Paint

Instagram Photo Frame

0 · Aug 22, 2013 · 4 Comments

Hey Whipperberry fans, it's Jenn from My Fabuless Life and today I'm going to show you a super simple way to actually take those beautiful life moments sitting in your Instagram feed and put them to good use!

I get some grief about what an Instagram addict I am, buuutttt…this is why! It's such an easy way to capture those day to day moments, when you wouldn't normally be carrying your camera or you just don't want to mess with getting it out. Basically, for me, Instagram is a photo journal, and I don't have to mess with editing all of those pictures at once, because I've already done it, easily, before the pictures are posted, which also makes them perfect for displaying. This is one of the ways I decided to display mine and it's super easy.

I picked up a large frame at a local home decor store (it was on crazy clearance because it was missing the glass) and spray painted it with Krylon's Gold (I also love Valspar's gold spray paint). Then, I actually picked up the "chicken wire" from the trash pile at a house being built in my neighborhood–it's the wire mesh they put under stucco. I'm pretty sure my neighbors think I'm nuts, because I can be seen on a regular basis pushing a stroller and carrying handfuls of scrap wood, tree branches, and other treasures. Am I embarrassed about it? A little (my husband a lot), but I can suck up a lot of pride for free stuff ; ). Anyway, if you don't have a local construction site to borrow from, I think you can buy chicken wire at any local farm supply. And it probably goes without saying, but don't go stealing the stuff. I pulled this out of a pile that was clearly trash–no one wants to see you on an episode of Cops. Now that the legal stuff is out of the way back to our regularly scheduled project: Lay the mesh over the back of the frame. Don't cut it down to size yet! It's much easier if you do it after it's attached.

With a staple gun, just staple the mesh on around the back of the frame. If you don't have a staple gun (it's totally worth the $10 purchase) you can use brass thumb tacks and some hot glue. Put some glue on the back of the tack and then press it into the frame to hold the mesh (the glue will keep the tack from popping out). Then go around and cut all of the excess off with some wire cutters. BE CAREFUL! This stuff is sharp! And that's about it. Time for hanging.

I hung my pictures with some embellished paper clips, and some Basic Grey cards I scored at SNAP!.

Then to add a little more variety and color, I added some free Project Life-sized printables I found here & here, and a miniature version of one of my own prints.

I know Instagram printing can be pretty pricey, so as a bonus, I've created a few templates and a tutorial on how to print your own at home, or wherever you normally have your photos printed. You can find the free downloads and tutorial over at My Fabuless Life.

Embellished Picture Clips // Repurposed Kitchen Cabinet

Striped Straw Jar with DecoArt Glass Paint Markers and Diet Coke

0 · Aug 14, 2013 · 5 Comments

This post brought to you by DecoArt Glass Paint // For the 2nd time in 10 months we are MOVING!! Needless to say, I am excited to finally be in a home that fits our family better, but the idea of packing up and moving again is not very appealing AT ALL! We knew this move was going to happen soon, so we didn't unpack a ton, so this move should be easier than last time.

One thing I did learn last time, is that you need to create a system that really works for you. A system that is productive, smart and provides yourself and your helpers with LOTS of rewards. For me, one of my favorite treats is a Diet Coke. I just LOVE the stuff! I would drink it like water if I could get away with it. I love the flavor, I love the bubbles and quite frankly there are times when there is nothing better on this planet than a good, cold Diet Coke. Because of that, it is a great motivating treat for me. More than almost any little treat. If I know that a Diet Coke is at the end of the chore, my git-up, gets a going.

That's why for this move I created a Diet Coke Station with a few fun little items to dress-up the station to motivate myself and all of my helpers during the drudgery of packing…

I used my handy chalkboard clipboard and then dressed-up a Ball jar with some red stripes for my straw jar with DecoArt Glass Paint Markers and then set-out to move mountains. The striped jar was super simple to make, here is what you will need to do…

Supplies for the Striped Straw Jar

Ball wide mouths 1 1/2 pt. jar
DecoArt Glass Paint Markers – Americana Glass Paints are available at Michaels, JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores, Pat Catan's Craft Centers, A.C. Moore, Beverly's, and other fine craft retailers. Click HERE for more information on Americana Glass Paints.
Tape – I used a thin washi tape but any type of washi or painters tape will do.

Instructions for Striped Straw Jar

Before you begin, you need to prepare your glass jar by cleaning it with alcohol and let dry. Then apply the tape to the jar to create your desired stripe look…

I wanted nice thick stripes but you may like a different style, so don't tie yourself down to my look. Next, the super easy part… Color on your paint using the DecoArt Glass Paint Markers. No mess, no fuss, they are perfect for this kind of project!!

Carefully remove the tape once you are finished and let dry for a few hours. Add your stylish straws to the jar (I found mine though Pick Your Plum) and voilá… Grabbing a Diet Coke has just been kicked up a few notches!

Looking for a great deal on Glass Paint? DecoArt has a rebate just for you guys!!

// Click on image to find full rebate offer //

Looking for some more inspiration? We have a whole slew of talented bloggers who have also come up with some fun DecoArt Glass Paint projects. Click through to find all kinds of Glass Paint love…

Disclaimer // I am part of the DecoArt Core Bloggers and have received payment for this post along with free product. I am also a Brand Ambassador for Diet Coke and have received free product. However, all thoughts, ideas and opinions are my very own!

DIY Polka Dot Notebook for Back to School

2 · Jul 31, 2013 · 10 Comments

This post brought to you by DecoArt // Back to school is right around the corner for my kiddos and it's time to start working on dressing up our school supplies. I am Target's biggest fan and have been since birth, so… A few trips to Target is a must before school starts. I've been loving the Greenroom line of school supplies and found a fun notebook that I thought would look extra special with some gold polka dots!

Doesn't it look extra special now? This is a perfect project for your kiddos to create some fun notebooks for themselves or to create a fun teacher gift for their new teacher. It's super easy, here is what you will need…

Polka Dot Notebook Supplies

Find a fun notebook.

Select a coordinating paint color from the full line of DecoArt paints. I used Americana Multi-Surface Satin in Muted Gold. These paints are available at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, A.C Moore and other fine craft retailers.
Large Foam Paint Brush.
Cardboard diamond that I cut out myself.

Polka Dot Notebook Instructions

Open up your notebook and lay as flat as possible on a protected table.
Use your paint cap a your paint supply, this way you don't have to create any waste. Just pour little bits of paint in the cap and when you are finished, just rinse it out, dry completely and replace on the paint bottle.
Take your large foam paint brush and dip the tip of the handle into the paint lid and load with a small amount of paint. Then using your cardboard diamond as a guide (a trick I learned from one of my contributors Haley from Life is Sweet) carefully place your polka dots.
Let dry over night to ensure that the paint has completely dried. My polka dots were pretty thick so that couldn't see the notebook through the paint so it took a bit for it to dry.

Like I said before, this would be fun for your kiddos or for a teacher gift for the first day of school.

On August 14th I will be sharing this fun printable tag with the Printable Club that you can use to create a super fun teacher gift for your kiddos new teacher.

Pair your polka dot notebook with a coordinating spiral notebook, some fun pencils and a Target gift card and you'll have one happy teacher!!

Disclaimer // This post brought to you by DecoArt. I am a member of the DecoArt Core Blogger Team and did receive product and payment for this post. However, all thoughts, ideas and opinions are my very own!

$2.00 DIY Beach Bag

0 · Jul 25, 2013 · 3 Comments

Hi Whipperberry readers! It's Jenn from My Fabuless Life back this month to show you a super simple, super affordable little beach bag I threw together for a recent family vacation. Literally, if you have five minutes and a five dollar bill, you can make this–you don't even need a personal cutter! And what's extra awesome about this project is that you can use this method to "screen print" just about anything that's fabric!

Our family recently went on vacation to the beautiful Oregon Coast and this trip meant two things for us: LOTS of time in the car (we drove from Utah to Oregon) and LOTS of time at the beach. I always pack my 3 year old daughter a road trip bag and a brand new bag to hold all of the goodies is part of the fun. For this trip, my $2.00 bag pulled double-duty by holding all of her stuff during the car ride and then all of our treasures and toys once we got there and were ready to spend our days on the beach.

To make your own bag you'll need:
Freezer paper
Craft paint + Fabric Medium
A cloth bag (I got mine for $1.99 at Hobby Lobby without the 40% coupon)
Iron

Find the image you want to use: for this one, I just Googled "Whale Silhouette" and found one that I liked. Click on the image so it shows up on your screen like this (in Google, you can also click "view original image"):

Zoom in or out on the image until it's the size you want and then just lay your freezer paper right over the computer screen and trace GENTLY! Let's not go ruining any computer screens here, since that would sort of negate this whole $2.00 project thing. You should be tracing on the freezer paper shiny side down (pencil marks will be on the dull side).

Next, just cut out the image with an Exacto knife. Make sure to leave plenty of room around your shape to "slop" your paint so it stays on the paper and doesn't smudge all over your fabric. Make sense? If not, you'll see what I mean below.

I wanted this to be sort of "kid chic" so I left the cute little face off of the whale–not to mention, it makes it that much easier to cut and paint. Next, iron your freezer paper onto your fabric shiny side down. Make sure to iron it down good and tight so your paint doesn't bleed underneath (I do it with my iron on the highest setting). Also be sure to iron your bag or shirt or whatever you're using prior to painting it. Painting on wrinkled fabric will not give you pretty results.

Next comes paint: mix the paint and medium according to the instructions on the bottle of fabric medium (which can be found with the craft paints). I used gold paint (like I said, I was going "kid chic" here and it glitters in the sun–BONUS!) and my fabric medium ratio was 2 parts paint to 1 part medium. This gives you a softer finish on the fabric once the paint dries. You can do this without the medium, but your paint will be stiff and won't soften as much in the wash. YES–you CAN wash it!!

Apply your paint (you can use a brush or a dobber), let the paint dry a little and then pull the freezer paper off and let the paint dry overnight. DONE & DONE!!

This is such a fun easy way to personalize gifts. Onesies for baby showers, book bags for kids, team t-shirts for little ones…the possibilities are really endless. Later this week over at MFL, I'll be showing you what I filled this bag with for my little one and my favorite tips for LONG road trips with kids so make sure to stop by!

diy screen printed team shirts // summer printable // memories in a jar

Paint

Supplies for the Striped Straw Jar

​Instructions for Striped Straw Jar

Polka Dot Notebook Supplies

Polka Dot Notebook Instructions

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Instructions for Striped Straw Jar