My New Laminator + Dry Erase Markers = FUN!

As a preschool aide I spend a lot of time helping kids write their names. Last year I had an epiphany; laminate name tags (found at the dollar store), and let the kiddos use dry erase markers to trace their names. They trace, I wipe the name tag with a damp cloth to remove the marker, repeat, repeat, repeat. 

Laminated name tags to help preschool aged kids learn to write their name.

Over the holidays I impulsively bought myself a laminator during one of Amazon's daily deals. I absolutely love it! I try to think of all kinds of things that need to be laminated. I call this one my Sunday project, because I thought it would be fun for Macy to use at church or at home on Sundays. She can give her family facial hair, etc., and afterwards I wipe the laminated photos clean, and store them away in the coupon holder for the following week. 

Materials needed

Coupon holder from the dollar store. Holds laminated 4 x 6 photos, wipes, and dry erase markers.

One last thing that I wanted to share, is a tip to help a child hold their pen correctly. Have the child hold the pen lid with their last three fingers, Then place the pen between their index finger and thumb. If you are using a writing tool without a lid, anything similar in size will do (broken crayon, pencil eraser...). This isn't the best picture (my model wouldn't hold still), but hopefully you get the idea. 

Weekend Project Part 2 - Old Dresser Makeover and Art

The master bedroom makeover continues! I started with this headboard and decided to turn on my dresser. Before I painted it, this dresser was an ugly duckling to say the least. It was scratched, the drawers were falling out and it had been well loved by quite a few previous owners. But me, being the crazy hoarder that I am made my husband bring it with us in the move and to show him that it wasn't just going to be yet another project in the garage waiting to be done, I've actually been  using it as my dresser in our bedroom. Even though the drawers sagged every time I opened it and the scratches were sad to look at, I knew some day I would make it pretty. And that day was finally here. Joy of joys! 

Here she is before:

(sorry, I only remembered to take a picture after I had already removed the drawers)

And here she is after:

*sigh* I could stare at her all day. And since she's now located on the wall directly across from the foot of my bed - I can! Here's some pictures of how I got'er done with some sweet narration to go with them. You're welcome. :) 

First, I sanded it like crazy. And I did it by hand with an old school hand sander. Call me crazy, but I love getting a good workout in with a hand sander. 

Next, I painted it. A lot. Like, 3 coats and then I put a clear glaze on the top to protect it from people throwing keys and whatnot's on it. I bought just a sample sized thing of paint (less than $5) in "Canary Yellow" and when I got home I hated how bright it was so I added some white to it - which was great because that made it go further and I still have a lot leftover. 

Next, I spray painted my handles in brushed metallic (which I scored for only $1.35 on clearance!)

Here they are back on the dress. And yes, they will hold up great - I've used this spray paint on other projects and it works perfectly. 

Last, but not least, I'm sure you noticed my sweet art piece above the dresser. Yes, I did do it myself. :) That was a fun surprise for my husband because this is the first "real" piece of art I've done since before we got married and I got to sign it as Bennett! Pretty pathetic that it took me that long to do something this big, but that's what happens when you have 2 kids back-to-back, right? :) 

Weekend Project Part 1 - Simple Queen-sized Headboard

We recently moved  and things have been slowly getting to where they need to be around here. I finished decorating the living room and my son's room but our bedroom was a not-so-hot mess. We decided to turn our master bedroom closet into my daughter's nursery and I had tons of sewing stuff laying around the room because the garage was occupied with boxes. Last weekend I had had enough of the master bedroom clutter and I cleaned out the garage and organized it. I moved my sewing/craft stuff out there (yay!) and started organizing our horrible clothes situation (you know, since our closet was no longer available for clothes storage). Now that the clutter was gone it was glaringly obvious to me that our bedroom was in serious need of a makeover. Pictures were just sitting around waiting to be hung, our dressers didn't go together (which wasn't a big deal before since they were in the closet!) and our old headboard somehow got lost in the move. It was time for a room intervention!!!

The first project was a headboard. I did my usual research and had the usual debate with my husband. That debate goes something like this:

Husband: "Let's just buy one"

Me: "But headboards are expensive."
Husband: "What, like $20? No biggie."

Me: "More like $50-$75 and that's if you want a crappy Walmart one that will break when you blow on it. If you want a nice one you're looking at a couple hundred, easily." 

Husband: "I'm sure you can find a nice one on sale somewhere. Just look around, it will be easier to buy one. Do you really want to spend all weekend in the garage on another project?"

Me: *secretly squealing with joy inside because projects excite me* "Sure, I'll look around first."  

So, I did. And you know what? I was right. I drove all around town with kids in tow looking at headboards. I bombarded him with pictures of everything and he hated them all and couldn't figure out why they were so expensive. I even tried to convince him to let me buy one I had found and let me recover it. But that one was $100 and then I'd still have to buy fabric and be in the garage all weekend. So, he caved and off to Home Depot I went with a smile on my face. 

The end result put a smile on his face. Oh, and it only cost us $27. Well worth it, he says! 

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the process but I'll do my best guiding you through it. 

First, supplies. 

At home depot I bought 4 pieces of "2x3"s. These are always cut a little smaller than advertised. Mine were 2.5x1.5 and about 98 inches long. I bought the cheap ones and they were about $2 each. I had to sort through the pile of wood to get ones that weren't splintered or cracking or anything. Next you'll need to get a piece of plywood. I didn't need to because miracles of miracles as I driving out of my complex one of my neighbors was throwing a piece of plywood away that he had miss-cut - it was perfect for my needs so I scooped it up! FREEEEEEEEEEE! Most plywood is pretty cheap though since you don't need too big of a piece and you don't need it to be very thick either - at my Home Depot you can get a sheet for about $8. Lastly, you'll need 4 L-shaped brackets and screws if you don't have any on hand. Oh, and a screw driver, saw and staple gun if you don't have one already. :) You can have them cut your wood at most lumber stores to the sizes you need (see below) if you don't have a saw at home. 

TIP - if you chose to get yours cut in store, make sure you are very clear with them that it needs to be measured twice and cut exactly to your measurements. Sometimes their machines aren't very accurate so stick around and have them measure it one more time after it's cut so you don't get home and have it be too short or crooked (this has happened to me in the past).

Here are the instructions I drew for how to lay out your frame and the cut sizes you need for a standard Queen but please, please measure first and then measure it again and again just to be sure! Measure from floor to top of mattress and then from floor to projected top of headboard and then measure width of your bed and width between where it screws into the frame. 

Lay out your 4 pieces of cut wood on top of your piece of plywood and make sure everything is lining up. Also, make sure you measure you bed AND your bed frame. These instructions are for my standard queen size frame. Now put your 4 braces in the corners and screw them in. Next, flip it over and attach the plywood with screws to the frame. You'll notice this will give you a hole in the middle and that's where you'll be putting your foam. Which leads me to the next step - buying your craft store items. 

What you'll need from your craft store: 

A piece of 2 inch foam. This will need to be 56 inches long. 

Your desired fabric - 2 yards should be enough if it's a wide fabric. 

Nail head trim (picture below)

Fabric glue or some other kind of strong bond glue
Batting, if you want extra padding

TIPS: I never, ever shop at my craft store (Joann's) unless I have coupons. I scored my fabric for only $6 ($3 a yard) and my nail head trim for only $10. My foam was free (usually around $30). Joann's fabric allows you to use competitors coupons - Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc. and you can use one of their coupons on your phone and one printed. Restrictions apply, of course. Most are for regular priced items but occasionally you'll find ones that discount your entire purchase. This weekend I had a 50% off one item, a 40% one item (including sale priced items) and a 25% total purchase. The foam was free from a previous Joann's sale that I stocked up on because I'm a pack-rat like that. Also, if you're willing to shop online you can find even better deals and promotions. Fabric.com is a great place to get stuff and they will send you a 20% coupon just for being a new customer. 

Now back to the headboard - Take your foam and cut it to size (I used an electric knife -the one we use to cut turkey and Thanksgiving- and it cut straight and perfect like a dream). Put your glue (I used wood glue) in the hole you created and then press your fabric down on top of it and let that dry completely. Next, drape your fabric (and batting if you bought it) upside down on a bed or clean floor. Place your frame foam side down on top of the fabric and then start pulling your fabric tight (but not too tight, you don't want it to pucker) and secure it to the plywood with your staple gun. Now just flip it over and attach your nailhead trim around the edge of your foam into the wood. Here's a closer up picture of the almost finished product:

The last thing I did was wrap the legs in fabric and attach it to the headboard (see holes from my drawing) with some bolts we had left over from our old headboard. 

FYI, I calculated this out for a friend and her King sized headboard without the 2 freebies (plywood and foam) came out to be about $70 after coupons. That's a pretty awesome deal if you're willing to put in the labor! You could also do button tufting on a headboard like this too. 

Framed Mason Jar

What do you do when you get married and your husband has an old nasty fake gold leafed 80's frame that he's obsessed with because it's sentimental? Well, you stick it in his office and then years later you "accidentally" drop it in the move. That's what. Kidding. Maybe. Okay, yes, It really was an accident and luckily I wasn't the one who broke it so he can't even blame me. So since there was no glass to go with the frame and it had some damage to the wood, he threw it away. I decided to re-claim it and give it a makeover. 

Now, after I painted it white and glued on some burlap and hung a mason jar in it, it looks like this:

 

Sorry I didn't take a before picture, but it looked something like this: 

Decorative Shelves

Okay, so Christmas has long since come and gone.  I have been so busy since then that I am just now getting around to posting this-even though I made them last year!

Thanksgiving was just coming to an end, and I was so antsy to decorate for Christmas. My house doesn't have a fireplace so I was trying to figure out somewhere to put my stockings.  The idea hit me!  "I have a miter saw in the garage and some random pallets lying around, I will make some shelves!".  An hour later I had these beauties hanging!

If you are into wood working, don't look too closely because the angles don't line up great, but heck I think it adds to the rustic charm!  I have since added some pegs (found at Joann's and then stained).  I forgot to take a picture of the stockings...darn!  Trust me though, it was cute!


Making something out of nothing!! LOVE IT!

Crayon Making - Recycle Those Broken Crayons

I work at a preschool, and we use crayons on a daily basis. Therefore, we end up with a ton of broken, or too short crayons, which is perfect for this project. I, however, went a bit crazy, and after I used up all of our nubby crayons, I went to the dollar store and bought a few more boxes. I thought it would be a fun Valentines gift for the preschool kids to have multicolored crayons in fun shapes. 

The most difficult part of this project is peeling the crayons. I ended up using an old kitchen knife to score the crayon wrapper, then it practically came off on its own. If you try it, just be sure to lay the crayon flat on the table, and pinch it with your thumb and index finger. Then gently slide the knife from tip to tip over the wrapper. It's definitely fine if you slice a little into the crayon, because you are going to break them up anyways.  

I found the silicone molds at a store in the mall called Kitchen Collection. They had several different shapes, and each one was only two dollars. You can end up making five to eight crayons at a time, rather than two in the Crayola Melt'n Mold Factory (Which retails for around $40 or $50). 

I used my toaster oven to melt the crayons, because I wanted to keep a close eye on them, and I also didn't want to heat up my regular oven. I have a cookie sheet that fits my toaster oven, and I placed the silicone tray on that, so it was easier to pick up when the crayons were hot. 

Here is how I did it:

1. Choose your colors, and peel several crayons.
2. Break the crayons, or cut them up, and fill the silicone mold. Larger pieces take a little longer to melt, but tiny ones melt too quickly, and run together.
3. Place tray on a cookie sheet, and heat in a 325 degree oven for approx. 10-15 minutes. 
4. Keep an eye on the melting crayons, because you don't want the colors to mix and become a yucky gray color. Remove them from the oven when you no longer see any solid crayon pieces. 
5. Allow to cool. I usually sit them on the counter for a bit, and then move them to the fridge for ten to twenty minutes. 
6. Once they're solid again, they should just pop right out of the mold.

My easy no-sew fabric flower headband!

 

Today I'm going to show you how to make a shabby chic, no-sew fabric flower for a headband! It only takes a few minutes and it's really easy to do. 

Here are all the things you will need. I did a video tutorial for you so you could see just how to fold them and place them. Enjoy! 

Making Something Out of Nothing...

My husband's parents live out in the country and always have a lot of  scrap wood lying around.  My husband teases me because I am always rummaging through it to find things I can use for "my projects".  These are my latest creations:

I made this out of old garden sticks:  5 pieces of wood nailed together, stained and dolled up!  Easy, Easy!!

It will now by my Christmas wreath on my door! I will most likely add an American Flag and use it again on Independence day!

The burlap bow was reused from a gift!

Still a work in progress but this is made from pallets.  It was just 5 same length pieces nailed to a slab of wood.  I painted the snowman and star freestyle but used a printout for the words and traced them onto by wood then painted over the tracing. 

Extreme Coupon Shopper Costume

My toddler is obsessed with her grocery cart, and for some reason, receipts. I wanted to incorporate those two things in her Halloween costume this year, so I came up with this "Coupon Queen" idea. I found the money fabric at Joann's, and the coins (headband) at Dollar Tree. I glued a bunch of coupons together, and had them laminated for the dress pocket and the coupon binder. I started stockpiling Colgate toothpaste boxes a few months ago. I also saved all of my receipts for a awhile. Definitely a one of a kind costume at our church Halloween party.

Old window turned picture frames!

First, let me apologize for the long blog absence. I had a baby and she takes up all of my computer time! Now that she's a little older and doesn't need me holding her every second, I should be back on the blogisphere.

Second, I have a confession - I don't know that my latest treasures were actually old windows. Your guess is as good as mine since I did a dumpster dive for them - much to the chagrin of my dear sister, Laura. She saw them as junk and I saw them as treasure! You can be the judge.

I cleaned them and sanded them. I wish I had a before picture to show you. Basically they were just blonde wood, a little beat up and nothing special. Nail marks everywhere. So there they sat in the garage for a good year, the ugly duckling that I knew could become a Swan.

One day I got the nerve to at least paint them. I painted them with my favorite antique white that I always keep on hand.

Then I had to decide what they were going to be! I messed around with a few ideas (okay, A LOT. My husband tried to toss the old junky wood windows a few times) and then I found a bunch of clothes pins left over from my mothers day project (post coming soon). The creativity started flying! I painted the clothes pins and then glued them to the windows. Turned them on their sides and TA DA! Instant picture frame that I can change out whenever I want. I made two and hung them in my dining room. And best of all, FREE.

Making Watercolor "Paint" with dried out markers

A few months ago I came across this blog post: Recycle old markers into watercolors, and I really wanted to try it. So today I sat down with my markers, and tested them. I got so excited every time I found a dry one.

I then separated them into like colors, and filled six cups half full with water. I didn't rubber band mine, and I wish I had the baby food jars for easy storage, but it worked just fine.

I then let my two year old paint. The only hiccup was that she wanted to use one paint brush, and I had to remind her to switch brushes when she wanted a new color, so that the colors wouldn't mix.

It looked so fun, that I decided to paint a picture too. 

Bling-tastic Candle Makeover

I have a Glade scented candle next to my bed and I love the smell! But it's pink and sticks out like a soar thumb. I've tried hiding it but I just love it right next to my head when I sleep...its smells so good (even when un-lit!). I decided it was time for a candle makeover! 

What you will need:
Hot glue gun
Rhinestones (I bought mine on clearance, about $2 for hundreds of them)
A candle of your choice (I used Glade)

 I started my lines on the bottom half because the candle is curved and this seemed to keep things straighter. 

 Once you get enough straight rows, you can continue the rows up. 

 The finished project! I love it! Anything bling is good in my book. 

DIY Christmas Joy

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I wanted to share some of the amazing hand made crafts that were given as gifts in my family.

My sister-in-law made this adorable Minion pillow for her son! She re-covered an old pillow with felt. SO CREATIVE! Love it!!


Laura received these beautiful stockings. What a wonderful and thoughtful gift that she will cherish for Christmas' to come!!



I received some amazing and yummy Challah bread from a good friend of mine! Here's the recipe if you want to try it yourself:

Best Challah (Egg Bread)
Adapted from Joan Nathan

The secrets to good challah are simple: Use two coats of egg wash to get that laquer-like crust and don’t overbake it. Joan Nathan, who this recipe is adapted from, adds that three risings always makes for the tastiest loaves, even better if one of them is slowed down in the fridge.

Time: about 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours’ rising
Yield: 2 loaves

3 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (about 1 1/2 packages, 3/8 ounces or 11 grams)
1 tablespoon (13 grams) plus 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup (118 ml) olive or vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the bowl
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon (14 grams) table salt
8 to 8 1/2 cups (1000 to 1063 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins (about 70 grams) per challah, if using, plumped in hot water and drained
Poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling.

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon (13 grams) sugar in water; set aside for 5 minutes until a bit foamy.

2. Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading, but be careful if using a standard size KitchenAid–it’s a bit much for it, though it can be done.)

3. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.

4. At this point, you can knead the raisins into the challah, if you’re using them, before forming the loaves. To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.

5. Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.

6. If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Sprinkle bread with seeds, if using. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.

7. Bake in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. (If you have an instant read thermometer, you can take it out when it hits an internal temperature of 190 degrees.) Cool loaves on a rack.

Note: Any of the three risings can be done in the fridge for a few hours, for more deeply-developed flavor. When you’re ready to work with it again, bring it back to room temperature before moving onto the next step.

Round or straight braid? Raisins or skip them? Straight loaves of braided challah are eaten throughout the year–typically on the Sabbath–round challahs, often studded with raisins, are served for the New Year and the other High Holidays that follow.