Valentine's Day Heart

Celebrate Valentines Day by decorating your home with a hanging wall heart that you decorated yourself.

To make one like mine you'll need...

A wooden heart shaped plaque
Some ribbon
Decorative roses
Butterfly motif
A napkin of choice
Glue gun

First of all paint your heart white, so that your napkin découpage has a neutral base to go onto.  When dry découpage with your napkin (or paper if you prefer), leave to dry and then give it a coat or two of satin/matte varnish to protect the découpage.

Add your hanging-ribbon and glue on the decorative roses and the butterfly motif.

That's it - simple!

Now you have a beautiful decoration that can be used the whole year through, not just on Valentine's Day.

Wishing You all a Wonderful Valentine's Day

By for now

Rolled Paper Roses Tutorial

I love these little paper roses so much that I just had to share how to make them with you all.

They are so simple you can even get the kids to make them for you.  They are lovely when used to enhance wrapped gifts or greeting cards.  They can be made using any paper - newspaper, gift wrap, magazine pages - you name it - any type will do the job.

This batch are made using plain old colour print paper and just look how pretty they look.

See the photos below to check how it's done.

More Customised Journals

I am totally addicted to making these customised journals, they are just too gorgeous and each one different from the next.

Making customised journals is a really good way to enter into the world of journaling.  The main body of the journal is pre-made as you are using an existing diary or notebook or photo album and you are just adding embellishments, mainly to the cover, to give it your own unique look.  Of course it is possible to add pockets and other decorative items to the inside of the diary depending on how much space exists without using up the actual diary pages.

Now that I've made a few of these customised journals, I am ready and really looking forward to trying out a full handmade journal from scratch.

I have watched a few videos on this process and feel confident I can do it.... now all I need is time!

Below are the latest creations

I hope that you enjoyed reading my post on journaling and that you give it a go.  If you have any questions you can ask them by sending me an email using the form on the right.  I'm always happy to assist.

Bye for now

Customised Journals

Hello everyone and Happy New Year,

I hope you all had a great Christmas and that 2018 will be filled with wonderful crafting ideas and creations!

For my first blog of the year I am going to talk to you about journaling - my new addiction.  As this is very new to me and I'm only learning it myself, I have started with customised journals rather than making journals from scratch as this is much easier and a great way to get into it without getting in over your head too soon.  It's the perfect way to ease yourself into making handmade journals.

As my customised journals are actually diaries, I wanted to get them done before the end of January so that the owners can get the full benefit of each month.

I used A5 sized day to page diaries with a hard cover but you can use whatever size you wish.  In order to decorate the cover as desired, it first needs to be primed for good paint adhesion.  For this I used Gesso which gives a really good base for the paint and hides any marks or writing that may exist on the cover.  Next, I used one coat of white acrylic paint on the cover once the Gesso was fully dried - depending on the original colour of your cover, two coats may be required.

The next step is choosing a colour scheme and adding your choice of paint to the journal cover before adding your embellishments.  For this I used two watered down acrylic colours and dabbed the paint on using a soft brush.

Journal Front Cover

Journal Back Cover

After the paint is dry the fun begins.  This is when you design your journal using any fancy papers, fabric, buttons, ribbons, lace, paper flowers, stamps and embellishments that you want!  Just layer them on and once you have decided what looks good just stick everything on using a hot glue gun.

You can then seal your project using some spray varnish - this will protect it and ensure the paint doesn't get chipped or damaged.

Below are some more pics of my own creations which I am very happy with.  You can also add some pockets or other additions to the inside on some of the blank pages at the front or back of the diary as per my photo below.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my customised journals and that you try it our for yourself.  I'll be posting more on this topic soon so keep tuned.

Bye for now

Christmas Decoration Sets

Hello guys,

As we are nearing the end of the Christmas decoration-making season I thought I'd post some pics of a few of the Christmas Decoration sets that I made this year  I and I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed making them.  They are a wonderful Christmas present idea for someone special as you can make each set in a different style and uniqueness for each person.  You can adapt this idea to make gifts for birthdays and other special occasions during the year too.  I do hope that you will join me again soon when I will be talking about journaling and showing you some photos of my recent journal making.  Don't forget that February brings St. Valentine's Day and I will also be posting soon with some great gift ideas for your loved one. So make sure to stop by and check out my posts.

Bye for now

Fabulous Christmas Decorations

Hi Guys,

I've just finished the second batch of these gorgeous clay decorations which are découpaged using ricepaper and napkins.

This time I used a very lightweight clay and of course moulds which made a big difference to the finish as you will remember my last lot were done freehand and were a bit on the rustic side.  For the round decoration I just used the lid of a pringles box as a mould as I couldn't get my hands on a round one anywhere. These are super easy and really fun to make.  I added some bows and glitter and aged the edges a bit with patina for effect.  You can click to enlarge the photos.

There are lots of ways you can finish these off.  You can add flowers, ribbon, use stamps or even a 3D effect - like snow paste or 3D acrylic paint to enhance the finish.  The sky's the limit and you will have your very own unique design.  These lovely decorations make fantastic Christmas gifts for friends and family .....or teachers etc.  Why not try some of your own?  You can even present them in little boxes for a really posh look - even better if the boxes match the decorations, and you can do that using the same paper to découpage them. 

I hope you enjoyed my post, like always if you would like to ask me any questions please do so by emailing me (see the 'Send us a Message' form on the top right of this page) and I will be happy to help.

Bye for now

Gwen 

@

Transformation - Photo Frame to Vintage Mirror

Hello again Funky-Junkers,
Today I'm going to show you how I converted a wooden photo frame into a vintage style mirror and you won't believe how easy it is to do this!  Here's some pics of my finished mirror...click to enlargen and you can find my tutorial by scrolling down.

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 1

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 2

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 3

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 4

 

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 5

Before and After

I bought the frame on sale for €2.95 which made this project even more wonderful.  You can use a picture frame if you wish, you just need a frame that has glass as that;s what you're going to transform into the mirror.  For this project you will need the following items:

The frame (including the glass)
Mirror Effect Spray (I used gold)
A vintage style stencil
Chalk paint in two colours (I used Ochre and Cream)
Black or Charcoal acrylic paint
Rust acrylic paint
Mouldings or paper/card/wood appliqués
Dark patina
Crackle medium
Vinegar/Water mix 50/50
Spray bottle

First, I painted the frame using the Ochre chalk paint and when it was fully dry, I added a coat of one step crackle (Daily Arts). This has to be left to dry before the second coat of paint is applied (I used cream).  Take note that when you are painting this coat on you cannot paint over the same spot twice so make sure you load the brush well with the chalk paint.  This is so that the crackle takes effect properly and you can see the cracks which will start to appear as the paint dries.

Next, I worked on making the glass a mirror.  To do this, you first need to lay your glass flat, face down and place the stencil (I used a reverse stencil) where you want it.  This can be a bit messy so make sure you have some plastic or newspaper  protecting the surface you are working on.

Using the 50/50 vinegar/water mix, spray the back of the glass where ever you want the antiqued /corroded mirror look to be - in my case I mostly sprayed around the edges of the glass.  Using the mirror effect spray in a colour of your choice (usually gold or silver), spray all over the back of the glass.  You will soon see the reaction of the vinegar/water in the areas that you sprayed it.  After a few minutes most of the mirror effect spray will be dry with the exception of the areas that the vinegar was used.  Using some kitchen roll gently dab these areas to take off the excess.  This helps to create the corroded look that you're after.  Remove the stencil and leave aside to dry fully.

While the mirror is drying, paint the inside of the back cover of the picture frame using a dark coloured paint, I used a charcoal colour acrylic.  By the time you have done this, the glass will be dry and you now need to add your appliques.  I used a cardboard kind which I painted in Ochre and then dry-brushed lightly with a rust coloured acrylic paint to give an aged look.  I then tore these into odd sized lengths and stuck them here and there around the inside edge of the frame to give the impression of a broken trim to add to the overall vintage mirror look.

I used dark patina to darken the frame and enhance the cracks, concentrating more on the outside edge and adding the final touch to my antique style mirror.

I was so happy with the result that I went back to the shop and bought another two frames for €2.95 each!  Needless to say I will be doing this again.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, please contact me if you have any questions as I would be happy to help with any issues you may have with your project.

Bye for now

Clay Christmas Tree Decoration DIY

Hello everyone,

Clay is a thing that I never had any interest in using for craft projects as I always imagined that it had to be baked and that it was just a whole lot of hard work......until I came across air drying clay - this stuff is great!  It comes ready to use in small or large packs so if you are just doing a few decorations like I was, you don't have to go buying a great big bag full.  I would recommend visiting CottageChicInteriors for great craft supplies from Stamperia.  You will be able to get your moulds and pre-cut decoration papers there including a multitude of other craft supplies.

To make your decorations, you just have to break off a piece of clay that's big enough for the project you have in mind and soften it up in your hands for a while.  When soft enough you just press it into the mould that you want to use (you can get moulds especially for making decorations), scrape off the excess and while still wet, remove it from the mould to dry on a non-porous, flat surface.  At this stage it is important to add a hole for your ribbon/string using an orange stick or something similar.  Folks, this is the correct way to do it, however, I did not do this.  Why?  One, I didn't have a mould and two, I was impatient.  Result = very rustic, rough and ready clay decorations!!

Using moulds means you obtain the correct clay thickness for the decorations you are making, whereby, when you are rolling it out yourself and using a cookie cutter or a glass to shape it (like I did), it can result in a more uneven finish or if it is rolled out too thin it can cause the clay to curl up when drying (like mine did).....lesson learned!

So, they weren't perfect, but I'd come this far so I decided to go ahead and decorate them anyway.  For the decorating I used napkins and découpage paper which I cut to size and stuck on to the dried clay decorations (mine took 48 hrs. to dry out completely).  I darkened the edges to give an aged look and coated them with varnish.  Finally, I fed some ribbon through the holes that I had made earlier for hanging and also added some bows for the final touch......and that's it, easy DIY clay Christmas tree decorations.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Christmas tree decorations, as always, if you have any questions please email me (on the right) or use the comment box below.  I am always glad to help.

Bye for now

Hi Guys,

I am very excited to share my latest furniture upcycle project with you. This time I revamped an old coffee table that I bought online a while back.  It was in a sorry state when I got it but after some TLC including cleaning, sanding, priming painting and varnishing. it now looks a million dollars.  Here are some pics of it before I got started...

Moroccan Style Coffee Table - Before 1

Moroccan Style Coffee Table Before 2

Cleaning

This isn't the first coffee table that I’ve finished and I more or less stuck to the same process as usual for the renewing.  I started with the cleaning which entailed wiping it down with soapy water and a sponge, careful not to soak it too much and when dry giving it a good going-over with sugar soap and finally another wipe down, this time with white spirit.  When this is done you can be sure your items is spotless and ready for the next step.

Sanding

I used a detail palm sander for the top and to get into the nooks and crannies, a dremel and some plain old hand sanding.  This is my least favourite part but if you want a nice finish it’s best not to leave it out.  Another wash down with white spirit and it was ready for priming.

Priming

I always use ZinsserBulls Eye 123 primer, it’s a great product and it also seals - I painted on two coats of this stuff letting the first coat dry before applying the second.  Now I know it's possible to paint directly over almost any surface with chalk paint but I don't, I like a primer to give the paint a good grounding.  However, if you feel this is overkill, and you have a good quality paint, go ahead and and leave this step out.

Painting
Once the primer has dried it's time for the exciting bit - the painting.  I used a light taupe colour chalk paint as a base and applied two coats letting the first coat dry thoroughly before applying the second.

Stenciling
Right from the start I had a half-plan in the back of my head for this table, I knew I wanted to do a Moroccan style finish and as I had creative licence, the stencil had already been put aside for the job. The colour was more or less predefined by the owner's sitting room colour scheme as that's where it would eventually be placed.  For the stenciling I used two different shades of blue paint one a chalk paint and the other an acrylic and I also added some black acrylic for depth,  I used gold acrylic paint for the trim which I think finished the table off nicely.

I placed the stencil and slowly worked across the entire table top.  When I had finished I felt the table was a little unbalanced or top heavy so I used the same stencil to add more of the same Moroccan design across the bar at the lower end of the table and this worked a treat giving it the balance that was missing.

Moroccan Style Coffee Table

Varnishing
Three coats of water based varnish sealed the table and when dry I waxed it over with a little clear wax.  This is it finished.

Moroccan Style Coffee Table - Top View

Moroccan Style Coffee Table - /Close-up

Moroccan Style Coffee Table - Front View

Bye for now

Gift Tag Tutorial

Happy Saturday Everyone!
I hope you are all having a fabulous Saturday and as I promised in my previous post that I would do a tutorial on how I made my Christmas Gift Tags I have posted the instructions underneath along with some photos and I hope you all give it a go.  Please do send me some photos of your finished tags and you can comment below to ask any questions or send me an email through the link on the right hand side of this page.

Hand Made Gift Tags

Gift Tags - What you need:
Ready made gift tags or some craft card (don't use copy paper)
One hole paper punch
Scissors
Découpage glue
Small flat brush
Ricepaper, Napkins or other thin paper scraps left over from other projects
Acrylic paints - I used gold, black and green
Glitter (optional)
Ribbon or twine (for hanging and adding to tags)

Gift Tags - What you need to make your own

Firstly, let me say that I used coloured ready-made tags as that's what I had to hand when I decided to make mine.  Plain white card is probably better though as you wouldn't have to match up the colours like I did so that the colour of the tag doesn't take away from the napkin colour by showing through it.  If this is the way you are going, use the scissors  to cut out the tag shape from your card and use the punch to make the hole.

Gather up all of your scraps and decide what you are going to use on each tag and place them roughly on the tag.  You can mix scraps that match for a more interesting look and don't forget you can add pieces of lace or ribbon to add to the finish.

Glue them on folks - go ahead and stick those scraps onto the tags using the découpage glue in whatever order appeals to you and then leave them to dry.  When completely dry, use your acrylic paints watered down to dab around the tag wherever you think needs tidying up for example if there are any white edges showing around one of your stuck on scaps, use paint the same colour to camouflage it.

Green Gift Tag by Funky-Junk

Using some gold or silver or black or any other dark colour paint, you can dab around the edges of the tag (using your finger) for a more aged look and to finish it off.  Next, stick on whatever embellishments you want, ribbon, a bow, crystals or lace and if required add some glitter by adding some glue here and there first.  Then add your twine or ribbon for hanging and you're done! 

Snowflake Gift Tag

Now you have your own unique Christmas Gift Tags to add a more personal touch to your gifts.  I hope you enjoyed reading my tutorial and that you will give it a go and don't forget to send me on some photos!  You can sign up to receive my posts quicker by adding your email address in the top left of this page.

Pink Gift Tag

Bye for now