Pottery Barn Merry Christmas Knockoff

I think I’m one of the last people in the world or at least in the blogosphere who doesn’t decorate for Christmas until December. The first weekend in December has always been our tradition. Of course that doesn’t mean I don’t work on some things before that!

Everyone’s favorite place to find knock off ideas, Pottery Barn, had this very cool and very expensive “Merry Christmas” sign. I think it was $99 and it’s also no longer available.

Loved everything about it except did I mention the price and that it’s no longer available? And theirs was 30x30 which would have been too big anyway.

So, doing what all creative bloggers do, I went looking to see if any like minded creative types had already created a printable and voila, Kristy from The Diary of Dave’s Wife had done just that.  Because she’s awesome you can get the printable from her for free and she’s also got a project idea you should check out.  Thank you Kristy!

For my version you will need:

• 12x12 frame  (re-purposed one I had on hand)
• Red craft paints ( I used red and glitter red by Martha Stewart)
• Printable
• 12x12 black scrapbook paper
• Chalk

I started with my plain frame:

and gave it a couple of coats of flat red and a couple of coats of the glitter red paints.

I don’t have a 12x12 printer (and was too impatient to send the printable somewhere that prints 12x12 prints) so I sized it as big as I could (8.5x8.5) and printed it out. Still, I needed to fill my 12x12 frame so lightbulb moment, mounted it on some 12x12 scrapbook paper. To make it blend, I chalked up the black scrapbook paper background:

Just rubbed a piece of chalk all over like you would to prime a chalkboard.  Then I trimmed my printable and did the same thing to it:

Centered and taped it to my primed background and done and done.

Cost to me: $0. I like my price!

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Chic on A Shoestring

BFF Open House Link Party #186

Welcome to the post turkey naptime edition of the BFF Open House. Hoping everyone had a fabulous feast, and those of you braving the crowds tomorrow are well rested and fortified. 

We are in full on December holiday mode now. Here are some features from last week's party. 

I want this chair that Artsy Va Va made over. I wanted the chair it was before she made it into a Christmas chair. I love everything from the ornaments to the shabby chic goodness of the legs and arms! 

Loving this woodland wreath from Made In A Day using embroidery hoops. 

For a new twist on snowglobes made from jars, put a car in it. Visit 24 Cottonwood Lane for the details. 

Gather miscellaneous votives or jars and tie them together with gold leaf to make a festive display perfect for Christmas or Hanukkah. See the guys at Crafty Lumberjacks to learn how. 

This week's chocolate feature is courtesy of  The Pin Junkie: 

You're welcome !

Now on to this week's party : 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Happy Thanksgiving

From our home to yours, wishing you a very

Enjoy the day with family and friends, filled with lots of love and good food. 

Metal Embossing: Fired Copper Plaque

Sharing a a gift / décor idea using one of my favorite techniques that looks a lot harder than it is:heat fired  embossed copper.

For this project you will need:

• Embossable copper (you can find at art supply stores, Michaels, JoAnn etc.)
• Die or image to trace
• Heat source ( pencil torch, micro torch, something w/ a flame)
• Wood plaques
• Paper scraps
• Mod Podge
• Washi Tape
• Stamps, colored pencils, ink
• Embellishments

First step is to prepare the plaques. I have a roll of this masking paper in my stash that I use in a number of projects. It’s thin, accepts Mod Podge and/or paints easily and most of all is cheap. Look for it in the paint aisle of your HW store. Measure to fit your plaque, cut to size and then crinkle to give it texture before applying.

You now have a canvas you can play with. I used some paper scraps, inks and washi tape to make my background.

I used a Memory Box die to cut the oak leaves. Run through a die cutter ( I used a Cuttlebug). TIP: If you don’t have a die cutter, print out an image that you want, lay it on top of the metal sheet ( put a magazine or rubber mat under the metal) trace on top of the image with a stylus and then cut with scissors.

Once you have your shape you can use a stylus to draw lines, details etc into it. I just did this freehand.

Using your pencil torch ( you can find these at the hardware store) apply flame to your copper pieces. USE LONG TWEEZERS NOT YOUR FINGERS TO HOLD METAL! Here’s a video that shows the basic process.

If you have a gas stove you can also hold the metal over a lit burner.  The thinner the sheets, the faster the process so watch closely until you get the effect you want. If you don't want to play with fire, you can skip this part and/or use a different metal.

Since I like to age things, I dry brushed my finished metal pieces with black craft paint and then wiped off just to dull them a little. Once done, glue to your prepared plaque with a strong adhesive ( I used Liquid Fusion) and embellish.  I used scrap velvet ribbon tied in a simple bow and some pinecones I found on a walk.

Now that you’ve made a lovely gift, the presentation should match don’t you think? I used a stamp with acorns and oak leaves on the envelope for the card and the gift tag and stippled inks on the envelope.  I also used some of the masking paper and scap paper from the plaque for the tag.

Here are some other metal embossing projects you might like:

Embossed Metal Snowflake Tile

Embossed Metal Christmas Ornaments

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BFF Open House Link Party #185: Thanksgiving Crunch Time!

ONE week! This time next week, most of  the US will be taking a collective tryptophan induced nap so party hearty this week while you're still awake.  Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just one week away. Here are some great ideas you still have time to incorporate into your holiday planning. 

Whether you set a formal table or go more casual, The Pin Junkie has some great ideas for place cards that add that extra touch. 

Everyone has their favorite Thanksgiving side dish but if you're looking for some new veggie options, check out Upstate Ramblings for some great options. 

Whether you think of them as such or not, you probably have some Thanksgiving Family Traditions. If you're looking for some additional ideas, Lou Lou Girls has you covered. Some really lovely ones! 

OK. If I have one gripe about Thanksgiving ( I know...not really the time to have any gripes) it's the lack of chocolate! So I'm always on the lookout for something I can add to the dessert options like these Chocolate Wacky Cupcakes With Vanilla Buttercream Frosting yes please and thank you from SimpleReipesClub. 

Now onto this week's party!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Cornhusk Altered Candles

Sharing the details of the guest post I did for Mod Podge Rocks earlier this week. As you can see from a few projects, I'm a little obsessed with cornhusks this year! 

For this project you will need: 

• Plain glass prayer candles ( I got mine at Dollar Tree)
• Cornhusks ( wherever Mexican food ingredients are sold these are used for tamales) 
• Mod Podge ( my go to is the Matte formula)
• Dimensional Mod Podge ( I used gold) 
• Craft Paint
• Your choice of paper(s)
• Ribbon
• Coordinating paper scraps
• Glue gun and glue sticks

Apply your choice of paper to your candle with what else? Mod Podge. I used paper from a roll I found in the paint section at the hardware store. I think it's normally used to cover glass when painting things but I love it because it's thin, absorbs the Mod Podge beautifully and is a neutral color you can paint or stamp or leave as is. Measure enough to fit around your candle. I tore the top and bottom edges of the paper because I like torn paper. I also scrunched the paper up to give it a more rustic feel. 

Apply enough Mod Podge to cover one side of the paper ( you can see the torn edges and "scrunching" ) and then attach the paper to your candle. I find it's easiest to leave the paper where it is, lay the candle on its side and then roll until it's covered. Once secure, apply another coat of Mod Podge to seal. 

While this is drying, you can make your cornhusk leaves. You may have seen that Mod Podge can be used to preserve Fall leaves. I figured it might work on cornhusks too! Cut leaf shapes ( I just did this freehand) from  your cornhusks. If they are really really stiff you can mist with water to make them more pliable. Apply Mod Podge to both sides and once dry, you can use as is or as I did which was to paint the tips with some glitter craft paint.  If they curl a bit wait until fully dry and you can flatten them out by bending them in the opposite direction.

Once the paper was dry on the candle I went around it with a piece of washi tape paper but you can also use a coordinating piece of scrapbook paper, book page etc.  Hot glue the leaves together as shown then glue to your candle. I added some scrap velvet ribbon at the top of the leaves. 

To finish, I grabbed some paper scraps from my stash and made rolled paper roses.  Waste not want not. I had some scrap cornhusk pieces so I painted those silver and glued the rose on top of them as shown. I edged the top of the candles with the ends left over from the washi paper.  Finally, I filled in the center with gold dimensional Mod Podge. 

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Fairytales Do Come True...Guest Posting at Mod Podge Rocks

My dear readers, if you're a reader of my blog you know that next to chocolate the thing I love most is Mod Podge. Suffice it to say I am over the moon to be guest posting at the epicenter of all things Mod Podge: Mod Podge Rocks!! Sharing these altered candles featuring my Fall obsession, cornhusks. 

Thank you Amy for having me!