Years ago Farmer John asked me to make him an apron to wear while processing chickens. I made him 3. I’m sure he loves me for that.

I chose to use feed sacks for the material for a few reasons. One reason being that I love the idea of repurposing material. Number two, they didn’t need to be fancy aprons – the chickens, nor Farmer John care. Number three: they are super simple to rinse off. And, four, the price was right.

Whenever I use feed sacks I find my biggest dilemma is how to get the slippery material to not slip while sewing. If you can figure that out, then this project will be a cinch.

The aprons require very few materials and basic sewing skills.

Required Items

• 2 feed sacks (same design)
• 2 30″ pieces of webbing
• 1 26″ piece of webbing
• thread & sewing machine
• scissors and/or rotary cutter

Preparing the Feed Sack

Rinse the feed sacks and let dry.

Cut off the bottom edge of one sack. You can discard that piece, you won’t need it. Then, cut up the middle of the back. The sack now opens to one flat piece of fabric to use for your apron.

Creating the Apron Shape

Find the middle of the front of your sack and fold the sack in half. Trim off about an inch from the side. Pin the sack together.

With a pen, make a mark at 7″ in from the side. Make another mark 10″ down from the top. To make the arm hole shape, I made a straight line a few inches long from the top. I also made a straight line a couple inches in from the side. Then free formed a curve, connecting the straight lines. Using a rotary cutter or scissors, cut along the pen line. Since the sack is folded in half, you should be cutting through both sides.

Open the sack and see the lovely apron shape.

Sewing the Top Section

Cut a few small slits along the curved section of the arm holes.

Fold over the arm hole edges 1/4″ – 1/2″.

Fold over the top edge 1/2″, then fold it over again.

Tuck both ends of your neck strap under the folded top edge. Then flip the strap up and pin in place.

Starting at the side of one arm hole, sew around the arm hole, along the top edge, and down around the other arm hole.

Making a Big Pocket

From the second feed sack, cut off the bottom and cut up the middle back just like the first sack.

I don’t have exact measurements on where to cut the sack for the pocket. It varies a bit depending on the design on the sack. But, it will typically be about 1/3 to 1/2 up from the bottom of the sack. I just pick an area that looks pleasing – like not through text or animal faces. Once you find your optimal pocket top, cut 3/4″ above it. You will now have a rectangular piece of fabric.

Fold over 3/4″ along the top edge of your pocket. Straight (or zig zag) stitch along the top edge.

Pin your rectangle pocket piece to the main apron.

Sewing the Bottom Section

Lay the rectangle pocket piece on top of the main apron. They are now acting as one fabric piece.

Fold over the remaining unsewn edges 1/2″, making sure the pocket edges are folded too. Fold the edges over again.

The bottom corners get quite thick due to the number of layers folded. I trim off a bit.

Fold the corners so they come together nicely and pin in place.

Tuck each side tie under the folded side edge. Then flip the side tie out and pin in place.

Starting at the top of a side, sew down the side, along the bottom, and up the other side.

And, Done!

The apron is now ready for all those sloppy chores.

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On my quest to find ways to use all the feed sacks, I came up with bags to grow herbs and greens.

Making them is very similar to sewing the tote bag. The differences are size and no handles.

This is a fairly easy sewing project. My biggest problem, as always, is using the feed sack as fabric. It is slippery and sometimes jams the needle in my sewing machine. Going slow seems to help.

CUTTING THE BAG FOR HEIGHT

Trim the top and bottom of the bag to 12″ high.

CUTTING THE WIDTH OF THE BAG

Using scissors, cut the back of the bag down the middle.

Fold the bag in half(ish), centering the front.

From the center line, measure over 14″ & cut.

ADDING EMBELLISHMENTS

These bags were meant to be placed in my kitchen window and/or front porch, so I wanted to add just a little something for a homey feel. I have quite the lace and ribbon stash, so I chose to use them for the added decor.

It is easiest to add the lace and ribbon while the bag is one flat piece of fabric. I prefer to sew on the pretty stuff prior to sewing the bag back together.

To hold the lace in place while sewing, I first used a bit of fabric glue. It wasn’t totally necessary, but, it did help.

I chose a medium width ribbon, so there was enough to fold over the top of the bag. This created a nice, finished look to the bag.

SEWING THE BAG BACK TOGETHER

Fold the bag in half, inside facing out. Sew along the open edge about 1/2″ in. I sew a double line for extra durability.

Arrange the bag, inside out, so the seam is in the middle of the back. This ensures that the design on the front of your bag is centered.

Sew along the bottom edge.

BOXED CORNERS

The boxed corners are tricky to figure out at first. But, once you figure out how to fold the bag, they’re a cinch.

First, fold/push the bottom of the bag at each side to create a corner. The corner you make lays flat, but don’t expect the rest of the bag to.

I prefer these herb bags to have a wide bottom, so I create a fairly large boxed corner. On each side of the pointy corner, measure and place a mark at 3.5″.

Draw a line connecting the marks.

Sew along the line. Again, I do a double stitch.

Trim off excess fabric.

Repeat on the other side.

Turn the bag so the pretty side is out.

A PEEK INSIDE THE BAG

When done, the inside of the bag should look similar to this:

THE BAG IS COMPLETE

FILLING THE BAG

I put about 2″ of gravel at the bottom of the bag to help with drainage.

Next, I added dirt & compost.

Finally, I added plants. I started plants from seed earlier in the season, so I used those in the bags. Some bags had herbs, some had lettuce & kale.

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I love to travel, whether it’s road trippin’ the US or traveling abroad. For years I’ve been wanting a way to commemorate our travels in one place. This Wanderlust Map is what I came up with.

THE BOARD

I bought a board at Home Depot and painted it a variety of colors. The paint effect is random with a slight textured appearance. I was going for an overall tan color with highlights of other colors. A basic blue background, representing the oceans, would have been nice too.

WANDERLUST TEXT

I used a Martha Stewart stencil set for the text. It worked out perfectly that no letters were used more than once. So I taped the stencils together and dabbed paint over the entire text. Then waited for the paint to dry and went over the letters again. This worked very well. However, I don’t love the R and the U letters that came with the stencil set. I wish I would have used an upside down n as the u, then use the n again, blocking off the section that wouldn’t work, as an r. Oh well.

THE MAP

I found a cork world map at Michaels and loved it.

I mixed purple, pthalo blue and black paint to create a dark navy color and painted the cork.

When the paint dried, I assembled the map onto the board. The map has adhesive on the back, but I found not all of it stuck well to my board. So, I used gorilla glue to help it stay attached.

ADDING PHOTOS

The photos are 3″ x 3″ with a skinny white border.

One tack is placed at the vacation location & one tack is on the vacation photo. They are connected with twine.

I wasn’t sure how crazy I wanted the final product to look, so I didn’t add every single place we’ve been. But, eventually I will add more photos.

FINISHED PIECE

I love it – especially because it highlights various points throughout our relationship. Hawaii, where he first kissed me. Our honeymoon in Mexico. Tropical destinations as scuba divers. Road trip as a family of 4. Then again as a family of 5. Etc, etc. etc.

How do you commemorate your travels?

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It’s no secret that I love Disney. Over the years I have acquired a few fun items. I never had a good place to display them. But we are now done home schooling, and that opened up a wall that was once covered in learning material. The wall was a blank canvas that I chose to decorate in all things Disney.

A Look at all the Gallery Pieces

1: Run Disney Race Canvas

The Run Disney races I’ve completed have definitely been my favorite races as a newbie runner. I wanted to do something special with the race bibs and medals, so I came up with these race canvas’s. Click here to find out how I made them.

2: Laughter Wood Sign

The final piece I added to the gallery wall was this handmade laughter sign. Click here to find out how I created it.

3: Vintage Mickey Poster

I found this image at the Costco Photo Center. I simply had it printed just as I would any other photo at Costco, then mounted it on a canvas panel.

4: Family Castle & Character Photo

I put this collage together after our 2009 trip to Disneyland. I printed it as an 8″x10″, then trimmed it a bit and mounted it on a painted canvas.

5: Mary Poppins Silhouette

I found this Mary Poppins silhouette doing a google search. I printed the image, then traced it on to 1/4″ plywood. Using a scroll saw I cut the image, then painted it black.

6: Dream Signage

Years ago I found this dream wood cut out at a craft store. I painted it glittery lime green with the intention of displaying it in one of our flowerbeds. The sign never made it outside. Instead, it sat in a closet… until now. I combined magenta acrylic paint with glitter and pearl mixing medium then painted over the lime green. After the magenta paint dried I used sand paper to roughen up the edges.

7: Mickey Ears

Each of the kids has a pair of Mickey Ears. They are simply displayed on a shelf.

8: Ornament

During the Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend in 2015 I bought this ornament. It’s flat, so it hangs perfectly on the wall.

9: Seven Dwarf Cross Stitch

I don’t know exactly when I made this cross stitch. I would guess I was somewhere around 12 years old. I loved it then and had it hanging in my bedroom. But, once I moved out on my own I never really had a good spot for it… until now. I’m so excited that it has a new place to be on display!

10: Donald Duck Poster Trio

I downloaded these Donald printables from Disney Movie Rewards. I painted 11″x14″ canvas’s red, then mod podged the prints to them.

11: Birthday & Mickey Ear Canvas Panels

We have been to Disneyland 3 times with the kids. Each time I have taken their photo with Mickey ears on in front of the fountain near the entrance at California Adventure. So, using canvas panels, I created a hanging display of one photo each year.

I bought a wooden star shape at a craft store and painted it gold. Next, I cut out a shape of Mickey ears and used it as a stencil. I put glitter glue in the stencil then sprinkled black glitter on the glue. While the glue was drying on the star, I painted 3 5″x7″ canvas panels blue. After the blue dried I used painters tape to mark off the edges to provide a dual framed appearance. Inside the tape I painted gold. I also painted numbers representing the years. I used hot glue and ribbon to attach the 3 panels and the star. The final steps were mod podging on the photos and using craft glue to add the numbers.

Two out of the three times we’ve been to Disneyland with the kids were over birthdays. So, I created a similar display for the birthday photos. Both times we celebrated at New Orleans Cafe. It’s low key, but still a special treat. I like it because you can go whenever it fits your schedule for that day. You let the waiter know you’re celebrating a birthday and would like a cake. The cake is big enough for everyone to get a taste and comes in a cute take home box.

12: G

Our last name begins with G, so I created this Goofy inspired sign using a scroll saw and paint.

13: Pin & Photo Canvas Display

To commemorate a few of our favorite rides I put together these canvas displays. To read more about how to make them click here.

14: Bulletin Board of Pins & Photos

I went with friends to Disneyland during the Tinker Bell half marathon weekend. Those friends were a bad influence. They wanted to see what the pin collecting craze was about. I didn’t really care to much about it, but decided I’d give it a whirl anyway. It was so much fun! I didn’t have kids with me, so no added stress. Just a fun time at Disney. And, the scavenger hunt of finding pin traders and the perfect pins was on. I came back totally addicted. It is good, clean fun. However, a bit on the spendy side. I didn’t want my kazillion dollars worth of pins to be thrown in a drawer, so I turned our old home schooling bulletin board into a pin collection board. I take the backs off the pins and the pins stick and stay right in the bulletin board.

Of course, I also added photo’s. Right now I have pics up of my adult trip to Disneyland and our latest trip with the kids. I recently joined the Disney Movie Club and sometimes the movie comes with a lithograph. I added a couple of those, too. I have a variety of lithographs and Disney printables, so I change them out occasionally.

15: Imagination Cut-out

I created an image spelling the word imagination, printed it to size, then traced it onto 1/4″ plywood. Using a scroll saw I cut out the letters. Our scroll saw isn’t very big, so the image was too long. I ended up cutting the image into 3 sections, which worked perfectly fine. I also cut a border out of plywood. I painted the word imagination lime green, then used glitter glue to adhere lime green glitter over the entire thing. The background border piece is simply painted black. Using gorilla glue, I glued the green glittered piece to the black piece.

Click the image below to download a larger file of the word imagination.

16: Main Street USA Silhouette’s

I remember getting a silhouette done when I was a kid on Main Street, USA. So, the first time we took the kids to Disneyland my must do souvenir was getting their silhouette’s cut. I got the frames at a craft store not long after we returned from our trip.

There it is, our Disney inspired wall. There are many pieces and it’s a little crazy, but I adore it anyway. The problem will arise when I do another Run Disney event. Where will those canvas’s go?

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Last May I went to Disneyland to run the Tinker Bell Half Marathon. I went with a couple girlfriends and no children. Such a weird, yet wonderful, experience.

My one friend wanted to try pin collecting, so we all jumped on that band wagon. I blame this new obsession on her.

I love everything about it… well, except the price tag. Those pins are not cheap. However, they are fabulous. I love searching the racks for a favorite ride or character. Even more, I love searching for cast members who may have just the pin I didn’t know I needed. Trading is fun.

I came home from that trip needing a way to display my new pins. I’ll be damned if I was going to spend all that money then throw those metal treasures in a drawer to be forgotten.

So, what I came up with was a canvas displaying my favorite ride. The canvas holds pins, as well as photos, from those rides at Disneyland and Disney World. I chose 4 rides and put together 4 canvases.

Materials

• 12″ x 12″ Canvas
• Acrylic Paint & Paint Brush
• Mod Podge
• Disney Pins & Photos
• Scissors or Paper Trimmer

Canvas Background

Because I knew there would be a lot going on with the photos and pins, I chose to keep the background super simple. It is painted in one color. However, I created 4 canvases and each canvas is a different color.

Layout

Personal Ride Photos

Trim photos to 2.75″ x 2.75″square. Or, for a horizontal photo: 5.5″ x 2.75″. Vertical photos are 2.75″ x 5.5″

Arrange photos in a rectangle along the left or right side of the canvas.

I used Mod Podge to adhere the photos to the canvas, but only gluing the under side of the photo. I chose not to Mod Podge over the top of the photos because I want to have the option of changing the photos after another trip to Disney. If you have a permanent design you could mod podge over the entire canvas to protect it.

Ride Image

On the opposite side of the photos I glued on a 4.5″ x 6.5″ ride image.

For the Splash Mountain canvas I used an image from the front of a folder when we purchased a photo at Disney World. The others are images I found online. You could also use a photo you took yourself while at the park.

Pins

Beneath the ride image is a blank space for pins.

The pins easily poke through the canvas. The pin back is shallower than the wood frame, so it doesn’t affect hanging the canvas.

Splash Mountain

I mean, who doesn’t love Splash Mountain? Of course, this was one canvas I had to make. Also, I was able to include a photo of the time we went to Disney World with Farmer John’s mom and brother.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my all time favorite rides. Yo ho ho! It is tricky getting photos inside the ride since it’s so dark. My favorite photo is outside the ride, though. When I ran the Tinker Bell Half Captain Jack Sparrow was waving and encouraging us in his drunken accent at the entrance.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is another one of my fav’s. I had a hard time finding Big Thunder Mountain pins, though.

Mad Tea Party

The Tea Cup ride is not my favorite, but it is my mom’s. So, this was the 4th ride I chose to display. Plus, I had a photo from my 1987 trip to Disneyland that I wanted to add.

On Display

My four canvases are grouped together on a wall dedicated to Disney.

This past January I went back to Disneyland to run the Star Wars Half Marathon. While there I collected a few more pins to add to these canvases. I also turned my kids into pin traders. Although, I high jacked their pins to add to my Disney wall.

The post Disney Pin and Photo Display appeared first on .

I needed one last item to add to a wall dedicated to all things Disney. This hand painted laughter sign fit perfectly.

The word was inspired by this quote:

“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.”

I’m not actually sure Walt Disney said this quote, however the internet thinks he did. Either way, I enjoy the phrase.

Materials

• Wood Board – mine is 5.5″ x 22″
• Sandpaper
• Acrylic Paint – I used cerulean blue, pthalo blue, cadmium yellow, deep magenta, crimson, & white
• Paint Brushes, Sponge, & Spouncer
• Exacto Knife and Cutting Mat
• Laughter Stencil, preferably printed on card stock
• String and Hot Glue

Step 1: Paint Background

I began by cutting a 6′ board to approximately 22″ long.

Next I sanded the board just a bit.

Using a 1″ brush I painted the board in cerulean blue.

After the blue paint dried, I sanded the board again.

Anybody who follows me regularly knows I rarely paint a background one color and leave it. I prefer mixing in a little coordinating or completely opposite color. This time I went with a darker blue, yellow, magenta and crimson.

Also, as I tend to do when using a small amount of paint, I used a pringles can lid as a paint palette.

As opposed to a brush, I used a sponge to lightly apply color to the board.

When the paint dried, the board was sanded once again.

Step 2: Add Text

Using a font I liked (Harman simple, btw) I typed out the word laughter, sized and printed it. You can click the image or here to get a copy of the text, then enlarge it to the size that works for your project.

Using an exacto knife I cut out the letters. There’s no need to be exact when cutting out the letters. Close is good enough.

Using a spouncer, I dabbed white paint inside the stencil. After the paint dried, I dabbed on paint again. Then again, one more time.

I printed the text on regular copy paper, as opposed to card stock like I meant to do. So, paint blobbed under the stencil in a few places. Boo!

I remedied the error by painting cerulean blue over the unwanted white blobs.

When dry, the board received one last sanding.

Step 3: Add Hanger

For a hanger, I simple hot glued string to the back.

On Display

The laughter sign hangs on my Disney wall directly underneath my RunDisney canvases.

Ah, so nice to finish the last piece of this wall gallery.

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It is not the fanciest painting you ever did see, but it’s festive, fun and fairly simple to create.

Have you seen those places where you get to drink wine with your girlfriends while creating a fabulous painting? I’ve always wanted to go. Unfortunately, I have not.

I have especially wanted to take my 10 year old son to such a place, minus the wine, of course. I don’t, however, want to spend $50+ for the 2 of us to create the same painting. So, I came up with a painting we can all do. It’s simple enough for the kids. It’s also fun enough to be part of a girls wine drinking paint party.

My goal was to create a painting that was cute and something I’d actually want to display in my home, as well as be cost effective. I also wanted it to be doable for all artist levels.

12 Days of December

December 7th: Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting Tutorial

Items You Will Need

• Canvas – I used 11″ x 14″ canvas panels. The canvas panels are slightly cheaper than the wood framed canvas. During a holiday sale, I was able to get a 3 pack at Joann’s for $4.80.
• Paint – I’ve used both tempera and acrylic paints for this project. Both work fine. I prefer acrylic, though. In the following instructional steps I list the colors I used for reference purposes only. Feel free to use whatever colors you have on hand. And, don’t be afraid to mix your own colors if you don’t have quite the variety you would like.
• Paintbrushes – As much as I like painting with the “nice” brushes, I paint a lot with the kids, so I most often use the cost effective 5 pack of Crayola paint brushes. They are usually priced around $5 and will often be on sale for less. That set of brushes works perfectly for this project. I did, however, use a wider brush for the background.
• Palette – You just need something to hold your paint. It can be an actual palette, cardboard, or a paper plate. My favorite is the cardboard from a frozen pizza. It’s silly, but I like it because of the round shape.
• Table Cover or Easel – If you have an easel, that’s fantastic. Use it. Around here, though, we don’t have enough easels for the number of painters. So, I put white butcher paper on our kitchen table and we paint away. Newspaper would work fine, too.

Step 1: Paint the Background

• For the kids I used tempera paints in black, purple, blue, and red. The adults used acrylic paint.
• I also mixed in glitter. This is not a necessary step. I just like glitter.
• The kids used a foam brush to paint the background. Adults used a 1″ paint brush. Again, either one works fine. Use whatever you have.
• The trick to this background is not mixing the colors before applying the paint to the canvas. I squeeze blobs of paint onto the palette. Then brush them onto the canvas, blending them here and there. But, allowing the individual color to show through as well.

Step 2: Outline the Tree

• Using a light green acrylic paint, I painted an outline of the tree. You could draw it in pencil first, if you would like. But, I didn’t.

Step 3: Fill in the Tree

• Using the same light green paint, fill in the entire tree area.
• I used mostly downward strokes, resembling tree branches. No moving my brush horizontally.

Step 4: Adding Snow to the Background

• I mixed together white acrylic paint and pearl it medium from Crayola for the snow. The mixing medium isn’t necessary. I just have it, so I used it.
• Painting circles is super simple. Flip your brush over. The end of your paintbrush is now the brush you are using. Dip the end in white paint and dab onto the canvas for snow. Using different brushes will give you a variety of circle sizes.

Step 5: Adding Detail to the Tree

• Using a variety of paints (Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow, Light Green, Deep Green, & Phthalo Blue) I created depth to the tree. I used mostly a dry brush technique, but also blended colors right on the canvas.
• Again, I used vertical or sweeping strokes. No horizontal painting.
• The deep green, phthalo blue, and cadmium red were used where I wanted shadows. The cadmium yellow was painted where I wanted a highlight.

Step 6: Outline the Tree

• Using black acrylic paint, I outlined the tree.

Step 7: Painting the Star Glow

• I used lemon yellow acrylic paint and pearl it medium for the glow effect. White paint mixed with a dab of yellow would work as well.
• I used a dry brush technique. Each stroke began in the center and then pulled out.

Step 8: Adding Lights to the Tree

• Using the same technique as the snow, paint the lights using the end of the paintbrush.
• My paint colors were: Deep Magenta, Cadmium Yellow, Phthalo Blue, Cerulean Blue, and Cadmium Red

Step 9: Painting the Star

• Using Cadmium Yellow paint a star at the top of the tree.
• Allow the yellow paint to dry a smidge, then outline the star in black paint.

Step 10: Enjoy your Festive Painting

For a quickie version of the steps, print the jpg below.

Please enjoy this tutorial! However, do not sell or share the images as your own. Please link back to this original post.

All 12 Days of December:

December 1st: Hot Drinks Bar Party Kit • Printable
December 2nd: Warm Up Here Burlap & Canvas • DIY
December 3rd: Photo Booth Backdrop • DIY
December 4th: Snowman Photo Booth Props • Printable
December 5th: Let it Snow Gift Card Holders • Printable
December 6th: Christmas Gift Box • Printable
December 7th: Christmas Tree Canvas Painting • Tutorial {you’re already here}
December 8th: Hot Drink Pouch • Printable
December 9th: Build Your Own Snowman Gift Tags • Printable
December 10th: Let it Snow Gift Tags • Printable
December 11th: Christmas Word Search • Printable
December 12th: Let it Snow • Printable

I would love to see how you used these 12 Days projects. Please share your creation(s) with us here.

The post 12 Days: Christmas Tree Canvas Painting Tutorial appeared first on .

12 Days of December

December 2nd: Warm Up Here Burlap & Canvas Sign

Materials

16″ x 20″ Canvas
Burlap – at least 20″ x 24″
Red Acrylic Paint and Paint Spouncer
Exacto Knife and Cutting Mat
Scissors, Stapler, Paper, and Tape

Attaching Burlap to the Canvas

Top Left: Center canvas right side down on burlap
Top Right, and Middle Photos: Fold burlap over edge of canvas, pulling slightly so it has a snug fit. Staple in place.
Bottom Left: Trim burlap edges
Bottom Right: Flip over and enjoy how easy it was to add burlap to your canvas.

Creating and Painting the Stencil

I’ll admit this is a little tedious. Not difficult, just not all that fun.

Click here to download the 4 pages for the stencil.

Using an exacto knife and cutting mat, cut out the letters. This is a stencil, so the actual letter piece is not being used. Don’t forget to keep the insides of the A, R’s and P. Tape the stencil together, then tape the stencil to your burlap canvas.

Using red acrylic paint, dab the spouncer into the blank parts of the stencil, paying attention not to get paint under the stencil. You are dabbing, not brushing on the paint.

Carefully lift off the stencil and your cold weather sign is complete.

You will notice on this pdf printable little dots inside the letters. Those are in case you want to forgo the burlap and instead would like to add lights to your canvas. You will stencil the letters on in the same way as the burlap canvas instructions. Then, poke holes where indicated through the canvas. Attach small Christmas lights behind the canvas and push one light through each hole. I love this idea. However, I was going for a rustic look so I went with the burlap version.

Have fun with this Warm Up Here Printable! However, do not sell or share the file as your own. Also, do not post the pdf on your social media page, please link back to this original post.

All 12 Days of December:

December 1st: Hot Drinks Bar Party Kit • Printable
December 2nd: Warm Up Here Burlap & Canvas • DIY {you’re already here}
December 3rd: Photo Booth Backdrop • DIY
December 4th: Snowman Photo Booth Props • Printable
December 5th: Let it Snow Gift Card Holders • Printable
December 6th: Christmas Gift Box • Printable
December 7th: Christmas Tree Canvas Painting • Tutorial
December 8th: Hot Drink Pouch • Printable
December 9th: Build Your Own Snowman Gift Tags • Printable
December 10th: Let it Snow Gift Tags • Printable
December 11th: Christmas Word Search • Printable
December 12th: Let it Snow • Printable

I would love to see how you used these 12 Days projects. Please share your creation(s) with us here.

The post 12 Days: Warm Up Here Burlap and Canvas appeared first on .

I love to travel & I can’t help but collect goodies while traveling. Back in the old days, I would add those goodies to my vacation scrapbooks. However, I was always nervous about it due to acid and such in the cheaply produced maps and ticket stubs. Now, though, I create digital scrapbooks and add photos of those tickets and maps – which leaves me with the originals. Usually they end up in an envelope crammed onto an unsightly shelf full of similar items. There they sit. Never to be looked at again. When I saw Martha Stewart’s Travel Keepsake Kits, I knew this was my solution.

Honestly, it took me a awhile to get around to making them. But, I did make them – a slightly distressed version of Martha’s. And, I love them. They’re fun and bright and full of fabulous memories.

This post contains affiliate links.

SUPPLIES

• Memory Box
• Stencils
• Acrylic Paints
• Paintbrush, sponge & spouncer
• Sandpaper

THE BOX

I would have liked to purchase the boxes Martha suggested, however they were almost twice as expensive as similar ones I found. Had I been buying only one box, I probably would have sprung for Martha’s. But, I was buying 5. So, I went with the cheaper Darice brand box.

I don’t know the quality of Martha’s box, so I can’t compare. But, I can say the boxes I did buy aren’t heavy duty. I’m sure they wouldn’t hold up to constant open and closing. Mostly, though, mine are sitting on a bookshelf looking pretty. I’m going to guess they’ll last quite a long time in that situation.

STEP 1: PAINTING THE BOX

First: I “primed” the box with a coat of ivory paint.
Next: I painted the box in my chosen color.
Then: To add a distressed look, I used a sponge to dab on various colors – mainly around the edges.
Last: I added way too much paint on the distressed layer, so I sanded most of it off. The sanding added a new aspect of distress, which I liked.

STEP 2: PAINTING ON THE DESTINATION

I scoured craft stores and the internet for stencils. In the end, I opted for the ones Martha suggested. I love them! They are adhesive, yet repositionable. I’ve used them on many projects since these boxes and they’re still holding up.

I positioned the letters on the box, then used a spouncer to dab on charcoal colored acrylic paint. I tried to dab ever so lightly so the paint wouldn’t seep under the stencil. It wasn’t perfect, but mostly I did an ok job.

In case you’re wondering, my fancy paint palette is a pringles lid. They make perfect palette’s for small amounts of paint.

STEP 3: PAINTING ON THE YEAR

Martha didn’t do this step, but I took creative liberties and added the year(s) of our vacation(s). I painted the numbers on exactly as I did the letters naming the place.

FINISHED BOXES

Now to go on vacation and paint more boxes.

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Since I started running I wanted to have a way to display my bling. I found a few items around the house and got to making one. I had a few requirements: I wanted it to hold both bibs & medals, I wanted it to say Celebrate Every Mile, I wanted to be able to write on it & I didn’t want it to be too large.

PAINTING THE BOARD

Top Left: We had a scrap piece of plywood lying around that was already painted white. Score! My hubby trimmed it to 18″ x 12″ and I sanded off the dirt.

Top Right: With indoor/outdoor paint I had used on other projects, I painted the background. First, I painted the blue. Then after the blue dried, I painted green right over the top. When the green was dry, I sanded the entire thing to allow some of the blue to come through. I was going for a not-so-perfect look.

Bottom: Then, I used chalkboard paint for my final paint layer. After it dried, I sanded it, especially along the edges to roughen it.

THE INSPIRATIONAL WORDING

Using the font that came with the Boys Will Be Boys cartridge, I used my cricut machine to cut vinyl letters.

HARDWARE

Left: I screwed in 7/8″ brass hooks to hold the bibs & medals. I might need to change out the hooks used for the bibs later. They aren’t large enough to hold as many bibs as I had hoped. Right now I have 23 bibs hanging & I don’t think the hooks can hold many more.

Right: To hang the display on the wall I nailed a picture frame bracket to the back. I used only one bracket. Two would have been better.

USING CHALK

I wanted to change my times as needed on the board, so I chose chalk as my media.

Left: First I prepped the board by covering the entire thing with chalk, then wiped it off. You can see the board has deep grooves so the chalk didn’t fill in everywhere like it was supposed to.

Right: My board is a little too rough, making it a slightly difficult to write on. Also, the chalk pen doesn’t erase quite as well as I would like. But, overall, it does what I need it to.

HOW THE BOARD LOOKS TODAY

I’m pleased with the result. It’s not perfect, but it accomplishes all the things I want it to. Most importantly, it hangs within eyesight of my computer to remind me to get off my duff and run.

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