Wrap around bracelets

So lately I've been seeing these beautiful wrap bracelets everywhere!  I have a few that I bought but after seeing this tutorial from honestlywtf.com I decided to try and make some of my own - 

this is what I came up with...

 First you need to pick out your materials.  

For the first bracelet I used black leather cord, red paper string and a strand of pearls.

The second bracelet I made out of light brown suede cord, plum paper string and chain.

Start by making a loop out of the suede or leather.

(Make sure the loop is big enough to fit around the button or bolt that your going to use as a clasp)  

Next line the paper string up towards the loop and wrap it around the cord working away from the loop. 

Now you can lay the pearl strand along the cord and begin wrapping the paper string in between each cord.

This is how it looks with the chain.  As you wrap the paper string around the chain weave it into the links.  You can choose to go through every link or every other link depending on what you like.

Once the bracelet is long enough to wrap around your wrist two or three times your 

ready to put the bolt or button on the end. 

Have fun stacking then together and wearing them with different bracelets.  The cords that I used were a little bit too thick - It would be easier to tie the bolt on with something thinner. 

I hope you have fun making this!

Upcycled Vintage Alphabet Block Kitchen Hanger

After seeing a bunch of projects on Pintrest using old wooden alphabet blocks I decided to make one of my own.  I ordered the blocks off of E-bay for abut $10, purchased the hooks for $6 at the hardware store and used a wood pallet from the back yard.  I plan on using this as a pot holder rack for the deli (assuming that I ever get to the point of actually opening the deli that is!)  Originally, I wanted to paint the blocks a solid blue but Matt convinced me to paint the letters darker to make it easier to see from across the counter. 

Here's how we made it.. 

 

First I painted the blocks and then sanded them around the edges to make them look a bit more rustic.

Next I added the back hanging bracket to the pallet while Matt prepped the blocks and pallet by pre-drilling holes.   We used an X to mark the center of the block which is where he drilled the holes.  Then we measured and spaced out holes on the board. This made it a lot easier to screw the blocks in.

Once all of the holes we're drilled we were able to screw the blocks in by hand and then nail in the hooks below each one.  The hooks I bought were actually made for bulletin boards (woops) so the nails on the back kept breaking... No big deal, I just used heavy duty glue instead. 

Here's the final look! 

(yes I know the R and O are too close together.. that's Matt's fault!)

Trying it out with crooked letters..

 

 

 I hope you like it!! See you soon

Will you be my Valentine?

Isn't this the perfect gift for the "little" Valentines in your life!  I saw this on Pintrest and had to give it a try.  This is even something that the kids can help you with (if your not afraid of a little mess!) 

I used pink and white marshamallows and these adorable Valentines sprinkles which were on sale of JoAnn Fabrics for 50% off!

I also bought the stickers, owl bags, ribbon and lollipop sticks at JoAnn's. 

If your going to make the marshmallow pop you'll need to poke a small hole in the marshmallow with a knife which eliminates the risk of smushing when you insert the lollipop sticks.  Putting the marshmallows in the freezer for about 5 minutes will help keep the sticks in place and it also makes the chocolate dry faster.  If your not using the sticks you can skip this part.

 

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave according the directions on the packet.  Generally you should stir every 30 seconds to prevent burning. 

Now start dipping and decorating!

(make sure you get the excess chocolate off or else your topping with slide right off!)

The easiest way to dry the pops is by putting them in a glass cup that won't tip over.. the marshmallows without the sticks can dry right on some wax paper. 

 

Now you can wrap them up anyway you like! I used these cute owl boxes for the stick-less marshmallows and I wrapped the pops in cellophane tied with a ribbon.

 

 I think my nieces are going to love these! 

even though my sister may not appreciate the sugar high :)

Happy Valentines Day!

Matt's Specialty - Juevos Rancheros!

 

There's nothing better on a Saturday morning than Jeuvos Rancheros! 

What are jeuvos rancheros you ask?

A crispy potato skin filled with a poached egg topped with sauteed onions and peppers, crispy bacon and melted cheese!

If that's not the breakfast of champions I don't know what is!

 

Trust me.. you need to try this!

Coffee Filter Wreath

This coffee filter wreath costs almost nothing to make (mine was under $7) and it's so simple!!

Here's what you'll need:

1. One foam wreath form - I picked 12"
2. One package of brown coffee filters (100 pk)
3. Glue gun and glue sticks
4. Ribbon
5. Scissors
6. Fabric flower (optional)









Your actually going to start with the back of the wreath first.
Fold one coffee filter in half, and then in half again and begin gluing them about 2-3 inches apart.  At this point you can tie your ribbon into place.  I left a lot of ribbon on (way more then I needed) because its always easy to cut it shorter!

Go back and glue more coffee filters into the spaces left behind.

                   Now flip it over!

For this part I started to cut the ends off of the filters because I found it was easier to fit them into place.  The only problem is once the end is cut off you need to put glue in between in order to keep it together.

Now just keep layering...
and layering..
and layering.....

It helps to fold down the edges like this.

Once your all done you can glue on the beautiful flower of your choice!

(or leave it plain and simple!)




And there you have it....

 Enjoy!

Mason Jar Makeup Storage

 

This project might look a little bit tricky by I made this in 3 hours from start to finish (and that includes time to let the paint dry!)

Here's what you'll need to get started

1. Piece of scrap wood cut to size - I just used a pallet we had laying around
2. Sand paper
3. Paint and brushes
4. Hose clamps
5. Mason Jars

Tools
1. Drill with a few small bits
2. Screws

The first thing that I did was sand down the wood since pallet wood can be very rough.  Once it was all sanded and ready I started to paint.  In between coats you can get to work on the hose clamps

This was actually the trickiest part.  Your going to have to drill a small hole in the back of the hose clamp which you'll use to attach them to the wood.  I started with the smallest drill bit and using all of my strength (and crossing my fingers for luck) I was able to make the holes myself.

 The only problem was the holes were too small for the screws that I had (woops)  Luckily my boyfriend Matt came home just in time to show me how to make the holes bigger using a slightly bigger size drill bit.  =)




Next I pre-drilled some holes into the wood after measuring where I wanted my jars to be placed.  I made my holes a little closer to the top so that the jars would fit on the plank nicely.

Now you should be able to easily screw the hose rings onto the wood by hand.

(Notice I painted the sides a different color to add a little something extra!)





Now once you attach your picture hanger to the back you can put your jars into place and tighten the hose rings until the jars are secure.

Here is my final product...

I'm using the bigger jars for makeup brushes and lip glosses & small jar is perfect for tweezers and smaller brushes

I made a second one using a wider plank and I left this one natural

I love the final product!

I hope you guys try this out.. I'd love to hear all the creative ways you decide to use this project!