Tag Archives: DIY

From Pin To Life: 2013 edition

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——–Welcome to 2013———

It’s a new year, and since I’ve last posted From Pin to Life, I’ve pinned many new items.  I’m already up to 3,500+ pins and counting.  I’ve got a lot of great ideas and I’m starting to plan out a new system to blogging all of the great creations.

I plan to feature DIY, crafts, lifestyle, food & fun, beauty, and much more!  Looking forward to a great new year of getting my “Pinterest” on!

Lets review a little of what I’ve seen over the last 12 months on From Pin To Life.. drum roll please.  In 2012 everyone loved the following posts:  Christmas Wreath Mini-Dog Appetizer (made by my Aunt), Make Your Own Mousepad – Part 1 and Part 2, Hershey Kiss Pies, DIY Cord Covers, and Decorating Plastic Drawers.  You can see more below with the WordPress stats for 2012!

Check back next week for more to come – posts, social media, and more!!  Until then, check out my personal blog where I’m blogging everyday in 2013!  The Daily Flex

Keep pinning :)
Julie
Pinterest @jujudivine
Twitter @frompintolife

——–Year in Review 2012———

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 19,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 4 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

DIY Cord Covers

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Something I saw on Pinterest and Etsy was a way to make your cords look more colorful and fun.  It is the same idea as making the knot bracelets as I’m sure many of you did when we were little.  The “rollercoaster” bracelet knot is the method I used.  Here is how I made my cord covers:

Items Needed:
  • Headphones, Cell phone charger, or any other cord you want to cover
  • Sewing Floss (cross-stitch yarn)
  • Scissors
  • Tape

Step One:  First you will want to cut the sewing floss at least four times the length of the cord of the cord.  It’s always better to have extra, then to not have enough.  For mine, I used three different colors.  One thing you want to check first is your pattern.  If you will be repeating a color more than once in a pattern, you will need to have more of that color floss cut (see photo below).

For mine, I repeated the light pink twice in the pattern; therefore, I added more of the light pink.  So I had one strand of white and one strand of dark pink, both of which were 4 times the length of my cord.  And I also had one strand of light pink, which was 6 times the length of my cord.  All of which were under the 8 yards in each packet per color.

Step Two:  Start making your bracelet.  First you will want to tape down the end of your cord to something sturdy.  Also, using a hair clamp helps to hold it in place.  You will then tie your strands to the beginning of the cord.  Then you’ll begin to make the bracelet pattern with the sewing floss.  It is hard describe, so I have made a video to teach you the technique I used in case you don’t already know it.

Finished Product:  Here is my finished iPhone cord plug, as well as another cord that I wrapped on my old iPod headphones.

You can make whatever pattern you like, with any colors you like and add it to any cord.  It’s also really cheap to make, since each sewing thread pack is less than a $1.00 and has at least 8 yards.  Most likely you won’t use the entire thing on one cord.  Have fun making all your cords colorful and fun!!

Links:

Ornament and Cookie Exchange – Ornament

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This year for Christmas I was invited to my first Christmas Ornament & Cookie Exchange Party.  A friend of our family has invited me and I was excited to get started on finding some great ideas on Pinterest!

The ornament I decided to make is a glass globe covered in old/vintage book pages that are written in German.  I also printed a tag that said Noel and added gold glitter to the ornament.  I love it because it’s DIY vintage!  I love anything vintage and what better way to dress it up for a Christmas tree than to add a lot glitter.

Here is what the original ornaments looked like from the blog Flea Market Style:

Since her blog is just about what she found at a flea market/craft shop and didn’t have much in the way of directions on how to make the actual ornament, I decided to take a chance and make my own with some variations.  Here is a photo of my final product:

Instead I used gold glitter and distressed my paper to give it a antiqued look.  Since she didn’t have a how-to, I am going to add it below on how I made my ornament.

Items Needed to Make Ornament:
  • Clear glass bulb ornaments
  • Mod Podge (glossy finish)
  • Vintage print papers from a book, newspaper, etc.
  • Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad (walnut stain)
  • Paint (gold)
  • Glitter (gold)
  • Tacky glue
  • Hemp yarn/string (tree hanger and tag)
  • 2 paint brushes (paint and mod podge)
  • Sponge (distressing ink)

I found a great shop on Etsy called Sadie Olive, which has tons of vintage items for sale at really great prices–this is where I found the vintage books.  If you search on Etsy, you can find anything you’re looking for–it’s my new favorite website!

Note:  It’s best to do everything in stages if you are making a lot of ornaments at once, like me.  I’ll need to make 17 ornaments total, so I am doing them in batches of 6.

Step One:  It’s best to start by separating the hanger part from the ornament bulb.  Since my ornament tops were silver and I was going for a gold look, I painted the tops gold.  I set them aside to dry and began to work on the ornament bulb.

Step Two:  Rip up the sheets of paper you are using into smaller pieces.  I usually started with 3 bigger pieces that would cover the entire top then used smaller pieces to form around the rest of the bulb.  Once I had my pieces torn, I distressed them with the Tim Holtz Distress Ink (walnut stain).  I made sure to lightly distress the edges and lightly dabbed the face of the paper.

Step Three:  Begin the mod podge process.  This will be quite messy, so you will want to do this over a paper plate or put down a sheet of wax paper.  First, I applied a very thin layer of mod podge to the glass ornament in the spot where I would begin.  Be sure to cover the full area the paper will cover.  I then laid down the paper and began to bend, fold, and tear some of the edges to create a more smooth surface on the round bulb using my fingers.  I then added a light layer of mod podge on top of the paper and smoothed it out again with my fingers, being sure to get out any air bubbles and to flatten the paper as best as possible.  I did this piece by piece, until my entire bulb was covered.

Note:  Since you are using such a thin layer of mod podge, by the time you have finish the bottom half of the bulb, the top half should be dry enough to set back in the holder to finish drying.

   

Step Four:  While your bulbs are drying, get your ornament tops that you painted gold and add a thin layer of mod podge, then shake on the gold glitter on the top and around the edges.  It’s easiest to first roll the edges in the glitter, then shake the glitter on the top.  Tap it lightly to shake off excess glitter and let sit to dry.

Step Five:  Now it’s time to glitter the bulb.  Use a light layer of mod podge and spread it on top of the paper.  Then you will use the tip of your finger and dab it in a the gold glitter and then dab your finger on the bulb to stick to the mod podge.  It’s easiest if you do this in rounds, starting from the top of the bulb and working your way down.

Step Six:  While everything is drying, you will make your tags.  I decided to handwrite my tags and use the leftover pieces of paper from my vintage paper.  I also distressed the edges and both sides of the tag with Tim Holtz Distress Ink (walnut stain).  You could also use a piece of neutral colored paper and print out the word Noel, cut them down to size and antique the edges.  Make sure when you cut your tags, you leave room to punch a hole in the tage to hang it on the ornament.

Step Seven:  Finally, you will assemble all of the parts.  First you should put the ornament top back into the bulb.  Then add the hemp yarn to your tag and wrap it around the base of the top piece with the gold glitter.  I used Tacky Glue to keep the hemp yarn attached to the bulb.  Then you will add a piece of hemp yarn around the top hanger as the hook.  And you are done!

It’s a little messy and labor intensive, but they are so worth the effort and look gorgeous on the tree!  (Just don’t make 17 of them at once).  You could use any size ornament and use any color scheme:  gold like mine, or more silver like the original photo, or other colors!  Customize it to your heart’s desire!

Have fun creating and let me know if you were inspired by this post and what you made.  Leave a comment below!  :)

Links:

DIY Christmas Wrapping Bows

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It’s always fun to add a little personality and custom items while wrapping Christmas presents.  Plus, this will save you lots of money if you love to add bows to your wrapping paper by using all of those scraps!  Not to mention you’ll have bows that match or coordinate with your wrapping paper.

I’ve tried three different types of bows:  curly bow, traditional bow, and fancy straight bow. Below are the instructions for making all of these bows.

Traditional Bow:

First you will want to cut out strips of paper at the same width.  Start with at least 5 long strips, then 2-3 shorter, 2 more shorter than that, and 1-2 small strips.

Next you will want to form each of the strips into the shape below.  Take the first end and curl it around to the left to make the first side of the loop.  Attach using a glue stick or double stick tape.  You will want to make sure the same sides are showing (white up and red down for mine).  Do the same thing, but in the opposite direction, curling the paper around to the right to make the loop on the opposite side.

  

Once you have curled each strip of paper into the loops above, you will begin to stack them together.  Attaching them using a glue stick or double sided tape inbetween each layer.  Make sure to turn your pieces in the opposite direction as the last layer, to continue to build up your bow.

  

Curly Bow:

Start by finding a piece of paper that is a rectangle.  Mine was about the size of 1/2 a sheet of computer paper, but any size will work.  Then you will fold it in half like a book, with the pattern on the outside.  Then you will fold the top down to meet at the bottom.  Your folded edges should be along the left and top as shown in the second photo below.  Tape shut the left (short) edge.

  

Then, you will begin to cut strips along the paper.  Holding the paper from the taped edge (short side), you will cut open the top folded edge (long side).  Be sure that you do not cut all the way through–just leave about an inch from the taped edge.  Once you have cut all of the strips, fold open the middle so it will be easier to curl the strips of paper.  Using your scissors open faced, curl each strip of paper.  Don’t worry if you accidentally rip off a piece.  I did to a couple by accident and didn’t notice because there were a lot of curls.

  

Finish curling and fluff.  So pretty!

Fancy Straight Bow:

You will start with at least 6 strips that are the same length and width and 1 strip for the bottom.

Once you have cut all of the strips, you will make each one (except the bottom piece), into half loops by attaching the two ends together.  Then you will begin to build each layer, working with two half loops at a time, and attach it to the bottom strip of paper.

Each layer will move in closer together and the flat ends will begin to overlap as you work inward.

To finish off my straight fancy bow, I decided to add a circle to the center since it was such a long bow.  If you made it shorter in length, you could wrap a piece of paper around the middle of the bow like in the example on Pinterest (see link below).

Have fun creating lots of great bows.  Let me know what you tried and how it turned out by commenting below.

Links:

DIY Easy Christmas Ornaments

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There are some really great ways to personalize and make your own ornaments this Christmas.  You can use any size bulb and practically any kind of “stuffing” or arts and crafts on the outside.

First you will need to get some glass ornament bulbs.  You can get any size from any store.  I bought the clear glass bulbs in the standard size.  I have seen these types of bulbs at JoAnns, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Menards, and many other stores.

Next you will want to find all of the arts an crafts you’ll use.  I bought glitter, Stickles (glitter glue), feathers, paint, and used many supplies I already had on hand.

Now it’s time to get creative.  Personalize your ornaments by painting someone’s name or the year on the outside.  You can also add some glitter to the outside.  Or just stuff the inside of the clear glass ornaments.  Be creative, get your kids involved to make handmade ornaments for family and friends.

Here are the ornaments I’ve made:

Photo printed on printer paper and hanging from top (the example I saw was printed on vellum/opaque paper and looked really cool, but I couldn’t fine mine) –
Curling scrap pieces of wrapping paper (mine said Merry Christmas) –
Adding glitter glue to feathers and stuffing feathers inside (this one glitters a lot more in real life, it was hard to capture the glitter in a photo) –
Inspired by the feathers a Twilight feather ornament with scrapbooking font stickers –
Painted phrase & glitter snow on the inside –
Pretty much you can add anything you’d like to the inside of the ornament bulb.  I’ve also seen beads, scrapbook paper, buttons, fake snow.  You can also decorate the outside how ever you like.  Paint the whole thing or print something out and attach it to the outside using mod podge.  Be as creative as you’d like and get everybody involved!!
Let me know what kind of easy DIY Handmade Ornaments you created.  Leave a comment below!  Thanks!
Links:
Here is the original photo on Pinterest that inspired this post - http://pinterest.com/pin/86342517825640564/

DIY Christmas Photo Magnet Gifts

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After making the Ceramic Tile Photo Frame (see post), I was inspired to find other fun ways using mod podge to make photo gifts.  One idea I had was to use the old magnets that were on my fridge as the base of a project.  You know, those ugly ones that you’ve gotten in the mail or have multiple of the same one from a store.  Why not personalize them to have something pretty on your fridge?  It is quick, easy and you can do multiple at a time.  Be as creative as you’d like.  This would be a great idea for kids to help and give as gifts to Grandparents or friends.

Items You’ll Need:
  • Old magnets
  • Favorite photo
  • Scrapbook paper
  • Mod Podge
  • Sponge brush

Step One:  Trim the paper, and photos down to size of the magnet.

Step Two:  Begin the mod podge process–a layer of mod podge on the magnet, then lay down your first piece of paper, then add another layer of mod podge.  Press out the bubbles and repeat for each layer of paper or photo.

Note:  If you plan to write on the paper, make sure to let it dry completely.  You can also test it on a scrap piece of paper, letting it dry, then putting some mod podge on top to make sure the ink won’t smear.

Finished Product:

Set out to dry and you’re done!  Easy, fun, handmade Christmas gifts.

Let me know how your Handmade magnets turned out!

DIY Hanging Towel for the Kitchen

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I have been seeing the hanging towel pattern pop up all over Pinterest lately for cute DIY gifts.  I thought that since I rarely use my sewing machine, this would be a great project to re-learn how to use my sewing machine.  I will say that it was a bit frustrating, since I really didn’t know anything about my sewing machine at the beginning of this project.  But, I continued on and actually learned a lot of cool techniques on my sewing machine besides the basics, such as sewing a buttonhole and attaching a button, all using the sewing machine!  Here is my hanging towel project, along with links to great tutorials.

First, you will need the following to complete the project:
  • Fabric Quarter (JoAnns, Michaels, Walmart)
  • Flannel or some other thick fabric — I used felt because I had it on hand
  • One 24″ x 15″ towel (Walmart)
  • Thread (1 spool)
  • Buttons (2)
  • Sewing pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Scissors or Fabric Cutter

I had purchased two different towel sets, so everything I have here is doubled:

The first thing you want to do is cut out the template they provide and paste the “TAB” together so it forms one shape.  This will be your template to trace onto the fabric quarters for the top part of the hanging towel.  For each towel, you will need two shapes.  Each fabric quarter should have enough room for you to cut out 4 pieces.  Make sure to keep your scraps for practicing along the way!  Also, you will cut your towel in half so that it is two pieces that are 12″ x 15″ (cut the towel in half on the longest side).
You can then sew up the cut edge of your towel (the 12″ side) by folding, ruffling, crimping the edges together then sewing across.  The new length of the side should be 6 inches instead of 12 inches.  I folded mine and it looked like this before sewing it:

Once you have cut out the shapes from the fabric quarters, you should also cut out two shapes (one for each towel) from the thicker fabric you have.  I used felt, but the directions originally call for flannel.  Once you have everything cut out, you should stack the fabric as follows:  patterned fabric face up, patterned fabric face down, felt/flannel fabric.  You will be stitching this around the outside (leaving the bottom open, as the directions describe).

Once you have the shapes pinned together and have sewn around the outside–again, leaving the bottom open, you will first iron the fabric then turn your fabric inside out and iron it again.  The sewn towel and two fabric pieces will look like this before turning them right-side out:

Next you’ll need to turn under about 1-inch of the fabric shape and iron it, so the edge is even and flat.  Then, you will insert in the sewn edge of your towel into the opening about 1 inch in.  Pin to hold in place and then sew across the bottom edge.  You’ll want to make sure that you sew at least two lines across the fabric to be sure that it’s strong to withhold people tugging at the towel.

Next becomes the part that I discovered how to really make good use of my sewing machine:  making a buttonhole and attaching a button.  I used my sewing machine manual and found some online tutorials and videos to help me learn the process.  If you’ve misplaced your sewing machine manual, most likely it’s online if you search for it, but this will definitely help.  I have added some extra notes below for you to read if you needed some tips.  Otherwise, here is my final product!

EXTRA INFO FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO SEWING MACHINES:

I wanted to add some information that I didn’t know when trying to sew a buttonhole and attaching a button.  I am posting this information below for anyone who is also learning how to use their sewing machine.  Again, I have the Singer Simple 2263 machine, which I got from Walmart a couple years ago for about $100 (I think, don’t quote me on the price).

Foot Attachments:  These are the different foot attachments that came with my sewing machine.  The first one on the left is the traditional foot used for sewing, the one in the middle is the foot attachment to help you sew a buttonhole, and the one on the right is the foot attachment to help you attach a button.

This plate is also something you need when you actually attach the button.  It has two little prongs on the under side, which clips into the holes on your main sewing area (on the metal plate).

Buttonhole Tips:  When sewing your buttonhole, you will need to measure the size of the button compared to the buttonhole foot attachment.  Your instruction manual and the tutorials below will help you understand and accurately measure the size you need.  My button was large, so my buttonhole spanned from the first red marking to the last red marking (as seen in the foot attachment photo above).

Sewing Machine Settings:  Next you will need to understand the stitch options on your sewing machine, again your manual and the video tutorials below will best explain this. Below, I took a picture of my machine:

Buttonhole Settings:  The red buttonhole settings on the knob are as follows:  (left) 3 – stitching from bottom to top on the left side of the buttonhole, (middle) 2 & 4 – stitching along the top and bottom of the buttonhole, and 1 – stitching down the right side of the buttonhole.  Your machine may differ slightly, but they all use the same concept and techniques.  Again the tutorials below and your sewing machine manual will be more helpful on specifics.  Also, on the top knob, you will want to make sure that the Length is set between 0 and 1.  There is a red pattern (that looks sort of like a completed buttonhole) which corresponds with sewing a buttonhole.

Attaching a Button Settings:  When you attach a button, the top knob (Length) will turn to 0 and the bottom knob will turn to the first zig zag pattern (usually next to your traditional straight line).  For attaching a button, you will likely adjust your Width dial between 3 and 5.  You should not use the pedal for attaching a button, instead use the knob on the side of your machine to move the needle back and forth to properly adjust your Width.

How to change foot attachments:  This took me a long time to figure out on my sewing machine.  My sewing machine has a little lever (I am pointing to in the photo below) which makes it easy to change the foot attachment.  Some other machines may not have this option and instead have a screw that you can loosen to change foot attachments.

Practice:  As usual, it’s always best to practice before you actually sew a buttonhole on your finished product to test size and stitching.  Make sure to use those scrap pieces of fabric to practice sewing the buttonhole not only to learn how to use the settings properly, but also to test the size of the buttonhole.  Below is my practice buttonhole:

The Final Product:  Once you have finished practicing, it’s time to move on to the real deal.  You want to sew your buttonhole first, then fold over the end of the fabric piece and measure where the button should be attached.  You can attach the button using your sewing machine or by hand, either way will work.

Here is the original photo on Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/pin/86342517825572183/

Here is the blog that has the main tutorial - http://kleiosbelly.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/christmas-prezzies-6-1-for-you/

Here are the links to all of the tutorials that I used:

DIY Ceramic Tile Photo “Frame”

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I have been finding so many cute DIY projects lately.  I especially love the Ceramic Tile Photo “Frame.”  I had some leftover ceramic tiles in our house from the bathroom floors that I decided to use, and of course I had scrapbook paper and photos!  The tough part was picking out the photo and coordinating paper.  It is a cute and easy project to create in just an hour.

Items Needed:
  • Ceramic Tile (can get at Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc. for less than $1)
  • Mod Podge
  • Scrapbook Paper
  • Photo
  • Sponge brush (to use for mod podge)

First you want to make sure that you clean off the ceramic tile.  Just wet a rag and wipe it down and dry thoroughly.  Next, you want to cut and size everything that you want to put on the tile.  I cut out a square piece of scrapbook paper, trimmed down my photo, and also cut out letters that spelled LOVE.  You could add anything that you would want for this part that is flat/thin.  Here is what I did to my materials before I started using the mod podge:

It’s best to lay down a piece of wax paper before beginning the mod podge process.  You will apply mod podge to the ceramic tile first, then set down each sheet of paper (if layering) and mod podge inbetween each layer/piece of paper.  Add the next sheet of paper or photo, then apply the mod podge, and repeat until all of your items are on the tile.  Make sure that inbetween each layer you are pushing out all of the bubbles before adding the next layer of paper.  Also, you want to make sure that you swipe your lines in the same direction before adding the next layer and try to get ride of the large “goupy” lines and spread the mod podge somewhat thin and even.  Here are some photos of that process:

You want to let your tile sit out until it’s dry.  This project was very fast and easy and could be done for very cheap when you make multiples.  The Mod Podge was about $9.99 for the large bottle, but I used a coupon at JoAnns so it cost less.  These would be great gifts for family during Christmas.  You could also buy small tiles and make coasters.  I displayed mine on a photo frame easel in our living room:

Hope you have fun creating your own DIY Ceramic Tile Photo “Frames”—let me know how they turn out!

Here is the link to the original photo on Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/pin/86342517825638356/

Here is the link to the original blog post - http://theaudreys.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-gifts.html

Also, here is a link to a YouTube video tutorial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2W4d8rTeyI

Updates, Updates, Updates!

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I just wanted to let everyone know what I have been updating From Pin to Life to catch up from my vacation and soon to be Thanksgiving Holiday.

I’ve updated some old posts with more or better images and I’ve also posted some new “Pins to Life” that I’ve done over the last week.

Also, during my little hiatus, I updated my personal blog with some fun things my husband and I saw and ate while on vacation.  We also went on some Ziplines and I created a video of our fun.  If you want to check that out, you can go to my personal blog The Daily Flex.

Here is a list of what I’ve updated on old posts on From Pin to Life:
  • Added photos of my Plastic Bag Organizer – blog post
  • Added photos of my version of “Eggs in a Basket” – blog post
  • Added new photos of HOPE ornament – blog post
  • Added new photo of my mousepad – blog post
Here is a list of all the new Pins I’ve brought to Life:
  • Make Your Own Dill Oyster Crackers – blog post
  • Semi-homeade Cinnamon Rolls – blog post
I’ve also added a couple new pages to the blog:

Hope you have enjoyed all the new updates and new posts of bringing many ideas From Pin to Life!

Hope Ornament

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Since I’m on vacation and not at home to make/share a lot, I wanted to share a pin to life that my aunt made. It’s for her ornament exchange gift that she made this Christmas. It is made out of Scrabble Board letters and the letter board holder. She actually makes over 12 of these ornaments to exchange with a group of her friends.

Here is the original pin of the Hope Ornament:

When my aunt made her Hope Ornament, she purchased the letters on ebay and the seller allowed her to choose how many and which letters she needed. The seller also sold her the letter trays, which she cut in half with a saw. (Once I find the link to the seller on eBay, I will post it below). She added a pink bow for breast cancer awareness, since it’s interchangeable between Christmas and Breast Cancer. Here is a photo of her “Hope” ornament:

20111204-175238.jpg

Also another great idea is to personalize ornaments using Scrabble Tiles as such:

Hopefully you’ll find many great Christmas ornament and other gift ideas from Pinterest!

Here is the link to my aunt’s pinterest page (Lori Govert) – http://pinterest.com/govertkj

Here is the link to the Hope Ornament photo she pinned – http://pinterest.com/pin/22377329368059098/

The photo she pinned with the names – http://pinterest.com/pin/22377329368096973/

I will be sure to add the eBay account seller as soon as I find it!

Thanks again Aunt Lo for letting me post this on my blog!! I love the ornaments!