Category / Homegoods

by Victoria. H

Decoupage Cell Phone Case DIY

 

Update: This post was originally published in May 2013. Even though I have moved on to a new iPhone this is a creative and fun way to personalize your phone case. This case lasted a long time and the jewels never fell off! Yay Mod Podge! 

Spring has finally arrived and it’s time for spring cleaning, swapping out the winter clothes for the summer ones, and giving things a general sprucing up. Some of these chores might not be fun but they need to get done. My iPhone case was something that need a spring revamp but instead of just picking one out at the store, which I admit can be fun, I decided to personalize one with this quick DIY. It’s also a great way to use an old case that might be scratched or your just tired of the current image. Just make sure you clean it well so the Mod Podge will adhere properly.

Decoupage is an easy and enjoyable way to decorate pretty much anything with a flat surface. It involves cutting out various shapes of paper, usually from magazines, and applying coats of varnish to seal it. I looked through old issues of Instyle and Cosmo to find pictures I liked then used my trusty Mod Podge to seal it.

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After finding some pictures of gems, flowers, and a cat I laid them out over a plain white iPhone case to get an idea for placement. Then I applied a thorough coat of Mod Podge to the back of the cut-outs and stuck them down. Your fingers will get sticky and you might have to carefully smooth out the paper if there are any air bubbles underneath. I wrapped the pieces around the edges of the case to get a full covering. The inside doesn’t look very pretty but no one will see it. Once you have all the cut-outs you want apply an even coat of the Mod Podge over the entire case. This will help the corners not to raise up.

 

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I wanted this case to be pretty girlie so I added stick on gems and glitter! After letting the glue dry for a few minutes (till it was tacky) I placed on the gems. Then I mixed some glitter with the Mod Podge and applied another thick even coat. I didn’t apply the glitter coat to the inside of the case. Let dry fully for a couple of hours and your case is ready for use!

 

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I wasn’t sure how well the gems would stay on. I’m not very careful with my phone, it usually hides out at the bottom of my tote bag/ huge purse, but I have been using it for over a week and they’re all still there! That Mod Podge really works!

conclusion:

We all use our cell phones so much now. It’s nice to have a case that makes me smile and that I like looking at everyday!

by Victoria. H

What I made today… Washi tape clock

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I bought a clock from Ikea to put in my sewing/craft room. It was super cheap at $2.99 but also super ugly. A clear smokeyish plastic. What a great opportunity to use washi tape to brighten it up! I stuck it on while watching Mad Men. Yay for multi-tasking! To fix the problem of some of the edges coming up off the rounded corners I gave it a coat of Mod Podge.

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conclusion

Now this once generic clock looks like it belongs in a craft/sewing room!

by Victoria. H

Getting a little cozy in here DIY

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My sister, Halie, and I have done a couple art collaborations in the past and all have had fantastic results! So when she came to visit me for her reading week, she’s going after her Bachelors of Fine Art, I though it was a perfect time to use the canvases I had and make something for a blank spot on the wall. Of course being the procrastinator I am we didn’t start till the last day she was here. A quick yet still dynamic project was needed. I’d like to say I came up with this fab idea but it was all my sister’s.

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I picked colors that I thought would compliment the living room and other art on the walls. We came up with lots of 4 letter words but finding one that I actually wanted to look at everyday took some time. I finally thought of COZY with a heart for the O. It’s what I aspire my house to be. I think the word you pick should reflect your surroundings in some way.

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Next we painted the majority of the canvas the color I wanted the letters to be. We didn’t go all the way to the edges, just as far as we thought the letter would reach. After allowing the paint to dry Halie sketched the letters onto the canvas with a pencil. You could use any font desired but I think the blockier the better just to make taping easier.

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I only had masking tape on hand to fill in the letters. It worked well but it left a little residue on the Z, so I would recommend using painters tape to insure that doesn’t happen. It actually didn’t take that long to fully cover the letters with tape. To make the curvy parts I just ripped small pieces of tape to follow the pencil line.

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Using different sized brushes we splotched, splashed, and spotted the paint in an abstract pattern, covering the whole surface and the sides. I did the C and Z and Halie did the heart and Y. I think this would also look good if a more constrained pattern was created. you could use the painters tape to make stripes on the letters. Vertical, horizontal, or diagonal would look great! The sky’s the limit!

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After the paint dried we carefully peeled off the tape. The letters looked a tad unfinished so Halie painted a white boarder around them and I love it! Another successful collaboration. I had originally planned to hang the letters in a 2×2 square but after trying out some different formations, including staggered, this side by side layout looked best for the space.

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A big thanks to my little sis for her idea and help. It was a lot of fun! She recently started her own blog so please do check it out! I love the name of her blog! It’s Shouldn’t you be studying? lol http://shouldntyoubestudying.wordpress.com/

conclusion

Two artsy heads are better then one! I hope this DIY has given you some inspiration and ideas to create your own splatter and letters wall art!

by Victoria. H

The initial concept

 

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I found these wooden letters in a closet at my parents house. When I asked Mom why she had my initials in wood she said they were for a craft project that never happened and she didn’t realize that they were MY initials. They’re also the initials of the first names of her 3 children. Hmmmm, coincidence? Either way, a score for me!

They’ve been kicking around my craft/sewing table for awhile and I finally decided to do something about it! At first I was just going to paint them white but then that seemed too boring, so I decided a distressed look was the way to go. Since I’m cheap and didn’t want to go buy a crackle varnish I looked up a way to do it for less.  Hint: it involves old school glue!

 

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I’ve been on Pinterest for a little while (follow me!) and I have already seen so many cool things others have pinned! Like this idea for using tacks to help hold the letters without getting messy fingers. Or in my case less messy. It also insures the wood doesn’t stick to the newspaper after you paint it! Click to see the original pin. Tip: make sure your pins are in quite deep so they don’t fall out mid paint!

 

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I found the instructions for this faux finish on www.diylife.com and it was really simple. Who knew white glue was good for something other then making patterns on your binder and then peeling it off when dry!? Anyone else do that in elementary school? Lol

After cleaning off the wood I painted a base coat and let it dry completely. I wanted to see if using two shades of blue would have a different effect then a solid color.

 

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Then you take same white glue and mix in a little bit of water, just to get it a bit more runny so it can be “painted” on. The instructions said to put on a thick coat of glue as that yields bigger cracks. Bigger cracks! *snicker*

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by Victoria. H

Even a chair needs some loving

  

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Moving out on your own can bring lots of new things. A new sense of freedom, new friends, new experiences, and new/old furniture! Yea, free stuff! But what if these gifted treasures are a little too shabby and not enough chic?

When I moved in with my cousins last fall I was so happy that they had lots of furniture. I didn’t really have much besides things for the bedroom. Most was donated by family or friends and is really quite lovely. The table and chairs were my aunt and uncles first set, and although it is in super condition, the seat was looking a little worn. Kiah and I decided we could remedy this by re-covering the seat with a very sturdy cotton fabric found at Wal-Mart.

 

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I will admit we had this idea and bought the fabric in the summer. Procrastination is a trait we share, but we got it done eventually and are very happy with the results! this project was also way faster and easier then I thought. After unscrewing the seat and washing the chair frame (very dusty!) we used the seat to make a pattern.

 

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There were tons of staples holding the old fabric on the wood so we decided to just lay the new fabric over top. Something that was discovered after removing the seat is that the set was made in Romania! I think this may be why it’s held up so well after so many years (sorry aunty and uncle, lol), good solid craftsmanship!

 

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We had a bunch of little nails and tacks but most were too long. Also the wood was very dense, another testament to the quality. The solution we devised was to hold the fabric taut with 2 nails on either side and use hot glue to secure the rest. Oh glue gun, what would I do without you!? This may not be what Martha Stewart would have recommended but it worked well for us. I’m more of a “use what you have on hand” kind of girl.  After screwing the seats back on the frames the spiffed up chairs were good to go!

 

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I think the chairs look mighty dapper now! A huge improvement! With the leftover fabric, of which there is a lot, I think I’ll make a matching table runner.

 

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Conclusion: Perhaps this new facelift will persuade us to eat at the table more, instead of just using it as a catchall for receipts, newspapers, and flyers!