Tag Archives: glue gun project

DIY: Peppermint Christmas Wreath (Under $25!)

December 15, 2015DIY, How to'sChristmas spirit, Dollar Tree DIY, door decoration, festive decorating, glue gun project, holiday craftBeth Berger

My friend Katie is a wreath making MVP! She once gifted me a gorgeous burlap and floral wreath she whipped up as a house-warming present and I’ve been a huge fan of her creations ever since! When she was in Miami visiting us recently, she mentioned she was planning to craft up a new Christmas door dec once she returned home. I asked if she’d be willing to show us all how she does it and she graciously agreed! Let’s have a look…

If you are like me and enjoy cheap (but maybe a little time/labor intensive) DIYs this wreath is the perfect way to spend a few hours on your next lazy weekend afternoon!

Materials Needed:

Hot glue gun and glue sticks – $5

Foam wreath in whatever size your heart desires -$10.00

As many peppermints as you want (you will need a lot) -$6.00

Red ribbon- $4.00

** I definitely recommend hitting up your local Dollar Tree for the peppermints and ribbon!

Step 1: Wrap red ribbon around the foam wreath. This isn’t mandatory but I think it looks better if the ribbon is what shows through the openings after the peppermints are glued on.

**I just used regular tape to secure the ribbon but hot glue works as well!

Step 2: Start gluing the peppermints in an outline around the wreath. I stuck to doing the front of the wreath but if you are feeling ambitious you can do a border on the top too!

Step 3: Keep on gluin’! You can continue gluing in a straight line pattern or you can do more of a bricked layout. Since not all of the peppermints are the exact same size it can get a little tricky but sometimes you just have to fake it till you make it.

Step 4: Wrap the ribbon around the wreath and peppermints however much/little you want. This part definitely isn’t a MUST but I think it makes the wreath look a little more polished.

Step 5: Tie a big-ass bow (or little-ass bow). You can find some great tutorials on tying different types of bows HERE.

Step 6: Hang the finished wreath on your door and bask in the envy of your neighbors.

Isn’t it adorable, you guys?! Thank you so much for showing us how it’s done, Katie! Everyone go grab a glue gun and let’s make our doors a little bling! What do ya say?

Christmas crafting with corks!

December 10, 2015DIY, How to'schristmas, cork trees, glue gun project, ornaments, winosBeth Berger

Even with the tropical temperatures I’m in quite the Christmas spirit this year, you guys. I’ve been deckin’ ALL of the halls. I’ve also been feeling a compulsive urge to buy random craft supplies. Sooooo….gotta make like an elf and get to work! Here are a few snaps of my latest crafting endeavor. If you, too, have a few corks tucked away in a jar somewhere, PULL ‘EM OUT! This is how I used mine…

I rifled through my craft box to see what sort of supplies might be useful…

…and came up with these! Little pom poms and push pins make perfect “ornaments.” Twine can be used to turn your little trees into ornaments. And those foam stickers in the center were a Dollar Tree find (and the ones pictured are just a FRACTION of the amount that came in the bag). I used the E6000 glue to attach my embellishments but ended up using my trusty glue-gun to connect all the corks.

I made one little guy as a stand-alone tree to nestle onto a shelf on our TV stand. I love how the colors come out different on each type of cork. How cute is that gingerbread man?

And I made another to hang on our tree. For this one I included a tree stump by cutting a cork in half (with a kitchen knife and a cutting board…livin’ dangerously!) and adding a bit of ribbon for embellishment. I also secured some twine below the top cork for hanging purposes.

I’m totally in love with them and think they have the perfect rustic look. They’ll also look totally different based on what you have on hand! So give it a try! It was a super simple and cozy evening activity.

And c’mon, don’t you just love an excuse to drink more wine this time of year?!

What sorts of ornaments do you hang on your tree? Do you make your own or do you stick to store bought baubles? Does your tree have a theme? I’d love to hear!

DIY: Magnet boards.

September 15, 2014DIY, How to'sbuttons, fun fabrics, glue gun project, home decor, magnet board, magnets, office decor, style, upcycledBeth Berger

My sister, Katie, and I did this DIY project a few months back but I thought it was too cute not share with you guys. We thought it was a really adorable way to take something cheap, cookie sheets from Big Lots, and turn it into something beautiful–fabric covered magnet boards. I love how easy this project is to customize. Choose fabrics and details that suit your style and follow a few simple steps…presto, change-o! You’ve got some cool decorative flair for any room. Because we were making our boards as a present for our Mom, we chose a bright, cheery color palette that we knew she would enjoy. Once you’ve got a style and color palette picked out (and some GORGE buttons for magnet-making), it’s time to get started!

What you’ll need:

-Cheap-o cookie/baking sheet(s)

-Fabric

-Glue gun (mine just happened to match PERFECTLY!)

-Glue sticks

-Magnet dots or magnet tape (you can get the kind with adhesive backing but I would use the glue gun so your decorated magnets hold together a bit better)

-Scissors

-Sewing notions to make magnets–we used a variety of buttons and some golden ribbon

And how it all comes together:

-Cut your fabric to size and hot glue it to the back of the cookie sheet.

-Fold edges like a package and trim so they are all even. Cut another piece of fabric to size and glue over the opening–creating a backing. You could do this with a solid more sturdier piece of fabric (maybe even a felt) or stick with the same fabric you used for the front.

-Once your boards are covered with fabric, it’s time to make magnets! Glue buttons, ribbon, googly eyes, ANYTHING YOU LIKE onto magnets with your hot glue gun. Be sure to press them on hard and let them dry completely.

Magnet inspiration–

-For hanging you can get some picture hanging kits from the craft or hardware store to attach to the back or just set ’em on your desk and prop against the wall. Now load your board up with grocery lists, reminders and pics and you’re ready to go!

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Where would you like to hang one of these babies? By your back door? At your office? What colors would you choose? My work just ordered me a new desk (eeps!) so I would love to have one there for a full work-space face-lift. Maybe in some pretty Fall colors to kick off the season!