DIY: How to Age Paper

Hello there.  😉
Today, I'm going to give a tutorial on how I age paper.  There are a few ways of doing this that I'll talk about, but I'll focus mainly on my method.
First off, the paper itself!
My paper of choice?  Doodle paper.   You know, that thin, off-white, tissu-ey paper you probably got when you were a kid?  That stuff.  I was surprised how well it actually worked, since it seems so fragile.  Printer paper doesn't work well- it rips and falls apart too easily.  Construction paper works all right, but, for whatever reason, it crinkled up as it dried and was unusable for it's intended purpose.  Poster board works pretty well.  It's thick which makes it harder to work with, but it takes age pretty well.
Medium of choice?  Coffee.  Alternatives include tea and dirt.  I haven't tried the dirt method, but apparently you bury the paper for a few days/weeks and then dig it up and boom!  Aged paper!  Coffee, obviously, is quicker, and so is tea.  Coffe turns out more brown, and tea is more yellow.
Alright, now.  You'll need-
Paper
Coffee/Tea
Two coffe filters (if using coffee)
A cup half filled with warm water
A tub, sheet pan, sheet of aluminum foil, or something to keep the coffee/tea from going everywhere
WARNING: avoid carpeted areas while doing this project!
(ask me how I know...)

Ok, so looking through the pictures now, they're terrible.  Oh well.  I want to get this post up finally, so picture free it is!
If using coffee, put the grounds into two filters and tie off with a rubber band.  Now, put the satchet in the water.  You're basically brewing a really, really, really cruddy cup of coffee here.  Let it "steep" for a minute, then start dabbing it on your paper, which should be in your container of choice.  You don't want a ton of just brownish water.  I find that squeezing the darker "coffee" out of the filter itself stains better.  
Now, this is what I do, though it does create a rougher finish- before aging the paper, crumple it into a ball a few times and smooth it out.  You'll get a nice texture this way.  You can also do this while the paper is wet, but it's going to be more prone to tearing.
You can also replace the coffee with a tea bag, and the procedure is the same.  The result is definitely yellower though.  

Hopefully you can see the difference- the tea stained paper is on the left, and the coffee on the right.  I have to say, the coffee staining is my favorite.  I use the paper for bookmarks, maps, card, decoupage, etc, etc, etc.  Be creative with it!!

See you soon!  👐💓😏😕😾😰😞

Steampunk/Victorian projects from 2017

Good evening!  ✧✦✵🌟

So, again today, I don't have an actual tutorial, but I have some inspiration.  Over the past year, I've gotten into the steampunk/Victorian sort of  aesthetic, and I've made some jewelry and crafts to reflect that.  I showed you my steampunk statement necklace in my last post.  So here's a few more things, and a quick rundown on how I made them.  😇

Dragon necklace

This isn't strictly "Steampunk" but it's heavier and more industrial look than I usually go for.  

This is just a dragon pendant from Hobby Lobby, two lengths of handmade chain (18 gauge wire in silver and gold), and a leather string from Joann's.  (And a clasp obviously!!)

I braided the chains and leather, attached the dragon at about the middle and called it good.  The only problem I've had with this necklace is the chains start to slide down the leather and bunch up in the middle.  

 Mechanical heart charm

This charm was inspired the Lindsey Stirling song "Shatter Me".  Specifically the line "Tired mechanical heart beats 'til the song disappears."  So, I made a heart charm out of air drying clay, and once it was dry painted it gold all over.  On the front, I glued small gears (from Hobby Lobby).  On the back, I wanted it to look like the "mechanical heart" was starting to wear out and crack.  I found that dragging a straight pin through the gold paint after it had dried would rip it and create an interesting texture.  I thinned out some black paint with water and filled in the tears in the gold.  Then, I hung it on a strip of leather and called it good.  This is now one of my favorite necklaces- and one I get quite a few comments on!

Mini Victorian jewelry boxes

Both of these were intended to be steampunk at first, but as I worked I found I liked the more romantic and vintage look, so I omitted the gears and chains and what not.  The first one was a jewelry box (the kind that the jewelry comes in).  I didn't want to cover the beautiful gold box itself, so I decorated around it.  I used gold leaf, rhinestones, lace, a lock and a key jewelry charm, and I  also made paper roses based on this tutorial.  I felt I needed a centerpiece in addition to the roses, so I wrote the quote on a piece of aged paper.  (If you didn't recognize the quote, it's from the Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring.)

The second box started as a setting powder container.  I used mod podge, book pages, and aged paper to decoupage the whole thing; over that, I added a bit of gold leaf.  Then I used buttons, jewelry charms and beads, and lace to decorate the top.  

Steampunk jewelry box

THIS is what happens when I go nuts, and this was my first real steampunk project last year.  I decoupaged an old body butter container with paper and book pages.  I also smeared black acrylic paint around the sides to give it a sooty look.  I painted the inside of the tub black, then started gluing anything and everything to the top.  Buttons, gears, scraps of wires and strings, jewelry findings, and a handmade clock face.  This is definitely one of my favorite projects from last year, and turned out surprisingly well considering it was a late-Sunday-afternoon-I'm-super-bored-what-do-I-do project!

I'm working on a tutorial for how to age paper right now, so keep an eye out for that.  

Have a great day!!!  See you around!  👻💢😉💝❤👾

Steampunk Necklace Build

Hello, there.  😀😀

Well, it's a new year so time for new projects.  As I was digging through one of my craft drawers yesterday, I dug out a box of some odds and ends left over from other projects.  I'd had ideas for a steampunk themed statement necklace in my head for a while, so I sat down and started working.  I'm pretty sure I didn't pay for half of the stuff that went into this necklace- the only thing I remember buying are the gears and the charms.  I know most of the chains were broken chains I've gathered from friends and family.  This isn't necessarily a tutorial, more of an inspiration post.  So click through, and hopefully I can inspire you.  

I'll be back a few more steampunk inspired projects soon, and I'm working on getting some photos from the last six months at school.  So stay tuned!

See you around.  💮🌸🌹🍀🐙🐂

DIY: easy chemise from a pillowcase

So, my current favorite crafting thing to do is sew.  I know, I know.  Just give me a few weeks, and I'll be sick of it.
Anyways, I've always loved Medieval and Renaissance gowns, and decided that trying to make a pseudo-Medieval gown would be a good idea (more on that later).  After doing a lot of research, I stumbled across this excellent blog and  I also researched on Medieval undergarments.  Hey, I might as well attempt to be somewhat accurate!  So, she has a post on how to make a chemise.  (For those of you who don't know, a chemise is also known as a shift or a slip.  It's basically a nightgown women would wear under their dresses as an additional layer.)  The post is kind of hard to follow, and I couldn't find any full size sheets to use.  So, I decided to make do with an old pillowcase I found.
For this project, you'll need:
One white pillowcase (you can use two though)
White thread.
White ribbon or white lace
Scissors, pins, needles, a seam ripper, and a measuring tape

Start by turning your pillowcase inside out.  Now, take a look at it.  There's an open end.  There are two sides that are stitched together, and one side that's just the piece of fabric folded in half.  We're going to rip out the seam in the side opposite the open side.
Start by cutting off the chain of knots.  It should look something like this:

Cut that bad boy off, and start ripping out the seam.  This shouldn't take long, and once you're done, pull any loose threads out of the fabric.

DON'T pull any fraying threads from the fabric itself!  You don't want it to unravel!
Now, I didn't take enough pictures, but you're going to hem this newly made edge.  You're not stitching the fabric back together, you're hemming the two sides. So, fold it down about an inch and stitch the fold down.  I had to do this by hand, but it would easy with a machine.  This line doesn't have to be perfect, because this is on the inside of the pillowcase.

That's what it looked like when it's turned right-side out.  Now, you just have to add sleeves.  I just made it sleeveless.  I cut two eighteen inch pieces of white ribbon and stitched them to the pillowcase.  You are going to have to measure here.  Measure from shoulder to shoulder, where you want the sleeves to rest.  Also, eighteen inches was too long, so I tried the chemise on and shortened the straps accordingly.  Just fold the excess inside and stitch it down.
You should end up with this:

Very simple, but it'll get the job done.

Now, about this fit.  The pillowcase was tight across my hips, and it gaped at the back.  There isn't really a solution for that, but a safety pin to pick up the slack worked for me.

Well, I hope this was somewhat helpful.  If you have a question, leave a comment!  

Until next time!  👨👈❤👀😧😛

DIY: Yoshi Eggs

Here's a post for all you Mario lovers out there!  I spotted a tutorial on how to make Yoshi eggs and decided I would make some too (who doesn't love Yoshi?).  Of course, being an dork, I decided to take the tutorial and make it harder.  Yes, you heard that right.  Harder.
So, if you have spray paint handy, roll your eyes, move on, and make yourself some Yoshi eggs.  If you don't, but are interested in my convoluted method, keep reading!

You'll need:
Plastic eggs (I got a six-pack at Walmart for $.88.)
Spackle (I got a jar at the Dollar Tree for a buck)
Acrylic paint (White and whatever colors you want.  A bit of black can come in handy too)
Paintbrushes (A larger brush for painting the whole egg, and a small brush for painting the spots)
A piece of sandpaper (I used 80 grit, available at the Dollar Tree)
A glove (latex, vinyl, dishwashing gloves, whatever you don't mind getting plaster on)

Start by separating the two halves of your egg.  You can leave them together, but it's easier to work with in two pieces
Just cut the little tab thingy.

After that, cut any remaining connector.
This is optional, but you can sand the egg to remove the shiny surface.  I don't know if this helps anything adhere, but, hey, why not?
Now for the fun part.  Put the glove on your dominant hand.  Now slather on the spackle/wall filler/plaster.  Well, maybe not slather.  You don't need a thick coat, just enough to cover the whole egg, with little to no color showing through.  Now let it dry.  COMPLETELY dry.

Yes, this will take a while.  (The jar says 1 to 4 hours.  RubyDragon says up to 24 hours)
Once the egg is completely dry, sand the plaster to smooth out any unevenness or lumps.  Wipe off dust with a damp paper towel.
Now the ACTUAL fun part.  Paint the egg with one coat of white paint (or I think there's also a black yoshi egg with white spots) and let it dry.
Take your paint color (classic Yoshi green, or pretty much whatever color you like) and paint a rough circle where you want the spot.

 It doesn't have to be a perfect circle.  I painted shapes that were a bit closer to ovals.  Then fill it in.
TIP: Squeeze a blob of acrylic paint onto your work surface and cut it with about half as much Elmer's Glue, making sure to mix it in.  Also, fabric paint (the cheap kind available at the Dollar Tree) works fine for this application.
Spread your paint inward, and don't paint too many spots.

Lean the now spotted egg against a steady surface (try not to touch said surface with the wet paint!) to let it dry.

Then that's it.
You can use them in an egg hunt, or you can decorate with them.  You can always store them with your dragon's eggs in a pretty basket.

Isn't that just nice?
They are a little fragile, and the plaster can crack and chip, but otherwise, i think they'll ultimately hold up better than just plain painted eggs.  Here's what happens when you brush the paint onto the eggs.

Not pretty.  I know.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!
See you around!  😜😸

DIY: Turning styrofoam balls into eggs

Just a quick and slightly odd DIY today.  When I was getting the supplies for yesterdays dragon eggs, I realized that styrofoam eggs aren't actually that easy to find.  Weird, I know.  Especially since Easter just passed.  In any case, I was able to find plenty of styrofoam balls (at JoAnns and Walmart).  I need small eggs for another project, so I decided to pick up a pack of 1-inch styrofoam balls and see if I could reshape them.
Turns out these things can be reshaped.  See?
I started with this....

And ended with this...

No, it's not perfect, but I'm satisfied considering it took no tools and about five minutes.
Start by holding the ball in between your thumb and middle finger like this-

Now press down.  This is the tricky part.  You need to squish the sides in gently.  It may take a few tries, but start gently and increase the pressure until the sides crunch and give a little.
You should end with this.

It kind of has a Death Star look to it, doesn't it?
Rotate it ninety degrees, and squish again.  You now have indentations on four sides.  If you're not already confused, you soon will be!  Now, using your fingers, smooth out the ridges into a nice egg shape by squishing the thing even more!
Of course, it would be easier  to buy the eggs already formed, or if you're handy with a penknife I suppose you could whittle an egg, but if neither work, try squishing it!
I hope this post was helpful to someone out there.  If not, hey, I tried!
Oh, this would probably work on larger styrofoam balls too, but would require more pressure. and you might have to use two fingers to squish with.
Bye!  😝☺

DIY: How to Make Dragon Eggs

Hello, everyone.  😊
SO, for my first DIY I decided I would do dragon eggs.  I love dragons, and I've wanted to do this project ever since I saw it on pinterest a few months ago.  Why it took me so long to make them, I'll never know, but here we go!
You'll need:
Styrofoam eggs (I got a nine pack of three different sizes for $5 at JoAnns)
Thumbtacks (a LOT of thumbtacks.  You can get packs of 300 at the Dollar Tree, and I bought three.)
Pieces of foam (I got a pack of 24 foam "gift tags" at the Dollar Tree)
Glue (whatever you can find)
Optional:
Black nail polish (this isn't necessary, but it does help- more on that later.  I got a bottle of Wet'n Wild "Black Creme" at- guess where- the Dollar Tree)
Colored nail polish (I like metallic polishes best, but use what you like.  I used a Formula X polish [bought from Sephora} called "Legend")
Nail polish clear coat (available for a buck at the Dollar Tree)

Alright.  So, we start by sticking the thumb tacks into the pieces of foam so we end up with this.

Don't push them all the way down against the foam.  They need to be like this-

Unfortunately, I can't tell you how many thumbtacks you'll need.  I've made a total of four eggs- three in one size, and one in another.  I've used 150 tacks, 133  tacks, 160 tacks, and 244 tacks respectively.  The egg I'm showing you used 244 tacks, and they were made in three separate batches.  Just know this: make MORE than you think you need.  

Once all of your tacks are stuck into the foam, paint them with black nail polish.

If any of your tacks stick together like this...

Just use the point of a pencil to break them apart.

Now let the black polish dry.  Why use the black polish?  Because it forms a mostly opaque barrier between the shiny tack and the colored polish.  Metallics tend to be streaky, and the polish with silver showing through it just looks weird to me.  I usually let the polish dry for an hour, then I go in with one coat of colored polish.

Now let that dry for an hour before adding clear nail polish.  This isn't necessary, but I like shiny.  This particular polish dries kind of gritty, so I applied two coats of topcoat.  Let that dry for AT LEAST 12 hours.  Yes, you read that right.  Twenty four hours is ideal, but...

Nope.  They don't.

Once the tacks are dry enough, take them out of the foam.  Now, you  can start either from the top of the egg or the bottom- it's your choice.  Whichever you choose, stick a tack right in the middle of the end.

Now, you just work on building up a ring around it.

Keep doing this, overlapping the tacks, until you either run out of tacks and have to make more, or until you've filled in all but the last spot.  For the last tack, stick the end in a bit of glue (Elmer's, mod podge, superglue, construction glue, whatever's handy) and stick it in place!

Why stick the last tack down?  Because there's nothing else to hold it in place, and it'll fall out otherwise.  See?

If you're paranoid, paint over that last tack and surrounding tacks with clear nail polish.  Otherwise, you're done!

Isn't that just pretty?

If you don't want to paint the tacks, that works too.  And it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay quicker.

I hope you enjoyed this (long) post!  Now, go forth and create dragon eggs!  

See you later! 😃 😏