Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Dr. Seuss' Lorax inspired Truffula Tree Seedlings DIY!

Hello everyone... today's post will be quick. I have to rush out to play practice for my daughter, son had youth group and I am on my own tonight to get them from here to there. LOL!


I put together some Truffula Tree Seedlings for the Dr. Seuss window display. I painted up some clay pots with +Shabby Paints Betsy Ross Red, Alamo White and Licorice. then created the tree trunks and the truffula tops with feathers.



Here is the full window display... with the night stand and the end table I repainted also. I am loving this chalk paint!


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Facebook: Uniquely Grace
Twitter: Grace Lauer Artist @gracelauer
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Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Children's Book Page Ornament Craft - DIY Tutorial

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.  I am so happy you are here and that you are interested in these sweet and simple Child DIY ornaments.I thought I would type this up and share it encase your not local and you missed my Children's Ornament Workshop at +Books on Broad here in +Camden SC. I want to invite you to follow my blog on one of the sign ups over in the right hand column.  I hope you and your kids have a fantastic time making them. Enjoy! 


Supplies:
  • an old book you can tear pages from
  • dollar Store gift tags
  • glue
  • twine
  • Optional: Plastic glittered ornaments

Step 1: Tear two pages from an old book and fold each of the pages in an accordion fold short length




Step 2: Glue the last flap of the accordion fold to the last flap on the other page to make one long accordion folded piece of paper.



Step 3: Gather up the paper to be held in one hand and fold in half to find the center.



Step 4: Tie a 12" string around the center. and glue the string inside the connection between the two ends of the accordion fold. Glue other side to create a circle.



Step 5: Glue a decorative Christmas tag on the front and on the back glue a piece of paper with your child's name and year written on it in their own handwriting.


NOTE: to make the larger one in the photo use 4 pages and accordion fold them the long way glue them edge to edge like in step 2 and continue through step 5 possibly adding the plastic glittered ornament under your gift tag.



Thank you all for joining me and if you make this wonderful holiday ornament for yourself or with your children please share with me in the comments below.



2014 Book Page Holiday Creations:
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Find me on...
Facebook: Uniquely Grace
Twitter: Grace Lauer Artist @gracelauer
Instagram: @gracelauer_henna_artist
Pinterest: L. Grace Lauer

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Jack Skellington Handmade Costume - Nightmare Before Christmas Movie

Our Jack Skellington Halloween Costume was created for my son with a puppeteering design style. Jack's head is a bobble head adding life to his glare (see video), his neck is connected to a helmet so it turns left and right with my son's head. I hope you enjoy this post. We have so much fun making all our costumes DIY for Halloween.

Handmade Jack Skellington Costume 


Jack The Pumpkin King Costume Video 


Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas and all though the house, 
Bits and pieces of Jack laid all strewn about.


His clothing was sewn by a seamstress with care,
In hopes that children would soon be aware.


Jack Skellinton is alive and moving about,
Don't be afraid, don't scream, don't shout.

It's Tristan under there like a shadow he sneaks,
Transformed from 4' to 6' trick-or-treating he creeps.


Jack's head a bobbling from left to right,
A life sized, moving Jack Skellington, oh, what a fright.


His hands are pose-able with fingers of cold, cold clay,
His arms move like puppets, right to left they sway.


Knees bending and feet walking along with Tristan's strides,
Jack the Pumpkin King no longer hides.



Now Jack sits and guards the remainder of the Halloween Candy. He may just stay around for Christmas.


Please leave a comment below with your thoughts. I hope you enjoyed this costume, video and post.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Moon/Lunar Fairy - with articulated wings

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Friday, April 27, 2012

Harry Potter Party, Ollivanders Wand Craft Tutorial - Harry Potter Post #2

Good morning everyone,

Our home is in full swing for our Harry. Potter Party! My Piano room is now a bank, candy store and wand shop, it's a mini Diagon Alley! Speaking of Ollivanders Wands... that is exactly what I want to share with you today.

The Birthday Boy's Wand (details Painted designed by him but I did the hot glue, Safety First!)
The Alder Wand (in gold)
 My Daughters Wand - (she painted it like the kids will paint their own at the party)

I think any one of these wands would be perfect to conjure up a Patronus or a Stupefy spell. 

I researched several wands and how to create some great looking ones on Pinterest. I settled on two styles to choose from. One was so inexpensive. It took rolling a piece of paper really tight and filling it with hot glue, yup just a piece of printer paper. Though it was cheep, the second option is what I went with I found HERE. It was cheep too and only cost a few cents more per wand. I went with the option I will explain below because it saved me so much time not to have to make each wand base completely from scratch. I also felt these would be more sturdier then the previous base I explained. The only thing I didn't like is that I could shape the ones previously mentioned before into how thin or thick I wanted. So here goes the tutorial.

Step 1 - Choose your dowel rods - I found this pack of 8 pre-cut at walmart for $0.97 a pack! Excellent... no cutting even!  If I cut them myself I could have gotten 9 for around the same price... but I am all about time. Not only am I getting ready for the biggest birthday party I have ever thrown but my sister's wedding is also two weeks after the party. You better believe I have bunches of projects to do for it too.

 Step 2 - Using a hot glue gun (I prefer hi-temp for maximum sticking power on wood... but you must be careful! Use low-temp if you feel more comfortable) create designs for a handle and other parts of the wand. We created 32 (and 24 more later) and not a single one is alike!

Step 3 - Paint with normal acrylic craft paint - (we just pre-painted the base coats for the party. The kids will choose a wand and detail paint it and add gems if they wish.)

We have about 6-8  base colors to paint with. This gives the kids some choices.

I really love the antique golds but I am happiest with these... All the wands painted black have snake designs from the glue. Possible "Slytherin" wands I hope, but ultimately the kids choose, or does the wand choose them?

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Leave me a comment below if you liked this post or if it inspired you to make some of your own. I would love to here from you. Thanks!

Please leave a comment below if you enjoyed this project! Thank your for reading my ramblings.

Leave a comment below about what you liked or are looking forward to see in the video... I will try to answer your questions in the video or show you what you wanted to see.

PS - For more posts about this party please see the links below:

Eats and Treats:
The Three Broomsticks - Butterbeer, Polly Juice Punch and more
Honeydukes Candy Display - 24 different candies
Owlery Cupcake Tower 
The Golden Snitch Cake  

Fun and Fancy:
Prisoner of Askaban Wanted Poster Photo Booth
DIY Olivander's Wands DIY

Party Decor and More:
Potions Cabinet Details DIY
Video of Helmar DIY projects for Harry Potter Party

Invitations and Printables:
Owl Post - Hogwarts Acceptance Letter Invitations mailed Owl Post 
Publications - DAILY PROPHET and the QUIBBER props 
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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Halloween - How am I going to top this one?

Okay, so I need to let you all know that every year I go all out and make the family costumes. Every year it gets harder and harder to make them amazing. This year my daughter decided she wanted to be a paper doll (as seen on the front of the Family Fun magazine, October cover).
Just some poster board and markers... sure... that's easy I thought... LOL! Easy sure... but simple... not if your me. Sometimes I feel I dig myself holes that are bigger then I wish they were when I am down in the middle of them.

Here she is... a 3D Paper Doll Ballerina! (used Helmar 450 all the way! It works great with crate and tissue paper!)


 Here is my costume as a "Literary Work of Art" (used Helmar Acid Free and a splash of water to use with a paint brush to "paper mache" the book pages onto the dress)


The local paper got a hold of us too and put my daughter on the front page!


Then put us both and a small article about Scarysville night and how my costume was the most original.
We also won the best Family Costumes award from our local candy store, The Candy Box,  on D St. Here are the kids with the bucket of candy we won! Tristan was Bumblebee!



As if that was not enough my hubby and I won "Best Costume" and "Scariest Costume" at our friends Halloween party. We got the cutest little trophies and some Denny's Gift Cards!

I hope you all had a Happy and Safe Halloween!


Moon/Lunar Fairy - with articulated wings

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