Canvas Upcycle

Remember my Glue and Canvas Art post? Well, I had a minor fail on my first try. I was going for one of those swirly free form trees. 

I don't think I did too bad, but it just didn't turn out how I'd hoped. That meant I had a used canvas sitting around being wasted, so I came up with a new project!

First, I cut some fabric to cover the canvas...

Then I hot glued it on...

Made some rosies and attached them with hot glue...

And now I have some cute little rosie specimen art!

And since I was in an upcycling mood, I took a canvas that had a hole poked in it and glued a map to it. Now something completely un-useable is super cute and sitting on the mantle!

Ahhh, I love a happy ending. :)

*P.S. To all those sweet stalkers out there, you know who you are, I would love to hear from you! If you visit and enjoy what you see, please say hi!  :)

 

Glue and Canvas Art

     I had a cute idea that I wanted to try for Spring Fling and I'm really excited to show you how it turned out! First you will need:

Elmer's Glue

Canvas

Craft Paint

Black Sponge Brushes

     There are a million pictures that go along with this craft. I apologize in advance.  I want to make sure you see each step and understand what I did. I hope you don't mind. The pictures are also darker than I would like because it has been so cloudy! Boy, I have made this post sound really great, huh?!? ;) Don't worry, it will be! :)

First, I found a cute clip art picture of a bird and printed it out. I thought about making a stencil but then I thought it might be easy to draw. (I know it won't be that way for everyone and my suggestion IS to make a stencil or maybe even use a transparency.)

Here is my drawing...

Now, take your Elmers Glue and trace your outline...

And then flood it in...

Here is a birdcage clip art I found online...

Here is my drawing...

And the glued up version :) ...

And then I drew a word and traced it with the glue...

I let them dry overnight just to make sure.

Now its time to paint!

Here are the colors of paint I used...

(Sunny Yellow, Light Peony mixed with Bright Pink, and Calypso Sky) 

I painted them up and then hot glued some raffia to the back for hanging...

And here they are all cute and hanging!

 Im kinda excited about how they turned out! I think I want to spray some glossy clear coat on top. They dried a little too matte for my liking.

**side note: i know im a little strange, but the yellow bird kinda reminds me of a marshmallow peep. ;) **

You can do ANYTHING here! The only limitation is your imagination. :)

Linking to:

The Pity Party

Tatertots and Jello

Frugal Fall Fun

When Fall comes around each year, it brings the yummy smells of orange, cinnamon, pumpkin, and cloves. I like to have my home smell nice during the season. I also love candles, but the cost can really add up.  If you don’t have enough money to go out and purchase one of those expensive designer candles, I have some great ideas for you!

Mulling Sachets

This year I am ordering a Mulling Blend that comes with Cinnamon Chips, Orange Peel, Allspice, Cloves from San Francisco Herb Company. It is only $5.20 per lb! You can make this blend on your own, but this is a great price and it is already done for you. All you have to do is get out some old panty hose, cut them off at the ankle, fill with a cup of the mulling blend, and tie a knot in the top. You can simmer the spices in a tea kettle and your home will smell so delicious! Your mulling sachet should last up to 2 weeks.

Another idea is drying some fruit and stringing it up. This smells wonderful and looks very festive too! Here is what you will need:

Dried Fruit Strands

• Orange slices
• Lemon slices
• Lime slices
• Pomegranate slices
• Bay leaves
• Twine

Cook fruit on oven at 250 degrees for about 5 hrs. Keep a close watch. Each fruit will have different moisture levels and therefore, different baking times. Pomegranates will need the smallest amount of bake time.

When you are ready to string them up, use this pattern:

Orange slice, two lime slices, pomegranate slice, two lemon slices, three bay leaves, repeat.

If you want to use these as a decoration or at Christmas time, you could also make some gingerbread men and string them into the pattern with red and green raffia. I use a gingerbread cake mix from the store. There are usually directions on the box for making cookies. Just don’t forget to use a straw to poke a hole at the top before you bake them. You could even add cranberries. Get creative. You can use just about anything!

You can always stretch out the life of your sachet or dried fruit strand by adding a few drops of cinnamon or orange oil once week.

Both of these ideas would make wonderful Christmas gifts. Have your kids help you put together some sachets for their school teachers! Print out a cute card with directions and attach with a pretty ribbon.

Silhouette iPhone Cover

I am so excited about the silhouette party over at This Blessed Nest! You will want to check out my Silhouette Tutorial to see how I made these silhouettes of my kiddos. It goes along with this craft. :)

I was on Simply Silhouettes the other day and saw the cutest idea for an iPhone cover. Their cost was $30, and I've seen ugly covers for more $, but I just don't want to spent that much, so I decided to come up with a solution! Here is what we made... (Yes, WE. Hubby had to help me with this one. ;)

First, I took already-made silhouettes and made a collage of them in Picasa...

Then my hubby helped me add this cute oval frame around each one.

and then he printed it off on some pretty scrapbook paper I bought at Michael's for about $5.

 I bought a clear iPhone cover at the mall for $12. 

Then I used the insert as a template for my scrapbook paper.

The hardest part was getting the hole punched in just the right spot for the camera! 

But here it is! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!

I made a few. One with just my initials, no silhouettes.

So, there ya go! A super cheap, super cute personalized iPhone cover! :)

Hope I've inspired some creativity! Have fun! :)


Also linking to Tatertots and Jello's Weekly Wrap-up!

Burlap Ruffle Wreath

One of my very favorite blogs is Jones Design Company.  Emily has such impeccable taste! I really do love everything I see on her blog. When I saw this Wreath Tutorial, I knew I had to give it a try. I must confess, I wanted to copy it to a T. Including the flowers. I followed her tutorial, and made a few changes along the way. Here is how mine turned out...

Oh how I LOVE it!!! Its so pretty!!!

I had the black damask material already and just made a pinch flower with some hot glue. 

See the white flower? Its from another of Emily's tutorials. (I told you she was amazing!)

The main change I made was in the middle ruffle. I folded the strip in half so it wouldn't have a raw edge. I Love the raw edge on the outside, but wanted more of a billowy look for the middle. Does that make sense? :) I think I may add a wooden B hanging in the middle. Something is missing so I may add more, but I am EXTREMELY happy with how it turned out. I really think It could be great for ANY season. Just change the color of the flowers or add things that go along with each season. Bird nest and eggs for Spring, seashells or starfish for Summer, and maybe some red berries for Winter, the possibilities are endless!

I hope you have been inspired to go create something!

Edit ...**Here is the final look for Fall. I ran to Michael's got this B and some Martha Stewart glitter powder and Modge Podged it on. I also fount the cute hooty-owl and just attached it to the pin on the back of the flower. LUV. :)**

Isn't it soooo sweet???




*Linking to Tater Tots and Jello's Weekend Wrap-Up