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04/11/12

8 comments Make This: spring terrarium DIY (no plants needed) by Patty

This contributor post was written by Patty of P.S. it’s in the details.

If spring could be captured in a jar I would be so happy! Spring is my favorite season. I love all the flowers and the fresh green color. This DIY project is my attempt to celebrate the season.

Just a note – this DIY involves some patience and a bit of skill.

Here are the materials you’ll need: 1. one gallon glass jar 2. spray paint 3. three large silk flowers (about 3″ across) 4. Washi tape 5. embroidery floss 6. two small, straight sticks 7. fun fur in lime green 8. heavy duty wire 9. hot glue gun and glue sticks 9. scissors 10. wire cutters 11. wooden spoon

Here is how you make it:

1. Remove the jar lid and spray paint it in your choice of color. Be sure to work in a well ventilated area. Let it dry completely. (I painted my lid using Krylon’s Gloss Ballet Slipper.)

2. Cut three sections of the heavy duty wire for the flower stems. *NOTE: My wire is a coil of brown, bark-textured wire. I stuck my three sections into the ground outside and spray painted them using Krylon’s Gloss Ivy Leaf*.

3. Hot glue the wire stems to the bottoms of the flowers. You will have to hold each stem for a bit until the glue starts to harden and set up. (I used Prima Baroque Blooms in Deep Pink)

4. Make a mini banner from the two sticks (make sure they fit inside the jar, but keep them as tall as they can be), the embroidery floss and the Washi tape. Fold the tape pieces over the embroidery floss line and pinch closed. Trim with scissors to make pennant shapes.

5. Cut your heavy duty wire flower stems into three different lengths. Make sure they are staggered in height and will fit below the banner.

6. CAREFULLY drizzle hot glue from the glue gun to a spot on the bottom of the glass jar. Set one of the flower stems into the hot glue and hold in place until the glue starts to set up. Repeat this for the other two flower stems.

7. Things are now getting tight down inside the terrarium so you won’t be able to drizzle the hot glue like you did for the flowers. Coat the bottom of one of your banner sticks with hot glue and carefully guide it to the bottom of the jar and into place. Try not to bump the hot glue onto anything on the way down. Hold the stick in place until the hot glue starts to set up. Repeat for the other banner stick.

8. Cut lengths of the lime green fun fur yarn and guide into place on the bottom of the terrarium using a wooden spoon handle. Use enough to hide all the ‘workings’ and to give a nice covering of baby green grass.

9. Put the lid back on the jar.

Tah Dah! You now have a beautiful jar of spring goodness to display in your home!

I have my spring terrarium sitting on my living room entertainment center.

Happy spring!

About Patty: Patty Schaffer is the owner of P.S. it’s in the details, an Etsy shop where you can find creative paper things that will make you ooooo and ahhh! Her shop specializes in paper accents for scrapbooking, card making, gift giving and home decor. Patty also shares DIY and craft projects, news on upcoming shop releases and other fun things on her blog, Capture the Details.

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03/14/12

7 comments Spring DIY: How to make Paper Carrot Decorations by Patty

This contributor post was written by Patty of P.S. it’s in the details.

I have a cute project to share with you this month, just in time for Spring decorating (and Easter) ~ pretty paper carrots!

Here are the materials you will need: 1. orange cardstock 2. paper trimmer 3. scissors 4. bowl of water 5. orange ink 6. brown ink 7. sponge applicators 8. glue dots 9. fuzzy green yarn

Here is how you make it:

1. Cut the orange cardstock into rectangular pieces. Cut assorted sizes so you can make different carrot sizes.

2. Immerse the cardstock pieces in a bowl of water until soaked through.

3. Remove the cardstock pieces from the water. Carefully crumple them and squeeze the excess water out. Gently open the pieces and lay flat to dry.

4. When the paper is completely dry you can freehand cut carrot shapes. Make them all different sizes and shapes. Don’t worry about being perfect.

5. Use a sponge applicator to rub orange ink across the raised surface of a carrot. The ink will highlight the texture. Also apply orange ink around the sides of the carrot to add dimension.

6. Use a sponge applicator and apply brown ink to the side edges of the carrot. This will add even more dimension.

7. Add a bit of fuzzy green yarn for the carrot tops. Place a glue dot or two on the backside of the carrot and press the yarn onto the glue dot.

Look ~ You grew a crop of carrots!

Not only are they cute, they are very versatile… you can use them as-is for a decoration; add one to a gift tag; make a carrot garland; use as an accent on a card or scrapbook layout…. any other ideas?

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02/13/12

19 comments DIY: How to Make a Paper Rose by Patty

This contributor post was written by Patty of P.S. it’s in the details.

I’ve been getting asked how to make paper roses and I thought it would be a fun tutorial to share with you. It’s really a very simple process, however the results are anything but simple.

I’ve featured paper roses a few times on my blog ~ two samples are shown, above. The recycled magazine roses can be found here. The glittered, layered book page roses can be found here.

Paper roses can be made from lots of fun things – scrapbook paper, magazines, maps, book pages, catalogs, calendars… you get the idea. All you need is a square sheet of paper, a pair of scissors, some adhesive and you’re in business!

Here are the materials you’ll need: 1. paper 2. scissors 3. hot glue gun or glue dots

Here is how you make it:

Start with a square piece of paper. Obviously, the larger the square, the larger the rose will be. My tutorial uses a 6″ square which results in a finished rose of about 1 1/2″ across. You can adjust the finished size of the rose, though, and I’ll explain how to do that further into the tutorial.

1. Have a bunch of paper squares cut to size.

2. Start cutting a circle shape, beginning on the side of a paper square.

3. Cut the circle shape all the way around the outside of the paper. When you get close to the starting point aim your cutting line in about a half of an inch.

4. Keep cutting a spiral circle, all the way towards the middle of the paper. It should be a free-hand cut… don’t worry about being precise.

5. The very end of the cut spiral circle should end in a tab shape.

6. Remove the outside square shape by cutting it off where the spiral circle shape begins.

7. Start at the outside edge of the circle spiral and tightly roll the paper to form the rose. Roll towards the top side of the paper.

8. When you get to the very end, the tab will come in handy. Continue to hold the rose very tight, pressing and conforming the tab to the bottom of the rolled shape. (Now you can adjust the ‘tightness’ of your paper rose…. keep it wound tight for a tighter rose, or slowly release your hold on the paper spiral and let it unwind for a looser rose.)

9. Once you have the rose as you would like it, add a drop of hot glue to the tab and carefully press it to the bottom of the rose, catching the spirals on the inside. I have also used glue dots on smaller roses and they work fine, too.

Tah dah! You have made a paper rose!

Play around with different papers to get different looks. Double-sided papers are really pretty (like my recycled magazine roses) because you have color on both sides if they’ll be seen from different angles. Multiple layers give a fuller rose (like my glittered book page roses).

It may take a few practice roses to get the hang of it, but once you make a few you’ll see that it really is a very simple process. The hard part will be deciding what to make with all of your pretty rose flowers!

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01/11/12

4 comments DIY Chalkboard Valentine Hearts by Patty

This post was written by Patty of P.S. it’s in the details.

I have a super easy DIY to share with you this month. It involves one of my new favorite things: chalkboard paint! Krylon makes a chalkboard spray paint that is really fun to use. I’ve been using it on a lot of things lately and I found out that it works well on cardstock – from which you can then cut or punch shapes!

Since Valentine’s day is right around the corner, why not get a head start on a few creative accents for your tags, gifts, or cards!

Here are the materials you’ll need: 1. Krylon Chalkboard paint 2. white cardstock 3. large heart punch (I used Fiskars) 4. chalk 5. paper towel 6. assorted decorations (glitter, ribbons or trims, three-dimensional paint, charms, etc.)

Decorations are up to you! Grab some red, pink, white or purple things from your craft stash!

Here is how you make it:

1. Set up in a well ventilated area (outside is best). Place your white cardstock on newspaper. Follow the manufacturer’s directions on the can to apply the chalkboard paint. I found that several light coats work best (rather than one heavy coat). It dries really fast so you won’t have to wait too long.

2. Rub a piece of chalk, on its side, all over the chalkboard paper. You have to ‘prime’ the surface to get it ready for use.

3. Take a soft paper towel and rub the chalk off, like you would to erase a blackboard.

4. You are now ready to write on your surface!

5. Use your paper punch to punch out the heart shapes.

6. Embellish! (Just a note – I found it easier to write the chalk sentiments before doing the embellishing. Keep in mind that you have to handle your little hearts with care so you don’t smudge your words.)

There are so many things you can do. I’ll share a few ideas – glitter around the edge (brush very edge with glitter glue then sprinkle glitter). Add dots of 3-D paint around the edge. Add a colorful brad and some trims….

Adhere a lace trim around the back edge and add a few buttons. Use a pencil eraser dipped in glitter paint to add polka dots…

Make a heart from red Stickles. Add a charm. Adhere a sparkly sequin trim around the outside edge…

After you decorate your hearts, you can add them to your tags, cards or anything that needs a special Valentine touch! I have an example of one of my favorite hearts on a tiny glassine envelope. (Tucked inside is an iTunes gift card – shhhhhhh!)

This is such a flexible technique – once you have your cardstock painted with the chalkboard paint you can use any shape punch (although larger punches are better because they give you more room to write).

The next time you are at a craft store or hardware store check out the paint aisle for chalkboard paint. You’ll be glad to have a can of it in your craft stash! Happy creating!

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12/12/11

7 comments DIY Gingerbread Man Decoration by Patty

This contributor post was written by Patty of P.S. it’s in the details.

I could just eat him up! He is so sweet and fun to make. Meet Mr. Gingerbread Man – he looks like the real cookie, but he’s made from recycled cardboard. The ‘sugar’ coating is actually coarse crystal glitter.

I make similar gingerbread people decorations for my Etsy store using kraft paper. We’ll be using cardboard here (some creative recycling!) for a sturdier body. I’ll be showing you how to make the boy, but you could also make a girl (add a fun bow to her head!). Or, you could go traditional red and green or even all white! The decorating possiblities are endless!

Here are the materials you’ll need…. 1. cardboard 2. brown ink 3. three assorted buttons 4. glitter glue and coarse crystal glitter 5. white pen 6. sequin trim 7. common crafting supplies: scissors, pencil, small paint brush, mini glue dots 8. the gingerbread man template (provided in post)

Here is how you make it:

1. Trace the gingerbread man template onto cardboard.

gingerbread man template

2. Cut him out.

3. Ink around his edges with the brown ink. It adds depth and makes him look like a perfectly baked cookie.

4. Use a white pen to add the ‘icing’. Draw a line around his body and add eyes and a big smile. (I used a broad tip uni-ball Signo pen.)

5. Add his buttons with mini glue dots.

6. Add mini glue dots to his wrists and ankles and add the sequin trim. (You could also use a ric-rac trim or a ribbon.)

7. Use the paint brush to add glitter glue to his feet, hands and body, up to his neck. Stay inside the white lines.

8. Sprinkle with the glitter, and then shake off the excess.

9. Let him dry. The glue will turn clear once it dries completely.

Isn’t he cute? Just remember – you can’t eat him, no matter how good he looks! But you can use him to decorate your home for Christmas. Or, make a bunch and give them as gifts, use on tags or add to a present as a great little detail. Make him into an ornament or a refrigerator magnet – be creative!

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

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11/09/11

13 comments DIY Embroidery Hoop Picture Frames by Patty

This contributor post was written by Patty of P.S. it’s in the details. This is Patty’s first contributor post on papernstitch. She’ll be here every month to share a new diy project with you. Take it away Patty…

I came across a bunch of assorted sizes of embroidery hoops at a yard sale. They were super cheap, so I added a bunch of them to my craft stash. I’ve seen ideas where pretty fabrics are used with the hoops to make wall art. I thought it would be really fun to use PhotoFabric to make a personalized wall art display.

Here are the materials you’ll need…. 1. embroidery hoops in assorted sizes (I used a 7″, 6″, 5″, 4″ and 3″ hoop) 2. spray paint in your favorite color(s) 3. PhotoFabric 4. image files of pictures you’d like to frame. 5. common crafting supplies: scissors, pencil, double-sided tape, kraft paper

Here is how you make it:

1. Lay down a piece of kraft paper that is large enough to accommodate all of your hoops. Arrange the hoops so you have a pleasing design. Use a pencil to trace the outside of each hoop onto the kraft paper. Mark a dot on the inside of each cirlce, at the top, where the nail will be. This step will help with hanging the hoops once they are completed.

2. Take the hoops apart. Set up in a well ventilated area to spray paint (I worked outside). You only need to spray paint the outside rings since the inside rings will not be seen. Apply several light coats of spray paint, allowing dry time between each coat, until your rings are completely covered.

3. Select photos and edit the sizes in your photo editing program so they will fit inside their respective hoops. Print the photos onto the PhotoFabric and let dry. Peel the paper backing off the fabric. (Manufacturer directions say to rinse the fabric and then lay flat to dry, but I skipped this step.)

4. Pinch your fabric between the rings of the hoop and tighten the screw to hold the fabric taut.

5. Turn the hoop over and trim the excess fabric. Leave enough fabric to tuck under and adhere to the inside of the ring.

6. Apply a double-sided tape to the inside of the ring. Press the fabric down onto tape to hold in place.

7. Repeat process for all of the hoops.

8. Tape the kraft paper guide from step 1 to the wall where you would like your embroidery hoops to be displayed. Use a hammer and a nail to make a hole in the wall where each hoop will hang. Make the hole at each dot you marked on the paper. Remove the paper once all the holes are made.