Are You Ready for Some Football???

To the detriment of my family I am proudly a University of South Carolina fan through and through!

I made this wreath and didn't take a single photo thru the process. However, it was supper easy and finished within an hour.

I went armed to Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon and found the Deco Mesh Ribbon on sale for 50% off!!! HELLO :)

I did by a floral ring for this project instead of creating my own (check out my other door wreath to find out how to make them CHEAP!) I bought a ring this time because I had a Michael's 50% off coupon and they were on sale for 50% off. 

I unrolled the Deco Mesh Ribbon black first and went round and round the wreath using floral pin to secure. Then I went in with the red I cut lengths of it so I could place exactly where I wanted it. I did the same with the zebra print cut lengths and secured with floral pins. I hot glued the letters I found these at Michael's. Printed the USC logo and glued to a piece of plastic.

I'm still shaping my letters so the are spaced evenly, but so far so good:)

GO GAMECOCKS!!!!

I would love to see your Team even our Rival!

Independence Day Wreath

I found a version of this cute July 4th wreath on Pinterest and followed it to Capital B. She has great insturctions, but if you would like to follow my instructions see below!

First your supply list:

• 1/2 yard each red, white, and blue felt.
• Metal clothes hanger
• 1/2 inch pipe insulator (8 feet from Home Depot or Lowe's)
• Felt stars
• Wire
• Straight pins
• Hot glue
• Fat pen or crayon (anything 1/4 to 1/2" to wrap the wire around)
• Duct Tape

This project is easy and a fun to do while watching movies! It will take you some time to complete it is not a long hour project, but simple, simple, simple!

First, cut up your felt. I cut mine 2.5 x 2.5 and 3 x 3 squares. They are not perfect but close enough in size, but give a neat look with the small size difference. I do not know how many I cut, but I cut, and cut, and cut some more! There is another stack behind what you see.

Next, get you straight pins and hot glue out. Put a small dot of glue in the center of the felt square, stick your pin thru the hot glue, and then push the felt upward. This is the longest part of the entire project!

You should end up with this:

This is what I ended up with! (If you like the box they are in see my Staples Box Project!)

I choose to make my wreath rings because it's so much cheaper.  There is a must know to using the pipe insulator. Hot glue melts the insulator use a low heat glue gun or if you have high heat glue gun just hold to insulator pipe for about 10 seconds so it sticks.

To make your ring. First take your wire hanger and stretch out. Then run thru the pop insulator, pretty easy huh!! Once you have the wire thru the insulator feel for the end of the wire hanger. take your scissors and snip just above the wire.

Then circle it around bring the ends of the wire hanger together.  I bend the ends around each other to hold it together and then duct tape the seam.

Shape into circle.  Check out my Valentine's Day Wreath! I shaped into a heart!

Now the fun part! I started and ended with the same color red for the stripes. I tried to keep my widths about the same for the alternating red and white "stripes."

Taking your hot glue gun and one of the "florettes" (for lack of a better word) insert the straight pin into the end of the gun just to get a little glue and then stick into the ring. This is the quickest part of the whole project it only took me about 45 minutes to work my way round!

Work your way around the wreath until until you get to the blue and then fill it in.

Now the stars.

Take your wire and cut it about 8-12 inches (you'll adjust it as needed) lengths and wrap around your marker or crayon and you will end up with this.

Take one of your felt stars add a little hot glue to the back of the star and then place the wire on top of the glue. Adjust the wire length to your preference making it your own!  I put a couple of wires without the stars and I am so happy how this turned out! You should you end up with this.

I would love to know what you think!

Mel :D

From Staples Box to Storage Bin

I have spent the past few months organizing my craft room, with a lack of funds it's a bit of an adventure putting it together. I'm not finish, but you can read the post and see the before photos here.

While surfing Pinterest I came across a storage bin I deemed adorable! See it here at Millay's in Texas. Here's my version :)

I had this fabric I bought at Phoenix Fabrics for $3.00. I knew I wanted to do something with it, but wasn't sure what exactly! When I came across the storage bin on Millay's in Texas, the clouds parted and the angle's sang. (Ok, only in my mind!)

I used an old satin chocolate curtain I had to make the flowers.

Decorating with Mac and Cheese....

Yes, I did decorate with Mac and Cheese! How you ask. First, I boiled the Mac... Just kidding!  It's a great paint color from Lowe's!

I have this horrid and I mean horrid TV console... see photo below

When I bought the "TV console" aka bookshelf its purpose was not for the TV...  Side note, I have an obsession with furniture. It's terrible, and my husband cringes every time I roll up to the house with another piece...

I found this piece (a freebie!)

I figure 1940's-50's era. Solid wood

It sat in my craft room for 2 weeks before I decided what to do with it. And other 2 weeks before I settled on a color... enter Mac and Cheese!

It's the perfect width for the TV upstairs, and has drawers do I don't have to see the video games and controllers.

I'm missing photos... I worked on this project for about 2 months, not because it was difficult, work has kept me very busy, and baseball season started for my boy. Less crafting/creating for me...

After searching online thru Pinterest about painted furniture I went to Lowes and bought the supplies.

 A MUST HAVE FOR PAINTING FURNITURE PROJECTS! 

·         FOAM ROLLERS

·         FOAM BRUSHES FOR THE HARD TO REACH AREAS

·         PRIMER: ZINSSER STAIN BLOCKER AND SEALER (HAD GREAT REVIEWS VIA PINTEREST)

·         PAINT: NOW THIS IS WHERE I DIFFER WITH WHAT I FOUND ONLINE...

·         WOOD FOR SHELVING

·         DECORATIVE MOLDING

·         LEVEL

·         HANDY DANDY ELECTIC DRILL

·         CLAMPS

·         PENCIL

·         TAPE MEASURE

·         SAW

·         CAULK

Everyone said use a low gloss or flat paint to get the Pottery Barn look. I tried that and it didn't hold up on another project. So, I went to Lowe's and asked the paint lady (I should know her name by now.) Although the piece isn't going to be used like a table with lots of wear I do have a 7 year old who can look at something and it breaks... (It's a little freaky! LOL)

Her advice, semi-gloss exterior enamel, and so I followed her advice. With paint and supplies in hand I got started.

First, I took out the drawers and washed the desk with a degreaser.  Lots of nasty spider webs {YIKES}

 Then I primed x 3. It didn't need to be primed 3 times I just tend to over kill!

  



With the handy dandy smooth foam roller I pulled out the paint, Mac and Cheese and began painting.

 

Ok, so this looks sunshine yellow… the camera couldn’t pick up the Mac and Cheese orangie/yellow in the craft room.

I added a couple of shelves to the middle section to hold the cable receiver and the game console. Here’s a great shot of the color!

(Make sure you measure the front and the back of the deck for the shelves, I didn’t and the back was a little smaller than the front)

 

Caulk the seams

Added the decorative trim

The finished product!!!! So, much better J

                          

There are a couple of things I would change… a backing I don’t like seeing the wires and paint the interior of the drawers… I will do this after my mother in law goes back to Kansas, no time right now.

Have a terrific Memorial Day!  Would love to know what you think!

Good-By Terra Cotta,Hello Color!

This is a quick and very easy way to update your terra cotta pots.  I found the small pots at Dollar General a couple of years ago at 90% off!!! I paid .50 cents each of these pots. End of summer clearance!!! I had 4 cans of spray paint on hand purple, sage, yellow and white.

take off the stickers and wipe down the pots with a damp rag. Let them dry and the spay paint.

 

Painted Table for the Craft Room

I've slowing been working on my craft room... Very Slowly (see previous post here) I've had this dark espresso table for about 10  years. Side note: I am soooooooooo very tired of brown and black! Anyhoo, this table has been in our basement since we moved here almost 3 years ago. Another side note: we use our basement as much as we use the upstairs, lots and lots of natural light!

Moving right along the table, see photo below, I can't stand the color. I've wanted to paint if for years, but scared to do it. 

I pulled up my big girl panties and while the hubby was out of town I got out the paint. I had paint on hand and didn't buy anything, but clear polyurethane.

Supply list: FOAM ROLLER IS A MUST MAKES FOR A NICE SMOOTH SURFACE.

FOAM BRUSH

PRIMER

PAINT

CLEAR COAT POLYURETHANE

220 GRIT SAND PAPER

First I washed the table down with STP. It's this great product you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot. It kept me from having to sand the table :) An absolute MUST HAVE!

I'm a little OCD so I primed the table 3 times with and enamel based primer.

I let the primer dry according to the directions on the can. The second day I got out a can of paint I bought 3 years ago (I had never used) a foam roller and painted the legs. Its a pretty light green/blue color.

(TAKE YOUR TIME DON'T HURRY THE PROCESS! YOU'LL GET THE BEST RESULTS)

For the table top I used a color called Steamed Vanilla from Lowe's. This particular paint was left over from a different project and has a satin finish. I painted 3 coats, (this is going to be my crafting table and knew it would be abused!) I let it set for another day and then did the first coat of polyurethane. I let that set for a day, sanded with 220 grit sandpaper and then added another coat of polyurethane. 

Now,  isn't that better!

 I wish you could see the colors better, it's so light and airy :)  And can I just say GOOD BY BROWN!!!!

Family Tree Frame

I can't believe it's been a month since my last project!! Poor me :( My crafty creating has been put on hold as baseball has taken over our lives!!! 

This is a very quick and simple project.

Family Tree Frame

 This is my before attempt at a family tree for my Bubba Gump (I started this project in June 2004!)

This pre-made, pre-packaged, and broken photo collage, has sat in a closet since July 2004.

Today I pulled the pre-made, pre-packaged, broken photo collage out of the closet about the throw it away. I was looking at it and thought. Hmmmmm.... PINTEREST!!!!!!!

I threw the broken glass away and removed the photos.

I painted the black frame Morning Mist from Lowe's-Valspar brand. I've had this paint on hand for almost 3 years and never used it until today!!! Took some twine I had and got out the hot glue gun.

You only need the hot glue in the beginning and the end!

Take the twine and wrap around the frame. Hang the frame and use clothes pins to secure the photos.

FYI: We have 6 cousins and 2 Aunts to add!!!!