Fun Craft Jars on the Cheap!

I wish I could find the link to the image that inspired me to super glue small Target $1 bin animals to the tops of several old spaghetti sauce, salsa and apple sauce jars last fall.  I spray painted each of them a different color right before winter and when the snow melted this spring, we could still see a rainbow of colors in our front yard from this project.  It was a spring rainbow surprise and made me smile.

I don't have any actual before pictures of the project, so this will have to do:

And after:

Cost: $1 for a pack of plastic animals from Target dollar bin

Free jars from food we ate

Free spray paint leftovers

Total Cost: 100 pennies for a set of fun jars AND a spring rainbow!

P.S. I stayed up late several nights this week reading the Hunger Games trilogy.  I finished Mockingjay at 2 a.m. last night.  I just couldn't put it down.  I didn't do much 'projecting' this week as a result.  All I did was read the book/s and tell my husband to start reading the books so we could talk about what happened.  Anywho, I'm thinking next week may be my Easter Blog Break.  We'll see.  My sister is coming to town with her little girl, so maybe we'll go thrifting or Easter crafting and then I'll write about it.  I never know what will happen when Crazy Kiki rolls in to town:)!  Regardless, have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone!!

Homemade Canvas Photos

Would you believe that the big canvas images of Lucky and Charm seen here:

Were really made using these supplies?:

One 20" x 30" photograph printed at Sam's Club for just under $9 x 2

One 20" x 20" canvas from Michael's (on sale and combined with an additional coupon making them about $6.50 each) x 2

Scotch Poster Putty (less than $2 at Target)

Scissors, Pen and Yard Stick

Total Cost: About $30 total for both 20" x 20" Canvas Images

I just cut the images to size and attached them to the canvas using the putty.  So far, it's holding up great.  I was initially planning to modge podge them to the canvases (or canvi?  What is the plural of canvas anyway?), but I have a love hate relationship with modge podge.  Mostly it's a hate relationship because the stuff is so messy and sticky, and I wasn't feeling modge podgey on the day I decided to tackle the project.  I'll update this post if they fall down with the putty, but they have been up for a good week now.  I also figure if I want to switch the pictures out down the road, it will be super easy to pull a change up.  Another tweak that I may make down the road it to add ribbon to the sides of the canvas pictures or even paint them, but for now I like the simple look of white.

Has anyone else tried making a DIY photo canvas?

Oil Drip Pan Chalkboards!

As if this house didn't have enough chalkboards already:

Dining Room Menu Chalkboard

Charm's Desk Area Chalkboard

Chalkboard Globe

Chalkboard Clipboards

Mudroom Chalkboard

Chalkboard Jar Labels

I made a couple more using these oil drip pans that I picked up at Walmart for $10 each.  I wanted these particular chalkboards to also be magnetic, hence the use of the drip pan.

I spray primed the drip pans with gray primer, and then used the latex chalkboard paint that I had on hand from Charm's chalkboard desk project.  I taped a border around the edge of the drip pan so it would create a 'frame' of sorts.  I hung the boards/pans using 3M Command Strips (4 medium sized ones did the trick).  Here is the finished result:

Now, we have a nice learning center for the kids in the basement, right next to my crafting corner.  Lucky works on spelling words using magnetic letters and chalk, while Charm works on his food groups and identifying each letter.

When the chalkboard paint is on the drip pan, it's difficult to see the 'Auto Trend Products' imprint in the metal, although as seen below, chalk will bring it out again.  It's high enough up on the board, that I'm really not concerned about it getting in the way.  

Also, if you are interested in recreating this project try to find the straightest drip pan that you can.  I purchased our drip pans on two separate occasions.  I bought one to start because I honestly didn't know if it would fit on the left side of our exercise room door (A measurement before heading to Walmart would have been useful:)).  I had 4 pans to choose from, and I made sure I got a 'good one'.  I went back to Walmart a couple weeks later once I was ready to start painting, and there was only one drip pan left.  It was sort of bent and dirty.  I bought it anyway, because ever since January, I've been very anti-running to a million different stores to get the one thing I want.  I figure if one location doesn't have what I need, it's not meant to be.  In this case, I really wanted to get started on the project and there was one left, so I bought the wonky one.  I wish I would have waited.  It is flat enough, but when you write on it with chalk, it sort of bends in a little.  I may add a few more Command strips to solve the problem, but I do wish I would have just purchased a nice flat drip pan.  Lesson learned.  Sort of.  (I still saved myself a trip to another Walmart:)).

Cost Breakdown:
2 Oil Drip Pans $20
Spray primer already owned
Chalkboard paint already owned

Total Project Cost: $20 for 2 big ol' chalk/magnet boards

What do you think?  Has anyone else been putting chalkboard paint on EVERYTHING:)?

Linking up to The Rooster and The Hen.
Linking up to Finding Fabulous.

Sewing Station Updates!

It wasn't too long ago, that I posted about moving my sewing machine, desk and book shelves to a neglected corner in our basement:

Sewing Station

circa February 2012 :)

I have been loving this set up, and in attempt to dig out of our office:

Total Chaos.  Embarrassing.  But it's so much better now, because I moved all my craft supplies that I had been storing in our office to my sewing corner in the basement and added a few fun items, and now my sewing and crafting space looks like this:

I love my newly organized work area!  It has all my sewing AND crafting gear!

Lucky (and napping Charm) LOVE their new work areas.

 I still have a couple things to figure out like a better sewing supply organization system:

Whoa!!

And I'd love a nicer gift wrap storage basket:

Overall though, I am in craft heaven when I'm working in this new space!  Later this week I'll post more details about the canvas pictures, chalkboards and craft jars that I added to the space.

Update: DIY canvas art details can be seen here.  Oil Drip Pan Chalkboards can be seen here.  Colorful craft jars can be seen here.

Linking up to The Rooster and The Hen.

Linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick.