Union Jack Duck Tape Funsies

Have you ever taken the time in a craft store (or Wal-Mart and Target, for that matter) to just look at ALL of the Duck tape options out there! Its crazy!!! Zebra print, tiger print, mustaches, pickles, Minions...you name it, Duck brand has made it! Unbelievable! On my most recent (of MANY) trip to the craft store, I came across Union Jack Duck tape!!! Be still my British heart! In the next aisle over, I discovered chipboard, stand up letters. Kismet! I knew my British grandparents (whose last name starts with "D") had to have a Union Jack letter D to adorn their American household! Here's how its done...

Materials:

-Chipboard letter ("D," in my case)

-Union Jack Duck tape

-scissors

Instructions:

1. Begin by covering the edges of the letter, folding the excess onto the front of the letter

2. Cover the inside of the letter with tape

3. Cover the remaining space on the front of the letter

In case you're not counting, that's 3 steps! That's all it takes, folks! The options are limitless and add tons of flare to mantels, walls, and wherever your little heart desires!

Quick and Easy Gift Idea-Initial Frame

As a working mommy, I am quickly finding that two of my favorite words these day are "quick" and "easy." I am ALL about homemade Christmas gifts for friends and family, but this year has been trying, as far as finding the time and energy to make the elaborate gifts I once created. Fortuntately for me, I have accepted the fact that I can find balance in crafting and loving on my sweet little girl by utilizing her bedtime to create simple gift ideas like the one below.

Initial Frame

Materials:

-8x11 frame

-scrapbook paper (8x11 or larger)

-wooden letter of your choice (I used "B" for my brother's family, The Beavers)

-acrylic paint

-Scrapbook tape runner

Directions:

1. Paint the wooden letter using the acrylic paint color of your choice.

2. Adhere the scrapbook paper to the cardboard that typically comes inside of a frame using a tape runner (or glue dots or any other fancy schmancy glues or tapes used for scrapbooking). Trim off any access so that it will fit inside of the frame.

3. Adhere tape to the back of the wooden letter and glue it to the center of the covered cardboard (unless you're all about asymmetry, in which case, glue it anywhere!)

4. Place the cardboard back inside the frame. My wooden letter was very thin, so I was able to keep the glass in the frame, but it could be removed for a better fit, if necessary.

TA-DAH!!! I think the entire project took me about 20 minutes (not including paint drying time)! Here's to a low-maintenance yet fabulously crafty holiday!

Laundry Room Sign

Before moving into our new house, I used my spring break to binge on craft projects. Using the Cricut machine (which I ADORE) I got for Christmas, I cut letters to spell the word “LAUNDRY” and placed them the way I wanted them on a blank sign I purchased at a dollar store years ago and painted white using two coats of acrylic paint. In retrospect, I would NOT have glued the letters onto the sign using scrapbooking tape as I did, because it was a HUGE pain to take the letters off after painting over them. I would suggest using simple Scotch tape rolled up and placed on the backs of each of the letters as “flatly” as possible. Paint over the letters (carefully) and sign completely using 2 coats of another color acrylic paint (I used a mint green) and let dry. Once dry, carefully peel off the letters to reveal the color underneath of the top coats. Using a glue gun, place three clothespins (I painted mine white, but you wouldn’t necessarily need to do the same) along the bottom of the sign to use for un-matched socks or to hold dryer sheets. Spray a clear acrylic lacquer over the entire sign and clothespins and let dry. Using a 24” ribbon, thread each side of the ribbon into the holes in the sign and tie bows on each side for hanging.