Making Good - DIY Repurposed Succulent Planter

This week, I am bringing you an unexpected crafty post on a Monday!  Why?  I was invited by Agatha Lee of Green Issues by Agy to join the Making Good Repair Blog Train.  Since May 1st, a bunch of talented bloggers have been sharing their repairs and fixes for items, because we believe that  we can use our creativity to find a solution to a problem instead of just throwing it away.  Definitely check it out!

For my project, I originally had something else in mind... and I'm wondering if I bent the rules a little, now that I'm sharing my post.  That's me, always a rebel, even if by accident!

The item that I decided to use is the lasagna dish that had a hairline crack in it, after I made my fantastic Vegetarian Lasagna with Spinach, Mushrooms & Soy Crumbles.  It just was not safe for the oven anymore, so I decided to repurpose it into something completely different!

Here's a view of that crack.  So sad.  :(

So now that I think about it, I completely broke the rules and did not repair my project.  However, I did prolong the life of it, in a second career!  Instead of the kitchen, it now hangs out in the garden!

When my mom plants succulents in her fabulous garden, she likes to nurture them from little tiny cuttings in separate small containers (check out the applesauce containers on the left), then group them together in larger planters, before releasing them into the garden!

Voila, I had a new item for her to use!

Now here's what I did to transform something broken into something good!

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Nautical-Inspired "Odds & Ends" Mason Jars

Remember back at the beginning of March, I mentioned that I would participate in the International Craft Swap?  Well, I never shared my finished project!

Basically, the rules stated that I would have to make the craft myself.  I could sew, crochet, knit, cross stitch, embroider, make jewelry, etc.  The second main rule is that it had to have a nautical theme.  I figured that I would sew a pincushion cuff or something cute.

Then, I found out I was paired up with Erin from Miss Crayola Creepy!  I already followed her blog after I found her on Map the Sewintists.  Also, I realized that I saw her from afar at Gertie's book event at Sew L.A. because she had blogged about it and I recognized her coat & dress right away.  Yay!

But then I knew there was no way I could sew anything for her!  I'd be way too intimidated.  So, I came up with these Nautical-Inspired Odds & Ends Jars.  :)

My first thoughts were that I should etch a couple of glass jars to hold different sewing odds & ends.  I definitely love my mason jars, as you know!  Still sewing-related, but I wouldn't have to have my work scrutinized by a pro!  So I ended up searching for images of nautical themed glass etchings.  Immediately, I saw lots of blue-tinted seaglass, which wasn't what I was looking for.  However, it gave me the idea to tint some jars!

Step #1: Make Rope Balls

But first up, I wanted to create a few rope balls to place in the jars.  I didn't want to send them empty!  I only needed rope and a styrofoam ball according to the tutorial.  Instead, I used a ball made out of foil, so I attacked these right away!

I ended up with three really cute balls (after having a bit of trouble with the first one).

Step 2: Tint Mason Jars

Next, I found this tutorial to tint jars.  Her favorite color was mint green, so I scrapped the blue jar idea.  I happened to have green food coloring on hand.  Perfect!  Here is my version of the jar tinting tutorial.  :)

What You Will Need

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Mini Mason Jar Tumblers with Faux Chalkboard Labels!

This is a project I mentioned waaay back in March, which I've been dying to share with you!
I was originally going to post about it while I was gone on my trip, but as we know, my "Travel Diaries" series was so pic heavy that I had to break up all of my posts and postpone some of the pre-scheduled ones.  In a way, this is better because it's a reminder that I need to break these out soon for all the summer barbecues we have planned!

Here are my mini Mason Jar Tumblers with Chalkboard Labels plus a tutorial below on how to make your own!

Hey Stitch Once, Rip Twice members!  You're invited to my party!

I had 20 of these little mason jar tumblers from a foodie event that I went to in Las Vegas.  There was an alcohol company that was promoting their goods and serving them in these awesome jars!  There were seven of us at the event, and we each picked up 2 to 3 tumblers, mostly because I kept bugging them to drink up and save the containers for me!

They were adorable as is, but I wanted to remove the company logo.  It was printed on really well, so I was a bit disheartened when it wouldn't rub off.  Then, I decided to figure out the cutest way to cover up the logos instead!

I knew that I wanted a label that you could write on, so of course a chalkboard came to mind!  I looked into how to make your own chalkboard paint, but left the project on the backburner until I had enough time to devote to a painting project.

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DIY Custom Aquarium Decal

This is a super short post, but after my long-winded weekly wrap-ups it's nice to have something short, sweet, and to the point.

Remember a couple weeks ago when I gave you a sneak peek of a project that I worked on for my mom?  I showed you our turtles Bertha and Kobe swimming around happily in their aquarium.

Welcome to their new home!

My sister bought Bertha when she was in college and brought her home once she graduated.  My mom decided that she needed a friend, so she bought and named Kobe.  She loves her Lakers, which she passed down to us!

Anyways, I had seen a few projects with vinyl that I was itching to try out.  Of course, I had already done my magnetic inspiration boards and with the Silhouette still up and running, I decided to put together a decal for my mom's aquarium.

Here's the before:

She provided me with the measurements and picked her favorite font from a few of my suggestions, and I designed the rest.

I think it turned out pretty great!

Here's a close-up of our third turtle with the model below...  :)  And another view of the text, which is cute in person!

Lastly, here are Bertha and Kobe under the wrong spots.  Either they're trying to trick me, or it's possible that turtles don't know how to read.

This is such a whimsical, fun project that I'm on the lookout for more things to cover in vinyl!  Hmmmm, what to do next...

What's your newest craft obsession?

You might also like...

Nautical-Inspired "Odds & Ends" Mason Jars

DIY Stenciled Nautical Beach Tote

Etched Beer Steins

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DIY Magnetic Inspiration Boards (on a Budget)!

For the longest time, I really wanted to own a pretty memo ribbon board.  I had a boring cork board with equally dull thumbtacks.  The ribbon boards were so pretty, functional, and customizable to your needs.  Then when Pinterest came around, there were tons of tutorials about how to make all types of memo boards!

When I saw the tutorial for a magnetic memo board made from a cookie sheet, it was immediate inspiration.  However, being the overly detailed crafter that I am, I decided to make it a huge project.  The upside is, here's a tutorial about how to make your own magnetic inspiration board!

What You Will Need

• Cookie sheet
• Frame (or cabinet door) slightly larger than the cookie sheet
• Cardboard, if the cookie sheet is not perfectly flat
• Cotton batting
• Upholstery nails
• Fabric
• Tape
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Blank sheet of paper
• Hammer
• Nail
• Pliers
• Rubber Mallet
• Magnets
• Embellishments (paint, vinyl, stickers, etc.)

Disclaimer: I've never done a tutorial before, so be prepared for LOTS of pictures!

By the way, my project materials came to me while walking through IKEA.  A couple of As-Is cabinet doors for $4.99, and cookie sheets for $6.99.  I could have probably gotten the materials for cheaper at the dollar store, or with a bit of searching but I was antsy to start!  Also, I got two of each since I was trying out a new project from scratch and was sure to make some mistakes.

Instructions

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My Customized 2013 Calendar & Planner!

So, I promised a peek at my 2013 calendar & planner with my customization, and here it goes!

First of all, I decided the cover was beautiful but needed a little pizzazz.  I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out vinyl decorations.  I found a beautiful damask pattern (to match the blog and my personalized sewing labels) and used the same font I use in my sewing labels as well.  Here is the result!

I obscured my last name's initial for privacy, but I absolutely adore everything else!

As for the inside, I used the pockets for a few items such as sticky notes, flags, and blank To Do list forms.  I used a personalized stamp to enter my information, should my planner get lost.  And my favorite part of the inside is my vinyl labeled tabs!

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