Tutorial – IKEA Mirror Upcycle

You too can take one of these Ikea mirrors…

And jazz it up for someone special…

Mine has been personalised for my daughter who absolutely loves it.

To upcycle the Ikea mirror just like mine you’ll need…

Metallic Purple Acrylic Paint (Baker Ross)
Various size brushes
Black permanent marker pen
White/glitter decals
Black/glitter butterfly decals
Mod podge gloss

Tools
Glue & Paint Brushes

The mirror was actually rather glossy in its texture which meant I really should have striped it down to ensure the purple acrylic paint would stick to the frames surface.

However, I decided to try something different! One… I was being lazy, and two… Because I wanted to experiment a little with painting techniques.

So, I applied my paint directly on top of the mirrors frame. For the first coat a very thin layer was applied with a sponge applicator. For the second layer I applied another thin layer in the opposite direction I painted the last.

For the final layer I swirled the paint with the tip of my sponge to gain the effect shown below.

I then let my frame dry for an hour

For the next part of this upcycle I took a black permanent marker and with it I wrote my daughters name (Alice Sara) at the top and bottom of my frame like so. Alice has a double barrel name but you could maybe use the first name followed by their middle name or surname.

I then left it for a further hour just to ensure the pen was fully dry to ensure I didn’t smudge it during the next step.

I then decorated my frame with the decals. I applied some decals to my wording as to give a 3D impression.

My last few steps was to cover the entire frame in mod podge gloss and
fit the mirror back into the frame to finish.

If you don’t fancy trying this yourself I’m happy to create one for you. All you need to do is email me the name you want to use to personalise the frame and any other requirements… boy, girl, colour, design etc. This maybe created on a different frame dependent on howmany of this type I have left. All will be of similar sizes and of good quality.
Prices start from £10
Email clairelouise.tss@gmail.com
Payment taken via PayPal

Tutorial – Decopatch Friendship Heart Pendants

Over Easter I shared with you all some crafts inspired by Polystyrene eggs. While shopping in the town centre when enjoying a recent holiday to Butlins in Bognor Regis, I popped into the ‘Works’ Where I uncovered these cute little polystyrene hearts.

Having recently used polystyrene miniature eggs to create Egg pendants with the children, it gave me an idea for a crafty project for these hearts.

The idea… Heart Friendship Pendants!

If you fancy a go at these yourself, they are relatively easy to make just a little fiddly if anything. Its the perfect craft to do with bigger kids. Alice who is 10 had lots of fun making hers.

Here’s what you’ll need to make two pendants like ours…

2 designs of decopatch paper (your choice of design and colours)

Decopatch Glue

Mod Podge Shimmer (gold)

Glue/Decopatch Brush

Tiger Wire/Craft Wire

fishing Wire

Tiny Gold Beads

Glass beads

Glass crystals (colours to complement Decopatch paper)

5 x 4mm flat backed crystals (colours to complement decopatch paper) I used white and blue.

Jewellery Findings (couple of crimping beads and crimp covers, 2x pendent attachment, jump hoops, 2x clasps & catches)

Tools…

Crimping tool
Brushes
Scissors
Nail (to pierce a hole through hearts)

Here’s how to put it all together to make your heart pendents

1) Use a sharp nail to pierce 2 small holes opposite one another, right at the top of your hearts in the centre, like so…

2) Cut papers into small manageable pieces. Decopatch your hearts using your paper pieces and decopatch glue. This is done by simply adding glue directly to the heart and over the top of the paper. Cover one side of pendants, allow to dry for 30-40 minutes before doing the other sides.

When it comes to covering the sections of the hearts where the two holes are located, do this using the nail to locate the holes and piercing the paper.

3) Once these are dry use a clean brush to apply a thin layer of Mod Podge gold shimmer. Apply to one side of the hearts, leave it to dry for 30 minutes before adding the shimmer to the opposite sides and again leaving to dry.

4) while the pendants are still wet, secure your 3 4mm flat back crystals in a row down the centre of one side of one of your pendants and the remaining crystals onto your remaining heart pendant in the same way. Now leave to dry.

5) Now take your two tiny gold beads and insert into the two holes with the holes facing up.

6) next take your pendant attachments and fit them to the hearts via the holes on the gold beads.

7) Next, take some fishing wire (enough to make desired necklace length) and thread it through each of your pendants hoops

8) Now thread on your glass beads and crystals like so. Five on each side looks nice. Do the same for your second necklace in a different style.

9) Make a knot on both ends of the wire while you prepare your findings.

10) Finally connect your crimps and covers, jump loops and catches. Sit back and admire your work.

We made 2 heart necklaces as Alice-Sara wanted to make these for herself and best friend as friendship necklaces.

The thing I love most about this project is the endless possibilities it brings. You can make a different heart for each day of the week just by changing the paper style or beads and crystals on your necklace.

What’s more, with the magic of Decopatch glue and Mod Podge your polystyrene heart is now stronger and much more solid, but still super light to wear.

Why not try it yourself, experimenting with different papers and beads as you go.

Hope I’ve inspired you to get creative with Decopatch papers… Enjoy.

Upcycle – Vintage Inspired Crackle Butterfly Box

I’ve had this plain wooden Ivory box with drawer fitment for a while now and wasn’t to sure what to do with it. I brought it at a rummage sale for pennies and at the time thought it was fine left the way it was.

However, as the weeks have turned to months, this box has done nothing useful. Its sadly just been moved around my bedroom, longing to fit in. With this I decided that in order to make real use of the box i’ll have to put my own personal stamp on it!

Being a girl who just loves jewellery and consequently owns a lot of it, I decided to upcycle my wooden box into a vintage style jewellery box.

Here’s what I used to transform the ivory wooden box..

FolkArt Acrylic Paint (940 Coffee Bean)
Mod Podge Shimmer- Gold
Wooden Cut Out Butterfly
4mm White Crystals (flat backed)
Crackle Paint White
Square Piece Of Mirror
PVA Glue (mixed with water)

Tools
Paint brushes
Glue Brushes
Sponge Paint Applicator
Hairdryer (or heat tool)

Firstly I had to give my box a wipe to remove any dust or dirt.

Next I removed the drawer and with a sponge applicator I applied my coffee bean paint to the entire box (drawer included). I allowed them both to dry before adding a second coat.

Once the box and its drawer had dried I added a thin layer of mod podge gold shimmer adding a thicker application to the edges of my box.

I allowed a 30 minute drying time before starting on my next step…

Now… I mixed 2 parts PVA glue to 1 part water (the idea is to create a runny but tacky glue mixture).

I then applied a thin amount to the lid of my box and applied direct heat with my hairdryer. I made sure not to completely dry the mixture as I needed it to remain slightly tacky to the touch.

I then took my crackle paint in white and scooped out some mixture onto a plate. With a sponge I applied the paint over the entire lid (directly over the tacky glue mixture) making sure not to go over the same area more than once as this will ease the crackling effect.

I then did the same with both the glue mixture and the crackle paint on all other areas of my box excluding the front section that surrounds my drawer. The drawer itself also received the same treatment.

Once all areas of crackle were applied and fully dry I again applied my gold mod podge shimmer to the entire box, including the section that remained brown and not crackled.

As I allowed the box to air dry for a further 30 minutes or so, I started work on my butterfly.

To decorate my wooden butterfly for the lid of my box I used a sponge applicator to cover it in coffee bean paint on both sides. This received two coats of paint in total.

Once dry I applied mod podge gold shimmer to the entire butterfly again on both sides.

Once the butterfly was dried I applied another coat of gold shimmer to just one side of the butterfly. It was during this application that I also applied the 4mm white crystals and then placed to one-side till later.

Next I took a piece of square mirror big enough to fit neatly in the centre of the inner section of my lid, and stuck it down with super glue.

The last step was to take my crystal butterfly and again using superglue apply it to the lid of my box at a slight angle like so…

Done!

I love the crackle effect on the box. By adding the gold mod podge shimmer the box has both subtle and vibrant gold tones. However, my favourite part has to be the crystal butterfly. Its hard to capture both the sparkle from the crystals and the shimmer from the gold on a photo! The effect looks much more spectacular in life.

I’ve really enjoyed turning my plain old ivory box into my own little vintage masterpiece. Why not upcycle things around your home? I’d love some inspirational ideas for the future, so feel free to share any in the comment section of this post.

How Too Create Vintage Inspired Crackled Crystal Drawer Knobs

I love to make things that bit different by adding my own unique touch to them. As I needed some new drawer knobs for some refurbished vintage furniture. I decided I’ll hand paint my own, while trying some new techniques at the same time.

For this project I brought some plain white ceramic drawer knobs to paint. Here’s what I used…

Plain White Ceramic Knobs (Homebase but brought mine from a bootfair)

Ceramic Paint (I used Pink)

Tiny White Flat Backed Crystals (real not acrylic)

Decopatch Glossy Glue

PVA (glue)

Water (to dilute glue)

Acrilex Tinta Craquelex – Number 810 (basically a crackle paint in baby blue)

There are also some tools required…

4 Brushes (for glue/paint)

1 Sponge Applicator (small)

Jar/Bowl (to mix PVA with water)

Stick (to mix PVA and water)

Heat Tool/Hair Dryer

I wanted my drawer knobs to have a vintage, shabby chic feel about them, so they would nicely match our current furnishings that I have been refurbishing with Annie Sloan chalk paint.

To start I gave the knobs two coats of pink ceramic paint (20 minutes drying time between coats).

I then took my PVA glue and added 4 big dollops to a preserving jar and mixed in some water. I added around one part more glue then water. This made a fair amount, nowhere near what I needed for this project, but given I’ve used a preserving jar, it will keep for later crafts. Remember you really don’t need to buy an expensive crackle medium as this really does do the very same thing for much less.

I then took a small tip paint brush and painted the glue over the tops of my drawer knobs, being careful to avoid drips. I was creating a total of 4 knobs so worked in groups of twos. This is so your knobs don’t have time to completely air dry.

Once your glue is applied, take either a hair dryer or heat tool and give each knob some help to dry with a blast of heat (only, don’t dry fully)! You need your glue to be almost dry (the tacky stage).

Now take your Acrilex Tinta Craquelex (aka crackle paint) and with a clean brush apply directly over the top of the glue.

IMPORTANT… Do not go over the same painted surface more than once or this will stop the crackling effect from appearing altogether.

TIP… Dab on at speed adding texture as you go for a sharper effect.

As soon as the tops of your knobs are covered again use a heat tool/hair dryer and you should start to see the cracks begin to appear before your very eyes.

Use the heat source till your knob tops are almost completely dry to touch. Then leave for 30-40 minutes to air dry.

At this stage you can work on the remaining 2 knobs in the same way.

Once the tops have dried, apply the PVA solution to the remaining areas of your knobs. Do this in the same way as before (using heat source till glue is tacky). Then again apply the crackle to the remaining areas only this time sponge it on. Don’t forget.. Never go over the same area more than once.

Once more apply the heat source to each knob to help cracks develop and speed up the drying process.

Leave to air dry as before.

Once these are dry, take your white flat back crystals, a clean small brush and some Decopatch glue.

Mod podge is to thick for this project and PVA won’t give it the protection it will require, Decopatch glossy glue seals these perfectly!

Gently apply the Decopatch glue to each knob. Only apply 1 thin layer and always go in the same direction as you started, avoiding unsightly brush marks.

One by one as you’re applying the glue, put in place your flat back crystals (a column of three down the middle).

Be sure to cover each drawer knob entirely in a thin layer of Decopatch glue, including over the top of each crystal to completely seal them in place. Be carefully you don’t leave any drips or overly wet areas before leaving to dry for at least an hour maybe even more (depends on the conditions your working in).

The effect is wonderful, the crackling gives them a very pretty vintage feel and I think the effect actually resembles that of lace a little.

The images I’ve included fail to really show the true gorgeousness of these drawer knobs. The crystals sparkle beautifully which sadly was very had to capture in a photograph.

So… What do you think?

This isn’t particularly difficult to do, yet its a technique that still manages to produce such beautiful effects.

I’ll be sure to snap a few pictures of the drawer knobs once I’ve fitted them.

Thanks again for reading.

Homemade Cath Kidston Inspired Christmas Baubles

My tree is extremely fun this year, I’ve let go and just gone with the flow! I’ve not tired myself down to a colour scheme or particular style as I usually would. seriously, this year its an explosion of colour and creativity with shop brought bright baubles, handmade wooden gingerbread hearts, shabby chic ornaments and dazzling home made snowflakes.

I must admit I’m feeling pretty proud to be out of my comfort zone. I love brights and this year I even brought neon baubles in funky pinks, blues greens and yellows. These mixed in with all our homemade crafts give the tree a very unique edge and I’ve got to admit I’m kinda loving it.

Yes, my love of all things vintage and shabby chic would seem something of an odd mix with that of bright bold colours, but again the home made girly decorations of pastel yarn tied hearts and gingerbread men slot in rather nicely.

Some of my favourite decorations I’ve made this year are that of the Cath Kidston inspired shabby chic fabric covered glitter baubles in pretty pinks and creams. These fabric covered baubles have been glittered with shimmering golden Mod Podge with an added touch of ultra fine pink glitter dust making them beautifully unique.

These are really extremely easy to create and a great way to upcycle them old baubles that have seen better holiday’s.

So here’s what you’ll need and some very quick simple instructions to get going and create your own baubles.

You will needs

Some old baubles (as many as desired)

Fabric scraps (Cath Kidston never fails to impress)

Selection of thick ribbon (long enough to tie around the middle conference of each bauble)

Selection of thin ribbon to hang baubles from your Christmas tree

Ultra fine glitter dust in pink (or whichever colour suits your fabric)

Mod Podge Shimmer (gold)

Decopatch Glossy Glue (optional as can just use the mod podge)

Tools

Glue brushes
Scissors
Embellishment sticky tabs

Your Baubles don’t have to be recycled as you can always pick up a bargain pack from your local PoundLand or equivalent. I also brought some great baubles for another craft project for 10p each in our local charity shop. Basically… If you have no baubles to Upcycle these can be picked up both easily and cheaply.

Step 1 – once you have decided on your fabric, cut it into small pieces (size can vary depending on bauble size and desired style)

Step 2 – Right, firstly add some mod podge to a mixing cup followed by a good few sprinkles of ultra fine glitter. mix well and cover till needed.

Step 3 – Now, given the mod podge is a gold shimmer with added glitter, you may feel its a waste to use it as the undercoat for glueing fabric. However if your using a bauble that has a very dark or prominent colour, then using the mod podge will help to prevent the colour gleaming through. I used just the shimmer mod podge for my pink bauble and both glossy Decopatch glue and shimmer mod podge for my cream bauble.

Now start coating the bauble with your chosen glue. If working with both glues, use the Decopatch glossy glue for the undercoat and the mod podge for the outer coat (this requires patience as you will be required to continuously swap between brushes every few seconds). If using just mod podge then just paint it directly onto the bauble layering fabric and mod podge as you go.

Note… The outer section should only have a thin layer of mod podge as this will be the baubles finish. If second coats are desired these can be applied only once your first coat is dry. This avoids bumps and drips forming. Also try to brush in pretty much the same directions to avoid noticeable odd looking brush marks.

Step 4 – now attach a decoration hook or if you don’t have any some thread or ribbon (don’t worry you can change for prettier hanging ribbon later). You need to attach either one of the above now so that you are able to hang your baubles as to allow them to dry quickly and evenly. My mod podge only pink decoration was actually dry in an impressive 30 minutes where my cream bauble took considerably longer. I just left them both over night as they were decopatched in fabric just before I headed of to bed.

Step 5 – Once dry inspect baubles and if second coat of mod podge is required then again cover in a very thin layer and then allow to dry (do not add any more fabric just mod podge)!

Step 6 – Once all coats are applied and baubles are nice and dry, its time to add the finishing touches.

For each bauble take your chosen thick ribbon, cut down to size and wrap around the middle of your bauble (securing with a few glue dots or embellishment sticky tabs if needed). Now, tie into a centre bow. If desired, use a small piece of ribbon in the same colour to wrap around the centre of your bow. Secure in place with a glue dot or very small embellishment sticky tab. This will give the bow a really neat and tidy finish.

Step 7 – now choose your thin hanging ribbon. for my pink bauble, I have gone for a striking thin pink ribbon to match my bow and a white glittery organza ribbon to hang my cream bauble. If you don’t fancy adding any more ribbon at all, yarn looks really effective! You could just use a decoration hook for a really easy and simple look.

So, there you have it! Cath Kidston inspired fabric glitter baubles that are simple to create.

Shabby Chic decorations for my tree of randomness!

How Too Make A Spooky Halloween Door Sign

You will need…
2X A4 Foam in choice of colours
1X Strong Card (Any Colour)
1x Door Handle Template (can make 1)
A5 Black Self Adhesive Foam
A5 White Self Adhesive Foam
Sticky Gems Small and Large
Black, White & Red Deco Pen (paint or felt tip is Ok)
Halloween Spider & Bat Sequins
Halloween Ghost Seqin

Tools Needed
Dark Pencil
Bostik Sticki Pen (or other glue stick)
Sharp Scissors

Halloween Crafts – How To Make A Witches Mask

Making your own Halloween crafts isn’t just cost efficient but its enjoyable too.

Today I’m sharing my latest make, a funky witches mask made mostly from foam.

To make your own here’s what you’ll need…

1 Sheet of Green Foam
1 A5 Size Piece of Cardboard (could use cereal box etc)
A Black Permanent Marker
A White & Green Deco Pen (or another type of paint pen)
Some Elastic (with stoppers on each end)
Green Pix-Tixx Glitter Pen (or another type)
Scissors
Mask Template (as shown)
Nose Template (as shown)
Pencil

And here’s your easy 13 step guide to making it…

So, there you have it… Simple and easy and looks pretty fantastic too!

Kids Halloween Crafts – Making Treat Bags

This is the perfect activity to get kids in the mood for Halloween.

These treat or even party bags are extremely simply to make. Kids can follow the step by step guide below or use the ideas to create their own designs.

Step 1: For this particular treat bag you will need to work with a black paper bag. Take your bag and lay it flat on some newspaper.

Step 2: Take some orange foam or card (we used sparkly card) and cut out 3 pumpkin shapes.

Step 3: Take some white foam or card (we used sparkly white card). Cut out the shape of a couple of ghost (you can draw this with a pencil first). You will also need to cut out the shape of a grave stone and a circle for the moon.

Step 4: Arrange your shapes to create a scene like that of the one above. Only when you are happy with it use glue dots to stick it in place.

Step 5: take some large googly eyes and stick them in place on your middle size pumpkin.

Step 6: With a permanent black marker start adding some detail to your ghost and add a cross to your headstone.

Step 7: Use the black marker to add the eyes to your remaining 2 pumpkins, not forgetting to give them all a mouth each.

Step 8: Cut some cloud shapes from a piece of white foam. Stick these to your bag so that they slightly overlap and cover the bottom of your moon. Use sticky tabs as to create a slightly 3D effect.

Step 9: Use the black maker to add detail to your foam clouds like the flying bats we’ve added to ours.

Step 10: Take some black sparkly gem boarder and cut into two strips.

Step 11: Add one of the boarder strips along the top of your treat bag and the other along the bottom.

Then your done… Just fill with treats for trick or treaters.

The very cool thing about this treat bag is the wiggly eyes! They look very spooky as they jiggly about in all directions.

We have lots more kids crafty Halloween projects on the way. These include Halloween bookmarks for party bags, candy buckets and spooky masks. So, Make sure you check back soon.

A craft project – Glass Painting

I love working with glass, it’s such a delicate material to craft with, but one that almost always produces brilliant results.

This last month, I’ve been feeling very crafty! I’ve had a bit of an obsession with my Deco and Porcelain paint pens as well as that of Pic-Tixx 3D Glitter.

Both myself and the kids have been busy creating a whole host of stuff. A few weeks ago we designed our own porcelain plates, then we went on to create some porcelain mugs to match. More recently I’ve been using Deco paint pens and Pic-Tixx 3D Glitter to add my own unique stamp to items such as t-shirts and I’m currently in the process of making some boring leggings into some groovy ones!

Apart from the leggings, I’ve been busy jazzing up some glass lanterns for the garden.These, I brought in a really funky shop called ‘Tiger’ it’s kinda like the ikea market place but better.They sell all kinds of stuff from vintage inspired puppets to masquerade masks. I often buy funky bits of stationary and pretty plane glass jars which I use to create pretty gifts for family ( I’m planing on demonstrating how I do this next week).

The glass lanterns have thin metal handles so they can be hung as well as placed on a table. I have brought loads over the summer and at both £1 and £2 (depending on size and colour) they are a great find and I love them.

However despite their already prettiness, I really wanted to put my own stamp on them.This was perfect as I could do almost any funky design without worrying about them matching the decor as these are intended for the garden. I’m a big lover of vintage pastels and French inspired furniture. I’m currently in the processes of restoring furniture to give it that slightly worn shabby chic look.The pastels and French cottage theme is being carried out right throughout the house, so, I’ve decided to bring bright funky colours to the garden… I love glitter but used within the home, unless it’s Christmas, is in my opinion a tad tacky… That’s why I’m glitzing up the back yard instead.

So far I’ve been customising green and pink tinted glass lanterns as well as some clear ones.

I hadn’t created any design or plan! In fact, I’m sure I didn’t even have one in my head… Nope, I had no ideas whatsoever. So, I just went with the flow, putting pen to glass and just doing whatever came into my head right then and now.

What I used:
Deco Paint Pens: These write like a thick felt tip pen, the colour is released from the pen onto almost any service, and it’s only then you can tell its actually acrylic paint your using.

Porcelain Paint pens: These work like those above, except when it comes to porcelain these are much more striking. So, when working with porcelain I’ll be honest when stating… if given the choice out the two I’d go for the porcelain paint pens when using on plates and cups but equally the deco pens when, like now, I’m decorating glass.

Pic-Tixx 3D Glitter: This is absolutely amazing stuff, I love it! It works well on almost any surface, wood, glass, porcelain, china, plastic and even fabric (wash garments at 30’c but be sure to set the glitter on your design with an iron before hand). I’ve found these work amazingly on glass, though there is one colour in my packet of 6 that is much runner than the rest, meaning it isn’t very 3D either.

Glass Lanterns: My pretty garden candle lanterns in pink & green stained glass, as well as my clear glass lanterns were brought from a shop locally to me called ‘Tiger’ unsure if these are online. Each is priced between £1-£2 and they are the perfect size for decorating.

If you can’t find this kind of glassware, clean jam jars and existing votive holders are all possibilities worth considering.

Paint pens and glitter I use can be picked up for a good price at Baker Ross.

I don’t need to give you a step-by-step guide, as it’s as simple as drawing your own design directly onto the glass. However, here is a few tips if your using Deco paint pens or 3D Pic-Tixx.

1) Decorate one side and leave to dry for a good few hours before finally completing the remaining side.

2) If using Deco-Pens as well as Pic-Tixx then opt for darker more striking colours. This works better with the glitter.

3) Don’t attempt to use Pic-Tixx while Deco paint is still drying! It just gets messy.

4) if any mistakes are made, quickly wipe away with a slightly wet cotton pad and a wet cotton bud for the smaller harder to reach mistakes.

This is a dead simple but very effective way to create a glass masterpiece or simply jazz up items already found around the home.

Whatever you decided to do… Be sure to have fun while releasing the creativeness from within!

The Results

I hope you feel inspired to give it ago!