DIY Chalkboard Vases

Hey everyone!
I was reading HGTV magazine, which I picked up as an impulse purchase at Safeway {totally recommend this magazine, by the way. It is full of colour, ideas, and awesomeness} and I came across an article about repurposing all manner of kitchen things as vases. What really struck me was how they used salt and pepper shakers. 

So pretty, right? 

I picked up some s&p shakers at my local thrift store and had them sitting around my room for a while.

But, I also had just bought some chalkboard spray paint at my local hardware store, and thus, an idea was born. {Link here to the spray paint on amazon.ca, I used the one in black}

After much shaking, newspaper, and two coats of spray paint, and some weeds from our backyard, this is the end result:

They are cute. And I love them. Possibly more than I should. I'm going to have to figure out where to put them as currently my mother has commandeered them for the mantle downstairs.

I have not actually tried writing on these to see if the chalkboard paint is actually, well, chalkboard. But I just like the matte black look of them and my brain is already thinking of other things I could spray paint and write on. Because everything looks better with a coat of spray paint. Everything.

<3 Angel

DIY Fruit Print Wrapping Paper

Hey guys!

Second post of the day, just shredding it. Like a gangsta. A crafty gangsta. Okay, that's stupid. On to the promise of the day--DIY Project #1!

I'm going to my friends birthday party tomorrow, and I needed a way to wrap her present. And we don't have wrapping paper. Thus ...

DIY Project! Fruit Printed Wrapping Paper

Supplies: 

• Butcher paper {or any other plain/light coloured paper}

• Sliced fruit {you can use orange, grapefruit, apple, etc.}

• Paint {color of choice}

• Dish to hold paint

• Paint brush

• Paper towel {or napkin, newspaper}

Steps:

1. Take a slice of fruit {I used an orange slice} and dab the juice off on your paper towel.

1. Pour your paint into a dish.

1. Dip your brush in the paint and lightly coat one side of the fruit slice.

1. Stamp it on the paper {Tip: I found I got better imprints with an orange by dropping the slice from about 2 feet above the paper--experiment in a corner or scrap first to see what works best for you}

1. Repeat!

And there you go! The creative possibilities for this one are endless--different paint choices, fruit choices, or even other object choices! This is how mine turned out:

Pretty cute, right! I'm sorry I didn't take during/before pictures, I'll try to do that next time. But I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

I also took a fun little trip to town today and came back with this:

{ed. note: wow, my finger looks really old and wrinkly. Okay then. I'm not really sixty}

Decorative tape! It's green with this adorable banner on it! It's going to go everywhere now! It's kinda like washi tape, {except not Japanese} which is super awesome and I freaking love it so much but I haven't found yet. Canada. So behind the times. The brand is called Tape Works, and I picked up at my local Superstore. I couldn't find their website {sad face. Google has betrayed me} but I did find some pretty darn cute tape right HERE for reasonable prices -- and they ship to Canada! Gonna have to get me some. 

I guess that's a little off topic, but for the final reveal of the wrapped gift, you should know that all the tape you see on it does come from that lil' roll. 

And the gift: 

I'm pretty pumped at how this first project turned out. And that's with all my camp prep and a quick stop at the beach. Tomorrow=a lot of packing, so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me.

Thanks for listening, you all.

xoxo

Angel