Thursday, January 31, 2013

Chevron Board Backdrop


First off I want to Welcome any new readers or followers I may have. Thank you for stopping by. Make sure to stay a while and have a look around. I want to thank all of my followers for your support, for the comments, for reading and just for being so sweet. I love all the emails and interactions I am able to get through this blog. And I love to share with you what I create and my life experiences.  Now onto today's fun tutorial.

Keepin the Valentine theme going I am going to share how I made this super easy Chevron Board. It is the perfect backdrop for your Valentine decor and can be used throughout the year in various places. I think after Valentine's day I am going to put it in my Red kitchen :)

Supplies you Will Need:
-Rectangle or square piece of wood mine is about 1 1/2 feet by 2 feet (I got mine at Home Depot in the discount wood section for only $2 already cut)
-Texture cream (I got mine from the wood connection)
-An old textured rag
-Craft paint (I used brow, white and Red)
-Pencil
-Paper
-Ruler
-Scissors
-Painters tape
-Xacto Knife
-Sand paper

How I made it:

1. First I wanted to put on the texture cream all over the board like I did HERE and HERE so that when I sand it down at the end it will give it the worn, antique look that I was going for. You are just going to dip your rag into the cream and rub it all over the top of the board

2. Once it is all dry, you are going to paint your whole board brown. This is your base coat and will show through the second coat when you sand it down at the end. Again I like this for the antique affect

3. Then you are going to paint the whole board white over top the dried brown paint. I did a couple coats of the white making sure it was a nice bright white covering all the brown underneath


4. This is where it got a little bit tricky but there are three different options you can do here and I will try to explain them the best I can so that you can pick which ever one is easier for you.

-The first option to get your chevron lines is you can do what I did and cut out a chevron pattern in the size that you want. You can either print off the pattern from online and then cut it out or you can cut it out from your craft cutter. Then once you have your pattern you will trace it onto your board doing one line at a time and just starting the next line right at the bottom of the previous line. (This is the option I did)

-Another option you can do is you will measure out a grid. You will do horizontal lines every 5 inches and then do vertical lines every 5 inches and then you will draw your zig zag chevron pattern by using the square grid

-Or you can use your craft cutter and cut out a chevron pattern onto vinyl and use the vinyl instead of the painters tape.


5. I did option one because my electronic cutter was not wanting to cut the vinyl due to a dull blade so I cut out the pattern onto card stock and then traced it on myself and it didn't take very long at all. If you are doing option one or two you will need to get out the painters tape next and you are going to follow your traced chevron placing the painters tap down in the pattern.


6. Then you will take your xacto knife and you will clean up the painters tape lines so they are nice clean lines to follow while you paint.


7. Once all your painters tape is looking like the picture two above you are going to take your red paint (or whatever color you choose) and paint over the whole things again. This will paint red chevron and where the painters tape is in place it will leave those white.


8. I did 2 coats of paint letting it dry completely between each coat. Once it is all dry you are going to peel off your tape or your vinyl and it will look like the above picture. Don't worry if your paint bleeds a little and it doesn't look perfect because when we and it down it will just add to the character and make it look antiqued.


9. The last step is sanding. You are going to go over the whole thing just sanding away until you get the look you are going for. When you and it down the brown will show through the white areas and the white will show through the red areas. I also sanded all the edges.


I love the old look and character the sanding gave to the back drop.



And the last thing you are going to want to do is find the perfect place for it either for your Valentines mantel, decor or for a wall hanging. Just find the best place in your home for it and it is the perfect statement piece that can go just about anywhere.


My Chevron Board Backdrop is Linked up HERE

If you have any questions about this project and tutorial 
feel free to leave a comment or email me at wjwiki07@hotmail.com
and I will answer you as soon as I can
Thank you so much for all of your support, for reading and for following. 
HAPPY CRAFTING!!!!

Make sure to check out my other Valentines Projects: Wooden {Love} Letters and Easy Paper Straw Wreath you will not want to miss them. And yes there are even more V-day projects coming your way.

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Easy Paper Straw Wreath


Today I have another fun and simple Valentine project for you. I promise you are going to want to make one of these when you see how fast you can make it. I have had some many compliments on it already and there is just something about it that makes me smile every time I pass it in my home.I love the colors, the sunburst effect and of course the paper straws. I am in love with paper straws. They are perfect for any party and picnic, who knew they were so fun to craft with too. This wreath took me a total of a half hour to complete from start to finish.

Supplies I used:

-Styrofoam disc (I got mine at the dollar store 2 for $1)
-Xacto knife
-Ribbon (coordinating color with straws)
-Hot Glue gun and Hot glue sticks
-scissors
-Paper straws (I used 54. depending on your size of wreath you will need 50-100 straws) I got my straws at Orson Gygi it was a pack of 144 for $9 They have so many fun colors. I picked red so that I could use this at Christmas time as well 

What I did:


1. First I cut out a circle from the styrofoam disc with an Xacto knife. I did this instead of getting a wreath form because I couldn't find one small enough plus this was a cheaper way to get the same thing. And it only took an extra minute to just make my own.


Tada your own wreath form for only .50 cents. Can't really beat that can ya :)


2. Once it is cut out and it is the size you want you are just going to cover it with ribbon to match your straws so I used red ribbon that I already had on hand in my craft stash. Hot glue one end of the ribbon stick it to the wreath form, wrap around the whole thing and then hot glue he other end securing it in place. The ribbon is so there is no styrofoam showing and it gives it a cleaner look. It also is easier to hot glue to straws onto the ribbon because it can melt the styrofoam otherwise.


3. Then I cut off 1/3 of the straw on half of the straws so 26 where the full length and 26 were cut 1/3 off. I liked having them different sizes because it gave it some good dimension.

4. then you are just going to start hot gluing the straws onto the wreath form doing it every other long and then short straws, following the circular shape. This part went by so fast and I just did it while I was talking t my mom. You have time to do this sucker while the littles are napping and still have plenty of time to put your feet up and watch your favorite show, do some more crafting or finally take a shower. :)


5. I attached some bakers twine to the back and it is as easy as that it is all done and ready to find the perfect spot for it and hang it up. Fun right?!

Get excited because I have some more fun Valentine ideas coming your way the rest of this week and next week. Time to Celebrate the love. To check out my Wooden love letter go HERE


If you have any questions about this project and tutorial 
feel free to leave a comment or email me at wjwiki07@hotmail.com
and I will answer you as soon as I can
Thank you so much for all of your support, for reading and for following. 
HAPPY CRAFTING!!!!

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Wooden {Love} Letters


Are you getting excited for Valentine's Day? It is one of my very favorite Holidays to celebrate and decorate for. What is better than celebrating love. For our husbands, our kids, our parents. Love is all around. And yes we should be showing those we love that we love them everyday of the year, but why not just have one day to focus on it even more?! Today I am so excited to be starting off some Valentine posts I have in store for you this week with these super, fun, easy and cute wooden LOVE letters tutorial.

Supplies I used:

-Wooden letters. (Wood connection) ok this is where I saved some money though. So you can get their adorable kits that have all the letters ready for you or you can pick your own letters or if you are like me and like cute but love to save money were ever you can you go to the back and check out their .99 cents boxes. I got all these letters in that box so the letters only cost me $4. Next time you want something at wood connection make sure to check that box first.
-Scrapbook paper (wood connection)
-craft paint (in the colors to coordinate with the paper you want to use) I used pink, an off white and red for small wooden heart
-Mod podge
-sponge brush
-Sand paper
-Bakers Twine
- Lace Ribbon
-Wooden heart (Wood connection)

What I did:


1. First I painted the letters the colors that would go with the paper for each letter. I painted the sides and the back. You don't have to paint the back. I am just a freak and just like to have it all finished. I didn't paint the front of the letter since the paper would be covering the front. Make sure to let the paint dry all the way before you start the next step


The papers I chose for my letters. Cute right?!


2. Next I cut the paper down to be closer to the size of each letter.


3. Then I covered the front of the letter with mod podge and placed the paper on top. Using a credit card to smooth it out and get out any bubbles. Then I placed it upside down putting all the pressure down onto the paper so that it dries smooth.


I did this to all of the letters and let them dry and sit like this for about an hour.


4. Next I used the sand paper and sanded around all the edges so that the the excess paper came off leaving only the paper in the shape of the letter. I love using this method because then the paper fit the letter exactly and has a better more professional looking edge.


5. Once they were all sanded I mod podged on top of the paper of each letter. Sealing it and finishing it off.


6. Your letter are all painted and completed as far as the paper goes, but of course I needed to finished them off with a little embellishments. I left the L and e blank so it didn't get to busy. On the O I painted the small wooden heart red and attached it by wrapping some pretty white and pink bakers twine around it. Then on the V (the heart used for a V) I just tied this really pretty lace ribbon (I got it at the wood connection they sale it by the yard and it is beautiful) and made it into a bow. And viola done.


Then all you have to do is to find the perfect place for them. And that is just what I did. I put them on a shelf in my living room so I can see them everyday.


With wood letters, paint, paper, wooden heart, and ribbon this cost me about $10 total. Not bad. :)


My Wooden Love letters are linked up HERE

If you have any questions about this project and tutorial 
feel free to leave a comment or email me at wjwiki07@hotmail.com
and I will answer you as soon as I can

Thank you so much for all of your support, for reading and for following. 
HAPPY CRAFTING!!!!


I just had to include this picture. And its kinda the perfect V day outfit don't you think. I was watching my siblings for the weekend while my mom and dad went on a birthday trip to Las Vegas. On Saturday me and my 14 year old sis went shopping because there were a few things I needed to pick up. Of course we stopped at Target and we both got this shirt :) She found it in clearance in her size and I LOVED it so I looked for my size and they had it. And we both already had red pants so we just had to get our matching picture. Oh I love my sister. Pretty funny we are wearing the same outfit when we are 12 years apart haha. I think I am young at heart what can I say.


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