I have recently become obsessed with Chalkboard-style typography. So I thought I’d round up a few beauties from Etsy to share with you this week.
I’ve been practicing my skills and am working on my own version of this holiday-themed art! Check back soon to see how it turned out!
1. OliveRue / 2. SarahSaysSew / 3. – 5. LilyandVal
I’m reaching back into the “archives” for this week’s Dare to DIY: give homemade challenge.
Over the summer, I pinned this jewelry DIY from the Martha Stewart blog as a way to keep myself occupied during our 12+ hour drive to Florida. I made two necklaces, and nearly lost all of the wooden beads in the car when we made a sudden stop.
All you need is some plastic lanyard lacing (remember all those summer camp crafts??) and beads. You could probably use silk cord or ribbon, and other types of beads. I just went off of the instructions on the MS blog.
I ended up improvising a bit when I had trouble looping the two strands back through the lacing.
I had fun playing with the color combos and dreaming up outfits that my new neon necklaces would go with.
Check out the Dare to DIY hostesses: Two Twenty One, Decor and the Dog, Maybe Matilda, and Newly Woodwards. And check out more handmade gift ideas here!
These DIY coasters are just too easy to make. Really. If you want/need an easy craft, or an easy handmade gift, you cannot pass these up.
You can find my original post, with instructions, here.
When it comes to seasonal decor, I tend to stick to Winter/Christmas. And by “stick to” I mean Make It Look Like Santa’s Workshop / A Wintery Wonderland Exploded In My House. I. Love. Christmas Decor.
But, I have to admit that I’ve recently had a hankering for some Fall-inspired touches around the house. In the past, I think I’ve been turned off by the predominantly brownish color palette of Fall decor, but with the recent metallics trend… now that’s a seasonal bandwagon I can get on! Whoo! Whoo! (wait, sorry, that’s a train sound. What sound does a bandwagon make?)
Anywho, I came across this seasonal Subway art on Pinterest…
from Antsi-Pants blog
and decided this was totally something I could decorate around. She’s even got glittery pumpkins right next to it! Yessss!
This is actually a printable that can be downloaded (for free!), but I had a Craft Itch that needed to be scratched. I decided with some paint and scrapbooking accessories, this could easily become a personalized piece. So I made a trip to Michael’s, picked up some supplies, and got to work!
I picked up an 11″ x 14″ canvas and figured I’d need at least eight words/phrases to cover it. I made a list of all of the Autumn-related words I could think of, then narrowed down to the ones that best represent what I love about the season.
I wanted a variety of fonts, so I purchased stencils and 3D sticker letters. I also decided to free-hand some of the words, which I saved for last so that I could fill in remaining spaces as needed. I started with the stencils, tracing them lightly with a pencil.
Then I added the 3D sticker letters, free-handed in the remaining spaces, and added a few “accessories” in the form of the sunflower, pumpkin and leaf stickers. Just to add some extra pizzazz!
I’m surprisingly pleased with how it turned out! And how relatively easy it was to do! A little bit more time consuming (took me about 2-2.5 hours from start to finish), but fun and worth it.
I already have plans for a Christmas one 😉
It hasn’t found a permanent home yet, but I have a few other Fall ideas in my mind that I’m hoping to pull together this weekend!
Where do you stand on seasonal decor?
Update: found this fun Fall Decorating Link Party from The Lettered Cottage! Check out all of the other bloggers’ awesome fall decor ideas!
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”:
