blackboard painted jar labels

hello lovely readers!


happy 2013! hope you have had a wonderful break over the holiday season; whatever it may have entailed.


let's face it; resolutions; they ain't ever what we hope they'll be.. those first few days are great and then BAM everything seems a little harder to continue. but hey - maybe that's just me!... i therefore thought of a more realistic project to get the year going, which is to help organize all my bits and bobs. heck knows i do have a lot of bots and bobs laying about the house. i am a bit of a collector - my usual crafty mantra is "waste not; want not!" so in this case i'm collecting some of the jars we emptied over the christmas period and making them into muti-purposeful//re-usable storage containers (which look pretty fab if i do say so myself!)


first things first! what will you need?

i'm branching out a little from my usual crafty creations sourced from soley around the home - but it will be well worth it!

you will need //

//a couple of recycled [clean] jars with their lids
//sticky tape
//a permanent marker
//a paint brush (preferably and old one)
//chalkboard/black board paint (sourced from my local hardware for $10 for a 100ml pot - trust me - this stuff goes a long way! i've used enamel based paint as i'm using it on glass - however a water-based version is also available)
//a piece of chalk
//a cloth for wiping up mistakes



recommended with enamel-based paint 

//gloves and old painting clothes
//face mask
//turps/nail polish remover [for cleaning the brush and any booboos - only for enamel based paint]

note: i know this is old hat, but i'm chucking it in anyway! always paint somewhere well ventilated.

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step one // framin' it baby

i'm going for a crisp/clean looking label; some i'm using sticky tape as a border to create a straight lined rectangle (if you would like to create a more rustic look this step isn't necessary). using 4 lengths of sticky tape create a rectangle of your choosing - smooth down any bubbles or air gaps as the paint will get through. i've tried to make it as centred as possible for ease of reading.

i've traced a rough shape onto the sticky tape, as a guide, so i know where to paint.. that sticky tape can get lost on those clear jars..

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step two // paintin'!

get a small amount of paint on your brush and paint in a horizontal direction across the rectangle - this will make the final product look as even as possible. add more paint to get an even distribution..

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step three // let her dry

pop the finished jar in a well ventilated spot to dry - in this current heat mine are drying super fast - but you can allow half an hour if you want to be sure.

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step four // peelin'

after the paint has dried; slowly peel off the sticky tape and hey presto - reusable label central, population you.

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step five // chalk it up

as soon as your jars are dry, chalk away!

NIFTY TRICK: a neat little tip i picked up working in a cafe - use cola or any sugary soft drink to wipe the label clean - this dissolves ALL the chalk and leaves it looking like new again without any chalky white residue!

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the best thing about these jars is you can use them again and again for different things without the hassle of printing new labels! think spice racks people! OR as the current trend of using jars as drinking vessels - why not use them as the ultimate personalized drink?! perhaps as a gift from such an occasion?! the sky's the limit with these little babies.

happy crafting!

love g

xx

it's a wrap. [make your own wrapping paper] #2

right-o lovely readers! here is the tutorial for wrap design #2!
it's just as easy as the #1 tutorial only this time we'll be using an old wine cork. wine corks are fab for creating stamps - they are basically already in the right shape and all you really need to do is cut off the end, trace a shape and cut it out!

below is an image of what you'll be creating.

  

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what will you need?

materials

// string & ribbon

// scissors

// a stencil knife

// a pencil for tracing

// stamps

// a gift tag [optional]

// a cork [or eraser]

// kraft paper [or brown paper]

// an ink pad

other bits and bobs you can add for decorations

// a ruler

// sticky tape

step one // turning a cork into a stamp

to make your stamp - we'll be using the bobble end of the cork; this means we can use the other end to hold while stamping.

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step two // trace a shape onto the cork

trace a shape with a lead pencil onto the bobble end of the cork; i'm doing a triangle to create a sort-of-snow-like effect. the nature of the cork also makes the stamping effect look quite rustic. carefully cut off the rounded end to make the surface flat and then trace a shape of your choice. try and go for a shape with angles as it's much easier to cut than rounded shapes. again; carefully follow the traced lines cutting down about 5mm-10mm then by cutting on the side as you did to level of the rounded shape off the top, gently cut with the stencil knife until you get to edge of the triangle.

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step three // stamp away!

next is the fun part - stamping! do a couple of test stamps on a scrap piece of paper so you get the result you like. cut an appropriate sized piece of kraft paper to fit you present. using the ink pad - press the stamp on a couple of times to get the ink well dispersed across the shape.

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step four // wrap away!

to finish my present up i've used a piece of brown string tied over a red ribbon to give contrast to the colour used on the present - with a hand typed gift tag!

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step five // gift tag [optional]

here's another quick idea for a gift tag! i've cut out a piece of card with my pinking shears to create a zig-zagged effect matching the triangles. i've used my typewriter to type you a message but you can get the same effect using this free downloadable font off one of my favourite websites called DaFont - and just print one off your computer [i've linked it to the typewriter fonts page] - just download the file to an appropriate folder, then - open control panel, go into "fonts" and drag the text file out of downloaded zip file into the "fonts" file and it will automatically appear in all you programs!

happy crafting!

love g xx

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here's another quick and cheap idea! - using some vintage music sheets i picked up from the op shop for about 50 cents - i've covered a present to make a beautiful and distinct effect.

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i'd love you to share any of your fab ideas for stamps and christmas present wrapping!

it's a wrap. [make your own wrapping paper] #1

hello dear readers.

one thing i love to do at at any present wrapping occasion is customise my own wrapping paper and gift tags. it's super easy and loads of fun! i love coming up with new ways to put spins on last years efforts. here are a couple of ideas for you try, share or make.

using various recyclable and reusable materials found around the house; i'm going to make my own stamps, which will create the pattern we will use to design our own super fab wrapping paper.

i'm using the lid off an old eye-liner pen and a wine cork - however you can use almost anything you like depending on what shape you want to achieve.

below is a pic of the #1 wrapping design you'll be creating.

 

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but first things first. what will you need?

 

 

materials

// string & ribbon

// scissors

// a pencil for tracing

// stamps

// a gift tag [optional]

// an old pen lid [i'm using an old eye-liner pencil lid]

// kraft paper [or brown paper]

// an ink pad

other bits and bobs you can add for decorations

// a ruler

// a feather

 

 

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#1. style wrap // pen lid

to create this simple yet effective result i have used an eye-liner lid - however any lid of a similar shape will do.

 

 

step one // made to measure

 

start off by grabbing some kraft paper [or brown paper] and then measure the present you are going to wrap so you don't under allocate.

 

 

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step two // stamp away

 

grab your stamp implement - i'm using the lid off an old eye-liner pen. i'm using the 'flat side/the top' to create a 'rough' circle. you can use so many different things from around the home - such a toothpaste lids. this is a new spin on the old "potato stamp"!. i'm also using a red stamp pad instead of paint; mainly because it dries instantly, saving you time and mess associated with paint.

 

 

 

 

 

// stamp in whatever pattern you'd like; i'm going for a bit more of an even spotty page.

 

 

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step three // the final design

once you've finished you stamping; you're basically done! this took me about 2 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

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step four // wrap it up!

 

the final step is to wrap it! i've used brown string, a plain gift tag stamped with some of my alphabet stamps and a feather from the paddock and hey presto; you have a present wrapped in a super-duper quick and easy.

 

happy wrapping!

 

love g xx

 

stay tuned for my "it's a wrap #2" on how to use an old wine cork to design a custom stamp.

 

 

 

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