InspireMe Crafts

DIY Cupcake Stand

"Coffee makes it possible to get out of bed, but cupcakes make it worthwhile."

I'm not a morning person. Even if I get 8 hours of sleep, my husband quivers as he utters his first morning words to me trying to figure out if I will smile or bite his head off. After 10 years of being together he has figured out a way to make mornings just a little less painful as I open my eyes and remember that I do have a heart.

Coffee. And even better, coffee delivered in bed. How can I be grumpy with a loving husband that brings me my coffee? I can't, right?!

Coffee definitely makes it possible to get out of bed, but cupcakes do make the day worthwhile. Luckily, I have been blessed with a fabulous friend and neighbor…did I mention her passion is baking? We love her evening surprises of special treats from cake truffles to the above Pumpkin Spiced Latte Cupcake, but our waistlines are calling her all sorts of bad names. As I am biting into my 2^nd Pumpkin Spiced Latte Cupcake of the day, I am secretly calling her that "no-good, diet sabotaging, calorie adding, muffin top promoting, baking beeatch…." Really, though…she's not a beeatch - just a fun-loving baking genius. J

With all the treats we were "taste-testing", my creative juices were flowing and I thought her delicious treats needed a Cupcake Stand suitable for her masterpieces. I have seen all sorts of DIY cupcake stands using candlesticks and plates, but I thought some Terra Cotta pots plus some new pearl Martha Stewart Paint would make a "perty" cupcake stand. $5 and you are ready to go.

The "pearliness" in the paint is gorgeous so I decided it needed some bling too! I had some sparkly stickers to write "Enjoy" and then decorative crystals to "bling-up" the bottom of the Cupcake Stand.

Ooooohhh….I mean look at that Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake…. Delish! You want to enjoy it, don't you!?

With a special delivery like this you would be sure to make even your enemy's day!

Look at my boys ooogling over the cupcake and the pretty girl!

I'm in love with this Terra Cotta Cupcake Stand. Inexpensive and pretty and useful! I am also thinking of placing my business cards on it for a Holiday Show and even making one to hold some of my jewelry. There is always more than one use for something;).

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Wedding Favor – Personalized Magnets

"A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you"

I just wanted to share with you some photos from my biggest magnet order yet! 200 personalized magnets for their wedding favor. She chose the backgrounds based on the fall color scheme of her wedding, chose the words she loved best and I got to work. Take a peek…

The magnet party favors are great for just about any occasion. Celebrating birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, graduations…whatever the occasion the magnets are a great way to send your family and friends home with a unique souvenir.

I can create them to your color scheme, but check out some of my current samples in My Etsy Shop!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 9 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Custom Wall Letters

It has been fun knocking off some of these fun projects off my To-Do list, but it was time to get some "work" done. A couple more wall letters are in the mail to customers. The one below was ordered by a college student for her dorm door. She preferred the straight down design vs the individual squares.

My wall letters are always available in MY ETSY SHOP and are always a hit at baby showers or a new baby gift. J I wonder what project I'll do tomorrow! I started one tonight and it didn't work out as planned – bummer. I guess I'll figure it out tomorrow. Stay tuned to see what day 10 brings.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Baby Shower Party Favors: Pink and Black Magnets

Here are some pictures from my latest magnet order for a baby shower party favor. This was my first time doing the magnet party favors in the pink and black color scheme and I LOVE IT! I have two boys so any chance to do things in girly colors just makes my day J.

The customer chose 8 words to use: Sweet, Love, Diva, Wish, Hope, Dream, Laugh, Fun

She also chose to have me package them for an additional fee. It's amazing what some cellophane bags and ribbon can do!

If you are interested in ordering some magnet party favors please contact me at inpsiremecrafts@yahoo.com or check out my listings in MY ETSY SHOP.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Chalkboard Silhouette (Denim & Diamonds Party Décor)

My other obsession right now is chalkboard paint and I am turning anything and everything into a chalkboard. The chalkboard silhouette for my Denim & Diamonds party just proves my obsession. At first I was going to make a stencil using freezer paper and spray paint the area with chalkboard paint. But that just seemed like a little too much work when it was the day before. Thank goodness for Michael's shipment of new stuff because they now carry chalkboard stickers that come in a rectangle size a little bigger than 8x10. With the chalkboard sticker, I just cut out the silhouette using a stencil printed from online, peeled off the back and attached it so my fabric covered canvas. Since this was a "bling" party where guests could try on jewelry I added some rhinestones around the silhouette's neck and a few from where her ears would be.

For some of the other decorations…

I made a table runner from some discount fabric and used the remnants to cover some canvases.

I took a clear vase that I'm sure we all have hanging around or you can find one at the Dollar Tree. I spray painted it white along with some branches. With leftover fabric from the baby food jar candles, I wrapped it around the center of the vase and scotch taped it into place. Yep….scotch tape.

From the branches I hung some beads to add some more "bling". We were going to hang some earrings from the jewelry line, but they were just a tad too heavy for the branches.

I hope you like some of the ideas from my Denim & Diamonds party sparked some simple but fabulous ideas for your own party! I promise that next time I have a party I will take way more photos!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Candles in Baby Food Jars (Denim & Diamonds Party Favor)

8 month old = lots of saved up glass baby food jars. I just kept adding them and adding them to a box knowing that they would get some use…eventually. This is what my husband loves about me most (yeah right) and why he often refers to my craft closet as the "crap closet". Well, this "crap" turned into something quite lovely and made a great party favor while watching my piggy bank. Who knew baby food jars would make the perfect size candle to give to guests? Here is what you'll need:

MATERIALS:

Candle Wax ( I used microwavable soy wax)
Candle Wick
Baby food jars
toothpicks
Tacky Wax
Candle scent (optional)

HOW-TO:

1. Make sure your jars are all clean with no sweet potatoes or apples left over J

 

1. Cut wicks long enough to tie around a toothpick and have the bottom of the wick touch the bottom portion of your jar. Use the tacky wax to secure the bottom of the wick to the bottom of the jar. Then rest the toothpick across the top of the baby food jar. NOTE: I had to return my original wicks because I did not get the right ones for soy candle wax. Make sure to check that before you make it out of the store.

1. After you have finished all the jars, place them on a cookie sheet with wax paper underneath (for easy clean-up).

1. Take your wax and follow the packaged instructions. Mine was easy….put it in the microwave for short intervals, stop and stir, repeat until all melted and the wax reaches a certain temperature. Then add the fragrance in.

 

1. Pour into jars and let set.

1. Cut the wicks to desirable length.
2. Decorate! I cut strips of some damask fabric and used mod podge to adhere and seal it to the glass. Then I took a ribbon and tied it around the middle.
3. Voila! Give it away or enjoy it at home.

I gave baby food jar candles away to my guests at my Denim & Diamonds party. The baby food jar decorations matched the invite and theme and added some pretty décor at the party until each guest took one home.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

New Wall Letter Design: Pink Birds to match Pottery Barn Penelope Nursery Bedding

Take a look at one of my new wall letter designs…

The pink bird with sage green accents was made to match Pottery Barn's Penelope Nursery Bedding (seen below). However, any girl who loves birds, pink, and green will love her personalized name sign.

To purchase a personalized wall letter ($22) you can go to:

1) My Etsy Shop:  Checkout with PayPal credit/debit.

2)  Custom Order Form:  Fill out form and I'll email you an invoice to pay with debit/credit through PayPal.

And of course, I love custom designs! Send me a picture of a room or the bedding used, and I'll see what designs I have available to match. I can be contacted at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com .

The order deadline for guaranteed Christmas delivery is Sunday, December 6^th. After that date, I'll let you know on a case-by-case basis whether I can get it done by Christmas.

And, as always, thank you so much for stopping by!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Giraffe Print Wall Letters

 

New giraffe print design available for monogram letters or the all-in-one wall letters. This design was done to match a giraffe print baby bedding with baby blue accents, however, any accent color can be used!

PRICING:

1 Monogram Letter - $14.95
2 Monogram Letters - $27.90
3 -Monogram Letters - $38.85
All-in-one: Name on Initial - $22.00

   

ORDERING:

To purchase you can either go to:

1) My Etsy Shop:  Checkout with PayPal credit/debit.

2)  Custom Order Form:  Fill out form and I'll email you an invoice to pay with debit/credit through PayPal.

After the payment is received, it takes about 7-10 days before the decorated wall letters are ready to be shipped. If you would like to see more photos of my hanging letters please visit my Wall Art – Photo Album on the right of side of the website.

Want your own custom hanging letter, but not giraffe print? No problem! Contact me via email at inspiremecrafts [!at] yahoo.com or via Etsy conversations and I can email you samples based on your color scheme.

The letters typically measure around 9.5 in in height (not including ribbon) and about 6.25 inches in width. Each letter varies a little.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Ballerina Tutu Message Board

"Dancing can reveal all the mystery music reveals."

I just can't get enough pink lately and combine it with my love for black and white damask and you have a super cute craft project for this weekend J. This time the finished DIY project is a Ballerina Tutu Message Board. It takes a little time, however, I did finish it in one evening so it is definitely a realistic project to put on your to-do list.

MATERIALS:

1 piece of foam board
1 yard of fabric (you'll have leftovers)
3 yards of tulle
2 yards of thick ribbon (I used pink with black polka dots)
2-4 yards of thin ribbon (I used pink and black)
1 yard of 7/8 thick ribbon or elastic
Glue gun
Scissors

How-To:

1. Cut out your foam board in the shape of a leotard. I just eye-balled it with a pencil and then used an X-Acto knife. It takes a little persistence and makes a mess, but if you have a 3 year old they will enjoy it!

   

    

2. Lay your fabric upside down on a flat surface. Place your cut foam board onto the fabric. Cut the fabric around the foam board leaving a few inches all the way around.
   
   

   

    

3. Get your glue gun ready and start glueing away! Place some glue on the foam board and secure the fabric around on the back side. You may have to cut slits in the fabric going all the way to the foam board. Doing it in 1-2 inch sections will help.
4. After you have secured all the fabric, turn it over and look at the beginning of your masterpiece.
5. Next is the TuTu. This was my first time making a tutu so I referred to this YouTube video. It is very helpful and she can explain it way better than I can at the link below:

   How to Make A No Sew Tutu
   

   I did not follow her directions exactly. I used a thinner ribbon (7/8 inch) to tie my tulle to. Also I only used 3 yards worth since I was not going all the way around. I also tied ribbons around the 7/8 inch ribbon when I was done with the tulle to add some color and to provide a place to hang more things.

   

6. Once the tutu is made, tie the two ends in the back to secure it in place. I did it around the 'waist' of the foam board so there is a little foam board underneath the tutu.
7. Take your 3-4 yards of thin ribbon (I used bright pink) and wrap around the body part of your foam board. This provides some more color and places to hold pictures and notes. You can do any design you like!
8. Then take your thick ribbon and cut two pieces to the desired length for hanging. I did about 1 yard on each side. I secured one end of each piece to the back with the glue gun. Then brought the other two ends together to tie a bow. Now you can hang it!
9. Make one more bow with your thick ribbon and safety pin it to the front of your tutu.
10. Add some pictures (if you want)….it would be awfully cute just as decoration in a ballerina room or dance studio.
    
    

    

    Your ballerina will love this Tutu Message Board!

    
    

    Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It….With the Kids: Handmade Gift Wrap & Gift Bag

"The manner of giving is worth more than the gift".  ~Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever get tired of going to wrap a present and having the wrapping paper at the end of its roll….just short of what you need to succesfully wrap your gift? Or how about this…you go to wrap a Birthday gift and you have 3 rolls of Christmas wrapping paper, but no birthday paper. Ahhh!!! Have no worries because after we did this handmade gift wrap for a friend, I'm not sure we'll go back to store bought wrapping paper anytime soon. This was a nice creative twist to traditional wrapping…and thoughtful J. Lil Man had a birthday party to attend and in true fashion, we devoted plenty of time to picking out just the right presents, but not enough on how we were going to wrap or bag it.

My "Ah-ha" moment came when I looked up and saw a painting by Lil Man on his painting easel that had been there for a little while. I had him add some final touches to it and voila, we had creative DIY wrapping paper. If you don't have a painting easel with a roll of white paper, but do have that leftover Christmas paper, just use the white side of the wrapping paper to paint.

Then came the next challenge. We had this large flying disc thing-a-majig and did not have a bag big enough for it and wrapping it seemed too daunting for an 8:00a.m. project. We needed a handmade gift bag…

 

To make our handmade gift bag, we took some white paper from a roll of paper, cut a piece about 6 feet long, layed it on the kitchen floor, and started coloring with markers. Lil Man drew a humpback whale (see it J), some squigles, and his favorite –circles. We folded it in half and then used a hole punch to punch holes along the sides. We grabbed some scrap ribbon and tied knots thru each hole to secure the bag. Add a couple holes at the top and a ribbon to make the gift bag handles. And once again, a creative and handmade gift bag for that special someone.

Look at Lil Man! He is so proud of his creation and ready to give it to his lil buddy. Can someone talk this kid into a haircut?!?

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Photo Magnet Bookmarks

When I posted my Magnet Bookmarks previously it only took a few moments for my biggest fan (my mom of course) to call and ask for one. Instead of using some pretty paper, I decided to use a photo of her favorite grandson (and only grandson). A simple request turned into a great gift for Grandparent's Day. I followed the same instructions outlined on the Magnet Bookmark post. However, I took it a step further to package the gift in a creative way. I went to the DollarTree and found a book. I then ripped out a page, displayed the magnet on the page, and just in case they didn't get it….added "A bookmark!". I then put it in a clear plastic sleeve to keep the photo safe. Of course I made a handful for all the grandparents and great grandparents…

You can do this very quickly so if you are scrambling for some Grandparent's Day gifts…you still have plenty of time!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

New Wall Letter Design: Pink Cowgirl

Take a look at one of my new wall letter designs.....

   

The "Taylor Cowgirl" design was custom made to match this Wild West Cowgirl Baby Bedding by JoJo Designs. 

 

To purchase you can go to:

1) My Etsy Shop:  Checkout with PayPal credit/debit.

2)  Custom Order Form:  Fill out form and I'll email you an invoice to pay with debit/credit through PayPal.

And, as always, thank you so much for stopping by!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

More Wall Letters & Magnets

Its been awhile since I've had a chance to do any new craft projects and share them with you.  I've been busy with wall letter orders and magnets, but I'm glad orders are keeping me busy :).  So I thought I would give you a quick little peek at a couple of things that have been keeping me busy in between some mini summer vacations.

CUSTOM WALL LETTERS

    

  

 

MAGNET PARTY FAVORS

Order for Bridal Shower party favors...

We are getting back into the swing of things so I'll definitely have some new project ideas up soon! If you have questions about the letters or magnets just let me know at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.  To purchase you can:

1) My Etsy Shop:  Checkout with PayPal credit/debit.

2)  Custom Order Form:  Fill out form and I'll email you an invoice to pay with debit/credit through PayPal.

And, as always, thank you so much for stopping by!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Creative Baby Nursery Contest

I'm proud to announce that I am a sponsor for the Creative Baby Nursery Contest.  Wrap up those finishing touches, take some great shots, and go tell us about your nursery at Creative Baby Nursery Rooms.  The winner will receive a custom wall letter from moi :) and a plethora of other goodies.  You have until December 2009, but don't wait too long to share your masterpiece! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Juice Box Flower Vase

"Earth laughs in flowers."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Hamatreya"

Nothing says summer like a backyard barbecue with bright colors and beautiful colors.  When we were on vacation last week (hence the lack of posts), we went to my cousin's wedding reception.  Besides the fact that my Aunt and Uncle have a yard and garden that should be featured in Sunset Magazine, they also added a few creative touches to their backyard barbecue wedding reception.  At each rectangular table were a couple of Juice Box Flower Vases full of bright flowers.  All she did was clean out a juice container, cut off the top, add some water, and add a bouquet of your favorite flowers.  So simple, so economical, and so adorable!  You could use these juice box flower vases for Baby Shower decorations, barbecue decorations, Mother's Day gift, and I'm going to use it as a little hostess gift this weekend for a barbecue we are attending. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

New Wall Letter Design - Pink & Brown Stripes with Glitter :)

 

This dark pink and chocolate brown striped wall letter is sure to be a favorite for any girl with a little "Diva" in her!  The "Brianna" design has glitter accents along with a chocolate brown and pink polka dots ribbon.  This Custom Wall Letter design is available in any letter and name. 

Check out these links for more pics:

Wall Letters   -  A sampling of some of the favorite letters availalbe
Custom Wall Letters -    A photo album of all the custom letters I have done for customers

To Buy:

Etsy Shop - a website featuring handmade creations, including my hanging wall letters

or if you are not familiar with Etsy (once you try it you'll be addicted!), you fill out the following:

Order Form  - Fill out the form, I'll email you an invoice to pay with Credit/Debit Card and we'll get started

Thanks for stopping buy and have a fabulous day!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Personalized Flower Gift Using Plant ID Tags

"Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into."  ~Henry Beecher, Life Thoughts, 1858

 

April is always a crazy month of birthdays and anniversaries and I'm usually not as organized as I would like to be when the time comes around.  I usually try to bake something, but I knew on this weekend that I just had too much on my plate to get any baking done for the special birthday girls.  However, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing because who doesn't love flowers?  I found these beautiful daisies already planted in the coordinating pots for a great price. Then I used some metal plant ID tags to write a special message to the recipient.  This was for a birthday, but it would also work well for Mother's Day or Graduations.  These Plant ID tags come with an erasable marker so I tucked the marker in the flower pot so they can re-use the tags. 

Quick, easy, beautiful, inexpensive and personalized....can't get any better than that.  :)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Custom Party Favor Magnets ...Now Available!!!!

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention."  ~Oscar Wilde
 

As many of you know, I've got the Spring Cleaning fever and it hasn't stopped with just my "personal" life.  It has now poured into the business side of things, which includes getting some of the things I've wanted to do with the shop done instead of letting the idea or thought sit on a piece of paper. Adding the custom magnets that have been very popular for party favors to my Etsy Shop has just been waiting to get checked off.  So I will....today (that feels good!).  I have made a listing for the custom magnet party favors at MY ETSY SHOP.  It is for 30 magnets, however, I will do any amount.  You get to choose the color schemes, words, etc.  Typically 4-5 letters/numbers are the maximum that I can fit onto the magnet.  However, if you have something particular in mind, I will be more than happy to try it!  

SAMPLE WORDS:
Love
Hope
Wish
Joy
Dream
Sweet
Baby
Girl
Boy
Diva
Laugh
Fun
Play
-Initials-
-Date-
Thanks
4 Ever

These custom magnets would be adorable for baby showers, weddings, birthdays, anniversary celebrations, stocking stuffers, End of the Year student gifts from teachers, etc. 

If you would like to order and are familiar with Etsy go to My Etsy Shop to purchase or you can contact me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com .

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Wall Letters - Made to Match for Butterfly Meadow by Kidsline

 

Here are photos of one of my latest "Made-to-Match" designs for the Butterfly Meadow by Kidsline collection.  If you would like a personalized wall letter for your child's room please fill out the ORDER FORM or visit MY ETSY SHOP.  They are $22 plus shipping and take about 4-7 days before they are ready to be mailed. If you have any questions please ask! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

PLEASE NOTE:  Since this design, the butterfly has been discontinued so a different butterfly will be in its place.  Sorry :(

Wall Letters - New Designs

 

Instead of posting all the new designs separately I thought I'd make it simple and create a little collage.  These letters are whats been keeping me busy:).  New specialty designs include butterflies, Tinker Bell, music notes, Thomas the train, farmer themes and several beautiful designs in various color schemes.  There are larger pictures in my Hanging Letters Photo Album on the right sidebar if you'd like to see more pictures. 

You can purchase my letters through MY ETSY SHOP or you can also fill out the ORDER FORM on the left sidebar. 

I love custom orders so please let me know if you have a specific design you would like it to match and we can go from there. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

New Decorated Letter Design - "Kaylin" Purple and green flowers

 

This new "Kaylin" collection is now available on my Etsy account.  This adorable purple and pink flower design was specifically made to match the NoJo Razzle Dazzle Bedding.  You can check out my designs and place custom orders at MY SHOP.  In addition, you can always email me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com to get started! 

I hope your holiday shopping is almost done!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

NEW DESIGN - Pink Toile Decorated Letter

This was a custom order from ABC Baby Boutique and was requested to match the pink toile in the bedroom.  And its another GORGEOUS nursery!  Thanks to ABC Baby Boutique and her wonderful customers, I've been quite busy and unable to share all the letters I've completed lately.  But I thought this one might be quite popular so I wanted to make it available in my Etsy Shop.  Stay tuned because I've got some new designs and am putting together a collage of all the latest orders.

Don't forget that I LOVE made-to-match orders and can always send samples to you. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Pink & Brown Bedroom Decorated Letters

 

Here are photos of an order from an ABC Baby Boutique customer.  They are surprising their daughters with this new room for Christmas.  Are you jealous?...I am!  Remember the letters are on sale until the end of November for $18 at my Etsy Shop.  I love doing custom orders to match your room or you can choose from some of the designs I've already done!  I think its now time for me to figure out Thanksgiving dinner since we're only a couple days away!  AHHHHH.....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Your Child's Name in Alphabet Blocks

"Action, looks, words, steps, form the alphabet by which you spell character" - Johann Kaspar Lavater

 

I was busy knocking some things off of my giant "To-Do" list when I decided to do this project.  The latest project has been putting the toys Lil Man no longer uses into plastic tubs and into the storage room.  But of course as soon as I start putting them away he wants to play with them :).  Instead of putting these alphabet blocks in the plastic tub for who knows how long, I decided to pull out the glue gun and create Lil Man's name to display on top of his bookcase.  And as I type this I realize the secret is now out....you now know "Lil Man's" real identity.  See, this just proves that my husband is right...I am a horible secret keeper.  I hate to say that my husband is right....it just doesn't sound right coming out of my mouth.  (I love you hunny). 

The good news is that I recently saw packages of these alphabet blocks in the dollar section of Target so if you don't have extra blocks hanging around you can jump oI decided to do it vertically, but you of course could also choose to do it horizontally.  Instead of letting the alphabet block name stand alone you could also add it to a frame, chalboard, corkboard, or even put it above your child's designated cubby in a mudroom. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Cranberry & Pink Floral Letter

 

Here is picture of my latest custom hanging letter.  This design is now available at My Etsy Shop or you can always contact me via email with any questions!  They will remain on sale for $18 until the end of November.

I've given up on Thanksgiving, besides the meal of course, because I just have been too busy.  So now I'm focusing on Christmas to bring you some new and fun craft ideas for the holidays.  So stay tuned...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

****UPDATE****  My last pink & cranberry floral design has been sold.  However, I have a dark red/light red version available and I'm always to willing to work with you individually to find the perfect match for your room just email me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.