DIY: Hand Painted Wooden Spoons

DIY Hand Painted Wooden Spoons

Sometimes I go shopping because I need something simple for the kitchen, like a pot holder or napkins, and I then I find myself getting frustrated because either everything is totally not what I’m looking for or just plain meh. Like these wooden spoons from IKEA. Borrring zzzzz. Cheap, but snoooozefest. I’ve seen cute wooden spoons in stores before, usually for like a million dollars, or at least more than I’ve been willing to spend on them. I knew I could totally DIY what I had in mind, so I did what any crafty betch would do…

HandPaintedWoodenSpoons

I dug into my collection of Martha Stewart Crafts products and grabbed my gold leaf pen.

This is so basic, you guys. Just tape off the handle and start painting however you want!

HandPaintedWoodenSpoons

I used Martha Stewart Craft paint in Camellia Pink and Wedding Cake white, Krylon gold leaf pen, and a good two coats of Martha Stewart’s high gloss decoupage to seal it all in. Just let dry thoroughly between coats. This decoupage is dishwasher safe and non-toxic so it’s perfect for kitcheware projects like this!

Hand Painted Wooden Spoons

Hand Painted Wooden Spoons Hand Painted Wooden SpoonsEasy peasy! Now you never have to let your serving and cooking spoons be boring again. Yay!

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DIY: Sugar String Easter Egg Baskets

So Easter is pretty cute, right? There’s adorable spring colors, cute little eggs to hunt for, and candy everywhere. My nana used to make these amazing sugared string Easter egg baskets for me every year. I was obsessed with them and thought she was a magician or something because they were always perfect and sparkly and made with SUGAR. As I got older, she stopped making them, but there is not a year that goes by where I don’t talk about about her awesome Easter creations.

Sugar String Easter Egg Baskets - sugar water and string!

This year I decided I would make them and show you guys how it’s done. I texted her to make sure I remembered the steps correctly and she texted back with blurry pictures from the pages of her decades-old crafting notes. They read:

SUGAR EGGS

3 cups sugar
1 cup water
Approx. 9 drops of food color for pastel sugar (optional)
3-9 inch balloon
1 spool crochet thread (350 yards)
Lace or ribbon
Acrylic Spray (optional)

Sugar Easter Egg Basket Tutorial

“Blow up balloon to approximately 1 foot in length and tie. While holding balloon close to your body, wrap thread firmly, vertically, horizontally, and criss-crossing until you have used the whole spool. Just leave the end of the string tucked or loose, the sugar coating will keep it in place.”

Make Easter baskets with sugar, water, and string!

“Mix sugar and hot water. Pour large spoonfuls of the mixture on to the balloon letting mixture run down sides. Mixture is thick and won’t run too fast. Periodically and toward the end, use your hands to spread the mixture over the egg so all the thread gets moistened.”

Instructions for Sugar String Easter Baskets

“Place balloon on the empty cardboard-like spool to dry. Place a plate under the spool to catch drippings.”

Sugar String Easter Basket Tutorial

“Let dry for about 24 hours. When bottom is still a little soft, pop the balloon with a needle or pin, and sit on counter, the bottom will flatten out. With a pen, mark an opening about 5″ wide and 7″ long. With sharp scissors, carefully cut opening.”

“Spray inside and out with two light coats of clear acrylic spray (to preserve). Decorate with ribbons, bows, flowers, etc. Two rows of lace looks best to cover raw edges of opening.”

That’s it! The sugar mixture  dries to becomes a hard, sparkly, crystalized shell.

Sugar String Easter Basket Tutorial

Decorate your little bunny houses how ever you’d like. I used pastel colored crochet thread and white sugar. I like the look of the raw edge so I kept mine simple and decorated with colorful Easter grass, flowers, a bow, and of course a chocolate bunny and candy inside.

Easter baskets made from sugar and string -- Tutorial

Easter basket made from sugar and string -- TutorialClick here to learn how to make these Sugar String Nests, too.

Sugar String Easter Nest Tutorial

DIY: Felted Christmas Tree Tutorial

Felt Christmas Tree Tutorial

While thumbing through the millions of catalogues that flood my mailbox this time of year, I noticed a few craftsy decorations being sold for upwards $100 and thought “Whaaaat? These are totally easy DIYs.” These felt Christmas trees are among them. Similar styles are being sold for 10 times what you can spend to make your own and who doesn’t love a Christmas craft? Grab some cookies, turn on a Hallmark movie, and get your glue gun ready. Here’s how you do it.

Felt Christmas Trees

It’s simple. You’ll need cardboard cones, 1 yd. heavy duty felt, and felt ball thingies (optional: twine or ribbon for garland). Oh and scissors and glue of course.

Felt Christmas Tree TutorialCut your felt into oval leaf shapes. I cut mine roughly 2″ x 1″. If you stack a few rectangle pieces and then cut it saves you some time and thumb cramps. Now start glueing!

Felt Christmas Trees DIY

Glue them on in rows and layer your way up.

Felt Christmas Trees DIY

Go back through and fill in any empty spots with more leaves. You don’t have to be perfect. In fact the more random, the better!

DIY Felt Christmas Tree Tutorial

Decorate them with different colors and sizes of felt balls, buttons, ribbon, twine — whatever you want! Now you’ll have your very own felt trees for a fraction of the price you’ll find them in trendy catalogues and stores. Cute right?