Introducing A Recurring Feature: "So You Don't Think You Can Craft"

I got this idea while watching a promo for the show "So You Think You Can Dance". If you're not familiar with it, it's the American Idol of dance competitions. This series is designed for those who don't think they are crafty or creative. Rather than put it on a set schedule, it will run whenever but will always be titled "So You Don't Think You Can Craft".

While I try to include instructions for the projects I make and feature, many of them require things that are in existing crafters toolboxes or with which they are familiar. SYDTYCC projects will use materials EVERYONE has on hand whether they think they do or not :)  So on to today's project:

Re-Purposed Gift Bag

Who doesn't need a gift bag? They're easy ways to give gifts but they can also be expensive. We get small handled  "gift bags" all over the place from Starbucks, to Department Stores, to the really nice ones my Salvation Army thrift store gives out. So I've transformed one into a bag for a present for one of my son's teachers. It's a double win because it also re-uses something I already have and if she doesn't think it's hideous, she could use it again. 

Materials Needed:

• Small handled gift bag / shopping bag
• Paper: Can be an old book, newspaper, copy paper, scrapbook paper, wrapping paper,another bag or you could use fabric
• Glue stick or other adhesive

Look at your bag's design and decide what you want to leave exposed vs what you might want to cover. Mine had a big graphic on one side and smaller text on the other:

I decided on paper flowers to decorate and these are EASY to make. They really are. 

Take your paper of choice and cut some circles. I just did mine freehand and "squiggled" the scissors in a circle. If you're uncertain about this, you can easily find different sized circular objects around the house to trace. 

Cut enough so you have 2 pieces per layer. I think adding layers makes them more sturdy so I cut three sizes of circles, 2 layers of each size.

Crumble your circles with your hands. Smoosh them ( good way to get rid of any frustration!) 

Flatten your crumbled "petals" and then glue one layer on top of the other starting with the biggest, ending with the smallest. I glued a button to the center of each of mine.

 Adhere ( I used double sided tape) to your bag:

On the side with the bigger graphic, I just tore a page big enough to cover it and then made another flower to put on top and  then another  strip the width of the bag with a flower at the top. 

That's it. You can do it!

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Ikea Meets Dollar Tree And They Make A Mirror

Craft, art, DIY supplies are like the old Lays potato chips ad...you can't have just one...of anything. And when you go places like Ikea or The Dollar Tree and you see basic things you know you can make things from, you buy them in multiples because you know if you don't, you'll make one of something and you'll be so happy with it that you'll want to make another and you don't want to have to drive to the inconvenient Ikea to get stuff. Right? OK well that's my story and I'm sticking to it and I had some stuff in my stash that I decided to play with.

Ikea regularly stocks these 10x10 plain wood mirrors. They're $2.99. I covered the wood with some carpet tape I'd bought in a ridiculously large roll. It's called Polyken 108 and you don't need it for this project. I just have been trying to use this ridiculously large roll that I  had to have when I was at a stamp show. TWO ( or maybe even three) years ago. Anway....you could use any strong double sided tape or Mod Podge your paper onto the frame, but here's my taped up frame:

You can see the ridiculously large 2 (or 3) year old roll of tape in the pic. Then I cut some scrapbook paper for the "long sides".  Yes...I know it's a square and therefore 4 even sides but you'll see what I mean because oh well here:

See? There are long sides and then short sides in the middle which I cut some scraps of handmade silver paper to fit. Hard to see in the picture but the silver pieces are two different kinds of paper which I thought added something and they were from my scrap stash and that's what I had :)


So now let's go to the Dollar Tree where I'd picked up this frame for a $1, you know, being the Dollar Tree:

I painted it black and then glued it to the mirror. I then went over it with silver Rub-n-Buff and here's the end result:

Total cost : $3.99. Still have ginormous roll of carpet tape.

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NOT Headed for Project Runway...

but my creative / thrifty /  curious/ CHEAP / re-purposing mind continues to be intrigued and inspired by all of the amazing fashion re-style projects around blogland. For example a very cool denim skirt over at The Sewing Dork  (Dork must mean talented genius in some language I don't know, because she is). It's from an old pair of jeans.  I've seen other skirts made from jeans and it's been one of those projects I've wanted to try but have been afraid cutting up jeans I paid actual money for because I am not much of a seamstress.

Thing is...those jeans I paid actual money for ( which came from one of my favorite shops Chicos...) have been sitting in my closet unworn because they're actually too big (yay!). So yes, they could have been donated to charity ( if Mr. Chocolate reads this, no I'm not cleaning out my closet today) but I decided to go for it and try to make myself a skirt. I'm not going to get better at sewing if I don't ever do it right? So here's how it went:

Using the tutorial from The Sewing Dork ( I wish I was such a Dork) I cut off the legs.

and opened the seam right under the zipper placket I re-sewed that to make the front lay flat. The next step in the tutorial uses the legs you cut off which you use to make panels to attach to the upper part of the skirt. She used two but she is taller than me. So in addition to being a sewing goddess, there's that! Being shall we say "height challenged", I only needed on leg! Evened the leg material up and sewed it together.

 

I got wrapped up in trying it on and adjusting seams ( I managed to actually take the sides in and as long as no one ever, ever, looks at the reverse side, it looks OK!) and didn't take pics during this part.  Well I really oopsed  and missed part of the seam when I was sewing the bottom panel on but I was not about to rip the whole thing apart so I did some Frankensteinish top stitching to repair it and had an "aha" moment and decided I'd just slap a flower on top of it and no one would ever know. Unless they read my blog. Then I decided the flower was lonely and made two more. Being short has its advantages...I had another leg leftover afterall!

Here's a closeup of the flowers:

 Like I said, I won't win Project Runway ( Project Run-Away maybe) but it'll do for going to Safeway!

Quick and Easy Summer Decor

Like so many of us, I like to have seasonal touches throughout the house. In the Spring, I made a 12x12 canvas that I put in the powder room and when I took it down for Summer, the place where it was looked so bare that of course I had to make another one for Summer. Right? Had to?

This was a super quick and easy project.

• 12x12 pre-stretched canvas ( I got mine on sale @ Ben Franklin for $2 or $3)
• Acrylic paint ( I used Folk Art Linen and Ceramacoat White)
• Clipart ( found mine online)
• Desktop Publishing program (I generally use  Printshop Deluxe)
• Clear label paper ( I'm in love with Avery 8665)
• Bag o shells from Michaels ($6.99 before the 40% off coupon of course!) and not the $16 bag from Pottery Barn!

Paint canvas with linen paint. Impatient people like me assist the drying process with a blow dryer.

I only did one coat because I wanted it to look aged. Dry brushed that with the white.

Using your graphics program, make a layout that you'll print on your label paper:

"Sea Shells" sounds so much better in French 

Print your images, cut out and arrange on your dried canvas. Choose some shells and glue on. Wait for glue to dry and take pictures to put on your blog because you're too impatient for the glue to set to take a picture where the canvas is actually going :)

 
Linking Up at:


 

Teacher and Grad Gifts

Just a couple of easy frames I did. One for a favorite teacher and the other for the daughter of a friend. Supplies are things I had on hand...$1 wood frames from Michaels, and scrapook paper.

Plain wooden frame ....frame painted black....use frame as a template to cut out scrapbook paper and decoupage to front of frame.

I cut out two scrapbook paper templates with coordinating papers. I knew I wanted mix up the patterns so I used one whole template and then tore the other one in half and decoupaged on top of the first one.

 

Using the paper cut out from the center of the frame template, make layered paper flowers ( I just cut a random flower shape in descending concentric layers) and then I crumpled the paper for a more dimensional effect.

Glued the flowers to the frame and added some embellishments I had on hand ( alphabet labels and buttons) and voila. Oh and see what's behind the frame? That's a sheet (196) of amazing glass tile I found at Home Depot and bought in two colors that I can't wait to play with and they were only $4 (ea)  but I digress!

The teacher gift will go with a scrapbook that the kids will present. It's fun to watch your kids grow up and know that they really do pay some attention to what you do. My son (17) came up with the idea, and told the other kids "Go to JoAnn's or Michaels and buy a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper and make a page". I'll put all the pages together in an album and made a page for the front with all of the kids names:

 

Now...off to figure out what I'm going to do with my glass tiles :) 

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I Can't Believe It's Been A Month!

Today marks my one month "blog-iversary". I had no idea what I was doing when I started ( and only slightly more now) and it's hard to believe it's already been a month, but it has been an incredible and fun experience. I have met so many wonderful bloggers and am humbled that in that month, 70 people have decided to follow my little blog. THANK YOU!

I am looking forward to continuing this journey, learning more from so many talented people out there, meeting more new people and seeing where this all leads. Thanks to everyone who has left a supportive comment and for the encouragement you've provided. Thanks to my family who have put up with me acting like I invented something every time I figure something new out.

This experience has been re-energizing at a time when I really needed that. One of the things I've learned about are blog parties and follows so it's only appropriate to participate in one today :)

Great Site, Great Ideas and a GREAT Giveaway!

Before I started my own blog, one of the places I lurked a lot was The DIY Dish . It's a wonderland of ideas run by twin sisters Kim and Kris who also have a web tv show.

About Kim and Kris:

As former elementary school teachers (they even taught in the SAME 4th grade classroom for many years!) they have always enjoyed sharing and teaching. In 2006, Kim started the popular DIY website, www.YouCanMakeThis.com. Two years later, Kris began managing the 2nd “sister site”, www.SWAKembroidery.com. And in 2009, a 3rd DIY website was added to the mix: www.YouCanQuiltThis.com.

Whether it be sewing, crafting, scrapbooking, quilting, embroidery, family projects, and more, you’ll enjoy watching The DIY Dish and participating too!

Their current episode ( they'll have a revised summer schedule ) has some projects that would make awesome Father's Day, graduation, birthday, or wedding gifts, or just to make because we make stuff!

Episode 11: Photos that Pop! Plus, Fabric-Covered Canvases

 

Because we all need another excuse to go to the hardware store :)


But the best part (even though the project ideas are pretty awesome) is that the sponsor of their show has a GIVEAWAY that no craft minded creative person I know would want to pass up a chance to enter. Check this out:

GIVEAWAY TIME!         One2One Network and YouCanMakeThis.com are giving away5 prize packages that include a $50 gift card to Michaels Crafts Stores and a $50 bundle to YouCanMakeThis.com. This giveaway is open to viewers world-wide, 18 years and older. (void where prohibited) Giveaway is open until June 7, 2010.
1.  Watch Episode 11 of “The DIY Dish” and leave a comment on their blog. Easy!
2.  Share this with others! Tell a friend, embed the video on your blog, tweet about it, share it with your friends, sewing, or craft groups…you name it! Let them know  on their blog and you have another entry.
3.  US and Canadian residents have a 3rd entry by going over to One2One Network and signing up for this free program to review products and services. Let them know on the blog and you have another entry. If you are already a part of One2One Network, they'd love to hear from you, too!  *Note: If you are a Canadian resident wishing to join One2One Network, simply email them at Contact@One2OneNetwork.com and they will put you into the system.


I'm not affiliated with any of the sites mentioned here and you don't have to be in order to enter. I am however thinking about joining One2One. Good luck!