Easy Mosaic Wall Art Tutorial

Be an artist and create a beautiful and creative masterpiece by using my free printable Mosaic Template and recycling magazine scraps.  I had a lot of fun sitting around this holiday season and lazily glueing this project together while spending time with my family.  It's so simple that you don't have to worry about messing up either—the goal of this project is just to relax, enjoy and let your creativeness flow!

I also hope you'll like my hand-drawn illustration of a girl walking in the rain with an umbrella.  I was inspired to create it after seeing local artwork and watching the constant drizzle of rain here in Oregon.  Even though grey weather can be a bit boring, it does make the perfect excuse to stay inside with a warm cup of hot chocolate and throw a craft party!

Materials: Click and print free Mosaic Template, scissors, decoupage or glue, a foam brush, a thick piece of paper, and some magazine scraps (you'll need both fine print and colors)

Step One:  Search through some old magazines and focus on one color that comes in a variety of shades (I chose green).  Once you collect a handful of scraps, organize them into three piles by shade: light, medium, and dark.  Then, cut the pieces into small squares, about 1 centimeter long.

Step Two:  Print the free Mosaic Template I created and apply a thin layer of decoupage or glue to a section of the drawing (it's easier if you work in small sections and go from top to bottom).

Step Three:  You'll notice the template drawing has thee different shades: dark, medium, and light. These correspond with the mosaic tiles you cut earlier—it's the same basic idea as paint by number!  In dark areas, apply small pieces of dark tiles and vice versa in other sections.

Step Four:  Continue this process until you're done filling in the picture.

Step Five:  Once you're done glueing the tiles, cut the girl out with scissors, following along the edges.  Then, set aside to dry for a while.

Step Six:  Meanwhile, cut scraps of magazine that have lettering and fine prints on them.  Then, glue them onto a thick piece of paper and let it dry.

Step Seven:  Glue the mosaic girl onto the magazine print background.  If you want, write an inspirational quote on the background.  By cutting out scraps of pink paper, I spelled out "Everything will be OK".

Step Eight:  Let your masterpiece dry and you're done!

Thank you for stopping by my blog and check back soon for a new series of projects having to do with creating your very own calendar!

Please feel free to share this craft with your friends and don't forget to "like" my Facebook page!

See you later,

Kelly

Recycled Bottle Bracelet Tutorial

What's better than creating a chic piece of jewelry that costs practically nothing?  A pretty bracelet that helps the environment and is budget-friendly too!  These colorful bands are sure to make a fashionable statement to any outfit.  To build them, recycle a used water bottle and some scraps of paper.  This craft is it's easy to do by yourself or with friends during the upcoming holidays.  Let's get started:

 What You'll Need:  a plastic water bottle, scissors, decoupage, a foam brush, and an assortment of patterned paper (you could use scrapbook, tissue, or leftover calendar paper for this)

Step One:  Using scissors, carefully cut through the water bottle to create a round bracelet (I used the segmented pattern on the bottle as a guide).

Step Two:  Brush a layer of a decoupage glue, such as Mod Podge, onto bracelet.

Step Three: Snip pieces of a patterned paper and secure them to the glue, holding for about 45 seconds each.

Step Four:  Continue covering the plastic bracelet with pieces of paper until it's fully covered.

Step Five:  Seal the bracelet with a top coat of decoupage and let it dry for approximately 15 minutes.

Step Six:  Now enjoy wearing your new fashionable and eco-friendly jewelry!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial—these bracelets will make great gifts for the holidays!

Would you like to see more repurpose/recycled crafts in the future?  Maybe I could do something with a bottle cap. . . !  Please let me know in the comments below.

Have fun,

Kelly

Stylish Pencil Pouch Tutorial

Hit the halls in style this school year when you create these cute and easy pencil pouches!  Before school starts, get together with your friends and host a fun crafting party.  Everyone can bring their own special style to this project.  All you need to do is gather up a few pretty papers and some basic crafting supplies.  Create a sealable pouch by recycling an ordinary sandwich bag.  Once you're done, stash all your basic office supplies in them from pencils and pens to scissors and glue.

What You'll Need:

• Scissors
• Patterned paper
• Double-sided tape
• Packing tape
• Resealable plastic bag

Step One:  Cut patterned paper in strips that fit the size of the plastic bag.  If you don't have any fancy paper handy, recycle an old calendar or use wrapping paper.

Step Two:  Apply double-sided tape to the backside of the paper you cut.

Step Three:  Secure the paper onto the front face of the plastic bag.  Repeat this process on the opposite side of the bag by cutting and taping on more paper.

Step Four:  Create a glossy finish by applying packing tape over the paper.

Step Five (Optional):  Accessorize with tape and stickers and you're done!  You can also attach magnets to the back of the pouches and hang them inside your locker.

I'm starting high school this year and I know that these pencil pouches will come in handy.  I'm making these ahead of time because once school starts, I know I'll be busy.

Do you want to see more back-to-school crafts?  Leave a comment down below.

Craft on,

Kelly

Recycled Denim Owl Purse Tutorial

Use my free printable template to create this adorable owl purse!

Using an old pair of denim jeans, you can create your own cute owl purse!  Wear it out and about with anything and you'll look and feel great.  The soft felt accents create unique colors that pop against the casual denim material.  Use it to carry all your necessities including your wallet, notes, makeup, and phone.

Sit down and relax while creating this easy project.  Most of the materials you'll need for this are probably laying around somewhere near you.  For the denim, I recycled an old pair of jeans that I didn't wear anymore.  If you don't have any felt, you can choose to experiment with different fabrics and textures.  This project is so carefree, anything you do will look great!

What You'll Need:

Click to Print

• Free Printable Owl Template
• Denim or old pair of jeans
• Felt
• Embroidery floss and needle
• 2 Buttons
• Scissors
• Sewing Pins
• Ribbon

Step One:  Click and print my free Owl Template.  Cut out all the pieces with scissors.  Using sewing pins, secure the body cutout to two pieces of denim with wrong sides together.  Pin the rest of the cutouts to the felt.  The number on the cutouts corresponds with the number of pieces you will need to pin together.

Step Two:  Using scissors, cut around all the templates.  Remove the pins and template.

Step Three:  Choose one piece of the body to be the front and the other the back.  Layer the buttons and eyes on the body.  Using embroidery floss, sew the eyes and button to the denim.

Step Four:  Layer the pieces of felt onto the front of the body into desired position.  Using embroidery floss, appliqué the felt on using a basic "under over" stitch.

Step Five:  Using embroidery floss, create eyelashes.  Tie a piece of the ribbon into a bow and stitch it on to the side of the head.

Step Six:  Stitch the front and back pieces of the body together using matching embroidery floss.  Remember not to sew the top so that the bag will be able to open.

Step Seven:  Use a strip of denim to create the shoulder strap.  Make it as long or short as you want.  Stitch it to the inside of the bag, by the ears.  For a sturdier and more finished looking strap, use the inseam of a pair of jeans.

After you're done creating this easy denim owl purse, come back here and share what you've made!

Have fun,

Kelly