My So Called Crafty Life

1st Annual Holiday Ornament Swap

Hi everybody! I am really excited to announce that I am going to be starting a new tradition with the blog and doing a Holiday ornament swap for Christmas. I know, I know, it’s only September and still hot as hedes in some parts of the country. But, I want to make sure to allow enough time for it all. This is something I’ve always wanted to do! I love to craft, and I am especially smitten for all holidays, but my favorite is Christmas.

If you have never heard of an online swap before, here is how it works… A group of people create a craft with a theme in mind, like ornaments. There are a certain number of people in the group, so you make an item for yourself and one for each person in the group, and then you mail out your special craft to everyone separately. Not only is it fun to make, you get to share your craft with others, and in return, you get to enjoy keepsakes from other swap members too.

Here are the rules for my 1st annual ornament swap:

*The swap craft theme is holiday ornaments. They don’t have to be anything fancy! Just have fun with it and create something you will be excited to craft and share! And something you will want to make 15 of.

*There are 15 slots available.

*The swap will be open to sign up from today until September 30th, 2012. You can sign up by emailing me at this address: BinkyandLola@gmail.com, to sign up you will need to leave your name and info on where to mail your packages to for other swap members

*Once the sign up is closed or we reach 15 I will email everyone with the address list

I am really excited to start this swap! If anyone has any questions, please shoot me an email. I look forward to crafting with some of you all really soon! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

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Super Simple and Elegant Painted Glass Vases

Today I have a really simple and cute DIY decorating tip to share with you. I have seen all kinds of painted vases and vessels all over Pinterest, and they are so fantastic and fast way to add a little color to your space! You can customize them in any color you like. You can paint them with a brush on the outside or inside. Or, you can pour paint inside and swirl it around until covered or until you have a pattern you like. If you want to be able to fill your vessel with water you will need to use ceramic paint. I used the deco ceramic paint, which worked fine. I poured in the paint for two of my vases and in the places the paint was thick it bubbled when baked and doesn’t look so pretty, so be careful when using the ceramic paint. For an extra decorative touch I used a gold sharpie paint pen to color the top edge of my vases. My total cost on this project was less than $8. I bought the glass vases at the thrift store for less than a dollar a piece. Overall a fun, fast, and cheap DIY project. You could make a few for a centerpiece, make a bunch for your next party, or they would even be sweet little gifts for someone special!

Happy Crafting!