Nesting. Two Ways.

Do you have a "Type A" or "Type B" personality?  I find it hard to categorize myself, but when it comes to crafting, I lean more toward "Type B".  Go with the flow, you know?  Every now and then, though, the perfection bug bites me and I have a fit and throw my crafts across the room.  What, you've never done that before? 

Recently I picked up a ball of hemp at my favorite thrift shop for 30 cents--an AMAZING bargain.  Normally a ball of hemp of the size I purchased costs like $10.  You better believe I snatched that hemp right up!  Because it's spring time, it seems appropriate to celebrate my awesome hemp find by making a gorgeous and simple nest.  Want to make one, too? 

Whether you're "Type A" or "Type B", you'll appreciate this craft because you can have it your way, just like at Burger King. A Burger King ad slogan on a crafty blog?  I'm lovin' it.  (Did you catch that?)

Regardless of the type of nest you choose to make, you'll need the same supplies.

Mod Podge and a brush

Hemp (or jute, twine, raffia... feel free to use whatever you have on hand)

A bowl that will provide a good nest shape

Plastic wrap (to cover said bowl)

Clear spray-on sealer (optional)

For the "Type B" nest, I used the inside of the bowl because it provided better support for the nest shape.



Paint a thin layer of mod podge on the inside of your plastic-lined bowl.  Then coil your hemp/jute/twine/raffia starting in the center and work your way up the bowl slightly.  I dabbed mod podge over the top of the coils as I went to keep the hemp from uncoiling.  Then, just start circling the bowl with the hemp in a random circular motion.  Dab mod podge on as needed to help it keep the shape.  Let dry and remove it from the bowl and spray with sealer if desired.  There you have it! 

Voila!

For the "Type A" nest, I inverted the bowl and covered it with plastic wrap.  I use Glad Press'n Seal plastic wrap because it sticks to objects.  It's a very handy thing to keep on hand for craft projects.  And leftovers, of course.

Paint a thin layer of mod podge on the outside of your plastic-lined bowl.  Then coil your hemp/jute/twine/raffia starting in the center and work your down the bowl until your nest is the desired size.  Dab mod podge on as needed to help it keep the shape.  Let dry and remove it from the bowl and spray with sealer if you want to.  There you have it! 

And there you have it, DIY nests, two ways.

All of you "Type A" people are probably bothered that I have the A & B out of alphabetical order in the picture.  I did it just to mess with you.

Are you a "Type A" or a "Type B" crafter?  Which nest do you prefer?

If you're feeling extra crafty, keep that Mod Podge out and make some Decoupage Eggs like Sharon did last week.  They'll look great in your nest!

DIY Decoupage Napkin Eggs

I know what you're thinking... another decoupage egg tutorial?? And sorry to disappoint, but yes. This concept has already been done numerous times this season, so I'm not sure who to give credit to. Just know that this is not my original idea. If you haven't heard of these yet, great! If you have, I hope you find some of my tips helpful in creating your own way of doing this craft. Enough talk. Let's get down to business.

Supplies:

Pretty napkins
Plastic eggs ($0.35 - half off at Hobby Lobby)
Mod Podge and felt brush
Newspaper
Saran wrap (not pictured)

Once again - the supplies for this project are almost completely free! Booyah! Cause that's how we roll. That was lame. Sorry, continuing on...

What To Do:

First, before you do anything - take your eggs out to a well ventilated area and spray paint them white. This is so you can't see the extreme(ly nauseating) neon colors through the napkin. Like a dummy, I didn't take a picture of this step. Some people choose to glue the two halves of the eggs together, but I didn't feel this step was necessary, and mine turned out fine. If you plan on reusing these for years to come, I would probably glue them.

Next, remove the back layer of your napkin. You only need the thin top layer.

There are two ways of approaching this. You can tear your napkin into pieces...

Or tear long strips. Or both! (Which is what I did.) If you try to put the whole napkin on at once, it won't adhere smoothly. Above are the simple steps to creating long strips.

Mod Podge your pieces or strips onto your eggs, and place them on a piece of saran wrap to dry. Once they have almost nearly dried, apply another layer of mod podge for more of a glossy effect (my mod podge is glossy vs. matte).Warning: This gets extremely messy! If you were one of those kids who put Elmers glue on your hand so you could peel it off once it dried - you're going to love this project!

You can certainly do this with scrapbook paper or even fabric. But to achieve the best results it is better for your material to be as thin as possible. Which is why I chose napkins! Looking back now, I would have chosen a more colorful floral print because I think that would have looked better decoupaged.

What kind of egg projects have you done this year?

Spring Is Heeere!

Well folks, Spring is finally here. (It's April already. What? Where has this year gone??) For some of us it doesn't feel like it at all. Some people are still getting frigid, Winter weather. And some of us are fighting heat strokes when we walk out the door. (All my Floridians say "yeah-yuh"!)

But no matter what the weather is like where you are - it's Spring. My favorite season. I find it very difficult to muster up motivation to decorate for a holiday that will come suddenly and then abruptly pass us by. (Tristin says I'm a holiday Grinch.) But I can decorate for Spring. It's a whole season! And maybe I'll nestle in some little Easter decor in there somewhere. :)

Here's some inspiration for your Spring/Easter decorating.

 

Check out this gorgey mantle from Dwellings By DeVore. She says most of these items are from Goodwill. You know I love me some smart and beautiful Goodwill purchases! I just love how all of the elements are simple, but together they create a bold statement that screams "Spring"!

 

Learn how to make a DIY Hydrangea Egg with Trisha from The Sweet Survival. They are so lovely!! I am a BIG fan of topiary-type decorations and a HUGE fan of hydrangeas. Ok, any flower, really. Flowers are an easy way to bring Spring into your home. Plus, they always make a space look beautiful.

 

Thrifty Decor Chick created this beautiful, Spring-y Vignette. Love it! 

Learn how to make her mossy letter here.

 Some of you who know me know that I am obsessed with eggs, nests, and birds. Yes, I know it's a popular fad going on right now, but I liked them way before you guys got here! ;) Vivienne from The V Spot has a great way to create perfectly beautiful robins eggs from those well known (and icky) plastic eggs. Get her tutorial here. I love these! I just might have to make some.

 

The Inspired Room pieced together this refreshing mantel. 

It's bright, and it's beautiful. And baby, that's what Spring is! :)

So have you started decorating your home for Springtime? What are you doing to decorate?

Happy Weekend! :)

DIY Cherry Blossom Branches

This time of year, I really miss living in Washington, D.C. because winter is finally over and the Cherry Blossoms are...blossoming.  It's absolutely gorgeous!  You may or may not be aware that the Cherry Blossom trees in our nation's capital were a gift from Japan that symbolize the friendship between the U.S. and Japan.  That being said, what an appropriate time to remember the tragedy and devastation in the country of Japan.  The footage I have seen has been surreal--and I think it's only now set in how real the disaster is.  I hope you're keeping Japan as a whole in your prayers. 

I made a cherry blossom branch in keeping with the spirit of the Cherry Blossom festival, and it just so happens to fit in with the kick Sharon and I are on right now--branch crafts!

We'll "branch out" to other crafts later.  Pun intended.  For now, it's branch crafts, folks!  Let's get to it.

To make a lover-ly cherry blossom branch, you'll need:

A branch (duh) from any tree you like
Light pink crepe paper streamers ($ .50/roll at the dollar store)
Hot glue

That's it!  (Notice that this craft is practically free??)

There's not a real art to making the cherry blossoms--anything goes!  Cut out perfect petals, wad up pieces of paper--it really doesn't matter how you do it as long as YOU like the result.  That being said, here's how I did it:

1. Rip off a piece of crepe paper that's about 5" long and fold it into a V-shape.
2. Fold the bottom of the V up to the top (where your jagged edges are).
3. Fold the half-formed blossom into thirds.
4. Secure with glue if you want, or just attach it to the branch and glue it at that point.  It's your call.

I left the leaves on my branch and removed them as I added cherry blossoms so I could place the blossoms where the leaves occured naturally--in other words, I followed the pattern of nature so I didn't second guess my blossom placement.  Capiche? 

I placed the cherry blossom branch on a shelf in my living room so I'll see it often.  It'll serve as my reminder to keep those affected by the disaster in Japan in my thoughts and prayers.