Dresser Re-Do: All That Glitters....

More glitter. I know..... it's a problem. You'd think I would have outgrown it by 8th grade. Not so -- I just can't shake it. I had to re-paint my daughters dresser and mirror because she got a new bed that was a different color. We decided to put a little sass into the project by adding some SPARKLE & SHINE.... with what else? GLITTER I SAY!

Here's what we did:

Step 1: We spray painted the mirror. I found this one at Ross. It had a horrible yellow/brown finish, and it's no wonder no one wanted to buy it. It had the right price tag, and I could see its potential through my spray paint lens (love that stuff).

Step 2: After the spray paint dried, working in sections, we used spray glue and then poured glitter on top of it.

Step 3: We repeated step 2 until it was covered well. Sprinkle thoroughly with several coats or until you run out (which is what happened to us).

Step 4: Using Modge Podge, I painted the middle section of each drawer of the dresser, and sprinkled some glitter onto that also. I thought it would pull the two pieces together.

Step 5: Repeat step 4 until well covered.Here is the final product! It looks really cute in her room. One thing to be sure, a little glitter goes a long way..... just like in 8th grade. :)

Dresser Re-Do: All That Glitters....

More glitter. I know..... it's a problem. You'd think I would have outgrown it by 8th grade. Not so -- I just can't shake it. I had to re-paint my daughters dresser and mirror because she got a new bed that was a different color. We decided to put a little sass into the project by adding some SPARKLE & SHINE.... with what else? GLITTER I SAY!

Here's what we did:

Step 1: We spray painted the mirror. I found this one at Ross. It had a horrible yellow/brown finish, and it's no wonder no one wanted to buy it. It had the right price tag, and I could see its potential through my spray paint lens (love that stuff).

Step 2: After the spray paint dried, working in sections, we used spray glue and then poured glitter on top of it.

Step 3: We repeated step 2 until it was covered well or until you run out (which is what happened to us).

Step 4: Using Modge Podge, I painted the middle section of each drawer of the dresser, and sprinkled some glitter onto that also. I thought it would pull the two pieces together.

Step 5: Repeat step 4 until well covered.Here is the final product! It looks really cute in her room. One thing to be sure, a little glitter goes a long way..... just like in 8th grade. :)

Decorative Clipboards

One of my favorite organizational tools: Clipboards! But how boring is a regular old brown board? After seeing a similar idea online, I decided to decorate the boards with fun scrapbook paper and give them as gifts to friends this year.

Supplies you will need: a clipboard, scrapbook paper, a sponge brush, ribbon, and Modge Podge.

1. Modge Podge your scrapbook paper onto the clipboard. Smooth with a straight sided object (I use my plastic pan scraper from my kitchen).

2. Spread Modge Podge over the top of the paper. Smooth, then let dry completely.

3. Embellish the top with ribbons and place a decorative word or symbol on the bottom if you want to really get your craft on!

4. Clip a note, a set of notecards, or a bag of goodies onto the board and give to your favorites!

Gifts of the Heart for any Occasion

A few years back, the siblings on my side of the family decided to move to homemade gifts for Christmas. There were no stipulations, it just had to be "homemade" in some way. The first year, my sister & brother-in-law cut wood from the 100 year old cottonwoods where we grew up and made them into candle holders. My brother and sister-in-law wrote a fantastic poem (you have to know my bro -- he's Steve Martin kind of witty). Erik and I made homemade vanilla and some other homemade goodies. We were hooked. It was so much fun that the gifts were from the heart of people we love. It is also interesting that those are the gifts we remember! I can tell you years later what they have given me. This year my sibs hit the ball out of the park. I love their gifts so much! I thought I'd share them since I think they'd make great, meaningful gifts for any occassion.....

GIFT #1: KENDRA & ERIC: A FAMILY LEGACY

My sister created an album that chronicles the history of our family. She includes our grandparents family pictures, weddings, children, and any other significant information about them.

I love these old pictures of my grandmother's parents and siblings. My great aunts were some of the dearest people of my childhood. I find my children reading this book over and over. They love knowing where they come from. I really believe this helps give them deep family roots and identity.

My sister includes our families in the book at the end.

This is the last page. I love the words she chose. This is a hallmark trait of my sister, she always knows just what to say.....

Gift #2: Mitch & Sarah: The Family Cookbook

So Mitch & Sarah put together a collection of their favorite recipes and wrote a little blurb about each one. They told about where the recipe came from, special notes about how to prepare it, or what to serve it with, and sometimes pictures of the food being prepared or served. The picture on the cover also captures a moment in time, because here Sarah is pregnant with their 3rd daughter.This is one my favorite pages -- isn't my niece so cute with batter all over her face in that chef's hat??
I love thinking about this family that I love so much when I'm cooking for mine!

Gift #3: Our Gift: Personalized Subway Art (I told you I was into this Subway Art thing)

I bought some blank canvases at the craft store and painted them black and brown. My husband and I brainstormed words that describe each family and their history and life. I then used my Sillouette machine to cut out vinyl words for each canvas. I mailed one of them before I could take a picture, but here are the other two.

Part of the fun of homemade gifts is coming up with the idea. It usually takes weeks of brainstorming before I come up with something I'm excited about, and then I scurry around getting it done, but it is always worth it in the end! All of these gifts took a lot of time, but it is time well-spent and deeply appreciated by those on the receiving end!

Valentine Subway Art

I'm really into Subway Art these days. This is a version I did for the girls group I coordinate. I listed Biblical scripture references where it talks about these varying aspects of LOVE (you can download it here). I got the lumber from a scrap pile at a wood shop and had them cut it down into workable pieces. I adjusted the art dimensions to fit on the wood.

Here is what you need for this project:

A print out of the subway art, paint, wood, and Modge Podge.

Paint the boards any color for a background. It won't be seen much except the sides and back.

After the paint dries, MODGE PODGE the paper (printed on kraft colored cardstock or whatever you choose) to the wood. Brush over the paper with M.P. also. Let dry. Add a ribbon or other embellishments to the top.

Here is how it looks in my kitchen with my Valentine cluster:

**Extra Note: My friend told me that when she went to Modge Podge on this project, the ink ran. I am using a laser printer and did not have that problem. If you have an inkjet printer you may want to use a spray adhesive over the top and then Modge Podge. This spray glue comes in a spray paint type can and can be found at most stores. Be sure to let it dry completely.