DIY – Light Switch & Electric Faceplate Covers

Hello everyone, first I would like to apologize for not being active on the blog unfortunately we’ve had several things going on and I did not have time to get in the craft room. Second, I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and thank you to those who have served for our country! Ok, on to the fun stuff.

 I read an article somewhere along the way of a lady who started a business covering light switch faceplates with wallpaper so the wheels started turning and I knew I could do this with paper so here is a little tutorial for you.

·         First you will want to lightly sand the faceplates so the glue and paper will adhere. This was a lesson learned because my first attempt pulled right off the plastic.

·         Give them a quick dusting and add a layer of adhesive. I used Mod Podge and only applied glue to the top. Make sure you get enough glue around the areas you will need to cut out later.

·         Once you have applied glue line the faceplate onto the paper. Tip: I placed a small hole where I wanted to center the paper and then marked half way on the opening.

·         I then used my bone folder to smooth the paper onto the faceplate.

·         After the top has dried then add glue to one of the edges and apply pressure until the paper is securely adhered to the edge and cut of remaining paper. Repeat for the remaining sides.

·         Cut out the slot for the light switch or electric plug and punch holes for the screws.

·         I the used my sanding tools to create a finished edge where I had to cut..

You now have a unique faceplate that no one will have and that matches your décor. I would like to add a disclaimer - If you do make these I am not responsible for any personal injuries and damage to your home/facility since you are dealing with electricity. J

This is the first one I made for my craft room (this paper matches the lamps in my room).

Jessicia recently moved into her new house so she asked me to make some for her as well.

She has also been asking me to make her paper flowers in a vase like I have in my craft room, so I decided to use the extra paper I had for one of her rooms to make her a paper/fabric bouquet. The “vase” is a frappuccino bottle with coordinating paper and white ribbon. (I noticed the black fabric flower in the middle looks like a black hole in this picture but there is a flower there.)

Happy Crafting!

Tracey

Pincushion and Pencil Holder

I wanted to share a couple of fun projects with you that I recently completed. The first is the pincushion I made that was inspired by the one Michele from The Scrap Shoppe created.

I started with a frame I purchased at Hobby Lobby and fabric to match my room. I lined up the fabric so the flower pattern would be in the center. Once I had it all assembled I thought it needed a little extra touch so I decided to paint in the grooves of the frame to add a little extra color. Now when I am doing a project and need pins it is so much quicker than trying to dig them out of the pin container and it looks better as well.  

I have several containers I use around my craft area for pens, markers, etc. but I kept noticing all the writing utensils around the computer were scattered everywhere so I decided to fix the problem by recycling a Pringles can. I cut a piece of paper that would wrap around the can and then dressed it up with a little lace and ribbon. Now everything has its place around the computer as well.

Now I have my pins and pens organized. J

Happy Crafting!

Tracey

DIY: Embossed Tissue Paper

Recently HSN aired several scrapbooking episodes and I always like to DVR them so I can watch for any ideas they might share. Some of the airings have the same projects but you can get lucky to get a new tip and see what is new in the crafty world. While watching one of the episodes they shared a great tip on embossing tissue paper I thought I would share.

Start with one piece of tissue paper folded to fit into your embossing folder.

Use the appropriate plates for your die cutting/embossing machine and run it through once. I have a Cuttlebug and because of the thickness of the tissue being folded I had to use a smaller plate than usual.

Open your embossing folder to reveal your new tissue paper. Carefully unfold the paper to ensure it does not rip. People will wonder how much you spent on embossed tissue paper when it only takes a couple of minutes to fold the paper and run it through your machine.

Have fun creating tissue paper to match any event!

Tracey