Tag: creativity

Creative Life: Where To Start

Starting to Create Again

Have you ever gone through seasons where you felt uninspired and unmotivated to create? I’ve been going through that lately! It’s been driving me crazy!! I love to create and craft! I truly believe getting creative is so important for our self-care! But sometimes finding the energy to do it can be difficult. Yet there are so many benefits to creating. Being creative can be so empowering! It is also a great source of hope, joy, and relaxation!

Where do you start when you are wanting to get back to being creative or to begin a creative chapter in your life?

Just start! Start where you are and work with what you have! Sometimes when we are wanting to start a new habit or new goal we set these crazy high expectations for ourselves. If it’s your goal to be more creative maybe start with having one creative activity a week or a couple of evenings a week to work on creative projects. It can look however best fits your life in this season. My goal is just to be creative no matter what that looks like! Whether it’s a completed project or a part of a project just get creative!

What will you create today or this week? Post pictures in the comments! My hope for myself is to start being more creative more often and to simply start something positive and refreshing in my life! What is your creative goal in this season?

I’ve written about three projects in this post that I’ve done this week! I hope they will get your creative ideas flowing!

Wallpaper Adventures

Today I was walking around my craft room wanting to start a creative project. I recently purchased this wood circle from Hobby Lobby. I didn’t have any particular plans when I bought it, but today when I was looking at it decided I wanted to decorate it with embossed wallpaper. I love working with embossed wallpaper! It is so pretty and fun to paint! This may be a strange decision, but the wood sign has a frame on the front so I decided I would decorate the back so that it is one even piece. I traced the wood circle on the wallpaper and cut it out.

I used hot glue to attach the wallpaper to the back of this wood frame. Hot glue can sometimes dry kind of fast so I did it one section at a time.

I wanted to do this layered paint look on the wallpaper with the brown gel stain and green paint. I did a dry brushing technique for the green and watered down gel stain.

I just painted as I wanted. I started with the gel stain and then the green. I just went back and forth with the brush. I did wipe it with the cloth a couple of times to give it a weathered look. This is how it turned out!

What is your creative style?

Dollar Tree Plant Sign

I’ve been thinking about several different craft ideas today, but landed on decoupaging this plant sign from the dollar tree. I love decoupaging with different materials and in various surfaces. It’s so easy to do and so relaxing! I used a bright green and brown paper for this project. I traced the sign on the paper and cut it out.

Then I brushed mod podge on the metal sign and laid the paper on top. You can then seal it by brushing mod podge on top of the paper. It’s such an adorable little hanger!

I love this sign because it’s such a good reminder to keep growing!

Felt Lavender

I’ve been thinking about making more felt lavender for a while and today was finally the day. I’ve already done some of the steps to make the felt Lavender previously so it will be a quick craft to make. Felt lavender is very simple to make. I have photos of the stages below.

First, you have a strip of purple felt whatever size you would like then fold it and glue it in half.

Then cut small slits into the side that’s not glued.

Then use hot glue to wrap it around a floral stem.

Once the stem is all wrapped with your felt you have a lavender stem! Super easy! So I already had a few made and then I made enough to fill this Jean pocket. You could put these in a vase or any kind of container!

This Lavender craft I already had parts of the felt prepared from months ago so it only took me 15 minutes to get the whole thing created. Is there a project you’ve gotten all the supplies for and it is all prepared but haven’t had the time to complete it? Maybe today is the day!!

Snowman Ornament Makeovers

Supplies Needed:

  • I decorated two different snowman ornaments. One is a snowman head and the other is a full snowman body. I got both from Michael’s.

Painted Snowman Face Ornament Supplies:

  • Paint Brushes
  • Orange, Black, and White Paint
  • Mod Podge
  • White Glitter

Decoupaged Snowman Supplies:

  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Scrapbook Paper, I used two different kinds of embossed paper
  • Mod Podge
  • Black Paint
  • Paint Brushes
  • Cloth or Parchment Paper
  • Iron
  • Black Buttons
  • White Craft Wax
  • Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

Painted Snowman Instructions:

There are so many ways that you could decorate these ornaments, which is part of what makes it so fun! You can make it your own!

First, I painted the snowman face ornament. I love the texture look of the wood and didn’t feel like I needed to add a lot of embellishments. I first painted the black hat and orange nose.

Then I painted the face with white paint.

Once the paint was dried, I brushed over the white paint with mod podge. Then I sprinkled glitter over the mod podge. Once the area you want is covered with glitter you can shake off the excess glitter from the face.

Some of the glitter did stick to the hat of the ornament. But I love how it turned out.

Decoupaged Snowman Instructions:

First I traced the outline of the snowman and hat on the paper I picked for this project. Then I cut it out.

I painted the hat black before decoupaging it. Then I brushed mod podge on the wooden ornament and placed the snowman cut outs on top.

Instead of brushing mod podge on top of the paper as well I used the ironing technique. All I did was put a piece of cloth over the ornament after I put the paper on top of the mod podge. Then I ironed the ornament until the paper was secured to the ornament. I went over the ornament several times with the iron and then checked it to make sure the paper was secure.

I wanted to add this white wax to the body of the ornament. I had never used this before but thought it would add to the look. I just used my finger to rub the wax on.

Then I used my awl to make a hole in the hat where the twine hang originally was and added the twine hanger. Then I used hot glue to add the black buttons!

Hope these makeovers gave you some additional ideas for your ornament makeovers!!

DIY Winter Cookie Cutter Sign

Supplies Needed:

  • Metal Sign, I got mine from the Dollar Tree
  • White Paint
  • Brush
  • Printable Winter Sign
  • Paper Tear Edge
  • Mod Podge
  • Drill
  • Awl
  • 3 Jump Rings
  • 2 Pliers
  • Family Snowman Set, I got mine from HomeGoods

Instructions:

I’ve had this metal sign from Dollar Tree for a while now and was excited to finally use it! This family of snowman is a set I got from HomeGoods and it was only a few dollars!! Love how they all have different hats!

First I started by painting the sign white. I used regular white acrylic paint and a foam brush.

I made some winter themed printables and used this winter one for this sign. I used a torn paper edge to give the paper a rough finish. All you do is hold the edge on top of your paper and tear the the paper up against the edge.

Once the paper was the right size I decoupaged the paper to the sign. To decoupage you first brush mod podge on the sign, place the paper on top, and then brush mod podge on top of the paper.

While that was drying I used a drill to make a small hole at the top of the cookie cutters. I made the hole closer to the back of the cookie cutter so that I could use a jump ring to attach it to the sign.

Then make a holes with an awl at the bottom of the sign to attach the cookie cutters.

To open the jump rings us two pliers. One to hold the ring still and the other to turn open the ring. Then slid the ring the the hole in the sign and the hole in the cookie cutter. Then you can use the pliers to close the ring.

Then you have this super cute winter sign! You can add other embellishments too. I kept it simple!

Check Out More Posts Below!

Shadow Box Snowman
Wreath Wall Decor
Crafty Weekend
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DIY Thanksgiving Embroidery Hoop Sign

Supplies Needed

  • Embroidery Hoop
  • Fabric, I used a plain ivory cotton fabric
  • Mod Podge
  • Thanksgiving Scrapbook Paper, I got mine from Hobby Lobby
  • Burlap Placemat, I got mine from burlap that had the word “thankful” on it
  • Scissors
  • Hot Glue Gun & Sticks
  • Fall Artificial Flowers
  • Pencil
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Paint Brush

Instructions:

I love this Thanksgiving paper!! It is so beautiful!! I have never tried this type of decoupaging before and love how it turned out!

The first thing I did was use a pencil to trace the embroidery hoop circle on the paper. Trace it around the outer embroidery hoop.

Then you can put the fabric in the embroidery hoop.

Then I used a brush to spread mod podge on the embroidery hoop and fabric. Then you can place the circle you cut out on the the fabric and embroidery hoop.

I also brushed mod podge on top of the sign. I used mod podge to smooth down the edges on the sides of the embroidery hoop.

I used a plastic bag to smooth out the paper before the mod podge dried. It worked great! But it would work better with plastic wrap.

I used hot glue to glue the excess fabric down to the inside of the embroidery hoop.

I wanted to add this burlap placemat word to the sign. I cut out the word to fit the sign and rounded the edges. I then used hot glue to attach the word to the paper.

I wanted to add Fall flowers underneath the burlap fabric. I used hot glue to secure them under the burlap!

I hope you give this a try!! It was so much fun to make!

Check Out More Posts Below!

Thankful Sign
Shadow Box Snowman
Fall Wood Sign
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Fall Room Spray Recipe

I was so excited to make a Fall room spray!! It smells so warm and inviting. The recipe is very simple and easy!

Supplies Needed:

  • 2 ounce Spray Bottle
  • 1 Tbsp Rubbing Alcohol or Witch Hazel
  • 7 drops Clove Essential Oil
  • 7 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil
  • 3 drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
  • Small Funnel

Instructions

This recipe is very simple. First use a small funnel to put 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol into the spray bottle. Then add the essential oils to the bottle. Then you can put water into the spray bottle. Put the lid on and shake before each use.

I hope you give this recipe a try! It will add great fragrance to your Fall season.

Check Out More Posts Below!

https://atomic-temporary-170538561.wpcomstaging.com/2022/10/23/felt-car-essential-oil-diffuser/
https://atomic-temporary-170538561.wpcomstaging.com/2022/09/27/fall-essential-oils/
https://atomic-temporary-170538561.wpcomstaging.com/2022/09/08/citrus-essential-oil-diffuser-blend/
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Journal Prompt: Six Word Story

I have seen this idea on Facebook and several other websites! All you do is use six words to tell a story. An example might be “Rabbit quickly hopped, pellets went flying.” It’s all about telling a story or a scene with a few words.

Journal Prompt

Tell a six word story about your current season of life, a feeling you experienced recently, or a fun experience you had recently.

Write three separate six word stories.

Here are other journals prompts to check out!

Music Journal Prompt
Journal Prompt: Strength
Blooming Journal Prompt

Fall Wood Sign

Supplies Needed:

  • Mod Podge
  • Brush
  • Wood Sign
  • Fall Fabric
  • Scissors
  • Fall Floral Decorations
  • Bow Materials: scrap fabric, burlap, and Spanish moss
  • Hot Glue Gun & Sticks

Instructions:

This craft is so fun because you can customize it to how decorate in your home for Fall. I got this wood sign from Target and this Fall fabric from Walmart.

I cut the fabric into strips to fit the boards of the sign. Then I used mod podge to decoupage the fabric to the sign. First brush on mod podge on the sign and place your fabric on the sign. Then brush mod podge on top of the fabric.

Once all the fabric strips are decoupaged let them dry. Once the sign is dry you can add whatever fall decorations you want too. I added a large sunflower and leaves and a simple rag bow. I added plaid burlap, strips of fabric and Spanish moss into my bow and tied it in the middle. Then glued the decorations on the sign!

Comment below if you give this a try or with your favorite Fall sign creation!

Process For Creating

I wish creating could be a linear A to Z process. If you are like me this is potentially more what the process looks like:

I laughed as I made this image because it is so true to how the creative process goes. It often feels like you go back three steps to move forward one. This process drives me crazy and can be so incredibly frustrating. There are moments when I feel like I’ve wasted so much time just trying to figure out the process for creating something.

But the reality is that even though it can be challenging, I love the process. I love the puzzle and mystery that comes with getting creative. Often when I’ve felt like I’ve “wasted” time trying to figure out a creative process, it’s really time invested in learning the material and the idea more in-depth. I also have to remind myself that there is not a wrong way to get creative. Sometimes projects turn out different then you expect but it doesn’t make it wrong but instead something new and different.

Get creative and enjoy the adventure in the process! 💛

DIY Kraft Paper Pumpkin

Supplies Needed:

  • Kraft Wrapping Paper
  • Waxed Thread
  • Needle
  • Scissors
  • Stuffing
  • Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
  • Orange and Brown Paint
  • Foam Brush

Instructions:

I first cut a large circle. You can cut the circle any size you want. You could make very small pumpkins for basket fillers or a big pumpkin to have placed around the house.

I used waxed thread to sew this pumpkin because it is very strong. I get my waxed thread on Amazon. It was very easy to sew. You can just do a basic stitch around the whole circle. Just be sure to leave the ends out of the front so you can pull the pumpkin closed. I used the needle to poke holes in the paper as I sewed.

Once you have the whole circle sewn you can start the process of closing the pumpkin. This is a little tricky because the paper might rip. To prevent this I pulled the thread with one hand and pushed the paper together with the other so that no area got too much tension.

Once it is mostly closed you can start adding stuffing! It can be as plump as you want! Once you have stuffed it with as much stuffing as you would like you can then close the hole by securely tying the thread together. I did a triple knot just to be sure it was closed tightly.

I used scraps from cutting the circle to make the stem. I just twisted the paper together and glued it with hot glue to hold it’s shape. Also make sure the bottom of the stem is wide enough to cover the hole on top of the pumpkin.

I painted the stem and the pumpkin separately before gluing them together. I used this spiced pumpkin paint for the pumpkin. I tried to cover the pumpkin with paint as much as possible, but didn’t worry too much about the creases. I used this dark chocolate paint for the stem. I covered the stem as much and possible, but didn’t worry about the original color showing through.

Then you can hot glue the stem on top and you have a pumpkin!! This was so fun and makes such a unique pumpkin!! I hope you will give this a try!! Comment below with your favorite pumpkin creations!

Dollar Tree Mermaid Tail Craft

Supplies Needed

  • Tissue Paper, I used Teal and Mermaid scale design
  • Wooden Mermaid Tails from Dollar Tree
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Mod Podge
  • Brush

Instructions

I love decoupaging and was excited to try this on the wooden mermaid tails. First I traced the shape of the top of the tail on the printed tissue paper and the fin on the teal tissue paper. I made sure to leave a bit of space so the tissue paper would wrap around the edges.

I started with the top of the mermaid tail and then decoupaged the fin last. To decoupage you brush mod podge on the wood then place the tissue paper and brush the mod podge on top of the tissue paper to seal it. I used mod podge to also wrap the tissue paper around the edges and back.

After decoupaging the whole tail and fin I added another layer of tissue paper to the fin.

This is what it looked like when it dried! This is a fun decoration! Hope you give this a try!

Benefits of Creativity

Creativity

The best thing about creativity is that it is unique for all of us. There are so many different mediums and ways to be creative. I believe we all have creative power, sometimes it comes out in art, conversations, mechanical work, crafts, music, and in anything we pour our passion into. I felt very insecure about my creativity when I was growing up and struggled to find my creative voice when I was a young adult. What I learned during those seasons was that it’s okay if your creativity looks different than other peoples, simply creating is empowering, and in the process of creativity we learn a lot about ourselves. There are a lot of benefits to being creative for our overall well-being.

Idea concept, think different, light bulbs group vector illustration with single one is shining, creative inspiration, be special, leadership.

Benefits of Creativity

  • Being creative, in whatever form, is a great way to share your story. It’s an opportunity to develop your voice and share that with your community. Telling our story can be healing, empowering, and affirming.
  • Getting creative often is a mental challenge. We learn while we are being creative about different mediums, how things work together, and skills to make a project work. This mental stimulation is great for our brain and challenges us to be resourceful.
  • Creativity can be a great source of peace and comfort. Life can be really hard and taking time to be creative is a great space for our mind to rest. To just be able to focus on a project that we enjoy and get creative can be so comforting and give us a moment of calm in the midst of the craziness of life.
  • Creativity can create community with others. There is something so special about connecting with other people about creativity. It is so cool to see how everyone creates differently and finding common ground in creativity can help us not feel so alone in this world.
  • Creativity can be a source of emotional strength. There have been times in my life when I have been working through heartbreak, disappointment, or sadness and being creative helped me brave those hard moments. Being creative does this by being a great form of expression, giving us a since of purpose, and allowing us to work out difficult feelings in a productive way.

Cork & Flower Craft

Supplies Needed:

  • Corks, I bought mine from Hobby Lobby
  • Awl or something to make a hole in the top of the cork for the flower to sit in
  • Artificial Flowers
  • Hot Glue Gun & Sticks
  • Wood Shadow Box

Instructions

I have been so excited to use this wooden frame. I previously stained it with a dark wood stain from Hobby Lobby. I started by making a hole at the top of the cork that was big enough for the flower stems to sit in. I just put one flower per cork.

Once all the corks had a a flower in them, I started hot gluing the corks to the wood frame.

This was such a unique and fun craft!! I hope you give this a try!

Embroidery Hoop Christmas Wreath

Supplies Needed:

  • Large Embroidery Hoop, I used an 18 inch one from Hobby Lobby
  • Zip Ties
  • Wire Cutters
  • Garland, I used 2 Strands of Garland
  • Decorations of Your Choice

Instructions:

This is a really simple craft, but an awesome way to use your left over or favorite garlands! All you have to do is zip tie the garland to the front of the embroidery hoop. I used a lot of zip ties to be sure that it was secure, but made sure the zip tie was right next to the branches to cover it.

I ended up pulling the ends to the back of the wreath to make it easier to cut the excess with my wire cutters.

Once I secured both the garland all the way around the hoop, I started decorating! I pulled apart these green berries and snow covered greenery from last Christmas and stuck them in all around the wreath! You could add your favorite winter ornaments, floral decor, or pine cones.

Rainbow Craft

Supplies:

  • Wooden Rainbow
  • Paint, I used the standard rainbow colors red,orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, violet
  • Brush
  • Hot Glue Gun and Sticks
  • White Felt Balls

Butterfly

  • 4 Burlap Leaves
  • Paint

Bee

  • 2 Wooden Beads
  • Paint
  • Twine
  • Button

Instructions:

First, I painted the rainbow. I did not go in the correct order of colors, instead of starting with red I started with orange. I’m not a good painter and found it difficult to cover the inside well without getting the wrong color on the outer ridges. Using a small brush made this easier.

I hot glued three wool felt balls on the bottom of each side of the rainbow. You could also use cotton balls instead.

To make the butterfly I painted four burlap leaves. I twisted the leaves together two at a time and then twisted both pairs together. Once they are twisted together I wrapped the wire around the center and made antennas with the left over wire.

To make the bee I glued two wooden bees together and painted them yellow. I put some hot glue in the middle and used twine to make the wings and put a button on top.

Then I hot glued the butterfly and bee on the rainbow. This craft was so fun! Hope you give this a try!

Bulb Vase Makeover

Supplies Needed

  • Bulb Jar, I got mine from Hobby Lobby
  • Mod Podge
  • Brush
  • Fabric scraps
  • Ribbon for Bow
  • Artificial Flowers

Instructions

I first cut out pieces of a scrap fabric to be the height of the bulb vase. I ended up only using three pieces.

You can then take off the lid and mod podge the fabric to the vase. To do this brush a layer of mod podge on the glass and then place the fabric on the glass and brush another layer of mod podge on top of the fabric.

Once you cover the whole vase let it dry. Then you can add whatever embellishments you want to. I added a ribbon bow. Then you can add your artificial flowers! This is such a quick and fun craft!! Hope you give it a try!

Crafty Weekend

I took sometime this weekend to do some craft projects and wanted to share them with you!! I find that taking time to be extra creative can be very relaxing and helps me to clear my mind. Below are the projects I worked on! Some of them are complete projects and some are preparation for new projects.

Tree Wreath

I saw Barb Lewis, from the Shabby Tree, create this and decided to give it a try! I love trees and loved the idea of it and I already had the supplies.

I used a natural branch wreath that I got previously from Michael’s. I first started by hot gluing rocks to the bottom of the wreath where the bottom of the twine would be glued.

I twisted the the strands of large jute together and separated the strands to glue on the top and bottom to make the tree. The bottom strands I hot glued over the rocks and the top strands I glued to the back of the wreath.

I then hot glued reindeer moss on the top of the tree to make the leaves and more rocks on top of the bottom of the tree.

This is such a fun an beautiful project to do!!

Clay Craft

I wanted to make some molded clay for some projects that I am planning to do in the future. I bought theses silicone molds at variety of places. I used air hardening clay. I simply took small amounts of clay and put it in the molds.

The tops of the clay hardened well in the mold but for the bottom to harden I did have to take them carefully out of the molds.

Americana Sun Hat Wreath

I will be making a full blog post about how to make this wreath. I love how the Americana flowers and decor looks on it. I think the straw hat material is compatible with so many different color schemes!

Those were the highlights of my crafty weekend! Now I’m ready to get ready for the work week!! Hope you had a great weekend too!

Dollar Tree Bowl Light

Supplies Needed:

  • Candle holder
  • 2 Clear Plastic Dollar Tree Bowls, the same size
  • E6000 Glue
  • X-ACTO Knife
  • Hammer
  • Sand Paper
  • Fairy Lights
  • Spray Paint (optional)

Instructions:

This is such a fun idea! I got this idea from Barb, at the Shabby Tree. The big difference between the way I did it is that I wanted to light structure to be all glued together and wanted to make a hole in the top bowl to put the fairy light in.

To make the hole in the top bowl I used an X-ACTO knife. Be very careful when attempting to do this. I turned to bowl upside down and slowly and firmly pressed the knife along the inner circle at the bottom of the bowl. I went around several times until there was a significant groove etched around the inner circle.

This may not be best practice, but it worked for me. I used a small hammer and firmly tapped the middle of the bottom of the bowl and the plastic broke off where I had made a groove with the knife. Once all the plastic is out from the bottom of the bowl, you can then use a small piece of sandpaper to smooth the edges.

I spray painted the bowl that I cut the bottom out of. Then you can glue the first bowl to the candle stand with E6000 glue. I put the glue on the candle stand and then put the bowl on top. Once that is in place, you can then put E6000 glue on the rim of the already glued bowl and place the second bowl upside down on top of it. The hole you created should be pointing upward so you can put the lights inside.

Then add lights!!

I love this because it is tall enough to be on the floor or a table! Right now, it is like a small pillar next to my craft closet!! I love it!!

Americana Wreath

Supplies Needed:

  • Wire Wreath Frame
  • Sparkle Chenille Yarn, size 6
  • Americana Flowers
  • Wire Cutters
  • Americana Burlap to make a Bow
  • Hot Glue Gun and Sticks

Instructions:

This yarn is so soft!!! I love it!! The first step I took to make this wreath is wrapped the wire wreath form with this yarn. I did not use any hot glue to cover it. I simply tied the yarn about the wreath and then wrapped it around the form. Once the wreath was totally covered, I tied the end around the wreath and tucked in the tail.

I made this burlap bow out of an oversized bow that I previously got from Home Goods. I disassembled the bow and made this much smaller one. I hot glued the bow onto the wreath.

I got these Americana flowers at Michael’s! I trimmed them with wire cutters and then put them in the wreath around the bow. You can use hot glue to secure the flowers in place.

I hope you give this a try! I would love to see your favorite Americana wreaths!!

Hanging Terra Cotta Pot

Supplies Needed:

  • 2 Terra Cotta Pots, one bigger then the other
  • White Acrylic Paint
  • Spray Paint
  • Napkin or Fabric
  • Mod Podge
  • Brush
  • Twine
  • Scissors
  • 1 Wooden Bead
  • Bell

Instructions:

I wanted to make two sets of hanging pots to show two different aesthetics. The first is Americana and I used a napkin from Home Goods. I started out by painting all the pots white on the inside and out. I used acrylic white paint and a foam brush. Then I separated the decorative layer of the napkin from the two back layers using scotch tape.

Once you have done this you can tear the napkin to be a good size to cover a little more then half the pot and the bottom. You will want to be sure that the pot is upside down for decoupaging because the pot hangs from the bottom.

To decoupage you brush a layer of mod podge on the pot and put the napkin on the pot and than brush mod podge on top of it.

Poke a hole in the napkin where the bottom hole is for the twine to go through.

You can repeat this process for the fabric covered terra cotta pot. Fabric is not as flexible but will still do well with covering the pot with mod podge.

I did use scissors to make a small slit for the bottom hole and used the back of the paint brush to make the whole bigger for the twine.

I spray painted the smaller terra cotta pots. I only wanted a faint color for the bottom pot and held it at a distance and sprayed it.

To make the hanging, I first cut a long piece of twine and folded it in half. Than I put the folded end through a wooden bead and the top of the bigger terra cotta pot. Then I tied a triple knot to secure the wooden bead and top pot. Than I put the twine through the second pot and tied a triple knot to secure the second pot where I wanted it. Than I tied a triple knot around the bell. It makes such a beautiful sound when the pots and bell are swaying.

Spool Pendant & Beaded Chain

Supplies Needed:

  • Chain, I bought mine from Amazon and got the beaded chain with pearls
  • 2 Jump rings
  • Clasp, I used a toggle clasp
  • Wire Cutters
  • Book page
  • Scissors
  • Mod podge
  • Brush
  • 16 gauge wire
  • Small Wooden Spool

Instructions:

I have been looking for a unique necklace to wear, but have not been able to find what I wanted. So I decided to make one! I wanted a very long necklace so you may decide to make yours shorter if you decide to make this.

To measure out the chain I simply pulled some of the chain from the spool and wrapped it around my neck and cut it with the wire cutters when it was the length I wanted.

I used a wood spool for the pendant that I got from Amazon, but this is a perfect way to repurpose spools that you have left over from other crafts as well. I used the 16 gauge wire to secure the bottom of the spool and make a hanger at the top. I started at the bottom and made a spiral with the wire and then wrapped the end of the wire around the loops to secure them. Then I made circles with the wire for the hanger at the top and secured it with the end of the wire by wrapping it around the circles.

I decoupaged a book page to the spool. I love using book pages in my crafts!! I marked the length of the inner part of the spool on the page and trimmed it with scissors. I then added mod podge to the wood spool and put the book page on top of it and also brushed mod podge on top of the page.

I used jump rings to attach the clasp to the chain. To do this you can use two needle nose pliers to open the ring and put the chain and clasp on it and then close it. You do this for both ends.

Because the hanger on the pendant is so big you can put it on the chain before or after you attached the clasp.

My Bookbinding Journey

My journey to learn bookbinding was a long one! It took me years to finally learn it! I wanted to share this story with you today because I was thinking about this beautiful blanket my grandma gifted to me a couple of years ago. It is a quilted blanket with scraps from all the journals I had made. It was such a beautiful gift and it filled my heart with so much joy to see the pieces of all the journals I have gotten to make.

I am a life long journaler!! It is a hobby that is very near to my heart because there have been times in my life when it felt like my journal was one of my dearest companions. A safe space where I could keep my secrets, share my feelings, write my prayers, express my thoughts, and tell my stories. Because of this passion for journaling I wanted to learn how to make journals. I enjoyed crafting but was not skilled at any particular craft when I was first looking into making journals. I did not even know where to start. I wasn’t sure what to use for the cover, what paper to use, how to bind the journals, or what tools I needed. I tried many many many different ideas!! It was a messy process!! I’m so thankful for the friends who stuck by me through all the trial and error. It was rough! Below is a picture from college when I was trying to figure out how to make a journal out of this used book. I had seen something on Pinterest about how to get bad smells out of books by putting them in the microwave. Needless to say it was in the microwave for way too long! I grabbed the book out of the microwave and there was a lot of smoke and the pages were burning. We thankfully put it out quickly in the bathroom sink, but it was not my finest moment.

After I graduated college I was still doing research about book binding and various tools that you can use. The whole process was so hard for me to wrap my head around and I didn’t have a lot of resources to pay for materials to experiment with. One night I was about the give up and I found a video on YouTube that made all the difference. All the sudden it made sense and I learned how to do the long stitch. I figured out that I could take apart old books, recover them, and sew in new pages. The video was of a woman in Australia who was making a junk journal out of a cereal box. She took so much of the pressure off by saying to just use what you have in your home, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and make it your own. I felt so empowered!! I didn’t have to have any special tools I could just use what I had and create!! I am forever grateful for that video!!

After I learned this I understood the types of tools I could use for making journals. I went to Walmart and got a sewing awl and went to hobby lobby and got waxed thread and large needles. I experimented with various glues for recovering old books with fabric and just started creating!!

Then I learned about the Coptic stitch. It was finally all coming together!! I bought a large printer and was able to print my own lined pages and planners.

I am so thankful to have made and sold so many journals. I have now expanded to book disc and metal spine binding as well. Once I learned this craft, it seemed to open up a whole new world for me of creativity. I began to have more confidence in my work and allowed myself to explore new crafts!

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from this journey is to not give up!! There were so many ups and downs but I am so thankful that I kept pressing forward!! Bookbinding is one of my greatest joys!! Keep pressing forward and working towards your goals!! You never know what kind of opportunities it will lead to!!

Inspiration for Creativity

Hello!

During this podcast we will chat about creativity and inspiration! I have actually been talking with several people in a various areas of my life about this! The beauty of creativity is that we are all creative in such different ways and can be inspired by so many different things! We will chat about some of those sources of inspiration and forms of creativity.

I will also be sharing this quote and what it means to me!

Paint Kit Craft Ideas

Do you enjoy paint kits?

I was excited when I found this Black History Month paint kit in Michael’s. I am not a good painter, but I enjoy the process of painting! I did not use all the paints included in the kit and used some paint that I already had.

I painted the picture outlined. I painted it a bit different then the picture that came with the kit. I wanted to make the woman darker and tried to add some curly texture to her hair.

I love book pages and I wanted to incorporate a book page background of this picture. I ripped some book pages into strips. I then brushed mod podge on the canvas, placed the strip down, and then brushed mod podge on top of the strip to decoupage it.

I decoupaged all around the edge of the circle and I covered some of the leaves at the bottom and will repaint those when the mod podge dries.

Once the mod podge was dried I repainted some spots that were covered by the book pages and added more color to her hair. I then added embellishments!

I made some fabric roses for the head band and the bottom of the picture. I had some charms that I also wanted to add and hot glued them to the canvas. It’s so fun to make paint kits your own and add any features or decorations to them that you would like to! Half the fun is being creative and using what you have to make something new!