Wall to Wall: DIY Silhouette Art and More Stuff to Put on Your Walls!!!

I really don't have a good introduction for this post (hehehe).

I was browsing through my old photos, and I stumbled upon a few photos from my previous DIY projects.  I'm sure I wanted to post them on the blog and make a quick tutorial as well.  But ever since I started with my freelance writing gig, I've had less (read: NO) time to write about my DIY adventures.

So I quickly decided to post it NOW before I change my mind, and end up writing about it months later. I should really have a writing schedule.

I've come to realize that I dislike the sight of empty walls.  Seeing one would be like a massive itch I'd want to scratch.  And sometimes if the urge is too strong, it could also be a culprit for a few sleepless nights.

A few months back, I came across this blog and fell in love with the simplicity of silhouette art. It's technically your face, but it's all black. Hahaha. I guess I just like how black looks like on white space.

Tada! It's us!

You can choose to have a regular sized photo of the silhouette, and put it in a frame.  As for me, I really wanted to have something large I can put on my work area.  

Canon Philippines has a CSR initiative called Print for Smiles which caters to enthusiasts who want to have their photos printed on a bigger medium. So if you're planning to have something huge printed (max of 42in), Print for Smiles is definitely an option.  Oh, did I mention all proceeds will be given to fund free surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate? Awesome right?

Click here for more information about Canon Print for Smiles.

Ours was printed on canvas.  While the best option is of course to treat them like real paintings and attach them to a wooden frame, I really didn't want to spend that much to have it framed.  So I went ahead and used styrofoam instead! I just want to say that styro is definitely NOT THE BEST option, but it is the cheapest alternative (unless you have old foam boards/ cork boards lying around).

With heavy duty double sided tape, stick the print to the styro.  Make sure to put tape on all sides.

This is how it looks like all wrapped up from the back...

...and front

 

To stick the styro to the wall, I placed a strip of the thicker kind of double sided tape (I really don't know what it's called :p) on first, and then place another layer of the regular double sided tape on top.  This works well since the styro is lightweight.  For those who don't like attaching hooks on their walls, this is a good option.

Here's the other finished product.  :)

 

 

In essence, wrapping canvas prints on styrofoam can be applied to different materials as well.  We have a magnet board in our bedroom where we post random stuff- faith goals, bills and reminders.  We bought it as is, but I think it would be a great DIY project for other moms out there!

With a nice printed fabric, a metal board, a gun tacker/rugby, and magnets, I'm sure you can re-create this and use it for whatever purpose at home.  Just last month, I purchased 4 yards of canvas fabric (similar to the one seen on our magnetic board) from Divisoria and it only cost me P180! I used them for curtains in my son's room, but you can definitely use them to cover your magnet board (or corkboard!)

Share your thoughts in the comments section below!  I'd love to hear from you!


Till the next DIY adventure!

Christmas Decor Ideas For Small Spaces

Christmas has already begun! Hooray for my favorite time of the year!! :)

I really wanted to get a Christmas tree this year. Nothing says "Christmas" than a Christmas tree! But living in a condo with a wandering one year old could be one of the reasons why we postponed having one for the meantime.  Apart from the lack of a good spot for the tree, I am 100% sure that it will be a very enticing piece to destroy for my son. Toddlers.

I wasn't really sure how I wanted to decorate our space for Christmas.  Should I go and buy pieces in red and green? Should I buy Christmas-y throw pillow covers? There was just SO MANY OPTIONS.

After a long trip to the mall, I decided to just stick with a particular color palette. There's really something about the combination of gold, orange, white and green that appealed to me.  I knew that would be our home's theme for Christmas this year. :)

Here are some Christmas decor ideas you can also do at home (most especially if you have a small space and a TODDLER :p).

If you have mirrors or big frames at home you can just add accent pieces on top- ribbons, balls, flowers, etc. Be creative!

Use existing vases and decor to hold Christmas ornaments.  For example, the lantern used to be empty, but you can put stuff in there from candles to anything Christmas related.  The flowers by the way are fake.  Of course nothing beats fresh flowers, but I love how fake ones never wilt. As in like never. :p  That way I won't need to change them that often.

Another decor idea- accessorize your clocks! You can also do this around mirrors or frames.

This was last year's wreath.  Instead of buying a dolled-up, spruced-up wreath, I bought a bare one so I can change its look every year. :)

I guess the key to getting small spaces ready for Christmas is to simply look at your home with a different perspective.  Use existing items, be creative!

Got some Christmas decor ideas to share? Leave a comment below!  I would love to hear from you!


Until the next DIY adventure!

The Grand DIY Attempt

I've been meaning to blog about Alonzo's great DIY Mexican Fiesta party for a long time now. 5 months after his party, I finally DECIDE that I NEED to write about it.

I'm not gonna lie, I chose to go the DIY route because I really didn't want to spend a lot for something my son will only remember through photos.  At the same time, I just had to put my new found hobby to the ultimate test.

Majority of the decorations during Alonzo's party were made from scratch, but I also had to ask help from the experts too.  Basically the goal was to lower the cost where we can.

So here are some of the decors I decided to make myself.  I put on the link of the tutorials too so that you can go and try them yourselves.

1.  Paper Cactus

Photos by Veejay Jimenez/209Studios

I originally wanted to put a real potted cactus on each table as the centerpiece, but that would really cost me a fortune so I opted for the cheapest alternative- making my own!

Some of the cans I used for the cacti were used corned beef, Spam and sardines cans we had at home.  Yes I did clean them up real good, and yes my husband almost threw them out once because he thought they were trash.  I did have to buy some small pails from Divisoria (cost me P150 for 12 pcs) to house the other cacti.

Other centerpieces and accents used where provided by our awesome caterer Phoebe Cakes. :)

Here's how you can make your own cactus! It's a really cute option for your worktable at home or at the office. :)



2. Ribbon Chandeliers

Photos by Veejay Jimenez/209 Studios

The moment I saw these ribbon chandeliers on Pinterest, I knew it would be a great addition to Alonzo's Mexican Fiesta theme.  You can be really creative with the materials you want to use . As for me, I used a combination of cloth and crepe paper strips.  Here's a tutorial that can help you.

The biggest challenge for me was the cutting. Since the venue had a really high ceiling I had to cut loooong strips. So be careful not to knot the ends when you're cutting them.

Another challenge was the round thing I used keep the strips together.  After weeks of searching I finally found the perfect wooden rings in Divi. Divi, not SM, has got it all for you.

Oh and if you're wondering if I made those hanging lanterns, no I did not.  I wish I had the patience though, but I got them from Divi too. :)


3. Mexican Banderitas (Papel Picado), Crepe Paper Decor And Blackboard Sign

Photos by Iris Carpio Duque

Photo by Veejay Jimenez/209 Studios

The Mexican banderitas took me the longest to make.  I think I started making them 2 months prior to the event.  I had to make them by batches because the cutting part was really painful on the hands if you do it for a long time.  Originally, these kinds of banderitas makes use of crepe paper or tissue, but I found that stores only have limited color options.  With that I had to buy colored bond paper.  It was thicker and tougher to cut (I had to cut 5 pieces of paper all at one time to save me time) hence my weeks of hand pain.

Here's a tutorial for making the banderitas:

On the other hand, the crepe paper decor was one of the easiest to do.  The backdrop was made on the day itself, and it only took me 1 day to cover the paper mache letters in crepe paper strips.  All you have to do is to cut the crepe paper crosswise then cut thin vertical strips on the cut portions.  Unfold and behold, you now have a crepe paper fringe. Proceed to taping/pasting them wherever you wish.

Lastly for the blackboard sign, I first tested the overall look on Photoshop with the fonts I liked.  I traced them with a pencil on the illustration board, then finished it off with a chalk pen.  A CHALK PEN?? Yes, there's such a thing! And I'm glad I found one (National Bookstore in Podium has it)!

And if you're wondering where I got my wooden crates, I got them from Dapitan.  They sell them for P12 each. :) 


4. Paper Accordion Flowers

Photo by KC Bayani

Photo by Veejay Jimenez (Hi Phoebe!! :))

At first look this DIY wall decor looks intimidating, but can you believe that I finished making them all in one morning?  It's really easy to make once you get the hang of it.  The tricky part is attaching them.  We had to use a gun tacker and thumbtacks to secure them on the panel. Sometimes even the stickiest double sided tape doesn't work at all.

Need these in your life? Here's a quick tutorial to help you out!


5. Loot Bags

Brown paper bags and a printer. The end (The clothespin is optional). Oh yeah, don't forget to put some candies and interesting things inside the bag too (very important)!


6. Invitations and Save the Date

 

Thank you Lord I didn't take my college Photoshop elective for granted.  My skills are very basic and dusty, but hey, it's decent enough to make my son's (and future children's) invitations. :)

So there you have it! I hope this encourages other awesome mommas out there that DIY parties are doable.  They don't exist in pictures alone, they happen for realZz! Are you willing to give it a try? :)

Alonzo's Mexican Fiesta party won't be a success without the help of the following suppliers:

1. Party Troupers c/o Abbie Go
Thanks to Abbie and her awesome team, the party had a host/magician, yummy food carts and fun activities (face painting, DIY flip-flops).  Their staff also helped me set up some of the decors. Highly recommended!

2. Phoebe Cakes Catering
If you want great tasting food with a very reasonable price, Phoebe Cakes is your best bet!  Oh and did I mention that the brains behind the business- Phoebe Estrevillo- makes some of the best tasting cakes and pastries on Earth? :) Highly recommended (x1000)

3. Veejay Jimenez Photography/209 Studios
We were very shy to approach Veejay at first knowing that he specializes in wedding photography.  But when he agreed, Jerome and I got really excited.  We've seen the photos he took of friends' weddings and they're all stunning. Again, highly recommended. :)

Here are more photos from the party:

 

Until the next DIY adventure!

Go to sleep, go to sleep my baby (PLEEEAASEEEE!!!!!!!!)

I opened the light to check what time it was. It was 3:20 AM. Barely 3 hours have gone by since he last woke up. And even though this is a usual occurrence in our bedroom for the past year, I'm still not used to it.

Ladies and gents, we have a night waker.

It sure does sound like I'm describing a zombie (though he may like act one especially when he screams for attention at night), but I'm just stating the facts. Jerome and I haven't had a good night's sleep in a year.  Though we really aren't the before midnight kind of sleepers too, we both haven't enjoyed uninterrupted sleep since Alonzo came along. And by uninterrupted, I mean no whining, no loud cries, no screaming, no fist on your face, no foot kicking action on your back kind of uninterrupted.

He's quite a handful when he's half awake. REALLY.

But he's so different when he's awake. He's really this smart charming boy ready to give us a smile the moment we wake up. We can't complain of how good natured he is with other people, cause he basically has two reactions for them: happy playful or none at all. What he is when he sleeps is definitely the exact opposite when he's awake. Besides crying for his food, the remote and his "number twos" he barely cries too.

I've read tons of articles about sleep training. We've considered Babywise and the Crying It Out method just recently, but both to no avail. Sometimes I really feel that by being the giving parent, I actually end up being the worst kind of parent there is. On top of that, I feel like I'm failing my husband too.

This morning I found myself researching on night waking for the nth time. And I felt a subtle rebuke. By reading those things online I only fueled my worries more. I ended up envying other mothers who have angel like babies who sleep through the night. I knew something's wrong here. When I had a question I turned to the internet.

But I forgot to turn to God.

After reading a forum thread by stressed out moms like me, I just said no more. Then I prayed. I should have started with that shouldn't I?

For the past year I have placed the caring of my child in my own hands. Stocking up on knowledge here and there just so I "know" how to raise him properly. But I realized that more than "knowing" -which of course could only go up to a certain extent- why don't I start "trusting?"

Trusting in myself that I can be a good wife and mom, and that I am capable of making good decisions. Trusting in the fact that Alonzo will learn to sleep on his own, just like how he will learn to talk and walk in the right time. And of course, trusting in God that He, from now on, will take the lead in this parenting journey.

I was really tired and was almost at the brink of desperation up until I lifted up my worries to God this morning. My fears and tears were immediately replaced with the joy to patiently wait on His next move.

We will still have a night waking baby tonight, but we will be fine. Besides, all is good when he gives us that "gigil" face when we wake up tomorrow.

Throwback Crafts day

Preparing for your wedding day could be one of the most tedious tasks you will ever do in your life. It's never easy unless you hire a team to do all the dirty work for you.  But even with a team helping out, of course you'd still need to check on things. Really, you have to.

As for our wedding, we really didn't have the budget to hire a team to do all the work for us.  We also decided to get involved as much as possible because my husband and I are OC like that- we're detail freaks!

It was tough for us at first because we didn't like the same things.  We argued a lot (A LOT!), but boy did it teach us a lot.  Ultimately, we learned to appreciate each other despite those "di nga seryoso ganyan gusto mo?" moments, and we really lowered some costs by doing some things ourselves.

Early on, I wanted the wedding to be unique.  It helped that I haven't developed a fondness for flowers too.  That's when I decided to make DIY boutonnieres and corsages for our entourage. I would have loved to make DIY bouquets for me and my maids of honor, but I didn't have that much time.  I didn't want to stress myself too much. Of course I was saving that glow, hello! :)

Some of the few ideas I got from the web

In total I made:

2 boutonnieres for the dads
3 boutonnieres for the best men
5 boutonnieres for secondary sponsors
14 boutonnieres and corsages for primary sponsors

WHEW!  In writing, that seemed a lot, but would you believe I finished them all in 2 days?  I really enjoyed making all of them so much!  Fun times!

Best men boutonniere.  Hi Kuya!

Jerome's dad

Secondary sponsors

Hey Daddy <3

Primary sponsors

Till the next DIY filled event!  Oh wait that's in 2 months! :)  Time to recharge the DIY powers for Alonzo's first birthday!