Easy DIY Felt Flower Brooch

Cardigans are a work wardrobe staple for me. I especially love solid-colored ones because they are perfect for pairing with cute, little brooches and pins. I like looking for vintage brooches at the flea market and thrift stores, but I’ve been thinking that I should try making some myself.

While shopping in the scrapbooking section at the craft store last month, I rediscovered some darling, floral embellishments by Jolee’s Boutique. I’ve seen them before, but I hadn’t considered buying these lovely flowers until I found them on sale. It’s amazing how much more inspiring an item can be for the right price! I chose some grey, felt flowers that are the perfect size for a dainty accessory.

To make a brooch, you will need felt flowers of your own choosing, a strong adhesive, and a round pinback. What you won’t need are any special tools or advanced skills. This accessory is one that any crafter can make!

I chose to use Amazing Goop for my adhesive because it likes both fabric and metal. Plus it dries clear. It is always important to read the fine print on an adhesive before buying it. Otherwise your craft that you’ve spent time and money on may not turn out as planned.

First, I carefully removed the adhesive that came attached to the back of the felt flower. I then applied a good amount of Amazing Goop to the pinback and pressed my felt flower onto it. This adhesive needs time to build a strong bond, so plan to allow the brooch at least a day to cure.

Here’s the finished product! I paired it with a navy cardigan because I adore this color combination, probably because it references two my favorite basketball teams – the Memphis Grizzlies and University of Memphis Tigers. This sweet brooch helps me show off a little team spirit without having to wear anything tacky or ugly!

Hopefully my felt flower brooch will inspire you to make one of your own. Happy crafting!

Confessions of a Crafting Shopaholic

Lately I’ve been in a bit of a crafting slump. Since Christmas I’ve found myself creating less and less, but I’ve still been finding and buying supplies. The result is a messy and overflowing table in my craft room. Every time I consider starting a project, the sight of the table and the attention it needs stops me. This morning I set out to clear off the craft table and wound up doing some much-needed spring cleaning and organizing of the whole room.

I’m not proud to admit this, but I’ll fess up anyway – I found supplies that I had totally forgotten about. Not cool. Here are some examples:

• 1 Bunch of Tan Suede String
• 2 Packages of Small Hexnuts
• 3 Altoid Tins
• 4 Classico Sauce Jars
• 8 Colors of Pastel Glitter
• 24 Small Paper Mache Eggs

I couldn’t help but be inspired while looking through all of these lovely treasures. With my stockpile of crafting supplies organized, I made a list of crafts that I had either begun or planned to make out of them. I am by nature a list maker, and I feel more accountable for doing things if I have actually written them down. I also thoroughly enjoy the satisfaction of crossing completed items off the list. This inspiration list will hopefully act as my crafting conscience. For example, I’ve been wanting to experiment with tinting mason jars, which is why I’ve been saving my Classico sauce jars. When next I have some free time, I might peruse my list of crafts and pick that project to try instead of heading to the craft store to search for something new.

The moral of this story is not that you should stop shopping for new and cool supplies, but rather that you should actually do something with the ones you already have. Otherwise people might accuse you of being a crafting hoarder! Plus you won’t feel so guilty about buying new things if you’ve used up what you already have. Happy spring cleaning!

DIY Elastic Ponytail Holders and Headbands

One of my very favorite accessories is a Twistband. I saw them featured on the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda a few years ago and ordered them almost immediately. These colorful, elastic ponytail holders claim to leave your hair without any creases after taking them out. I am not blessed with hair that can easily resist the ponytail hump, but that doesn’t make me love my Twistbands any less. I almost always have one of my wrist. If you don’t see one there, it’s likely only because the Twistband is already in my hair.

They are not particularly expensive to buy, so I didn’t immediately set out to make my own. One day I hurriedly left the house without a Twistband (gasp!) and had to improvise on the fly. At that time I was working at a craft store, and Blue Moon had recently released some elastic for making headbands. It was fairly economical, so I bought it. Sadly this type of elastic was nowhere near as resilient as what my trusty Twistbands were made of. The elastic also had a sheen to it that gave the whole thing a cheap look.

Some months later I came across a pin on Pinterest for diy ponytail holders and investigated the source the pinner used to buy her elastic. I was so pleasantly surprised when I visited the Sunshine Shoppe website for the first time. They offer stretchy elastic in a wide variety of colors, prints, and GLITTER! I am and will always be a sucker for anything shiny, so they had me at the glitter. Here’s the best part: the prices are unbelievable. You can get a yard of solid-colored elastic for $.50.

Before you invest in making your own ponytail holders and headbands, give Twistbands a try. I really think you’ll find that you love them as much as me.  If you do decide that you want to make your own, I highly recommend you check out Sunshine Shoppe. The quality of the elastic is almost as good as a Twistband. Plus they have an awesome selection. The ladies cut each order by hand which makes it take awhile to receive your elastic, so plan in advance if you order from them.

Once you have your elastic, get out a good pair of scissors. I mean the ones that you reserve for cutting ribbon so that it doesn’t fray, not ones that serve every purpose under the sun and live in the bottom of your junk drawer. For ponytail holders, cut a piece of elastic about 10 in. long. Fold the elastic in half, and tie a knot in the end. Yes, it is really that easy!

To make a headband for an adult, use the same technique but with a 24 in. piece of elastic.

With the price of elastic so affordable from Sunshine Shoppe, you could easily make a ponytail holder or headband to match every outfit in your closet. Three of these little ponytail holders in coordinating colors and prints make for the perfect stocking stuffer or shower gift. I made my nieces and mother each a set for Christmas last year, and they really liked them.

As always, happy crafting!

Alcohol Ink Votive Candle Holder Tutorial

My experimental projects with alcohol inks continue. I’m so in love with the effect they have on glass that I decided to try my hand at making some votive candle holders out of small bowls. Since I’m sharing, let’s consider these a success. They are perfect for the person that appreciates an easy and unique bit of diy home decor. Really, who doesn’t?

Supplies:

• Small Glass Bowls or Votive Holders (you should be able to find these for cheap at either the dollar or craft store)
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Alcohol Ink in Various Colors
• Compressed Air
• LED Votive Candles

Step One:

Clean the inside of your glass with rubbing alcohol. Yes, the kind in your medicine cabinet. I got this tip from the Ornament Girl. Doing this will not only clean the glass, but it will also help your alcohol ink move more freely when you start applying it.

Step Two:

Start applying the alcohol ink in small amounts to the inside of the glass. I used Cranberry, Pool, and Sunshine Yellow. Spray the alcohol ink with short shots of compressed air to give it a splatter effect. I borrowed this technique from Tim Holtz when I made my Alcohol Ink Ornaments last year. You  absolutely can’t mess this part up because there is no right or wrong end result. Each votive holder that you make will be a unique creation.

Step Three:

Allow the alcohol ink to dry completely. Assuming that you did not apply very thick amounts of it, the alcohol ink should dry quickly. This is one of the best features of alcohol ink.

Step Four:

Turn on your LED votive candles and place them inside the votive holders. I personally chose to use LED candles because I live with two very curious cats that find open flames irresistible.

Ink Splatter Coasters

For Christmas, I treated myself to a craft product I’ve been wanting for ages – alcohol ink. I’m still in the early stages of experimenting with my six different Adirondack Bright Alcohol Inks. Previously I made a couple of beautiful glass ornaments.

For my next project, I chose to make coasters. Those of you that have visited the blog before have probably come across my other posts about coasters. They are wonderful gifts. I also like making coasters because they are  inexpensive. If this project turned out horrible (which it luckily did not!), I was only going to be out about $.70.

The 52 Weeks Project has a great tutorial with lots of pictures for Alcohol Ink Dyed Coasters. The tutorial assures you that you can’t really mess these up and even gives you a tip on how to correct any “mistakes” you might make.

My coasters may look a tad different than the tutorial. After applying a few drops of my base colors, I actually picked up the coaster and moved it around so that the colors would swirl and cover more area. I will warn you that this resulted in alcohol ink on my fingers, so I don’t recommend that you let the little ones do it. I then added drops on top of the base colors and allowed them to spread on their own.

I thoroughly enjoyed making these coasters mainly because the process was fun to watch. Chemistry was always my favorite science in school because reactions fascinated me. They still do. Each new drop of ink resulted in a chemical reaction that altered the look of the coaster.

I certainly recommend this project for anyone new to crafting with alcohol inks. Not only is the skill level beginner, but the cost of the project (minus the alcohol inks) is fairly low. I am sure that I will be making more of these coasters, especially as I continue to add new colors to my collection. Happy alcohol ink crafting!

Upcycled Record Bowls

Lately I’ve been really into repurposing and upcycling items. I blame Pinterest! Over the past few months, I’ve been collecting old vinyl because there are so many things I want to make out of records. Fear not. I’m not intending to destroy any useable vinyl. That is on par with cutting up a perfectly good book just to make a craft. Instead I’m giving new uses to scratched records that would otherwise end up in a dumpster somewhere.

While cleaning house this morning, I realized how many records I’ve amassed and put into a pile in the corner. I decided it was time to peruse my Record Craftiness board on Pinterest and start making things with all these records. Years ago I coveted bowls made out of records in an Uncommon Goods catalog. Luckily I have a pin from Stars for Streetlights that details how to make them yourself. She was inspired by one of my favorites, Mark Montano. It was a total no-brainer that I had to try these bowls.

My first attempt was with a standard 12 in. record. Well, maybe not so standard – it was a rap single. We are who we are. I learned with it not to walk away from the oven. Vinyl warps quickly at 350 degrees. Keep a close eye on it because it shouldn’t take more than 2-3 mins.

Confident in the technique, I moved onto brightly colored records that I rescued from the trash a couple of months ago. Working at a music store has its perks! Bowls were exactly what I had in mind when I found them. I haven’t seen many crafts made out of colorful records, presumably because they are harder to find. If you do come across some, make sure to snag them.

These bowls were so quick and easy to make that I can’t believe I waited so long to try them. I can see myself making many more of these to gift at Christmastime. Happy upcycled crafting!

Guitar Pick Earrings Tutorial

Earrings are one of my many weaknesses. If I find an unusual or whimsical pair for a reasonable price, I must have them. Several years ago I bought a pair of earrings made out of guitar picks from a local company. I get comments almost every time I wear them, so I’ve been wanting to make some.

As with any craft, you need the right tools. I specifically lacked something that would cleanly punch a hole through a plastic pick until I invested in a Crop-A-Dile. I bought one a while back intending to use it for setting eyelets, but I’ve found the Crop-A-Dile handier for punching holes in a variety of materials. It is a little pricey, so make sure to use one of those 40% off craft store coupons. The Crop-A-Dile is typically not exempt from them.

Supplies:

• Guitar Picks
• Crop-A-Dile
• Jump Rings
• Earring Wires
• Pliers

Step One:

Punch holes in each of your guitar picks with the 1/8 in. side of the Crop-A-Dile.

Step Two:

Attach jump rings to your guitar picks, and then attach those to earring wires.

In no time flat, you’ll have a funky pair of earrings that can double as guitar picks in a pinch. Happy repurposed crafting!

Scalloped Heart Earrings

I must have jewelry and accessories for every holiday. I am that girl in the office. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I have some sweet Scalloped Heart Earrings to share.

I made these earrings out of Martha Stewart scrapbook paper from a Valentine’s Day mat pad. Many of Martha’s papers are double-sided, which is great for earrings. This allows them to be as beautiful from the front as the back. I cut the scalloped hearts with my Slice Elite, but you can use a paper punch if you don’t have access to an electronic cutter. To get more information about the techniques I used to make these so shiny and bright, check out of my Paper Earrings Tutorial.

After I got my hearts finished, I decided to fancy these earrings up a bit by adding beads in a coordinating color. This does require some jewelry-making skills, so feel to omit the beads if you wish.

I am so pleased with the way these earrings turned out that I intend to wear them year round. They are just too cute to reserve for only a couple of weeks out of the year. Happy Valentine’s Day crafting!

L.O.V.E. Magnet Tutorial

Any time I’m in a thrift store or at a yard sale, I look for board games. I collect them, so that’s my primary motivation. I also like to repurpose board game pieces, especially Scrabble tiles. It just feels wrong to buy a brand new Scrabble for a reason other than playing it. If I find a used one for $3 or under, I’m buying it.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I made a L.O.V.E. magnet out of Scrabble tiles.

Supplies:

• L, O, V, E Scrabble Tiles
• Amazing Goop Craft Glue
• Toothpick
• Magnet

Step One:

Glue your Scrabble tiles together. For small projects like this, I use a toothpick to apply my Amazing Goop. I glued the L and O together first and then the V and E to each other. I then joined the two set of letters and left the adhesive to cure overnight.

Step Two:

Glue a magnet to the back of the tiles. This is when you might need to exercise some patience. It is important to let the adhesive cure for at least 48 hrs. Otherwise you’ll have a crafting catastrophe on your hands when you place the magnet on your refrigerator. The magnet will be stuck to the fridge while your lovely craft lies on the floor.

Step Three:

Find the perfect place to display your magnet.

This project is super easy to put together, but it does require some time for the adhesive to cure. If you’re hoping to gift this for Valentine’s Day, get started this weekend, and you’ll be in good shape for this Thursday. Happy Valentine’s Day crafting!

Lock & Key Jewelry

While I was out shopping for supplies for Valentine’s Day decorations, I stopped by the jewelry department in the craft store. I figured since I was already in the store it wouldn’t hurt to take a peak. Apparently it was my lucky day because my favorite Hobby Lobby jewelry collection – Explorer by Traditions – was on sale for 50% off. This collection features funky charms and found object pieces that always inspire me.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I picked up some lock and key charms. Each pack of these contains 12 pieces in assorted colors, and they retail for only $2.99! It’s almost too good to be true when you can get them on sale. As I paid for them, I was already envisioning the jewelry they would become.

I searched through my beading stash for chains to make a necklace. Luckily I had a copper chain that matched the lock and key charms. First, I attached a lobster claw to one end of the chain and a jump ring to the other. I then slipped both a lock and key charm onto another jump ring and attached it to the chain. It took me longer to get out my supplies than to make the actual necklace! In under 5 mins., I had a cute, little Valentine’s necklace.

Since I have an earring addiction, I just had to make a pair with these charms. I decided to go a little funky and make the pair out of one lock and one key. I simply slipped them onto matching earring wires. Again, this was super easy.

Both of these jewelry projects are quick and easy, so they are perfect for doing while the little ones are napping.  I also think they are versatile enough to be worn year round. You can certainly expect to see me sporting these darling earrings any time I feel like it! Happy Valentine’s Day crafting!