Embossed 3-d Graduation table greeting

Is it a herd of horses proclaiming Graduation, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or even a special birthday?  These three dimensional table greetings are always a welcome surprise for the recipient.  I used horses but there are all sorts of pre-cut animals, people and shapes that you can use to create a one of a kind table greeting. 

Note:  I emboss on a piece of cardboard that has a lip around the edge making it easier to replace the unused embossing powder back in the jar.  Alternately you can shake the embossing powder on top of a piece of paper that you can fold a corner to replace it back in the jar.

You will need:

Pre-cut cardboard horses (They come with 12 in a package in craft stores) There are many styles to choose from and you can also use other shapes or animals

Embossing stamp pad

Black embossing powder

Embossing heat gun

(3) ½” width wooden bead for each 3-D horse, animal, or shape (For larger shapes you will need bigger bead)

Stamp with appropriate greeting or words (ex: birthday, thinking of you, graduation, etc.)

Scrap cardboard to work on

Glue gun and glue sticks

  1.   Working on a piece of cardboard or paper, load your stamp on the embossing stamp pad.  Stamp the image horizontally across the shape.  Tap off any excess embossing powder and replace in the jar.

2.    Place the prepared shape on a piece of cardboard and using the embossing heat gun, emboss the entire piece. Note: Be careful when embossing, embossing guns are extremely hot!!

 

3.      Turn the other piece to the opposite side so that they line up. When you put them together the embossed sides should be facing the outside.  Repeat the stamping and embossing on the second shape.

4.   After you have embossed both pieces turn one over on the un-embossed side and with a glue gun attach a three beads, spacing around the shape.  (See photo)

Side view with both pieces attached

5.   Immediately add some hot glue to the beads themselves, and place the second embossed shape on top making sure they line up.  The figure will stand. (See photo)

Easy Flowery shoes

Flower power shoes

Lately I’ve been seeing shoes that are all flowers and prints and they are selling for hundreds of dollars.  I figured why not up-cycle an old pair of flats with a cool new look.  All you need to do this is some Mod Podge decoupage glue (I used the exterior kind since I will be wearing them outside of course, but I think it would be fine to use the regular kind as well) and some flower print napkins.

You will need:

Pair of white shoes (I used white but other colors will work with equally wonderful results)

Napkins with flower prints (look for ones that you can cut the flowers out individually, party stores are a great source)

Mod Podge exterior decoupage glue

Small paintbrush

Small pointed scissors

1.     Separate all layers of the napkin leaving only one top layer. 

2.     Use the small pointed scissors to cut out individual flowers to apply to the shoes.  Cut more flowers out as you need them.

3.     When you have cut out quite a few flowers, use the small paintbrush to apply some Mod Podge to the shoe, immediately apply a cut out napkin flower.  Apply some more Mod Podge on top of the flower you just applied.  Continue applying glue, flower and glue in a pleasing arrangement until you have covered the entire shoe.  If there are any folds in the shoes use the paintbrush loaded with Mod Podge to tuck in them nicely.

4.     Repeat steps 1-3 for the other shoe.  Let dry overnight.

5.     Apply another coat of Mod Podge glue on top of both shoes and let dry at least 24 hours.

Note:  Why not try this will heels as well!

Hand painted Sunflower wine glass

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and here you are trying to think of something you can get Mom that she doesn’t already have?  A gift card is so impersonal, but a handmade creation is something she will treasure forever.  Why not serve her breakfast in bed and include her orange juice in a hand-painted sunflower wine glass? Or better yet, just stick that gift card in the wineglass and tie a ribbon bow around the stem.  Not an artist?  No problem, just follow these easy step-by-step directions and you will have a wineglass to be proud of. 

You will need:

Gloss acrylic paint (specifically for glass, it will say it on the label) in yellow, yellow ochre, brown, black and green

Wine glass (The dollar store is a great source for wineglasses in all sizes

Two paintbrushes, medium flat and small liner

Alcohol

Paper towels

Paper plate

Home oven and baking sheet

1.     Wipe the glass all around with a paper towel saturated with alcohol to remove all oils and dust.

2.     Squirt some of each color of glass paint on a paper plate.  Load the larger brush with some brown paint.  Working with a dabbing motion, paint a large circle shape on the center of the glass.  Rinse your brush out with some water. While the paint is still wet on the glass, dab some black paint all around the edges of the brown circle.  Rinse brush.  Dab some yellow paint on the inner edges of the black paint all around.  Finish by dabbing some back in the shape of a smaller circle in the center. Rinse your brush. (See photo)

3.     Load your brush with some yellow paint and begin painting petal shapes.  Vary the sizes, and don’t worry about perfection.  Natural petals are tear shaped and pointed at the ends, but not perfect.  Continue adding petals until you have gone completely around the center.  While the paint is still wet on the glass outline the petals with the darker yellow ochre color.  Let dry.

4.     Use the liner paintbrush and some black paint to make some pointed lines all around the center of the flower.  (See photo) Let dry.

5.     Repeat steps 2 through 4 to make another sunflower on the opposite side of the glass.  Let dry.

6.     Starting from a petal on each side, paint a green line down the stem of the wineglass. Add four leaf shapes on the base.  Paint the entire stem green and let dry.  Use the liner brush to paint vein lines with black paint on the leaves.

7.     Set the paint so you can wash your wine glass by baking in a 325-degree oven for 30 minutes.  Let the oven cool before removing the glass.

Note:  By heat setting the wineglass it is top rack dishwasher safe, but I always recommend hand washing.  This project is quick, easy and inexpensive.  Acrylic glass paint dries quickly so why not make a whole set?

Personalize your flip-flops

Inexpensive flip-flops are all over the place right about now and are so budget friendly at around dollar or two.  They are plain and simple summer staples, but that is the problem, they are plain and simple.  Why not dress them up with some wrapping tissue and Modpodge decoupage glue. 

You will need:

Flip-flops in desired color

Wrapping tissue in a print, flowers, stars anything goes 

ModPodge decoupage glue

Small paintbrush

Ruler, pencil scissors

Small pointed scissors

Wax paper or cardboard to cover your work surface

Tape measure

1.     Measure the thickness of the flip-flop sole.   Mine was ½” thick.   Use the tape measure to determine how many inches it is all around the sides of your flip-flop.  Cut a length of tissue paper the thickness of the flip-flop by the measurement to go around it, adding 1//4” extra at the ends. Cut it into two pieces.  It is easier to work in two pieces and overlap when the ends meet.

2.     Using a small brush spread some Modpodge decoupage glue around half the flip-flop sides and lightly press the tissue paper into this glued area.  Continue with the second piece of tissue paper and meet the other end overlapping slightly.  Spread on a second coat of glue on top and smooth out any wrinkles with your fingers.  (Don’t worry decoupage glue washes off of hands easily)  Repeat for other flip-flop and let both dry.  Snip off any tissue overlap with the pointed scissors.

3.     Measure each side of the thong part of the flip-flop and cut a piece of tissue paper the width by the length.  Cut the end by the toe area at an angle. Working on one side of the thong at a time, spread a bit of decoupage glue and gently press on the tissue paper as you did with the sole sides.  Repeat with a second coat on top being sure to smooth out any wrinkles.  Snip off any tissue overlap with the pointed scissors.  Do the same with the other side of the thong.  Let dry.  Repeat this step with the other flip-flop.  Any texture on the thong as well as the original color of the flip-flop will show through for a cool painted on look.  

4.     When both flip-flops are dry spread on another coat of decoupage glue over all the tissue paper areas and let dry. 

Note:  These are extremely durable but I do not recommend prolonged immersion in water.

Coffee filter carnation pen

If you work in an office or a business where people are using pens sometime the pens just seem to walk away, and you never have a pen when you need one.  So it’s fun to have decorative pens in a flowerpot filled with beans or rice.  It brightens up the space and they stick around a bit longer.  This project cost practically nothing.  I bought both the coffee filters and a pack of pens for a around a dollar each!  Add some floral tape and acrylic paint and you can make a whole bouquet of cute carnation pens.

You will need:

Stick pen for each carnation

Coffee filters

Roll of green floral tape

Transparent tape

Paper plates

Acrylic paint in desired color (I used red and burgundy)

Small paintbrush

Scissors

1.     Fold the coffee filter in half and cut along the pleat lines towards the center just to the fold line that marks the edge of the pleats.  Repeat this all around.  Repeat this step with two more coffee filters for a total of three

2.     Using the scissors round out the tips of each petal on all three coffee filters.

3.     Open the filters up and mark the center and cut out a small opening in the center of each prepared filter. (This will be where you insert the pen top)

4.     Layer all three filters together and insert the pen top into the holes you made.  Using your fingers, gather together on the pen top.  Use some transparent tape to attach the base to the pen making sure you attach some tape to the pen itself.  It is ok if you add a generous amount of tape here since carnations have a thickness at the base.

5.     Cut a piece of green floral tape and begin wrapping around starting from the top and working down the pen.  Stop just before the pointed tip.  Floral tape sticks to itself and it helps if you press on the tape with your fingers.

6.     Color the carnation.  Add a tiny bit of water to a paper plate. In another section of the paper plate add your main color and thin some of it with the water.  Use the brush to add the thinned color to the flower.  You do not need much since the filter draws in the liquid.  After the color has dried a bit tap the tips only with the un-diluted acrylic paint.  Let dry.