Tag: upcycle (page 3 of 5)

DIY- Restoration Hardware Inspired Box

July 29, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Hello Everyone!

This post contains affiliate links.

Today I have another Restoration Hardware Inspired project!

As many of you know, I love RH, they have amazing home decor items! I did a chandelier inspired project a few years ago, you can find that here: Chandelier

 

I found these beautiful metallic boxes on the RH website. I love the wood and the beautiful gem on top. But the price is a little out of my reach right now.

But it is easy to make one! My is not exactly the same… but that is all part of the fun in doing an inspired project.

Materials:

  • Box. I used a wooden cigar box, but any wooden box will do. The cardboard cigar box probably won’t work as well, but if that is all you have then just paint the printing with white paint first then it should work ok.
  • Metallic paint. I used the Folk Art paint I had in my stash, but use what you have
  • Gem. I had this giant plastic gem that worked great. Of course I got my box and gem from Who Gives A Scrap, lol.
  • Glue. Use a glue that will work on wood and plastic, I used Loctite glue.

Instructions: 

Pick your color and paint 2 coats on the box. I used a gold and a copper paint that looked really cool. If you want to make it look more like the RH box you can sand it first and use a wood filler it you want to cover up the writing.  I wanted the rustic finish with the metallic and gems, a little contrast that I like.

RH Inspired Box

Once the outside and inside are completely dry then glue your gem on with your glue. I liked the gem on the top, but you can place it anywhere that looks good.

RH Inspired Box

Once the glue has dried overnight you can add a spray sealer if you want. I wanted to protect the paint so I did add a gloss spray sealer.

RH Inspired Box

And there you have it, a RH inspired box. So very cute and it is great to give as a gift, or put the gift inside and use it as the wrapping.

RH Inspired Box

 

RH Inspired Box

 

RH Inspired Box

What companies inspire your DIY projects?

The post DIY- Restoration Hardware Inspired Box appeared first on Take Time To Create.

Craft Supply Thrift Haul and Tips and Tricks

July 26, 2017 / / 1 Comment

Hello Everyone!

If you are like me you love to get a bargain, especially for craft supplies. Craft supplies can be very expensive, but you can find some great deals at creative reuse centers, or thrift stores.

Recently I went to my favorite creative reuse center, Who Gives a Scrap, and I have a craft supply thrift haul video for you.

Also, I wanted to give you a few tips, tricks and hints when shopping for craft supplies at a creative reuse center or thrift store.

Before I get into the tips, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is to buy what you need. If you buy everything that looks good, or interesting, you will be over run with stuff very quickly!

And always ask a person working at the store before trying out something when you trying to determine if the item still works or has ink left in it.

Things to look out for when shopping for Fabric:

  • Size- is it the size I need
  • Condition- are there any rips, tears, or stains that can’t be fixed or worked around

Things to look out for when shopping for Punches or Scissors:

  • Test to make sure they work! Try them out on a piece of paper

Things to look out for when shopping for Paint or Ink or Markers:

  • Open it to make sure the paint is not dried out, and there is still plenty left
  • Smell it, sometimes paint can start to smell a little funky and you don’t want that, lol
  • Scribble the markers to make sure they work, you don’t want to purchase dried out markers.

Thrift haul

Things to look out for when shopping for Books:

  • Check for pages torn out, if there are missing pages it might be a vital instruction that you are missing, lol
  • Check for overall condition, can you still use it?

Things to look out for when shopping for Embroidery/Cross Stitch/Needle Point Kits:

  • Check to see if it is unopened, if that is the case then you are good to good
  • But if it is open, check to make sure it has the floss, instructions, and anything else you need to complete the kit.

Thrift haul

Things to look out for when shopping for Charms or Jewelry Making supplies:

  • Check to make sure there is enough to complete  your project
  • Check the condition of the beads and tools, if it is not in usable condition then pass on the item.

There you have it, my tips, tricks, suggestions, and hints I use when I go thrift shopping for craft items. Any reputable thrift store, like Who Gives a Scrap, will have quality items that work and are ready for you to use. Keep your eye out, you never know what bargain you can find!

What tips do you use when you go craft supply thrift shopping?

The post Craft Supply Thrift Haul and Tips and Tricks appeared first on Take Time To Create.

 

Mixed Media Altered Bottle

July 15, 2017 / / 3 Comments

Hello Everyone!

I love looking at wine bottles and any other bottle with a great shape.  They are just so beautiful and I have a hard time sending them to recycling, lol.

So with this bottle I decided to alter it using basic mixed media techniques. Now it is ready to be on display instead of heading to recycling.

You can watch the altered bottle process here:

 

Materials:

  • Bottle (cleaned and ready for painting)
  • Gesso, soft gloss gel, glue
  • brushes
  • buttons, raffia, and any other bits and bobs that you want to stick on
  • charm bracelet or necklace
  • tissue paper (or old patterns)

Instructions

Find a really great bottle. I love the shape of this one! Make sure it is clean before you start altering it.

altered bottle

For my base layer of texture I added crinkled up tissue paper from old pattered and adhered them with Soft Gloss gel. I will admit that I am still getting the hang of taking pictures and filming at the same time. I don’t have a pic of this but it is the same technique that I used in in these posts:

Mixed Media Box

Tissue Paper Rose

Once the paper is down and dry give everything a coat of black gesso. Once that first layer is dry, now it is the fun part, start adding buttons, ribbon, raffia to the neck, and anything else you want to add detail and interest.

altered bottle

Once all the glue is dry cover everything is black gesso. Make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies. altered bottle

Dry the gesso completely and then dry brush on the colors you want. I did a base layer of gun metal gray and highlighted the details with a pretty metallic purple.  I added an old bracelet to the neck for additional interest.

Spray seal it and you are done!

A beautiful new bottle to add to your decor! altered bottleThe post Mixed Media Altered Bottle appeared first on Take Time To Create.

DIY Rusty Lantern

July 12, 2017 / / 1 Comment

Hello Everyone!

I seem to really love making everything all rusty and old, lol

I have another item that I made look rusty and worn, using the same techniques that I did earlier.

Here are the other posts about the rust technique:

For this project I used a lantern that I got at the dollar store (these are super cute just like this, but I just had to add my own touch to the lantern)

rust lantern

Then you just start dabbing on your paints with a make up sponge. I used the Finnabair Rust Pastes and I do like them! They add the right colors and texture to make it look like something rusted naturally.

rust lantern

Dab all around until you are happy with the the end look.

rust lantern

rust lantern

Here is the final product. I love this technique and I can’t wait to make something else rusty!
rust lantern

Also, I made a video of the process of making a rusty lantern if you want to check that out.

The post DIY Rusty Lantern appeared first on Take Time To Create.

Decorate Your Flip Flops

July 5, 2017 / / 2 Comments

Hello Everyone!

This post contains affiliate links

Don’t you just love summer?  Long days, swimming, and flip flops. And you all know how much I love to decorate things and make them my own.

Today’s tutorial is on decorating your flip flops!

You can check out the You Tube video here:

This is an easy diy that you can do with friends or kids, or you can make them all for your self, lol

Materials

  • Flip Flops (here is a link to get them from the Dollar Store) but you can get them almost anywhere
  • Glue (I used this Loctite plastic glue. You can get it here: Glue)
  • Flowers, pom poms, stickles, feathers, or anything else you want to attach to your flip flops.

Instructions

As you can see in this pic I have the flip flops numbered. I did a terrible job of taking pics while was filming, lol, but I think you can get the idea of what I did from the pic. I used the loctite plastic glue on all the flip flops.

diy flip flops

Flip Flop #1

I did want to take away from the pretty design, just enhance it. So for his pair I just glued on some pom-pom trim.

Flip Flop #2

Feathers! This is such a cute, boho idea. Just glue one a pile of feathers, I got mine from the dollar store, but you can get them from almost any craft store.

Flip Flop #3

This is a fun free form design using stickles. Just draw your design and let it dry and you have a fantastic pair of flip flops

Flip Flop #4

Take a large flower and glue it to the top of the shoe. To help keep the flower in place while it was drying I used some clothes pins to keep it in place.

Flip Flop #5

For this pair I disassembled an old statement necklace and glued the pieces on to the flip flop. Just make sure you rough up the metal so it sticks to the plastic.

There you go, 5 different ideas on decorating your flip flops.

What other things do you used to decorate your flip flops?

diy flip flops

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Sea Shell Altered Mason Jar

July 1, 2017 / / 1 Comment

Hello Everyone!

If you are like me then you probably have about 800 million mason jars in your home.  And all those wonderful crafts on Pinterest have inspired me to start using them!

So I decided to use one of those mason jars in this tutorial. It looks organic and beachy with the sea shells and sand texture. Perfect to store your souvenirs from the beach.

Altered sea shell mason jar

Materials

  • Mason Jar
  • Gesso
  • Acrylic paint and brushes
  • Hot Glue
  • Zipper
  • Sea Shells

Instructions

Find a mason jar, I am sure almost everyone has at least one mason jar in their homes, lol. You will need to prime it with white gesso. Paint a smooth layer all over the glass.

Please excuse my messy craft table, I have way too many projects going on and I am just a messy crafter, haha.

sea shell altered mason jar

The next layer is made to look like sand. I added some sand from the dollar store to some heavy gel and sponged it on with a foam brush. Let this layer completely dry before adding paint. If you have textured paste you can use that, but I didn’t have any so I decided to make some.

sea shell altered mason jar

sea shell altered mason jar

After the jar is dry you can add some acrylic paints. I sponged on 3 tan/sand colors to add detail and interest. Any browish colors should work.

sea shell altered mason jar

sea shell altered mason jar

Once it is all dry you can  add the sea shells, this is the fun part! Waiting until everything is dry will help with the glue adhering to the jar. I just used hot glue and that seemed to work for this project. Add a few shells and keep testing with the zipper to make sure your shells will fit.

Wrap the top with twine or raffia.

sea shell altered mason jar

After I added a bunch of shells I added the zipper. Glue it all down and then fill in the blank spaces with more shells.  I am a fan of adding more stuff until it isbursting. When you add shells to the lid lightly sand the metal to help the glue adhere.

Once it was complete I thought it needed some sparkle so I dry brushed on some beautiful gold acrylic paint.

sea shell altered mason jar

All done! I am loving this technique, and I think it would look great with rhinestones or buttons, or any other small item! So pretty!

sea shell altered mason jar

The post Sea Shell Altered Mason Jar appeared first on Take Time To Create.

How to Create Faux Sea Glass (Tumbled Glass)

June 28, 2017 / / 3 Comments

Hello Everyone!

This post contains affiliate links

My happy place is the ocean, I love watching the water, soaking up the sun, and collecting sea glass. But since I live near the mountains,  no where near the ocean, I have to make my own sea glass, haha.

This is an easy project to do with just a few items. I know that there are a lot of other tutorial for faux sea glass, but I thought I would share with you my process that may be a little different from what other people do.

Materials:

  • Rock Tumbler- You can find a similar one here: Tumbler
  • Broken Glass
  • Sand and Rocks

Instructions:

Safety first! Wear safety goggles and gloves when breaking the glass. I put the glass in a plastic bag and then wrap it with a towel that way everything stays contained. When you have the sizes you want then carefully remove it and place it in your tumbler.

faux sea glass tumbled glass

Add  you glass to the tumbler, but don’t overfill it! ( I have over filled it and it started leaking when tumbling and made a big mess). Anyway, add some sand (I just had some white play sand that I had on hand) and I added a few rocks to add something for the glass to rub on. (The whole idea is for the glass to tumble around and smooth out the edges without breaking any glass)

faux sea glass tumbled glass

Then I added some fine grit that came with the tumbler. I am not sure what it is, but I thought it would help make things smooth, lol. So I threw it in because I had some.

Then cover it all with water, make sure it is less than half full, I know that doesn’t seem like a lot but it doesn’t work with more than that.

faux sea glass tumbled glass

Seal your tumbler and plug it in. As always follow the instructions on your tumbler because yours might be different than mine. Let is tumble for about a week or so.  I leave it in the basement so it isn’t too loud or annoying.

faux sea glass tumbled glass

And there you have it faux sea glass! After a week I am thrilled with how they turned out! faux sea glass tumbled glassI decided that I needed to wrap them with wire and add beads and old pieces of jewelry to make window dangles. (I will post a tutorial on how I made these)
faux sea glass tumbled glass

Aren’t they pretty hanging from my window above my front door.  Time to make more to fill the window with pretty window dangles.

faux sea glass tumbled glass

 

The post How to Create Faux Sea Glass appeared first on Take Time To Create.

DIY Dragon Egg Tutorial

June 10, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hello Everyone!

As you can see from the link above I am now on Bloglovin! In other exciting news, I will at some craft fairs and a comic con later in the year! As the time gets closer, and as I learn more information, I will share all the details with you! I can’t wait to show my crafts and to see you all in person!

I have a YouTube tutorial of this egg, you can watch it here:

This is a fairly easy tutorial that is fun and a great way to show your love for all things Dragon!

DIY dragon egg

 

Materials:

  • Old tin egg (my was left over from Easter)
  • Hot Glue
  • Black Gesso
  • Acrylic Paint

Instructions:

First cover your egg with hot glue then then take a silicone tool and smash the glue all around. I learned this technique from watching a video from The Frugal Crafter, I love learning new ideas from other crafters!

DIY dragon egg

 

diy dragon egg

Once the glue is dry then cover everything in a layer of black gesso. Make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies to completely cover the egg.

DIY dragon egg

Once the gesso is dried paint the egg using acrylic paints. I started with a sliver then I added a purple and ended with a white on top. Dry brush the colors on and try not to coat it too much, you want to see all the colors, including the black base layer.

DIY dragon egg

And there you have it, a custom dragon egg! I love how it looks in my Raku fired bowl that I did in my pottery class.

DIY dragon egg

The post DIY Dragon Egg tutorial appeared first on Take Time To Create.

Metallic Mixed Media Box

April 29, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Metallic Mixed Media Box

A mixed media box is great for storage and display. Using basic mixed media techniques you can have a beautiful and useful box.

Hello Everyone!

In case you missed my class at my local creative reuse center, Who Gives a Scrap, I thought I would share with you one of the project I did. It was a beginning mixed media class that was tons of fun to teach and the participants were awesome! I loved seeing the creativity and individually of all the projects.

mixed media box

One of the challenges of teaching at a creative reuse center is trying to use items that you can find, which makes a mixed media project perfect. I prepped my box ahead of the class, but I used items that I found there. The sky is the limit with a box like this.

mixed media box

The first thing I did is find a small canvas for everyone to work with. I found these boxes that had old film canisters in it, these came from a university that was just going to throw them away. I am glad that that they didn’t pitch them. The box is about 6×6 and is a perfect size for beginners to work on, not to big to be intimidating, but not too small to be frustrating.

For the background I took tissue paper from old patters (I must really love old patterns I seem to use them all the time, lol. You can see the rose I made for my mom here: Tissue Paper Rose). I used Mod Podge and crinkled everything up and glued it down. Once it is all dry cover the background with black gesso.
mixed media box

Then I found buttons, and beads, and a knob that I really liked. So I hot glued it all the the box. You could use a gel to glue it down, but I wanted it to dry fast so I used hot glue.  Once I got it all down I painted clear gesso over everything so I could paint the smooth surfaces.
mixed media box

I love metallic paints! I used them all the time. For this project I just dry brushed the metallic paints on, highlighting the peaks and the valleys stayed black. If you don’t gesso then the paint won’t stick to the smooth buttons and beads. mixed media box

After dry brushing the paints i was done. The project was easy enough for beginners, but more advanced crafters could really go to town. I had a great time and I can’t wait to teach my next class!
mixed media box
The post Metallic Mixed Media Box appeared first on Take Time To Create.

Tissue Paper Rose

April 21, 2017 / / 5 Comments

Tissue Paper Rose

Use the tissue paper in old patterns to create a beautiful tissue paper rose. 

Hello Everyone!

Last weekend was my beautiful mother’s birthday! She is such an important part of my life and I wanted to express that with a handmade gift.

I created this tissue paper rose for her and gave it to her last weekend when we went to lunch and shopping to celebrate!

diy tissue paper rose

I created a video to go along with the tutorial, you can see that here:  You Tube Tissue Paper Rose Tutorial

This was so much fun to create, and it was my first time doing something like this and I am happy with how it turned out.

Materials:

BTW this list contains affiliate links.

Instructions: 

First prep the canvas board with gesso. I chose black gesso to give me a clean slate.

Get the tissue paper ready by ripping the tissue paper and rolling it into a tight strip.

diy tissue paper rose

Roll the strips into a tight circle and glue it down in a spiral. Try and keep it all tight and keep going until you get the size you like.

Make the stems by using the strips in a swirl motion. The leaves were made from a short strip with one end slightly trimmed in a rounded shape.

diy tissue paper rose

Next I put a layer of black gesso on everything.

No photo here: Then I decided that the black was too dark for the center of my rose so I painted over the black with white gesso

Then I added glass bead texture to the outside of the rose.

diy tissue paper rose

Here is where I got really bad at taking photos, lol. But you can see the process in the video

I painted the rose with 2 colors of pink and the background is a light blue to a dark blue to a purple.

I tried to stamp the background with some images but I didn’t love that so I mostly covered that back up.

Then add mod podge and adhere the mica flakes. The mica flakes add so much dimension and sparkle!

diy tissue paper rose

Dry brush a light shimmery white over everything and spray a sealer on when you are done.

It makes a wonderfully sparkly gift that was tons of fun to make. 

diy tissue paper rose

The post Tissue Paper Rose appeared first on Take Time To Create.

This post contains affiliate links.

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