We’ve been busy over here at the Crafty Cottage DIY creating all the cute and creative home decor items that we think y’all will love!
One of my favorite new items are these totally cute wagon shelf sitters. (See the link for a video of me putting one together) https://fb.watch/dnnQNQS4Ug/
You will love these wagons as much as I do..why? Because they are so versatile! There are so many adorable interchangeable sets to go along with them it will blow your mind trying to decide which one to get first! I’ve included a few pics below of some of our previous add ons that customers have ordered with the wagons.
Wagon and Mothers Day Add-on
Aren’t they absolutely adorable? We will be adding them to the shop soon so keep your eyes peeled here on the blog and make sure you follow me over on my Facebook page so you can see more cool DIY’s and home decor projects like this. Here’s the link to join me The Crafty Cottage DIY Facebook Business Page I’d love to see you there! Joanne
In this tutorial I painted and distressed a metal candle stick that I picked up at a thrift store. Candlesticks are one of my key items to look for at thrift stores. They are so versatile and can be used and decorated in so many ways!!
Painting and Distressing…
So, after I gave it a base coat of Waverly Chalk paint in the color White. I used a smaller brush and Waverly Chalk paint in the color INK. Next, I dipped just the tips of my brush in the paint. I offloaded it so there is barely any paint on the brush. Dabbing onto a plate that I was using for a pallet and the craft paper on my desk. I know messy huh. ?♀️ The paint on the brush should look dull and dry. With a light hand, I work in one direction, I apply the paint in random areas of my metal candlestick. Just as I did before in part 1 with the metal container.
After that, I used some sponges that I get from Amazon and Dollar Tree. I cut them into ¼’s so they are easier to work with. Now, I just used some Waverly Chalk paint in the color INK and got some paint on my sponge, then I offloaded the paint that is on my sponge, just use something to get the excess paint off the sponge. If you have ever done the dry brushing technique, you know what I mean. Once I got my sponge offloaded, I began by lightly dabbing paint all over the surface of the pedestal. I turn my sponge a bit each time, just to make it look distressed and natural. Oh, and make sure you let your paint completely dry after each paint process, so you don’t get any smearing or mixing of colors. Trust me I know!! ?
Putting it all together…
Once everything was completely dry, I used some E6000 around the edges and then went over that with my hot glue. I attached it to the bottom of the metal container. The E-6000 helps to give it a good secure, long lasting hold, but it takes 24 hrs. at least for it to completely bond, so I use the hot glue to give it a quick temporary hold while the E-6000 sets up.
And that’s it!!! You have a beautiful Farmhouse décor piece that you can display in your home all year long and decorate it many ways.
I hope you enjoyed this project and tutorial. Please leave me some feedback on what you think! Thanks so much!
Since Waverly paint is exclusive to Walmart and may be difficult to find, here are some alternatives you can use that I recommend:
and here are the sponges I used you can’t beat the price of the Dollar Tree Sponges especially when you can cut them up into chunks and use them for lots of projects.
I love how this DIY Rustic Farmhouse Pedestal turned out.
This is part one of two video series where I show you just how to go from shiny and new to rustic and farmhouse. You could even say it resembles an enameled piece. This would also look great with the crackle effect as well. You can check out my DIY Crackle Effect Post where I show you just how to do it.
I don’t know about you but I love to use chalk paint on most of my craft projects, why you ask…Well mainly because of the consistency of chalk paint. Most chalk paints have a thick matte chalky consistency that’s generally thicker than acrylic. So most of the time your projects only need one coat. So if you only use acrylic and don’t have chalk paint, now worries! You can easily make your own with just a few supplies. One you already have.
So here’s what you will need..
Acrylic paint my go to is Apple Barrel you can also find it at most craft stores and Walmart.
For this next item there are a few things that some other like to use in their DIY Chalk paint but I prefer to use Calcium Carbonate
That’s about it! Mix some paint and a few tablespoons of Calcium Carbonate together and stir until it’s as thick as chalk paint and waluah you have Chalk paint. Of Course if you don’t want to make your own and would just prefer to buy chalk paint. My go to is Waverly Acrylic Chalk paint. This is sold exclusively at Walmart Stores only!
So you will need some brushes and sponges I love to use these sponges because I can cut them up into smaller sections and get a lot more use out of them.
So now that you have your paint and sponges, grab a couple of brushes and your ready to get started with making this beautiful DIY Rustic Farmhouse Pedestal!
Begin by squeezing some of the chalk paint out onto a flat pallet. Dip your sponge into the paint and off load it. Once you have it off loaded you can start lightly tapping all over the metal flower container covering it entirely. Once it’s completely covered let it dry all the way before you move on. At this point you may need to add a second coat of paint. You can see in the video, I only needed a single coat and it turned out covering great.
Now that your paint is dry you will need just a little bit of black paint. Take a old well used paint brush and trim the bristles down with scissors until they short and stubbly. You don’t want to go to short, but just enough where they don’t bend much. This is the type of brush I use for dry brushing. it’s perfect for the short light strokes you use when dry brushing.
Dip your brush in your black paint and then off load it onto a paper towel or piece of cardboard. With a very light hand begin by making light strokes in one direction over the surface of the white paint. Do this in the areas around the edges and top and bottom and don’t forget to do the sides.
Now just let it dry and there you have it. You can use this metal flower container just as it. If you want to see what I do with mine, come back next week for part 2!
I know you will want to make yourself this easy DIY Picture Frame Earring Holder, once you see how easy it is!
I have been ordering some really cute earrings from paparazzi and I quickly began to realize I had nowhere to keep them. So, I figured hey I’m a DIY’er I’m just going to make one!! I wanted something functional and cute at the same time. So that’s how the DIY Picture Frame Earring Holder idea was born. So, if you find yourself in the same situation as me…here you go! ?
This post contains affiliate links for the products that I use and recommend. Using these links does not change the price of the product, it just makes it easier for you to find, and I earn a very small percentage when you purchase. I only recommend products that I use personally and believe bring you the best value.
Supplies:
a picture frame (the size you need will depend on the number of earrings you have to display on it)
Raw frame my hubby made ❤
Paint or stain- I normally use my favorite Waverly Inspirations Chalk paint, but I found this new Rustoleum chalk paint on Amazon and wanted to give it a shot. (I’m loving it so far)
I love this Serenity Blue Chalked paint
Metal Farm Mesh or Chicken wire or wire trash bin from Dollar Tree-whichever is easier for you to find
Contact Paper or Peel and stick wallpaper (with a pattern of your choice)
Begin with the picture frame, paint, or stain your frame. (My sweet hubby likes to dabble in his woodshop and made one for me. ?) Once you have given the frame a good one or two coats of paint and it is to your liking, set it aside to dry.
one coat was plenty if you like the distressed look
You will need a piece of cardboard cut close to the size of the outer edges of the picture frame since you will be stapling and gluing it to the back of the picture frame. ?
cardboard cut to size
Now, measure out a piece of contact paper that is the same size as the cardboard. Peel the backer paper off the contact paper at one end and press it down as straight and smooth as possible onto the cardboard. Keep pulling the backer paper and smoothing the contact paper down all the way to the other end of the cardboard.
applying the removable wallpaper.
For this part I had my super sweet hubby cut out mine from the roll roughly the size of the frame. I used my snips to trim it up and cut any uneven pieces. The piece of mesh or chicken wire needs to be roughly the same size as the piece of cardboard. I like to make mine a little smaller so that when I glue on the cardboard it covers up any sharp edges that remain on the mesh or chicken wire. Smart idea, right? (Sorry no pic for this part ?)
And now it’s time to start putting it all together.
Start by hot gluing the mesh in a few random spots just to help hold it in place while you staple. Then place the piece of cardboard with the contact paper side facing front, over that, and staple them both into place, or you can staple the mesh first so that you can make sure the staples are going where they need to and then staple on the cardboard. Either way works and it’s totally up to you. ?
Love how it displays all my bling! ?
That’s it you have a cute and rustic functional décor piece to keep all your bling organized and easy to find!
P.S. check out my DIY Crackle Effect blog post if you want to give your frame even more of a distressed/rustic look.
If you enjoyed this project, here are some other organization ideas you might like https://thehappyhousie.porch.com/craft-room-organization-ideas/
Give your crafting projects a little something extra with this simple DIY crackle effect.
I love working with mixed media and giving my projects an aged, distressed, look. There are several ways to do that. One of my favorite techniques is to create this simple DIY crackle effect.
I know a way to achieve this look without spending a dime at the craft store for crackle medium. You won’t believe how quick and easy this method is and you probably already have what you need in your crafting supplies. I love saving money and using what I already have at home to create easy and beautiful home décor and craft projects, so this should be no surprise when I tell you what I used. (HINT: its only two ingredients✌) This technique takes a little bit of practice. (a little luck won’t hurt either?)
What you will need…
There is more than one type of glue product that will work for this technique, My DIY mode podge works great for this ? or School glue, Mod Podge wood glue, craft glue, etc…
This post contains affiliate links for the products that I use and recommend. Using these links does not change the price of the product, it just makes it easier for you to find, and I earn a very small percentage when you purchase. I only recommend products that I use personally and believe bring you the best value.
Ok so let’s get on with this simple DIY crackle effect.
I had previously used this piece of board for another project so I already had my base color on my board as you can see from the photos. Of course, you will need to begin by painting your surface with your base color and letting it dry completely.
base color
TIP* I like to use my hairdryer on this step to speed up the drying time. (most crafters are impatient when it comes to this step so it’s no surprise ?) You can totally skip this tip and just let it dry on its own. (I promise not to judge! ?)
The next step is applying the crackle medium (school glue, Mod Podge, wood glue, craft glue) whatever you choose will work. I used my DIY Mod Podge that I made previously (see link above. ?) The thicker the crackle medium is applied the larger the cracks will be. I prefer the larger cracks because I like more of my base color to show through. Once the crackle medium is applied, it needs to sit and begin to dry. NOTE* DO NOT ALLOW THE CRACKLE MEDIUM TO DRY COMPLETELY! The crackle medium needs to be tacky to the touch. This will give the best results in the next step. If it gets too dry the crackle technique will not work. (see why I said it can take some practice to get it to work?) Stay with me, you can do this!! ?
applied crackle medium
When the crackle medium is tacky to the touch, you can now apply the topcoat. I went with white as you can see from the photos. Apply the topcoat quickly, in one direction, and DO NOT go over it with the brush too many times. Once it is dry completely you should see lots of pretty crackling all over the surface of your project.
after topcoat has been applied
It will look something like this
Now wasn’t that easy? The end result is so pretty. You can use this Simple DIY Crackle effect method on more than just wood too. Try it on some upcycled glass bottles it looks amazing!
You may also like this faux wood finishing technique:
Don’t you just love Rustic Farmhouse Christmas Tree Ornaments??
My plan was to make a rustic garland for my fireplace mantel. I decided to use these little wooden trees that I picked up last year from Dollar Tree. However, as I was working on them they just sort of morphed into these adorable DIY Farmhouse Christmas tree ornaments. I can’t wait to hang up on my tree this year. These are so easy to make it’s almost sickening. (not really but you get it. ?)
This post contains affiliate links for the products that I use and recommend. Using these links does not change the price of the product, it just makes it easier for you to find, and I earn a very small percentage when you purchase. I only recommend products that I use personally and believe bring you the best value.
After opening the package and laying out all the tree cut-outs. I applied a thick even coat of mod podge to one side of a tree cutout. (repeat this process for all 5 tree cutouts.)
after first coat has been applied and has dried
Start by placing a piece of tissue paper over the tree cutout.
Before rubbing out the wrinkles, be sure to wrap your finger with plastic wrap. This little trick helps to remove all the bubbles and wrinkles without tearing the tissue paper. (I know it sounds crazy, but it really works, give it a try.)? After that, Sit it aside to dry and move on to the next tree cutout until they are all covered and smooth and dry.
Now, it’s time to apply the next coat of Mod Podge. A thin even coat works best, then set aside to dry and move on to the next cutout. If you prefer to add another layer of Mod Podge make sure the previous layer is completely dry first. ✔?
Now Let’s wrap up this project!
Next, sand the edges of the cut out to remove the pieces of tissue paper hanging over. This makes nice smooth edges. *Tip: you can use a fingernail emery board to sand any hard to reach areas that you can’t get with the sandpaper.
Don’t forget to poke through the tissue paper covering the hole that is already in the tree cut out, with something pointy.
rough edges after second coat of Mod Podgesee the difference in the edges after sanding?
Now, taking my jute twine I measured out a long piece and fed it through the hole at the top of the tree cut out.
Next, pull both ends of the jute up even and held them in one hand and fed them through the end of the yarn needle. Tip: you can use a piece of tape wrapped around the tip of your jute to help feed it through the hole in the bead. Finally, I put the yarn needle through the hole in each of my beads. Then I just tied a knot at the end of the jute and that’s it.
Guess What?…
You now have some adorable DIY Farmhouse Christmas tree ornaments to hang on your tree or wherever you would like to give a little whimsical touch to your Christmas décor.
so cute when finished.
P.S. Here are some fun posts I think you will enjoy
Have you ever had that moment when You run out of Mod Podge right in the midst of your crafting marathon??? Frustrating Right?
Well, guess what? I have a great solution for you. I’m going to show you how to make your own DIY Mod podge, with a few simple ingredients that you probably already have around your home. So no more stopping in the middle of your crafting spree and having to run to the craft store just to get more Mod Podge so you can continue with your project. Yay!! Call me a superhero now because I know I’m about to save your day!! ??
So first let me tell you what you will need and then I’ll give you the steps to take to make this quick and easy crafting staple to keep for those emergency refills.
This post contains affiliate links for the products that I use and recommend. Using these links does not change the price of the product, it just makes it easier for you to find, and I earn a very small percentage when you purchase. I only recommend products that I use personally and believe bring you the best value.
Here’s what you will need to make your own DIY Mod Podge….
One medium-size bottle of school glue…Just swipe the one you bought for the kids to take to school and then never did!! ?
This one is the best value for your buck
A container of some sort to keep your DIY Mod Podge in. (preferably something that seals well so it does not dry out) I like the glass jars I have pictured here.
4oz jar tight seal jars
A small amount of distilled water. You just want enough water to thin the consistency of the glue a bit so that it’s not thick and easier to spread than normal school glue would be.
Distilled Water
Something to stir your with unless you prefer to just shake it!! ?
See just a few ingredients and you’re on your way to saving the day!! Hallelujah?
Now let’s make your DIY Mod Podge
First, I suggest you remove the cap from the bottle of glue. Trying to squeeze it all out of the little hole in the tip can get messy, but it’s totally up to you. We are crafting and crafting is messy! Pour the glue into the container that you chose to store you DIY Mod Podge in.
Next, add just the tiniest bit of water to the glue (distilled water is best).
If you prefer the stirring method, then you will need a plastic spoon or a craft stick or anything that you can either wash or throw in the trash after using it.
So, begin by giving it a good stir as you add a small (I mean really small) amount of water. I like to use my spoon for this. Continue stirring and adding a small amount of water at a time until the Mod Podge is thin but not runny. This is the best consistency for spreading the Mod Podge evenly on your surface.
If you are just going to shake your container of Mod Podge you can skip this step and after the previous step add your lid to the container and shake to your heart’s content! (make sure to randomly stop shaking and check the consistency of your DIY Mod Podge.) Once it’s to the right consistency you can stop shaking the container.
A tip I use to check the consistency of the Mod Podge is to hold your spoon downward over the container and let the Mod Podge drizzle off of your spoon. If it runs off quickly then your Mod Podge is too thin and you should add more glue, if it runs too slowly then you should add more water and continue shaking/stirring after either of these two steps.
Here’s what it should look like when finished.
Now you can place your lid on your container and…
That’s it! DIY Mod Podge to the rescue!
That’s all you need to make your own DIY Mod Podge. (Don’t forget to label your lid or container so you know what’s in there when you get ready to use it?)
