DIY Framed Vintage Wallpaper Magnetic Board

16 May, 2013 9:59 am / Leave a Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Hi guys! I do hope you all are having a lovely week! Today I am going to share with you one of my favorite of my recent projects, a diy vintage wallpaper magnetic board. Vintage wallpaper is one of my absolute favorite things in the entire world! I just adore the prints and textures! It’s so wonderful! I love finding new ways to use it too. I recently came across this pattern from one of my favorite vintage wallpaper shops, Hannah’s Treasures, and immediately thought it would make a great magnetic board for the bedroom at my mom’s house where I stay on visits. Making this little board was really easy, and it whipped up pretty quick too!

Here’s What You Need:

*16×20 Frame (the local flea market or thrift store is a great place to look)

*Paint (optional)

*1 Yard of Vintage Wallpaper

*1 Sheet of HVAC Thin Guage Sheet Metal (I bought mine at home depot, look in the hvac department)

*Acid Free Double Stick Tape

*Framing hardware if needed…

*Heavy Duty Tin Snips

*Foam core ( optional for backing if your frame does not come with backing)

Instructions:

The first thing you need to do is paint your frame if you are planning on painting it. While it dries you can cut and assemble your board. To start measure the opening of your frame. Mine was 16×20. So I marked on the metal 16″ wide and 20″ long. Then cut the metal down to size with the tin snips. You can cut down the foam core to fit your frame as well if you plan on using it. Now, trace your sheet metal dimensions onto the wrong side of your wallpaper, leave an inch on the top and an inch on the bottom for folding over. So if I have a 16×20 piece of metal, then I cut my paper to be 16×22″. Mark 1″ up on both the top and bottom of the wrapping paper. Lay out your metal on top of the paper in between the 1″ marks. Run a strip of double stick tape along the edge at the bottom and top edges of your wall paper on the wrong side. Now, fold over the edges of the paper in towards the middle of the metal and tape down snugly so that the paper is nice and taught across the metal. Next, lay your board into the opening in your frame face down and close up the back. Add a hanger to the middle of the back of the frame and you are ready to hang.

I love this fun magnetic board! It looks great in the room! It is a pretty way to organize and keep little notes and things while I am at my parent’s home. It is a great size too. I just adore the wallpaper and I have quite a bit left that I can use for future crafting, yay! I love how easy this project is to customize just by changing the style of the frame and the wallpaper. The sheet metal in the hvac department at the hardware store is really inexpensive too, so you can always change out the boards if the style of your room changes too. This really is such a fast and easy diy! It would make a great gift for college bound gals who need a memo board for their dorms. I hope some of you will give this one a try! It is so fun and easy, you’ll have a blast!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: 1940's, 1950's, cottage, crafts, diy, dorm, easy, fun, gift, girly, grad, handmade, home decor, lovely, magnet, magnetic board, memo board, messege, mid century, office organization, pink, recycle, repurpose, retro, shabby chic, sweet, tutorials, upcycle, vintage, vintage wallpaper, wallpaper

DIY Upcycled Vintage Jewelry Magnets

15 May, 2013 12:57 pm / 5 Comments / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello everyone! Sorry I have been mia the last couple of days. I have been under the weather. But I am back and excited to share this project with you all today! I am going to show you how to make these fun little magnets out of vintage earrings and brooches. These could not be easier to make, and they whip up so fast!

Here’s What You Need:

*Jewelry pieces like earrings, pendants, and brooches

*Heavy duty wire cutters

*E6000

*Round craft magnets (you can find these at any craft store)

Instructions:

These are so easy! The first thing you do is cut off the finding part of your piece. For example if you have an earring, you will need to cut off the ear wire or clip for clip ons. Get as close to the base where it is glued or soldered on and carefully cut away with your pliers. For brooches that have been soldered it can take a few cuts but they will come off. Once you get the finding off you can grind down any sharp spots with a dremmel if you have any that bother you. You can also pick at them with your pliers and that can get most of the metal off that is in the way. So to finish these off, you need to glue the magnet on. So, lay your jewelry piece face down on a flat surface. Now take your magnet and place a large dab of glue onto the back side of the magnet. Carefully squish the glue and magnet onto the back of your jewelry piece. Let dry. Once the glue is cured you are ready to use your magnets.

I absolutely love these magnets! They just couldn’t be any easier to make! You can whip up a batch in under fifteen minutes. The best thing is that they look so nice and special, like something you would find at a boutique. You can find vintage jewelry parts by the bag full at your local flea market or at antique stores and thrift stores. Of course brooches can be really pricey, but you can often pick up broken pieces or mismatched pieces for next to nothing. This would be a fabulous project to use for gifts for birthdays or Christmas as well. So go ahead and dress up your space with some of these fun little magnets! You’ll love them!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, bee, birthday, brooch, christmas, crafts, decorating, diy, earrings, easy, enamel, flower, fridge, fun, gifts, handmade, holidays, home decor, jewelry, jewelry magnets, lovely, magnet, magnets, mid century, recycled, repurposed, retro, rhinestone, sparkly, style, sweet, turtle, tutorials, upcycled, vintage, vintage brooch

Spring Recipe- Strawberry Yum Yum Cake

8 May, 2013 11:26 pm / Leave a Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello there! Today I am going to share one of my favorite new spring dessert recipes with you all. This is my version of strawberry shortcake. I had lunch a few weeks ago at Whole Foods and had a slice of their strawberry cake. It was so delicious! I went back a few days later for another slice, but they were all out. Not wanting to spend over twenty dollars on a cake, I decided to try and make one similar myself.

Ingredients:

*Butter Yellow Recipe Cake Mix

*Butter

*Eggs

*Water

*Cooking Spray

*Strawberries 2 pints

*Sugar

*Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions:

Cook your yellow cake according to the directions on the box. You will add the water, sugar, butter, and eggs to the cake mix and beat with a blender for a few minutes. Spray two round cake pans 8″ or 9″ with cooking spray and pour in batter. Bake according to the time on the box. Once your cake is done you will cool it in the pan for a minute and then turn it out of the pan and cool completely. While your cake is cooling cut up 2/3 of your strawberries into thin slices. Slice the remaining third of the strawberries into halves. Put them into separate bowls and sprinkle with sugar and a little water. Cover and refrigerate. You can cut your strawberries ahead of time and let them chill overnight. They are extra good that way. I was impatient and wanted my cake to be ready that particular day, so my strawberries only chilled for an hour or two. In a large mixing bowl pour in some heavy whipping cream. Whip the cream with beaters on medium to medium high. I added my sugar to taste once the cream set up a little. Sometimes whipped cream recipes can be too sweet. I like to be able to control the sweetness. You can add a touch of vanilla to your whip cream as well. Once your cream is whipped to a stiff super light frosting consistency you are ready to assemble your cake. Place your bottom layer of the butter cake on a large plate. “Frost” your layer with a generous amount of whip cream. Add a little extra on the top of the cake for the middle to be nice and full. Now take your sliced strawberries and evenly distribute them over the top of the layer. Place the other layer of cake on top of the first layering the strawberries and whip cream in the middle. Now, spread a thick layer of whip cream frosting over the top and around the sides of the cake. Once you have your cake frosted with your whip cream, you are ready to add your remaining strawberries. Finish off the cake by gently placing the remaining strawberry halves to the side of the cake all the way around at the bottom. Garnish with a few mint sprigs and a strawberry on top if you like, or add a cute cake bunting.

I love how my cake turned out! It is the perfect spring desert. This is not the healthiest cake in the world, but it could be a lot more calorie laden. I think the whip cream and strawberries make it light and airy, and the buttery cake is smooth and moist. This is definitely going to be my go to spring and summer party desert. Everyone here loved it! I hope some of you will try this little recipe out too!

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Posted in: Recipes / Tagged: airy, barbque, butter cake, cake, cookout, dessert, easy, farm fresh, fast, festive, fruit, handmade, home made, light, mmorial day, pound cake, recipes, shortcake, spring, strawberry, summer, sweet, whip cream, yummy

DIY Linen Phone Sleeve and My New Shutterfly Case

8 May, 2013 12:34 am / 1 Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday! So, today I am going to share with you which of my Shutterfly phone case designs I went with, as well as an easy tutorial on how to make a protective sleeve for your phone. I was so excited when I got my new Shutterfly phone case this past week! It is just so ME! I decided to go with the simple chalkboard design with my #1 buddy Beaureguard. The little banner at the bottom means “the little pleasures” en Francais, and it comes from the saying “La vie est faite de petits bonheurs” or “Life is made of little pleasures” and I believe bonheur can also mean happiness or what makes one happy. And I’m sure I speak for most of us when I say my dog makes me happy!

My mom is a photographer, so I am no stranger to photo gifts you can get from a lab. Most of the time the quality in my opinion can be a bit lacking. I have to say though, I am very impressed with this case! The printing quality is fantastic, and it seems to be durable and nicely protective. It is a nice thick polycarbonate plastic that snaps on. When I first bought my phone, I got a designer case which was plastic and within a week the design was scratched off of it. For the last year I have been trying to find a case that was both somewhat protective and cute. This one totally does the trick!

Since I tend to wear a lot of skirts in the spring and summer, which means no pockets, I have made this little padded phone sleeve to safely carry my phone on skirt days. This sleeve is made for my iphone 4, but you can change-up the measurements to suit your phone’s dimensions. This is a really fast and easy project! It is a great way to use up scraps too.

Here’s What You Need:

*Scrap fabric or around 1/8 of a yard of fabric

*Scrap Batting or 1/8 of a yard

*Leather Lacing

*Button

*Thread and Needle

Instructions:

The first thing you need to do is cut your pieces. I made mine for my iphone 4. If you have an iphone 5 you may want to make it about an inch longer. I measured my phone and gave it a couple of extra inches around for seam allowance and wiggle room. So, cut two pieces for the outside front and back and two pieces for the lining at 4.5×7″. Cut two pieces of the batting at 4.5X7″. If you’d like a little pocket, cut a piece of your lining fabric to be 4.5×5″. I added a patch to the front piece of my sleeve. If you are adding any patch or embellishment sew it on now. Next, lay the outside pieces front and back on the front and back pieces of your batting face up. Stitch the batting to the fabric with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Now, take your pocket piece and turn it under 1/8″ and press. Turn the top under again 1/2″ and stitch down close to the edge where you turned it under on the wrong side. Now you are ready to stitch together your sleeve. Place the pocket piece on the front of your front sleeve face up and sandwich it in between the front and back pieces. The front and back should be right sides together. Stitch all the way around the three sides with a half-inch seam allowance leaving the top open. Stitch the lining pieces together the same way, making sure that the right sides are together. Clip corners and trim the seam allowance down a little on both. Turn the front piece right side out. Fold a small piece of leather lacing in half and stitch down to the pocket side of your outside sleeve. Now, shimmy your outside sleeve into the lining so that right sides are facing. Carefully stitch around the top with a quarter-inch seam allowance leaving an inch or so for turning. Now, pull your outside and lining out through the hole in the top. Press. Stuff the lining into the outer sleeve. Now top stitch around the top about an eighth inch away from the edge. Pull the loop over the top and mark where to put your button. Hand stitch the button on the back side. And that’s it. Pretty easy eh?

I absolutely ADORE my new phone case and padded sleeve! I love that it is a perfect size for scraps. I paired up natural linen with a scrap from an old vintage cutter tablecloth, and a retro quilting fabric for the pocket and the lining. This little sleeve is so versatile, you can really customize it to your style and taste by the patterns and fabric choices you use. This sleeve fits perfectly in the large pocket of my purse. In hind sight I wish I had sewn a loop of ribbon in the side seam so I could attach a clip to it and clip in on the handle of my bag. Will definitely have to try that next time. I hope I have inspired some of you to try out this little phone sleeve. You will love it! And definitely go check out Shutterfly’s IPhone cases Here. They are so fun and easy to customize. There are plenty of design options. They are on sale at 20% off right now too, so you can snag one for under $30. Pretty cool! I’ll be back Thursday with another fun DIY. Until then…

Happy Crafting!

*Disclosure: I was given a promotional code for a phone case from Shutterfly. No other compensation was given. All opinions are 100% my own. No foolin’, this phone case is awesome!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: beauegard, case, chalkboard, cottage, crafts, custom, diy, dog, easy, fabric, french, fun, handmade gifts, iggy, iphone, italian greyhound, navy, phone, phone case, photo gifts, photography, pictures, plastic, polycarbonate, recycled, red, retro, scrap, sewing, shutterfly, sleeve, sweet, tutorials, upcycled, vintage, vintage button, vintage inspired, vintage tablecloth, white, yellow

Mother’s Day DIY Round Up

29 April, 2013 9:06 pm / Leave a Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Happy Wednesday everyone! As you all know, Mother’s Day is coming up really soon. I always like to make gifts for my moms. It’s always nice to give something thoughtful and handmade to the ones you love most, especially mom. I have gathered a little collection of handmade diy gifts that I think would be especially nice for mommy’s day. Check em’ out:

Check out these fantastic Upcycled Wine Cork Pendants from Fiskars Here

Check out this adorable Fabric Covered Suitcase from The 36th Avenue Here

Check out these sweet No Sew Fabric Flowers from Dana Made It Here

Check out this amazing Retrotastic Camera Camera Bag from Happy Sew Lucky Here

Check out this fabulous DIY Hand Embroidered Portrait with Felt Flowers from Do Small Things With Love Here

Check out this lovely DIY Eco Friendly Soy Candle from Ruffled Here

Check out these sweet Mother’s Day Memory Jars from Centsational Girl Here

Check out this fun DIY Mini Boxy Make Up Bag from Say Yes to Hoboken Here

Check out this lovely DIY Solid Perfume Pocket Watch Locket from Design Sponge Here

And check out these beautiful Gold Leaf Paper Mache Bowls from Kelli Murray Here

Aren’t they all just lovely! I am not a mommy of two legged babies as of yet, but I would love any of these! I know my mom would too! Is there something special you are making for your mommy dear this year? My mom is getting the tablecloth duvet I recently made. I hope this little list has given you all some ideas and inspiration! You can find a lot more ideas through my pinterest boards as well Here.

Happy Crafting!

Posted in: Craft Round Ups, Crafting, DIY / Tagged: camera bag, candle, crafts, decor, diy, easy, embroidery, feminine, fun, gifting, gifts, gifts for women, girls, gold, handmade, home decor, jewelry. recycled, lovely, make up bag, memory jar, mod podge, mom, mothers, mothers day, paper mache, perfume locket, photography, retro, round up, sewing, suitcase, sweet

DIY Retro Scribble Painted Glassware

26 April, 2013 2:00 am / 4 Comments / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello everyone! Today’s post is a bit late. I meant to have this up Thursday, but we have been travelling today to DC and just settled into our hotel for the evening. I will probably be a little sparse with posting for the next few days, but will definitely be posting instagrams daily of our time here in DC. So, today I have a fun and easy retro project for you. I am going to show you how to make these fun scribble glasses! A while back I had scored a set of vintage Hazel Atlas pink spaghetti scribble painted glasses at my local thrift store. They are by far some of my absolute favorite glasses! I thought it would be fun to try and make some myself, and I had a blast! They are so fun and easy to create!

Here’s What You Need:

*Glass dishes (tumblers, shakers, bowls, etc…)

*Martha Stewart Paint color of your choice in flat matte

*Martha Stewart Paint Bottle with Fine tip tops

*Rubbing Alcohol

Instructions:

The first thing you want to do is clean your glasses with rubbing alcohol. Let dry. You can add the paint to the bottle that came with the tip caps, or you can twist the smallest fine tip cap onto the original paint bottle. Test the flow a little first on a scrap piece of chipboard. Now squeezing the bottle as you go, paint some scribbly lines in small sections around your glassware. I made some crosshatching marks and then added some flowy scribbly marks to blend the sections together. You want it to look more free-handed and random than uniform. Once you have painted your scribblies all over the glassware, set aside to dry. The greatest thing about the Martha Stewart plant is that it hardens to a hand washable finish if it is left to air cure for a few weeks. Once your dishes have cured, you are ready to start using them. Yay!

I LOVE how these tumblers turned out! In fact, I liked them so much I made some salt and pepper shakers to match. This is such a simple and fun diy! It took me less than twenty minutes to complete. The best part is that you can make them in any color you like and on any type of glassware. You could make some fun martini glasses, a set of plates, or even a cake stand. Make some for yourself, or make them as gifts for your friends and family. They will love them! I hope I have inspired some of you to give this one a try! This would be a fantastic diy for a group or party too! You’ll have a blast!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: aqua, bar ware, cheap, crafts, diy, easy, fun, gifts, glass paint, glasses, handmade, kitchen, martha stewart, mid century, paint, reproduction, retro, salt and pepper shakers, scribble, spaghetti, tumblers, tutorials

DIY Ikea Lack Side Table Revamp

24 April, 2013 11:42 am / Leave a Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Hi everybody! I had meant to post this one yesterday, but sometimes there just are not enough hours in the day. You know what I mean? We are getting ready to go up to Washington D.C. for Hannah’s highschool graduation trip. It’s going to be girls only, and we are so excited! Today’s DIY is actually one that the hubby and I made a few weeks back. We had a pair of black Ikea Lack side tables in our bedroom, that were functional, but just didn’t go with the furniture that we had in the room anymore. I had been searching for some side tables at all the thrift stores in town, and on craigslist, and just couldn’t find anything in our price range. So, we decided to take what we had and recycle it into what I wanted. I had picked up a side of railing from an old porch at my local ReStore and knew that the balusters would make fantastic table legs. So with some new legs, a little trim, and some paint our old side tables were reborn into these chunky and fun tables that really help pull my bedroom together! This project took a weekend, but it was totally worth the work!

Here’s What You Need:

*Ikea Lack Side Table

*Porch Balusters or other “legs”

*Decorative wood trim

*Scrap wood, or a square dowel smaller than your trim (you will be nailing the trim to this piece)

*Pliers

*Drill

*Mitre Saw or Hand Saw

*T-Square or Ruler

*Pin Nailer or hammer and tiny trim nails

*Wood Glue

*Kills Primer

*Paint

*Wood Onlays (optional)

Instructions:

The first thing you want to do is clean your lack table and take the legs off. Measure the center of your balusters to the edge. Now mark in on the underside of the table top that width. For example, if the measurement from the center of my baluster to the end was 1.5″ I would measure in from the edge of my tabletop 1.5″ on either side of each corner and mark an x where I need to drill. With a drill bit a hair smaller than the size of the hardware on the lack screws in the legs, drill pilot holes into the underside of the tabletop where you marked each corner. Now, remove the screws that are in your lack legs with a pair of pliers, just twist them out. If you want to cut down the balusters at all, now is the time to do that. I cut mine down two inches with a mitre saw. Mark the centers of your balusters. Now drill pilot holes into the top of the balusters. Twist the screws half way into the top center of each baluster. Then screw each leg into the pilot holes you drilled in the tabletop. The sides of the balusters should be just about flush with the edge of the tabletop. Now you are ready to add your trim. Measure the width of your baluster at the top. Take half of that measurement and draw a guide line between each leg on the underside of the tabletop with a ruler or t-square. Now, measure the length between each leg on each side and cut your scrap pieces and your trim pieces to length. Your scrap pieces can be shorter than your trim piece. Run a bead of wood glue down your scrap piece and glue down on the backside of the marked line. Nail in place with your pin nailer. Now run a bead of glue down your trim piece and fit your trim piece between the legs and flush up against the scrap piece of wood you just nailed down. Glue down, and then nail the trim piece to the scrap piece with your pin nailer. Repeat with the other sides, and let your glue dry. I used a couple of coats of kills primer on my table, and then a couple of coats of semigloss white paint. I added some aqua accents on my trim, and I painted my wood onlays aqua . Once my paint was dry, I glued and nailed my onlays onto the top sides of my legs.

I have to say I LOVE my new side tables! They really help pull together my furniture and they are sweet. I love the chunkiness of them, and the accents of aqua! The best thing about this redo is that you can totally customize it to your taste and style by the trim type and colors you use. And they were really inexpensive to make. So, if you ever get tired of your old ikea lack table, don’t toss it! Give it a makeover! You’ll be glad you did! Have a wonderful day everyone!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: aqua, balusters, bedroom, cheap, cool, cottage, crafts, decorating, diy, diy project, easy, frugal, fun, functional, home decor, ikea, ikea hacks, inexpensive, lack, lack side table, legs, lovely, make over, mid century, recycle, redo, retro, revamp, side table, sweet, trim, tutorials, upcycle, white

DIY Vintage Spoon Curtain Tie Backs

10 April, 2013 2:54 pm / 3 Comments / My So Called Crafty Life

As many of you know by now, I love to repurpose all kinds of things! It seems like every week I am at the thrift store or flea market at least once. I recently came across a set of mismatched spoons, and thought they would be fun to repurpose. I have made a few projects in the past with silverware like wall hooks and these garden markers. This week I decided that it would be fun to make some curtain tie backs. This project is so fun and fast to make!

Here’s What You Need:

*Old silverware

*Hammer

*Anvil or hard flat surface in which to flatten your silverware

*Pipe, dowel or anvil to bend silverware around

*Pliers and a blowtorch (optional, and only if you are super careful!)

*Buffing wheel or a dremmel fitted with a buffing wheel

*Vintage cabochons, flowers, etc…

*E-6000

*Screws

Instructions:

My husband like to heat up the spoon with a blowtorch before he hammers it because it is much faster and easier. However, if you are going to use a blowtorch you need to be extra careful. A blowtorch can burn the ever livin’ patootie out of your skin! Clamp the bottom of the spoon with the pliers and carefully heat up the top with the blowtorch. Now hold the spoon down on your anvil or flat surface, still gripping the bottom with the pliers, and hammer the spoon flat. If your spoon has been heated drop it in some water You can skip heating it with a torch and just hammer the spoon onto the anvil cold, it just takes a bit more hammering. Once you have flattened the spoon you can shine it up with a buffer or a dremmel fitted with a buffing bit. Next, drill a couple of holes in the handle of the spoon close to the end with a bit large enough to fit your screws through. Now you are ready to bend your spoon. Place the spoon over the point of your anvil or over the pipe or dowel. Start bending the stem of the spoon about half an inch down from the spoon head. Bend the head of the spoon backwards towards the design on the handle until you have a nice u-shape. Now glue on your cabachon or other decoration with the e-6000 and let it dry overnight. And now you are ready to attach it to your wall. I attached mine to the window casing and added a few ceramic salt and pepper shaker tassels. If you would like to make your own salt shaker tassel you can find the tutorial in the volume 1 number 1 back issue of Inspired Ideas which you can find on my friend Amy’s site Here.

I love how these sweet tie backs turned out! They were so easy to make. I may just have to make more for the other windows in the house. You could even make some with forks. I love how you can customize the tie back with different cabachons and decorations to suit your space. Hanging a tassel on the tie back is super sweet too! I hope some of you will give this one a try. But definitely be super careful if you should decide to use a blowtorch! Hope you all have a very happy and safe Wednesday!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: crafts, curtains, decor, diy, easy, embellish, fun, hold backs, home decorating, mid century, recycle, repurpose, retro, reuse, silverware crafts, sweet, tie backs, upcycle, vintage, vintage silverware

Photo Fabric Spoonflower Tote

4 April, 2013 8:46 pm / 1 Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello everyone! Hope you all are having a fabulous week! Both my projects this week are featuring Spoonflower fabric. For those of you unfamiliar with the company, Spoonflower is a print on demand fabric printer. You can get virtually any photo or design printed on several types of fabrics. I have been quite impressed with everything I have ordered from them! I have been wanting to do a simple photo tote for a while now. I recently photographed a bunch of my vintage ceramics and tchotskies and I thought that some of them would be really sweet as an everyday spring tote bag. Designing the tote and sewing it was super easy! This is also a project you can do in an hour or so. It’s a lot of fun too!

Here’s What You Need:

*Spoonflower Fabric

*Lining Fabric like quilting cotton

*Leather strap (I used an old skinny belt)

*Punch

*Rivets and hammer

*Sewing Machine

Instructions:

Designing the tote fabric is pretty simple. Take two of your favorite photos and pull them into your photo editing program. My tote is pretty large so I knew it was going to need to be 1/2 yard of fabric. I resized my pictures to be 18X22″. Make sure that the design elements like faces that are important to keep are at least 2.5″ away from the edge.Now, you want to make a new file in photoshop to be the size of your fabric . I bought a yard which gave me enough for four pictures, or two bags. So since I wanted a yard, I made my new file to be 36×54″ at 150 dpi. Then once you have your pictures resized, you can just drag and drop your photos onto your blank page. Save your file. Then go to www.spoonflower.com to upload. You will need to click on create and then custom fabric. This will take you to the upload window where you can upload your design. Once the design is uploaded you can order your fabric. For more detailed help with Spoonflower’s site visit their design help page Here. Once you receive your fabric, you are ready to get started sewing. The tote I made is almost exactly like my valentine’s ombre heart tote, which you can see here for detailed instructions. The only difference is that this tote is slightly larger, and has one strap instead of two. When cutting your fabric out you will want to measure in 2.5 inches on each side at the top and draw an angle to the bottom from those lines if you want your tote to be angled in a little at the top like mine. I also left my sides open a half an inch at each side to insert my leather strap into the fabric instead of riveting it to the outside. You can add the straps however you like. Once you have added your rivets, you are ready to load up your new tote and go!

I absolutely adore my new photo tote! My mom and sister love it to and are trying to steal it from me. I may just have to make a couple more to appease the tote bag hoarding women in my family! This little tote was so fun to make and it whipped up really fast as well! I love how customizable this project can be! You can change-up the design, just by changing up your pictures. Scan in pics of your children’s artwork and make a special tote for them, make a collage of favorite family photos, or even showcase your best furry friends. The possibilities are endless! I hope I have inspired some of you to give this project a try! And definitely go check out Spoonflower’s website! You’ll love it!

Happy Crafting!

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Fabulous DIY Projects for Spring

3 April, 2013 5:36 pm / Leave a Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

I am so excited that Spring is finally here! We have had unusually chilly weather for this time of year here in NC. I can see the trees and the flowers are starting to bloom and there is a little spring color popping up everywhere. I have been really inspired by some of the many beautiful spring diy projects floating around the web. Here are a few that I would LOVE to try:

Check out these beautiful Spring Time Coasters from Maize Hutton Here

Check out this fantastic Spring Paper Flower Wreath from Hello Lucky Here

Check out these adorable Personalized Name Art from Parenting.com Here

Check out this sweet Fabric Scrap Banner from I Heart Naptime Here

Check out this fabulous Bluebird Brooch from All About You Here

Check out these awesome DIY Burlap Place Setting Holders from Debbiedoo’s Here

And Check out this fun Moss Monogram from Eight By Five Here

Don’t you just love them all! I really need to learn to crochet! I hope you all enjoy looking through these fabulous blogs! To see more fun spring DIY inspiration check out my DIY Ideas I Love board on Pinterest Here. I wish you all have a fantastic spring! Relax and enjoy the weather!

Happy Crafting!