DIY Wooden Tribal Necklace

Sometimes I forget that I'm not as young and hip as I think I am. Today is all about me venturing over to the wild side. You, too, can unleash your inner animal with this DIY tribal necklace!

DIY Watercolor Guest Book Alternative

For last weekend's bridal shower, I wanted a guest book that was better than the average bound variety. There are guest book alternatives abounding all over the internet. There are those cute fingerprint ideas and the signed bottle of wine and the wishing trees and pieces of a puzzle. I really wanted something else though. That's when I saw this fun piece of art on Pinterest. $160 though? Woowee. That was so not in the budget. So, what's a crafty girl to do? Make one of course. 

The end result was exactly what I was looking for. The colors and pattern are completely customizable and BOY OH BOY, it was a fun DIY. I forgot how much I enjoy painting with watercolors. 

DIY Faux Enamel Earrings

I have finally begun to work through the odds and ends in my Pick Your Plum grab box! I got a couple baggies of jewelry findings and decided to make a deceptively simple pair of faux enamel earrings.

For this project you will need: filigree medallions, earring hooks, and Martha Stewart liquid fill glass paint. I had a ton of the glass paint leftover from my Mason Jar Photo Frame so I was glad to use some in an unexpected way.

Paper Source Knock-off: Watercolor Stripes Stationery

I came across these gorgeous watercolor letterpress cards at Paper Source a few weeks ago and kept going back to add them to my mental "must buy" list. I just couldn't justify $24.95 for SIX note cards. Instead I turned to the craft store and got a high quality letterpress cardstock set on clearance for $2.99 (enough for 12!) and made my own.

Springtime Mason Jar Photo Holder

I recently took part in the Martha Stewart Glass Painting Program and had a blast creating an assortment of things. You see, Plaid Crafts has these great new Martha Stewart paintable clings that pair perfectly with their liquid fill glass paint. The clings are awesome simply because they are repositionable so you can change out your decor season after season, year after year. Since Spring is right around the corner (or so says Mr. Punxsutawney Phil), I used the Martha Stewart Crafts Butterfly and Blossoms clings and a few different shades of blue and green paint to create a new decor piece -- a Springtime Mason Jar Photo Holder.

Isn't it kind of the best thing ever? That might be a slight exaggeration, but then again, I'd have to agree that it's slightly more than just plain awesome. Do you remember that picture of craft supplies that I shared on Instagram about two weeks ago? Well, this is one of the projects I used with those babies!

Cinderella Story: Chair Makeover

Does everyone religiously browse the PB catalog like me? I have been crushing on some fun and structured chairs lately but there was no way in heck I would pay more than $100 for each chair: see them here, here, and here.  I was lucky enough to come across two matching Chippendale chairs recently (FOR FREE!) and could not wait to recreate one of my favorite looks. 

Mercury Glass Tutorial

Antique mercury glass is both charming and chic. It really brings that old world feel to a modern home which is exactly my aesthetic. Like most things I covet, it's not exactly cheap... just check out Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware options. Unfortunately, the price doesn't deter me from wanting to live in a pretty little mercury glass bubble.

Did you know you can create the look of vintage mercury glass at home in three simple steps? No way, you say? How, you ask? Let me show you!

All you'll need is Krylon's Looking Glass spray paint and a bottle of water!

You can get the Krylon paint online, but Wal-Mart carries it at a pretty reasonable price. (When will Target get on board with a big ole crafting section?!)

The process is simple:
1. Spray your glass lightly with water, letting little droplets gather on the surface. (You'll see that I taped my glass off and this was simply because I only wanted the base of my jar to have the finish)

2. Spray paint around the entire surface (yes, over the water and all). Don't panic when it starts to take on a very streaky faux silver finish; that's exactly what you want.

3. Let it dry for about 20-25 minutes in the sun. The paint only takes about 10 minutes to be dry enough to touch, but you also need most of the water to evaporate as well. Grab an old dish towel and gently rub over the paint in a "wax on, wax off" motion. You'll get this streaky distressed look that adds so much character.

That's it. You're finished. You didn't think it could possibly be that easy, did ya?

Easy breezy mercury glass in 30 minutes or less.

Now go grab your dollar store candle stick holders, those cheap florist vases, and all of your recyclables! I especially love mercury glass at Christmas so I'm going to be doing a ton of decorations now (while it's warm enough for things to dry outside) and you should, too! I'd love to see what you make!

Come back tomorrow to see the finished mercury glass project! If you're not already following Spool and Spoon via email or Google Friend Connect, make sure you do so you won't miss it.

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