DIY Fall Decorating: Glam Golden Pumpkins

one of my go-to items in life is gold spray paint...
gold spray paint can make almost anything fun and fancy...it's like "fancy-in-a-can"!

*need to use crutches spray paint em' gold

*got any ugly old brown frame- spray it gold

*got an old bicylce- spray it gold!

*ugly, beat up, fake plastic, pumkins- spray em gold!

AUTUMN GOLD:

no need to pan for gold....we're just gonna fake-some expensive gold fall decor

what you need:

#1. paper bags or newspaper to set pumpkins on

#2. gold or silver spray paint - I like the gold shade from Krylon. (I think a mix of silver and gold pumpkins would be fun)

#3. either real of fake pumpkins of all sizes- I think a mix of big and little ones are fun too. One of my favorite are the fairytale pumpkins!
*TIP: if you use the fake pumpkins you're guaranteed a long-lasting look! I have saved mine and use them every year!

Spray entire pumpkin, let dry and get ready to dazzle your house, and make your friends think you are so glam, fancy and creative with your silver and gold pumpkins!

 pair your pumpkin with with fun patterns

or with pink and twinkly lights...

or pair with little disco ball ornaments, sparkly orange glitter branches, and some glittery christmas ornaments that out busted out early to add some dazzle...

somebody hold me back...I'm about to spray my laptop gold too....
golden kandee

DIY: How to make SHANTS or JORTS

 This very well, may be...the fastest DIY (Do It Yourself, for those wondering) project, EVER!

What's a person, kid, grama, toddler or baby to do?

You don't want to wear pants...you don't want to wear shorts....

it's time to make some SHANTS or JORTS!

Don't think of calling these Capris!
Ha ha ha..you could never get a boy, man, or any age guy-teen to wear anything called a Capri. And I first heard them called "shants"...years ago by one of the sweetest guy friends, Joel (who's now in Heaven) who had cut his baggy silver, metallic pants into shants. And I loved that he called them shants!

You decide:

shorts + pants = SHANTS (my personal fav)

jeans + shorts = JORTS

or like we used:

corduroys + shorts = CORTS

WHAT YOU NEED:

 a pair of SHARP SCISSORS

*I personally like Fiskars fabric scissors

 any pair of jeans, corduroys, any kind of pants, really.

*this is a great way to get some extra bang out of a pair of kids pants that are getting to short, just turn em into jorts or corts or shants!

WHAT TO DO:
*decide the perfect length, anywhere right below the knee
*I just eyeballed it and cut the pants without marking...but I like winging it like that.  If you want to be more precise, you can use a ruler to make a perfectly straight line, marking it with white eyeliner and then cutting.

(Blaker showing off his new custom pair of SHANT-JORT-CORTS, he went and put his studded belt on himself, shoes- his checker Vans)
......and BOOM BAP POW!!! You have SHANTS (or JORTS or CORTS)....
from old corduroys that were getting a little too short, kinda like floods (pants that the bottoms wouldn't get wet if it were to flood because they are so high above the ground) to awesome, stylin' new SHANTS!

I shan't wear shorts, I shall only wear shants!

running with scissors and lots of love...kandee

A Cute as Gold DIY Stencil Project!

You don't need a baby to make these cute and pretty darn cool DIY baby t-shirts and onesies!

(you could even do this on an adult size shirt!)

I wanted a really cool, unique and artsy gift to take to my friend's baby shower. So how more original can you get than a handmade gift that no one else will have!

WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE COOLNESS TO BEGIN:

*PLAIN BABY SHIRTS OR ONESIES - like the ones above

(my favorites are the Gerber Onesies and shirts...I got em at Babies R Us)

*ACRYLIC PAINT - Gold is my favorite for the ones I did above...

you can use fabric paint if you want...but the acrylic paints work great. My mom used to paint baby shirts when I was a baby, as a little business, and that's what she used.

 I got all my acrylic paints on super sale at Michael's Crafts for 50 cents a bottle!
-or if you want to use fun bright colors...you know how I love color!!!

*PAPER PLATES: to squirt your paint on

*SPONGE Brushes TO STENCIL:

these give you a cleaner application that won't "bleed" or get all fuzzy on the stencil edges like a paint brush can (you only need one though...not 87 like in this picture!)

ALPHABET STENCILS:

 I got 2 sizes of Alphabet stencils (both from Michael's or any craft store)

A PAINT BRUSH:

 I  used a fine point paint brush to hand paint the chain link necklace design on the "gold chain $ bling" shirt.

Let's get stenciling:

#1. WASH ALL SHIRTS OR ONESIES AND DRY THEM

this will make sure the shirts or onesies won't shrink and ruin the artwork you've done

#2. Lay down the letters to see where it will lay on the shirt

you can put tape down on the shirt where the stencils will sit and mark on the tape with a pen where each letter will go

#3. Squirt some paint, about the size of a quarter onto the paper plate.

You can add more, but this way it won't dry out.

#4. Place your first letter down, dip sponge in paint, dab a couple times on clean part of plate to remove excess. Hold Stencil in place with fingers- applying pressure so stencils edges where you're going to paint is firmly pressed against fabric.

#5. Dab sponge over the inside of letter to be stenciled.

#6. Carefully lift stencil up off shirt, set aside and wait for paint to dry before setting next letter stencil down

-OR-

give the newly painted part a quick blast with your blow dryer.

#7. Finish your words....or for the "$" necklace....

after you stenciled the $ sign, go and paint your long oval link "necklace" on last.

And you're a shirt artist! And cool-fashion-crafter!

Blakey, my budding 3  year old photographer too the following pictures:

 I really like this close up of his jammie pants.

 And my lil' assistant that's been on my lap while I type this blog post with one hand.

 love and paintbrushes....kandee and her lil' posse of creative helpers

How to: the cutest way to wrap a present!

 It looks like a birthday cake, but it's a present, yes gift wrapping!

 My sister, Tiffany, has always been like Martha Stewart...she wraps the most incredible gift you've ever seen! She is like a gift artist!
And she makes the most adorable crafts you've ever seen too! Not only did she make me the hilarious "ornament earrings" for Christmas, but my awesome "grinch" slippers! She bakes the most beautiful pies you've ever seen too...she hand cuts and leaves and lays them on the crust like a wreath! She's so creative!

Not only did she decorate these amazing presents for Alani's birthday on monday, (yay!!!!) but at my request she did a tutorial, so now we all can dazzle people with our "cake presents"!

 Here's another precious gift with CUPCAKES on top!!! I think she got the cupcakes and Michael's craft store, along with the "puff ball"things and frilly yarn-stuff. The wrapping paper she said she got at some fun store that sells wrapping goods!

Now watch my good little sister, that made the video I asked her to, teach us how to make presents that look like CAKES!!!! (ha ha ha)


and I had to include this picture of the "cupcake" I made! hee hee I love this funny face!

cakes, cupcakes...and love from your kandee!

How to make a "Tie"-riffic shirt!

nothing says fun like a hot pink tie and polka dot pants!

when Alani was a baby and I didn't have any money to buy all the cute baby clothes I saw....
I made this shirt for her, and now little Dolly (aka Elyse and Cupcake) can wear it!

 How to make a tie shirt-
1. I cut up a pair of her outgrown pink pants for the hot pink "tie" fabric
2. made a little tie pattern out of paper & layed it on top of the pink fabric and cut the shape out
3. stitched it onto her little white shirt by hand with a needle and black thread (the messier the stitching the better!)
and voila!
custom made, super cute tie shirt!

have a fun "tie-rrific" day from me and little cupcake!
kandee