DIY Halloween Patch Jeans

 We are on the cusp of the entire holiday season circuit, and if you've been into any store recently, you will see Halloween everywhere. It is also popping up on my Facebook and Instagram feeds. Cute holiday clothing that's not in your face cheesy or old fashioned will always speak my love language. I saw these darling distressed jeans, with various holiday themes and other cute design motifs, on a site called Evaless. But instead of dropping $50, I knew that I could recreate the look for well under $50. Dare I say $25? And I did! And I can help you with yours!

First, you need a pair of distressed jeans. If you have a pair that you're tired of, and want to upcycle them for this DIY, go for it! I love all of my existing distressed jeans so I picked up this pair at Savers for $4.99! That's right, under $5 and we're still under budget. My mom had a ton of cute Halloween fabric in her sewing room, so I borrowed hers. I didn't spend any extra money there, but I can tell you that you can get remnants from your local craft store or a 1/4 of a yard in several different motifs. I found some darling pre-cut bundles on their website. They are on sale for $9. So we are now at $14. 

You will need fabric glue. I have tons of bottles, in various sizes, so if you aren't planning to use much, get the smallest bottle they offer. You can get a 2oz bottle for under $4 at Joann's as well. That's a total of $18 so far.

You will need to pin your fabric pieces into place. Do you have pins? If not, pick up a pack of 75 count for under $4. That's $22! We are under the $25 budget. Look at us go!

So now we get started. Look at your fabric. Does one speak to you more than another? For me, it was the white piece with the darling witches dress, hat, broom, and ghost. And because the knee had the largest distressed area on the jeans, I decided my favorite should go there. I cut a piece larger than the hole I was covering. Place your fabric from inside the leg of your jeans and move it around until you find the perfect scene in the window. Pin it in place. Do the same thing for all the distressed areas you want to cover on your jeans. 

I even decided to cut a small hole in the back pocket, on the opposite corner of the distressed front pocket, to create a mirrored effect. I used the same fabrics for both pocket.

Now it's time to glue your fabric into place. Turn your jeans inside out, being careful not to poke yourself with the exposed pins. Full disclosure, I do it all the time!

Add the glue in a thin continuous line either across the fabric patch or around the hole you are covering. Make sure you put the glue on the right side of the fabric, as that's the picture that will face out of the distressed portion of your jeans. Place the fabric where you want it, moving it around if need be. Do that quickly as this stuff will start to dry, making it hard to remove. Do this for every patch of fabric you've cut. Allow 24 hours to dry. Cut away an excess fabric that you don't want.

And just like that, you have knock off Halloween patch jeans for under $25!! I'm planning to recreate a Christmas themed pair and maybe one for Valentine's Day, because why not! I love a good holiday piece that may seem a little corny, but that I can give my own personal style to jazz it up!

What do you think? Is this something you would recreate? 

Happy DIYing!

XO,

Andrea

Fun with Thumbprints - A Spring Break Kids Craft

 Today is a snow day, and an extra day tacked onto spring break, but who can even think about getting into the spirit of the upcoming season when they are calling for at least six inches of snow! If you're here in Kansas City, and you look ahead to the weather next week, it's supposed to be in the upper 60s and mid 70s! My only hope is that it stays that way going forward.

With spring around the proverbial corner, there are ways you can get yourself ready head of time. And if you are a gardener, or looking for cute ways to store stuff, this thumbprint kids craft is so cute! And if you're really looking ahead, a great Mother's Day gift. If you followed along several years ago, you know that we made darling thumbprint bug magnets. Head here to read over the original thumbprint post as you are going to use this technique to create the flower pots.

Here is what you will need:

Your kids thumb, acrylic paint, paint pens, flower pots of any size, and a paper plate.

Get your paint on the paper plate and gently place your child's thumb into the paint. If they are olders, they can do this by themselves. Place the paint covered thumb (making sure to dab off the excess so the paint doesn't run down the flower pot) all over the flower pot in any formation, adding more paint as needed. 

Once you have the thumbprints in all the places you want them, allow the paint to dry before moving on to the next step. This could take a couple of hours, so if this is something you want to do in a day, start early. Once dry, use your paint pen to outline the thumbprints into fun bugs! Your kid(s) can do the outlining. If it's a little messy, that's fine. That's the point of a kids craft! And, it's their little stamp on the project. 

This is an example of the thumbprint with a stamp from the original post. You do this same technique with the paint.

I have mine on display in my craft room! It's a little reminder of his tiny prints that will last for years. And, I love that it holds fun supplies on my shelves. But, they would look super cute on your patio this spring and summer. Work together to grow flowers from seedlings or plant one from your local nursery. The options are endless. 

 I love a kids craft. It's a great bonding activity for everyone. And, it allows their little hands to be creative. You probably have most of these supplies hanging around the house, right? You could get started today!!

Here's to getting crafty!

XO,

Andrea

DIY Springtime Pom-Pom Tree

 I have the cutest DIY for your Easter table that can be used as a centerpiece throughout the rest of spring. I’ve seen them all over internet and the price is crazy! One was listed for $58!! Want to know how much I spent on mine? $9! How did I only spend $9, you ask? All I needed were the pom-poms. I found this extra large bag on Amazon, but you can get smaller versions at your local craft store. It’s a super fast project, it took me less than two hours from start to finish, and it was on my kitchen table upon completion. 

To create the Pom-Pom tree, you just need a few materials and they are easy to get your hands on. You’ll need small twigs, pom-poms, hot glue/gun, and a container to place the twigs in. I found all of my twigs in my front yard, thanks to the high winds we’ve been experiencing lately, and sprayed them with disinfectant in case there were bugs. I also used white rice as a way to keep the twigs stable inside my vase. I loved using a smaller Shatto milk jug as a my vase. Get creative. This is a whimsical project after all.

Let’s get started! I started by placing the rice inside the container and then arranging my twigs inside the vase. You can use full twigs if they create a nice base or several smaller ones to create a fuller look. I did both. From there, you start gluing the pom-poms onto the branches. Place them where you feel it looks best and in any color order that makes you feel happy. It’s all about esthetic. Whatever you feel looks best, works best! So easy, right?

And once you are done, it’s ready for the table! Make it centerpiece for your kitchen or dining room table. Add it as a decoration on a side table to add a little spring to any room. And the best thing about it, you can use it year after year! Just wrap it in bubble wrap to protect the branches from breaking while in storage. I love a craft that can be used year after year!

And there you have it! A springtime Pom-Pom tree fit for your Easter tablescape! And you can make it late as Saturday for use on Sunday! What do you think? Is this something you think you can create this weekend? 

Happy Spring!

XO,

Andrea

                                                        

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!