Tuesday, January 26, 2016

DIY Invisible Letter Card for Valentine's day

I always wanted to try different interactive cards for all occasions. If you are a regular follower here, you probably might have read my snowman pull up card for Christmas. This time it is an invisible ink letter card. There are many ways to create invisible ink at home and you would have probably tried most of them in your science class. I tried almost all the ways and finally settled with crayon and marker pen to make this card. I will discuss why later in this post. Now let's start with the supplies list.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

How to sew oven mitt

This post may contain affiliate links.By clicking the link and purchasing items through my links doesn't cost you anything but I receive a small commission.The money helps me buy craft supplies to bring you new creative ideas each week.

I stitched an apron to give as a gift awhile ago and I wanted to make an oven mitt set to go with the apron. I was debating myself whether I should get a set of oven mitt that retails for a couple of dollars or I should stitch one. I have an oven mitt that I got from dollar tree. I made an quality inspection to make an decision and find out that the stitches are not secure and the edges were fraying inside. As I don't want that kind of stuff to give as gift. I decided I should make them myself and the beauty of that is I can totally customize it to match the apron. So, Let see how to make one.



Materials Required :
Printed cotton - 1/4 yard
Solid cotton - 1/4 yard
Insul bright - 1/4 yard
Cotton batting - 1/4 yard
Sewing Machine
Matching thread
Scissors
Pattern
Straight pins

Step 1: If you already have an oven mitt , use that to make a pattern. I used a dollar tree oven mitt that I own to trace and make a pattern. You need two copy paper(8.5" X11") sheets to trace the pattern. Trace the outline of the oven mitt and add 1/2 inch seam allowance.(I added 1/4 inch while tracing pattern first time). Cut the pattern outline and use it cut the pieces of fabric for making oven mitt. You will need 2 pieces in printed cotton, solid cotton, insult bright and cotton batting. Also cut pieces for loop (2" X 5") and binding (2"X 18").





Step 2: Pin all the four layers together (printed cotton, insult bright, cotton batting & solid cotton) in the mentioned order. When I searched to find out which side of insult bright should be placed facing out I did not get an definite answer. So, I think the side doesn't matter. Once the layers are pinned together, make stitches with even intervals on both sides so that it creates squares. There is no rule for quilting . You can even make random stitches. The ultimate aim here is to combine all the layers together. Trim the edges if there is any unevenness. 


Step 3: With right sides facing each other (Printed cotton sides), make a stitch with 1/4" seam allowance. Use zigzag stitch on the corners to secure the fraying edges leaving the top of the oven mitt open. 



Step 4: Turn inside out.Fold 1/2 inch inside on both sides and fold that into half and Iron. Do this for the loop and also for the binding strip. Stitch to secure the fold and the loop is done. Fold and stitch one end of the binding strip. Start aligning the edge of the binding strip to the edge of the oven mitt and pin. Fold the loop into half and pin it by placing between the oven mitt and the binding strip on the side. Leave the remaining binding strip so that it slightly overlaps and cut the excess binding strip. Make a stitch to secure. 




Step 5: Fold the binding strip to cover the edges and make a stitch to complete the oven mitt. 






Hope you liked this simple tutorial. If you are new to sewing , this is one of the simplest project to try.Share what you think about this project in the comments below. What oven mitt do you own? Is it a gift you got from someone or stitched your own or planning to make one for you? As always I would love to hear from you.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Let's talk about Craft Paints and it's crafty uses

Have you ever thought how many varieties of craft paints available in the market?? There are loads and loads of varieties from the normal acrylic paints to speciality paints like magnetic paint, chalkboard paint, etc. In this post , let's take a look on the different varieties available and some projects in which they are used.



Acrylic paints:

These are the most commonly used craft paint.I am sure that there will be no DIYer/ crafter without a bottle of acrylic paint in his/her craft stash. Acrylic paints come in variety of colors and are used for painting small wood projects, canvas , poster boards, etc. These paints are water soluble but become water resistant when dry.Also these paint dry very quickly and can be washed off with water. Most projects needs two to three coating of acrylic paint to get a opaque look.

Projects: I used acrylic paint to cover wood in my DIY Bookends Organizer and to give double color  for DIY Paper Dahlia.

Enamel paints: 

These are more permanent paint compared to acrylic paint. It takes long time to dry and becomes a hard surface once dry which makes it difficult to chip. Enamel paints are used to paint hard surfaces such as glass, metal, ceramics , etc. 

Projects: I used gold enamel paint for the drawer pull in my Dressing table makeover and to paint a part of glass in my DIY flower vase

Fabric paints: 

These are special type of paint made to use in textiles. Fabric paints are mostly used in textiles made with natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, jute, etc. However some of the natural fibers like silk requires specialized versions of fabric paint.
It is always recommend to prewash the material you are going to paint for better adhesion of paint. Read the instructions in the paint bottles/ tubes thoroughly before using to know better about the compatibility and also the method of application. Because the method to use the paint, drying time and also various other factors may vary depending on the manufacturer. 

So, before buying variety of fabric paint colors, do you know there is something called textile medium/fabric medium which can be added to your acrylic paints to make it as fabric paint? If not, you should try. 


I came to know about this when I had a plan for some fabric paint project and I don't want to buy various colors of fabric paint just for one project. This stuff is awesome. I have tried and also washed the painted fabric to test. It works. The color did not bleed or anything.


Puffy paint :

Puffy paint are also called as dimensional paint. These paints comes in tubes which makes it easy to apply directly to the project without needing any brush for application. These paints can be used in many surfaces such as fabrics, glass, ceramics, etc.

Projects: diy faux fenton hobnail milk glass from Carolyn at Homework, 12 cool puffy paint projects from buzzed






Chalkboard paint :

As the name says this paint is used to create a chalkboard surface to write/play with colorful chalk. There are colorful chalkboard paints and also clear chalkboard paints available in the market nowadays with which you can probably change any surface into a chalkboard.

Projects: diy chalkboard fall banner



Glass paint :

Glass paint are the paints that are specifically made to paint on a glass surface. Most paints that are made to use with glass can be also be used with ceramics. There are various finishes of glass paints such as translucent, opaque, stained effect, frosted effect, etc are available. 

Click the picture to learn more about simple tips for using glass paint from Madigan Made. 




Magnetic paint :

Oh Yes!! This paint do exist !! You can make part of your wall or any one side of a room(if you are that crazy) magnetic by painting them with magnetic paint. As far as I read , many says that it takes many coatings of paint to make the surface magnetic but I haven't tried this personally (may be in future). 

Projects : How to make a magnet wall from diyready





Mirror Paint :

Mirror paint usually comes as spray paint . This paint is used to achieve mirror like finish in glass projects.

Projects: diy mercury glass pumpkin from the frugal homemaker


Glow in the dark paint :

It is also called as Phosphorescent paint. These paints have phosphor pigments in them which when comes it contact with light(sun or any form of light) absorbs photons and later when it is dark these paints emit the photons which gives the glow. This process is called as Photoluminescence.
These paint comes in different colors. There are dimensional glow in the dark paint and fabric glow in the dark paint. 

Projects: Glow in the dark vinyl pumpkins from Lab hands , glow in the dark mason jars from a pumpkin and a princess




Porcelaine paint :

These are special type of paint made to use with any heat stable surface such as porcelaine, terra-cotta, ceramics,glass, etc. These paint after applied needs to be baked in the home oven for 35 minutes at 300F to make it permanent.

Projects : How-to : Dishwasher Safe Decorated Mugs from curbly 



Soy paint :

It is eco friendly plant based paint which means pigments in this variety of paint is mixed with soy ester resin. These paints can be used on paper, wood, canvas, etc just as regular acrylic paint. 



Patio paint :

This is kind of acrylic paint made especially for outdoors to make it more durable. It is a weather proof paint and does not require sealer to make it durable.

Projects : DIY concrete planter from decorart


Speciality mediums :

Cracking medium :

To achieve a cracking effect on any surface, this medium is applied on the top of the paint surface.

Projects : Spooky vintage doll heads from Green Table Gifts, Cracks can be beautiful from The empty nest

Antiquing medium :


What a vintage effect on your furniture projects? This helps. There are a lot of antique mediums available in the market. This is mostly used in the same way as the cracking medium.






Last but the least, want try to make your own paint at home ? Here are some homemade recipe options that you can try.





Did I miss any variety of paint ? Was any of the above paint sounds very new and exciting to you? Share in the comments below. As always I would love to hear form you.


Friday, January 8, 2016

Home Matters Linky Party #68

Welcome to the weekly Home Matters Linky Party. A great place to come, share your blog posts, and make new friends.

Home Matters Linky Party #68!


Welcome back to the Home Matters Party. We enjoyed our two weeks off to celebrate the holidays with our families and friends, and hope you did the same. We also want to wish you all a very happy, healthy, and blessed New Year!
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Let's party hearty in 2016!
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Lorelai at Life With Lorelai: Lorelai is a Mom, Writer, Pumpkin Artist, Karaoke Singing, Cooking, Gardener blogging about Life, Love, Interests... Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest/ Instagram/ Google+/ Hometalk/ StumbleUpon/ YouTube/ BlogLovin'
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Melissa at Adventures of Frugal Mom: Melissa is a wife, mom of 3 teenage girls and tons of fur babies who loves hunting for freebies and deals, crafting, and sharing her experiences. Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest/ Google+/ Instagram
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Countdown with Lorelai in the Top 10 Posts of 2015
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Say, "Hello!" to our January 2016 Co-Hosts, and Share some Love by Visiting and Following them on Social Media!

HMLP Co-Hosts January 2016
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Delicious Taco Stuffed Peppers from Wendy
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It's a Cookie Swap - Cinnamon Oatmeal from Stephanie
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Check out this Minion Box Upcycled with Cardboard Tube from Shravya
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Audrey shares her recipe for Black Bean Pesto Crackers
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Read about Jamie's personal journey with Epilepsy
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Crystal shares some tips on Making Money From Home
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And now, onto...

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We are starting the New Year off with some fabulous DIY projects for your home and fashion, along with some really scrumptious recipes. Enjoy!
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Melt in Your Mouth Prime Rib Recipe from Darcey @ Foodie & Wine
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DIY Barn Wood Serving Tray from Shonee @ Hawthorne & Main
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Mexican Cocoa - A Spicy Hot Chocolate Recipe - Premeditated Leftovers - HMLP 68 Feature
Mexican Cocoa - A Spicy Hot Chocolate Recipe from Alea @ Premeditated Leftovers
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Easy DIY Way to Revive an Old Lamp Shade from Manuela @ A Cultivated Nest
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Vintage-Inspired Armwarmers - Whistle & Ivy - HMLP 68 Feature
Vintage-Inspired Armwarmers from Bethany @ Whistle & Ivy
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We hit 500 Links in last week's party, so...

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Orange Cream Mimosa Mocktail from Christine @ A Sprinkle of This and That
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Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle from Gina @ Kleinworth & Co
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Thank you to all who linked up at last week's party. We look forward to seeing what you will be sharing with us this week! Remember that every feature is shared on all Host's and Co-Host's blogs, as well as on the Home Matters Linky Party Pinterest Board! Don't forget to follow...
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