My So Called Crafty Life

DIY Pretty Prehistoric Ring Holders

Today I have a really easy and fun DIY for you, prehistoric ring holders. Certain toy dinos have a perfect shape or features for holding your favorite rings! I found this Brachiosaurus, and wooly mammoth at the craft store the other day. With a coupon they are really affordable, around $5 a piece. You could use other animals than dinosaurs as well, just pick what you like best.

Here’s What You Need:

*Large Plastic Animal or Dino Toys

*Krylon Plastic Spray Paint

*Craft Acrylic Paints

*Masking Tape

*Crystals

*Glue

Step 1: Spray paint- Clean off your dinos and spray paint them according to the directions on the can. I sprayed them lightly and did several coats. Let Dry

Step 2: Tape off areas you want to be left white

Step 3: Paint- Grab a decent paint brush and paint your dinos in your favorite colors. While paint is still wet, remove tape. Once dry, touch up any spots you need to.

Step 4: Add crystals(optional)- place small dabs of clear glue( I used e6000) on your dino, and add crystals. Tweezers can be a help when working with small crystals, but I find it just fine to use my finger and press them on that way. Let dry

Step 5: Add a little necklace(optional)- I added a little necklace to each of mine. I strung beads on embroidery floss and ties around their necks. Enjoy!

These dinos make a quirky and fun statement to my vanity, and I love them! They are a little bit serious and a little bit silly, which I totally dig! Like I said earlier, you could use any type of animal or dino you like as long as the shape will work. The possibilities are many! I can’t wait to try more! And this would also be a fun craft to do with your kids, or for a party! These would make great gifts to for any gal!

Happy Crafting!

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DIY Organizer from Old Window

Today I have a fun and versatile craft for you all, we’re going to make an organizer from an old window! I made mine with some cork, chicken wire and chalkboard painted wood. It’s fairly simple to do, and the best part is that it doesn’t take long at all to make, you could craft one in an afternoon.

Here’s What You Need:

* An Old Window

*Cork Squares

*Chalkboard Spray Paint

*Chicken Wire

*1.4″ Wood ( I used plywood, but in hindsight I would recommend MDF for a much better finish)

*Sawtooth Hanger

*Power saw or table saw for cutting wood

*Wire Cutters

*Razor Knife

*Scraper

*Rubber Mallet

*Trim nailer, hammer and tacs, or silicone caulk

Step 1: Remove window glazing- With a sharp razor knife cut along each side of the window glazing popping pieces of it out until all the glazing has been removed. Then scrape the sides with a scraper.

Step 2: Remove the Glass- Lightly tap upwards on the glass from underneath to slowly move glass to the top and out. If you have a stubborn pane and your glass breaks, carefully pull out the glass shards, preferably with gloves. Carefully discard glass. Then, scrape down the sides of the empty window pane with the scraper until it’s relatively smooth.

Step 3: Cut Wood- Measure the inside dimensions of the window panes. Mark the measurements on your wood and cut down to size using a table saw or power saw, or you could use a hand saw if you had to.

Step 4: Prepare Cork and Blackboards- For the blackboard surface boards, clean off the wood and spray the boards with paint according to the directions on the can. Let dry. For the cork; place a generous amount of wood glue on your boards, lay cork on top and secure with a weight, then let it dry. Once your glue is dry, cut down the cork to fit the boards.

Step 5: Attach boards to your window- Place each board you have in the window pane you would like them in. You can hammer tacs into the sides of the panes, use a trim nailer to shoot small nails to secure it, or you can squeeze a bead of silicone caulk around each board to secure it as well.

Step 6: Attach Chicken Wire- Cut your wire down to a manageable size using the wire cutters. Stretch the wire and tac down with your nailer or hammer and tacs on each side, trying to keep it taut as possible. Then clip end of wire to fit window pane.

Step 7: Add hangers- You can add a sawtooth hanger to the back, just measure for the center and nail it in. And that’s it! Now you can hang and enjoy!

I made my organizer to use as a display for my jewelry at craft shows. It works great for jewelry, but it would also be fantastic as an organizer for your kitchen or mud room to make lists, reminders, clip important things to, hang up your favorite comic from the day, really anything you like. I think it would be fun to add some hangers or knobs to the bottom to hang keys or bags from! You can let your imagination run free, there are so many possibilities. So go ahead and make one, and add a little organizational piece of mind to your favorite space!

Happy Crafting!

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