Real Maple Leaf Basket

The leaves are falling down.  The leaves are falling down.

Red, Yellow, Green, and Brown.

The leaves are falling down.

It’s that time of year again.  The holidays are approaching. It’s getting colder, the leaves are changing color and falling from the trees.

To help bring a little of the autumn softness into our home, I put together this maple leaf basket.

I had seen this on Pinterest, but all of them said to use fake leaves.  I didn’t want that.  I have beautiful maple trees on my property that are beautiful when the sun shines through their leaves.  That’s what I wanted for my home. 

It took a little extra finagling because nature made leaves have a mind of their own, but eventually it came out looking beautiful.  Here’s how I did it.

What you need:

Maple leaves (Pulled from the tree before they fall, if possible. An assortment of colors.)
A Balloon
A Bowl
Mod Podge
Foam Brush
Plastic Wrap

To prepare the leaves… Cut off the stem as close to the leaf as possible.

Next, Blow up the balloon so that the bottom is the size of the basket you want, and tie it off.  Place it, knot side down, in your bowl to keep it in place.

Brush a layer of Mod Podge over the balloon, as big as the size of your basket.

Once the glue becomes somewhat tacky, start layering the leaves over the balloon.

**Unlike fake leaves, real maple leaves are colorful on one side and dull on the other. 

Make sure that when you first start putting leaves on the balloon that they are colored side down.  That way the inside of your basket will be just as colorful as the outside.**

Place a leaf on the balloon, flattening it to the best of your abilities.  There is no way to make natural leaves completely flat.  There will be air bubbles and creases that you have to work around.

 

Brush a layer of Mod Podge over the top.

 

Do this repeatedly with every leaf. 

 

When the inside layer of your basket is done, flip the leaves over so the bright side is up, and place them over the inside layer. Keep going up as far as you want your basket to go.

**The higher up on the basket I went, I found it easier to brush the bottom of the leaf with Mod Podge before sticking it on, instead of covering every leaf once it was on.  This helped to make it not as slippery by limiting the glue.**

Now, because these were real leaves, some corners aren’t going to stay down as much as you want them to.  Once all the leaves are down, go through and brush some glue on the bottom of the edges that aren’t sticking.  Next, cover the balloon in plastic wrap to hold all of them down, and let it sit for close to an hour. 

Slowly peel away the plastic wrap and all the leaves should be flattened to the balloon.

   

Next, gently brush a layer of Mod Podge over the top of the whole thing.

Let dry overnight.

The next day, your leaves should be hardened onto the bottom of your balloon.  Take a sharp object and poke a small hole close to the tie on the balloon.  Slowly let out the air.

 

**If it looks as if the balloon isn’t pulling away from the leaves, you’ll have to gently help it along by peeling it away.**

**At this point, I did not have high hopes for this basket.  The dried glue came off with the leaves and some glue was still wet on the inside. It looked like a hot mess.

However, the inside dried, and I cut off the excess glue with a pair of scissors.  Once I was done, the basket looked lovely.**

Once your basket is done, you can put whatever you like inside of it, and it’s great to have to bring a little bit of that autumn peacefulness inside your home.

On a side note… The basket came out good.  After time, it will become more brittle since the leaves are drying out, but it feels great having made something from trees in my own front yard.  The process took longer than I thought, is REALLY messy, and I’ll probably never do it again, but it was a new experience that I wouldn’t change.

Happy Fall Y’all!!

**My mom made the recommendation to put it outside when I was through with it, and it would more than likely become some bird’s home.  I just might do that, and I will give you an update on how it turns out.** 

Until next time…

Happy DIY-ing!!!

Pompom Valentine Heart Wreath

For my daughters Valentine party, I need to make a big heart.  It was for a game, and the style was up to me.  The only criteria was that it had to be big enough for them to throw bean bags through.

I went at this with the thought that it would be just like making a heart wreath for Valentine’s Day, so I went to Pinterest. 

The rag style was really cute, but I had already done a rag wreath, and I was looking for something new. 

Wire Heart Wreath Form

Then, I saw the Pompom wreath. 

It was cute, it was simple, and I knew I had to do it. 

Items needed

Yarn Pompoms, big and small
Hot Glue
Cardboard
Scissors

The first thing I did was made my pompoms.  I didn’t want to spend any money on a specific tool for this, so I found unconventional ways to make them.  Click here to find out how I made my pompoms.

It was time to make the heart.  Take out your cardboard.  Lucky for me, we had just ordered a new treadmill, and it came in a large cardboard box, so I had plenty. 

Use your scissors and cut a large heart out of cardboard. Then cut a smaller heart out of the middle, so you have the outline of a heart. 

The first heart I cut was way too big, and so I ended up using the one I cut out from the middle.  Be sure to save your extra cardboard hearts.  You never know when you might need them.

Now, bring out all your pompoms and your hot glue gun.

Start with your bigger pompoms and lay out the design you want.

 

When you have it how you like, use your hot glue gun and glue them down on the cardboard. 

When I was done, it was cute, but it had gaps where you could easily see the cardboard.

 

This is where, I took my smaller poms and glued them sporadically around the wreath where they were needed the most. 

There, it was so cute when I was done.  Except when I picked it up, the cardboard was flimsy where I had folded it to cut my heart. 

I just glued a stabilizer piece of cardboard where it folded, and glued it on.

I then took some of my red yard, looped it around the front, and left the two ends long and untied.  That way, I could tie them to make the loop short so I could use it as a wreath, or longer so it could hang for a bean bag toss. 

I really enjoyed watching this wreath come together and now I have a great February decoration for my home. 

While doing my research, I found so many different thing that could be done with homemade pompoms.  Here are just a few…

Pompom Rug

Pompom Everyday Wreath

Pompom Bookmarks

Pompom Garland

Pompom Animals

And Much Much more!

With so many options, I wonder what MY next pompom project will be.  Stay tuned to find out!

Until then…

Happy DIY-ing!!!

Dandilion String Art : A "How To" on a Detailed Design

Let’s talk about art, more specifically…  String Art! 

I’ve always been the artistic type with painting, sketching, designing, and etcetera.  However, I had never seen what could be done with just some wood, a hammer, nails, and string.

I started looking up a bunch of different tutorials, and let me tell you, I watched A LOT! In the end, this was the one that got it through to me how easy string art actually is.  String Art Heart 

I knew this technique would make a perfect gift, and I was on the hunt to find something for my mom.  There were so many different designs out there, but ultimately the one that caught my eye was the dandelion.

Dandelions are cool just the way they are, but when caught in the wind, the little pieces fly off and go who knows where, doing who knows what.  That’s exactly how I see my mom.  She is all about flying free and going to all different places now that her kids are grown and she’s retired.  This was the PERFECT design for her.

However, this was not your simple, bang the nails around a template, like what was shown in the video.  This took measurements, precise placement, and a thought out strategy.

I couldn’t find a FREE pattern for this design, so I made up my own and now I’m sharing how I did it, step by step. 

Materials Needed:

Wood plaque
Paper
Tape
Pensil
Drill
3/32 drill bit
Hammer
Nails
String

First, get your wood plaque.  You can have it any size you want your picture to be.

Next, place paper over the plaque until you’ve covered the entire thing, tape the pieces together if need be.  This will be your template.

Now, because I used pallets, I had an extra step.  I took a marker and marked all the places on the wood that nailing into it would cause an issue.  There was a hole in the middle where a piece of wood curved in more than others, a weak spot in the top corner, and let’s not forget the original pallet nails that were still in there. No two designs are ever the same with pallets because each plaque has its own strengths and weaknesses. 

Would it have been easier with a different type of wood? Yes, but there’s just something about old pallets that I can’t get enough of.  Plus, I think it gives it a rustic and homier feel.

It’s now time to draw out your design.  I used a plate, and traced it to get the outer ring of the dandelion.  Measuring to the center, I traced around a vitamin lid to make the inner circle. Using the same center marking, I took a compass and used it to make the remaining two circles that were closer to the outer ring.

Now dot up your design (with pencil, you never know when you have to adjust things).  Anywhere that you think a nail should go, put a clear dot. 

Outer ring  à  An even number, at equal distances apart (make sure to leave a gap for the flyaways)

Second ring in à  Put dots in between EVERY OTHER two dots on the outer ring

Third ring in  à  Put dots in between EVERY two dots on the outer ring.

Using a ruler, line up the center of the circles with an outside dot.  Then, put a dot where your ruler intersects with the inner ring.  Continue all the way around the circle.

For me: I had 22 dots on the outer ring, 11 dots on the second ring, 23 dots on the third ring, and 26 dots on the inner circle. 

Next, place two dots inside the inner circle, and three at the base of your stem.  Don’t forget the flyaways as well.

********************************Optional Step***********************************

Painting the Plaque

I chose to paint a quote on my plaque and I wanted to do it before I strung it up. By doing this, I don’t get the sealant I spray on the string.

Find what you want to paint.

I wanted to portray to my mom what I was meaning by giving her the dandelion, so I decided to paint a quote onto the wood.  The others I saw said, “Be Free” or “Make a Wish.”  Those are cute, but not what I was going for.  Since every day is like an adventure to her, it was easy.  I chose “and so the adventure begins”.

Draw what you want to paint and where you want it to go. 

**This is one of the reasons why I love making a template.  You can make notes on it, or change your mind and erase things.  It’s a definite must have when getting into more detailed string art designs!**

Ok, this is the cool part, so pay attention.  Flip over your template and color with chalk on the back of what you want to paint. 

Flip it back around and put it on the wood where it goes.  Trace over it with a pencil.  The image that you traced should have transferred onto the wood in chalk.  Trace over it on the wood with pencil, so it doesn’t come off, then start painting it with acrylics. 

Once you’re done, spray a sealer on top, let it dry, and then get back to your string art.

**********************************************************************************

Now it’s time to drill.  Tape your template to the plaque, so it doesn’t move.  Take a small drill bit {I used a DeWALT drill with a 3/32 sized bit},

and place tape around it as a gauge to show how far you can go into the wood.  This depends on the depth of the wood you’re using.  You don’t need to go too far in. 

This step makes it easier for the nails to be hammered in, especially with pallets where the wood has a tendency to crack.  Then there’s the fact that with a more detailed design, the holes give you a guide for when the paper comes off.

Clean up the mess that you now have.

Time to start nailing.  Where there’s a pre drilled hole, hammer in a nail.  Be sure not to go too far down because you don’t want it poking out the back of the plaque, but make sure it’s secure.

I strung the stem before nailing in all the inner circle nails.  That way, they wouldn’t get in the way. 

The two nails in the middle of the inner circle should be a tad lower than the rest, since they will be hidden. Tie a knot around one of them,

and pull it down to the bottom of the stem, then back up to one of the two nails.

 

Keep weaving them up and down until you have the look you want for the stem. Tie it off with a knot on one of the inner nails and your stem is done.

Hammer in the rest of the nails.

**The inner circle nails are so close together that it’s easier to stagger them higher and lower.  Once you’re done stringing everything, you can hammer them all to the same height.**

  

The next step is to fill in the inner circle.  Tie the string around a nail, and just start weaving.  Use any pattern or design you want, just make sure that the end of the stem is hidden. Tie it off with a knot when done. 

The next step was the one I had meticulously planned out, but when I got down to it, I just played around to get the result I liked.  Start at one end on your outer circle, and tie your string to the inner circle nail that’s underneath it.  Take it up to that starting nail on the outer circle, then back down to the inner circle.  Then go back up to the next nail on the outer circle, and continue doing this all the way until you reach the other end.  Work your way back around, but play around as you go.  Take it at different angles back to the inner circle, just as long as the outer ring stays as points.

Once you have your desired look for that section, and have reached an end nail on your outer circle, wrap the string down to the end nail on the third ring in, then back up to the next nail on the outer ring.  Work it in a zig zag pattern all the way around, then back around, successfully doubling up the layer of string.  Tie it off once you reach the end.

Now, for the last layer of your dandelion.  You’re going to start at one end and make a smaller zig zag pattern starting at your third ring in and going to the second ring in.  Work your way around, then double back again to thicken the layer.  Tie it off once you reach the end.

Don’t forget to string up your flyaways. 

**I started and stopped the string on the middle nail, so no one would notice the knots.**

Once everything is tied off, go through and lightly hammer any nails that are uneven, just to be sure they’re all level. 

There you have it.  That’s how I made my dandelion.  I know it seems like a lot, but it’s actually really easy. 

One of the best parts about string art is when people look at all the nails sticking out of the plaque, before the string, and have no idea what they’re seeing.  When they ask, all you have to say is, “You’ll see.”

Tell me what you thought of this post.  Did you find it helpful? Did you learn anything new?

What other string art designs have you tried?

If you use this to make a dandelion, don’t forget to send me a picture!

Be sure to stay tuned for more string art and tutorials to come.

Until then, take a look at other designs I have done.

 

   Click here to get one of your very own

Coming Soon...

And...

Happy DIY-ing!!