Custom Coasters

Level: 2 (Easy)

Okay so my roommate wanted some coasters for christmas, so instead of going and buying the expensive ones that would maybe somewhat match her room I decided to create my own and make them hers. I did a ton of research and finally decided on how to make them, so here is my experience so you can make your own.

Here is what you need:

• Tile ( $0.16 a piece at Lowes)
• Any paper good (all of mine were purchased at Hobby Lobby but you could also use pictures)
• ModPodge
• ModPodge Clear Acrylic Sealer (or Rust-olium Crystal Clear Enamel)
• Paint Brush
• Cork Board (Wal-mart) or felt pad
• Sandpaper (100 grit is what I used) Optional
• Scissors 
• Hot glue gun

Step 1:

     Sand down the edges on the bottom. They are going to be slightly ruff as this is the part that is meant to go on the wall. I decided to sand it because small children will be around the ones I made for my family back home, but this step is completely optional.

Step 2:

     Take your Paper goods and your tile and trace out how big you want your square to be. I made my paper squares slightly smaller so mine would have a white border. Cut out your squares and put a good amount VERY THIN layer of ModPodge on your tile and put your paper on the tile. As the paper is being laid, run your index finger across so you get out all the air bubbles. Let dry for 15 minutes.

Step 3:

     If you plan to put letters on yours as I have done mine you will want to get them ready. Make your letters in a simple Word document, print, and cut out. The next layer you put on top of the paper will need to be very thin as well. It will be the same concept for the letters as it was for the tile and paper. 

Step 4:

     Put on three more layers after you put on the letters (only two more id you did not do the letters) letting each layer dry 15 minutes. It is very possible that it will bubble during the process of putting the layers on like in the picture below. Scream, run around, and freak out that your coaster is now trash. Keep calm if this does happen, after a few hours of letting it set, the bubbles will go away or be very small to the point only you being a perfectionist will even pay attention to :)

Step 5:

     Set up outside with lots of news paper and line up all of your coasters. Take your Acrylic Sealer and spray on like spray paint, I put three layers on each of mine. Let dry for 10 minutes in between each layer, after the last layer let dry for 24 hrs. After I let my last layer dry for 10 minutes I picked mine up and put them on a table inside to let finish drying.

Step 6:

     Lastly get your hot glue gun ready and cut out some of your cork board to put on the back of your new coasters. On the one below I put small pieces on as they were for me, but with the ones I gave as gifts I put a full pice on the back. Once you have the cork board on the back you are done.

Step 7:

     Get out the drinks and start using them, or like me wrap them and get them under the tree! 

Extra:

    You could take ribbon and hot glue to the back of the top cork and turn them into a collage of photos for the wall.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kait

Bathroom Wall Art!

So, I am currently working on about 8 million projects trying to get things ready for my very first apartment away from home! I have bought things in my bathroom to be a sea green and coral with bright white. So I started thinking I am going to need something creative in my bathroom, and well this is what happened.

I will show you step by step what I did so that you can try it for yourself! Maybe your experience will be slightly kinder than mine.

SUPPLIES:

1: Picture Frame

2: Spray Paint (If you wish to update an old frame)

3: White Material (Course type)

4: Fabric Paint

5: Small Paint Brush

6: Painters Tape

7: Your Initials Print out

8: Razor Blade

9: Push Pins

Step 1:

Pick a frame size and either spray paint an old one (as I did), or buy a new frame. Take the glass out and wrap your material around it (Make sure you have washed and ironed your material first). Tape the back of the material up so it will not move on the glass.

Step 2:

Put your frame on top of the glass/material, Make a border with your Painters Tape. Make sure it looks even, I measured mine to be two inches on every side. My frame is a 16x20.

Step 3:

Take the Print out of your Initials and tape every part of the black that you can to the center of the material. Once you have done so, take your razor blade and cut out the black from the white. This is why you need a course type material so that there is no chance the material will cut when you are doing this step.

Step 4:

Tape up your material. I made the first line then laid a piece of tape on the edge of it so the lines were even and then made my second line. Once you get to the circle it gets a bit more complicated. My lines after the circle somehow got whop-sided and I did not realize it till after I was done. I took my razor blade and cut each edge so they would be correct. once you cut it just peel off the excess and you have a straight line.

This is the fabric paint I use.

Step 5:

Paint your picture. Be EXTREMELY careful with your paper. I dabbed the paint over the paper so the paper would not rip. I left it at this point to dry over night. (It was very late)

**NOTE: Take your material OFF your glass. The paint WILL go thru the material so make sure you have paper or whatever you don't care to throw away under your material.**

Step 6:

Take off your tape and touch up and spots with some white fabric paint. Put your glass on top, trim your excess material off the edges, and put both glass and material in frame. I added a second layer of material because mine was so thin.

Step 7:

Clean glass with windex (if needed), hang up, and  ENJOY!

Hope this helps all of you create your own! let me know how it goes :)

How To Make Sand Dollars White

Me and My best friend went to St. Simmons Island for the Fourth of July and decided to walk the beach before watching the fireworks and we found some dead Sand Dollars along the way.

So I know the Sand Dollars in the stores are just so pretty and you have nothing to do to make them white, but if you are like my family we love walking the beach! We love finding shells and bringing them home, so I though I would share with you how to remove the ugly brown "skin" from them so you can have pretty WHITE Sand Dollars that you or the kids found, so you can display them!

Step 1: get some Bleach and a bowl that your Sand Dollars will fit it. Pour just enough so that the Sand Dollars can float in the bleach. Rinse the Sand Dollars and make sure you get all the sand off! Be VERY gentle, they can break from to much water pressure coming out of the faucet.

Step 2: Put the Sand Dollar in the bleach. I put them upside down, it seems to have a much better effect because the Sand Dollars like to float and that means the side up doesn't whiten as well, to me I would rather have the side everyone will see be whiter!

Step 3: After a little bit a white substance will form on the Sand Dollar. You can take them out and rinse them off (be gentle they are even more brittle now) and see if they have reached your desired tint of white. I left mine in there around 10 minutes, I have never left one in there longer than 20 minutes, they start to fall apart when you pull them out if you leave it in there too long.

If you get one that looks like this don't worry, it just means it isn't done. Stick it back in the bleach and let it soak a bit longer.

Step 4: Let them dry! And presto, you have pretty white Sand Dollars!

Happy Fourth of July Everyone! 

Kait

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I am extremely crafty and I love making all kinds of things! When I see something I try and figure out how to make it, and I absolutely love it. I plan on using this blog to share how I make items so you can attempt them yourself! I also plan to post things here to keep my family up to date on what I do, so keep checking in to see what is new to make and what is up in my life!
Kait