I love bringing natural elements into my home. It's even better when I can give them a handmade touch. The farmhouse style has taken us all by storm and when I was visiting Magnolia Market a few months ago, I saw these gorgeous cotton stems that I regretted not buying. Then, while eating some of my lemon pucker pistachios I saw all those shells that I was just going to toss and thought that they just might make some pretty great DIY cotton stems. And might I say, they did! I simply love how these turned out and they are a fraction of the price if you were to buy a cotton stem from the Market. I'm excited to show you how to make them.
I started by gathering some sticks that I found on the ground while walking home from school. The best sticks to use are ones with several branches.
Then, I gathered my pistachio shells and some cotton balls and was ready to set to work.
Step 1: use hot glue to glue two cotton balls together and then glue those two balls together creating a cluster of four cotton balls.
Step 2: using hot glue, glue one pistachio shell on each of the four cotton balls
Step 3: place your finger in the center of the cotton ball cluster and open it up
Step 4: add a drop of hot glue in the hole that you created and insert your stick. Squeeze the cluster together adding more glue as needed to gather the shells into the center close to the stick.
You now have a completed cotton stem.
Create as many cotton stems as you want and use them all around the house.
I think these look pretty authentic. Who would have thought that they were made from dollar store cotton balls, sticks from the ground and pistachio shells?
Now go and create your own! If you need a reason to collect some pistachio shells don't forget to try one of my favorite recipes.
dislaimer: this post may have affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing through them, I may receive a small commission. These small purchases help me to continue to keep writing content and creating at Holy Craft. Thank you!
I'm a crafty gal, but sometimes I need to give myself a little refresher course on the basics. This happened to me just recently when I was trying to use vinyl {regular vinyl, not my go to heat transfer vinyl} on a project. Things weren't working the way I thought they should and it's because I was doing it all wrong! I spent some time reading the manual and going on the suppliers page and I finally figured out what mistakes I was making.
I actually personally reference my blog quite a bit. So even if they rest of you don't read this post, I know that I will go back to it next time I need to use vinyl. So here you go, how to use vinyl like a pro, a step by step guide just for you {or maybe, just for me}.
I picked up some plain wood blocks at a garage sale for next to nothing. They were already cut, they just needed to be painted and I knew that they would look great with some vinyl. My go to medium when I use my Silhouette is almost always heat transfer vinyl. I'm a sorority girl, what can I say, I like a t-shirt for everything!
This is how they turned out, but this isn't how they started. And it took me a few attempts to remember just how to use regular vinyl, which is why we are all where we are now, following this step by step guide.
using your Silhouette software, design and cut out your image. I simply used text. There is no need to reverse your image if you use adhesive vinyl {heat transfer vinyl is another story}. Peel off your cut area.
Step 3: you will now have a negative space and positive space area
Sometimes you can be creative and use your positive space area as a stencil.
Step 4: use transfer paper
Use a piece of transfer paper just a little bit bigger than your image and place it on top. You can use a spatula to rub down the transfer paper to make sure the vinyl sticks.
Step 5: peel off the transfer paper
You should have transferred your image on to the transfer paper and it's ready to go on your prepped work surface
Step 6: center and line up your transfer
Line up the transfer paper and the image where you want it and use a spatula to transfer the vinyl on to the final surface. Slowly peel back the transfer paper and your adhesive vinyl should be stuck on your work area.
I just love how these small signs turned out. They were so easy once I figured out how to use my adhesive vinyl properly. You can't go wrong if you follow this step by step guide.
I've also made these other projects with adhesive vinyl.
Let me know if you have any helpful tips to add. I would love to have them included to reference.
I've partnered together with some other fantastic bloggers as part of the June Silhouette Creators challenge. Go check out all of the great projects from them this month!
dislaimer: this post may have affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing through them, I may receive a small commission. These small purchases help me to continue to keep writing content and creating at Holy Craft. Thank you!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of DAP Products Inc. for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
The weather is starting to warm up, which means that garage sale season is just around the corner. I love this time of year! I love going on the hunt for unique finds at a great price every Saturday morning. I love being able to see the potential in an item. Even if an item is slightly broken and being cast off in the free box or if it's a more common item that is just wanting for a new purpose, I love them all and keep my eyes out for just about anything!
As the weather warms, it also means that we are hosting more summer BBQ's and parties. I love creating my own decorative stands for cakes, pies and other food. Food always looks better when it's elevated and at all different levels and it gives you the opportunity to decorate all around the item and gives you more space to use for serving other food items too.
Today I want to show you how I took a few thrift store items {I'm still waiting for garage sales to start remember?!} and created an easy DIY pie {or anything} stand that you can use at your next gathering.
First, you start out with a few glassware items. It seems like glassware is a dime a dozen at thrift shops and garage sales, so you shouldn't have a problem finding something that you can use. I turn things over, stack and reimagine, but ultimately, I ended up with two glass sundae dishes {or maybe they were candle holders?} and two glass plates.
I brought them home, washed them off and scrubbed off the price tag. A little soap and water is all that you need.
Next, I used DAP ® RapidFuse™ All Purpose Adhesive to adhere the two glass pieces together. I love using DAP® RapidFuse™ because it dries clear and it sets in just 30 seconds. If you are using clear glass items like I am, you want to make sure your adhesive dries clear because you don't want to see a ring of glue on your plate. Finally, after you put a ring of DAP® RapidFuse™ All Purpose Adhesive around where your contact point will be, firmly press it in place. No need for extra force or clamps, just hold it in place and count to 30.
The adhesive cures in just 30 minutes and will be ready for your party before you are!
The best part is, elevated stands like this help you to create more space. Space that is often lacking when you are serving a crowd.
Each pie stand cost around $2 to make and the project was created in less than an hour. That's my kind of DIY project!
I also like having DAP® RapidFuse™ All Purpose Adhesive around because you never know when you will need it. It's my all-in-one repair solution.
My 10 year old son is all boy. He is rough and tumble and he plays hard, which means that not only does he work hard, so do his shoes. He can't have anything holding him back or slowing him down. His play shoes have seen better days, and sometimes the heel starts to come loose. A little DAP® RapidFuse™ gets him right back out there playing so he doesn't miss a beat.
With three kids and a dog, accidents happen. Sometimes things get broken. A few years ago my oldest son went to Mexico with his grandparents. He knows how much I love taxidermy and in Spanish he negotiated to buy me this taxidermy cow head with horns for my birthday. It was such a sweet gift that I cherish, but it fell off of the lockers it sits on top of in our bonus room. I was disappointed when I saw that the horns had fallen off, but I quickly took out my DAP® RapidFuse™ All Purpose Adhesive and I got the skull put back together. It's probably stronger than it was before!
From making glass pie stands to fixing horns on skull heads or reattaching rubber on little boys shoes, DAP® RapidFuse™ will bond virtually anything to everything and it will give you the best end result on home repairs and DIY projects. It will quickly become your all-in-one repair solution. You can find DAP® RapidFuse™ at your local home improvement stores. You can visit DAP Facebook
On Friday, I shared with you some of my latest garage sale finds. I left you with the challenge of seeing if you could figure out which item I made over for transformation Tuesday.
Do you think you guessed correctly? I've even already sold the piece and made a tidy little profit on it.
If you guessed that I transformed the craftsman style library table then you were correct! If you remember correctly, this beauty was $20 at a garage sale. It was in pretty good shape, though it was a little dinged up, scratched and showing it's age.
Here is the after! I know painted furniture is all the rage, but sometimes a piece just needs refinished to it's original glory.
Side by side here is the before and after so that you can compare.
I finished this piece off with Minwax Polyshades in Bombay mahogany that I had leftover from our planked kitchen table redo. I think it turned out beautifully!
And you know what? I'm not the only one who loved this library table. I listed it on offerup and in a few days it was sold for $140 MORE than what I paid for it. I made a nice little profit for my $20 investment. I love it when that happens!
Have you made any awesome transformations lately that have put a little extra money in your pocket? I would love to see them. You can share them on the Holy Craft Facebook page.
This post is brought to you by Tulip and Blueprint Social. All opinions are 100% my own.
The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining and the friends are coming over in droves! We are always looking for fun {electronic free} activities for the kids, especially as they get older. My 13 year old daughter Isabella is very much like I was at that age. She is drawn to anything creative where she can express herself. Her friends are very much the same way. So one afternoon, a half a dozen girls gathered around my patio table for some tie-dye fun! But the fun didn't stop there! We created six different ways {most of them no sew} to restyle their t-shirts!
We started with this easy, one-step mess free kit from Tulip. I know, I know, mess free and tie-dye don't seem like they should go together, and to be honest, it did make my heart skip a beat when I thought of the old way I used to tie-dye, but I promise you, not a single article of clothing that we didn't want to get dyed didn't get dyed and thanks to the gloves {that were included} no one walked away with dyed hands. This kit actually made it less messy to tie-dye shirts than the kit we used to dye our Easter eggs!
There was a little prep work before the girls came over. I opened up the kit and spread out the plastic tablecloth {it's included!}. There are 18 bottles of pre-measured dye, so all I had to do was add water to each bottle. While I was doing that, the girls read through the {included} full color idea brochure so they could get an idea of the technique they wanted to try. The girls put on gloves {seriously, they thought of everything!} and I had each of them shake the bottles of dye up.
The girls prepped their shirts with rubber bands and set to work squeezing dye onto the shirts. Once the shirts were finished, I actually wrapped them up using the plastic tablecloth that was included. You could put them in a sealed baggie for 6-8 hours but I like using what I have and wrapping the shirts up in the plastic tablecloth worked out just great! Doing that, made clean up a breeze!
After the shirts sat for 6-8 hours, all you do is cut off the rubber bands, wash them, dry them and then they are ready to be restyled!
Restyled Six Ways
I have six different restyling methods for you, all using your average white cotton t-shirt.
Side Ties
Start by cutting off your sleeves and your neckline. Turn the shirt over {front side down} and widen the back of the sleeve on the back side only, giving your shirt a racer back look. Cut down both of the seams from the armpit down to the bottom. Line up one side of your shirt {front and back together} and cut about four inches in every half an inch or so from the armpit down to the bottom of the shirt. Do the same to the other side. Use about a half an inch strip about six inches long of the unused sleeve to tie up both sleeves.
Fringe
This fringe pattern is really fun! Start by taking off the sleeves, the neck and about two inches off the bottom of the shirt leaving you with a tank top style. Cut small strips about eight inches up on the front and back of the shirt. Start by tying each of the strings together. About an inch down from the tie that you just made, tie the far right string from one, to the far left string of the other. I made a little illustration for you. Use a piece of the cut off sleeve to tie the shoulders.
The Braided Back Tank
Cut the sleeves and neck off of your t-shirt. Turn your shirt over {front facing down} and widen the neck of the t-shirt. Once you widen the neck, you will also cut a straight line from the bottom of the arm holes all the way to the other side. You can now open up your shirt. On the back cut three straps about ten inches long. Pull those straps to curl the fabric and then braid them. Once it's braided, secure your braid with a few needle and thread stitches. Fold down the front flap with the neck and secure the braid with a few more stitches to the center back. Roll the extra material on both sides to the center where the braid is secured and cut a one inch strip from one of your unused sleeves and wrap that around to hide the seams. Secure in place with a few more stitches.
Bow Back T
Cut the sleeves and neck of your shirt as shown. Turn your shirt over {front side down} and widen the back arm holes on both sides, again, making a racer back style like the side tie shirt. Cut about an inch lower on the back neckline. About two inches down from the neckline, cut one horizontal slit going about eight inches long. Cut another slit two inches down from that one about the same length. Repeat until you have the desired amount of slits in your shirt. Use your discarded sleeve and cut off the end inch where the seam is. Use that length of fabric to wrap the middle of your cut slits and secure the bands in place with a few stitches. Repeat, until all of your slits are wrapped.
Baby Doll T
Cut off the sleeve and make a v-neck in the front of the shirt. Cut an "L" shape {following the red lines in the bottom left picture} on both sides of the shirt on the back. Open up the top of the shirt by cutting a straight line across at the top seam. On the back cut a four inch line down the back side of the shirt. Tie the front long strips in a knot. Connect the ends of the strips to the back two cut pieces by tying them.
One Shoulder
This one shoulder shirt requires cutting off half the shirt at an angle {leaving part of the shoulder in a tank style} and removing the remaining sleeve. Cut the remaining part of the top in half about four inches in. Then, cut four inches into the shirt starting below the armpit every inch and a half or so until you reach the bottom. Tie the cuts that you made together, starting with the cut you made in the sleeve and working your way down the shirt.
That's a lot of different ways to restyle a plain white t-shirt isn't it?! I know there are a lot more. Once you start restyling you can't stop!
I would love to see your t-shirt restyle creations. Share them with me on Instagram @holycraft1 and don't forget to use the hashtag #TieDyeYourSummer and tag @ilovetocreate.
Graphic t-shirts are hot this summer! You can find them everywhere, but why grab one at the store when you can make one? While I was at SNAP conference last month, I picked up some Expressions Vinyl. I have been digging these racer back t-shirts from Wal-Mart of all places {can't beat the $4.97 price tag!} and now I've been embellishing shirts til my hearts content. I love making custom t-shirts, and nothing is more custom than one you create on your own. Heat transfer vinyl is so easy to use that you will be whipping shirts out like a pro in no time!
It's no secret that I have a soft spot for Africa. I've been there twice in the past year but the souvenir t-shirts aren't very awesome, so I decided to create one of my own. I found a graphic that I liked and used this tutorial to create my image on my Silhouette. Don't forget to mirror your image! I am not going to lie, it took like a half an hour to cut this bad boy out, but man was it worth it!
The hardest part when you are making such an intricate design is deciding what to weed out and what to leave. I started by peeling the back off {the largest part of uncut vinyl} and seeing what was left. Then I just started working from there. I couldn't believe how well the expressions vinyl cut in my machine! Settle in with a good show on Netflix because the weeding process will take you a few hours but it's totally worth it!
I decided to leave a few of the scraped off pieces to make the shirt look like it was screen printed. The heat transfer vinyl is sticky, so you can lay it flat on your t-shirt and decide if you like it where it's at. If you don't, simply pick it up and move it. I used a small piece of cotton on top of my HTV and ironed it on the highest setting for about a minute covering the whole surface.
I've used a lot of HTV and I was really impressed at how easily this stuck to the material. All I had to do was pull up the plastic sheet once it was cool and my image had been transferred.
I can't believe how easy that was to make my own custom graphic t-shirt. Every time I'm amazed! Seriously, for a design so intricate I was blown away at how easy it was to create. I am obsessed with expressions heat transfer vinyl now! It's all I'm going to use from now on.
Do you have any custom graphic t-shirt ideas? Share them with me. I may just try them!
