Crafting with books

Kristine McKay has so many cute crafty ideas. I came across her segment on 'crafting with old books' and had to try. I was SO EXCITED about the outcome. Currently, the topiary sits on our master bedroom desk, and the wreath hangs above our headboard.

These two things make me so happy every time I'm in the room! They were super easy (a bit time-consuming). They turned out so great and were so inexpensive! My sister Lindsay also tried it out and loved the outcome. She used a green styrofoam wreath and decided to spray paint it brown first before stabbing her paper into it, just in case you could see through the pages a bit.

Check out the link for more detailed instructions, but here's how to:

Buy a styrofoam wreath from Roberts Crafts/Joannes/etc

Rip out all the pages from a 250-page book (250 individual pages - so the book actually had 500 pages of reading)

Cut off all margins

Stab the styrofoam to make a hole with a somewhat pointy pen (with lid on). Then, place the pen in the center of a single page and wrap the paper around the pen.

Dab a bit of hot glue, styrofoam or gorilla glue on the paper and stick it in the hole you made. Repeat around the wreath.

I made the topiary the same way, then glued some fabric on the base and stenciled the pot.

Valentine's Day Craft

I saw this darling idea for a Valentine's Day craft on KSL's Studio 5. I decided to try it out and it turned out great! Also a fun activity to do with kids.

Just go to their link (above) to watch the video.

Here's a quick run down of how to make it:
Find two coordinating paper colors (I did light pink and gray).
Cut out a cute heart shape and glue it onto the 8x10 cut out (I antique-inked the edge of the heart cut-out).
Glue on random small shiny, pink, red, black things you have around your house (paper clips, buttons, clothes pins, ribbon etc.) I found Krazy Glue to be the best adhesive for the little items like sequins and small beads. Click on the picture to get a better view.
Sand and paint the frame antique white. Viola! Happy V-Day!

Modern Birdie Fabric Craft

I found this amazing picture on my friend Heather's blog. I LOVED it. With the fabric scraps I had, I made my own rendition that now sits on our fireplace mantle.

Here's how I did it:

First, I printed a picture of the birdie image, then I cut out the birdie.

I ironed on some steam-a-stitch/wonder under/stitch-witchery onto my red fabric, traced the birdie and cut.

Peeled back the steam-a-stitch and ironed onto the polka dot fabric. Then I zig-zag stitched around the edges.

I also cut out the little feathers for the tail and adhered them the same way with the steam-a-stitch and zig-zag stitch.

I cut out 3 circles (rough cut - not perfect circles - cuter that way) of differing sizes and just did a straight stitch around the circumference to make the "wing".

I sewed a button on for the eye, then mod-podge adhered the whole thing onto an 8x10 cut out of a cereal box so it would lay taught in the frame.

Super easy and fun!