Ramadan Mantel

Tags

Crafts, DIY, Eid, Mantel Decorating, Ramadan

In the previous post I shared with you my Ramadan countdown calendar which consists of 29 lanterns. If you would like to see how I made the lanterns, just click here. The countdown calendar is the main element of my Ramadan mantel, and since there are 29 lanterns I didn’t want to add too many other elements.

I had originally planned to hang the jars across the mantel, but, as you can see, that may not be a practical idea. Can’t you just foresee chaos if I did hang them? Instead I decided to display them on each side of the mantel with the back row elevated. A better and safer idea, don’t you think?

I used bricks to create the elevation. At first I thought of using styrofoam bricks, but since the lanterns are glass I wanted something with weight so I wouldn’t worry about any accidental tip overs. Besides, it ended up being cheaper using bricks rather styrofoam. The bricks were $.89 each. Other than weight and price, I love the natural element they add to the mantel!

As the centerpiece, I created a simple “Ramadan” art. Hmm, maybe “art” isn’t the word to describe it since there isn’t much to it. All I did was cover a 1/2″ thick foam core with brown damask print fabric (I used thumb tacks to secure the fabric in the back). Then with my lovable Silhouette, I cut out the word Ramadan. I used burgundy red cardstock and fleur-de-lis scrapbook paper. I used sticky dots to adhere the letters so they can be easily removable. Simple, but I think it makes a nice statement.

The yellow hobnob vase was a thrift shop find a few months ago. I LOVED this vase but I really didn’t have a spot for it anywhere. It’s just been randomly sitting on my bar counter looking out of place just waiting to be of some use. It finally is…. and it finally can hold it’s long neck up high because it’s just perfect in it’s new home. :P

A Ramadan mantel cannot be complete without some dates. One of the traditions of Ramadan is to break your fast with dates. I LOVE dates! After a day of fasting, nothing is sweeter than the taste of dates to break your fast! Just give me dates (mejdool dates to be specific!) for my meal and I’d be more than satisfied. Oh, and a glass of cold water to go along with it… then I’d be fully satisfied. :)

Now I just can’t wait to start lighting up those lanterns. Can you imagine how pretty they will look all lit up on the last day of Ramadan?

Hope you guys like my Ramadan mantel. Let me know what you think.

I’m off to eat some mejdool dates!  ;)

Ramadan Countdown to Eid

Tags

Advent Calendar, Crafts, DIY, Eid, Mason Jars, Ramadan, Tutorial

The Muslim month Ramadan is almost here! It starts next week! Yikes, I better hurry up and start getting things ready. First on the agenda is a countdown calendar.

For those that may not be very familiar with Ramadan, here’s a little bit of information about this special month. Ramadan is the ninth month on the lunar Islamic calender. It’s a time of spiritual reflection, and a time of purifying your heart. A time when extra charity and actions of generosity are encouraged. Ramadan is known to be the month of fasting for Muslims from dawn to sunset. Yes, fasting involves no food or liquids for that time period of the day, but it also means making a conscious effort to refrain from idle talk, backbiting, fighting, etc. Fasting from food and liquids teaches empathy for those that are less fortunate.  A lunar month can be 28 or 29 days. Each month begins with the birth of the new moon. The Islamic tradition is that the moon must be sighted, so that’s why we don’t know when the actual month begins and ends until the night before. Is there a 29th day in the month or is it the first day of the new month? Can you imagine the anticipation on that 28th night! On that first day of the new month is the start of the celebrations… Eid! This year’s Ramadan is estimated to begin on July 20th. Since the lunar calendar does not run with the solar calendar, it appears as if Muslim holidays are traveling holidays. Since the world  does run on the solar calendar, Muslim holidays are at different times of the year.

As you can see, little time is left, so I need to get a move on!

This is the first countdown calendar I make for Ramadan. After much and much brainstorming and much and much inspiration, I came up with the idea of using lanterns and allowing them to hang from my mantel. At first, I thought to look for mini lanterns, but boy would that be one expensive countdown calendar if I took the route of purchasing mini lanterns. After more brainstorming, I recalled a link to a tutorial that my friend Sahar had sent me a year or two ago. The tutorial was for making your own Moroccan lanterns using jars. That was it! I would make my own lanterns using baby food jars! I called on to Sahar to come join me in making my 29 jars, and without hesitation she did!

This is what you will need: 4 oz baby food jars, dimensional paint, translucent glass paint (like Pebeo Vitrea 160), spray paint, and vinyl.

First thing you will need to do is paint the inside of your jars. Some of the jars we used a paint brush and others we did the drip method. Brush strokes were more visible with some colors, so we did the drip method for those colors. The drip method is just pouring paint into the jar, swirling it until the jar is coated with the paint, and then allowing the access paint to drip out of the jar as it lays upside down.

You can bake your jars before decorating them if you would like, but we didn’t due to time. You have to allow your painted jars to sit for 24 hours before baking. If you do decide to bake them, just follow the instructions on the glass paint bottle.

Next is decorating your jars with the dimensional paint.

Since glass is non-porous, it will take a long time for the dimensional paint to dry. I gave my jars until the next day before touching them. Be careful when moving them around in the meantime.

Last thing to do are the caps. I spray painted them with gold paint, and after they dried, I applied vinyl numbers. I made my numbers with my Silhouette. For those that don’t have a Silhouette or Cricut, you can always hand cut your numbers (which may be difficult due to size), use punchers (easier), or even buy pre-made numbers (easiest!) from a craft store (ex. stickers).

Now, just place tea candles in each jar and display them anywhere you would like. Each day of Ramadan (after sunset), remove the cap and light your candle. Use the cap as a pedestal for your lantern. With each day, light the previous days’ candles along with the current day. On the last day of Ramadan, watch as all of your beautiful lanterns are lit up indicating that the next day is going to be a wonderful celebration!

Due to the number of jars, I chose not to hang my lanterns along my mantel as I originally planned. Next week, I’ll show you how I displayed them along with my Ramadan mantel.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial. For those that don’t celebrate Ramadan, these lanterns would be cute to make for any occasion as well as make nice gifts.

Have a wonderful weekend ya’ll!

The Reveal.. Finally!

Tags

Bedroom Makeover, Children, Crafts, DIY, Mod Podge

I am so excited, and at the same time relieved, that Suraya’s space is finally done! I’m not the only one… so is Suraya! Ready to see the final outcome? Just in case you forgot what it looked like before, you can see it HERE.

Here is Suraya’s cleaned up, organized, and more breathable space…

Her desk is no longer crowded… she actually has space to work on it! Don’t mind the calendar, journal, and drawing pad that you see laid out… those are just laid out for effect (hehe).

Also check out underneath the desk… it’s empty! Now Suraya can swing her legs freely while she works, as well as push her chair in. :) See behind the chair… more open space. She no longer has to struggle to get in and out of her chair!

I found that pink chalkboard basket at TJ Maxx. I labeled it as “Stuff”. It’s for those random things that Suraya may just have the urge to toss on her desk or things that just don’t belong anywhere else. Ya know, just stuff!

One of Suraya’s favorite hobbies is drawing. She loves to draw, so I made her a customized drawing pad.

To make one, all you need is a drawing pad, scrapbook paper, and Mod Podge. That’s as simple as it gets!

Suraya also enjoys journaling. I found this journal at Target. The cover reads “She’s a dreamer, a doer, a thinker. She sees possibility everywhere.” Doesn’t it just scream inspiration? I felt a chill of excitement when I found it…I thought it was just perfect for Suraya and her new space! Also, doesn’t it go along nicely with the pillow I made her? :)

Last thing I want to share with you is this basket that holds Suraya’s shell collection. This basket used to be red with a sad looking thin red ribbon. Back in February, the girls and I had gone thrift shopping. Suraya found this basket for $.25. For some reason she was drawn to it. Well this basket ended up being handy. Suraya loves her shell collection, and this basket was just perfect to help display them. I spray painted it pink and added a ribbon of fabric scrap and a fabric rosette. Good as new! Suraya’s beloved shells held by her beloved basket;)

So there you have it… Suraya’s side of the room is finally complete! Boy, that play kitchen really helped clean up and organize her space. I love it!

Not only does Suraya love her new space, but it also has motivated her to organize her closet. And she is using her message board. First message that went up is a reminder note to herself. It reads “Get casal”. It took me a while to figure out “casal”… but eventually I figured out that it’s supposed to say “castle”. Hahaha. I’m not sure what she means by “get casal”, but it is her message after all! Hmm, maybe I’ll just have to ask her about it later. :D

As for Susu’s side, she still wants to do her own thing. However, you never know… I just may have a hand in it. ;)

DIY Message Board

Tags

Crafts, DIY, Message board, Tutorial

Next on the agenda for Suraya’s space makeover: Message board!

Suraya likes to leave little reminder notes for herself, as well as To Do lists. Yes, she actually makes To Do lists. Of course, other than reminder notes and To Do lists, a message board would come in handy hanging up the poems Suraya writes or the pictures she draws.

I had randomly come up with the how to of making this message board on a trip to Hobby Lobby. I was looking for an already made pretty cork board, but all I found was your typical cork board. Then I contemplated making my own message board. As I roamed around Hobby Lobby a few ideas of how to go about it did come to me, but then I remembered foam core. It would be the cheapest route! All I needed was a frame and a foam core board. I already had the perfect fabric at home!

Want to see how I made the message board? It’s quite simple. Join me in making your own if you would like!

The supplies needed to make the message board: a frame, 3/16″ thick foam core board, fabric, staples, and hot glue gun. I found the frame at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, and it was already purple! So for some of you, you may want to add paint to your supply list.

First thing is to cut the foam core to the size of the frame. Be careful when cutting not to rip your board like I did. It is quite annoying to cut foam core. I usually use an exacto knife to cut it with a designated cutting board underneath, but because this was the thin foam core I thought it wouldn’t be a problem to use scissors. It’s fine to use scissors, just don’t try to zoom through it.

Next cover your foam core with your fabric. When cutting your fabric, make sure to leave a couple of inches of extra fabric going all the way around. Staple your fabric going around the board. Be careful not to place the staples too low; you don’t want them placed lower than the frame’s inner edge.

The last step is too place dots of hot glue going around the frame’s inner edge, and place your fabric covered board into the frame.

Voilà! Message board is all done! I hope you enjoyed my tutorial.

Next on the agenda for Suraya’s space: Desk chair. Be sure to stop by to check it out!

Have a wonderful weekend ya’ll! :D

Art Supply Center

Tags

Art Supply Center, Children, Crafts, Target Play Kitchen

If you recall, I’ve been working on organizing Suraya’s side of the room and making it look prettier. I’ve made her a framed monogram, pillows for her bed, and a magnet board for her magnet collection. Next up was organizing her desk and space.

Suraya loves arts and crafts. Her arts and crafts supplies were in desperate need to get organized as was her desk. It completely slipped my mind to take a before picture of her desk area. The above picture I had taken when I was taking pictures of the magnet board, so I think it can do the job as the before picture;) As you can see in the picture, other than things just being thrown on top of her desk, she also had a lot going on under her desk leaving her no space for her legs. Also, what you can’t see in the picture is Susu’s desk right behind Suraya’s big bulky black chair (courtesy of her daddy) which makes a small appearance in the above picture. There is barely any space for Suraya to get in and out of her desk. See where it says “small space”… that’s all the space Suraya had to move her chair back and forth or to get in and out of her desk! I had to move Susu’s desk back to even pull that chair out! Basically, Suraya also needed some breathing space in that tiny area. Throughout the next few posts, I’ll be sharing with you the changes that I have made to Suraya’s space: organized, breathable, and of course prettier!

The first thing I decided to work on is organizing her arts and crafts supplies. I had come up with some ideas of how to organize her supplies. One of the ideas was to get crates or baskets and organize them on her desk, but since she has a small desk, I felt a bunch of crates or baskets wouldn’t leave her with much space to work on her desk. Then finally an idea struck! See in the picture above the light green box to the right of her desk? Recognize that box? Well, if not, it’s the play kitchen! As I mentioned in the play kitchen post, that kitchen has been patiently waiting for two years for someone to put it together and put it to some use. Suraya is 8… an age where she may still be interested in playing with the kitchen, but at the same time I could see her getting sick it of it quickly. So why not make some other use for it? Yup, you guessed it! I thought it would be fun to turn the kitchen into an arts and crafts supply center!

As you can see from the things that I have made for Suraya’s part of the room, the colors I went with for her are purple, aqua, and pink. So it couldn’t be more perfect that the kitchen was pink!

Glues, all sorts of tapes, scissors, and pencil sharpener went into the microwave. Writing utensils (pens & pencils), colored pencils, and miscellaneous went on the shelves behind the curtain. Construction paper, all things foam, glitter, and paint supplies went into the oven. Markers and crayons behind the stove.

Her favorite books and current read went on the top shelf with the book ends that I had made her back in February. The book ends were a thrift shop find for $1.00. Before we left the store, Suraya dropped one of the book ends and it broke. But it was an easy fix with some Gorilla glue! Originally the book ends were white and had images of Peter Rabbit which was cute… but Suraya wasn’t too fond of the images so I did a makeover over for her. A makeover that I never took pictures of until now! It’s just coincidence that I used aqua and pink for the bookends! Phew!

Also included for display were some of the things that Suraya made… clay pottery car and small bowl, painted wooden flower in vase, and the coasters she made at my craft party.

As for the sink, I left it for Suraya to use it however she wants. Every night before bedtime, Suraya likes to place a cup of water on her desk because sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night thirsty. I told her she can place her cup of water in the sink…hehe. Hey, it’s a sink after all, and it’s right next to her bed… easy reach!

There you have it… Suraya’s kitchen art supply center! What do you think?

As you can see in the second picture, I did move the desk. The desk is still there, it’s just facing the other side of the wall instead. That move not only made space for the kitchen, but also breathable space. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing a picture of the entire space. Just be sure to come back!

DIY Magnet Board

Tags

Crafts, DIY, Magnet Board, Tutorial

I have a magnet collector living with me. Her name is Suraya. Her collection of magnets are mainly from places she has visited and places that family has visited. She keeps them stored in a shoebox. Since magnet collection is one of Suraya’s favorite hobbies, I thought wouldn’t it be fun if she can display them. Yes, the fridge is one place they can be displayed, but since it is her collection I had a better idea. I decided to make Suraya her very own magnet board to put up in her bedroom. Plus, with how fast her collection was growing, I don’t know if I want my entire fridge covered with magnets;)

Remember this tray that I found at the Randolph St. Market Festival? Well, that’s what I used to make the magnet board.

A month ago I purchased these metal sheets from Pick Your Plum with the intention to use them for this project.

Since the whole point is to showcase the magnets, I thought it best to keep the board simple.

First came the priming of the board.

Next was the painting. If you recall, the colors I’m using for Suraya’s side of the room is purple and aqua with a hint of pink.

After the paint was dry, using E6000 glue, I glued on the metal sheets. Lastly, for a simple touch of pink, I added tiny crochet flowers from the same lace I had used for the framed monogram I made for Suraya.

Suraya couldn’t wait to put up her magnets. I knew she had a lot of magnets, but I didn’t think they would fill up the board! Hmm, maybe instead of a magnet board I should have made her a magnet wall! :P

So what’s your favorite magnet? Suraya will be taking a tally;)

Next on the agenda for Suraya’s side of the room is her desk. I have some ideas to help her get organized. Stay tuned!

I’ll be sharing Suraya’s magnet board and magnets with the linky parties that can be found HERE.

Vintage Clutch Makeover

Tags

Crafts, DIY, Gold Clutch Makeover, Vintage

Remember the gold clutch I purchased from the Randolph Street Market Festival? I told you that if I do a makeover to it that I would share it. Well, here it is!

The new look I gave the clutch was actually accidental. I had purchased a vintage looking gold and ivory lace headband from Hobby Lobby, but it was too tight. Boy was I disappointed. Out of disappointment, I just tossed it on my craft table. It happened to land directly on my new gold clutch! As I glanced over and did a second take, I knew exactly how I would do the makeover for the clutch!

I gathered up some buttons and a chain that I thought I may possibly use as part of the makeover.

I removed the elastic from the back of the lace and tucked the ends in and hot glued them down. Then picked out buttons that I thought looked the best and hot glued them on.

Lastly, I switched out the old dinky chain with one I had left over from a bracelet I had made Susu once upon a time.

Makeover complete! I love the new look of my new clutch! What do you guys think of it?

I surely will be using this for this weekend’s wedding! Yup, the wedding I’ve been preparing for has finally arrived. The girls are so excited… they’ve been counting down the days! I really don’t think anyone is more excited than they are! As for me, I’m not into the whole wedding scene, but I sure am excited to be using my new clutch;)

Come find my new clutch over at the linky parties found HERE.

Ode to Fathers

Tags

Crafts, DIY, Father's Day, Gift Ideas

On the second to last week of school for Suraya, she came home with a packet of poems. My favorite one was a poem called Louder Than a Clap of Thunder by Jack Prelutsky from The New Kid on the Block. Personally, I like to call this poem Ode to Fathers (or husbands). ;)

Louder than a clap of thunder,

louder than an eagle screams,

louder than a dragon blunders,

or a dozen football teams,

louder than a four-alarmer,

or a rushing waterfall,

louder than a knight in armor

jumping from a ten-foot wall.

 

Louder than an earthquake rumbles,

louder than a tidal wave,

louder than an ogre grumbles

as he stumbles through his cave,

louder than stampeding cattle,

louder than a cannon roars

louder than a giant’s rattle,

that’s how loud my father SNORES!

 

Now that’s the perfect poem for Suraya’s dad (my hubby)… but probably for most dads, don’t you agree? Hehe.

Just in case you are still looking for some fun Father’s Day ideas, here are a few that caught my eye…

I just had to do a “hehe” when I saw this mug. You can find a tutorial on how to make this mug over at Tortoise and the Hare.

Isn’t this “Dad Rocks” paperweight so neat? It’s made out of salt dough. I think this is a project that kids would have fun making. Crafts by Amanda shares the how to.

I’m always a big fan of framed pictures, but this idea by Twinkle Toes makes it a bit more special by using letters to spell out dad. Adorable idea!

Do you have some fun ideas up your sleeve? I would love to hear them!

Petaled Satin Fabric Flower

Tags

Crafts, DIY, Fabric Flowers, Hair Accessories, Hair Clip

One last wedding related post, I promise! This time this project is for Susu.. her hair accessory. I had planned to make Susu the same style hair clip as I did for Suraya, but I wanted Susu’s to have a petaled look and fuller. I had planned to substitute the circle cut outs with flower cut outs. The obvious idea, right? Well, Jonie over at Just Between Friends had a much better idea! Last week I came across her Fancy Flowers Tutorial post (thanks to awesome linky parties!) and instantaneously loved her flowers. Not only were they beautiful, but they were more practical of a route to take rather cutting a bunch of individual flowers in order to get a full look. Don’t you think?

I followed her tutorial with only one difference. I wanted lace in Susu’s flower just to give it a vintage look.

After the step where the petals are sealed and curled with a lighter, I basted on the lace un-scalloped. Once sewn on, then I created a scalloped edge following the edges of the satin fabric.

I finished it off following Jonie’s instructions and added a clip to the back. Thanks for your help Jonie! ;)

I’m finally done with all wedding related stuff. Just now need to wait for the day to come!

Linking up HERE.

Satin Flower Hair Accessory

Tags

Children, Crafts, DIY, Fabric Flowers, Hair Accessories, Hair Clip, Tutorial

Suraya is all ready for her role as the flower girl in her uncle’s wedding. Dress… check! Shoes… check! Jewelry (pearl earrings and pearl bracelet)… check! Flower basket… check! And now hair accessory… yup, that’s a check too! It was an easy one to make. Here, I’ll show you…

I used two different shades of pink satin fabric and white. I also included a few pieces of netting in there as well. I cut out circles until it seemed like it may be enough to get it to the thickness I was looking for (you can always cut more if needed). Your circles don’t have to be perfect. I cut out about 50 circles in total in different sizes. I wanted the final flower to be about 4 1/2 inches wide, so my largest circle I cut was about 5 inches (the circle will shrink during the flame process). After I cut out all my circles, I used a lighter to seal the edges and to curl them (this is just for the satin circles; not the netting). I found if you place the flame below the circle rather to the sides, the edges will curl easier. Once all my satin circles were sealed and curled, I stacked them on top of each other hot glueing them as I stacked. Finished off the center with the same pink pearl buttons I used for Suraya’s bolero.

Lastly, I added felt and a hair clip to the back. I covered the “teeth” side of the clip with ribbon. Easy peasy!

What do you think? I can’t decide if I should have Suraya wear this hair clip (which I do love) or the headband she wore in the Target Dress Makeover post. The headband was purchased from Target randomly, and I grabbed it just for the “photo shoot”. But I’m loving the headband too! Decisions, decisions! I was thinking I should just see what looks better with the hairdo. I have no idea of what to do with her hair other than I want it to be an up-do. If you have ideas, go ahead and send them my way!

Linking up HERE.