Decoupage Recipe Box

My brother is in the United States Army. He is a do-it-yourself kind of guy. He can build things, fix things, and now, probably because he is sick of fast food and microwave pizzas, he is learning to cook things. A looooooooooooooooong time ago he asked me for some recipes. Well, I just can’t do anything simply. I wanted to make him a recipe box, too. I finally got around to it and here it is:

TA DA!

I decoupaged fabric onto a cheapy $1 recipe box and touched it up with some paint. Here is how:
I measured VERY carefully and cut out a piece of fabric to wrap around the bottom, plus a little overlap, and a piece for on top with the corners cut out so it could come down over the sides.

Then I used ModPodge to glue the material to the box. It didn't go as smoothly as I thought because it is very hard to watch the edges of all four sides at once and get everything straight. So, there was a little bit that didn't cover.
So, I just got out some Country Tan paint that matched pretty nice and looked like sandy dirt, and I used a sponge brush to paint the inside and smudge some here and there and all over the edges to give it a grungy effect/cover up my mistakes. In hindsight, I wish I had pained it FIRST, because some of those stripes show through (with the digital camo it is OK) and it would have been easier to cover up some of those mistakes.

Finally, I added some cute labels on top. I typed these on the computer using stencil font and printed them out. I have heard that a regular ink-jet printer will run when using ModPodge on it, so I put a strip of clear tape over the lettering. If nothing else, it kept the paper from wrinkling up where the tape covered when applying the glue.

So, now I can give him all the secret family recipes I want. Except we don't really have any.

I think, though, that doing recipe boxes like this could be really nice bridal shower gifts. The fabric could match their kitchen or wedding colors. I might try it again. If you make one, I would love to see it!

Manly Bunting

I am trying to do more craft projects with the kids because it affords me a few minutes where they are not inventing their own “projects.” So, while supper was cooking last night, we threw together a “Welcome Home” bunting for hubby who had to stay away for a night because of work. Since it was a last minute job, I used whatever I had on hand. I wanted to make it “manly” for him, so I stole a few old hunting magazines from the basket (Before you gasp at that- I usually purge them after they are 6 months old anyway and he doesn’t seem to notice or care.) I picked out the pages that were mostly pictures and cut them into bunting shape triangles for later.

I cut out letters from a black gel pen paper tablet the kids have (Thank you, Mr. Schwalm, who made us learn how to cut out block letters every year in elementary! I still remember!)

Then, since I realized they weren’t gonna show up so well against the dark pages, so I had the girls glue stick them to some pages that were mostly black type on white background.

Then I cut around the edges of those and had them glue stick them to the triangles.

We folded over the back with the yarn in it and taped it down (this was a three person job- one to cut tape, one to hold, and me to stick it down- excellent because little hands were kept busy!) Then we hung it up in the window and waited for him to come home.

Of course, he didn’t see it when he stumbled in exhausted later that night, so I had to ask for a drink of water. But I was glad he was…

Play Pea Pods Tutorial

As pomised yesterday, here is my new tutorial on the play pea pods I made with the girls.
I used some old green fleece (felt would have been better but I didn't have any green), beads from a broken, gaudy, old Avon necklace, and some green ribbon.

First I made a pattern on an old index card and traced it on the fleece- this was cheapy, one-sided fleece, so I used the non-fleecy side. I folded it over and cut two layers at a time.

Then I sewed the right sides together and left the end and part of the side open to stuff with beads.

I clipped the curves a bit and turned right-side-out.

Then stuffed with these beads. There were different sizes- we used some medium and some large ones. Each one has a different numbers/sizes of beads so the girls can tell theirs apart by feeling them.
Then I folded the open edges in and stuffed a folded loop of green ribbon in there.

***IMPORTANT!!! The ends must be sealed- I didn't do this and they frayed and tore out right away because they were pulling on them while arguing over whose was whose.***

And... TA DA!!! Pea pods. I may be crazy but I am considering making play food as things come in season in the garden. Big ideas... maybe I should finish something else first!