Christmas Countdown Blocks

(from Little Birdie Secrets)

Christmas Countdown Blocks Tutorial

What you'll need:

*2 wooden blocks (ours were 2"x2", but 4"x4" would be a great size for this project)
*Sandpaper (if needed to smooth out block)
*Acrylic paint
*Foam brush
*Patterned paper
*Mod Podge or other decoupage medium
*Number stickers or die cuts in a size that will fit on your block (we used the Slice to cut ours). You could use paper or vinyl. Or a Sharpie marker to write them on.

1. Sand and paint your blocks. Allow to dry thoroughly.

2. Cut your paper down to a size that is just smaller than your block. Ours was about 1 and 7/8". We cut 6 different papers so each side of the block was a different pattern. We used paper from the Eskimo Kisses 6x6 pad from Basic Grey. These paper pads are a great way to go because the designs are shrunk down from their original 12x12 size so you can see more of them on the little blocks.

3. Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to one side of the block. Smooth paper on block, ensuring there are no air bubbles. Continue covering all sides of both blocks. Allow to dry.

4. This is optional, but we like to sand the edges of the paper to make them "one" with the block. Use a downward motion going away from the paper's edge to avoid tearing the paper.

5. If you're die-cutting your numbers, cut them to fit your blocks. Ours were 1.5" high. Be sure to use a 6 that can be flipped and used as a 9, too. Cut the following letters, or get these stickers out:
*Block 1 - 0,1,2,3,4,5
*Block 2 - 0,1,2,6,7,8

6. Adhere your letters to the blocks--use more Mod Podge if you die cut paper letters like we did.

7. I haven't done this yet, but you can also apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the entire block to seal it.

8. On December 1 (or would it be November 30?), put your blocks out with 2 and 5 facing out. Then each day turn the blocks to count down one day until Christmas!

Ornament Topiary

(from Better Homes & Gardens)
What You Need:
Spray paint (in a complementary color)
5-inch-diameter foam ball
3/4-inch-diameter dowel, cut to 16 inches long
Blue, green, and silver glass Christmas ornaments in varying sizes
Glue gun and hotmelt adhesive
Rhinestone florist's picks (commonly used for wedding bouquets) or other tiny prewired filler
1-11/2-yards double-faced satin ribbon
Clear tape
Scissors
Vase or container
Modeling clay, such as Crayola Model Magic
Flat decorative marbles


How to Make It:
Spray-paint the foam ball; let dry. Insert the dowel into the foam ball. (If desired, cut one end of the dowel to a point to make it easier to insert.) Remove caps from ornaments.
Cover the neck of an ornament with hot glue, then carefully press the ornament into the foam ball. Repeat with the rest of the ornaments, turning the foam ball as you work to determine the best placement of various colors and sizes. (Work in a random pattern rather than trying to work in rows, or cover one side of the ball first.)
When the foam ball is covered, fill in tiny gaps with rhinestone picks or other prewired filler. Tape ribbon to the top of the dowel. Tightly wrap ribbon around the dowel, stopping about 3 inches from the bottom and taping the end to secure.
Tie a separate piece of ribbon around the top of the dowel, leaving two tails, each about 7 inches long. Notch the ends of the ribbon tails.
Fill a vase or container halfway with modeling clay. (If you plan to reuse the clay, cover the top with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.) Insert the dowel into the clay. Cover the clay with marbles.

No-knit Scarf

(From Marthastewart.com)

Here's a cozy yet speedy project. Cut 12 pieces of bulky-weight yarn to about 1 1/2 times the desired length of the final scarf. (We used 140-inch pieces to make an 86-inch scarf.) Divide yarn into 4 bunches of 3 strands each. Tie 2 bunches together with a square knot, leaving 6 inches of fringe at end; repeat with remaining bunches. Pin the knots to a piece of foam board. Knot inner 2 bunches of yarn together, spacing knot about 1 inch from existing knots, then knot left and right bunches together. Alternate knotting the inner bunches and the left and right ones, spacing knots evenly apart, until about 6 inches of yarn remain on the end. Finish so that final knots mirror opposite end, and trim to even the ends.

Salvaged Drawer Shelves

(from CraftyNest)
Supplies
•primer
•2 coordinating paint colors
•decorative or wrapping paper (I got mine at Paper Source)
•découpage glue (I used Mod Podge)
•drywall screws
•wood filler
Tools

•paintbrush
•drop cloth
•scissors or craft knife, straight edge, and cutting mat
•tape measure or yardstick
•brayer (optional)
•drill
•sand paper
•vacuum or tack cloth

1. Fill the drawer-pull holes with wood filler. Let dry. Sand the rough edges and vacuum off the dust, then paint one coat of primer.
2. Paint the outer sides one color. I used Ralph Lauren Aged Mint (IB25).
3. When dry, paint the inner sides the other color. I used Infinity Edge of Wedgewood (no longer available). To achieve a clean edge where the two paint colors meet, pull your paintbrush toward the edge. No taping necessary. Let the paint dry for several hours.
4. Measure and cut the decorative paper to fit in the bottom of each drawer
5. Insert the paper to make sure it fits. Trim as necessary.
6. Paint a layer of glue onto the wood, then place the paper on top. I found it easier if I poured a thin line of glue onto the surface, then spread it with my paintbrush. Flatten the paper with a brayer or your hands. Smooth out the air bubbles before the glue sets. Let dry.
7. Then spread another layer of glue over the top of the paper. Wipe off excess glue on the sides before it dries. Let dry.
8. Affix each drawer to the wall with a drywall screw. Pre-drill into studs or use a drywall anchor or molly bolt.

Lightswitch plates

(from ModPodgeRocks.blogspot.com)

Adorable Necklace

Creativeyarn




Necklace:
Ch77, sc in second ch from hook and in the next 3ch.
Ch76, sc in the 4th ch at the beg of previous ch loop, and in next 3chs, ch1, turn.
Sc in first sc and in next 3 sc, ch80, sc in the 4 sc at the beg of previous row, ch1, turn.
Sc in first sc and in next 3 sc, ch84, sc in the 4 sc at the beg of previous row, ch3 and sl st on the other side of the same closure piece to make a button hole.
Sew a button on the opposite closure piece of the button hole.
Make a flower of any kind (mines are just improvised!) to embellish the necklace, and sew it on the four chains strands.

Baggie Pouch

(from: http://indiefixx.com)

Pop Art!

(From: http://www.newlifeartworks.com)

"I love to create new things out of old things. I love to reuse and restyle and recycle. I love putting broken pieces together...creating something new.

I made this decorative mirror using recycled soda pop cans. Hours of work went into collecting, and cutting each piece and then hammering into place using tiny little nails.

This mirror measures approx 12" X 12" with a 3" x 3" Beveled mirror in the center. The back of the mirror is hand painted a nice black matte finish, sign and dated (by me!) and a mounting bracket was installed for easy hanging"

Magazine Frame

What You Need:
Paper trimmer with ruler
Discarded magazines
Drinking straws
Transparent tape
Decoupage medium
Flat paintbrush
Lightweight cardboard slightly larger than frame
Flat wood frame
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
Cardboard box





Instructions:
From magazine pages, cut 1/2-inch-wide strips long enough to wrap around a drinking straw.
Tape one strip end to each straw at an angle. Wrap strips around straws in a spiral, overlapping edges so the straw does not show through. Tape ends in place.
Coat paper-wrapped straws with decoupage medium; let dry.
For frame, coat cardboard with a thick coat of decoupage medium. Place paper-wrapped straws next to the other on the cardboard, aligning one straw end with an edge of the cardboard; let dry.
Measure the four frame front pieces. On the back of the covered cardboard piece, use a ruler and pencil to mark strips slightly wider than the four frame front pieces. Use scissors to cut out strips of straw-covered cardboard. Piece strips if needed to cover the frame front.
Hot-glue the straw-covered cardboard strips to the frame front, trimming as needed. Brush on another coat of decoupage medium; let dry. Place a picture in the frame.
For the box, cut magazine strips to cover the outside of the box and the edge of the lid. Use decoupage medium to adhere the strips to the box; let dry.
Wrap straws with magazine strips as described in steps 1-3.
Apply a thick coat of decoupage medium to the top of the lid. Cover the lid with paper-wrapped straws, placing them so they overlap the edge; let dry.
Use scissors to trim the straws even with the lid edge. Brush on another coat of decoupage medium; let dry.

Personalized Photo Rubix Cube

Adorable Idea...this chick did it as a wedding present, but you could use any pics!

Fabric Balls (or oraments)

An easy craft to make, these fabric-wrapped balls use up scraps from your stash and can be displayed in a pretty bowl. Cut strips from coordinating fabrics and use glue to adhere them to foam balls. Select a variety of fabric patterns and use both small and large balls for extra interest.
http://www.bhg.com/crafts/easy/1-hour-projects/recycled-material-crafts/?sssdmh=dm17.406720&page=1&esrc=nwcu18_10&email=1596114111

Awesome office space

(from Sunset.com)
This office is part of an amazing DIY makeover of a condemned beach shack in Venice, Calif. A short wall was added between the old den and living room to form the space. Color, multiple storage spots, and recycled materials give it warmth and character.

I WANT THIS HAIR

Actress Laura Harris, in Defying Gravity

Button Bracelet

What you'll need:
Elastic, 1/4" or 3/8" thick
Buttons
Needle and Thread

Start by wrapping the elastic loosely around your wrist where you would like the bracelet to sit. Cut it to size with about 3/4" or so of overlap. Make a small mark on the elastic right past the overlap. I also find it helpful to mark the middle.

With the elastic laid flat as a guide, make a rough layout of your button placement to determine the design and how many buttons you will need. Do not include the end past your mark, see photo above for reference. You want the buttons to overlap each other a little so account for this when setting them out.

Once your layout is ready, you can sew the elastic together securely, forming the bracelet. I did this by hand but you can use a sewing machine if you choose.



Start by wrapping the elastic loosely around your wrist where you would like the bracelet to sit. Cut it to size with about 3/4" or so of overlap. Make a small mark on the elastic right past the overlap. I also find it helpful to mark the middle.

With the elastic laid flat as a guide, make a rough layout of your button placement to determine the design and how many buttons you will need. Do not include the end past your mark, see photo above for reference. You want the buttons to overlap each other a little so account for this when setting them out.

Once your layout is ready, you can sew the elastic together securely, forming the bracelet. I did this by hand but you can use a sewing machine if you choose.

Next, begin sewing the buttons in place, one at a time, starting at your marked center of the bracelet. Be sure to securely knot the thread after each button is attached. Above I show a method I find to be really easy and secure. Thread the needle up under the stitches, pulling the string through, then thread the needle through the resulting loop, under the thread closest to you and pull tight. Repeat this a few times.

As I mentioned, you want the buttons to overlap each other a bit so you do not see the elastic when you are wearing it. I find it helpful to just put one stitch through the button and try it on to make sure you like the way it is laying, then finish stitching it in place. As you go, you may also decide to change your button layout.

Continue adding buttons until you cover the bracelet and you're done! It may take a bit of adjusting to get them to fit properly toward the end, but just be flexible with your design. You can always move or replace a button pretty easily if needed since they are all sewn on separately.

Veggie Pizza

PREP TIME
30 Min
COOK TIME
30 Min
READY IN
1 Hr

INGREDIENTS
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet, and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.
Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet.
In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch dressing. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, green bell pepper, cauliflower, shredded carrots, and Cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.

Adorable Office Chair

Here's what you need:

Some cute material
An old chair you want to re-cover
A staple-gun
A hammer
An iron/ironing board (if your material is wrinkly)

First, iron your material.


Next, remove the back of the chair, and the seat of the chair.

If your chair is like mine, you need to remove the front part of the backrest, from the back part. {Excuse the icky ironing board...we (the ironing board and I) had a little applique mishap a couple days ago....}

Then lay all your pieces on your material to make sure you have enough

Fold the material over the edges of the seat, etc to make sure you have enough to pull over and staple.

Do that on all four sides.

Cut off your excess material.

Staple away! I think it's easiest if you do one staple on each of the four sides (pulling it tight as you do each side). This keeps it from shifting as you staple the rest of the material to the chair. *The KEY is to KEEP PULLING TIGHT. Pull tight before each staple.*

On the corners, just try to pull as tight as you can and make the edge look as smooth as you can. Doing a nice "hospital corner" or "military corner" or whatever you want to call it, will help with this.

You'll notice after it's all stapled that you've got a lot of excess material hanging down.

Trim the material as close to the staples as you can (because you don't want it hanging down under the chair or it will look sloppy.)

Once it's all trimmed, it should look like this underneath!

Do this same process to all of your pieces: Seat cushion, backrest, and back of the backrest.

Now re-attach the two halves of the backrest. I used staple-gun nails They were so small you could barely tell they were there.

Now re-attach all the screws, etc and get your seat put on.

Voila! The seat part is done!

Yay! The backrest is on, and lookin' sharp. See, you can't even tell where I put the nails, can you? (Okay, if you click on the picture and enlarge it you can, but STILL!)

Your chair is now complete, and don't it look purty?