Nautical Inspired Wine Bottle Wind Chime

I finally had success with cutting a wine bottle... If you haven't seen my failed first attempt check it out HERE, if for nothing else, at least for a laugh :)

Here is a pic of it as a candle cover.. Wouldn't it be so cute to do some of these for an outdoor summer night party? Ahhh I cannot wait for summer!

I did do some things differently when cutting this bottle. It took three times before I finally got it. Here are a couple of hints to make it easier for you:

1. I used regular cotton string this time instead of yarn.

2. I wrapper the string around the bottle 6 times. The first two time I did it I used more and it seemed to be too much.

3. I used a candle on an upside down mason jar to have a constant flame, as I was doing this by myself.

4. Keep the bottle at all times almost vertical with a little tilt to the side to keep the heat inside the top of the bottle.

5. When the string stops burning around the bottle, immediately put it under running COLD water and watch out because it explodes right off the bottle.

Good Luck and Happy Day Everyone!

Faux Wrought Iron Toilet Paper Roll Wreath

I am so excited because I finally accumulated enough empty toilet paper rolls to make another wreath. If you haven't seen my white springtime toilet paper roll wreath Click Here to see it!

This is my new favorite craft. I actually had trouble deciding what I wanted to do with this because there are so many options. I liked the little flowers from my springtime wreath so I decided to go with those again. I did know that I wanted to do this wreath black because it looks so much like wrought iron.

This was surprisingly hard to photograph so I added a couple of different angles so everyone can see it better.

Toilet paper roll wreaths are so stinkin easy it's crazy! All you need is a whole bunch of empty rolls, a hot glue gun, and a little bit of imagination... and if you don't have that then just copy mine :) 

Here is a tutorial to show you how easy it is to make a toilet paper roll flower.

1. Flatten out a roll and cut it into four pieces.. They don't even have to be perfect! How easy is that!?!?

2. Fold three pieces in half. You only need three pieces for a flower so you get four flowers from three rolls.

3. Add a dab of glue in the crease and hold for at least 15 seconds until the glue hardens. 

4. Add another dab of glue on the top of one of the pieces and lay another piece on top of it. Repeat with the three pieces...

To get this...

5. Crimp each of the six pieces by pushing in the top...

To get this...

6. Take the two ends in your fingers and add a dab of glue in the middle and hold until dry.

 To get this...

We now have a bucket under the sink in the bathroom and everyone knows that we do not throw out any type of paper rolls. If you want to start making toilet paper roll crafts I suggest a bucket :) Happy crafting everyone!

Easy No-Sew Kitchen Curtains

I desperately needed some kind of curtains for my kitchen window over my sink. 

Doesn't it just look empty? 

There had been ugly window blinds up since we moved in and they covered up the really cool windows we have. I really like how they are look separated at the top. So I took the blinds down and whipped up some easy no-sew curtains for the space. 

These are so easy anyone can make them! All you need is some fabric, stitch tape such as Stitch Witchery, an iron, and a tension rod or curtain rod. 

*Remember when measuring that you need to allow more room for the hem. I measured my window and then added on an inch and a half to all sides. 

Then just iron a seam on one side of the fabric, lay a piece of the stitch tape between the layers. Next, lay a damp paper towel or washcloth over the hem and iron. The steam helps to melt to stitch tape and make the hem.  

Do this for the bottom and the two sides first. Then lay your rod in between the fabric so you know where to make the hem and repeat. 

Click Here to see some pictures of the process from my Shoe Rack to Kid's Book Shelf Project. 

I used this happy sunshine material that I got when i was a teenager and have been saving for something just like this :) I'm so happy I finally got to use it.. and I still have some left for a curtain topper for the other kitchen window. 

I unfortunately am not blessed with an air conditioned house in the summer months so I use a window fan in this window when I'm cooking to get some of the extra heat out. Because of this I made my curtains shorter than a full window. I wanted to be able to move them above the fan easily :)

Hope you liked them.. Thanks for stopping by!

The 5 step ugly picture to pretty photo message board

Have you ever been out at a garage sale or thrift shop and seen a picture like this? It's old and outdated and cheap and completely full of potential. 

The key is to think of how you can change something. This picture has a really good frame on it so in a different color I knew I could so something with it. This is how I transformed the ugly old picture into this....

 I'll show you how I did it and how you can do your own in just 5 easy steps.

Here we go..

Step 1: Take your picture frame apart. The picture can be big or small and in any shape you wish... go with what you like best. Be sure to save all your pieces when you do this :) Obvious but just a reminder. 

Step 2: Paint the picture frame in whatever color you love. This one is for my mother so white, black, and pink are the colors I chose to match her room. 

Step 3: Place stickers of any shape and size you like on the glass in a fun pattern. Remember if you want this to be a message board too, you should leave some empty space in between your stickers for writing.

Step 4: Spray paint the glass over the stickers with your desired paint color.

Step 5: Wait for the paint to completely dry or else you will mess up the paint and have to do touch ups. Then, peel off the stickers to get something like this...

Step 6: Place your beautiful pictures or a fun scrapbook paper pattern on the old picture from the frame so that your sticker holes will be covered. I chose a pink sparkly scrapbook paper but my mom may choose to put pictures in it later... or switch out the scrapbook paper. This project is completely versatile!

Step 5: Put the picture frame back together making sure to place the painted side of the glass facing into the frame. I also ran a piece of pink ribbon along the bottom of the frame to add an extra pop of pink. Throw in a paint marker to match and this makes a super special gift that is pretty and cheap!

And there you have it! The 5 step ugly picture to pretty photo message board! What thrifty fun this one is!

1st Project Night Night Complete!

Oh my goodness, let me start off by saying this is a HUGE weight off my shoulders getting these done! Deep breath out....

I've had four of the night night packages done for a while now and it seemed to be one of those thing that I just never thought of until the middle of the night.. I had to get them done!! I put it on my blog!! What if someone asks about it or thinks that I'm not going to finish it?!?! Yup feel sorry for me because those are the kind of ridiculous thoughts that plague me at night...

My problem was that I was trying to get too many. I ended up calling the shelter and they told me there were nine kids living there currently! Nine kids!

So I marched right out to the store, baby in tow and I got the rest of the stuff for 5 more night night care packages. At least the children living there now will have a little something to make their lives easier!

My Grandmother and I are going to drop them off tomorrow morning. I will absolutely so these again.. however I will network it better. I'll make signs and pesters my friends a little more... ;)

Each bag has a stuffed animal, a blanket, a book, and a toothbrush. I made the last five bigger bags for bigger kids so there was age variation.

I'm so excited to give these to the shelter! Thank you so much to the beautiful people who helped me with this!

Washi Tape Hook Plaques

Aren't they cute? 

Three $.70 wooden plaques painted white, a pack of Wahsi tapes for $3.00, and a thee pack of Command Hooks for $3.79. Now that what I call a fun and functional project under $10! 

I have a few more things to do in my bathroom before I can get these hung up but I was so excited I had to show them off!

Have a great day.. :)

Happy Earth Day 2012

Happy Earth Day 2012 Everyone!! Let's all take a minute to give thanks for the air we breath, the water we drink, the ground we walk on, and the sunshine we feel on our faces.... Thank you Mother Earth for all you provide us with!

And lets do something... Big or small lets all try to do at least one thing today to help the earth out, celebrate, and raise awareness for this special day.

Have a great Sunday and wonderful Earth Day 2012!

Celebrate Earth Day With Earth Day T-Shirts

So tomorrow is Earth Day 2012... A special day set aside to raise awareness for environmental issues and solutions and to celebrate this beautiful plant that we all call home.

Of course I love my t-shirt projects so that's the first thought I had when I sat down to think up some ideas. Earth Day t-shirts! I've also been wanting to try out a painted t-shirt too. :)

And really what's a better way to celebrate Earth Day than with a recycled t-shirt project? Two Earth Day point foe me!

I'm pretty excited about how my world turned out.. To do this all I did was lay out the t-shirt (it really helps to put something sturdy in between the layers of the shirt like a piece of card board) and then I trace a circle with chalk.I drew in the North and South American continents with chalk as well....and it only took me three times to get it right ;)

I picked my acrylic paint colors and painted in the whole thing. I did two coats and some touch up spots.

Then I had to write on the shirt.. I've said before I've a terrible free-hander so I was pretty worried about this.Let me tell you chalk is the way to go... If you mess up, wash it off and do it again until it's perfect!

 Let the paint dry completely, wash, Dry, Wear!

What do you think? Do you have any fun Earth Day plans or projects? If so I'd love to hear about them!

The Best Summertime Broccoli Salad Ever

First off I have to say that if you think you don't like raw broccoli you may be mistaken. I NEVER eat raw broccoli... except in this salad. It takes on a whole new taste from the sweet and tangy dressing, bacon, cheese, and onion. It is absolutely incredible. You simply must try it before you judge it.

I can't take full credit for this one. I came across it this last Christmas from my cousin Danny. I didn't have a recipe so I tried making it myself and it came out even better than before! No offense Dan! :)

Also, this is great for parties. Every time I have made it for a get together, all I come home with is an empty dish. It's definitely a crowd pleaser.

Recipe 

1 Bushel broccoli florets cut from the stalks (You can add as much of the stalk as you like)

1/2 Cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

5 Strips bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled

1 small or 1/2 large onion, diced

Dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon milk

1 Tablespoon sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: Mix broccoli, bacon, cheese and onion and toss. In a separate bowl mix mayo, milk and sugar until completely blended. Add the dressing to the broccoli mixture and toss until completely covered. Season to your liking and enjoy!

This is great served right away but if you can let it sit for any amount of time in the fridge it really lets the flavors combine nicely.

This is such a favorite in my family.. I'd love to hear if anyone has made and enjoyed it as much as we have :)

Throw it in a Basket #1: Sister Love in a Basket

Originally I was going to call this the I'm sorry I'm a horrible sister and I missed your birthday basket, but I thought that might not be the right title.. It's true though, I've been so crazy busy with school I missed my sister's birthday :'(

So to try and make up for it I put this little basket together for her. I love making up gift baskets. That's why the title starts with the Throw it in a basket #1. I'm positive that more baskets will make it on here.

She's a coffee drinkin', leopard print lovin', business woman on the fast track who loves her little bug (aka my son) So that's the kind of stuff I put in her belated B-day basket.

Of course there's the Auntie's Brag Book  from my previous post. This took the place of her card.

To satisfy her coffee cravings I made her some monogram travel mugs. High five for the coffee carry on if you ask me! My Scrapbook Travel Mugs post is what gave me the idea for these. I said they were going to be the new gift that everyone gets one of. They are just so easily personalized! And who wouldn't want a cute travel mug made just for them?

These are leopard print nail stickers! aren't they cool? I got them at Payless and they were only $5. I was informed by the store clerk that this was a great deal because everywhere else they were selling for $10. On top of that Payless is having a BOGO sale right now so I got two, one for five and then the second was half off. That's 2 for $7.50, that's less than one would have cost me somewhere else. If you have a Payless around you should definitely check it out.

I'm always trying to decorate her cubical with stuff for her desk and walls. I thought these giant clothespins would make the cutest note and/or picture holders for her computer area.

And now onto the basket...

This past Easter my son got an Easter basket from his grandfather. It was cute with all the Easter stuff in it but afterwards... not so cute.

I also had this hot pink leopard print scrap fabric from a nightgown that I used the top for something else ages ago. (I have a bin for scrap fabric. Whenever I do a new project that needs some I just go to my bin)

I knew I wanted to put them together. Obviously I had to do something about the colors.. Yellow, green, and hot pink is not a good combo.
The basket is pretty cheaply made and you can easily see how it's weaved. I cut out three of the middle slats to get this.

The weaved slats are not secured except through the weave so I hot glued the slats so they were even. Then I added some random dabs under some of the slats to give the basket more structure.

Two coats of glossy white spray paint and it's a totally different basket already.

Next I cut strips from the fabric and weaved them into the open areas. To make the weaving process easier I wrapped one end of fabric strips with some tape to easily pull it through.

Again I gave it some help with hot glue to keep the fabric on good and tight. 

 Some extra fabric and the birthday stuff and..Done!

Did I mention I love putting together gift baskets? Because it's true, I love putting together gift baskets!!