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!

Organize a Craft Closet {Get Organized}

"Now that it's all over, what did you really do yesterday that's worth mentioning?" – Coleman Cox

Turning our "crap" closet back into a craft closet has been on my list of "To-Do's" for awhile now. The first day of Kindergarten for little big man seemed like the perfect opportunity to tackle my massive mess. In fact, I was so excited to get started I even forgot to get a before picture so you could see how it truly was the "crap" closet. I may not have had a picture of the before, but I do have a picture of everything that came out of the closet. Hold your breath y'all cuz it ain't pretty!.....

Oh…and the poor ribbon. It gives me a headache just looking at it.

As I cleared out, dumped, rolled, and organized everything in the closet, my little man decided to pitch in and help. And make another mess or two. But, I did not care! I was reclaiming my closet!

So let's take a peek at some of the solutions for the reclaimed craft closet. The ribbon definitely took the longest, but thanks to a friend who shared an idea she saw on the web, we found the perfect solution. You use pants hangers to place the ribbon on. Since they unhook and open it is easy to take the spools of ribbon on and off, which is a must for me. Hallelujah! I knew it was meant to be when the hubby said he had a few of them on his side of the closet that he was not using. Yay! Look at how organized my ribbon is now. Plus it freed up two drawers for me to place other craft materials in. Score!

The bottom of the hanger turned out to be the perfect spot to hang some scrap ribbon from.

I have lots of paper for my letters! I tucked them away in these accordion files up on the top shelf. They are organized by colors J.

Those were my main problem areas. Now I can share the craft closet with the hubby's work out stuff and the cleaning supplies J. Someday, I'll have one of those beautiful craft rooms instead of a closet, but until then I am determined to keep mine looking like a craft closet and not returning to the "crap" closet. Wish me luck!

If you are organizing a closet, your ribbon, or your paper hopefully you have been inspired! These organizing tips may not work for your space, but perhaps they sparked some new ideas for you.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Bird Nests in Glass Jars (Day 27 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest." – J.G. Holland

Lately, our nature walk has been opening the front door and going around the block. I know it is not very adventurous, but sometimes with a 1 & 5 year old it just seems good enough. Especially when you can relax just a little when you don't have to worry about ticks, poison ivy, bugs (my little big man swells up pretty bad from bug bites), cliffs, streams, etc. Don't get me wrong, I grew up camping and enjoying all nature has to offer and I have fond memories. But sometimes…going around the block is just good enough. And look at everything we've found! Bird nests …one right in our front yard in the grass and one down the street on the sidewalk. Plus we have found some broken egg shells here and there. For awhile the nests just sat on our console table in the entry way and every time little big man came in he would pick it up, put it down, turn it around, and repeat. I wanted to enjoy them for more than a week so I needed something to keep those curious fingers off of them – at least most of the time. Some glass jars did the trick! In the glass hurricane I added a bag of rocks from the DollarTree and now my little big man has a place to put his rock collection as well.

I hope you have been lucky to find some bird nests and enjoy the beauty of them with your kiddos!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Pre-School Routine Charts

"The less routine the more life" -Amos Bronson Alcott

 

I've never been a big routine/schedule person, but as I navigate through this thing called mommy-hood I am quickly discovering that life without routines can often be more difficult and less fun.  When Lil Man started pre-school back in September (yes...it has taken me this long to post the pre-school routine chart) my biggest worry was getting out of the house in the morning and having his head hit the pillow at night without major arguments, meltdowns, and being on time since I HATE being late.  

I searched stores and the internet for a pre-school routine chart without much luck.  I needed a routine chart that was flexible because I wasn't sure how my first attempt at making a morning and evening schedule would work out.  My son is a dawdler so I definitely did not know if eating breakfast in 15 minutes would be realistic or not.  In addition, I wanted a chart my son could read on his own.  The solution?  Using pictures, putting them on magnets, and using digital times vs a traditional clock to keep him on track.  

We started with two magnetic dry erase boards.  One color for morning and a different color for night.  Then I had an outline of what our morning and evening times would look like.  The best part was getting Lil Man to help with the chart.  I wanted to include him as much as possible so he would hopefully buy into this new routine thing.  He LOVED going around and taking pictures of everything we needed to do in order to get ready for school and ready for bed.  I also printed out some pictures of TVs.  Some were just a picture of the TV and others were a big 'X' through the TV so he would know when the TV was not allowed to be on.  Print out some times, and you are ready to assemble your pre-school routine chart with your child. We put all the pictures on magnets so they could be moved around as we decided some things would work out at better times or in different orders.  

So....did all the work pay off?  You bet it did.  Less nagging, yelling, battles and a more independent 3 year old - who could ask for more?!  Instead of nagging at him to go do something, I would ask what was next on the chart.  He would go look and go do it.  Of course, we had a reward system if he completed the chart every morning and evening so you can do what works for your family.  

A year later, they still hang in the same place.  They don't get looked at every morning anymore, but the same basic routine is in place and has made mornings and evenings a happy time in this household.  Plus mommy and daddy are happy. And we all know that happy parents is just as important as a happy child.  

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

 

Gotta Make It…with the Kids: Fabric Heart Valentines

"A friend is someone who knows all about you, and loves you just the same."

You might be wondering why I'm posting a Valentine's craft idea today, February 15^th. Right now your thoughts are trailing off to something like this… "Who is this woman? Duh! Valentine's was yesterday. She is a total mess, at least I know when Valentine's Day is." Well…yes, it is not uncommon for me to be a total mess with my thoughts and projects scattered everywhere, but for once I did have my day's correct. I was just a little behind and figured it is better late than never, right?!

For Lil Man's preschool class we made these fabric heart Valentine's. I'm definitely a novice sewer so no "real" sewing skills needed. A bonus right there! In fact my 3 year old did help with a lot of this. It was not a project that mom just put together and sent to school with her son. However, after about the 5^th one he was losing interest and mom did pick up some slack.

 

 

I started by cutting out a template from a piece of cardboard. Then I traced the template with a marker onto the fabric. I used two different fabrics…one for the front and one for the back. This is where your Lil One can start helping! Let them pick out the fabric. We found the heart fabric together and then we actually had a blue design for the back until Lil Man discovered a new fabric while wondering around in the fabric store singing some crazy song and putting on a show for the shoppers. He came across the red polka dot and said, "Mom! Mom! How about this one?" The best part is this lil kid is a bargain shopper! It was half the price of the original one we had picked out. He's a keeper J.

Once the hearts were cut out from the templates, we took one heart from each design and placed them together with the design sides facing each other and the backs facing out. I used the sewing machine to sew around the heart and leaving an opening at the bottom.

I turned the hearts the right side out through the opening and then lil man started stuffing the hearts like crazy. Prepare for a mess if your lil one is helping J.

Then we cut out some small rectangles from an off-white fabric. Lil Man used some small single letter stamps to stamp "Friend" on some and then his classmate's names on others. This was perfect because he was able to refer to the class list from his teacher to stamp the name. He can write his own name (at least we, his parents, can decipher it), but we are not at the whole alphabet yet. Stamping was a perfect solution to have him really included. We tucked the "Friends" pieces of fabric into the opening and then using a needle and thread we sewed the heart shut and the "Friends" tag on. This was lil man's intro to sewing. With Mom's help, of course, he helped sew a couple of the hearts shut.

Next we cut ribbon and placed the ribbon with the child's name under a button. Sew the button on with the name and ribbon under it and you are set to go! Oh, and then have your child write his/her name on the back or stamp it! Hand out to everyone and enjoy. Of course this could be done any time of year, but Valentine's was perfect. I was surprised at how much Lil Man really likes it. He hung it up right away and is very proud.

Just don't wait until the last minute to do it like me J. Have fun!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Paper Christmas Wreath

I'm re-posting this because I just pulled it out of the Christmas tub to hang up last week and I still love it as much as when I made it.  It put that smile on my face so I thought I'd share.  I hope you are enjoying the fun and stress of the holidays as much as I am :) ! 

"Joy to the World"

Accidents happen...sometimes good and sometimes bad.  Luckily, this accident was good.  I was playing with some paper trying to come up with less labor-intensive paper tree ideas and ended up with a paper wreath!  I added some special photos and it is adding just the right amount of unique Christmas decorations to our house!  I used the same scrapbook paper that I used for my Christmas Paper Tree . I purchased the scrapbook paper at Target in a pack.  It included all 5 coordinating designs and plenty of it!

MATERIALS:

8x8 paper (10 pieces)
scissors
glue
stapler
Scotch Tape
ribbon
embellishments
photos

THE STEPS:

I tried the best I could to explain it...I'm still working on describing my steps as clearly and detailed as I can.  Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about it!  I love to get comments on the post or you can email me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.

The Holidays are here and Christmas is only 9 days away!  Its hard to believe, but that's what I saw on a sign today!  Take care....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!

Gotta Make It: Message Photo Blocks

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings". – Hodding Carter

Christmas is just around the corner and I'm sure you are starting to look for some ideas for personalized Christmas gifts for your loved ones. We originally made these message photo blocks for Grandparent's Day, but it would really work for any holiday!

I originally got the idea after seeing this blog post on Brassy Apple. Instead of framing the photos, I made photo blocks out of them. I did one block for each grandparent, so each block contains the picture of Lil Man with 'I', 'heart', 'U', and 'I heart U'.

MATERIALS:

1 wood block ( I chose a 4x4 inch)
4 photos (need the letters you want to take the photos). I had photos printed at store for top quality.
Mod Podge or your favorite decoupage
Black paint
2-4 Foam brushes
Scissors

HOW-TO:

1. Paint your wood block black (or your chosen accent color) on all sides. Let dry
2. Cut your pictures to size.
3. Apply thin coat of Mod Podge to back of picture. Adhere to wood block. Smooth out bubbles by using a cloth over the picture. Repeat on each side. Let dry according to directions on decoupage. Usually 20 minutes.
4. Apply coat of Mod Podge over the top of picture and block. You may have to do a couple of pictures at a time, let dry and then do the others. Make sure to get the corners and sides of the pictures as well.
Note: It helps to rest the block on a cup upside down or something similar so the Mod Podge doesn't adhere to the newspaper you may have underneath for dripping.
5. Let dry overnight.
6. Give to a loved one. J

I hope you enjoy as you prepare for the holidays!

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!

The Diaper Pirates: Creative Potty and Poopy Training

Lil Man is officially a pre-schooler, but before he could throw on his backpack and participate in show and tell, we had to overcome one obstacle standing in the way - Poopy in the Potty.  Lil Man had been potty-trained for a long time (even sleeping through the night in his underwear), but poopy in the potty was absolutely frightening to him.  So for way too long he'd say, "Mommy, I need a pull-up".  We'd slide one on, he'd go to the living room rug and the "poopy face" showing just how much he was working would takeover.  When he was done, he'd lay down and get his bottom cleaned, put on some underwear and be off on his merry way. He was happy. Me? Not so much. 

We tried everything...bribery, sugar, talking about it FOREVER, rewards, and at one point did not give him the pull-up when he needed it hoping he would go poopy in the potty.  But instead he decided to hold it for days until we decided to give in afraid he would hurt himself.  Needless to say, I'm sure we did several things completely wrong so this next time we were going to get it right. 

Lil Man was very interested in Pirates and we painted the pirate ship birdhouse one day as a project.  About a week later he was having a daddy-son day.  While they were out is when the magic took place.  The pirates had come to our house :). 

Here was the story the hubby and I were sticking with.....the Pirates came to the house and stole all his pull-ups for Poopy time.  In place of Lil Man's pull-ups in the closet, the Pirates left a note and a treasure map.  The note would say that after he went poopy in the potty he could go look for the treasure chest. 

Lil Man came home and told us he needed to go poopy.  I told him to go get his pull-up out of his room.  He went to get it and instead of finding his pull-ups there he found the ship with the note and treasure map.  I stayed in the other room until I heard , "Mommy! Mommy!  Come here.....look!".  We pulled out the pirate note:

I started with a cream piece of construction paper, ripped off the edges and used brown and tan ink pads to give it a worn, distressed and old look.  I added a few Pirate stickers just to make sure my 3 year old knew exactly who it was from :).

The note said:

*************

Ahoy, Matey!

Are you ready for a swashbuckling pirate adventure?  The Cap'n tells us its time for me hearty, Lil Man, to go Poopy in the Potty.  The shipmates have stolen your pull-ups and taken them out to sea.  Yarrr! But, Matey....a Pirate's treasure awaits you after you go Poopy in the Potty.  Cap'n says ye can open the treasure map after you go poopy in the potty.  Follow the map to "X" marks the spot for ye treasure!!

Farewell chump,

The Pirates and Cap'n Scallywag

*************

Needless to say he was super curious about where that treasure map would take him and what would await him in that treasure chest. 

The inside of the treasure map....

 

I rolled up the treasure map and used a Jolly Roger glued to a paper ring to keep the map rolled up.  Then Lil Man just slid it off to open the treasure after the big "Poopy in the Potty" event.

 

It took a hot second for Lil Man to start his treasure hunt after the big deed.  We followed the map until he came upon his mini treasure chest. I found a paper mache treasure chest at Michaels, painted it tan and added some gold glitter and pirate themed stickers. 

 

He opened it up to find a Pirate necklace, gum, killer whale stickers, and gold coins that the Pirate's had left him.  However, my killer whale obsessed son said "Look Mom!  Tickets to the Killer Whale Show (a.k.a. Sea World)".  As my son is jumping up in joy I had to break it to him that I was pretty sure they were just Killer Whale stickers...not tickets to the "Killer Whale Show".  Luckily, 3 year olds get excited over stickers as well and he seemed just as excited.  Phew! 

 

And as expected we celebrated in style. In our family we celebrate the little victories along with the large ones with a little song, a little dance, and a little silliness.  Lil Man is seen here singing his "Poopy in the Potty" song and groovin' away on our living room rug....proudly wearing his pirate necklace:). 

 

 Transferring the blame of the disappearing pull-ups to the Pirates instead of the sweet and innocent parents was key for us:).  We were on his side and helping him through something we couldn't control.  We went with the story and improvised.  Lil Man asked at one point why the Pirates needed his Pull-ups.  We told him that they tied them all together and threw it overboard to use it as an anchor and that all the killer whales in the ocean were swimming by and looking at them.  He thought that was cool.  Yay!

If you are getting ready to do the potty training thing or overcome an obstacle in the potty training process...good luck and make it fun! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Creative Family Tree (with a beach theme twist)

"Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. " ~Author Unknown

Christmas in our family can never be dull with the tradition of a White Elephant Gift Exchange. For the last few years there has been a new twist to the exchange....the gift has to be handmade.  That means no more pine-cones in a recycled popcorn tin (although some may argue this is handmade ).  Add a little competitiveness that runs in the blood and get ready for a no-mercy, fun-filled evening.  Unfortunately, I now Iive on the other coast from most my family, so I have not witnessed the exchange first hand in awhile.   However, on a recent trip home I snapped some pictures of an example of what comes out of these gift exchanges.  It still leaves me saying "How did you come up with that idea?". 

My aunt made her own version of a family tree and personalized just about every detail.   I don't even know what to call this family tree....except "Creative Family Tree"...with a beach theme twist.  Any ideas?  Anyway, the beach plays a large part in our family - we all love it, vacation there, and have fond memories.  So she started by making a little oceanfront 'village'.  Each section represents a different family.  She has every single person on there and a shop/deck/church/hotel is named after what that family member does for a living, hobby, etc.  We'll start with my aunt...."Joeleen's Junk & Beach Crafts".  Obviously she is crafty so its quite fitting.  I still look at this creation in awe.  She said it took them two weeks full of afternoons cutting, painting, gluing etc. 

 

So are you feeling up to making your own family tree...with a twist?  Go for it and, of course, please share.... :)

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!

Gotta Make It: T-shirt Pillow

"I'm more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal"

 

I'm definitely a t-shirt and jeans kind of gal, but there are only so many t-shirts you can hold on to.  I recently decided to go through my t-shirts to dwindle the mile-high pile of t-shirts accumulating in my closet.  You'd think it would be pretty easy if you just ask yourself these questions about each shirt:

1. When did I wear it last?
2.  Are there holes or stains?
3.  Does it fit?

I didn't find it that easy because even if I haven't worn that t-shirt for 2 years it still provided a memory of a camp, team, or event I took part in. So when Brassy Apple informed me of her summer craft series and saw the first challenge I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do something with at least one t-shirt! I've always loved the idea of the t-shirt quilts, but the amount of time I had and my novice sewing skills just didn't seem like the right match.  So instead, I took a University of Virginia Athletics T-shirt to make my son a pillow. The key was that his favorite basketball player signed the shirt on the back top, so I couldn't leave that part out :).  So instead of making  a normal square or rectangle pillow, I went with a 'real' t-shirt pillow...arms and everything!

Here's what you need to gather up:

1.  T-Shirt
2.  Sewing machine, thread, scissors, pins
3.  Pillow Stuffing

To get started:

1.  Turn your t-shirt inside out.  Place the pins as needed to get you started on the bottom of the shirt.  I folded the bottom of my t-shirt up so that it wouldn't be too long.

 

2.  Start sewing.  :)  Straight stitch along the bottom. 

 

3.  Turn the shirt right-side out.  You'll now have the bottom of the shirt sewn together with no stitches showing. 

 

4.  Sew each arm sleeve shut with a straight stitch along the seams of the shirt.

  

5.  Stuff that shirt full of pillow stuffing.  Then place pins along the neck line.  Sew a straight stitch along with current seams of the neckline.

6.  Voila!  All done. 

 

7.  Give to your Lil Man and let him enjoy! 

 

I'm always excited when Lil Man is truly ecstatic about one of my projects for him.  He loves this pillow and immediately put it to use.  And I must say, that this pillow might get used by me when the hubby is out of town.  I gave it a nice hug and it was almost like I was getting a hug back.  Not quite as good as the real thing, but definitely better than an empty bed. 

You can go to Brassy Apple on Wednesday, June 3rd  to check out all the other ideas from the T-Shirt Challenge.  I can't wait to see what people come up with! 

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!

Gotta Make It: Mod Podge Toy Tin

"Don't agonize. Organize." - Florynce Kennedy

 

Once again, the time has elapsed since I've been able to post some of the projects and ideas that cloud that little head of mine.  But with the urge for Spring Cleaning and organizing it was time to stop making the list of "what needs to be done" and actually tackle one of the projects.  As a result, I am able to cross off my first item which was turning an old Popcorn Factory tin into a toy storage bin for my son's trains and tracks. 

My husband's aunt sends us some yummy popcorn every Christmas from the Popcorn Factory...and every year the tin seems to get bigger (along with our waistline).  The tins are just too nice to throw away, but having Snow Men strutting their stuff around our house all year was just not going to fly. 

A quick trip to Wal-Mart solved that problem with some Thomas the Train fabric.  There is so much organizing to do, but it can get spendy to organize and buy storage containers for all the toys.  So my first mission is to look around the house and re-use and re-invent what we already have.  This project cost less than $10 and may even be cheaper if you use fabric and ribbon that you already have. 

MATERIALS:

Tin
Mod Podge & Foam Brushes
1 yard of fabric (s) - Add or subtract some depending on the size of your tin
Ribbon
Scissors
Glue Gun

TO DO:

1.  Measure the fabric to fit accordingly on the tin.  Leave enough excess on the bottom and top so it can be glued down underneath and on the top inside. 
2.  Use the glue gun to secure down one end of your fabric.  I drew a line with the glue gun from the bottom of the tin to the top and laid the end of the fabric there.  This secures it in place to help with the Mod Podge.
3.  Once one end of the fabric is glued, it will now stay in place while you add the Mod Podge.  Using the foam brushes, generously apply the Mod Podge to the tin.  Then lay the fabric over.  Smooth out bubbles.  Do one section at  time and repeat all the way around.  Follow the directions on the Mod Podge container for using it as a glue.
4.  Once the Mod Podge has dried underneath, apply a coat to the top of the fabric for the finish and protectant.  Let Dry.  Refer to directions on container. 
5.  I used the glue gun to attach the excess underneath the tin and on the inside of the tin for the top. 
6.  Add ribbon with glue gun if you desire.  You can also use different prints, etc. 

Enjoy rummaging through your house for old items to "makeover"!  And please do share :).

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Photo Pillow

"I love you more today than yesterday...('cause yesterday you really ticked me off)"

 

Can you believe we've survived the holiday madness of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years? It was a busy household here and as a result I didn't have much time to start projects and share them with you.  But now that the Christmas tree is down and the string of visitors is over I've had the chance to look ahead to Valentine's Day instead of waiting until the last second :).  I'm trying to get Lil Man ready for Valentine's Day hoping that it will end the pre-nap and pre-bedtime question of "Santa not coming tonight?  Christmas all done?".   Lil Man seemed interested in the finished product of this project, however not as a decorative pillow, but as a football. And it didn't stop the Santa question tonight. Luckily, it wasn't for him and it was for the hubby who still seems amazed that I sewed the pillow.  The sewing skills are finally improving :).

I've had some June Tailor Quick Fuse Iron-On Inkjet Fabric Sheets (say that 10 times fast!) for awhile and I finally had the chance to use them!  Its really simple and if you have great graphic design skills you could have a blast.  My graphic design skills are a 3 out of 10 so we stuck with the basics.  A picture with one of my favorite love sayings "I love you more today than yesterday....cause yesterday you really ticked me off".  I couldn't sum up marriages and relationships any better. 

After you design it, print the design out and iron it on.  You are done!  They had tons of ideas for these  such as pillows (you don't have to sew one yourself, just go buy an inexpensive one from Wal-Mart/Target and start from there), aprons, scrapbook covers, t-shirts, computer mouse pads, backpacks, CD covers, Banners, etc. Its definitely an easy way to get a photo or design on to your favorite accessory. 

Have fun with these!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Holiday Letters - JOY, BELIEVE, HOPE

 

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving and are now ready to get in the full blown Holiday Season!  To start off the wonderful season I wanted to introduce you to my Holiday Collection.  I currently have three letters available "JOY", "BELIEVE", and "HOPE".  I have one of each ready to ship at this time!  I can also do a custom order and mix and match designs and words.  Please check them out at MY ETSY SHOP and to purchase.

I'm currently working on an Advent Wreath that I can't wait to share with you.  I'm trying to finish it ASAP but something always seems to come up!! :)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Dollar Diva: Children's Art on Canvas

"There is no abstract art.  You must always start with something.  Afterward you can remove all traces of reality." - Pablo Picasso

 

I'm trying to find more and more creative ways to showcase Lil Man's artwork besides throwing them into a memory book.  I hit the jackpot when I went to the DollarTree and found canvases there for $1.  The size I used for these were 3 in a pack for $1  You cannot beat that and needless to say I stocked up so you'll be sure to see more canvas projects.  :)

He painted these pictures a while ago and they were sitting in the pantry waiting for a home.  Since they were 11 X 17 pieces of paper I was able to get two canvases out of one piece of paper.  I used spray adhesive to attach the art to the canvas and then used glue on the back side to fold over the edges.  I attached a photo hanger and voila!  You have instant art that could really be showcased in any room!  If you don't already have art waiting to be showcased skip the step of painting the paper and go straight to the canvas.  Your little one will feel like a true artist with his/her own blank canvas to begin with.  In fact, maybe you'll want to find your creative artist inside as well.  :)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Custom Decorated Letter - "Kaelyn" Design : Pink & Green Flowers

I couldn't wait to share this new design for the Hanging Letters with you!  This was chosen as a custom order through my Etsy shop.  She sent me an email with a picture of her daughter's crib bedding and I sent her about 6 different options to choose from.  This is the one she chose and I was ecstatic.  I had been looking at this paper every day wanting to use it and I finally had my opportunity.  This pink and green flower design is modern, yet whimsical and although it is pink and green still...they are bolder colors than the typical pastel combination.  I love it, love it, love it and hope you do too! 

To see some of my other designs head on over to http://inspiremecrafts.etsy.com and take a look around. You can also check out my photo album of hanging letters located on the right side of my website.  This is a collection of most of the letters I have done.  And of course, you can always email for a custom order and you just might get a true gem like this one. Kaelyn is one lucky girl (and what a beautiful name!).

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!   

Gotta Make It...with the Kids: Hands Down Paper Weight

"Hands Down the Best Dad Ever"

I've been trying to be better about not buying things just because I like them.  I try to make sure I have a use for it in the near future or I know exactly where I'm going to put it.  Prior to becoming a one salary family, if I liked it...I'd get it.  Pretty simple.  Its part of the shopping habits I'm trying to change to make sure we always stay within our monthly budget.  Fun stuff, huh?! 

Well, I passed the glass circle in the Michaels clearance section probably about 8 times before I decided to purchase it.  I'm not sure what it was meant for, but I knew it was a good deal.  It only took me about 4 weeks to figure out what I would do with it before I purchased it for a steal...$1. 

Lil man and I went home, dipped his hand in paint, put his paint covered hand on paper, and let it dry.  Then I placed the circle glass thing-a-ma-jigger over the paper and traced a circle.  I cut it out and inked the edges.  Then I took a gold glitter pen and wrote " 'Hands Down' the Best Dad Ever" and included the date around the outside of the hand print.  Next, I used a spray adhesive to attach the paper underneath glass.  Once it was dried, I added a couple layers of Mod Podge to protect the bottom surface. 

Now it proudly sits on daddy's desk to make sure nothing blows away :).  This gift would work for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparents Day, for Teachers, etc.  The ideas are limitless.  So continue to think out of the box when you see something for a great price.  I actually think it was meant for candles to sit on top of...but I'm not sure. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Custom Decorated Hanging Letters - Hope & Avery

Here are pictures of my latest order.  My customer ordered the Pink & Green Paisley Hanging Letter for her niece and the Polka Dot Hanging Letter for her nephew.  What a nice Aunt!  If you would like to see other designs I offer jump on over to http://inspiremecrafts.etsy.com and take a look around.  I can always change orders slightly if you want something done differently and if you want to start from scratch we can do that also.  Just let me know your color scheme, I'll email samples for you to choose from and then we'll get started. 

If the letter you need is in stock it usually takes 3-5 days before it is ready to be shipped.  If the letter is not in stock it may vary.  You can always check with me before the purchase to see if the letter is in stock and the estimated time for shipment. 

If you have any questions let me know.... inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Hanging Birthday Organizer

"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional" - Chili Davis

If judging the importance of one's friendship meant remembering birthdays, I'd be the world's worst friend.  Luckily, my friends don't hold it against me.  Every year, come January, I make that New Year's resolution to get organized and remember everyone's birthdays and anniversaries BEFORE they happen.  I'm the queen of getting the card in the mail the day after the special event (if I'm that lucky).  It's not something I'm proud of, but now its a running joke between my closest friends.  I really am trying.  I've tried calendars, which don't work because then I switch planners and the info doesn't make it to the new one.  When I worked in an office, I used our Outlook Calendar which was great, but now that I'm a stay-at-home mommy I don't use a digital planner.  I could ...but I just can't let go of my paper planner. 

So here we are to square one again.  I saw this idea in a craft store and had to take a snapshot because I knew I wouldn't get to the project for another couple of months.  The reason I love this idea is because its in plain site (depending where you hang it) and can you get any more organized? It's easy to add new names with the special day on the back, rearrange in to the date order, and you don't have to change it (like a calendar) depending on the year. 

This particular hanging birthday organizer, started with just a plain piece of wood that was painted.  Craft Warehouse sells vinyl lettering in this layout so you can easily transfer it to the wood.  Add some hooks and chipboard, put the info on, and you are set!  Take a look at it the beginning of the month, get your cards and presents ready and you'll be a changed person!

I'll be sure to share my finished version...whenever that day comes!  Hopefully before next January :). 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: ABC Scrapbook Paper Canvas Art

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see" - Henry David Thoreau

Before we get to the "How-To" of the ABC Canvas Art, let me apologize for my latest two week 'vacation'.  It wasn't my fault, I swear. :)  It kept me up until the wee hours of the morning and then had me hooked again first thing in the morning.  For two weeks I was sleep deprived and addicted.  It was all the Olympics fault!!    It's a good things the Summer Olympics are only every 4 years!

Now that I am back in reality and getting back into a normal routine, things are starting to get done.  And let me tell you...that is a good feeling!  I love crossing (or checking) something off my list.  It's such a good feeling that sometimes I add things I've already done just so I can check it off with my blue pen (has to be blue) and can actually visualize my accomplishments for the day.  My first project since my hiatus is this ABC Canvas Art.  I had to start simple, and there is no better way than this project.  I found this Scrapbook paper for 79 cents and couldn't pass it up.  I've seen art work like this that goes for $70+ and knew we could do something just as good. 

Once I had the scrapbook paper, I found a 12 x 12 canvas on sale for $4.50.  I painted the canvas blue, let it dry, sprayed adhesive to the back of the paper and then adhered it to the canvas.  Once that was dry I finished it with a protective coat.  You could use Mod Podge or I used Krylon's Spray Finish. 

So next time you fall in love with some scrapbook paper, don't assume it can only be used in scrapbooks or cards.  Make some art work for your living room, kid's room, play room, or for a gift!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Personalized Canvas

Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names..  ~Proverb

Remember how I mentioned I was going to go peruse the aisles of my favorite craft store in Washington?  Well, I finally had my chance and I brought the camera with me to share some of my favorite projects. Once again, the store did not disappoint. Here's the first one...a personalized canvas.  They took a canvas, painted it, covered it with their favorite paper, and then added the name and embellishments.  For the name they made the piece of artwork 3-dimensional by using the raised foam stickers to adhere the letters to the canvas.  Looks pretty simple, huh! 

Any child will love to have their name displayed so creatively and it can make quite the statement in their room or play space.  The artist for this one even wrote little messages about her daughter's birth and how they felt on that day.  What a precious keepsake! 

I hope this has inspired you to go grab a canvas and start letting those creative juices flow!  I can't wait to share all the other great ideas...they only get better :).

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Photo Display

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ~Eudora Welty

Blank walls.  Sometimes you love 'em and sometimes you hate 'em.  They can act as a blank slate waiting for your creative touch, yet, they can also be overwhelming and remain plain boring.  Today I wanted to share an idea I did in our house to cover up that blank wall with a creative photo wall display.  If you love photographs and having them displayed instead of stuffed away in a box, then you should consider this photo wall idea.  If you look for sales you can make this wall display for relatively little money.  It cost me about $50 for this whole display...the frames, mattes, and pictures.  That's less than a large piece of artwork!  Again...you have to watch for sales.  These are great frames and are normally $20, but Michael's had them on sale for $5!  I couldn't believe it so I immediately stocked up on them.  In my photo software at home I then did a photo finish on all the photographs to make them all the same hue.  I went to Target, printed out 8x10 photos and then added them to the frames with the photo matte.  Next you hang them up.  I'm more of a trial and error gal, but I would definitely recommend measuring everything before you hang them.  Don't take on my bad habits :(. 

Below are some other photo wall collages from Pottery Barn.  Hopefully these ideas will get your creative mind rolling and attack that blank wall with a fresh perspective. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!