Think Crafts Blog - Craft Ideas and Projects - CreateForLess

By General Crafts Contributor Amy, from the Blog “Mod Podge Rocks!”

I love all sorts of woodland creatures right now, including frogs.  I decided recently that I wanted to find a way to fit them into home décor, especially as it applies to children.  What resulted was this wood name plaque celebrating cute amphibians and in bright colors.  I made it with my own name for this round, but I have a friend that’s having a baby and I’m going to make one for her new little one.  If you want to make it too, gather these supplies:

Mod Podge Gloss

Demis Wood Plaque

Wood letters spelling the name of your choice

Wood frog embellishment

FolkArt Paint - Wicker White, Licorice, Yellow Citron, Metallic Green     

K&Company Paper Pad 12×12 Actopus to Zelephant

Beacon 3 in 1 Glue

Flat paint brushes of various sizes

Piece of scrap paper to cover the plaque

Scissors

Tape

The first thing I did was make a template for the plaque background.  I just took a piece of computer paper (old and printed on one side) and pressed it around the edges.  I know it seems very rudimentary, but it really works!  Grab a sheet of scrapbook paper you want to use and some tape - tape this down and then cut around the edge of your template with the scissors.  There’s your background!  Set it aside.

Paint your plaque with white paint.  Completely coat the front and the back.  Allow to dry.

Paint the letters of your name with several coats of the metallic green paint.  Allow to dry.  Use the end of your paint brush to make yellow citron dots on the letters.  Allow to dry.

Paint your wood froggie piece with yellow citron paint.  You are going to use several coats.  Allow to dry.  Go back with a smaller brush to paint the spots metallic green and then the eyes black.  Let the entire piece dry.

Tip: Use a medium flat brush to paint the frog piece and don’t worry about getting paint on the spots.  When you paint the spots, use a smaller detail flat brush and this time take great care painting.

I went back to my white plaque and decided to dress it up a little bit.  I first painted one layer of metallic green on the top edges - this was for when I put my paper down - in case the edges of the paper didn’t exactly meet the edges of the plaque, there would be some green there.

The next step was to use a medium flat brush to add the stripes around the edge of the plaque.  I did this freeform - no planning, no taping.  That’s the look I wanted!  I did one pass first and then went back to tidy up the edges.  It was really easy.  Just go for it!  Allow the plaque to dry.

When it’s time to Mod Podge is when I get really excited!  Use your flat brush to apply a medium layer of Mod Podge to the top of the plaque.

Place the paper piece that has been sitting around for awhile down on the plaque and SMOOTH, SMOOTH, SMOOTH!  I use a brayer, but you can use your fingers or even an old gift card.  Smooth until the paper is flat, and if Mod Podge comes out the side, wipe it away with a brush.  Allow to dry for 15 - 20 minutes.

You’re almost done!  Mod Podge everything to seal it - the entire plaque, the letters and the frog.  Give it all at least two coats and then let it dry.

Finally, use your Beacon glue to attach the wood pieces to the plaque.  You’ll see I glued my letters down a little funky - choose smaller letters and make them “dance” for large names.  Now you’ve got a name plaque for yourself or someone as a gift.

By General Crafts Contributor Amy, from the Blog “Mod Podge Rocks!”

I love fixing up old items that I find!  This tray above was a thrift store treasure - perfect and in good condition, great for organizing my art supplies.  The only problem was that it was kind of boring and need a little pizzazz.  Nothing boring for my shelves!  This revamp is so easy, you won’t believe it.  First, gather these supplies:

Wood tray

Scrapbook paper - I used Anna Griffin’s Riley Collection, 2 sheets each of 2 corresponding papers

Mod Podge Gloss

Flat paint brush

Craft knife and mat or scissors

Pen or pencil

Here’s the tray beforehand - do you see why I enhanced it?  It just needed something.

I measured the compartments to make sure that I cut the paper correctly.

Turn your paper with the print side facing down, measure and cut to fit the compartments.  I used two different (yet complimentary) patterns from the same scrapbook paper collection, which I think added a nice touch.

Grab your Mod Podge and brush and put a medium layer on the inside of each compartment.

Place the paper down and smooth, smooth smooth!  You’ll see I used an old gift card to do the smoothing.  It worked really well!  Continue to smooth and wipe away Mod Podge that comes out the sides (and it will).  Do all of the compartments and allow to dry for 15 - 20 minutes.

Paint a medium layer of Mod Podge over the paper in each compartment, being careful not to get it on the sides.  Wipe away if it does.  Allow to dry and you’re done.

Organizing has really never been this easy, or this cute!  Not only was this craft simple to make, but it was inexpensive.  With the Mod Podge I had on hand and the thrifted tray, I spent less than $5 making something I will use for a long time.  Yay!

By General Crafts Contributor Amy, from the Blog “Mod Podge Rocks!”

I’m really getting into the holiday spirit, and I decided it was time to throw something festive up on the ol’ fireplace.  I like the patchwork look, and so I employed that basic idea when making this banner - getting things together that coordinate but are not necessarily the same.  Try it with your holiday decorations.  It’s very fun and you get to use a lot of colors.  It’s easier to match your décor than you think. 

Gather These Supplies:

Mod Podge Sparkle

Letters spelling the holiday saying of your choice - mine came with the screws and ribbon.  If yours don’t, you can purchase the hooks and ribbon.

Christmas scrapbook paper - 3 coordinating sheets

Christmas embellishments and stickers - multiple coordinating

Rhinestones, adhesive - at least 10 coordinating

FolkArt Acrylic paint - 3 coordinating colors (I used Bright Green, Engine Red and Hot Pink)

Craft Glue

Flat Paint Brush

Scissors

Pencil or Pen

Take your letter and lay it down on the scrapbook paper face up.  Trace the shape - repeat with the other letters.  Use a different sheet of paper for each letter.

Use your scissors to cut the letter shapes out of the paper.  Set aside.

Paint your letters with coordinating acrylic colors.  Paint the entire back, but you’ll only have to paint the sides and the edges of the front.  You don’t need to paint the entire front because the paper will be covering.  Isn’t that delightful?

Grab those pieces of scrapbook paper that are shaped like your letters.  Paint a medium layer of Mod Podge down on your letters and make sure to get the corners well.

Place paper down and either smooth with your fingers or roll with a brayer.  Smooth, smooth, smooth!  Until all of the air bubbles are gone.  Do the other letters and then set them all aside for 15 - 20 minutes.

When your letters are dry, spread Mod Podge over the top of the paper on the letters.  Again, spread a medium coat.  Allow to dry for 15 - 20 minutes, then spread another coat.  Don’t forget to coat the back of your letters as well!  Allow to dry.

At this time, replace the hooks in your letters, or if you had to purchase, screw into the top of your letters.  You shouldn’t need to drill.  Simply push down and screw into the top.

Use your craft glue to add embellishments to the letters.  I added chipboard shapes, rhinestones and stickers.  Decorate however your little heart desires!  When you are done, allow to dry for 24 hours and then string the ribbon.  Mine came with ribbon, but if your letters don’t, then purchase about 1 foot of ribbon per letter for your saying.  Hang and admire!

General Crafts Contributor Amy, from the Blog “Mod Podge Rocks!”

The gifty time of year is here - fall has begun, and your presence is required at many a cookie exchange, autumn get together or holiday bash.  It was only in my twenties that I discovered the delight of hostess gifts, and now I give them religiously.  When I can, I prefer to give handmade hostess gifts, and so I created these mini canvases to give to my friends.  A lot of my pals have craft rooms or just good taste (hee!) and like to receive little surprises from me that they can decorate their spaces with.  I aim to please.

These gift canvases are my style, but please adopt them to fit your own (or the hostess’s).  All you need is two hours before you have to be somewhere, and you’ll have enough time to whip up a fantastic little treasure for the hostess.  She’ll love it.

First you’ll need to gather these supplies:

• Canvases - I used 4″ x 4″
• FolkArt Acrylic Paint, coordinating colors
• Mod Podge Gloss, 8 oz.
• Scrapbook paper, 1 sheet per canvas - I used K & Company’s Berry Sweet papers
• Embellishments - I used K & Company’s Berry Sweet collection, as well as a few buttons and rhinestones from my stash
• Craft Glue
• Flat Paint Brush
• Craft Knife and Mat
• Ruler

Start by trimming your paper to fit the canvases.  My craft mat had a ruler guide so I was able to quickly measure and cut a 4″ x 4″ square.  If your mat doesn’t, simply measure with a ruler.  This is the easiest cutting you’ll ever do - I whipped out three 4″ x 4″ squares from three different pieces of paper in about five minutes!  Set the paper squares aside.

Paint your canvases with the acrylic paint and flat paint brush.  You don’t have to paint the entire top of the canvas since you’ll be applying paper over it.  Get the sides well and don’t forget the back.  I applied three coats to each canvas.  Allow them to dry.

Now that each canvas is dry, apply the Mod Podge.  Use a medium layer and coat the entire top - don’t forget to cover the corners well. 

Apply the paper and smooth it down thoroughly with your fingers or a brayer.  I even turned the canvas over and smoothed it down that way.  If Mod Podge comes out the sides, that is fine - simply wipe it away with your brush.  Apply the papers to all canvases and allow to dry for 15 - 20 minutes.

Now add the embellishments with craft glue.  Get creative!  You probably have about an hour left before your party, so get together some buttons and random embellishments from your stash.  Attach them with the glue and allow to dry while you continue to get ready.  Right before you leave, throw everything in a bag and have a great time!

Please welcome experienced crafter and guest blogger Amy, from the blog “Mod Podge Rocks”.

I like clipboards yes I do, I like clipboards how ’bout you?

I’ve had several people tell me recently that they are working on clipboard projects, either for themselves or for gifts. I decided that I wanted to do one too, so I took a dive into the stash and this is what I came up with.

A little research reveal that clipboards are hot for back-to-school this year - but not the typical brown slab with a silver clip.  This year’s clipboards are fun and funky . . . and easy to personalize.  They are also way easier than you might think.  Just follow this tutorial for fabulous results!

"Hi, I'm a boring brown clipboard. To fix me up, gather the following supplies."

Supplies:

Clipboard
Scrapbook paper - 2 coordinating pieces
Acrylic paint - coordinating color (I used Sky Blue)
Spray paint - coordinating color (I used Apple Green)
Craft Glue
Chipboard letters and/or coordinating embellishments
Ribbon - all from my stash
Mod Podge Gloss, 8oz.
Flat paint brush
Ruler
Craft Knife and Mat
Pencil

Start by removing the clip at the top and set it aside.  Time to paint the board.  Paint one side, allow to dry, flip over and paint the other.  Do this at least twice depending on your paint color - I did mine three times because my paint was a little lighter and I wanted great coverage.  Set aside to dry.

While you are waiting for the paint to dry on the clipboard, spray the clip.  I had this extra paint laying around which happened to coordinate.  Lucky me, right?  Either buy spray paint (there are baby sizes now), or use outdoor paint such as this.  You can also use regular acrylic paint, but you’ll need to seal it with acrylic sealer so that it doesn’t scrape off.

While both the board and clip are drying, measure and cut your paper.  My clipboard is 9″ x 12″, and I decided I wanted two pieces of paper that met in the middle.  Therefore, I measured out two pieces of paper, 9″ wide x 6″ tall.

Cut both sheets of paper with your craft knife.  Lay them out on the clipboard (which should now be painted and dry) and make sure that they fit.

You laid out the papers on the board - remove the top piece and cover the board with Mod Podge.  Put on a medium coat, and make sure to get the corners well.  You’re probably going to put on more than you think.  Lay the top piece of paper down and smooth out with your fingers.

 Okay, so the top piece is down.  Repeat the process with the bottom piece.

Now that both pieces are down, you can use either your fingers or a brayer (like I am above) to smooth both sheets down thoroughly.  If any Mod Podge comes out the sides, wipe it away with your paint brush.  Allow these sheets to dry for 15 - 20 minutes, and then Mod Podge over the top of them.  Allow to dry, flip over and then Mod Podge the back of the clipboard to seal the paint.  Allow to dry for at least an hour.

This is always the fun part for me!  You’ll notice that when the Mod Podge dried, I replaced the clip.  I also laid out some ribbon that I had in my stash, a large brown piece and a thinner orange piece.  I had some chipboard letters to make the “Notes” saying down at the bottom, and I had a sticker to adhere to the clip.  I glued everything down with craft glue and allowed to dry for 24 hours.

Here’s the finished clipboard again.  Notice that I tied some ribbon at the top too - they were about 10″ pieces that I just knotted through the hole.  I call the ribbon the “piece de’la resistance.”  That’s French for something really cool!  Enjoy your clipboard, and as always I encourage you to use papers, colors and embellishments that fit your style.  Don’t forget, above all else, have fun!

Please Welcome Guest Blogger, Annie Authier, from the blog “Thriftfulness”. 

With school starting now is the time of year when the air is thick with promises made in parked cars, deserted beaches, the empty beds of pickup trucks and under the glow of your parents’ motion sensor porch lights. These are the promises of summer lovers and they are, sadly but most assuredly, of the empty variety.

BFs and GFs who met on lifeguard docks, in camp mess-halls, and while holding their roommate’s hair back at house parties all over the United States are, at this very moment, vowing to write, to call, to Facebook chat every day and text sweet nothings every night. Will it happen? Probably not. 

Though the combination of physical distance, ex-boyfriends who forgot how awesome your summer love looks with a tan, and angry fathers waving cell-phone bills is sure to crush your burgeoning romance, I’m one for keeping hope alive. Thus, I give you Goodbye Summer Love Stationary.

Receiving handwritten letters is one of the best feelings ever and making the stationary yourself makes this gift extra personal. Make it for sending your own letters or give it to your summer sweetheart so that he or she can promise to send it back to you chock-cull of XOXOs (though you should know full well you’re never actually going to get that letter). Here are some examples of my own Summer Love Stationary:

Materials:

-Nice paper (splurge on the thick stuff and send your letter in a big mailing envelope to keep your art un-creased)

-Scissors

 -Glue or double sided tape

 -Colorful markers or colored pencils

 -Decorative material: (this can be just about anything) stamps and ink, watercolors, magazine clippings, old greeting cards you’ve saved for no reason, even tiny buttons.

-Perfume or cologne to spritz the paper with (I won’t make a Grease reference; I WON’T make a Grease reference!)

Once you’ve gathered your supplies and ripped yourself from your lover’s embrace, get to decorating. There aren’t many rules to this. Just keep in mind that someone is planning on writing on this so try to decorate on the margins and don’t use paper that is too dark or too bumpy.

For the first sheet (and I like to decorate every page different, although you may want to work in themes) I found a page in a decorating book that I liked and made a color copy of it, then just glued it onto the cardstock and decorated with a fancy “from the desk of:” tab on top.  If you’re low on creativity or time this is probably the best way to go for you.

You can also use pictures from old birthday cards or wedding invitations that you’ve saved for no apparent reason. For the page below (picture is just of the top of the page), I also added some tiny buttons by sewing them to the card-stock. Ordinarily this would mean more money for postage but, because I’m your friend, I’m going to be straight: it’s probably not going to make it to the post office.

Various magazine clippings are also a great decorating tool. This mix-tape I cut out from a magazine ad reads “stories and soundtracks of lost loves” which will most likely end up a fitting irony for whoever receives it. 

In the same magazine, I discovered these lovely mass transit pictures, which I used for decoration in this desperate attempt for a rendezvous cloaked in the lyrics to a Supreme’s song. This picture is of the top of the page and I painted tiny red suitcases down the right side.

One of my favorite ways to decorate is with stamps. Now these can get pricey but they are worth it because they’re pretty and they also last a long time. I use my old-lady-chasing-something stamp whenever I get the chance.

I used my Alice-in-Wonderland stamp to make a final angry plea to my summer lover that he BETTER call.

And finally, for when it’s clear that the relationship has died along with the potted basil plants in the yard, you can pull out the big guns: Tootie. She yelled, “AU gimme back my gold watch” on a hilarious episode of The Facts of Life so that she could remember the periodic table. Your stationary yells it because you gave that slug your gold watch and you want it back.

Make any variation of these Goodbye Love Stationary sets and send them off, you’ll be singing Hey Hey Mr. Postman and crying into your pillow before the last leaves change color. Goodbye summer love. Goodbye summer.