How to Dye Wooden Beads

26. Apr. 2016
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3 Comments

Okay, so I’ve shown you how to paint wooden beads before, but did you know that you can dye them too?! I’ve been playing around with dye and wood since this project and I think these beads are my favorite results yet. It’s such a low maintenance project that anyone can do and the outcome is so colorful and fun! Here’s how:

Time: 20 minutes – 1 hour depending on color results you want
Materials: wooden beads, liquid Rit dye, bowl, water, floral wire (optional)

Liquid dye is always my favorite to use. Feel free to mix colors to create your own custom results!

The ratio of hot water to dye depends on how many beads you want to dye and how many colors. I worked in small containers to make a series of colors, so I used about 5 oz of water to 2 tbs of dye. You can always add more dye if you don’t like the results you’re getting.

Because the beads float, you will either want to be by the dye, turning the beads every now and then, or you can weigh them down by stringing them on floral wire.

One of my favorite aspects of this process is that the results are organic and are different every time. There’s no hard and fast rule for getting great results, so have fun and don’t be scared to experiment a bit. At one point I only have submerged a bead in the dye and I just love the dipped looked. Overall I left my beads in the dye mixture for about 30 minutes.

Once you’re happy with the color of your beads (keep in mind they will be darker when wet), rinse in cold water until the water runs clear. Let dry and then you’re ready to craft something colorful! These would make just the cutest necklace for summer don’t you think?

How To Make Cardboard Beads

16. Nov. 2015
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10 Comments

Anndddd I’m back! I made it to the east coast (not entirely to Philly yet), and am so ready to get back to crafting. There’s only so long a girl can be separated from her glue gun, am I right?

Since moving is costing me an arm and a leg, I needed to find a way to make some new jewelry for the holiday season without breaking the bank. The good news is that it’s totally possible! Cardboard beads are surprisingly easy to make and a great way to add a pop of color to any outfit. Here’s how:

Time: 20 minutes
Materials: corrugated cardboard, scissors, mod podge, brush, pen, straws

This is my first time working with corrugated cardboard and I think I may have a new favorite craft supply. It holds shape nicely and is so easy and flexible to work with. If you’ve never worked with it before, I recommend that you pick some up asap and try this project!

If you’re making the triangle shape, it helps to draw it on the back of the cardboard first. You can also make a variety of other shapes by cutting straight strips of paper in a mix of widths. Experiment and have fun with this step!

Once you have your shapes cut out, apply a layer of mod podge to the back (smooth side) of the cardboard. Roll up the cardboard on your straw and add bit of mod podge to the end to hold in place. In about 20 seconds you’ll be able to remove your bead from the straw so you can set it aside and let it dry. I found that if you have a few different straws, you can lay them over a cup (so the bead is over the hole) to let dry while you make another bead.

And that’s it! I strung some on a piece of twine and made a fun necklace in no time at all. I think it would be fun to make bigger beads, and maybe have multiple strands, to make a killer statement necklace. I’ve got lost of experimenting to do! What do you think, will you be joining me?!

How to Make a Dishwasher Safe Mug (and what not to do)

20. May. 2015
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31 Comments

Time: 45 minutes (includes bake time)
Materials: ceramic mug, Pebeo Porcelaine 150 pen, oven

Last year I shared a tutorial for how to paint ceramic and make it dishwasher safe (also used on this ring holder). I recently discovered that the same company makes the specialty ceramic paint in marker form, which opens up what you can do design wise completely! For my first attempt, I decided to do polka dots. Sounds easy enough right? Well, I ran into a bit of a snag along the way and thought I’d share it with you, because hey, who doesn’t love a good craft fail?

All you need to make your design permanent is the porcelaine 150 pen and an oven. You can use any ceramic mug and may even find good ones to makeover at the dollar store. Continue reading…

How To Press Flowers

28. Jul. 2014
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23 Comments

Time: 10 minutes + 4-6 week wait time
Materials: flowers, scissors, blotting paper, heavy book

As I’m sure you know by now (especially if you follow me on Instagram), I absolutely love flowers. The only part that I don’t love about them is having to toss out wilted blooms after a week or so. Instead of pitching my latest bouquet, I decided to press my favorites stems and petals so that I could have them to craft with in the future!

It’s best to press flowers when they’ve been freshly picked. I found these stems throughout the neighborhood, but if you happen to buy yours, I recommend pressing the same day you take them home.

If you don’t have blotting paper, you can also use wax paper. Paper towels may leave an impression on your flowers (if textured), and newspapers tend to shed ink.

Depending on how you plan to use your dried flowers, you may want to snip your stems. This step is completely optional and will vary depending on the type of flower you’re working with.

Place flowers between two sheets of blotter (or wax) paper, making sure the petals do not touch one another.

Position your paper at the back of a heavy book and close. You’ll want to leave your flowers alone for about 4-6 weeks (try not to peek!). The longer the press time, the longer they’ll be able to retain their coloring when exposed to the sun again.

I’ll be back next month with a project using these exact flowers, so stay tuned!