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Showing posts with label Rainbow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rainbow. Show all posts

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Glue and Sand Bowl Craft

Make you own sand and glue bowl!
I LOVE Pinterest, and my guess is that you do too! If you are a fan, then chances are that you have probably seen this pin slide down your screen at least once:
Pinterest Perfection

The subtext promises that this elegant bowl is easily replicated, by simply by mixing sand and glue. Then according to pinterest you simply drip it over a bowl and let it dry.

However, as some have found this is much easier said than done! For fun see this "Pinterest Fail" Video.


Or not!

 Still, I knew even after watching that video, that the original Pin had to exists somewhere. I figured that with a little tweaking and testing I might be able to get a similar result. 

In my experimenting I found that by using two different types of glue, I could get a pretty decent version of the sand bowl. For fun I used colored sand, but you could use regular beach sand too.





Here is how I made mine:

Supplies


Traditional Elmers Glue

Quick Dry Tacky Glue




Plastic Cling Wrap



Colored Craft Sand



A Big Mixing Bowl


Medium size Cereal Bowl

Metal Spoon


Painter's Tape
Step One:

 To protect your bowl, turn it upside down and cove it completely in plastic wrap. This will keep the glue and sand off of it, and will also create an interesting texture in the interior of your bowl. I used about two layers of plastic on the outside of the bowl.


I found that it helped to secure the plastic wrap to itself using blue painter's tape. Now your "mold" is prepped and ready!

 Step 2

 Now comes the secret part!

 The instructions on the original pin will tell you to use Elmers glue. I tried that and did not have a good result. The glue dried too slowly and the sand did not sick together.
But, then I discovered that if I used one part Elmers to one part "Quick Dry Craft Glue" with the sand it worked well.


I didn't need to measure exactly. Rather I simply added a little at a time, alliterating between the two glues and stirring. This way, in the end I had about equal parts of both glues in the sand mixture.

 Continue adding glue (and if needed, more sand until you reach a consistency that feels like think dough).

It should look and feel like a thick (grainy) play dough. I found that if the mixture is too thin and watery, then it won't hold together when dripped over the bowl. Rather, gravity will pull it apart into pieces. So, you want this to be pretty thick, and just past the point of being crumbly.



Step 3

 It's time to start applying the sand mixture to the bottom of your bowl!

 I found that it was the easiest to simply scrape the sand/ glue onto the very highest point on the bowl, and then use the back of a metal spoon to gently "coax it downward and toward the sides.

I used gentle pressure in a spiraling motion, form the center outwards to coax the moisture into place.

After about 5-10 minutes gravity will take it's course and pull the sand downwards.
Step 4

 Continue adding layers.

 If you want to have more control you can wait for each layer to dry before adding the next one. But, I didn't have the patience for that! So I just kept adding more and more!

You can even use your hands to encourage the sand to go in specific directions. Just gently press it in the direction you want it to go. I found this helpful for coving any gaps in the layer below.


For fun, I chose to add my colored sand in "rainbow order" layers. But you can chose any method you like. Or for a more modern and natural look, skip the color and just use plain sand.


Step 5

 Allow several days for your bowl to sit and dry completely. The thickest layers take the longest.


Step 6

 Once all parts of your bowl feel very hard to the touch, you can remove it from the mold.

Simply flip your bowl over, give it a little wiggle and it will easily come loose.

Next, just remove the plastic wrap to reveal your lovely creation!


 This bowl made me think of a coral reef, and lovely things under the sea. So I chose to display it as summertime decoration. I added starfish, but you can use anything you want to fill it, or even just leave it empty!
I've also found that in the off-season this bowl is great for holding remote controls in the family room!
That's all for today, thanks for stopping by!

Linking up to:
http://madincrafts.com/mad-skills-link-party-411/
http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2018/02/colorful-spring-diy-projects-at.html
http://www.sewcando.com/2018/02/lets-get-festive-craftastic-monday-link.html
https://diyshowoff.com/2018/02/25/diy-party-time-264/
http://www.niftythriftythings.com/nifty-thrifty-sunday-323/
http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2018/02/wow-me-wednesday-340.html
http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2018/02/your-whims-wednesday-344-and-features.html
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2018/02/wow-us-wednesdays-377.html
https://thediydreamer.com/from-dream-to-reality/do-some-crafts-301/
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Monday, April 24, 2017

Garage Dance Party Spectacular!

Following on the heels of my most recent posts (about our rainbow party) today I'll be showing you how we transformed our ordinary garage into a rainbow wonderland all ready for a dance party!

Both kids and adults were captivated by this fun and easy to make space. You can make a "room" like this too!


This project was both inexpensive and simple!

Supplies you'll need:

-Rectangular colored plastic table cloths, about 8 of each color. I found most of mine at the Dollar Store.
You can also buy them inexpensively online:



-Packing tape, or duct tape



-A staple gun and staples



Disco ball (this is the one I used):



*Note: The disco ball doesn't run on batteries. It plugs in. So you may need an extension cord too.

-(Optional): Checkerboard floor tiles. These are peel and stick and easy to use. You can just put them right onto the cement in your garage. You'll likely need a scraper to get them off though (or just leave them there and have a neat garage floor!). For a floor about the size of mine (12'x12') you'll need 8 boxes.



It's time to start!


If you chose to make a checkerboard floor, install it first. We centered ours in the middle of the garage, leaving space around the edges for all the junk we keep stashed in there. If you have junk too (as most of us do!) Don't worry about it, we'll hide it later!



If you don't want to stick anything to your floor, you can also rent a checkerboard dance floor from a party/ wedding supply business.

Add lighting


If you have an electric garage door opener, it's possible that you also have an electrical outlet there too. Then you can easily plug in your disco ball. If you don't have one nearby that's okay. Just run an extension cord to your nearest power source. Attach it to the rafters or ceiling to hide it from sight. 


Note: at this point any kids in the household will be ready to dance. Have music ready!

Make a rainbow!

Using your tape, connect the narrow ends of two (same color) table cloths. This should give you enough length to drape it from the center of the ceiling, to close to the floor (of a two car sized garage).



Now it's time to start hanging the sheets of color! I attached one color at a time and worked my way around the room in a circle. 

First I gathered one end of the table cloth into a bundle and wrapped tape around it to secure it together. Then I attached that bunched end to the ceiling directly above the base of the disco ball. 


Leaving a little slack so that it would hang loosely,  then I flared each piece open wider and attached it to the rafters. I made sure it was secured directly above the edge of the dance floor. Then I let the rest of the length just hang down towards the floor. This way I created "walls" for the space.


If you are adhering the table cloths to a wall, or wooden rafters, it's easiest to use a staple gun. But, these are so lightweight that you could even just use tape too. 


Kids will start to get REALLY excited now! Take a break and bust a move!



Keep working your way around the room, creating a "tent" of color. Leave a few feet of empty space for an easy entranceway. And if any parts are too long, simple trim away the access with a pair of scissors. 


Then just add a playlist of fun dance music, turn on the disco lights and enjoy!



Thanks for stoping by, and happy dancing!






For MORE information about how to host your own rainbow party, see these posts:

Rainbow Party Goodie Bags 



DIY Hand Kite Favors





Linking up to these fun parties:


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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Rainbow Party Favors; Goody Bags

Any time of year is great for colorful rainbow themed parties. Usually, they seem to pop up closer to St Patrick's Day (this year it's on March 17). But, I’ve never been one to “follow the rules”. 
So, I say... if you want to throw a rainbow party, do so at anytime!



When I first started searching Pinterest for rainbow party ideas, I felt a little intimidated. There were hundreds of photos, of flawlessly executed parties… parties that looked like the had been designed and set up by professionals. Even the tutorials were intimidating in their perfection! 

You will not find that here.

Instead, I am going to do a series of blog posts on how I (a mere amateur) put together my kids’ rainbow theme birthday party. Plus, I was able to do so easily and inexpensively.  Almost everything was DIY, or at the very least, purchased from inexpensive and accessible sources. 

No professional planner was used in the creation of this celebration. This is real life, and I was the planner!

Because it’s what I started with, today I am going to focus on the favor bags that I put together to share with our guests.



It was fun and easy to gather the elements for these, and they were a big hit! The best part was that I was able to order every single thing without leaving the comfort of my own couch (Oh, Amazon Prime, how I do love you so!)

First I started by creating small Waldorf inspired ribbon rings. These are great fun for throwing or dancing with, and I love that they are also an open ended toy. 




Here is my tutorial on how to make them:


 Then using supplies purchased entirely from Amazon (read: without even having to leave the house!) I put together these sweet little sketchbooks. 


Here are the products I ordered:









I cut the stickers into strips, sharpened the pencils and used the colorful ribbons to tie it all together in a neat little package.



Then I added even more colorful goodies to the favor bags! Including these items:





And, don't forget the treasure at the end of the rainbow!






Lastly I decided to add just one more treat (not pictured). So, I added two of these fun crystal lollypops to each goody bag.



Then to wrap it all up, I used plain paper gift bags. 



To make them more decorative and unique I packaged them with colored tissue paper, and finished each on of with a rainbow bow. 







Our guests (both boys AND girls!) were delighted with their fun and colorful keepsakes!


Stay tuned for more posts on the fun details of this rainbow party!

 That's all, and thanks for stopping by!

Linking up to these fun parties:
http://www.uptodateinteriors.com/2017/03/the-creative-circle-no-107.html
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2017/03/16/creative-inspirations-linky-party-and-features-35/
http://www.artsyfartsymama.com/2017/03/artsy-fartsy-link-party-3.html
http://www.uptodateinteriors.com/2017/03/the-creative-circle-no-106.html
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2017/03/09/creative-inspirations-linky-party-and-features-34/
http://www.artsyfartsymama.com/2017/03/artsy-fartsy-link-party-2.html
http://diyshowoff.com/2017/03/12/diy-party-time-214/
http://www.skiptomylou.org/made-by-you-monday-46/

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

DIY Hand Kites (Ribbon Ring)

It's that time of year again in my household: Birthday season!

Luckily all 3 of my kids' birthdays are two weeks apart, so we are able to have one big celebration for everyone. This year I decided to go with a colorful "rainbow" theme.

For the party favor bags, I wanted to be sure to include a handmade element for each child to enjoy. I love providing children with lovingly handmade things to pay with.



But, there were a few requirements. For one, it needed to be something that I could easily produce and in a short time. Also, it had to go with our colorful rainbow theme and be inexpensive.

So, created small Waldorf inspired ribbon rings. These "Hand Kites" were the perfect addition to our favor bags!
They are great fun for throwing and watching them soar through the air, or for simply dancing around with dancing around with. Plus I love that they are also an open ended toy.



Here are the supplies I used for this project:

Wooden rings:


Clored ribbon. (I used two packs of this to make about 20 rings)


Sharp Scissors 



From there it was super easy to make these!

First:

I chose 3 coordinating colors to use for each ring. Usually I used analogous colors (or colors that are next to each other of the color wheel). Then, I empty an entire spool of ribbon, and cut the length of it exactly in half.

 

Each (half length) strand of ribbon was the perfect length for one ring. 

Then: 

 The next step was super easy too. I looped the ribbon through itself to secure it onto the ring, leaving one side much longer than the other. Then, I pulled it tight. 

 

To make sure that they held up to rough play, I further tied one end of each ribbon securely onto the wooden ring. Then, I snipped off any access  ribbon (from the short ends) near the knots. 



Lastly:

To dress them up a little, and keep the ribbon from unraveling, By making one diagonal cut, I cut a "v" shape in the end of each ribbon. Sharp sewing scissors make this step much easier.



Simply hold the ribbon between your fingers, pinch it in half and make a diagonal cut across the folded ribbon (pointing towards the wooden ring). Essentially you want to cut out a small triangle.


Lastly, enjoy and share your colorful creations! They are great for tossing through the air, dancing or anything else your imagination can think of.




That's all, and thanks for stopping by!


Linking up to these great parties:

http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2017/02/wow-me-wednesday-287.html
http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2017/02/your-whims-wednesday-295-and-features.html
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2017/02/wow-us-wednesdays-314.html
http://www.colorsandcraft.com/blog/2017/2/share-it-link-party-258
http://thediydreamer.com/from-dream-to-reality/share-crafts-diy-projects-255/
http://www.uptodateinteriors.com/2017/02/the-creative-circle-no-104.html
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2017/02/23/creative-inpirations-linky-party-and-features/



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