DIY Glitter Mugs & Mason Jars Tutorial

Good morning!!  This weekend was super busy and we also have a new addition to the family! A new puppy, Shelby.  Her mama stopped nursing her so we saved her and officially have a newborn in the house! Late nights and bottle feedings have been consuming us and we love it even though we are missing out on some sleep :)

During times the puppy was down, I was able to pop out a few crafts and wanted to share.  This is a super simple yet beautiful craft that can also be a wonderful gift!

Here we go....DIY Glitter Mugs & Mason Jars Tutorial :)

First, let's get the supplies....

• Mason Jars
• Coffee Mugs
• Glitter
• Foam Brushes
• Painters Tape
• Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge

For the glitter, I strongly recommend Martha Stewarts Florentine glitter.  It is very very fine and adheres very well.  I used that for the glitter mugs (you can get an entire kit from Darby Smart HERE but remember to first sign up HERE and get $10 off your first order!!) and regular glitter for the mason jars.  I will only be hand washing the mason jars because of that.

I have a few "optional" items in here that can be used if you choose.  Like sharpies and stickers.  For the coffee mugs, if you do decide to use sharpies, that would be the first step.  You need to bake them in the oven so you don't want the glitter on if you do that.  Also, I recommend using oil based Sharpies and washing them by hand.  I had made one for my sister in law without using oil based but never heard if it washed off so I did some more testing on my own.  Make sure you are using a clean, dry mug.  So, after you doodle on them bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and let them cool.  The stickers would be treated the same way as the tape, which I will show you below.

Here is the star of the show!!

Dishwasher safe Mod Podge! I am in heaven and am going to glitter everything :)

Okay, down to business. Here are my mugs and mason jars.

Again, make sure they are clean and dry.

If you are going to do designs on them, you can free hand or tape off the areas that you want. I think painters tape works best.

Make sure to get under and around all handles and lids.

Lay out some newspaper or coffee filters.  I like the coffee filters and only buy them for crafting as I can easily pour the fallen glitter back into the container to reuse.  Then take your foam brush and paint on a thin layer of mod podge.  Quickly sprinkle the glitter all over the wet areas, evenly.

Let dry upside down for 5 minutes.  Then apply a second coat of mod podge by dabbing the brush on the mug.  You don't want to wipe off or mess up the glitter you already applied as it will still be damp.  Sprinkle on a second coat of glitter.  If you want to add more coats, keep allowing to dry for 5 minutes in between each coat.  I then let them dry upside down overnight. Before you set them to dry overnight, make sure to remove the tape and/or stickers slowly and carefully so it does not mess up the glitter. Do not put them in the dishwasher for 28 days as they need time to cure.

Now you can get crazy with different types of designs or cover the entire mug or mason jar!

TA DA!!

I have another mason jar I am still deciding on how to decorate.  Plus I also want to do some more mugs for gifts this year but don't want to spoil the surprises here!!  These are perfect for an outdoor summer party or just to feel fancy with your coffee and tea in the morning :)

Have you ever made a craft like this before?

If you decide to, please share your pictures with us as we would love to see them!

Have a great day!!

DIY Stag Jewelry Holder

Good morning!!!  I am so excited to share this tutorial with you and to show you just one of the wonderful DIY kits available from Darby Smart.  As a reminder, this is $19 a month for the monthly "surprise" boxes or you can order whatever kits you want directly on their site.  This kit is $29 but with the discount email I received (they send them all the time), I only paid $9 for it!!!  Using the link above will get you $10 off your first purchase!!

Now, as you can see the kits include all of the materials needed for this project, plus enough to do another project too!  I am going to show you step by step so you can buy the items separately from your local craft store if you don't want to buy the kit as a whole.

Here are the items laid out.

Gems, spray paint, E6000 glue, eye hooks, brackets, wood block

Wire, 3 in 1 multi tool, extra bag of gems and spray paint (this is not needed for this project)

The first thing that you want to do is draw the shape or outline of how you want to place your jewels on the piece of wood. I did this free hand.

Put two x's where you want to place the eye hooks.  The eye hooks are where you are going to have the wire "antlers" coming off of.  Then screw in the eye hooks.  Make sure that they are vertical when they come through the back end as that is what you will attach the brackets to hang it on the wall with.

Next you want to shape your wire.  You may want to use gloves to do this.  And this is the hardest step.  Hard in the sense that you want to stretch out your wire as long as you will want it and then curve the wire to form the "antlers".  Just put some muscle into it..or sweet talk it so that it will move where you want it to! :) 

This template was included in the kit but it is not necessary.  This just gives you an idea of how long they can be and what shape to form them to.

Here is my husband showing how to form them

Once you have formed the antlers (remember to double since there are two eye hooks), wrap the end around the eye hooks, tightly.

Here is a Paisley photo bomb! 

Next you are going to spray paint the board and the antlers.  I decided to outline my stag so that it would be easier to see once it was painted over.  You can choose not to do this and just apply a light coat of spray paint.  I decided that I did not want to paint this twice and that is why I went for darkening the outline.

I also decided to do the entire block with spray paint, that way the space between the gems would not show wood behind it.  Once the block was painted, I then painted the antlers so that they had gold tips!

Next you are going to apply the gems and bling it out!!  You can either put glue on the wood and attach the gems or you can put glue on the gems one by one.  I went with putting the glue on one by one and it was a bit tedious haha.

Although it is hard to tell in this picture, the block is all blue

And here is the finished product!!!

I tested the strength with necklaces and the antlers did not move.  If yours move, I would suggest just gluing the wire that is wrapped around the eye hooks for some stability.

I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about Darby Smart.  As you can see by the note in the box they sent me, due to inventory this kit took a little while longer to arrive and they not only gave me a coupon towards my next purchase for $15 off but they also included an extra bag of paint and gems for my next jewelry project! The customer service and quality of their products is exceptional!!  Use the link above to get $10 off your first purchase!!

What are your favorite crafts to do?

Do you have a homemade jewelry holder?

Have a great day!!

The Do It Yourselfer

I have never had an artistic bone in my body.  That's my brother.  He is amazing. Ask him to draw anything and it is effortless for him. I have always been the drama queen in the family and love to act and sing and dance.  Okay, I STILL AM the drama queen :)

When my father passed away, I needed something to do. I needed something to take my mind off of the pain but keep busy at the same time and have something to show for it.  That is also about the same time I became aware of Pinterest.  So needless to say it was a dangerous time for me.  I started finding things that I never even knew that you could do with regular household items and I started doing them.

In addition to my monthly beauty subscriptions, I also have crafting subscriptions.  These are surprise DIY boxes that come with all the tools and supplies that I need for a project, mailed to my door.

The first one I love is Darby Smart and it is only $19 a month.  If you sign up with this link, you will get $10 off your first order.  They are constantly emailing discount codes and special offers for the boxes that they sell online (which are different than the monthly boxes) and they have a showroom where they will feature the crafts that you have done.

Here are some of the recent ones that I have done.

The tools and supplies that they send are usually enough to use for future projects and not just a one time thing.  And I love the variety of the boxes.  I currently have a box on the way for a craft I will feature in another post, too! :) They also have great customer service.

The second craft subscription I do is Whimseybox and it is only $15 a month.  If you sign up with this link, you will get $5 off your first order.

I just started this subscription and this is my first box.  I am hopeful that they will be just as good.

Again, there are plenty of supplies that will be able to be used towards future products.  They have a whole community on their website where you can interact with other crafters, too.  They also have very good customer service.  

Joining these subscriptions has helped me in so many ways. I never thought that I would know how to stamp metal and make jewelry.  Plus, it helps me get out of my head for awhile and I know that my dad would be proud of the things that I have made.

Anything that is sold at the store you can make yourself and make it the way that you want with your own style.  Don't be afraid to try!!  I make jewelry all the time now and I do owe it all to Darby Smart!!

Have you subscribed to these subscriptions too?

What are your favorite crafts to do?

Have a great day!!

Welcome!

First, I'll explain that mudpipes is another word for cowboy boots.  I'll also explain that while I was born in Chicago, IL, I have the soul of a southerner, thus my love of all things simple and country western.  This blog is going to be a mix of beauty, crafting, product reviews, tutorials and all around good stuff. Plus you will get to meet my wonderful husband, Nick and puppy, Paisley throughout my ramblings...  I hope ya'll enjoy :)