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T-Shirt Tote Bag

3/23/2020

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With this crazy Coronavirus lockdown I've been going through and cleaning things like crazy! This includes my lovely art room where I often shove things in corners and add it to my mental "to-do" list yet they continue to sit there for months on end. Well, this is the perfect time to get these projects done!

I had an old t-shirt of my Papaw's that I had tye-dyed with my Grandma. I have 2 so I thought it'd be cool to actually make something with one of them. I thought this would be a great opportunity to share with you all a perfect quick project that can be done with any age!

This would be great for all those kiddos at home if you need something to fill up some time! Have your kiddos pick out an old shirt they no longer like to wear or if you have adult sized shirts that would be even better (ya know, more room for all the stuffs!). 
Supplies:
-Old t-shirt (the bigger the better unless you have itty bitties doing this project!)
-Good pair of scissors 
(that's it, crazy!)
1. Lay your t-shirt on the floor or a flat surface (actually make sure it's laid out evenly unlike me!)
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2. Cut off the sleeves of your shirt in a half U-shape (you're creating the handles of the bag with this step). You can draw this out if you prefer but I just went ahead and cut away!
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3. Next, cut the neckline into a complete U-shape (you are creating the bag opening here).
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4. Next, cut "fringe" strips at the bottom of the shirt (exactly like you were making a fleece tie blanket!). You are cutting through both the front and back layers here. Note: I should have cut off the hem strip on the bottom of the shirt because I, personally, do not like that extra chunk of fabric. I ended up having to cut this off each piece afterwards! 
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5. Tie the front and back fringes together in a knot and continue all the way across the bottom of the shirt.
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6. And just like that, you have a new tote bag! ...But let me show you the cool thing about this bag... 

If you're into the hippie vibe and dig those fringes, you can totally rock it that way! BUT, if fringe just ain't your thing then go ahead and flip the whole bag inside out! Those fringes will be hidden on the inside and no one will know! Check it...

Note: you can even add some embellishments like these cute bows made out of scrap fabric! 
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Fairy Lantern PB Jar

10/10/2019

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I've done this fairy lantern craft before with glass jars and people loved it! They couldn't wait to take it home, show it off, and replicate it with kids/grandkids/friends. I left that night feeling really great about the program and that I helped people create something they fell in love with.

Time for some self-shaming. David, my boyfriend, and I eat a tonnnnn of peanut butter. Like, a tonnnnn, probably way more than we should to be honest. We've actually recently cut down on it but, boy oh boy, do we love us some PB.

On that note, I was getting anxiety over using up so many plastic containers. There had to be something I could use them for! With no plan in mind, I started soaking them, washing them, and de-labeling them meticulously one at a time with no purpose at the end of the tunnel.

Then, the fairy lanterns came into mind. I had done it before with glass and thought, well, why not give it a try... I have plenty more to use if it doesn't work! I gotta say it turned out pretty darn cute. I think it's decently disguised but if I were doing it for myself, or for a gift, I think I would choose to add a lot more moss and other items to disguise it even more. Anywho, the instructions are as follows, happy crafting! 
Supplies:
  • Peanut Butter Jar washed and de-labeled 
  • Tissue paper (I used white but I want to try pastels next)
  • Cut out fairy or other silhouette on thick paper
  • Mod Podge
  • Foam Brush
  • Glitter
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Moss
  • Flowers
  • Paint - green, brown, black
  • Tape
  • Battery operated tealight
1. I used a half sheet of tissue paper to cover up the PB jar. Tear your piece off and crinkle it up into a ball. Coat a large area of your PB jar with Mod Podge using the foam brush. Carefully, unravel your tissue paper and lightly lay it into the glue. You don't want to flatten it out completely because you want the crinkle to stay in the paper. Continue to do this so the entire jar is covered in tissue paper. 
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2. Cut or tear the rest of the tissue paper to get rid of any overlap. Keep in mind, to have this area at the back of your lantern so that you cannot see the "seam line".  
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3. The bottom of your jar will become the top. Mod Podge the bottom and fold over the tissue paper at the end to cover this entire area. 
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Note: I did not cover the entire lip of the jar so that it can still be twisted shut if desired.
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4. Next, I did the same thing with the lid of the jar. I knew I wanted to paint it and glue items to it so I thought covering it with tissue paper would create a nice textured layer for this purpose. 
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Note: I did not cover the inside of the lid and afterwards, I wish I had. I can, of course, do this at any time but I wanted to point this out. I feel if you do not cover the inside, you can see the red of the lid on the outside. It isn't super noticeable, but I notice it. 
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5. While the lid is drying, I added my fairy on the inside of the jar. I adhered her with two pieces of rolled tape, one on her legs, and one on her wings. This is better than gluing her completely down. It creates a more natural shadow effect when the lantern is lit up at night!
6. Now that I know where my fairy is sitting, I added glitter to the outside of the jar. I didn't cover the entire thing, just enough to form a frame around where the fairy rests. I used a translucent glitter for this, brushing on Modpodge, then lightly adding the glitter. As the glitter dries, I tap it so that it sets into the glue more. 
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7. Here is where I painted my lid to camouflage it. I knew I would be adding moss later, but I didn't want any of the white tissue paper coming through! I sponged on a layer of green, then brown, then black with the foam brush, just enough to cover most of the white. 
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8. For the fun part! I used moss for a more stereotypical fairy lantern look and I am very glad I chose to do so. First, I added moss to the top of the jar. To do this, add a bit of hot glue, and tap in some moss. Careful with your fingers! This is high-finger-burning-time! Keep adding the glue and moss until you feel satisfied with the amount. I wanted to add enough to disguise the shape of the PB jar. 
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9. Next, add some flowers, leaves, whatever you'd like to dress up the top! 
10. I did the same exact thing with the lid and even added a leaf here as well.  
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Note: I wanted to point out that I noticed the expiration date and other numbers was printed on the plastic and was totally showing through the tissue paper! Eww! I covered this up with yet another leaf and some more moss. 
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11. The last step is to add your battery operated candle! I purchased mine on Amazon. I chose a tea light that was a little taller than the typical light to accommodate the height on the lip of the jar.

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​Turn that beauty on and look at her glow!
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Were using the PB Jar method at work for a mother-daughter craft program. This makes it even better that we are using plastic jars instead of glass in case we have any little ones attend! We are also including in the description that these are actually Peanut Butter jars and that if you have a peanut allergy we do not recommend attending just in case any residue is leftover. 

​Let me know if you have any questions!
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Altered Book Journal Page

9/5/2019

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Let me start by saying anything... and I mean anything can be used for an altered book journal! This is what makes this project so much fun and so versatile. Every book is different, every page is different, and every material is different. The purpose of an "altered book" is making an old book into a new piece of art. There are many types of altered books, but for this project, we are beginning an altered book "journal". A journal can be used as a "smash book" for travel or random memories or can be used for a literal journal to write in. There are many possibilities.

​I did this journal page spread for one of my classes. This was a little tricky as I had to come up with something that we could all do together in our own books but something that could get everyone started and get those creative gears moving! The page above is what I came up with. It is something very simple and uses minimal supplies. We could've gone crazy and used paints, textures, inks, stamps, stickers, etc. but I kept it simple for an easy clean up and to also show that you don't need anything fancy for this type of project!

Supplies:
  • Paper (scrapbook and scrap)
  • Printed Clip Art image
  • Printed text in a fun font
  • Ribbon
  • Elmer's Glue
  • Scrapbooking flowers
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Xacto Knife
​1. First off, let's talk about picking our book. If you can find something with "sewn" pages, that's the way to go! The modern glued pages are terrible for an altered book project! They are too flimsy and as you cut away more pages it loses its stability and could fall apart! These photos show what a sewn spine looks like verses a glued spine.
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2. To start with, we need to "prep" our book. Everybody goes about this in different ways, but, for me, I go through and remove pages throughout the book. The more "stuff" you want to add to your book = the more pages you want to cut out. I use an Xacto knife to cut out a page. Then flip a couple of pages and cut another out. Keep going until you feel happy, at least for the time being. Make sure there are pages to the right and left of the cut section to glue together and cover up the cut page. You'll end up with quite a few lose pages (you could save these for future projects!).
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3. Once you are done cutting out pages throughout the book, you are ready to start gluing. As mentioned above, glue the pages to the left and right of the cut together, hiding that cut line. I use Mod Podge for this, putting it on in an even, thin layer. You can always come back and add more if the corners aren't glued down after it dries. 
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4. The next step is where things start becoming "optional". What I like to do to "prep" a page, is to paint a layer of white gesso on the spread. Gesso gives a nice foundation for the rest of the items you will add. It also slightly covers the words or "greys" them out so you can still see them but you can also see your work! The page we are doing is pretty bare, you can still see the Gesso effect in the very first image on this post.  
5. For this step, gather the supplies/items you want to use for your page.

I want to go over what I used for mine. The "Let your soul grow" quote was printed on a regular printer on antiqued paper. The bike was also printed on the same printer on regular copy paper. I tore some scrapbook paper to fit into the corners of the page (if you tear away/toward you = different results!). I had some spare scrapbooking flowers to use up and I also used some pieces of ribbon. Remember, I tried to keep this page spread very easy and user friendly!
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6. All I did to finish this page spread up was glue! First, I arranged everything on the pages to figure out where I wanted it all to go. Once I was good with it all I glued everything down with a thin layer of Elmer's Glue, you could use Mod Podge instead. I also used the hot glue gun to glue the ribbon and the flowers down. But that was it! 
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​This was a pretty simple page. But you could really get crazy and do pages like the examples below! Happy Journaling! 
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American Flag Tapestry

3/4/2019

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I created this quick craft project to tie into a book discussion at work. But this so easy, anyone can do it and it's very quick as long as you are making a smaller size. I also think this would be awesome in an extra large size as well!

Supplies:
  • Base form (I used a piece of driftwood!)
  • Twine 
  • Yarn
  • Ribbons
  • Fabric

1. Gather your supplies all in one space so you are ready to go!
       a. If you are using fabric, I would cut your strips at this time as well

2. Use blue pieces to represent the blue star part of the flag (I saw some online that used white beads throughout to represent the stars!) and alternate your red and white for the stripes. 

3. Tie your strips on using the Larkshead Knot technique below. This is a great way to add your elements because you get two components out of one. 
       a. You can also tie them however you wish. Try tying little pieces together of different types/textures to give your flag more variety. 
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​4. Create a piece for hanging. I did this by wrapping 3 pieces of twine around the one end, braiding it, and tying it off on the other side. 

5. That's it! Feel free to add whatever types of elements you have lying around! Perfect decoration for the most rustic folks you know!
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Fabric Flower

1/3/2019

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Do you have a bunch of scrap fabric that you don't know what to do with? This is the perfect craft to use 'em up! 

Supplies Needed:
  • Needle
  • Thread
  • Fabric
  • Scissors 
1. Cut 8 3"x3" pieces out of your fabric (or various fabrics) 
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2. Fold each piece in half and then in half again...
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3. While holding the fold of each piece, cut the corner into a rough looking heart shape (I went ahead and did all 8 pieces so they were ready for me and I felt like that really sped the process along!)
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4. Thread your needle with thread (you don't use very much). Pick up your first piece of fabric. Holding it at its corner, sew through the corners a few times. DO NOT knot the thread after. 
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5. Grab your next piece of fabric, and thread your needle through that piece and your original piece a couple of times. Again, DO NOT knot the thread afterwards.
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6. Keep repeating this process until all 8 pieces are sewed together. 
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7. NOW, you may tie your thread off to keep all of the pieces together. 
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8. As you let go of the corners, you'll see how all of the pieces are now together, but... it needs a little help becoming a flower. Begin "fluffing" up your pieces and spreading them outward. Oooo look at that flower grow! And just like that, your flower is formed and ready for whatever you wish to use it for! 
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​(Side note: the fabric I used are actually pieces of my Papaw's flannel shirts - he passed a couple of years ago. I plan to use my flowers for wedding decorations/bouquets whenever that happens... cough, cough! ...That way he'll be with us on our special day.)
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Altered Books

12/26/2018

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Do you remember that awesome spooky spell book I did back in October? Well, it started a whirlwind for Christmas gifts that I got completely lost in!

Ahhh, the wonderful world of altered books!

This is the main reason I haven't really posted too much because I was so enveloped in this realm, I didn't have time for anything else. Nothing! 

If you don't know what I'm talking about, do a general search on Pinterest for "altered books" or "altered book journal" and behold. It is endless. You will get lost in a rabbit hole that you might never get out of!

Altered books can be created for any type of person, for any reason. The possibilities are endless and it is so incredibly creative. It is a very messy hobby but the results are beautiful. I also found it stress-relieving. I would go into my art room for hours and come out feeling calm and inspired. 
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Anywho, here is one of the books I created. This one was for my mom who decorates in the vintage/americana type decor. You need to download the file in order to watch it as it is too large for the online restrictions.

​Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!
20181224_070841.mp4
File Size: 100029 kb
File Type: mp4
Download File

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Cookie Sheet Memo Board

11/5/2018

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This is a really fun little craft to do with someone of any age. It's a great way to repurpose old icky cookie sheets as well. This would make a great addition to just about any room of your home or a great gift as you can mold it to fit anyone's personal style. 
Here I go with forgetting to take pictures of every... little... thing yet again, ug! But this one is pretty simple and should be easy to follow regardless.
Supplies:
  • Cookie sheet (old or new)
  • Paint if desired (best to use spray paint)
  • Fun Scrapbook/pattern paper
  • Pattern fabric if desired
  • Mod Podge/hot glue/Elmer's glue
  • Magnets (plain or premade)
  • Ribbon, buttons, flowers, letters, endless embellishments!
1. If desired, paint your cookie sheet. It seems best to use a spray paint as it will adhere well. I, however, used acrylic paint on an old non-stick cookie sheet. You know what that means right? The paint did not stick great. But, I ended up liking the look and making it "distressed". I also went over the entire paint job with a layer of Mod Podge. If you go this route, and don't use Mod Podge, the paint will scratch right off once dry so make sure you put a layer of some sort over the paint!
2. Once your paint/glue layer is dry, you can add some fun colorful paper or fabric to create an eyecatching background. Note: I saw in other people's Pins, that they covered their entire board with paper or fabric with a decoupage method. This is of course always an option as well!

You can see in the image that I added a couple of different papers to make my board more interesting but you could just do one color/design. 
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3. Add whatever you like to dress it up. This is where the craft gets totally random and free-form. Literally, do whatever you want. I added a ribbon in the middle of the two paper patterns. I also cut out letters on a CriCut machine to make a heading but you could also use precut letters or no letters at all! 
4. Add some magnets for hanging/posting notes! These can be store-bought or premade magnets or, like me, I got plain old boring black magnets and added embellishments of my own! Amazon has a pack of 100 for only $10! I also saw on other Pins that people added pieces of cork board or mini calendars as well. 
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5. Lastly, find a place to hang/set up your board! This might get a little tricky. If you have someone handy or have a drill yourself, I believe you can drill a couple holes at the top for a ribbon in order to hang the board up. However, I did see others use Command Strips (just try not to put heavy items up as it might pull the board down). I also saw others use adhesive magnet strips and put it up on their fridge. So many possibilities! 

I am using my board in my "art room" to keep track of upcoming projects I need to get done!
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Spooky Spell Book

9/7/2018

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Can you believe it's September already? I love fall, definitely my favorite, but... seriously... where did summer go? In preparation for the coming comforting season what better craft to make than a Spooky Spell Book for your holiday decorating or gift giving!
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​Supplies List:
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Mod Podge
  • Foam brush
  • Unused book
  • Creepy Crawlies

  • Tissue Paper
  • Paint for cover
  • Paint for pages
  • Paint for accents
  • Raised embellishments
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1. Let's get started. Grab your unused book and place your "raised embellishments" where you would like them to be. For this I used craft wood pieces. These can be found at any craft store, or of course, on Amazon. They're not high quality, just  simple little pieces. Don't glue anything down until you are sure everything is where you want it! 
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2. Once you like where they are, go ahead and glue them down. I used Elmer's glue for this but you can also use a glue gun of course... it would be much faster too! 

3. Next we want to create our creepy title. I went simple and just went with "SPELLS" but you can switch it up and maybe do "HEXES", "CURSES", etc. I created my letters by just using the hot glue gun and "writing" the letters out. However, you could get wood letters and put them on the cover just like you did with the first pieces. Up to you. If you go with the glue technique, do NOT, use Elmer's glue..... awful! It will take forever to dry and will barely be raised - stick with the hot glue and work relatively fast. 
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4. As you can see in the above image, tissue paper is your next step. You want to tear off chunks of tissue paper and roll them into little balls to make them nice and wrinkly. Then, unroll them and spread them on your cover using Mod Podge. I saw on Pinterest some people cover the entire thing, including the letters, but I decided not to go that route.
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5. After the tissue paper layer is  dry, you can go ahead and paint over the entire thing. I actually used black chalk paint. We had some extra lying around from a previous project and I wanted to use it up. I was worried about coverage but it turned out perfectly! The picture shows it as I was painting the cover before it was completely dry.
6. Next, you can add your creepy crawlies! Ooo! It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do. I could not decide if I wanted to paint over them or not! Decisions, decisions. I decided the paint over option and was very happy I did. Glue your guys on with hot glue and they will stick great! Then just paint right over them as well. 
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7. As your cover is drying, work on the sides of your book. Just FYI - I glued my front cover and back cover to the first and last pages to keep them down a little. Then I Mod Podged... yes, this is a word... over the exterior of the pages, making them all stick together (once this dries you could definitely pull it apart, it's not 100% secure). 
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8. After the glue is dry, you can then paint over the exterior of the pages. I painted mine a neon green, super fun! But I think purple, red, and orange would also look awesome. I also took my brush from the black paint and lightly brushed over the green to give it a distressed look.
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9. The last step is to add your accent color. I used a gold metallic paint but I think that silver or red would look pretty spooky too. I used such a small amount for this... like pea size! Lightly dab your foam brush into the paint, paint a little off onto a piece of scrap paper and then, very lightly, go over your book cover, hitting various high and low points. Do not try to cover the whole thing, unless you want to do that for some reason. Just lightly brush and you will give your spell book the perfect finishing touch! (p.s. don't forget the spine)


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​Happy Fall Y'all!
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    Rebecca Myers 

    Hey there, I'm Becca, or Rebecca, but not Becky, never Becky, unless you're my family from down south! I'm a simply modern librarian by day and an artist by night. My pursuit is for a simple, happy, healthy, and more fulfilling life! I hope I inspire you to get crafty!

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