Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls

I love the look and thought behind Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos). This celebration occurs on November 1 and 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saint's and All Soul's Days.  The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and honor friends and family members who have passed.

I grew up in Southern California and was influenced by the beauty of Mexican culture. During my visit there last year I was inspired by my trip to Olvera Street by all the beauty and colorfulness of the sugar skulls. Since this is my summer of reusing and repurposing (and cleaning out old stuff), I uncovered some long forgotten masks in my basement. These African masks were left over from previous décor from another house.

Armed with white spray paint and temporary tattoos from Michael's, I transformed those old masks into something new and updated (for me anyway). Sorry, I can't find my before pictures. The original masks were all brown or grey. I didn't do anything to them structurally, just went wild with the spray paint.

These are the tattoos I got from Michael's. They were about $2.50 per pack. I just mixed and matched to create my own designs.



Here they all are hanging on the wall of my craft room. I just love them!  Sorry for the quality of the photo. It's not the best but you get the idea. After I put on the tattoos (the same way you would on your skin - with water), I let them dry well. Then I sprayed with several light coats of acrylic to make sure they will stay on.
 

Another Super Simple craft!  And I get to reuse and repurpose something I would have otherwise donated. I'm on a mission to decorate my craft room in a cool and eclectic style of things that bring me joy. I think I am on my way!

 

And if you don't have any masks hanging around your house, look at thrift shops and yard sales. Once you decide what you are looking for, you'll be surprised how things will jump out at you!

 

Happy Crafting!

 

 

Succulent Wreath How To

6/17 UPDATE:  I've had the succulent wreath laying flat on the patio table for weeks now. This was done to give the plants a chance to develop roots and latch on to the moss.  This week I finally hung it up. I LOVE the way it turned out!

Even though some of the plants started to root, I reinforced their latching by wrapping the entire thing with floral tape. As this close up shows, the tape isn't noticeable but it really does keep the cuttings in place.

 

For several months I've seen beautiful succulent wreaths online. It was one of those things that looked pretty easy to do but things are not always as they seem. Thankfully, this was another super simple craft that just took a bit of time to complete.

You will need the following supplies:

• Sphagnum moss
• Wire wreath (I used 12" but they have all different sizes)
• Fishing wire
• Floral pins
• Roottone
• Succulent soil
• Variety of succulent pieces

Here is the how to.  First, gather up a bunch of various succulents.  Unfortunately, I don't live in an area where there are a lot of succulents growing wild right now (it is early spring). This would be really easy and cost efficient if you live in a place that has succulents growing in park and planters. I had some (the long skinny ones) but bought the others. 

 

You need to take snippets of the succulents and let them dry out for a few days before planting. They need to scab over before planting, so make a pile of them and just let them site on a tray to dry out for a few days.

 

You will need a bag of sphagnum moss.  For this 12" wreath I used about half of a bag.  Soak the moss in a bucket for at least half an hour.  You want it to be completely soaked.  You also need a wire wreath frame. I got mine at Joann Fabrics for less than $5. 

Below are the scabbed over succulents, floral pins and Rootone to give the plants a little booster to develop their roots. (It is a great product if you haven't ever used it).

 

You start by laying down the soaked moss on the wreath frame. Lay it down and wrap it in place with fishing line. I recommend fishing line over plastic thread because I think the fishing line is stronger and will hold up better. Don't over stuff this first layer of moss because you will be putting a layer of cactus soil and top again with another layer of moss.  It's like a soil sandwich!

Here is the final wrapped wreath. This was pretty easy to do but it was really messy!  Sometimes you have to get messy to make beauty!

Now you dip the tips of the succulents into water first and then the Roottone. Use the floral pins to keep the pieces in place on the wreath.

I started by placing the long skinny snippets because that is what I had the most of. I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough of the pretty flowerlike pieces. (Sorry, I'm not up on the names of succulents. I just know what I like and what is pretty).  Make sure you don't overstuff the wreath. Succulents will grow once they take root. I chose to use put them close together but left plenty of room for growth. 

The instructions I found said to keep the wreath horizontal for about 6 weeks so they clippings can take hold and grow roots. For now, it will sit on my outdoor table as a decoration. 




What I also like about this project is that succulents don't require a lot of water so maintenance of this should be relatively easy. It will only need watered once a month (by submerging into water for 10 minutes; I'm thinking this would be easy to do using a kiddie pool).

Also, any of the succulent pieces that fall off, you can just stick in the ground and they will eventually grow. I put mine in the planters on my shed, which seems like a perfect place for them. These planters are rain protected because of the roof overhang. This way I don't have to remember to water them but once a month.

 I will post additional pictures later in the summer when the wreath fills in.  I think it is pretty and yet another Super Simple craft.

If you have any questions on the how to, please let me know. Happy to share and/or clarify.

Happy Crafting!



Floor Lamp Planter

The following was created because of an inspiration someone posted on Facebook. (Thanks Debbie)!  A super simple and cute idea that incorporates some of my favorite things: Upcycling and planting.

I had this old floor lamp that I wasn't using anymore. I got the black basket at the Dollar Store and used Gorilla Glue to secure it.  Once that dried, I placed the coco mat inside (cut to fit). I then put some sphagnum moss and dirt in, followed by plants. I used chenille plant and I'm not sure what else the others are called. I chose these plants because I thought the combination will give both height and will droop over the sides as the plants grow.

To top it off, I put this sweet solar motioned piggy that I got from Chinatown L.A.  What a perfect home for him!

Isn't he cute?!

 

Another super simple project.  My recommendation is to not overfill the planter. This will grow all summer so you want to make sure the plants have room to grow. I will update this post later in the summer after it fills out.

Spring Planting

Hi All!

First, my apologies for not creating any new posts for a very long time. Life (and making a living) got in the way and my craftiness really got put on the back burner.  Now that school is over for the summer, I am hoping to spend a summer crafting and repurposing (and posting).

It is finally springtime here in the Mid Atlantic; I am inspired.  I stumbled upon this adorable head planter at Rite Aide of all places!  Best of all, it was 50% off so it only cost me $10.  Isn't he cute?

I went back today for another one but they were sold out (no suprise there).  So I decided to get creative and make my own.

I looked around the house to see if I could repurpose something.  I found this doll bust that had hair to style. I got this for Jasmine a few years ago and think she played with it once or twice.

While she is sweet, I knew there was a better place for her than being stuck in the cupboard under the bathroom sink.  I figured no one would miss her so I got out the exacto knife and went to work.

This was very easy to do. I started at the back of her head and cut the plastic close to her hair line.  I wanted to keep as much of the plastic head as possible so it would be big enough to hold a plant. The plastic was soft (plastic doll baby soft) so it didn't splinter or break.

Because she is plastic, I started with a primer to make sure and cover the bright pink of her shirt.  I let that dry a bit and the sprayed with Rustolium Rosemary Hammered spray paint. (Now that I'm looking at the can it says it is paint and primer combined so maybe I didn't need the primer afterall.

While the paint didn't adhere like I originally planned (some streaked and ran) I love the way she turned out. It is also about to rain and was pretty windy so that may also have contributed to her mottled look.  That said, I think the imperfections make her look weathered and antique.  I plan to spray her again when the weather is better and will also spray her with a sealant. 

 I just stuck in this chenille plant to see what she will look like with "hair". I think I will put some succulents because they grow slow and are super simple to take care of. 

There's something about her that reminds me of the Bird girl of Savannah.  Something sweet and wistful. 

So now I have yet another thing to keep an eye out for while yard saling! Here's hoping I have a cool collection of them by the end of summer.  And if I plant succulents in them, they will just lay dormant during the winter and come back to life again in the spring.

I hope you like my first post in months. I've got some other projects that I have in mind to work on. Again, thanks for stopping by to visit. 

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #25 Charm Necklace

I am very blessed with having 7 grandkids (the 8th is due any day now).  Here's a picture of some of them, along with my neighbor Molly. Aren't they cute?!

The kids know that I love jewelry. They are all so thoughtful and have given me lots of kid picked jewelry through the years.  I so enjoy wearing the special pieces they've sought out for me.  Here's some of the beautiful treasures they've given me for various occasions.

I love all these pieces but found it was hard for me to wear them all very often.  Not wanting to play favorites and have it seem like I prefer one piece over another, I decided to figure out a way to combine them.  (There's also a charm that Breanna gave me, as well as wish box charm that I love).

As you can see, I have a mix of things: Hearts, friendship charms, vampire protectors (crosses), a bear, and some other various items. After much thought, I combined them into the following.

I LOVE how this came out! Now I have components of 8 separate pieces of jewelry that I can wear at the same time. I also love the eclectic nature of this piece and how I was able to recycle all this into another piece. For some reason this picture makes it look more gold than silver but that is not the case. These pieces are all silver in color.  Isn't it cute?  This may be my new favorite piece.

I spruced the piece up with a good scrubbing of toothpaste.  You know that trick, right?  Any kind of toothpaste works as a jewelry cleaner.  Just squirt toothpaste in your hands, rub them together, and rub that into the jewelry. I also take a toothbrush and give a good scrub. Then rinse well and your jewelry is now bright and shiny.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #22 Broomstick Crochet Bracelet

In one of my pinning expeditions, I found a beautiful bracelet done in Broomstick Crochet. I've been a crocheter for 35 years but never heard of this stitch. The stitch seems complicated but once you get the hang of it, it is rather simple and very, very pretty.

I love how you get a different look depending upon the kind of yarn used. These came out so pretty that I may just have the motivation I need to finally open my Etsy Shop!

These were made with hemp. I found the hemp much easier to use if it is soaked in water a few hours before trying to crochet with it. The bracelet on the right was created with the softened hemp. It gives a much smoother look than the one on the left.

I like the lacey effect this technique creates.

Here's a close-up of the hemp bracelet.

This bracelet was made from Sugar and Creme yarn.

This was made from soy yarn. It is much smoother (and lighter).  I would really like to see these with cool, vintage buttons. All I had on hand were these wooden beads. I think these are pretty but my style is more vintage. Guess I have something else to keep an eye out for when yard saling and thrift shopping.

The link I found on Pinterest gave a pattern that was rather awkward to do. Rather than follow those instructions (which called for keeping the stitches on the "broomstick" or large crochet hook I used), I caste on the stitches (as instructed in the following link) but then removed ALL stitches from the "broomstick" while working them. If you are careful with the stitches, they won't unravel. I found it just too difficult to try and work the stitches while keeping them on the post.

Here is a good tutorial for Broomstick Crochet:  Yarn Lover's Room.  Don't be intimidated by the stitch; it's really pretty simple. So simple that I think I'm going to teach my 9 year old grandson.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #21 Chunky Toddler Crayons

I have a total of seven grandkids and at least one or two come visit every few weeks. I LOVE having them come stay - and I even enjoy the stuff that comes from kids. I'm talking about army men, Matchbox cars, dolls and doll clothes,and last but not least, crayons! I have a coffee tub for crayons but there's always at least a few that don't seem to make it back into their proper place. 

Yesterday I was harvesting up the errant crayons (many of which were broken) and it struck me.  Let's turn this into a craft project!  I decided to snap them into pieces and melt into chunky toddler crayons. This was another super simple craft and they came out so cute.

Just take the paper off the crayons, break them up, and put into muffin tins or other molds.  I sprayed a little cooking spray before adding the crayons just to be sure they would not stick. I was a little worried about mucking up my pans, which proved to be unwarranted.  I put the crayons directly into my heart shaped muffin tin.

I also had these super adorable hard boiled egg shapers that I used as well. If you are not familar with these, they are plastic molds (these are a bear and a rabbit). If you hard boil an egg, peel it, and put into the mold while it is still warm. As it cools, the egg takes on the shape of the mold.These are used in Japanese miso boxes (or by me for super cute hard boiled eggs).

I forgot to take a picture of the empty mold before melting the crayons (hence the green wax). The molds are made of plastic but because these are melted on such a low temperature, they are fine in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Melt the crayons for about 10 minutes (or until they are melted).

 Aren't they pretty?

I left them in the molds for a few hours (while I ran errands). Make sure they are cooled completely before you try to remove them from the molds. The heart shaped crayons just popped out, however, the bunny and bear needed to go into the freezer for a bit to loosen.

These came out so nicely, if I do say so myself!

I LOVE these!

Lesson learned though: Be careful when removing these from their molds. One of the bunnies lost the tips of his ears (I think because I hit it too hard on the counter). They are still adorable!

None of our grandbabies are toddlers anymore (or yet) but I think I shall get some clear plastic party bags from the Dollar Store and save for a toddler gift that I'm sure I will need sometime in the future.

This really was a super simple craft and would be great for kids to do. It's such a neat transformation and a great way to repurpose broken crayons.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #20 Simple Crochet Bracelets

I am on a roll with my craftiness! Yesterday when I was cleaning up in the grandkids room, I started gathering up the plethora of plastic bracelets that have taken up residence there. You know these bracelets; they are meant to make a statement for a cause (think the yellow Lance Armstrong bracelets that started them all).  On my quick excavation, I came up with a bunch.

I also found a cute wooden one that I didn't use for this project....yet.

I got to thinking, what can I do with these? No one (in my family) wears them anymore, which seems rather wasteful.  Then it hit me....crochet them!

I used varigated crochet embroidery thread. Didn't they come out cute?  My granddaughter Jasmine turns 10 next month and I think I shall send some of these to her. I like the little lacy effect that comes from the crochet stitch. Much prettier than plain plastic, don't you think?

 These worked up really fast, maybe half an hour to do each one.  It takes the better part of a skein of embroidery floss for each.

Here's a close up. This may be my favorite one, which I may keep for myself.  This would look pretty covered with colored hemp as well.

I figured out how to do this myself, however, the basic instructions for this can be found at this site:  The Kraft Farm.  You really don't need any crocheting skills per se to do this project. It is super simple once you get the hang of it. And what a great way to recycle and breathe some extra life into what would otherwise end up in the trash.

Happy Crafting!