First Mondays With Megan: June 2013

It is the first week of JUNE....what the what?!?!  You are in for a fun DIY treat today courtesy of Megan from The House of Martinez.  She has provided step by step, easy to follow instructions on how to create your very own Chevron lampshade.  It can be easily customized to whatever color would work with your decor.

DIY: Chevron Lamp Shade I have been obsessed with chevron for quite some time. And now I can add another decorative accessory to my collection with this DIY chevron lamp shade. MATERIALS: - white drum shade - paintbrushes - painters tape - acrylic paint (color(s) of your choice) The great thing about a chevron pattern, especially on a rounded surface, is that  the pattern is very forgiving, and doesn’t have to be lined up perfectly to look  like it’s lined up perfectly. Step 1: Decide how large you want your chevron pattern to be, I chose a little over 3″. Measure from the base of the shade, up to whatever height you’ve chosen for  your pattern, and place a strip of blue tape at that height, rotating and placing the  tape while measuring every few inches to make sure the height is consistent. Step 2: Place blue tape in chevron pattern, with the bottom points just touching the bottom of the lamp shade, and the top points just touching the bottom of the blue  line you placed above in step 1. You may have to adjust your lines a bit once you  get around the shade to make sure there is enough room for all of them. Again, don’t be too worried about each repeat being the exact same width. If it looks even  to the eye, it will look even when you’re done. Once you have finished placing the  first row, remove the line of tape we placed in step 1. Step 3: After you’ve removed the line, start repeating the pattern, being sure to leave approximately the same amount of space between each line. Use scissors to  trim the edges and make clean points. Repeat row after row until the entire  lampshade is covered. Don’t forget to place little corner pieces of tape along the bottom of the shade to fully complete the pattern. Step 4: Using a stencil paintbrush, paint in a dabbing motion to avoid paint leaking under the tape. Step 5: Remove the tape, and voila! You’re done!

Please stop by tomorrow, when I will be sharing the decorations I did for Zachary's 6th grade graduation party.  Have a wonderful Monday!

First Mondays With Megan: May 2013

For all you craft junkies out there....are you mad for washi tape?  I will admit, I am behind on most trends...crafty or otherwise.  I finally broke down and tried a bit with my last scrapbook and now realize what all the fuss is about.  What a quick and easy way to add a punch to pretty much any project that you are working on.  Megan from The House Of Martinez is here to share a tutorial she found for some fun washi bookmarks....and so easy to customize any way that you would like!

DIY: Washi Tape Bookmarks

I've posted before about my love for washi tape, and here is yet another fun idea I found over at How About Orange. The tape below is from the ever stylish Jonathan Adler, plus some solid orange tape found at Michaels craft store.



MATERIALS:
- washi tape, assorted styles and colors depending on your preference
- white card stock
- scissors



Place three strips of tape side by side on a sheet of cardstock and trim it into a rectangle. You can leave the bookmark as is once the tape is applied to the front, or add a quote to the middle. Here, she added a little Groucho Marx humor and attached the quote with solid tape. To make your own, download the Groucho quote right here. Print the page, cut out the little rectangles, and attach them to the taped-up card stock. It's that simple. So grab your favorite book, a tall glass of lemonade and stretch out in that backyard hammock!

First Mondays With Megan: April 2013

Good morning!  April 1st already and a Monday at that.  That means we have the pleasure of hearing from Megan.  Megan has been remodeling her master bath and has finally reached the end. I can't wait for her to share the entire project on her blog, but there is a little teaser at the end of the post and trust me.....it just leaves you wanting more!  Wait till you see the awesome DIY project she did to add some finishing touches to her new bathroom....being a beach lover as well, I am in love!

DIY: Starfish Art

I was on a mission to find some nice seashell artwork for our master bathroom remodel. I found so many lovely prints and 3-d pieces online but the prices were more than I wanted to spend. I really liked these two examples from Joss and Main, each around $150. I knew I could recreate them so got to work last weekend and saved a couple hundreds bucks.

MATERIALS:
- Starfish (various sizes if you prefer)
- 20 x 20 frames
- 16 x 20 sheet of linen paper
- Paintbrushes
- White acrylic paint
- Blue acrylic paint
- Ruler
- Mats for the frames
- Exacto knife
- Tape
- Wax paper
- Hot glue gun

I bought the large white Ribba frames from IKEA months before and set them aside for a project like this. I bought the bag of starfish from Michael's craft store. Instead of using multiple small starfish like the example above, I opted for one large starfish in the middle of the frame.

I thought about leaving the starfish in their natural color, but there is so much white in our bathroom I did not want them to appear dirty or dingy. So I laid a sheet of wax paper down to paint them white. Paint both front and back of the starfish.


Next, get your large sheet of linen paper and paint your background color. I chose to paint the background of the frame the same color as the walls in the bathroom. The frame mat is square so I roughly painted an area for the background to show through. After the paint drys, trim the paper to fit the size of your frame mats and tape the paper to the under side of the mat.



Then, hot glue the starfish to your paper and let cool. Place everything in your frame and get ready to display!

 

First Mondays With Megan: March 2013 Edition

First Mondays mean it is time to hear from Megan from The House of Martinez.  She is going to share what looks like a quick and easy process for making your very own hoop earrings with a punch of color.  They are so easy and affordable you can make a pair for every color you can imagine....not to mention great gifts!

DIY: Beaded Hoop Earrings

It's no surprise I like color. And what better way to add color to any outfit than with accessories. Adorn your ears with these DIY beaded hoops that are super cheap and easy to make in an array of colors.

MATERIALS:

• Seed beads (any colors you prefer)


• Plain wire hoops (the size of the hoop earrings is up to you)


• Needle nose pliers

To make the earrings, thread beads onto the hoop. I found it fastest to cup the beads in my palm and pick them up with the wire hoop.

Then with a pliers, bend about 1/4" of the end of the wire back at a 90 degree angle. (Don't make the angle any sharper, or it will be too difficult to feed the corner through your earlobe.) Hook the bent end through the "loop" end of the earring to close it.

You can buy hoops in bulk, get a rainbow array of seed beads, and invite everyone to make zillions of pairs for themselves or to give as gifts. Happy beading!

Thank you, Megan for that fun DIY, making it quick and easy to add that finishing touch to any outfit.  

Stay tuned this week for a status update on the move as well as attending my first rugby match - it was the Mustache Match, no less....details coming soon!

First Mondays With Megan: February 2013 Edition

Where in the world did January go????  Megan and her hubby are taking some much needed R & R in the form of a week long Caribbean cruise, but before she left she shared this super cute and what appears to be fairly simple Valentine DIY that she stumbled upon.

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DIY: Valentine's Fortune Cookies

In honor of Valentine's Day next week, I thought it was only fitting to create some "heart-y"crafts that are quick and easy with these paper fortune cookies. I found this great tutorial from Design. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

MATERIALS:

• Valentine-esque patterned paper


• Glue


• Various messages printed on white paper

Download the pattern which includes 4 patterned circles and 10 quotations, but you could also easily use your own patterned paper and create your own personalized sentiments.

For a complete package, pick up a Chinese take-out box container from your local craft or paper store and fill with your fortune cookies and a favorite treat.

Thank you so much, Megan, for finding and sharing this fun Valentine project.  The perfect little something for those of us that are getting a late start this year!

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I had a crazy busy weekend, so I hope you will stop by tomorrow so I can fill you in on all the details.  Have a wonderful day!

First Mondays With Megan: January Edition

We have definitely jumped right into the new year!  It is once again time for First Mondays with Megan.  She is going to show you how to decorate your own canvas tote bag for travel or even for daily use back and forth to school or the office.   The designs and color choices are endless...if you decide to give it a try please comment here with a link, so that we can see what you have created.  You can also visit Megan at The House of Martinez.

DIY: Painted Canvas Tote Bags

This next weekend will be our first road trip in 2013 so I thought it would be fun to have a couple new tote bags to carry along with us. Here's a quick and easy way to turn plain canvas bags into something fun and full of color.

MATERIALS:
- Canvas tote bags (any size)
- Blue painters tape (any width)
- Acrylic craft paint
- Paintbrushes
- Paper bag

Triangles, stripes, chevron, or any geometric pattern is perfect for this project, the sky's the limit. These bags will definitely come in handy while we travel, carrying dog toys, towels, water, or toiletries. If you're feeling crafty this week or have plans to go out of town any time soon, this is a perfect DIY to accessorize your travels.

 

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I hope that you will stop by tomorrow. I will be sharing a few of the layouts from my latest scrapbook - Chicago Girl's Weekend. I am having a lot of fun with it and my "One Little Word" for 2013 - DOCUMENT is off to a great start!

First Mondays With Megan: December Edition

Happy Monday, and it is is time for First Monday With Megan.  Just in time for the holidays Megan is going to show everyone how to make a beautiful Christmas ornament wreath.  Based on the wine cork wreath  that she helped me with, it looks like the process is the same and really not at all difficult. But just know it is time consuming, especially if you are tackling it alone.  In my opinion, the results are well worth the effort!  As always....she did a beautiful job!
 

 

 

I’ve always loved ornament ball wreaths and have had them on my list of craft projects since last Christmas. Martha Stewart, Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, and Good Housekeeping have all had versions of this wreath, and many bloggers have made them too.

There are several different techniques for making these: you can either hang the ornament balls on a wire coat hanger, bent into a circle or you can hot glue the ornaments onto a wreath form. Last year I opted for the wire hanger approach but it did not work as well because it was a difficult to make a perfect circle and keep the coat hangers connected with the weight of the ornaments. This year I went with pre-made styrofoam wreath forms and hot glue.

MATERIALS:

- Styrofoam wreath form
- Tulle
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
- Various size shatterproof ornaments (in colors of your choice)
- Scissors

I first wrapped the wreath form with tulle to avoid the wreath from flaking, but also to avoid scratching our front door and prevent melting once the hot glue is applied.

Put some thought into how you plan to display your wreath before you begin hot gluing. I started hot gluing my largest ornaments on the inside of the wreath and along the outside perimeter. If you plan to hang your wreath, I suggest tying tulle or ribbon around the top of the wreath before you begin hot gluing ornaments on the face of the wreath.

After hot gluing the larger ornaments, I begin using medium and smaller sizes to fill in holes. You can keep your color palette as simple as you want, or try various colors and finishes (I’ve got disco ball, glitter, striped, frosted, mirror). I stocked up on various styles at Target's Black Friday sale this year and also changed all my holiday decor to match my 12 Days of Christmas plates. Buy early and purchase lots!



 

First Mondays With Megan: November Edition

I hope that everyone had a great weekend!  I am so excited today for the November installment of First Mondays With Megan.  You can finding Megan blogging over here.

 

 

Today, Megan will be sharing a fun way to jazz up ordinary cork coasters.   The decorating possibilities seem endless and these could make a great holiday gift for practically anyone on your list!  Enjoy the simple step by step tutorial and if you decide to give this project a try, Megan and I would love to see what you come with.

 

 

 

Embellished cork coasters are an easy way to protect your table from frosty glasses, especially with the holiday soon approaching. I chose to use some leftover washi tape from another craft project and acrylic paint. The sky's the limit making coasters! Use old maps from your travels, stickers with your initials, left over scrapbook paper, or your favorite paint colors, whatever you prefer.

MATERIALS:
- Round cork coasters (pre-cut) available at craft stores
- Various colors of craft paint
- Small paintbrush
- Small spongebrush
- Tape (various widths if preferred)
- Scissors
- Mod Podge glue sealant

If using tape, create stripes in whatever pattern you prefer. You can make all your coasters the same or have a variety. I taped my coasters to a piece of cardboard to keep my hands clean and to avoid shifting while I painted. With your paintbrush, apply craft paint, let it dry, then remove tape.

After the craft paint has thoroughly dried, use scissors to cut the loose ends of the tape around the coaster. Using your spongebrush, begin applying the Mod Podge in a thick layer to protect the coaster, paint and tape while in use. I applied two coats of Mod Podge to ensure the tape would not peel, covering the edges as well.

Let the Mod Podge dry completely before using. Enjoy your new coasters, your coffee table will thank you!

 

The House of Martinez: October Edition

How is it possible that it is October 1st already? Where has this year gone? But with a new season also comes new changes around this little ole blog...my first contributor post from Megan at The House of Martinez. She is starting out "First Mondays With Megan" showcasing a quick, but so cute DIY project for a painted wooden necklace. It could be easily color coordinated for any holiday or occasion.

DIY: Painted Wooden Necklace     A simple project with unlimited possibilities in three easy steps! MATERIALS: - cording - jewelry clasps - ten wooden beads with pre-drilled holes ( I used 1" beads, but there are various options) - paint (I used Martha Stewart paints in these colors: Tartan Red, Beach Glass, Deep Sea) - paintbrush - painters tape STEP 1: Eyeball the center of your bead and use the painters tape to wrap the bead horizontally, making sure the ends meet to allow half of the bead to be exposed for painting.   STEP 2: Paint the exposed part of your bead. I did three coats to ensure coverage all the way around and let the beads dry dry thoroughly for 10 minutes before removing the tape.

STEP 3: Now it's time to string the beads. Line them up in the order you want them on your necklace and begin stringing, making sure the two colored ends meet each other. Add the clasps to the ends of the cording, clasp, and voila, a colorful necklace in less than half an hour!