Day Care

I have been working at a day care and no longer have time to do projects of my own, but these are some of the cute things that I have had my kids do. 

“Fluttering about Spring” Butterflies

hand print caterpillar

Cherry blossoms on a tree using soda bottles and paint

 

 

Welcome to Fall

A Touch of Spring

A few “springy” things around the house 🙂

Happy Spring!

I made this cute “Happy Spring” sign to celebrate the new season! Here in upstate NY there is still snow on the ground, but I know that the warm weather is right around the corner!

All I did was print off these letters in light grey and then I cut them out with my tiny, sharp scissors.

Next I gathered “spring” colored paper from my paper supplies and I cut them and then glued my letters on.

Tape a string to the back of the letters and hang them on a frame!

Pallets Around The House

I used this one as a shelf in our bedroom. All you need to get is a clete (hardware store- picture hanging section).

This one is in our laundry room and I have the swiffer and broom in it

I stacked four small pallets on top of each other and made this coffee table!

What have you done with Pallets?

“I could do that!”

This is one of those situations that I like to call an “I could make that!” moment.  I was walking around Target with my hubby and we saw this canvas and he looked at me and said “you can make that” so I took a picture for inspiration and I went home and made it!

I want to inspire you to go out and make something, even if you think you can’t, just try it. Find something that draws you in and take a good look at it, decide what you need in order to make it and go home and make it!

For this project you will need:

– stencils

– stencil brush

– paint brush

– yellow, white, blue and black craft paint

– paper

– scissors

– a square, blank canvas (I used a 12×12)

– patience 🙂

1) Paint your canvas black with your paint brush and then let it dry

2) You can either make stencils or use stencils. I made my own because I didn’t want that “stencil look.” To make stencils, make a template on word using the “ABC’s” (make sure you leave a space between the “Q” and the “R” for your heart 🙂 Print off your letters and then cut the letters out so it looks like the picture below.

3) Place your letters down on the canvas. You may want to tape your letters down so that they don’t move around when you stencil. I did the first line and the last line first so I could make sure the spacing was correct.

4) Now you can start stenciling. Use a round, stenciling brush (you can find these in the stencil aisle at the craft store). If you made your own stencils, make sure to keep the “insides” of your letters and place them on the canvas in the appropriate spots before you start stenciling.

5) When you stencil the “I” and the “U” you should use a separate brush or make sure to wash out your brush thoroughly so you don’t mix your colors.

6) I did the 3rd line last so I could make sure the heart was in the right spot. I cut out a paper heart and taped it down.

7) the last step is stenciling your heart. Again you can use a different brush or you can use the same one, just make sure you wash it out.

And here it is, my finished project! What do you think? It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be! Remember that when you make yours or something else that inspired you! The fact that you made it is perfect in and of itself! Never say “I can’t do that!” You can do anything you put your mind to, have a lot of fun and a little bit of patience 🙂 Send me your pics, I would love to see what you’re up to!

Trash to Treasure

We bought this nightstand at a Thrift Store and I knew instantly that there was a treasure waiting to be uncovered! All I had to do was sand the top a bit by hand, prime, paint and poly!

Tools for the job:

– Sand paper (if needed)

– Primer

– Paint

– Polyurethane

– Sponge roller

– Paint Brush

– Screw Driver

First thing before you start painting:

Take out the drawers and take off the drawer handles. Then assess if your furniture needs to be sanded.

Now you can start painting!

I used two coats of Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer. There was no sanding needed for this primer and it covers well!

Next I used “hail a cab” yellow by Valspar. I didn’t need much so I got a “sample size” from Lowes. I did two coats of this color.

The last thing I did was two coats of polyurethane. Poly helps to seal everything in and makes your furniture scratch and stain resistant. My suggestion (and what I did) is use water based poly because its easier to clean and oil based can “yellow” your furniture. Remember to NEVER shake Polyurethane or you will get tiny air bubbles that will not go away.

This can be a long process, but just be patient with it and before you know it you will be done and have a gorgeous piece of furniture so stick with it, I believe in you 🙂

Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

Thanks to the inspiration from my good friend Jeana Mckenzie, my mom and Pinterest, I finally made these Mason Jar soap dispensers! This is an easy decorating idea that takes just minutes to make. It’s easy to turn a mason jar into a lovely soap dispenser for your kitchen or bathroom. I made two for my kitchen (one for hand soap and one for dish soap).

 

For this project you will need:

a jar with lid

an old soap dispenser

and a drill.

Drill a hole in the center of the lid about a half inch wide. You want the hole to fit the width of your dispenser, but you want it to be snug so it’s not loosely spinning around. Make sure your pump is long enough to reach the bottom of the jar. If it’s too long, just cut it to size. Fill your mason jar with soap, insert the pump, and tada! 

That’s all there is to it. If you already have these items, then this project is basically free! No more throwing away used plastic soap dispensers, for now on you will have a permanent dispenser and you will save money by buying the big refill bottles! 

Rusty Pumpkin

There are so many ways to make pumpkins but this one is definitely my favorite. Its super easy and really cute!

Here is what you will need:

-12-24 mason jar lids        -orange paint

-string                                -hot glue

-paper leaves                    -a stick

*dont worry about the mason jar lids, you do not have to go out and buy 24 mason jars and steal all of the lids off of them, you can actually just buy the lids. 12 lids come in a box and this is enough to make a pumpkin, it will be a little loose though. If you get 24, your pumpkin will be really tight. I used 15 lids to make my pumpkin.

lay out your lids and use a small brush to paint them orange

Once you are done line up all of your lids in the same direction and put a piece of string through all of the holes.

Set the lids down and pull the string really tight. When the string is as tight as you think it can get, tie it.

Now you can line up all of your lids and fan them out so it looks like the picture above.

Place a dab of glue on the sides of your stick and shove it down into the hole.

Now you can cut out some paper leaves and glue them where you want them and you’re done!

*some paint may get scratched off of your lids while you are making them so you can either leave them to give them some character or touch it up with more paint.

I hope you enjoy your mason jar pumpkin! If you make one, send me pictures, I would love to see them 🙂

Give Thanks

We have a lot to be thankful for. God has blessed each and everyone of us with so much; a roof over or heads, family, a warm bed at night, children, a spouse, a church family, friends, food, the weather, our country, etc. You may not possess all of these, but I guarantee that you have things to be thankful for. No matter how down you may feel, you can always find the silver lining.

There is a little boy who I have been reading about on Facebook, his name is Tripp Halstead. On October 29th, a large tree branch fell on him and he has been in critical condition ever since. He is still hanging on and fighting for his life and so is his parents. They have been so encouraged by all the people on Facebook from around the world who are praying for him and encouraging this family. Even though their circumstances are not envied by anyone, they have so much to be thankful for this season; their son is still alive, the nurses and Dr.s are doing everything that they can, their new family all around the world never cease to encourage them and pray for them. It is inspiring to see a family, who could be so mad at God and so angry towards what is happening to their little boy, praise the Lord for the little miracles that occur in their sons life each and every day.

I hope that you are reminded today that you have so much to be thankful for. Hug your loved ones extra hard today and give thanks to the Lord for all that He has blessed you with. I made this sign for my home in order to remind me that no matter what is happening in my life, big or small, I always have a reason to be thankful and I owe that thanks to God!

If you want to learn more about Tripp, go to Facebook and search “Tripp Halstead Updates” to learn more about this little boy fighting for his life and the family who will never give up!