DIY Skull Necklace

As everyone may know, I love to craft pretty things. This week, I'm showing you how to make this gorgeous skull necklace! I purchased these beautiful handcrafted skulls from a local gem shop in the small, mountain town where me and the hubby had our honeymoon. I had this great idea to make the skulls into necklace pendants, and the results were great! This is honestly, one of the easiest DIYs I have ever done!

How we found the skulls for our DIY necklace.

We bought a pair that came with a story. The man who owns the shop swears that the pair of skulls always fell facing each other, like they were talking. Actually, as most great purchases go, we weren't expecting to purchase the skulls. But, they just caught our eye, and the story was just too cute. If you don't have a gemstone skull, don't worry! This tutorial can be used for a number of other gemstones! Just get creative and discover what you can come up with.

How to Make the Necklace:

What I Used:
-length of chain with clasp
-skull gemstone
-resin
-small silver finding

Tutorial

Step One 

Mix the resin according to the directions on the package.

Step Two 

Apply a small amount of resin and connect the small silver finding to the gemstone.

Step Three

Let the resin cure. For the particular type of resin that I used, I had to wait about 13 hours. To find out the cure time for your resin, check on the package.

Step Four

Slip the gemstone on the chain.

Step Five 

Enjoy your new necklace!

Try it out for yourself and let me know how your's turns out! Leave your stories and comments below!

Have a great weekend!

DIY Bed Canopy

Image C/O PhotoPin

There's something about forts and canopies that give me a nostalgic, fuzzy feeling inside. I don't like cleaning up the mess, but I love them all the same. Being huddle up in a fort reading, listening to music, or even watching a movie can erase fears and worries.

Oh the possibilities are endless with bed canopies...

Bed canopies can be a great addition to any room, and they are extremely versatile. The outcome of the bed canopy depends on the material you choose and other accessories, including, twinkle lights, flowers, and garland. If you're looking for a DIY bed canopy that is easy to make an inexpensive, you have come to the right place!

Forts, bed canopies, and tepees, oh my!

I absolutely love bed canopies, tepees, forts, and tents. I guess you could say that I'm still a kid at heart. Something about the coziness of it just sounds like good times to me. I've had several bed canopies that are homemade, and I have loved every single one of them. For my current bed canopy, I decided to use twinkle lights. Actually, the lights add just enough light to watch a movie, which is perfect. The small steady twinkling of lights also adds a sort of ambiance. 

If you want to make this homemade bed canopy, here is how I made mine.

Tools and Materials:

-Embroidery hoop

-two curtain panels or a yard of fabric

-hook

-lights (optional)

-flowers (optional)

-garland (optional)

Directions:

Step 1: Open the quilting hoop and secure the window panels or fabric.

Step 2: Close the quilting hoop back.

Step 3: Place the hook on the ceiling securely. Make sure that the hook will be able to hold the weight of the fabric and hoop. If the hoop isn't securely fastened, the canopy will fall down on top of your head.

Step 4: Tuck the excess fabric around the post or secure the fabric around your bed.

Step 5: Enjoy your beautiful, new addition to your room.

If you have any questions or comments on how to make this bed canopy, feel free to leave a message below!

DIY Eye Candy for Your Walls Tutorial

Are you tired of looking at boring, white walls? Adding a personal touch to your home can be easy and inexpensive. Here is a great do it yourself tutorial to make eye candy for your walls. Try making these babies in different colors and add a pop of color to brighten your home and day. I wrote up a tutorial last year and shared it on my blog, but I've taken that particular post down; so, here is the new updated tutorial. 

I made these babies a year ago, and they have provided a cheery spot on one of the walls of my bedroom ever since. I've been wanting to get them framed, but they seem to be great without the frames! They add a fantastic pop of color and elegance. Plus, they are super easy and inexpensive to make.

Here is what you will need for this tutorial:

-blank canvases

-two different colors of spray paint (in any colors your want)

-lace

-tape

-a place to safely paint without getting any paint on yourself or your car

Directions:

1. Find a place to safely paint without getting any paint on yourself, house, or your car. Also, make sure that the weather is spray paint friendly. If the wind is blowing too hard you may want to wait for more favorable weather.

2. Paint your canvases the base color. I chose red because I only had red and white spray paint. Wait 15-20 minutes for your base color to dry.

3. Tape lace to the canvases and make sure that the lace is smooth and straight. Make sure that the lace is securely taped to the back of the canvases so that it will not move and smear the paint.

4. Spray your canvases with the top color. 

5. Set the canvases in a safe place and wait for 45 minutes to an hour for your top color to completely dry.

6. Hang up your canvases.

7. Enjoy your new canvases and the new pop of color in your home! 

I hope that everyone enjoys this tutorial. Feel free to leave all of your questions and comments below! Also, if you make these share your experiences below.

DIY Statement Necklace

Make a Statement with this DIY Necklace

Image C/O Lara Kern

Since I do a lot of my work online, I don't really put too much thought into what I wear on a daily basis. Most days, I'm pretty focused on this blog, my art, or my (hopefully) soon to be open Etsy shop. So, I spend a good majority of my time in baggy clothes. I do however occasionally get the urge to make something pretty to wear around as a treat.

The hubster and I went in together to make this necklace that definitely makes a statement. It really is only a one woman (or man) job, but it was nice to spend time creating this beautiful statement necklace together. Plus, he's better with wire wrapping than I am. I just can't seem to get the right shapes or the wire just ends up breaking. Sometimes, I can create beautiful things out of wire, but my skills in this department are sporadic at best.

What you'll need: - Needle nose pliers - One piece of quartz - Wire - 1 shell case (I used a 9mm shell case) -Resin -A length of chain -Metal File -Hook and clasp

Step 1: Make sure that your quartz fits into the shell casing snugly. If your piece of quartz is too big you can sand it down to a more suitable size with a metal file. Remember that the quartz should fit snugly and securely in the shell casing.

Step 2: Mix the resin by carefully following the instructions on the box or container. Read all of the instructions that came with your resin. Be sure to get the correct curing time. I waited for about 13 hours before my pendant was fully cured.

Step 3: Carefully, fill the shell casing about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. The amount you will use is based on what caliber of the shell casing you choose to use. We filled our shell casing up to about 1/2 with resin. Be careful not to get any resin on you, your clothes, or any place else that is not part of this tutorial.

Step 4: Push the quartz down into the resin. Sit your soon-to-be statement necklace with the quartz point up so that none of the resin will leak out. I used clothes pins to hold the pendant in place. Make sure that your pendant is safely secured in a place where it will not be knocked over or disturbed for at least 13 hours. For a more accurate curing time for your specific type of resin, check the container or box it came in.

Step 5: (this is where the hubby stepped in.) He simply used a spare piece of wire that was about 5-6 inches long. He began by wrapping each side of the wire evenly around the shell casing a few times. Then, he made a loop, and finished it all off by tucking the ends of the wire securely to either side of the shell casing.

Step 6: Connect the hook and clasp to your length of chain. Then, add your now fully cured pendant.

Step 7: Enjoy your new DIY statement necklace and bask in the compliments you receive.

Image C/O Lara Kern

If anyone has any comments or questions on to make this necklace, feel free to email me (here) or leave a comment below!