Wednesday, September 19, 2012

BOO

So of course I got this wonderful idea from Pinterest.  You should follow me!  So I made these for about 6 bucks maybe a bit more with candles.  I started by taking a permanent  marker, I tried sharpie and it didn't work, to write the letters on each cup.  When you write on them make sure the handles are going the same direction.  If you mess up just take a wet rag and wipe it off.  To make sure the writing doesn't go anywhere put the cups into the oven at 150 F for 30 minutes after you write on them.  Once they have cooled you can fill them with candy corn.  At the top you can put a candle.  I set a white candle on top of each.  I think this is super cute and I hope you do as well.  Thanks let me know what you think! :D

~DIY or Bust~
<3 Bekkah

Fall is in the Air!

So my mother received this burlap bean sack from someone that she worked with a few years back.  To put it to use we decided to make a fall decoration.  We set a Styrofoam circle on the bottom.  Then filled around it with beans.  I think that parts funny because it was a bean sack, got empty, and had beans put back in it.  We then stuck the arrangement of (fake) plants into the Styrofoam.  To wrap it up we put a red ribbon tie around the top to keep it all together.  Well I hope you enjoy this and maybe even try it out.  Let me know what you think or how yours turn out!

~DIY or Bust~
<3 Bekkah

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Quotes with Crayons

So I tried out another turn on the crayon art.   I did a piece with a quote and picture.  I liked it because it looks like the girl is dancing in colored rain, but when I showed my sister she told me that it looked like the girl was make from the crayons and I kinda liked that idea better :)

items needed:

  • canvas
  • crayons
  • hair dryer
  • printed picture
  • quote
  • Popsicle stick
  • sharpie
steps:
  1. glue your crayons onto the canvas, then glue your picture onto the canvas
  2. write your quote onto the canvas.  I had started out using a silver sharpie but after I melted the crayons it was really light so I went over it with a black marker.
  3. I taped a popsicle stick over the picture diagonally so it wouldn't completely cover the picture
  4. melt your crayons straight down.  again make sure you tilt the canvas to prevent it from splattering everywhere.  :D
 The canvas with the silver writing... "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to Dance in the rain..."
The before picture....

Let me know if you try this out. :) 

<3

Circle Splash

I thought I would do a spin on the usual straight crayon art.  I decided to try some shapes and this one turned out really well I think.
Items needed:

  • crayons
  • newspaper or trash bag
  • hair dryer
  • canvas
  • hot glue and hot glue gun
steps:
  1. cover your work surface with your newspaper or trash bag.  Being a circle it shoots off in all directions instead of straight down.  Be prepared to scrape wax off of stuff.. I wore an apron doing this because I have learned my lesson by ruining a pair of jeans with crayon wax.
  2. glue you crayons in the shape you want.  Start by laying them out in the pattern you want and then glue so there are no mistakes
  3. begin heating the crayons with the hair dryer.  You will have to twist the canvas to get all the spots.  This does take patience and practice because if you don't heat them with the canvas tilted back it will splatter everywhere.  Hope you enjoy!
 This was my trash bag after the project... you can also see in the bottom right corner I got some on my table as well.....
this was the before picture :D

Let me know how yours turns out in the comments below... Have fun :D

Decorative Bottles

Hey everyone, sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything.  I thought I would share this idea with you.  This is one thing I was super excited about :)  I hope you enjoy:D

Items needed:

  • glass bottles
  • pledge floor cleaner
  • glitter
  • paper towels
Steps:
  1. poor the floor cleaner into the bottles just use enough to make a pool of it on the bottom.
  2. cover the bottle with the paper towels and shake, make sure you cover the sides really well
  3. now it's time to add your glitter.  poor a bit in you can poor out extra.  Shake it again really well to cover everywhere.  Make sure you cover the bottle :P  
  4. let it dry for an hour or so just so it settles and poor out the extra glitter.
I hope you enjoy this :D 


Mischa really likes getting into the pictures :D <3

keep on crafting and let me know how yours turns out :D

Monday, May 28, 2012

Behavior Charts in 1st Grade

So as the year ended and we were packing up my moms first grade classroom I realized how many things I had made for this school year and thought I would share some of them.  First, I thought I would share how she does her behavior system.  She has charts that we make, usually made to match the theme of her classroom that year. This year we did a sports theme.  She also makes one of these charts for her lunch count.  She uses red and blue (hot and cold) strips of paper to determine who is eating at school and who is not.
Items needed:
  • poster board
  • library card pockets
  • bulletin board letters
  • rubber cement
  • extra pictures for effect (optional)
Steps:
  1. lay the pockets out on the poster board to figure out the amount of rows and columns that you will need.  We always include a few extra for new students
  2. pull the paper off of the back of the pockets and lay them down, be very careful to get them in straight lines because it is very easy to get off just a little.
  3. Add you heading letters, examples for the sports theme were Touchdown, Home-run, Goal, and Score
  4. then you can use a label maker for names or add any touches you would like to make it personal.
 The home-run chart was for her reading class.^^^

Touchdown was for her Homeroom kids that she had for a majority of the day.


With these charts she also had decks of cards,two for her and two for her students.  If one of her students got caught doing something good or had their homework done or reading back signed they got a card.  She then drew two cards on Friday to get matching cards.  The student that had a matching card would then get to go to the treasure box and choose something.  The treasure box has little things like necklaces, rings, little cars, little army guys.  The students also can get the cards taken away if they are naughty.

~<3~ Bekkah :D

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Laced up Bangles

I saw a picture of a bangle covered in lace today on Pinterest and I wanted to try it.  So I did and I really enjoy how it came out :)
Items Needed:

  • bangle
  • lace
  • mod podge
  • paint brush or be like me and use you hands and make a mess

Steps:
  1. cut lace to were it will go all the way around the bangle and wide enough to cover the sides
  2. cover the bangle in mod podge
  3. begin laying the lace piece over the bangle. make sure you get creases out
  4. i put a rubber band around it just to hold it still
  5. the last part is the hardest, extras on the side will need to be folded in and glued down and it will take time so be patient... 

Hope you enjoyed <3 ~Bekkah~

Wall Flowers

So I enjoy large bright flowers, and colorful ribbon... so why now put them together to make some decoration?  I did, and I used the colors in my room to match.
Items you need:

  • 3 flat boards
  • paint
  • flowers (probably fake would work best)
  • ribbon
  • hot glue and hot glue gun
Steps:
  1. start by painting your boards and then let them dry for a while, you want to make sure they are 100% dry
  2. turn them over and separate them how you would like. 
  3. glue on the ribbon, leaving space at the top to hang up
  4. then turn back over and glue on the flowers, most of the flowers will have stems that you are going to have to cut off
Yay! and you're done!  Hope you enjoy and make sure you let me know how it turns out :)



~Bekkah~ <3

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Spring has Sprung




Hey everyone!!!  I was so ready for spring when March 1 hit but I had to wait like most other people to get my plants planted.  So I finally got it done!!  With our hand painted pots our porch definitely is much brighter.  We also had the idea to add some nature to it besides the flowers.  My grandpa found a tree stump to place one of our plants on... So I hope you enjoy this post...

Friday, April 13, 2012

Easter Basket Cake

I got this idea off of Pinterest.com.  They used colorful m&m's as their filling but I used "eggs" instead..
Items needed:

  • cake mix
  • frosting
  • kit kats
  • filling candy (m&m's, robin eggs)
  • ribbon
Steps:
  1. mix and bake cake according to box
  2. frost cake
  3. begin putting the kit kats around the cake one by one
  4. once those are on, carefully wrap your ribbon around and tie a bow
  5. fill the top with the filling... 
Now you have a completed Easter Basket cake <3 <3  I was so surprised how great it came out... It also gave me a ton more confidence on making and baking :)


Table Runner

So I finished it!  My first actual sewing project that consisted of more then going in a circle.  :)  I just basically hemmed up the sides.
Items needed:

  • fabric (I used 1 1/2 yards)
  • sewing machine, thread
Steps:
  1. Pin all the edges up
  2. begin sewing following in a straight line, taking the pins out as you go.  
This project is like the first big stepping stone I took in my sewing.  I'm very proud of how it turned out... :D


 We had some lovely help from Mischa!!!  She loves helping me get work done, especially homework.  Doesn't she look very interested!! :D
The finished project!

Colors of Life

Lets just say I LOVE CRAYONS!!! I love how many colors there are and how many different things you can do with them.  This project I did get the idea from stumbleupon.com and pinterest.com.  I just added my own flare by making it smaller and writing on it with crayons.
Items needed:

  • crayons (box of 64 works best and pick out colors that you don't want depending on the size of your canvas)
  • canvas
  • hair dryer
  • lots of covering so you don't get wax on anything
  • hot glue, hot glue gun
Steps:
  1. pick the design or pattern you want with the crayons
  2. begin hot gluing them onto the canvas
  3. make sure they are very dry before you begin heating
  4. take the hair dryer to the crayons and begin melting them, the tops with overflow down the paper so it will be messy
  5. let it dry for 24 hours before you move it.... it will make a huge mess if its still wet
  6. add your own ideas... write on it... bedazzle it... anything :)
~DIY or BUST~
<3

Thrift Store Find


Well, for this project it was an idea I got as I was walking through a local thrift store.  I saw this old alcohol bottle and was inspired.  To go along with the rustic country look in our house I painted it a spotted brown.  I then took a stencil of a rooster and painted it red, to match the color scheme.
Items needed:

  • bottle, dish, ect.
  • paint, paint brushes, sponges
  • stencils
  • tape
Steps:
  1. Start by painting your dish.
  2. Once it is dry, tape on your stencil and paint
  3. Let that dry, and add more of your own style if you would like



















Let creativity run wild :D

~DIY or Bust~

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Inspirational Box

 top and front view
 left side view
right side view

For this box, my grandpa had an old wooden box he had painted blue (his favorite color) years ago.  He wasn't using it...I got creative... and tada!!!

Items used:
  • wooden box
  • white paint
  • red paint
  • stencils
  • paint brushes
  • sponges
  1. start by wiping it clean with a damp cloth
  2. paint the box with its base color.  depending on how dark you want it 1 coat should be good.  let dry for 24 hours
  3. the start on the top, using stensils trace the star (thats what I used)  and then paint them on once you like the look. 
  4. begin painting the front side, by laying the stencils down.  I sponge painted them.
  5. turn the box on its side and do one side the same way you did the front.
  6. let the top, front, and side dry for 24 hours
  7. once you are sure the stenciled side is dry go ahead and do the other side.. let dry for 24 hours
I hope this box can keep you inspired... or whatever you want it to keep you doing :)

Pillows from everyday Items.

These are two of the four pillows in my living room at the moment.  I think they are very cute and decorative with the down home style theme I was going for.  They take some sewing but very simple. :)

Items needed:
  • 2 cloth napkins
  • buttons
  • thread and needle
  • sewing machine
  • pillow inserts

  1. take the first napkin and iron it out.  This does not have to be done but if they are folded it makes it look a little better.
  2. sew the buttons on the first napkin.  They do not have to match, they can.  Use the needle and thread to sew them on.
  3. now take the napkins to the sewing machine.  begin sewing three of the four edges.  once that is done insert the pillow and sew the last side up.
  4. You have now made a unique pillow that no one else has :)
ENJOY!!! :)  happy new year!!!