Holiday Hostess Gift–DIY Gift Tag Jar

November 20, 2016

Is your holiday party calendar is already booked up? If so, I know you’re on the hunt for creative hostess gift ideas. I’ll be sharing my Holiday Gift Guides starting Monday but today I have a fun and easy DIY hostess gift idea to share.

No matter what type of holiday party we attend, my criteria for a hostess gift is that it needs to be creative, fun AND useful. This year I came up with the idea of creating a Holiday Gift Tag Jar filled with an assortment of gift tags and ribbon. What I love about this gift is that it only take a few minutes to pull together and you can find all of the supplies you need for less than $12! Everything you see here came from TJMaxx.

I used a glass jar for this hostess gift but you could use jsut about any decorative container that you want. The jar is purchased has a pretty embossed snowflake pattern on the outside but you could add a sticker to a plain jar to get the same effect. And I purchased boxed sets of ribbon and gift tags which included enough of each that I am able tome two jars.

Lay out all your ribbon and tags and mix and match so that you jar includes a variety. Fill the jar so that you can see everything inside and then tie a bow around the lid as a finishing touch. It’s that easy!

In addition to being a great hostess gift, a Holiday Gift Tag jar would make a fun gift for a girlfriend, co-worker or someone in your posse like your hair stylist or manicurist.

p.s. A Holiday Gift Tag Jar isn’t just for Christmas. You can make a year round version filled with all occasion tags and ribbon.

♦♦♦

To make your own handcrafted gift tags, check out this post. And you and get tips on building your own gift tag collection here.

Handcrafted Home–A Creative DIY Blog Hop

October 27, 2016

Today I’m joining a few bloggers for the Handcrafted Home DIY Blog Hop hosted by Jamala from Viva LaVintage For Your Home. And because this is a creative + diy themed blog hop, Jamala tasked each of us to transform an item using gold leaf.

Well, what’s a girl to do when the only craft projects on my mind are holiday related? Transform Christmas ornaments of course.

I dove into my holiday stash and found these two unfinished wood ornaments that I purchased from Hobby Lobby last year. They were the perfect candidates for a little DIY UpStyle.

After applying my gold leaf and adding a few vintage ornaments to the top of each wood piece, my ornaments went from plain to pizzazz!

This was a quick an easy DIY project and I love the way my ornaments turned out.

Tips for working with Gold Leaf:

Gold Leaf is easier to work with on surfaced that don’t have a lot of nooks and crannies. If you’re working with ornaments similar to mine, you’ll have to spend a little time smoothing the gold leaf on all the edges.
Wear latex gloves or put a few drops of talcum powder on your hands to make handling the gold leaf easier. This stuff is really clingy.
Use a soft bristle brush to smooth the gold leaf down. Smooth bristle will ensure you don’t tear the gold leaf.
Buy a high quality gold leaf paper and adhesive. I used the Gold Leaf Kit below (affiliate link) and think its one of the best out there.

Now it’s time to see the other fabulous DIY projects. Hop over and see how creative they got with their Gold Leaf.

Viva LaVintage For Your Home

M. Jones Style

Linda G. Loving Home

Fox and Finch Antiques

What Would You Do? A Thrift Store Swap! #swapitlikeitshot

October 18, 2016

I bet when you read the title of this blog post you had no idea what I was talking about, right? Well it’s time for another round of Swap It Like It’s Hot, where a group of crafty and creative bloggers get together, swap cast off thrift store pieces and breath new life into them using their DIY skills.

I was so excited when Charlotte from Ciburbanity asked me to participate in the swap again but was a little nervous about what I was going to receive in the mail from my swap partner. This time around my items came from Kimm at Reinvented and when I opened my box of goodie, I was giddy. Kimm sent me some great pieces to work with.

Like all craft and DIY projects I undertake, I spent some time bonding with the pieces before I decided how I was going to transform them. I decided to makeover a couple of the pieces now and the others will make their debut as part of my Christmas decor in November. #moregoodnesstocome

So before I jump into what I did with a couple of these items, let me first tell you that I had a hard time letting go of the leaf bowl the way it was. It was perfect and I could totally see if on my coffee table filled with fall nuts. But alas, I had to let it go and give it a new look (or in this case, a new purpose).

Since I loved the bowl so much, I didn’t go too crazy with the transformation. I decided to pare the leaf and one of the snack bowls and turn it into flower vase AND candleholder. You read that right… this little piece has two personalities.

Now it’s a candleholder…

And now it’s a flower vase.

How did I do that you ask? I attached the bowl (with the writing facing the back) to the leaf using a screw so the bowl could be turned upside down. When the bowl is facing down, a candle sits on the bottom. Then when the bowl is turned upright, I add a glass bowl and use it to hold flowers. Just like magic!

Oh, and did I mention that I added a hanger to the back of the leaf so it can also hang on the wall too!

The other piece I transformed was this art piece. I knew immediately that I was going to make a clock with this piece and decided on a black and white theme.

It went from a cozy cottage piece of art…

to a chic black and white buffalo check clock with a gold edge.

Pretty snazzy don’t you think? I’m thrilled with the way my swap items turned out and had so much fun transforming these pieces. Now it’s time to go check out all the other bloggers projects.

And speaking of other’s bloggers projects, I was so busy getting crafty with my items that I totally forgot to take photo of the items I sent my swap partner Christy. So, hop on over to Christy’s blog, Confessions of a Serial DIYer and see what goodies I sent her and how she worked her DIY magic on them.

And be sure to stop by each of the participating blogs throughout the week to see all of the fabulous swap transformations.

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Reinvented

ConfettiStyle (that’s me)

Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer

Addicted 2 DIY

Restoration Redoux

I Am a Homemaker

Maggie Overby Studios

PMQ For Two

WEDNESDAY

Two Thrifty-Five Designs

THURSDAY

This is our Bliss

Southern State of Mind

Two Purple Couches

My Life From Home

FRIDAY

Erin Spain

Copper Dot Interiors

Prim and Propah

Sweet Tea Refinishing

Eveys Creations

On Fern Avenue

Gift Wrap Inspiration: Coloring Book Pages

July 12, 2016

When it comes to finding unexpected items to wrap gifts with, nothing is off-limits in my book, not even coloring books.

After receiving The Inspired Room Coloring Book a few weeks ago, I knew immediately that I wanted to use some of the images as gift wrap.

via The Inspired Room

The pages I choose had designs which reminded me of beautiful wrapping paper. Here’s one of the pages before I colored it.

When selecting colors for the pages, I decided to use two of my favorite color combos–red & hot pink and royal blue & green. After the pages were colored I used them to wrap small cardboard gift mailers. Gift mailers are a great alternative to a traditional box for wrapping small items.

And because I’m all about the details, I added small grommets to the egde where the paper overlapped. And then I added some cute tassels. Aren’t these tassels the cutest things ever? I followed Amber’s hula tassel tutorial which you can find here.

COLORING BOOK PAGE GIFT WRAP

Hand coloring your gift wrap is definitely more time-consuming than using store bought paper but for special gifts it’s worth the time and effort.

You can pick up your copy of The Inspired Room Coloring Book on Amazon.

p.s. I used these art markers to color my pages.

Summer Bedroom Refresh–Chinoiserie Inspired

June 17, 2016

I’ve been thinking about giving our bedroom a refresh for a while now and I think I’m going to pull the trigger.

This is the current look of the bedroom–a mix of wood, black & white accents and pops of color.

My love affair with blue and white has me thinking of a look that incorporate navy, black, white and pops of color.

Here’s the Chinoiserie Inspired inspiration board I came up with…

Since the black armoire and chair will be staying, I need to find a duvet cover that can tie the navy and black together. About a month ago I spotted a Ralph Lauren set at HomeGoods but decided to pass on it. Now I can’t get it out of my mind. I’ve been searching for it again but so far I have only found it in a king size and we need a queen. The pattern is called Tamarind and I did find it on Amazon (more expensive) so if I don’t have any luck at HomeGoods I have another option.

When it comes the accessories, I’m planning to change the black drapes to a dark navy and I’m looking at this pink pillow…

and some chinoiserie inspired artwork from Etsy.

And of course I’ll incorporate some blue and white ceramic pieces into the mix.

As always things may change before it’s all said and down but I’m excited to create a fresh new look for our space.

DIY Toile Tablecloth (and a Giveaway)

June 7, 2016

I saw it…I admired it…and then I decided to make it!

One day when I was surfing through the Neiman Marcus website, I spotted a beautiful green and white toile tablecloth. It had everything going for it except the price ($$$). I continued to search for more budget friendly options but the only color I found at the price I wanted to pay was blue and white.

Well, the universe must have been hearing my cries because just about the time I was going to settle for a blue and white tablecloth, Cutting Edge Stencils contacted me and asked if I wanted to review one of their stencil designs. A quick review of their collection and I said YES. They had the perfect toile stencil so I could make my own toile tablecloth and save lots of money. Plus I always love a good craft challenge.

♦ DIY Toile Tablecloth ♦

white tablecloth with a vibrant green paint color

you know I love chinoiserie

of course I had to style the table using some of my blue and white pieces

a fun accent color makes it even merrier

lots of vintage, thrifted and budget friendly treasure to give the table even more personality

So what do you think? Pretty darn cute if I may say so myself.

*****

If you’ve never given stenciling a try, I urge you to do it. It’s easy and a great way to create custom decor for your home. Making my tablecloth took just a couple of hours and a few supplies. Here’s how…

Supply list:

White Tablecloth –It’s best to get a 100% cotton or cotton blend which will allow the paint to absorb better

Secret Garden Toile Stencil (if toile isn’t your look, there are tons of designs to choose from)

Foam paint roller

Acrylic Paint –I used Anita’s acrylic paint in Christmas Green and purchased 2 of the large size bottles

Textile Medium–creates a soft, flexible and washable paint surface

Painters Tape, Spray Adhesive, Plastic paint tray or disposable paper plate

Gather your supplies and lay the tablecloth out on a smooth, firm surface. I used my dining room table and placed a plastic drop cloth under the white tablecloth to protect the table surface.
To ensure a clean paint application, use spray adhesive on the back of your stencil to prevent any paint bleeding. Spray the back of the stencil, let it sit for a few minutes and then place the stencil onto the tablecloth, starting in the upper right corner.
Mix 2 parts paint with 1 part textile medium and pour paint onto the disposable plate.
Coat your roller with paint and then roll the roller on the paper towel to remove most of the paint. You want the roller to have very little paint on it when you begin to reduce paint bleed.
Paint over the stencil–you may need to go over the stencil 2 or 3 times to get the depth of color you want.
Let the stencil sit for just a minute and then remove it. Move your stencil and repeat the process until you’ve covered the entire tablecloth.

Once my tablecloth was painted, I decided to add a decorative trim along the edge and added a canary yellow woven gimp I purchased on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I love the pop of color!

I’m thrilled with how my Toile Tablecloth turned out and will definitely to enjoy using it year round.

Now it’s your turn to get in on the stencil fun. Cutting Edge Stencils is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one of my readers. Enter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer : This is a sponsored post but all ideas and opinions are 100% my own.

Coloring Books for Design Fanatics

May 23, 2016

via

Ok, its confession time. How many of you have coloring books?

I jumped on the coloring book craze when it first starting gaining popularity. As a creative, I’ve loved coloring my entire life and the idea of a coloring book for adults was so up my alley that I couldn’t resist. My first coloring book was this one filled with Beautiful Patterns just like the title says. I was drawn to the abstract and intricate designs which are perfect for someone like me that is a ‘coloring inside the lines’ kind of gal.

Since my first coloring book I’ve been gifted several others by family and friends and now switch back and forth between books so none of them gets neglected.

Recently I read that several of my favorite bloggers (and authors) are jumping on the coloring book wagon and developing home decor themed books. I can’t wait!

John and Sherry from Young House Love have their coloring book, Color At Home coming out in October and from the looks of the cover image, it is going to be a good one. The cover image resembles many of the beautiful rooms you see on Pinterest.

And Melissa, the blogger and author behind The Inspired Room blog has a coloring book coming out in July, aptly named The Inspired Room Coloring Book.

Melissa shared a few pages from her book on her blog and it is also looks like it’s going to be a fun book. I love that there will be room environments along with individual home decor items to color. I see a whole lot of #chinosierie inspiration in my future.

I don’t know who or why the adult coloring book trend started but I think it’s only going to get bigger and home decor coloring books take it to a new level. Being able to color design a room in any color combination you want can provide great visual inspiration for someone decorating a room in their home.

For those of you that can’t wait until the Color At Home and The Inspired Room Coloring Book come out, here are a couple other home decor related coloring books I found.

Color Me Cluttered–The title and cover image of this coloring book might scare off a lot of people but I’m really intrigued by the artwork and potential transformation that can happen after a few hours of coloring. And the minute I saw the image of the gift wrap, I was hooked.

Off the Bookshelf–This coloring book contains a range of images, many of bookshelves and home decor scenes and others more random. This book was also designed using a slightly heavier paper weight so you don’t have any color bleeding if you use markers to color your images. And I like that each page is perforated making it easy to tear out the pages and frame as artwork.

Now that I’ve got you itching to purchase a few coloring books, you’ll also need to buy some great pens or markers. I switch between using pencils and markers when I color. If I want more intense color on the image I go with markers and if I’m looking for a softer effect, I tend to choose colored pencils. Here are several brands that love and in most cases own myself so I can highly recommend these from personal experience.

No. 1 Prismacolor is definitely my favorite brand for markers and I also love their colored pencils. They sell a variety of styles at price points from affordable to expensive. The Premier 24 pk. Colored Pencil Set is a great value, includes enough colors so that you have lots of options to work with and the pencils are ideal for blending colors. There are larger sets available too.

No. 2 Tomboy Dual Brush Pen Art Markers are great because of the dual brush heads and because the pens are odorless, bendable and non-bleeding.

No. 3 I’ve owned a set of Uchida Le Plume II Double Ended Markers for many years and they still work like a charm. They’ve traveled with us when we moved for Seattle to Atlanta and I’ve only had a few dry up. The extra-fine tip is great for intricate designs and the pens are easy to handle and won’t cramp your hand.

No. 4 For those of you that might want to take your coloring on the road or in the air, here’s a great set of 48 Marco Affine Artist Quality Pencils that include the roll-up case. While I don’t own this exact set, I am considering purchasing a case to hold my pencils. I like this case but if you’re looking for a great deal, you’ll want to scoop this case up.

No. 5 The 72-piece Prismacolor Premier Double Ended Art Marker set is for the serious color artist and crafter because these markers are an investment. This is another set that I’ve owned for years and just love. These markers provide a very saturated color and work great for blending. I also love them because once applied, the color is consistent with no blending or start/stop lines.

Coloring books for adults is a pretty cool thing in my book. I’m a big fan and encourage you to give it a try is you haven’t already.

DIY Chinoiserie Playing Cards

May 20, 2016

You all know I’m having a love affair with all things blue and white chinoiserie. A couple of months ago I picked up a pack of blue and white scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby and have had so much fun crafting and creating with all the beautiful designs.

I’m also kind of addicted to custom monogram stickers from Zazzle. I’ve ordered several sets and I’m using them on everything from stationery to tabletop decor. This green and white design with navy monogram is my most recent purchase.

And my latest craft project was to transform one of the many basic decks of cards I own into something a little more stylish.

What started as this….

Got UpStyled into these…

It was really simple to make these cards and it only took a couple of supplies.

How to:

Step 1: Coat the back side of a piece of 12″ x 12″ decorative paper with Mod Podge. It will take several sheets to cover all the cards in the deck. You’ll notice that I used several different paper patterns to make my set.

Step 2: While wet, place the playing cards onto the Mod Podge surface with the number side facing up.

Step 3: Let the adhesive dry and then cut out each card.

Step 4: Flip the cards over to the decorative side and adhere monogram sticker in the center.

This is a fun project that would make a great gift so give it a try.