How to Put a Photo on a Canvas

This is a fun little trick to cheaply make canvas prints. In short, you just mod podge any photo to a canvas and paint the edges. Here are detailed instructions for you. 

Materials:

Canvas

High Quality Photo Print (You don't want ink that will smear or bleed)

Mod Podge

Brushes

Scissors or paper cutter

Paint

You can purchase the design you see in the photos in my Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShameronStudios

Start by trimming the photo to fit to canvas. You should use a canvas and photo that are the same size, but the canvas edged are slightly rounded and you don't want the photo to stick out past where the canvas rounds. You may need to trim about a 1/8"-1/4" off each side.

Next, paint the edge black (or any color that looks good with your photo). 

You don't need to go very far toward the center of the canvas because the photo will cover it.

You will probably need 2 coats to get it nice and solid.

Once the paint is dry, evenly spread a layer of Mod Podge on the canvas.

Working quickly, paint a layer of Mod Podge on the back of the photo.

Quickly line up the photo on the canvas and lay it down from one side to the other (the like peeling it off in reverse) to prevent bubbles. You may need to lift it and re-center it to get it just right and you might be able to slide it around a little to get it even.

After the photo is centered on the canvas, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge around the edged of the photo. This will help it blend into the canvas.

Because my photo had a very defined edge, I applied the Mod Podge up to the line. If you're using almost any other photo, you can paint it all over the photo in nice sweeping motions to give it the brush texture of a painting. Or just blend it into the edges. You may also want to add another coat of paint on the edges and feather it over the edges of the painting to make it blend into the photo.

The finished product!!! You can find this design available for Instant Download 

in my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShameronStudios

How to Make Cupcake Toppers!

I've been selling cupcake toppers on Etsy for a while now. I sometimes wonder how the digital items people buy from me turn out in real life. I've made these cupcake topper a couple times now and they're definitely one of the least easy to create items I sell. So to help my customers and anyone who is having trouble creating cupcake toppers of any kind, I wanted to share my process and give some tips.

Materials
Printed Designs - You can find several here in my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShameronStudios?section_id=16700748
Backside Paper - contrasting colors work well
Scissors
Toothpicks or lollipop sticks
Hot Glue Gun
Fiskars Round 'n Round Squeeze Punch, Large - (optional, but soooo helpful. Available at craft stores or here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OMZXGU )
Fiskars Seal of Approval Squeeze Punch, Extra Large (again optional, but very helpful if you want the scalloped piece. Available at craft stores or here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GSEJRU )

NOTE: Rather than using the scalloped backside, you can simple make these double sided and use a design piece on the front and back. I like combining an image design and a text design on opposite sides.

After you print the designs, cut between the designs to create strips of paper that the punch can reach.

Line the design up inside the punch and squeeze! Alternately, you can use scissors to cut the circles, but that is really challenging for me.

Use the Seal of Approval Squeeze Punch to punch out the backside pieces.

Line up the backs, fronts, and toothpicks or lollipop sticks.

Apply a small line of glue on the back piece and press the toothpick/stick into the glue. Don't let your fingers touch the glue; it really, really burns.

When the glue attached to the back has dried, apply another line of glue on top of the toothpick/stick and attach the front design piece.

Hold it in place for a few seconds while it dries.

Let dry and you're done!

DIY String Art Heart Tutorial

This is a super easy project. My brother and I decided we would each make one of these. He wanted to give it to his girlfriend and I'm sharing mine with my husband, hence the M ;-)

Materials
Wood Board
Finishing nails (18 gauge, 1" long is what we used)
String
Hammer
Pencil

Pick your design and draw it lightly on your board. You can also print out a design and just nail through it.

Hammer in nails about 1/2" apart on the outline of your design. Only hammer them in about 1/4". Just enough to be secure, but not go through the board.

After all the nails are in place, Tie the string on a central nail and trim off the excess tail. Remove the paper or erase any obvious lines at this point.

Start wrapping the string from nail to nail in any order. This adds to the randomness of it. Try to wrap it around each nail at least once. 2 or 3 time will make it look fuller. Keep the tension strong so the string doesn't slip off a nail. Every once in a while, tie a knot around a nail just in case it pops off at one point, it won't ruin the whole thing.

Keep filling in the design evenly so you don't end up with bare spots.

If you're adding a design in the center of your heart, be sure that you don't cross that inner area at all! It will ruin the clean look of it. 

Done!

To hang this on a wall, use a picture frame or canvas wall hanging kit.

DIY Valentine's Day Paper Heart Garland

With Valentine's Day coming up, I wanted to decorate at least a little bit. Although I hate to see books destroyed, I really like this little banner and it was pretty easy to make! So, here are the instructions for how to make your our own paper book heart garland.

Materials

Book ( or any paper)

X-acto Knife (and a cutting surface)

Ruler

Stapler

Staples 

Scissors

Hole Punch

Ribbon or String

Again, I hate cutting up books, so I picked the one I would never read; Economic Analysis and Public Policy. I could have picked something more romantic, but it doesn't matter that much and I liked the look of these pages. 

Start by opening to the book to one of the first or last page and line up the ruler along the edge of the book.

Carefully, cut the pages out a couple at a time. 

Once you've cut out 5-10 pages, line them up on your cutting surface and cut them in half.

You might need to cut them toward you and then away from you to get them cut all the way across. just cut a couple at time and move them aside.

Then cut them in half again. If your book is a small/medium size, this should be good enough to make your hearts. If you're using a large book, you may need to adjust the width to get them the way you want.

Now you should have quite a few strips of paper.

To start the hearts, take 9 strips of paper.

Lay out 4 strips. Fold one in half and lay it on top of the 4 strips so that half of it over laps. 

Lay the other 4 strips on top of that. Line them up with the 4 on the bottom

NOTE: the strips that are touching and facing the folded strip are the ones that will be on the outside of the finished heart. If it matters to you, make sure those sides are the "pretty" ones. They should also be upside down compared to your folded paper to come out upright at the end.

Staple the strips together about 1/4" above the edge of the 8 strips. You can staple it twice to make sure it stays secure.

Start folding the strips down starting with the inner strips.

Pinch them together at the bottom of the folded center strip to keep them in place.

Keep folding them down working one side at a time and them the other.

To make sure your heart will be even, make sure each strip lines up at the bottom with the strip on the opposite side.

Once you've folded down all the strips and lined them up, staple it at the bottom. Make sure you staple through the folded center strip or your hear will be droopy.

Cut off the excess paper on the bottom below the staples.

Hole punch the center strip for the ribbon or string to go through.

 Now you can string them together for a cute banner!

Let me know what you think or if you have any questions!!!