Showing posts with label mod podge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mod podge. Show all posts

Monday, September 30, 2013

Birthday Present Idea: Card Kit In An Altered Box


Not only am I luck enough to share a birthday month with two of my oldest and bestest friends, as fate would have it, they share the same date! They both get to remind me that I am in one case, a few days older and in another, a year older, but September is our month. They also share the date with another friend of mine from work. 

Like me, one of my besties also celebrated her 32nd birthday for the 18th time. Every year when we get together to celebrate, she tells me that she re-purposes many of the cards I send her throughout the year into her own ( fabulous) cards. So I decided last year, I would make her a "card kit in a box" to include all kinds of goodies she could use to make her own cards, re-purpose mine etc. 

I started with a cigar box and for no reason other than I did, went over all of the edges with silver tape before I Mod Podged on the paper. Michaels recently had paper stacks on sale for $5 and I picked up a great one by Crate Paper in pinks, oranges, neutrals and browns. 


Since all of the papers coordinated, I just randomly chose patterns and tore pieces, used scraps did whatever felt right. Then I added some black and clear stickers in a vintage theme. 


To finish it off, I cut layers of flowers using a Tim Holtz die, and then used a scrap of the paper along with a Tim Holtz "Ornate Plate" and Glossy Accents to make a faux closure for the box. 



I filled the box with blank cards, embellishments, baker's twine and papers so she can play. I made her birthday card using some of the same papers and some KandCo 3D birthday stickers:





She and I celebrated on Saturday by going to one of my favorite places, Shipwreck Beads.  which is a creative person's candy store. Since we were celebrating a milestone birthday. I picked up these mini glittered top hats for us to wear ( and yes, we did wear them and no, I'm not showing you!) 


I used the same colors and papers to make birthday cards for my two other special birthday buddies.











Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Mod Podged Mini Dress Form Photo Prop

Mini Dress Form Photo Prop

Being a jewelry maker, I’m always looking for different ways to photograph my creations. I got this idea when I stumbled upon mini paper mache dress forms in the 2 for $3 section at Michaels.

For this project you will need:
  • Mini Paper Mache Dress Form
  • Mod Podge ( I used matte)
  • Wood Spool
  • Printed Tissue ( I used a damask print, 5 12x12 sheets to a pack by Recollections also at Michaels)
  • Coordinating Trim and Paper Flowers
Mod Podge Mini Dress Form

Cover your spool and dress form with Mod Podge; apply paper. When I’m working with tissue paper I like to “pre-scrunch” it since it’s likely to get wrinkly anyway. I find this keeps the wrinkles uniform. You can be exact and line up the patterns, or you can be me.

Damask Tissue Mini Dress Form

I trimmed the top of my spool with some leftover pom pom trim, hot glued two coordinating paper flowers to the top of the spool, glued the dress form on and DONE!

Mod Podge Dress Form Jewelry Holder

Now I have another little photo prop to use in my posts.

Dress Form Photo Prop

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Beachy and Botanical Altered Cigar Box

Altered Beach and Floral Cigar Box

I wanted something special to hold the earring and bracelet sets I shared in my previous post.

Not long ago, Mr. Chocolate came home with several empty cigar boxes for me ( and came home with MORE again this week!)  I grabbed one of them and got to work.

For this project you will need:
  • Cigar or wood box to alter
  • Paint ( I used Ceramcoat Paradise and Martha Stewart Wedding Cake)
  • Decorative papers (I used a piece of scrapbook paper and some washi paper I collect but rarely ever use)
  • Embellishments (I used botanical rub ons by K&Co, postage themed tag stickers, self adhesive copper frame, and coordinating washi tape)
  • Mod Podge
  • Clear drying dimensional glue

Altered Beach Box

I started by painting the edges of my box with the beachy blue ( Paradise). I didn't sand or remove any of the paper that's on top of the wood. I liked the texture. Just painted right over it.

Altered Beach Box Dry Brush

After that was dry, I dry brushed it with the white paint. I was going for a weathered beachy feel.

Altered Beach Box Cover

I measured my scrapbook paper ( top, bottom, and inside lid) and the washi paper ( sides) and then applied them to the box with Mod Podge. Added scraps of the washi paper to the corners of the top and then added the postal tag stickers and botanical rub-ons.

Altered Beach Box K&Co Frame

For the focal point of my box, I used the brochure from the hotel owned by the recipients. Placed an adhesive copper frame over the section I wanted to feature and added some super glue to get it really good and stuck. Trimmed using an XActo knife and filled with clear dimensional adhesive to give it a 3-D  look.

Altered Beach Box Dimensional Glue

Ooops I got a bubble in there but oh well. If you catch those before your glue is dry, you can pop them with a pin. Once the glue was dry, I superglued it to the top of the box.

Altered Beach Box Inside Lid

I finished up the box by applying the same scrapbook paper to the inside of the lid, added more washi tape and a couple more of the rub ons.

The owners of the hotel are avid gardeners so I thought beachy and  botanical worked out.

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Sunday, March 17, 2013

Vintagey "Chocolate" and Rose Egg

Faux Vintage Chocolate Egg

Of course it’s no secret that I love chocolate, and this time of year, chocolate eggs abound. This one is not edible but still delicious I think!

For this project you will need:
  • 6” plastic egg
  • Tissue paper ( not fancy, whatever comes in a bag when you buy something at the store)
  • Mod Podge
  • Acrylic craft paints ( I used a dark umber and Martha Stewart Glitter paint in “Brownstone”
  • Embellishments ( I used a scrapbook border by K&Co )
Plastic Egg

I first shared this technique in this post: Twine and Tissue Paper Egg. Tear your tissue paper into small pieces, apply to your egg using Mod Podge. Cover all over and let dry. Then paint with you choice of colors.
Martha Stewart Brownstone Glitter Paint

I like the unevenness and texture of the tissue paper. I applied one coat of the plain acrylic paint and three of the glitter paint.

Once my paint was dry, I applied a decorative scrapbook border and sealed it with some more Mod Podge.

Chocolate Rose Egg

I had some paper roses in my embellishment stash and decided to hot glue those to the top of my egg at an angle.
Crepe Paper Grass
While I was waiting for my Mod Podged border to dry, I  cut a length of  crepe paper streamer ( a roll from the $1 goes a long way!), folded it in half then in half again and cut strips of it and plopped them in an ice cream dish I found at Crate and Barrel for $1.95.

Vintage Chocolate Egg

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Altered Balsa Wood Gift Boxes

Altered Balsa Boxes

You might recognize this box style from Mr. Chocolate’s birthday. I scooped up a few of them when I got the one for him because they were just too much fun to pass up. And they were $1.

For this project you will need:
  • Balsa Boxes ( Michaels $1.50 towers...when I got mine they were on sale for $1)
  • Burlap and/or scrapbook paper
  • Mod Podge
  • Washi Tape
  • Embellishments

Printed Burlap

These will hold the girlfriend gifts I shared in my previous two posts, the Garden Lover’s necklace and White Agate Stretch bracelet.  For these, I chose some patterned burlap sold in the paper section and cut to 8.5x11 sheets. I had colors that matched each gift.

P3068179

I traced around the sides of the box and cut out pieces of the burlap . Then I Mod Podged them onto the sides.

Mod Podged Burlap

Looks like a hot mess. Dries clear. When dry, I sanded around the edges to smooth any rough edges.
Grabbed some coordinating paper scraps from my scrap stash and added those to the boxes along with coordinating washi tape and finished with some Jolee’s Boutique self adhesive buttons.

Closeup Altered Balsa Boxes

Green Burlap Box

Natural Burlap Box

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

DIY : Upscale a Dollar Store Tray (With Matching Journal)

Dollar Store Bar Ware
I might have to start calling Mr. C, Mr. B. He’s become an aficionado of small batch bourbons (not to excess!)

I don’t mind because I get all kinds of cool bottles to play with. He mentioned the other day that he saw an online bourbon journal but it only allowed 5 entries until there was a charge for it, so I decided I’d go old school and make him a hardcopy journal. He’s also into watches and time pieces, and I already had some very cool clock themed paper in my stash. Win-win since I’m working to bust some stash this year.

DIY Bar Tray Supplies

For this project you will need:
1.) Dollar Store Silver Tray ( I got mine @ Dollar Tree)
2.) Pre-made (or make your own) chipboard journal….This was on sale after Christmas at Michaels for $.25! A whole quarter. Cheaper than making my own.
3.) Coordinating charms to match your paper of choice. These were NOT on sale at Michaels but they were $2 for the pack and totally justified given the $.25 journal ( which I may or may not have purchased more than one)
4.) Embellishments. In this case I had these Tim Holtz game spinner thingies in my stash. So my total cost was $3.25.

I cut my watch themed paper to fit the inside of the tray. Applied Mod Podge to the tray, applied the paper and finished with two coats of MP.

Dollar Tree Silver Tray

Mod Podged Dollar Tree Tray

Before Christmas we saw some high end barware at Macy’s . Gorgeous, but $$.  I like my price a lot better!

Bourbon Journal and Tray

For the journal, I covered two pieces of the chipboard ( it actually comes w/ four pieces but I’ll use the other two for something else) with the watch paper on one side and some number themed paper on the other. Mod Podged these on. Went around the edges with some aluminum tape.

I had a chipboard tag in my stash which I left naked and applied a scrap of the watch paper to, then edged with black ink.  I added one of the watch charms (one of four from my $2 package so this was $.50), and an antique embossed monogram sticker I had in my stash.

Bourbon Journal and Tray

To finish off the journal, I added some of the game spinners to the watch hands on the paper.

Dollar Store Bar Ware

Just gives it a little dimension. I cut the inside pages to size from paper I had on hand, and put on the ring that came with the journal ( added some ribbon on hand just cause) and done.

So now Mr. C or Mr B or whomever I’m married to , has a place to display his current favorite find, as well as keep track of what he likes, doesn’t like, etc. about them.

Barware Tray

If adult beverages aren’t your thing, you could easily adapt this for any kind of theme from coffees / teas, flavored syrups, olive oils, balsamic vinegars or just cause you want to decorate a tray!


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