Decorate these super cute gift boxes

The gift giving season is almost upon us not only like do I like to give handmade presents but sometimes whether that be just a small gift of choccies or something we can give them in a handmade box that makes it all the more special.

 These boxes are just simple little cardboard boxes available from Spotlight. This project is really two steps, the first step is to paint them with acrylic paint. As they are cardboard they really suckup the paint alot, so the trick is just to apply quite a few layers allowing them to dry in between.

For this box the lid comes in two parts so i thought this would be really nice to paint a bold contrasting colour - just take this out and paint it that way you don't need to worry about the edges. - Did i mention you need a few layers of paint - ;) just be patient it will be worth it in the end.

Allow this to dry completely before you move to the next step.

All the parts of the box painted.

NEXT comes the fun part the decorating. 

I just love the Schminke Aerocolour inks and the liner pens that you can fill with your favourite colours!

I have the fine tip pen here with the Cyan ink. This is one of my favourite colours to go to.

Really from here is up to you with how you want to decorate. I used a white gel pen for the white areas.

Starting to add my decorations.

I think this would also be a super cute and easy little project you could do with the kids of all ages.  You could run it over a couple of days and get the painting out the way first and decorating in the next session. Or if you have really little ones you could do the painting your self and just let them decorate.

BOX IDEAS:  They could use one for their little lego bits or would make a lovely little storage box for jewellery or hairbands. You could also write some words on the top to say what needs to go in there or inspirational quotes - up to your imagination.

Create cool Artworks with the Kids Using Mepxy Markers.

This is a really cool quick way for the kids to create a piece of art for their wall that is very easy and yet so effective with even a simple image...
Give it a go with your kids next holidays, you'll be surprised how good they turn out.
The Mepxy Markers colour beautifully on the foil.  Check out my Tutorial below.

Check out How to Kid Art With Mepxy Markers by Siann Watts on Snapguide.

DIY fabric coasters

Hello!
Felicity here with you today.

Had a little creative fun the other day. Had an old pair of denim jeans laying around and thought it would look good to create something with them.

I then got out my stencils and fabric paint and painted away with no real idea of what to do.
After I finished painting I then decided they would look really good as denim coasters.

I challenge to just use play and experiment!!
They super cute presents that don't cost a fortune.

Felicity XO

School holiday DIY for kids

Hello! Felicity here today.

I have something to share today that is super fun and super easy.

On the last day of Term 2, my eldest son need some 'crazy' socks. All we had to choose from was some school socks and some tidy socks, you know used for town and special occasions. I didn't want to go to the shops to look  for a pair of crazy socks, so we opted to look in my draw of socks and found a pair of knee length black socks! Perfect.

So we cut some triangles out of felt and sewed them into the back of the socks. Check this pin out on pinterest, it has great way to show you how to do it.

Then we finished them off with some green fabric paint. My son even could do it. Just dip your brush in the paint and then onto the sock.

Then we have crazy socks!

A great fun school holiday project.

Felicity XO

Easy, Fun, Paint and Sew An Owl with Pebeo Fabric Paints and Markers

If you are looking for a fun project to try over the school holidays, why not try a paint and sew project? It's not only fun, the results are adorable and you can teach the kids some practical sewing skills such as sewing on buttons and basic stitches.

Here is a list of what I used for my project, but you could adapt using whatever you have and choose you own colour scheme.

• 20 X 25cm stretched canvas (choose the box shape with thick edges so you can easily hang your project when finished.) I recycled an old canvas from a previous project I no longer required - I just painted over it with black gesso.
• Owl Stencil, you don't have to choose an owl, there are plenty of different stencils available in craft shops. You can always draw your design free-hand, but I think stencils make things easier and more fun for kids.
  
• Piece of calico or white cotton fabric big enough to paint your stencil on.
• Fabric trims, buttons etc 
• Embroidery strands for decorative stitching 
• Printed felt piece (mine was from Spotlight)
  
• A selection of Pebeo SetaSkrib markers and fabric paints. I used light blue and dark blue markers, light green and dark green markers,  orange and black markers and white Pebeo Setacolour Opaque fabric paint.
• Small round paintbrush (if using fabric paints)
• Tapestry needle (or similar)
• General sewing thread (to sew on trim and buttons)
• Spray adhesive.

Step 1. To start with choose your canvas. You can buy a new one and leave it unpainted, paint in the colour of your choice, or like me recycle an old canvas thats no longer required.

Step 2: Iron your calico and fabric and begin by tracing your stencil, I use the black setaskrib marker.

Step 3: Now is the fun part - getting to colour in your stencil! The first thing I did was fill in the black lines to make them solid. It's easier to colour in if you have "sections" to work on. For the Beak I used an orange Pebeo SetaSkrib marker. For the body I used a combination of light blue and dark blue SetaSkrib markers. You will find that the colours will blend in together on the fabric if they are still wet which creates a really nice shading effect and gives dimension to your painting. Start by doing a line of dark blue on the outide, the go over it with the light blue. Practice on a scrap bit of scrap fabric to see how it works. I did the same on the feet using light and dark green SetaSrib markers. For the eyes I used white Pebeo Setacolour Opaque paint and a small round brush.

Step 4: For the head I used my light and dark green markers again a drew in some parallel lines for an interesting effect.

Step 5: The wings were done by overlapping bands of colour, light green and light blue markers. Its fun to blend the colours together, but its a good idea to test out the colours first on a scrap, as blending the wrong two colours together could end up making a muddy unattractive colour!

Step 6: Added some white dots on the wings with the white seta colour fabric paint to make them look "feathery".

Step 7: This is an optional part, but a fun way to teach your child to sew on buttons. I used a couple from my stash of oddments, but there are plenty of really cool buttons around.

Step 8: I used a tapestry needle and some orange embroidery strands to do some basic decorative stitching. You could take this as far as you like it you know embroidery stitches, but I kept it very basic. 

Step 9: Once you are happy with your finished design trim it down to a size that looks right. Remembering you want to leave room for a trim and also be able to see your printed felt underneath. I first used a tacking stitch to attach my design on to the felt. Then I pinned my fabric trim on to cover the tacking stitch (no need to remove it) and the raw edge of the calico. I used general sewing thread to hand stitch my trim on. (You could machine this if you have one). I used white thread and was careful to bring my stitches in and out on the white lines of the trim - which made my stitches invisible. I did this on both the inside and outside lines of the trim. How you attach yours will depend on the style of trim you choose...

Step 10. Trim your felt down to the right size to fit on your canvas. Use a spray adhesive to attach the felt to the canvas. Follow the instructions for your adhesive, but generally, you spray both surfaces, wait a minute or so for the glue to become tacky, then press the surfaces together for a permanent bond. Now hang it up to enjoy!

Done!