Monogram Wood Burn Coasters

April 27, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 2 Comments

Hello Everyone!

Before I get into my DIY I just wanted to let you know that there will be some updates coming to the blog. The design will be getting an overhaul. All the same content will be here, hopefully it will be easier to find and navigate to.

I am excited for the updates, and I will keep you posted on the progress.

Last week I told you guys about my cousin getting married (I made a clutch to go with my shoes. You can see that post here) The wedding was beautiful! I am so happy for them.

I wanted to give them something special for their wedding so I decided to try out my wood burning tool. (I have had it for a while, just never used it)

I thought coasters would be good for the newly weds, and a monogram of their last name would be perfect.

Materials:

~ wood ( You can use scraps you have around, or pick some up at a store. I found mine at Michaels)

~ Wood burn tool

~ graphite paper

~ print out of what you want to wood burn (I just created my monogram in word and printed it on my computer)

~ Stain (I used a pre stain because of the nature of the soft wood I was using, then I used a natural stain, and finished with a clear coat)

~sandpaper and foam paint brushed

~ Felt or cork for the back

Instructions:

First you lightly sand the wood to make sure it is nice and smooth.

Then you transfer the design onto the wood. I traced the design with a pencil using graphite paper. This worked really well.

Then I stared to outline the monogram with the wood burn tool.

This was my first attempt at making something with the wood burn tool and I learned to go at a steady pace with even pressure.

Also be very careful, the tool is HOT. I even have the band aid to prove how hot the tool can get Smile

Once it was completed and I was happy with the design I pretreated the wood with a Pre-Stain. Then I followed up with a natural stain and finished with a clear coat. Follow the directions on the stain to get the best results.

Then I put self adhesive felt on the back, and then I was done!

This was such a fun project! It did take a little while to get the hand of wood burning, but now that I get it I have a ton of other projects that I have in mind! These are perfect gifts for everyone!

DIY Rhinestone Clutch

April 21, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 2 Comments

Hello Everyone!

I just had to make this clutch all because of this fantastic pair of shoes! (I think all great stories start with shoes)

Anyway, here is the story, my cousin is getting married on Sat (YAY) I am so happy for him. (His bride-to-be is wonderful and I think they will be very happy together. )

And since I have these great shoes that I never get to wear (they are a little impractical for work, haha) I decided to wear them to the wedding. Buuuut, I didn’t have a clutch to match. So I decided to make one.

Aren’t these shoes great?

Anyway here is how to make this DIY Rhinestone Clutch.

Material:

~ Fabric (I am using a faux leather that I had in my craft room, but any fabric that is slightly stiff will work. I did not line it, but you can if your fabric is not stiff enough)

~ zipper (I am using a plastic zipper that I had laying around, it is not the perfect red, but I think it works)

~ Sewing Machine, or needle and thread

~ Rhinestone and glue (I used Aleene’s jewel it glue)

~ Decoration for zipper if desired

Instructions:

~ First cut your clutch. I cut 2 pieces that were 10 inches x 6 inches. (this was big enough to put my lipstick, phone, gum, and blotting papers in)

~ Once your fabric is cut them measure your zipper. If it is too long then measure how long you want it, then place a few stitches there. Once it is secure then cut off the excess.

~ Next is place the fabric on the zipper and sew the fabric on the zipper. I held it together with tape since I didn’t want puncture holes in it from needles.

~ Do this step to both sides of the zipper

~ Turn your work so that right sides are together and stitch around the edges. Make sure you leave the zipper open so you can get your hand in to turn your work right side out.

~Once you have stitched all 3 sides turn your work right side out and there you have a really cute new clutch!

~ Ok by now you all know me well enough that you know I can leave anything that plain. I just knew it needed rhinestones. So I placed dots of glue in a swirl type pattern all over the clutch. Then I decided that wasn’t quite enough Smile so I added to wonderful broach that my mom gave me, with a little ribbon, I thought it was the perfect accent to the clutch.

There you have it. What do you think? Pretty easy right. Now on the the wedding celebration on Sat.

Turn an Ikea bookcase into a bench

April 14, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 6 Comments

Hello Everyone!

Isn’t Ikea one of the most wonderful places on Earth? I mean they have everything, all in one place!

Well a little while ago I was looking for the perfect bench to put in my kitchen, near the door. I couldn’t find anything that I liked, but I did see people on Pinterest turning an Ikea bookcase into a bench.

It is very simple to do.

Materials:

~ bookcase the is strong enough to handle the weight when tipped on its side. I used the Ikea Expedit, but I don’t think they have that anymore. But check around they might have a suitable alternative.

~ Plywood for the top

~ Foam cushion

~ Fabric

~ Staple gun

Instructions:

~ First assemble the bookcase. They might take awhile and you might need help. If you want to raise the height now is the time to add legs to the bench. I didn’t want them, but you may want something different

~ For the cushion, cut the plywood the size of the bench top

~ Then you make a sandwich of fabric on the bottom, ( I used a strip to help me keep it all in line. The fabric possibilities are endless) then the foam and lastly the plywood. Then stretch and staple all around.

I used this same technique when we redid the entry closet. You can see that transformation: here

And that is it. A very easy way to transform a room and increase your storage.

Is there any Ikea transformations that you have done in your house?

What I am working on

April 12, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / Leave a comment

Hello everyone!

I thought I would add a new segment to my blog, it is all about what I am currently working on. With all crafting going on, things take time and I usually get started on a project and get sidetracked to some new and shinier. But I want to show you what I have going on in my craft room. (well, just a few of the things going on, because let’s be honest, there are always tons of projects that have been started and not finished.)

The first item is the Crochet Temperature blanket. Here is the link to the original post about it: 2016 Temperature Blanket

If you follow me in Instagram you probably have already seen this (if you don’t follow me you can find me @taketimetocreate) As you can see, I am still working away. It is fun to see all the new colors and a pattern is starting to emerge. But, I am still waaaaay behind (I am still working on February) but I just keep plugging away.

A few weeks ago I learned how to do a Finnabair inspired mixed media art (You can see the Finnabair blog here: Finnabair). I took the class from Tanya with Free Heart at a retreat called Mojito Creek. (click on the name to follow the link to their websites)

Tanya is amazing and wonderfully patient. I loved creating new things and learning new techniques. And the retreat is beautiful, and relaxing, and I would say just about perfect!

Here is one of my completed items that I made in the class:

Here is an item that I made using a puzzle I found at the dollar store (I just couldn’t resist), and stencils, and mica powder and all kinds of things. I still need to do some final touchups, but when it is done I will list it in my Etsy shop.

The last item I am working on is another mixed media that says “Beautiful” This on will take a while because of all the nooks and crannies, but I think it will turn out great in the end.

So what are you working on?

No affiliate links in this post. All opinions are my own.

Dollar Store Puzzle Coaster DIY

April 7, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / Leave a comment

Hello Everyone!

have you ever been to the dollar store and you see something really cute and you just know that you can do an awesome DIY with it? Well that is what happened to me with these puzzles I found at the Dollar Store.

They were just so cute I knew I needed to make something with them and I thought they were the perfect size for coasters.

Easy DIY, so here I goes:

Materials:

~ Puzzles

~ glues (I used Tacky glue and Mod Podge)

~ Exacto knife or scissors

~ Backing (I used some leftover fleece, but felt or cork would work)

~ Cardboard or poster board (optional)

Instructions:

~ First you have to assemble the puzzles. This is a really fun part!

~ Once they are all put together I spread a layer of Mod Podge on the front. I wanted a glossy look so I used Gloss A helpful hint is when you are gluing the back layers on to put something heavy on the coaster so that it will dry flat.

~ After that has dried then spread a layer of tacky glue to the back and adhere it to the fleece (or what ever you choose)

~ before you do the above step you might want to make the coasters a little more durable. So for the 2nd set I put a layer of cardboard, but I found that almost too thick. Poster board would be a happy medium. But they still work perfectly without any additional layers (my first set didn’t have anything extra and they work great)

~Once you are done with the fleece then cut it out.

And you are done! Ready to enjoy your new coasters.

Have you found something at the Dollar Store that you just needed to DIY? I would love to see what you came up with!

Repurpose Your Old Keys

February 4, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 2 Comments

Hello Everyone!

One of my goals this year is to use what I already have. I am trying not to purchase new things and to up cycle, repurpose, and recycle as many items as I can.

With that in mind I decided to repurpose some old keys I found in my desk drawer at work. After making sure they didn’t work or went to anything important I went to town making them awesome.

They are easy to do, just glue on some flower, rhinestones, button, or brad. Add a jump ring and you are done.

Here is my pile of plain keys.

I used Loctite glue and it is holding really well.

Adding the jump ring is easy to do

Here are some of the rhinestones and flowers I used. I am loving the rhinestone brand Say It With Crystals and the flower brand Prima Flowers.

As for the steampunk keys I just found some steampunk doo dads at Michaels in the jewelry/bead department. I had some old brads in my stash and bent the ends off and glued them on. As for the buttons I just cut the shank off and glued it on. The metal flowers are something I had laying around,I am sorry I can’t remember where I got them, but I added a rhinestone and jazzed it up and I think I turned out great.

Don’t be afraid to mix and match things, you might surprise your self with your creations. I even removed part of the flower for one of the keys, It was too big otherwise. I would love to see what you come up with.

I will have some of these keys in my Etsy shop, along with other creations. TakeTimeToCreate.etsy.com

Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links in this post

Alter a Statement Necklace into a Hair Barrette

January 27, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / Leave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I am showing you how I altered another one of those Statement Necklaces I got from Wal-Mart a few months ago. In case you forgot about these Statement Necklaces here are a few posts about how I altered different necklaces.

You can see them Here, Here, and Here

Part of this necklace will become a new, pretty barrette.

Materials:

~ Statement Necklace

~ Wire cutters

~ Glue (I used E-6000)

~ Barrette or alligator clip

~ Nail Polish, I used this LA Colors nail polish from the Dollar Store and for the glitter top coat I used a Wet n Wild glitter top coat.

Instructions:

~ Here is my necklace in all its glory. There are a ton of colors going on and it is too much, even for me. Here is a side by side image with what I started with and what I ended up with.

So the first thing you do is take your wire cutters and cut the necklace apart. You want to separate the clusters.

~ Then I painted all the multicolored sections with nail polish a beautiful blue. In hindsight I probably should have painted a base coat of white before I painted the blue, you can see that the colors are slightly different, but not too much. I put on about 3 coats.

~ it is pretty, but it needed a little sparkle. So I painted a glittery top coat. Ahh, much better. You can see the glitter in this pic. Let it dry completely

~ Glue a barrette or alligator clip to the back and you are done.

Nice and easy, and it looks so cute.

Vintage Button Magnets

January 14, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 6 Comments

So as you all probably know by now I love buttons. I made this letter S a few years ago and I still love it. Buttons are so much fun to go through and sort and reminisce about. I think they are one of my favorite crafting item.

So I made another craft with buttons. This time I made button magnets.

In addition to the crafting I decided to reopen my Etsy store and sell some of the things I make here on this blog. Stop by and check it out: TakeTimeToCreate.

Here is how you can make your own button magnets

Materials:

~ Buttons (so many buttons!!! And this is only a small portion of what my mom gave me! She is the best!)

~ Magnets

~ Glue (I am using my trusty E-6000)

~ Clippers or something to cut the shank off

Instructions

~ prep the buttons. You might need to clean them a bit or snip off the shank. Be careful because pieces of plastic might go flying.

~ Stack the buttons to create a different looks. Glue the stacks as necessary.

~ Glue the back of the button and add the magnet

~ Wait for them to dry and then put them up on your fridge. You can see I use them to hold pictures of Cole. I love his monster and dino magnets he made when he was little. So cute! Sigh he is not so little anymore.

Stay tuned for DIYs on how I made the little canvas magnets and the bottle glass magnets.

Here are some of the completed magnet sets that I have on Etsy just to give you an idea of what you can do with magnets and buttons. These make great house warming gifts!

Make Yarn Out of an Old T-shirt

January 12, 2016 / TakeTimetoCreate / 3 Comments

Hello Everyone!

I hope your years is getting off to a great start. I am pretty excited because I have started on a project that I have been wanting to get started on for a long time. I got this huge stack of old t-shirts that had the wrong logo on them (this pic is only part of what I got). And since the shirts can’t be sold my friend gave them to me to make into yarn. This is not a new technique, but it is new to me and I am pretty excited in how it turned out. It is a perfect activity to do while I am watching TV. I am only part way through the stack, but eventually I will be done and then I am going to make rugs out of the yarn. Great way to upcycle old t-shirts and make something new.

I didn’t connect the balls of yarn to make one big ball because I am not sure if I am going to braid the rug or crochet it. (if I crochet the rug I will need to combine the yarn, if I braid it then I will need to sew together the strips.) Either way when I do the rug I will be sure to do a tutorial for you guys.

Here is how you turn in old t-shirt into yarn.

Materials

~Old T-shirt (make sure it is washed, if it is new this will take the sizing out and if it is from a thrift store it will make sure it is clean)

~ Scissors

~ ruler if you want, I didn’t use one but a ruler might make it easier to cut the strips.

Instructions

~ Lay the clean shirt on a flat surface. As you can see from the pics I am working on the floor, but that is just my preference. Make sure the shirt is flat and as smooth as possible.

~Cut the top off right under the sleeves. (I am keeping this top part, not sure what I am going to do with them but I just can’t throw it away) Then Cut off the bottom hem. (I threw that part away)

~ Then you want to cut the remaining shirt into strips. I cut mine about 1-1.5” wide.

***This is Important! Make sure you don’t cut all the way to the top! You will need this uncut area to make the yarn into one continuous length.

(This is what the top looks like with the uncut areas. You will cut it at an angle to make the strips, starting at the right end)

~ For this part refer to the pics, and please let me know if you have any questions.

To make the yarn cut off starting at the last strip and make an angle cut to the edge. Then cut the rest of the strips in an angle until you get to the end. I place the shirt on my arm and make the cuts on there, that just helps me keep track of were I need to go next.

~ Once you have cut the entire shirt you should have on long length of T-shirt Yarn. Then gently stretch the yarn and then wrap it into a ball. I made individual balls because I am not sure if I want to combine them into one length or not, but this way I am keeping it all nice and neat until I am ready to use it.

I know this may seem a little confusing, but I am here if you have any questions. Have any of you made t-shirt yarn before? I would love to some tips and tricks to make it better and or easier.

DIY Mickey Messenger Bag

September 1, 2015 / TakeTimetoCreate / 1 Comment

When we went to Disneyland I decided that I “needed” a new bag to hold my wallet and essentials. I didn’t want it too big, just big enough to carry what I needed for the day. Of course I decided that I needed this bag the day before we left. And of course I wanted to use a product that I have never used before. Nothing can go wrong with this scenario, right?? wrong! All kinds of things happened and and few tries later I ended up with a new bag. It only took me 3 times as long, but it did get done Smile

I will give you the instructions on how you should do it and I will even tell you what not to do, haha!

Materials:

~ messenger bag

~ stencil of what you want to create

~ Graphite paper

~ rhinestones

~ fabric paint

~ E-6000 glue

~ Silver Sharpie

Instructions:

1. Pick out the messenger bag you want to decorate. I found this black on at Hobby Lobby, and I used a coupon so it wasn’t too expensive. Much cheaper than anything I would find at Disney in their stores Smile . It worked very well, except with all the decoration the flap was a little heavy and when I snapped it the flap would fold weird. So I just never snapped the flap and let it hang, and that worked out just fine.

2. Print out what you what to put on your bag, I found a Mickey head silhouette and the quote. I downloaded a free Disney font and typed the quote in a word processing program and printed it at home. (here is the first problem I had. Instead of the stencil I cut out the Mickey shaped with glitter iron on transfer paper. then I tried to iron it onto the bag. It didn’t iron on well and was pealing up. I decided to try again, so I picked off the first one and made a new Mickey head and ironed it on again. Once again it did not work. So I picked off what I could and went on to plan B. I am going to have to figure out what I did wrong. Do you guys have any thought or suggestions?)

3. Place your stencil and quote on the bag.

4. Cut out some graphite, big enough to put under the quote. Trace the quote onto the bag and the graphite paper will transfer the quote onto the bag. The graphite paper I had was hard to read, but manageable

5. Trace the words with a silver Sharpie. I traced it about 3 times. A fabric marker would work as well.

6. I used Stickles in 2 colors to fill in the stencil. This is another example of a project not working as well as I thought. Stickles are not really good for fabric. We all know this, but if you remember I was doing this the night before we left so I had to use what I had on hand and that was Stickles. I put 2 coats of Stickles on then put a coat of E-6000 glue over the top to seal it in. It worked ok and held up for the week, but I think it would have been better with fabric paint.

7. Once your Mickey is on and your quote is good to go then add Rhinestones all over. Originally I planned on the bag with no rhinestones, but it was a little too plain for my tastes and I added the sparkle.

That is it. It held up all week with only a few rhinestones falling off, but that is not bad considering all the problems I had along the way.

What ideas do you have for a bag?

What problems have you had with your crafting projects and how did you fix them?

Take Time to Create

Taking a few minutes in our busy lives to create new and wonderful things

create

Monogram Wood Burn Coasters

DIY Rhinestone Clutch

Turn an Ikea bookcase into a bench

What I am working on

Dollar Store Puzzle Coaster DIY

Repurpose Your Old Keys

Alter a Statement Necklace into a Hair Barrette

Vintage Button Magnets

Make Yarn Out of an Old T-shirt

DIY Mickey Messenger Bag