Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Tennis Ball Can DIY Organizers

 
 
Looking for ways to be eco-friendly and organized when it comes to kick knacks, small items, and sports equipment? Try creating these Tennis Ball Can DIY Organizers. They are 100% recyclable and can be made in less than 5 minutes!

Tennis Ball Can DIY Organizers

Supplies
Empty tennis ball cans (any brand, any size--I used Penn Championship Tennis Ball 3-Packs)
Paper towels
Cleaning spray or soapy water
Pile of items that need to be organized (what you are putting into the organizers!)


Instructions
1. Gather all of the empty tennis ball cans you are going to use and take off the labels on each one.
2. Afterward, use paper towels and cleaning spray or soapy water to rub off the sticky adhesives left on the tennis ball cans from the labels and clean the insides as well if needed.

3. Once the tennis ball cans are cleaned and empty, it's time to organize!


4. Place your items into the tennis ball cans and store them on a shelf, in the garage, or wherever you want to put them in the house.


Tip: I used my empty tennis ball cans to store my extra golf balls and tees. However, you can store anything in them. Put small items in them such as bouncy balls, holiday ribbon, marbles, little toys, etc. Be creative and recycle!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Homemade Cards "on a Shoestring"


Looking for creative ways to spice up your homemade birthday and other celebration/holiday cards? ----How about using string?

It's really simple to use and adds a personal touch to your DIY craft. I bet you have some extra thread, string, or even ribbon laying around your house. I call them Homemade Cards "on a Shoestring" because they are inexpensive to make and you can use thread or even a pair of shoestrings to make them!

Homemade Cards "on a Shoestring"

To get started on your Homemade Cards, you will need:
Blank cardstock and envelopes 
Scrap paper (any colors)
Any string, ribbon or thread-able material
Gluestick(s)
Scissors
Markers, colored pencils, etc...any craft supplies you use when making cards!

Instructions
1. First, I figured out whose birthdays were coming up or themed cards I would like to create and look great with using string.

2. Then, I went through my scrapbooking supplies (aka scrap paper, string, etc.) and looked for something that would go perfect with my theme for the birthday boy or girl.

3. Here's the fun part---putting your idea onto paper.


Balloon Card: I cut out different colored circles and ovals for the balloons. For the string, I threaded four strings and made knots (attaching them to the cardstock) by the bottoms of the balloons. In the bottom left of the card, I cut the remaining string and glued the ends down. In the inside of the card, I glued a white cardstock paper square to cover over the hole I made from the string.


Flag Banner Card: (pictured above) I cut out little red triangles for the flags and glued them down in a wavy line. For the posts, I cut out two long rectangles and glued them on the ends. For the string part, I made one tie on the left side first, then the right side, and finally glued the middle part down, matching it alongside the flags. In the inside of the card, I glued white cardstock paper squares to cover over the holes I made from the string.


Heart Card: For the string, I just made an oval circle and glued it separately from the ribbon. For the ribbon part, I weaved the ribbon in and out of the cardstock, making a heart shape. In the inside of the card, I glued white cardstock paper to cover over the holes I made from the ribbon.


4. Then I arranged my design on the blank cardstock and glued it together.





Tip: If the string is not sticking, make sure to reapply glue to the string and firmly press down and hold it in place until it sticks to the cardstock.

5. For the inside, write a personal message or just a simple "Happy Birthday" in unique calligraphy.  

6. Enjoy and keep on crafting!




Saturday, July 14, 2012

Lake Mendota ~ Madison, WI

Kelly's Creations
Lake Mendota:
Great tourist spot to visit in the summer. You'll be able to take beautiful pictures at sunset. These pictures I took toward the end of May, sitting on the Memorial Union Terrace.

Quick Facts about Lake Mendota
  •  Located in Dane County, Madison, WI
  • 9,781 acre lake with a max depth of 82 feet
  • Features: boat landings, public parks, beaches

Great Visiting Madison (and Wisconsin) Websites

Travel Wisconsin
http://www.travelwisconsin.com/

Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau
http://www.visitmadison.com/visitors/

City of Madison
www.cityofmadison.com

Monona Terrace (Madison,WI)
http://www.mononaterrace.com/


Kelly's Creations

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Paper Mache Collegiate Logo



Most dorm rooms are bare, empty, and definitely need a design makeover. To get started and get rid of that emptiness, you need a game plan to create the perfect oasis of collegiate bliss and the accessories to showcase your personal flair.

At college, I chose to show my school spirit through my dorm decor. Anything red-and-white, covered with Bucky Badger, or contributed to the Wisconsin theme was be added to my design checklist.

For the accessories...

I decided to create a paper mache Wisconsin logo for my dorm room since I love the Badgers and love making DIY projects!

Here are the instructions to making your own Paper Mache Collegiate Logo:

Supplies
Masking tape
Ruler
Pencil
2-3 sheets of Foam cord
Razor blade
Paper Mache
Strips of paper (I used old pages from my 2012 Wisconsin Desktop Calendar)
Assorted paints (White for the base coat and the colors for your college team)
Foam brushes
Semi-gloss Polyurethane paint

Instructions
1. Find a picture of your collegiate logo on Google Images and print out a copy. Use Photoshop to enlarge the image to the size you want your logo to be.


2. After you print out your image, trace it onto your two sheets of foam cord. Use a razor blade to cut out the logos. With the remaining pieces of foam cord, cut out long and short rectangles that are all the same width. Tape these pieces outlining the foam cord. They will be used to support the middle (sandwich part) of the logo when you paper mache.


3. Tape the two logo foam cord pieces together and now your ready to paper mache.


Paper Mache Recipe (Makes about 1/2 of an 8 oz Cool Whip container full)
1 c flour
1 c water
1 tbsp salt

Mix ingredients together in a bowl until the paste resembles a syrup-like texture.

4. Dip paper strips into your paste and attach onto your collegiate logo. After you complete one layer of paper mache, let your logo dry for a day or two. Once it's dry, complete a second layer and focus more on the spots you missed in the first layer that need to be covered. Let your logo dry again.


5. When the collegiate logo is dry, paint a white base coat. Be sure to paint two layers of this as well, to cover up the prints on the paper from before.


6. Next step is to paint your collegiate colors on the logo. Once again, paint one layer and let it dry, and then paint a second layer.

7. Once the paint is dry, finally cover the collegiate logo in semi-gloss polyurethane finish for the last two coats.

And there you have it, a Paper Mache Collegiate Logo!


Go Badgers!