DIY Archives - Page 8 of 9 - Kristen Anne Glover

DIY Variegated Coffee Filter Wreath

A few days ago, I posted this tutorial on how to paint tile. It was nice and everything, but what many of you wanted to know is, “How did you make that wreath?”

It’s beautiful, isn’t it, and perfect for spring.

The best part is, it was super easy to make (albeit a little time consuming). It’s also inexpensive because I’ll let you in on a little secret: it’s made entirely out of coffee filters. Hard to believe, I know!

All of the instructions, with step-by-step photos, are posted over at Embracing Creativity today. Won’t you stop by and say hi?

True Love (with Bonus Valentine’s Day Craft)

Today, the beautiful women over at Kindred Grace invited me in to pull up a chair and put down my pen at their place. You can read my guest post, Love is Like That, here. It’s all about the tough words of 1 Corinthians 13. If you’ve ever grappled with the definition of true love–and found yourself lacking–you’ll want to join me there.

The beauty, and challenge, of 1 Corinthians 13

Part of the requirements of this post was providing a graphic to go with it. So I stole some of the kids’ puffy heart stickers and quickly made a little Heart Art to use as the background of the graphic above.

I don’t have a lot of Valentine’s Day decorations, so this was a nice addition to our sparse red-and-white themed mantle. And, it was super quick and easy (read: cheap).

Here’s what you need to make one of your own:

Foam heart stickers (I got a tub of these at the craft store)

1 5×7 canvas

Spray paint (I used white, but I’m kind of itching to do one in pink or turquoise)

Ribbon (optional)

1) Simply arrange the puffy heart stickers however you like. I could fit two rows of three hearts on my canvas. I doubled up some heart stickers because I wanted a nice shadow effect on the canvas.

2) Once you’re satisfied with your arrangement, peel off the backs of the stickers and affix them to the canvas.

3) Spray paint! You may need several coats. Try not to breathe.

4) Once the paint is dry, you can finish the canvas by framing it out with ribbon. A little dot of glue on the corners is all you need. I added a little button on top because I got a little sloppy with the glue. Some people should not be allowed to handle molten glue.

That’s it! Happy Valentine’s Day to me!

Twisted Branch Christmas Card Holder

Twisted branch Christmas card holder

Every Christmas, we are inundated with Christmas cards from friends and family. Each one is a special reminder of the people we care about the most, but too often, the cards and pictures end up in a pile because I don’t know where to put them.

My mother-in-law had a great solution. Years ago, she had purchased a Christmas card holder which resembled a branch. It was decorated with bright red birds and greenery. Ribbons hung down off the branch so she could attach and display all her cards in a cute and very organized way.

It was perfect, but I had never seen one like it in the stores. Thankfully, it seemed like a very easy craft to replicate, so I decided to make my own.

With the help of some coupons for Michael’s and some creative recycling, the entire project cost less than $5 and took about half-an-hour (minus time rummaging through my craft supplies) to complete.

Here’s how to do it:

Gather:

*One interesting and sturdy branch, 20-24” long, preferably with at least one fork in it

*One wire coat hanger (try to find one with paint chipping off–it’s a great look)

*About 13” of ½” ribbon (not wired).

*1 or 2 decorative birds in coordinating colors

*Artificial holiday berries or greenery picks (recycle an old wreath or use leftovers from another project!)

*Hot glue gun

*wire clippers (helpful, but not completely necessary)

Optional: paper clips and assorted buttons

Before the Christmas cards arrive, display antique postcards or pictures for interest

You probably don’t even need directions once you see the pictures, but here you go, just in case:

Step 1: Using a wire cutter, clip off the hook end of the hanger. Wrap the remanding wire around the ends of the branch to create a hanger for your branch. Bend the wire in the middle until the branch hangs straight.

Step 2: Cut 5 pieces of ribbon of varying lengths, no shorter than 2’ each. Space the ribbon along the branch, wrapping it over the back of the branch and securing with a dot of hot glue.

Step 3: Carefully melt the long ends of the ribbon with a flame to prevent fraying.

Step 4: Decorate! Secure the bird(s), nest, berries, pine cones, greenery, etc. to the branch with hot glue. Be creative! You can use the traditional reds and greens of the season, or go with metallic ribbons or jewel-tones—whatever you like.

Put a bird on it

Optional: If desired, glue assorted buttons to paper clips for a fun way to secure cards to the ribbon. Package these in a cute tin (recycle and decorate a breath mint) and they’re gift-ready!

Vintage buttons make for very cute paperclips. Make a bunch for a fun teacher gift!

Hang your Christmas card holder and use the paper clips to display your Christmas cards as they arrive.