Back to School Wreath

 Welcome!

For the Back to School theme for Gwen Studios, I've chosen to make a wreath. They make great gifts and I'm sure the kids would have fun creating a special one for their teacher.

I chose a black canvas from a dollar store for my background and some wood letters to spell "Back to School". You could spell the teacher's name or welcome also.

I painted the letters with rainbow colors.  The number of letters for Back to School worked perfectly.  You could also paint them white.

I glued lengths of paint sticks around the edges of the canvas to make it look like a blackboard. 

A wire wreath form from the dollar store and Decorative Mesh from Joann's will form the base wreath.

I made deco mesh bows from 12" lengths of mesh by overlapping the ends, scrunching up the mesh across the overlap and tying them with black craft wire. Since I'd never worked with deco mesh, I watched a video to learn the technique.

I used one roll of deco mesh, which was 30 feet, and 10 more sections from the next roll.  Of course, you can add more bows to make a fuller wreath.

Then, I took 6-8" lengths of assorted Gwen Studios and made sprays to go in between the deco mesh.

I tied these into the wreath in between the deco mesh bows.

To attach the canvas to the wreath, I glued wire to the back and tied it into the wreath frame.  This will make it usable for another event like a birthday party.  

To find all the colorful Gwen Studios ribbon to make your own wreath, try these sources. I've listed a representative link for all the ribbons I used, but each source has these types of ribbon.

Michaels

Sweet Shop ribbon

Joann.com

Print and solid 3/8" grosgrain

WalMart.com

Wide Satin Ribbon

And, you can also search Amazon for Gwen Studios ribbon.  

For more ribbon ideas for Back to School, check out the Designer Crafts Connection.

Designer Crafts Connection

Initial Pendant

Hi Crafters!

Have you noticed how popular initials are?  They are everywhere - on clothing, home goods, jewelry and room decor to name a few.  Today I'm creating an etched initial pendant with etchall® etching creme.  This is so easy that you'll want to create one for all your friends.  This little pendant looks great as a necklace or as a charm on a bracelet.  But, you could also use it on a key chain or on a gift!

Here's the process:

Find a glass pendant of some sort with a hole in it or a setting with a bail so that you can add it to a necklace or chain.  I used Tim Holtz idea-ology Monocles, which I found at my local JoAnn's.

Clean up the glass with alcohol and place your stencil on it.  I used adhesive-backed stencils that I received from DecoArt®.  The stencil is slightly larger than the monocle, so I rounded the edges.  This allows the stencil to seal to the glass better.

Then, following the instructions on the etchall® etching creme, apply it to the stenciled area and let it work for 15 minutes.  Remove the excess creme and put it back in the bottle (it's reusable!), rinse with water and remove the stencil.  Dry it off and you're done!

Now, you can add it to an existing bracelet or necklace or string it on a chain or cord.

Initial Pendants

Are you ready to try etching?  Look for the little etchall® bee logo on the left side of this blog and try out this amazing product!  Check out the facebook page for ideas and information!  (I am proud to be an etchall® Ambassador and I receive compensation for this project.)

Happy Crafting!

Terry

Designer Crafts Connection: Herb Garden Sign

Welcome Crafters and Gardeners!

This month on the Designer Crafts Connection, we ask the question:  "How Does Your Garden Grow?"  You'll find projects, tips and new ideas to try in your garden.  I can't wait to see what the other designers have created.  Be sure to visit them with the Designer Crafts Connection button.  And, visit (and like) our facebook page.

My herb garden has taken off this year.  It's been in about two years now.  But, it needs some decoration.  First of all, I need a sign for the garden.  Among my hubby's home repair stash, I found the perfect material for my sign!

It's a metal vent screen made to cover the openings in the foundation of your house.  They come in a couple of different sizes.  You can find them in hardware stores. 

I wanted a rustic look for my sign, so I painted it with a rust finish.  It would look great in any color.  Just make sure you use a paint that will adhere to metal like a spray paint, metal paint or metal patina.

Now, you can add a word to the sign and, since it has a nice grid, you can wire or tie on almost anything.  I considered a number of ideas - beaded wire, fabric, rope, twine - and decided on some raffia-covered wire that has a nice rustic look.  I found this wire in the floral department of JoAnn's.  I shaped the wire into the word "herbs".  It's easy to bend and shape the wire with your fingers and some pliers.  Before you start, trace around the screen on some scratch paper and write out the word to have a pattern to follow.

Lay your word on the screen and check for fit.  Make any adjustments you want and attach the word to the screen.  I used some rusted wire (Darice Rustic Accents) and wrapped it around the letters in several places.

After you attach your word, add wire or twine for hanging the sign.  And, you're done!

Herb Garden Sign

Here it is hanging in my herb garden.

I hope you'll try this idea for your garden.  What word will you use?  I think I'll try "Bloom" using some wire and beads or maybe "Grow" making each letter with different media...so many possibilities!  And, does anyone know what to do with Lemon Balm?  Mine is growing like crazy!

Happy Crafting and Gardening!

Terry