DIY Book of Spells

September 10, 2015 by Danielle

We had so much fun at our recent visit with Family Forward to Universal Studios and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! As part of our big ‘surprise bag’ we put together for the kids when we got there, I made this super fun and budget-friendly DIY Book of Spells for each kiddo! I thought it would be the perfect thing to share for this month’s Halloween themed Craft Lightning!

I was able to finish the first one in just about 15 minutes start to finish, then the rest were only a few minutes each since I’d already cut out the designs. Plus, each one only cost a couple bucks for everything! So fun that they have their own Book of Spells, and plenty of blank pages to journal their fun, or even make up their own spells and potions!

DIY Book of Spells Supplies

Small, blank notebooks ($2-$3 at Walmart)
Vinyl in colors of choice, or use paper and glue it on
Silhouette, Cricut or stencil to cut out shapes

DIY Book of Spells Directions

Cut out your vinyl/paper. You can nab the silhouette files I used for my 5″ notebooks HERE and HERE.
Attach it to the cover of the notebook as desired – mix it up with fun colors and designs!

Originally I was just going to keep it like this…..

….but then decided it needed a little more accents to it, so used the moon from the corners to add to the Title, and the dots at the end of the wand for a little ‘magic’.

Much better, don’t you think? I really wished I had some brown vinyl for the wands, but this works out well also. The kids were thrilled to get them – and for the tiny bit of money and time it was more than worth it!

What are YOUR favorite spells from Harry Potter?

Don’t forget to head over to check out the other fabulous, spooky, and down-right fun Halloween themed crafts that take less than 15 minutes for this month’s Craft Lightning!

Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath & Giveaway

December 14, 2014 by Danielle

I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of fun spoon wreaths all over the internet, and if you’re like me you’re totally intimidated! I love them, but kept putting off actually creating one because I hate complicated projects. When I finally just bucked up and did one, I was happily surprised that it was really simple! Don’t believe me? Check out this beautiful Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath I made! Plus a GIVEAWAY!!!

Contains affiliate links that support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure for more info.

I’ve been wanting something to go over Wonder Woman’s bed since I made her Frozen Bedroom. I originally put our wreath up there, but it was heavy and after it fell down right onto her pillow once (luckily NOT while she was in bed), I removed it. It left a big blank space that was designed for a nice focal point….yuck! So when I finally convinced myself to try making a spoon wreath, I knew exactly where it would go!

Supplies

Plastic spoons….LOTS
Spray paint(s) of choice
Gloves
Wire Cutters
Hot glue/gun
Cardboard
Mirror
Vinyl lettering/design
Paint
Ribbon, for hanging

Note: I did a really large wreath, and used about 135ish spoons.

Directions

Using wire cutters, clip off the handles from your spoons. Wear gloves (like gardening gloves) to protect your hands from blisters! Careful, as little shards might clip off occasionally. Lay your finished spoons out and spray paint your base color. I did a light blue, then sprayed them all with a sparkle. (I finish the edges later with a silver, read on). Allow to dry, so they’re not still sticky!
I recommend spray painting your cardboard, in case there’s gaps. I sprayed my spoons over cardboard, so just cut my circle from that. You can also use foam board, if you prefer. Get your cardboard/foam circle and, starting from the OUTSIDE edge, hot glue your spoons into place. Work around the outside edge, then move in slightly for your next layer to overlap the bottom.
Just keep gluing, just keep gluing! Go until you have the center that will fit your mirror. This is where I took my finished spoon part and just sprayed silver AT AN ANGLE towards the outside row. It gave it a little dimension!
Once it’s all dry, work on your mirror. Get your vinyl lettering or design (I printed mine on my Silhouette Cameo) and place it carefully on your mirror. Paint over it and allow to dry. I did two coats to ensure smooth coverage. Make sure it’s fully dry before moving on!
Very carefully peel off the vinyl. If there’s any goofs, just touch it up with a tiny bit of paint.
Take little pieces of cardboard/foam board and hot glue them in a stack in the center of your wreath. This is so the mirror can go in place overlapping the spoons (to avoid gaps) and lay nicely flat. I had to use about 4-5 squares of cardboard to get mine the appropriate height. Hot glue the mirror down. Hot glue some ribbon to the back in a loop for hanging.

I’m thrilled with how beautiful the wreath turned out!

Once I get to remodel my master bedroom, I’m totally doing another one! I love that you can customize these to fit your preference of color, design, size….even the center can be switched from a mirror to a photo, or whatever you feel like. Now Wonder Woman has a pretty focal point over her headboard, and it’s lightweight so I’m not worried about it falling down on her during the night!

More Frozen Fun from Get Away Today

Our friends at Get Away Today are full of Frozen excitement lately! First of all, here’s 3 Easy Frozen Inspired Ways to Give a Disney Vacation! They even have a free printable letter from Elsa you can print off. Super cute!!!

They’re also spilling the beans on More Frozen Fun coming to Disneyland in 2015! I’m super excited about this one because we’ll be going next October….Woot Woot! Head on over to their blog to learn all the ‘chillingly’ awesome details!

Win 2 Frozen Princess Dresses for the Frozen Fan in Your Life!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Head over to Get Away Today to book your next Disney vacation, and use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your package!

Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales

December 7, 2014 by Danielle

This post contains affiliate links, which help support this blog. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Despite working like crazy, my to-do list just seems to grow ever longer this holiday season! With everything to do, I’m not getting the quality family time I want. One thing I’ve been trying to do to help is find ways to cut down on time AND money, especially with my gift giving. Luckily, I planned ahead last year and was able to make some super adorable Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales!

Now, I’m not one of those people who hits the stores extra early the day after Christmas to get the best sales. One, I’m not brave enough to fight through the deal-hunting mobs and Two: I like my sleep. A lot! So I just get around to shopping after-Christmas clearance sales a day or two after that. Maybe I miss out on some great deals, but I still always manage to find the perfect things to make the next year so much nicer! Last year I was able to nab twenty or so of these cute ceramic holiday bowls….for $0.50 a pop!

Fun, right?! They’re perfect for pretty much any treat you want to give as neighbor gifts, whether it’s cookies, snack mix, wrapped candies or whatever. I wanted to make them a little ‘extra special’, though, so decided to get out my trusty Silhouette Cameo and add some vinyl! I chose some sayings like ‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’ and the classic ‘Merry Christmas’. Plus images like a swirly Christmas tree or star.

Supplies

Holiday dish or bowl
Vinyl in text/designs desired
Cookies, candies, whatever you want to fill it with
Cellophane or pretty tulle
Ribbon for tying

Directions

Make sure you measure the inside area of your dishes before getting your vinyl shapes, to make sure they’ll fit. After I cut out the vinyl designs really fast on my Silhouette, I put them on transfer paper and carefully transferred them to the inside bottom of each dish. Rub well to make sure it’s all smooth with no bumps or stuck-up edges.
Add your filler, like cookies or chocolate kisses (if you get the holiday colored ones, it looks even more festive) into the bowls. Wrap with your cellophane or tulle, then tie it off with a pretty Christmas ribbon. That’s it!!!

It only took me about 10 minutes to design and print my vinyl, then maybe 20-30 minutes until all 20-something of my bowls were done! This saved me so much time, they turned out fabulous, and I didn’t have to spend much! I’m so excited to hand these out next week, and know my neighbors will absolutely love their treats and holiday bowls!

Family Nest Framed Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale

November 27, 2014 by Danielle

This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all! We’re all pretty darn sick, so today will be mellow at our house…makes us more grateful for when we’re healthy, though! Today I wanted to share a very simple, yet beautiful project I did with my Silhouette Cameo: this Family Nest Framed Art! Plus giving you a special promo code for Silhouette’s HUGE Black Friday Sale!

My twins’ preschool teacher has a print similar to this at her home, and I fell totally in love with it! I thought it was appropriate to share today because the thing I’m the most grateful for in my life is MY FAMILY! It also used my Silhouette Cameo, and I’m super excited to give you a promo code for their amazing sale for Black Friday!

Supplies Needed

Sheet of scrapbook/cardstock paper for background
Frame of choice (and paint if you need to redo it)
Vinyl in colors of choice
Silhouette/something to cut out the vinyl

Directions

I wanted my frame a bright, pretty color so I just spray painted a frame I had on-hand, then cut out my scrapbook paper to fit into the frame.
Using my Sihouette Software, I got a swirly tree design and the shape for the birds from the Silhouette online store, then adjusted the sizes in the program. I chose my text/fonts, then printed them off on white and purple vinyl.
Carefully transfer your tree onto your scrapbook paper, then your text. Keep in mind the borders in case the frame will cover some edges…you don’t want some of your text to be hidden! Then add your birds onto the tree. I did a larger bird for Hubby and a slightly smaller one for me…and of course they had to be kissing! Then four smallest birds for our kiddos.
Place the page in your frame, and you can display this cute piece of art in your home! Or make one up for friends/family to give as a wonderful gift!

Silhouette’s Black Friday Deals

I was fortunate enough last year to purchase my own Silhouette Cameo during the Black Friday deals, and am SO GLAD I took advantage of the great pricing! Seriously, it doesn’t get much better than this! I love my cameo, and have used it for LOTS of projects and to decorate my home. Now’s the best time for YOU to grab yours and begin getting your craft on!

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Already a Silhouette user?

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DIY Kitchen Chore Plate

August 29, 2014 by Danielle

Do you get more or less organized during the summer months? For me, it’s a loud echoing LESS! I have piles of papers needing filing, random craft supplies are covering my kitchen island, and our regular chores have been all-but ignored! So in the spirit of getting back on top of things, I created a new way to switch our daily meal jobs…this super-cute DIY Kitchen Chore Plate!

I figure the only way to get our household organized and clean again is to just back on the chore-wagon! We started back with our Family Chore Chart this week, so I’m already feeling a little more on the ball. As for our meals and the ~~disasters~~ messes that accompany them, this Kitchen Chore Plate has helped us keep things in order easily, even for the young kiddos!

Sorry, but I had to blot out the names on the pins for these images 😉 Another bonus for this little craft? It cost me about $2! Say what?! Yup, totally budget-friendly and takes so little time.

Supplies

Plastic plate in color of choice (look for clearance or dollar store…mine was $0.50)
Clothespins (maybe $0.25 for all)
Vinyl lettering (maybe $0.50 total)
Sharpie or good pen to write names
Ribbon and hook for hanging
Hot glue

Directions

Write the names of the family members on the clothespins. I did it on both sides, one right-side up and one upside-down. This way as it goes around the circular plate, you can flip it as needed and names will always be readable!
Attach your lettering to the plate, adding some fun chore stickers as well. I cut out my vinyl using my Silhouette Cameo, which took me a whole maybe 10 minutes to design, cut and attach. Love how easy it is!
Hot glue your ribbon onto the back of the plate, and hang. Clip on your clothespins to assign people their chore. Then just rotate easily!

See, it couldn’t be much more simple to create this Kitchen Chore Plate! We love it, and even the kids love as we rotate the pins and see what job they end up with next. If you’ve gotta clean up, may as well have fun with it, right?!

Easy Decorating with Wallternatives

August 28, 2014 by Danielle

School is in full-swing, which means there’s many out there needing some ideas for non-permanent decorating for their apartment, dorm or even their locker! You’re in luck, because there’s so many beautiful, fun, crazy and down-right stylish choices for Easy Decorating with Wallternatives!

I received free product to facilitate this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

If you remember, I had so much fun reviewing Wallternatives brand new line and did my cousin’s adorable Owl Fabric Decal bedroom. I love how easy these decals are to place, remove and place again! When I was offered to review another one of their fun decals, this time from their Dorm Decor selection, I was stoked! The problem? There’s just so many dang awesome choices! I guess if there has to be a problem, a great selection is an ok one to have, am I right?

I finally decided upon this inspirational ‘Be Your Self’ Vinyl Wall Decal in Lilac (the large size, since I have a BIG wall space). Although my Craft Room looks totally fab after I did a major makeover on it, some of the walls were still….well, boring! I wanted something colorful, attractive and motivational. When I saw this quote on their website, I knew it was so perfect for this room…since I often do need to be reminded to Just Be MY Self, especially as I’m sharing things to all of you! As much as I want you all to like me and my little ol’ blog, the most important thing is that I’m ME, and whether you like me or not, as long as I’m not a fake that’s all I can do. And that’s what makes me happy along the way! So this vinyl wall decal is an absolutely perfect reminder for me as I’m blogging each day! I received my decal (very quick, I might add, these guys are AMAZING at shipping!) and loved the color! Purple is my favorite, and this was just the right shade…not too dark to clash with my purple line on my wall, but not so light it wouldn’t be well-seen.

How I applied the Decal

It comes with a cover on both sides….

I gently removed the backing of the decal….

Then place it on your wall, carefully starting at one edge and smoothing outward. Keep smoothing until you’ve got any bumps or bubbles worked out, then slowly and carefully work from one edge removing the front paper covering…

If you do end up with any bumps or bubbles, no worries! Just gently smooth them out, or you can easily remove the vinyl decal and re-position it! Don’t like where you placed it? No problem, just take it off and place it somewhere else! The sticky doesn’t wear off, whether you decide now or in ten years!

See, it’s perfect for non-permanent situations (or for those that change how they decorate often!) such as apartments, dorms or your student’s locker. What could be more fun than one (or more) of the fun decals from Wallternatives Dorm Decor? They even have chalkboard vinyl, which I plan to decorate MORE of my craft room space with! Calendar decals, menu boards, stylish designs and fun quotes….really, you can find a design for anyone!

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to their website and start your Easy Decorating with Wallternatives!

Quick and Organized Kids Art Wall

August 21, 2014 by Danielle

With 4 little kiddos, we get a LOT of cute little art projects piling up. It seems to just grow up off the counters, out of the walls, and stuffed in bedrooms. It’s everywhere! In the past, I’ve been terrible at displaying it in an organized (and even semi-attractive) manner, but no more since I did this Quick & Organized Kids Art Wall!

Yes, we’ve dealt with our dining room wall being that cluttered, random, totally-overrun mess for a year now! I know it’s been that long, since we moved in just over a year ago! Between the preschool projects and at-home art fun, my kiddos just have too many ‘masterpieces’ they want to display. With my new Organized Kid’s Art Wall, they can each pick their 3 favorites and they’re nicely up on our mini-gallery wall!

Supplies Needed

Wood board OR thick foam board (I used foam boards, since I had some on-hand)
Paint of choice
Vinyl lettering of choice
Clothespins
Nails or other way of attaching to the wall
Glue (I used hot glue)

Directions

Paint your boards the desired color.
Add your vinyl lettering. I used my trusty Silhouette Cameo and white vinyl, and even had my kids pick out their own fonts when I was designing them! I did use my kid’s actual names….but I blotted them out in these pics and put their Superhero names (code-names), since I don’t openly share their names on here.
Glue (hot glue worked great) your clothespins onto the board, then attach the boards to your ‘art gallery’.
Display their fabulous masterpieces for all to see!

We went from this disaster…..

….to this fabulous, organized and attractive Kids Art Wall!

DIY Pirate Sign

June 26, 2014 by Danielle

*I received free product to use in this post. All ideas and opinions are 100% my own. See my Disclosure Policy for further information.

Ahoy, Matey! I’ve got another fun pirate-y project for you today! This DIY Pirate Sign is so simple to make, and your wallet will love you for it!

I don’t know about you, but I love when there’s a project I can make once, then reuse again and again! Call me lazy, or cheap…..but I’m all for saving time and money! This DIY Pirate Sign was the perfect decoration for our recent Pirate Party, and is now an excellent (and sturdy) fixture for the boys’ Pirate Bedroom!

When I began brainstorming for the bedroom makeover, I knew I wanted some sort of rustic, wooden sign. I did NOT want to deal with the cost, working with the wood itself (lots of sanding to make it smooth enough for the boys to play around) and wasn’t fond of how HEAVY it would end up being.

Then I met the fabulous team from FloraCraft at SNAP! Conference at the end of April. They had this AMAZING map board on the wall, which at first I thought was wood boards. Turns out, it was actually Styrofoam boards! Wonderfully lightweight (which meant easy to hang), versatile (we were able to stick pins and hang things onto it), and absolutely gorgeous! I knew it would be perfect for the boys’ bedroom decor, and they were kind enough to help me out!

Notes: The amount of boards, puddy and paint will depend on your desired dimensions of your sign.

Supplies

1″x12″x36″ Styrofoam boards
FloraCraft Smooth Finish puddy
Brown paint of choice & paint brush
StyroCutter Plus (or other cutter for the Styrofoam)
Plastic knife, or other puddy spreader
Vinyl Lettering/images, or stickers
Long nails, to attach Styrofoam
If desired, sealing spray to hold the vinyl/stickers on better

Directions

Cut your Styrofoam pieces. I cut one board in half hotdog-wise for the ‘post’, putting one piece up above the other. For the individual signs I did about 4 per board, varying the size of each (some larger, some smaller). I used the amazing StyroCutter Plus, which made it uber easy to cut the boards. Since it’s basically melting through it, the edges end up smooth and nice!
Use a plastic knife, puddy knife or other smooth spreader to spread the Smooth Finish puddy over the boards. If you want it smooth, this puddy can do that easily. I purposely made mine look more ‘rough’ and ‘old wood’ looking.
Once the boards are covered in the puddy to the texture that you’d like, and it has fully dried, paint your boards. I found that the paint does go on a little lighter over the puddy than expected, so just keep that in mind.
I used my trusty Silhouette Cameo to print out my vinyl lettering and images (mermaid, crocodile, skull rock, etc.), then put the vinyl on the boards. I wanted them to stick better (and longer) so I sprayed an adhesive over the top to seal them to the boards.
To attach the individual signs to the long ‘post’ boards, I pushed a long nail (long enough to go through the top sign and then the ‘post, so I used about 1 1/2 inch long), through the sign, then used another nail and hammer to stick it in a bit further for extra security. To attach the ‘posts’ and signs to the wall, I got 3 inch nails (since the thickest part would be 2″ with the ‘post’ and signs), and did the same thing. Push it through the boards, then just hammer it into the wall. I did this a few spots on the ‘posts’, and then one in each sign just to be safe. That probably was a bit much, but my plan is the sign to stay put for a very long time.

That’s it! Now you have a fun DIY Pirate Sign to use for your next pirate-y event or room makeover! So head on out and grab some fabulous FloraCraft products and get your DIY on!

Wallternatives Wall Decals Review

May 30, 2014 by Danielle

I received these Wallternatives free of charge to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Okay, so I’ve been dying counting down the days until I got to share this with you guys! It’s a brand new product line launching TODAY! Seriously, look at how dang stinkin’ cute these Wallternatives Wall Decals are!!!

Just LOOK at that adorable fabric decor! Yes, I just said FABRIC decor. LOVE IT! So first, backstory time: I was first introduced to Royal Design Studios Stencils when I used their Starry Night Moroccan Stencil for my girl’s FROZEN bedroom. I fell in love with their stencils, and was stoked that they were at SNAP! Conference that I attended at the end of April.

At the conference, they were showing us the preview for their AMAZING Wallternatives line! After looking through their many fantastic designs, I was just like Oh. My. Gosh! THEY HAVE OWLS! Anyone that knows my aunt (who lives down the street), she loves owls. Borderline obsessed. So guess what her sweet little girl’s room is done in? Yup, OWLS! I saw that Wallternatives has these adorable Colorful Owls WallPrints™ Fabric Decals and KNEW I had to decorate my cousin’s room with them.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again: SO STINKIN’ CUTE!!! I’m in love with these….not only because they’re absolutely adorable and fun, but they’re also easily applied. You know how sometimes regular vinyl will fold onto itself and then you’re just like ‘well, that sucks’ and have to throw it out, or rip it? NOT THESE! Seriously, they could stick together, and you just smoothly and easily pull them apart and continue with your decorating.

You can also layer the pieces together, like I did with the owl sitting on this branch and the leaves on the branch. They’re actually SEPARATE pieces, but I placed them together. Of course, I didn’t get it perfectly the way I wanted it the first try, so just pulled them apart and tried again until I found the layout I was hoping for.

Another feature I’m stoked for is that they’re able to be REAPPLIED again and again, as long as the adhesive is clean. They don’t get stronger over time, so after 10 years you can go ahead and switch them around without having to scrape them off your walls. Yup, flexibility and not having to fully commit to a layout is fabulous with me!

Worried about the safety factor (what mom isn’t)? No worries here! This material is US patented, green and non-toxic. There’s no PVC, Phthlates, Clycol-ether or Formaldehyde. It’s environmentally friendly and bio-degradable over time.

Know what ELSE they have along with their Wallternatives line? ChalkTalk Chalkboard Art! I can’t wait to get my hands on some of that and have fun with it in my craft room, the kids’ play room….everywhere!

So head on over to Wallternatives and check out their fabulous products for yourself….see which one (or which MANY) you fall in love with!

Family Chore Chart

May 21, 2014 by Danielle

Since our kids are getting older and needing more responsibility, plus ways to earn money for their extra wants, I wanted a way to organize chores. After looking at a few different types of charts, I decided to put together this super-cute, but totally simple, Family Chore Chart!

For those that saw, I was part of the launch team for Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruz’s (Dave’s daughter) new book Smart Money, Smart Kids. It was PHENOMENAL, and has so many great tips for helping raise kids to be successful with money (and life)! If you missed my general review, check it out here. After reading it, I realized that I haven’t given my kids opportunities to learn responsibility, or any experience with money. That’s where this Family Chore Chart comes in!

Now, we do still love our Chore Rewards Treasure Chest, but the kids weren’t learning the money aspect, and it was difficult to separate the paid vs. non-paid chores. So we still use that to earn things for good behavior and ‘as a family’ type things, but for the normal chores this has now proven to work better for us!

Supplies

Large foam board (could use poster board, if you’d rather). I chose WHITE
Fun scrapbook paper for the top border and pockets
Vinyl (or markers) for the text
Scissors
Glue Dots
Popsicle Sticks
Pen/marker for sticks
Nail or something to hang board

Directions

Use the BACKSIDE of the foam board to measure everything out. This way you know how things will fit and how you like the layout. Get your measurements from this.
Gather your scrapbook paper for your pockets. NOTE: I did a different color for the pockets, so I could then color the popsicle sticks to match, according to which one they belonged to. According to your measurements, cut out your pockets. I wanted to keep the commission (paid) chores separate from the normal ‘because you’re part of this family’ chores, so I did one pocket for each. I then did a 3rd DONE pocket, so they can put their sticks in there when the chore is completed.
Gather your scrapbook paper for your pockets. NOTE: I did a different color for the pockets, so I could then color the popsicle sticks to match, according to which one they belonged to. Fold the sides of each ‘pocket’ under, add glue dots to the sides and bottom, then attach it to the FRONTSIDE of the board. Add your vinyl to each pocket (mine says ‘family’, ‘paid’ and ‘done’) or write with markers.
Take your desired scrapbook paper and cut out a top border/banner for the top of your chore chart, and attach it with glue dots. Add your Title/Main Banner (for me it was Family Chore Chart) across the top, as desired.
I just ‘scribbled’ with colored pencils under where our names would go (different color for each person/row), then applied the vinyl names over that.
Take the popsicle sticks and write a different chore on each stick. I colored the ends of the popsicle sticks to match which pocket they would go into. For example: Make Your Bed is a family chore, so I colored the end blue so the kids know it goes in the blue/family pocket.
I wanted to have extra jobs available for those times the kids want/need to earn some extra money, such as for an upcoming event that they must pay for. So along the bottom of my Family Chore Chart, I put vinyl saying ‘Work for Hire’ then just drew a cute little banner string. For the tags, I cut out a 1″x1″ square of scrapbook paper, used a ’rounded corner’ punch to make the corners nice and rounded, hole-punched each one and tied a string through. On each tag is listed an extra chore.
I used strong tape to secure some photo hangers, then from that I hung the tags.

Note: On our chore chart, I do have my children’s ACTUAL names. I added their alias superhero names using PicMonkey to these photos, then after the pictures put the vinyl with their names on there. I don’t ALWAYS call my kids by their superhero names 🙂

Paint and Vinyl: Make Stripes without the Stress

February 17, 2014 by Danielle

So we’re remodeling Wonder Woman’s room. By remodel, I mean MAJOR OVERHAUL! Our house is completely new, so it isn’t a matter of yuck, just a matter of making it our own. So we’re starting by making this room HER own. Starting with the paint!

Now, I love painting, I really do….but this room is having stripes. STRIPES!!! Run for the hills, hide in the blankets, pretend to be sick….stripes are a Pain. In. The. Butt! There’s so much measuring, precise-ness, touching up uneven lines, taping GALORE. Ya, not fun!

Painting & Vinyl: Making Stripes without Stress / Busy Mom's Helper

I found a cheat, though! Seriously, SOOOO much easier than any other method I’ve tried, and it looks FABULOUS! (say that with a Jim Carey – as the grinch – voice)

Now, I’m not going to explain how to paint….like which directions or brushes work best, etc. This is just how to get the lines like this:

Supplies Needed

Frog Tape

Paint

Rollers

Sheets or something to protect…..well, everything you don’t want painted

Paint tray

Vinyl

Pencil

Yard Stick

Directions

This is what I was starting with…..

Now, those walls came as ‘Polar Mist’. When I hear Polar Mist, I think white. NO! White is that closet door and the trim….these walls are like a TAN color, or ‘dirty polar bear fur’, as my Sis-in-law says. Even the ceilings are this dirty shade. I like tans, don’t get me wrong…but this one is just, off or something.

Note: I did paint the ceiling white, before I did the stripes. Just so ya know!

Step 1: Paint your lower portion.

So I did a greyish color on my bottom (largest) section of these walls. It’s Valspar brand, Autumn Fog. So I taped off edges, and just painted. Now, paint until ROUGHLY where your other color will be about. Get it close, but don’t stress about exact measurements, ESPECIALLY if your other color will paint over this nicely. My top color does cover the grey nice, so I erred on the side of higher. Allow to dry.

Step 2: Paint your upper portion.

This is the top color, leading up to the ceiling. I did a nice light blue, Valspar brand, Silver Dusk. Again, tape off edges, stir the paint well, etc. Paint from the ceiling down until ROUGHLY where you want the colors to meet. For mine, I did ABOUT 9 inches down from the ceiling, or about the width of my roller (which made it even easier….woohoo!). Allow to dry completely.

Step 3: Measure for the vinyl stripes.

So I just randomly went around the room and measured the LOWEST point that my blue color goes down, and the HIGHEST point my grey goes up. My points were between 8.5 inches from the ceiling, to 11 inches from the ceiling. This shows you your range that you need to cover.

Step 4: Add your pencil marks.

I took my yard stick and a pencil. I measured 8.5 inches down from the ceiling. I’d do a mark every foot or so, then connect the lines and use my yard stick to do a nice straight one. Do this all around the room, so you have your line to cover.

Step 5: Cut and add your vinyl lines.

Since my vinyl needed to cover between 8.5 inches down and 11 inches down (a 2.5 inch range),I cut my vinyl on my oh-so-lovely Silhouette Cameo (love it!) with a thickness of 3 inches. Call me lazy, but I’d rather have some margin for error while applying this.

I then took the vinyl, and laid the top just slightly above the pencil marks (you don’t want those to show up, of course)! This way, your vinyl covers your marks, and the tallest point of 8.5 inches down from the ceiling…then it extends long enough to cover the lowest point of 11 inches from the ceiling.

See below, it’s cover all the rough connecting points and making it a nice smooth transition of colors. Please ignore my double pencil line here….made a slight goof. That’s why I allow room for error…because I make plenty of them!

Then just keep going for the entire room. Careful to keep your vinyl smooth, especially in the corners. Just go from one end, then rub on over to the other end, keeping sure it stays even with the pencil line.

So again this room went from this……

To this!!!

I love it, especially since it was uber easy! Best yet…Wonder Woman thinks it’s the neatest room ever, and we’re not even done, yet! Stay tuned for many more changes in the bedroom!

Christ is the Reason Mantel…and a DIY Stocking Hanger!

December 22, 2013 by Danielle

Phew – FINALLY, our stockings are hung thanks to this fun (and simple) DIY Stocking Hanger! I meant to get them up sooner, but then I bought a Silhouette Cameo (woohoo – seriously, can’t tell you how much fun I’m having with this thing), so waited until I could make up some vinyl with it. I got a little carried away and made even MORE decor: a Christ is the Reason sign for our mantel!

Stockings were Hung sign, plus Christ is the Reason Mantel / Done with Sillhouette Cameo / Busy Mom's Helper

My awesome Sis-in-Law designed it, then I got it all printed off the Silhouette. Pick it off the sheet, transfer it to vinyl….

Then put it on the painted boards. We then did nails for hooks, putting little jewels on the tip of each.

The kids were so excited…..until I told them it’s not Christmas Eve yet. Seriously – only a few days, they at least need to give me that to get ready! LOL

We also made this beautiful blue-and-silver themed mantel display with our vinyl Christ is the Reason for the Season sign. I wanted something central reminding us of the most important part of Christmas. I finally made use of some of that blank space above our Backpack Center!!!

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