Time: 20 minutes
Materials: clear iphone case, paint in 3 colors, brush
1. Start painting with the lightest color in your pallet. Loose brushstrokes will give your case more of a painterly feel.
2. Mix in your second color by blending your first and second colors together before applying to your case.
3. Finishing by blending in your third and final color. If you want your colors to be less transparent, let paint dry in between layers before adding a second coat.
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: tote, freezer paper, paint, sponge brush, xacto knife, iron
1. Trace your text on to the freezer paper. Have the wax coated side facing down. You can download the text I used here!
2. Cut out the text with an xacto knife.
3. Position & iron on.
4. Dab on paint, let try, then peel off your stencil.
See the Vine!
Time: 20 minutes
Materials: broken earrings, bobby pins, nail polish, E-6000 glue, clippers
1. Remove the backing from your earrings, if it’s still there.
2. Slide your bobby pins on to a thin piece of cardboard and paint with nail polish. Some colors will require multiple coats. Clear sealant optional.
3. Once dry, remove from cardboard and select what color looks best with your earrings. For those not selected, you now have plain, colorful pins!
4. Apply E-6000 glue to the back of your earring, place, then hold. You’ll only need to hold the earring in place for 1-2 minutes, then it can dry on its own.
Hi folks, exciting news! Thanks to the fine team at Whimseybox, one of you will win the materials you need to complete this project. Details below!
Time: 1.5 hours
Materials: Whimseybox, hammer, clothespin
1. Choose what shape you’d like for your art, print image, cut out. Secure with tape, then hammer nails in around the edges. *Tip* use a clothespin to keep nail in place if you want to avoid hitting your fingers!
2. Once all nails are in place, tie a knot around one nail and begin stringing. There’s really no wrong way to do this, so have fun! End with a knot.
How to Enter-NOW CLOSED
Pin an image (or two) from the project above then let me know your username by leaving a comment below. Tweets also accepted. One lucky winner will be chosen and notified Friday May 3rd at 10:00am PST, contest open until then. US & Canada only. Best of luck!
In honor of Earth Day (April 22nd), my guest Cristin from Eve of Reduction is going to show you how to turn your old paint cans into lovely hanging baskets! You can follow the instructions below, or watch how to on youtube.
Time: 2 hours
Materials: paint cans, spray paint, painter’s tape, drill, polpropylene rope, dried foliage/plastic recyclables, potting soil, seeds/starter flowers
Instructions:
1. Begin by cleaning out your old paint cans. If there is still paint left in them you’ll need to pour in some kitty litter to absorb the moisture. Once dry, you can wrap the paint clump in newspaper and place it in the garbage. Remove paper labels from cans.
*Note: do not do this project with cans from lead paint.
2. Since the handle on the paint can doesn’t allow enough space for plants to grow, you’ll need to snip off the handle with wire cutters. Snip close to where the handle goes into the can then twist the hooked end out of the can.
*Upcycling Opportunity: I bent my can handles into two u-shaped pieces and reused them as stakes to hold my wire garden fencing in the ground
3. Spray paint the cans to your liking using outdoor spray paint that will not rust.
You may also want to use painter’s tape to mask off a design on your cans. Be sure to do this outside wearing protecting gear like a mask, goggles and gloves.
4. Once the cans have fully dried, use your drill to add holes to the bottom of the cans for drainage and to the sides of the can where you will add a new, polypropylene rope handle for hanging.
5. Measure and cut the polypropylene rope to your preferred length for hanging. Be sure to singe all cut ends so it doesn’t fray. Thread the polypropylene rope through the holes you drilled on the side of the cans and knot on the inside of the can.
6. There is a groove in the rim of the paint can where the lid fit in. To keep this from becoming a reservoir for rain, fit a piece of the polypropylene rope into this groove. There’s no need to glue it in, it will stuff in there securely.
7. Lastly, you’re going to fill the paint bucket for planting. If you fill the entire bucket with potting soil it will be very heavy and wasteful. You only need about 4” of potting soil. So, to fill in the bottom 3/4 of the bucket, it’s best to use garden refuse such as dried foliage. I used last year’s elephant grass. You can also use small plastic containers from your recycling bin to fill up space and keep the bucket light.
8. Once your bucket is full of 3 parts recyclables and 1 part potting soil, press in your seeds or imbed your starter plants!
More from Cristin—
I am the author of the new DIY lifestyle book, Living Simple, Free & Happy: How to Simplify, Declutter Your Home, and Reduce Stress, Debt & Waste. My book includes 10 upcycling tutorials all of which serve to create better storage or organization out of existing doors, dressers and baby furniture. My new book and my blog, promote the message of taking what you have and making it what you want. My projects and simple living tips help readers reduce clutter and waste while reusing under-utilized things in their home. I love to upcycle and repurpose things because it helps the environment, I spend less money (sometimes even free) and I get to be creative. Everything about that feels great! Check out my video book trailer to see some inspiring project photos from the book.
Time: 15 minutes
Materials: test tubes + holder, spray paint, pencils, foam board
1. Cut holes in your foam board so that the pencils can stand upright. Place the test tubes over the pencils.
2. Spray the test tubes with paint. Let dry for 1 minute in between coats.
*note that in the video I sprayed the tubes with water & vinegar. My initial plan was to make these mercury glass, but the test tubes were plastic and it didn’t work.
Time: 5 minutes + dry time
Materials: Rit dye, cloth napkins, bowl, water, sink, salt
1. In a plastic bowl or bucket, mix your dye with hot water and salt then stir.
2. Dip in your napkins and let sit for about 1 minute. Rise until water is clear then wash & dry.
Time: 4.5 hours
Materials: recipe book, ingredients (specific to your flavor choice)
Macarons are one of life’s greatest pleasure, which is no wonder why most places charge about $2 a cookie. After receiving one of the best books for Valentine’s day, I decided to try and make my own.
The ingredients are simple, yet specific. I used almond meal/flour instead of plain almond flour as called for and mine came out flat! Although they didn’t come out of the oven as I envisioned, they were still pretty tasty (vanilla + key lime is an excellent flavor combo). It is, however, still a bit disappointing to spend so much time baking, only to have it not be a success.
Have you tried making macarons before? I’d love to hear how it went!
Time: 10 minutes + dry/bake time
Materials: glass vase, paint brush, glass paint (vitrea 160)
1. Use the end of a paint brush to make your dots. Wipe clean after each color.
2. Once you’re pleased with your design, leave to dry for 24 hours then bake for 40 minutes at 325˚F.
Time: 5 Minutes
Materials: cloth bags, pencil with eraser, paint, ribbon, wax paper
1. Fold up a sheet of wax paper and place in the bag. This will prevent your dots from bleeding through.
2. Dip your pencil eraser in paint use as a stamp. Wipe clean between each color.
3. If you want to add ribbon, just make four vertical slits and string through. 
Time: 15 minutes
Materials: Martha Stewart scoring board, paper, scissors, tape runner
1. There are two ways to make your template. You can follow the instructions on the back of your MS scoring board, or you can find an old envelope, open it up and trace it. I chose to do the latter.
2. Cut out your pattern.
3. Use the scoring board to make accurate and straight lines for folding. If your paper is thin, avoid pressing too hard as you might make a cut instead of a crease.
4. Fold in the two sides first, without taping. Tape will only go on the long sides of the final flap.
5. When you’re ready to mail, just secure with tape either on the inside or outside.
See it on Vine!
Time: 45 minutes+ overnight dry
Materials: clay, paint, earring posts, E-6000 glue, wax paper, xacto knife
1. Working on wax paper, cut your clay in to even sized strips.
2. In your hands, roll your strips into balls.
3. Using the xacto knife, cut the balls into your desired shape. Keep in mind that you wont be able to make any changes after baking.
4. Bake in the oven at 275° for approximately 12 minutes. Follow the specific instructions for the type of clay you buy.
5. Paint and decorate! I used acrylic paint and a gold Sharpie paint pen.
6. Once dry, apply the post with the E-6000 glue. Let dry overnight.
See it on Vine!
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: wooden cutlery, acrylic paint, paint brush, tape
1. Tape off where you want the color to end.
2. Paint your handles completely in the first color of choice.
3. Once dry, tape off the section where you’d like your second color.
4. Paint & remove tape!
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: soup can, glue stick, scissors, paper, tape, bone folder
1. Gently peel off the label from your soup can. Use an x-acto knife if you need extra help getting it off in one piece.
2. Because I can’t cut a straight line to save my life, I wrapped the paper around my label since it’s already the right size. Glue your label to the paper, then fold your ends over and tape down. You can use a bone folder to help guide your lines.
3. Once all of your sides are secured, wrap around your can and seal with tape.
4. Add flowers and you’re done!
*See me make these on Vine!
I am thrilled to have Aly from Artisan des Arts return as a guest blogger this week! If you missed her previous post, you can find it here.
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: photo of yourself, shrinky dink paper, thin black sharpie, colored sharpies
Instructions:
1. Take a photo of yourself or your keychain subject, as if you are hanging on. Try to stand on your tip toes, so that it appears as if you are dangling.
2. Print your photo out, and place it under a sheet of Shrinky Dink paper. Carefully trace your photo, focusing only on key details (since it will be shrinking so much, too many details will look muddy.)
3. Flip your Shrinky Dink paper over, and color in your drawing using colored Sharpies. It’s important that you turn it over, because if you color on the same side you traced the outline on, the colored Sharpie will go over top of the black lines, and they will disappear. This also keeps everything much cleaner when coloring in the facial details.
4. Cut out your Shrinky Dink, as close as you can without cutting your black lines. Leave a large clear space around the hand, big enough to punch a hole into.
5. Punch a hole near the hand.
6. Bake according to Shrinky Dink packaging, usually 2-3 minutes at 325 degrees. Make sure to flatten your Shrinky Dink out as soon as you remove it from the oven, so it doesn’t curl up.
7. Attach a key ring to it and give it to someone you love!
More from Aly-
I’m so excited to be guest blogging again at 52weeksproject! Over at my blog, I post tons of art projects, as well as DIY’s. My husband and I are currently renovating our kitchen by ourselves, making as much as we can by hand and buying cheap anything else that we may need. We recently DIYed our butcher block countertops from scratch, using old office doors that we purchased for $60.
Coming up this week, I will be holding my most exciting giveaway to date – please make sure to check my blog for a chance to win big!
xo, aly
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