Have you gotten into the wooden bead trend yet? One of my favorite ways to try out new fashion trends is by making home accessories with the same principles in mind. This project blends both the ombre and wooden bead craze, but instead of a project you can wear around your neck, this one makes your cocktail hour a little bit fancier.

S U P P L I E S :

• bamboo skewers
• small piece of foam core board
• straight pins with small heads
• unfinished wooden beads in desired size
• wiping wood stain in one or two shades (I used one)
• varnish in matte or gloss (I used matte)
• tacky glue
• old rag (you’ll probably end up disposing of this*)

1.) To create a base for your beads to stay secure (those pesky buggers like to roll away!), poke your straight pins into the foam board, and split your bead collection into thirds. 2.) In a well ventilated area, Use an old rag, dip into your stain and lightly wipe two thirds of the beads, using the clean side of your rag to then wipe away most of the stain before setting each bead onto the pins to dry.  After a few minutes, add generous coats of stain to half of those beads. This will give you three tones of wood- one natural, one medium, and one dark.

3.) While you’re waiting for your stain to dry, take the bamboo skewers and barely dip the flat ends into the stain. Don’t dip too much, because the stain will naturally soak into the wood further down the skewer than you want stained. After a couple of dips, lay the skewers on a rag to dry. This skewer-staining step makes sure the ends of your skewers will match the darker beads that are situated there.

4.) When your beads have dried, take the board of beads outside and spray one light coat of varnish. Once this has dried, flip the beads and give them another coat of varnish.

5.) Once your skewers and beads have dried, you can start assembling the skewers. I plopped beads of tacky glue to one end of the bead, and allowed it to seep in a bit while doing the same to the other two beads. Start with the lightest bead, slide onto the skewer, and follow with the medium then dark beads. Some glue will pool in between the beads- this is okay! It helps the beads stay securely together at the end of your skewer.

6.) Lay them flat to dry. You won’t need to worry about the glue dripping off- tacky glue doesn’t drip much, and sets up rather quickly. You’ll know the glue is completely dry when it is clear.

You can use these skewers for kabobs, or trim the ends with scissors and use for drink swizzle sticks. After each use, soak the skewers in vinegar, let them air out- and they’re ready to use again! Enjoy!

*NOTE: Most wood stains produce highly flammable fumes. You may decide to dispose of your rag after staining, but if you do, allow the rag to air out for a few days before closing it up into a bag or trash can. This lessens the chance for spontaneous combustion in a contained space.

In accordance with my plans for a pretty pregnancy on the cheap, I didn’t succumb to shopper envy when I saw these cute pink pants at ASOS. Would it be possible to DIY something similar? I wasn’t sure, but I had a plan to try it out. Well, of course, these trousers aren’t the exact same as the ASOS ones, but they certainly answer my craving for colorful legs!

These pants ended up costing a whopping total of $6, if you divvy out only the cost of the portion of dye that I used. I found a pair of horrid flared short kahkis (maternity style) at the thrift store for $3, and purchased some pink & fuschia Rit dye, as well as Rit color-stay potion (as I call it).

First, I layed out the pants and overtop, I layed a pair of stretchy cigarette pants that have a fit I already know I love. Using a water-soluable fabric pen, I traced around the inside of the legs, and used that line as a guide to stitch the inside of the kahki trousers. I stitched two lines of thread, so that the seams won’t bust when I wiggle around. Then I trimmed the excess fabric.

Next I filled the washing machine with hot water, poured in some pink dye and a splash of fuschia. I let the washer agitate for 60 minutes, and then let the cycle rinse and spin. After that, I filled the washer again with hot water, this time using the Rit color-stay agent. After that cycle was through, I tossed the pants into the dryer, and they were ready to wear!

This was such a fun project, I can definitely see myself making more pants- in all of the colors of the technicolor rainbow!

Are you a note maker? I love to make lists, but Phil appreciates a mushy note much more than a honey-do list. I know Valentine’s Day was last month, but seeing as how all of my craft supplies were hiding in unknown boxes somewhere in our new house, I didn’t get around to completing this project until this week. If you’re a sappy kid like me and Phil, maybe you’ll want to try this project too- even though there’s not another romantic holiday in sight for quite some time.

• small wooden hearts (found at craft store)
• coordinating sized magnets (with sticky back)
• black rub-on letters (or small letter stamps
• stylus to apply rub-ons (I used a crochet hook)
• black craft paint
• paint brush
• black ink pad (if you use stamps instead of rub-ons)

To begin, start at the beginning of your rub-on sheet, and apply each letter on a separate heart. I used every capital letter included in my rub-on sheet, to give more variety to the conversations on my fridge. You’ll want to buy the rub-ons first, and then match the number of hearts you buy to the number of letters on your sheet. If you can’t find decent rub-ons, you might want to purchase a small alphabet stamp set from a craft store and stamp the letters instead.

Next, I carefully painted the edges and back sides of each heart, laying on paper to dry. After the paint had dried, I stuck on the little circular magnets to the back. If you don’t want to buy a bunch of little magnets, you might try buying a thin magnetic sheet and cutting out small triangle with a blade and steel ruler.

Once the magnets have been applied- your conversation hearts are ready to be used! Mount them to you refrigerator, or put them in a pretty tin and gift them to a friend.