DIY Framed Bow Holder

I absolutely love making stuff for little girls, especially my little priss pot. I wrote a bow holder post a few weeks back showing some of the girls’ hair bow holders I had painted.

I make these pretty often as gifts or to sell, usually personalized, but there’s another bow holder I make that is super cute but really easy. Here’s a tutorial on how I made a framed bow holder using an old wood frame, ribbon, and paint.

First, I found a plain Jane frame from a flea market for $2.50. It’s important that your frame be sturdy and wooden to ensure it will hold up under stapling, none of the cheapos at Wal-Mart. That's why I got a better frame with a very much dated picture for just as cheap at the flea market.

I then removed the backing, glass, and picture from the frame.

I used acrylic paint to paint the frame. If this had been a darker frame or had a slick finish, I probably would have used a primer on it first. I painted the front in a lime green color.

The edge of the frame I painted white.

I used brush strokes down the edge of the frame to make the stripes. This is such a cute and easy way to add character to art pieces.

I then took a pink paint marker and drew swirlies along the frame. For some reason, even with the spray lacquer coating it, they don’t show up well in the pictures.

I sprayed the painted frame with a clear spray lacquer. I use this for everything! I love it! It takes about 24 hours to dry completely, but it dries to the touch in about 20 minutes. Sorry, no pictures of the spray painting. I wouldn't want my mess of a patio shown in my pictures.

Once dry, I cut my ribbon the length of the frame. I then trimmed the excess ribbon. I got a roll of this ribbon at Hobby Lobby when it was half off, making it $2.00. Ribbon goes on sale there about every other week.

I used a standard office stapler to staple the ribbon in to place. I made three rows of the ribbon to allow room for the bows to be displayed.

 

And there you have it! A cute girls’ hair bow holder that is cheap and easy!  



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Yesterday on Tuesday

A Country Wedding

A few months ago, my cousin Tracy renewed her vows with her husband, Trevor, of three years. They did not get to have a real wedding, so this was an opportunity for them to get married before friends and family. Trevor has been stationed in Texas for a long time and has deployed a few times, making it hard for them to plan a wedding before now. The ceremony was held outside of an old plantation home in South Alabama that was built in 1835, which was very charming. It was extremely hot and sticky - you'd think I'd be use to the sweltering heat and humidity of Alabama in the summer. Regardless of the heat, the wedding was beautiful.

I have to share some of the pictures I took, because the decorations were gorgeous. It was country chic décor, with mason jar lanterns and miss-matched table arrangements that all seemed to go very well together. The gerbera daisies were lovely. I even got some great photos of my munchkin Ramsey playing by the fish pond.

Country chic is really not my style, but this wedding made me a believer. It was perfect for Tracy, and it was absolutely beautiful. Congratulations to the happy couple!

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Notably Nautical Pinterest Finds

Inspired by my Boat Shelf Makeover, here is a collection of nautical themed art and décor that I found on Pinterest. Some projects provide great DIY tutorials. Makes me want to go to the beach!

License Plate Art

$219.00

Courtesy of Etsy via recycledartco

Beyond the Sea

Courtesy of Country Home

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

 

DIY Framed Shell Art

Courtesy of Mom Endeavors

 

Spouting Whale Stretched Canvas Artwork

$150.00

Courtesy of Etsy via SennandSons

And, for the more crafty and frugal among us, here's a similar DIY tutorial:

Whale of a Project

Courtesy of Full Plate Living

 

Nautical Flag

Courtesy of Last Chance Charlie

Ballerina Handprint Art

My little munchkin just finished her first year of dance, and she absolutely loves it! It’s also really awesome that she’s taking dance lessons from Mrs. C.J., my dance teacher growing up. Here’s a picture of her at one of her performances.

I thought it would be fun to try a painting I saw on Pinterest (yes, I live on Pinterest) using handprints. We mixed up some pink finger paint, and Ramsey made handprints for the tutu. I cut the leotard out of cardstock, covered it in glue, and let Ramsey glitter it. I embellished it with ribbon then wrote her name and the year. It turned out so cute, and it was a great activity to do with the little one. Super cheap, easy, and cute!

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Boat Shelf Makeover

In April I stumbled upon this boat shelf at a clothing and home décor consignment sale. It was in pretty bad shape, but it was only $15. My mom lives on the river and loves nautical themed décor, so I could not pass it up.

Here is the pre-makeover boat shelf:

 

I went to Wal-Mart and got two of the Glidden paint sample bottles for about $3 each, one in a tan color and one in a pale blue. That was exactly enough paint to cover the entire shelf. It took about three coats. I used the tan on the inside and the blue on the outside. When finished, I coated it with a spray lacquer I had on hand.

Here’s the after:

I gave it to my mom in June for her birthday, and she loved it! It didn’t take too long, and it only cost a grand total of $21. While it was cheap, a lot of love went into it, which is what my mom expects from me when it comes to gifts – cheap but classy. Now she wants me to make one for her neighbor, but cheap boat shelves are hard to come by. A comparable one I saw at a shop down at the beach was $120. I’ll keep my eyes open. Here’s to keepin’ in cheap!

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