5 Step Fall Stacker Blocks

The other day I was out on a drive with my family and saw that the leaves in the mountains are already starting to change colors.  It's hard to believe that Fall is already well on it's way! 

For my first Fall craft of the season, I decided to give stacker blocks a go.  I made up several different sayings but so far I only have one set that is finished and ready to show you.  These are simple to make and easy on the wallet.  I added up my cost and figure that I made this set for less than $1.25--not too bad!  (This was the cost for the wood and the ribbon, I already had the other supplies.)  I will be able to make 10 sets out of one 8' board (that cost around $1.30) and the ribbon (that was $3.99 for 9' at JoAnn's) will be enough for four sets.  I could have saved even more if I'd spent less on the ribbon or used a coupon.
 

'Fall Blessings' Stacker Blocks

(Measures 2 3/4" tall by 5" wide)

Supplies:

• 9" length of a 1 3/8" square board (I bought one at Lowe's that was 8' long for only $1.28.  I can't remember what it is called, but it was one of the economical pine boards near the cutting area and the measurement was rounded up on the sign.  Be sure to pick through them and look for a board that is fairly straight.)
• dark walnut stain and a rag
• paint colors of your choice (I used vanilla, orange, and barn red.) and a foam brush
• stencil or vinyl letters
• sandpaper
• ribbon (2 feet for each set)

Step One:

Cut the board into three pieces that measure 1 3/8", 2 1/4", and 5".  I used a miter box and hand saw.

Sand any rough edges.

Step Two:

Stain the wood using a rag or brush and allow to dry. 

(TIP:  Stain/craft over a garbage bag to protect your table.  When you are done turn the garbage bag inside out to use in your trash can.)

Step Three:

Paint the front sides of the blocks.

Sand edges to distress.

Step four:

Cut out a stencil (I used a Silhouette craft cutter) in contact paper or vinyl (or buy a stencil that is already done), place on the blocks, and paint over it.

 The font I used is called KG Skinny Latte and the leaf was converted to a stencil from a Microsoft image.

(You can read about how to stencil with contact paper here.)



Step Five:

Lightly sand over the words to distress and tie a ribbon around the blocks.



I originally painted 'blessings' and the leaf black, but they didn't stand out enough.  I was fortunate in that I was able to reposition the original contact paper stencil to paint over it again in a vanilla color.  The stencil wasn't exactly in place so some of the black shows through.  In the end it was a lucky mistake and I really like how it turned out.

My 5 year old had another vision for the blocks--It's funny how our minds work so differently! :)

If you're looking for a simple craft idea for a craft night or a 'Super Saturday' craft day I think stencilled stacker blocks would be a fun choice.  I'm planning to wrap a few sets up in cellophane wrap and add a ribbon to give away as small 'thinking of you' gifts, I hope they like them! 

Today's Fabulous Find...

Fall Stacker Blocks for just over a Dollar

Linking up to: Be Different Act Normal    I Heart Naptime   Tator Tots and Jello   Six Sisters Stuff

Distressed Stenciled Sign using Contact Paper (Before and After)

The other day I decided that I wanted to stencil a quote on a sign to display in my home that would inspire confidence as my kids return back to school.  I went online and read through quite a few quotes before I came across one that was just what I was hoping to find.

The sign says 'Believe you can and you're halfway there' by Theodore Roosevelt and will rest on the board and batten ledge in my dining room.  It will be right at eye level when the family is sitting down to eat so I'm pretty sure they might actually even read it from time to time. 

Size:  4" tall x 34" long

My goal was to coordinate the sign with my gallery wall by repeating the shapes and colors. 

I first made this sign at a 'Super Saturday' craft day years ago--back in the day before vinyl and personal craft cutters.  I had to use a sharpie marker to write the words on it and was never happy with how it looked.  It hasn't hung on my wall in a very long time and was taking up precious storage space so it was time to either donate it or give it a makeover.

First I had to sand the board down to bare wood.  I stained it in dark walnut with a clean rag, painted it with SW Alabaster paint, and then sanded the edges to distress it.

I don't have pictures of the next steps, which might be for the best because things got a little ugly.  I took it to a craft night to work on and (despite my better judgement) I used regular paint to stencil the black letters instead of spray paint (which looks so clean and smooth).  This would have been fine if I'd been patient and brushed it on in several thin coats, or even if I'd used my stenciling brush, but I didn't.  The result was a whole lot of sloppy, messy lines.  I figured I'd have to go home and sand it back down and start all over again but a friend suggested that I try distressing it first. 

In the picture the sign is distressed on the left and the sloppy mess is on the right. 

(I was actually quite happy with how the pattern turned out, it was spray painted and the lines were crisp and clean.)

Sloppy Mess

Distressed and Aged

 (I was able to wipe off most of the black smudges on the white paint that you see with a damp cloth.)

I buy my contact paper at Wal-mart (it's a better quality than what you would buy at the dollar store and cuts so much cleaner) for around $5-6 for a large roll.  It's so cheap that you can afford to mess up, unlike with vinyl.  I use a Silhouette craft cutter to cut my contact paper stencils.  (Shanty 2 Chic first shared this great tip!)  The width needs to be cut to 8.5-9" wide to feed through (or the maximum width of your cutter) and doesn't require a mat.  I set the Silhouette on the vinyl setting and it works perfectly.  Once you have your stencil cut, weed out the letters and, just like vinyl, use transfer paper to place the design on the wood.

Tip:  I like to reuse my transfer paper.  I can usually use it 2 or sometimes 3 times before it loses it's stickiness.  I wrap it back on the roll in-between uses.  It saves a little money this way. 

Once you have pressed the contact paper down on the board well, spray over it with light coats of spray paint.  The paint will not dry well over top of the contact paper so be careful as you pull it off so that it doesn't mess up your board, tweezers help.  I like to take the contact paper off when the paint is still tacky.  You won't want to leave the contact paper on the wood for very long or it will leave behind a sticky residue.

In the picture below you can see how clean and smooth the blue words are because I used spray paint.  I think that it looks just like vinyl but it's less expensive and gives you a wide variety of color options.  You can also still choose a gloss or matte finish, depending on what paint you use.  Another plus, you won't ever have a letter peel off or bubble over time.

The sign didn't turn out exactly how I first imagined it would, but I think I like it even better this way.  I love the distressed vintage look and I think the flaws give it some personality.  Anyway that's my story and I'm sticking to it because I really don't want to start over. ;)

I hope that I was able to pass on a few tips that might save one or more of you some frustration.   For those of you who don't have access to a craft cutter I think that if you are using a stencil that isn't too detailed you could cut the contact paper with scissors or an x-acto knife. If you've tried this, I'm curious to know how it worked for you.

I have a little Fall craft that I made the other day that is also stenciled and am looking forward to sharing it with you soon!

My kids go back to school this week so I'm hoping to get in a little more crafting/blogging time.  Thanks for sticking with me through my random posting over the last several months and a big welcome to all of you who are new readers!

Today's Fabulous Find...
Stenciling with Contact Paper and Spray Paint

Linking up to:  I Heart Naptime  Today's Creative Blog

$1 Fabric Embellished Frame

This is another part of the gallery wall that I've been working on for-e-ver.  

As I've mentioned before, dollar store frames are good bases to start with because if your vision for the frame doesn't work out you're only out a buck and some time.  Plus, it's so easy to make them look better!

Start with a frame that has a flat space, it could be a gold frame from the dollar store like this one, a new frame, thrift frame, or a frame that you already own that could use a little face-lift. 

Directions 

1. Paint the frame (I painted this frame with a foam brush.  I also sprayed it with a white primer first.)
2. Cut a strip of fabric that is just less than 3 times the width of the space you want to fill.
3. Fold the fabric in thirds and press.
4. With open edges down, start at the bottom of the frame and hot glue the fabric in place.
5. Fold the fabric at each corner.
6. When you come to the end, fold the end of the fabric under so the raw edge is hidden.
7. Cut a piece of fabric (if you'd like) to put in the frame to display pictures over.

I took a picture of the frame with a leaf in it just to show how easy it is to display other items over the fabric (osnaburg).  This frame would be great for displaying photos and mementos in a scrapbook style, like a photo at the zoo with a ticket stub for example.  No photo mat needed! 

Easily personalize the frame with paint and fabric choices.

The fabric matches the curtains I made for the room and helps tie in all of the colors of the other items on the wall as well.  I wasn't sure how I'd like a frame with fabric on it, but I have to say, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!

 Today's Fabulous Find...

Embellishing Frames with Fabric

 

Linking to:  Tator Tots and Jello

Fabric Covered Magnet Board and Covered Glass Stone Magnets

I thought it would be fun to have a place to include random pictures of my family (the one's that usually end up on the refrigerator and then sometimes on the floor) as part of the photo gallery wall I'm working on.  I decided on making a fabric covered magnet board.  They're kind of fun to make, have you made one before?

They're easy to personalize (with fabric and frame choices) and are a great way to use frames and fabric remnants that you might already have on hand.  I think a framed magnet board would also be a great inexpensive small gift idea.

You can print the quote here at Poppies at Play.

I bought the frame for $2 at a thrift store and then painted it with Rustoleum's oil rubbed bronze spray paint.  The corners are all chipped up, but the dark paint hides it well.  The details on the frame match the mirror that I showed you here and is the same fabric I used to hang the moss wreath.

How to Make A Fabric Covered Framed Magnet Board

You can buy small squares of flashing? at Lowes for .56 each (they're used for roofing and are next to the rolls of sheet metal).  For a small project it's cheaper than buying a full roll.  I had to trim one of them with tin snips (wear gloves) so that it would fit.  I sprayed the frame's cardboard backing with spray adhesive glue and then stuck them on.

Press the fabric first with an iron so that it's wrinkle free then place the metal backing over the fabric (right side of the fabric down).   Bring the fabric to the back and glue it in place, pulling it tight as you go.

How to Make Fabric Covered Glass Stone Magnets

I've Mod Podged paper onto the back of glass stones many times so this time I wanted to do something a little different and glued fabric over the top of them, I really like how they turned out.

The magnets I used are strong enough to hold a 4x6 photo but one a little larger would have been even better.

My magnet board is already filled with snapshots of my kids and a recent certificate of achievement from school and will be a place where we can proudly display the kids drawings as well--it's great!

More projects will be coming--I've just got to make up my mind on how I want to finish them.  Sometimes that's harder than actually making them. :)

Today's Fabulous Find...Fabric Covered Magnet Boards

Linking up to:  Lil' Luna