Is your Welcome mat screaming, “HELP ME! ” instead?

Door Mat (Before)

Due to the invention of garage door openers, I rarely use my front door.I have had it painted white since 1985 LOL. I wanted a bright cheery color for some time now. I did know that my welcome mat has been worn for some time now but did not have the means to replace it.

After painting my front door, my welcome mat not only looked worn, it was screaming, ” Help Me! ” . So, I decided to paint it. Yes, paint. It is a rubber mat, very thick and sturdy. So I took the exterior door paint and painted all the trim and designs that were raised and the flat surfaces I painted black as it originally was. Then I took craft paint and painted the flowers. Once dry, I coated it with three coats of clear spray paint that bonds to plastic so that it would protect the paint from rain and make it last longer.

Door Mat (After)

The results? Well, I am very happy with how it turned out, MY FRONT DOOR is saying, “THANK YOU! ” and my WELCOME MAT is saying, ” WELCOME ” again. Hope that you’ll give this a try. It’s like a custom doormat and matches the door perfectly. Let me know what you think once pics are posted. 🙂

CROCHETED CANDY CANES

Tis the season!  Once again we are decorating not just a tree but our home, packages and entryways as well. I saw this video that I’d like to share with you. I actually have made these many years ago and they turned out very nice. I did make them TRI- colored though ( green red and white. The white had to go between the green and the red so I just doubled the length for the white). I experimented with the pattern and made some smaller ( using 25 stitches) and they were small enough to hang on a tree and decorate a package with. If you’d like them thinner just use a smaller crochet hook.Hope you’ll give it a try. Fun for children too, if you’re trying to teach your child to crochet. This is an easy one. I wish a Merry Christmas to all of you.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U9HzOesKmCE

DE-CLUTTERING YOUR HOME AND LIFE

I saw this video I would like to share with you. If you’re anything at all like me, you have too much stuff! While your home may be clean, it would look and feel better with less stuff. This lady was so enjoyable and on point with the hazards we face when starting our so called de-cluttering. We get side tracked. She has a system that definitely works. Enjoy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SLaa_Gw-Wwk

HOMEMADE POTPORRI: GIFT IN A JAR

HOMEMADE POTPORRI (photo will be posted soon)

During the holidays we are frequently invited to spur -of -the- moment dinners at friends homes. Not wanting to show up empty handed, we usually stop at the store and get a dessert. This is a lovely gift you can make many of in advance and keep on hand just for these occasions. Making them just before Thanksgiving assures they will be ready at a moments notice. Just grab and go. These warming scents also warm the hearts of the people you give them to.  Who doesn’t love a homemade gift?

You will need:

Star anise

Apples

A few oranges

Cinnamon sticks

Cloves

Vanilla beans cut open and air dried

Old fabric pieces that you have no use for

Raffia

Card stock

Hole puncher

Sharp scissors or pinking shears

Recycled wide mouth jars or mason jars

Glue stick (optional)

Piece of chalk  or pencil

Directions:

1.Take oranges and apples and slice extremely thin.

2. Place them single layered with sides not touching, into a 250 degree Fahrenheit oven on a cookie sheet for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. (be sure to check every half hour or so as you do not want them to burn).

3. Once completely dried,  open a few vanilla beans  and allow the oranges apples and vanilla bean to dry overnight in air.

4. The next day add Cinnamon sticks, cloves, and anise stars to the dried mixture.

5.Take a few pieces of each item and place in a glass jar.

6. Using your glass jar lid as a guide, trace the lid with chalk.

7. Cut your fabric a quarter inch larger than the lid  all the way around.

8. Take a slightly dampened napkin or paper towel and ease the chalk mark. If you have used pencil to trace your lid, be sure it is face down on the lid.

9.  Place lid on jar and center your fabric on lid. If you have difficulty keeping fabric centered you can run a glue stick over the lid and prevent fabric from sliding.

10. Cut length of Raffia long enough to tie into a bow.

11. Handwrite or type directions for use onto card stock  that you have punched a hole in.

12. Place raffia through hole on card stock and tie into a nice bow.

DIRECTIONS: Simmer in 2 quarts of water or leave in jar with lid off to give a lovely  holiday scent to your home.

NOTE:  You can print labels to stick on face of jar writing message of your choice.  ie: from Jeanette’s kitchen, Holiday  Scents , Made  with love from our home to yours, etc.

VARIATIONS:  You can tie jingle bells on raffia or hot glue a poinsettia or pine cone to the top. Be creative. Have fun!

STARFISH WALL DECORATION

Click image to enlarge

I am a beach person. I love the ocean and even more, I love collecting seashells. I have my master bathroom decorated in a beach theme. I have clear glass jars of seashells displayed on the windowsill and wanted a starfish for the wall. This is what I did. Hope you’ll give it a try! So easy! Takes just a few minutes.

 

 

 

YOU WILL NEED:

A Starfish ( or more if you want several) these can be purchased in Walmart or any craft store, individually or in a bag .

White paint OR no paint, leave natural

Glitter if you are painting and wish it to sparkle

Hot glue gun with glue sticks

White pipe cleaners or a wire ( when I run out of wire I have been known to use a Christmas tree ornament hanger for these small tasks).

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Either leave natural or paint your starfish white and apply glitter. 2. Hot glue pipe cleaner to back center of starfish to hang on wall.
2. NOTE: There are some on a shelf in my guest bedroom that just rest against a book or other item.

Repurposing in Home Decorating

Ever want just a different look? Tired of looking at the same home decor day after day? Do you have a wall of family photos with all different frames? Well, change it up a bit. This can easily be accomplished with very little expense to you. Here an idea I hope you will give a try before spending a lot of money or a day shopping to try to find the right sized frames.
Have you just re-painted but don’t like the way your photo frames look in contrast to you new paint color choice? PAINT THEM ! Here’s how.

YOU WILL NEED:

White or black paint (these colors usually look good on any colored wall) or the color of your choosing

Paint brushes

Craft paint the color of your choice ( you can find at your local Walmart or craft store)

Matte or glossy clear spray paint ( optional

Something to protect your work area

A cardboard box ( package box,pizza box, whatever you have)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Remove all your cherished photos and glass from frames and set photos in a safe place where you can store safely for a few hours.

2. Fill sink with soap and water and wash and rinse both sides of your photo frame glass and set on towel to dry.

3. Cover the surface where you plan to paint your frames.

4. Paint sides of all frames only and set aside to dry.

5. When dried, paint the faces of your frames , taking care not to drip down sides of frames. If you are covering dark frames with a lighter color paint do two light coats rather than one heavy coat.

6. Once dried take the frames outside or in your garage with door opened.

7. Spread a cardboard box open onto the floor . Place frames onto it being sure Spray with a clear coat paint . Do not spray too much as this will cause dripping.

7. Be sure not to neglect the old photo inserts that came with your frame. You can use the paint color of your room to paint these, keep them as is if they are not damaged or worn , or reverse them so that they look fresher.

8. Now that your frames are completely dried, you can reinsert photos.

NOTE: When picking craft paint do not use glossy kind. It is less forgiving when you get a drip and not necessary since you will be clear coating . Clear coat spray paint makes them easier to wipe down if dusty and prevents paint from coming off. Please see my blog on GALLERY PERFECT PICTURE HANGING TIP.

THE “I don’t want to” COOKBOOK

Click image to enlarge

I have very good friends who often invite me to come over for dinner. Sometimes they order out and have the food delivered. They had a lot of menus from their favorite places all in a manila envelope in their china closet drawer. Often, they rustled through them trying to find the one they were looking for. That’s when this idea came to mind. And I created this! They got it as one of their Christmas gifts. It made us all laugh when they opened it . Whenever I see mine I think of that day and how everyone liked it and what a great time we had that day. I’m sure many of you will give this a try.

YOU WILL NEED:

A three ring 1- 1/2 inch binder that has the clear plastic insert on the front cover.

A box of clear plastic sheet protectors.

Menus from your favorite take-out places?

NOTE : IF YOUR MENUS HAVE TRI-FOLDS, YOU WILL NEED TWO OF THEM.

A computer photo that you can edit and put words on it.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Separate menu pages. Get new menus if you can.

2. Put each page in a separate page protector so that you can view both sides of the menu.

3. Place all page protectors in binder.

4. Place your computer made image and title into the insert on front of binder.

5. Place on bookshelf and you will free up drawer space and always have your favorite menus handy and ready to view .

MEMORY QUILT

Photo to be uploaded soon

Do you or your child have many blouses or tee-shirts that they can no longer wear ? Are you taking up space that you could utilize better because these items are too sentimental to throw away? I have the perfect solution. I wish I could claim it as my own idea , but I first heard of this from a girl I worked with. She made a quilt from them and gave it to her daughter for her 18th birthday.
Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of hers. It turned out fabulous. The one photographed is one I am working on to celebrate my sons twenty years of service in the U.S. Navy. It is made of many of the tee-shirts he has bought for me , as well as many he has worn himself that no longer fit. You can also do this with sweatshirts. Just do not mix the two fabrics as they stretch differently.

YOU WILL NEED:

1. Old Tee shirts or sweatshirts that no longer fit.
2. Fabric to frame each shirt after cutting,  so that all pieces are the same size. A solid color without stretch or design will work best.
3. Iron on stabilizer  to iron to the back of your shirts before cutting them.
4. Thin cotton fabric to use as the back of your quilt. amount will vary based on the size of your project
5. Transparent thread ( because you will be sewing on top of design on many of the shirts.)
6. Fabric scissors
7. Seam ripper tool
8. Thin Cotton batting to put between the front and back of your quilt.
9. Tape measure ( or yard stick)
10. Piece of white chalk
11. Sewing machine (optional but easier) with quilting needle
12. Straight pins ( can use safety pins but they do tend to shift)

INSTRUCTIONS:

SOUTHWESTERN AND DOTTED STONE PAPERWEIGHT

Click to enlarge

YOU WILL NEED:

Black  craft paint ( or base color of your choice)
Two sizes of paint brushes
Large stones
Something to protect your work surface
Clear spray paint
toothpicks or wooden skewers

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Paint entire rock black and allow to dry.

2. Take back of larger brush and dip into a different color paint.

3. Randomly place dots onto stone surface then switch color and continue dotting rock until it looks as you wish it to look.

4. For a different effect paint different colored stripes down rock. Once dry take toothpick or wooden skewer and dip into paint and dot in a design.

7. Once dry, spray with clear spray paint to protect your painted surface.

These make lovely paperweights. Or something to sit on a shelf. If the rock is large enough you can use for a doorstop too.

Have a blessed day!

SEASHELL SHADOWBOX

 

Why not make your family vacation or day  at the beach a keepsake?

YOU WILL NEED:

SEASHELLS

INEXPENSIVE SHADOWBOX

CLEAR GLOSSY SPRAY PAINT

PAINT OF YOUR DESIRED COLOR (if choosing to paint your shadowbox to match your decor)

SANDPAPER ( optional)

OLD CARDBOARD BOX

CONTACT CEMENT (optional)

DAP clear caulking

PENCIL

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Boil seashells in large pot to clean. Allow to dry.

2. Place dried seashells on box and in well ventilated area, spray all exposed areas of shells till coated. This clear finish will bring out and enhance the natural colors of your seashells. DO NOT SPRAY TOO CLOSELY AS THIS WILL CAUSE DRIP MARKS.  Also,two thin coats are best.

3. Allow an hour or two for shells to dry thoroughly. In the meanwhile take paper and trace the back of your shadow box from the inside. This is an important step as the outside of your shadow box is larger than the inside. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.

4. In the meantime, if you would like a sandy look to your display box , apply a Contact cement to coat entire back of sandpaper in a thin coat as well as a very thin coat  to  the back of shadow box. Once tacky adhere the sandpaper to the back of the shadowbox and allow to dry thoroughly. I have used a silicone rolling pin to be sure paper was adhered thoroughly . If you do this I recommend placing a clean cloth or handkerchief across top of sandpaper before you roll  as to avoid scratching or making unwanted marks on your sandpaper.

5. Place your seashells on the paper tracing and play with them till you get the look and placement that looks best .

6. Once evenly spaced, and in the place you’d like them to be, carefully tilt each one and mark center point with a pencil on the paper.  Do this for the center point of all shells ( center of where shell will touch and can be glued) as they are varying heights and widths and will have different center points as well as areas that can be glued due to some shells having open backs of irregular sizes.

7. Once you have marked all spots take photo of your shell placement so you will be sure to put them all in the place where you want them.

8. Remove shells from paper and place paper onto back of shadowbox and with pencil, press hard on center point pencil marks so as to make dent mark in sandpaper or back of box.

9. Place dap clear caulking in thick enough layer so as it will adhere but not press out of sides. Because dap is washable with soap and water you can practice placement on your traced piece of paper to see if you have too much that will seep out and be noticeable. Then simply wash off shell n dry with paper towel and place dap on shell again and place in shadow box.

10. BEFORE YOU START PLACING INTO ACTUAL SHADOWBOX  you may want to put shadow box on a large baking sheet so that it will be easier to move to its final drying space without dislodging or shifting shells. Allow to dry overnight or for at least 12 hrs before closing shadow box.

11. AND IF YOU CHOOSE TO, YOU CAN GLUE A PIECE OF NICE PAPER WITH THE PLACE AND DATE YOU  COLLECTED YOUR SHELLS. ie. Our Honeymoon, Hawaii 2008.

IT IS WORTHY TO NOTE THAT SOME SHADOWBOX BACKS DO NOT TOTALLY COME OFF. IN THIS CASE YOU WOULD WANT TO PLACE BOTTOM ROW OF SHELLS FIRST.  The reason I do not recommend hot glue is because hot glue can become unstable in heat and cold and your shells will fall off.  There is a new glue called E6000 but I have never worked with it. I prefer using Dap caulking or contact cement. My tried and true usual materials . Have fun with this!

Have a blessed day!