DIY Paisley Key holder

Hello my dear reader....welcome back!!
Today I am about to tell you about a craft that happened by chance....
I was seeing paisley prints and designs all around me this summer, and I wanted to do something with this beautiful shape.....
I've grown up wearing paisley printed clothes, making paisley rangolis and henna mehendi's and much more....but I had a block while thinking about a paisley craft....
I was going through my craft supplies, when my sons broken taekwondo board fell down...It was a square soft wood board....and then the idea struck....a key holder!!!

See what came out of my idea into reality....

Paisley Key holder

I was so excited, I forgot to take step by step photos, but I'll walk you through the process...

Materials used:

• Soft wood board
• Green handmade paper
• J- hooks
• Rhinestones
• Golden bead string
• 3d glitter- gold, green
• Frame hanger hook

I covered the wooden base with green handmade paper (I love the thickness and textures of handmade papers). Then I attached the frame hanger hook behind it with a small screw.

Next, I drew a paisley on the desired place and filled it up by gluing rhinestones,  golden bead string and 3D glitter. 

When I was satisfied with the design, I let it dry completely for a few hours and the screwed in the J-hooks to hang the keys.

I found out one more use for it...a necklace holder...

Now, why don't you start making your own key holder/ necklace holder...Link back to my blog (and credit me) when you make one....and you can also post pictures of what you made, in my comment box to help me see your creations.....

Thanks for visiting and see you soon.....

Ganpati Decoration 2013

Hi dear reader!!!
I know I’ve been missing from the blogging circuit for quite some time, but I had a very good reason.....
I was on a vacation :D .....to INDIA!!!!!!
I had so much fun there meeting up with my family and my husbands family.......
But, I had the most fun during Ganpati festival that was celebrated from 9th September....
Ganpati Festival is a huge thing in India....
People in India worship Lord Ganesh (Ganpati) as their prime deity....
This festival is celebrated for 10 days, and people bring a Ganpati idol at home and worship it for 1 and a half days, 5 days, 7days or 10 days as per their wish......
After the certain number of days, the idol is immersed in a water body, usually a lake or the sea......
Ganpati festival is one of the most eagerly awaited festivals in India......
Worshipping Ganpati whole heartedly, making “Naivedya”- a platter of assorted home cooked vegeterian meal as an offering, singing aartis and bhajans (hymns and praising songs), welcoming guests who come to seek blessings, meeting up with the family, and the whole pious atmosphere in the house brings immense happiness to me and my family......
And the most fun part of all this is the decor we do around the idol to complement our beautiful God.....And, I am lucky to be the one doing it!!!!
I do the decorations every year, and I am very much a fan of eco-friendly materials....
And, I make new decorations every year.....
I usually pre-determine the theme, but this year I was completely at a loss for ideas.....
I was thinking of many different themes, but nothing was striking a chord!!
At last, just four days before the festival, I finalised on “Roses”......
We have a custom made table on which we place the idol....
It is a five feet wide table with an arch on the back.......
This is what I made......

Ganpati Decoration 

Now let me tell you how my idea came to life....
I began with making red and yellow colored paper roses.....
I made spiral roses which you have seen previously in my post “ DIY Rose Branches”....

Spiral Paper Roses

I made a lot of them...And, I also made approximately four leaves for each flower.....
I spent almost a whole day just cutting and folding  the roses and the leaves.....believe me, my fingers were swollen by the time I finished, with the cutting and folding!!!
The next day, I lined the edges of each flower with golden glitter to add a little pizzaz!!!
By the time they were drying, I got to making the backdrop.....
I glued Red Iris paper on the arch on the back....This paper changes its color in different lights and at different angles.......Its funky!!!!
Then I lined and glued red and yellow roses in a double row, interspersing with the leaves......
I also glued a 6 inch strip of golden cloth along the edge of the arch in a pleated fashion......
It kinda made the roses pop!!!
I also made a circular arrangement of roses to be placed behind Lord Ganpati’s head......

Circular Flower Arrangement

My arch was now complete......

Ganpati Decoration

Then I moved my attention to the table.....
I covered the table base and the table legs with a green sparkly cloth.....
I also glued red and yellow roses alternatively along the border of the table......
Then, I made two circular flower arrangements lined with golden cloth and glued them to the table legs......

The center stairs were covered with green paper.....these stairs are retractable like a drawer....
Finally I added the finishing touch by entwining multicolored LED lights throughout the flowers on the arch and along the table border.......
This was the final result....with Lord Ganpati Proudly sitting on it....

Ganpati Decoration

Ganesh

Ganpati Decoration

I was pretty glad with the outcome.....Let me know what you think of it......
I’ll try to include my previous years decorations in the upcoming posts....
Till then keep crafting and keep visiting.......
See you again soon :)

Art on a Bottle- 2

Hello again :)
This is another Art on a bottle I did this week......
You might remember the earlier DIY Art on a bottle post with the tutorial, that I 
uploaded a few months back......
The process is similar but the design....way different!!!
Here's the bottle for you to see.....

Art on a Bottle

So, getting back to the basics.....

This was a beer bottle, that I painted gold......

Gold painted Bottle

Then, I did some One- stroke painting on it.....

You can see some in my earlier post One Stroke Painting on Totes....

I also embellished the design a bit, with 3D Outliners (puffy paint)......

Here are some photos for you, to show the details.....

Art on a Bottle

Bottle Art

Recycled Art

Bottle Art

Finally, I capped the bottle with an acrylic crystal Hibiscus.....

Hibiscus Flower on a Bottle Art

I am planning to make more of these.....
This not just recycling....
For me, its a process where something beautiful is born out of junk.....
Sorta like the Ugly Duckling ;)
Hope you enjoyed it....
Thanks for visiting and keep coming for more......

DIY Rose Branches

Roses are a crafters favorite!!!!

And I am no exception to that....

I made this Rose Branch Decorative Piece at a very low price :)

Let me tell you how.....

Rose Branches

I collected some branches that fell from a tree outside my house.....

The photo shows only two but there were some more....

Branches

I chose the best of the branches and got out my ammunition.....a spray can!!

I spray painted the branches gold.......ohh I love shiny, blingy stuff!!!

I loved the way they turned out :)

Gold Painted branches

When the branches were drying, I made some paper roses of different sizes....

Here they are!!!

Paper Roses

You can use ready artificial / silk flowers like these too....

I stuck the roses randomly on the branches with a hot glue gun....

Then, I took a glass vase and filled it with glass fillers for the base.....

Finally, I arranged the branches together in the vase....

This is how the final product looks....

It gives a very chic look to the house at a very minimal cost....

Chic Decor

This is a close up of a rose stuck on the branch.....

Rose

Some more snaps that I took are here.....

Hope you enjoyed....

Rose Branches

Also check out my tutorial for DIY Flower Light here.....
Thanks for visiting and do come back for more!!!

DIY Recycle Craft- Pen and Card Holder

Pen and Card Holder

Welcome to my latest post on Recycle Craft......

I have made a Pen and Card Holder by recycling toilet roll tube, cardboard and a scrap piece of wood......

I prepared the base by sanding the wooden piece......

Then, I glued the tube on the wooden piece using a hot gun......

I cut two cardboard semicircles and glued them on the wood as a card holder....

I also used PVA glue to  create texture on the roll and the cardboard and left it to dry.....

You can see the initial assembly in the picture below....

Recycle Craft

After everything was nice and dry, I painted the whole thing with acrylic color- black......

When the paint was dry, I used 3D outliners to create some wavy string designs and added a few diamantes for some added glitter....

I also dusted some golden powder on the whole piece to give it an antique look....

To finish the borders I used some braided golden lace.....

Finally, I gave it two coats of spray varnish for a glossy finish.....and it was ready!!

This Pen and Card Holder now sits on my hubby's desk :)

Recycle Craft

Do leave a comment, to let me know if you like this craft.....

Have fun, and.....Recycle !!

DIY Art on a Bottle

Old Bottle

Hello again.....

You must be wondering what this bottle is doing here, looking so sad and lonely......

I thought so too, and after giving it some thought, I decided to dress it up a little!!!

I used acrylic color as the base and covered up the whole bottle.......

Then I used a 3d outliner- gold to make small circles and the twirls.......

After it dried, I added tiny red rhinestones inside the circles........

Upcycled Bottle

And to make it a little more cute, i replaced the bottle lid with a crystal Hibiscus flower !!!

The Upcycling gave the bottle a very dainty appearance.......

Everytime I look at the bottle, it just makes me Smile :)

Hope you keep smiling too......

Art on a Bottle

Here, I have also added a small video tutorial for this project.......Have Fun :)

DIY 3D Symbolic Saraswati

3D Saraswati

3D Saraswati

Saraswati is the Indian goddess of knowledge. She is specially worshipped on the hindu festival of Dussehra...

Traditionally this picture i.e the symbolic form of Saraswati, was drawn on slate or paper and then worshipped....Thus a new picture was drawn every year....I have made the same one in a permanent form and added it to a frame....

I have made the linework with 3d glitter- gold(puffy paint ) and then added rhinestones to give it a more embellished look....The leaf at the bottom is symbolic of actual gold which i have painted in a contrasting green...........

Some final work with the border and my 3d saraswati was ready :)
Hope you liked it....you can leave a comment below to let me know you did....
Thanks for visiting....See you again soon :)