DIY Upcycled Paint Chip Magnets

What a great DIY upcycled paint chip magnet tutorial from Crafting a Green World!  We adore the fact that it's 1.) Upcycled materials 2.) so versatile you could do just about anything!  She has a ton more blog posts with amazing and green friendly crafts that you should absolutely check out.

Check out her blog for all the details, pictures are below for a general idea of how easy and quick this project is!  We <3 it.

SUPPLIES:

- Old magnets from businesses

- Glue gun

- Scissors

- Sharpie or paint marker (if desired)

- Paint paper color samples (free from any home store)

 

DIY Upcycled Tissue Box Bookmark

Jenn Ressmann has a great tutorial on her blog (which was also a Green Crafts Showcase winner!) that is perfect for any avid book reader.  This tutorial shows you how to transform any used up tissue box and transform it into a book mark with a fun and whimsical theme.  This idea could be tweaked to just about anything!  

Head to her great tutorial and get started now!

SUPPLIES:

- Empty cardboard tissue box

- Glue

- Scrap paper (fun designs!)

- Sewing thread & needle if desired

DIY No Sew 10 Minute T-Shirt Bag

Leethal has an amazing tutorial on how to create your very own unique no sew 10 minute t-shirt draw string bottom bag!  Another idea that would make a perfect gift or something unique for your own wardrobe.  Now you just have to find a funky t-shirt that you want to make this awesome bag out of!

Here are some pictures that show you just how easy this tutorial is so you won't waste a second getting this project started:

DIY Music Lyrics Plate

Eclectically Vintage had the fantastic idea of putting music lyrics in script on a platter for a vintage look that we adore!  We think you could also easily adapt this idea to a poem, hand-written love note, bible verse, or anything else!  This would be just perfect for anyone in your life (including yourself) that loves a certain song, passage, or quote.  We are excited to give this one a chance in the very near future.

Be sure to check out her blog for more fun crafts that you'll want to try!

Supplies:

Dollar Store White Ceramic Plates ($1 each)
Porcelain or Vitrea Marker ($3 at Michael’s)
(Vitrea is for glass but worked perfectly on the plates and they can also go in dishwasher) 
Painters Tape 

DIY Fabric Flowers

Love, love, love these blue fabric DIY flower embellishments!  These would make a fabulous addition to just about anything - shirt, necklace, hat, purse, go crazy!

Today's tutorial comes from Chic Envelopments, who also has a great collection of other crafts to share, so check her out!!  

SUPPLIES:

- Fabric in 7 equal size circles (use old fabric and upcycle!)

- Fabric glue or hot glue

- Button or other embellishment for fantastical topper

Cut out circles. You’ll need 7 identical size circles for each flower.

 One circle will be the base. Fold the other circles in half then in thirds.

 

 

Glue each petal down using fabric glue.

 

You can add a button or any embellishment you like to the middle. 

Doesn't get much easier than that for something so fun and unique!

 

DIY Quick and Inexpensive Wall Art for the Office or Home

Today's featured tutorial that we just can NOT wait to try is from How About Orange's Blog!  This DIY wall art couldn't be an easier to do and it looks like a professional made it.

Supplies:

- Canvas (the one pictured it 10") - feeling creative?  Use a wood background or metal!

- 3/4" round Avery labels 

- 1/4" black tape  

- Mod Podge

- Acrylic paint in a fun color

Brush a coat of Mod Podge on first; it will smooth out the rough surface and make it less likely for paint to bleed underneath the tape. When the surface is ready, arrange pieces of tape and stickers to form abstract plant shapes. Make certain the tape is stuck down really well! Paint the surface and remove stickers and tape!

How easy and fun is that?!

Flower Headband Tutorial

We just love the headband tutorial from Ador's blog and wanted to make it today's feature!  Headbands are still the rage and making your own is even better.  This craft is gorgeous, easy, fun, and CHEAP (which we just "adore")!

Want more info and crafts?  Check out her blog!

Supplies:

-Flower petal template- located HERE
-Sheer fabric
-Felt
-Permanent fabric glue
-Headband (wide bands work best)
-Scissors
-Cardstock

What to do:
-Print the template on cardstock and cut out
-Trace template onto fabric: 12 Large, 20 Medium, 3 Small
 

To make a large flower:
Fold in half.

 

Fold in half again.
Make a few quick stitches to hold in place.
Cut a small circle of felt.
Sew the folded petals to the edge of the felt circle.

Sew 8 petals around the edge and 4 petals in the center, then fluff.
Repeat steps to make the medium flower.

  

Use small dots of permanent fabric glue to attach the large flower to the side of the headband.

Attach the medium size flower above the larger flower, towards the center.

Now all you have to do is attach petals down the sides.

Perfect Summer DIY Quote / Statement Bangle

As soon as I saw this awesome, easy, and cheap tutorial from Lumi - I fell in love with the idea.  What a great way to make a bangle bracelet and to get it to say exactly what I want it to say!  This would be ideal as a gift for a friends or loved one and you could personalize it with their name or a message.  

Be sure to check out her fantastic tutorial for full details and other amazing crafts!

Some well done photos and a little bit of the process to entice you!

Prepare. All you'll need for this project is a raw wooden bangle, a black paint marker, plastic wrap, and some Inkodye! 

 

Write your message on a piece of plastic wrap big enough to wrap around  the bangle.

Practice wrapping it around your bangle to see how it'll look. Once your satisfied with your message, you can put the plastic wrap aside while you move onto the next step.

Take the Inkodye color of your choice and pour it onto a plate or palet. You will need very little dye for this bangle, so don't pour too much!

Cover the entire bangle with inkodye for a nice even shade. We also painted the inside to keep things easy. 

Make sure to remove all excess Inkodye and keep wiping until the bangle feels dry. And don't worry about wiping too much--the Inkodye has already been absorbed into the wood.

Take your plastic wrap and place your message wherever you want! Once you're happy with the placement, pull the plastic wrap taut by gathering it towards the back of your bangle.

Take the gathered saran wrap and twist it towards the middle. Tape in place. 

 Bring your wrapped bangle out into the sun. The color will start to appear instantly! 

Leave the bangle out for four minutes on each side. We recommend turning it front to back and flipping it upside down to ensure all areas develop fully.

 Once it's finished, bring the bangle inside and cut through the tape and saran wrap.

Peel back the saran wrap to reveal your dyed message! Once all the plastic is removed, it's ready to be washed.

We recommend preparing a very hot wash bath using dish washing detergent as soap.  Let the bangle soak for at least 20 minutes, occasionally scrubbing the printed part with a brush or a sponge.

 

Flaunt your one-of-a-kind summer bangle and don't forget to carpe diem!

Making Gorgeous Paper Flowers for Any Occassion

Lately I have been obsessed with finding a great tutorial on paper flower crafting, and I think I found one!

These look super easy and I can't wait to try it out this weekend (I'll update with pictures as soon as I do)!!  Check it out for yourself on the Santa Barbara Wedding website.  If you give them a go please send me pictures!  

Here are some pictures from the tutorial to entice you and spark your creative bug:

How to Make Recycled Magazine Paper Gift Bows

Want to learn to make FREE amazing recycled one of a kind magazine paper bows?  This is the tutorial for you!  Here are some quick examples of the bows I have made in the past, and all the varieties you can make with very little effort!  As you can see - I'm a tad obsessed and in love with these!!

SUPPLIES:

One magazine page for each bow you want

Scissors

Glue Stick OR double sided tape OR glue stick OR glue of some kind!

Ruler

Step 1

Pick a fun color page to make your bow out of - I chose a purpley blue.

NOTE: The whole page does not have to be the color you want the bow to be.  It just needs to be the majority color of the page - a little contrast is actually quite nice on the finished product.

Step 2

Cut your page into NINE 3/4" strips.  Leave THREE of those strips the full length.  Cut 1" of the top of THREE of them.  Cut 2" off the top of TWO of them.  Cut 3 and 1/2" off of ONE of them.  That should equal nine nice and ready to go pieces to your fabulous bow.

 

Step 3

Take your uncut full-length three strips and make figure eights out of each one of them using your glue or tape.  This sounds intimidating - don't be scared.  It's actually pretty easy.  

TIPS: fold the strip in half to create a center line, to keep your fancy pants figure eight even.  Put the color you want your bow to be face DOWN on your work space.  It will be on the outside in the end.

Now, take one end of the strip - bring it up to the center line you created, flip the top of the strip that is in your hand so that the other side of the paper is face up and tilt the end of the strip at and angle to make it "bow out" all nice like and glue it!  This may take a tad bit of practice, but once the light bulb goes off, your golden.

 

 

Step 4

Make fancy figure eights with ALL of your strips EXCEPT the shortest one (the 3.5" cut strip).  This short strip will be the circle in the center, so now figure eight for this one.  TIP: keep your cut strips together based on length so you can overlap them nicely when we assemble.

Step 5

Assembly time.  Overlap your full length figure eights into a flower like shape, making the base for the bow.  Put glue / tape in the center of each figure eight piece and overlap the next piece on top, securing it in place.  Continue overlapping from largest / longest strips to the shortest strips (there should only be two of those).

 Step 6

Take your shortest single strip and create a circle with it that fits nicely into the middle of your assembled bow.  I make the circle size relative to my bow size so that it's full and nice looking.  

 

That's it!  You have a wonderful one of a kind handmade bow to show off on top of a nice gift for anyone!!

Hope you enjoyed!

Leave me comments on how you did!!