Gold Rimmed Plaster Flowers

Hello all!
A while back I saw a photo of something like these flowers and couldn't find any tutorials, so I've done the leg work and recreated this elegant look using just a few basic supplies!

Supplies:

liquid gold enamel (found in the model paint section)
round nylon fine tip brush 
mineral spirits (cleaner)
large flat disposable dish or pan (for plaster) 
Design Master spray paint in mint
Plaster of Paris (small tub) but in usage, maybe 5 cups
several cups of water
stirring stick
plastic clothes hanger
newspaper
your choice of silk/faux flowers. The ones I used looked like a type of Magnolia.
(the more fabric in the flower, the better. Plaster won't bond to plastics.)


The first step is to pour out your plaster into the dish you've selected. Make sure that this dish can be either thrown away for used for other crafts, as the plaster may harden to the surface if not cleaned promptly. Normally in plaster projects, one would have a container of water, and simply pour the plaster in to it until the top of the pile is sticking out from the surface, but I did it the other way around. I added plaster and water until it was the consistency of pancake batter. You want it to be thick enough to coat the flower, not runny and watery. Also time will thicken your mixture because it will be starting to set even as you're working with it, so you'll need to work fairly quickly. 

I just put the whole thing in there, stem and all. I made sure to squish the flower in the plaster in my hands as to get it soaked into all the tiny areas, and so it can soak through the fabric to become stiffer and stronger once dried. Your flower will be somewhat heavy after being coated with the plaster, don't worry it will be lighter once it dries. I bent the stems and hung it on a clothes hanger over some newspaper. Let your flowers dry over night to completely harden.

The flowers looks really beautiful even just like this! Again, keep in mind any plastic in the flower will repel the plaster and even if the plaster covers the plastic parts (leaves, stamens) it will break off like a chocolate shell on ice cream.

I then took my mint spray paint and just lightly coated them, putting more color in the center of the flower, and barely any on the petals. I wanted white to show through, so by just adding a touch of color, it gave the flowers a soft porcelain effect.


After about an hour you can begin the enamel. Using a thin round brush, paint the enamel along all the edges of the flower, and the very center.

Clean your brush with your mineral spirits. You'll need a more aggressive chemical to to the job as the enamel will not want to come off the brush hairs! 

After all is dry and complete, feel free to arrange your flowers in vase, trim off the stems to glue them onto the lid of a box, or the side of a frame! This can be a really great way to give a really classy gift for a wedding, or for a golden anniversary! 

 


 Bethany @ Enchanted Lake

Elegant Jewelry Box part 2

                                  Hey Crafters,

Today I have part 2 of the elegant jewelry box project from last week for you and I am so excited to unveil the final result. If you’re just tuning in and want to see part one, you can find it a few posts down from this one :).

When I signed off last week, I had a gorgeous jewelry box that could have stayed just as it was, but it just seemed to be begging for more, and who am I to say no? The photos on the left are where we left off; all ready to be embellished!

I began by creating my backing. We have a huge selection of printed card stocks, but for this particular project I wanted something one-of-a-kind. That being the case, I started with a blank cream card stock and added my own print. After measuring the spaces I intended to cover, I used one of LBell’s large script stamps and the distress ink in walnut to cover the background with a pretty script. Over this I used a variety of stamps from bo bunny and Lbell to apply embossing powder in gold for that 3D effect you see. With my background made, all I needed to do was cut and glue my squares in place with mod podge.

In last week’s sneak peak, you may have noticed a print of a pretty corner embellishment. I found this free-use vintage french scroll online and just had to use it for this project. I printed it to the size I needed then cut it and a piece of graphite paper down, and taped them in place so I could easily transfer the outline of the image to the panels of my box. A burnishing tool is perfect for doing this. Once the image was transferred I used my versa tool to burn the outline and a bit of shading in to the wood.

At this point all of my major changes were complete; all that was left are a few minor touches. I decided the hardware could use some extra flare, so I pulled the clasp that came with the box off and added these cute tassels I made, (another super easy project, although we do have a boat load of awesome pre-made tassels if you prefer,) then added a few 'super magnets' to the inside of the box to help keep the doors closed nicely. A sheet of white adhesive felt to line the drawers rounded it out.

Finally, I finished it all off by adding a very light coat of Americana’s gold paint to the scroll work and sealed it all with a glossy coat of mod podge. Voila! One gorgeous, custom made jewelry box that would feel right at home on any dresser or vanity and adds a touch of old world elegance

This project was so much fun and I think it turned out just beautiful. Have questions about this project or want some help getting started on it or something else? Don’t hesitate to drop in and ask for me.

Chelsea @Mapunapuna

Halloween Wreath

Hi there! More Halloween/Fall items have been arriving at our stores and they are awesome! Today I'll be showing you how to make a Halloween wreath using some of the picks and flowers we have. 

You'll need the following supplies:
- 14" Styrofoam wreath
- black yarn or wide black ribbon
- 2 Halloween sprays
- 1 bunch of black flowers with purple centers
- Glue gun

First, glue down one end of your black yarn or ribbon.  Ribbon is faster to wrap if you're in a hurry but the yarn looks great if you have extra time. 

Wrap the entire wreath then glue down the other end of the string or ribbon. 

Next, fold the stem of your sprays in half.  Place them on the wreath in the opposite direction with their stems next to each other. 

Glue them down with the glue gun.  Pull 3 of the flower heads off the stems.  Place them in the middle of the sprays, where the stems are touching.  Glue them down with the glue gun as well. 

That's all! I think it looks pretty and elegant.  This is what it looks like hanging in our store.

Until next time, happy crafting!
Rachel @ Mapunapuna

Up-Styled Frame

Looking for a quick, instant gratification craft? I made this frame in 30 minutes! Actually, about 10 minutes of that was waiting for the spray paint to dry so ... I made this frame in 20 minutes! Plus, I'm really loving the up-styled, elegant look of it too.

If you want to make this on your own, get a cheapy frame, like the one on the left, and spray paint it a nice metallic color. I went with a Montana spray paint in silver but I think gold or copper would've been equally awesome. Wait for the paint to dry (seriously the hardest part about this DIY), then take some glass tiles and some E6000 adhesive and stick those tiles all over the frame. The E6000 will stay pretty loose for a bit, so it makes it really, really easy to move the tiles around to place them just where you want them. In a couple of hours the E6000 is set enough to stand the frame up. After about a day the E6000 will be permanent and you'll have a beautiful new decor piece.

Try it right now! You can make a ton of these in like no time. Maybe even small ones as wedding favors? Ooooh I'll have to try it.

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Christmas Timely Decor

Who says it's too late to get Christmas decorations? I'm still getting ready for a small Christmas party we're having, and I think I found just the thing to spice up the decor. We may have sold out of a lot of our Christmas stock, but there are a few things left that you can effortlessly make striking displays with. To get you started, here are a few stylish and easy decorations I made using some beautiful berry sprays that we've got in our stores.

Don't forget that sometimes the simplest decorations can be the most stunning. I used pieces of sheer gold ribbon to complement these berry sprays as a vase filler.

Living here in Hawaii, sometimes mistletoe is hard to come by. Instead, you can easily bundle some red berry sprays together with satin ribbon to hang in your entry-way or over your doors.

Lastly, I put together this wreath without using a wreath form, just by winding the berry sprays around each other. A sheer, gold bow at the top adds a subtle sparkle.

So, although the Christmas pickings may be slim, you can still use your crafty streak to impress your friends and family with your own Christmas style.

Thanks for decking your halls with us!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

P.S. There's a gift wrapping episode of Cranking out Crafts if you scroll down to today's earlier post.

Beautiful Burlap

I'm so very excited because we just got burlap ribbon into the stores! I've seen so many elegant and beautiful projects using burlap that I just had to try it out for myself.

Right now we have spools of 3" and 1.5" wide, wired burlap, so I decided to start by trying to make a burlap rose. Didn't it come out great? I'm already in love with it. I made the rose the same way we used to make the ribbon roses and hot glued it together to help it keep its shape.

 

I made one more rose and another flower and attached them all to a grape vine wreath. Something like this could be a pretty fast way to add some decor to your home.

One other really quick thing that I made was this centerpiece. The burlap was a little hard to tie, but the wire really helps it to keep its shape once you're done. After I tied the bow, all I did was throw a few smooth stones and a candle into it. Seriously easy elegance, right?

Anyway, I'm sure we'll be doing a lot more stuff with burlap so keep an eye out for more great projects.

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

P.S. If you scroll to our previous post, you'll see another great Crankin' Out Crafts episode.

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 133 - Coffee Filter Wreath (Floral Wreath)

Today’s episode is a special one, not only because it features Lisa, but also because our Coffee Filter Flower Wreath demonstrates a great way to reuse an everyday object in a new and unusual way.

We'll show you how to create this beautiful wreath!

Watch the segment here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 133: Coffee Filter Wreath

Supplies:

Coffee filters

Acrylic paint

Paint brush

Water

Scissors

Masking tape

Straw wreath

Ribbon

Hot glue gun

This enchanting wreath is especially surprising because it’s made out of an everyday household item. Make it for a special summer wedding or just to add a romantic touch to your home.