Tag: challenge

Craft Room Makeover – IKEA inspired

I have lived in my little house now for just over 5 years (wow time flies) and over those 5 years I feel like I have done quite a lot to this house. One area that has been lacking is a proper place to do my favorite crafts. I have used my upstairs loft area as a craft space (see pic below) but most often I find myself sitting in my kitchen or standing up and using the kitchen counter as my work surface.

I have a small room off my kitchen that has always sort of been where I store things rather than where I craft. I found myself taking items out to the kitchen counter or the kitchen table to do my crafting there.

I decided a trip through Pinterest for craft room inspiration was in order. I ended up with craft room envy.  After all the looking and a wee bit of research and a limited budget (the finished project was just over $1000.00) I decided on an IKEA craft room. This was a three day project.

Here is what it looked like before I started. (I sold and or donated the furniture that was no longer needed and I managed to repurpose a thing or two as well).

Here is what it looks like now 🙂

It’s hard to pick a favorite part but for me it is this IKEA SKARSTA sit/stand desk. It has a crank handle to raise and lower it. So I can stand when I want to or sit when I need to.

The bookcases are BILLY bookcases and I opted for two smaller ones so I would have more cubby space.

The other three pieces are ALEX  – two six drawer cabinets on wheels and one nine  drawer  stand  alone  unit.

The peg board I bought at Home Depot and each sheet is 2 ft x 4 ft and I used 5 sheets in total. I put two sheets above the Alex units and three sheets on the blue wall next to my desk.  I plan on using this section of pegboard to display finished projects.

I tried to arrange and group my room into zones and areas with like items together, like my Chalk Couture items are mostly together. My large portfolio of transfers found a home on the wall and they are close to my inks and pastes.

I added a few fall decorations for inspiration and now I think it’s ready to use.

A brand new crafting space is A Wandaful Thing.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you back here soon.

I’d love it if you would follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing

https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

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Roundup of My Top 5 Most Popular Posts in 2018

It’s hard to believe that 2018 is so quickly coming to a close. I wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

I took a look back at the year and am doing a quick recap of my top 5 most popular posts in 2018. It seems that my DIY projects were far more popular than my Vintage Item posts. Next year my focus will definitely be on doing more upcycle and DIY projects.

  1. It seems that Day 7 of my 12 Days of Christmas for 2018 was quite popular. It was a seaglass Christmas ornament I made for my daughter.

2. Upcycled Office Wall Art

I did enjoy seeing the transformation on these prints going from kitchen art to nautical wall art. Click the link above to see the “after”.

3. Caramel Cones

These are so delicious and so easy to make – in the microwave 🙂 (originally posted in 2015).  Visit the link  above for a free printable recipe card complete with instructions.

4. Upcycled Thrift Store Finds

I enjoyed doing the three upcycles (click on the link above to see all three). The most popular one of the three was the Ciad Mile Failte wooden sign.

5. Vintage Image Greeting Card Challenge

I was so pleased to see all the wonderful and fabulous ideas for vintage image greeting cards.  Be sure to click on the link above to see more of the cards. Here is a card that my friend and fellow blogger made – she blogs over at Youcanalwaysstartnow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR – Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you back here in 2019.

You can  follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing,  https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

 https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

 

10 Item Wish List Christmas 2018

I am doing this post in collaboration with my friend and fellow blogger Amelia from the blog You Can Always Start Now – we thought it would be a neat way to collab and probably discover things we didn’t know we needed or wanted hahaha. We aren’t going to see each other’s lists until our posts are published.

On my wish list are the following 10 items, complete with links to where you can find them.

  1. Sheepskin throw rug – sheepskin is naturally warm, soft and luxurious. A throw rug like this is so versatile as a rug for low traffic areas or thrown over a chair or side of a couch. I think this one from Crate & Barrel is affordable and it makes me want to run out and buy it.  
  2. Santa Gnome from IKEA – I look forward to the new items that IKEA puts out each year and look forward to visiting my local store to see all the wonder that is IKEA, especially at Christmas.  This guy warmed my heart and @ $19.99  I think he’d put a smile on anyone’s face. Do you see him hanging out beside the tree?
  3. Amaryllis – is a popular holiday plant. Tall and graceful, this holiday flower bulb can make a statement as a centerpiece on the table and its trumpet like huge flowers look like they are harking the Christmas holidays. Typically, the red varieties of Amaryllis are sold for the holidays, but they come in colors ranging from red to white to pink to orange and petals that are solid, striped or speckled in all of these colors.  You can get a kit at most big box stores or even at your local grocery store – I saw them for $8.99 at No Frills last week. I need to go back and get one.

    Read more at Gardening Know How: A List Of Plants And Flowers For Christmas https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/christmas-plants-flowers.htm 

4.  A new cookbook – I really enjoy cooking and baking and around Christmas time I    make a bit more time to do both.  I have seen this cookbook floating around in my                travels and liked the concept so it went on my list “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat – Mastering the      Elements of Good Cooking” by Samin Nosrat.  I found one on-line and have seen it at          Costco for around $23.00

5. If you like popcorn, you’ve got to check out this next item.

I’m not that girl who buys microwave popcorn as a snack, usually the only time I eat            popcorn is if I go to the movie theater.  I was recently gifted a bag of this deliciousness          and was instantly hooked.   I’m adding it on my wishlist as a possible stocking stuffer –        hint, hint, family members.

6. Body scrubs & body butters – I particularly like The Body Shop body scrubs and butters, like the British Rose Instant Glow Body Butter starting at $6.00 and the British Rose exfoliation Gel Body Scrub for $22.00

Of course you can always make your own, which I also enjoy doing and giving as gifts.          Here is a link for 10 body scrub diy recipes from diycandy. Continue reading 10 Item Wish List Christmas 2018

Day 4 – 12 Days of Christmas

Welcome to Day 4 of 12 Days of Christmas.

Today I want to show you how easy it is to make a reusable shopping bag from a t-shirt. You can use an old t-shirt you no longer wear or you can buy a used t-shirt like I did. I found a really cute graphic t-shirt at Value Village.

You simply cut off each sleeve and around the neckline and make small cuts about 2 inches long at the bottom of the t-shirt as evenly as you can. I outlined where I needed to cut with a black marker.

With the t-shirt turned inside out take one cut piece from the front and one from the back and make two knots with each piece pulling as tightly as possible.

When you are done, turn the t-shirt back to the right side, it should now look like this on the bottom.

A reusable shopping bag in less than 5 minutes, now that’s A Wandaful Thing! 

I am currently using this bag as my lunch/carry-all to work. I’ve had several nice compliments about it. I can’t think of anyone on my Christmas list that couldn’t use one of these.

It’s been a great deal of fun preparing for this event, and I can’t wait to show you all the Wandaful Things I’ve been up to. :)

Here is a recap of the 12 Days of Christmas 2018 so far:

Day 1 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 2 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 3 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

You can  follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing,  https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

 https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

Thanks for stopping by….until next time.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

WELCOME to Day 2 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Today’s craft was inspired by one of those moments when you have an idea for a gift for someone but you cannot source it locally. I did find something similar on-line but decided since I had the tools, I’d like to try to make them myself.

You will need a die cutting machine for this (I have a Cricut Explore Air) and an iron or in my case a Cricut Easy Press. Don’t be disheartened there will be information at the end of the post on where you can buy them already made (from yours truly).

The socks I decided on came in a pack of three. I really like the red band at the top. I measured the area where I wanted to put the words on the soles of the socks and my work area turned out to be 3″ x 5″.  I sat at my computer and in Cricut Design Space I used two rectangles as my guide and arranged the text to my liking – the font on the above socks is Cricut Sans.  I like it but wanted something a bit chunkier so on the next two pair I made I used the font -Boink Com. I really like the fact the meaning is the same regardless of what order you put your socks on.

If you don’t want to read the rest of the instructions and just want to know how to buy a pair of these fabulous custom made socks skip to the end… for anyone who wants the full instruction keep reading. Continue reading Day 2 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2018 – All things Crafty

                                    A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Wow, I cannot believe this will be my 5th year in a row bringing you 12 Days of Christmas from A WandafulThing. I’m excited this year as all the crafts can be made in under 30 minutes.

Some of my posts will be about items you can make with the help of your Cricut Machine but don’t be disheartened if you don’t have one as I’ll give you alternate ways to do the crafts.

So stay tuned, I cannot wait to show you all the fabulous things I’ll be making this year.

Here is a recap with links to all the Wandaful Things I created last year (2017). If you didn’t get a chance to see what I did last year it was all about vintage items as Christmas presents, take a look…

Day 1 – “Be Jolly” serving tray

Day 2 – Wine Box

Day 3- Hostess Gifts

Day 4 – Shine A Light

Day 5 – Poinsettia

Day 6 – Peppermint Mousse

Day 7 – Picture frames

Day 8 – Angel Ornament

Day 9 – Apron et al

Day 10 -Snow Globe

Day 11 – Decorative Sleigh

Day 12 – Elf Mug

It’s been a great deal of fun preparing for this event, and I can’t wait to show you what Wandaful Things I’ve been up to. :)

You can  follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing,  https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

 https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

Thanks for stopping by….until next time.

 

Three Day Quote Challenge – Day Three

Three Day Quote Challenge – Day Three

You Can Always Start Now nominated me for the 3 day quote challenge.   Thank you Amelia!

I promised I would do this challenge and I hope it’s better late than never.

I noticed that my quotes for the three-day challenge, came quite easily to me as they are things I try to live by or incorporate into my daily life.

“When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”  Alexander Graham Bell

I would like to nominate Bookish Ideas, NKKnighton and The Recipe Hunter.

The rules are simple:

1. Thank the person who nominated you…Thank you!
2. Post a quote for three consecutive days (1 quote for each day).
3. Nominate three bloggers each day

Quotes can be such Wandaful Things!

Thanks for stopping by!

You can  follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing, and don’t forget to check out my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing/ my Pinterest page https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/and my Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/ and my selling sites  https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Wandafultreasures and https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/