Day 24 - The Spring Mantel Reveal!

Happy Friday!!  Only one more week to go in the 30-Day Craft Challenge - wow!  I can't believe all of the fun stuff I have been working on - and tomorrow is my sewing class!  Of all of the projects, this mantle has probably been my favorite - I really love the way it turned out. The best part is that I used a lot of things that I already had around the house, so it cost less then $10 for the whole thing!

Here's the pics, and then I will post the breakdown of what everything cost:

Cost Breakdown:

Black Frame - Free (already had in the house)
Chalkboard - Free (my lovely friend Ginger passed this on to me - thanks Ginger!!)
3D Art - (Total $4) - $1.oo for the Frame and $2.99 for the entire bag of paper mache eggs
Bird Plaque - I got this at Hobby at 50% off for a total of $3.50 and already had the iron stand
Topiaries - (Total $2) - $1 for the deer moss and $1 for the birds - I already had the pots, dowel rods and spanish moss and included the cost of the eggs above
Hurricane Globe Display - Free - Had these in the house and filled them with kraft paper gift filler, some grapevine balls abd a few of the eggs I painted
Books and Wire Basket - Free - already had these
Spring Bunting - Free - I made this using twine, burlap and paint from my craft room
Wreath - Free - My mom gave this to me years ago

Total Cost:  $9.50!!!

I hope you like it!  I plan to change to board to "Welcome Spring" when it actually arrives (for good).  Hopefully tomorrow I will have something fun to show from my sewing class.  If not - since it IS a beginners class and I will most likely be learning how to stitch a straight line - I also have some fun Valentine's Day Teacher's Gifts that I have been working on for a client.

Till tomorrow!!

Linking Up To:

Tatertots & Jello

Centsational Girl's Spring Link Party

Day 22 - Spring Inspired 3D Artwork

I am so sorry this post is so late today - I have been running around like a mad woman all day!  Whew!  I didn't even eat lunch until 3pm - and had nothing for breakfast.  Needless to say, I was about to gnaw my arm off!


Nonetheless - here it is.  My $1.50 fun 3D Art.  Ta-Da!!

I didn't have time for a tutorial today.  I'm going to try to describe how I made this - if you have any questions, let me know.  I hit the Dollar Tree today and bought an 11 x 14 raw wood frame fo $1. All I did with that was paint it white and sponge inked around the edges with chocolate brown stamping ink.


Then, I cut a 12 x 12 sheet of scrapbook paper down to 9 x 12 (to leave 2 inches on each side), distressed the edges with brown stamp ink, and mounted it to white paper that I cut to 11 x 14.  I wanted to save the glass that came with the frame, so when I put the frame back together, I just stuck the glass behind the paper.


The nest was actually packaged with a baby gift from when Addie was born and I have been saving it for 4 years!  I knew I would find a use for it eventually.  I hot glued some raffia and burlap scraps to the inside to make it look a little more cozy, and then glued the nest to the paper.


I bought the eggs at hobby lobby - they are paper mache and come in a raw form as well.  They were super cheap - like $2 for about 8 or 9 of them.  I just painted those blue, speckled them with brown paint and glued them in the nest and then the nest to the paper. I plan to use the rest of the eggs in another project this week.


Voila!  Easy Artwork for my mantle display.

Till tomorrow!!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the snow stays away tonight.  I don't know if I can handle another snow day!

Linking Up To: