DIY Coasters

I always find coasters I like at Pier1 or other pricey home goods stores but as a soon-to-be law student, I'm trying to conserve funds! So, I found this neat idea to make your own coasters & each one averages out to about $.50!

You'll need:
-Scrapbook paper or printed paper
-4x4 tiles (@ Lowe's for $0.16 each)
-Mod Podge
-Acrylic craft sealer
-Felt pads
-Paint Brush

I forgot to snap a photo of the tiles, but here's the supplies

Cut 4x4 squares out of your paper. Make sure to measure your tiles, because mine were actually 4.25 inches by 4.25 inches. I bought an inexpensive paper cutter at Michael's to make sure the edges were really straight.
Lightly brush Mod Podge on the tiles and on the back of the cut paper. Apply firmly and smooth out. I used a hard spatula to remove any bubbles.

Let the Mod Podge cure for about 5 minutes.

Take the glued tiles outside and spray a coat of the acrylic sealer on them moving left to right & making sure to coat the edges. Let set for 2 minutes & apply an additional coat. [FYI: Make sure you do this part outside. Acrylic sealer is extremely toxic & has terrible fumes]

Once they're dry they look like this!

Happy coasting :)

How to make a yarn wreath with felt flowers

This is a project I had seen in a magazine & was dying to make. The cool thing about this project is that you can customize it to your taste & it's fairly simple!

You will need:
-A straw wreath (leave it in the plastic)
-Yarn (2 bundles)
-Felt sheets
-Decorative sewing pins
-Hot glue gun
-Craft Scissors

Once you have all your supplies, start wrapping the wreath with the yarn. Pull it tight so that the yarn doesn't move. Overlapping it makes it look really rustic & that's the look I was going for.

Once you finish wrapping the wreath in yarn, tie a knot & use a dab on hot glue to glue it down. Now it's time to prep your felt to make flowers! [This step is optional. You could attach an applique or decoration to suit your taste or the season]

The sheets I purchased were rectangles, so they need to be cut in a somewhat of a circle. It doesn't have to be perfect, just make sure it's somewhat round.

Then start cutting on big long strip out of the rounded felt. It looks something like this.

After this step is complete, you start rolling the strip to make the flower base. Make sure the that the first few rolls are tight so that the flower stays together. The rest of the flower can be loose to flare out more & look like petals.

Once you have the flowers rolled to the size you like, hot glue the strip to the flower to hold it together. I used the excess to make a pad to stick on the back so that it sits up on the wreath, but that's also optional. I used the decorative sewing pins to make centers of the flowers but that's to suit my taste. You could also use scrapbook pearls, gems, or buttons.

The finished product looks something like this

This was my first go at this project & I'm excited to make more for gifts & seasonal items!! Enjoy making these. They're so relaxing & fun!!

Getting Started

I had numerous classes in undergrad that required me to build a website & blog, but at the close of those courses, I never found anything I was passionate enough about to actually write & publish on the internet. In the past few months, I've found myself completing more & more DIY projects (mainly furniture) & learned a lot from other similar blogs, so I figured I'd create one myself! While a lot of these projects are already complete, I wanted to share them with my potential readers & hope my ideas spark some creativity! Enjoy! I look forward to posting new crafts & projects as I complete them! :) 

This was a piece I had been DYING to find. I found this table for $5 at a yard sale. It had it's scratches & blemishes and isn't solid wood, but a can of primer, ivory spray paint and glossy enamel make this vintage, antique side table come back to life & I personally adore it!

Sadly I don't have the before picture. This mirror was plain, unfinished food (& FREE). With some painters tape & acrylic paint, it has life again!

This is my most recent project! I had made a headboard out of a picket fence a couple years ago & wanted something new! So I purchased a 8' x 4' piece of plain, unfinished plywood from a local hardware store & had it cut to fit my frame (54'' for my full size frame). I sanded & treated the wood to prevent splintering. I then stapled blackout upholstery fabric (purchased at a fabric store) to it just as you would any upholstery project. I omitted the foam & batting to save money!

This is a simple, quick fix to liven up a piece of bland furniture. I refinished the dresser & added vintage knobs that I found for $1 each at a local antique store. And presto! A fun, cheery piece of furniture!

I'm never content with pictures that are already framed, so I use pretty prints with a frame that I love. The picture in the frame is actually wrapping paper that I found in a boutique in Nashville for $2 a sheet! The frame initially had an outdated print in it when I purchased it at a consignment store for $3. The trick to DIY is to see the potential in old, worn out & outdated items!

I had initially purchased this inexpensive body mirror & didn't like the plain frame! So for $3, I attached some ribbon around the edge using hot glue & attached a dramatic, large flower in the corner. You could use any type of ribbon or decorative trim & any large scale, dramatic attachment to match your taste or decor!