"Lumos" Light Switch

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Want to flaunt it?  Break out that Sharpie and start showing HP pride with this Lumos light switch!

Time: 10 Minutes

Cost: Free!

This is honestly one of the easiest (but most fun) crafts that I've ever done!

All you need is:

Your light switch cover

A Sharpie or other permanent marker (I used metallic gold)

It might sound tricky to freehand it, but it's easier than you'd think!

I started by drawing a triangle for the Deathly Hallows symbol.

*Tip* I used an index card to keep the lines straight.

Then draw a line from the top of the triangle straight through the light switch hole, then put a circle in the middle.

When that's done, use your favorite handwriting to add the word "Lumos" to the top and "Nox" to the bottom.  How easy was that?

Screw it back into the wall and take pride in your nerdy decor!

See you soon,

Kenzie

Photography Fun

This isn't exactly a craft, but I wanted to show off what I did over the weekend.

Here are just a few of the engagement photos I took of my beautiful sister and soon-to-be brother yesterday; we got lucky with the great weather this late in October and we're so happy with the way they turned out!

None of us are professionals, so it was definitely a trial-and-error process.  I think figuring out the posing was one of the most difficult parts; do any of you play around with photography? What's your biggest learning experience? Comment below!

Key Holder

Hello again!

Long time no crafts… I know.

But fear not- this wonderfully cute and easy key holder is here to save the day (especially because I am constantly misplacing my keys.)

Time: 20 minutes

Cost: $7

You'll need:

6-inch square burlap canvas (Hobby Lobby has these on sale all the time)

½-inch cup hooks (You can find them in Walmart's hardware department)

Black paint pen (any craft store will have them)

This PDF File (Just click the link, download, and print!)

You might also want to grab a charcoal pencil

First things first:

Print the template and cut out along the square outline (the square is 6x6 inches, so cutting it out will just help you center it on the canvas later.)

Now you need to transfer the image.  To do this, coat the back of the image in charcoal:

Then place squarely on top of your canvas (you can secure it with a couple pieces of tape.)

Use a ball point pen to trace around the outline of the words and key, as well as the markers for the hooks.  If you press hard enough, the charcoal will transfer right onto the burlap.

Now all you have to do is fill in the lines with the paint pen.  Who can't handle that?

When the paint is dry, you can add the hooks (they'll screw in easily by hand.)

That's it!

Now hang that bad boy up.

And you'll never lose your keys again.

Happy crafting everyone!

Outlet Upgrade

Hey guys!

I've been pressed for time this week (and had to deal with unexpected back problems)
so I didn't have much time to devote to the crafting cause.

But I needed to do something to expel some creative energy, so I decided to spice up the outlet next to my desk.

All you need to do is unscrew the outlet cover from the wall and paint with a couple coats of your favorite acrylic shade (I have tons of colors just sitting around so I didn't have to spend any money.)
It was easy, fast, and so much more fun than having a white cover!

TIME: 5 minutes

COST: Free!

Have fun, and happy crafting!

-Kenzie

Cute Coasters: Pom-Pom Edition

Hey everyone!

I know you all had SO much fun making your earring holders--I thought it was about time for another SUPER easy and super USEFUL craft.  That brings us to pom-pom coasters!

As usual, I wanted to do something that wouldn't break the bank and wouldn't be a total waste of space when finished.  I looked at my Pinterest craft board for ideas and found this adorable project just begging to be done.

TIME: 20 minutes

COST: $5 (for a set of 4)

Here we go:

You only need 3 things for this project: 

Glue gun, which you probably already have (and if not, Michael's has some for $3.99 that are perfectly fine)

Round cork coasters (I got a pack of 6 at Hobby Lobby for less than $2)

Pom-poms of choice (I got the ½ inch size--most craft stores have multi-packs for a couple bucks)

Once you have it all gathered, you can get rolling!

First, pick the color scheme you want for your coasters.  I happened to find a festive bag of fall-colored pom-poms, but you can easily make your own color combos or get a rainbow pack and go completely random.  (Note: I didn't try to make a pattern- I literally grabbed them out of the bag without looking.)

Start gluing on the outside edge of the coaster by putting a small bead of glue on the cork and then placing the pom-pom on top.  I tried starting on the inside the first time, but I found that they're much more consistent if you make a complete circle on the outside and just fill it in.

Position the pom-poms close enough together that you can't see cork between them, but far enough apart that you aren't squishing them flat.

Continue adding pom-poms row by row...

…until the cork is completely covered.

Voila--you have your first coaster!

Now just repeat the process as many times as you want to make a set.  They're great for giving as gifts (or hoarding for yourself, because honestly- they're adorable).

I hope you have as much fun as I did making these;  

now go get yourself a cup of coffee and try 'em out!

See you next time!

--Kenzie

Easy Earring Holders

FINALLY, what you've all been waiting for- my first DIY post!

As usual my schedule has been crazy; everything from my schoolwork to my house seems to be a bit chaotic.  I thought a great way to add a little organization to my life (with only a tiny amount of time invested) would be to de-clutter my jewelry box with some easy earring holders.

TIME: 5 minutes

COST: $3

Seriously. These took me about 5 minutes apiece, and they were ridiculously cheap.

Let's get started!

First, let's get your supplies:

Embroidery hoops (I got mine at Michael's for $1 each)

Burlap (also from Michaels- I just went to the specialty scrapbook paper and bought 12x12 sheets! They have tons of patterns and colors for $1.99)

Scissors 

Acrylic craft paint and brushes (optional)

The first thing you'll do is decide how you want to personalize your earring holders.  I'm obsessed with Tiffany Blue, so of course, I had to make a teal one.  The outer hoop is the only thing that will show in the end, so I separated my hoops and painted that one with a single coat of paint. 

Once that's ready, cut your burlap about a half inch larger than your circle- it doesn't need to be exact and it doesn't even need to be a circle because you're going to trim it off anyway.

Next, stretch the burlap over the hoop and trim the extra off the back. 

Believe it or not, that's it!  You're DONE!

Just repeat the process and personalize as many as you want. They're easy and cheap enough to give as gifts, and you can make them to match any room or personality.

Now put those babies on display and bask in the glory of your organizational expertise.

Let me know how your own earring holders turn out, and come back for more adventures in crafting!

See you soon!

I guess I'll introduce myself!

I thought it would be a great idea to kick things off with a little background on myself and the reason I'm starting this blog.  First off:

Hi.  I'm Kenzie :)

I come from a tiny, and I MEAN tiny, town in Northeast Iowa called Maynard.  After graduating from high school in 2012 (with a class of 25--I told you it was tiny), I came to Cedar Falls to attend the University of Northern Iowa (Go Panthers!) for graphic design and marketing.  I work part-time at a local grocery store as well as part-time designing for a local publishing agency.  To sum up my personality: I'm your average, everyday geek with a love of all things creative.

Which brings us to this blog.

As a contribution to my marketing minor, I am currently enrolled in a class called "Digital Advertising".  This class is a very hands-on exploration of current advertising strategies, and our first {huge} project is all about branding ourselves and using a blog and other digital media to market that brand. Long story short, I'm going to be spending the next semester realizing my ambition of becoming a successful DIY tutorial blogger.  I'm going to use my artistic prowess to help less-experienced crafters make quality projects while keeping costs and time invested low.

I'm SO excited to get the ball rolling--I hope you're all ready to get crafting!

Stay connected with me:

@Craft_Crusher on Twitter