February 2024

So, I was in Cracker Barrel the other night.  We go there for the food, of course, but I want to go there sometime by myself just to shop.  I always have my crazy kids running around playing with their toys and begging for candy.  But they actually have adorable, adorable decor for different holidays and seasons!
I was inspired to create a little printable for you to frame and display by an awesome glittery wooden sign they had for sale.  So, thanks for the maple syrup and inspiration, CB!  

I printed mine out and Mod Podge-d it to an 8×10 canvas.  Then I used Krylon Glitter Blast spray paint in two thin coats over the top to give it a little sparkle!  (It’s hard to see in the photos, though).


You can print this up to an 8×10.  Heck- it might be a cute little card to give your husband.  Because really, this is saying something!   Click here to download and print.  (Colors vary slightly due to differences in computer screens and printers).

I will be linking this up to some of these parties- come check them out with me!


See what else I’m pinning for fall by following my “Falling into Fall” board.


Follow Occasionally Crafty (Valerie)’s board Falling into Fall on Pinterest.

Connect with us! You can find us here:

I was browsing Michael’s for some fall decor, when I came across some really cute tall jars with stiched sayings glued to the front of them.  I fell for them instantly.

I did not fall for the price tag- which was like $8 each.  I knew it was something I could make, so off I went to buy the supplies.

Here’s my version:

I used the smooth Ball jars, created my own stitchery (more on that in a minute), and Mod Podged it to the jar.  I then painted the lid and tied some fall ribbon around the neck.  I filled it with some fall goodies, and I have a really cute decoration to add to my fall decor.

I have two more just waiting to be filled and embellished.  I’m trying to decide what to put in them– cinnamon sticks, leaves, mini pumpkins….

So, want to make your own stitchery? Prepare your material.  I used muslin, and since I was going for a rustic look, ripped my fabric instead of cutting it. Print out your quotation or phrase in a cute font in the size and layout you need for your project.  Tape it to a window or other light source.  Tape your fabric over the paper, and trace your pattern with a pencil.
 Use a needle and embroidery floss to stitch your phrase onto the fabric.  If I am going to frame it or make it into something else, I will  pin some Warm n Natural batting behind the fabric and stitch through both, but since mine was just glued to a jar, I kept it simple. Use clip art from Microsoft Office or your favorite websites to create cute, one of a kind stitchery patterns.  I made my own pillow this way for Valentine’s Day.

Or you can just copy something you see in a store, like I did for my jars.

Anyway, I can’t wait to decorate for fall.  Look for a few more projects coming soon!

Linking to some of THESE PARTIES.

If you’re anything like me, after you’ve been blogging for awhile, you start looking at everyone else’s blogs and wishing yours looked like theirs.  How do they get that cute font?  What about those adorable social media buttons?  Why doesn’t yours look so clean?  
You could hire a blog designer to give you exactly what you want.  But, if you’re cheap frugal like me, you might want to consider doing the design yourself.  
Because blogging is a hobby for me (albeit a time-consuming, slightly profitable one!), I couldn’t really justify spending a chunk of change on a blog overhaul.  So I turned to the internet for help.  And, I was also thrilled that this was a topic at last year’s Online Blog Conference!  I came across some great tutorials, and I’m going to share some of them with you.  
As a result of my “research”, I completely designed this blog by myself, using tips and tutorials from the pros.  All it takes is a test blog, a clear vision of what you want, and a little courage to try new things!

Before we get started- set up a test blog.  I am on Blogger, so I just created a new blog, named it Valerie’s Test Blog, and set it to “private”.  Now I can try out any coding or HTML there first without screwing up my actual blog.  Super important, right?  And here’s a disclaimer:  I’ve only used these tutorials on Blogger and really have no idea how to personalize WordPress.  So if you are a WP blogger- you’ll have to search elsewhere for help.  Maybe my WP readers can leave some resources in the comments? (hint, hint).  Still, I think everyone can learn something about DIY design from my experience- so please keep reading!
Ok.  Let’s get started.  Here are the most important things (according to me, but based on experience and lots of research!) that you need to have when designing your own blog.


1) A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT YOU WANT



If you haven’t already done so, take some time to browse your favorite blogs.  What jumps out at you?  What catches your eye?  What do you wish your blog had?  Take notes and figure out how to make those things work for you.


2) A HEADER THAT CATCHES YOUR READER’S ATTENTION


I don’t know about you, but most of my traffic these days comes from Pinterest.  That means most of the people coming to my blog are new visitors- and I want to convert them to loyal readers!  A header not only includes the all-important name of your blog, but it shows a little bit of your personality, and ideally gives your visitors a way to find you on their favorite social media platform.
Think about including a tagline.  Let them know what your blog is about, especially if it’s not obvious in your name.  If your blog is called 123 Cherry Tree Lane and is all about sewing- well, you might want to explain that somewhere.
As for helping people find you, you’ll notice I have my social media buttons in my header, and they are clickable (in my actual header- not this image). 

If, for example, one of your visitors isn’t an avid blog reader but loves Twitter, showing them they can you find you there is a huge plus!
Another option is to put the social media buttons in your sidebar.  If you choose to do it that way, make sure they are at or close to the top and easy to find!


Click here to find some really cute social media buttons for your blog.
Click here for a great tutorial for installing them from My Favourite Things
Design your own header with PicMonkey using this tutorial.
Here’s how to make any image in your header clickable (Image-Mapping).  Thanks Something Swanky!


3) A CLEAN DESIGN THAT SHOWS YOUR PERSONALITY


I highly recommend that the main part of your blog is a white background with a fairly standard font in black. If I have to struggle to read your font, I’m clicking away and I’m not coming back.
However, it’s fun to have some fun or creative fonts for blog post titles and for your sidebar titles.  A GREAT tutorial for installing these on your blog can be found here, as well as some really fun fonts here.
Let the background pattern or image show off your personality.  There are a bunch of sites that offer free blog backgrounds, and those are great when you’re starting out.  But since they are free, ANYONE can use them, which means you’ll see “your” design on other blogs.  Why not find something completely unique to you for a background?


The Cutest Blog on the Block teaches you how to make a cute scrappy background in Photoshop here.
Something Swanky has a great tutorial to learn how to design your own custom background in PicMonkey.






I wanted diagonal stripes, so I used the stripe generator here, then installed it as a repeating image following this tutorial at Blogger Buster.  You could use that same tutorial for polka dots, chevron, flowers, or really any image you want to continue across your whole background.



4) A FOCUS ON YOUR CONTENT
Readers come to your blog for your content, be it recipes, crafts, or to read your thoughts.  Make your content the STAR.  You can do that by de-cluttering your sidebar, getting rid of distractions like music playing, and improving your content space.
I made my text area extra wide.  This gives me plenty of room for extra-large photos to catch my reader’s eyes.  If you want to do the same, here’s the tutorial I used.  


5) SPICE IT UP WITH ATTRACTIVE EXTRAS


There are some things you NEED to have on your blog, like a navigation bar for your different pages, a photo or “About Me” box, and a way for people to get in touch with you.  
I suggest starting here at Something Swanky and see if she has what you’re looking for- her tutorials are easy to follow!
Then there are things that add a little something extra to your blog, but aren’t technically necessary.  This is where you can really have some fun making your blog look just how you want it.  Get those typing fingers going and search online for tutorials for exactly what you’re looking for.  There are many people willing to share their knowledge with you, if you just take the time to search them out.  


6) DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY

In the end, it’s your blog.  You have to stare at that thing every day, and things will start to bug you if they’re not quite right.  Even if “everyone” says to do something but you just aren’t a fan, stay true to yourself and your vision.  There are as many blog designs as there are blogs, and they all have success despite their differences.  
I’m going to close this (rather lengthy) blog post with a list of some of my favorite blog designs so you can get started with some inspiration for yours.  Good luck, and have fun designing!


Visit Vintage Revivals to see how Mandy makes her content the STAR!


Visit Crazy for Crust to see one of my favorite headers (and I love Dorothy’s post title font!)
)
Lolly Jane is the epitome of a blog that represents the style of its authors, Kelli and Kristi.  I love everything about it!

I LOVE this stitchery- and it was FREE!  Head over to YouCanMakeThis.Com for the free pattern!

Image from YouCanMakeThis.com

They also have a free stitchery handbook if you are new to this kind of craft.  It took me about an hour, and I just love how it turned out.

The only thing I changed was that I could not find the teardrop-shaped crystal, so I just filled in the space with 2mm crystals instead. I also need to buy some ribbon.  It’s on my to-do list. I am addicted to stitchery.  I have some great stitchery projects for Christmas.  I can’t wait to get going on them.

Also, hello to anyone stopping by from the blog hops.  Leave me a note if you’re a new follower, and I’ll follow back!

It’s a Valentine’s Day Blog Hop!  I’m joining with the most creative bloggers on the internet to bring you tons of great ideas for Valentine’s Day!

I put together a cute Sticker Valentine to give to your kids or for your kids to give out in class.  
I saw these cute sticker packs at Target and I knew they would be perfect to give out for Valentine’s Day.  


I made up a printable card for you to use when giving out stickers like this.  Simply add a glue dot to the white space in the center or other adhesive, add your sticker square,  and you’ve got a perfect Valentine.





My daughter wants to give these to her friends at school and church.  They are also perfect to use for class Valentines.  The stickers were $3.50 for 28 sets.  Not a shabby deal!



You can download a printable PDF version (4 to a page) by clicking here.


Now, check out what all my creative friends made by hopping through the linky below!  Enjoy!



Connect with us! You can find us here:

Since making over my kids’ bathroom, I’ve got bathroom makeovers on the brain!  Luckily Hometalk has all the inspiration I need.  I’m brand new to Hometalk, so if you have an account, follow me!

If not and you love all things DIY and crafty, head on over and set up an account!  There is so much amazing inspiration over there for bloggers, non-bloggers, professionals, non-professionals, and everone in between!  But if you get addicted, it’s not my fault 😉

I was recently asked to curate a board for Hometalk, and I’m sharing the inspiration with you here today!

People are so creative!  Here a few of my favorite details:

The link to this post is broken, but I have to include it because I love this sink SO much!  

You can find more details about this nautical bathroom here: 

I hope you’ll pop over and see the rest of the Creative Kids’ Bathrooms I put together!
There are a bunch more from this board alone but let me tell you, this is only a small portion of the inspiration you’ll find there, 

Don’t forget to stop by and follow me.  Like I said, I’m brand new, but I’ll be putting together lots more inspiration for you to browse soon!

Connect with us! You can find us here:

**Affiliate Links May be Used in the Post.  Thank you for supporting Occasionally Crafty by visiting the blog today!**


A few weeks ago,  I showed you my Kids’ Bathroom Makeover.  By far, my favorite part of the makeover is the transformation of my golden oak cabinets using Java Gel Stain by General Finishes.  I finally got around to writing up a tutorial for you, as well as some things I learned if you want to give it a try yourself.





First, let me just say that this post is not sponsored.  I read several posts I found on Pinterest extolling the virtues of the gel stain, so I knew I had to try it.  The only thing is, it can be hard to find.  Here in Phoenix, I had to go to a tiny little vintage thrift store to find it.  Luckily, you can order it on (affiliate link) Amazon here.   Just make sure to plan in time for shipping, and while you’re there, order the sealer as well.



There are other colors besides Java.  This color is a rich dark brown, which is important to know because the pictures almost appear black.  Make sure you pick the color you really want.


To get started, you’ll need the following
Application:


1. Prepare your surfaces.  If you are using previously stained cabinets, like my golden oak ones, you don’t need to sand or strip them at all!  Just wipe them down with soapy water and dry.  Make sure any gunk or debris is cleaned away.  Remove all hardware (keep track of which door or drawer they belong to!) Tape your floors and walls,  and around anything on the cabinet itself you don’t want stained. Lay down plastic sheeting to protect surfaces if desired.
  
2.  Place your doors on painting pyramids so you can paint the edges easily.  Make sure you aren’t in direct sunlight, or your stain will dry too quickly.  I set up in my garage (sorry for taking your space, husband!)  Using a sponge brush, paint on your first coat of stain.  It is very thick so a little goes a long, long way- but don’t be too stingy or you’ll need more coats of stain.  I chose to use the brush because I had lots of little nooks and corners on my doors.  I’ve seen others use a long sock with a plastic glove on underneath.  Use what you’re most comfortable with. 
 
3.  Apply the first coat.  Try to go in the same direction with your brush on each section of the door.  Freak out because the first coat looks scary.  It is splotchy and you can see all your brush strokes.  I promise it will get better.  I painted the front sides in the morning and let them dry for a few hours, then came back in the afternoon to flip them over and stain the back sides.  In between, I went inside the house and painted the cabinet itself in the bathroom.  Let the first coat dry overnight.* Side note- this works on wood veneer or fake wood too!  Parts of my cabinets are not real oak, and those parts took the stain just as well as the real wood did!  So just stain it all.


4.  Apply the second coat directly over the first- no sanding is needed.  Again, do the fronts in the morning, backs in the afternoon, and dry overnight.  You should see much better coverage and your brush strokes should blend in easily as it dries.  


5.  Apply a third and final coat in the same manner.  Let dry overnight.  I’ve put together a collage so you can see the difference each coat makes.  





In the 2nd and 3rd coats, you can’t see my brush strokes at all!  You may need to touch up a few spots after the 3rd coat, but if not, continue on to seal your cabinets.


6.  After you are happy with the coverage and it is completely dry, apply two coats of sealer.  The sealer dries much more quickly than the stain, so I did one coat in the morning, then returned and did a second coat in the afternoon.  Sand lightly in between coats for even coverage. 
 
*Please for the love of gorgeous cabinets, choose a high-quality polyurethane sealer.  You don’t want all your hard work to go to waste!


7.  Let cabinets dry a full 24 hours after applying the last coat of sealer before moving them.  I actually moved them inside after 24 hours and then waited another few days before hanging them.  That’s partly because I had to spraypaint my hardware and buy the knobs I wanted, but you might want to think about doing that too.  It would stink to spend all that time and effort only to get a bunch of chips while hanging the doors.


8.  Reattach hardware.  Drill holes if attaching knobs or handles.  Rehang doors.  Apply bumper pads on the insides of the doors to protect them from being chipped when being closed.  Enjoy your gorgeous cabinets!  



 Huge difference, right?  I love it so much!  If you have any questions I’d be happy to try to answer them- just leave me a note in the comments or email me.  Have a wonderful weekend and have fun staining!

I may be linking this post up to some of these parties- check them out with me!

Connect with us! You can find us here:

Whenever I start making something, my daughter wants to help.  I should be nurturing that crafty desire, but most of the time I just want to get the project done.  So, this time, I have a craft that can be done with your kids, and it will add just the right touch of spring to your home! To make this you need the following: Pencil Scrapbook paper Glue Scissors or paper cutter Ribbon To begin with, we cut “spring-y” scrapbook paper into 1/4 inch strips.  Then we curled them around a pencil very tightly.  We gently slid them off to get circles like this: Next, we cut out letters for the top.  I used my Silhouette, but you could easily cut them out by hand. Then, I took a white sheet of cardstock, painted a light layer of glue where I wanted the flower curls and ribbon.  We also glued the letters on. We let it dry a little, then mounted it on an old empty frame.  My daughter liked it like this, but you could really fancy it up in a better fitting frame and add some embellishments.  I probably would have done more,  but I promised to let her do it her way.  (So hard to let go!  But it will pay off down the road, I hope, as she learns and develops her own craftiness….) Anyway, this was quick and easy, and I think it turned out cute.  We had fun together, too, which sometimes is all that counts.

 Linking up to some of my favorite parties here:        

Thanks for the feature!

So, I was in Cracker Barrel the other night.  We go there for the food, of course, but I want to go there sometime by myself just to shop.  I always have my crazy kids running around playing with their toys and begging for candy.  But they actually have adorable, adorable decor for different holidays and seasons!
I was inspired to create a little printable for you to frame and display by an awesome glittery wooden sign they had for sale.  So, thanks for the maple syrup and inspiration, CB!  

I printed mine out and Mod Podge-d it to an 8×10 canvas.  Then I used Krylon Glitter Blast spray paint in two thin coats over the top to give it a little sparkle!  (It’s hard to see in the photos, though).


You can print this up to an 8×10.  Heck- it might be a cute little card to give your husband.  Because really, this is saying something!   Click here to download and print.  (Colors vary slightly due to differences in computer screens and printers).

I will be linking this up to some of these parties- come check them out with me!


See what else I’m pinning for fall by following my “Falling into Fall” board.


Follow Occasionally Crafty (Valerie)’s board Falling into Fall on Pinterest.

Connect with us! You can find us here:

Welcome to the Spring Fling Series!  We are thrilled to be kicking off the week with two sisters, just like us, from one of our favorite blogs- Lolly Jane!  We absolutely LOVE their style and creativity!  I’ve been a guest over there, and I’ve even had the chance to meet these two in person- and they are so fun and so nice!  So- without further ado, let’s get this thing started! Hi there Occasionally Crafty readers, we are so excited to be visiting these cute blog sisters today and thrilled to be part of their new Spring Fling series! Today we’re going to share our pom pom spring banner:
To quickly introduce ourselves, we’re twin sisters Kelli and Kristi from Lolly Jane, our DIY/home improvement blog where we share tips for painting and redoing furniture, holiday crafts, creating home decor on a budget and once in a while, we’ll even share some tasty desserts along the way.

And every so often you will see our older sis Sandee (we’ve nicknamed her our manager since she coordinates our quarterly craft nights) on LJ, like today! We love her style and are happy she let us raid her house to share her pom pom burlap bunting that we will soon be knocking off (; It’s easy peasy to create and is oh-so-springy and fun!

To get started you’ll need a few yards of burlap, scrap fabric (hers is from Hobby Lobby) pom poms and hot glue. If you’re like us, you probably already have these supplies in your craft stash (;

Simply cut the burlap into a pendant shape and fold; cut the fabric slightly smaller (feel free to use our template provided above, although we free handed ours. Perfectly imperfect! LOL) String some bakers twine between the fold of the bunting then hot glue the pom pom strand across the whole bunting. Simple but makes the space so cheery!

Sandee’s mantel is super cute paired with our Shanty-inspired apothecary jars, framed eighteen25 printable, our foam Easter egg sign and Kelli’s recent bunny thrift store find. Sandee and I both tried to bribe her to snag that bunny but she’s playing for keeps! Tag along with us on Instagram to see our other thrifty finds and if you’re looking for cute and inexpensive holiday and seasonal creations to spruce up your space, feel free to pop by Lolly Jane anytime! You can also find us on FB and Pinterest- we would love to see you (:

A big thanks to Val & Laura for letting us guest today! Happy spring, everyone! xo

Thanks ladies!  That banner is seriously adorable- and I must make one RIGHT NOW!  We are truly honored to have you here on the blog today!


Now, it’s time to announce our Spring Fling Giveaway.  Some of our favorite companies and sponsors have teamed up to offer you $200 worth of goodies!





1.  $50 to Cutting Edge Stencils towards the stencil of your choice
2.  10 Coordinating Vintage Sheet Fat Quarters from The Sheet Shop
3.  Mud Pie Infant Outfit (0-6 mos) with matching headband from BowMama Hairbows
4.  13 Color Bakers Twine Pack from Very Jane
5.  $40 Gift Card to your choice:  Michael’s, Target, or Hobby Lobby


To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter entry form below. It will be open all week, until Sunday night at midnight.  I know that there are a TON of entries, but we have them because entering the giveaway not only shows these companies you love their products, but also supports all our Spring Fling Series Guest Posters.  So, go show them some love and enter yourself to win some awesome stuff in the process.  (And we wouldn’t mind if you shared this with your friends!)


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Good luck and make sure you drop by later today to learn more about the prizes being offered!




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