10 September 2010

Sail Away


Before I dive into the weekend, I have another
idea on how to give new life to this empty dairy carton:

Blah.

Tada!

It's a toy boat and it can float, baby!

I cut an opening on one side and used chopsticks & an old map
for the sail, secured in place with hot glue.

The curved edges of the boat are made from cut-outs from
another milk carton {to keep it water resistant},
also attached with a glue gun.

Have the kids decorate it with permanent markers
before its maiden voyage.


Have a sun-shiny weekend!


09 September 2010

Lovely Lantern


Milk containers are the star of this week's
blah to TADA! make-over.

Even if the family has consumed the contents for
cereal or coffee, there's still hope for the carton.

Clean & dry it well before using it for crafting.

Detach the top & bottom using a box cutter.

Make openings at the sides
(I used a half-inch border all around).

Glue on some colored tissue paper,
knot on some string, and...

TADA! A lively paper lantern!

Use alone or with a chorus of other lanterns and
add some festive fun to your favorite spaces,
whether indoors or out.

See you tomorrow!


08 September 2010

Garden Lights


Last Monday, we commemorated Labor Day here in the US. This day is the unofficial end of summer. Boohoo! But that won't stop me from enjoying my time outdoors -- not until I feel autumn's chill.

Today, we're making a project for an outdoor party.

We're using a bunch of these empty blah milk cartons
that we've cleaned inside & out.

Using a box cutter, remove some parts of the carton.
Make sure to make an open slot at the bottom.

To cover the printed areas of the carton,
attach some plain or printed paper with a glue stick.
Another option is painting the carton.

Use a paper doily (tulle or lace scraps can work as well)
to cover the open parts of the carton.
Secure doily ends to the carton with glue.

TADA! A romantic garden lantern!

I found these battery operated tea lights at the department store.
Batteries included!
No flame, no fire hazards!

Insert a tea light at the bottom slot.

TADA! It now looks like a real garden light.

Use these as centerpieces on your outdoor dinner table,
to line a pathway or hang these on low tree branches
in your garden (punch a hole on the top of the box &
add a some wire for easy hanging).

Goes to show you that I'm not ready to
say goodbye to summer just yet!

07 September 2010

My Picasso


This Picasso painting is called "Femme a la robe rose":

Okay, okay, so I don't own the real thing.
Not even a print. Or a postcard.
This is what I have:

It's a magazine tear sheet that I mounted...

...onto this blah, empty (but clean!) milk carton.

Here she is, sitting on my desk.
And TADA! I added a little drawer at the bottom...

...where I can hide small office necessities.

I may never own a Picasso piece in my lifetime,
but it's fun to pretend that I do.

Take care ya' all!


06 September 2010

Got Milk?


Hello Everyone! I'm back from my break and I feel recharged! Thanks for your well wishes, I missed you gals, too.


This week, let's turn these empty milk cartons from
blah to TADA!

The first step is to wash the blah cartons with dish soap & water.
Allow to dry thoroughly.

Once dry, it's time to decorate!

TADA! A cute little bird house!

It's dressed up with scrap gift wrap, an old box for the roof, a real twig for the perch & stickers for the peephole window. My feathered friend, I got from Chinatown (you can get them at the nearest craft store).

Use it to add some cheer to a blank wall.

Or for a more utilitarian purpose, make a hole at the back using
a box cutter to stash your pens & pencils in.

Have a great day!