DIY Dry Erase Board

Here's a useless fact about myself that you could probably go your entire life without knowing.......I use to work at a hospital. (Best Bunch of gals I ever had the pleasure of working with!) Anyway, one of the things I loved about my job there besides the gals I chummed it up with was.....wait for it because it's going to be the silliest thing.......the dry erase board! In the Nurses Station there was a massive dry erase board where the Unit Clerk would write the days line up. You know, that way everyone knew which Nurse and Assistant was assigned to which patients etc. I loved to doodle on that board. An inspirational saying or funny picture! It was fun! But it was ugly! 

Anyway, another useless fact.....I love to leave funny notes for my kids and hubby in the house. Occasionally, I might leave a note to remind them that I enjoy a clean living room floor or that I think they are the best family in the history of ALL families. Or maybe a funny qoute or fun fact. But, I don't have an ugly dry erase board! Oh! NO I do not! I made a fancy dry erase board because I am crafty like that!  And I also happened to have an empty frame hanging on my wall that needed something in it.......but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Did you know that you can use dry erase markers on glass just like you would on the dry erase boards? Of course you did! You can also use them on a mirror! How cool is that? So, don't be surprised if you walk into my bathroom and see "Clean the toilet" written on the mirror! And how cool would it be to have a Chore board for each kid in your house that looks good and trendy! It's super easy to make! The hardest part was hanging the frame straight......I have crooked frame syndrome! Don't laugh! It exists!

I used fabric left over from my wedding.....but use fancy paper if you want!

So, basically if you can put a picture in a frame......you can make this dry erase board! I cut my fabric to fit the frame, placed it in the frame, pretty side up and then replaced the back of the frame. DONE!

Success

Yesterday, I set up shop at a local fall bizarre.....I've mentioned it before. I was nervous. This was my first show, alone. I'm not good at selling. So, I worried that I wouldn't get a lot of sales. Basically, I wanted to minimize my stock. I have been working for a few months on various items and really didn't have anywhere to put it all. It had to go. So, I priced it to sell.

The show was small. I would say there were a dozen or so booths. When I got there most of the vendors had already set up and were just conversing with the other vendors. So, I felt like all eyes were on me. That made me feel uncomfortable. I love the things I make but sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who loves them. I lack confidence sometimes. But, I started setting up my booth, keeping in mind that I was just here to prove to myself that I could do this alone and  I shut everyone else out. I focused on getting things set up and pushed forward.

Once I was done I stood back and smiled. My booth looked good. (I apologize for not taking pictures. Taking pictures in situations like that make me feel awkward. Kind of like the time when I followed a guy around walmart because he reminded me of a character from a Stephanie Plum book and I wanted to get a picture for my cousin. His wife said NO! ) Then, I sat down and organized my bags for easy access. That's when the other vendors came over to check my booth out. I always feel nervous when people step up to my booth. I start to feel like the little train that could! "I know I can!" Just smile and pretend like you have total control over your bladder!  

Well, enough of the play by play. The moral of the story is.......

I put myself in a position that scared the bejeezus out of me and found that it wasn't really any different than posting to this blog! Just because the people I'm directing my words at can actually see me as I'm talking.... it shouldn't cause me to panic! It wasn't bad! I had fun! I sold some things! I made a friend! I got a lot of compliments! If I hadn't put myself out there I would never know that I can do it. Or that it wasn't really anything to freak out about! Don't be skurd!

Just Like MacGyver...only without the facial hair.

Seriously. I just want to brag a little bit. I was on the brink of being sad today but pulled a Barney and got Awesome instead. You know, because that's how we do it, right?

I procrastinated again. Because well, that's also how I "do it"......I'm going to be showcasing some of my handmade goods at a local bazaar this weekend and waited til the last minute to figure out my display. Shame on me. My budget for props is a big fat zero! I have no money to spend on this show boat! But.......



Simple denim flower...Sold.



Not need to panic! Luckily, I have tons of stuff to play with. So, I took a little break from being super Mom to dig down deep and channel my inner MacGyver. (You know who MacGyver is right? He's the guy on TV way back in the day that could save the world using a paper clip, a tampon and a carton of eggs. I know! Impressive!)



I bought this frame last year for a buck! True Story!



So, I'm standing in my workroom/dining room, looking at all of the things I have at my disposal. Keep in mind I'm doing this while the toddler is pummeling me with her fake sword.......repeatedly......when will I regain sanity Lord? Anyway, I keep reminding myself that  MacGyver worked under pressure too! So, I got this!



I need something to showcase a few of my better, more impressive, tiny bit more expensive hair flowers on. Something that goes along with my Vintage Shabby Chic motif. Well, I think I did ok. Using a bargain picture frame that I bought last year (so the cost doesn't count right?), a piece of scrapbook paper and some leftover ribbon I engineered this handy little hair flower holder! And the bonus part is.....I can use it over and over and over and over and over and over!

 If you got, USE IT! Just saying! 



Popsicle stick bracelets

I recently met up with my craft class for a session. I call it a session because I think we all leave it feeling refreshed and ready to rule the world.

Cue Rocky theme song.

This week I left my girls in charge of deciding what we would be making. Keep in mind these are teenage girls we're talking about! I'm learning that they think about boys and accessorizing the most.

They used their internet time to do a little research and came up with this idea.

Popsicle stick bracelet

They started with wide popsicle sticks and boiled them in a pan on the stove for 15 minutes. Easy enough!

While the sticks were boiling the girls chose glasses.....the kind you drink out of.....to use to form the bracelet. They had a hard time finding glasses that would be the right size. Therefore, the bracelets don't stay on the wrist very well. So make sure you have a glass that has a small opening. I thought a wine glass would be good. We'll see about that since I plan on trying this project again myself at home.

When the sticks hit their 15 minute mark in the boiling water they carefully removed them, one by one, from the water with tongs! Originally, their idea was to dump them into a strainer to avoid the hot water but, they found that this only caused the sticks to cool faster and therefore they weren't bendable. They broke quite a few sticks in that process. So, back to the drawing board. Again, they boiled the sticks for 15 min, this time leaving them in the pan on the stove and using tongs.....Problem solved! 

this stick splintered as it was shaped but this is the idea.

Once they had their stick out of the water they were able to slowly shape them to fit into the glass. Where they would leave them to dry all night and most of the next day just to be sure they wouldn't straighten themselves out. A few of the sticks splintered as they were shaped. Notice the photo above. I wouldn't try to cover these with scrapbook paper like we did because I don't think the splinters would allow a smooth area but I thought you could actually cover it with fabric to hide the splintering and to keep your arm safe! Waste not ladies and gents. I'm going to work on that today at some point to see if it's a good idea or not. 

After your popsicle stick bracelet is completely dry you can cover them with your paper. We used scrapbook paper. 

bad photo....sorry.

We traced an unshaped stick onto the back of a piece of paper, cut it out and trimmed it to fit the stick. Using mod podge we adhered it to the stick, let it dry and BAM! It's a cool bracelet! 

I'm so proud of the girls for taking charge of this project and working through the road blocks that popped up. To see them so excited and so proud was truly a wonderful thing. They gave me some advice in case I wanted to do this project again. Use smaller glasses, don't reach into the pot of boiling water and take your time forming the bracelet! The students have become the teacher!  

*I realise that I am not the best at writing a tutorial. Please bare with me! I'm working on it. I hope this inspires you to tackle a project of your own. I do think these would be a fun thing to make and as far as decorating them, the possibilities are endless! Fabric, paint, paper and wait for it........GLITTER! I would not suggest wearing these in the shower or while doing dishes! Not sure they would hold up!