{DIY Photo Pendant}

Hey, y'all!  Mother's Day is just around the corner, and I have the BEST, super-easy-to-make gift idea for you!

Every mom loves pictures of her little ones, right?  And almost every mom likes jewelry, right?  Well, I have combined the two into a perfect Mother's Day gift!  I made this one for my awesome sister-in-law, and she LOVES it!  To start with, you need a blank photo pendant tray.

I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby, but they're sold many, many places.  And, of course, you need a photo to fit in the pendant.  I chose a cute one of my nieces because, let's face it, all that cuteness deserves to be on a necklace!  :)  I edited the pic in PicMonkey, and then I sized it to fit my pendant in Word.  It's really easy to do.

Open a Word document.  Click Insert, Photo, and then Picture from File.  Choose your picture.

Click on the pic and then click on the Format Picture tool bar.  You will see a space for height and width like in the screen shot above.  Input your measurements, and then just print.  I learned that printing on photo paper is best so that your picture is vibrant.  (I have been buying photo paper from my local Dollar Tree, so check there before buying expensive photo paper.)  Cut out your picture and make sure that it fits in your pendant tray.  If it doesn't, carefully trim it until it does.  Then coat with Mod Podge.

I coated the front and the back of the picture with Mod Podge to make sure the image didn't get messed up when I attached it to the pendant tray, which is the next step.

Coat the pendant tray with Mod Podge and adhere the picture to it.  Smooth it down carefully to make sure there aren't any bubbles.

After all the Mod Podge is dry, cover your photo with a layer of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.  This is the step that makes your pendant look REALLY professional.  (I was just tempted to type "profesh" because I've been watching too much Rachel Zoe.)  I always start squirting my DM on a scrap sheet of paper because if there are bubbles, they usually come out first, and you don't want bubbles in your DM.    If you do happen to get a few bubbles, you can try to pop them with a straight pin.  It's hard to do, though.  Let the pendant dry UNDISTURBED for the required amount of time stated on the bottle.  Then all that's left is attaching a chain.

Since I pretty much already had the supplies on hand besides the pendant tray, I literally spent less than five dollars on this awesome gift!

Isn't that the wonderful thing about handmade gifts?  You can give beautiful, personalized gifts that you don't have to sell a kidney to afford.  

And, of course, I can think of other occasions to gift this besides Mother's Day.  How about a new mom gift or a mother of the bride gift or even a gift to memorialize a loved one who passed away?  No matter the occasion, whoever you give this to is sure to be your new best friend.  :)
Check out my other DIY necklace tutorials {HERE}.

{DIY Name Necklace}

Hey, y'all!  Last week, I shared this DIY Name Necklace at Through the Eyes of the Mrs.  Today, I want to share it with y'all.

Have you ever seen those acrylic name necklaces?  They can be a bit pricey, and they have to be custom made.  You can make one inexpensively yourself with just a few supplies.  The main supplies you need are Shrinky Dink plastic, paint, and necklace making supplies.  (Shrinky Dink plastic sheets are about the thickness of a transparency.  When the sheets are baked, they shrink and harden.)  The other supplies you probably already have on hand.  Start by printing out the name for the necklace.

You need to be aware of a couple of things, though.  First of all, Shrinky Dink plastic will shrink down 1/3 it's original size in the oven.  Whatever size you want your name to be, you need to print the name three times larger.  Also, you need all the letters in the name to touch.  I created the name I used with my Silhouette program.  I chose a cursive font (That's Font Folks), ungrouped the letters, scooted any letters not touching together, and then welded the shapes together.  Then I simply printed out the image.  After the image is printed, you need to trace your name on a sheet of Shrinky Dink plastic (follow the directions on the package) and cut out the traced image.  Use a craft knife for those impossible-to-cut spots.

Then paint the rough side of the plastic with acrylic paint.  (Other mediums can be used.  Those are listed on the package.)  Punch a hole on each side of the name where you plan to attach the necklace chain.  You MUST do this before baking the piece.  Then it's time to bake.

Bake the name according to the Shrinky Dink plastic directions.  Please do not rob yourself of the joy of watching the name curl up like the Wicked Witch of the West's feet in The Wizard of Oz!  You need to watch the name shrink anyway because sometimes when the piece shrinks, you need to quickly manipulate it with a toothpick to straighten up a piece that shrinks crookedly.

In the image above, you can see the printed name I traced and the baked name.  The baked name will be a hard plastic now.  To keep the paint from coming off the back of the name, you need to seal it some way.  I simply coated mine with Mod Podge.  Then it's time to add glitter because, let's face it, everything is better with glitter!

Coat the top of the name with Mod Podge and sprinkle with glitter.  To keep the glitter from coming off the necklace, I covered the top with a layer of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.  The only step left after the piece dries is attaching the necklace.

Thread jump rings attached to lengths of chain through the name holes.  Attach a clasp to the chain, and you're done!

 I think this necklace looks a lot like the acrylic versions.  The name is not as hard as acrylic would be, and if you jerk it around, it could definitely break.  But with that being said, it's so inexpensive, easy to make, and beautiful!  Plus, everyone should use Shrinky Dink plastic once in her life because it's so fun to watch shrink in the oven!!!

{Flower Embellished Frame}

Hey, y'all!  I'm excited to be sharing the frame I created that was featured on The Hair Bow Company's blog last week.

For this project, you will need a wooden frame, scrapbook paper, Mod Podge, paint, and flowers from The Hair Bow Company.  (I'm notorious for starting out with a plan and changing it.  That's why I ended up switching out two of the flowers I initially selected for two others.)

Begin by painting the back and sides of your frame in a color that coordinates with your flowers and paper.

When the paint is dry, trace your frame on the back of your scrapbook paper and cut out your traced shape.

Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the top of your frame and adhere the paper to the frame.  (It's helpful to use an old gift card or credit card to smooth out any bubbles.)

I love to rub an ink pad over the edges and corners of projects like this to add character.  When the Mod Podge and ink has had adequate time to dry, coat the entire piece with Mod Podge to seal it.  Then it's embellishment time, which is always my favorite part!

I took one of The Hair Bow Company's Silk Rose Flowers and separated the bottom petals from the middle.  I hot glued the bottom petals to the frame and added a scrapbook embellishment to the center.  I also glued a yellow Pettie Flower and a navy and white polka dotted Shabby Flower to the frame as well.

  I created a small print with PicMonkey to fit in my frame.  I stuck the image in the frame, and my embellished frame was complete.

I love the colors of the scrapbook paper.

And I love the dimension the flowers add.

This is such a cheerful piece of decor to add to your house to help chase away the winter blues.  And it would be a lovely housewarming gift for a friend. If you would like to purchase some flowers from The Hair Bow Company to use in your crafting, don't forget that I have a coupon code for you!

 Use it before it expires!  :) Disclaimer: While I was given flowers from The Hair Bow Company to use in my crafting, all opinions in this post are completely mine!  For further info on my disclaimer policy, see the side of my blog.

{Nativity Silhouette Votive Holder}

On November 29th, I had the pleasure of participating in See Vanessa Craft's 20 Crafty Days of Christmas.  I shared my Christmas votive holder with Vanessa's readers {HERE}.  Today I want to share this easy craft with y'all, so here goes...

I love Christmas!  It's the best time of year because of time off from school, get-togethers with family, and, of course, Christmas crafting.  Since my Christmas decor only stays out for a few weeks, I don't like to spend a lot of money, but I still want my decor to be beautiful.  I look for items on sale, and I make items myself.  And where's the best place to get supplies to create inexpensive Christmas decor?  The dollar store!  This nativity candle holder is very easy to make, and you only need a few supplies:

• votive holder
• book page
• nativity silhouette
• rhinestone (optional)
• Mod Podge
• paint brush

Step One: Trace one side of the candle holder on a book page and cut out the traced shape.  The dollar store has an assortment of candle holders and often has large books for sale, or you could check your local thrift store for used books.

Step Two: Adhere the book page to the glass with Mod Podge.  Cover the glass with a layer of Mod Podge and stick the paper to the Mod Podge, making sure to smooth out any bubbles.  When the paper dries, cover the paper with another layer of Mod Podge to seal it.  (I used antique Mod Podge, but regular Mod Podge would work just as well.)

Step Three: Adhere your nativity silhouette to the front of the candle holder with Mod Podge.  I used my Silhouette to cut an image from black paper, but vinyl would work really well.  Or if you don't have a Silhouette, you could print a nativity silhouette and cut out the image.

I covered the whole front of the candle holder with Mod Podge when I was adhering my silhouette to the glass, but it dried opaque.  I had to use a craft knife to scrape the medium off the glass, so learn from my mistake and cover the back of your image with Mod Podge and adhere that to the glass.  To make sure the paper image will withstand wear and tear, coat it with a layer of Mod Podge to seal it.

Step Four: Glitter the inside back of the candle holder.   I used sparkle Mod Podge, but you could use glue and regular glitter too.  If your silhouette has a star like mine does, you can add a little more sparkle by glueing a rhinestone to the middle of your star with hot glue.

When all the glue is dry, you can pop a battery operated votive (also from the dollar store) in your candle holder and enjoy the glow.

It's always nice to have a reminder of what Christmas is all about in your decor.

And the fact that the reminder was handcrafted by your with supplies that only cost a couple of dollars is sure to put a smile on your face.  Don't forget to check out my Christmas crafts from last year.  Here are just a few...

Juice Carton House Ornament :: Embroidery Hoop Snowman :: Gift Tag Ornaments Merry Christmas!

{Dollar Store Wire Cloche}

Hey, y'all!  I've been posting on Thursdays lately, but since Thursday is Thanksgiving, I thought I should go ahead and post this today.  I originally posted this at Through the Eyes of the Mrs.   I want to share an inexpensive cloche with you that I made using dollar store materials.  I was inspired by this cake stand by The Gathering Place Design.  I LOVE dollar store crafts.  I get so excited when I finish a project using dollar store materials, and it turns out like it looked in my head.  :)

I began the project with these supplies, but I added to them as I worked: dollar store trash can, spray paint, and a knob purchased from Michaels for a dollar or two.  (I should never take "group" shots of supplies because I ALWAYS add something that isn't in my original picture!)

Before I started spraying my trash can, I realized I had to come up with some way to get my knob attached to the bottom of my trash can.  I came up with this...

I used Gorilla Epoxy to attach a backless frame to a wood round.  (The frame cost a dollar, and the round was less than a dollar!)  I then drilled a hole in the middle of the glued piece so that I could insert my knob later.

I sprayed both the knob base and the trash can with Rust-O-Leum's Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.  (You may want to prime the trashcan first depending on its original finish.)  After both pieces were dry, it was time to attach the knob to the trash can.

 I stuck the knob through the knob base and then through the middle of the trash can bottom.  I cut a little hole in the backing that came from my round frame and threaded the knob screw through it.  Then I simply secured the knob with the hardware that came with it.  My cloche top was finished, but I quickly realized it needed a base.  Back to the dollar store I went...

I purchased a pizza pan and Mod Podged torn book pages all over it.  To seal it, I used Antique Mod Podge to give it a nice aged look.  (I used the same process I used when creating my Book Page B.)  THEN my cloche was finally finished!

I love how the black book type coordinates so well with the black wire cloche.

This piece would look great as a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving or Christmas table.  And, of course, it would be great for everyday use!

Next time you're at the dollar store, don't look at items just for what they are at the moment.  Think of what they can become with a little spray paint and effort!  :) And before I go, I MUST let you know that you should be following Through the Eyes of the Mrs. if you aren't already!   She is going to be having some AMAZING Black Friday giveaways that you won't want to miss!  So skedaddle on over and become a follower.  ;)