A few weeks ago I told you all about my plans for my fabulous new master-bedroom-on-a-budget. My goal is to have my room completed by the end of the month. It will be a push, but I've been trying to work on it a little at a time, and I'm really hoping to hit my deadline. In case you've forgotten (or in case you're new to my blog, in which case, welcome!), the look I'm going for is what I like to call "5 Star Caribbean Beach Resort," and in case you missed it, here is my inspiration:
Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts
Monday, October 4, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
disney weekend halloween craft
There are a lot of good things about living in Florida. It is almost always sunny. It doesn't snow. There are palm trees and flamingos and alligators. There are about 150 amazing beaches within driving distance. There is no state income tax. Half the population doesn't live here most of the time. I could go on and on.
But the best thing about living in Florida has got to be Walt Disney World.
I'll admit it: I'm a Disney Dork. I love it. I love everything about it. If it were up to me, we'd be there every weekend.
I know this will probably come as a shock, given our history of always agreeing on everything (note heavy sarcasm here), but my sweet husband is not really that into WDW. He is, however, a fabulous daddy (and husband), so he humors my obsession, knowing it will make ALL of his girls happy. He even consented to my [brilliant] idea of purchasing a Florida Residents Annual Pass this year, despite the fact that it cut a significant chunk out of our annual vacation budget AND knowing full well it would mean far more Disney trips than he could stand. What a guy.
So this weekend we are off to WDW for Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween Bash. I can't wait! Last October, when we were still living in Seattle, I took the girls to Disneyland for a few days at Halloween time. M., who is obsessed with all things Halloween, hasn't stopped talking about it since. It will be fun to get into the spirit a little early this year (not to mention to beat the crowds!)
I wanted something cute & festive (but also comfortable) for the girls to wear, so I decided to attempt 2 different craft projects I've been wanting to try for some time: freezer paper stencils and tulle tutus. The girls were very excited about their new "Hallorina" (halloween ballerina) outfits and happily modeled them for me!
They were very easy and the total cost for the whole project--shirts, leggings, & tutus--was less than $25.
Supplies Used:
(purchased)
-2 T-shirts, $3.99 each (Old Navy)
-2 pairs of leggings, $4 each (Old Navy)
-3 rolls of tulle (used 3 40% off coupons), $5.40 (Jo-Ann's)
-1 package 1/4" black elastic, $1.14 (Wal-Mart)
I also used black paint, freezer paper, & orange dye that I already had on hand.
Total cost: $22.52 ($11.26 per daughter)
Instructions:
For the shirt:
Have a great weekend!
But the best thing about living in Florida has got to be Walt Disney World.
I'll admit it: I'm a Disney Dork. I love it. I love everything about it. If it were up to me, we'd be there every weekend.
I know this will probably come as a shock, given our history of always agreeing on everything (note heavy sarcasm here), but my sweet husband is not really that into WDW. He is, however, a fabulous daddy (and husband), so he humors my obsession, knowing it will make ALL of his girls happy. He even consented to my [brilliant] idea of purchasing a Florida Residents Annual Pass this year, despite the fact that it cut a significant chunk out of our annual vacation budget AND knowing full well it would mean far more Disney trips than he could stand. What a guy.
So this weekend we are off to WDW for Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween Bash. I can't wait! Last October, when we were still living in Seattle, I took the girls to Disneyland for a few days at Halloween time. M., who is obsessed with all things Halloween, hasn't stopped talking about it since. It will be fun to get into the spirit a little early this year (not to mention to beat the crowds!)
I wanted something cute & festive (but also comfortable) for the girls to wear, so I decided to attempt 2 different craft projects I've been wanting to try for some time: freezer paper stencils and tulle tutus. The girls were very excited about their new "Hallorina" (halloween ballerina) outfits and happily modeled them for me!
They were very easy and the total cost for the whole project--shirts, leggings, & tutus--was less than $25.
Supplies Used:
(purchased)
-2 T-shirts, $3.99 each (Old Navy)
-2 pairs of leggings, $4 each (Old Navy)
-3 rolls of tulle (used 3 40% off coupons), $5.40 (Jo-Ann's)
-1 package 1/4" black elastic, $1.14 (Wal-Mart)
I also used black paint, freezer paper, & orange dye that I already had on hand.
Total cost: $22.52 ($11.26 per daughter)
Instructions:
For the shirt:
- Tie-dye a white shirt with orange dye, (I used a kit I had leftover from a summer tie-dye project.), following instructions on kit. Wash and dry shirt.
- Trace your chosen design onto a piece of freezer paper (waxy on one side only!) I did a Google search for "mickey mouse bat" and found this design.
- Using an Exacto knife and a self-healing cutting mat, cut out design.
- Lightly iron freezer paper onto shirt.
- Blot black paint onto shirt using stencil brush. (I used black acrylic paint.)
- Carefully peel back paper; let dry.
- Cut a piece of elastic to fit around your child's waist.
- Place elastic around a large book or cutting board.
- Cut 2 16" pieces of tulle from a 6" wide role.
- Tie onto elastic. Repeat, spacing knots 1-2" apart until skirt is complete.
Have a great weekend!
Monday, September 20, 2010
a little crafty
I've been feeling a little crafty lately. I think my 4 year old is starting to rub off on me. Or maybe my type-A-never-slow-down personality is still looking for a new hobby to fill the shopping void. In any case, I've been on a mission this month to stock up on some new craft supplies.
I am a huge fan of Ashley Ann Campbell's blog "Under the Sycamore." If you haven't checked it out before, I highly recommend it. She does some really amazing craft projects. A few weeks ago I read a DiY post on her blog about making bud vases out of bottles using Japanese masking tape. I was intrigued. I decided I had to have some of this elusive tape.
So I splurged. I shopped around online, and sadly realized that there were no good deals to be had. I bit the bullet and paid $32 + $5.70 shipping for 12 rolls of this now very precious tape.
I hope it was worth it.
I never realized before how expensive all this crafty stuff can be. In my pre-thrifty days, if I wanted to do a craft I would just head to Michael's and buy my supplies. Okay, so what if my homemade cigar box purse cost me $95 in supplies? I had fun making it, and that's all that mattered. Or so I thought.
I don't want to be so consumed with saving money that I abandon the things that bring me joy. But I do want to try to save where I can. So I splurged on the tape, but I tried very hard to save everywhere else. Each week when I get my newspapers, I make sure to clip the 40% off craft store coupons and slip them in my wallet. That way if I am out and about and happen to pass a craft store, I can pop in and buy one of the items on my list for 40% off. Sure it's not quite as convenient as simply going to the craft store and stocking up, but starting to realize that life is a work in progress and it doesn't have to happen all at once. In addition, I started shopping around online for some alternative craft store options. I found a great deal on ribbon remnants on ebay, and I found a huge bag of buttons on Amazon.com for only a few dollars (with free shipping!). And I even started becoming more conscious of the things we throw away, saving instead of tossing those items that have craft potential.
And so this evening, when my crafty Princess wanted to do something new, I actually had something new to offer. We spread out our new crafting treasures and got to work making our own Japanese tape bottles.
I am a huge fan of Ashley Ann Campbell's blog "Under the Sycamore." If you haven't checked it out before, I highly recommend it. She does some really amazing craft projects. A few weeks ago I read a DiY post on her blog about making bud vases out of bottles using Japanese masking tape. I was intrigued. I decided I had to have some of this elusive tape.
So I splurged. I shopped around online, and sadly realized that there were no good deals to be had. I bit the bullet and paid $32 + $5.70 shipping for 12 rolls of this now very precious tape.
I hope it was worth it.
I never realized before how expensive all this crafty stuff can be. In my pre-thrifty days, if I wanted to do a craft I would just head to Michael's and buy my supplies. Okay, so what if my homemade cigar box purse cost me $95 in supplies? I had fun making it, and that's all that mattered. Or so I thought.
I don't want to be so consumed with saving money that I abandon the things that bring me joy. But I do want to try to save where I can. So I splurged on the tape, but I tried very hard to save everywhere else. Each week when I get my newspapers, I make sure to clip the 40% off craft store coupons and slip them in my wallet. That way if I am out and about and happen to pass a craft store, I can pop in and buy one of the items on my list for 40% off. Sure it's not quite as convenient as simply going to the craft store and stocking up, but starting to realize that life is a work in progress and it doesn't have to happen all at once. In addition, I started shopping around online for some alternative craft store options. I found a great deal on ribbon remnants on ebay, and I found a huge bag of buttons on Amazon.com for only a few dollars (with free shipping!). And I even started becoming more conscious of the things we throw away, saving instead of tossing those items that have craft potential.
And so this evening, when my crafty Princess wanted to do something new, I actually had something new to offer. We spread out our new crafting treasures and got to work making our own Japanese tape bottles.
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