope you are all doing well on this sunny Wednesday afternoon. I'm sorry I haven't been blogging regularly on here, but I have been crazy busy doing all kinds of things!!! I am hoping to make it a more regular thing, but it has been difficult even finding the time to do the DIY projects, let alone write them for you guys... But I am determined to do so. I want to pursue this writing a blog thing... its a dream of mine. 

Anyway, today's DIY is for the wedding oriented or if you are in the market for making puzzles. It is a DIY Guest Book Puzzle. This is something I created for my wedding after seeing something similar on Pinterest. It's pretty easy and takes approximately an afternoon, depending on how fast you work. Let's get started!!!!

Things you need:
- Bristol Board (needs to be thin enough to be able to frame after the wedding)
-sharpie marker
-ruler
-pencil
-markers for colour coating pieces (optional depending on the size of your puzzle)
-a guide for your puzzle (optional depending on the size of the puzzle - needed if you have a puzzle with a lot of pieces like mine so you can put it back together. 

Step 1:
You will need to cut the bristol board to the size you will need or you can leave it the size it is. I left mine. You also need to take into consideration how many guests will be attending. Make sure you will have extra pieces. 

Step 2:
Take your ruler and pencil and draw lines in every direction making a lot of irregular shapes. Once you are happy with it, take the Sharpie and trace over the pencil lines to give it a cleaner look. Use the ruler if you have difficulty with drawing straight lines freehand. (NOTE** Don't worry about having really small pieces as long as you have enough for your guests. You can colour those in black or draw little hearts (or something else wedding related) on them). 

Step 3:
If your puzzle is large, you may want to consider making a replica of the puzzle using white computer paper so that you are able to put it back together after the wedding. Just get a piece of white paper large enough, or tape several pieces of white paper together until it is the size you need. Place overtop of the puzzle and trace all the pieces. 

Step 4:
I had a ton of pieces, so I colour coded, numbered and assigned a letter to each piece. I wrote it on one side of the actual puzzle piece and then wrote it on the corresponding piece on the paper. 

Step 5:
Next, carefully cut out all the pieces and put them in a ziplock bag. Mine all fit in a regular sandwich baggie. 

When it comes time for your wedding, put the blank ones in a bowl and have some pens or markers handy. Have another bowl or a box for pieces with messages on them to go in. 

That's all there is to it. Just put it together and frame it after the honeymoon if you go on one right away. It's a fun way to have a guest book that is a little easier than making actual puzzle pieces. (Trust me! I tried! It is so hard to make it yourself so it looks nice and not bent or anything... I was so frustrated!) Hope you enjoy! Happy Crafting!!! 

Autumn in a Bowl - DIY Centerpiece

Hello, my crafty friends!

I hope you are all wonderful on this blustery Monday night. It has been a pretty crazy day here, weather-wise, in Ottawa. It poured off and on for a good portion of the day, around 6pm the sun made an appearance and then around 9pm, it was so window that when I walked out of Starbucks, the door flew open so hard, I was sure it was going to rip off. It was kinda a nice walk home for how windy it was. The colored leaves were everywhere, falling on the ground. Anyway, today's DIY project is the fastest, easiest centrepiece I've ever made. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
-clear glass bowl (your choice. I got mine from Dollarama for $3, I think)
-material leaves (or real ones if you wish)
-plastic pumpkins and gourds (I got a little bag that included a couple of pinecones for $2 at Dollarama)
-pinecones (2-3 depending on the size of the bowl)

Step 1:
Clean the bowl if necessary. Also, if there is a price sticker on it, carefully take that off too.

Step 2:
Take the material leaves and pumpkins/gourds out of the plastic. Choose which ones you want to use in your bowl. Because my bowl is on the smaller side, I only used the small pumpkins, pinecones and gourds. The baggie of pumpkins, gourds and pinecones did come with bigger pumpkins and pinecones, but I used them in other decorating (see my other blog, The Brittany Report). I also had a few other plastic pumpkins that I bought a few years ago which I added to the bowl.

Step 3:
Finally, I took some of the material leaves and sprinkled them into the bowl. I re-arranged them according to how I wanted it to look. I think I used like 5-6 leaves. If you are using real leaves, you can get them in all different sizes.

And that is how it's done! So simple, and so easy. I think it took me ten minutes to put together. Put it on your mantle or on your coffee or kitchen table and ENJOY!

NOTE: It could also be done where you do a different centrepiece for each season. For example, flowers in the spring with water and fake snow and a little village in the winter... or cranberries and pine tree and some glass ball ornaments!!! Get CREATIVE!! Have FUN!!!

HAPPY CRAFTING!!!

DIY Wedding Card Box

Good Evening, my fellow DIYers!!! Hope you all are having a wonderful Saturday evening. It is chilly here in Ottawa. Think I may light some candles and grab some hot apple cider after I finish this blog post. So today, I'm gonna show you something you can do yourself for your wedding. It's a card box and it was fairly simple to do. I would suggest doing it on a weekend as it can be a bit time consuming. Let's get started, shall we?

Okay, first things first, the things you will need.
-cardboard boxes that can be painted (I bought mine at Michael's. It came in a set of three for about $20).
-paint (in the colour of your choice)
-an exacto knife
-ribbon (in your choice of colour)
-tissue paper (in your colour choice)
-glue gun and glue sticks
-string
-glossy sealing spray
-stick on rhinestone strips (bought at Dollarama)
-ruler
-cardstock
-scissors
-black Sharpie (or preferred colour)
-pencil


Step 1
Take the boxes out of their packaging (if any) and separate the three boxes. Decide how many tiers you want it to be. I decided I only wanted two, but you can have it be one or three tiers if you wish.

Step 2
Take the box you want the cad slot to go in and measure the width and length of the box. Once you have gotten the measurements, you will want to figure out how big you want the card slot. I just did a slit in the top of my second tier box. You will want to make sure that there is an inch on either side the length of the box (see picture for clarification). Also, make sure it is centred if that is what you want. Once, you have cut the slot out, you may need to tidy it up a bit. I used a pair of small scissors to trim it up.

Step 3
Next you will want to cut a hole in the bottom of the box you just cut the slot into. This is so cards can fall into the bigger box. You will also need to cut a hole in the lid of the bigger box that is slightly smaller than the bottom of the top box. (Note: You may have to do this multiple times depending on how many boxes you have in your tier. See pictures for details!)

Step 4
Paint the boxes the colour of your choice. Once they have dried, glue the top tiers to the bottom one. Make sure to line up the holes so that it is centred. Wait for the glue to dry. After this, put the lid on the top tier. Then take the boxes outside and use a glossy sealer spray ( I used Krylon Glossy Sealer) to give it a glossy sheen and to seal the paint just in case.

Step 5
Once the sealer is dry, take the preferred ribbon of choice and wrap it around the middle of each box. Make sure it is in the middle of the box. Glue the ribbons down on each tier.

Step 6
On one of the boxes, there will be a little card that says "Cards". To do this, you will need to measure the length and width of the box (do not include the part where the lid sits in your measurements). I switched to millimetres to do this part. I made it so that the top and bottom of the card was a half millimetre from the top and bottom of the box. The sides I made to be approximately 1.5 - 2 millimetres away. You want the sign to be in the middle and to cover up where the two ends of your ribbon meet. I used card stock for this and outlined the paper in black. Then I used pencil to draw the letters first and then went over it in black Sharpie. I then put stick on rhinestones around the border (I felt like it was missing something). Glue this in the centre of the box with the slot in it.

Step 7
For the flower on the bottom box, you will need 2-3 pieces of tissue paper. Unfold the tissue paper and place one on top of the other. Make sure they line up. Cut it into 6 rectangles. Place them on top of one another and make sure they are lined up. Once they are, start folding them line you would if you were making a paper fan. Once finished, tie a string around the center of the folded tissue paper. Slowly start peeling apart the layers you have created until all layers are fluffed out. Make sure it is flat on one side so you can glue it to the bottom box. Also, be sure to hide the string. Glue the flower where the two ends of your ribbon meet.

Step 8
For some added bling, if you are like me and love a little bling, use some of the stick-on rhinestones to make a border around the slot for the cards to go into.

Hope you enjoy making this. I had a lot of fun creating this and making it my own by adjusting some of the things. HAPPY CRAFTING!!! xoxo

DIY Autumn Canvas

HAPPY OCTOBER CRAFTERS!!!

I hope you all are having a great beginning to October. I have been super busy! However, I am hoping that I will have some time this weekend to post some blogs. I have a few that are ready to be posted. Anyway, this one is super simple. It took me a couple days to do but this is only because I am busy. 
Let's get started!!!!

Things you will need: 
- stretch canvas (I got mine from Dollarama)
-gold spray paint (or another autumn like colour)
-foam letters (again, these I got at Dollarama)
- felt pre-cut leaves (from Dollar Tree)

Step 1: 
Using the foam letters, spell out the word "autumn" or "fall" on your canvas. Stick these onto the canvas. Mine were stickers that had a peel-off back. Super easy!!! To make sure they stay on, put a book on top of them so that it really presses them down. 

Step 2:
Take the canvas and the gold spray paint outside. (Note: Unless you are spraying on the grass, which will be cut eventually, I encouraged putting something underneath the canvas so you don't spray paint flower pots or the picnic table!!! I've done this to the picnic table before! Oops!)Let the canvas dry. In the sun, it doesn't take a whole lot of time. You might need to do a couple of coats. 

Step 3:
Figure out how you want to put your pre-cut felt leaves on the canvas. Once you have done this, use white glue or a glue gun to glue the felt leaves to the canvas. Let the glue dry. Then hang it up and enjoy!!!

Happy Crafting!!!

Topsy Turvey Flower Planter

Hello my fellow crafters! I'm so sorry I've been MIA for so long. I have been super busy planning my wedding. For those of you who are also planning a wedding, I will be posting wedding related ideas on here so be sure to come back and take a peek.

So today's project is something I created back in the summer, but am only posting about now. I call it the Topsy Turvey Flower Planter. It is a piggyback off of the Topsy Turvey Birdbath idea that you might have seen around. Let's get started shall we:

Things you Need:
- a metal rod (or a bamboo one, which is what I used)
-an 8" clay pot
- some 5" or 6" pots (3-5 depending on how big the rod is)
-spray paint (outdoor is preferable but if you don't have any, indoor will be fine as long as you have a sealer spray as well)
-soil (2-3 medium sized bags should be sufficient)
-little plants/flowers from Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart or wherever you buy flowers/plants from

Step 1:
First, you are going to want to paint the clay pots. You don't have to but I think it looks better than leaving them the orange-y colour they come as. I painted mine red because it is one of my favourite colours and it would pop in our garden. Once the paint is dry, spray it with a sealer if necessary.

Step 2:
Once everything has dried, take the pots outside. Put the metal or bamboo rod in the preferred spot. I chose a corner spot in our outdoor garden. Once the rod is in place, place the 8" pot on the bottom. NOTE: the clay pots should have holes in the bottom of them. This is so that you can slide them down the metal pole.

Step 3:
Once you have slid the 8" pot down the metal rod, start sliding the smaller pots down. You will need to fill the 8" pot with soil before putting the next clay pot on top of it. You will need to alter the direction of the pots so that every other one faces the opposite way.

Step 4:
Fill each of the 6" clay pots with soil and then add your plants and flowers. Because it gets heavy with the soil and flowers added, you may need a wood post to stabilize the metal rod. This can be done with some twist ties or some twine.

Once the flowers or plants have been planted, water them if needed and ENJOY! You now have a topsy turvey flower planter. HAPPY CRAFTING!!! xo

Geometric Butterfly

Hello, all my fellow crafters! Sorry I have been MIA this summer. It's been pretty a pretty busy season! Anyway, I will be posting a few more posts in the near future. I will also start posting DIY ideas for wedding stuff as well, as I am now recently engaged. With that being said, let's get started.

This afternoon's DIY project is a great one for kids. It crosses Math with Art and is fun for the kids without them realizing they are doing Math. I did this with my students during my second placement at Teacher's College. It is easy and turn out really pretty.

Things you will need:
- white construction paper (this will be the wings)
- black construction paper (this is the body and head)
- crayons, markers and/ or pastel
- geometric shapes (squares, rhombus, triangles, hexagons etc)
- a pencil
- a template for butterfly wings (optional)

Step 1:
Kids will receive one piece of black construction paper and one piece of white construction paper. Tell them to fold them both in half. Demonstrating this might be helpful. Once the pieces are folded, have students draw out a body and head on the black piece using a pencil. **Note: Make sure they are aware to have the body and head attached.

Step 2:
Next, take the white folded construction paper and while folded, draw one half of the butterfly wings. They may want to use scrap paper first to practice their wings before drawing it on the construction paper.

Step 3:
Once the body and wings have been drawn, keep the construction paper folded in half and cut out the wings and the body. Next glue the body of the butterfly where its fold meets the fold in the wings. Let this dry.

Step 4:
Once it it dry, it is time to draw the shapes on. Take the shapes and trace them where you want them to sit. It doesn't have to be symmetrical like mine is in the picture. This was for a culminating task for my students who had a critera for their butterflies. Yours can be done however you like. Once you are done, start colouring them in.

Step 5:
Once you have coloured in all the shapes, you may want to colour in the area around the shapes. This helps the shapes pop. You can also decide to leave it white. It's up to you. Get creative! Happy Crafting!

4 Seasons Canvas Painting

Hey All! Sorry I've been MIA for a bit... It's been exciting couple of months. First off, I graduated from university with a degree in Education. So I am now officially a teacher.. well, I still have to get my license but I have the degree. Secondly, I am newly engaged. My boyfriend (now fiance) proposed on a little weekend vacation we took to Montreal. I totally was not expecting it. He was pretty sneaky about it. Thirdly, I have been volunteering at a local school, helping out in the Kindergarten room.

So much is going to be happening this summer. It's going to be a busy one. I hope you all can bare with me. I hope to get more published as I have a bit more time now that school is out. Okay, so on with the project.

This project is a 4 seasons canvas painting. I made this for my mom, whose birthday was at the beginning of June. My mom really likes trees so I painted a tree depicting all four seasons on it. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
-Canvas
-paint
-paintbrushes
-sealer spray

Step 1:
Divide the canvas into 4 sections. If you can't find a big canvas, use four small ones that are all the same size. (Make sure to put them side by side for this part).  Draw lines to depict the four sections (ignore this is you are using four separate canvases). Next draw your tree. (Note* if you are using four different canvases, you will want to put them together so you can see the whole tree and not just pieces of it. You want things to line up)

Step 2:
Use paint (I used water colours) to depict the background of each season. I used green for spring, orange for summer, red for fall and blue for winter. You can get creative with this is you want. Once that dries you are ready to paint the tree.

Step 3:
Paint the tree any colour you want. I went with black because it's my favorite color and I wanted the emphasis to be on the seasons and not the tree. Make sure to fill out branches especially where the branches meet the trunk of the tree.

Step 4:
Decorate your tree, once it has dried, to depict the different seasons. (See my picture for ideas). Let it dry once all four seasons are complete.

Step 5:
To protect the painting from moisture etc, spray the canvas with a sealer. You can buy this at places like Canadian Tire or Walmart. I have a gloss version which I purchased at Canadian Tire.

Happy Crafting!

Dreams in plans canvas

Hello Everyone! Sorry I have not been posting as often as I said I would. I have been kinda busy the last few weeks, but now that things are starting to slow down, I'm hoping to get back into posting again. Today's post is something I made for my little sister for Christmas this past December. Here is what you need...

- Canvas (size doesn't matter)
-Paint (in colours you prefer)
-Markers
-Stamps
-Glue
-Printer and Printer paper
-Scrapbook paper

Step 1:
Paint the canvas in your desired color. I have painted mine purple because I wanted the figure of the girl to pop. You can decide on your own what color you wish to paint the canvas.

Step 2:
Choose a font and font size to create the saying "She turned her cant's into cans and her dreams into plans". Next, cut each word out and glue to the dry canvas.

Step 3:
Find some sayings you want to include on your canvas. For the one I made for my sister, I wrote, in purple marker "Suivez votre coeur" (Follow your heart) and "believe". I also wrote some numbers down the sides. Next, take a lighter color of the color you painted the canvas and blot it onto the canvas. (see picture)

Step 4:
Once that is dry, you can start putting the girl onto the canvas. To do this I printed out a picture of a silhouette and traced it onto the canvas. Next, I painted it black. Once that was dry, I took some scrapbook paper to make the shirt and hair. For the skirt, I googled sheet music and just printed some off. I crumpled it up and ripped it into my desired length of strips. Glue all of these on in the desired areas. If regular glue doesn't work, use a glue gun.

Step 5:
Once it is completely dry, use a clear gloss protective sealer so it will protect all your hard work. Just a light coat will be good. Leave it to dry and then wrap it up as a gift or hang it some place in your home!
Happy Crafting!!!!!

DIY Dry Erase Paint Chip Calendar

Hey my fellow crafters! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Tonight, I'm going to show you how to make your very own dry erase calendar, using a few simple things. This would make a great gift (I made this for my mom for Christmas this past year) or something unique for your apartment or house. It's so easy you can do this with kids, whether you are babysitting or have some of your own.
LET'S GET STARTED!!

Things you will need:
- paint chips in many colours (depends on what you want it to look like- these are free usually at any store that sells paint!)
-a frame in your preferred size
-glue
-a marker

Step 1:
The first thing you will want to do is cut apart the paint chips (unless they are already separate). Remember you will need enough to be able to cover the whole month. I had 42 squares - 7 across the top for the Days of the Week and 5 rows underneath for the each day in the month.

Step 2:
Once you have cut them out, take your frame and arrange the squares/rectangles. (Mine came out as rectangles). You can change the background color if you have a piece of paper the size of your frame in the color of your choice. I just used the back of the page that comes in the frame. I got the frame at the dollar store for 3 bucks. Once you have decided on an arrangement, start gluing the squares/rectangles down. Drawing lines on the paper in pencil may help with this. ** Also make sure you leave space to write the month**

Step 3:
Once you have completed gluing down the paint chips, you can erase the lines (if you made some) or you can take a black marker and go over them. Put the page back into the frame with the paint chip side facing towards the glass/plexi-glass. Close the frame up!

Step 4:
Now that it is complete, write the month and days of the week on the designated spots. I included a Notes section because I had some extra space! My frame was pretty big. Once you have done that, pair it with some cool coloured dry-erase markers. If you're giving it as a gift, wrap it up in a cool way!
HAPPY CRAFTING!!!

DIY Abbey Road Canvas

Hello all my fellow crafters!

Sorry I've been gone for so long. It's been a busy past few months. Hope you all have kept up with your crafting!
Today's DIY project is fairly easy! Let's get started!

Things you Need:
-canvas (size is your choice)
-paint (your choice) - I chose black and white!
-paintbrushes
-paper silhouettes of The Beatles

Step 1:
Print out the silhouettes in the size of your choice. Try not to make them too big though. You want it to be proportional to the canvas. Cut them out and tape them down to the canvas.

Step 2:
Next take the paint and paint around the silhouettes. Once you have painted around them, splatter the paint on the canvas. Let the canvas dry.

Step 3:
Once the canvas is dry, peel off the taped silhouettes. Some of the paint may have seeped under the paper silhouettes. You will need to touch it up with the white paint. Let it dry. You make need to do a couple of coats.

Step 4:
Once it is dry, seal it with a glossy sealer. Let that dry and you are finished!

I made this for my sister for Christmas. She loved it! Happy Crafting!!!!