Discover Etsy // Raellacraft + a Giveaway

i'm so excited to introduce you to another etsy shop today!  this discover etsy feature is making me really happy…i love getting to meet and promote people who are using their creative talents!

rae abigael runs a blog and an etsy shop, where she sells beautiful handmade postcards, prints, and more!  I just love her ink and watercolor designs.

she's also super busy as an avid dancer and designer, so i'm really happy that she's found time in her busyness to partner with heavens to betsy to host a giveaway!

one lucky winner will be able to choose five postcards from her etsy shop!  the giveaway will close on april 21st, so don't miss out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cozy & Comfy Cowls

Ok, am I the only one who absolutely loves cowls and chunky infinity scarves??

I'm obsessed.  I love how cozy and warm they are!

Last season, I found this beautiful Striped Cotton Cowl (actually a spring scarf pattern!), and have been wanting to knit it ever since.  So a few weeks ago, I headed to the craft store to pick up some yarn and embroidery thread and got to work!  I went for a more muted and wintery pattern than they called for, but I'm really excited about the way this scarf is already turning out!  Can't wait to share the final product!

Are you working on any knitting or crocheting, or even crafting projects?

COZY & COMFY COWLS

Ok, am I the only one who absolutely loves cowls and chunky infinity scarves??

I'm obsessed.  I love how cozy and warm they are!

Last season, I found this beautiful Striped Cotton Cowl (actually a spring scarf pattern!), and have been wanting to knit it ever since.  So a few weeks ago, I headed to the craft store to pick up some yarn and embroidery thread and got to work!  I went for a more muted and wintery pattern than they called for, but I'm really excited about the way this scarf is already turning out!  Can't wait to share the final product!

Are you working on any knitting or crocheting, or even crafting projects?

Guest Post // DIY Peter Pan Collars!

Today, I have an awesome guest post from Dreaming Up DIY's!  Check it out!

For today's blogpost I decided to show you guys how to make my FAVOURITE accessory. Peter Pan Collars look so good I just love them. If you don't know what Peter Pan Collars are I'll show you a picture.

via

I'm going to be showing you 3 different Peter Pan Collar Designs.

1. Glitter Gal!

To make this one you will need:

• Felt
• Pattern
• Mod Podge
• Glitter
• Ribbon
• Foam Brush
• Scissors
• Marker

1. Protect your work surface, cause' it sure could get messy!

2. Cut out your pattern on the paper then with that paper template, put it on the felt. Mark it with your
marker and then cut it out.

3. Next cover your necklace with Mod Podge.

4. Pour your glitter onto the glue and then tap off the excess glitter.

5. After everything has COMPLETELY dried, cut out 2 pieces of ribbon and then stick it on the tip of the
necklace using your Mod Podge.

There the first one's done!



2. Studdin'

To make this one you will need:

• Felt
• Pattern
• Gold Studs (alternatively you could use gold paper fasteners or gold brads they're both the same)
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Marker

1. Cut out your pattern on the paper then with that paper template, put it on the felt. Mark it with your
marker and then cut it out.

2. Take your studs/paper fasteners/brads and stick it through the fabric where you'd like, fold over the
studs/paper fasteners/brads backing.

3. Continue doing this until you are satisfied with the look.

4. Cut out 2 pieces of ribbon and then stick it on the tip of the necklace using your Mod Podge.

Voila it's done!



3. Pearl Pal!



This image was from Etsy!

To make this one you will need:

• Felt
• Pattern
• Mod Podge
• Pearls
• Ribbon
• Foam Brush
• Scissors
• Marker

1. Protect your work surface, cause' it sure could get messy!

2. Cut out your pattern on the paper then with that paper template, put it on the felt. Mark it with your
marker and then cut it out.

3. Next cover your necklace with Mod Podge.

4. Pour your pearls onto the glue and then tap it on so it's all secure.

5. After everything has COMPLETELY dried, cut out 2 pieces of ribbon and then stick it on the tip of the
necklace using your Mod Podge.
________________________________________________________________
Glitter Gal and Pearl Pal was inspired by MissGlamorazzi's video.

Studdin' was inspired by Alison's blog post.
I'll post a link here!

Love,
Dreaming Up DIY's

XOXO

GUEST POST: DREAMING UP DIY'S PETER PAN COLLARS

Today, I have an awesome guest post from Dreaming Up DIY's!  Check it out!

For today's blogpost I decided to show you guys how to make my FAVOURITE accessory. Peter Pan Collars look so good I just love them. If you don't know what Peter Pan Collars are I'll show you a picture.

via

I'm going to be showing you 3 different Peter Pan Collar Designs.

1. Glitter Gal!

To make this one you will need:

• Felt
• Pattern
• Mod Podge
• Glitter
• Ribbon
• Foam Brush
• Scissors
• Marker

1. Protect your work surface, cause' it sure could get messy!

2. Cut out your pattern on the paper then with that paper template, put it on the felt. Mark it with your
marker and then cut it out.

3. Next cover your necklace with Mod Podge.

4. Pour your glitter onto the glue and then tap off the excess glitter.

5. After everything has COMPLETELY dried, cut out 2 pieces of ribbon and then stick it on the tip of the
necklace using your Mod Podge.

There the first one's done!



2. Studdin'

To make this one you will need:

• Felt
• Pattern
• Gold Studs (alternatively you could use gold paper fasteners or gold brads they're both the same)
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Marker

1. Cut out your pattern on the paper then with that paper template, put it on the felt. Mark it with your
marker and then cut it out.

2. Take your studs/paper fasteners/brads and stick it through the fabric where you'd like, fold over the
studs/paper fasteners/brads backing.

3. Continue doing this until you are satisfied with the look.

4. Cut out 2 pieces of ribbon and then stick it on the tip of the necklace using your Mod Podge.

Voila it's done!



3. Pearl Pal!



This image was from Etsy!

To make this one you will need:

• Felt
• Pattern
• Mod Podge
• Pearls
• Ribbon
• Foam Brush
• Scissors
• Marker

1. Protect your work surface, cause' it sure could get messy!

2. Cut out your pattern on the paper then with that paper template, put it on the felt. Mark it with your
marker and then cut it out.

3. Next cover your necklace with Mod Podge.

4. Pour your pearls onto the glue and then tap it on so it's all secure.

5. After everything has COMPLETELY dried, cut out 2 pieces of ribbon and then stick it on the tip of the
necklace using your Mod Podge.
________________________________________________________________
Glitter Gal and Pearl Pal was inspired by MissGlamorazzi's video.

Studdin' was inspired by Alison's blog post.
I'll post a link here!

Love,
Dreaming Up DIY's

XOXO

Guest Post: Laura's Scarf Shirt

Hey guys!  Today I have a wonderful guest post for you from Laura over at According to Laura Jean sharing an awesome DIY for you!  This girl is about to teach you how to make a shirt from just two scarves...and it's super cute too!  Check it out!

Spring time is right around the corner and yes friends, you read it correctly, I made this shirt for $6 on the dime.

My creativity was sparked one day while perusing Pinterest as I had a grand idea on how to put to use beautiful old silk scarves into something new and fresh. Out of that original idea came this creation...

Now that you've seen it, want to learn how to make one? I sure hope so because they are incredibly easy, inexpensive, and take about five minutes to sew one up. So here we go.

Materials Needed:

• Two scarves of the same size that coordinate (hold them up to yourself for sizing)
• Thread, scissors, pins, the usual
• Sewing Machine

1. Wash the scarves on a delicate load and air dry them.

2. Line them up together so that the right (good) sides are facing in.
3. Pin them together where the X's are...the top is meant for the head and has a boat neckline so leave extra room and measure out the space needed for your arms and make it equal on each side.

4. Sew it on up and then flip it to the right sides.
5. Pat yourself on the back, you've made yourself a super cute inexpensive shirt :)

GUEST POST: LAURA'S SCARF SHIRT

Hey guys!  Today I have a wonderful guest post for you from Laura over at According to Laura Jean sharing an awesome DIY for you!  This girl is about to teach you how to make a shirt from just two scarves...and it's super cute too!  Check it out!

Spring time is right around the corner and yes friends, you read it correctly, I made this shirt for $6 on the dime.

My creativity was sparked one day while perusing Pinterest as I had a grand idea on how to put to use beautiful old silk scarves into something new and fresh. Out of that original idea came this creation...

Now that you've seen it, want to learn how to make one? I sure hope so because they are incredibly easy, inexpensive, and take about five minutes to sew one up. So here we go.

Materials Needed:

• Two scarves of the same size that coordinate (hold them up to yourself for sizing)
• Thread, scissors, pins, the usual
• Sewing Machine

1. Wash the scarves on a delicate load and air dry them.

2. Line them up together so that the right (good) sides are facing in.
3. Pin them together where the X's are...the top is meant for the head and has a boat neckline so leave extra room and measure out the space needed for your arms and make it equal on each side.

4. Sew it on up and then flip it to the right sides.
5. Pat yourself on the back, you've made yourself a super cute inexpensive shirt :)

DIY Instagram Scrapbook

Yesterday was Valentine's Day (duh), but it also marked one year of dating for AJ and I!  I can't believe it's been one year that we've been together.  Definitely the best year of my life.  I'm so blessed to get to call him mine and to have found the love of my life!

As you might know, student teaching doesn't pay.  Which means I'm on a crazy tight budget.  Like, a pay-for-gas-and-food-and-that's-all kind of budget.  And he's in college, and commutes an hour every day, so that means we're both kind of frugal this time of year.  But, we kind of went all-out on our birthday and Christmas gifts to one another, so that set the bar pretty high.  I knew I wanted to give him something for Valentine's/One Year day, but I also knew it needed to be cheap.  So I decided to play the sentimental card, and I made him a little book of all most of our instagram photos from the past year!

Here's how to do it:

What you'll need:  

Pens (I used a felt-tipped black pen and a white gel pen)

Photos (you can get your instagram shots printed with an app like PostalPix or just resize photos in a program like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop and then print them on semi-gloss card stock...either way, a 4x4 size is good)

Scissors

Glue/Scrapbook adhesive tabs (I used a roll like the purple one from Scotch...so much easier than glue)

Chipboard pack (found this for $1 at Michaels!)

Colored Cardstock (AJ loves Black and White, so I went for a pack of 6x6 black card stock...having it already cut into squares made my life soooo much easier)

Not pictured:

Hole Punch

Washi Tape

Mod Podge

I made my cover by cutting a circle out of black card stock and writing "Our First Year According to Instagram" on it, then adhering this to the front chipboard cover with Mod Podge.

Then, I put my photos in order and went through them one by one and labeled on the back what month they were from (this made assembling my book a ton easier). After I was done, I started at the beginning and created a "title" page for the month with a few memories from that month and then put one photo on each page until I had used all of the photos from that month.  I did this for each month for the whole year.  Just be careful that you think through where you're going to be punching holes in each page so that you don't end up punching holes through your photos!  You might even want to hole punch before you put your book together.  I tried to change things up with each page by using different washi tape, choosing a different calligraphy/font style, different little adornments/doodles, and even mixing up where on the page I put the photo and how I aligned it.

Then, I put the whole book together, using the chipboards as my front and back covers and the little binder ring as the binding. I also ended up drilling a hole through the bottom of the left side of the chipboards and punching holes through each page so that my binding had two rings instead of just one and functioned more as a book than a flip book.  This held it together much better.

And there you go!  A scrapbook album made from Instagram Photos.

I love having photos printed out.  In this digital age, it's SO easy to just keep photos stored away on your phone and computer, but it really is nice to be able to hold them in your hands and look through them every one in a while!  And this was such a heartfelt gift.  I had a ton of fun making it, and I think AJ was pleased with it too.

DIY INSTAGRAM SCRAPBOOK

Yesterday was Valentine's Day (duh), but it also marked one year of dating for AJ and I!  I can't believe it's been one year that we've been together.  Definitely the best year of my life.  I'm so blessed to get to call him mine and to have found the love of my life!

As you might know, student teaching doesn't pay.  Which means I'm on a crazy tight budget.  Like, a pay-for-gas-and-food-and-that's-all kind of budget.  And he's in college, and commutes an hour every day, so that means we're both kind of frugal this time of year.  But, we kind of went all-out on our birthday and Christmas gifts to one another, so that set the bar pretty high.  I knew I wanted to give him something for Valentine's/One Year day, but I also knew it needed to be cheap.  So I decided to play the sentimental card, and I made him a little book of all most of our instagram photos from the past year!

Here's how to do it:

What you'll need:  

Pens (I used a felt-tipped black pen and a white gel pen)

Photos (you can get your instagram shots printed with an app like PostalPix or just resize photos in a program like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop and then print them on semi-gloss card stock...either way, a 4x4 size is good)

Scissors

Glue/Scrapbook adhesive tabs (I used a roll like the purple one from Scotch...so much easier than glue)

Chipboard pack (found this for $1 at Michaels!)

Colored Cardstock (AJ loves Black and White, so I went for a pack of 6x6 black card stock...having it already cut into squares made my life soooo much easier)

Not pictured:

Hole Punch

Washi Tape

Mod Podge

I made my cover by cutting a circle out of black card stock and writing "Our First Year According to Instagram" on it, then adhering this to the front chipboard cover with Mod Podge.

Then, I put my photos in order and went through them one by one and labeled on the back what month they were from (this made assembling my book a ton easier). After I was done, I started at the beginning and created a "title" page for the month with a few memories from that month and then put one photo on each page until I had used all of the photos from that month.  I did this for each month for the whole year.  Just be careful that you think through where you're going to be punching holes in each page so that you don't end up punching holes through your photos!  You might even want to hole punch before you put your book together.  I tried to change things up with each page by using different washi tape, choosing a different calligraphy/font style, different little adornments/doodles, and even mixing up where on the page I put the photo and how I aligned it.

Then, I put the whole book together, using the chipboards as my front and back covers and the little binder ring as the binding. I also ended up drilling a hole through the bottom of the left side of the chipboards and punching holes through each page so that my binding had two rings instead of just one and functioned more as a book than a flip book.  This held it together much better.

And there you go!  A scrapbook album made from Instagram Photos.

I love having photos printed out.  In this digital age, it's SO easy to just keep photos stored away on your phone and computer, but it really is nice to be able to hold them in your hands and look through them every one in a while!  And this was such a heartfelt gift.  I had a ton of fun making it, and I think AJ was pleased with it too.

DIY Soy Candles

Every year for Christmas, I make something for all of my aunts (and now AJ's aunts, and my cousin's wife, and her mom...).  Homemade gifts are just special, and I love giving something that I've made.  Last year, I made everyone a set of coasters.
This year, I made candles.

Here's what you'll need:

Soy wax flakes (I got this 10-lb bag)

Scent (I used Hansel & Gretel's House from CandleScience)

Pre-tabbed wicks

A pouring pot (you can buy them at AC Moore)

Popsicle sticks

Mason Jars, votive holders, or other containers

A big soup pot for boiling water

Thermometer

All in all, it's pretty easy.

10 pounds of wax made me 15 candles in 16-oz. Mason jars.  I love the look of a mason jar, I use them all around my room and bathroom, so it was a natural choice.  But any glass container would work.

You want to put some wax into your pouring pot, and put that into a pot filled with water.  You're essentially creating a double-boiler.  Get the water hot (not quite boiling), and just stir your flakes as they melt.  Soy has a really low melting point, so it won't take long.  When your wax is at 160ºF (and completely see-through), add your scent.  I used about 2 tbsp for each pound of wax.  Stir that consistently for about 1 minute.  You'll notice that your scent bottle will have a flash point on it.  That's the temperature you don't want to get near (mine was 210ºF).  If you keep your stove around medium (6-7 on a 1-10 heat scale), you'll be fine.

Once your scent is in, drop a little bit of wax onto a paper plate and let it cool.  As it starts to harden, touch it to see if it feels like a normal candle would.  If it's too dry, you need more scent.  If it's too oily, you need more wax.  Once you're happy, take a couple of mason jars and warm them up in the microwave or oven.  Then, hot glue a pre-tabbed wick into the bottom of the jar.  (I didn't do this with the first candle I made and I regretted it.)

Make a criss-cross around the wick with popsicle sticks (this will hold the wick straight up) and pour the hot wax into the jars.

Then, set your jars aside and repeat the process until you've made all of your candles!  The wax will harden on it's own.  I put mine in the garage so they hardened a bit quicker. 

Once they're hard, trim your wick to about 1/4".  

Then, use fabric or twine or yarn to adorn your candle.  Maybe make a yarn-wrapped candle out of it!

 I covered my lids in fabric and then put them into little paper bags and tied them up with yarn to give as gifts.

Everyone thought it was really special!

This is definitely one of the cheapest ways to buy candles.  All in all, it cost about $65 to make 15.  That's including the wax, mason jars, scent, wicks, bags, and fabric!  And that breaks down to $4.30 a candle.  And you made it.  So that, in itself, is impressive!

DIY SOY CANDLES

Every year for Christmas, I make something for all of my aunts (and now AJ's aunts, and my cousin's wife, and her mom...).  Homemade gifts are just special, and I love giving something that I've made.  Last year, I made everyone a set of coasters.
This year, I made candles.

Here's what you'll need:

Soy wax flakes (I got this 10-lb bag)

Scent (I used Hansel & Gretel's House from CandleScience)

Pre-tabbed wicks

A pouring pot (you can buy them at AC Moore)

Popsicle sticks

Mason Jars, votive holders, or other containers

A big soup pot for boiling water

Thermometer

All in all, it's pretty easy.

10 pounds of wax made me 15 candles in 16-oz. Mason jars.  I love the look of a mason jar, I use them all around my room and bathroom, so it was a natural choice.  But any glass container would work.

You want to put some wax into your pouring pot, and put that into a pot filled with water.  You're essentially creating a double-boiler.  Get the water hot (not quite boiling), and just stir your flakes as they melt.  Soy has a really low melting point, so it won't take long.  When your wax is at 160ºF (and completely see-through), add your scent.  I used about 2 tbsp for each pound of wax.  Stir that consistently for about 1 minute.  You'll notice that your scent bottle will have a flash point on it.  That's the temperature you don't want to get near (mine was 210ºF).  If you keep your stove around medium (6-7 on a 1-10 heat scale), you'll be fine.

Once your scent is in, drop a little bit of wax onto a paper plate and let it cool.  As it starts to harden, touch it to see if it feels like a normal candle would.  If it's too dry, you need more scent.  If it's too oily, you need more wax.  Once you're happy, take a couple of mason jars and warm them up in the microwave or oven.  Then, hot glue a pre-tabbed wick into the bottom of the jar.  (I didn't do this with the first candle I made and I regretted it.)

Make a criss-cross around the wick with popsicle sticks (this will hold the wick straight up) and pour the hot wax into the jars.

Then, set your jars aside and repeat the process until you've made all of your candles!  The wax will harden on it's own.  I put mine in the garage so they hardened a bit quicker. 

Once they're hard, trim your wick to about 1/4".  

Then, use fabric or twine or yarn to adorn your candle.  Maybe make a yarn-wrapped candle out of it!

 I covered my lids in fabric and then put them into little paper bags and tied them up with yarn to give as gifts.

Everyone thought it was really special!

This is definitely one of the cheapest ways to buy candles.  All in all, it cost about $65 to make 15.  That's including the wax, mason jars, scent, wicks, bags, and fabric!  And that breaks down to $4.30 a candle.  And you made it.  So that, in itself, is impressive!

Yarn-Wrapped Candles

I'm in the midst of getting ready for the holidays, and I love giving handmade gifts. There's just something so special about giving (and getting) something that was made by you with a certain person in mind!

I was playing around with extra yarn and supplies that I had, and thought of an idea I saw a friend make last Christmas.  This is pretty much the easiest craft ever.

What you'll need:

Yarn (knitters & crocheters...this is a perfect craft for those half-skeins you have lying around after a project!)

A candle (I used one that I have been burning for the past week because I was experimenting.  I'd obviously recommend using a new candle if you were giving this as a gift)

Hot Glue Gun (Thank goodness for hot glue...it's magical.)

How you do it:

It's pretty simple.  Decide what you want wrapped in yarn.  I did the whole candle, but you could just do the bottom half or a strip around the middle...anything goes! Then, start putting a little line of hot glue and then wrapping the yarn, section by section, onto the candle.  You pretty much want all of your yarn to be hot glued, especially if your candle is round, like mine.  That way, the yarn won't try to slide up or down.  Put a 2-3in strip of glue, then push your yarn onto it.  Keep going til you go all the way around.  I'd recommend starting at the top and working your way down.

That's pretty much it.  

Literally.

Enjoy your candle!