Wedding Details that Last Forever

13 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Crafty Ideas, The Bride & Groom, Weddings

Tags

bouquet, bride, ceremony, dried flowers, flowers, groom, nature, vows, wedding, wedding ceremony

Most brides choose to throw their bouquet at their wedding but since I created mine, I wanted to preserve it for years to come. So I dried the flowers by hanging the bouquet in my basement for 2 weeks. It’s the darkest and driest place in my house. It took me awhile to find a shadow box that was perfect but 2 months later, I found it and couldn’t be happier. It was on sale too!

I laid out my bouquet in the center and dressed it up as it was on my wedding day. Adorned with vintage lace and the key Danny gave me during our engagement. I showcased each of our vows under the bouquet, in their original state, and then added a few more dried flowers from our wedding in the corners along with another small vintage key.

I can’t say enough how much I love my wedding box. I feel every bride should have something like this. Now I can treasure the details of our ceremony forever and have a beautiful memory showcased for all to see.

Make Your Space Birdcage Beautiful

04 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Crafty Ideas

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Tags

birdcage, crafts, moss, nature, painting

Have a corner that needs a little pick me up? What about a table or dresser that needs some pizaz. Well, my birdcage project is an easy and cute way to brighten up an room and give it some style. Remember, hanging things on the wall is not the only way to take up space. A home shouldn’t feel like a museum or gallery. It should reflect who you are and exude life, comfort and creativity.

I have always loved birdcages. Especially ones that had vintage appeal. Maybe it was all the birds I had growing up. Whatever the reason, birdcages are really beautiful things. Not only do they fill space in a smart way but they allow the space to still feel spacious because of their cage like exterior. They could be pretty pricey so finding one that is easy on the wallet but still packs in style may be a challenge. However, there are so many different kinds and due to popularity, they are sold in many shops. Just be on the lookout and you will find one in no time.

The set of birdcages I used for this project were actually found at a garage sale. Reusing and recycling is the best way to shop. Just because someone is getting rid of something doesn’t mean its garbage. Check out the yard sales in your neighborhood and I promise you will find the unexpected. I came across this set for $6 and I couldn’t walk away empty handed.

If you decide to buy a birdcage from a store, that’s fine too. Check out antique shops and don’t forget about Etsy and Ebay. The fun is in the hunt, so get your comfy clothes on, gather up some loot and get ready to shop.

Once you have your birdcage(s) you are ready to begin. Now, if you like it just the way it is than fine. But if you need to make some changes – let’s begin. The set I bought were an ivory color but I wanted them to be white and have a shabby chic feel. This is how I did it.

First, I bought white spray paint and changed the color. I would recommend you use Rust-oleum. Make sure you do this step outside and wear a mask if you have to. You don’t want to breathe this stuff in. Once you’ve waited about 10 minutes or so, the cages should be dry and you can move on the next step.

Now, you can really get creative here so don’t hold back. I chose to add some reindeer and sheet moss instead of real moss. But you can certainly use it if you want to. I think it would look really cool too.

I also picked up a small bird’s nest with robins eggs to place inside. I thought it would look really cute and add a nice touch. Plus, for $.99 why not, right? So far this project is costing me $14! Not bad.

If you don’t want to use a moss-like feature than try flowers or even air plants. Once you have this step complete you are pretty much done. If you are going to hang them up you can either use ribbon or string. I actually prefer hemp cord because its strong and looks natural. Plus, it’s really cheap and you can hardly see it when the cages are hung. If you don’t want to hang yours than just make sure you place it with other items so it doesn’t look all alone. If you have a set like I do, keep them together.

I hope you enjoyed this project and can be proud of what you created. Just because something is not exactly how you like it doesn’t mean it can’t be yours. All you have to do is use your DIY powers and you can turn it into something you love.

Easy Wall Art

02 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Crafty Ideas

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

art, color, crafts, design, frame, interior design, magazines, wall art

Showcasing fine art on your walls doesn’t have to be hard. It’s easy to pick something from your favorite artist or from photographs you love, but creating something of your own is a little more impressive. You don’t have to be an artist for this project. Anyone can do it. It’s easy, ridiculously affordable and takes no time to complete.

{Materials}

X-acto knife or scissors
double-sided tape or craft glue
a frame and images of your choice

First, you want to decide on the image or design you want to use and how big you want it. Depending on the room, try to have it blend in with the decor. Just remember to have fun with it. This is where you can express your style and showcase your design skills. I’m choosing to go with a pattern for mine.

A good place to find images and inspiration are magazines. The pages also have a nice quality that will be noticed so keep that in mind. I recommend design magazines, like Elle Decor, because there is so much to choose from and it has an array of patterns that are inspiring. You’ll find something for each room in just one magazine.

However, there are tons of cool choices out there, so whatever you have lying around the house will work too. If your magazine collection is a little sparse try wrapping paper or scrap book sheets if you find a really cool pattern!

Once you have your image, it’s time to decide on another image you’re going to use. The idea with this project is to play with shapes and outlines. So if you have stencils around the house, this would be a good time to experiment or draw your own design.

Being a graphic designer, I have tons of stock illustrations and vector images to choose from, so I’ll look to my collection to help me out with this one. But I know not everyone has this privilege, so here’s a website I highly recommend you check out: vecteezy. Just click on browse and search their gallery. I’m sure you’ll find something really cool.

Now that you have your second image, trace it over the first one. Then, cut out the outline using an X-acto knife or scissors. Put it to the side and get your frame ready. Now, the only thing left to do is frame your piece. Use some double-sided tape or glue to adhere it to a piece of paper. You can use white or any other color you like. Put the frame together and you’re done! Hang your new creation up for everyone to see and I’m sure it will spark some conversation.

You can really get creative with this project. A cute idea for a kids’ room is to use the initials of the child’s name. Another good idea you might want to try is outlining your family in a photo or individual members and showcasing them in a new and modern way. Any way you choose to go, be proud of what you’ve made and remember anyone can DI, so go ahead and give it a try!

Here are some other cool ideas for easy wall art:

Tissue Box Cover

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, Crafty Ideas

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Tags

balsa wood, contact paper, crafts, decorative paper, diy, glue, paper, tissue box cover

I work out of my home office everyday so its important to me that it looks good and exudes smart design. I want to be inspired, not tired. Being that I have allergies, I need tissues everywhere I go. So I thought of a way to make the tissue box look more stylish and came up with this project.

Now I am sure you have seen these in stores and some are quite expensive depending on the materials used. Well, my project is easy, affordable and it looks great. You can even do this with your kids for a craft project. The main reason I love this idea is because you can customize it and the options are pretty much endless. To top it off, it costs under $10!

First you need to get your materials together.

2 strips of balsa wood ( I used 4 x 36 in. with a 1/8 width)
X-acto knife
ruler
pencil
crazy glue or cement glue
craft glue or Elmer’s glue
contact paper or clear label paper
box of tissues

Here we go:

1. Measure the tissue box you are using and cut the balsa wood accordingly. You will probably have to use two pieces per side, which is fine. That’s what I did. Keep in mind that you are making a box so the each end piece will have to connect properly to the other. Remember to leave room at the top for the tissues!

2. After you have everything cut start gluing the pieces together with the crazy glue. An easy way to do this is to use the tissue box as a guide and connect the pieces around the box. Just be careful not to glue them together! Now remember that this does not have to look perfect. Thats the beauty of this part. The balsa wood is just the base of the holder so if there are small gaps in some areas its okay. It will all be covered in the end.

3. Now that you have the box together its time for the fun part. To design the box you can use just about anything. If you have some cool wrapping paper laying around put it to some good use. Any interesting paper or fabric would work as well. You can even design your own! Use some watercolor paper and paint up something snazzy or have your kids create an art piece and showcase it for all to see. Either way, it’s going to look great! I chose to use some old accounting paper from the 1920s I bought off Etsy. I thought since the box was going in my office it would fit right in. Plus, I love adding that vintage appeal.

4. Now measure the paper and glue it to the sides.

5. The last step is to take the contact paper or in my case, the clear label paper, and lay in on each side. This is important to seal the paper underneath so it doesn’t get stained or dirty. Because it already has an adhesive, this part is the easiest. Just make sure you go over the corners as well so you don’t have any rough edges. All you have to do is cut it to fit and bam – you have a stylish tissue box holder that everyone will be talking about.

I hope you enjoyed this DIY project and get inspired to do more. You can use balsa wood for a number of things and its really easy to work with. Just get creative and have fun. Remember you can do it yourself if you are motivated to do so. All you need is a good idea and a little bit of time and before you know it you have created something beautiful and unique.