summer DIY projects...first one!

So, I admittedly have been one to waste away the summer in the past, which is pretty easy to do if you don't have a plan. Not this summer...I've got a game-plan. It all began with a list...a list that my family created of 50 things to do this summer together (which I plan to post SOON)....just a list of simple, do-able things that will keep us focused on intentionally spending time together, which can be hard to do with a 7 yr. old, two teenagers and two self-admitted computer geeks. But "the list" got me thinking. I need a list, too...a personal list to keep me motivated, to keep me from getting bored (cuz us big kids get bored, too). SO, I devised a plan around my love for doing projects, and as I was browsing through some interesting DIY stuff on Pinterest (DO NOT click that link unless you plan to waste at least half of your day) I started collected ideas that I wanted to try. However, there's a tiny snag in my plan. I'm a DIY-halfwayer: a "d0-it-yourself-halfway-and-then-let-it-sit-on-the-desk-for-five-weeks-until-you-finally-decide-to-throw-it-away-because-you-forgot-what-you-were-making-in-the-first-place" kind of person. Yup. Maybe some of you can relate? I do have a solution, though..I'm going to use the power of accountability. You are all going to hold ME accountable because I will be posting my DIY ideas or projects every Wed. and if I don't, you have my permission to come to Idaho to do what you feel is necessary. so there you have it. a solution.

To kick this off, I have a very easy, very practical project that I was inspired to do...this was NOT my initial idea, but I did make it my own. :) (P.S. The adoable frames I used throughout the tutorial are Cut & Paste by Paislee Press.
I made a dry-erase board out of some simple supplies I already had on hand at home. First off, my project was inspired by THIS blog post at make and takes. I went with the "to do" list functionality of the board rather than the menu because that would imply that I actually pre-plan my meals.

Since the frame that I had on hand wasn't the size of scrapbook paper (12x12 in.), I realized that I had to come up with some other clever backdrop for it....so I played around and came up with a 3-dimensional technique using paper circles and sewing them into a garland.

Here's what you'll need:

• a large paper-crafting hole punch (I used 1.5 inch diameter size)
• multi-purpose craft glue
• any sturdy paper (I used old linen paper that I got from a thrift store stationary kit)
  
• sewing machine
• large frame with glass (mine was 16x26)
• wild flowers that Paige picked for you and placed in a coffee can (optional) *see photo
  

To start off, I figured out how many circles I would need to fill the frame and then put Paige to work punching out the circles. :) She loved it. I ended up needing about 80 (10 pieces to be sewn together per garland to go across horizontally and 8 garlands total). Basically, I just started sewing the circles together, slipping one under the sewing machine foot after the other.



Once my 8 garlands were sewn together, I started gluing them directly onto the board that serves as the back of the frame. You could cover it but I decided that I liked the kraft-colored look of the board. I only glued in 3 spots per garland..at each end and near the center, making sure to pull tight so that the garland didn't sag.


I actually LOVED the look of the circles and the 3-dimensional look that it gave..I almost just framed it like that without the glass (because the glass flattens it a little) and hung it on my wall as an art piece, but I was going for practical here...not artsy.

The last step is pretty easy. Just slap that finished board into the frame and that's IT! The best thing about this project is that it took about 1 hour start to finish. You could even use it as a mat for a photo...a picture in the middle of all of the circles would look pretty nifty.


Another cool thing about this project is that it's actually three mini projects in one. I could see making the garland for all kinds of reasons (Christmas tree, Bday decoration, bedroom decor, etc.) and the framed 3-D art would be cool, especially if you used old magazine pages or scrapbooking paper for the circles.

SO there you have it...my first ever DIY post. I plan to bring this feature to you every Wed. throughout the summer. Some will be based directly off of other people's projects that I will link you up to. OH and I forgot to tell you the absolute best part of this project (besides the fact that Paige could actually help me with it), Scott made dinner WHILE I was making it!! Brilliant. Pretend to be realllyyy busy and absorbed in a project and your husband may have no other choice but to step in a do some cooking!!

Be sure to check out my blog post below for my giveaways going on, ending this evening!! Happy Wednesday.
Leora