Diaper Box: Revamped!

I can't claim to have thought of this idea. I've seen many all over Pinterest. There are a lot of options for a diaper box. You can glue paper all over it, paint it, glue fabric on it, sew liners, etc. Really if you look you'll probably find a way to revamp it to suit your needs.


That's what I did with this. I don't possess sewing skills outside a basic blanket stitch, so sewing was out.

I don't have a lot of fabric on hand (reason: I can't sew), so even gluing it all over a box was out.

The only wrapping paper I have on hand right now is Christmas, so that was out.

I did have leftover paint from when my husband painted my workspace, scrap fabric from recovering chairs years and years (and years) ago, a glue gun, and an idea.

Start with a diaper (or other) box. Cut the flaps off the top of the box (and out of the handle if your box has them).

Start painting. I painted all over the outside (even the bottom) of the box.

Since the box is glossy, you really need to let the coats dry to cover as much of the print as you can. So add a coat, go read for a bit, then come back and add another.

Once the box is dry, measure your fabric against it. I made mine about 3 inches wide and the length of the box (2 shorter, 2 longer).

Glue a hem for the fabric (reason: I can't sew). I glued a hem by gluing a little bit, folding the fabric over, then continuing. If you can sew, sewing a hem would work too.

I wanted it to stand out a bit more, even after adding the fabric. I cut these freehand (really? can't tell!) and glued them onto the box.

I decided to paint a label for the box I also did these freehand. I know. I thought so too.

Then you have some boxes re-purposed for your needs :) I plan to do at least one more for these shelves, or if my 2 year old's potty training goes the way it has been: for every shelf in the house. It's a long battle.

Using Pinterest

I feel like I get so many ideas from Pinterest, but sometimes I get too many. I had a Pinterest Pin-it Party before, and yesterday I used many Pinterest ideas with our Girl Scout Troops!

So many cute things in one party and they really weren't that expensive!

Here are the links to the pins in case you want to try them out:

• Snowman Can
• Christmas Tree
• Thumbprint Card
• Snowglobes

Has Pinterest inspired you this holiday season? 

A gift for Coffee Lovers!

I'm a Coffeemate Brew Crew member and was given the idea to make my own coaster using a ceramic tile and a sharpie. Since I had both on hand after making photo coasters, I was excited to try this!

I think it turned out really cute, but even after letting it dry it smeared a bit. I googled to see if it would be okay after baking, but someone beat me to testing it and said it smeared then too. :(

So my next step was to try an acrylic sealant. It seemed to hold up a lot better using that though it affected the look a little.

I love this idea since I am working on a coffee-themed kitchen! I love the Coffeemate White Chocolate Caramel Latte (a whole latte! ;) ) so adding this little touch to my kitchen is fun and will be a great addition.

Pin It and Make It Party!

How many of us have a ton of pins "pinned" and ready to complete, but never get to? I know that I do, but I kind of needed a nudge to get working. I decided having friends come over to work on our pins would be a fun party idea.

My original plan had us all bringing a project to do and all of us completing those projects. Only that would have been expensive and more time consuming for an evening. For the next party I plan to pick 1-2 pins and have us all bring something to complete the project. That is kind of how this party turned out anyway, and I liked that. We had a few projects going and could join in whichever we wanted to make. I only got pictures of the adorable Thanksgiving shirts we made, but others worked on headbands and a cloth book (also posted on our board).

We also all brought a recipe that we had pinned (ready to eat) and got to try some great food. I loved getting to see so many pins brought to life and learn from how others made it. We found that some of the pins did not live up to their hype, but I think each of the recipes we tried were good even if they weren't quite what we thought they'd be.

I had such a great time! It felt good to get a few CUTE pins completed (and to eat some yummy new recipes!), but it was even better to spend that time with friends. It wasn't an elaborate party. Food was on my counter and we worked on the floor, but it was so much fun that we already have plans to work on another pin this week! I also plan on hosting a "Pin It: Kid Party" as well where we pick a couple kid-friendly pins and let them work :)

If you want to follow our adventures, I will be posting the recipes and pins we attempt (or plan to attempt) on this Board.

Cloud Dough

I have been enjoying my time in the classroom so much, but I feel like outside of school and keeping up with the kids and house that I don't have much time for anything else. I'm trying to make sure that I keep up with my hobbies and set aside time for me to do something I like, so here I am :)

Though being in the classroom is not bad at all. I love going to "work" every day and I have had so many fun projects these past few weeks. This one was found because of Pinterest.

I decided to try Cloud Dough in the sensory table at the school I'm student teaching at. They were having a "mittens" them and I thought the dough looked like snow (and we didn't have any real snow to use since it's unseasonably warm this year!). It was such a hit. It only took baby oil and flour- so it was also inexpensive!

 



The Pin for this along with the instructions can be found here.

Pinterest + Scarf Attempt

Pinterest has been both a blessing and a curse. It shows me so many creative ideas that make me wish I could just close myself up in a craftroom and work forever making cute things. It has also showed me that my drive doesn't always match my talent.

There may have been a recent incident with an old tshirt and a pair of scissors. I won't get into the gory details, but it ended with the nickname "Lawnmower Scarf" and got many... constructive comments from my friends. And less than constructive comments from my husband and sister.

I almost banned myself from the scissors, but I wanted to make some scarves out of shirts that have either gotten holes or that I'm too small for now (victory dance!). One of the shirts that ended in my craft pile was a favorite. When I saw the hole in it, I almost cried. Then I saw this tutorial linked on Pinterest and thought that it looked easy enough that maybe I wouldn't mess it up. Maybe.

You just have to cut under the sleeves and above the hem, then pull it. Seemed easy enough- and the result was this:



[Forgive the goofy face- I was just happy it worked!]

I am in love. I loved the color and texture of this shirt, and now I can wear it all the time with other outfits and in different ways. It literally turned something I would have trashed into something I can really use!

So even if Pinterest and I have our issues, I think overall it is a healthy relationship :) Are you on Pinterest? Follow me and I can follow you for more ideas! :)

Pinterest

Have you checked out Pinterest yet?

I love love love it! I am able to organize recipes, crafts, lesson plans, and more into one easy to access area. It was so much better than filling up my bookmarks list because I can save a picture of it and will know exactly what it is without having to look at the link.

Are you on Pinterest? Link up your board so I can follow you :)