Simple DIY storage solution

Today will be a short post. I just wanted to share a simple DIY storage solution. It is great for those in small spaces! When my husband and I moved into our one apartment after living in a two bedroom house with a garage, space was limited. I had collected so many Christmas village houses that we did not have the space to store them.Our living room is fairly wide and long. I stared at the wall for months before finally coming up with this simple solution:

I found floor to ceiling curtains that I liked and bought screw in hooks to hang the curtain. As you can see in the photo I had to cut off the length because of the air vent. It's about 2 feet deep and 12 feet long. It not only adds hidden storage but is a nice accent wall too!

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If you try this set up share your photo with me!

Metallic Snowflake Jewelry Set

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are solely the those of the author.  The author is not affiliated, endorsed or compensated by any entities referenced in this article.  .

I fell in love with Craft Fantastic products in 2015. I took a class at my second Scrapbook Expo in Santa Clara, CA and again at the 2016 Scrapbook Expo in Pleasanton, CA. Craft Fantastic always offers a new product at each class, and the instructors can offer many suggestions to use the different materials in different ways to make your own unique pieces. You can buy similar kits here:  Craft Fantastic Deluxe Kit.  The kits make multiple bracelets, necklaces, earrings and much more. The kit includes everything you'll need (minus tools like scissors and pliers).

Today I'll show you how to make a jewelry set using Craft Fantastic's products.

• Scrapbook paper of choice
• Twist Bracelet from Craft Fantastic
• Ring from Craft Fantastic
• Small Glass round for ring from Craft Fantastic
• Medallion Tray for necklace from Craft Fantiastic 
• Medium Round Glass for medallion tray from Craft Fantastic
• Rolo chain 24"from Craft Fantastic
• Adhesive from Craft Fantastic
• Jewelers dots from Craft Fantastic
• Scissors
• Cue tip
• Baby wipes

1.  Find an image to use for each setting. I chose the shiny metallic scrapbook paper pictured below.  When using scrapbook paper I use the glass piece to figure out if the image will look good under the glass.  Move the glass piece around until you find an image that fits just inside of it.  You'll see that I found snowflakes to fit each glass piece on the scrapbook paper.

See that shine on the snowflake?! Love it!

2. Once you've selected your images, cut them out.  No need for perfection, just make sure the cutouts are slightly larger than your glass pieces.

3. Prepare your work surface; I prefer a plastic craft mat, but just make sure the surface is something glue won't easily stick to.

4. Apply adhesive to one glass piece by pouring a small amount of adhesive onto the surface.  Holding the bottle just above the middle of the flat side of the glass surface, only apply enough for the adhesive to spread near the edge of the glass piece.

5. Place the glass on the image cutout and press down for 10 seconds.  Then, using a cue tip, trace the edge of the glass to remove any excess glue. Let the piece sit for about 1 minute. Then flip the glass over so that the glass is face down.  Allow to dry completely, usually about 30 minutes. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining 6 pieces.

6. While the adhesive is drying, assemble the twist bracelet using the jump rings provided in the kit. You'll need your pliers to assemble.

The assembled twist bracelet without the glass images.

7. Place jewelers dots on the trays.  I typically use one per tray.  For the larger tray, I recommend cutting each dot in half and spreading the two halves out slightly for better coverage, as pictured below.

Just had to show the detail on the back of the medallion tray! It's amazing!

8. Once the adhesive on the images has dried, trim any excess paper around the glass on each piece.  Then use a baby wipe or wet paper towel to clean any excess glue on the glass.  A Craft Fantastic instructor also recommended using a pair of scissors to lightly scrape off any tough to remove glue stuck on the glass.  

9. Remove the backing on the jewelers dots on each tray and place the glass pieces with dried images on firmly, pressing down for about 15 seconds. 

10. Feed the necklace chain through the bail on the medallion tray.  If you need to adjust the length of the necklace or bracelet chains, you can cut them down to shorter lengths using a pair of wire cutters.  You'll also need a tape measure, wire cutters and two pairs of pliers. Using both pairs of pliers, remove the jump ring by separating it at the opening.  Measure the length you need, then cut the wire with the wire cutters in the appropriate spot. Then just replace the jump ring and you're finished!

The jewelry kits from Craft Fantastic are great, and anyone from a beginner to an expert jewelry creator can use these kits.  Jewelry pieces open up so many possibilities for the crafter.  You can customize these jewelry sets with your own images, whether they're hand painted or printed off of the internet.  The possibilities are endless...

If you'd like to check out some of the other pieces that I have created using the Craft Fantastic jewelry products, visit my Facebook or Instragram page. Be sure to check out Craft Fantastic's blog for more ideas too!

Beach Themed Dresser

This is one of the first steps in turning our living space into a beach paradise.  My husband has had this quality, dark brown dresser since before I met him, but it didn't really fit in with the rest of the beach theme we were going for throughout our apartment.  I decided to take on my first big painting project to make this dresser resemble a piece that has been worn down by the sea, including sea glass accents.  Below are all of the materials that I needed to complete the project followed by my step by step process:

• Sand paper (150 grit)
• Soft towel
• Paint (I used Valspar Chalky Finish Paint)
• Tools to remove hardware (Philips or Flathead screwdriver depending on your hardware)
• Paintbrush (Recommend about a 3" brush)
• E6000 Craft Glue
• Cement/grout (used for mosaic)
• Decorative Filler (I got my decorative filler from Michaels on clearance in the floral section)
• Spray paint (if painting hardware)
• Cardboard box (to spray paint hardware)
• Ziplock (quart or freezer size)
• Scissors
• Sponge

1. Remove drawers from dresser and remove all external hardware.  I kept the hardware to spray paint later and reattach, but you may opt to replace the hardware.  At first I considered finding some beach themed hardware as a replacement, but those can be quite costly.  The original hardware was in good condition, but the color did not match.  So if you're like me and want to save some money, reuse the original hardware, but paint it to fit your style.
2. Sand all exterior surfaces of dresser and drawers.  Wipe down surfaces with dry towel to remove dust.
3. Paint all external surfaces.  Always my favorite part!  I chose not to prime the dresser and drawers, and only did one coat in order to make them look slightly aged.  Depending on your aesthetic preference, you can always prime and/or add additional coats.  Allow everything to completely dry.
   

   

   top: painted drawer
   bottom: sanded drawer ready for paint

   

   The painted dresser.
4. Spray paint the hardware.  I opted for a metallic, Krylon spray paint.  I used an old cardboard box to protect my patio from the spray paint.  My technique for spray painting evenly is simple.  Maintaining a consistent distance from the hardware of about 6-8", I move left to right with one constant spray across the surface before releasing, then back across right to left, and so on until you've covered the entire surface.  Start with one quick coat and allow to dry before adding more paint.  Spray paint can build up and keep your surfaces from being smooth if you use too much at once.  Also, make sure to turn the cardboard around and spray paint from any angles needed to cover all surfaces of the hardware.  Remember you're looking for smooth finish.  

   

   left: before               right: after

5. Attach decorations for "filled drawer."  I chose to use flat, polished rocks sold as a decorative filler from a craft store to decorate the top drawer, but you can always use any sort of decorations.  If you prefer something different, I recommend trying sea shells (whole or broken) or mosaic tiles if it suits your motif.  Using the E6000 craft glue, attach each rock (or chosen decoration) to the face of the drawer.  Make sure to leave space between each piece, and leave any holes for attaching hardware uncovered.  Allow to dry completely.  
6. Fill the face of the drawer.  Fill a Ziploc bag partially with the cement, then cut a hole in the corner leaving a small opening.  Gauge the amount of space between your decorations and cut the hole smaller than the space between them.  Fill the spaces surrounding all of the decorations and allow to dry for about 20 minutes.  Use a damp sponge or towel to clean off anything on the decorations. Allow to finish drying. 

   

   left: decorative pieces glued down          right: grout filled

7. Replace hardware and you're finished!  Just replace the hardware and replace the drawers and you're all done.  

   

   left: before        right: after

Since completing this project I've felt like the dresser needs a little more design.  Next I plan to add a white stenciled pattern onto the face of the other four drawers.  I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for yet, but as soon as I do I will share it with you.  Overall I am very pleased with the dresser and it definitely fits in better with our beach themed apartment.

Toadily Handmade by Jessica

My name is Jessica.  I am a new mother of a beautiful daughter, frog lover and collector, cake decorator, party planner, pole fitness enthusiast and an avid crafter who dabbles in many different crafting disciplines.  My husband and I love to travel and explore, cook and bake, attend sporting events (Go SF Giants!) and as of recently, spend time with the wonderful new addition to our young family.  With so much going on I've found it more important than ever to find time for myself and my hobbies.

I began my journey as a self taught cake decorator and scrapbooker.  I found a love for cake decorating and eventually began teaching cake decorating classes and worked professionally as a cake decorator.  As a result of the cake decorating classes I found out about many other crafting classes and began to take classes in many different disciplines.  Since I began down this path I have explored card making, sewing, jewelry making and have completed a long list of different craft projects while still continuing my first loves of cake decorating and scrapbooking.

                                                     

My methods for many crafting and decorating projects are, in a way, based on trial and error.  I enjoy the challenge of trying to create original projects and often I find that some of the most creative ideas and solutions I have only arise because I have tried and failed initially.  The goal of this blog is to share my process and some of the many projects that I complete.  Some projects will be completely original, some ideas will be pulled from other sources (Pinterest, Facebook, etc.), but all of my projects are Toadily Handmade.

I hope that through this blog anyone else looking for inspiration or simply some tips can find what they need to create their own masterpieces.  If not, at lease I can hopefully bring a smile to your face by sharing my creative process with all of its frustrations and successes.

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E-mail me with questions/comments: toadilyhandmadebyjessica@yahoo.com