SUPER Cheap and Easy Wall Art

Want some contemporary wall art?  Have an awkward, empty wall space at home you just need to fill?  Well I've got a super cheap alternative to sifting through tons of artwork, shopping for hours and paying tons of money.  Let's get started!

Here's what you'll need:

1.  A canvas.  I get mine at Big Lots and they run for about $4 wahoo!

2.  Acrylic Paint in whichever color you choose (only $1)

3.  Paper: in any color or any type (I chose a color the same as the paint I used)

4.  Hot glue gun with glue sticks

5.  Beads (any kind)

6.  Paint brush

Here's how you do it:

1.  Paint the canvas in the color you chose

2.  Now for the flowers (it can get a bit tricky explaining it in writing so pay attention)

     a.  Cut out tear drop shapes.  You'll need four per flower so make all four the same size.

     b.  Cut a slit about a centimeter long at the pointy end of the tear drop.  Like this:

     c.  Fold the flaps on either side of the slit over each other and glue so that it makes a 3D petal.  Like this:

     d.  Now that you've done it to each of the 4 petals, glue them all together in the middle.  I usually place a drop of glue a the end of one petal, glue 2 on each side and then place one more drop of glue to attach the final petal to the other 3.

     e.  Glue a bead, pearl or jewel to the center of the petal for a final touch!

3.  Now glue the flowers, in various sizes, to the dried canvas in whatever fashion you'd like.

Fun Flag Border

Have wedding planning to do that you want to make unique?  Are you getting a surprise birthday party ready that you want to make super special?  Or are you just decorating a room that needs that original touch?  I have a fast and easy way for you to do it.  How about you make a flag border!

Here's what you need:

1.  3 fabrics of your choice (I picked a color theme of white, black and turquoise)

2.  String or ribbon that needs to be pretty long (I choose a thin twine)

3.  Hot glue and glue gun

4.  Paper/cardboard/cardstock (for making a triangle pattern)

5.  GOOD scissors 

Here's how you do it:

1.  Make a triangle pattern on your sturdy paper.  It can be complicated if free handing so I used a straight edge and several tries to get the one I wanted.  You can make it whatever size you want but I did mine about the size of my hand if I was making a jazz hand.

2.  Cut out about 15 triangles of each fabric (You can cut out less if you want a smaller banner)

3.  Now here's the sticky part.  Hot glue!  Glue a line across the top of the first flag, place the string over the glue and fold the top edge over it, essentially making a small fold over the string to hold the flag in place!

4.  About 2 inches from the first flag, glue the second flag just like you did in step 3.

5.  Continue steps 3 and 4 until all the flags are glued on to the string in alternating fashion (you can either do them randomly or in a pattern)

Now your flag banner is done!  Here are some more cute ways to fashion them.  You can even put letters on them and use it as a cute engagement photo accessory! Go here here and here for some more cute examples!

Key Lime Cupcakes

Need a sweet and tangy summer treat?  Well I've got the perfect one for you, Key Lime Cupcakes!! (They're my dad's favorite!)

Here's how to make them:

The Cupcake Ingredients

1. Box of Lemon cake mix

2. Two limes (key limes if you can find them!) to squeeze 1/3 cup or more for tangy-ness

3. Small box of lime jello

4. 1/3 cup Vegetable oil

5. 3 Eggs

6. 3/4 cups Water

7. Cupcake sleeves

8. Cupcake pan

Icing Ingredients

1. 2 boxes of cream cheese

2. 1/2 cup to 1 cup of powdered sugar (at more according to the sweetness you desire)

3. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

How to make them

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix cake mix and jello mix together

3. Poor in the rest of the ingredients and mix well (by hand or by egg beater)

*it might be a little hard to squeeze limes by hand so slice them to smaller slices for easier squeezing if you don't have a juicer

4. Fill cupcake sleeves about 3/4 full

5. Slip into the oven for about 20 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

6. Let the cupcakes cool for 10-15 minutes.

7. Ice with the sweet cream icing I'll tell you how to make below.

Now for the icing

1. Put the two blocks of cream cheese into a microwavable bowl and microwave for a minute.

2. Take out the cream cheese and mix.  If it's not smooth and creamy, put in the microwave for one more minute or until there are no chunks left.

3. Mix in the powdered sugar until at your desired sweetness.

4. At the vanilla and mix until blended.

5. Put into large plastic baggy and put into the fridge.

6. Once cooled, cut the corner of the baggy so you can ice the cupcakes.

7. Ice in swirls going from the outside in and dab and pull up in the middle.

Enjoy these sweet summer treats.  They're perfect for entertaining!

recipe can also be found here

Sweet Valentine Gift

So it's valentines day, or your mans birthday, or a special anniversary and you need a creative gift.  I have the perfect idea for you.  Modeling after my grandparents goal of traveling all 50 states together, I decided to make my boyfriend a map of the states and to tack a picture taken in the states we've been to so far.  It's a cute, easy gift that's sure to have him wooing in no time.

Supplies:
1.  Cork board (smaller one)
2.  Paint (I chose two variations of blue)
3.  Tacks
4.  Pictures of you and your special someone
5.  Paint pen (I used black)
6.  Map of the US printed out or a picture online if you're ultra risky/artsy
7.  Cute travel icons (optional)
8.  Scrap booking letters
9.  Glue gun and sticks

How to:
1.  If you printed out the US map on a piece of paper, cut it out like a stencil and trace.  If you did like I did and didn't have time/access to an immediate printer, do your best to draw it from a picture online (google image search US map). ** don't forget Alaska and Hawaii
2.  Squirt your paint colors on a plate and paint alternatively on the map while mixing and blending at the same time to get a swirly blended look.  If that's to hard or time consuming you can do one sold color.
3.  Outline the whole thing with a black paint pen.
4.  If you want you can outline each state but I found it easier to just put the abbreviations of each state (it makes it not look as cluttered)
5.  Glue on your letters at the top for the title (mine is titled Garrett and Courtney's Travels)
6.  Make a section for Countries off to the side
7.  Glue on any cute icons or adornments (I bought a "travel" themed set of pieces in the scrap booking section that had little planes, luggage boxes and travel buttons)
8.  Tack on each picture to the corresponding state
9.  Wrap and give to your lovey!


Now that you've wowed the socks off of your special someone, go book yourself a trip to Hawaii or an Alaskan cruise to knock off some of those hard to get to places!  Lucky for me I get to mark off Minnesota, New York and New Jersey this spring break! Hurrah!

Snap Cup

 Need a crafty idea to boost moral at your chapter meetings or events?  Why don't you make a snap cup. Kudos to our friends from Legally Blonde.  This simple snap cup can add a lot of fun to your meetings by having your members put anonymous encouraging notes in the cup and then reading them loud for all to hear.  Try and count how many people blush!

Here's how you pull this puppy off:

Supplies:
1.  Glass or plastic cup (the bigger the better)
2.  Anything that shines! (jewels, sequins, sparkly buttons, etc.)
3.  Ribbon
4.  Glue gun and sticks

How to:
1.  I started off by gluing the ribbon to the top of the glass.  This would also be cute if you had some feather ribbon to add to the top of the glass.
2.  I then took sequined string and glued it around the two bulging parts of the neck of the glass. (this can get messy with glue so go slowly!)
3.  Next, adorn the bottom of the glass with a pattern of sequins and jewels.
4.  Add a design of jewels and sequins to the cup of the glass.
5.  Finally I added a cute flower to the top of the glass with a silver button in the middle.

Now you can express your inner Elle Woods and maybe even slip an anonymous note of affirmation into the cup for yourself.  After all, you are a crafting diva.

Festive Folders

 Need a cute way to organize your files?  Perhaps you want a spiffy gift to pass out to all of your cube mates.  Or maybe you have a ton of manilla folders and a bunch of paper scraps and ribbon hanging around.  Here's a fun, easy idea for making uber cute folders.  Just follow these steps below:

Supplies:
1. Manilla folders (any office supplies store or even hobby lobby has them)
2. Scrap book paper and/or cardstock
3.  Ribbon
4.  Scissors
5.  Sharpie
6.  Stencil (optional.  I used a leopard print one)
7.  Glue gun with plenty of glue sticks
8.  Glitter spray paint (optional.  I used on one of the folders)
9.  Any cutesy stickers, jewels, adornments, etc.
10.  Paint and paintbrushes

 How to:

1.  Glue on the paper you'd like to use as the base.  You can use several different types, do it landscape or profile and use different widths.  I like to make one paper base a little bit wider/bigger than the other.

2.  Glue ribbon down the separation line of the two opposing paper bases.  You can use multiple pieces of ribbon next to each other for a different look.  Feel free to use other kinds of ribbon like fluffy feather ribbon or the rosette kind I used below.

3.  Now paint on your stencil on the larger side in the middle or just simply cut out a rectangle of a different colored paper to serve as your "label" for the folder.

4.  Draw on a name for the folder or add on any adornments you deem necessary.  (I like jewels, glitter spray, cool scrap booking stickers and sequins!)

Now go knock the socks off of your coworkers and sorority sisters with your fashionista folders!  Hey you never know, maybe your teacher will give you an A for creativity.  I know I would.

Car Hangers

Need something cute and fashionable to hang from your rear view mirror?  Want to make something for you and your bestie so you can match?  How about these adorable hangers!  You can make them as the first letter of your name or any wood shape you like!  Here's how you do it:

Supplies:
1. Wood letter or shape
2. Piece of scrapbook paper
3. Pencil and scissors or exacto knife
4. Modge podge and brush
5. Embellishments (like stick on pearls, beads, jewels or flowers)
6. Glue gun
7. Ribbon or string
8. Paint

How you make it:
1. Paint the back of the letter and the sides with the color of your choice.
2. Trace the letter on to the scrapbook paper you want on the letter (make sure you trace the correct side!) and cut it out with scissors
*if that's too much work, put the paper on the letter and trace/cut it out with an exacto knife.
3. Paint a layer of modge podge on the front of the letter and lay your cut out scrapbook paper on it.
4. Stick on any embellishments to the letter now so you can modge podge over it (unless you're doing jewels, wait till after).
5. Modge podge over the letter pressing outward so you can eliminate bubbles.  You can put several coats on the letter now so the paper will be secured to the wood.
6. Cut two even pieces of ribbon about 3/4 of a foot each, glue them to the back of the letter apart from each other toward the top and then tie the ends together in a bow so the letter can now hang!
7. Hang from your rear view mirror for a classy, polished look!