Light Switch Covers, Redecorated Using Spray Paint.

Let me start off by saying it's a great feeling having internet again! Our provider had some sort of issue, and we we're without internet for 4 days. Which isn't too bad, but it made me realize how much I rely on the internet.

Anyway, I found some light switch covers at the Habitat for Humanity Restore, as I had mentioned in my DIY Comic Coasters post, for only .10 cents. There's so many different crafty things you can do with light switch covers, but I wanted to try my husband's spray paint art. I love how they turned out, and it was really very simple.

Start with a clean light switch plate. Spray on a base coat, for the example I am showing my base coat is black. Probably the easiest way to learn how to paint like this is to refer to our video posted in a previous blog; A Quick Look at Spray Paint Art. After letting the base coat dry, start planning out your planets, if you want them in the corner, in the middle. Plan your colors as well, and also it's important to find household objects to protect the planets as you paint around them. In this one, I used a small soup can, and two spray paint caps. 

Spray paint in a round shape, in the area you would like your planets, take a sheet of newspaper, wax paper, aluminium foil, or magazine page to place on top of the wet starting of the planet. Here's is an example, I used a magazine page. I folded it, pressed it down and peeled it off, when you are satisfied with your planet colors and pattern, place the household item on top of it. Repeat the same, for other planets.

Once you're done with the planets, it should look something like this:

Spray the base coat color on again, around the household items.

Let the paint dry a few minutes, and then take a can of white paint, and spray in on the side of each can, cap or whatever you are using to cover the planet, this creates a white ring effect. Here's an example:

You can leave it like that, or you can spray some paint on your index finger (with rubber gloves on) and flick in onto the light switch to create stars. Slowly remove the the caps, and there you have it! 

Here it is, without the messy background, followed by the other one I made.

Display Photos Using Mason Jars!

This is such a great idea to display photos. I have so many framed photos all over the house, it's so hard to make room for new ones, or decide which photo to replace with a new one. This idea, it's easy to replace the photo at anytime. Just curve the photo and place it in the jar upside down, and there ya go, instant picture "frame"!

I got my jar at a thrift store for only .50 cents! I'm hoping to find more at that price in different sizes to add to this one.

DIY Comic Coasters

I was at the Habitat of Humanity Restore the other day, and found some great tiles for only .10 cents each. They also had light switch covers for .10 cents each as well, and I have a project in mind for those, but that's for a different day. I got two white tiles, and two ocean blue tiles. Let me tell you just a little bit about myself, I am one of those people that do not commit to something unless I'm absolutely sure of it. I do the whole pros and cons list (in my head or written down depending on the scenario) and ask people their opinions. Lets just say I am not a huge risk taker. Anyway, I have not decided what to do with the ocean blue tiles yet, but I knew with the white tiles I wanted to do a Sunday comics theme. I found this comic online, and because my entire family growing up loved Opus, I just knew this one was perfect.

The tiles I have are 4.25 x 4.25 and as you can tell this comic is not a perfect square, so I printed it out at a 3.5 x 4.25. 

After gaging the size of the comic vs. the size of the tile, I determined how closely to cut the border. Once I cut it to the exact size I wanted it I used my Homemade Mod Podge. I painted it onto the surface of the clean tile, and then stuck the comic onto the area I wanted it. Make sure to smooth out any air bubbles and creases at this time. I let it dry, while smoothly out some bubbles that appeared while drying. 

Now that the tile was dry, I painted the Mod Podge on the tile again. Make sure to paint it all in the direction, so that there are no zig zags, or jagged strokes on the tile. I let it dry and did another coat of Mod Podge. 

After letting the second coat dry, I went outside and sprayed a clear coat of spray paint on it, for an added shine, and to protect the comic a little bit more. Here's the finished product, and I will be sure to share my other tiles once I have decided what to decoupage on them!

Rock Mushrooms!

This is a super cute, easy way to liven up your yard or planter. I found two long skinny rocks to use as the bottom, and two round "mushroom top" shaped rocks for the top. You can paint these mushrooms any color, red, green, yellow, purple, really any color would be cute. I used about three coats on the top rock before painting the spots, and two on the bottom. I hot glued the rocks together, and there ya go little mushrooms!

Turn a Album into a Wall Pocket or Sconce!

Yesterday I was itchin' to do some painting. I kept looking at the random polka albums I have and decided I would paint it. I knew from there I wanted to melt it into something, but figured I would decide what to melt it into after painting it. 

To do this I used about 7 different colors, I used one color at a time adding random sized polka dots in various sections of the album. Here's an example:

I then applied my Homemade Mod Podge (which I truly love!) to the top of the record. This painting process took me about an hour. You can apply as many or as little as you want of the polka dots.

 After the homemade mod podge dried, I put in in the oven at 150 degrees. I placed a upside down metal bowl in the oven and then place the record on top of it. I let it melt for about 30 minutes occasionally checking on it. Once it was easily pliable, I took the record out (using oven mits) and folded the edges in the create a tip at the bottom. I then folded the top over just a little bit just to expose more of the polka dots. If the record starts to harden and it's still not what you want, it's no problem just put it back in the oven for a little bit so that it becomes pliable again. You can do this as many times as you want until you're happy with the results.

 Once I was happy with my results, I took a thumb tack and stuck in onto the wall through the hole in the record. I'm going to use mine as a wall pocket, because my husband is always unloading his pockets onto miscellaneous surfaces around our house, so I'm hoping this will work out better for him. 

He also had the idea of buying those small battery powered white lights you buy to put on a wreath, and stick them in there to create a sconce. Either way I'm very happy with the results, and the new addition to our wall.

Old Album Cover Repurposed.

I found an old album at a thrift store for .50 cents, since I use albums for multiple projects, and I liked the album cover it was a pretty good score! I will post the photos below, after explaining what I did. I cut out the part of the album cover I liked, using scissors for the big cuts and an X-acto knife for the smaller cuts. I then took the back side of the album cover and painted it with acrylic paint. Then I used my Homemade Mod Podge, painted it on the back album cover, laid the cut out down and used the Homemade Mod Podge on top of the cut out. I know it still needs something else, and I have a few ideas, but until I'm certain as to what will make it a "finished product" I'm just going to keep it like this. I think it turned out rather well, and I already have an empty easel to display it on.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne.

I have been trying to figure out and master Applebee's 3 Cheese Chicken Penne recipe (or close to it anyway). I have looked at recipes for all sorts of penne. After a few tweaks and a few attempts, I think I've finally figured it out. I made it last night for dinner and it was awesome!

Three Cheese Chicken Penne

2 chicken breasts

1/3 cup Italian salad dressing

3 cups penne pasta

15 ounces alfredo sauce

8 ounces Italian cheese , shredded (Mozzarella, Parmesan, Provolone) (I was low on mozzarella so I used some Mexican Style shredded cheese, and it worked well!)

4 tomatoes

1 teaspoon basil

2 -3 garlic cloves

6 tablespoons olive oil

1. Chop the chicken and marinade in Italian dressing for at least 30 minutes
2. Chop tomatoes, and add in a bowl with the oil, garlic and basil to make bruschetta. Set aside.
3. Boil penne until cooked.
4. Grill or broil the chicken. (I've grilled and George Foreman grilled them)
5. Drain water, then pour the alfredo sauce on top of the penne. (I normally heat up the sauce in a separate pan and add a little garlic to mine, but I love garlic!)
6. Layer on the bruschetta.
7. Add the layer of chicken.
8. Top it with the cheese. (Put a lid on the pot to let the cheese melt a bit or serve it on individual bowls and microwave it)
9. Serve with some garlic bread.