Personalized Wooden Picture Frames

Each year I get pictures of my son and give them to family in a picture frame.  This year I found wooden unfinished frames for $4.00 and decided to paint and personize them for each recipient.  I also made a moasiac wooden frame that hang the pictures from wires that I converted from dollar store “canvas” signs.

This was a great way to add a personal touch using colors and themes enjoyed by each individual for little cost.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Wooden Frame
• Dollar store “canvas” signs
• Acrylic paint – in desired colors
• Crafting jewels and scrapbooking adornments as desired
• Staple gun and staples
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Paperclips or small clothes pins
• Crafting wire
• Needle nose pliers
• Wire cutters

Since you don’t really need a step by step tutorial on painting the frames I will just provide instructions for building your moasiac wooden frame that holds pictures from wires.

1. Tear “canvas” paper off of the frames.
2. These were approximately 9 x 6 inches tall, so I measured 1.5 inches on each side to mount together with space in the center for a smaller picture.
3. Hot glue together and then add a couple of staples for added support.
4. Paint the frame as desired.
5. Staple each side where you want to secure the wire to hang your pictures cut wires and sucure wire using needle nose pliers to make a knot around the staples.
6. Use paperclips or mini clothes pins to hang pictures.

I love DIY because it allows for a personalized touch, but also if you think outside of the box you can do it for little cost too!  Happy Crafting and merry Christmas everyone!

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Pallet Porch Signs

I’ve admired all of the porch signs that I see everyone placing on their front porch made out of repurposed old pallets and was dying to make one for myself but since Christmas is a time for giving it wouldn’t have been right.  

My parents wedding anniversary is December 21st and I thought it would be a nice surprise gift for them to make one that commemorated their special day. Recently one of my coworkers called me about some pallets and had one that was the perfect size for my project!

This was just red spray paint, white acrylic paint and clear spray varnish in a matte finish. My parents really loved it and have it prominently displayed in their living room until spring.

Mayor of Halloween Town Upcycled Oil Lamp

This has to be one of my favorite upcycles that I have done.  I Originally created this Mayor of Halloween Town as a decoration for my niece’s 8th birthday party.  I got the idea from something I saw on Pinterest and I had this old Glade oil burning lamp that I always kept because I thought looked cute, but you couldn’t get the oil cartridges for it anymore.  I was so glad that I never tossed it out after I created this guy!

Materials Needed:

• Ceramic lamp with round base and lamp shade shaped top
• Acrylic paint:  Black, white, gray, light pink, orange, teal blue, red, yellow, purple, and golden brown
• Artists paint brushes
• Clear acrylic spray paint
• Painters tape
• PVC pipe 12-14 inches long
• Plastic 24 ounce yogurt lid
• Black spray paint
• Gray spray paint

1. Tape a line down the middle of each  side of the lamp shade.  Mix the golden brown paint with the light pink paint and paint half of the lamp shade for the side of his face that is flesh colored.
2. Paint the body gray.
3. Then the shirt, his badge, the other side of his face and teath white.
4. Paint the outside of the badge in a cog shape using the orange paint.
5. I originally used paint markers, but DO NOT do it if you plan on using the acrylic sorry paint to set the paint.  I did this and it made the paint bleed and I had to redo this entire step in acrylic paint. Paint his suit collar, buttons, spider tie, outline the badge, draw his eyes, teeth, brow lines, and write Mayor in black paint.  
6. Paint his lips red and add a small white circle to his eye.
7. Paint oval shaped eyes using purple paint and once dry paint smaller ovals in the center using yellow paint.  Outline the yellow in black paint and add black dots for the pupils making him looking up to the right.
8. Draw his nose in an upside down arrow shape in black paint.
9. In teal blue, draw a frowning mouth and paint a jagged black line through the center for his teeth.
10. Spray paint the PVC pipe and the lid black.
11. Glue the PVC pipe to the lid with hot glue and then tape off the top of the hat and paint the gray line on the hat.
12. Spray the Mayor with a clear acrylic paint and allow to dry.

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DIY Fairy House “Water Globes” Made from Wine Bottles

I broke one of my water globes recently and I am terrible about watering my potted plants. I saw an old wine bottle and tested it to see if it could do the same thing abd voila an idea was born.

I’ve been really into sculting and I love fairy gardens, so I thought what a great way to disguise the bottle for it’s new use.  This isn’t a tutorial,  but I’ll list the materials that I used to make this.

• Wine bottle 
• Modeling Clay (sculpey)
• Modeling Clay Tools for adding texture/shape
• Acrylic paint 
• Glow in the dark paint

I painted the windows and underside of the mushrooms with glow in the dark paint so it will light up in the dark. 

DIY Lego Inspired Bedroom/Play Room

After I fell in love with DIY and crafting after my son was born I decided to redecorate our old guest bedroom into a fun Lego inspired bedroom for my little guy to grow up in.

Candy Corn Ghost Candle Holder with Black Cats

 

I have literally almost a dozen of the these candlesticks and battery operated candles that I purchased for other projects.

DIY Upcycled Tin/Formula Cans as Cookie Tins for Christmas

 

Grinch Cookie Tins

I am always looking for ways to craft on a budget and often think about the various uses for most items for decreasing the cost of my crafting projects.  I love the dollar store because you can literally find most anything and with a little imagination turn them from junky to classy with a little effort.  I know that it is hardly September already and the idea of Christmas is a little soon, but I have learned from several past Christmas’s that it never pays to try to cram it all in starting in November.