'Cause I Kill All the Plants {DIY}

Yes, I admit it.  I'm a cold-hearted, ruthless plant killer.  Well, actually, that's not really true.  I'm more of a "How could I have forgotten to water you?!" sap kneeling by the dying plant's grave in sorrow.  Either way, growing green things & I don't have the best track record.  That's where this DIY stems from {I couldn't resist}...

& everything you need can be found at the dollar store!

I found all the goods above at my local Dollar Tree!  All you need to do is fill your glass container with decorative pebbles {I actually only used 1 of the 2 bags, but depending on your container size you may need more}.  

My faux succulents came inserted in black styrofoam in plastic pots, so I took them out, & snipped 'em down a bit so they'd fit in my glass bowl easier.  Then, I nestled them down in the pebbles.

While some don't do "faux" {which I totally get & would rather have a green thumb, by the way}, it's easier to sleep nights knowing these guys won't be my next victims.  You know the whole talking to plants thing {to encourage them to grow}?  It's still okay to talk to faux plants, right? =)

Crafty Love,

-Bess-

Decorative Duct Tape Bible Recover

My Bible cover's gotten really worn over the years.  In fact, little specks of colored leather flake off at will.  The Bible was actually a Christmas gift from my mom over a decade ago in high school.  It's been well used & though the cover is rough, the inside Truths are still rock solid.  So, I decided to take some decorative duct tape I snagged at the Dollar Tree & fix it up.  I tried as best I could to let the design on the tape match up with each strip I applied + I was extra careful with the spine, edges, & corners.  I'm pleased with how it turned out! 

"A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."

-Charles Spurgeon

It's not always the case for me, but I pray the above is true more & more & more.  We are works in continual progress, & He is so gracious to me.

Love,

-Bess-

P.S.: I'm working through this Bible-in-a-year plan {above} that I started this month.  They say June's the new January, right?

P.P.S.: Have you ever used duct tape on a Bible or book or some other craft project?

Thanksgiving Blessings Wall DIY

I wanted a way to document my blessings, as well as my friends' & family's who stop by.  Here's what I came up with!

What You Need:

brown wrapping paper {I got mine at the Dollar Tree (it has a design on one side, but is plain on the other)}; thumb tacks {2-4}; chalk

What You Do:

Secure your wrapping paper to the wall with thumb tacks.  {I used only one roll this year {hoping this will be the start of a tradition}, but I think it would be cool if you used several & covered an entire wall with blessings - especially if you're having a big shindig!}  If you, however, have a bumpy/stucco wall, I suggest you tack one or more thin foam poster boards underneath your brown paper, so you'll have a smoother surface to write on.  Add your blessings & invite your guests to do the same.  Make sure to keep the chalk nearby!

Quick Tip: You can easily create a point on a new piece of chalk by using a regular hand held pencil sharpener.  Try it!

Love & Blessings,

-Bess-

DIY Starry Shadow Box

A couple days ago I shared Laura Story's song "Keeper of the Stars" along with 2 free lyric printables to choose from.  Today I'm going to share how I used one of the printables to create a starry shadow box.  Let's get started, shall we?

What You Need:
-1 of the free printables {& a printer, of course} =)
-a shadow box
-black contact paper or black paper {or you could use black paint & cardboard fitted to your shadow box size}
-scissors
-a small strand of twinkle lights {preferably battery powered (makes it easier than having to be close to an electrical outlet)} {I found these battery powered star ones at the Dollar Tree}
-gluestick

What You Do:
Resize your printable in a word document to a suitable size for your shadow box {don't forget to allow space for your twinkle lights}.  Print & cut out your printable.  Cut your black paper to fit your shadow box & begin carefully cutting small slits for your twinkle lights around where your printable will be glued.  Once you've done that, you can gently poke through your lights {if you have decorative lights similar to mine pop the decorative bulb cover off, slip the light through your cut slit, & put the cover back on}.  Glue your printable to the center of your black paper {you can also carefully cut any additional light slits you'd like over the printable, as well, too}.  Place your creation into your shadow box, turn on the twinkle lights, & remember to give everything {big & small & in between} over to our mighty God.  He is in control!

Starry Love,

-Bess-    

Make a Summer Fun Bucket!

I love the idea of celebrating days {ordinary & special, alike} & starting traditions.  Even though it's just me - & sometimes it seems silly to start a tradition for one - I'm rather into this kind of silliness {+ I don't want to look back at my single years to discover I put life on hold - I'm living now (at least that's the plan)}! =)  So, in celebration of summer, I gathered & purchased some goodies to ring in the new season.

To make your own {& start a new tradition} just find a bucket, tub, or basket {mine is from the Dollar Tree}.  Fill your bucket with goodies that'll help you celebrate summer {& that just make you happy}!  Now, you've got all you need in one place to make ordinary, summery days extra special!  Hmmm, maybe there needs to be an autumn, winter, & spring version, as well...

Summer Fun for All,

-Bess-

P.S.: Summer fun buckets go great paired with summer bucket lists!  What's on yours?

Candle "Shine" DIY

"You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp & put it under a bowl.  Instead they they put it on its stand, & it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds & praise your Father in heaven."

-Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

What You Need:

tall glass candle; plastic letters to spell "shine;" hot glue gun

What You Do:

I found these plastic scrapbooking letters at Michael's craft store & the candle at the Dollar Tree.  Attach each letter to the glass with a little hot glue.  Enjoy & may the candle glow remind you to shine His light!

Love & Shininess,

-Bess-

P.S.: I love simple powerful crafts!

Black Cat Beanie DIY

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but recently where I live it's begun to feel very autumn-y, & even downright cold!  This hat idea had been in my mind for some time now, & I'm happy to say I've finished it just in time for all the end-of-October festivals & activities, not to mention the turn in the weather.  It's a fun alternative to a complete head-to-toe costume.  I think I'll wear it to my church's fall festival this weekend! 

Click the image above to enlarge & see the supplies you need for this craft.  SIDE NOTE: My beanie came from the Dollar Tree.  Knit hats {like the one above} are best if you choose the no-sew option.

what you do:

Cut out 4 large triangles of the same size from black fabric for your cat ears, leaving enough room to hem & attach to your hat...  

sew:

If you can sew, take your needle & thread {or machine} & sew 2 sides of each of the triangles, right-sides together.  Then, reverse each ear, so the right sides are showing & sew to hat.  

no sew:

If you can't sew, or rather wouldn't, you can take your hot glue gun & carefully glue your 2 triangles together, folding the raw edge to the inside - & repeating for the 2nd ear.  If you have a knitted/crocheted hat, you can poke your ears through the natural holes in the hat & secure with a small amount of hot glue.  If not, you can carefully attach your ears to the top of your beanie {less hot glue is more, in this case}.

Love & {Lots of} Meows,

-Bess-

P.S.: I think I'm about to chop off my long locks!  I'm nervous, but if you could have seen the amount of blond hair I pulled from my vacuum {after running it unaware & nearly burning it up} the other day, you might understand why I'm ready for short {or, at least, shorter}.  I honestly think I could have made the Guinness Book of Records with the amount of tresses I pulled/cut away from the underside of my sweeper - it was about 2-3 years of accumulation!  Ugh!

3 Easy {No Carve} Pumpkin DIYs

Here's 3+ easy, no-carve ways to embellish a pumpkin {be it real, or faux}...

1. Chalkboard paint!  Confession time: I didn't use true blue chalkboard paint for the pumpkin above.  No, I just used plain old black paint, but I found it works just fine for this project - since I won't be erasing/reapplying chalk often.

2. Washi tape!  It's removable & comes in a variety of designs!  Super easy!

3. Permanent marker{s}!  These work great & are pretty resistant to the weather if you place your pumpkin outside.  The metallic ones {like the gold one I used above} add a bit of fancy!

More Ideas:

-add thumbtacks or decorative brads

-paint

-melted crayons

-glitter or faux gems

-stickers {letter stickers spelling a word would be nifty}

-fabric

Here's another idea I came up with last year...

Click here for the full instructions. 

Pumpkin Love,

-Bess-

Flameless Candle Easy Update

Flameless candles - what a fabulous invention!  I love that I can leave em unattended & not worry about my nephew being around their cozy glow {he's in kindergarten now, by the way (& reading) - mind boggling}.  However, they can look sorta plain.  Here's a super easy way to update em!

What You Need:

a medium {or larger} sized flameless candle {mine's from the Dollar Tree}; glue stick; vellum scrapbook die-cut; rubber bands; clear brush on glue {optional} 

What You Do:

Glue on your vellum die-cut & secure with rubber bands while it dries {I left mine overnight}.  If you want, you can add a clear brush on glue over top afterwards.  Easy, right?  

Easy-Peasy Crafty Love,

-Bess-

Interchangeable Fedora Embellishments DIY

It started with these fedoras from the Dollar Tree...  Pretty cute on their own, but sometimes a girl just wants a little frill.  Ya know? =)

Then, again, sometimes a girl wants to keep it simple.  So, I decided to make my embellishments temporary, & thus interchangeable, by using Velcro!

What You'll Need:

hat{s}, frills {i.e.: ribbon, silk flowers, feathers, bows, fabric, buttons, etc.}, hot glue, Velcro 

What to Do:

Create an adornment that goes around the band of your hat.  I found using my hat like a dress form works well.  Once you've got it like you want it {& made doubly sure it will fit around your hat}, add Velcro to it using hot glue {or you could sew it if you like}.

This simple style was created using one long & one short piece of ribbon.  I love that you can wear each of these embellishments on either hats!  Cause really a girl loves to change her mind {& look}. =)

I used a beaded ring & wide ribbon for this one.  I just slid the ring onto the ribbon {this way I can still wear it as a ring when I want, too}!  Easy!

Lastly, I had a magenta ribbon from some packaging that wasn't long enough to fit around my hat.  So, I improvised & added some turquoise-y feathers & brown ribbon.  This one doesn't even need Velcro - it just ties in place!

Love & Frills {for this 1st day of summer},

-Bess-

Easy Peasy Poppy Garland for Memorial Day

Poppies have long been flowers of remembrance for soldiers lost.  Back in 2010 I made poppy pins for Memorial Day {Anybody remember that?}.  This year, I created this easy-peasy garland using Dollar Tree felt coasters & twine.  Because the coasters already have holes, you can simply string them on the twine & hang them wherever this Memorial Day.  Super easy {& the total cost was $2}!  

Happy Memorial Weekend!

-Bess-