crafts Archives - Small Things Are Big Things

October 14, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

DIY Travel Route Map

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since our trip! Those two weeks were life changing for our family and much needed to regroup after my mom’s death. Which still feels like yesterday to me.

We made this DIY Roadtrip Travel Route Map so we can remember our vacation forever. The shape of this trip makes a heart. How fitting is that?? I can’t wait to add other road trip destinations!

All you’ll need is a map, bakers twine, and a hot glue gun.

1. Tie a knot. (for some reason I love this picture)

2. Glue at your starting point.

3. Follow your route and glue in the right places.

4. Done!

Picking a map might be the funnest/hardest part! A neighbor gave us one at their garage sale and I love it. But I do wish I had picked out brighter twine for our roadtrip route. It would have stood out so much more. I might be redoing it soon.
In all my spare time.
Hahahahahahahahaha…

Here are some great maps I found…
I love this sepia United States Map from National Geographic (only $14.01 on prime)…Or the same United States Map in color… (both $18.96 24”x36”)

Happy travels!

January 30, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Creative Tea Time {with a favor giveaway}

Saturday I got to hang out with a bunch of my friends and get my craft on at Creative Tea Time. The last one was in August and I never got to tell you about it, so I’ll share today. {Along with a giveaway of some of the amazing favors I received!}

First, I wore a cute new outfit.
Doesn’t a cute outfit make you feel better about yourself?
The night before the first Creative Tea Time, I felt like all my clothes were out of style. I mean, this is the longest I HAVEN’T been pregnant in over 7 years. So most of my clothes are ill fitting (too big and too small) and old… aka flare legged jeans. So after the kids went to bed I went to Target. And spent a bit (ahem) of money.
Doesn’t spending money make you feel better about yourself?
That may be a whole other post!

The décor was delightful. And we spent the whole day crafting and eating.
Good times.

Here is what I made, and how to make them yourself… {5 crafts}

Mini Atrium
You’ll need: Small glass container, small succulent, dirt, rocks, moss, various flare to decorate.
How-to: Fill only about half way with dirt and add everything together for your own mini atrium!

Stamped Spoon
You’ll need: Vintage spoon, old dish towel, hammer, metal stamping kit of the alphabet, black permanent marker
How-to: Place the towel on the ground and the spoon in between the folds of the towel. Hammer the top of the spoon flat {towel makes less noise and prevents scratching}. Follow metal stamping instructions for the word or phrase. Color over the letters with the permanent marker and wipe away so you can see the letters.

Wooden Sign
You’ll need: Wood, paint, letter stamps. Optional: fabric, yarn, hot glue for a bunting
How-to: Sign – Stamp letters onto wood. Bunting – Cut circles out of fabric and fold over yarn. Glue together to create half circles
Mine is at my front entry and everyone flips!

Mason Jar Snowglobe
You’ll need: Mason jar, hot glue gun, ‘snow’, stuff to put inside like bottle brush trees and reindeer.
How-to: Hot glue the stuff to the inside lid of the mason jar and put snow in the jar. Screw the lid on and flip over.

Fabric Strip Banner
Easy step by step instructions here.

We were also given a whole lotta swag!
Like a lot!!!
So I’m going to give some away.
Not because I’m nice, I just don’t wear a lot of jewelry or didn’t need whatever awesome thing that was given. You may be wondering if these favors are “leftovers.”
NOPE!
Absolutely not!
Everything was amazing and that’s why I’m doing the giveaway, to help promote the generous businesses who donated to Creative Tea Time.
(Otherwise I would just throw the stuff out… True Story.)
You’ll get a box filled with 14+ items of happy mail… and maybe a lid too!
Follow the instructions in the box below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Here I am with some of my IRL friends at Creative Tea Time.)

Till next time!

December 17, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

How to make a Thankful Banner

We are just days away from the one year anniversary of my mom falling and breaking her femur.
I can’t help but reminisce about what was going on this time last year – I was preparing for my friend’s annual cookie exchange and making gifts for all our neighbors. I was feeling excited for the first Christmas in our first home. I had just received our new Bohemian Lids and was planning how to launch them in the new year. Eli was in his first year of kindergarten and the kids were giddy with all the holiday stuff we were doing.
It was wonderful.
We were blissfully ignorant to what would come.
Then my world was jolted, we had two emotional months and then my mom was gone.

My mom would always write special quotes or bible passages on a chalkboard in her kitchen. Simple things that were speaking to her heart for that moment. My mom’s neighbor (and one of her dearest friends) snapped this picture of the last thing my mom wrote on her kitchen chalkboard.

Being thankful isn’t easy.
For me it’s a posture I have to breathe in daily hourly.
Intentionally.

My friend made this Thankful banner pattern. I made one for Thanksgiving, but I feel like I need a constant reminder, so I’m keeping it up year round. I want to always be thankful for this beautiful life that I love.

I want to share this Thankful Banner Tutorial with you! (With permission from the amazing Julie, we also made this banner as a part of my Anti Social Experiment.) This would make a great (inexpensive) gift for your girlfriends, neighbors, or as stocking stuffer!

You’ll need:

Thankful banner template
12×12 glitter paper
Pen
Scissors
Hole punch
String

To make the Thankful banner template you’ll need to download the Bebas Neue font. Print out the needed letters (THANKFUL) in 500 pt size.

1. Print out the template.

2. Cut out the template. (and save it so you don’t have to do it ever again!)

3. Trace the letters to the back of the 12×12 glitter paper. Be sure to do the mirror image of the letters so the letters aren’t backwards! (Tip: to fit all the letters on one paper you’ll have to do them out of order or upside-down.)

4. Cut out the letters. (duh)

5. Use the hole punch at the top of each letter so you can hang your banner. (Tip: See the picture above as a guide for the holes.)

6. String your Thankful Banner and hang.

December 2, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

How to Make a Pie Bunting {and an Epic Giveaway}

Thanksgiving is over and it’s time to plan for the crazy whirlwind we call December!
But I just had to share with you this simple Pie Bunting Tutorial.
The Pie {or cake} bunting is perfect for adding whimsy to your holiday table or for a inexpensive hostess gift!!
You’ll need some awesomeness on top of the glorious desserts you’ll be making with your new KitchenAid mixer… but now I’m getting ahead of myself! (hehehehe)

How to make a Pie Bunting
You’ll need:

12 x 12” glitter cardstock – for this bunting I bought one sheet of gold and one sheet of bronze for .99 cents each. You can make at least 7 buntings with this amount of paper.
Scissors
Hot glue gun
String – about 18” for each pie bunting
Two skewers

1. Cut 1- 1.5” strips of the cardstock. (You’ll have 8-12, 12” strips.)

2. Cut each 12” strip into 3.5-6” lengths. (You’ll have a bazillion pieces.)

3. Fold each piece in half and cut desired shape at the bottom to create a pennant. (I wanted my holiday bunting to be a little bit funky so I made each one different!)

4. Open the folded piece and cover one side with hot glue.

5. Fold over your length of string about 4” from the end, placing each pennant about 1/8-1/4” apart. (Stick with odd numbers for your bunting – mine has 7 pennants.)

6. Tie each end to a skewer and place in your holiday pie {cake} of choice!

These pie buntings will add shine to any holiday table… or make a great hostess gift… or teacher gift… or stocking stuffer!

You’re welcome!

Now you might be wondering about the KitchenAid mixer I mentioned at the beginning of these tutorial… wellllll…
Me and some bloggy friends are putting together another epic giveaway (remember last year). And this year we’ll have 3 winners!
Holla!
All the prizes are A-MAZING!!!
See…

5 quart Artisan Series KitchenAid stand mixer (winner’s choice of color)
Keurig K65 Special Edition Brewing System
Kindle Paperwhite Touch Screen E-Reader

Just follow the instructions in the box below and leave a comment on this post with the item would you like to see under your tree this holiday.
Squeeeeeeeeeeee! I’m so excited!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The “Comforts of Home” giveaway begins Monday Dec 2 and ends at 12:00 AM on Monday, December 9, 2013.
Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited.
All entries are optional with the exception of leaving a blog comment. We will never sell, distribute, or spam your email.
Three winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter (powered by Random.org). The first person chosen will choose between a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, Keurig K65 Brewing System, or Kindle Paperwhite. The second person chosen will chose between the two remaining prizes. The third person chosen will receive the remaining prize.
This is a non-sponsored post. Prizes were purchased by a group of participating bloggers. KitchenAid, Keurig, and Kindle are not affiliated with this giveaway.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.
This promotion is powered by Rafflecopter. Metric Feat LLC (“Rafflecopter”) does not sponsor, administer, or endorse this promotion. Participants must read and agree to Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy before entering and participating in this promotion.

Now I’m gonna cozy up by my half lit tree (free tree on Craig’s List last year) and drink some hot chocolate.

Blessings,
Kara-Noel
Small Things are Big Things on Facebook and Twitter

November 5, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

How to Make Shower Decor DIY – Little Rosettes for Dayz

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Cottonelle, but all my opinions are my own. I’m also eating all my kids’ Halloween candy right in front of them and not sharing one little bit. Whew… I’m glad I got all that out in the open… let’s move on together. #pmedia #CottonelleTarget http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

You may not think toilet paper and a bridal shower have much in common… unless it’s a shower for a poopy marriage (yeah, I said it).
But they do… and I’ll prove it.

With the simple techniques in this post, you’ll be able to make adorable decor for any event on a budget! I’ll teach you how to make rosettes, and mini pom poms. Then we’ll use these to make centerpieces, embellish a wreath and a gift for the Bride.

How to make a rose with toilet paper

You’ll need a hot glue gun and a roll of toilet paper. I recommend the Cottonelle Triple Roll because it doesn’t rip easily and it’s so thick you can’t see the tear lines. I mean… just because we are totally cheap smart and use toilet paper, doesn’t mean we want everyone to know we used toilet paper!
1. Rip off the number of squares you’ll need.
I put a size chart below – #1 is about the size of a quarter. (And it’s adorbs!)

2. Fold the sheets in half lengthwise into a long strip.

3. Grab the bottom corner of the strip (folded side up).

4. Twist outward.

5. Roll the twisted part into a ball.

6. Keep twisting and starting turning the rosette.

7. When your rosette gets your desired size leave about a 2” tail on the end to hot glue it to the back of the rosette to hold everything together.

Use the rosettes to embellish… well… anything!

I wrapped a heart shaped foam form with burlap then hot glued a cluster of 5 rosettes to one side. I hung the wreath with tied vintage hankies to add more texture. A wreath like this would be great for the front door or behind the dessert table.

I hot glued 3 rosettes to this hanging chalk board and wrote a custom message with a chalkboard pen. This easy embellishment can also double as a gift for the bride. (Or an easy hostess gift during the holidays!) You can customize the words with the bride’s future last name or the wedding date.
(Remember how fun it was to see your new name in print? Sigh.)

How to make a mini pom pom with toilet paper

You’ll need a twisty (or twine or yarn) and 10 squares of toilet paper.
1. Stack the sheets with the ripped edges all on the same sides.

2. Fan fold the stack, with the ripped edges on the long side, and secure with the twist tie.
(I used twine with the rest of mine and I liked it better.)
3. Separate each layer and fluff into a pom pom. (This is were that hefty Cottonelle Triple Roll comes in handy because the paper won’t rip during the fluffing.)

Centerpiece
To make the center pieces you’ll need a hot glue gun, various glass vases or mason jars, a bit of burlap, some vintage hankies, sticks, dirt and the mini pom poms and rosettes you made above. I also added a bit of texture with yarn pom poms.
I feel like this part is pretty self explanatory with the picture… but just in case you are a crazy direction follower (like me) I’ll give quick instructions.
1. Hot glue the pom poms and rosettes to the sticks… use various stick lengths.
2. Arrange sticks in the vases/jars and keep them in place with the dirt at the bottom.
3. Add a bit of flare, by tying burlap strips and hankies around the jars. This is a great way to bring in the bridal colors! Use bits of fabric or ribbon too.

I hope you enjoyed these easy tutorials! I had so much fun making them.
I’ll be using all these lovelies in a few weeks, for a baby shower in my home. But I’ll be adding a bit of pink flare for the sweet little girl on the way.

Right now if you buy Cottonelle Triple Roll 12 pack or larger at Target you can get a FREE box of Kleenex, with this COUPON (while supplies last).
The package looks like this…

Cottonelle triple roll

The coupon looks like this…

And I look like this…

February 21, 2012 by: Kara Noel Lawson

How to Make a Fabric Strip Banner

I learned how to make this simple fabric strip banner at a Pinterest Party around Christmas time.
I LOVE it!
Making this banner is so darn EASY, I’ve made one for every holiday since. And I find that making them is quite therapeutic.
Seriously.
I’ve still got a bit of the baby blues and I think the cure just may be making these banners, eating chocolate, and HGTV.
Seriously.
Some of the great things about this craft…
You can start and stop this craft without much thought. It’s easy to watch TV, supervise kiddos and plan dinner all while you are knotting away at the banner. You can even use fabric scraps you already have! So it’s totally a green project. Basically if you do this craft you will end world hunger… OK… not that last one.

You’ll need:
~1 yard of fabric total
~1.5 yards of twine
~cutting mat, cutting ruler & rotary cutter (optional)

1. Cut fabric into 1”x9” strips. Layering the fabric and using a rotary cutter makes this step super easy!
90-ish strips makes perfect for a doorway or single window. 140-ish is perfect for a mantel or double window.

2. Start about a foot from the end of the twine.
Make a loop behind the twine. (center of the fabric at the top of the loop)

3. Pull the tails around the twine and through the loop. (Be sure to wear a polka dot band aide for extra flare)

4. Pull tight to form the knot.

5. Slide the knots together.

6. Hang and enjoy!!

Fun tip:
This is a PERFECT project to do with a group of friends because you can work on the banner while chatting and eating. It’s also a bit cheaper because you need multiple different color fabrics. (In the Valentines banner I used 5 and in the St Patty’s day banner I used 6… but I think 3 or 4 colors will look great too.) Just buy one yard of fabric for each person coming, and divide it up equally. I try to get fabric at about $5 a yard (with a coupon or on sale) so it makes it easy for collecting $$ too!

June 29, 2011 by: Kara Noel Lawson

How to make a 4th of July Wreath

I love a lil’ something something on my front door.

Who doesn’t?

Make these wreaths for the 4th of July in a jiff!

(Pictures are a little fuzzy because they are from my phone. I was too lazy to get couldn’t find the good camera so had to make due.)

You’ll Need (for two wreaths):

~2 – 12” wreath forms

~3/4 yard of red fabric

~1/2 yard of blue fabric (you may need more if you use bigger wreaths)

~1/8 yard of white fabric

~About 12” of red, white OR blue ribbon for hanging. (I did white)

~Hot glue gun

1. Rip your blue fabric (the long way) into 2 inch strips.

2. Use your hot glue gun to secure one end to the wreath. Then wrap fabric around the wreath slightly overlapping each layer. When a strip runs out hot glue the end and repeat the same thing with the new strip starting where you left off. Cover the whole wreath.

Tip: I bought the straw wreath forms because they were cheaper than the Styrofoam ones. Just leave the plastic wrapper on to prevent straw from getting everywhere!

(how much do you {heart} my rug??)

3. To make the flowers I found this easy-peazy tutorial in a google search over at My Sparkle. The only thing I would add is the more you twist the flatter your flower will be. Since I wanted some “meat” on the back for easier mounting on the wreath, I twisted less on every other turn or so. Gluing often kept the bigger flowers from falling apart. I did 7 small flowers with 1” strips (per the suggestion of the tutorial), and 7 big red flowers with 4” strips. Tear the strips on the long side of the fabric and stop when you like the size of the flower. You really can’t mess these things up because of their messy look but the more I did the better it got!

Tip: Leave a bit of extra fabric length to create leaf shapes for added fun-ness in the final wreath.

4. Arrange your flowers and secure with hot glue.

This part killed me! For some reason I thought a perfect arrangement would save the economy or something. After many tweets and days of different patterns sitting on the counter with double stick tape I ending up winging it, and this is what I came up with. I love that they are slightly different from each other!

5. Hot glue the ribbon to the back at the desired length for hanging.

6. Admire the awesomeness!!

Here is what one looks like on the door. Hot Hubby still needs to add another nail to our other door for the second one. It will get done by 4th of July…maybe. Right now it’s on my mantel and I’m OK with that.

###

Cy update:

The nurse called today to tell me the Dr would call later with test results. He didn’t call. Which makes me think it’s bad news. Like he didn’t have time to for the long conversation of the horrible disease Cy may have. Or that that test results were super strange so he is having to research some crazy unknown thing. I know it’s totally unfounded but it’s the way moms think, right????

November 25, 2009 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Thanksgiving Crafts… and all that jazz

Are you looking for something fun and Thanksgivingy to do tonight!?!
You’ve found it!
Check out what my alter ego She’s Crafty has been making:

Make these adorable Turkeys here… Spice up your Thanksgiving table with these awesome napkin rings here…
Or if you are feeling super silly, make your family into Indians 🙂 Just like we did last year…You’ll need…
~Printed pictures of each family member
~Feathers
~Indian coloring sheets. Click here, here, here, here and here for the ones I used above.
~Crayons or markers
~Cardboard
1. Print out pictures of your family and enough Indian bodies for everybody.
2. Cut out faces of family members and glue them on the bodies where the face should be. Note: It doesn’t have to be true to size… it’s funnier if the face is a bit bigger!
3. Color
4. Glue picture onto cardboard
5. Cut out around body and face
5. Glue feathers to the top
6. To make them stand on their own glue a scrap of cardboard in a T shape on the back.

Found this craft last year here.