diy happy thoughts decorative wall prints

hello gorgeous and everything is sunshine

...for good thoughts.  i made these cuties a couple of weeks ago and actually hung them in a timely manner {read... craftermath is still very much happening} in our master bathroom.  i liked the idea of seeing them first thing in the morning and last in the evening.  some very unexpected family stress happened soon after i made these, and while it seems trivial to rely on silly mantras, i like their happy energy. 

the best part is, these are totally easy and cost me a grand total of $1.98.  woot to the hoot.

diy happy thoughts decorative wall prints
materials:  two inexpensive frames of any size {i used 8" x 10"s from dollar tree}
light colored book pages, construction paper and/or scrapbook paper for background*
sharpie and colored pencils
glue or double sided tape
ruler and pencil

directions:
1.  choose a happy thought as your main text for each print.  a two or three word phrase is ideal here, the shorter the better.  pinterest is a good spot for inspiration.  everything is sunshine is an inside joke my husband and i share, taken from an epic wheel of fortune puzzle solving failure.  yes, we're 80 years old.
2.  decide what paper you're using for the background and plan your layout.  i like the raw edges of the book pages, but that's just me.  line up your paper in your frames to check before beginning your lettering.
3.  choose a letter style for your text and go to town.  i looked up some fun fonts on pinterest, but ultimately stayed simple.  those with nicer handwriting than i {most everyone} can go as fancy as desired.  maybe not too fancy though, or you might not be able to read them easily.  i used the ruler to make sure my letters were straight, but i free handed the actual text.  you could use stencils to make these look pro.
4.  before framing, test run everything and then adjust for color, placement, etc.  i found i  needed to go back and darken my bottom lines on both pieces to make them brighter.
5.  you're done!  frame it up, hang it up, and admire your handiwork! 

* no books were harmed in the making of this diy.  i have several discard books from my school library, but you could certainly sub newspaper or even old maps.

not too shabby for an hour's work.  these could obviously be whatever size you want, and they could be on a canvas as well.  a ton of possibilities. 

happy crafting!

catch me if you can

...for theatre {again}.  last week i was so busy rambling waxing poetic about the segerstrom center that i forgot to talk about the actual reason for our visit, catch me if you can.  i had seen the tom and leo movie version ages ago and wondered how in the world it could be turned into a musical.  i have to say that i was pleasantly surprised, enough to put away my skeptical face by the second musical number.  the lead character had an amazing voice {and was nice to look at}, and the dance numbers were all fabulous.  those girls had some serious cardio endurance.  the coolest part was the on stage orchestra, seated at the top of a large ramp that served as a dancing platform.

i could have done without the oldies next to me noisily unwrapping their hard candies, but that's par for the course on saturday afternoons.

i'm blushing

...for well loved cosmetics.  blush and i have a love hate relationship, thanks to some clown cheek incidents when i was younger.  and by when i was younger, i mean last year.  i was skeptical of this blush that came in my birchbox last summer, and it lived in the depths of my makeup bag for many moons.  it's called staniac, and it's a blush/ lip tint combo that i fell in love with once i actually tried it.  imho, it's better than the nars orgasm blush that everyone and her mother raves about.  even though i only received the sample size, i made it last for as long as i could. sadly, i'm to a point where i can't quite eek out that last little bit from the bottom. 

and i can't in good conscience order the full size until i use up my two other blushes that i stopped using when i found this one.  #firstworldproblems

the smell of love

...for my yearly valentine's flowers.  the husband is not the bringing-home-surprise-flowers-all-the-time type {bc, frankly, i get sad when they die}, but once a year he patiently stands in line with the other men at the flower shop and buys me some holiday pretties.  they look so cheery in our kitchen, and they make me feel like i'm in a sappy commercial each time i stop to smell them.  which, this week, will be an innapropriate number of times.  #justbeinghonest 

refashioning

...for refashioning old and little worn jewelry.  i've had these pearls for a couple of years now, and i like them because they remind me of something my grandmothers might have worn.  but the odd length makes me feel not quite comfortable wearing them, and they have been just taking up space on my jewelry tree.  enter pinterest, and specifically this diy tutorial about creating something new from jewelry you already own.  after some ribbon cutting and measuring, i ended up with a much longer necklace that comes to a more flattering length on me.  then i started playing around with adding extras.  she suggests clip on earrings and a flower brooch... as i had neither, i added another rarely worn necklace as an inset.  i'm not 100% in love yet, but i like it much better than before.  yet another addition to my necklace obsession collection.    

camerabag

...for faking artsy.  one of my xmas presents from the husband was the camerabag photo editing program.  i imagine it's really similar to instagram, but i wouldn't know because i'm technologically challenged when it comes to apps or anything related to smartphones.  seriously, i have new found sympathy for my grandma's fear of our computer. 
anyways....
i've just begun playing around with it, and so far i really like it.  it's pretty user friendly, and has turned out some fun remixed pics so far.   and bonus, now my pink shoes look even cuter. 

pretty bird wall art

...for pinterest {again}.  i found this awesome tutorial back in september and was super pleased with how well my bird art turned out, especially since the branches are freehanded.  i had a vintage (read:  discarded and damaged) nancy drew book that provided the background for the birds, and the project cost me nothing because i repurposed the seating chart canvases from my wedding.  flash forward to a couple of weeks ago and me in a panic trying to hang various wall things up before my in laws came to see our new house for the first time (although they are much more tactful than my own mom's, "where is all your furniture?").  now, at least, our hallway is cute.  the extra bedroom, though, is still very much a work in progress.  new year's (spring 2013) resolution?

amy everyday

...that i'm not quitting my day job anytime soon.  sometimes, i like to pretend that i'm a fashion blogger and take silly self portraits in my bedroom.  i sent this pic to my sister to show her how much i'm loving the cute scarf she sent for my birthday (sooo soft).  i'll leave daily outfit postings to the experts, but i am very much enjoying cozy layers this winter.     

making a statement

...for pinterest {again}.  i'm so into statement necklaces lately, but they can get really expensive.  following this tutorial, i'm happy with how mine turned out.  perhaps i should have lied to the home depot guy when he asked me what i needed 5/8" washers for, but whatevs.  you could make this with any color ribbon, and you could also use nail polish to fancy up the washers.  i can never wear this to the airport or jury duty, but it definitely pretty's up my tshirt and jeans. 

winning

...for exceptional customer service.  last weekend while lost in my favorite blog reading hours, i ordered a necklace from this etsy shop {i swoon for this one someday, but i also like to buy groceries}.  i ordered it late saturday night from the east coast, got a shipping confirmation email sunday (!), and was wearing it by wednesday afternoon.  the icing on the cupcake was an included handwritten thank you from the seller when it arrived.  color me impressed.   

diy monogrammed canvas tutorial

...for our house beginning to feel like home.  this past weekend, the husband and i made semi progress on unpacking and arranging our furniture and boxes that have been evil eyeing us since our move last month.  in my quest to cover our naked white rental walls, i pinned a bunch of home diy stuff.  and, shock of shocks, i did one!  i add this bc we all know that most pin boards should be subtitled "stuff i'll never complete."  if you're into it, here's a quick tutorial.  this one is easy enough for those of us who are craft and creativly challenged {cough...me}.

diy hanging monogrammed canvas {inspired by this etsy find}

 

supplies:

canvas, any size {i used 16" x 20"}

enough fabric to cover the canvas plus 2" all around

staple gun {you could also just use the fabric glue here, too, since you'll use it later}

assorted buttons {i used two packs of 130 each, but yours will depend on what size/look you want}

tacky glue {you might be able to use elmer's, but i don't know if that would hold longterm}

ribbon to hang

 

1.  cover your canvas with your fabric and staple or glue fabric edges around all sides of canvas, like you're wrapping a present.

2.  attach your hanging ribbon to the back of your canvas via staple or glue {i forgot to do this first and had to attach the next day and let dry again before i could hang it}.  i would recommend stapling here, so you can move on to the buttons without needing to let the ribbon glue dry.  

3.  spread out your buttons in the basic letter design you're going for on your canvas, and then stand back and see what it looks like.  you may need to adjust height, color placement, whatevs.  i freeformed my letter, but if you're a perfectionist you may want to use a pattern or stencil here.  you could be really creative and use cursive or a fancy font.  that's not my forte.

4.  go to town with your glue.  for my m, i started glueing in the middle of the letter and worked out from there, switching sides every so often so i could gage for symmetry.  *you might want to save a few extra buttons for the end so you can fill in any areas that don't quite match*

5.  when you've finished glueing, stand back and look at it again.  this is where i realized that i had some empty spots which needed to be filled. 

6.  let dry completely, preferably overnight on a flat surface.  i was disappointed at first to see all the white tacky glue through the button holes, but it dried clear overnight and looked much better the next day.

7.  you can hang up with a nail under the ribbon bow, or you can use sticky hanging strips if you don't want to damage your walls {see rental reference above}.

8.  pat yourself on the back that your entire project took 90 minutes-ish and was under $20 {this is the time to use those 40% off coupons you always get at michaels and joannes}.  resist the urge to repin on pinterest from your own blog, but just barely. 

 

question:  have you done any fun diy's lately?  seen any out there that you want to do?  leave a comment and link away!

seriously sorted scarves

clearly this leaves room to buy new ones

...for sanity saving organization.  moving last weekend underscored my complete closet chaos (and love for alliteration) when it comes to scarves.  thanks to ikea, they are not stuffed into random drawers anymore.  i'm so ready for fall. 

by any other name

...for the last day of school and the rose at the end of the tunnel.  to call it a challenging year would be the understatement of the decade, but i made it through and even scored flowers from a student.  dear miguel, the roses are beautiful and you made my day.  however, they do not negate your 31 tardies and the fact that i moved your seat 17 times bc you would not. stop. talking.  kit and have a great summer.

ice cream pants

...for color combinations that make me feel a little sassy.  and that none of my students called me "mrs. pistachio" today.

it's box of fun

...for pretending to be trendy.  once a month, my birchbox arrives with all kinds of girlyness.  it can be hit or miss (february's stick on eyeliner just felt wrong, pun intended), but this month was a gem.  facewash, gold nail polish, eyeliner and hair samples?  don't mind if i do.

she's a lady

...for feeling very ladylike today at work.  somewhere, my grandmother is nodding her head in approval.