Bella Carta

Vintage trays re-purposed:

(this project initially debuted on my blog on August 31, 2011.

I love going to thrift stores to shop for vintage silver trays (some of them may be silver plate, some are probably just silver colored).   I get them home, clean them one more time, prep the inside surface with a primer coat and then I've added a chalkboard surface to the middle of the trays (some are round, some are oval, a few are rectangular) and then punched the ends for a hanging ribbon (I love my crop-o-dile!).  I typically use three layers of chalkboard paint to get a good layer.  And remember to "prime" your chalkboard surface once its ready - just run your chalk over the top of it. 

I've got Chalkboard spray paint from Krylon and the chalkboard acrylic paint from Martha Steward and I really like both of them. 

 

 

 

Stocking stuffer ornaments - complete with pattern and how to

Have an old wooly sweater that you just can't part with? Or just pick one up at the thrift store for an easy to make Christmas gift that doubles as an ornament for a gift card holder.

This is super easy, just take your stocking template - pin it onto your sweater (right sides together) I used the band on the bottom for the top of the stocking. Cut two. Unpin your pattern and stitch up, down one side around the heel and toe, up the next side. You can stitch in a piece of yarn for the loop holder. The band - top of the stocking is not seen shut. I used the edge of the pressed foot as my guide. Turn inside out and place a gift card (or not). For extra fun, you could add buttons or other decoration.

You can see from my pics,I played around with the exact shape of the stocking - till I found what I wanted.  For easiness :-) just click right here ------->   Download 2537_001 and you'll get a PDF of the stocking that you just click and print.

Green Christmas

This is one of my favorite projects! Take an empty soda can and turn it into an ornament.

This one features a little part of a broken earring. I found it one night at a gas station broken and discarded, being me - I decided to grab it and hold onto it. It was the perfect embellishment.

For this project you'll need:
An empty soda can, rinsed out
Tim Holtz Tonic serrated scissors (or heavy duty, kitchen type scissors)
Sizzix die -this is the swallow
Big shot or sizzix machine
Gardening gloves to protect your hands

If you've never cut up a soda can before, here's a good tutorial:
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/popstars/

#upcycled #recycled #green #ornament #christmas #sodacan 

thrift store bounty - fall decor for $2.50

I found a muffin tin the other day at the thrift shop for 99cents and knew it could have a brand new life in my home, as a fall themed home decor piece.

I took it home, and washed it up with hot water and some soap - it was a bit dinged up, had some mild rust (I guess its first owner hadn't baked much, lol!).  I used a big nail (the roofing kind works well) and a hammer to make two holes in the top for a hanger.  Then took it outside and gave it a base coat.  I used regular old primer (that gray spray stuff) and gave it two coats.  Once dry, inside we went - where with regular acrylic paint and gave it two more coats. I used two shades of copper:a bright shiny one and an "antiqued" darker shade of copper.  Plus, a tiny bit of aqua green stuff to make it look like it was patina-ing. If you wanted to distress it a bit more, you could sand it a bit.

Next up - stuff to decorate.  I was going to use some moss, then realized I had an abundance of palm fiber (sometimes called coir) - this stuff grows inside a palm between the heart and the exterior.  The palm fiber came off some saw palmetto I recently cut back.  Add in a few fake gourds (these were from Michael's - I paid $1.49 for a bag of six medium sized ones, I had a few small ones leftover from a previous project). I simply took some hot glue and glued the coco fiber into place, then placed a gourd on top.   I took a bit of ribbon (this was a piece leftover from another project) and simply placed it through the holes, knotting it to create a hanger.

 

I think one in Christmas colors may be up next ... maybe blue with snowflakes?

A new look ....

Since I've discovered chalkboard paint - pretty much everything is getting a new look.   This is was a plain terracotta wine cooler, its now been given a fresh new look.  If you don't have one, check out your local thrift store - I see these pretty frequently.

If you're serving multiple wines - you can label the cooler with the vintage (year) and producer information, or if you're holding a tasting party - how fun to label these for blind taste test.

This project is super simple - just mask off the parts you don't want finished in chalkboard surface.  I used Krylon spray - in black chalkboard - and applied three light coats with about an hour dry time inbetween.  I let it dry a good 48 hours once I had applied three coats. 

 

it's never too early...

 ... to start working on your Christmas cards right?   I wanted to try the "Make it Monday" for making your own thick chipboard shown on Papertrey Ink.  And these are a great recycling project - I used cereal board from my Keurig K-cup box to make these!

 
Supplies:
Cardstock:  Hawaiian Shores and Pure Poppy (PTI)
die: Damask Snowflake (PTI)
paper:  old book (its a spanish primer), spritzed with glimmer mist in patina from Tattered Angels
Supplies: ribbon, button (PTI)

on a roll ....

 

 
Do you have these?   Those little cardboard rolls leftover from your toilet paper?   Yep - I thought so.   Do you realize you're sitting on a gift wrapping goldmine?   Yep ... its true.  With a little glue or that lovely "pink" tape - the double sided sticky stuff (i.e Sookwong tape) or a hot glue gun (or your choice of adhesive).

Simple pinch one end of the tub shut and use some double sided sticky tape on the inside.  Place your gift in there (these are perfect for jewelry, anything little or a gift card), pinch and tape together the other side.  You can make these flat or you can pinch the other end in opposite direction like a sour cream packet. 

I wrapped mine up with some twine, and if you really want to get fancy - you can add a button.  You could use yarn or some ribbon or some plain twine to wrap these up too.

 

Imagine these with a fun halloween treat inside or maybe a praline?  yum!!!

 

Upcycled chalkboard

I've been working on my craft show inventory - I do several large shows in South Florida and they're coming up quickly (like just a month away!).

I've been looking for something "new" to do - and I am hoping these will be a hit!  I'm using some of thrift store goodies, these are vintage silver trays (some of them may be silver plate, some are probably just silver colored).  I've added a chalkboard surface to the middle of the trays (some are round, some are oval, a few are rectangular) and then punched the ends for a hanging ribbon (I love my crop-o-dile!). 

 

world's most inexpensive cat toys

Love to recycle? Want to save $$$$?  Got cats or kittens??? then this is the project for you! 

Step 1:  Save the cardboard tube from your next empty roll of toilet paper or paper towel.  Make sure any remnant paper is off of it.

Step 2:  Simply slice the tube up into rings (make them an inch or a little less, you should be able to get about five from a TP roll).  I like to use my Tim Holtz tonic serrated scissors - but any scissors will work.

 

Step 3:  sit back and enjoy!

 

(video features Chopstick and Trible)

reduce, reuse, recycle

 

This card features "faux cloisonne" and recycles a glossy catalog into a card creation!  My tutorial on this is featured over at Properly Scandalized and you're welcome to come over and check it out. 

The card features Pansy stamp set from Papertrey Ink's Year of Flowers collection, stamped on a catalog, Kraft and Spring Moss cardstock. With a touch of Aqua Mist polka dot ribbon. (All supplies from Papertrey Ink)