Old Picture Frame into Cork Board

There were some old picture frames in our barn. I took one of them that had no glass and [partially] spray painted it and then cut a cork board to fit in the empty space.

For some reason, the paint didn't stick to all of the wood the first time. (I didn't bother priming it, so that's probably why it looked this way.)

Instead of recoating, I decided I liked the 'weathered' look it yielded.

I hung it in my toddler's room so we can put pictures and cards on it!

Book Page Wreath

Over Christmas, I sort of fell in love with making wreaths.

~My husband and I are into LOST lately (on Netflix) and so making this wreath gave me something to do while watching. A bunch of hot glue gun burns later (because LOST has loads of subtitles), I can't believe I actually finished it. ~

I originally saw this project on Pinterest and decided I needed to make myself one. I started this project just after Christmas. I love how it turned out and that it was practically free to make (I did buy the foam wreath core.)

It is hanging at the bottom of our stairs on a mirror and I do love it. I used an old Exercise Physiology textbook to make all the flowers! That gives it meaning, too!

Bunting Picture Frame

More wall art. Just what we need! I made this super cute bunting picture frame for my little guy's room.

I found an empty frame in my dad's basement and wanted to use it.

(He had made it as a prototype and it was not in use, so I lucked out.)

Instead of adding glass to make it a traditional frame, I decided to do something a little more three dimensional.

I took some cardstock and made flags of various sizes. I also used a brown paper bag for flags, too.

I took some ric rac (it is from Beautiful Additions, a great Etsy shop!) and stitched the paper flags onto it. I didn't worry too much about having 'perfect' stitches.

Sewing with paper is something that I’ve found to be cute and decorative. You could use glue instead.

To attach the strings of flags, I just used a regular desk stapler. The frame is made of pine which is a soft wood. The staples went into it easily.

It was ready to hang on the wall. I added a hanger with some teeth and didn't even use a wall anchor. (It isn't very heavy since there's no glass.)

Chapstick Cozy

I have an interest in lip balm. I own way too much chapstick & lip gloss. I saw this project here and knew I should make a few.

This project originated from a great new (to me) blog to follow!

Freezer Paper Stenciled T-Shirt Sleeve Pouches with PLAID Paints

I came up with a new way to decorate drawstring pouches made from old t-shirts. (To sew the pouch, see the tutorial I posted here.)

**Regarding the original tutorial to make the pouches, I thought of a time-saving tip. When making the drawstring, use t-shirt yarn (tutorial to make your own here) instead of sewing tubes of scraps and then turning them.**

Anyway, to do the stenciling, assemble your freezer paper stenciling supplies. You do not need to use 'special' fabric paint. I used PLAID acrylic paint and it works fine for fabric.

My tutorial for freezer paper stenciling is found here.

I used small paper punches to make my stencils (a butterfly and a star).

I laid out my scraps and waited for the stencils to dry before sewing everything together.

The very last step is to use a hot iron to set the paint. That way if you need to wash the pouch, the paint won't run.

I really love how they turned out. They are super easy and practically free to make! They make great storage for the zillions of tiny pieces that come with toys.