Be My Valentine: DIY

Anyone sick of me talking about Valentine’s Day yet?

This year I was craving that feeling I got when I was a little girl and used to make my own Valentines. So I got all the essentials: construction paper, Elmer’s glue, doilies, glitter. It was pretty therapeutic.

 

What about you? Any Valentine’s Day traditions for you?

love, elizabeth

DIY: Phone Book Stationery

I felt the urge to be crafty Sunday afternoon and this is what happened.

I started with some blank colored stock card stationery that I’ve been saving.

I cut out a tiny bird pattern from a craft book and traced it out on the yellow pages of an old phone book (these days, I seem to have like eight of them lying around).

I don’t even know how many of my DIY projects involve this glue but it’s my favorite. Mod-Podge – inexpensive and easy to find in lots of different stores.

I patterned several birds on each individual card.

I layered pages of the phone book with lighter card stock and bird details.

I ended up creating a similar pattern with hearts that I like, too.

This project didn’t take a whole lot of concentration or brain cells which is exactly what I was hoping for. I plan to tie up the two sets with some twine and give them as gifts.

What about you? Working on anything creative?

love, elizabeth

Post-Christmas DIY: Recycle Your Christmas Cards

This is one of my favorite post-Christmas crafts, although it’s great for any time of year. If you’re a card saver like me, you end up with piles of them after birthdays and holidays. Here’s an easy DIY picture tutorial for folding paper boxes out of old cards. My mom shared this one with me when I was a little girl and now I’m sharing it with you…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The finished product is cute and they look great as a little pile in a basket or hung as ornaments…

What about you? What post-Christmas projects are you working on?

love, elizabeth

DIY: Junk Mail Christmas Tree

When Christmas rolls around and the malls are extra full of extra shiny, pretty things, it’s easy for me to get wrapped up in a desire to buy and to have. So I’m always pleasantly refreshed to discover a free way to create Christmas magic at home! I’m a huge fan of recycled crafts and this one caught my eye.

The Junk Mail Christmas Tree…

It was pretty time consuming but I think the finished result was totally worth it and it didn’t cost me a cent! Bonus: I used up a huge stack of junk mail flyers for the coming Black Friday sales. Fitting, I think.

In progress…

The finished product…

You can find the instructions to make your own by visiting here.

What about you? Anyone have a fun recycled Christmas project they’re trying out?

love, elizabeth

DIY: T-Shirt Makeover

I’ve almost finished putting together my wardrobe for fall but…I have been severely disappointed in the lack of cute, affordable tops. Apart from a couple blouses, it’s been really hard to find anything that’s suitable to wear under a blazer for school or pair with a skirt. So yesterday in the bookstore, I stumbled upon a couple of the many, many books on the recreation of the t-shirt. See here and here for examples. I admire the creativity and diversity of the craft but sometimes I think these t-shirts end up looking a little unfinished. After skimming through a couple project books, I decided to take an idea for sleeves I found and add some of my own ideas to a shirt.

I went to the local Goodwill and picked up four t-shirts in my size and then moseyed around the craft stores looking for embellishments and trim. I came up with a concept for each shirt. Today, I’m sharing the first one. I think it turned out pretty okay considering I’ve never done something like this before and I’ll definitely get a chance to wear it.

The shirt is a light pink from J. Crew in my size that I scored for $3.49. Total steal.

BEFORE

AFTER

I stole this idea directly from one of the books (who stole it from Blondie’s lead singer, Debbie Harry).

The fashion zipper is from the fabric store.

If you unzip it, it reads, “Here I love you” from one of my favorite poems by Pablo Neruda. One of my favorite passages goes like this…

This is a port.

Here I love you.
Here I love you and the horizon hides you in vain.
I love you still among these cold things.
Sometimes my kisses go on those heavy vessels
that cross the sea towards no arrival.

(excerpt, Pablo Neruda)

What about you? What kinds of DIY projects are you working on lately? Does anyone have a t-shirt they’ve modified?

love, elizabeth

PS: I’m making stuffed mushrooms for a party tonight. I got the recipe from Ashley over here. I’ll let you know how they turn out!