Category Archives: How To Projects

Semi Homemade – Have It Your Way

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Crafting Supplies

The older we get, time seems to go by more quickly with every passing year. There are always things to do, places to go and people to see. Finding time to decorate your home can be a struggle, but there are shortcuts you can take to express your personal style.

The creative process begins with a trip to your favorite craft or home furnishing stores. Look for items that will complement your existing décor, or anything that draws your attention in a good way. Think about ways you could put your own stamp on this item.

What does it need to match your style? Could you change the color? How about adding some beads or fringe? A glue gun or sewing machine can work wonders. With a few simple alterations, you can turn a store-bought item into a semi-homemade craft project to be enjoyed and admired for years to come.

Seashell Wall Art

These nondescript plaques were purchased at Marshalls. The plain gray frames had the image of one or two seashells printed in the center on a blue and white background, but lacked personality. Collected during several vacations, seashells and starfish were glued around the perimeter of each plaque. Memories of fun family days at the beach are celebrated in this fun and easy way. Crafting Tips: Glue guns can create long stringy bands. Apply glue to back of a shell, and then wipe the tip to break any strands of glue that may have formed.

Seashell Wall Art – Original:

Before Seashell Plaque

Seashell Wall Art – Updated:

Shell Plaque

Seashell Wall Art – Updated:

Shell Plaque

Green Man & Green Lady Wall Art

These Design Toscano wall plaques bring nature indoors with their layered warm green leaves. The expressive faces are unexpected and playful, but the colors are a bit flat. Using a metallic paint pen, gold highlights were applied to each plaque. The gold accents, on the leaves, faces and birds, catch the light and perfectly complement the faux wall finish. The whites of the eyes and the lady’s lips were brightened with fresh color. Crafting Tips: Paint pens can be finicky. With the cap tightly in place, shake the pen well before use. When priming the pen, press the pen tip down slowly upon scrap paper. Do not prime the pen directly upon your project because a large amount of paint can unexpectedly overflow. If you get paint on your hands, there’s no need to use harsh chemicals to remove it. Simply use a little coconut oil. Rub it on you skin and wipe off with paper towels.

Green Man – Original Plaque:

Green Man- Before

Green Man – Highlighted Plaque:

Green Man After

Green Lady – Original Plaque:

Green Lady - Before

Green Lady – Highlighted Plaque:

Green Lady - After

Foxy Santa Figure

Purchased at A.C. Moore, this holiday fox came dressed in a red & tan coat and scarf with black boots. Two obvious things were missing: a hat and a bushy tail. The hat was crocheted using matching tan and red yarns. Faux fur from Joann Fabric Store was hand sewn, and stuffed with polyester filling to create a long luxurious tail, for which foxes are known. The tail was safety pinned in place to ensure a strong attachment. The fur concealed the pins. Now there is no doubt this cute little fox is ready to guide a sleigh or make you smile in appreciation for your Christmas décor. Crafting Tip: While working with faux fur, be sure to tuck in all the raw edges, because they will shed profusely.

Plush Fox Figure – Original:

Fox Before

Plush Fox Figure – Stylish & Festive:

Fox After

By taking a few easy steps, you can transform a store bought item from Ho Hum to Wow with very little effort.

Happy Crafting!

A Crafter’s Dilemma

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How do you know when your project is finished?

A few weeks ago, I posted an article about painting woodcrafts. One of the featured items was a pair of seahorses painted in two different color schemes. Those of you who are passionate crafters will relate to the notion of having a vision of your finished work. It’s something that you feel, and inspires you to bring that vision to reality. Sometimes, after completing a project, you realize that something just doesn’t seem right. Could it be better, and if so, how?

That’s exactly what happened to me and is the reason for this new post. I walked past those seahorses for a few weeks. Finally, I had to act. My family thought I was crazy, but I had to follow my intuition.

Original Turquoise Seahorse

Original Wood Turquoise Seahorse

Above & below you will see photos of the Seahorses Before and After the changes. The original version has a flatter body with a matte finish. There’s some texture, especially in the spikes along the ridges on the seahorse’s back and tail. A subtle scale-like pattern extends across the body, but the outer edges remain smooth. Compared to the raw wood, the paint adds detail and some volume, but overall the body lacks depth and definition.

Turquoise Seahorse 3D Paints

Turquoise 3D Paints

Revised Turquoise Seahorse

Revised Wood Turquoise Seahorse

For the new (and I hope improved) versions, dimensional fabric paints were applied in a combination of dots and long strokes, creating thick layers of paint to form a 3-D effect. For each seahorse, three of the paints have shiny finishes, and the fourth has an iridescent metallic finish. The light blue spikes were applied last to ensure they are the highest points on the body.

The revised versions have much more texture and vibrant colors. The body is defined with fuller, rounded musculature. The nubby texture of the skin, which continues over the edges, is closer to the natural contours found on a live seahorse and begs to be touched. The shiny finish provides a wet look, which is perfect for this denizen of the ocean.

Original Purple Seahorse

Purple Seahorse 3D Paints

Purple 3D Paints

Revised Purple Seahorse

Update: These two seahorses became focal points in an ocean themed wreath.  For photos and instructions, please click here.

Getting back to my original question: How do you know when your project is complete? Maybe it’s when the last stitch is knotted, or the final stroke of the brush is made. Or perhaps, the answer depends upon the individual. Follow your heart. Be true to your intuition and inspiration. Nothing less will satisfy the dream. Just like us, our projects are works in progress. What will you be inspired to do today?

Happy Crafting!