Blog - TaylorMade

Dyed Ombre Lamp

July 18, 2012 By Taylor 13 Comments

Last month I received one of my favorite things in the mail… a Tie Dye Kit from Tulip. Seriously, I have Tie Dye problem… sometimes my husband calls me Rupert (survivor fans?). I’m not kidding, I am drawn to it like an old hippie and I am know to sport multiple Tie Dyed shirts around my house in one week. Anyway, I was obviously excited to see this when I opened my Tulip Box…

Tulip Tie Dye Kit, Surface Cover and Gloves- all available at Micheals, Hobby Lobby, Joanns and Walmart.

With my surplus of shirts, I wanted to make something for my house. So I did a really quick and easy Lamp Makeover for my bedroom. I have had this lamp for a year or so; the shade and the base are from Ikea and my nightstand needed some color. Enter the before and after:

I started with a 5 gallon bucket (which is a must need for crafters) and filled it with a tiny amount of water. I wanted a turquoise color so I mixed the Blue and the Green Dye together in my bucket.

Then I placed my lampshade into the dye bucket, moving it up and down in the dye a few times to get it good and saturated.

I left it there for about 30 minutes, then added a little water.

I continued doing this same thing throughout the day. Diluting the water with each step is what created the ombre effect. I set my alarm each time for 30 minutes but looking back I think I would have done each step even longer for a brighter color.

I also taped off the base cord and top of the lamp and gave it a few coats of gold stray paint.

I really love it in it’s new home, a much needed pop of color.

So how do you feel about tie dye? Check out more ideas at: www.iLovetoCreate.comhttp://twitter.com/ilovetocreate https://www.facebook.com/ilovetocreate

*I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with iLoveToCreate.com and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are 100% my own*

Borracho Beans – A Recipe

July 11, 2012 By Taylor 11 Comments

I have stumbled upon/invented the BEST EVER Borracho Bean Recipe! I mean, they are becoming famous in this house :) I tasted a sample of these beans at my local Central Market but they wanted me to buy all of the $12 a jar spices and sauces. Not me- I’m crafty, I just looked at the ingredients and tried to come up with what I thought would taste similar. My beans are even better! I serve them on the side of my Tostadas or Tacos but they could be their own meal!

Borracho Beans:

1 lb bacon – chopped
1 cup pico de gallo (my recipe is HERE)
3 cans pinto beans
1 tsp house rub seasonings
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 c mayo
2 tbsp creamy horseradish sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
juice of one lemon
few dashes of hot sauce

There are two main parts: The Beans and the Sauce. For the actual beans you will need:

1/2 onion, 1lb bacon, pinto beans, pico de gallo, some sort of a house seasoning blend (or mix salt, black pepper and garlic powder)

For the Sauce:

Paprika, mayo, ketchup, a lemon, hot sauce, creamy horseradish sauce, garlic powder

You can mix that together ahead of time and set it aside. This is the secret sauce that makes the beans so amazing!

Rough chop the Bacon and cook until brown.

Add the onions in and saute them until translucent.

Add the beans and the sauce. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes. The sauce makes it look pale but it will darken up.

Add about 1 cup of Pico

And now you know my one and only secret recipe :)

Do you have any secret recipes that I need to add to my recipe repertoire?

Colored Pencil Rolls

June 28, 2012 By Taylor 1 Comment

Remember when my friend shared her tutorial last week HERE? Well I wanted to try it out but I didn’t have any crayons so I used colored pencils. We DIYers have to improvise… I mean I couldn’t just wait a day to buy crayons right :)

I also had two sets of 12 pencils and AnnaLeigh gave a great tip on how to add or take away length to make it for any number of crayons/colored pencils. Her original tutorial is for 8 colors.

Finn saw me taking pictures and was getting really curious but I am going to keep it hidden and take it out when we need it most… at a restaurant :)

I also think this would be the perfect go to gift to throw in with something else. It took me about 20 or 30 minutes to make both of these! If I know you and your kid has a party soon, pretend you didn’t see this.

Mini Fabric Lamps

June 4, 2012 By Taylor 155 Comments

One of the very first things I ever “pinned” were these “Lamp Shades on a String” from Rebeccas DIY. They have been on my to-make list for months. When I first found this little project, it was only written in Swedish but I think she has an English version now. These are so cute and actually really fun to make, Finn even helped me a little :) I love a simple project, and one that uses scraps.What you need:Fabric Scraps, Lights, Mod Podge and Clear Cups

Then you need holes in your cups…

Iron all of your scraps and then start cutting. I have a template HERE if you are using the same cups (9oz Hefty Brand).You can also always find any of my templates under the “freebies” tab.

Cover your cups with the Mod Podge and wrap fabric around. The template is cut for a little excess fabric and I just used more Mod Podge on that little lip.

Let them dry…

Push the lights into the holes.

Here is a little PSA: I posted a project about a year ago that involved tealights in a metal container near plastic and some commenters thought I had a death wish or something. I thought “its just a tealight people” and obviously I am always around when I burn candles. I write a craft blog not a manual on life…but if this project isn’t for you, just don’t make it and as always please be safe :)

The best part… plug them in, yay!

Look where they live now

I love them, I want to make some for every single room. Stay tuned later this week for a very ModPodge-tastic giveaway that I know you will LOVE!!

Project Life Update…

May 29, 2012 By Taylor 4 Comments

I am not only sharing my Project Life Album Update because it’s “taylormade” but it also holds me accountable! I mean its almost June and I’m almost done with February, that’s a record for me haha! I take so many pics on my iPhone and I am super excited about the new square pockets but I also have a ton of rectangular pics. They are a perfect shape for the 2″x3″ card slots. I like to use layout “F” for my cell phone pics. Page “B” works well too, I have a hard time writing as much as page “B” allows for with the 6 card slots so I usually always include horizontal phone pics.

I do a monthly update for each “baby” but after they are 12 months, I was having a hard time with milestones, so now I do every 1/2 year.

My new favorite PL thing ever!! I found this YouTube video on the Becky Higgins Fbook page. Since I started scrapbooking over 14 years ago I have always said I wish there was a way to include videos into my album… guess what?! There is… this amazing Project Lifer came up with something so revolutionary, QR codes in your album which is directly linked to your videos. Ahh… Link to the original video HERE.

I promise I don’t have a favorite child haha, but I am in the middle of about 5 pages straight of Clyde’s 1st Bday :) I am so used to the old fashioned title, on some pages I just split it up like this…

If you want to read more about my PL process, HERE is it. Also, do yo have any new PL tips and tricks I need to know about? And have you used the QR codes? I think I’m going to do a few videos each month!

Padded Camera Strap

May 22, 2012 By Taylor 20 Comments

Hi my name is Taylor and I have a problem… I am addicted to making camera straps…. I need a support group. If you have been around a while, you might remember one of my very first posts HERE. Then remember when I made a Christmas gift HERE. In my defense one is old and one was a gift so it was just time :) And I love my new strap, so I guess its justified right? Want to make one and feeling destructive?…

See the end of the existing strap here, tear it apart, yay!

Does anyone else kind of like seam ripping?

Keep the bottom together; only seam-rip the part holding the strap to it.

Wrap the strap in batting, I doubled it around the strap. Poor night crafting lighting.

Cut your fabric 2.5x as wide and an inch or so longer than your strap.

Serge the ends, fold over, press and sew. Serging adds a professional looking touch but as usual its not necessary. Then fold the strap together longways with right sides touching. Sew and flip right ride out.

Fabric label :)

I serged the ends of the padded strap then put it into the fabric tube.

Last step is sewing the faux-leather part back to the strap. It should be easy because the holes are already there as a guide. I asked my Father in Law to do this part for me because my sewing machine is old and kind of wimpy when it comes to thickness. He works for NASA in the fabrication department, he says he has machines that can sew quarters together, cool huh?

Do you have a craft that you make over and over again? Apparently I like making camera straps and pillows. Also how great is this fabric?

How to Shorten a Shirt

May 16, 2012 By Taylor 3 Comments

I found this shirt/dress a few weeks ago and I like to print but it was a weird length for me. It also came with a waist tie but it seemed way too long for a shirt on me but way too short for a dress. DIY to the rescue :) And thankfully because of the stripes, the hard part was already done for me, yay! (I also did this on the way out to a party with the boys waiting on me so excuse my quick photos :)How to Shorten a Long Shirt:First, cut your shirt a little longer than you want it.

A serger really helps with this project but it isn’t necessary, you could just press and sew. But thankfully I do have a serger, total time saver. Serge/sew, fold over and press.

Sew the hem under, so lucky to follow the lines!

Here is the first line I did, I really think it looks much more professional if you use the double needle. I love using it but to be honest I think the setup takes too long and like I said I was literally leaving, I like to live on the edge, ha. So this time I just sewed another line but I do highly recommend the double needle for a professional looking hem.

Next line…

All done :)

I even had time for a cell phone pic as I ran out the door. This length is much better for me! Has anyone refashioned lately, and if so did you do it as you were walking out the door leaving no room for error :/

Ruffled Lace Headwrap

May 8, 2012 By Taylor 1 Comment

In case you missed this post, here it is… I was lucky enough to get to be a part of See Kate Sew‘s Ruffles Series. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it a few times, but Kate is truly one of my all time favorite bloggers, she has a unique vintage style and she is always original. I have also told her I think she used to be a clothing model :) Her Ruffles 2012 Series was amazing! Here is my ruffly contribution:

I’m so honored to be a part of the very famous “Ruffles 2012 Series”! I have to admit, I’m not a super frilly girl and I have two sons so I was stumped for a bit when Kate asked me to work with ruffles. Then I realized, I can make ruffles work with my style. So I came up with this Ruffled Lace Headwrap. I love headbands and headwraps, so why not have some ruffles?You need two strips for fabric – both about 58″ x 3″. I used solid yellow for the back and scraps for the front that I pieced together.

Then you need to taper the ends. Pencil it as a cutting guide then cut and pin right sides together.

Then sew leaving one end open and flip right side out.

Cut lace 2″ wide.

My favorite… the RUFFLE FOOT :)

Pin the ruffled lace to the center of the headwrap and sew. Only add the lace to about 8″-10″ or you won’t be able to tie your headwrap in the back.

And now you have your ruffly, fun headwrap.

Thanks so much Kate for all the ruffly inspiration :)

DIY Chalkboard

April 30, 2012 By Taylor 2 Comments

Last week our store, Ampersand, had its big Grand Opening! We have been open about two months now and we are loving every minute of it. I was crafting like crazy getting ready for the big day. We needed a chalkboard and my mom and I looked everywhere but we could only find one at a teacher supply store. Turns out they are $40 +. Emphasis on the +. So I decided to DIY one… because I just don’t have enough to do :) But I figured I could beat $40.

I’m not reinventing the wheel or anything, its so simple anyone could do it! For the base of the chalkboard I used an MDF board from Home Depot, it was about $3.00. They come 2’x4′ but we cut ours down to 2’x3′.

I used chalkboard spray paint (no Krylon affiliation) in green, which was about $6.00.

My best tip is to do several very thin coats. I put my board on some bricks and just left it outside all afternoon. I applied a new coat every 45 minutes or so for a few hours.

Here it is after 2 coats, still very spotty. I did about 6 or 7 coats total.

The next step is important – you have to prime the board with white chalk. Just use the long side and rub chalk all over the board.

After you wipe it off with a wet towel and let it dry, you are ready to use your chalkboard.

My husband made a quick frame for me out of molding.

I think I came in at about $11.00, yay!

Sweet Dreams Puppy Pillow

April 20, 2012 By Taylor 14 Comments

Remember my sneak peak yesterday? In case you missed it, Martha Stewart for Plaid sent me the best package ever and I was asked to make a Mother’s Day Craft using the supplies. It was Christmas in March the day all of the supplies came :)

Can you believe it? Ahh craft overload. Anyway, my Mom loves the outdoors and animals and specifically her dogs :) They are like her second set of kids, so when I thought about a Mother’s Day craft I thought about dogs. Enter the Puppy Pillow. The coolest thing in my Martha Stewart Package was the Heating Tool. I was kind of scared at first but no need to be scared! This thing is soooo cool!

You use this stencil film & tape:

And you tape the film down to a piece of glass. Then you place whatever you want under the glass as a template and you can make your own stencil! I just sketched that puppy but you can use anything to guide you.

The next part is really exciting haha… the heating tool cuts through the plastic like butter. My tip is to go at a consistent somewhat quick pace because if you go to slow or have to stop and start then it melts the plastic in a blob.

Then I used the adhesive stencil spray which sticks the stencil down once you are ready to paint. Because my stencil was so large, it wanted to roll up, so I taped it right side down so the adhesive covered evenly.

Then I stuck it to the fabric for my pillow. My happy rocks also double as pattern weights.

I used these brushes to paint in the stencil.

And this is my new favorite thing, the brush cleaner… the paint comes off really easily.

When I was telling my Mom about the project I told her I wanted to either do a gold glittered dog or a solid bright color and she said why not a gold glittered nose, so cute!

I let the painted pup dry and then I added a little reverse appliqued bone dream :)

Proceed with the pillow making.

Sweet Bone Dreams Puppy…

Thanks to Martha Stewart and Plaid for my amazing bag of craft supplies and inspiration for my pillow! I think pup fits in nicely. Check out Plaid on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for more inspiration.

I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are 100% my own.