Simple Snowman Gift Tags

Christmas has come and gone for 2013,

but we are still snowed in!

I made a super simple gift tag, and

it turned out so cute, I made dozens more

and thought I'd share:

Supplies:
Kraft cardstock and XL punch
1" sponge dauber
Acrylic paint: white, black
Dimensional paint: orange
Pink Powder Blush and cotton swab

 Punch out your tags ...
Dip your sponge dauber into white paint
and pounce ... either in the center,
or over to the side (I wasn't sure whether
I might want to add a name or a message, so
I pounced on the far side of the tag!)

Dip a stylus into black paint
to add the eyes.

 Use the cotton swab to
apply blushed cheeks to each
snowman head.

Add the carrot nose with the
orange dimensional paint.
To see a tutorial on how to make
these dimensional noses,
as well as the dots ...
click here.

Use the stylus dipped in black paint
to add the mouth.  Dipping the stylus before
each dot will give you same-sized dots.
To get dots decreasing in size,
dip once and dot two or three times
before redipping.  Experiment
on scratch paper first so you'll be happy
with your little black dots!

~ Peace and Happy Snowman Tags ~

2x4 Hallween Characters

This is a quick and inexpensive Halloween craft!

You can make one of these projects

with just a 2 foot length of 2x4!!
(and a few wood shapes)

 Doc and I spent one day last weekend in the

barn playing with his new saw and

the pile of wood leftover from our barn build-out:

 You are looking at sawed, sanded, and

ready-to-paint projects-to-be right thar!!
I. Am. So. Happy.!

So here are the pieces I planned to use for this

Halloween Character Project.
It doesn't look like much yet, I know.
But can you see the potential??

Cut one each in the following lengths:

3", 5", 7", and 9" - you should

be able to get one complete set from each

2 foot length of 2x4 board.

I love it when a plan comes together

in such nice, round numbers.

:D

There were a few sharp splintery edges,

so I used my palm sander to

smooth those down.  Also, there were

some numbers scratched on a few of these

boards, and my palm sander

made those disappear, as well.

LOVE my sander!!

 I have learned from experience that you

absolutely, positively must seal

your wood before you paint it.

Trust me.

There's nothing worse than completing a piece

and finding a day or two later that every

knot hole has "bled" through your paint.

Well, a shortage of Lemon Bars would be

worse.  But only slightly.

I used Mod Podge as my sealer.

~ I actually plan to make a dozen sets,

so I decided to purchase a gallon of 

water-based sealer from the lumber yard.

Much cheaper when painting,

uh-hem, sealing, large quantities of wood. ~

I brushed the Mod Podge onto

the fronts of each of the three shorter pieces,

and onto the front and sides of the larger

base piece.  I think some bleeding through

would enhance the rustic look,

I just don't want a big knot hole to

suddenly appear on Frankenmonster's face,

ya know what I mean??

Once the sealer had dried completely,

I painted (according to the photo)

purple (base), green (Frank), white (Mummy),

and orange (Jack-o-Lantern).

Then I used my palm sander to lightly

sand the front and sides of each

piece of wood.  I like to remove some
of the paint from the edges
so the stain will absorb into the wood.

Also, in my opinion, a project has a more "polished"
look when every side (including the back
or the bottom) is either painted or stained.

I used a sponge applicator to apply

an oil-based wood stain.

Wearing vinyl gloves, I brushed the front,

back, and all the sides of each

wood piece with the stain.

I immediately used a clean cloth to

wipe off the excess stain.
The longer you leave the stain without
wiping, the darker the stain will be.

Here's where painting multiple projects

comes in handy: drying time!
I like to stay busy, so all that time I
spend "waiting for the paint to dry"
is spent "painting something else" !!

I like to let my stained pieces dry overnight

before I begin handling them and

painting details.

The stain stays tacky for a few

hours, and I don't like getting the

oil-based stain on my bare fingers,

nor do I like leaving sticky fingerprints

in the surface of my paint.
Been there, done that, it isn't great.

So.  I wait.

For the base, I made a quick

pattern of the words HAPPY FALL!

and then centered them on the

side of the base and transferred the main

pattern lines with a stylus and transfer paper.

My eight year old asked me why
I wrote "Happy Fall" and not "Happy Halloween".

 Good question, Little Man.
The answer is simple:
 "Happy Halloween" just wouldn't fit on the board.

I outlined the main pattern lines with black

acrylic paint and a round brush.

Then, to give the letters some oomph, I used

my liner brush and white acrylic paint to

highlight the right and lower sides of each letter.

For the Frankenmonster, I painted the hairline

with black paint, and added scars and

small stitches with my liner brush.

The eyes are dip dots of black
(I used a paintbrush handle), the smile

is a curved line made with the liner brush.

I blushed the cheeks with

pink powder blush and a cotton swab.
 I painted two 1/2" button plugs gray,

and attached them to either side of Frank's neck
to serve as bolts holding his head on.

Poor guy!!  Still cute, though.

TIP: I'm actually making multiple sets of these
Halloween characters, so in order to paint
all the button plugs at once
(gray for the bolts, green for the noses)
I used masking tape:

For the Mummy, I used gray acrylic paint

to apply the wrap lines with a liner brush.

The eyes, eyebrows, and smile are black.

For the Jack-o-Lantern,

I painted a small wooden spool

for the pumpkin stem, and a heart-shaped

cut-out for the leaf.
(Ignore the unpainted triangles in
the photo ... I had a better idea!) 

I was trimming the points

off a wooden star, and realized they

were the right size and shape

to be candy corn ...

... I thought that would make for a

much more fun nose!  And noses should

be fun, as a rule.

After painting the candy corn shapes,

I used a sanding block to sand the edges

of each piece of candy.

I just like the sanded-edge look ...

here's a photo of some

un-sanded candy corn and some sanded

candy corn, side by side:

   

See??  The sanded corn is more interesting.

And noses should be interesting, as a rule.

So now we agree noses

should be fun and interesting.

Cool.

I blushed his cheeks with pink powder

blush and a cotton swab,
dotted his eyes with a paintbrush handle,
and gave him eyebrows and a
big smile with a liner brush.

Now to secure your characters
securely to the base ... you'll need
a power drill, a dowel, and something to
trim your dowel with.
I used Midwest Products Easy Cutter
Ultimate.  It's amazing.
 
 Using a 1/4" drill bit,
drill a hole into the bottom center
of each block character.

 Determine where on the base you want
the Jack-o-Lantern to sit;

(Sorry - this pic is for the mummy,
but I got so excited about this technique, 
I completely forgot to take a pic)

Once you have Jack centered on the
base, tip the block back and
place a screw with a large head into the hole -
(the screw will be flat against the
base, and the screw head will be 1/2 in
the hole you've drilled, and the
other half will make an impression when
you tap the block with a mallet).

Press Jack back down into
place, over the screw, and use a
rubber mallet to tap gently on Jack,
leaving an impression in the base.

Did ya get that??
Easier done than said, really.

Drill a hole into the base,
using the impression as your mark.

Put a drop of Tacky Glue into the
hole you've made in the base.  Insert
a 1/4" diameter dowel into the hole
and tap the dowel with the rubber mallet
to make sure it's secure.

Trim the dowel.

Add a few more drops of glue
before tapping each piece in place.

Repeat for each character.

There!  Quick and easy, right??

~ Peace and Happy Halloweenies ~

Snowman Pocket Tin

 All the Christmas decorations

are 30% off at Hobby Lobby this week!!

(Or is it 40%?!?)

So I picked up a few of

these pre-painted tin pocket pails.

Pre-painted, to me, means "already

base coated and ready for the fun part!"

I used one of my patterns from

last year.  You can upload it here.

(But please, if for some reason it doesn't

work, let me know)!!  I'm learning

to upload my patterns and it's been a

rough ride.  I'm technically challenged,

you know.  (At least, now you know). 

Moving on ...

I sanded the surface of the tin

pocket to give it some "tooth".

(Paint just doesn't want to stick to

a slick surface.  It sort of floats

there and it doesn't dry evenly and

overall it's just plain unsatisfactory.

I don't like it, is what I'm saying).

So to avoid all that nonsense,

I use a sanding block to rough up

the finish a little.  You can

always go back once you've completed

your project and add a coat

of varnish if you want a shiny look.

Use tracing paper to make a pattern

of the snowman, and apply

it to the pail using transfer paper

and a stylus.

Once I had painted the snowman

head with a brush, I realized that

it would look a lot more interesting if I

used a sea sponge to apply the

base coat.  See??

Next I painted the earmuffs with

a bright lime green paint.

I LOVE a lime green and a real red

at Christmas!!  Fun colors.

Then I shaded the earmuffs and added

the head piece with a kelly green.

I used a paintbrush handle dipped in

black paint to make the eyes and the mouth.

I pounced three or four times in the

same area so that I could achieve a

rough "coal" look, as opposed to the perfect

circle dots.  I've done those too,

you just get a completely different look

for your finished project.

I painted the carrot nose with orange.

I used a damp toothbrush dipped

in white paint to lightly spatter the

surface of the tin pocket,

and I brushed on a Multi-Purpose sealer.

Once your sealer, or varnish, has

dried completely, you can take a permanent

black marking pen and outline the 

details.  I like to give my guys a little

eyebrow/attitude.  Kind of a surprised look.

 

Fill with tiny Christmas sprigs

or Christmas candies and give these

as gifts!  Cute and simple!!

Peace and Little Tin Pockets

 

DCC Blog Hop - SEPTEMBER

Welcome to the DCC Blog Hop!!

The topic for September is vintage. 

I have several vintage items awaiting
a fresh coat of paint ... I sort of collect things
like luggage, trunks, and chairs.
I can't help it.  It's a fetish of mine.
I haven't actually painted any of these items yet,
because until I know exactly what I
want to use them for, I don't want to change the
way they looked when they first called my name from
those dark, dusty corners of flea markets
and antique stores.

Anyway, this month's blog hop inspired me
to search for old ... wood.  I know.
I'm weird.  I just love old wood.  The older,
the more coats of paint showing, the better.
I actually look for chips and dings 
and rough edges - those are
my absolute favorites.
I think Doc turned four shades of purple the
first time I brought lengths of old crown
moulding home from a flea market.  His love
of antiques veers more towards the
already stripped, sanded, and refinished models.
I like my antiques rough.  Rustic.  With character.
(Sometimes, I have to remind him
that it's written somewhere in the marriage
paperwork that he should love, honor, and
tolerate my flea market finds,
regardless of their condition).
:D

Just so you know, I turned those split and peeling
old lengths of crown moulding into hook racks -
one for wet beach towels in our little "pool house"
and several in my garage to create
my own version of a mud room.  To hold
the plethora of backpacks, knapsacks, tote bags,
overalls, and seasonal coats and jackets
that litter my life.  Did I just say litter??

 Ah, but I digress.  This month I was on
the lookout for wood.  On my first day of scavenging
all the local flea markets, my dad happened
to ask me, "what is it that you're looking for today?"
"Wood" I said, "old planks of rough, dirty wood!"

 "Well," he says, "why don't you take a look
at what I've got up there in the shed?  I saved all
the old redwood planks from the remodel a few years ago."

 Oh. My. GOSH!!!
Who could have known I need only look as far
as my parent's shed??  Who, I ask you??
I did take a look at what he had up there in the shed,
and it was wonderful!!  1" and 2" thick planks
of old (1940s), painted redwood siding in several
lengths.  "What length do you need?" asked
my wonderful father.  I'm pretty sure there
was the glow of a halo over his head that day.
"About 25"!" I say, "or thereabouts."
"I'll cut them for you, but not today."


Hm.  The glow of that halo faltered.  But not much.
Two days later I had this:

 
* YAY *
So. Many. Ideas!!
But first, it is football season.
Our team played their first game this weekend,
and I thought I'd make something
for those big ol' boys that live in my house.

 Something sporty.
Sportsman like. Appropriate for
sport, or to show sportsmanship.  

 So, I sanded the loosest paint chips off;
and I brushed a sealer onto the front and the
sides of the board paying extra attention to the
split corner and to the edges of the
remaining paint, to make sure I got a good
coat of sealer onto those areas.


 Next, I made a quick pattern
of the letters, and then of the team mascot.
I had to play with my pattern
placement until I found a pleasing arrangement.

... or ...

I shuffled a lot more than this,
but got so engrossed I forgot to take
more photos.

I taped my pattern in place,
and placed transfer paper
between my pattern and my wood.
Then I outlined the main pattern lines
with a stylus (or you could use a paintbrush handle).

I base coated the main pattern lines,
like the mascot shape and the lettering.
Then I shaded around the letters and sanded
the whole piece thoroughly.

Next, I added color to the bottoms of each letter
and added detail lines to the mascot.
 I sanded the surface again, to distress the
finish, and then I wiped all the dust off
with a clean rag.

I outlined all my details with a liner
brush and thinned black paint.
Then I sealed the entire piece with a
matte finish varnish.

 +++ Go Pokes!!! +++

Here's what Doc said when I held
it up across the length of the barn for
his inspection:
"Wah - ah - ah - ow!!"
(His "wow" actually had four syllables).
Then he stepped forward for a closer
look and said, "I want this for me!"

"It is for you!" I said.
hee hee HE's my biggest fan.
 
Peace and Vintage Wood Signs :) 


I hope you liked my spin on
crafting with vintage pieces!
Click on the Designer Crafts Blog Connection
blinkie at the top right of this post to
hop through our list of fabulous
designers and see other creative versions
of vintage crafting.