DIY Tile Coasters

Tags

coasters, crafts, diy, felt, mod podge, scrapbook paper, tile

When I picked up this pretty scrapbook paper at the Target Dollar Spot, I knew I wanted to use it to make something for my new apartment, but I didn’t know what!  Then, I saw some cute coasters at Sur La Table, and everything clicked: tile coasters!  I’ve seen tile coasters all over Pinterest, and now I finally have time to make them.

I used the tutorial from The Cottage Mama.  I appreciate how detailed this tutorial is, and how it provides dimensions for everything.  I need numbers!

The goods:

• Square tiles (4.25″ x 4.25″)
• Scrapbook paper (The Cottage Mama said to use 3.75″ x 3.75″, but I used 4″ x 4″ squares)
• Felt (3.75″ x 3.75″)
• Mod Podge (I used Hard Coat)
• Sponge Brush
• Fabric Glue

I made 8 coasters: enough for each of us in the apartment + 2 more.  Without the Mod Podge, brush, or glue (I had these on hand), this project only cost me around $2.50.  I don’t think I could find a set of 8 ceramic coasters for that price anywhere… much less coasters that are these cute!

I used a paper cutter to cut paper squares, and I used scissors to cut the felt.  Cutting felt is tough!  If anyone has tips , please pass them along to me!

I first painted the back of each paper square with Mod Podge, and stuck it onto the tile.  I let the paper dry, pressed out the air bubbles, and coated the tiles with 6 coats of Mod Podge, allowing 15-20 minutes after each coat for it to dry.

I’m obsessed with these coasters!  I’m keeping this set for myself, but I’ll definitely be making many more!  These coasters would make great gifts… you can never have too many!

DIY Earring Organizer

Tags

crafts, decor, diy, earring, home, jewelry, organizer, organizing, pinterest

I received several pairs of earrings for Christmas, and I had no idea how to keep them organized.  I looked around Pinterest for a while, but didn’t have the supplies to make any of the projects shown.  So I made my own!  You probably already have all the supplies on hand to make this cute earring organizer.

Supplies

• Shoe box lid
• 3 feet of thick ribbon
• Acrylic craft paint
• Tacky glue
• Ruler
• Scissors or X-Acto knife
• Paint brush
• Pen

Directions

1. Measure one inch from the edge of the shoe box lid on each side, and mark the one-inch marks with a pen.  Connect the marks so you have a smaller box.  Cut out the box using scissors or an X-Acto knife.  Now you should have a frame-shaped shoe box lid.
2. Paint the frame in the color of your choice.  I chose a pretty light blue color.
3. Measure the width of the opening of the frame, then add two inches to your measurement.  Cut four pieces of ribbon that are this size.  Use tacky glue to attach the four pieces of ribbon to the back of the frame.
4. To make a hanger for the earring organizer, cut out a six-inch piece of ribbon.  Glue together the edges, then glue the ribbon to the top of the back of the earring organizer.  And that’s it!

Let me know if you try this project!

Room Tour 2013

Tags

axo, bedroom, chevron, crafts, decor, design, desk, dorm, organization, organized, room, scallop, sorority

Hi everyone,

As much as I wanted to title this post “Welcome to my crib, wanna come in?” I refrained.  Because this is a sophisticated blog. 😉

I finally moved into my room in college!  I’m living in my sorority house again, and I’m thrilled to finally have a single room to decorate however I want.  I wanted it to be homey, pretty, and relaxing.  More like a bedroom than a dorm room.  It’s full of floral, chevron, and scalloped details.  And pillows.  Because you can never have enough pillows.

Dresser/vanity and bed – I made the felt flowers using felt, cardboard for the back, and super-strong glue.  I made the scalloped garland using a circular hole punch and yarn.  I simply punch circles into white paper, folded each circle over the yarn, and taped the sides of the circles using double-sided tape.  You can also see my makeup organization system in this photo.

Windowsill – Click here to see how I made the chevron picture frame.

Desk area – Check out this post to see how I made the C canvas.  You can see my stack of to-do lists next to my computer in this photo!

End of my bed – I painted the sorority letters using acrylic paint and covered them with Mod Podge.  To make the omega, I just flipped a “U” upside down!  I made the paint chip canvas using an old canvas from an art sale and paint chips from the hardware store.  I lined the front of the plastic drawers with scrapbook paper, and again, click here to see how I made the whale canvas.

I feel like I’ve been MIA from the blog world for so long… what has everybody been up to?

My Favorite Free Fonts (and where to download them)

Tags

download, font, free, script

I love fonts a little too much.  There’s nothing better than a good, bubbly script font to brighten up note-taking a little bit.  Here are my favorite fonts, and where to get them!

Alexandria FLF

Always in my Heart

Always Forever

English Essay

A Gentle Touch

Honey Script

League Gothic

Mayonaise

Party at Gatsby’s

Rochester

Sacramento

Enjoy!

Make It: Chevron Cork Boards

Tags

chevron, cork, craft, diy, make it, organization, organizing, paint

When I saw these cork boards on sale at Target, I immediately knew how I would use them.  I painted a chevron pattern with acrylic paint onto each board, and then outlined the design using a black permanent marker.  I made one in light grey, dark grey, cream, and yellow to match my room decor.

This is my third chevron project, but I can’t help that I’m obsessed with chevron!

I’m going to use these boards (along with my gemstone pushpins) to hang papers, memos, etc. when I get back to campus.  Hopefully these will help me keep track of odds and ends!

Make It: Chevron Silhouette Canvases

Tags

art, canvas, chevron, craft, diy, easy, project, wall

As you probably already know, I love chevron.  So when it came time to update my canvases, I knew I wanted to make a chevron pattern.  But as I’ve figured out from my frame project, chevron designs are not easy to paint.  I wanted these canvases to be precise, so I made a stencil on MS Paint.  I simply found a chevron pattern online and overlaid shapes over them.  Then I printed the stencils and cut them out.  To transfer the pattern to the canvas, I used a pen to trace the chevron designs.  This made a faint outline of the pattern onto the canvas.  I painted the chevrons and added some glitter.

I made a canvas in the shape of a whale and a letter C.  I love how these turned out!

Have you made any fun crafts lately?  Tell me about them!

FREE Event Planning Printables!

Tags

binder, event planning, free, life, organization, organizing, party, planner, printable

Ever since I was little, I have loved planning events.  I used to plan my birthday parties months in advance in elementary school, and I would get angry when my party guests didn’t appreciate my party theme as much as I wanted them to!  Now, I get to plan events it on a larger scale as part of some of my campus activities.  But as anyone who has ever planned anything can tell you, event-planning takes a lot of organization.  Like, a lot.  And even though I love organizing, I haven’t yet mastered event-planning organization.

I like Google docs, Excel spreadsheets, and other web-based organizing tools, but I always need to write everything down so I have it when I’m not on my laptop.  Though I’ve tried many organizational materials, I feel that there is a huge need for basic monthly event planning sheets.  Nothing fancy, nothing specific, just sheets with plenty of space to write but enough structure to seem productive.  So instead of continuing to search for the perfect event planning printable, I made my own in MS Word.  They’re cute and perfect and customizable and I want to make them for every event I ever plan ever.  I printed them double-sided to save some trees, and put them into a 3-ring binder.

There is one sheet for each month leading up to your event.  I made sheets for all 12 months, and you can print just the ones you need.  You could even use these as personal, monthly planning sheets.

As well as a sheet for organizing your budget and reimbursements.  I get reimbursed for money I spend on items for events, so it’s important to keep track of everything!

What are you waiting for?  Download the printables for free and start planning your next big event… or just your life!

Make It: Chevron Picture Frame

Tags

chevron, craft, diy, frame, paint

This chevron frame is easy to make, but it takes some patience to get the chevron pattern looking right.  Mine is a little uneven, but I tried, and it was fun!

First, draw a chevron pattern onto a piece of cardstock and cut it out.  I used a large index card for this step.

Trace the pattern onto your frame.  I coated the frame with a coat of white spray paint before tracing the design onto it, but you can start painting after tracing, too.

Paint the frame in alternating colors.  When the paint dries, use a permanent marker to outline the the boundaries between colors.  This step gives the frame a clean, precise look.

Make It: Gemstone Pushpins

Tags

art, craft, design sponge, diy, gemstone, glue, pushpin, rhinestone, thumb tack

One of my favorite blogs is Design Sponge.  When I stumbled upon these beautiful gemstone pushpins courtesy of Mandy Pellegrin of Fabric Paper Glue, I knew I had to make them for myself.  I made some adaptations to the craft, but the result is still so simple and chic.

What you need:

— Plastic rhinestones.  You can buy these for super cheap at the craft store.
— Nail polish in several colors.  I find that inexpensive nail polish works better for crafts like this one because it’s thicker and dries faster.
— Flat thumb tacks
— Craft glue or hot glue

Just paint, glue, and go.

I made these in neutral colors, but you could use any polish you want to match your decor.  Paired with a cork bulletin board, these would make a great gift.

Have you made any fun crafts lately?

DIY: Glitter Without The Mess

Tags

crafts, diy, glitter, project, sorority, sparkle

Glitter is a wonderful thing.  It adds sparkle and fun to any project.  But let’s be honest.

It’s very annoying to use.

Glitter has been called the herpes of craft supplies for a good reason.  Once it gets onto a surface, it never goes away.  I’ve figured out an easy, no-mess way to apply glitter that doesn’t require any fancy materials.  In fact, you probably have all the supplies already.

Ready?  Here we go.

First, line a pie pan with aluminum foil.  Make sure the sheet of foil is big enough to wrap over the sides of the pan.

Pour some glitter into the lined pan.  Shake the pan to distribute the glitter evenly.

Put glue on the item that you want to glitter.  I really like Creatology foam glue.  It sticks to foam, wood, and plastic, and it’s easy to find in any craft store.  Mod Podge works well too, but mine was nearly empty and I had another use in mind for it (more on this later).

Dip the glued item into the glitter, and tap off the excess back into the pan.

When you’re all finished, tilt the pan so that the extra glitter falls to one side.  Roll the foil into a funnel shape, and pour the glitter back into its container for future use

.I glittered my sorority letters onto some foam squares from Target.

As well as some pill bottle lids.  I let the glue dry, then topped the lids with a coat of Mod Podge to seal the glitter.  I don’t want glitter in my medicines.  Ew.

I hope this method works for you!  Let me know what you think if you try it.