DIY Harry Potter Drawstring Backpack

DIY Harry Potter Drawstring Backpack

A trip to Universal Studios isn’t complete with out this DIY Harry Potter Drawstring Backpack!

Hello Everyone!

Next month we will have the opportunity to go to Universal Studios Hollywood!!! I am so excited! In great anticipation I decided to make a Harry Potter drawstring backpack that will be perfect to carry my wallet, camera, and sunglasses. I decided to use this simple design that I found on the internet. Everyone know what book this is in reference to without being to obvious, lol

I have made drawstring backpacks before, you can see that post here: Cinderella backpack

My son is such a good sport being my model, lol.

diy harry potter drawstring backpack

Materials:

backpack (you can find a similar one here: bag)
Gold Sharpie (you can find it here: sharpie)
Graphite paper (you can find it here: paper)
Clip art from internet

Instructions:

The first thing you do is find an image that you would like to trace (just about any image will do) and print it in the size you need.

Spread out your bag and decide where you want your design.

Place the graphite paper on the bag then place the image over the graphite. Trace the image with a pencil so that the image will show up on the bag. Press hard and do over it a few times if needed.

diy harry potter drawstring backpack

Once you like the image take the papers off and set them aside.

Put a piece of cardboard in the bag to prevent the sharpie from bleeding to the other side

Now it is time to start drawing the image with a sharpie.

diy harry potter drawstring backpack

Fill it all in and clean up the edges. Now you are ready to rock your new bag, and you don’t have to wait to wear it at Universal, this is a bag that can be worn all the time!

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Vintage Sewing Pattern Collage

January 22, 2017 / TakeTimetoCreate / 4 Comments

Vintage Sewing Pattern Collage

Hello Everyone!

A vintage sewing pattern collage is a wonderful way to display an old sewing pattern. The patterns are fun to look at and alter for any of you crafts.

I just love looking at old patterns. The pictures are great, with wonderful colors! Recently I found some terrific patterns at my local creative reuse center, Who Gives A Scrap, and I ended up getting about 10 or so, lol.

The pattern covers are perfect for a collage and the tissue paper on the inside work great for textures in mixed media. (I will show you how to do that later)

Materials:

Frame ( I found mine at the dollar store)
Sewing patterns, dictionary paper, stencils, paint, label maker
Mod podge, brushes

Instructions:

Bloom Where You Are Planted:

This one was a lot of fun! I adhered 2 dictionary pages with Mod Podge to a piece of paper that fit the frame.

Then I stenciled the flowers (I stenciled in 1 color then I went back and added another color on top).

After stenciling add the cut out girl from the pattern.

For the edges I painted some darker colors and then lightened it up afterwards. I wanted it to look like a mat in the frame.

The frame was super easy. I painted the silver frame in a gold color, once that was dry I painted over it in a pearl white color.

When everything was dry I sanded it to create a shabby chic look. I think it turned out super cute.

Before I added everything in the frame I used a hand held label maker to print the quote.

Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly

This frame is essentially the same except I used a different stencil, but I still used 2 colors to give it dimension.

I didn’t add any colors to the edges, I thought with the wings I would look too busy.

I drew on the wings before attaching the girl.

This frame was easy as well. I just painted the silver frame gold to match a little better.

These are such easy collages to do, I think they would make a great gift!

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DIY Chess Clock

January 17, 2017 / TakeTimetoCreate / 4 Comments

DIY Chess Clock

A DIY chess clock is a great gift to give your chess loving kid, or keep it for yourself, it will look great in any room.

Hello Everyone!

My son had his 16th birthday on Sat! Where did that time go? I am sure that all moms ask that same question, but it is so true. Time just goes too fast and when they hit 16 you know that they are almost grown. *tears* He will always be my baby, even though he is taller than me. lol.

This year I wanted to make him a gift that he would really enjoy. He loves to play chess! It is one of his favorite hobbies, so I thought a Chess Clock would be right up his alley.

Materials

Chess pieces
canvas board, paint
clock kit
glue

Instructions:

First thing I did was paint the canvase board in a gradient, with it being lighter in the center. I used a few of the cheap acrylic colors from the craft store. My son tends to like things on the simpler side, so I didn’t do my usual bling and mixed media. (he was grateful that I restrained, lol)

Once everything was dried add the clock kit to the center of the canvas.

For the chess pieces I added a circle of paper to the whole in the bottom. The pieces I used were just random ones that I had, no I didn’t steal any from my son, lol.

seal the bottom of the game pieces on DIY Chess Clock

Then you glue the chess pieces to the canvas board. Try and do it in a circle. I did the best I could, but I think next time I will make a template to make it easier. But overall I think it looks great.

glue chess pieces to DIY chess clock

He loved it! I am glad that he enjoyed his gift! This would be cute with other game pieces like dominoes or checkers! Let your imagination go wild.

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Elephant Applique Embroidery Mixed Media

January 12, 2017 / TakeTimetoCreate / 4 Comments

Elephant Applique Embroidery Mixed Media

Hello Everyone!

An appliqued elephant makes the perfect focal point on any mixed media

Embroidery, when I think of embroidery I think of my grandmother or of delicate items, gifts to be given or received. It is not something that I have every really tried. I have little patience and embroidery tends to stretch my patience to the limit. But I like to try new things, so I signed up to take a year long embroidery class at my local fabric shop, the Loopy Ewe. I love this place, they have everything and they are so friendly and helpful.

Every month we have a class and we learn new stitches then we apply what we learn at home and bring in our finished pieces. Well, I tend not to do what everyone else is doing, lol.

This month we were supposed to create an embroidered piece (I did that part) but we were also supposed to sew a binder cover on. I don’t always get along with my sewing machine and this month I didn’t want to fight with it. So I did a mixed media binder instead. I have to say, I really love how it turned out. It is perfect for me and now it is cut and ready for me to store my patterns.

Materials

Binder- I was proved a 2″ binder. This is one of the shorter binders
Embroidery- need applique item, thread, needle
For the mixed media- fabric, paper, lace and trims, beads, ink sprays.

Instructions

The first thing you do is cut your hex shape and elephant and paisley pattern. Then stitch the elephant together. I won’t go into detail about applique embroidery because there are far better tutorials out there but I can tell you what stitches I used. I did a running stitch to secure the paisleys, a blanket stitch around the edge, colonial knots, and a lazy daisy for the flowers.

Once my embroidery was complete it was time to start on the binder. I covered the binder in this great fabric.

Then I sprayed ti with some ink sprays to give it interest. To add even more interest I stenciled this scrolling pattern on the cover and spine

Then I started playing around with textures and fabrics to try and get a focal point that worked for me

Then I added some paper to the inside, no boring inside for me. Everything must be decorated.

The completed outside of the binder has fabric, beads, Prima flowers, lace, and of course the Elephant Applique Embroidery.

I think this turned out so cute, and I am glad that I made it something that I will use and I made it in my own way, lol.

What have you created instead of following all the instructions? How did you make it your own?

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Easy DIY Gift Ideas

December 20, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 0 Comments

Easy DIY Gift Ideas

Need a last minute gift? Here is a list of easy DIY gift ideas that will help you check everyone off your list.

Hello Everyone!

Are you at a loss as to what to get or make some of the people on your list? I have the same problem, I get craft-blocked (kinda like writer’s block, but for crafting, haha) when it comes time to make a gift.

So I thought I would go back through my posts and compile and easy list for you reference, easy gift ideas at your finger tips. These gift are great not only for Christmas but for Birthdays, Easter, Weddings, House warming, and almost any occasion.

Just click on the link and it will take you the post with all the details you need to make your own DIY gifts.

Button Magnets. Vintage buttons glued on a magnet make a really cute gift.
Wood Burn Coaster. This gift is fun to personalize with initials or something they like. Just burn in the design, seal it and add felt and you have a gift that will be treasured.
Gift Bag Art. There are a lot of wonderful gift bags at the Dollar Store. Just cut to size and frame and you have a gift that can fit almost any occasion
Vases. Empty jars and beverage containers make wonderful gifts when they are all decorated with raffia, jute, flowers, and rhinestones.
Christmas Mason Jars. These jars are a very versatile gift just by changing out the flower on top, add candy to the jar and you are good to go.
Agate Coasters. These coasters are a beautiful addition to any home and are super easy. Just paint on the edge with a paint pen and add felt the bottom.

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DIY Christmas Tree Earrings

December 13, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 0 Comments

DIY Wire Christmas Tree Earrings

Make the holidays merry with these easy DIY wire Christmas Tree earrings.

Hello Everyone

Do you ever dream about crafts, or is that just me? The other night I was dreaming about making wire Christmas Tree earrings, I know a little random but since I dreamt it I just had to try to make them.

Now the funny thing is is that I have never made anything like this before. I don’t usually work with wire, but I found that I love this technique and I have more ideas to make more jewelry.

I just love how my Christmas tree earrings turned out

Materials

Thin Wire- You can find it on Amazon here: Artistic Wire
French Hooks- You can find it on Amazon here: French Hooks
Star beads- I found mine at Oriental Trading- link here: Star bead, but the local craft stores might have something similar
Pliers and clippers and round objects in various sizes (this is to wrap the wire around)

Instructions:

You need to have a variety of round objects in various sizes. I started with a large marker and started wrapping, then I went to smaller marker then a pencil

I am starting to wrap my Christmas tree earrings

A smaller wrap for my Christmas tree earrings

Switching to a smaller wrap

The whole idea is to make the tree get smaller as you wrap it around. I wrapped it around each object about 3 times. The wire I used was a bit thin, but it is a nice dainty look, but next time I think I will use a wire that is a bit heavier duty. This wire likes to bend a bit too easily for my liking. but I did like how it turned out.

Once I finished wrapping I added a french hook. Then I spent some time adjusting the wire to make sure it looked like a tree. I hind sight I probably should have used green wire, but I didn’t have that in my stash, so gold it is, lol.

When I looked at it I thought it was a bit too plain, so I thought I would add a star bead to the top.

I think the star bead is just what the trees needed! These earrings will be perfect the holiday parties this year.

The finished Christmas tree earrings

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diy-pillows-burlap-coffee-sacks

December 8, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 0 Comments

Sewing Craft Project Burlap Pillows

Used burlap coffee sacks make for a great sewing craft project… they also make make great pillows. They are fun and unique and perfect for any decor.

Hello Everyone!

Finished burlap pillow case

Today is a cold, wintry day and I am inclined to stay inside all day (I do have to go to work, but when I get home I am going to snuggle down and say warm) anyway, as I think about staying home I am reminded of this sewing craft project I did where I made pillows from Burlap sacks. I did this a while ago, but I still love them so much. I think they are perfect for my decor.

Materials:

You will need the used burlap sacks that is used for coffee. I originally purchased mine on eBay, but I did find some on Amazon. You can use this link: Burlap Coffee Sacks. There are a lot of vendors for these sacks so you have your pick! But they usually come with random patterns, I don’t think you are able to pick your pattern. So keep that in mind when purchasing.
Pillow form. I found mine at Ikea, they have the best prices for pillow forms
Needle and thread, or sewing machine.

This sewing craft project starts with burlap bags

Instructions:

Cut your sack to the dimensions of your pillow form. If you want the pillow to look more full then cut the sack a bit smaller. (I have to be honest here, I didn’t actually sew these pillows. My fabulous mom sewed them for me. haha, I don’t know what I would do without her.)

Once it is cut, pin the right sides together and sew the right sides together. Leave a little hole so you have room to put your pillow form in.

Stuff your pillow and stitch the hole.

Here is another finished pillow

That is it, very easy to make a custom pillow for your home. You can use this technique for almost any fabric. I love how easy it is to update your decor, and reusing items that might otherwise land in the landfill is a double awesome!

BTW if you are wondering how I painted my couch green you can check out this old post: Painted Couch

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Jazzing Up a Simple T-shirt

January 7, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 0 Comments

Jazzing Up a Simple T-shirt

Continuing with another DIY for my birthday dinner I will show you what I did to jazz up a simple t-shirt from Old Navy. I had this plain black shirt in my closet that I never wore. I have a lot of plain black shirts, but this one never called out to me choosing my outfit for the day. So I decided it was time to spruce it up with some lace. A very easy DIY that turned a boring shirt into something that I wear all the time.

diy lace shirt

Here is how you do it:

Materials:

~ pre-washed t-shirt (you want make sure it is washed first in case there is shrinkage) I got mine from Old Navy on clearance

jazz up a plain t shirt with lace

~ lace

~ needle and thread, or sewing machine or glue

fabric glue

Instructions:

~ I wanted to try gluing the lace, I have never used this glue so I thought I would give it a try. I just glued the lace to the bottom of the shirt. The glue hold well and did wash well, but it took longer than sewing that is because I had to do it in sections and wait for each section to dry before I could move on to the next one.

glue lace to shirt

~ Since my lace does not stretch I decided to start and stop the lace at the seams on the bottom, that is so there is stretch and movement. I am not sure this was necessary, but it worked for this shirt. There is a small gap on the sides of the shirt, but it look intentional.

~ I sewed the lace to the sleeves, this was easier and faster than gluing. Just take the lace and sew a straight seam around the sleeve. This shirt is more like a tank top so the lace only covers a small part of my shoulder.

sew lace to shirt

I am loving how this turned out and I have worn it a few times since I make it. It can be dressed up for an evening out or dressed down for something more casual.

Easy diy add lace to a t shirt

I think I have a few more shirts in my closet that might need a little TLC.

diy lacy shirt

DIY Altered Necklace I wore to my Birthday Dinner

January 5, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 2 Comments

Hi All!

I am happy to be back in the swing of things and I am starting today off with a DIY necklace. I showed you this necklace last week, it is the one I wore to my birthday dinner with my hubby. It is just a simple alteration to make it more my style.

I think the results work for me, what do you think?

Here is how I did it.

Materials:

~ Necklace

~ Needle Nose pliers

~ Jump Rings or extra chain length

~ Metal Clippers

Instructions

~ I found this necklace at Wal-Mart on clearance. Yikes, it was a little much for me. I am not very tall (as in I reach 5’1” if I stretch Smile ) so when I wear a necklace that is too big for me it looks like I am weighed down. For someone of my height more is not always better Smile

~ Take your necklace and cut off the parts you don’t want. I am saving them for another project.

~ After I took off the parts I didn’t like I found that that the necklace was a little short, so I added a length of chain so that it fit me.

~ When you cut off the unnecessary pieces, save what you can you might need it for later. I reused the metal clips holding the two pieces together.

And that is it! Simple alteration to make the necklace into a necklace that I will wear all the time.

Happy New Year!

January 2, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 0 Comments

Happy New Year!

New Years Day is always a fun one for me. Not only is it a start to a new year, but it is my birthday. I find it is nice to reflect on the year that has passed, but it is fun to wonder and speculate about the upcoming year.

This blog has been so much fun and I can’t wait to see where it goes next year! You guys are the best, I thoroughly enjoy all the comments and suggestions you give me. You guys make me want to create more, you inspire me.

I have big plans for the blog this year. I want to do 2 projects a week (ambitious I know, but I think I can make it happen most of the time) and I will feature new and old products so you guys can see what I use and what is out there for your projects.

It is going to be a fun year and I am excited that you will make the journey with me.

Linda

Here is a sneak peak of next week’s projects. I wore this outfit for my birthday dinner with my hubby. I am wearing an altered necklace and I added lace to my shirt. I will show you how next week.

DIY Shirt and altered necklace

DIY Shirt and altered necklace

Tag: make it your own (page 7 of 8)