How to Make Boxes From Paint Swatches

Source:  http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-make-boxes-from-paint-swatches.html

If you've got paint chips sitting around begging to be made into something, try folding them into boxes for paperclips, thumbtacks, party favor candies, or tiny gifts. I made these from Behr swatches, available at Home Depot.

You'll need paint swatches, double-stick tape, an X-acto knife, ruler, and cutting mat.

For the box bottom, cut a 1/2" strip off each of the two rounded ends of the swatch. You should be left with a 5" x 5" square. At a point slightly more than 1 1/2" from one edge—about 1 17/32" if you want to be picky, but I just eyeballed it—score a line with your knife. Repeat on the remaining three sides. These scoring lines are shown as dashed lines above. Then cut out the gray shaded sections. This is what the box bottom should look like:

The box lid is constructed the same way. Trim a swatch down to a 3" x 3" square. At a point slightly less than 1/2" from one edge, score a line with your knife. Repeat on the remaining three sides and cut out the gray shaded sections.

Fold each sheet on the scored lines, bending flaps inward and securing them with double-stick tape.

Scrabble Pendants!

update-some of you have asked about the chains. they are silver boxed chains 16 inches long. my friend got them from this link.   She said they were the best price with the best shipping.

Put a coat of Elmers glue on the back side of your tile. The side without the letter.


Then stick it to a piece of scrap booking paper.


To make sure you have the tile where you want it, hold it up to the light. I wanted my tile right next to those 3 pretty little flowers.


Wait till the glue is dried. This will only take a few minutes.
Then place your paper on a cutting board. Cut around the tile through the paper with an exact-o knife.



Your tile will be left with some rough edges from the paper.



To take care of the rough edges we need to sand them down. You can do this with one of those metal nail files, or I just had some sand paper in the garage that I used. Start from the top of the tile where the paper is glued and sand down --- From the top down.

I know this is a terrible picture. You try sanding a tile, while taking a picture, without a tripod. :-)



Next cover the front of your tile and the sides with one of my very best friends - modge podge.

Wait till that dries. It won't take long.

Then cover the top of your tile with Diamond Glaze (link for diamond glaze), starting from the outside working your way in. Do not use too much. Just enough to cover the top.

You will probably end up with a few tiny little bubbles. So take a needle or something sharp and pop them. Some of them were a little hard to pop, so I just carefully scooted them off.


This will take a few hours to dry. When it's dry put a little drop of super glue on the back of your silver bail. These can be found on ebay or etsy as well. Here is an etsy shop that I found that sells them.


Stick it to the back of your tile. Let it dry just a few minutes and you're done!

These are so fun to make! So go get the stuff, invite your friends over, and have a little scrabble pendant making party!

TIP-  If you look on etsy they have these really great craft making kits sometimes. They give you all the stuff to make whever it is you want and instructions as well.   Here is a great link to one for these scrabble tile pendants kits.

http://treyandlucy.blogspot.com/2008/11/scrabble-pendants.html

White Paper Doily Wreath

this week’s DIY by Martha Stewart via guest blogger Becoming Lola

I know its not just me who has a silly love affair with doilies. If the doily were a man, it would be that one gorgeous guy you stalked back in high school, hoping you could just take him home, sit him down, and stare at his incomparable beauty. No? You didn’t do that too? Well, at least doilies are beautiful white breaths of fresh air that are literally everywhere these days, not just Grandma’s attic. I mean really, you can buy a pack for a buck at a flea market and feel like you won the lottery. So next time you score a jumbo sack of these bad boys and come home feeling like you have to hide your winnings from your husband (him= “oh hon, not againnnn!”) you just shoot him a little evil smirk because you have a plan. Yup, this time they won’t collect dust. This time, they will light up!

Paper Doily Wreath

What You Need:

• 24-inch wreath form
• 30-inch wreath form
• 24-gauge wire
• White spray paint
• 20-foot strand of white holiday lights
• Scissors
• Paper bouquet holders (try ten 8.8-inch ones, twenty 6.4-inch ones, twenty 4.8-inch ones, and fifty 3.2-inch ones from germanplaza.com)

Directions:

Step 1
Working on a covered surface, lay a 24-inch wreath form inside a 30-inch one. Attach them with 24-gauge wire at 6 to 8 evenly spaced points.

Step 2
In a ventilated area, coat combined wreath form with white spray paint. Let dry.

Step 3
Wrap wreath form with a 20-foot strand of white holiday lights (test lights beforehand), leaving the plug end unwrapped (as much as is needed to plug in).

Step 4
With scissors, widen the center-hole slits slightly in paper bouquet holders (we used 10 8.8-inch ones, 20 6.4-inch ones, 20 4.8-inch ones, and 50 3.2-inch ones). Poke a finger through center hole of each bouquet holder (from front to back) to create openings large enough to accommodate a light bulb.

Step 5
Beginning with largest ones, place bouquet holders evenly around wreath, slipping a light through each hole so that bulb bases, not bulbs, rest against paper. (From time to time, hang wreath, and step back to ensure that the arrangement is balanced and attractive.)

Step 6
Add remaining bouquet holders in descending size order. Use smallest bouquet holders to cover centers of larger ones and to fill in any gaps. Hang near an outlet. Unplug when unattended

Jar within a Jar Vase

Kids going back to school? I think this flower bouquet is a perfect back to school idea or teacher gift.
To make: find a big jar and a glass cup that fits inside. Carefully slide plastic alphabet letters (the kind that are magnets that stick to the fridge) between the jar and the glass cup. Fill the inside cup with water and flowers.

This idea is very veratile! Imagine the possibilities. The space could also be filled with
marbles
gumballs
pretty pebbles
shells
dice
confetti
tinsel
pasta
jingle bells
buttons
little pine cones
garland
little candies (peppermint, starbursts, double bubble gum, etc. (all the same or mixed)
spray painted gravel
bandana (wrapped around the smaller jar)
multicolored rubber bands
Inexpensive plastic beads or Mardi Gras beads
beans
 (all the same or layers colors or mixed!)

Before & After: Glass Vase Makeover

Glass bottles are one of the easiest items to collect and find on a very frugal budget. You can them from "mismatched to marvelous" with this super easy and inexpensive makeover.

Sources:
Re-Nest.com
via Sandra Alexander on Pinterest

Stars for the 4th of July

 

 This year we plan to

deck out the front yard for the 4th of July with  Sifted Flour Stars!
  

1) Cut out a couple of templates. This is when an x-acto knife comes in very handy.

Scrap pieces of cardboard
from a recycling bin work just fine as templates. 

2) Give your kiddos a spray bottle of water. 
Spray the grass with water inside the star shape
(so the flour will stick).

3) White Flour sifted through a flour sifter is the next step. Sift flour on the stencils to sprinkle the front yard with a smattering of festive stars!