Creating with Chalkola

 It is no secret I love to craft! And I love working with as many materials as I can. So when Chalkola reached out and asked if I would be interested in working with one of their products, I jumped at the chance! At Chalkola, their philosophy is “live a vibrant life” and who can’t get behind something so simple? And vibrant is definitely a word I would use to describe their products.

I was gifted their pack of 40 Chalk Markers and they are amazing!! Just like chalk paint but in a marker. They can be used on several non-porous surfaces like glass, chalkboards, and for most of my projects, aluminum or tin! For the non-artist, like myself, I used stencils for my guides when creating my projects. However, if you are good with free handing anything, you are going to love the ease of these markers!! 

Want to know something equally as cool? If you want to create something new, after you’re done with the Christmas signs like mine, you can remove the chalk marker from the material you originally used!! The marker is made with high quality water based ink, which is washable! The markers are smudge free, which allowed for a clean design that quickly dried within minutes. And when you’re ready to do a new project, using a wet paper towel should help remove the ink from almost any non-porous surface. Full disclaimer, I tried the wet paper towel on the tin surface and it worked great! As did a baby wipe. The chalkboard was a different story. A magic eraser worked the best. Just barely wet it and use some elbow grease. You should be good to go!

So here are a few additional tips for using these awesome markers! If you are using a stencil, which is what I used for all of my projects, make sure to outline the template with a piece of chalk first! After using the chalk markers with the stencil, and because they are paint based, it smeared the stencil design outline because it ran under the stencil itself. It was an easy fix, if the design outline was visible. I could clean it up easily with a toothpick, but it was tedious and time consuming. The chalk outline allows you to prep the design, go over it with the marker color of your choice, and once dry, wipe away the excess chalk lines! So easy! Check out the process!

Here is the example of the project that bled under the stencil template. I used the magic eraser and it pretty much removed the marker. You can see a small hint of the design, but once the new was added, it's not as noticeable.

Using the chalk as my initial outline worked best for me!

And these are some additional projects I made with the chalk markers on tin and chalkboard. I love them!

I am obsessed with these markers and can’t wait to create more with them. I have an old glass window that’s been sitting in my garage and I haven’t had a clue what to do with it. Once I get it cleaned up, I can use the glass as an ever evolving sketch pad!! Stayed tuned for a possible project! 

You can purchase the Chalkola Chalk Markers directly from their site or on Amazon. And check out the other products they offer. What would you do with these markers? 

Happy Crafting!

XO,

Andrea

I was gifted these markers by Chalkola, but all opinions expressed are my own!

DIY Fabric Pumpkins

 Do I have the cutest fall DIY for you!! I love pumpkins! We have been to two different patches over the past couple of weekends and I can't stop buying them! We are up to at least 20 on our front porch! It's a little out of control. I wanted to bring the pumpkin look into the house without having so many real ones. You know, rotting, oozing goo, dirt, so I opted for a few small real ones and several foam versions for our newly painted fireplace hearth! I can't get enough of our updated fireplace and all the different ways I can decorate it. And the fabric pumpkins are a perfect addition!

I think I bought out Michael's white pumpkin selection when I was there a couple of weeks ago. They were on sale and I couldn't be stopped. I wanted as many sizes as possible for this DIY, but as it turns out, the small and medium size worked best for my display. However, I have plans for the larger ones left behind. Stay tuned.... 

Here are all the things you need!

Foam pumpkins in any color and size. 

Fabric! Lots of fabric in all the colors you want for your decor. Originally, I thought I wanted to go with black and white for Halloween, then while "shopping" in my mom's sewing room closet, I ran across two different fabrics that were perfect compliments to one another. A small green and cream check cotton and an orange and brown plaid flannel. Love them together! What you do next is cut the fabric into very long strips. I went as wide as 2", but the length depends entirely on how big your pumpkin is. You will cut off the excess underneath and the remainder will be used time and time again to line the entire circumference of your pumpkin. That means you need scissors. 

Hot glue, lots of it, and a medic at the ready! I can't tell you exactly how many times I burned myself on this project, but I can tell you that I burned myself three times in same spot! Martha Stewart wasn't kidding when she said to keep a bowl of ice water beside you for these instances! It's hot! It's right there in the title!

Twine. I decided half way through the project that I didn't like the fake stem and decided to make own. I wrapped twine around the stem, also making sure to cover any raw edges around the top. It cleaned up the whole pumpkin and made a super cute rustic stem! 

So here is how you make it! Grab the pumpkin, the fabric, the glue, and scissors. Start with the glue, make a line along the crease of the pumpkin, and then place the fabric along the glue. Continue to do this all the way around the pumpkin, making sure to overlap the fabric so that none of the pumpkin shows.

Once you have completed this step, it's time to cover all those raw edges. The photos are a little out of sequence as I had finished the green one, making sure I liked how it turned out, before I took detailed step by step pics. I didn't like how the edges were frayed and unclean so I decided to fold the strips of fabric in half down the middle, gluing each side into itself. Make sense?

Here is the new piece that will you place along the raw edges of the fabric.

Like you did the wider strips, run a bead of glue along the frayed edge and place the new folded fabric along the glue line. Do this all around the pumpkin until all the edges are clean.

Ta-Da!!

See the ugly fake stem? Not cute!

Now it is! Just run the glue and the twine all around the stem, making sure to hide the edges of the fabric as well. Like I said, rustic chic, no?

Here is completed version of the orange and brown plaid flannel.

Aren't they a perfect mix with the real? And the colors play off the black hearth so well. I am one happy Mama!

And the great thing is, I didn't really need Halloween pumpkins to play up the Halloween decorations that are already going on along the mantel! Just remove the Halloween and I'm set on November 1st! CUUUTE!!

A super easy DIY that's a little on the time consuming side. But that's okay. I got mine done while watching a Hallmark Channel movie or two! It did take me about two or three days to complete all three so give yourself time for this project. And once you do, you are going to love them!!

XO,

Andrea

DIY Halloween Treat Bags

When I was growing up, we didn't have fancy trick or treat bags. We had that generic plastic orange  pumpkin with a black handle, and as we got older, the trusty pillow case. McKinley carries a fuzzy pumpkin bag or large fabric pumpkin bucket. Either way, they are super cute! However, I decided we needed to elevate the trick or treat bag this year and I decided to make it myself!

Here's what you'll need:

A canvas tote bag, fabric paint, sponge brushes, paper plate, pencil, eraser, puffy paint, and a steady hand!

Load up your brush with the first color of your choice. Because I was doing candy corn on the bag, I used the colors in order of a candy corn. I started with white, but you couldn't really see it in photos. Apply horizontally on the bag in large strokes. You can make your strips as thick or as thin as you wish. On my second bag, I went for a larger band of paint.

Do the same thing with yellow. After you've applied your colors, go back in and smooth out any defined lines you might see and create an ombre effect with the three colors. 

Next up, it's time to apply your candy corn. If you are anything like me, I need a stencil! I can't even draw a straight stick figure. So, I headed out on the web and found free clip art of candy corn (also witches hats and bats) and sized them to different heights. Go with what makes you happiest. I decided to use smaller candy corn scattered throughout and larger witches hats for the second bag I made.

Once I cut out all the candy corn, I placed them around the bag. I will say, I originally traced too many and needed to erase a few after the fact. When you go to erase them, use a rubber artists eraser. This will allow the pencil marks to come off easier and not pill the fabric.

See that smudge? I tried to use a pink eraser before the rubber one. It didn't work as well!

Fabric puffy paint is what you need! I've used Scribbles and this Imagin8 and they both work well. 

When you apply your puffy paint, make sure you start with a light pressure on the bottle. The paint can splatter out and leave a blob on your project. To get started, try testing it on a paper plate or another piece of fabric to get the feel. And make sure you shake the paint to the end of the bottle. 

Trace each of the candy corn and then add small half circles to the inside to create those defined lines you see in the candy itself.

If you need to smooth out some of your lines, use a toothpick. 

This is the witches hat bag I was talking about earlier. Do all the same things you did above. I made the paint stripes larger and I prefer it! Really fills the space of the canvas. And I love the dimension the puffy paint gives to the hats! 

And here's the completed project!! I love it! It's so happy and makes me smile. And I may use it for more than just trick or treat! It would be so cute this time of year as a little tote for all the things you carry throughout the day. It adds just a hint of Halloween to your daily look without screaming costume alert!! It would make a sweet teachers gift during the Halloween classroom party. 

Allow 24 hours to dry, especially since you applied fabric paint to the bag and all the puffy paint inside the hats. 

What do you think of this cute project? Head here to see the fun segment on Better Kansas City! Belinda Post was excellent at applying the puffy paint! You will be too!

XO,

Andrea