Tutorial // Gold Heart Mug

I have been obsessed with everything gold lately, and by lately I mean for the past year or so.  So have you, I know it!  So, this past weekend I set out to make a few DIY things, gold themed.  My first project was this little mug.  I have seen tons and tons of mugs floating around the interwebz with these little gold details and I think that they are just the best and I wanted one for my own.

This is super, super easy, but I thought I'd make a little tutorial for you anyway.  

Print Instagram Photos from your iPhone + a DIY

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Hello you guys, it's a beautiful friday and I am talking printing instagrams from my phone and DIYs.

I'll admit that I am an instagram addict.  I know we all are, right?  I take these pictures each day and they live in instagram land and sometimes on my blog.  And I like a good instagram post, you know this.  But I've been brainstorming some ways to get these little square snippets of life out of my internet and into my real life.

The decorating has been slow going since I've moved and I'm just thinking that some snazzy images staring back at my when I reach into the fridge for some yogurt.

The first step was to find a place that would let me print instagram photos without all the hassle of saving them to my computer, uploading them to a site, making sure that they were going to print the correct size, yadda, yadda.  Enter the free #WalgreensApp. In all its handiness, it allows you to send your instagram photos to be printed, directly from your phone!

I followed the easy to navigate menu and uploaded some of my favorite instagram photos to the Walgreens App and sent them in.  I got an email about an hour later saying that they were ready for pick up!  Talk about speedy :) Once I got those pictures printed, I was ready to go!

Supplies: magnet sheets, mod podge, scissors, sponge brush, and printed instagram photos!  You can get the magnet sheets at any craft or office supply store.

First, I laid out my photos on my magnet sheet. and made little marks where I needed to cut.  I just used a regular black pen and it just barely showed up on the magnet, which worked out perfectly!

I cut out my magnet squares and decided on 8 pictures to use :)

I spread some Mod Podge on the back of the photos, lightly.  You can play around with this but I found that when I put too much, it started to make my pictures a little wavy.  Eww.  Yeah, no wavy pictures.

Then, I laid my picture over top the magnet square.  I let them set just a bit by themselves and then I pressed them between my hands to make sure that they weren't coming apart.

Yi!  Then this happened.  Womp womp.

Lastly, I put a few layers of Mod Podge over the top so that the they looked more like instagram magnets and less like photos pasted on magnet, ya know?  

Tip: For the first coat, I used up and down strokes and for the second I used side to side strokes.  This way, you create a bit of a canvas looking effect.  Also, make sure that the first coat is completely dry before doing a second coat.

And here is the final product!  I really like the way that they turned out, they add a bit of cheer to my kitchen, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

To see my Google+ album for this project, click here.

Make sure and check out Walgreens on their facebook and twitter page!

 

Do It Yourself: Bunting

So, I'm a little obsessed with bunting and banners and do it yourself sorta things.  I have a special place in my heart for those adorable flags strung up on a string.  I've been seeing them everywhere, and I thought that it was about time I caved and bought myself one, but, ya know, I love crafty things so I thought I'd give it a go myself first.

I chose to use the word Lucky because I had seen a similar banner at a friend's wedding and I thought it was super cute and fitting.  I'm thinking of hanging mine somewhere over our mantle buuuut, we shall see.

And let me tell you, I'm about to present you with the easiest DIY you've ever seen. Also, maybe the cheapest.

See more details after the jump.

DIY Art: Part 1

So when I set out to decorate my new place I was on a pesky little thing called a budget.  Budgets are inconvenient, I've found, but necessary if you enjoy shopping, as I do.  So when I started thinking along the lines of what I was going to put on my walls I decided to do this: DIY!

I use the term DIY loosely as some of my "DIYs" are simply printables... but hey, I worked hard to find those printables, so A for effort, I'd give myself that. And this part one is about the printable variety... so thats it.  (We get crafty in part 2!)

I scrolled through pinterest, a lot.  And I found that I was really into a few specific things: botanicals and chalkboards.  So, thats where I started!

So, for those of you that asked about the pictures on gallery wall, here are the answers...

I used these above and a few more found at the three sites below.  I printed them out on vintage style paper that I found at office depot and stuck them in one of my ikea frames and it looks perfect.

1  2  3 (found via)

I also love chalkboard style prints, don't you?  I mean, I love the real thing as well but these are pretty snazzy too.  I used the middle one in my kitchen gallery wall and have plans for the others in my office.

1  2  3 

And lastly, I have a little printable that I made in Photoshop.  I love the saying 'You Are My Favorite' but couldn't find a pre made one that I just loved.  This one is simple but it fit perfectly in my gallery wall.  It is made for a 5x7 frame.  If you'd like to use it, just right click and open in a new tab to view the full size and save it there!