Monday, April 21, 2014

DIY Scripture Bunting

Hello again friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!  For me, Easter kicks off a season of renewal, both spiritually and physically.  It’s a time to clean out the cobwebs from both our hearts and our homes!

So as promised in my last blog post on my craft nook makeover, I will share with you today how simple it is to make a Scripture Pennant Bunting for your home.

What exactly IS a scripture bunting, you ask?   It’s simply a pennant style bunting that holds references to your favorite scriptures!  Glancing at these scriptures while working your tail off is a great way to keep Jesus in your home and keep things in perspective.  We hope.

First, simply decide what your favorite scriptures are.  Mine are as follows: 

Exodus 14:14  - The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Psalm 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.


Proverbs 31:27 - She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Second, get in front of your computer, open a word document and type up the abbreviations for your scripture reference so that they will properly fit on your pennant. 
  

Third, print out your abbreviations on white paper and cut them out in circle shapes either with scrapbooking scissors or you can use the “print and cut” feature on your die cut machine.  You can also cut out circles slightly larger than your white "dots" to add as a background so that they will pop with contrast!


Fourth, measure and cut into large triangles the background paper you wish to use for your pennant bunting.    Any color will do.  I chose yellow to match my sunny décor.

Fifth, using an acid-free glue stick, glue the white scripture references and background circles to the triangular paper.


Sixth, attach your pennants to any type of flexible string – I used a jute twine.  You can either punch holes in each corner of the pennant triangle, or simply tape the triangle to the jute twine on the backside.  


That’s it!  You’re done.  One more step to making your crafty work area more personable and uplifting!  Check out more ideas on one of my previous posts on my favorite craftrooms.


What are some tips that you’ve used to make your craft space work for you?


 









Friday, April 4, 2014

How to Turn a Boring Dining Room Corner into the Perfect Craft Nook



There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so much craft cr*p she didn't know what to do.

Seriously it was a lot.


Day after day she’d find herself sobbing.
Because her house looked like it threw up Hobby Lobby.


I mean really, the kids could only eat at the island or on the floor.

So one day she said, “Hey, I know what I can do.”
I’ll carve out a spot in my little dining room.”

I mean like, REALLY little.

So she cleaned out some cabinets and moved some books.
To make the sweetest little hidden Crafting Nook.

The end.


Okay it’s not really the end, because I keep changing things.  But for the most part, I LOVE my new little crafting area.
 
So here’s what I did.  As I alluded to in my amateur poem-writing experience, I had so much crafting crap material all over my dining room, that it was really starting to overwhelm me.  I don’t have a dedicated craft room, so I was at the mercy of my organizational skills and some learned “tricks” to keep my crafting area tidy and my sanity in check.
 
The nucleus of my crafting is my glass painting business, Sunny Belle.  I hand paint glassware and ceramics, so I usually have open projects, paint brushes, paint pens, enamels and any materials related to painting ALL over the dining room.
 
This is what my dining room looked like at the beginning of my project.  Note that I started out with a bare useless corner that held only this drab accent chest.  Ugh. Thank goodness that at least the kitchen recently received a makeover!






I knew I wanted to utilize the accent chest for storage of my most commonly used items.  As such, I set out to clear the chest of the items that it currently contained. I relocated the photo albums to my bedroom bookshelf and cleaned out the top drawer that used to be the “art drawer” for the kids, which sadly doesn’t get used nearly as much.  (But being the mom that I am and clinging to the optimistic hope that even in their teen years, they’ll opt to break open a coloring book, I saved the contents of the nostalgic art drawer and made a special art box to be kept in my daughter’s room.)

So next, I decided to perk up the space by refinishing the accent chest with Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint. 

Love. Her.

I chose her namesake paint color called “Mustard Seed Yellow”!



After I put a couple of coats of the milk paint on, this was the result!  I do love a shabby chic look.




I let it chip away naturally a bit – which it will surprisingly do on its own – and then I did a little of my own distressing with some fine sandpaper.

Look how cool the chipping looks on the edges of the doors and drawer!  Oh and how can I not point out my fabulous choice of new knobs for my “new” craft cabinet!





Finally I finished it off with a coat of Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil which actually deepened the color a tad and gave it a richer look.  Isn’t it absolutely beautiful???



Gosh, I love a pretty clean surface… but alas, it must be covered. Boooo...







So after adding a mirror to the top of the cabinet, my next task was to set out to thrift stores and craft stores to grab some great deals to house my little crafting knick knacks!

First, I found this neat white ceramic canister to hold all my paint pens. I found it at a thrift store for $3! I love any piece of home décor in white!  Check out my blog post on all of my favorite white treasures.

I also scooped up this cute flower bouquet at Michael’s for about $3 and the chevron frame at Hobby Lobby for about $9. Both pieces pull out a bit of orange that I wanted.




The baskets hold all of my bottles of enamel paint and my paint brushes.  These were on sale for half off at JoAnn’s Fabric Store for $3 each!  My favorite finds are these three adorable printed boxes, that keep all of my small loose craft items contained in one spot.  Would you believe I snagged these for a buck a piece at the Dollar Tree?  They really add the perfect pop of color!




Also for only $1 each are these three adorable little tin buckets with handles, that hold the items I use most frequently.  Note they are hanging on this great wooden chevron print rack that I found at JoAnn’s for $7.50!





The inside of the cabinet holds folders of scrapbook paper, rolls of vinyl, jars and glassware, and cutting boards.

You’ll also see at the end of the cabinet two brown paper colored photo boxes that hold all the gemstones that I use on glasses, as well as other paints that I do not use as often (hence, the reason they’re not in the open basket).
So here’s the finished craft nook!  What’s that super cool pennant thingy hanging on the mirror, you ask?  Well that would be my Scripture Pennant, which holds all my favorite scripture verses!  Pssst.  That’s the next blog! 

I hope you see how super easy it is to create a crafty workstation that actually serves as a functional area, while still blending beautifully with your home decor.  It's all in the containers you choose!



Oh and we couldn’t finish the blog post without a photo bomb by the old woman who lives in the shoe… 






What’s your favorite crafty makeover? Share it with us!



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