Personalized Coasters

Personalized coasters are a great way to add some pictures in with useful decorations, and they make great gifts as well. I made these personalized coasters for my mom's birthday with a picture of each of us kids when we were about 1-2 years old. She absolutely LOVED them! You can use them for drinks including a glass of ice cold water or a hot cup of coffee. They also look cute just sitting on your end tables to show off the pictures.

Photo by Bailey

Supplies needed:

Scissors, four 4x4 in. photos, mod podge, a 1 in. foam brush, felt rounds, clear sealant spray, and four 4x4 in. black or white coasters.

Step 1:
Make 4x4 in prints at your local photo store. I just chose to go to Walgreens and make the prints for about 35 cents each.

Step 2:
Cut 1/8" off either the left or right side of the photo, as well as another 1/8" off either the bottom or the top of the photo.

Step 3:
Round the corners of the photo.

HINT:
Rounding the corners will give the photo a more "finished" looked.

Step 4:
Paint a thin vertical coat of mod podge onto a tile and then center the photo to it. Press the photo down for 10 seconds while also running your finger around the edges to make sure the photo is stuck to the mod podge. Let dry for 20 minutes.

Photo by Bailey

Step 5:
Paint a second vertical coat of mod podge onto the tile, then let dry another 20 minutes. Repeat with a third coat.

Step 6:
Repeat step 5, but with a horizontal coat. This will add a little texture to the project.

HINT:
There should be a total of 3 coats of mod podge over the photo.

Step 7:
Paint a thin coat of mod podge on the edges of the coaster so they have the same shiny look as the top.

Step 8:
Repeat steps 2-7 for each of the other 3 coasters.

Step 9:
When all 4 coasters are dry, spray them with a clear sealant spray, so you can protect the photos from the drinks that will sit on them.

Step 10:
After the sealant spray has dried for about an hour, place 4 felt rounds on the back of each coaster so they don't scratch the surface of where they will be used.

Creating Your Crafting Closet

The best places to find crafting items and supplies is obviously crafting stores such as Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Yes, sometimes these stores can be pricey, but they always seem to have 40% off coupons regularly each week. They also have plenty of sales going on all the time where you might not be able to use a coupon, but everything is still a really good deal.

You can find these coupons on their website home page, as well as in the newspaper. SCORE! That's two coupons for you each week. Taking advantage of these opportunities only benefits you by helping make your cheap DIY projects even cheaper. I take advantage of these coupons and sales all the time. That is why I have a lot of supplies. Everything that I have in my boxes are just a few dollars a piece, except the hot glue gun. A new one of those costs around $10, and even that isn't too bad of a price.

Here's a map to Michaels in Topeka.


Here's a map to Hobby Lobby in Topeka.

Easy Canvas Decor Video

This video here has really great ideas for 5 canvases as well as a few tips and tricks. I have actually never made canvases like these examples, except for the 2nd one. As you can see from the video, they are very easy to make. I think these are super cute and will definitely be trying them out. This video ties in with the whole blank canvas making and adds many more ideas than I have posted on my blog. I hope this video is as helpful to you as it is to me.

Video by Makoccino

Canvases with Writing

To add to my last blog post with the bathroom décor, here is another item you can add for decoration. Again, it matches the color theme to my roommates' and I's bathroom and definitely belongs in the room. It's super cute, easy and adds character.

Photo by Bailey

Supplies needed:
A blank canvas, paint, fabric paint, a pencil, Elmer's glue, a paint brush, and clear sealant spray.

Step 1:
Measure out the chevron lines 1 inch apart.

HINT:
Draw the chevron completely out so it's easy to paint inside the lines.

Step 2:
Paint each chevron line one color after the other dries.

Step 3:
Sketch the letters and design (in this case the heart) with pencil on the painted canvas.

Step 4:
Trace the sketched out letters and design with fabric paint.

Photo by Bailey

HINT:
It is very easy for the fabric paint bottle to get air bubbles in it and splatter the paint all over, so be sure to get as much of the paint towards the tip of the bottle to help that from happening.

Step 5:
After the fabric paint has dried for about 3-4 hours, paint the inside of the heart (or whatever design) with glue and sprinkle sparkles over it until it is coated.

Step 6:
When the glue under the sparkles is dry, spray the clear sealant coat over the sparkles.

Photo by Bailey

Find a spot to hang your canvas and then you're finished.

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Here is a small canvas with a cute saying that you can put pretty much anywhere in the house. I chose to put it in my bedroom because it's cute and felt like it fit best in there.


Photo by Bailey

Step 1:
Paint base coat on the canvas. (In this case I chose an antique white)

Step 2:
After the base coat has dried, draw the letters and design (in this case the flowers) with pencil.

Step 3:
Trace the pencil with fabric paint.

Photo by Bailey

HINT:
It is very easy for the fabric paint bottle to get air bubbles in it and splatter the paint all over, so be sure to get as much of the paint towards the tip of the bottle to help that from happening.

Step 4:
After the fabric paint has dried for about 3-4 hours, paint the inside of your design (the flowers) with whatever color you choose.

After the paint is dry, hang your canvas up and you're finished.

Painted Canvases

There are so many easy ways to craft on a tight budget and still have uniqueness. The second project I started with was taking blank canvases and painting designs on them for my bedroom. It was my first year at Washburn so I decided to make them WU themed. Here are the steps broken down with a few hints as well.

Photo by Bailey


Supplies needed:
A pencil, a paint brush, paint, glitter, Elmer's glue, a ruler and a clear sealant spray.

Step 1:
Draw out your design with pencil on the blank canvas. In this case, I chose to do chevron with the Washburn logo on top.

HINT:
It's best to label each chevron stripe the color you're painting it so you don't get confused. Make sure to include a stripe for the sparkles towards the bottom. as well.
Step 2:
Paint the first color for the chevron and let it dry.

HINT:
Using a smaller paint brush is best so you can easily paint between the lines.

Step 3:
Repeat with the second color for the chevron.

Step 4:
After both colors of the chevron are dry, paint the glue onto the background of the Washburn logo where the sparkles will go, as well as

HINT:
Make sure that both colors of the chevron are completely dry, otherwise once you sprinkle the sparkles on it will also stick to the wet paint. (It's a pain to get it off once that happens.) Also make sure to move quick so the glue doesn't dry.

Step 5:
Sprinkle the sparkles all over the glue until it is completely coated. Then, shake the excess sparkles off over a trash can.

Step 6:
Once you are satisfied with everything, spray the canvas with a clear sealant coat.

Photo by Bailey

HINT:
The clear sealant coat will help the sparkles from falling off and making a mess.

After the sealant has dried (about 15 minutes) you're finished.

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Here's another canvas that I made for my bedroom with the WU theme.



Photo by Bailey

Step 1:Draw out your design with pencil on the blank canvas.

Step 2:
Paint the Navy part of the Washburn W and leave the white outline white.

Step 3:
Paint glue all around the W quickly.

Step 4:
Sprinkle the sparkles all over the glue until it is completely covered. Then shake the excess off over a trash can.

Step 5:
Spray the canvas with a clear sealant coat and you're finished.

HINT:
The hints that I listed above will be helpful for this canvas as well.

Seasonal Wreaths

Wreaths are a great way to add some character to the front of a house. They're A LOT cheaper to make yourself than buy and you can change them with the season, which I find fun to do!



Photo by Bailey

Photo by Bailey




















Supplies Needed:
A stick wreath, long stemmed flowers, a hot glue gun and some ribbon. (a painted wooden letter is optional)

Step 1:
Cut each flower's stem off, but leave about and inch and a half or so to be able to wedge them into the wreath.

Step 2:
Wedge each flower into the wreath to get a good visual of where you want the flowers to go.

HINT:
The reason for leaving the stem's longer is so you can easily rearrange the flowers if they are not in the exact spot you would like them to  go before you glue them down.

Step 3:
Once you've decided your flowers are in the right spots, lift each flower up one at a time and put hot glue on the back. Hold them in place on the wreath for about 15 seconds while the glue dries.

HINT:
Be careful that the glue doesn't fall through the wreath and get onto your hands because it will burn you!

Step 4:
After each flower has been glue down to the wreath, you can put hot glue on the back of the bow, and hold it in place while the glue dries. (Optional)

Step 5:
Lastly, you can put a lot of hot glue on the back of the letter and hold it in place while the glue dries. (Optional)

HINT:
The letter is heavier than the flowers and bow, so you will need to use a lot more glue to secure it. You will also need to hold the letter in place longer while the hot glue is drying.

Mason Jars

If you're looking for a cute craft idea that can organize things on your bathroom vanity, or even in your bedroom, this is the perfect project! I made these when I moved in with a couple girls and we each needed something to help us organize our things in the bathroom. They're cute, fun, and easy to make. They also match our color theme.

Photo by Bailey

Supplies Needed:
3 mason jars, paint, fabric paint and tape.

Step 1:
Tape around the mason jar towards the bottom, so the part that you are painting will be above the tape line. Paint the jar and let it dry. Repeat with another coat or two, depending on the thickness of the paint.

Photo by Bailey

Step 2:
After the paint has dried completely, tape right above the paint where the sparkles will go underneath, and paint the glue on quickly.

Photo by Bailey

Step 3:
Sprinkle sparkles all over until the glue is covered and shake the excess off over a trash can.

Step 4:
Carefully draw a letter on the front of the mason jar (optional).

Step 5:
Draw a line around the jar following right where the sparkles and paint meet.

HINT:
Be very careful not to knock the sparkles until the glue is dried completely.

Step 6:
After the glue has dried, spray the mason jar with the clear sealant coat so the sparkles don't fall off. Let the sealant dry (about 15 minutes) and you're finished.


Photo by Bailey





Photo by Bailey