Pinterest is a fabulous place for do-it-yourselfers to be inspired by fun and creative projects. Here are three fabulous projects inspired by Pinterest ranging from super easy to advanced to add some fun to your decor:
Painted Mason Jars
Empty jars have tons of great functional and aesthetic uses. Mason jars are popular for centerpieces, storage, and organization in many rooms of the home. Here are two different painting techniques that give custom looks to retro jars:
1. Drybrushing: using an inexpensive 1" wide brush, lightly coat the inside of the mason jar with acrylic paint from the craft store. Use even, vertical brush strokes along the sides. Determine the front of your jar to ensure the best presentation. When dry, brush on or spray on a sealer to prevent the paint from flaking off when touched. Add a flickering led light to the bottom of the jar for a great
2. Swirling: pour about a half inch of paint in the bottom of the jar. Turn the jar slowly clockwise until the paint swirls evenly all along the sides, then turn it upside down to drip on a paper plate. Metallic paints work beautifully for this heavily coated look.
Jute-Wrapped Bottles
Jute adds interesting texture to any shape of container or bottle. Grouping several bottles together and binding them with a decorative ribbon or banding can be a fantastic and inexpensive table centerpiece. Here is the technique for adding jute to any bottle:
* Start by affixing the end of the jute cord (found in massive spools from a hobby store) to the bottom of a bottle with hot glue, then slowly add a few inches horizontally of glue as you wrap from bottom to top. Make the layers of jute stack evenly to prevent the hot glue from squeezing out between. On average, a beer-sized bottle will require 30 feet of jute, a wine bottle 60 feet.
Decoupaged Pallet Board
Pallets are incredibly popular and are making appearances in homes everywhere from wainscoting to backsplashes to decorative art pieces. It takes great skill and many tools to safely pull apart a pallet, so please exercise extreme caution. After all, nothing ruins craft time faster than tetanus. Here are some handy tips for decoupaging a pallet board for a custom sign:
• Sand the board and remove any chunks, burrs or other heavily textured bits that could damage or catch the brush. Print out the letters for your board in your preferred color, font and size on manila file folders. Regular paper will tear when glued, so the weight of the folders will help maintain structural integrity. Cut out the letters using manicure scissors, then dry fit on the board. Dunk each letter in a paper plate filled with mod podge or other decoupage-style glue, then place on the board. Work quickly to properly place the letters. When dry, use a standard or foam brush to apply more coats of the mod podge over the letters. When dry, select a hanger to display your fabulous new artwork!
The DIY "Pin"terior Design seminar by Leslie will be offered at the Lansing Home and Garden Show this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. More information can be found at www.designisademocracy.com as well as Leslie's Pinterest board under designdemocracy.