Cheap and Easy Crafts: Silvered and Glittered Holiday Thrift Store Frames

YAY!  It's time for cheap and easy (crafts!) with a silvered and glittered frame DIY! This one is silly easy, you can do this with any plastic or wooden frame that has nooks and crannies and gold base paint.  Or start with raw wood for a pickled effect.  The images come from my personal ephemera collection...but you can get some of your own on my website!  Yes, I have packs of vintage Christmas cards for your crafty creations! 

I am guest blogging for iLoveToCreate today, so you can find the instructions to make your own silvered and glittered holiday thrift store frames next door.  It's so easy, you're going to be scouring your local thrift stores and flea markets for dreadful frames to repurpose!

Did you get your copy of my new book yet?  Here's what Shannon Ownby of Fabrics 'n Quilts has to say, This is awesome! Your writing style even makes homework fun!

What better way to kick start your new year than with a glittery kick in the ass and a clear cut plan of attack, you know, after the champagne and kisses!

xoxo Madge

iLoveToCreate: Craft Wars Inspired Ocean Dreams Birdhouse

Craft Wars Inspired (Junk Drawer) Ocean Dreams Birdhouse
Avalon Potter for iLoveToCreate
"Teen crafted, Mom approved."

My mom is going to be on an upcoming episode of TLCs new show Craft Wars and she's making projects every week with other contestants from the show inspired by the theme of the week before.  Last week's Pop Craft challenge was to make a junk drawer themed birdhouse.  We had two of these old birdhouses sitting in our yard, so we decided to both decorate one.  I used her paint scraping technique in colors that fit my style and added some things from our 'junk drawer', some sea shells from our last trip to the beach, old buttons and a seahorse metal charm.  Layers of mixed acrylic paint colors from Crafty Chica, Scribbles and Tulip are all sealed under Aleene's Spray Sealer so this can go outside.  I can't wait for a bird to move in!

Materials
Old wooden birdhouse
Seashells
Old buttons in colors to match
Seahorse or ocean themed metal accent
Number tape (7 gypsies)
Blue, black, copper, white and brown paints (Crafty Chica, Tulip and Scribbles brands)
Aleene's Turbo Tacky Glue
Aleene's Spray Acrylic Sealer (matte)

Tools
Scissors
Butter knife or palette knife

If you are using an old birdhouse, clean off any debris and lightly sand.  If a new birdhouse, sand lightly.

 

Mix up paints to make several shades of blue, grey and tan.  Use a butter knife to add paint to house door, roof and sides in layers, starting with the darker colors and continuing until you're happy with how it looks.  try not to smash the colors together, layer them on top of each other instead.

 

Use Tacky Glue to glue shells around your door frame.

 

 Glue buttons around opening using more Tacky Glue. 

 

Glue Seahorse to Door with more Tacky Glue. Yay, Tacky Glue!

 

Run tape along edge of roof on front and sides.  Cut to fit.

 

Spray with sealer, apply several coats allow them to dry in between each layer.

Retrofabulous Christmas Craftabration: Upcycled Holiday Cards

Retrofabulous Upcycled Holiday Cards Copyright 2011 Margot Potter for iLoveToCreate

Christmas Helps 1966-Family Circle

From Christmas Helps 1966-Family Circle

From Christmas Helps 1966-Family Circle

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts
Upcycled Holiday Cards
Copyright 2011 Margot Potter 

Today's Retrofabulous Christmas Craft is a simply delightful upcycled card project.  In the original project from Christmas Helps 1966-Family Circle they used tissue paper, but I love using recycled magazine images in my work.  Can you guess what the images are on the Christmas balls and candles?  The trees use some old scrapbook paper scraps and text from a magazine.  You could easily cut up last year's Christmas cards, wrapping paper, ad flyers...it's truly endless!  Aleene's new paper friendly glues make quick work of these cards.  Have you seen how expensive cards are?!  This saves money and gives a personalized touch to your holiday greetings. 

Materials
Cardstock in holiday colors
Recycled magazines
Aleene's Tacky Sticker Sheets
Aleene's Tacky Line Roll
Aleene's Tacky Dot Roll
Tulip Glam-it-up Crystals
Paillettes
Wired tinsel
Fine marker

Tools
Bone folder
Scissors
Paper cutter
Circle punches in graduated sizes

1. Select papers for card. Cut card to size on paper cutter. Fold paper in half and use bone folder to make a sharp edge on card.

2. Cut images into shapes (I used graduated circle punches to make the Christmas balls.)

3. Adhere large images to card using Aleene's sticker sheets.

4. Use Aleene's Tacky Line Roll for wired tinsel and Aleene's Tacky Dot Roll for small embellishments.  I used a fine tip marker to draw the thread on the Christmas balls.

Upcycled Holiday Card Detail

Upcycled Holiday Cards Detail

Retrofabulous Upcycled Holiday Place Setting!

Scrabble Place Markers Copyright Margot Potter

Thanksgiving is next week and we're always looking for fresh and fun ways to dress up the table!  I came up with this idea a few years back for Crafts 'n Things Magazine.  I collect ephemera and have lots of old game parts I mine endlessly for craft projects.  This was so easy to do and it looks really lovely on the table.  You can score old Scrabble games at thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets or on eBay.  I used SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal ab flat backs here with a two part epoxy.  (Be careful what kind of glue you use with crystals as some will cloud the finishes.  I recommend a two part epoxy.) The silver was applied with a metal leaf pen, Krylon makes them. They're also great for edging shrink plastic, chip board, grungeboard and wooden mixed media pendants, LOVE!

xoxo
Madge