mustache makeovers!

I don't know if you're part of the mustache fad that's currently...everywhere...but I think it's fun! And when I found out there was mustache duck tape, I knew there were projects just waiting to be created! I've posted two other mustache makeovers a while back but these are some of the things I've been doing while on Christmas break :) 

diy: duck tape container

Duck Tape is very inspiring :) I made a clipboard last month and as I was about to throw away a Gatorade container, thought "Wait! I can use this!" So I grabbed my roll of mustache Duck Tape and got to work. I added a little pop of color by hot gluing ribbon along the top and bottom. And in less than thirty minutes, I had myself a super cute container! 

 

diy: duck tape clipboard

Duck Tape has come out with a whole bunch of really fun designs - it's not only gray tape anymore. I was at Walmart the other day and bought a roll of mustache Duck Tape. I bought a clipboard from Target (Walmart was sold out! It was only about 50 cents more at Target though) and then wrapped the board with the tape. I started right below the clip at the top and wrapped it completely around, letting it overlap just a bit where the ends met. And that's it! It was super easy and I'm really excited at how it turned out! Duck Tape also has a polka dot pattern that I have my eye on next :)

diy: clearance crafts

I was in Hobby Lobby the other day and wandered to the clearance section...just wanting to look. And then I found these great pieces! I spent $17 for all of the jewelry and the headband, earring hooks and ring for the necklace (so I can put it on a chain). What I like about the timeline jewelry is that there are pieces from different decades. The flower for the headband and earrings are both from the 90's. I'll probably end up buying some more later :)

diy: chocolate facial

I found this on Pinterest and knew it was something I had to try! It's only two ingredients - how easy is that?! I made it last night and not only did it smell good, it was good for my skin :) The coconut oil is a little pricey (I paid $8.50) but this only calls for a teaspoon so it'll last a while. Check out Tidy Mom's blog for her recipe and the other great stuff she has going on! I found a recipe for a chocolate scrub that I want to try next!

diy: flower clips

I've had my eye on these fabric flowers from Hobby Lobby for about a year and finally bought them (plus they were half off!). There's fifty in the jar, five of each color. I paired up two for each clip because they're pretty thin. Using my trusty hot glue gun, I glued the flowers together first and then glued them to a clip (also from Hobby Lobby). I then put a pearl in the center but think when I make more, I might use smaller pearls and completely cover the center...just thinking aloud here. Or a large button might look cute - there are so many options! I'm planning on using some of the flowers for some decorative projects too :)

diy: thrift store find!

I was in a local thrift store last month and happened across this great metal organizer! I bought it for $7 bucks and decided to give it a makeover. I'm super excited at how it turned out! I bought a can of Krylon "Watermelon" pink spray paint, giving it several coats (i.e. the whole can). I then used a polka dot stencil and finished with adding some ribbon on the sides. Ta da!

diy: recycled jeans

I have some jeans that are beyond repair and I should probably throw away but I'm determined to recycle them! So I went to Pinterest for inspiration and found this blog with some great ideas! I like the rug or totes but all of them are super creative! You can go to Five Go Blogging's blog to see all of these projects. 

freebie: printable letters and numbers

I found this awesome freebie through Pinterest and love how great it is! I'm going to use them in my classroom next year (I think I'm going with a chalkboard theme) but there are so many DIY projects you could do as well! The whole last name thing or initials or maybe in a child's room...tons of ideas! Whitney and Ashley also have numbers and a banner alphabet! I'm super pumped at the massive amount of freebies they've made. 

diy: earring holder

I found the idea for this project on Pinterest and am excited with how it turned out! Amanda used an 8x10 frame but I wanted something a bit taller and it fit perfectly in the space I made for it! The total cost was $5 for the frame and $2 for the picture hanging wire (in the hardware department - I'll save you from having to ask an employee like I did :)

And here's how mine turned out!

diy: trash to treasure

I shared this project as a guest post recently on The Crafty Scientist. This is a super simple idea that I came up with and I was excited at the end result. I could've maybe bought a new bag for not much more than I spent (not sure how much they cost - I've had mine for at least five years) but the idea of being crafty and just giving it a makeover was more fun to me :)

I recently bought a new car and the trash bag I have was not only faded from being in the sun, the pattern didn’t really match my new interior. This would just not due. So I had the idea to simply recover the bag so I could still use it. It was super simple and only cost $3 – way cheaper than buying a new one!

what you need:

• fabric (I bought this for a $1 in the quilting section at Walmart – they had tons of choices!)
• buttons, flowers – whatever you want to make it “pop” (I bought the flowers for $2)
• hot glue (great for just about any project)

what to do:

1. Measure the width of the bag and cut the fabric accordingly (I let the fabric hang a little loose – if you want to pull it taut, you’ll need less fabric).
2. I started at one side and carefully hot glued the fabric to the bag, repeating the process until all sides were secure. I then glued the flowers on.

diy: flower wreath

I made my mom a wreath for Mother's Day. I thought it would look good on her mantel and yes, it does :) I'd seen some wreaths wrapped in yarn with felt flowers and decided to try my own version. I bought a straw wreath from Hobby Lobby and at first, thought I'd leave the plastic on but in the end took it off and it looked a whole lot better. I bought a roll of wide gray ribbon and wrapped it around, leaving room for the straw to show through. I didn't have quite enough ribbon to cover the entire wreath so on the side where it left off, I added paper flowers. I think it turned out well and really like the flowers. Again, the paper came from Hobby Lobby and I added buttons to the center of each. I also partially cut the paper to add a little dimension to the flowers. 

saturday spotlight: rebecca with "the crafted sparrow"

I found Rebecca's blog through another blog and this recent post on felt flowers made me immediately sign up for her updates! I have every intention of making a whole bunch of each of these different flowers! Head over to her blog and get inspired by all the great stuff she has going on!

knitty gritty: baby blanket

I made a baby blanket for a baby shower I'm going to next weekend. She's having a girl and I was very excited at how it turned out! I love the pinks and orange. I bought two skeins of size 6, "Peachy" Bernat brand yarn. I used my large loom, knitting on all of the pegs but not connecting the yarn. My concern was that it would fold inward but by loosely wrapping the yarn around the pegs, it stayed flat. This was my first time making a blanket so I know what to work on for next time. The only thing I would change is making both ends look the same. The end I initially began with is slightly wider than the end I knitted off on - I know this is just a matter of practice. What I want now is a big version for me :)

no words

I thoroughly enjoy looking at diy project! There are some amazing bloggers out there who come up with the coolest stuff. I've subscribed to quite a few blogs so I daily get to see their genius as it arrives in my inbox. Here are just a few examples:

shrink film friendship necklaces

cabochon earrings

felt flower tutorial

monogram tray

nightstand makeover

pleated pillow sham

saturday spotlight: jen with "tatertots and jello"

Jen has a fantastic blog! I love her ideas - they're super cute! She has lots of tutorials, craft ideas, holiday ideas and she features different guest bloggers. Just look at some of her projects!

covered button project

geometric pillow tutorial

a spring printable

saturday spotlight: desiree with "the 36th avenue"

I found out about The 36th Avenue through a recent post from Today's Creative Blog. She has some AMAZING stuff on her site! She is super talented and has just tons of ideas! Look at this yarn lampshade she made:

Or these chore charts. How cool is that?

What I really love is her slogan: "be extraordinary." She has tons of tutorials on how to make about a million things (maybe not a million but a whole lot). Head over to her site and see all the great stuff she has going on!

diy: felt flower hair clips

I think flowers as accessories for your hair are just super cute. They're fun and the possibilities are endless. While walking through the my local Hobby Lobby, I became inspired to make my own hair clips. The scrapbooking section has an AMAZING selection of flowers for such a project. They had some I might buy later on that were probably six inches wide. They were in a jar and I think had about ten different colors - plus they were polka dotted. This took me less than ten minutes to make and I spent under five dollars (using my weekly 40% off coupon).

I bought a pack of six flowers and a bag of assorted size clips. The clips were $2 for eight and the flowers were $4 (without a coupon).

I needed to mount the flowers onto a base since making a cluster. I had some felt that I cut out and then arranged the flowers on it. I put hot glue in the center of each flower and then attached to the felt.

I then flipped it over and glued the clip. Once it dried, I placed a smaller piece of felt inside the clip and glued it down - just for reinforcement.

And here you go, I was able to make two clips. You could even just use one or two - whatever you want.

*This post is part of "Get Your Craft On! Tuesday" hosted by Today's Creative Blog!

knitty gritty: scarves

I showed some pictures the other day of the scarves I've recently made. In case you're a fellow knitter, here's the details for each:

2 skeins of size 6, "Pittsburgh Yellow" Lion Brand yarn. I used a 41 peg loom but only knitted on 15 of the pegs. I loved the thickness of the yarn.

Because I didn't go completely around the loom, I ended up with different patterns on each side of the scarf. I actually think the contrast looks pretty cool.

1 skein of size 4, "Aran Fleck" Red Heart yarn. I used 8 mm, size 11 needles and I think the scarf was 15 stitches (no more than 20).

I wanted to use the bigger needles to give the scarf a sort of messy look. However, my stitches were very loose when I first casted on and you can see the difference between that and the other end where I binded off. Again, I kind of think the difference adds something to it but it was a gift so I'm not the one wearing it :)

1 skein of size 4, "Frosty Green Fleck" Red Heart yarn. I used a 25 peg loom but only knitted on 24 of the pegs. I didn't want it to be completely closed off. Again, since I didn't use the whole loom, I have the different textures on each side. Using the whole skein makes it the perfect length to be able to wear in a slip knot without it being too short.

Happy knitting!