InspireMe Crafts

Gotta Make It: Martin Luther King, Jr. T-Shirt (Freezer Paper Stencil)

"I have a dream that this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. " – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

***This is a re-post from last year because it was very popular and all his teachers wanted to know where I bought this shirt.  Now I need to get to it and make one for my little man :)******

I'm smitten and, no, I'm not referring to my husband or kids today (although I am always smitten for them). Freezer paper has done it. I was a virgin to the use of freezer paper until now ….and now I just can't control myself. I'm so giddy with all these ideas for projects in every room of the house filling up this little brain of mine. I can't wait to test them out. Let's hope the boys decide to cooperate the next couple of weeks so I can share! I started this project at 7:30 pm last night after the kiddos went to bed. It took me about an hour (not including drying time). So there is time for you to do this before Martin Luther King, Jr Day on Monday.

Since I was a newbie to using Freezer paper I turned to the internet and some other crafty people for help. I got the general idea from MADE and she also has great directions. Be sure to check her out for references and support. She even shows you how to take any photo and "posterize" it so you can use it as a stencil. Or you can do as I did and go to spraypaintstencils.com and print a free stencil already prepared.

MATERIALS:

Freezer paper (with foil and plastic wrap at store)
Xacto Knife
T-shirt
Fabric Paint & brush/sponge
Iron
Cutting board, cardboard or other hard surface you don't care about
Stencil
Tape

HERE WE GO….

1. Print out stencil or create your own. Refer to MADE's instructions to make your own stencil. I cut my freezer paper to 8 ½ X 11 and taped it to a piece of regular printer paper. Then I ran it through the printer so it would print on the dull side of the freezer paper. .

   

   (oh yeah…did I forget to mention that a glass of wine is always good while doing the project J)

   The bowl is there in case you have little pieces that you will need later. In this stencil I didn't need any later to complete the photo.

2. Place your stencil on a hard cutting surface. I don't have a craft cutting board so I used some cardboard. Tape the stencil down so it doesn't move. Start with the small pieces and start cutting the stencil out. It takes a while so I suggest cut, take a sip of wine, cut, take another sip, cut, get some chocolate etc. Before you know it, your stencil will look like the one below.

 

1. Take your stencil and place it on your t-shirt with the shiny surface face down and dull side up. Iron over the stencil onto the t-shirt. Make sure you iron it really well so there is no bleeding with the paint.

   

   

 

1. Place a piece of cardboard or something else in between the front and back of the shirt to prevent any paint bleeding through to the back. Take your fabric paint and apply to stencil. Let it dry. This is always the hardest part…not to peek too early. Doing it at night helped because it was time for bed anyway.

    

   

 

1. So first thing in the morning…..

   Remove the stencil. Tada! I had the biggest grin on my face and LOVE the shirt. Luckily, Lil Man does too. Now the hubby wants one. (note…check your paint directions to see if it needs to be heat set.)

   

   

   

It's never too early to start sharing the story with your children. Although my four year old is not ready for a detailed history lesson, he does get the gist of it. His explanation to us this morning was, "When Martin Luther King, Jr was a kid, the kids with yellow hair, brown hair, and red hair were not allowed to play together. So when he got older he wanted to change that. So now all the kids can play together."

Live and support the dream and keep the conversation going…these shirts are great to remind our kids and EVERYONE the importance of treating all people equal , with respect and love, and to stand up for the injustices that we see in the world. Give your child the gift to dream and the foundation to stand up for themselves and others….share Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s story.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

 

Day 10 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Photo Editing in Picasa and Picnik

"The camera can photograph thought" – Dirk Bogarde

A camera really can photograph thoughts and here is what is going on in this rare family photo…

Me: This must be a dream. Are we really getting a family photo…with all 4 of us in it?

Hubby: IA happy wife makes for a happy life. What are the chances that this shirt is still white in 5 minutes?

Little Big Man: Uggghhh. Doesn't my mom take enough pictures already? Can't I just go play sports?

Little Man: My ear hurts. My mom has that same black thing he is holding.

For Day 10 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer Challenge I decided to finally do something with some of the photos we have. I truly am the Mamarazzi, but when it comes to doing something with the photos it usually involved saving them to a CD and then pull them out once a year to make a photo yearbook. That's it. I'm trying to come up with some new photo projects and ideas, but until then I wanted to get better at editing some photos. I decided to try Picasa because it was 1) free and 2) easy. The above photo I did with one click in Picasa's Picnik. Yes, 1 click! They have all sorts of pre-saved effects to use on photos. You can't go wrong and trust me, you do not have to be an editing pro to use it. I have no skills in that domain and I really like how the above picture turned out.

So if you have a few minutes download Picasa, pick a photograph and go play!

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!

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!

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!

Gotta Make It: Grandparent's Day Gift Box

"The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy" - Sam Levenson

Last year, I completely had a brain fart around Grandparent's Day and as a result they received nothing in the mail from their lil grandson.  And we all know who's fault that really is.  It certainly is the child's fault :).  So this year I circled, highlighted, and added arrows to Sept 7th on my calendar.  If I missed it this year, with all those reminders, then there is no hope for me.  But I am proud to say lil man and me got the gifts in the mail this morning and they are currently en route from from Virginia to Washington State. 

I could do flowers or spa days but we're on a budget and to be honest they would probably be surprised if I didn't send something corny and cheesy in the mail.  I would never want to let anyone down so we'll keep with the cheesy theme.

I started with these white boxes from the craft store. You get 3 in a pack and they are only around $2...can't beat that.  Then on the bottom of their own box of treats, I put these cute Grandmother and Grandfather stickers that list the ingredients, cautions and directions of grandparents.  If you are a total freak you could decorate these boxes so adorably...but I went with the bare minimums, which I think still turned out ok.  Do what you can.

Now, let's take a look inside of our grandparent box of treats and see what cheesiness lies ahead for them.

Here are the contents:

1.  PHOTO MAGNET:  Found a picture we liked, cut it to the size of a square piece of chipboard, adhered the picture to the chipboard with spray adhesive, added stars (lil man's idea!) for some bling, and then glued strong magnets to the back of the chipboard.  I then placed it on the top of everything else in the box so that the picture of us is visible through the clear portion of the gift box.

2.  LIPS:  I found some candy lips and we attached a piece of paper with ribbon that read "A Kiss from Me to You".

3.  DUM-DUM SUCKERS:  My son picked out these suckers when we were at the store so I decided to throw some in.  We attached a piece of paper with ribbon to the sucker that said "I'm no 'Dum-Dum', I know I have the best Nana ever".  See, cheesy...and I love it!

4.  MINI RULER:  Again, my son actually started playing with these in the store when I realized that I could come up with another cheesy saying to add.  We wrote on the back of the ruler, "No one measures up to my Nana".

5.  FIRST PLACE TROPHY:  At the DollarTree you can get four mini trophies in a pack.  Each grandparent got one that said "#1 Nana" , "#1 Papa", etc.

6.   WERTHER'S ORIGINAL:  Everytime I see or have a Werther's I think grandparents...so we threw them in.

7.  LOVE MARBLES:  At the DollarTree we came across these pretty marbles that each have different words on them like "Love", "Faith", "Hope", etc.  You get 4 in a pack.  We threw a couple into each box making sure they each got one that said love.

8.  CARD:  Included with the box was a one-of-a-kind designed card by their grandson..signed and everything! 

I wish their grandson could be with them on Grandparent's Day, but I hope a box full of cheesy treats will bring a smile to their face instead!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Travel Magnetic Checkers & Tic-Tac-Toe Game

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.  ~Susan Heller

I never thought traveling in our family van would be one of my fond memories of childhood when I grew up.  Being stuck in a car with four siblings for 4+ hours isn't exactly a day at the beach.  Between the bickering and the every 5-minute check of "are we there yet?", I'm not sure how my parents didn't pull their hair out or pull over and let us hop on out and walk the rest of the way.  However, I do remember all the popular car games we would play or even the ones we would make up.  Do you remember I Spy, The License Plate game,  Slug Bug,  20 Questions, Rock-Paper-Scissors, and all the others games to make time pass?  Now the biggest bickering is between what video to put in the travel DVD player.  I'm not ready to toss out the travel DVD player yet, but I am ready for some variety for the car rides. 

My son isn't quite old enough for this one yet, but plenty of others will benefit from this Travel Magnetic Checkers & Tic-Tac-Toe game made from a Baking Pan!!!  The best part is yet to come. If your kids are always in your hair while you're trying to get the family ready, have them make this themselves.  It'll keep them occupied before and during your car trip!  Plus, because of its magnetic playing pieces you'll be sure not to lose any pieces when you make that sharp turn. You probably thought I was done with the good news, but there's still more!  You can create this magnetic game board from materials (mostly) purchased at the DollarTree! 

MATERIALS:

8X8 Baking Pan
24 Magnetic Pieces
Paint
Ribbon
Photo Paper
Glue
Spray Finish
Circle stencil
Mesh or ziploc bag
Scissors, Ruler, Pencil

HOW-TO:

1.  Turn your 8x8 baking pan upside down.  Measure 1-inch squares vertically and horizantally so you have 64 1-inch squares.  Pencil in the grid.
2.  Paint every other square and then alternate the next row.  Refer to a picture of a checkerboard if confused.  Let dry.
3.  While the game board is drying,  size 12 pictures of each player to match the size of the magnet game pieces.  Have game pieces for each player of the family or use different colors.  Then choose 2 different types of crowns from clip art.  Size 12 of each crown design to fit the magnet pieces.  I was able to get them all onto one page.  Print the paper and let dry. 
4. Using your circle stencil that corresponds with the size of your magnetic game pieces, trace the circle around each picture and crown.  Cut out all the pieces. You should have 12 Player 1, 12 Player 2, 12 Crown 1, and 12 Crown 2. 
5.  Using the glue apply the pictures of Player 1 to the first 12 magnetic pieces.  Let dry.  On the other side, apply the pictures of Crown 1.  Repeat with the other 12 magnets for Player 2 and Crown 2.  Let dry.
6. If your paint is dry apply a spray finish.  Let dry. 
7.  Add any ribbon or embellishments to the outside of the baking pan.
8.  Flip the baking pan right side up.  Cut 4 equal pieces of ribbon.  Glue on the ribbon in a Tic-Tac-Toe pattern.  Use your picture pieces as game pieces for tic-tac-toe. 
9. Glue on a mesh bag or ziploc bag to the inside side to store the pieces for safe keeping while not using.

Voila!   You have a fun project and game for those car -rides that will keep your kids occupied and hopefully make a more enjoyable and carefree car ride.  To test your older kids math skills, ask them how many squares are on a checkerboard....don't be too quick to answer! 

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!

Gotta Make It: Bottle Cap Photo Magnets

A fine beer may be judged with just one sip, but it's better to be thoroughly sure. -- Old Czech Proverb

It's quite ironic that I just happen to be posting this project tonight.   You know those days where you know you love your kids more than anything, but sometimes you just don't love being with them ALL day?!?  I had one of those today. To top it off, the little rascal has a sixth sense and always knows when I am having one of those days.  So what does he do?  He pushes all the wrong buttons all day and all night until I'm ready for a nice cold beer after he goes to bed. So here I am, sipping my beer and sharing my Bottle Cap Photo Magnet project with you while I try to unwind and prepare myself for a better day tomorrow. 

I've got tons of bottle caps...not because my son is always making me want to drink, but because nothing beats a nice cold beer.  I've been saving the bottle caps in a jar just waiting for the right project. The other day I ran out of refrigerator magnets for all the beautiful works of art from the Little Man, so I decided it was time to put those bottle caps to use. 

MATERIALS:

Bottle Caps
Pictures
Glue
Pen
Circle Stencil
Magnets

HOW-TO:

1.  Using a circle stencil (I have one with all different size circles and I always use it...good investment!) measure what size picture would work best in your bottle cap. 
2.  Size the pictures on your computer to fit your bottle cap. 
3.  Print the pictures
4.  Using your stencil, place it on top of the picture and trace the circle.  Cut out.
5.  Glue your photo into the inside of your bottle cap.
6.  On the back, using a strong adhesive like Krazy Glue, adhere the magnet to the bottle cap. 
7.  Voila!  You are done. 

Don't want to use photos?  How about some leftover scrapbook paper!?!  Enjoy this green-friendly project (we are RE-USING the bottle caps) and display photos of the little munchkin that sometimes just makes you crave that cold beer and hope for a new beginning tomorrow!  :)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Tutu Canvas Frame

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body" - Martha Graham

I'll always have a soft spot for things related to ballet since most of my life has been devoted to either dancing or teaching ballet.  For as long as I can remember, I was always in the studio dancing.  And now...I'm teaching those little girls with the same dreams.  Who knew that some pink tulle could be such a treat.  A tutu to a young girl is the most precious thing and every parent wants to capture that joy.  I could not think of a better way to do it than artist Makyla Iverson's, Tutu Canvas Frame.  I mean seriously....can you get any cuter and creative?!? You can find the How-To's on HGTV.com where she was featured on "That's Clever!" or if you want to make sure it is perfect you can purchase it from her website at Canvas Diva Designs .   Go check out her site and see all the various designs she offers for sports, graduations, holidays, etc. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: ABC Book

"Why is the alphabet in that order?  Is it because of that song?  The guy who wrote that song wrote everything" - Stephen Wright

I'm use to the summers being the time where we spend all day at the pool or run around in the backyard until its dinner time.  That was back on the West Coast, where it still got hot, but no humidity.  We got a taste of the East Coast humidity and heat for the last few days and lets just say it was not fun!  I felt like we were stuck inside just like winter time. I knew it was bad when I took Lil Man to the basketball court thinking we were getting out early enough to beat the really bad heat, and all he wanted to do was drink some water, turn around and go home.  That is not like Lil Man!  Nothing stops him from playing basketball...well, until the humidity and heat kicked in.  Luckily its cooled down and we are actually going to head to the pool soon.  But for those hot days we needed a project to do. 

Since the little man seems to be at his curiosity prime and also seems to be the most vain lil man I know right now, we thought his very own ABC book would be perfect.  He loves to look at pictures of himself (and take them), he's learning his ABC's, and it'll keep us busy on those too hot to go outside days. 

I started by making the actual book, by purchasing a 4X6 photo album from the DollarTree and covering it with some adorable ABC fabric I had.  You just need some hot glue and scissors and start covering away. On the inside of the book, I cut out a piece of paper to cover where the fabric folded over.  Then we took some scrap paper and cut 4x6 rectangles for the background on the alphabet pages.  Next I used my Cricut to cut out each letter in the alphabet, but you could use stickers, or if your child is old enough they could cut out letters from magazines.  Now comes the fun part.  With your child, go around taking pictures of things that start with the letters.  Download them to your computer, print, cut, and enter into the book.  He's been having a blast with this and the great thing is that you can spread the work out.  We've only gotten to 'C' so far.  Tomorrow, we'll do a few more and so on and so on until he has a completed book and knows his ABC's! 

8 Reasons You Need to do the Project.....

1.  You get to use that scrap paper you've been holding onto
2.  Your kids will have a blast on their scavenger hunt for 'letters'
3.  Its a great memory keeper
4.  Your kids will have fun and learn at the same time
5.  Great for really hot days (or cold ones)
6.  Its a gradual project and dad can do it too!
7.  Inexpensive
8.  I'm sure there are lots more...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Photo Block Puzzle

"The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity"  - Doug Horton

I love coming up with new ways to display all the pictures of our family.  This project was done last year when I made my parents this photo block puzzle of their grandson.  It is a wonderful and creative way to share memories with everyone and test their puzzle skills at the same time!  Plus, instead of just getting one puzzle, you actually can get up to 6!  My mom has it on her coffee table and you'll be amazed at the people who actually give it a try.  Its an easy project, however, be prepared to give it some time. I'm going to give you the detailed how-to for the actual puzzle, not the box.  However, don't forget to give those puzzle solvers a little help by providing pictures of the different puzzles on the front. :)

This puzzle measures 6 x 6 inches.  Each block I chose was 1.5 inches on each side.  The blocks come in various sizes and you, of course, can essentially choose your own size and number of blocks for your puzzle.  I'll give you the materials for the size of puzzle I chose to do.

MATERIALS:

16 - 1.5 inch wooden blocks
Black craft paint, Sponge brush
Mod Podge, sponge brush
Spray Adhesive
Ruler
Scissors
Up to 6 pictures printed on your computer

HOW-TO:

1. Paint all 16 blocks black, on all 6 sides.  Let dry.

2.  Choose your pictures that you will use for your project.  Re-size them to 6 X 6 in.  Print your pictures and let them completely dry.  Cut the pictures out along the edges.  TIPS:  When choosing your pictures, try to choose close-ups or ones that won't be too hard to solve.  Once you print it out, imagine where it would be cut into squares and make sure their are distinguishing marks that will allow your solver to put the clues together. 

3.  Turn your picture over.  On the back, using your ruler, start to mark the measurements of where you are going to cut.  Put a mark every 1.5 inches along the top and bottom, and then every 1.5 inches along each side.  Connect the dots using a straight edge to give you your grid.  Use a scrapbook paper cutter or scissors to cut along the lines.  TIP:  I wanted to see the finished puzzle and wanted to apply them in order so I put a number from 1-16 in each box on the grid on the back of the paper to help me keep them in order when applying in case they got mixed up.  Repeat with all other pictures.  I chose to only do 4 pictures and one note with stickers that read "I luv nana and papa" and then left the last side black. 

4.  Using your spray adhesive start to apply each picture square to the wooden block.  Do all 16 squares of the picture.  After you finish one picture move on to the next.  Complete all 6 sides.  Then allow to completely dry and adhere so no bubbles will pop up when you mod podge.  Read your spray adhesives directions to find the time. 

5.  Next, using your sponge brush, mod podge over each photo square.  Be careful to not have the blocks touching when you are having them dry so that they don't stick.  Again, do all 16 of one side, let dry, and do another side.  You most likely will have to do at least 2-3 coats of mod podge.  This is the time consuming part!

6.  You're done!  While your blocks are drying you can work on your box.

I really hope you enjoyed this idea, because it really is a keeper! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Photo Puzzle #2

"Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children." - Sam Levenson

If you liked yesterday's photo puzzle, then check out this alternative idea - The Photo Puzzle Collage Book (that's a long name!).  This version is a little more my style....let me explain.  If you aren't quite the perfectionist you wish you were, then make this version. Since I made this with the traced puzzle pieces it was doomed to not fit together perfectly.  Doing it this way is quicker and you don't have to worry about cutting and tracing everything just perfectly like idea #1.  Both are cute ideas so it just depends on your time and whether or not you are a complete perfectionist.  If you are a perfectionist...please come clean my house!

MATERIALS

Scrapbook puzzle or regular puzzle
Paper
Pictures
Glue, Scissor
Ribbon
Hole Punch
Brad

HOW-TO

1.  Print out photos to size.
2.  Trace puzzle pieces onto various photos.
3.  Cut out photos.
4.  Adhere photo to puzzle piece.
5.  Decorate front 'page'.
6.  Punch hole in approximately the same spot on every puzzle piece. 
7.  Stick brad through all the pieces.  Close brad on back.
8.  Voila!  An adorable photo puzzle collage for mother's day. 

I hope you are starting to get ideas for Mother's Day!  It's just around the corner and I really hope you are able to create something beautiful for her. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Photo Puzzle #1

"A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after."  - Peter De Vries

I've had some puzzle pieces for awhile just waiting for the right project.  Luckily it came just in time for Mother's Day. I made two versions of this - one is an actual puzzle you can put together (today's project) and the other is more of a photo collage book (tomorrow's project). 

Before you start, be sure to trace the puzzle pieces.  I purchased mine at a craft store.  If you trace them, then you can use them over and over without purchasing them every time.  Use the back of a notepad for a heavier paper/cardboard.  Can't find the scrapbook puzzle pieces at the craft store? Go to the DollarTree and find a puzzle from there that you can use. 

MATERIALS:
Scrapbook puzzle or regular puzzle
Paper
Pictures
Glue, Scissor
Mod Podge

HOW-TO:

1.  I simply started with a piece of scrapbook paper. 
2.  Adhere photos and a message. 
3.  Turn over the scrapbook paper and trace the puzzle pieces onto the back.
4.  Cut out paper puzzle pieces. 
5.  Adhere paper pieces to puzzle.  Cut off any excess paper. 
6.  Finish with Mod Podge. Be careful it doesn't drip onto sides because it will make it harder to put the puzzle together.
7.  I then packaged mine together with all the pieces on top of each other, wrapped in ribbon, with a "Happy Mother's Day" note. 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's second puzzle idea!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Silhouette Photo

"Grow old with me.  The best is yet to be..."

Wednesday was our 3rd Wedding Anniversary and its so hard to believe!  Life has been crazy since then living in 3 different states and having the little man who has also lived in 3 different states.  But to be honest, I don't think I would have it any other way.  Well, I actually take that back.  I would have someone unpack EVERYTHING for me next time. 

As a gift, I made this silhouette picture for my hubby out of a picture from our first dance.  Truth be told, this 'anniversary gift' was probably more for me than him...but he was a good sport and still seemed to appreciate it.  He knows I get a high off of this stuff and has never complained about my trips to the craft store or the DollarTree - unless I drag him along with me...then he complains! 

I found this adorable damask frame at Target a while ago on sale for only $2!  You can't pass that up and it was just waiting to be filled.  Here's the easy how-to and materials list...

MATERIALS

Frame
Picture
Cardstock - silhouette, accents, and background
Embellishments - sparkles, ribbon, quotes
Small scissors, spray adhesive, glue

HOW-TO

1.  Print a picture out that you want to use as your silhouette.  If the picture is not okay reversed, then remember to choose the 'Mirror Image' option on your print settings. 

2. Adhere the picture to the cardstock with glue.  I used black paper and a spray adhesive.

3.  Using small scissors cut out the picture. Flip over to see the silhouette.

4.  Add any embellishments.  I cut out a dress and veil from ivory cardstock and added some 'bling' with sparkles.

5.  Adhere the silhouette to a background piece of paper. I chose a red to go with our room and it was also one of the colors in our wedding.

6.  Then I added a quote at the bottom from a quote sticker stack I had. 

7.  Put in frame and give as the perfect homemade gift. 

Its really easy, I promise.  It just takes some time finding pictures that would make a good silhouette and a steady hand while you cut!  Enjoy.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Photo Ornaments

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away".

Trying to find time to experiment with glass ornaments was not as easy as I thought. Between baking for holiday parties, chasing around my son, trying to keep our house from looking like a tornado zone, and getting ready for guests it was luck if I could squeeze some time in when my son was napping or sleeping.  But thankfully I did because I like how our ornaments turned out...and enjoyed the laughs of the ones that didn't stand a chance. Its a good thing that I had a couple packs because for the four that are actually presentable there were another 5 that weren't.  Don't worry....I'll be sure to share the failures so you can either give me advice or steer clear of my ah-ha moments that were really 'duh -that won't work' moments.

So lets get started with some of the things you'll need:

MATERIALS:

glass ornaments (I had normal round ones and a pack that were flatter on the front and back so its easier to decorate)

matte photo paper and your favorite photos

glitter (I used Martha Stewart glitter and loved it!  The colors are gorgeous and the pictures don't do them the justice.  Worth the extra money)

Spray Adhesive

Krazy Glue

Pen

Round Stickers or blank photo paper/cardstock to cut out circle

tweezers/pliers/wood skewer

ribbon

embellishments

beads/wire

HOW TO:

These directions are for the three ornaments with the picture.  I used the flatter glass ornament on all three of these.

For the beaded ornament I simply applied spray adhesive to a round glass ornament.  I then applied my glitter and shook off the excess.  I took a piece of wire, twisted one end, and added all the gold beads.  I then attached the wire to the top of the ornament by twisting the wire.  I coiled the beaded wire around my finger to give it the spiral effect and then hung it!

So now to the good stuff...the failures.  First failure.  I put stickers spelling "Love" onto the ornament.  Then I applied embossing ink around the ornament and sprinkled the embossing powder on.  Do you see where I am going with this?  If you are familiar with embossing then you know that the next step is to apply very HOT heat.  Well, I guess I forgot my 4th grade science when they teach you that glass is a heat conduit and will quickly burn your fingers...not good.  My thought was to have an embossed ornament and then remove the "LOVE" stickers so that it was clear there.  Not one of my brighter moments.  Failure #2.  I tried the same general idea as above, but just used glitter.  When I removed the stickers, I could hardly tell what it said and it just didn't have the effect I was looking for.  Failure #3.  I cut out a snowflake to use as my cutout around my picture.  I held it over the picture ornament and sprayed the fake snow stuff.  I'm not familiar with the snow stuff....but I found out that it didn't really dry.  As a result...just a complete mess.  Plus when I removed my snowflake cutout, you couldn't even tell what it was.  It would have been neat, but I guess I need more of a froster rather than a fake snow spray.

There you have it...those are some of the best failures.  I am really glad that I took the time to do these ornaments because they really did add that special touch to our tree full of store bought ornaments.  Make  sure you stay tuned because I will have some ornament ideas in the next couple of ideas that you can do with your kids and you don't need the glass ornaments!

If you have any ornament ideas, I would love to hear them and see picture!  Email me at inspiremecraft@yahoo.com

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!!

Gotta Make It: Photo Gift Tags

"Every time we love, every time we give, its Christmas"

You'll be so proud of me...we got most of our holiday shopping done this weekend and I even got the presents wrapped.  Although, in the midst of wrapping I realized that my gift tags looked so TACKY!  I went the old school route of using wrapping paper scraps to fold in half, write the name, and slap it onto the present.  And to be honest....writing three names in the "from" portion is just so much more work than one!  So that little brain of mine went to work and came up with the photo gift tag.  The photo gift tags make your gifts so adorable and it took me about 10 minutes to make 15....that is so worth it!  Luckily, I had some of the luggage tags that I love so much.  You might recall that I used them in the Thanksgiving banner (which making one that says Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Peace, Hope, Joy, etc....would be adorable).  So I measured the luggage tag and sized my picture appropriately on the computer.  Use copy and paste to put as many as you can on a page and then print a few pages. I then took my luggage tag and traced the shape around the picture.  I cut out the picture and used spray adhesive to attach it to the luggage tag.  I used the hole from the luggage tag as my guide to punch a hole in the picture, ran my ribbon through it, wrote who the present is for on the back and voila!....you have an absolutely adorable DIY photo gift tag that will not only save you writing who the present is from, but will be a great keepsake for that special gift recipient!

I hope you enjoy the idea and ...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!!!!

Gotta Make It: Photo Magnets and Decorated Tins

"Christmas is not in the presents, but in the presence"

Our kitchen table is officially a disaster zone.  I decided I couldn't procrastinate any longer on getting all the presents made if I wanted any chance of being at the post office less than an hour.  I'm not sure if that is possible this time of the year, but I am sure going to try.  So if you are like me and both sides of your family are huge and leave you a zillion aunts, uncles, and cousins to think about for Christmas presents than this is the perfect gift for you to make!  Its inexpensive and relatively quick!

Go to your local craft store and pick up the following:

Small tins (like the Altoid tins) or Already decorated tins (I found the tin in the 3rd picture at the Dollar Tree)
Instant Krazy Glue - Brush On (trust me...the others don't work)
Magnets (I used ProMag - they come in various sizes and are circular)
Clear Marble Accents with a flat side (make sure they are clear.  The best ones I found were at the Dollar Tree....better price and clearer than the ones at Michaels)
Circle Punch or Circle stencil
Favorite Paper, Accents, and Ribbon
Favorite pictures, photo paper, etc

Ok- so now that you have all the supplies lets get going on the How-To's.

1. Using your circle punch or stencil cut out your favorite photos or designs from paper.  (Note:  I glued a plain piece of photo paper to the back of my picture and scrapbook paper to make it thicker and so you wouldn't see the magnet.)

2.  Using the Krazy Glue Brush, apply the glue to the flat side of the marble.  Quickly apply the picture face down to the marble.  This next step is key:  Press down firmly for 30 seconds with your thumb and fingers.  You want to make sure the glue spreads out and that you don't have any bubbles.  I had quite a few that I had to toss because I wasn't doing this step well enough.  You might want to have nail polish remover (to unglue you) near you because this glue is strong and there were a couple of times I thought I glued my fingers together....ooops!

3.  After letting the picture and marble dry for a couple of minutes, take the magnet and apply the Krazy Glue to one side.  Then attach that magnet to the back of the marble.  Hold firmly for 30 seconds and let it set for a couple more minutes.

4.  Voila!  Your magnets are done.

5.  Now decorate your tin. I used spray adhesive to attach my paper to the tin and then Mod Podged the top (I did a couple coats).  I added some ribbon around the bottom of the tin and some embellishments.

6.  Place the magnets in the tin and you have completed one of your gifts...good for you!

Like I mentioned before, if you want to make this a quick present you can find some cute tins at the Dollar Tree.  I purchased the "Paris" tin from there and decided to go with that theme for the magnets so I just used leftover black and white scrapbook paper.  I also used scrapbook paper for the wine magnets and then created my own photos and "I love U" magnets in Microsoft Word.

I hope this idea gets you moving on getting those Christmas gifts all done.  This would make a great stocking stuffer along with presents for all those extended relatives and friends!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Footprint Resin Wall Art

"Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your kids"

It's now that time to start planning the Christmas gifts you need to make!  I made these resin pictures last year for grandparents, aunts & uncles, Godparents, etc.

The items needed:  wood from craft store, paper, glue, resin (found in your craft store usually with all the different glues), ribbon, scissors, paint

First layout some newspaper on the floor and have pre-cut pieces of scrapbook paper ready to put the footprint on.  Grab your child, paint their foot, and start stampin away on the paper.  Make extras because some won't turn out as good as others and its always nice to have choices!  Don't forget to have cleanup rags damp and ready to go!

Then I took a piece of wood that I found at the craft store for about $2.  I chose my favorite paper and pictures.  I chose a paint color that coordinates with the paper and painted the wood.  Let it dry.  Then use a spray adhesive to apply  your paper and pictures to the wood.

Next lay out some newspaper and find a cardboard box top.  Place the empty resin box in the middle of the cardboard box top (edges facing up).  Place the wood picture on top of the empty resin box (this raises it up from the box and prevents it from sticking to it when the resin pours off).  Then mix the resin according to the directions that come with it.  Pour the resin over the picture and spread evenly.  The directions say to blow on it to get rid of the bubbles, but  I found that a hairdryer on low works better.  That way you don't have to inhale all the fumes...they are nasty!  The resin is going to drip off the sides and thats why the cardboard box is good to have.  Once in a while I will take scrap piece of wood or paper and scrape around the edges so it doesn't leave drip bumps.  Let it dry as directions instruct.

When its all dry attach ribbon to the back and voila!  You have a great personal piece of art that is great for grandparents or even for your own house! The project takes a little work, but if you do them all together it goes pretty quickly.  Plus the result is well worth it!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Christmas Ornament & Magnet

"Marriage requires falling in love many times...Always with the same person"

Ok - this is one of my favorite projects lately.  It really did turn out beautiful.  This creative handmade picture ornament is for a wedding gift for our friends.  It has two different purposes.  First, since they are having a winter wedding I decided it would be nice to make them a Christmas ornament for their first Christmas tree together.  And second, I put a magnet on the back so if they want to enjoy it all year round they can put it on their refrigerator.  The magnet also has another purpose... of course!  It holds the actual ornament in place since the container is a tin.  Ok ...this is how we did it.

You'll need:  your favorite paper, tin, ribbon, circle stickers, frame embellishment, stick-on magnet, and any other embellishments, glitter, etc that you might use.  I found everything at a Seattle boutique last time I was home called Packaging Specialties.  It is an absolutely wondeful store and I wish I had one where I live now.

1.  Find some paper and embellishments you love. I've had this beautiful gold and baby blue paper forever waiting for the right project and I finally found it!

2.  Using a plain piece of card stock I traced the bottom of the tin for a template.  I cut out the template and placed it inside the tin to make sure it was the correct size.

3.  Take the template, trace, and cut out two of them on your favorite paper.  ( You could skip the template part if you're only making one, but since I am going to make some for Christmas gifts I decided to use a template to save me time)

4.  Mod Podge one piece of paper to the inside of the bottom part of the tin.  Set aside and let dry.  Mod Podge the second piece of paper to the top outer part and set aside to dry.

5.  Find a ribbon that compliments your design, cut to size, and attach to top of tin. Do another layer of ModPodge and let dry.

6.  Take your circle sticker and stick it on top of the ribbon once the Mod Podge has dried.

7.  Place an embellishment in the middle of the circle.  You could also run the stickers through the printer and make your own design if you are savvy with the computer.

8.  On the inside sticker I used a stamp, embossing ink & powder, and an embossing heater to get the raised gold look of "happily ever after...". Again, you could use your computer or any embellishment there as well.

9.  Find your favorite photo.  Size to fit inside the frame embellishment (these can be found in your scrapbook embellishments section at your craft store).

10.  Tape the photo to the mini-frame on the back.

11.  Take your ribbon that matches the front and glue it to the frame.

12.  Then take a magnet and cut it to size.  I bought some that are business card size and you just remove the protective sticker and then stick it to your item.  They worked great!

13.  Put your ornament into the tin and the magnet will keep it in place.

14. Voila!  All done.

I love this idea because you could use it for almost anything.  For a baby gift or a baby announcement, you could put their picture in it and then on the inside circle sticker you could put their birth weight, height, etc.  This would also be a beatiful and unique wedding favor that would have all your guests talking.  So have fun with this one....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Have It: Picture Postcards

The postal service delivers mail six days a week to nearly 140 million addresses.  Every year this number increases by 2 million.  - Joe Baca      WOW!!!

.......

I love these photo postcards!  I found them at Wal-Mart in the photo paper & accessories section.  You get 8 in a package for $1.77....you can't beat that!    Print your favorite photo at a photo kiosk and then stick it to the self-adhesive front, fill-out the back with your personal message and mail!  It is so easy and everyone always loves to get a surprise postcard.  I use it to send out pictures of our son to family and friends since we live on the other side of the country from them :(.  This is sure to put a smile on anyone's face when they open up their mailbox and it is so quick and easy!

Gotta Make It: Halloween Photo Block

"True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about, but few have seen." - Unknown

Is it really the middle of October already?  I can't believe Halloween is just around the corner.  But even scarier I saw someone with Christmas lights up.  What are they thinking?  Please, everybody.....one holiday at a time!  My mind can't think that far ahead yet.  I'm already tired just thinking about it so here we go with today's inspiration!  All you need is a wooden block and you can go from there.  This is what I started tonight....

I love these wooden blocks...there are endless possibilities!  The one I used for this halloween block is about 3.5 in.  You will see lots of ideas in the future with these blocks...and they only get better!  I started by painting the base black and then used Mod Podge to attach the paper and pictures.  I used one cube and each year I add a picture of my son's halloween costume.  I haven't finished the embelishments yet, but you get the idea.  So go have fun and send me a picture if you decide to make one!  Be inspired and get creative!