Kitchen Chalkboard | DIY

In my house we have a serious spice issue. The spices are all over the place and constantly on the counter instead of in the cabinet...it drives me nuts. So I decided to make this adorable magnetic chalkboard to go above the stove that will (eventually) have spices jars on it. I purchased 6 little jars to start off with and am going to attach a magnet to the lid. When they are on the chalkboard you can write which spice it is underneath. I also liked it for hanging a recipe that you are making right above the stove. 

To make it I purchased an 11"x16" picture frame from Target. I also purchased a 12"x18" piece of sheet metal from Lowes. I then took the glass out of the frame and put it on top of the sheet metal and traced around it. I used tough kitchen shears to trim the sheet metal to the 11"x16" that I needed. 

I then sprayed the metal with Rust Oleum metal primer and then sprayed it with chalkboard paint.

I also sprayed the picture frame (which was originally black) this great teal color (my favorite color). 

I love how it looks! And maybe this will solve our spice issue (but probably not haha). 

Mmm...my fiancé is making Egglant Parmesan tonight

Paintbrush Holder

I found this adorable art tool holder on the Teresa Down Under blog and I definitely have to make one of these ASAP for my Dad. He has been asking me for a while for a nice solution for his paint brushes when he goes to paint outside and I think this would be perfect. I love that it has pockets for a sketch book too. I might have it so the tool pockets are on the inside and then maybe a long zipper that goes all along the outside and a longer strap so you could carry it like a messenger bag? Isn't it adorable?!

DIY | DOOR DESK

Good morning lovelies! ♥

I apologize for being a little M.I.A. lately. It's been a crazy, exciting time at work! I am getting the opportunity to spread my wings a little with my graphic design which is fantastic! In a about a week I will have a beautiful, amazing new 27-inch iMac on its way to my house so I wanted to build a much larger work station in my house to accommodate it. I knew I didn't want to spend too much on a desk so I decided to make my own. I decided to use a 30" x 80" flat slab interior door that I picked up at Lowes as the top of the desk (only $21!). For the sides of the desk I used [2] 35" high book cases that I got at Big Lots for only $19 each.

I decided to paint the door a silvery gray color. I used an interior, semi-gloss paint and did probably 3 coats until I was happy with the coverage. After that was dry I did a coat of glossy Rust Oleum because I wanted the top of the desk to be nice and shiny and easy to wipe off should anything spill (which I'm sure I will at some point). The gray looks great because you can still see a hint of wood texture through the paint.

The bookcases have a flat panel piece that goes on the edge of each shelf (as decoration) so I painted those the same gray color before I attached them to the shelves.

I am so happy with the result! It is a TON of room for a $60ish desk! The bookcases are great for storage and an adorable addition.


Here are some pictures of the finished product:

*Doug decided to pose in front of the desk. And that's Sam in the corner.

*I added a little clamp to the side of the bookshelf to hang my work bag on

I love that my printer fits on one of the shelves - (ignore the ugly cords and piece of cardboard under the book shelf. It was hard getting it to balance nicely on that tile. My fiancé said we need to put the cardboard under one side even though I complained that it looked ugly haha)

Fat Quarters \ Explained

I feel like I have been asked this question so many times now and it occurred to me that maybe some of you out there don't know what a Fat Quarter is either. 


I am absolutely in love with Fat Quarters and I'm sure all of you will be also. If you have every been to Joann Fabrics (which I'm sure most of you have) those little, $1.99 fabric squares in front of the bolts of quilting fabric are called Fat Quarters. 


A Fat Quarter is a quarter of a yard of fabric - but it is different than if you take one of the large rolls (called bolts) of fabric to the counter and have them cut you 1/4 of a yard. 




Fat Quarter vs Regular Quarter
Fabric on a bolt is usually folded in half before it is wrapped around the bolt, so when you unfold the fabric it is 44" long. I'm sure all of you know that there are 36" in a yard - when you take a bolt of fabric to the cutting counter and have them cut you 1/4 of a yard they will cut you a piece that is 9" wide, which will give you a long, skinny piece of fabric that is 9" x 44". 




A Fat Quarter is 1/4 of a yard of fabric that is 18" x 21" - so it is almost a square. I personally love Fat Quarters because I feel that there is more room to work with when cutting from a square, rather than a 9" wide strip of fabric. They are also so cheap (at only $1.99 and are on sale quite often) so I usually pick up a few every time I go to Joann's. You can find them in pre-packaged squares at Joann's or in pre-packaged rolls. I find that the rolls tend to be thicker fabric usually, but the selection of patterns is usually pretty limited.

I have an absolutely enormous collection of Fat Quarters at home, which is very handy for small projects like a wallet, key fob, zipper pouch, etc.

CONVERTIBLE CLUTCH / TUTORIAL

I normally try to stay in the $5 range when it comes to buying patterns online but I couldn't pass up this amazing pattern from LBG Studio for $8. How ADORBS is this bag?! 

I love how it turned out! I picked the fabric up at of my absolute favorite place to buy fabric, Stitch Cleveland. It is unreal how amazing their collection of fabric is. I love every. single. fabric. It is crazy to go in a place that is so your style that you could easily see yourself buying every single pattern. To top it off it is a mother/daughter team that owns it and they are incredibly friendly. They told me when I was in there the other day that Amy Butler and her husband are going to be there for an event in August! So you can bet I will be attending that :)

Anyways, if you have $8 to spare I would highly recommend purchasing this pattern. It was well worth it and was actually not too difficult to make. Previous to this pattern I didn't know what/how to do darting (the pleating on the bottom of the bag) and I am so glad I know how to now! It is definitely a skill I will be using again in the future!

*I was in no way compensated by LBG Studio or Stitch Cleveland for this post. Just wanted to spread the word about things I find and enjoy.

TUTORIAL ROUNDUP

Here's a roundup of some of my favorite recent tutorials:

1. Mini Boxy Makeup Bag from Say Yes to Hoboken

2. Survival Kit from Tidy Mom

3. Credit Card Wallet from My So Called Green Life

4. Hand Towel from The Creamer Chronicles

5. Bi-Fold Wallet from Modest Maven

6. Coffee Sleeve from The Cottage Home

Make-Up Bag & Coin purse

I found this great tutorial on Say Yes to Hoboken for a Make-Up bag that I just had to try! It was super simple and I love how it turned out! It's also the perfect size for a pencil pouch!

I was sewing almost all day long yesterday and this morning before work. I go through phases where I sew frantically non-stop. Then I take a break for a few days and then jump back in. Here are some pictures of my Make-Up bag and a cute, itsy-bitsy little coin purse I made. It's almost too small to even carry change but it is absolutely adorable :) Maybe it would be good for holding your earrings or small jewelry when you go on vacation? I will find a use for it!

Lanyard with Card Holder Tutorial

Side note: For those of you that were wondering from my last post about how the scotch tape on the sewing foot worked for sewing on vinyl - it worked GREAT! I can't wait to make lots of vinyl clutches now!

I was browsing around Home Depot yesterday and I found these ID badge sleeves and thought "how perfect for a lanyard!". They were only $0.99 for a 2 pack so naturally I bought 5 packs. (I found them near the keys and key rings incase you go to pick some up)

Sewing with Vinyl | Tips&Tricks

So recently I have been trying to experiment more with vinyl (clear vinyl for card pockets in wallets and faux leather for clutches) but my presser foot was sticking to the vinyl so much that it was becoming nearly impossible. I read a few places that you can put a piece of paper on top of the vinyl so it will glide through easier but then you can't see where you are sewing so that method didn't work too well for me.

I looked into buying a non-stick presser foot for my machine which is made for sewing with vinyl but I decided to research some cheaper or free options first before I take the plunge and order one online.

I found a great tip on the blog Rosy Corner Creations that suggests using scotch tape on the bottom of the presser foot to create a non-stick surface.

I can't wait to get home and try it out! I'd much rather try using scotch tape for free before I buy one online for around $20.

I'll let you guys know how it works! :)

Dog leash and collar

Here's a Dinosaur leash and collar I made my dog, Brody, today! It was actually super simple and took no time at all. I had a little trouble finding the hardware for the collar and leash so what I did is buy a very cheap collar and leash from the craft store (they were $1 each) and just cut them up to get the buckle and d-ring (the metal part on the collar where the leash hooks) off. I found the dinosaur ribbon (which my fiancé picked out) at Michael's. I can't wait to make more custom collars and leashes!

Here is the tutorial I used for making them from Sew 4 Home. It is a great tutorial and very informative! I love when tutorials use high quality, detailed photos! There is a ton of info in the tutorial and I found it very simple to follow. She even mentions at the end of the tutorial that a "green" alternative is to use hardware from an old collar and leash. It literally only took me maybe 30 minutes to make both of these. There are a ton of other great tutorials on Sew 4 Home also! There is a seat belt cover I want to make to put on Brody's harness for some extra cushioning under his arms.

The only real change I made was using a zigzag stitch (and going over it a million times) on both places you sew on the leash - but that is because Brody tends to be a little crazy pants and I felt like I needed to make sure it was reinforced really well to avoid chasing him down the street ;)

OMBRÉ HAIR | DIY

I was so excited (and nervous) to do this to my hair. I've wanted to have ombre hair color for a couple of years now - ever since I saw it on Alexa Chung. It is so easy to do and so low maintenance because it is gradual from dark to light so you don't have a straight line of color like you get when you lighten all your hair and then your roots start to grow in.

 I first asked my friend Kristine (see picture below of her hair), who is going to the Aveda institute and recently did her hair ombre, how she went about it. She recommended I watch some DIY Ombre YouTube videos, which is what she did. I went to Sally Beauty to buy my products and a ridiculously helpful woman there showed me everything I would need. I used a packet of bleach with 30 developer on the ends for about 15 minutes  and then rinsed it out. After that I did a round of Wella color (#12W Malibu Blonde) with 30 developer for 30 minutes on the ends and then added more to the middle part of my hair for 20 more minutes. After that was rinsed out my hair was a disgusting orange/brassy/yuck color so I used a Wella blue/violet toner for 30 more minutes with 20 developer. And ta-da! All done! I made sure to do a restorative mask at the end of everything to help put some moisture back in my hair. All in all it was a very easy process, especially if there is something good on TV to watch while you wait. I called my normal salon a few days ago about having this done to my hair and they wanted $150! I spent probably $35 TOTAL to do this at home - and that's including a restorative mask to put on after I bleached my hair. I love how it turned out! I'm so glad I decided to do it at home rather than paying a fortune for the same result. 

Here are some example pictures and helpful links for tutorials on how to get ombre hair at home:

Here's how my hair turned out ^

Kristine's hair

Tutorial from Britnee Can

This is the video I watched:

Enjoy! 

Grocery Bag Dispenser | DIY

Hey Everyone! So at my father's request I decided to try and make a Grocery Bag Dispenser today. I looked online and found a tutorial from The Accidental Crafter that I liked and then modified it a little. In the tutorial I looked at they used 3 different patterns but I decided I wanted to use 2 (mostly I just didn't want to cut any more fabric haha). Also, she uses a drawstring for the top of the dispenser but I decided I'd rather leave the top open wide (and just hemmed down about a half an inch). I then took a piece of fabric that matched the bottom complimentary fabric and made a simple handle that ended up being about 6 inches long. I have an old grocery bag dispenser that I use now (I have no idea where I got it but it is absolutely hideous!) so I based my modifications on that one since I have been using it for a while. I'm so glad I figured out how to make this so I can replace my ugly old one with one that I actually like! :)

Thrifty Crafting | Placemat Clutch

I previously posted about a Faux Alligator Placemat that I used to make an adorable clutch. The other day I went to World Market and was amazed at their selection of adorable placemats! I loved the patterns! And the best part? The opposite side is a complementary colored pattern that goes great with the front pattern! You literally just have to fold the bottom up about 1/3 of the way and sew along the edges! 

For the bag above I did trim it a little on the sides and added a piece of sew-in interfacing to add stability. With the placemat disassembled I also added a magnetic snap closure. I then placed the two pieces right side together and sewed along the edges leaving an opening for turning. Once it was turned right sides out I folded the bottom up 1/3 of the way and sewed the edges and topstitched the flap. I love how it turned out! I used some of the material I trimmed off to make a strap for the side so it can be used as a wristlet. 

Next time I think what I am going to do (to save time, because really this should be a super fast project that I unintentionally made longer than it needed to be by taking the placemat apart) is just fold the bottom up and sew the sides. After that I will attach the magnetic snap. Since the snap will be showing on the top of the flap I think I am going to use some complementary colored fabric to make a fabric covered button and then glue it (with E6000 glue) to the back part of the magnetic snap that will be showing on the flap. 

I definitely recommend checking out World Market for placemats if there is one near you! They also have super cute napkins that I saw on sale that would be great for little zipper pouches or small bags. If there isn't a World Market near you then you might want to check Pier One, I'm sure they have great stuff that is comparable!

Photoshop Tutorial: Picture Over Text

Pictures over text is an amazing thing I learned how to do very 

easily in Photoshop a few years ago and I've loved it ever since!

 It is so simple - I hope you guys use this process as much as I do once you see how quick it is!

TUTORIAL:

1) Open a blank Photoshop Document whatever dimensions you would like (I did 8x10 and 300 DPI). Create a text layer with whatever wording you would like. You can use whatever font you like, however, the bolder the font the better the effect. 

2) Open up whatever image file you would like placed over the text. I simply did a Google search of "Floral Pattern" and found this one that I loved. If you are getting your image from Google make sure the image is large enough so you won't have a pixelated image over your text (although in some cases that might look kind of cool). Next, click Select > All

3) With the image selected, click Edit > Copy

4) Now go back to your document with the text and click Layer > New > Layer...

5) Click "Ok"

6) With the new blank layer selected, click Edit > Paste

7) Now, while holding down the ALT key (I use a Mac, so on a Mac it is the key that says "Option" and "alt" on it), click on the line right in between the text layer and your picture layer (it is where the red arrow above is pointing). 

7.5) Now your picture layer should be "linked" to the text layer. See the bent arrow pointing down to the text layer from the picture layer?

8) And TA DA! You have the picture only visible where your text is! Didn't I tell you it was easy? You can also do the same effect over shapes - not just text. Have you ever downloaded a blog photo template that had layers that said "Place your image here"? This uses the same method. In blog photo templates the photos are only visible where the shapes are - On here the photo is only visible where the text is. 

Now go have fun trying it out! :)

It's great for creating really cool blog headers!

Here is the blog header I used for my personal Tumblr blog using this same process:

Here's another example I made:

Thrifty Crafting: Faux Alligator Clutch

I just had to share this with all of you! I was at Marshall's last night and saw this vinyl faux alligator skin placemat and thought "That would be perfect for a clutch!". They were super cheap (about $3) and came in red, black and tan. I just cut a piece of Muslin and Pellon SF101 Interfacing the same exact size as the placemat to use for the lining and fused them together (the muslin and interfacing that is). I then installed one of the internal zipper pockets that I love (like in my Braided Belt Messenger Bag Tutorial). I added some heavy weight interfacing to the top of the lining fabric for the magnetic snap. On the placemat I used my rotary cutter and ruler to trim off the edges of the placemat because they were a little thick and I wasn't sure if my machine could handle it. I then placed the placemat and the lining right sides together and sewed along all the edges leaving a 5" hole on one side for turning. Make sure you clip the corners before you turn it inside out because the material is very stiff and will make it hard to push the corners out unless you cut off some of the excess material. 

Once it was turned right side out I topstitched around the entire bag to close the opening and hold the seams down (because like I said the material is very stiff and looks a little wonky unless the seams are stitched down). Once the bag was topstitched I just folded the bottom up about 2/3 of the way and sewed along the sides. Now all I had to do was add the other magnetic snap! It was super easy!

(Incase my explanation was a little confusing, I read this tutorial on the See Kate Sew Blog a while ago and that's kind of what I was basing my design off of).

I'm going to go search all of the stores for cute placemats now!

[+] I forgot to mention, since the vinyl was thick and stiff, make sure you use a leather needle on your machine when sewing through this material. Even the leather needle had trouble going through in a couple of areas, so I think a regular needle would probably break very easily. 

My new coasters

Good Morning! As promised here are some pictures of my finished coasters from the 
DIY marble coaster tutorial from Shanty Chic. 

I love how they turned out! They are so useful and the perfect size for my fiancé and I's overside coffee mugs! One difficult part of the tutorial (actually difficult is an understatement for an impatient person like me) is gently rubbing off the paper to reveal the design after you bake them. A couple of times I would get too antsy and rub too hard and rub a portion of the design off. When you are gently rubbing off the paper what you are doing is removing the paper, but the ink from the design should be essentially stuck to the layers of Mod Podge. However, if you use too much water and rub too hard you will just rub off the layer of Mod Podge, taking the ink from the design with it. If you are a more patient person than me then you should have no problem! The results are amazing and have an aged look. Instead of the Rust-Oleum Ultimate Polyurethane with Soft Touch as listed in the tutorial I used Rust-Oleum Crystal Clear Enamel Spray as recommended by an associate at Lowes. She said it would be easier and dry faster since it is a spray and I really wanted a Glossy finish, not a Matte finish like she did in the Shanty Chic tutorial. 

The spray I used did dry really fast and the coasters are very shiny which I love! Be careful though because the smell is so overwhelming! Even spraying them outside left me with a pounding headache and feeling very lightheaded. 

When I was rubbing the paper off of the coasters (..for about an hour...) and getting frustrated because I ruined 2 of the designs my fiancé had a great idea! He recommended that I use some of my huge collection of scrapbooking paper to make the designs on them. So, I made two more coasters in which I cut out a square of scrapbooking paper the exact size of the coaster. I then painted on a thick layer of Mod Podge onto the coaster and then put the paper on top (design side up). I used an old credit card to smooth the paper down and get out any air bubbles. I then painted on 2 more layers of Mod Podge on top of the paper design, making sure that I got the sides really well and ensuring that the paper was perfectly sealed down. I let them dry overnight and then sprayed them with the Rust-Oleum Crystal Clear Enamel Spray again. They look great! 

Hope you guys like my coasters! It's definitely a fun and easy project to create custom coasters for your home!

*Felt circles on the bottom corners

Here is a picture of my scrapbooking paper coasters: