gifts Archives - Pretty Handy Girl

arts and craft, Crafts, gifts, Holiday decorating, kids art, Valentine's Day

Melted Crayon Heart Valentines

Looking for a simple and fun craft to do with the kids? These melted crayon hearts are just the thing. Make them for Valentine’s or just to reuse old broken crayons.

Melted Crayon Heart Valentines

After the abundance of candy and cookies consumed over the holidays, I cringe at the idea of more sweets finding their way into our home. Especially candy with artificial colored dyes added. Valentine’s Day and Halloween are the two holidays where I have to brace myself for the inevitable influx of dye-laden candies. I don’t have concrete proof, but I’m fairly certain that one of my sons has a dye sensitivity. This sensitivity manifests itself in behavior issues.

Because of this, I try to make Valentines that don’t use candies. Years ago, I made these Melted Crayon Heart Valentines! They were a big hit with the kids. This year my boys are too old for swapping Valentine’s (and they are enrolled in virtual school until the Fall), but I thought this would be a fun craft for those of you with little ones looking for easy crafts to fill the time.

How to Make Melted Crayon Heart Valentines

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Broken crayons
Heart-Shaped Muffin Tin or Silicone Candy Mold
Cardstock for Valentine’s
Elmer’s Glue Dots or hot glue

Instructions:

Start by collecting all those broken crayons (or sacrifice some worn down ones.)
Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peel the labels off all the crayons.
Break the crayons into small pieces.
Optional: Separate into colors if you want to create monotone heart crayons
Fill the bottom of the muffin tin with the broken crayons.
Place in 300F oven for 15 minutes.
Once the crayons are liquified, remove them carefully from the oven.
Set out to cool for about 15-20 minutes.
Pop them out of the tins and glue to cardstock for Valentine’s or let the kids color with them.

We attached them using Elmer’s glue dots to cards that said “For Crayon Out Loud, Won’t You Be My Valentine.”

Kelly added some glitter to her crayon hearts:

And Heather of Whipperberry paired her melted crayon hearts with these adorable Valentines using a cutting die:

Want another candy-free Valentine idea? Make these adorable “You Rule” Valentines:

Now tell me, how are you all doing? Made it through 2020? I hope you are having a happy new year so far.

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January 27, 2021/27 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Crafts, decor, Decorating, DIY, Gift Ideas, gifts, Home Decor, Tutorial

DIY Fabric Tile Coasters

Hello! How are we all doing?

The holidays may look a lot different this year, but the same sentiments and traditions are still here. If you have a tradition of making handmade holiday gifts, I have the perfect craft for you today! These DIY fabric tile coasters are a cinch to put together and you can customize them with any fabric you like.

This project is not only easy, it’s inexpensive too. Pick up square tiles from a home improvement store for as little as 15 cents. Then grab some fabric scraps to make these coasters come together.

I’m sharing the full tutorial plus some tips on making your coasters waterproof! So, let’s get started.

How to Make DIY Fabric Tile Coasters

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut Fabric to Size

The first thing you need to do is cut your fabric to size. I tried this many different ways and by far the best looking option is to cut them slightly smaller than the tile. This will leave a small white border around the top of the coaster but it will look neater. Plus, it is much easier to apply this way.

Use a rotary cutter to get the neatest cuts, but if you don’t have one, use a pair of very sharp scissors or fabric scissors.

Step 2: Apply Fabric to Tile

Take your foam brush and paint a layer of Mod Podge onto the top of your tile. Then, apply your fabric square to the tile, Smooth out bubbles as you apply.

Once your fabric is aligned properly and smooth, apply another layer of Mod Podge on top of the fabric.

Set aside your tile coasters to dry.

Step 3: Waterproof and Seal your Coaster

Once your Fabric and Mod Podge fully dries, you will notice it feels a little stiff and tacky. Eventually, this will go away but if you don’t have time on your hands and you really want to waterproof them, you’ll need to seal them.

With any of these sealers, you want to spray outdoors or in an area with really good ventilation – as the fumes are pretty strong.

One way to seal them is to use an acrylic sealer spray from Mod Podge. You can buy this in gloss or matte. I only had matte on hand but I do think gloss is the way to go here.

Another sealer (which I haven’t personally tried yet) is called Engine Enamel. This is made by Rustoleum and is actually for cars! But I’ve heard it works here too. It will give a glossy finish to your coasters and protect them from water and heat.

Finally, a third option is to use resin. Resins can be more expensive than the first two options, so keep this in mind. EnviroTex Lite is a resin sold at Michael’s and other craft stores and gives your finished coaster a very high gloss, polished look. It’s really beautiful so if you are serious about your coaster making, this is definitely the winner here.

Step 4: Apply Cork to Bottom of Tile

After your coasters are dried and sealed, let’s finish the bottom. Tile squares can be a bit rough on the bottom, so we need to cover them.

I found these cork squares on Amazon and they fit perfectly! They are also sticky on one side, so you just need to peel off the back and apply.

Another option is to use felt squares and hot glue them to the bottom.

These coasters are easy to create and make wonderful handmade gifts – even for a hostess!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Enjoy this holiday season, even if it does look a bit different. 🙂

~ See More of Karen’s Tutorials ~

Hello! I’m Karen, the creator of the Home Decor and DIY Blog: Decor Hint. I’m a Native of the East Coast, but I currently live in beautiful Seattle with my hubby, our two wonderful children, and our spunky wheaten terrier.

You can usually find me with some sort of craft in one hand and a coffee in the other. And I’m always rearranging furniture or moving lamps from room to room. I have a passion (read: obsession) for decorating, DIY, and gardening. In short, I love making my house into a home.

Like many, I’m inspired by what I see in home decor magazines, but I’m not so inspired by the price tags. Consequently, I love finding and creating beautiful budget-friendly home decor items. In a head to head competition, I bet you’d never know the difference between the designer items and my DIY creations! Many of my DIY projects focus on sewing, crafting, upcycling, and organizing. Some of my favorite projects have been making pretty wreaths, sewing my own tassel hand towels, and crafting these trendy wood bead garlands. I can’t wait to inspire you and spark your creativity through my DIY projects.

You can always connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

November 25, 2020/0 Comments/by Karen Decor Hint

accessories, Aged, Build It, decor, distressing, gifts, Home Decor, Trash to Treasure, Tutorial, Upcycling

Rustic Pallet Serving Tray

It’s amazing how serving food on a rustic tray can elevate your standard meal or dessert into an elegant occasion. This simple decorative rustic pallet serving tray is a simple project anyone can do!

Rustic Pallet Serving Tray

When I worked on a deck makeover with my sister, Caitlin (of Symmetry Designs), we shopped for a lot of the accessories ahead of time. She wanted me to find the perfect Bali-esque tray. Unfortunately I was coming up empty-handed. But, sometimes, you just have to DIY it! This Rustic Pallet Serving Tray was the brainchild of my sister, but I took her idea and ran with it.

Here’s how to make one for yourself.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Pallet wood or rustic boards
Thin Birch Plywood
Piece of paper the diameter of your tray
Pencil
Metal ruler
Scissors
Gorilla Glue
Hand weights
jigsaw (or Band Saw)
Dremel Multi-Max or Sandpaper
Drill
Drill bits
2 Drawer Pulls

Instructions:

Fold a piece of paper into eights. Cut a design along the edge. (I used a simple scallop shape like this “}”.)

When you unfold the paper, you should have a paper template to use for tracing.

Trace the template onto a piece of thin plywood.

Use a jigsaw or band saw to cut out the shape. You might find this tutorial helpful for cutting out intricate shapes.

Lay your plywood shape on top of the rustic boards. Move the boards around until you like the sections that will make up the tray. Mark a square around the shape with a ruler.

Cut the boards down to size using the pencil mark as a guide.

Dry fit the boards together on the plywood shape.

Wet both the plywood shape and the boards with a damp rag.

Apply Gorilla Glue to the plywood shape.

Set the rustic boards into the glue on the plywood shape.

Weigh the boards down with weights or heavy books.

Allow to dry for at least an hour. Remove the weights and clamp the boards onto a work surface (with the area needing to be cut hanging over the edge. Make sure there is clearance for the jig saw blade. You’ll need to cut half the boards and then turn and re-clamp to cut the entire circumference. The Rockwell JawStand works beautifully for this task.

Draw a pencil line 1 inch out from the plywood shape. Cut around the pencil line with a jig saw.

Sand edges and grooves with sandpaper or Dremel Multi-Max.

Measure and mark the location of the handles on the tray.

Pre-drill holes using a bit that is the same size as the handle screws.

Flip the tray over and drill countersink holes with a larger drill bit.

Attach the handles with the screws. The screw heads should sink into the plywood.

If you want a truly rustic look, lightly sand your handles.

If you are going to use your tray for food, use a plate or doily under the food.

What do you think? Do you like this beautiful rustic tray? Think you could make one? I bet you could!

You can see this tray and our Bali-inspired deck makeover here.

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June 15, 2020/13 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

art, arts and craft, Crafts, decor, Decorating, gifts, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, priming, Spray paint wood, Très Frugal

Doodle-Painted Birdhouse

If the birds are out in your area, chances are they are looking for a place to nest. Try your hand at doodle-painting a cute little birdhouse to help them start a family. Who knows, they may be lurking in your yard like a depressed House Hunter’s couple who can’t get past the color on your neighbor’s birdhouse. Check out this cute Doodle-Painted Birdhouse.

Doodle-Painted Birdhouse

Have you lost your mind Brittany? This looks like a Christmas tutorial in May? No, I haven’t lost my mind and yes, this is May (for those of us who have lost track of the days. But, this is the perfect project for anyone who has a simple birdhouse that needs sprucing up for those discerning House Hunter birds.

Although I created this little painted birdhouse to function as a tree topper, you can forgo drilling a hole in the bottom and add a hook to have a fully functional birdhouse for those bird watchers in your home.

This is a project you can do for fun or meditation. And kids can also get in the fun. All you need is some acrylic paint and a paint pen and you can have a blast making this Doodle-Painted Birdhouse for yourself or as a gift.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Unpainted birdhouse
Spray primer
Pencil
Drill
5/8 inch drill bit (for tree topper only)
1/8″ drill bit
Plastic dropcloth (I used disposable tablecloths because they are cheap and smaller in size)
Red craft paint
Gold craft paint
White paint pen
Paintbrushes

Optional:

Screw eye hook for hanging,
Outdoor polyurethane sealant

Instructions:

Spray prime the unfinished birdhouse and allow it to dry thoroughly.

Sketch a star shape on the sides of the birdhouse. Mark the location where you wish to drill holes. (If you are using this for an outdoor birdhouse, it’s nice to have a little ventilation for the house. But, feel free to skip this step if you wish.)

If your birdhouse is a double-decker, you will probably want to drill holes through the sides at angle and down into the first floor roof. This will allow some of the light to come through the top story holes as well.

For Tree Topper Only:

Mark the center location on the bottom and drill a 5/8″ hole through the bottom of the birdhouse. (Skip this step if you want a functional birdhouse.)

Dump any wood shavings out of the birdhouse. Set up the birdhouse on the drop cloth for painting.

Paint the sides of the birdhouse red (or any color you like.)

Paint the roof, steeple, and perches gold. Add a star and tree shape on the sides to accentuate the drilled hole patterns.

After the gold and red paint has dried completely, use the white paint pen to doodle-paint all over the birdhouse.

Afraid to Doodle-Paint?

Nonsense, there is no rhyme or reason to the doodling, just make lots of little curly q’s, c’s, and loops. You can start by outlining the window structures. Then embellish them. Regardless of your doodle-painting style, it’s important to have fun!

You can see how I used the same technique on the chalkboard ornaments on my Feathered Nest Christmas Tree and they came out really cute.

When the paint pen lines have dried, add a few coats of an outdoor sealant.

Birdhouse Tree Topper:

You can use it as a tree topper by feeding the top branch(es) into the hole on the bottom of the birdhouse.

Outdoor Birdhouse:

Add the screw eye hook and hang the birdhouse from a tree in your yard.

Décor Birdhouse:

If you simply want to display your birdhouse as décor, set a little battery-powered light inside the hole in the bottom and enjoy a homey birdhouse on a shelf.

Want to decorate your birdhouse more? You can see how I created this little Christmas painted birdhouse and embellished the roof.

Doodle-painted birdhouses are adorable gifts and very frugal. Make it May is almost over, but stay tuned for one more project!

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May 28, 2020/5 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Crafts, decor, Decorating, gifts, Home Decor, kids art, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, Pillows, Sewing

How to Make Thumbprint Design Envelope Pillows

Envelope pillows are the easiest pillow covers to sew. Combine a beautiful pillow with a personalized thumbprint design and you have a great gift idea for parents or grandparents!

How to Make Thumbprint Design Envelope Pillows

Hello, it’s Cristina from Remodelando la Casa once again happy to share an easy and fun project where kids are more than welcome to give a helping “thumb” 🙂

Envelope pillows are the easiest pillow covers I’ve sewn and let me tell you, my sewing skills are not that good. A fabric rectangle is folded to create an “envelope”, four simple straight lines to sew and your cover is done! No zippers, no Velcro, the envelope holds the pillow really well.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Fabric (I used drop cloth material), and all the necessary sewing materials.
- If you don’t have a sewing machine, this is a project you can put together using Stitch Witchery.
Fabric paint colors:
- Glacier White, Royal Blue, and Marine Blue)
Contact paper
X-acto knife
17″ x 17″ pillow forms

*Pre-wash and iron the fabric

Instructions:

For a 17″ x 17″ pillow insert, use the following dimensions.

Once the fabric is cut to size (18″x 40″), hem the left and right edges. (Fold in ½” twice, as seen in the picture below. Iron it flat and hem.) Do the same on the other side.

To create the opening on the back, fold the left side over and iron.

Do the same on the other side. These folded lines are a good visual point to help you center the design on the front face of the pillow later on.

Before sewing across the top and bottom of the cover, let’s work on the design (the fun part!) Print the starfish and seahorse silhouettes. (for these pillows print at 120%.)

Place each design on top of a big piece of contact paper, tape it in place.

Using the x-acto knife, cut through the printout and the contact paper following the outline of the silhouette.

After cutting, peel off the outer piece of contact paper and center the design on your pillow cover. Press the contact paper firmly all around the design to prevent paint from seeping through.

Now it’s time to call all those little artists and give them each a set of fabric paint.

The thumb-printing / painting can begin…

…until the shapes are filled.

Let it dry according to the paint manufacturer’s instructions. After the paint dries you can sew across the top and bottom, making sure the designs are on the inside.

If desired, wash and iron the pillow covers. Insert your pillow form.

Place it on your favorite chair and enjoy!

Our pillows are a present for a special person close to our hearts.

Of course, the artists had to sign it, or thumbprint it! Well, we did both!

Are you ready to give the thumb printing a try? Kids love it! Hint, hint… this could be a nice project for Father’s Day (or Mother’s Day).

~ Learn more about Cristina ~

May 21, 2020/26 Comments/by Cristina Garay