Mother's Day Cup of Love Mug

Mother's Day is almost here!  Hopefully you have already found the perfect gift for Mom.  If not, start shopping or maybe creating.  I thought I'd share the mug I made for my mom.  I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the design.  I got it last year for Christmas and I've had such fun creating with it ever since.  I used the flower wreath design and added the text Cup of Love to the middle of it.  Perfect for her nightly tea.

To the back of the mug, I added Mimi since this is what my kids call my mom.  A fun and simple little gift for our Mimi!  Happy Mother's Day!

Teacher Appreciation Word Art Gift

 Teacher appreciation week is here!  Hopefully you've made plans to show your child's teacher just how much they mean to you!  If not, don't worry.  I have an idea for you.

I'm class mom for my daughter's fourth grade class.  I didn't start the year that way, but I guess no one volunteered and they saw me in the school lobby one day and asked me to take over the position.  I wasn't sure how much time it would take up, but it hasn't been that bad.  I've decorated the class door for Red Ribbon Week.  I've organized the teacher's birthday gift and lunch.  Mostly it's been e-mails out to the few parents that would actually share their e-mail address with me.  The toughest part is that I have very few parents that are involved or want to participate.  The school has a basket night where families try to win baskets that the classes put together by buying tickets and using them as chances to win different baskets.  I asked for donations from our class, but no one responded.  I ended up making two different baskets for our class on my own.  I got donations from our local MLS team, Orlando City and made that into a basket.  Then I shopped after Halloween sales to make a costume/dress up basket as well.  I don't like the ball to be dropped so I just take it over.  It' gets to be a lot of work, since I tend to make it more than it needs to be.  But I'd rather do that than have nothing done at all.

So coming into Teacher Appreciation Week, I wasn't too hopeful to get donations.  I was pleasantly surprised to have a few generous donations that will definitely help me to show our teacher some love.  I had already planned to do a little gift each day, so this will help me to do that.

Today I sent in a framed Word Art gift that had all the kids names made into the shape of a flower.  I used Tagxedo to make my flower shape.  There are all different kinds of shapes to choose from and you can change what words you want to use to appear in your word art.  It really is so cool.  Plus it can be used for so many different projects!  I've used it for party invites as well!

After choosing my design and getting it laid out the way I wanted, I printed my flower onto cardstock.  Then I found a frame I liked to put it in.  Now I just wanted to add my message to the mat of the frame.  I used my Silhouette Cameo to print out Thanks for helping me Grow in vinyl.  You can also use sticker letters from the craft store as well.

On the bottom of the mat I added the school name and year.  You could also add the teacher's name or whatever message you choose.

I'm really happy with how it came out.  Perfect for Day 1 of surprises for Teacher Appreciation Week!

Father's Day Mini Canvas Art

Father's Day is this weekend!  You didn't forget did you?  I'm sure you have the perfect gift for Dad, but if you are still looking for that last minute gift to make with the kids, then I can help.  My girls and I decided to make Dad his own collection of mini art.  We all made our own little masterpiece to give him.

To make this a quick and easy DIY craft, we used mini canvases and Sharpie markers.  You could sketch your design with pencil, or just jump in with your doodling.  I actually found my four pack of canvases at Ross, but you can also find them at JoAnn's or Michaels.  Choose just a few color Sharpies or go for the full rainbow.

Everyone had their own ideas of what they wanted to create.  I love how they all go together in their own way.  

Dad will love each and every art piece, because he will know that it was made with love from the heart.  

 I helped my youngest by sketching a heart that she could color in.  Afterwards, we traced around the outside of the heart with black to sharpen the look.

On Father's Day, Dad will have the perfect collection of art to hang to remind him just how special he is to his family.  

Happy Father's Day!

Honeymoon Travel Journal Gift

We're into June.  That means we're right in wedding season.  If you've seen any of my other posts, you know that I like to make wedding gifts (or really any occasion gifts) for the lucky couple.  I really believe that making a gift from the heart means a little bit more and hopefully it will mean more to the recipient if they know the thought and effort you put into it.  I decided to make a Honeymoon Travel Journal for the newlyweds to document their fun trip.

I found my blank notebook at Walmart in the office supply section.  I liked the fact that it had the rubber band closure as well.  I found my maps in an atlas that I purchased at Goodwill.  I used the atlas to make my Hometown Heart Map Canvas as well.  Another great wedding gift!  You will need a bottle of Mod Podge and a foam brush to create your travel journal.

My newlyweds were actually traveling to two places for their honeymoon.  I used a heart template to cut out two small hearts around the two areas that they were  traveling.  You could also just cut one heart if they are visiting one location or you might have three or four if they are going on a cruise with multiple destinations.  Another idea would be to cut out a heart to represent both of the bride and groom's hometowns.  I printed a sticker with the words Our Travel and centered it on another circle of map.

I placed my hearts and title circle onto my journal, using a bit of mod podge on the back of them to keep them in place.  After they dried, I used my foam brush and brushed a layer of Mod Podge over the whole front of the journal.  Allow to dry and repeat this process until you feel your map pieces are secure.

I also glued a manila envelope to the inside front cover of the journal.  This allows the couple to drop in ticket stubs or other souvenirs.  Perfect way to keep track of those little items while on the go.

The newlyweds loved their Honeymoon Travel Journal.  I know they took it with them to journal their trips and document all the fun times they had.  This is a great gift from the heart, that is simple to make.  Who do you know that would love their own personalized journal?

You may also like:

Hometown Heart Map

Wedding Initial Canvas

Beer Cap Shadow Box for Father's Day

Father's Day is almost here.  I'm not sure what your Dad likes to do, but both my Dad and my Hubby enjoy a beer now and then.  They both also like to try new and different beers.  If this sounds anything like the man in your life, then maybe you should make him his own Beer Cap Shadow Box!  This is a fun and easy DIY gift for the beer lover!

You can find ready made shadow boxes that have the slot on the top or even the sliding top, but they can get pretty expensive.  You should be able to make your own for much less, especially if you utilize one of those handy 40% off coupons that many of the craft stores offer.

You can purchase any type of shadow box.  Mine was about an 8x10 size, perfect for a shelf top beer cap shadow box.  Using a Dremmel, we used a cutting tip to make our rectangular hole in the top of the shadow box.  After getting the right size, we sanded the inside of the cut to make it smoother.  Test your slot to make sure your beer caps will slide in easily.

Now you have a beer cap shadow box, but it may be a bit boring.  You could stencil a saying on the front of your frame or even a picture.  I decided to use beer stickers to add some interest to the front of my shadow box.  Pair it with a six pack of beer and Dad will be ready to start his beer cap collection with his new beer cap shadow box!

Hometown Heart Map Canvas

You probably know by now that I like to make personalized gifts for my friends. This Hometown Heart Canvas is the perfect wedding gift to celebrate two hearts coming together. Each person has their own past and upbringing that makes them who they are. This canvas honors these pasts combining them into one heart.  

This project begins with a search for maps of the hometowns.  I was able to find my maps in books I found at Goodwill.  You may have some on hand, but if not, Goodwill or a used book store is the perfect place to start your search.  They may have an older or outdated Atlas or map book.  I got one of each for only $.99 each.

Next, I found a pattern for my heart by searching online for the shape.  I was able to print my heart so that one half of it fit on a regular piece of paper.  Use your heart half and trace it onto your map.  How and where your hometown ends up depends on your map and the layout you like.  One of my maps was the whole country of Brazil.  The other was a close up map of Central Florida.  They both have different looks, but that is the unique idea of combining two different things into one.

Cut out both of your heart halves and place on your canvas.  You could mount them on one canvas, but I chose to place them each on their own 8 x 10 canvas.  I lined the edges of the hearts up, on the edges on the canvases.  Use small heart stickers to mark your hometowns.

Apply Mod Podge to the back of the heart, put it in place and allow to dry.  Apply a layer of Mod Podge over your entire canvas with a foam brush and allow to dry.  Repeat this process until you are happy that it is sealed in place.

This Hometown Heart Map Canvas is the perfect wedding or Valentine's Day gift.  Make one for your friends or your sweetie.  A simple project with a lot of meaning behind it.

Tic Tac Toe Board Game

 

Today I wanted to share with you an easy craft for the kids to make this summer.  This Tic Tac Toe Board is one I made for my Dad.  I thought it would be a fun and easy game that he could play with his grandkids.  This is simple enough that the kids could make their own Tic Tac Toe game to play on a lazy summer day.



 

You will need a square piece of wood.  Mine was a spare piece we had leftover from another project.  You can also find some square pieces at a craft store like Michael's.  Measure the length and width of your square, making marks to divide the piece into thirds.  Make your marks on all four sides.  This will work even if your wood is a rectangle.  Use a ruler to connect your marks, making your Tic Tac Toe lines.  I made my lines in pencil.  Once I was happy with how it looked, I traced over it in a copper sharpie marker. 

You will also need your board game pieces.  If you look in the wood section of your craft store, they have these ready made wood pieces in both small and large sizes.  First pick which size works best for your piece of wood.  Then pick which theme you would like to use.  I went with a sports theme and picked the football and soccer balls.  You will need five of each.  There are so many cute game pieces to choose from!

Now it is time to play your game.  Pick your game pieces and go.  I also found a small mesh bag with a ribbon tie to keep my game pieces in when we weren't playing.  Don't want to lose any!  Are the kids bored already?  Have them make their own Tic Tac Toe Board so they always have a game to play! 

Happy Father's Day!

 

 

Happy Father's Day to all the great men in my life. Love you all!