Mini pinata advent calendar.

When I first saw this mini pinata advent calendar, I did a double take. . . very much like a cat that sees something shiny. Lots of color and mini paper bits - could it be that it uses Mod Podge? Yes, it could. And it does. Pam from Gingerbread Snowflakes created this project, and I give her props for two reasons. First of all, she thought of it, and second of all, she took the time to do it. It reminded me that, as we enter this next holiday season, I should be a more patient and kind Mod Podger. Projects such as this are worth the time it takes! Her results are absolutely amazing.

Visit Pam's tutorial here and tell her how much you love this advent calendar. Now if only someone would make me one with a $50 Starbucks card in each pinata. . . my 2009 would be complete!

Fun outlet covers. Also known as switchplates.

Do these outlet covers look like they are floating? Ha ha! They are. I cropped these photos and it made me giggle. It's the little things, my friends. These outlet covers were done by reader Lo, author of the blog Mother Earth. She was very kind enough to offer a tutorial, and mentions that she used what she had around the house to do these. We love that, don't we?

Visit Lo's tutorial right here, and note that she doesn't prepare the fabric beforehand with Mod Podge like I've recommended before. That is okay. Why, you ask? It's okay because she's folding in the edges and then Mod Podging after, so the fraying on the edges won't show. If you have a fabric project where the edges are going to show, I HIGHLY recommend preparing the fabric like I do in step one of this post.

I hope you enjoy Lo's project, and if you want some additional switchplate action go here.

Mod Podge fabric embellishment tutorial.

I recently happened upon an interview with Holly Hanks - a Label Tulip Girl. Label Tulip is a delightful little scrapbooking club with monthly kits, and Holly Hanks is one of their designers. This sneak peek of one of her layouts had me interested:

Then I saw the picture below:

This, my friends, is a little fabric embellishment done with Mod Podge. Holly has a posted a video for it on the Label Tulip blog, which you can find right here. She's very talented, so you if you want to see some of her other crafts beyond this vroom vroom car, visit her Charmed Life blog here. She has lots of delightful, I mean amazing, scrapbooking layouts for your viewing pleasure.

A Mod Podge stool for a one-bedroom apartment dweller like me.

Mod Podge Command Central was not designed with me in mind. The nerve, right? You see, in the kitchen I can't reach the top cabinets (even though I'm 5' 6") and I have nowhere to keep a stepstool unless I want to ditch some craft supplies. Not going to happen. When presented with a problem such as this, I'm sure you can guess that I always turn to Mod Podge. I also turn to my fabric stash, which had another colorway of the Joel Dewberry fabric I used in this project. The instructions below are how I solved the problem, with the help of my good friend Mod Podge. You'll be pleased to know I'm now reaching the upper cabinets with ease, and all is right with the world again.

Supplies & Tools:

FolkArt® Acrylic Paint
Patina
Parchment (optional)
Mod Podge® Fabric & Gloss

Small Wood Stool
Joel Dewberry “Deer Valley Antler” Fabric, Terra Cotta – 1/2 yard
1” Flat Paint Brush
Craft Knife
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
Wax paper
Acrylic Sealer (optional)

1. You will first want to prepare the fabric before painting. To do this, wash and dry the fabric (do not use fabric softener). Iron and then lay out on a covered work surface. Wax paper is preferable for covering your table. Using a brush, paint a light coat of Fabric Mod Podge onto your fabric. Allow to dry. This will allow you to cut the fabric like paper without frayed edges.
2. Time to cut out your fabric pieces. Lay the stool top down onto the fabric and trace. Cut out using the scissors. Do the same thing with both of the stool sides. Set aside.
3. My stool came unassembled, so I painted it before I put it together. I basecoated the sides and top with Patina. You can paint the whole thing with Patina, but I painted the crossbar (which you can’t see in the photo) with Parchment. Depends on how many paint colors you want to buy. Allow these pieces to dry.
4. Assemble the stool following the included instructions. Touch up any paint as needed.
5. This is my favorite part! Adhere the top and side fabric using the Gloss Mod Podge. Completely smooth out all air bubbles and allow to dry for 15 – 20 minutes.
6. Coat the entire stool with at least two coats of Gloss Mod Podge. Allow to dry.
7. Go back to the top and trim any excess fabric around the edge with a craft knife.
8. Allow the stool to dry for at least 24 hours before using. I recommend spraying with several coats of acrylic sealer to completely finish your project and add durability.

Bathroom light fixture makeover.

Did you know that you could turn this:

into this? With Mod Podge?

You can. Char from Crap I've Made re-did this bathroom light fixture to fit into her Seussical bathroom. Since I really love Dr. Suess, and since I've never seen a Mod Podge project like this, I'm very happy to feature her today. Char was smart enough to make a template out of wax paper (great idea), and then cut her fabric (yep, that's fabric!) to fit the fixture. I suggest you visit here to find out more about what she did. You can also see the final Suess bathroom result, which is really pretty cute. And just to note, I totally love the glossy red Char.

An inexpensive dresser re-do.

Moneywise Moms is a pretty fabulous blog, and if you are a mom (even if you aren't actually) you should definitely visit there for some money saving tips, great recipes and . . . drum roll. . . fabulous DIY projects. Gina, purveyor of the site, has been on a home improvement kick this summer, and so she decided to do something with Mod Podge. As you can imagine, I fully encourage and support this behavior.

Gina decided to do a dresser re-do, pictured above. I love furniture re-dos with Mod Podge and this one is exceptional. As Gina told me, she is a perfectionist and that is obvious by the finished project. Please visit here for the tutorial and tell her what you think of her awesome dresser. Also note that she spent less than $30 for the entire thing. Not too shabby!

A custom game of concentration.

PLEASE NOTE: These images have been assembled with the special permission of The Graphics Fairy. Her site policy is no more than 4 images per project. Theses tiled images are for personal use only and not for resale or reproduction as digital images.

Well hello! Happy Monday. Mondays can be a real drag, so this week I'm happy to start off with a game, Mod Podged by my friend Cathe from Just Something I Made. Cathe is not just an accomplished crafter - she is also a fantabulous graphic designer. She was the one who did my header and blog buttons, and I am forever in her debt for how awesome they are.

Back to the game. The vintage images above are some of those that she used for her custom game of concentration, which you can find a tutorial on here. Cathe always has fun ideas, and many times they are on a budget or with found items. And you know how much we like that.

I love clipboards. So I gave one a go.

I like clipboards yes I do, I like clipboards how 'bout you?

I've had several people tell me recently that they are working on clipboard projects, either for themselves or for gift ideas. I decided that I wanted to do one too, so I took a dive into the stash and this is what I came up with. It was a guest posting on Craftier, which is a cute (and new) craft website that I have the honor of writing for occasionally. I did a tutorial here . . . can you believe it. . . two in one week? It's a back-to-school celebration!

I hope you enjoy, and see two other clipboard projects on this blog here and here. I didn't do them but they are just as wonderful, if I do say so myself.

Hmmm. Have you used Envirotex? Or something like it?

Has anyone ever used this stuff? I'm thinking about purchasing for a Mod Podge project I'm doing - a table to be specific. Any comments on it? Pitfalls? Tips? Any other suggestions? I want to know if I should invest the money. . . . help.

Recycled supply jars for your desk.

I've done a lot of Mod Podge projects, and this is one of my favorites. It was SO FUN. I did it as a guest posting for Craftier, celebrating back to school crafting. These are pickle jars that I recycled to make into storage for your desk, and I loved every minute of it. In fact I want a rainbow of jars on my desk. I might have to do that . . . when I have time. In the meantime, visit the blog entry where I actually did a tutorial (with pictures!) right here.

Fun yellow silverware holder.

Down and Out Chic (Christina) is one of my favorite blogger friends. She's a talented Mod Podger, and she always does really fantastic projects with things that she finds or thrifts. This brown silverware holder was brown and ugly before she got her hands on it. View her blog entry about this here, and then also see the amazing side table transformation she did (with Mod Podge, of course) right here. Christina's blog is very fun and stylish; you'll enjoy.

Beach and mermaid wall art.

Before I talk about her project I want to wish Kristin CONGRATULATIONS for having a new little boy, Wesley, less than three weeks ago! I think she must have crafted right up to the moment he was born - that's how dedicated she is.

Kristin runs Lu Bird Baby, and she makes all kinds of darling baby and hair accessories. She also crafts for her own children, and she is one of those creative people that sees something and says "I can do that." To me, that is what it's all about. That is what this blog is about - getting inspired and then making it your own. So Kristin did that with these two wall hangings: a little paint, paper and Mod Podge. Please visit the blog entry here for more pictures and then browse around to see some of the cutest kids' stuff ever.

Pineapple decoupage votives.

Martha, Martha, Martha. You created the cutest pineapple decoupage votives, but you didn't tell people to avoid fraying they should prepare the fabric with Mod Podge. That's okay. We'll forgive you. This once.

These darling votive holders are perfect for parties, and if you want to use them outside you'll just need to use Outdoor Mod Podge instead. They are relatively easy to create and you may already have the fabric scraps to do it. Please go here to get the how-to. You know I want some owl ones now. . .

Image courtesy of MarthaStewart.com, 2009. All rights reserved.

@modpodgerocks - meaning, I'm on Twitter.

Hi! This picture is totally unrelated to this post, but I like to provide visuals. That's how I roll.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I'm on Twitter. I avoided it for a long time because I am typically not a technology person, but even an old dog can learn new tricks. So come see me here, you know, when you have a chance.
http://twitter.com/modpodgerocks

PS - That is my pug Roxie in her rain gear.

Personalized and altered board book tutorial.

My bloggy friend Ashlee at Pretty Partridge is so creative and crafty, and I love to keep up with her goings-on. Especially when they are Mod Podge related. Ashlee has the cutest daughter named Mary, and Mary had a few board books that she no longer cared for. Ashlee, being the thrify crafter that she is, recycled one of the board books into a special book just for her little girl. She personalized it too; it's really quite precious.

Visit here to see what Ashlee did, and then read some of her other blog entries because she pursues a variety of crafts and she's good at all of them. Please also enjoy the mini-chest she transformed and her fun learning magnets.

Guest blogging on little birdie secrets: an owl frame.

Hi! Come visit me today at Little Birdie Secrets. I'm guest posting, and you can learn how to make this frame. It's autumn-themed because I really don't want it to be hot anymore. Plus I like owls. See you there!

From salvaged drawers to a modular bookcase.

This is the second tutorial I'm posting from Crafty Nest - the first one was a wallpaper cart you can see here. The truth is, I just can't get enough of trash to treasure projects, and this is a great example. This drawers-turned-shelves-using-Mod-Podge are perfect for a girl like me, a girl with lots of books (Pride and Prejudice gets a special seat on the top shelf). Please visit here to find the before & after as well as a tutorial. You really won't believe the transformation.

Also note that these drawers were recovered using Freecycle. If you haven't been to the site, you need to visit. Especially if you like - wait for it - free stuff.

Tree and bird design plates - cheep cheap!

First of all, let me say that I LOVE the site name that this Tuesday's project comes from - That's So Cuegly. Linds created the blog (and the word) because she appreciates crafts and things ugly enough to be cute. I can totally relate to cuegly things. Check out my pugs:

Anyhoo, back to Linds' plates. She purchased them for $1, and made her own stencil to paint in part of the designs. She then Mod Podged papers to complete these simple and inexpensive decorative plates. You may already have plates and paper, in which case this project would be free. Visit Linds here to see her tutorial for these plates and then poke around to find more Mod Podge projects - she has a few. And they are all not very cuegly, they are in fact very cute.

Mosaic bird art.

I'm very lucky to have met LuAnne Payne, Raleigh Arts and Crafts Examiner. She is such a delightful person, and she wrote the nicest review of my blog which you can read here.

Not only does she write very well, she crafts very well with Mod Podge. I loved one of her projects and so I share it with you here. It's pictured above, and it's one of the best canvases I've ever seen. I asked her how she did it, and this is what she wrote:

"I used a 4"x5" stretched canvas. For the background I just used squares of decorative paper and glued them on the canvas with Mod Podge (of course!) to create a mosaic effect. I sealed the background papers with Mod Podge, then I painted over that and wiped away some areas of the paint so the design from the paper could show through. I drew the bird with permanent black ink. You probably already know this, but the Mod Podge keeps the paint from absorbing into the paper - - then you can use a wet paper towel to remove some paint before it dries. That is a Basic Grey rub on."

LuAnne writes great reviews too, so check out what she said about Basic Grey rub ons here.

How to ship a project that has been Podged.

Poor Jaime. She sent this very cute present to a friend:

When it arrived, this had happened:
I call it "ModPodgus Stickitus." Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to fix this condition once the damage has been done. So let me tell you how to prevent it in the future.

-When you send, pack, transport or in any other way move something with Mod Podge, you should use an acrylic sealer to protect it. You never know what the conditions will be (could be really HOT on the truck shipping your project) - the Mod Podge could get tacky very easily. Use any acrylic sealer, but I recommend Patricia Nimock's sealers because they are affordable and won't yellow. You can get them from Michaels and other craft stores.
-A little trick I learned from professionals is to put some Glad Press N' Seal around the project before packing. For whatever reason, it won't stick, which is awesome.

Keep in mind that the rules above apply when stacking Mod Podge projects in your closet or in any way putting them in close contact with each other. The Gloss formulas *will* stick if it's not sealed.

Cathie & Steve's amazing Mod Podge video. Please enjoy.

I like things that hold stuff. Like this kids' safari tote.

It's no secret that I love totes. My next place after Mod Podge Command Central (possibly Mod Podge World HQ?) will have a craft room, and in that craft room will be many totes. The only difference is that I will make another tote like this one, but put my name on it, rather than the name of one of my friend's kids. Here are my instructions.

Supplies & Tools

FolkArt® Acrylic Paint
Coffee Bean
Fresh Foliage
Orange
Mod Podge® Hard Coat, 8oz.
DCWV Chipboard Box Animal Crackers
DCWV 12” x 12” Scrapbook Paper, Animal Crackers – sheets coordinating
Craft Essentials™ Papercrafting Ribbon – Orange/Yellow and Red/White

Woodline Works Wood Storage Bin
1” Flat Paint Brush
Craft Glue
Craft Knife and Mat
Painter’s Tape
Pencil
Ruler

1. I always cut my paper first. With the pencil, trace one side of the bin onto each piece of paper. Measure 1” inside and mark using the ruler. Use the craft knife to cut out the shape. Leaving 1” on each side allows the paint to show around the edges of the paper.
2. Choose two of the pieces you just cut to go on the sides with the handles.. Use a piece of painter’s tape to position the paper where you will decoupage it down. Trace the handle onto each piece of paper and cut it out. Set aside the papers for all four sides.
3. Using the paint brush, basecoat the entire inside and upper edges of the bin with Orange. Allow to dry.
4. Use the painter’s tape to tape off two opposite sides of the bin. Paint the sides with the handles Coffee Bean. Allow to dry and paint the other two sides Fresh Foliage. Allow project to dry completely.
5. This is the fun part! Taking each side in turn, decoupage the papers down. Remember to center the handle cut you made over the hole. Allow to dry.
6. Go back and Mod Podge the entire bin, inside and out. Use at least two coats and allow to dry completely.
7. Time to add accents. Using the craft glue, attach the orange/yellow ribbon about 1/4" down from the top, all the way around. Seam on an edge or a side that you won’t see.
8. Add the chipboard shapes with the craft glue at random. Check out what I did in the photo. I also used another color ribbon (red/white) to tie a chipboard shape onto the handle. Isn’t it lovely?
9. Allow the entire project to dry for 24 hours before you use it.

Star window hanger. What a great kids' project!

Mama King from 4 Crazy Kings has done it again - another fantastic Mod Podge project. This resulted from an experiment with toilet paper rolls. Then she did something I never expected! She made Mod Podge into a suncatcher. I was impressed. What a great kids project, and she says it's held up well. Find information on what she did here.

Update a glass vase in 60 seconds. With Mod Podge.

My m.o. lately has been to find more and more inexpensive and easy projects, so that those of you who have never tried decoupage before will be inspired to do so. This is one of those projects. Do you have a plain glass vase laying around the house? You can go buy some paper for less than $1 to complete this project. And aren't these beautiful natural papers?

Visit right here for the instructions and some additional pictures. If you are a first-timer, I guarantee you will be successful with this project.

Fix up ur filing cabinet.

This is the second project I've featured from LG at Groovin' With the Grizas - here's the first. Not only is LG super cool because she likes Mod Podge, but she likes little dogs. Yorkies to be specific. As a pug lover. . . I totally respect that.

LG re-did this filing cabinet, and she did it in fabric. As you know, I love fabric Mod Podge projects (see a few I've done here and here), so it does my heart good to add more of them to this blog. Visit LG here to see before pictures and the supply list. Didn't she do an awesome job?

Wallpapered cart.

Hi. I think I need this Mod Podged cart for two reasons.
1. It's wallpaper - and I really want to Mod Podge something with wallpaper.
2. It's on wheels. I need more things on wheels. I do a lot of shuffling around Mod Podge Command Central, and it would be nice to wheel rather than shuffle.
The good news? I can make this cart! I found it on Crafty Nest, which I love, and there happens to be a tutorial. Learn how to make this cart too, right here.