Tuesday, December 3, 2013

DIY Bible Verse

I drool over personalized wall decals, canvases, and signs on Pinterest. Thankfully, I have the tools, patience and knowledge to make my own.
As we rely on God so much when dealing with daily struggles both big and small, Nate and I have been wanting to put a bible verse in our kitchen to remind us daily of God's awesomeness and to never forget who controls our lives.
There are so many I love, but we went with Nate's chosen verse, Proverbs 3: 5-6.
Some other contenders were:

My verse: Jeremiah 29:11

Or

Philippians 4: 6-7
Isaiah 40: 31
Galatians 5: 22-23
Psalms 37: 4-6
Psalm 55: 22
Psalm 34: 18
Psalm 46: 1
Proverbs 4: 7
2 Corinthians 4: 8-9
Galatians 6:9
Joshua 24: 15

There are SO many methods for making these quote boards.
Here is mine:

1. I picked up a cool board at Ikea for $4. You can find these in the clearance section. They are cupboard doors from pieces of furniture. Wood is wood. I have also been collecting old cupboards that I find at Re-stor that fit my decor. You can always paint it a different color, too.

2. I chose a font from my Cricut and got to work cutting out the letters. I used mostly the same font, but made some important words larger. Some people use stickers. While this is probably easier than cutting out the letters on the Cricut, I like that I don't have to commit to the layout until I am absolutely sure I like the way it looks. Even then, in the process of adhering them to the board, letters get moved around.
 
3. I grabbed Matte Mod Podge. I soaked the board with the adhesive and placed the letters. Then added another layer of the adhesive over top. 
 
4. It's tedious work for sure. However, the result is my very own personalized bible verse made the way I want it for the cost of the board $4 plus I guess the paper and Mod Podge, which I already have on hand.  

DIY Cupcake Tin Advent

There are lots of awesome advent calendars out there...but they can cost a fortune. Last year, I started making my own. In this season of life, I like to keep it simple.
Last year, I started using the cupcake tin idea. I am sure this idea came from Pinterst. It was quite an undertaking because I had to cut out all of the circles and numbers...thankfully I saved all the covers and was able to assemble quickly this year. If you have more than one child, just get some more cupcake tins!
What you need:
Mini cupcake tin
24 pieces of miniature candies or small toys
Holiday paper
1-24 Stickers or cutouts from Cricut
24 Circles 2 inch circles (use Cricut or hole punch) 
24 Circles 2 1/2 inch circles (use Cricut or hole punch)
Glue or adhesive
Glue dots

Directions:
Cut out the numbers 1-24 (to save time you can buy stickers).
Cut out the circles. Place the numbers on each of the smaller circles and layer on top of a larger circle.
Place a piece of chocolate or small toy in each of the circles. Place a glue dot on the top and bottom the assembled circle and stick to cover the opening.

As you can see by the finished product, gluing the small numbers made a bit of a mess....so stickers would definitely be a cleaner, quicker option.