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Friday, February 28, 2014

Flower Hair Clip

I know everyone is starting to get restless and excited in anticipation for spring. What better way to get your little girls ready than these adorable flower hair clips? They are so incredibly easy I literally made them in like 5 minutes!




Supplies:

Most artificial flowers can just be pulled apart from the stem and any remaining stem pieces {like in the picture} can be cut off with scissors. However, there are some with wired stems. In those instances I would use wire cutters to remove the stem as close to the base of the flower as possible. Run a strip of hot glue across the center of the felt circle, squeeze the clip open and attached the felt circle to the bottom of the top part of the clip {I hope that makes sense}



Put hot glue all over the top of the felt circle and attach it to the bottom of the flower. Be sure to press the felt to the flower all the way around so it holds really good. To take care of the ugly green spot, hot glue a gem to the center of the flower. This is where you can also add glitter to the petals if you choose. I just put a little bit of glue on the tips of the petals and sprinkled glitter onto the glue.




McKenzie is dying to get more flowers in other colors to make more. I also want to get shorter clips to use with the smaller flowers in the bunch for pigtail clips.




Wednesday, February 26, 2014

DIY Photo Canvas

Every time I've had family pictures made, I have wanted a canvas print. But holy-moley they cost so much! Then I started seeing tutorials pop up all over Pinterest to make your own canvas and I knew I had to try it. As with every project I try for the first time, I learned some things to do different next time {which is great for you!}.




It begins with this awesome app I was introduced to by Melissa at The Happier Homemaker. The app is called Waterlogue and it turns your picture into a watercolor painting.


So cool, right?!


So, here's what you need for the canvas:
  • A picture {printed on regular computer paper, nothing fancy. I wanted a border of canvas around my pic so my image was 9x9}
  • Canvas {because my pic originated on Instagram I used a square canvas, 10x10}
  • Liquitex Gloss Gel Medium {either gloss or matte is fine, I used gloss}
  • Old English Furniture Polish
{Important Reminder: You will be putting your picture face down on the canvas so your final image will be reversed. If it is important that your image remain as it is originally, be sure to print your picture as a mirror image.}


The first step is to evenly brush a thin coat of Liquitex onto the canvas. It is important that it is smooth without any globs. Then place your picture face down and smooth out all the bubbles. You want to make sure every bit of the picture is pressed onto the Liquitex. Let this dry over night.



In this step you have to remove the paper leaving only the ink print of your image. It is best to work slow and in small sections at a time. In order to remover the paper you must soak the paper with water and rub it off. To do this I used a rag dipped in a glass of water and then squeezed it over the area I wanted to work in. You want enough water to soak the paper good but not enough to leave a puddle. You will get the feel of how much water to use. I also found it best to rub the paper off with my fingers rubbing in a circular motion. This way I was able to feel the smoothness when I reached the ink. Be careful because you can rub the ink off leaving a splotch of bare canvas. If you are going for a distressed look it will work as long as the area isn't too big.

When all of the paper is removed I wet my hand in the sink and gently rubbed the entire canvas to remove any remaining pieces of paper. This is also where I scuffed up my edges so it wasn't such a harsh line. I tried several things {a rough sponge, my fingernail, a wire brush} each creates a different kind of look. Let me know what works for you. I wasn't totally thrilled with any of my methods, but they did work. Then let the canvas dry.


When you go to check the dryness of the canvas don't freak out when it's all cloudy like this. That's where the furniture polish comes in. Using a rag, rub the canvas with furniture polish and it will remove  the cloudy paper residue.


loved how it turned out and I can't wait to make more! Let me know how yours turned out. Did you use a regular picture or did you fall in love with Waterlogue?


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Anchor Bracelet

I really like the whole nautical and anchors look. Last night I went to HomeGoods and that was the theme of just about the entire store. Then, while browsing Polyvore, I came across this super cute {but super pricey} anchor bracelet and decided to make my own.


I used this cotton braiding cord in 2 different colors and this really cute anchor/rope toggle. I didn't want to fool with o-rings and clamps so I decided to use the anchor toggle as my main focus instead of using it as just the clasp.


I cut a total of 4 pieces of cord at 18" each {2 white and 2 blue} and looped them through the ring on the anchor. Then, I had McKenzie hold the anchor while I braided the cord because taping it to the table wasn't working for me. I did a fishtail braid.

Using the above picture as a guide, here's how to fishtail braid: I separated the cord into 4 parts - 2 same colored strands per section {white, blue, blue, white}. Take left white over left blue, then right white over right blue and left white. Next, take left blue over what is now the left white and then right blue over right white and left blue. {I hope that makes sense because explaining how to braid without demonstrating in person is not an easy task!} 

Once I braided all the way down the cord I tied it off to the rope piece of the toggle in a knot and cut off the leftover.


I'm so happy with the way it turned out, I can't wait to make more bracelets to go with it! Plus, McKenzie is hounding me for one now.



Craft Dictator