Bunny Rabbit Balloon DIY for Little Boy Birthday Card!

I made this card for a little boy's birthday:

I found an illustration online and used it as inspiration to draw the bunny with balloon.  The illustration is so cute, it makes the card.  This way, I simply draw, color in with pencil crayon et voila!

Materials I used:

• White card stock, approximately 7.5' x 10.5'.
• Pencil, eraser, pencil crayons of desired colors (here I used brown, grey and blue).
• scissors.

I cut white card stock to the desired size, folding it on the longer side.

I drew in pencil, to match my inspiration drawing, first, using large strokes to decide how everything would fit (and to make sure it fit the card), then faint strokes approximating where the final drawn lines go, and finally, drawing darker lines, selecting the main outline.  The progression of the drawing is shown here:

When I am pleased with the pencil drawing, I proceed with outlining the rabbit with brown pencil crayon.  For this, I use single strokes per line, to keep the lines clean.  You can choose a simpler inspiration drawing if you're more comfortable with something else:

I can now erase the pencil for the rabbit portion.

You can begin to shade in the colored part.  I first used light grey, then went over with brown pencil crayon.  For the balloon, I make sure the letters I would like to use fit:

Now, go ahead and erase the balloon's pencil marks.  Shade in the balloon with your color of choice!

Now, you can go ahead and write your well wishes on the card and you're done!  I looked at fonts on Pinterest and mimicked the style I liked most.  This doesn't have to be perfect.  Sometimes, the charm is in the quirks of your style.  Enjoy!

Please write in the comments section below if you have any :).

LJR, Kraft Queen.

Upholster a Box for Storage with a Recycled Poster - DIY

I "upholstered" a box using the back side of a poster destined for recycling.  I liked the glossy sheen of the poster and thought it would look nice on the outside of the box.  This is the box I made:

For this tutorial, you will need:

•  Some form of glossy, durable and flexible paper (here, a poster).  You will need enough to cover the box.  Try to have at least one complete sheet per box side around the perimeter and for the height, match the height of the box with at least 2 inches extra to hang over the inside of the box and avoid unsightly cuts being visible from the outside of the box.
• A whole puncher
• Scissors
• A box (desired size matching that that you would like your final container to be.  Have a look at your space and decide which size you would like!)
• String (here I used string I made from plastic drinking water bottles.  I cut in a spiraling motion, making 1.5 cm wide "string").  Any string will do.  Consider what will look good on your container.  Ribbon would be pretty, if you have enough.  You need approximately 2.5 times the height of the box in string per edge (so 4 strings).

I used this box (below).  I trimmed the top flaps, leaving 2 inches hanging over into the inside to help keep it sturdy.

I placed my glossy white covering around the box, cutting a distance of one and a half times the box height.  I folded the poster (I needed to use two sections to cover the whole perimeter) around the horizontal and vertical (pictured here) edges, then pressed down on the folded edges, flattening it to help it keep its shape.  I cut along the horizontal edge for the portion that would fold over the box and be on the inside.  I then cut about an inch in from the topmost part, cutting a curved lines inwards to converge at the inner flap hinge (to prevent overlapping of the poster covering the flaps on the inside of the box).

I folded the poster edges with the upper flaps tucked under and used a hole puncher to make holes 1.5 inches apart along the edges.

Here is my string and the folded posters I will use:

I then placed the poster along the box as I would like it to sit, then piercing the box through the hole-punched holes, until I had pierced through the whole cardboard layer (or layers, where there is the inner flap too).  If the inner flap poster section doesn't line up, you can go over it with your hole puncher again, to line it up with where you pierced into the cardboard, or simply pierce through the inner layer of poster with the scissors, from the outside.  Watch out for your hands!  I sometimes use a pencil too, to create a cleaner hole after I've pierced first with the scissors.

After I've made all appropriate holes for any one edge, I lace the string through it to keep it there and then move on to the next row of holes.  The whole time, make sure everything is lined up evenly to get your desired look.  For my plastic string to fit cleanly through the holes, I folded it in half to strengthen it and narrow it down.  Sometimes, if the hole was tight, I went back in with my scissors or pencil to widen it.

It's a little trickier when you have an overlap of two poster sections.  Here, you can simply punch through double the poster, or keep only the top and bottom sections (2 inches each) and cut out the middle to make it easier (as long as the part you cut out is hidden by the poster section over it!).

Make sure you have the inner box flaps and poster covering inner flaps lined up with the holes on the outside.  You can be flexible with it and cut new holes as needed.  As long as the outside is clean, it will still look nice.

Here is the final product:

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comments section below.

Enjoy!! 

LJR, Kraft Queen.

Flour Power: Two Part Tutorial - DIY Re-purpose Food Jars and Label them to Store Food Stuffs, Crafting Supplies... The Possibilities are Endless!!

I'm a fan of re-purposing cans.  I will collect them when my jams, sauces and honeys finish.  I wash the jar, take off the label and will fill with flour, dried herbs and sometimes jewelry.

This is the final product:

But first, to remove the label:

I fill a pot with kettle heated water.  Enough to immerse the jar label in.  Rub soap into the label.  Let it sit in the shallow water with the pot top on.  Let the steam and water melt the label glue.

After about 15-25 minutes, I rub and peel off the label, and for the remaining glue, I scratch it off with the edge of the jar cap.  Some areas are harder to remove.  For the tough spots, I use "elbow grease" and will intermittently scratch off the label and put it back in the water to sit for longer.  While I work on one jar, the others sit.  The longer you leave it in the hot water, the more easily the labels come off.

Here the jars are sitting to dry.  Which brings me to part 2 - Repurposing:

I filled one of the jars with flour.

I wanted to know what was in the jar at a glance, so I decided to label it.  You can look online for a writing style you like.  This writing style was inspired by a "decal" I saw on pinterest ( http://www.5dollardinners.com/diy-canisters-kitchen-inspiration/ ), but this one I did in sharpie, which is low-tech but efficient and does the job:

I first make out the outline and then fill it in with the sharpie.  I keep glancing at my inspiration lettering.

And there you have it!  I love sharpie because it's permanent, bold and allows you to style things to your own liking with minimal materials!

Enjoy!!  

LJR, Kraft Queen

DIY Easter Egg Stamp Effect Card

 I made this Easter card in about 20 minutes: 

My materials:  2.5 ' x 2.5 ' piece of styrofoam, scissors, markers (colors matching those of desired egg colors), black sharpie, thin white cardboard at desired card size (approximately 5.5 ' x 10 ').

Instructions:

To create the egg "stamp", draw egg shape (below) out of thin styrofoam piece and cut out this shape.  Use marker with cap approximately the size of the circumference of the tip of your pinkie.  Push into egg surface to create circle pattern all over egg cutout surface.  With scissor tip, trace groove around these circles.

Color the egg cutout with desired color.  Here, I used purple, then blue, then some yellow.  

Place the egg on the cardboard without moving.  Roll over with flat length of marker as with rolling pin to set marker ink onto the card.

Repeat for eggs of same color.  When you want to switch colors, reuse the egg but wipe with tissue to remove excess color.  It's better to start with light colors and progress to darker colors to avoid staining your markers with darker colors and to have visible darker marks staining lighter colored stamps.  Note: the egg stamp compresses the more you use it and the design on the egg will become less visible so it's best to make a new stamp for each card you make.  Alternatively, a more sturdy styrofoam that is still thin enough to cut the desired design may not flatten out and may be reusable.

Now it's time to personalize the card and write your well wishes.  I write first in pencil and when I am pleased with the spacing and look of the letters, I trace over in sharpie.  After 10 minutes when sharpie is set, I erase the pencil.  Be careful when erasing over the egg stamp so as to not erase this.  Be gentle!

Now, you can add in other designs in sharpie (pencil first).  This creates dimension.
Here, I added a bow...

... And hearts on either side.  For both the letters and design, I traced two overlapping lines for the outline.  This gives the card a more finished look: 

You can make similar cards, creating these one time use stamps and drawing/ writing with sharpie.  Et voila!  The card is complete :).

Please comment with any questions or comments you may have.  Enjoy!

LJR.  Kraft Queen