Tag Archives: crafting

Coaster Crafting

I have a fun little DIY to share today! This project requires just a few supplies and is relatively quick to assemble, once you have everything laid out.

I originally found this craft on Pinterest last year (this original link is broken; you can find similar instructions here), and had wanted to make them for Christmas gifts. But time got away from me. I dug it out last week over the Labor Day holiday weekend, when my friend Katie and I decided to have a Girl’s Night In and craft (maybe I’m just getting older, but this is really an ideal way to spend a Friday night, haha!)

Supplies:

– 4×4-inch ceramic tiles (mine were leftovers from the kitchen backsplash in our previous home)

– Mod Podge

– Foam brushes

– Clear acrylic spray sealer

– Scrapbooking paper (could also use wrapping paper, wall paper scraps, greeting cards… whatever floats your boat!)

– Sticky-back felt or felt furniture pads

Directions:

Cut paper(s) into 4×4-inch squares; or trace your tile onto the paper for a more accurate measurement. Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the tile, then lay a paper square on top and smooth it over. At this point, I flipped the tile over and trimmed off any excess paper. Once trimmed, apply another layer of Mod Podge over the paper. Let dry. Once dry, spray tiles with the clear acrylic sealer according to sealer instructions. Add felt pads to the bottom, and voila! You have a new set of coasters to keep or gift!

Bonus idea: Gift them with a mason jar of home-made hot cocoa or chai tea mix. Yum!

I got too caught up in wine and girl talk to remember to take pictures of the “During” process (sorry!). But here are some “glamour shots” of the “After”:

Getting My Craft On

I have to confess something before I get on with this post.

I have a love/hate relationship with crafting. (whew! I said it)

I am easily seduced by DIY ideas. I imagine wildly creative sessions with editorial-worthy results. The reality? I usually jump into things without planning. I make huge messes. I get discouraged easily. I have a vision of the results that the reality never achieves (in my opinion). And to top it off, my husband has a ridiculously good eye and hand for crafting/drawing/design. Which usually means he completes the project to perfection as I pout in the corner (yes, I am totally embarrassed to admit this).

But I am determined to change this. First by carefully planning the craft before I even step foot in a Michaels or Hobby Lobby. And second by trying to remind myself to take things slowly and have patience throughout the process. It’s a work in progress, but so far, my new mantra has yielded a presentable front door wreath, and my latest endeavor: painted bowls to house office supplies on my desk.

The inspiration for these bowls came from the lovely Ez over at Creature Comforts. You can view her version here.

I wanted to play around with a few different dishes, so I purchased some basic white oven-safe ceramic/porcelain ones at Target, all for very reasonable prices. I couldn’t find the same brand of paints at my local Michaels crafts store that Ez had used, but I found a comparable brand that stated it would work on porcelain/ceramic. I knew I wanted pinks and oranges, since those are the colors I want to use in my office. I also picked up a metallic silver to add some bling, a variety pack of brushes, as well as small round sponging brushes, all from Michael’s.

I laid out all of my dishes, wiping them down with rubbing alcohol first to ensure they were clean.

And then I got to work! With a little planning first, of course! I started with the bowls, as they seemed easiest. I squirted a dollop of paint into the center, selected a brush (I used a fan brush for the pink and a more rectangular/basic brush for the orange) and started swirling paint up the sides.

I wanted to get more creative with the plate and the mug. After a failed attempt to stencil the plate AND the mug, I scraped the paint off and decided on an easier design: orange polka dots for the plate, using one of the sponging brushes, and pink chevrons for the mug. However, the chevrons didn’t turn out as planned either. After one sorry-looking row of zig-zags, I just went with the artistic swirly all-over brushstroke look. And then added some silver polka dots for good measure.

Here’s a finished shot, complete with office supplies!

I can’t wait to pull the rest of my office together!  I think these would look perfect on a white wood desk, mixed in with a bouquet of fresh flowers!

These would also be great for storing other little trinkets, keys, jewelry, etc. Or just as a colorful accent on a coffee table!

 

 

**Note: this paint is NOT food-safe! Please do not use it on dishes/items that you would serve food on/in.

There are two ways to “cure” this paint: the first is to let it air cure for 21 days; the second is to wait 48 hours, then place item(s) in a cold oven, set the temperature to 325-degrees, bake for 30 minutes, and allow to cool before removing. I intended to do the oven curing, but wound up letting them sit for 21 days.

 

Throw Pillow Throwdown

**I’m going to start this post off with full disclosure: I don’t sew. I can sew, but I did not sew these pillows. My excellent mother did. While I probably would have been capable of sewing these, I would have needed her expertise/supervision, and then we both agreed it would just be easier for her to do them herself 😉  But, I did “design” these pillows! I will take credit for the “creative vision,” haha!

When we ordered our purple couches (technically – a sofa and a loveseat), we got to choose the fabric and color for the throw pillows. We selected a red, as we thought this would be a cool combination with the eggplanty purple of the couch fabric. Here’s what we ended up with for the 4 throw pillows:

The pillows weren’t as red as I hoped they would be. They weren’t even orange, which I would have liked. Instead, they were a weird middle ground, kind of a rusty red-orange color.

As soon as we signed the contract to build our home (maybe before), I started designing a “mood board” to capture ideas and wish-fors for our new spaces. I knew I wanted to give our family room palette a revamp – centered around our purple couches, of course! – and the rusty red-orange pillows would have to go! Thankfully, they have zippered covers, so I could keep the pillow form inside and just have new covers made.

This is where my talented mother comes in. After plenty of perusing and pinning on Pinterest, I sketched out a few ideas for new pillow covers, and off we went to the fabric store. I was hoping to score a fun purple print or pattern for 2 of the 4, and a solid neutral that I could embellish for the remaining 2. We came home with a black-and-white print, which I have already changed out in favor of a fabulous Waverly print I discovered on a return trip to JoAnn fabrics. The black-and-white covers will make an appearance in my office/library sometime in the future.

Here’s the Waverly throw:

waverly modern essentials luminary in lilac

and the neutral covers with embellishments:

a strip of faux fur for added texture

tulle flowers

And there you have it! A throw pillow throwdown that gives our favorite purple couches a fresh new look!