You may remember the hand cut paper flower centerpiece from the baby shower I hosted for my friend Jane. Well, just in time for those spring parties you may be throwing, I recently shared how to make your own flowers (including a free template) on Project Nursery. Check it out!
Everybody knows about paper chains; they’re a staple of childhood crafting. But sometimes even the classics have room for improvement. With a simple printable template, I’ve made it easy for you to whip together a stylish and sophisticated version for your next festive affair. We’re currently using this one as a countdown to Songbird’s birthday! Visit the full blog post on Project Nursery for the free template and all the details…
You’ve heard of the Waterlogue app for iPhone/iPad, right?
Right?!
Oh man, if not… let’s just say it’s rocked my world. Coming from someone who actually IS an artist, this app is phenomenal. Basically it translates any photograph you take into a watercolor “painting” in a very fluid and intuitive way.
There are hundreds of uses for this kind of digital art, but the week I bought the app ($3), my lovely friends were having a housewarming party for their very first home. And you can’t show up to a housewarming party without a handmade gift! (or at least I can’t)
This is the photo I snapped of their house when they were unawares.
It helps that it’s a seriously gorgeous home to begin with.
I ran the photo through 2 of the different Waterlogue filters and combined them in photoshop to get this:
Inkjet printers work great on cold press watercolor paper – just adjust the settings to “cardstock.” It’s hard to tell from the photo, but the textured paper makes it look like an actual painting.
“Home is the nicest word there is.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
I also folded heavyweight cardstock paper and printed some personalized notecards with matching envelopes. Cute, right?
I only had birthday and christmas wrapping paper in the house, so I doodled with a sharpie on a roll of brown kraft paper instead.
A little bakers twine and banner topped it off just right.
Buying your first home is such a big deal and I couldn’t be happier for them! It doesn’t take a lot of money or time to put together a meaningful housewarming gift – just a little creativity and a very cool app.
* as of this posting, waterlogue is not yet available on Andriod devices. :(
Flying kites is a favorite family activity around here.
With spring weather knocking at our door and all the beautiful breezes it brings, I decided to incorporate paper kites into my springtime mantel decor. Here’s a quick photo walk-through of how to make your own.
Stick them in an indoor plant, use them as cupcake toppers, glue them to greeting cards, or give them to kids as imaginative playthings.
Begin by cutting different papers into the kite shapes. Click HERE for a 6.5″ template like mine.
Use a glue stick to adhere the smallest triangles to the medium-sized diamond.
Center that diamond on top of the larger kite shape and sew a straight line down the middle. If you aren’t a sewer, use a thin bead of hot glue down the center to achieve the same effect.
Gently fold the smaller kite’s wings up at its mid-line.
To make the tail, wrap thin gauge wire around approximately 8″ of twine.
Hot glue the tail to the back of the kite.
I cut tiny strips of scrap fabric and knotted them along the kite tails for added character.
Use hot glue to attach a thin dowel to the bottom of the kite at an angle. (dowels can be found at craft stores or even the craft section of Walmart)
Lastly, bend the tails to mimic the breeze. Let’s go fly a kite!
I'm Hayley. Wife and mother by day, DIY enthusiast by night. Fueled by sweet tea and jelly beans, I own power tools and know how to use them. Consider yourself warned.
