Make It: Winter Photo Coasters

Who loves a good photo craft? I know I do! In fact, photo crafts are some of my favorite projects, and these photo drink coasters did not disappoint. I love how personal and unique even a common craft idea can become when I add my own photograph.

Handmade gifts can be a lot of fun, but I often find myself short on time so simple projects have the most appeal. Making photo beverage coasters has been on my list of projects to try for a while now, so when my recent winter instagram photo was "popular" with my friends, and I was on the look-out for last-minute gift ideas, and the weather outside was frightful...well what's a gal to do but get craftin'?

Make It: Halloween Shrink Plastic Charms

Not every Halloween project has to be spooky. Today I'm sharing a charming little Halloween craft using printable shrink plastic and some smiling jack o' lantern photos. When you see how easy it is to make this Halloween charm bracelet and matching rings, you won't make just one:)

Ever since I saw these Wildflower Rings by A Kailo Chic Life, I've been looking for a project to try using printable shrink plastic (Shrinky-Dinks). What better excuse than Eighteen25's Spooktacular September? I had the pleasure of sharing this not-so-spooky Halloween craft over there last month.

Quite a few years ago I took this photo of a glowing jack o' lantern and used Adobe Photoshop Elements to take a little creative license with the colors. I ended up with a fun set of smiling jack o' lantern photos that come in handy this time of year. (I must admit this isn't the first time I've made use of these favorite images and it's not likely to be the last either.)

Print It: Halloween Bunting

Print out this darling jack-o-lantern Halloween bunting, string it on baker's twine, and add it to this year's Halloween decor!

Simple holiday decorations are the best! While there are times we go all out at our house, more often than not quick and simple wins the day. That's why I love this smiling jack-o'-lantern printable bunting. It's a festive addition that complements any Halloween party decor.

DIY Printable Halloween Bunting

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The smiling jack-o'-lantern image I used to create this printable bunting is one of my favorite photos for Halloween crafting. You might even recognize it from some of the other Halloween projects I've shared in the past. It will coordinate perfectly with this Mini Cake Bunting.

Make It: Decoupaged Trinket Dishes

I love to organize my jewelry in pretty dishes. So, when I found these cute little hexagonal plates, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make some trinket dishes with a personal touch using some of my own printed photos and decoupage medium. On the nightstand or next to the sink, these pretty jewelry catch-alls come in handy anywhere.

Last month I shared this quick decoupage craft over on Landeelu. These simple trinket dishes are easy and inexpensive to make. Make a few extra to keep on hand for gifts. You could even try some seasonal images for the holidays.

Make It: Jack-o'-Lantern Pendant

Earlier this month, I shared an easy DIY jewelry project for Halloween on Landeelu.com.  If you've got a few minutes, there's still time to make one (or several)!

Glass tile pendants are a fun and easy photo jewelry craft. Ever since I helped my niece make one featuring her favorite pooch, I've been wanting to try some of my own. For this Halloween version, I used a favorite "glowing" jack-o'-lantern photo that I took several years ago.

Choose a Halloween photo for your pendant or download mine below. Gather your supplies.

Supplies Needed for Glass Tile Halloween Pendants

• Glass Tiles (Mine were about .9" square. I ordered online, but I've also seen them at my local Hobby Lobby.)
• Pendant Bail (one per necklace)
• Black Satin Cord (or necklace chain of your choice)
• Mod Podge or other jewelry decoupage medium (read label to make sure it can be used on glass)
• Small Brush
• Scissors or Paper Trimmer
• Halloween Image (printed and cut to fit your tile)

Make It: "Admit One" Ticket Memory Box

Do you make gifts for the holidays? Here's a fun and easy DIY gift idea for teens and tweens that I first shared on Landeelu.com last month.

Do you or someone you know have a collection of ticket stubs from concerts, sporting events, or other performances stuffed in a drawer or tacked to a cork board?

Safely display those memories in a shadowbox turned memory box. I found these 8x8 Wish Bank frames at my local Michael's store.

Make It: Snowy Christmas Wreath Shadowbox

Follow this easy how-to that I shared last month on Landeelu.com, to bring a snowy Christmas wreath inside for the holidays.

Around our house, we often start decorating for Christmas over Thanksgiving (or at least that's when I think about it). More often than not, the first things to go up are the wreaths on the front of the house. I've always loved the look of the traditional green and red wreaths against the grey and white of our house. And, once snow starts to accumulate on them, it's almost picture-perfect:) I snapped some photos during a pretty snowfall a few years ago, and I used one of my favorites to put together this Shadowbox to add to my holiday decorations this year.

Make It: Beach Vacation Memory Jar

It's Spring Break time and I thought it would be a great time to share my Beach Vacation Memory Jars. This is a fun project whether you're documenting a recent trip or have a little vacation sand stashed away from a past trip. If you're at the beach right now, even better! Looking out our windows here, a beach getaway sounds fabulous!

We're at home this break, but we've been fortunate to take beach vacations in past years. With more snow in the forecast for the end of the week, I thought it would be fun to share a few favorite spring break photos from past trips and a fun keepsake project.

Here's how to put together your own beach memory jar.

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Supplies Needed for Beach Vacation Memory Jars

• Jar with Cork Stopper (I found mine in the Target Dollar Spot, but here's a link to a similar vintage-style glass jar with a cork stopper.)
• Large Paperclip
• Printed Vacation Photo (Mine's about 3"x4")
• Sand, Shells, or other small vacation mementos
• Embellishments (optional)

Make It: 3-D Valentine with Heart Bokeh Background

So, if you're like me and still have a tree and holiday lights up, why not get a head start on a fun valentine?! (Disclaimer: I'm not usually very quick to "undeck the halls," but this year I had a reason to keep them up.  We had one last holiday gathering left to host on Saturday...)

Every year I see many versions of a 3-D Photo Valentine, and this year is no exception. I thought I'd share our version with you today.

What You Need

• Camera & Wide Aperture Lens
• Heart-shaped Bokeh Filter/Hood (Buy one from PhotoJojo here or make one here)
• Background Draped with Mini-Lights (a lighted Christmas tree works well)
• And, if your subject is a child, grab some flowers, a teddy bear, a doll, or anything to stand in while you check settings and take some practice shots. Save your child's patience for the real thing, trust me:)
• 4x6 print of Your Favorite shot
• Small scissors or craft knife
• Valentine Pencil (or other treat for the finished Valentine)
• Cutting mat or something to protect your work surface

Make It: Very Merry Photo Frame

Make your own Very Merry Photo Frame. (Or make several, and keep them on hand for easy hostess or teacher gifts.)

Summer Colors Mason Jar Charms

Learn how to make a simple set of drink charms to fit your mason jars using simple supplies.

Supplies Needed to Make Mason Jar Drink Charms

• Large hair elastics
• Jump rings (I used 9mm)
• Assorted bubble charms
• Printed images to fit charms

For my charms, I used the Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio (Square 25) and the square two-sided charms. 

The EC Shape Studio comes in several shapes or I've seen other charms with press-in epoxy bubbles. Check the jewelry-making supplies aisle of your local craft store. (For an even easier and cheaper alternative, see the end of this post.)

Select an image for your charms and print to fit. I used my colorful daisy photos, but any favorite image or set of images will work. The square charms are two-sided so I created coordinating monogram squares for the reverse. 

After gluing the images to the charms, I attached the charms to matching hairbinders using 9mm jump rings. (Tip: Twist rather than pull the jump rings open and shut.)

Looking for a quicker alternative? Or perhaps you have a set of printable tags you'd like to use at your next event? Try this: attach paperclips to hairbinders using jump rings. 

Add your own tag to personalize or provide blank tags and a pen for guests to label their glass.

Enjoy! I'd love to see what you create. If you share on Instagram, tag me (@laurakingsburyjones) or use #leftonpeninsularoad so I'll see them!

Thanks for stopping by today!

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