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. ;)

Thrift Shop Chair Makeover

Tags

Children, DIY, Furniture Makeover, Pillows

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Since we had a holiday break last week, it didn’t feel like much of a weekend for me. I had to stop and think what day of the week it was to realize it was actually the weekend. Did anyone else get thrown off? Well, we have a fresh new start. That’s what’s nice about Monday’s. Don’t you agree?

Now, let’s get to business. Yup, as the title suggests, it involves a chair. Actually two, but only one got a makeover for now.

I found these two chairs in excellent condition at Goodwill.

The best part was the price. Yup, I sure did pay only $1.99 for each chair! Can you believe it?! I surely couldn’t! I thought maybe they were priced wrong. I quickly rushed to the register. As I waited in line I was waiting for someone to stop me. But no one did. Then when it was my turn, I expected the cashier to tell me the chairs were incorrectly priced. But she didn’t. I gave her my $4 and rushed out for fear of someone figuring out they had the wrong price. No one chased after me. As I walked to my car, I felt like I just robbed Goodwill. But I didn’t! The chairs were really $1.99! That whole day, I was on a thrift bargain high! It was such a rush…hehe. Not only were they in excellent condition and an out of this world price, but they were exactly what I was looking for and found them on my first stop. In and out in just minutes!

From the last few posts, you probably have guessed what the chairs are for (or actually at least one chair). If you guessed for Suraya… you got it right! The second chair is intended for Susu if she chooses to take it. If not, I’m sure I can figure something out for it. I have nothing to lose except $2, right?

Now let’s get on to the makeover!

I painted the chair aqua and embellished it with a little birdie. The idea of the bird was inspired by the ever so talented Karen from Folkhaven. She had hand painted a nest of eggs on an old wooden chair. Free hand! I instantaneously fell in love with Karen’s chair and the idea of painting an image on it. I had planned to borrow Karen’s idea for my kitchen chairs. That plan is still on my to do list, but I decided it would be cute to do the same with Suraya’s new chair. However, I’m not a talented artist like Karen, so I was going to cheat by making my own stencil to use. Hey, we all can’t be artists but we can be inspired to pretend to be one:P

Upon taking out my Silhouette and vinyl in order to make a stencil, I came across an already made vinyl bird that I made a couple months ago that went unused. And it was purple! Perfect! I had thrown away the void, which is what is needed for the stencil, but kept the bird. So I just decided to use the vinyl bird. It couldn’t have been more perfect!

[Karen, just in case you were wondering, Suraya has no problem sitting on the little birdie. ;) ]

To add some comfort to Suraya’s new chair, I also made a pillow for it with the word “aspire”.

I cut out the letters using the Silhouette. I ended up using my Silhouette after all!

After I ironed on the letters, I outlined the letters with embroidery thread.

I hope this pillow will always remind Suraya to aspire to achieve what her heart desires and what she sets her mind to. :)

I was very pleased with the outcome of this project, but most importantly so was Suraya! What do you all think of Suraya’s new chair and pillow? Love to hear what you have to say!

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you all join me for the final reveal of Suraya’s space. Have a wonderful week!

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

4th of July Cake Pops

Tags

4th of July, Cake Pops, DIY, Holiday Treats

I can’t believe how fast June has flown by! I didn’t realize June was almost over until yesterday as I was thinking about 4th of July… it’s next week!! Yikes! So before it’s too late, I wanted to share with you some treats that I have planned for that day. Treats that can be enjoyed while watching the fireworks show. Cake pops dressed up in red, white and blue!

I’m not a big fan of the colored chocolate disks found at craft stores, so I always use almond bark in white chocolate or milk chocolate. In order to not sacrifice flavor, my new favorite way of bringing in color schemes is with paper straws. I love striped paper straws!

Other than stripes, of course the cake pops needed some stars! I used jumbo star sprinkles which I already had on hand. I didn’t have enough red and blue stars, so I finished off the rest of the cake pops with red and blue sanding sugar.

Cute, simple, and yummy!

What do you have planned for 4th of July?

Sharing my 4th of July cake pops over HERE.

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!

Easy Baby Blanket Tutorial

Tags

Baby Blanket, Baby Gift Ideas, DIY, Sewing, Tutorial

Since I’ve been sewing for only a few years, I feel like I have no business doing a sewing tutorial. But I think I can manage showing you how to put together a simple baby blanket. I’m going to share with you my go to method for a quick and easy baby blanket. Here it goes, my first sewing tutorial!

I made this baby blanket for my husband’s sister. She recently had a baby boy. I had purchased a gift for the new member of the family, but also wanted to make something that hopefully will be a keepsake for a long time to come. Baby blankets are definitely a favorite gift of mine to give. All it really takes to turn this simple baby blanket pattern into something fabulous is the right fabric… one that makes a statement on it’s own!

For my main fabric, I used this beautiful fabric from Michael Miller’s Peacock Lane Collection. As soon as I saw it, I just had to get it! I thought the color combination and print were definitely something that would make a baby blanket stand out. For the backside of the blanket, I used the teal plaid fabric. I used the ivory flannel as the batting. I normally do use regular batting (the natural batting is my preference), but I wanted to make a lighter blanket that can be used throughout the summer months.

I used a yard of each fabric. You can make your blanket any size you would like.

First thing is to wash and iron your fabrics (I don’t iron the batting). I admit I sometimes do cheat on this part if I’m in a rush. Ssh don’t tell the sewing police…whoever they may be;)

Once your fabric is ready to go, place each layer on top of each other with the right sides of the front and back fabrics facing each other.

Pin your three layers together leaving an opening to turn your blanket inside out. I tend to leave a 4-5 inch opening, and I use double pins as my markers of where to begin and end when sewing the layers.

Now sew all three layers together beginning and ending at your opening markers. I use a 1/2″ seam allowance. Be sure to backstitch at each end.

Once you are done sewing, clip your corners. If needed, clip your edges as well. Then turn your blanket inside out, pushing out the corners.

Fold in the raw ends of your opening and with an iron press the fold.

Top stitch 1/4″ inch from the edge all the way around the blanket starting on the side of the opening. Start at the corner and end at the same corner.

Your blanket is all done! Wasn’t that simple?

Now fold it up and tie a ribbon (or two.. or three!) around it if you would like. Your simple yet fabulous baby blanket is all ready to be gifted!

If you do have a tag like I do and would like to add it, sew it on prior to sewing your layers together. I always place mine on the “backside” fabric near the bottom corner.

I hope my tutorial was easy to understand. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Linking up HERE.