Tag: DIY

Green = Green: Perpetual Calendar

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I shared a few thrifty finds last Thursday, including two small file holders for $0.99 each. 

I mentioned that I saw an idea for a perpetual calendar by Ashley Ann for Design Sponge.  I always love a good calendar, so I decided to make a perpetual journaling box set.  The small tan box is perfect for 3 inch by 5 inch note cards, which I happened to have two packages of.  I don’t have a date stamp, so I wrote each date in the upper corner of each index card.  It was pretty quick because I used a number format (1.1 for January 1st, 1.2 for January 2nd, and so on).  Also, I decided not to cut the cards because my box was already sized perfectly. 

After I numbered each card, I used two colors of cardstock, also already owned, to cut dividers for each month.  I made each divider 5 inches wide by 3 1/4 inches tall so I could easily see the dividers above the notecards.

This project took under twenty minutes and cost under $5.00 (if you don’t already have the materials), but what I really love is the sentiment.  I’ve missed the first few weeks of journaling, but it will be cool to see what we did on this day ten years from now. 

I also really love the Max 365 perpetual calendar by Massimo Vignelli, but I could to without the $74.00 price tag.

Obviously, the Max 365 calendar can be used over and over, which eliminates the need for a new calendar year after year.  But, my DIY perpetual calendar can be used for the next ten years (I have ten lines of journaling per sheet).  By using a perpetual calendar, I’m saving paper, making the earth a little greener.  I also saved some green ($73.00 to be exact) by creating my own calendar using a thrift store file box and supplies I had on hand.

Ashley had a great idea, right?!  Anyone out there inspired to make their own perpetual calendar?

Mug Shot

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I recently discovered a super cool product: Pebeo Porcelaine 150 Paint Pens.  I found mine at Michael’s (after checking Hobby Lobby) for $3.99 each.  I decided to make a mug set for bridal shower gifts, so I picked up four plain white mugs at Target for $2.99 each.  I made a design template in Photoshop, printed to plain paper and cut out my design.  Then, I carefully outlined my design and filled it in.  The Mr. and Mrs. mugs were a hit at the bridal shower!  When I found some free time, I decided to paint two mugs I already had.

I decided to make a monogram mug and a whimsical tea bag mug, free handing my designs.  And here’s what the look like:

(Sorry for the blue-ish tint)  The B is a sketched fill, inspired by a set Design Mom featured. 

Even though I don’t drink tea, I seem to be drawn toward tea items, so this was perfect for our tea drinking guests.

These mugs are huge, (seriously, our tiny coffee pot fills one cup) so I decided to play off that.  The mug is large enough for tea for two.

Now our guests will have cute, custom designed mugs to use.  As I said, we created Mr. and Mrs. mugs as a bridal shower gift.  What are your favorite hostess, bridal shower or wedding gifts?  Have you used the porcelain paint pens or glass pens?  Anyone inspired to make a design of their own?  The options are limitless.  I’m looking for the perfect plates to make a pretty flower design or graphic print.

Silhouette Ornaments

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For me, how I decorate for Christmas isn’t especially different from how I decorate the rest of the year.  I still look for bargains, multi purpose items, and ways to add personal touches, usually involving more glitter than usual.  So, when I decided to decorate our entertainment center, I knew I wanted to make some special ornaments as placeholders for our silhouette art.

So, I took a trip to Hobby Lobby where I found white ceramic ornaments.  They were originally $1.00 each but 50% off.  Following these same instructions to create the silhouettes, I sized our profiles to 2 inches. 

Then, I centered the silhouettes on the ornaments.

 Using a pencil, I lightly traced the silhouette. 

To fill in the silhouettes, I used normal acrylic paints and a small paint brush to get the detail. 

Ideally, I would have used a ceramic specific, heat set paint, but I couldn’t find any at Hobby Lobby.  I did, however, find four cute ornament hooks ay Hobby Lobby for $4.00 each. 

I had to alter how the ornaments hung, because the ribbon was threaded through the hole, making them hang sideways.  To fix that, I added a small loop of wire, then a ribbon for hanging.

Fortunately, that solved the problem and they now hang beautifully on our entertainment center.

How many handmade ornaments do you have?  If you’re like my mom, most are ones your kids have made in school.  What is your favorite ornament and why?  Did someone special give it to you?  What meaning or significance does it have?

Have a Ball

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Are you ready for another Christmas craft project?  You are?  Good, I’ve got just the craft for you, a Christmas ball ornament wreath.  To start, you’ll need to acquire a roll of floral wire, a wire wreath form, tons of cheap plastic ball ornaments and a sheet or two of felt to match your color palette.  It also helps to have a glue gun and plenty of glue sticks handy.

I got a large form from Hobby Lobby for $3.47 and nine packages of ornaments from Target’s dollar section.  I chose all silver to keep it timeless and go with any color palette in the years to follow.  Seriously, the best deal I’ve found.  Get an assortment of sizes, too.  I used 2 1/2 packages of the small (16 per pack), 5 of the medium (8 per pack) and 1 large with 4 per pack. 

After you gather your supplies, start by cutting a piece of wire about two feet in length.  For this part of the process, use only the two large sizes.  String the wire through the top of the ornament.  Wrap the wire around the wire form and twist the loose end to secure.  Then, wrap the long end through another section of the wreath form, go back up and add another ball.  Basically, you’ll make a zig zag pattern with the wire to connect the ornaments on a few long wires. 

The zig zag will help keep the ornaments in place.  They will still move around a little.  This is where the glue gun comes in.  Place a few little dots of hot glue where the ornaments meet and allow to dry.  This step is most easily done in small sections.  I don’t recommend waiting until you’ve attached all ornaments to glue. 

Continue attaching the ornaments until you’ve covered the wreath form.  You will have spots where the wreath form is still visible, just as I did with the pine cone wreath I recently made.  If you have visible areas on the very inside or outside of the wreath, wire small ornaments in place, gluing to keep from moving. 

Then, hot glue the smallest ornaments onto the larger ornaments to fill any areas you can see through those ornaments. 

Again, continue until you’ve covered all areas.  If you want to add a splash of color, you can add a bright bow, hang an ornament in the center of the wreath or choose a brightly colored ribbon to hang the wreath from.  The possibilities are endless. 

To prevent from scratching the surface the wreath will rest against, hot glue small pieces of felt to the back or the wreath form. 

Hang on your door to add a ton of Christmas cheer and greet your guests. 

Still looking for Christmas decorating ideas?  Fret not, we’ll share another DIY idea tomorrow, but you can check out our Christmas tree in the mean time.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

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That’s right, folks.  I know it’s not December yet, but Christmas is right around the corner.  Have you started decorating?  I think most people decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving, and usually I do, too.  But, this year, we’re running around like crazy people the week before, so I decided to decorate a few weeks ago.  Yep, you read that right, weeks.  What was the first Christmas thing to go up?  The tree, of course! 

This year’s color palette is silver, white, blue and green.  Not very original, I know, but I bought ornaments at Target (love Target!) the day after Christmas last year.  So, I’m working with what I’ve got.  Every year, it’s Ben’s task to add the lights to the tree.  We both prefer the plain white strands for a classic look.  So, he lights the tree and I add the ornaments.  This year, I had a little help from Vincent.  Of course, most decorations are at the bottom two feet, but hey, it’s free help. 

A white dove is perched atop our tree this year.

I have my eye on a beautiful Capiz star topper from, where else, Target.  It’s currently priced at $20.  Not bad, but it will be much better when it’s 50% off, dontcha think?  Yeah, me too.  What else is on my Christmas tree wish list?  A cute tree skirt of some sort. 

You see, we don’t have anything covering that ugly tree stand right now.  I want something white or silver, but I haven’t seen anything I really like yet.  I think I’ll buy some fabric and make a tree skirt at some point. 

So, that’s what our Christmas tree looks like this year.  What about your tree?  Have you set it up yet?  Do you have a color scheme or theme you’re sticking to or do you prefer to decorate with all of those mismatched, collected-over-time ornaments?