DIY Gilded Heart Ring Dish

2.12.13

I love projects that look fancy but are secretly super easy, and this is one of those projects. If you’ve got a girlfriend (or a mom, sister, grandmother, aunt) who needs a sweet little something for Valentine’s Day, whip her up this little gilded ring dish! It’s sweet and simple, with a little touch of gold (and you guys know I can never say no to gold). If you’d like to make one, gather your materials:

white modeling clay
baking sheet
Martha Stewart Liquid Gilding
paintbrush
you’ll need your oven, too!

Start by warming the modeling clay in your hands and forming it into the shape of a heart. Mold the edges of the heart upward slightly so that it creates a lip all around the edge. Set aside a small piece of clay and form it into a thin roll. Gently press the roll onto the center of the heart to act as a peg. Smooth any rough spots, and bake according to the directions on the package.

Once the dish is cool, load your paintbrush heavily with the liquid gilding and begin to trace the edges of the heart. If you like the dripped effect, allow some gilding to pool and drip down. I liked mine a little drippy!

Be sure to let the gilding dry thoroughly, and send this little beaut on its merry way to brighten someone’s Valentine’s Day. Make it and give it! xoxo

Make & Give // DIY Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup

12.20.12

We’re coming down to the gifting wire, and if you’re still looking for something to give, today’s DIY is beyond simple (and it seems so fancy!). So if there’s someone on your list who loves coffee or tea, this might just be up your alley. Today we’re doing a vanilla bean simple syrup! Grab your materials:

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean (optional)
container to give it in

Combine sugar and water in a pot over high heat. As it’s heating, split your vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the insides. Put both the scrapings and the bean pod in the pot. When all of the sugar is dissolved, lower the heat and let the pot simmer for about 10-15 minutes. When you take the pot off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract (you might want to add an extra dash if you’re not using a vanilla bean).

Let the mixture cool slightly and pour it into a container! This is another project that is so easy to make in large batches, so give it to all the folks on your list — and don’t forget to save one for yourself. Make it and give it! xoxo

Make and Give // Printable Christmas Gift Tags

12.18.12

We’re getting close to Christmas, and I’ve got some simple little gift tags for you to print in case you’re in one of those classic “Oh Shoot I Forgot to Get Gift Tags and Now I’m Home and Don’t Want to Go Back to the Store” type situations. In which I find myself just about every year.

So just download these and print them on some cardstock! Just FYI, the version I printed had a tint of color on them, but the downloadable version is just the outlines of the tags and the black lettering, so you can print them on any shade of paper you like. Cut them out and either tape them to your gifts or punch a hole and string them on some ribbon. Boom! Taken care of. (Oh, and if you want to know how to make that wrapping paper, check it out here.) Make it and give it! xoxo

Make and Give // DIY Paint Swirl Ornaments

12.13.12

Today’s installment of Make and Give literally could not be any simpler. You need two materials and no tools whatsoever, but the result is awesome and it would be a perfect gift for someone who’s celebrating the holidays in a new home or needs a few extra ornaments. Just grab some clear glass ornaments and a few colors of craft paint, and get your swirl on.

Just remove the hanger from the top of the ornament and pour in some paint. Not too much or it may not dry well, but you can always dump some out.

Start swirling the ornament around until the paint makes a pattern that you like. I left some of mine clear; you could also cover the whole ornament and make them solid colors. (I also played with the idea of tossing some glitter in there, which could be an entirely different story!)

Set them to dry overnight without their hangers. In the morning, replace the hangers, package them up, and you’re all set. Make it and give it. xoxo

make and give // diy gold nugget earrings

12.11.12

Hi guys! So are we all on the DIY holiday gift train? I’ve got another one today for your stylish sister or best friend — we’re making gold nugget earrings!

Of course, our nuggets are made out of clay and the gold is painted on, but hey — I’ll take it. Here’s what you’ll need:

sculpting clay
sculpting tool or knife
earring backs
gold paint
small paintbrush
super glue

Start by cutting off a small amount of clay with a nice flat backside (haha, I said backside). Use your tool to cut angles off of the piece of clay until you’re happy with the shape. Make two of these.

Bake the clay according to the instructions on the package. Let it cool and paint it gold.

Superglue the earring backs to the flat side of the gold nuggets. Let everything dry thoroughly.

This little project comes together really quickly, and would be so easy to make in big batches to give to lots of people! Put them on a cute little card when you give them and watch people be impressed. Make it and give it! xoxo

make and give // diy enamel tie clip

12.6.12

It’s another one for the dudes! If your guy needs a tie clip that’s a little more dressy than last week’s, this is the one for you. And it’s even easier than the last one. You’ll need:

blank tie clip (from the craft store)
Sharpie paint pens

Start by painting a base coat of black on the entire surface of the tie clip. Let it dry thoroughly and repeat the process to build up a little paint on the surface.

Using another color (I chose gold, duh), paint a pattern over the black. I did some tidy polka dots, but you could do stripes, colorblocking, or a zillion other awesome things.

Make sure you let this one dry according to the directions before you wrap or use it! Make it, give it, and love it. xoxo

make and give // diy polka dot pencils

12.4.12

I. Love. These. Pencils. I want to make them for everyone and run through the streets passing them out like candy. Seriously. They’re also pretty fun to make, so if there’s someone on your list who would love these little babies (a coworker, perhaps?), let’s get down to business. You’ll need:

plain No. 2 pencils (dollar store, yo!)
spray paint
Sharpie paint pens
Scotch Blue painter’s tape

Start by masking the eraser and metal ring at the top of your pencils.

Next, spray paint your pencils. It may take a couple of coats to cover the No. 2 stamp.

Finally, use your Sharpie paint pens to make tiny dots up and down each ridge of the pencil! It seems like it would take forever, but once you get a rhythm it goes really quickly.