Making More Out of Magazines

This week has been another stressful week, let me tell you. There are tests after tests after tests, and they are big ones! On top of that, we have friends coming in town this week, so we have to get everything ready for them. I also have longer soccer practices this week, so I don't have much time to do anything. Because of this limited amount of time, I wanted to find a quick, easy craft to make, and I did! I was browsing the crafts on Brit+Co. and found Magazine Wall Art, which had a cute picture and sounded interesting. I also found lots of food ideas, so look forward to those!

It turns out that this craft was super easy, but it took a little bit longer than I expected. This could have been because I was bad at it, though. :)

Here's how to make it if you want to try it out!

Magazine Wall Art

You will need:

Board/Canvas

Old Magazines

Pattern

Hot Glue Gun

Tape

Scissors

The first step is to find or make a pattern of the shape you want to do. I went online and found a image of a cat and made a "C" on Powerpoint for my patterns. I wanted to make a bear for the bigger board I had, but our printer wasn't working. Darn! So I decided to make one for myself and one for the girls who are coming for the weekend, Evelyn and Georgia. Cut out the pattern so it is in the shape you want.

This next step is optional, but I did it. Mod podge your board to give it a crafty, yet finished, look! I did a few coats. 

While you are waiting for that to dry (if you did it), go find some old magazines and rip pages out of them. I chose magazines with colorful pages, so the end result would be bright and fun! We had a lot of Better Homes and Gardens magazines, which had a lot of bright colors and flowers, which worked perfectly! Cut the pages you tore out into small rectangles. Make sure your rectangles are as tall, or taller, than your pattern.

Take those rectangles and roll them into little tubes and tape them so they stay. I would recommend getting clear tape so you can't see it. I didn't have completely clear tape,  so I had to use several tiny (and I mean TINY) pieces of tape to hold them all together. Make sure you make enough to cover your pattern and maybe a few extras, so you can pick your favorite colors!

Once you've organized everything so it's just the way you want it, heat up that glue gun and glue all of your rolls in place on your pattern. Make sure everything will stay, then cut around your pattern so the magazine rolls fit the shape exactly. Sometimes the rolls will unroll when you cut them, but don't worry! Just take a little bit more glue to hold it where you want it. 

Once everything is trimmed, glued, and perfected, glue the shape, pattern and all, to the board. 

All done! Happy crafting!

Mod Podge Mania

When it comes to Mod Podge, you can do so much with so little effort and time! Now, I'm not even close to a professional at mod-podging, but here are some tips for getting a good result.

One of the first times I used Mod Podge was with my friend, Evie. I'm pretty sure I made a picture frame as a Christmas present for my mom. We've also made letters together, too. You'll see what I mean by these later on. I've made these frames and letters a bunch of times now for a bunch of different people. Even my sister's Girl Scout troop made cute boxes covered in pictures of them throughout their years in the troop. See what I mean? The possibilities are endless!

Both the frame and the letter are super easy and almost exactly the same. Let's get started!

STEP 1:
Gather all of your materials. The things that are absolutely necessary are a wooden frame, Mod Podge, scrapbook paper, a foam paint brush (those rectangular black ones with a wooden stick) of any size, a pencil, scissors, a plastic card (like a credit card, for example) and a nail file. Other things you could get are ribbon, buttons, and anything else to jazz it up! Hot glue is good for getting everything to stay.

STEP 2: 

Take apart your frame. I got mine at the Michael's craft store in Park City. Keep the little cardboard thing if it has one and do not lose the stick- that's what holds your frame up! I guess you don't need it if you were going to hang it up on a wall or something.

STEP 3:

Trace your frame on the back of a piece of scrapbook paper. That way, you won't have to erase the pencil from the pretty side. Make sure you don't forget the middle part!

STEP 4:

Cut out your tracings. You should have a piece of paper that looks like a flattened version of the frame.

STEP 5:

Add a layer of Mod Podge on the frame and the back of the paper. Don't add too much, but you need enough so the paper will stick.

STEP 6:

Cover the frame entirely with the paper so you can't see any parts of the original frame. Smooth it out with your fingers as much as you can.

STEP 7:

Take your plastic card and smooth out the paper even more to eliminate bubbles. I used an old library card. 

STEP 8:

Now, if you turn your frame over, you'll probably see that the paper is hanging over the edge. If you can, cut the excess paper off. If you can't, it's no big deal.

STEP 9:

Take the nail file and smooth out the edges of the paper so it matches the size of the frame exactly. Only rub the file one way so it bends over the edge of the frame. If you go the opposite way, the paper might bend the wrong way, which will most likely mess it up. The pattern on the paper will start to rub off and it will get thin. When the paper is thin and white, you can probably start filing side to side to rip the tiny bit of paper off and make a clean, smooth edge. 

STEP 10:

It's Mod Podge time! Paint a layer of Mod Podge over the frame. Again, don't add too much, but just enough to cover it. I use the matte version, which doesn't change the look too much, but makes everything look finished and well-done. If you prefer things that are more sparkly or shiny, there are other kinds that you can buy as well to give you the effect you want.

STEP 11:

I like to add ribbon along the edges to cover up the wood. Measure around the frame with the ribbon and add Mod Podge to the edge of the ribbon. It likes to soak through and stick to your finger more than the frame, but just be patient. It will work eventually. Keep adding Mod Podge along the edges of the frame and smooth out the ribbon. You could use hot glue as well, but wherever you glue will be darker than the parts you don't, while Mod Podge will keep everything the same color.

STEP 12:

Take the little wooden stick that came with the frame and hot glue it into its hole. 

STEP 13: 

Add the rest of your decorations and you're done! 

The one on the left is a picture of Evie and I with our friend Savana from California. Her family took us skim boarding while we were there for Thanksgiving break and we took this cute picture! By the way, I am VERY bad at skim boarding. I'm giving the other one to my cousins for Christmas. It was at Cyprus Gardens in Florida when we were little. I'm the one in the pink sweatshirt close to the end, in case you wanted to know. It's pretty hard to see.

For those of you who were wondering what the letters look like, here you go! I used the dark brown as my base and cut strips of the colored papers. Then I laid the strips upside-down on the table and traced the letter again. That way, you don't have to sand as much! I've also made an entire name out of smaller letters for my sister. They took a while, but they turned out super cute! I got both sizes at Michael's too. If you want to see another version of these letters, go check out Evie's blog.