Lambchop Designs Official Site » DIY Projects

Pumpkin Project + Baby Update

adrianne — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:00:21 +0000

I know, I know. I didn’t tell you what happened last Wednesday! Shame! Well, we are going for a regular old check-up this afternoon…no official induction. But, if things are far enough along, we may pull the trigger. We’ll see! I am only 39 weeks (only, wink!) and really don’t want to induce at least until I’ve reached my due date next Monday. See my reasons for a slightly early induction HERE. It’s very appealing to evict the little girl, however, since I am now being compared to a watermelon:

Not to be a spoiler but next week (how appropriate) she will be compared to a pumpkin…which is actually bigger, a watermelon or a pumpkin? I could argue either side. The point is I am HUGE. Isn’t the fruit or veggie of comparison irrelevant at this point? HUGE is just what I would say.

The mention of pumpkins, however, brings me to a fun project I did over the weekend, pumpkin painting!

If you ever take a look at my blog roll (scroll down, way down, that’s right…a little further…on your right. That’s it!) you will see Young House Love there. It is one of my favorite blogs. They take DIY to a whole new level. They have way more energy than I will ever have, I think! (At least while preggers and as big as a watermelon or pumpkin.) These clever peeps posted an idea for painting pumpkins last week and I thought I’d give it a try. Read their idea HERE. They were right, it is super simple and certainly added a bit of “chic” to my seasonal display. I opted to make a pumpkin centerpiece for our dining room table. Here’s what I did:

I puff-painted our beloved “B” on a pumpkin a la Petersik as well as a fun design.

Then I placed all of my pumpkins on a board and spray painted them IVORY. I chose ivory rather than white because the decor in our dining room calls for more of an antique white instead of stark white.

Simple and inexpensive!

The “B” pumpkin is super glossy. Super glossy = super fun!

Our table needed a little more color than just the white (see white dining room chairs that are BEGGING for a re-do.) So, I incorporated orange and yellowy striped punkies and puff painted gold glitter on some of them. The gold looks great with our already-there glass vases with gold baskets in them (yes, these were from a Christmas display last year).

My favorite is that little polka-dot punkie there. She’s so cute!

Anyway, go for it and have some fun with your display!

More tomorrow on Miss Babe…not sure if she’ll be here or not!

Adrianne

Davis’ Birthday Bash!

adrianne — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 11:00:19 +0000

Hi Everyone,

I completely SKIPPED posting yesterday. I am so sorry! This week, I have been tired. I’ll be honest. And, I found out two days ago that my doctor will induce on October 25th (tentatively). SO…that means I have a little over two weeks before this chick gets here. I am really excited but it is also a little overwhelming! I mean, this is REALLY happening!

Needless to say, I was on the phone with family and friends Wednesday night, hence, the blog priority was knocked down the list.

On another note, I picked up the pictures from Davis’ birthday party! Remember how I talked about the surfboard projects, etc? Well, scroll down to see how it turned out! We had so much fun that day.

My “dudish” sign to alert all three-year-olds to dive in and color. It was a HUGE hit. All the kids actually sat at the table and rocked this project for a looong time!

The surfboard coloring station.

The play-doh station…also a HUGE hit!

What toddler doesn’t love bubbles? I know!

Davis was very proud of his surfboard cake…and, it was totally delicious.

The entire desert table including matching surfboard cookies.

I spy upside down painted pottery trays from last year’s party….click here to see.

The surfer dude pinata. THIS was hilarious! When the kids finally broke it, it broke at the neck…leaving the head hanging from the ribbon. EESH!! We promptly removed the dangling head while the kids were distracted by candy!

Davis…peacefully throwing rocks contemplating his awesome party…

The happy family. No, that is not a fake backdrop…it’s where we live!

The party was a true success. I cannot believe it was a month ago now!

Have a great weekend!

Adrianne

Stencil-Palooza!

adrianne — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 11:00:01 +0000

Chic, chic, chic! That’s all I can say about the stencils Sunny Goode offers. Anyone know of her? If you aren’t familiar with her paints, glazes and stencils, you are truly missing out. Her style inspires me to paint every wall and floor in my house and I may just do that. I know, can you believe I am thinking “outside of the nursery”?

Here is what my good friend, Jessie, did with her knot stencil: a beautiful accent wall.

You can read her post on Sunny here.

And here are a few shots from Sunny’s blog of stenciled floor rugs.

I LOVE that pop of color!

Handsome, handsome, handsome.

Clover in Carytown.

I have yet to visit this new childrens boutique but am dying to see that floor!

We have a big entry way and there are several changes we are making to it’s decor. The floor space is an issue because it is rather big and a strange shape. Finding the right sized rug has been a challenge. I’m considering using Sunny’s technique in the Gigi stencil. I love mixing it up a bit.

Here is an example of stained and stenciled floors by Sunny:

GORG!

Happy weekend everyone!

Adrianne

Oh, and a reminder: I’ll be accepting orders for paintings through next Friday, October 8th. After the 8th, I cannot guarantee my usual two week turn-around…Miss Babe will be here soon! I’ll continue blogging and all t-shirts will be available so check back frequently. Thanks!

Birch Tree Mural: An Evaluation, Part 1

adrianne — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:00:08 +0000

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that 1) I paint, 2) I am in the thick of decorating a nursery, 3) I ordered a DIY mural from Rosenberry Rooms for one of the nursery walls. I really thought I would hand paint a mural without a stencil, etc, and can the “paint by number” version but my time is limited now. I have five weeks until my due date and wanted an easy project for the wall. Oh, my fruit/veggie of the week? That would be a honey dew melon, thank you very much:

I already feel like I am at pumpkin status…that’s in several weeks!

Anyway, since my “melon” is big…I thought buying the mural kit was the easier way to go. Well, let me tell you that it certainly is not easier. In fact, it has proved to be downright cumbersome! First of all, when I received the mural kit in the mail, they had only sent me one of three panels with no instructions (although, it seemed relatively self-explanatory) and the carbon paper (yes, carbon paper to transfer the pattern on my freshly painted wall…um…can you say MESSY??) was all wrinkled up. I was not a happy camper. Rosenberry Rooms was professional about it, however, and sent me a brand spanking new kit at no cost. Here is what the finished version is supposed to look like:

The walls of the nursery are very close to the background shown. And, I am painting the trees a gray-ish white.

Ok. So, I mentioned the carbon transfer issue. I really don’t get why they didn’t send carbonless transfer paper. I mean, don’t you know carbon would get all over my wall! When I saw that, I tossed the instructions and, with a lot of help, cut out each tree and leaf. Then, my mom and I painstakingly taped the cut out trees to the wall with painters tape. THIS was the hardest part. Here’s what it looks like on the wall right now:

Then, with a pencil and a light hand, we traced around every detail onto the wall. I then free-handed extra branches and leaves on the top and sides…it’s a big, big wall to cover and the six feet across pattern isn’t wide enough. Yesterday, I began painting it:

It’s very light but can you see the pencil lines? This is one of the free-hand branches I drew.

The painting is the best part! I can tell it will take a while, however. The instructions tell you to use acrylic paint…I vote “NO” on that one, too. Acrylic, unless sealed, will run if any liquid gets on it. Your call but I want something more permanent…especially after all this work.

So, I don’t meant to complain about this project. I give it a BIG, FAT “A” on the worth-it-ness scale. Just consider this a heads-up if you order it. It’s not as easy, sneezy as it claims to be!

I’m going to work on it more today so I’ll have updated pics to you soon!

Adrianne

Surfboard Cut-Outs

adrianne — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:00:18 +0000

Here’s a simple, handy DIY project for you this Thursday: surfboard cut-outs! Yesterday I made the big run to Target to grab everything else we needed for D’s birthday party this Saturday. We are doing a surfing themed party…yes, in September! (EEEEEEK out that summer!)

I have several “activity tables” in mind for the kids including a “Make Your Own Surfboard” table. Needless to say, that required the purchase of lots of crayons and poster board. Last night I spend 2.2 cutting out the surfboards and making them look like, well, surfboards. It was super easy and I hope it will be a big hit on Saturday. The great thing about this simple project is that you can do it for any theme. I love getting kids to color and use their creativity. This makes for a slam dunk!

SUPPLIES:

Poster board

Pencil

Scissors

Markers

Crayons

A little creativity!

HOW TO:

1. Draw your surfboard on a piece of poster board and cut it out:

I was able to fit two surfboards per poster board.

2. Decorate the cut-out in a simple way with markers. For older kids, you probably don’t even have to do that. Although, I do recommend showing a few samples for them. For three-year-olds, templates are the way to go. Then, all they need to do is color and draw on the overall design.

3. Why not go all out and make a sign for the table indicating what’s going on with all these cut-outs??

Why are cutting, pasting and coloring so therapeutic to me?? Let me know if you use this idea and what you do with it!

Adrianne

Silhouettes: Hump Day Fun!

adrianne — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:00:45 +0000

Soooooooooo I told you about a fun little project involving silhouettes a few weeks ago. I found a brilliant explanation/version of this project in Nonpareil Magazine. Here is my post on Nonpareil. Here is the photo of the beautiful result:

I love the idea of this in the nursery. I also love the clever use of old frames spray painted to your liking!

Yesterday during nap time, I decided to take this on myself. You can, too (or you can email me and I’ll make yours for you!)

Here’s what you need for the project:

1. Profile picture(s) of whomever you are “silhouetting.” Here is Davis’:

This picture makes me feel like I could reach out and touch him!

2. Cool paper (a solid for the silhouette and a neat pattern for the background…or v.v. Be creative!):

My choice for the silhouette cut-out. Remember, our nursery is plum and grass green!

I was thrilled when I found these coordinating papers! I chose paper prints with variations of purple and green, of course!

3. Permanent Adhesive:

This stuff is the best – not messy, very effective.

4. A pencil with an eraser, some sharp scissors, and a steady hand.

5. A frame (I used an 8×10 plainie Janie frame from Walmart):

Here’s how you do it:

1. Cut out the profile of the picture you chose.

2. Place cut-out picture on the solid paper and trace the picture cut-out with a pencil:

A little hint: Make sure your solid paper is the same size as the frame you are using…or make sure the size of the silhouette will fit nicely on your background paper before cutting. Sizing these takes a bit of trial and error, patience, and a copier. You may have to blow up the original picture or decrease the size depending on how you want it to look.

(I used the matting to size it correctly so I’d have the right proportions.)

3. Cut out the traced silhouette on the solid paper very carefully and smoothly (here’s where the sharp scissors and steady hand come in!).

4. Make sure your printed paper is the right size for the frame you chose. I used an 8×10 and had 12×12 printed paper to work with, hence, I cut the 12×12 to fit the 8×10 frame. (Again, I simply used the matting to size and cut the paper.)

5. Use the permanent adhesive on one side of your cut-out silhouette. Mount it on the printed paper just so. I don’t think there are any rules here…centered, funkily placed, whatever you wish. Go for it!

6. Toss the matting and place the printed paper with your silhouette in the frame. Voila! (Note: I did not paint the frames…yet. I may paint them green. I’ll have to see how it all ties with the rest of the wall art first! If you do paint them, I’d prime them first and just use spray paint. Simple!)

Here are two of mine. I am going to hang one of everyone in the family, including our dog, Alice. They will go around a mirror above the changing table a la picture from Nonpareil!

Davis

Alice

Done and DONE! Try it and let me know your thoughts. Again, if you just want it done for you, let me know and we’ll discuss. I am happy to do it for you!

Adrianne

Fish Bowl: A Swimmingly Smart Project!

adrianne — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:05:14 +0000

Davis has been in summer school a few days a week and came home with the most adorable craft yesterday!! I have to show you:

Yes, that is a fish bowl!! SO cute and creative. And, what a great idea for something to do inside on these unbearably HOT days.

Let’s discuss how to do this at home. It doesn’t look hard, right?!!

Supplies:

Construction Paper

Markers

One Ziploc Sandwich Bag

Aquarium Gravel

Fish Stickers

Crinkle Paper Shreds

How To:

1. Cut out your aquarium shape out of construction paper. I would simply cut it in the size of a fish bowl and then cut the center out. Decorate it however you wish with markers!

2. Have your babe fill the Ziploc bag 1/3 of the way full with aquarium gravel:

Just drop by Pet Smart…this is $3.99!

3. Layer paper shreds on top of the gravel:

(You can buy this in bulk very inexpensively from Paper Mart. Great if you have multiple fun craft ideas!)

4. Have your babe place the fishy stickers in front of the crinkle paper and all around the Ziploc bag:

(I love a good Amazon find!! I bet you can find them at Targ or Walmart, however.)

5. Zip the bag closed and staple the bag in between the two construction paper aquarium cut-outs. Done and DONE!

I wish I could take full credit for this idea but I would be remiss if I did! Davis’ teacher, Miss Melissa, brought the idea to his class. Thanks, Melissa! I am going to order some other supplies similar to this for another fun project…I’ll tell you about this zoo related craft soon!

Have a great Thursday!

Adrianne

Road Test: Paper Flower Wreath

adrianne — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:27:23 +0000

Hi Everyone! I hope you had a great weekend!

Today, I am proud to introduce a new series called “Road Test!” Periodically, I’ll discuss certain projects (big and small) that I take on to let you know how it goes and rate it on difficulty and “worth-it-ness.” I hope this will not only be fun but really helpful! I mean, why get into something that doesn’t turn out to be just what you wanted? Right! Therefore, here is my first “road test”… just for you.

Friday, I received my paper flower wreath kit from Paper Source. Did I ever let you in on this cutie?

Yes, of course, it’s going on Little Miss’ door!

Well, it came in a neat little package in three parts: the wreath ring and ribbon, the paper flowers, and the brads and flower “circles.” The instructions were decently easy to decipher. Although, I have some tips for you that aren’t explained on the package instructions.

This shows several ways to “stack” the different size flower parts on top of one another in order to create the gorgeous paper blooms.

Before going that far and creating the blooms straight out of the gates, however, I decided to take an inventory of the petals and figure out how many blooms I needed to make to fit around this wreath ring (about 16-18). By the way, they give you too many…I guess it’s in case you mess up…(I was totally offended. Like I would mess up. Ha!)

So, in super Type-A fashion, I laid out all the paper pieces in categories by size:

Then, I stacked all the petals (about three per flower) in the order I wanted to create my blooms:

After I felt organized (and this really did make me feel organized!), I creased the flowers as instructed and fastened them with the given colorful brad. Voila!

A note on creasing and flower depth: The directions tell you to either crease the petals in the middle for depth or roll them with a pencil. I recommend creasing them…the pencil started to wear my patience thin! I do agree with their idea of cutting the larger blooms down the side to create even more depth, however. Here I am creasing the flower petals:

The rest was super easy. I simply placed the blooms I made around the wreath in the order I wanted them and fastened them to the wreath. One thing about the ribbon they don’t suggest: place the ribbon around the wreath before fixing the blooms to the ring. It will prevent awkward, near bloom damage that would inevitably occur if you placed the ribbon post-bloom fixing. Make sense?

Overall, this project was super fun and very rewarding. Take a look at my finished product:

Here are the “Project Stats”:

Time Out of My Day: A little over an hour.

Difficulty: Moderate

Finger/Hand Cramps or Injuries? None

Worth-It-Ness: 100%

Would I Make This Again?: Absolutely!

Let me know if you have made this and have any additional comments!

Later, Gators,

Adrianne

Chalkboard Paint

adrianne — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:00:42 +0000

Among our list of 1000 projects is a precious nook in our upstairs hallway. It now graces a lovely Melissa and Doug train set that is always a mess. I have great expectations for this nook, however. It is SCREAMING “art nook” at me every day. I envision a bulletin board on one wall to display finished works, an easel where our children can paint or draw and store all their supplies, a table for coloring and sketching, and, the most fun part…a wall with 12×12 chalkboard squares accented in a super fun chalkboard decal.

P.S. Have I told you that I LOVE chalkboard paint? It’s so easy! And, it has a lot of clever uses… I also think picking something simple to start with in a room is a genius move. Then, choose another “easy” project and keep chipping away until it’s finished. (VERY important to pace yourself…not like a lot of us can magically put together a room in a day!)

Ok! So, I am going to begin with the 12×12 chalkboard squares, of course! If you are not inclined to pull out the old paint brush, try these on your walls instead:

Simple and functional chalkboard decals (they adhere to the wall without damage)…Land of Nod

A quirky decal option from Target…

OMG! Dying over the whale decal!! I may have to do this instead…Land of Nod, of course.

Davis would FREAK over this surfboard chalkboard. This would be great in his “big boy” room!

Pottery Barn Kids

This is the chalkboard on one side/white board on the other side easel I want for the “art nook”!

Land of Nod

What’s this I spy? A chalkboard PLACEMAT! Genius idea for the art table!

Paper Source

And for a post-masterpiece-creation refreshment…

Southern Living featured these GENIUS glasses in their April 2010 issue – just sweep a stroke of chalkboard paint onto the glass…so cute! And, yes, I’ll have some of that raspberry-beer cocktail, please!

When I start, I’ll take many, many pictures for you to see what I’ve done. I am super excited!!

Adrianne

Sticker Chart Smarts

adrianne — Thu, 13 May 2010 11:00:42 +0000

If you haven’t displayed multiple sticker charts for your toddler yet…get ready to have a life changing experience. My son (now two and a half years old) refused to take naps for a MONTH. This full stop was a nightmare. He didn’t even want to have “quiet time” in his room for an hour. What is a mother to do? At wit’s end, grasping at straws for ideas (read: bribes) I thought of trying a very basic tactic…the only thing that worked (and is still working months later)… a sticker chart. Not just any sticker chart, however, HIS own sticker chart. I took him to a fabric store to pick out a cute backing (see below) and then to pick out his favorite stickers of ALL time…Lightening McQueen, naturally! Read on for how to do this for your kid(s). If you have all the supplies it will take you 15 minutes tops.

You will need: spray adhesive, fabric glue, cute fabric, a bulletin board, large card stock/poster board, scissors and 1″ grosgrain ribbon. That’s all!

How to do it:

1. Find a nice sized bulletin board. I prefer 2×3 and found this one at Walmart for $9.99. Go to the actual store – I didn’t find the same one online.

2. Choose your fabric and ribbon. Davis chose “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and white ribbon. (This picture is skewed a bit…not sure why!)

From www.fabric.com

3. Cut the fabric to fit the inside of the framed bulletin board (no need to pull the wood frame off). Allow a little extra room if you want to fold the fabric over (see step 5). Iron the fabric to eliminate creases.

4. Spray the spray adhesive (Elmer’s is great – found at Walmart also) onto the cork part of the bulletin board.

5. Carefully place the cut fabric onto the cork pressing firmly and smoothing as you go. (I folded the edges over to have a smooth, hemmed look!)

I also ran a line of fabric glue next to the frame to glue the hemmed edge down:

6. Cut ribbon to fit each side of the bulletin board. Then, run a line of fabric glue along the wood frame of the board.

7. Place ribbon on the glue on top of the wood frame and let all dry.

Voila! Cute bulletin board for your sticker chart!

Please note that this is my son’s potty training chart. It’s going well, trust me. Those stickers are for action, not trying. Ha!!

Making the sticker chart portion is easy, too. Just use markers and chart off the days of the week. When ours was complete, I started to promise Davis a very special Lightening McQueen sticker if he took a “nite nite nap”. He went to sleep. Hallelujah! It has worked so well I have been able to transfer it to other handy uses such as killing nasty habits in an instant and potty training (see above). It’s amazing. I know.

Have another trick that worked for your babes? Let us know! I am crossing my fingers that the sticker chart works for a very long time.

Adrianne