DIY Chalkboard Party Favors

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Roeshel

DIY Chalkboard Party Favors:

Materials:

small flat wooden pieces
chalkboard paint
clothes pins
hot glue
decorative tape or ribbon
chalk
optional: add a magnet to the back of the clothespin

Tutorial:

1. I gave one side of my mini-chalkboards two coats of chalkboard spray paint and let dry.

2. I decorated my clothespins with decorative tape or ribbon. I recommend attaching/securing decorative tape or ribbon with glue (not just the sticky decorative tape) or spray paint clothespins.

3. Season chalkboards by rubbing chalk on the surface and erasing.

4. Hot glue clothespin to the back of the mini chalkboards.

5. And wrapped pieces of chalk with decorative tape too.

6. I also added some decorative tape to the back of my mini chalkboards. The clothespin holds the chalk.

Since I made these for a group of 30 blog friends, I tied on my business card…cute!

Great for a smaller sized get-together and I have a few left to attach some magnets to for the fridge. 🙂

Kids’ Plastic Picnic Table Makeover

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Roeshel

As you know, we entertain a lot in the summer, hosting quite a few family picnics. Guests include my 3-year-old nephew and 2 and 4-year-old nieces. It was decided that I needed a kid’s table and mom scored a Little Tykes picnic table at a yard sale for me for $15. Hurray for yard sale season (and moms)!

But when you don’t have a yard full of fun brightly colored kids’ toys; the red, blue and yellow looks out of place, not to mention it was faded and a little worse-for-wear.

I decided a little makeover was in order.

Materials:

Spray primer (2 cans)
Spray paint (2 cans for all over) I used Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze.
Another can for decorative purposes (optional)
Spray clear coat
FrogTape
Vinyl decals (I made my own using supplies from Happy Crafters)

Tutorial:

First, I lightly sanded the picnic table with a fine grit sandpaper and gave it a good spraying with the pressure washer. (Thanks, Steve!)

This also comes apart some how, but I couldn’t figure it out so I didn’t bother. Apply a coat of primer:

Then spray paint:

I let it dry and ‘cure’ for a few days.

Using my FrogTape, I created a rectangle (table runner) outline on the table part of the picnic table and taped off the rest of the table top.

Using my Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Design Studio software, I created and cut out the letters for a dinner time prayer.

I applied the sticker type vinyl letters to the center of my rectangle and made sure FrogTape and vinyl letters were pressed down securely.

Then gave it a coat of spray paint in Rustoleum’s Lagoon. (I used a large piece of cardboard to shield the benches.)

I peeled away the FrogTape and decals while the paint was still wet. I still have blue fingernails to prove it.

I let that dry for a few days (in my vehicle mostly since it’s been raining off and on so much)…which is why I had no choice but to be patient as well! Then I used my FrogTape again to create a border around my “place mat” and filled it in with DecoArt’s Patio Paint. Then peeled away my FrogTape and again…let it dry for a few days.

I had to touch up the paint here and there. Then sealed it with a spray clear coat (satin finish) and let that dry.

Much better! And a sweet little reminder for the little ones to pray before digging in.

We tested it out over the fourth of July. Now it fits in with our patio…

*This sponsored by FrogTape. FrogTape provided by Shurtech. The opinions are completely my own based on my own experience.

*Vinyl provided by Happy Crafters.

Ombre Stenciled Flower Pots

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Roeshel

This is definitely the summer of DIY flower planters at DIYShowOff, isn’t it? We’ve always been so busy with projects INside the house, that decorating outside hasn’t been a priority but this year, I’ve been especially happy to celebrate summer. I wanted to spruce up the yard a little with some colorful flowers and flower pots and that’s exactly what I’ve accomplished. I do promise (I think) that this is the last DIY flower pot project of 2013.

Materials:

Terra cotta flower pots (5 different sizes from smaller to bigger)
DecoArt Patio Paint (1 Blue Jay Blue, 1 Robin’s Egg Blue, 1 Blue Bahama, 2 Cloud White, 1 Woodland brown)
Vinyl stencils (I created mine with my Silhouette Cameo and vinyl from my sponsor, Happy Crafters).
Krylon Clear Coat
Rebar (mine is 42″)
Potting soil and flowers
Optional: Curtain rod finial (I found mine at a thrift store and spray painted it white)

Ombre flower pots Tutorial:

I purchased three colors blue and two bottles of white patio paint to create 5 colors in styrofoam bowls:

Blue Jay Blue
50/50 Blue Jay Blue and Robin’s Egg Blue
Robin’s Egg Blue
50/50 Robin’s Egg Blue and Blue Bahama
Blue Bahama

For each pot, I started with one of the base colors above. Using a foam brush, I started on the bottom, “feathering” the paint. I then elevated my pots to make painting/drying easier.

Then added white to the paint and feathered another row on the same pot, working my way around the pot.

And added more white and repeated.

When the bottom was dry, I flipped the terra cotta pot. Then added more white to my paint and finished all the way to the top and a little down into the inside.

I did the above steps for each paint color for each terra cotta pot.

Then I mixed all of my left over paint together and painted the insides of my flower pots…

then flipped and painted the bottoms and let them dry overnight.

Next, using my Silhouette Cameo and vinyl from Happy Crafters, I created vinyl stencils with this little quote:

Your mind is a garden.

Your thoughts are the seeds.

You can grow flowers.

Or you can grow weeds.

making sure that the sizing was correct for each pot. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut vinyl stencils.

Since I’m using the vinyl as a stencil, I peeled away the lettering.

Applied the transfer paper and peeled away the wax paper like backing…

and applied the stencils to my terra cotta pots. Since the pots are curved, I found it easiest to apply each line of stencil text individually. Rub with a credit card then peel away transfer paper.