This was one of my favorite projects to make. It was also my first SUCCESSFUL modge podge project and lead me to discovering Canva, which is one of my favorite sites I use for my crafting.
As you can see, one side is for Christmas and the other Thanksgiving. But I’ve recently found that the Thanksgiving side is also suitable to use for any other time of the year because it matches the colors in my living room.
If you want to be super technical, the project two me two months to make because I completed the Thanksgiving side first and waited until I had more time to work on the Christmas side. So, how was this wonderful idea conceived? It was that time of year when you start thinking about Christmas and gifting; October. I wanted to be frugal in my gift giving this year and craft my gifts to my family and friends. I was looking around Hobby Lobby for ideas and stumbled upon the wood frame. I have always loved the following quote: “Gratitude turns what we have in enough.” It always spoke to me because sometimes the difference between someone who is happy in their life is gratitude. It’s such an important trait to have. Anyways, I saw the wood frame, thought of my beloved quote and the idea was born.
Here's what you need:
-Wooden frame (I got mine at Hobby Lobby) -2 Designed scrapbook papers for the background -2 Plain sheets for the text -Printer -Paintbrushes (just 2) -Acryllic paint of your choice -Scissors -Mod Podge I purchased the scrapbook paper for the background and another one for the text. I love how craft stores allow you to purchase a single sheet. As much as I loved this design, I knew I’d only use it for this project. At the time, I couldn’t find a Christmas scrapbook paper I liked. And seeing that you only see one side at time, I figured I could come back later. Now, the design itself. I must admit that I used Microsoft Word to create this. My brother is a film editor and is well-versed in Adobe Photoshop. For me, it’s hard to get past the interface. I spend 5-10 minutes looking around and then my brain has had enough and I have to leave. Two years earlier, I was getting married and wanted to find a cheap option for wedding invitations. So what did I do? I designed it on Microsoft Word. I'll just spare you from having to look at it. It wasn't bad, but it's not on the same level of what I can create now. My brother was a little embarrassed for me. Oh well, everyone who has gotten married knows how busy you can get and I was planning my wedding AND was going through the busiest time of year at work. You just make it work. Ok, back to my craft. I simply googled the quote for design inspiration, took what I liked and played around with it. Overall, I’m happy with the design but I knew there was a better way to make more designs like this. More on that later. Overall, the project is simple, with lots of room for flexibility to make it the way you want, and then come out with a pretty result you can’t stop looking at. That’s what I love about crafting.
Yes, I had to paint the frame. I actually started off with a lighter brown. Once the first coat started drying, I realized it was not the color I wanted. For the second layer, I added a little bit of black to the brown I was using and it was perfect! After the coats were done, I stenciled out the frame onto the back of the scrapbook paper. I creased the paper in order to get it to shape around the base. You can stencil and cut the paper before you paint the frame, it doesn’t matter.
Overall, with lots of attention, it worked out really well. If you are nervous about cutting too much off, get the initial stencil and then cut it out larger than what you marked it as. Then when you double check to make sure it fits, you have more to cut off. You can always cut off more, but you can’t put it back on. Another tip, if you paint onto the front of the frame, it will hide the fact you accidentally cut off too much. Now, the modge podge. Like I said, this was my first successful modge podge project. A few of the other ones I had made previously look fine, but there are air bubbles :( At this point, I had only been seriously crafting for a couple of months and this was more ambitious project of mine.
As you can see, it’s turned out beautifully. Now, here’s my trick: don’t put the podge on the paper, but on wood frame itself. I found that when you place podge on the paper, it starts to curl, making it difficult to spread on the whole paper evenly. Also, you want a decent coat of podge and you can’t get that when you spread it on the paper. However, if you can put on the paper and make it work for you, more power to you, but I prefer putting it on a hard surface.
First, I placed on the scrapbook paper and then the design. I chose to not to spread podge on top of the paper because I didn’t want the glossy finish. A benefit of putting podge on top is that it gives it a protective seal which will prevent the paper from peeling off in the future. I decided to take my chances. Give it 5 to 10 minutes to dry before you put this top layer on or else you WILL get bubbles. Oh, I did spread the podge on the paper when I put the paper with the text on the scrapbook paper, I guess the success I had with the scrapbook paper gave me confidence to try spreading the podge on the paper instead of the hard surface. It is a smaller paper and that's easier to handle.
Now, the knob on top. It’s removable so it wasn’t on when I stenciled and podged the paper on the frame. When I placed it back on, I knew something was missing. So I pulled out my handy-dandy twine! I bought this months ago for a project and is now one of my favorite products for my crafts. I use it for all of my banners. Best purchase I have ever made.
The bow was inspired by a photo block I saw at my aunt’s, which also had a bow tied on top. Most of the time when you see bows tied on top of projects like this, there’s multiple strands of ribbon with many colors. Not what I wanted though, simplicity usually works best for me. Plus it’s easier to match with the other side of the reversible when you chose something simpler. I was so excited with how this turned out! I could finally podge on a piece of paper onto a project and make it look beautiful, it was a big step in my crafting. There was a victory dance involved in celebration. Now the Christmas side. Selecting the scrapbook paper and the quote I wanted was easy. But the design for the quote was the tricky part. I really didn’t want to use Microsoft word again. So I did some research on software programs you can use to create these. I ran into an app called, “Typorama.” I used this program for the design, however, it’s the only one I plan on using it for. It didn’t have the flexibility I wanted and if you want to print it out or share it, you have to have to make a purchase to get rid of the watercolor. Lame. I used a photoshop program I have called, “Photoscape X” to rid of this problem, just don’t tell them.
After some tinkering, I was satisfied and stuck with it, but knowing I’d use something else in the future. You know, that’s the thing about building a skill such as crafting; you make mistakes, make it work, learn from it, and do better next time. And I wouldn’t have discovered Canva. I am absolutely in love with their software and I haven’t even bothered trying other programs. But I think that’s a story for another time. I will say this: after I started using Canva, my printables have become a big part of my crafting. I’ve found it’s something I LOVE to make. It’s my little niche in my crafting.
Stay tuned for more projects and tips on how to decorate your home on a budget.
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About MeHello! My name is Char. Thank you for visiting my blog, CallCrafts. I am a wife and mother who LOVES to make things. Read tutorials on crafts I've created to decorate my home, for parties, and more! Read more about me in My Story.
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