DIY: Wood Mickey and Minnie Easter Egg Decor

It's been a while since I took the time to work on a DIY craft that was just for me.  I keep setting craft supplies aside, and then I never seem to find time to get to it.  So when I saw some wooden Easter eggs at Michael's a few weeks ago, I knew I needed to get them and find the time to make something for Easter.

The result were these cute Mickey and Minnie Mouse Easter Eggs that I'm going to use to decorate our master bathroom!  The best part, is that this was really easy to do.

Here's how I made them!

Materials:

Two Wood Egg Shapes (I got these from Michael's)

Paint Brushes

Black, Red and White Acrylic Paint

Pen or Pencil (not pictured below)

Round Object to Use for Stencil (not pictured below)

Sealant Spray (not pictured below)

1.) Prepare the Wood Eggs

Before I started with anything else, I used a pen to draw a line across both of the egg shapes to show where the black and red paint would meet.  (For mine, I went a little bit above the half way mark.)  Make sure the lines are at the same location on both eggs!

2.) Paint A Base Coat

I started with a coat of red paint on the bottom of both eggs.  After that dried, I painted black on the top half of both eggs being careful to make a clean, as straight as possible line where the red and black paints met in the middle.

3.) Paint More Layers

Depending on what brand of paint you use, you might need to do another coat or two to properly cover the wood.  I had to do a second coat of the red paint, but the black paint I used covered the wood after one layer.  Thankfully, acrylic paint dries pretty quickly so I set a timer for 15 minutes in between coats and jammed out to Disney Hits on Spotify while I waited for each layer to dry.

4.) Add White Details and Touch Ups

Once you are happy with the coverage of red and black paint, you need to add the details.  For Mickey, I drew two large ovals for his buttons and then filled them in with white paint.  For Minnie, I used a round 3D printed piece as a stencil to draw dots all over the red part of the egg.  Then, I filled them in with white paint.  You might need a few coats of white to cover the red paint.  If you make a mistake, this is the time to do touch ups to your red and black sections.  Let the entire thing dry for a while; you want to make sure that it's completely dry before you move to the next step.

5.) Seal the Paint

Once your acrylic paint is dry, you want to seal it.  Acrylic paint can get damaged with water, so you want to give it a spray of acrylic paint sealant to make sure that it doesn't get damaged.  I gave mine two coats of sealant since my decoration is staying inside, but it'll be in the bathroom with lots of moisture.  (If you're putting your eggs outside, I would give them at least 2-3 coats of sealant to protect them from the elements.)

And there you have it... simple and easy Mickey and Minnie Easter Egg Decorations that you can place pretty much anywhere!  These were definitely an easier project for me, but I'm happy to have spent some time doing something for myself and not just for the businesses.  Plus, they'll be really cute to display each Easter and give our master bathroom a little touch of Disney Easter magic!  °o°

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!  If you make one, please comment below, send me pictures over on Facebook or tag me in your photos on Instagram! 

Custom Toppers

All work and no play makes for a long week.  Like I said the other day, this week Eliot and I have been hyper focused on our businesses and cleaning the house.  It's been going well, but it's also been a lot of work.  So the past few days, I have taken a little bit of time during the day to have some creative fun in between tasks.

The hot weather arrived sooner than I was hoping.  I always say that by Memorial Day weekend, we need our AC units set up and ready... and I kind of forgot that Memorial Day usually falls closer to this week, but it's late this year.  I thought we might have one more week before the hot days, but we've actually had a few days in the high 70s.  

That's made things a bit more interesting with cleaning during the day.  Eliot's been going to work at a more normal time this week (instead of a late shift), so I've found myself trying to clean during the middle of the day when it's the most hot out.  Thus, I've had to take breaks to sit down, cool off and hydrate before going back to work.

On Thursday, I had a bit of a craving to make something... but not something for the businesses.  Sometimes, that just feels like work and I want to make something that's for myself.  I decided to dive into the 3D printed glasses toppers Eliot had made me a few months ago.  I joined a group on Facebook that makes custom toppers that fit the ones I bought from Pair Eyewear.  I've actually bought a few from three other sellers, but I also downloaded the 3D print file in the group so I could make my own.

Eliot went print crazy a few months ago when things were more quiet with both of our businesses.  Now, we wouldn't have time to print them, even though they only take about 20 minutes per topper.  Thankfully, he had already printed me a ton of them.  I have over 20 different colors and then over 50 duplicates that I can play around with.

I wanted some magical designs for my collection and since Pair still hasn't released official licensed Disney designs yet, I decided to dive in.  I grabbed a hot pink and red, and before I knew it, I had two polka dot Minnie toppers.  I loved how they came out so much; the paint wasn't even dry before I grabbed a black and polka dotted that too. 

During another break, I used the new sealant (that was suggested in my group) that I just got to seal the silver glittered toppers that I made weeks ago.  I had already sealed them with clear nail polish, but I wasn't thrilled with how it looked so flat.  After using this new stuff, they look so much better, shiner and more professional.  I ended up adding a second coat to them, and then I put some on all three polka dot toppers.

Later in the evening, after Eliot was home, I wanted to make another one.  I grabbed a blue topper and the new supplies I bought back in April.  Before I knew it, I had my Sorcerer Mickey toppers designed.  I asked Eliot's opinion and he liked how I'd laid it out- so I glued the moon and stars down.  Once they were dry, I sealed those too!

I love how all of my new glasses toppers came out!  I've got so many ideas for different designs.  I'm hoping that I can make more for my collection when I have time!  I was hoping to make a few more designs on Friday, but I've decided to wait for the time being.  I really do need to focus on cleaning and organizing the house.  Plus, I think it makes sense to get these finished.  They're done design wise, but I still need to shape them to my glasses and add magnets.  (The first set of magnets I ordered are smaller than I wanted so I need to order larger ones.)  But I'm happy with my first five topper designs!  I'm sure I'll make plenty more of them in the future!

In fact, I really have to figure out how I'm going to store and display all of these.  I have an embarrassing number of official toppers from Pair, plus the custom designs from others and now I'm making my own custom designs!  I'm definitely going to need a dedicated place for all of them so I can find what I'm looking for easily!  

I can't wait to rock my new handmade glasses toppers with my Disney outfits!  They are definitely going to take any outfit to the next level!  °o°

Disney Pixar Blog Hop December 2016

Welcome to the Disney Pixar Blog Hop!

Disney and crafting are a magical combination, and we are so happy you joined us to day for this blog hop.  Some of the crafters participating in this event have been doing this together since 2011!  Over the years the hop has grown but one thing has always stayed the same . . . amazing crafting projects that feature your favorite characters from Disney and Pixar movies.

For 2016 we are going to have a hop every other month for the entire year!  If you missed one of the hops we already had this year, you can still go back and see the projects.  For February click HERE, for April click HERE, for June click HERE, for August click HERE and for October click HERE.  If you are on Facebook you can like the group page so that you can be the first to learn about each upcoming event.  Just click HERE to go the the Facebook page.

To make sure you don't miss any of the fun, be sure to start at Shawn's blog to see all of the projects.  Just click HERE to head over to Shawn's blog and then follow the hop line up at the bottom of the post to see everyone's projects.

Olaf's Winter Snow Sign

For my project, I wanted to make something I could use to decorate our house.  Eliot and I are still getting settled, so we've decided to leave a lot of our decorations in storage this year.  Instead of making something just for Christmas, I decided to make it winter themed!  Now, we can enjoy it from now through February/March!!!

Of course, when I think of winter, I think of my favorite snowman Olaf!  I've had the idea to make a sign with a fishbowl as the "O" for a while now, and this was the perfect opportunity to finally bring it to life!  I love how it came out!

Want to make your own Olaf's Winter Snow Sign decoration?  Here's how I made it:

Materials:

Wooden Sign Base (I used one that was about 23" long)
"S", "N", and "W" Wood Letters
Wooden Circle Base
Fish Bowl (make sure it's about the same size as your wooden letters)
Acrylic Paints (shades of blue and turquoise, white)
Fake Textured Snow Paint
White Glitter
Olaf and Snowflake Buttons (I used the Disney Mickey snowflakes)

Newspaper (to cover your work area)

Black Craft Foam (I used thicker 1/4" foam that I found at Michael's)

Paint Brushes

Scissors

Hot Glue Gun

1.) Select Your Materials

This project requires selecting the correct proportion of materials.  First, you need a wooden base that will fit all of your wooden letters and the fish bowl.  Then, you also need to find a wooden circle base that covers the top of your fishbowl without falling into it.  Here's an example of how I checked my materials in my local craft store.

2.) Paint Your Bases and Letters

Paint your wooden base and the letters in your chosen color.  I decided to paint mine turquoise since it matches so much of the decor in our house.  For the base, I stuck with a dark blue color that would pop a little more against the snow.  I painted two coats on the top and one coat on the back.  Let the pieces dry completely.

3.) Glue Your Letters and Fish Bowl to Base

Once your paint is completely dry, use your hot glue gun to attach the letters to the base.  I laid them on the base where I wanted them positioned before putting glue on the letters and firmly pressing them into the base.  Once the letters are in their position, put some glue on your fish bowl and attach that.

Note: If your letters aren't flat, like mine, you might need something else to "prop" them up.  My "S" wasn't going to sit flat so I took a small piece of black craft foam and used it to hold the rest of the "S" up.  I cut out a random peanut shaped piece, painted it white, then glued it to the S before gluing both pieces to my wooden base.

4.) Add Extra Glue
After attaching the letters, I was worried that they might fall over.  I wanted to give the illusion of snow at the base, so I decided to cover the bottom front of the letters with a little more hot glue.  I used about 2 small sticks just making "snow" piles.  This also helped cover the foam I had to add to my "S" making the snow pile look more natural.

5.) Add Snow and Glitter
When the hot glue was finally dry, I used the textured snow paint to create the illusion of snow piles.  It has a consistency similar to a frosting so I carefully spread it over the little mounds using my paint brush.  This was the perfect way to cover the hot glue from attaching the letters.  I also added some to my circle base using a circular swirl motion to create a fun texture for the top of the fish bowl.  Once I was finished with the snow, I sprinkled a tiny bit of white glitter over all of the snow.  (Pay attention to the drying instructions: my snow takes about 24 hours to fully harden!)

6.) Attach Buttons
I used my Olaf buttons to decorate the letters a little.  I had a few places on my sign where it conveniently looked like Olaf was standing in the snow so I went with it.  Then, I added a few Mickey Mouse snowflake buttons for some extra Disney magic!

7.) Decorate Your Fish Bowl
Finally, the last part is to decorate your fish bowl.  I originally wanted to put an Olaf figure inside mine, but I couldn't find him.  You could put a figure, tsum tsum, candle, small plush, miniature scene, basically anything inside of the fish bowl.  The sky's the limit!  And, since it has a top, you could place something on top of it!  I played around with a snowflake ornament inside and then my Olaf plush on top!  But, I might change it around every few weeks.  Or, as a variation, you could replace the "O" fish bowl with a snow globe.  (You can usually find plastic ones at the craft store this time of year.)

Once you're settled on how to decorate it, you're done!  Find a place to show off your creation and enjoy Olaf's Winter Snow Sign!!!  °o°

Before you go, make sure to enter to win our prize for this hop . . .

We have a prize from KatScrappiness.com!  This prize pack includes a die set and 5 packages of sequins of the winners choice!  Choices must be from the current inventory.  Winners must be in the continental United States.

- - - 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

- - -

Good luck, and enjoy the rest of the hop!

The full blog hop line up is below.  

Shawn

Ellen

Tammy

Melissa

Miranda

Cathie

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DIY: Mickey Mouse Pilgrim Hat Decorations

Hello Everyone!  I wanted to share a project that I've been working on!  Actually... I've been working on this project for a while now.  It's was left half completed and waiting in the wings for about three years now.  I had the idea when I first started my blog back in 2013, but I never had/took the time to sit down and finish it!  I was planning to last year, but then we were in the moving into our new house.  This year, I decided it was finally time to get it done.  Although it's the night before Thanksgiving and none of you will have time to make it for this Thanksgiving, I just really needed to post it so it wasn't hanging over my head another year.   Anyways... 

As I'm sure you know, it's really hard to find Disney Thanksgiving items, so I decided that I'd make a few of my own.  I've been trying to find something to put on our table as a centerpiece.  These Mickey Mouse pilgrim hat decorations are perfect!

Want to make your own Mickey Pilgrim Hat decoration?  Here's how I made them:

Materials:

Terra Cotta Flowerpots (I used 5" diameter pots)

Acrylic Paints (brown, black)

Paint Brushes

Newspaper (to cover your work area)

Pencil

Black Craft Foam (I used thicker 1/4" foam that I found at Michael's)

Something round to trace for the ears (I used a cup)

Scissors

Clear Sealant Spray (optional)

Black Ribbon (I used 7/8" for my larger pots)

Thin Yellow Craft Foam

Hot Glue Gun

1.) Paint Base and Second Layers

Flip your flower pots upside down and paint them brown with a base layer.  If you'd like, you can paint the inside of them.  (I painted mine black to make them look more finished.)  After the base coat is dried, paint a second coat over the first.

2.) Make Mouse Ears

While waiting for your paint to dry, you can start working on your mouse ears.  Find a small cup or something else that's about 3" in diameter.  (If you're using pots that are smaller or larger than I did, find something that looks about the correct ratio of hat to ear.)  Trace the cup onto your black craft foam using your pencil.  You'll need two ears per flower pot.  Cut them out with scissors and set aside.

3.) Spray with Sealant (optional)

Once you are satisfied with your paint job, it's time to seal the paint!  (Acrylic paint is water based so you need to seal it to make sure you won't accidentally mess up your hard work.)  Go outside or in a well-ventilated area since sealant is toxic and pretty smelly.  Follow the directions on your sealant.  Most sealants will have you spray 2-3 thin coats.  Make sure that you cover the inside and outside of the pot.  (I actually forgot this step, but since my hats are going to stay inside, I'm ok with that!)

4.) Prepare Mouse Ears
Once your flower pots are sealed, you can start to attach the decorative items.  First, take your mouse ears and line them up with the upside down flower pot.  I drew a small line across one side of the ear.  Next, I cut off that section of the ear so I'd have a flat surface to attach to the pot.  Cut the same amount off each ear making sure not to take too much off.  (See photo above for example.)

5.) Cut and Attach Ribbon
Next, measure your ribbon by wrapping it around the flower pot.  I cut off a little bit extra.  Then, use hot glue to slowly attach it around the pot.  The pot gets smaller so the ribbon will not fit completely flush with the pot.  Just make it as tight as you can.  If you have extra, you can also cut it off once the ribbon is attached.

6.) Make and Attach Buckle
Cut off a small rectangular piece of yellow craft foam.  I really just guesstimated the sizing, but my circles were probably about 1" x 1.5".  Make a small hole in the center of your buckle with the pencil, then use your scissors to cut out a center rectangle.  I left about 1/4" on the edge of the entire buckle.  Then, use your hot glue to attach it to the hat over the ribbon.  I attached mine over the ribbon overlap, or where there was a place on the ribbon that I wanted to hide.

7.) Attach Ears
Finally, use hot glue to attach your mouse ears.  If you're looking down on the flower pot, picture it like a clock: with the buckle at the 6:00 position, you want to attach your ears at the 9:00 and 3:00 positions.  This is the easiest way to figure out where to attach them.  Make small pencil marks before gluing down if necessary.  You're done!  

Find a place display your creation and enjoy your new Mickey Mouse Pilgrim Hat Decoration!!!  I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!  °o°

Disney Pixar Blog Hop October 2016

Welcome to the Disney Pixar Blog Hop!

Disney and crafting are a magical combination, and we are so happy you joined us to day for this blog hop.  Some of the crafters participating in this event have been doing this together since 2011!  Over the years the hop has grown but one thing has always stayed the same . . . amazing crafting projects that feature your favorite characters from Disney and Pixar movies.

For 2016 we are going to have a hop every other month for the entire year!  If you missed one of the hops we already had this year, you can still go back and see the projects.  For February click HERE, for April click HERE, for June click HERE and for August click HERE. If you are on Facebook you can like the group page so that you can be the first to learn about each upcoming event.  Just click HERE to go the the Facebook page.

To make sure you don't miss any of the fun, be sure to start at Shawn's blog to see all of the projects.  Just click HERE to head over to Shawn's blog and then follow the hop line up at the bottom of the post to see everyone's projects.

Pink Polka Dot Minnie Mouse Sun Hat

As some of you know, Eliot and I just went on our first Disney Cruise last weekend.  (It was incredible!)  The past month, I've been working on so many projects for this trip.  I had originally wanted to post a Halloween project for this month, but I simply ran out of time.  Instead, I thought I'd share a quick tutorial of one of the things I made!  Here's a Pink Polka Dot Minnie Mouse Sun Hat that I made for our cruise!

I found this hat on sale at Target a few weeks ago for less than $5!!!  I'd already gotten a few other hats, but I had an after thought that I should have gotten a few extras for projects.  I was so excited to find this one!  After a bit of thought, I decided to make it Minnie Mouse inspired!  I love how cute it turned out!  Minnie is my spirit animal, and this is the perfect Disney inspired accessory for fun in the sun!

Want to make your own Pink Polka Dot Minnie Mouse Sun Hat?  Here's how I did it:

Materials:

Sun Hat
Pink Spray Paint
White Spray Paint (not pictured)
White Acrylic Paint
Circle Sponge Applicator
Paint Brush (not pictured)
Mod Podge (matte)
Ribbon
Scissors

Hot Glue Gun
Optional Accessories: Flowers, Rhinestones, Buttons, etc.

1.) Prepare Your Sun Hat

Take any tags or plastic pieces off of your sun hat.  If you have one with darker colors, you might want to spray paint it white first.  (I found this allowed for better coverage when I went to add the pink!)  I used two coats of white spray paint, followed by a concentrated layer where the hat originally had a black edge.

2.) Spray Paint the Hat

Once your hat is prepped, spray paint a few coats of hot pink paint.  Make sure your layers of paint are light and even.  It's ok if it takes a few coats.

3.) Add Polka Dots

When the hat is fully dry, place it on a newspaper or protected surface.  Use your white acrylic paint and circle sponge applicator to paint polka dots all over the hat.  Try to space them out a little bit so they don't take over the hat!  If necessary, add another coat on top of these once they're dry.  I only used one coat of paint on mine, but I made sure I applied it thicker the first time.  (The paint might leak through the hat since it's woven.  Make sure you have something underneath the hat to collect paint.)

4.) Seal Paint

Once your hat is completely dry, use your paint brush to paint a layer of matte Mod Podge over the entire thing to seal the paint in.  It's ok if it looks white.  It will dry clear!

5.) Attach Ribbon

After the Mod Podge is dry, you can add ribbon and decorations.  I used a polka dot ribbon and placed it around the bottom base of the hat using my hot glue.  I made the ribbon ends overlap on the side of the hat.

6.) Add Decorations
If you'd like, you can add more decorations to your hat!  I used the extra flowers I had from my Tinker Bell Fairy Garden Lantern project.  Using hot glue, I attached three of the flowers over the location of the ribbon overlap.  Now, you can't even tell it's there and the flowers look really cute too!

I'm sure Minnie would love this fun and stylish hat!  I know I certainly do!  °o°

Before you go, make sure to enter to win our prize for this hop . . .

We have a prize from Paper Wizard!  You could win one of their Mouse Wreaths, which is pictured in the image below!  This is perfect for a Disney scrapbook or to turn into a home decor item.

- - - 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

- - -

Good luck, and enjoy the rest of the hop!

The full blog hop line up is below.  

Shawn

Ellen

Tammy

Melissa

Miranda

Disney Pixar Blog Hop August 2016

Welcome to the Disney Pixar Blog Hop!

Disney and crafting are a magical combination, and we are so happy you joined us to day for this blog hop.  Some of the crafters participating in this event have been doing this together since 2011!  Over the years the hop has grown but one thing has always stayed the same . . . amazing crafting projects that feature your favorite characters from Disney and Pixar movies.

For 2016, we are going to have a hop every other month for the entire year!  If you missed one of the hops we already had this year, you can still go back and see the projects.  For February click HERE, for April click HERE and for June click HERE.  If you are on Facebook you can like the group page so that you can be the first to learn about each upcoming event.  Just click HERE to go the the Facebook page.

To make sure you don't miss any of the fun, be sure to start at Shawn's blog to see all of the projects.  Just click HERE to head over to Shawn's blog and then follow the hop line up at the bottom of the post to see everyone's projects.

Tinker Bell Pop Purse Charm

It's no secret that I love sparkles and I love "bling".  I'm also a sucker for anything that's bright and colorful.  Recently, I've been loving the trend of adding a "purse charm" to your handbag for some extra sparkle.  I've been wanting to make one for a while now, and when I spotted Tinker Bell the other day, I knew it was meant to be.

I love how my Tinker Bell Pop Purse Charm came out!  It's bright, colorful, fun, sparkly and the perfect edition to my Disney Dooney and Burke Sketch Handbag.

Want to make your own Disney Pop Purse Charm?  Here's how I did it:

Materials:

Disney Pop Keychain (I used Tinker Bell)

Large Glass Seed Beads in Various Colors

Head Pins

Jewelry Chain

Clasps and Hooks

Jewelry Pliers- Wire Cutters, Chain Nose Pliers and Round Nose Pliers

Ruler (not pictured)

Safety Glasses (optional but recommended)

1.) Prepare Chain

Measure a 6" long section of chain and use wire cutters to clip it.  Set the rest aside.

2.) Create Bead Dangles

Take one of your beads and place it on a head pin.  Use your round nose pliers to create a small loop right above the bead.  Wrap the wire back around the head pin two times.  Repeat with different colors of beads until you have a stack.  (I made about 25.)

3.) Clip Extra Wire

When you're done, clip the extra head pin wire off using your wire cutters.  Please be careful when cutting wires.  They sometimes with go flying once clipped.

4.) Attach Bead Dangles to Chain

Use your chain nose pliers (the flat ones) to separate sections of chain.  (I separated it like you would a jump ring.)  Place one or two bead bangles on the chain and then pull the sides of chain back together.  I put two beads on every other section of chain.  It really depends on how close together you want the beads.  Repeat attaching bead dangles until you get about halfway up the chain.

5.) Attach Hooks

Once you're done attaching all of your beads, you need to add the hooks.  I placed my hook on the chain link right above the beads.  Then, use your chain nose pliers to add the clasp to the top of your chain.  Finally, add one more hook to the bottom under all of your beads.  I used a smaller style hook and clasp for the top and middle of the chain.  Then, I used the larger hook style for the bottom.  (See photo above.)

6.) Add Pop Charm

Take your Pop charm and unhook it from the keychain.  They conveniently come with a clasp already attached!  Attach it to the larger hook at the bottom of the chain, and you're done!  Loop the chain around the handle of your handbag and attach the clasp to the hook in the center of the chain.

Perfect right?  The best part of this purse charm design is that since the Pop can easily be detached, you can switch between different characters.  You can also move the charm higher up on the chain if you want to attach it to the clasp in the middle and have the beads dangle separately!  (Pictured below.)

  

I love it!  Step out in style and enjoy your new Disney Pop Purse Charm!!!  °o°

Before you go, make sure to enter to win our prize for this hop . . .

We have a prize from Clear Scraps!  You could win one of their sandcastle chipboard albums!  This is perfect for your summer beach photos or with a little magic, this castle becomes the home for any Disney Princess.

- - - 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
- - -

Good luck, and enjoy the rest of the hop!

The full blog hop line up is below.  

Shawn

Allie

Ellen

Melissa

Miranda

Cathie 

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