My family LOVES to travel to Disney World. We go frequently (not frequently enough for us) and in between trips we are always planning our next trip. One of the many projects that I always work on for our vacations are autograph books. I know that my children and nephews would be happy with the standard autograph books they can buy in the parks, but I enjoy making autograph books for them and they seem to enjoy the interaction with the characters that the pre-made pages seem to always ignite.
I am beginning to work on my autograph books for our next trip. I am working on .svg files for many different Disney characters so check back often if you are interested in these files. I hope that some of these files may be able to help others with their autograph books too!
Nemo with Seaweed
Dori
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Saturday, June 7, 2014
DIY Oklahoma Chevron Canvas
My sister, Kristin, and I were in Hallmark recently and saw a very cute red and white chevron canvas with the shape of Oklahoma on it. It was adorable, and we almost bought it, but we thought we would give it a DIY try first. I am so glad we did! I am thrilled with how this project turned out.
Supplies:
11" x 14" white canvas
Silver cut out of the state of Oklahoma***
Red Acrylic Paint
White Acrylic Paint
Foam Paint Brush (or three)
Blue Tailor's Chalk
Baby Wipe/Wet Paper Towel
Long ruler/straight edge
Chevron Pattern (I used a 1" wide chevron here)***
and PATIENCE
***You can cut these out yourself by tracing the shape of Oklahoma and a chevron design onto cardstock and cutting them out. If you are interested, I have listed the silver Oklahoma used here on etsy. You can click here to view the listing. If you purchase the Oklahoma die cut and are interested, make a note in the check out notes to seller that you would also like the chevron pattern, and I will send that for free!***
Step 1: Paint the canvas white.
The first step in making this Oklahoma Chevron Canvas is painting the entire canvas white. I know the canvas is already white and it may seem like a waste of time, but it is so helpful when making any touch ups at the end. The touch ups are not nearly as visible when the entire canvas has been painted white already. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before moving on to the next step.
Step 2: Prep the canvas
Using a long ruler or straight edge, trace a straight line across your canvas 4.5" from the bottom edge of the canvas with the blue tailor's chalk. Place the bottom points of your chevron patter on the straight line you have just drawn. Trace both sides of the chevron pattern using the tailor's chalk. I just hold the pattern making sure it remains lined up against the base line, but you may find it easier to use low tack painter's tape to hold down the pattern - just make sure the paint is very dry if you do.
Step 3: Trace the chevron pattern
Place the chevron pattern just above the first chevron row you traced in step 2. Align the bottom of the pattern with the top line of the chevron already on your canvas. Continue doing this until the entire canvas is covered. You will shift to using aligning the top edge of the pattern with the bottom edge of the chevron on the canvas once you reach the top of the canvas and move below your initial base line.
Step 4: Paint the chevron pattern
Carefully, paint every other row of the chevron pattern you traced earlier. I mark the rows I will be painting with a very light mark with the tailor's chalk to help ensure that I don't accidently paint the wrong row.
Step 5: Touch up any mistakes
If any of the paint from the chevron pattern ended up in what should have been white, touch up using white paint. Carefully, paint the entire width of the white so that when the paint dries the touch up will be less noticable. Allow to dry completely.
Step 6: Remove any remaining tailor's chalk.
With the baby wipe or wet paper towel, gently rub any remaining tailor's chalk to remove from the canvas. Be very careful as too much water can cause the paint to run. It won't take much pressure to remove the chalk so take it slow and easy.
Step 7: Attach the Oklahoma cut out
Paint the entire back of your Oklahoma cut out with a thin layer of Tacky Glue. Make sure to cover the entire surface right up to the edges of the paper, but not so thickly that glue seeps out from under the edges. Place your cut out on the canvas where you would like it to stay. I like to make sure that the heart is on a red line so that it's more pronounced, but you can place your cut out anywhere on the canvas.
I know it looks like a lot of steps, but it is really a pretty easy process. The tailor's chalk makes the process easy because I can see the chevron pattern while painting, but it removes easily and cleanly when I'm done. I do recommend using as light of markings as possible when you are tracing so that the markings are even easier to remove.
I would love to see your finished projects or hear any of your suggestions!
Thanks for stopping by!
Kasey
Supplies:
11" x 14" white canvas
Silver cut out of the state of Oklahoma***
Red Acrylic Paint
White Acrylic Paint
Foam Paint Brush (or three)
Blue Tailor's Chalk
Baby Wipe/Wet Paper Towel
Long ruler/straight edge
Chevron Pattern (I used a 1" wide chevron here)***
and PATIENCE
***You can cut these out yourself by tracing the shape of Oklahoma and a chevron design onto cardstock and cutting them out. If you are interested, I have listed the silver Oklahoma used here on etsy. You can click here to view the listing. If you purchase the Oklahoma die cut and are interested, make a note in the check out notes to seller that you would also like the chevron pattern, and I will send that for free!***
Step 1: Paint the canvas white.
The first step in making this Oklahoma Chevron Canvas is painting the entire canvas white. I know the canvas is already white and it may seem like a waste of time, but it is so helpful when making any touch ups at the end. The touch ups are not nearly as visible when the entire canvas has been painted white already. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before moving on to the next step.
Step 2: Prep the canvas
Using a long ruler or straight edge, trace a straight line across your canvas 4.5" from the bottom edge of the canvas with the blue tailor's chalk. Place the bottom points of your chevron patter on the straight line you have just drawn. Trace both sides of the chevron pattern using the tailor's chalk. I just hold the pattern making sure it remains lined up against the base line, but you may find it easier to use low tack painter's tape to hold down the pattern - just make sure the paint is very dry if you do.
Step 3: Trace the chevron pattern
Place the chevron pattern just above the first chevron row you traced in step 2. Align the bottom of the pattern with the top line of the chevron already on your canvas. Continue doing this until the entire canvas is covered. You will shift to using aligning the top edge of the pattern with the bottom edge of the chevron on the canvas once you reach the top of the canvas and move below your initial base line.
Step 4: Paint the chevron pattern
Carefully, paint every other row of the chevron pattern you traced earlier. I mark the rows I will be painting with a very light mark with the tailor's chalk to help ensure that I don't accidently paint the wrong row.
Step 5: Touch up any mistakes
If any of the paint from the chevron pattern ended up in what should have been white, touch up using white paint. Carefully, paint the entire width of the white so that when the paint dries the touch up will be less noticable. Allow to dry completely.
Step 6: Remove any remaining tailor's chalk.
With the baby wipe or wet paper towel, gently rub any remaining tailor's chalk to remove from the canvas. Be very careful as too much water can cause the paint to run. It won't take much pressure to remove the chalk so take it slow and easy.
Step 7: Attach the Oklahoma cut out
Paint the entire back of your Oklahoma cut out with a thin layer of Tacky Glue. Make sure to cover the entire surface right up to the edges of the paper, but not so thickly that glue seeps out from under the edges. Place your cut out on the canvas where you would like it to stay. I like to make sure that the heart is on a red line so that it's more pronounced, but you can place your cut out anywhere on the canvas.
I know it looks like a lot of steps, but it is really a pretty easy process. The tailor's chalk makes the process easy because I can see the chevron pattern while painting, but it removes easily and cleanly when I'm done. I do recommend using as light of markings as possible when you are tracing so that the markings are even easier to remove.
I would love to see your finished projects or hear any of your suggestions!
Thanks for stopping by!
Kasey
DIY "Stretched Canvas"
I recently painted a canvas chevron for my sister. (You can see that project here.) I was very happy with how it turned out, but the painting took a very long time. It was somewhat tedious to draw out the lines and it took several coats of paint for a uniform look. It was worth it, but it did make me wonder if there were an easier way. Those of you who are talented painters may not think this is easier, but I do like the great results I can be assured of with this method.
This is probably so far from the "right" way to do this, but it works and looks great on my son's wall :).
I bought 4 - 12" stretcher bars at Hobby Lobby and slide the ends together. After verifying that the frame was square. I then put a row of staples across each of the corners to help them stay in place. So many staples probably weren't necessary, but hey, I don't think it hurt anything either.
I then laid out my 15.5" fabric square face down. The fabric I used is a red chevron Duck fabric. I laid the frame in the center of the fabric, and then folded the top edge of the fabric over the top edge of the frame and put a staple in the center. I then did the same thing for the bottom - making sure the design was straight and that the fabric is pulled tight across the frame. I then did the same thing for each of the sides.
The next step was to fold the corners. Some people will probably have more luck with doing the corners as they go, but I couldn't get the fabric to stay tight that way. I basically folded the corners as if I were wrapping a present. Please forgive the many close up pictures here, but I wanted to be clear as this was the hardest part of the entire project.
After that, I put a few more staples in to make sure everything stayed put (again, undoubtedly way too many). I then glued a paper die cut of my son's name on the front! I have listed these split initial names in my etsy store. You can view it here, if you are interested.
So now instead of painting a canvas, I can easily make my own using inexpensive fabric from the craft store. Do you have any projects like this that you have made? Any tips you could share with me for my next attempt?
Kasey
This is probably so far from the "right" way to do this, but it works and looks great on my son's wall :).
I bought 4 - 12" stretcher bars at Hobby Lobby and slide the ends together. After verifying that the frame was square. I then put a row of staples across each of the corners to help them stay in place. So many staples probably weren't necessary, but hey, I don't think it hurt anything either.
I then laid out my 15.5" fabric square face down. The fabric I used is a red chevron Duck fabric. I laid the frame in the center of the fabric, and then folded the top edge of the fabric over the top edge of the frame and put a staple in the center. I then did the same thing for the bottom - making sure the design was straight and that the fabric is pulled tight across the frame. I then did the same thing for each of the sides.
The next step was to fold the corners. Some people will probably have more luck with doing the corners as they go, but I couldn't get the fabric to stay tight that way. I basically folded the corners as if I were wrapping a present. Please forgive the many close up pictures here, but I wanted to be clear as this was the hardest part of the entire project.
After that, I put a few more staples in to make sure everything stayed put (again, undoubtedly way too many). I then glued a paper die cut of my son's name on the front! I have listed these split initial names in my etsy store. You can view it here, if you are interested.
So now instead of painting a canvas, I can easily make my own using inexpensive fabric from the craft store. Do you have any projects like this that you have made? Any tips you could share with me for my next attempt?
Kasey
Sunday, June 1, 2014
VBS Decorating Gears
As we move closer to VBS 2014, we are getting deeper and deeper into all things Workshop of Wonders. This week we have been trying to come up with some larger decorating ideas that will enhance the scene for the children, but not take too much work for our volunteers - going up or coming down. Our church is hosting a family reunion the day after VBS is over this year, so we have to get everything cleaned up and back in normal order following our annual cook out on Friday night. This has caused the easy clean up aspect of all VBS decorations to take on an even more important role this year than usual.
One idea that we've come up with and seems to be working well for us are large gears cut out of poster boards with the Wonder Words of the day attached. Theses were very easy to make and very inexpensive.
We cut out 1/4 of a gear on a Cricut. The 1/4 gear was about 11" x 11" at it's largest. We then cut 4" off of one end of a poster board leaving us with a 22" square poster board. We marked the center of the poster board and then traced the gear 4 times rotating around the center point. I did this for all five of the poster boards we were using. I then cut out the Wonder Words for each day, again using the Cricut. I took the posters with the traced gears and the cut out letters to our VBS craft meeting, and some of the ladies who wanted to help, but were not able to move around much were very happy to cut out the gears and glue on the letters.
I am so happy with how they turned out and the look great on the church walls. It was also a great project for our older ladies who want to help, but have some physical limitations. Do you have any other projects that you use in this way to make sure you include everyone who wants to help?
One idea that we've come up with and seems to be working well for us are large gears cut out of poster boards with the Wonder Words of the day attached. Theses were very easy to make and very inexpensive.
We cut out 1/4 of a gear on a Cricut. The 1/4 gear was about 11" x 11" at it's largest. We then cut 4" off of one end of a poster board leaving us with a 22" square poster board. We marked the center of the poster board and then traced the gear 4 times rotating around the center point. I did this for all five of the poster boards we were using. I then cut out the Wonder Words for each day, again using the Cricut. I took the posters with the traced gears and the cut out letters to our VBS craft meeting, and some of the ladies who wanted to help, but were not able to move around much were very happy to cut out the gears and glue on the letters.
I am so happy with how they turned out and the look great on the church walls. It was also a great project for our older ladies who want to help, but have some physical limitations. Do you have any other projects that you use in this way to make sure you include everyone who wants to help?
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
DIY 4th of July Infant Dress
One of the highlights of the day is our annual Patriotic Food Contest. This translates to the prettiest red, white and blue desserts. There is always a tremendous spread and it is a very fun event. We usually end up with some controversy, however, because someone always thinks we should take taste into account. We never do for practical reasons (really, how could we taste 30 different desserts and rate) but everyone's competitive spirit comes out and makes for some very memorable moments.
I am super excited this year that my little girl will be big enough to dress for the occasion. Last year she was only a few weeks old and we spent the entire day nursing, so I didn't really get to show her off the way I would have liked. That will not be the case this year. In anticipation of the big party, I made her this red, white and blue dress. We are proud Oklahomans so I added an applique of our great state in the bottom border. I can't wait to show off Sophia and her new dress...just over a month to go!
Friday, May 23, 2014
No Sew "Always On" Cord Wrapper
I have adapted my usual pattern to a no sew version. This is even quicker and easier! You only need a few supplies and you can put together several in no time at all.
Supplies:
2 - 2.25" x 4.5" rectangle of knit fabric (this is important so that the fabric won't fray)
1 - 2.25" x 4.5" rectangle of Heat 'n' Bond Ultra
1" Stick On Velcro square
Glue
Step 1: Iron on the Heat 'n Bond Ultra
Carefully iron the Heat 'n' Bond Ultra to the back of one of the fabric rectangles. Let cool. Carefully peel the paper backing off of the Heat 'n' Bond Ultra.
Step 2: Attach Back
Iron the back of the other fabric rectangle to the Heat 'n' Bond Ultra. You should now have a rectangle with the right sides of your fabric on each side. Let cool.
Step 3: Attach the Velcro
Put a small amount of glue on the back of the Velcro pieces. I use Tacky Glue for this because it holds well. If you want to be able to wash your wrapper, you should use a glue especially made for washable fabric projects. Press the Velcro onto the wrapper about 0.5" from the end. Make sure the Velcro squares are on the opposite sides of the wrapper - one on the front and one on the back. Allow the glue to dry before using the wrapper.
Step 4: Trim the Edges
Trim the edges of the cord wrapper to make sure the sides are even. If you want, you can trim the corners or you can leave them square.
Optional Step 5: Make it "Always On"
You can stop the project after step 4 and have a finished usable cord wrapper. However, I like to keep mine on the cord at all times so that I don't lose it. It is just a small piece of fabric and would be very easy to misplace or forget if I were to take it off every time I use the cord. In my regular wrappers, I use button holes to serve this purpose. In the no sew version, we just need to cut two slits in the body of the wrapper!
Fold the wrapper in half. Carefully, cut two slits in the body of the wrapper about 0.5" away from the Velcro squares on each end of the wrapper. I find it easiest to cut one slit and then flip the wrapper over, fold in half length wise again, and then cut 0.5" away from the Velcro on the same side as the Velcro. You should have about 1" in between the slits. The slits needs to be long enough to slide the smaller end of your cord through. I usually cut mine about 1" long to ensure most cords will fit.
And you are done! I've made these all different sizes and shapes to fit the needs of whoever will be using the wrapper. My current favorite sewing design is an hourglass shape. It seems to hold the cord well and looks nice. Thanks for visiting!
-Kasey
Monday, May 19, 2014
DIY Easel Placecard Holders Tutorial
***Update: The blank palette below is now available for purchase. Click this link to view.****
My church is getting into VBS mode as our annual event is quickly approaching. Our VBS is scheduled for June 9 - June 13, 2014, so we don't have too much time left to create in anticipation. We are using Cokesbury's Workshop of Wonders as our theme this year, and we are busy coming up with ideas to transform our church into a workshop/art studio to engage the children who join us.
These adorable easels are going to be used as place card holders on our craft table. The easels are very easy to assemble and very low cost. I've cut out an artist's palette from cardstock to use as our place card.
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| Finished DIY Easel |
- Skinny Sticks - 3 and 1/2 sticks per easel - I cut the sticks in half using children's Fiskar scissors. But watch out! They fly if you aren't careful. I found these at Wal-Mart for $2.47.
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| Skinny Sticks |
- Tacky Glue
- Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Step 1: Assemble the frame
Place a dab of Tacky Glue near the top of one full length Skinny Stick. Attach a second full length Skinny Stick as pictured below so that you form a V with about 3 inches between the open ends of the V.
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| Place Tacky Glue at end of full length stick |
 |
| Ends should be 3" apart |
Place a dab of Tacky Glue about 2" up each of the Skinny Sticks as pictured below. Attach the 1/2 Skinny Stick centered across the two dabs of glue with the skinny edge down. The wider edge will hold your place card. Once the Tacky Glue sets a little, carefully wipe/scrape off the excess glue.
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| Place glue about 2" from the bottom of each stick |
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| Attach cross bar to the glue with the skinny edge in the glue |
Wait to move the Frame and Cross Bar until after the glue has completely dried. If you are in a hurry, you can use hot glue for all of these steps. I prefer the Tacky Glue because I think it looks cleaner when it's finished, but hot glue is much, much faster so if you are in a hurry, that may be the way you want to go.
Step 4: Attach the Support Leg
Place a drop of hot glue on the back of the Frame where the two full length sticks meet. Attach the support leg by holding the end of the third full length stick firmly against the hot glue you just placed until set. The support leg should be positioned in the same direction as the two full length legs in the Frame. You want the support leg to attach at about a 45 degree angle so that the easel is upright, but leaning back slightly so your place card will sit securely.
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| Put hot glue on the back of the frame to hold the support leg |
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| Attach support leg at 45 degree angle from frame with stick in same direction as legs of the frame |
And there you have it. A simple and inexpensive decoration for your VBS craft table!
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| Finished DIY Easel |
Do you have any great ideas for the Workshop of Wonders VBS theme? I would love to hear them!!!
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