Small Key Box Shrine

Every time I go to the craft store I pick up some of those small, inexpensive, paper mache boxes and tonight I decided to finally use one.

This was kind of a practice for the cigar boxes  my dad gave me.  I've been collecting all of my ideas on Pinterest, but for now, they're still just sitting in my closet. 

 

It's a great little projects to use up all those buttons, rhinestones, bits and pieces you have and it came together pretty quickly. I can definitely see myself making a few more of these!

Chevron Frame Tutorial

The chevron trend is all over lately so I decided to give it a try on an old picture frame that you may recognize from this post here. 

For this project, you need some painters tape, scissors, a craft knife, acrylic paint in a color of your choice, a paint brush (I use the super cheap spongy kind) and a frame.

Start off with your frame.  I painted this frame years ago for my old bedroom, but it doesn't match my new apartment's aesthetic so I decided to revamp it.  You can also use this same technique on a canvas, tray, table top...whatever you want! Just make sure the surface you use is clean and dry.

Now start taping.  I decided to make an "x" straight through the center to keep things even without having to measure anything.

Now keep adding stripes of tape in a criss-cross pattern across your whole surface.

Here's where it gets a little tricky.  Use your craft knife to cut away the excess tape leaving behind your chevron pattern.  Be careful not to press too hard with your blade or it will damage your surface. Use your fingers or the edge of your craft knife to peel away the excess painters tape until it looks something like this....

Once you have all the extra tape removed, sometimes you have to move around the tape on the edges or add more in certain places to make it look right.  Just use your judgement.

 Now take your paintbrush and cover the whole thing in paint. Technically you only need to paint the parts without tape, but I think it comes out better if you paint it all.

Once the paint is COMPLETELY DRY pull off the tape and there you go!

I currently have mine on display in my living room while I look for the perfect picture to put in it!

Hope you found this helpful!

In my Dream House

I often imagine my dream house.  

I have such a vivid picture of it in my head that I doubt I'll ever be able to find a real house in existence that even compares to the beauty and splendor I've pictured in my head.

One thing my dream house will most definitely have is a HUGE and perfectly organized craft room.

I picture it looking something like this:

or this:

or this:

I especially love the design aesthetic of this crafty little closet but imagine it on a bigger scale...

What do you picture inside your dream home?

What to do with one hundred cigar boxes?

I have to admit I have a craft supply shopping addiction.  I got to the craft store for one thing and come home with twenty.  I find inspiration in pretty much everything I see and can't wait to get it home and create something new.  Now why is it that when craft supplies come free I can't find the same creative motivation?

My dad is an avid cigar smoker and collector which is great news for me because the boxes cigars come in are absolutely beautiful and my fabulous daddy saves them all for me.  The problem is I have NO idea what to do with them.

I've been searching the web for ideas and picking my friends brains and I just can't seem to settle on an idea.  I've made one into a jewelry box:

But that really doesn't seem like the direction I want to go.  My newest inspiration is this fab altoid tin:

I love the idea of creating a whole little world inside my boxes and making something completely unexpected.  What do you think?

Ten Commandments for Crafters

1.  Thou shall clean paintbrushes immediately after use
2.  Thou shall wait for paint to dry completely before moving on to the next step of a project
3.  Thou shall not paint on an uncovered surface
4.  Thou shall not use an xacto knife with out proper surface protection underneath
5.  Thou shall not take someone elses idea without significantly altering it to make it your own
6.  Thou shall never buy when they can DIY
7.  Thou shall never use spray adhesive or spray paint indoors
8.  Thou shall give handmade gifts instead of store bought whenever possible
9.  Thou shall never let a fear of failing hold you back from trying a new project
10.Thou shall be proud of your own work, even when it doesn't turn out perfectly




What crafting Commandments do you follow?

I Have a Secret

Ok.

So it's not so much a secret as it is a new project.

meet my new craft desk:

yes, it is slanted.  yes, there is a big gap between the cabinet and the desk top. yes, it's missing a wheel.  yes, it is a hot mess.

But none of this concerns me.  I can't wait to work my DIY crafty magic and turn this train wreck into a beauty fit for a princess.  But for now, all plans for this project are top secret. 

And as soon as I finish this episode of Grey's Anatomy, project closet purge will begin!! More on that later!!

current desire: craft desk

My current workspace, while very well organized is just a plain old Ikea desk that I painted to match my room.  It works...but that's all it does.  I'm currently in the market for a new desk that includes storage like these:

I'm thinking I might have to use my DIY skills on a thrift store find since these are all out of my budget...I'll have to wait and see!

Honored and Excited

Today I recieved the huge honor of giving a guest blog on my favorite blog www.champagnelifestyles.blogspot.com. I can honestly say I could not be more excited.  This is a great blog about diy, fashion, decorating, and living a lavish lifestyle while staying within your means; something every Modern day Dauphine strives to do.  Go check out her blog and my tutorial on how to make this amazing tufted headboard!

Ready. Set. CRAFT

Today my mom came to visit at took me to the craft store to buy some supplies so I can get back to doing what I do best, craft.  I haven't made anything since my last update to my etsy store and I'm really looking forward to getting back to work. I bought a ton of wooden goodies, some blank wood picture frames and best of all I got SEVEN canvases for 20 dollars.  Definitely a steal.  I'd love to take the time to write more but I'm dying to get to work playing with my new toys, err... crafting!