in order for our back porch makeover to be affordable, i had to get a little crafty (not to mention thrifty)!  here’s how i made all those yellow vases (super easy peasy).

i paid less than $2 for these three vases- all plastic and all thrifted!  with a little high gloss spray paint…

{peach japanese masking tape and red and white washi masking tape}

and a little japanese washi tape…

you can have brand new, beautiful vases!  the three of these were finished within about 15 minutes.

i’m not sure which stars aligned that allowed me to find this yellow lace at a thrift store one day, but i bought a realm of about 200 yards for $2.  woot woot!

i still need to find a little plant to go in this one, but she’s waiting patiently here until i do.

wrap up: {back porch} {bouquet} {diy} {japanses masking tape} {spray paint} {tape} {vases} {washi}

i was so thrilled when i found this brilliant paper tape project on creature comforts last week, i thought, why didn’t i think of that?!  the original project with detailed instructions comes from kathrin on annekata. with how obsessed i’ve been lately with happy tape, i can only imagine all the endless possibilities with this project.  i’ve got so many fabric scraps laying around, and now i know what to do with them!  soon cards, gifts, wrapping paper, & vases will all be adorned with my make-it-at-home fabric tape.

wrap up: {crafts} {diy} {embellish} {fabric} {handmade} {project} {tape}

hello beloveds!  instead of an etsy shop help post today, i’m writing about something that i often get asked about, how do i ‘pretty up my posts’? the good news is, that there are many resources out there to help you doll up your images, posts and projects!  the bad news is, some are free and some aren’t- so i’m just going to outline a few for you today.

first things first, digital tape seems to be the biggest craze!  on the left is one of my favorite masking tapes called naked tape elements from designer digital (costs $3.50).  the 2nd set is my latest absolute favorite tape download, available for FREE from pugly pixel!

other favorite tapes are these stripey ones ($3.99) and these colorful masking tape ones (also $3.99).

the other thing you’ll see me occasionally do, is use ‘paper’ on my posts.  this effect could be obtained by a number of different ways (free, i’m sure), but i bought this notebook paper pack from designer digitals. all of these downloads are easy breezy to use, just download, unzip the file, and then start using them in your desired program (usually photoshop, printshop or paint).

staples are also a fun way to doll up your posts and make them look realistic.  there are a number of staples you can purchase, or download this staple set for free!

there are also tons of hang tags you can find!  hang tags are a great way to add a little flavor to your pictures or posts.  especially great when you want to add a little statement, or make the cost of an item visible.  the first one above are journaling tags, the 2nd ones are shipping tags for FREE by pugly pixel, and the 3rd ones are from a set of these adorable hang tags.

you can also find lots of help from lovely other bloggers!  poppytalk posts free downloads from time to time, pictured above are their free labels and free hang tags.

creature comforts also offers many freebies and downloads, all so beautiful!  you can find them on her projects and freebies page as well as on her printables page.

finally, i just found free design goodies, a side blog that’s authored by summer of design is mine! here she posts fab freebies and downloads, yeah!

finally, pretty fonts and beautiful colors are the easiest way to doll up your doings.  pictured above is kaufmann bd bt, dj fancy, luna bar, and lariat – all free!

so there’s my inside scoop.  do you have any finds for prettying up your posts, pictures and projects? if so, please share with us where you found them in the comments section!

wrap up: {collage} {digital} {downloads} {free} {freebies} {paper} {posts} {tape}