12 Days of DIY // hand stamped wrapping paper

This is beyond easy and the result is just perfection! I wanted my wrapping paper to go along with my gift bags so I did this little diy.

SUPPLIES //

   kraft wrapping paper

   handmade stamps (tutorial here)

   stamp pad / paint

1) unroll your wrapping paper to the length you wish to use. 2) using your premade stamps, cover them completely using a stamp pad, or paint 3) begin stamping your wrapping paper in whichever pattern you please. I chose little triangles because they remind me of little trees!

And that's it! Like I said, super easy, budget friendly, and allows you to add a little personality to your gifts! Enjoy!

These last few days have been crazy crazy! You'll have to forgive me for being a little (a whole lot) late on getting these posts up. I can't believe Christmas is only 4 days away!!

xo. melisa

photo diy

My church recently celebrated it's 2nd year & we made the place look extra great for all of the festivities with some different decor. Every year we blow up photos from the last year and hang em from the ceiling. They're fairly easy to make and really add a lot to any event. So whether you're having a birthday or anniversary party, even if you want to spruce up a bare wall in your house - these turned out great and would be a great addition to any decor!

We had our photos printed online here . Since printing them on a thicker board or foam, was significantly more expensive, the mr and I decided to diy. All you need is some spray adhesive, foam board, an exacto knife, and some pretty photos!

Cover your board with spray adhesive and lay your photo on top. Make sure to press out all of the air bubbles! Let it dry for at least 20-30mins then start to cut. This can be a little tricky; if you line up the edges of the photo to the edges of the board when you first lay it down, it'll work the best. This is the most time consuming part, but that's just because we like to pay attention to detail.

All that's left is to hang! We used twine and tape to attach it to the backs of the photos. They looked great^_^

If you decide to try this, leave a link! I'd love to see how yours come out. Hope your week is off to a lovely start!

xo. melisa

photo credit: photos taken at church were taken by Kalli Photography

paint a pumpkin

Currently I don't have my own home, so decorating can get a little tricky, when all you have is a room. I wanted to carve a pumpkin (which I ended up doing as well), but wanted something that would brighten up my room and last longer. I decided to paint some pumpkins and I was so smitten with how they turned out, I had to share!

Supplies // pumpkins (I chose white, so the colors would be true), paint, brushes

1      gather your supplies and get your pumpkins on a surface you don't mind getting a little bit of paint on. 

2      using a pen, outline the pattern you intend on painting. if you're better at free drawing, you go right ahead! i initially tried to tape off the area, but found it tricky since not all the pumpkins were perfectly round.

3/4   start painting! for this pattern I used a black fabric paint that had a point the paint came out of. it kind of worked like a pen, which made painting the lines easier.

5      use the lines that are already there! i used the natural dividers the pumpkin had to paint this one a peach color.

6      all done! super easy and a lot of fun. hope you try it!

if you decide to try this little diy, I'd love to see how it turns out! leave a link below.

string dream catcher diy

This is the next installment of my booth decor. I saw similar pieces in an Anthro window recently and was just smitten. These are super simple to make and create a sort of whimsy to any room, wall, or table!

steps are as follows // grab your supplies which include string (or yarn), cross stitch hoops, & scissors. tie a knot around one of the hoops. proceed to wrap the string from side to side around the hoop. once you feel like you've filled the space, knot the end using a piece of string that's already been wrapped, this will secure it into the piece. all done!

I used these for my booth, but until my next event, they've found a lovely little home in Adrienne's place - I'll share how she styled them soon. 

I also think they would be really great above a bed, if you don't have a headboard, or combined with other pieces to make a baby mobile, or you can use them to hold your earrings! The possibilities are endless.

If you decide to make your own, please leave a link below so we can catch a glimpe and get a few more ideas! Happy crafting!

xo. melisa

banner diy

Next up on the booth diy, is my banner! For whatever reason, I seem to change my banner for every booth I participate in. I'm really not sure why, but I do enjoy the change it brings to the look of the overall booth. This one may be my favorite. It's pretty simple and doesn't require much on your end. (pardon the lame-o photos, they were with my phone in not so great lighting. blarg.)

supplies  //  cardstock (or other paper), hole punch, pen, scissors, string (or yarn/ribbon)

steps are as follows // take your paper and cut out your preferred shape. draw out the letters you will want - be sure to make them more bubbly since you will be cutting them out shortly. cut them out. this can be kind of tough with certain letters, and I think an exacto knife may be easier. decorate your paper as you see fit, I chose to put gold dots using a sharpie paint pen. use a hole punch to punch out two holes on the top corners of your shapes. using string or yarn, lace through the holes you just punched out. voila, you have a banner!

I'm most looking forward to my next diy, so be sure to come back and check it out! Happy crafting!

xo. melisa

geo label diy

Over the next few days I will be sharing how I created elements at my booth for a recent event I was at. First up are these sweet little geo labels, that I used to show prices for my products!

steps are as follows //  pick out a rock. cut a piece of wire approx. one foot long. take the wire and begin to wrap it around the rock, be sure to loop it through other pieces to keep sturdy and in place. twist the end and be sure to leave enough to connect to your label. tape or glue the label onto the wire. I chose to use gold duct tape, but you could use double sided tape to be a bit more discreet. They're ready to go!

I think these would be just darling as name plates for a party or wedding. They're budget friendly and not terribly time consuming. I made about ten while watching the new girl. If you decide to incorporate them into one of your projects, leave a link below so we can check it out!

xo. melisa

plant babies

I've never really had much of a green thumb. In fact, I've never had a plant of my very own before. After Elsie shared a post on plants the other day, I decided I was going to go for it! I went to a local plant store and picked up some plant babies! I know that sounds slightly weirds, but I'm excited to care for them and give them a happy home. 

I chose three succulents: Mini Jade, Little Jewel, and a Blue Rose. I think they're each so pretty and I can't wait to watch them grow and learn along the way! While I was there, I picked up three pots. They were the last ones in their sizes and had a few chips in them. I bought them on discount and decided to spice them up with a little paint. Because paint fixes all.

 

With the Little Jewel, I picked a little pot and used a mustard paint. I ran out of brushes so did finger painting^_^ I then took a gold sharpie paint marker to create little lines all around the pot!

The Mini Jade found a home in a pot I painted in Burnt Umber. I took a gold paint and layered it onto the top of the pot. I flipped a small jar upside down to set it on to create a little height variance.

The Blue Rose is the largest of the three and so obviously got the largest pot. They say that the pot should be one to two inches wider than the plant so I may end up moving it soon. I used the same technique to paint this pot, as I did with this lampshade. 

I'm completely excited for this new journey and I really really hope they stay alive and happy! ha! If you have any tips, I would greatly appreciate all of the help I can get! Thanks friends! I've only had them in my room for a few days now, and already they have brought so much life to it! If you don't own any plants, I say you go out and get some!

xo.

Melisa

fancy new shade

I've been meaning to repurpose this old lampshade I had, but wanted to think of the perfect and easy diy. I decided to make some stamps and paint it with a simple pattern! Here's what I did...

 You'll need: paint, foam, wooden blocks, scissors, tape, lampshade

cut out the shapes you want for your stamps. I cut five different triangles - one for each color I was going to use.

tape or glue your wooden blocks to the back of the stamps so that they're easier to stamp. I used double sided tape and it worked great!

apply paint to your stamps and go crazy! I decided to do a triangle print in sections throughout the entire lamp. I didn't cover the entire stamp fully so it created a fun little rippled effect - I kind of love the result of it.

sidenote: my lampshade came with the trim, but it can easily be achieved by grabbing a hole punch and some leather strips! I love the triangle pattern, but there's so many shapes and options you could do! I don't have a lampstand for it yet, but once I do, I'll photograph how pretty it looks with light shining through! If you use this diy, leave a comment with a link!

Happy Crafting!

xo.

Melisa

also, please excuse my messy messy room. i need to clean up. eeep!