DIY Notepad Cover - Recycle, Reduce, Repurpose

I am definitely a "SHE" - 

Sidetracked Home Executive (via Flylady)!

Stationery supplies make my heart happy; 

notebooks, journals, papers, pens, markers, 

file folders, planners, etc.

So when hubby & I went to some local 

yard sales this past weekend and I saw 

a fellow "SHE" selling a portion of her 

stash, I was like...

Then during a little crafty time, 

I created a pretty cover for one

of the notepads I had picked up.

These lovely papers are from Echo Park,

For the Record, they were in my scrap

box along with their stickers & trim.

However, the scraps weren't quite wide

enough to cover my pad so I pieced some

together. It worked out perfectly with a

little washi tape to hide things inside! (:

I even found a little 

resin flower to match!

I now have a pretty covered 

notepad for my purse...

I like when everything coordinates!!

check out the one

I created for my

Christmas list...

Are you a SHE?

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Easy Melt & Pour Seashell Soaps

Ah, summertime...

sun, sand, beach, seashells...seashell soap! 

Why not!

It's a fun activity to do with the kids!

You'll need a melt & pour glycerin bar

and some seashell candy or soap molds
from your favorite craft store.

Then cut a few cubes from the bar and place

them in a glass bowl for melting.

Pop it in the microwave and heat it

for 30 seconds, stir. Continue heating

it at 30 sec. intervals until melted and

its easy to stir.

Separate the melted soap into different

glass bowls if you want to add color to

your soaps.

Once colored, you'll simply pour it into

your molds and let it sit overnight until

firm.

Then pop them out of the molds to use

or give as gifts.

Simple, huh?!

We used food to color our soaps;

brown sugar, paprika, dark cocoa and 

blue "Jello" powder.

Think of the possibilities...

depending on the molds and colors

you use; you can coordinate seasons,

holidays, sports, special events, etc.

side notes:

if you notice bubbles in your melted

glycerin soap-and they bother you-

you can put a little rubbing alcohol

in a spray bottle and lightly spray the

surface of the soap, the bubbles will

dissipate. 

Also, if you have older kids, this could be

a great fundraiser project. I've given

you the basic instructions, but you 

could get a little more involved by

purchasing soap fragrance and color

gels (a little goes a LONG way!) It can become 

rather addictive, be warned!

Have you ever made

your own soap?

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Simple, Sparkly and Recycled - Birthday Card

A few months ago, my son

received this cute birthday 

card below.

It was bright, fun and sparkly.

And honestly, it was the sparkly

parts that saved this card from

the bin when he was finished with it.

So, with a piece of white cardstock

and a trimmer, a new birthday card

was born. Simple, huh?!

Can you see the sparkly glittery parts???  

Oh my heart be still! (: 

white cardstock, personal trimmer, foam dots

"So that which is old becomes new."

Works great for Christmas cards too!
Enjoy your day!

What do you do with

your old birthday cards?

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my "But for the Grace of God" bench - Home Decor

Quite a few years ago, my eldest son 

(with a wee bit of help from my carpenter husband) 

made me a lovely bench for Christmas.

He left it unfinished so I could 

paint it to match where ever I 

wanted to use it...so sweet.

It's a beautiful bench, buttery smooth

and I debated whether to just leave it

as is.

Then I was inspired...

Keith Urban 2016

by a Keith Urban song, 

"But For the Grace of God!"

It was a #1 hit back in 2001

but it's one of my favorites

from him.

I originally used my Cricut to 

cut out a stencil but had major

issues with placement and paint

getting underneath it...what a mess.

So I pretty much free-handed it.

Sketching the letters with pencil,

painting with acrylic then using a 

sharpie marker to even out where 

my hand was unsteady. whew!

Determination always succeeds!

Hope you're having a great day.

Blessings!

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Cricut Wall Art - Bless This Home - Cutting Vinyl

Playing with my beloved Cricut, 

I made this fun little vinyl sign

the other day.

I had cut out this phrase some time

ago when the Cricut Craftroom had

it for free. (It's now available HERE

for $1.99)

The three boards were cut at 3.5"x12.5"

then glued and stapled together.

After my acrylic paint dried, I placed

the vinyl and made sure there were 

no air bubbles. 

The vinyl on the paint is "moveable"

at this point using transfer paper if

you need to adjust it but be careful.

I then painted a thin coat of Mod Podge

over it, left it dry overnight and wrapped

the cord around three times. The cord

is knotted in the back and stapled down.

Note: 

when cutting vinyl on your Cricut,

your blade should be at 3 and the 

pressure at medium.

(I used my Cricut Expression)

Do you use an

electronic cutting machine

for you DIY projects?

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