hey lovelies!
so, prior to starting this blog I've obviously crafted a few times before. I began this blog so that I could share all of my crafts with you, along with a few other things I enjoy. I wanted to start with a couple crafts that I did in the past, so that you can see how easy-peasy they are, and hopefully you'll try them as well. they are great "starter" crafts, for any age really! hopefully you are inspired.
- the button letter
supplies: lots and lots of cute buttons, scrapbook paper, frame or shadowbox, hot glue gun
this is SUCH a fun craft! my best friends and I all made one, and we are in love with them. basically, begin with choosing simple scrapbook paper for the background. next, if you choose, print out an extremely large version of the letter you like. you have to cut out the letter and trace it onto the scrapbook paper. personally, I just kind of free-handed it, but you can do whichever way works best for you. then the fun begins! start filling it in with your favorite buttons. I chose a very random approach, and kind of just used ones I liked. my favorites included a vintage-looking gold&navy rhinestone button (an extra from a J Crew sweater!), and a coral-colored fabric button. you can choose to do a monochromatic theme such as this or this one too. after you have filled your letter with buttons, you can fill in smaller spots with rhinestones or any other cute knick knacks you find :) finally, frame and enjoy! these are super cute for babies, or as gifts. my friend did one as a christmas gift; they are personal and inexpensive!
- dry erase board
supplies: frame (old or new) with glass intact, scrapbook paper, sand paper
get ready for the easiest craft of your life.. seriously. so, begin with picking your fave scrapbook paper, again. basically I am obsessed with any and all scrapbook paper, I pretty much collect it.
see?! I just can't get enough of it. someday I'll find something to do with all of it, so stay tuned :)
so you just cut the paper to the size of the frame's glass... laying it overtop the paper and tracing lightly with a pencil seems to work best. then, just insert and YAY! you have a brand new, inexpensive, custom dry erase board. I'm sure you all have many of these supplies just laying around the house. if you want to get REALLY creative, you can paint a frame you have laying around, or antique it! but I just bought a few. oh! and one last thing, I sanded the edges for an antique-y look. there goes my obsession for shabby chic again...
I found that the textured, one color paper shown above works best, but the great thing about this craft is it's so cheap to switch out the paper! experiment with different patterns and see what you like best. this is one of those things that I wish I would of thought about earlier... glass and dry-erase markers, it's a no-brainer!
- mod-podge board
supplies: canvas, acrylic paint, mod podge, hot glue gun, lace trim detail (optional), printer for your favorite graphics
and lastly, my mod-podge board. let me preface this with: mod podge is a crafter's BIFF. and I'd like to thank my BIFFs Kelly and Alexandra for introducing me to this wonderful craft (they did them first, and I of course copied because they're so darn cute).
so, i began with a simple white painting canvas and bought paint for I think $1, just your average cheapy acrylic paint. (the purple is called Wisteria... how cute!?)
paint the entire canvas, even the edges. the paint will dry pretty fast, but I would recommend two coats! next, once dried, I hot glue-gunned some lace trim to the edges, just to make the sides look more finished.
ugh, love.. if I do say so myself. next, print out some of your favorite pictures. I got most of mine from pinterest, you can check out my faves here! once they're all printed, simply cut them out and arrange on your board. you can add scrapbook paper as trim behind them, as I did (to some of them). mod podge the pictures to your board, then mod podge OVER them all, kind of like a seal. it's scary at first, I know. but it ends up drying crystal clear! then voila! you have yourself the cutest custom piece of artwork on the block. I hung mine in my living room, to remind myself everyday of some of the quotes I try to live by :)
eeeekkk, sorry that post was so long! hope you enjoyed, now go do something productive tonight, Lord knows I didn't.
all my love,
Greta
