Showing posts with label Home Decor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Decor. Show all posts

May 03, 2014

Personalized Nintendo Inspired Wedding Gift

The other night I was browsing through old photographs.  I stumbled upon a picture of a wedding gift that I made for two high school friends that got married last year.  I so wish that I took better pictures of the finished gift, but considering that I finished making it about 30 minutes before the wedding reception, a quick picture from my phone is better than nothing.  But, honestly, the picture does not do this personalized wedding gift any justice.

I brainstormed for weeks leading up to the wedding for the perfect homemade wedding gift.  I had no inspiration.  Then my husband mentioned something about old school Nintendo and a light bulb went off.  You see, the groom is a huge video game fan.  So what's better than a wedding gift inspired by the classic Nintendo controller?!  I know!  A wedding gift that also cost me next to nothing to make, but shhh, that will be our little secret.

The bride's and groom's names were perfect for the Nintendo controller since their names both start with S just like the start and select buttons.  And the A and B button?  They became the date of their wedding.  Then I replaced the Nintendo name with their last name.  

Nintendo inspired personalized wedding gift for video game lovers from And Next Comes L

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Perhaps my favorite detail is the cord for hanging the finished wall hanging.  If you were like me as a kid, you often wrapped the cord of the controller around the controller itself.  That is why I decided to wrap it around each edge of the finished wall hanging versus just attaching it to the back.  To make the cord look even more realistic, my husband had a brilliant idea.  We happen to have lots of old computer mice kicking around, so he cut the cord off one of the mice for me to use.  It makes the gift look even more authentic.

The gift itself was pretty straightforward to make.  Although I do wish I was able to lay the vinyl straighter.  However, the pressing time deadline did not allow for perfection.  Regardless, the finished product is so awesome.  It is easily one of the most unique things that I have made using my Silhouette Cameo.

To make the personalized wedding gift, I used:

Basically, I painted the wood with light gray acrylic paint.  I then painted some darker gray sections in the middle.  I then laid the vinyl pieces on top and as I mentioned, somewhat crookedly.  Then I sealed the entire project with  Mod Podge.

The most tedious part was designing the actual vinyl pattern in my Silhouette Studio Designer Edition.  Considering I was able to whip this gift together between the ceremony and the reception, I think that it turned out pretty fab.

Don't forget to check out my other Silhouette home decor ideas: 

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April 12, 2014

Lovebirds Etched Mirror

I am a bit excited, and a wee bit nervous all at the same time, to branch out from the typical kids activities that you find on my blog to share something different.  I really do want my blog to reflect me and since crafting makes me happy, I thought it was time to showcase some of my other ideas.  I already mentioned here that I was planning on introducing some of my other crafts on a very occasional basis.  Besides, not everything is about the kids around here.  Okay, maybe it is like 99% of the time...

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Today's post also marks my 300th post!  300 - what a milestone!  So today is as good a day as any to share some of my DIY home decor ideas instead of the usual light table activity or quiet book page or sensory activity.  And if you've been following along for awhile, then you may have noticed my love for my Silhouette Cameo with these various projects.  One of the first projects that I did with my Cameo was this beautiful lovebirds silhouette etched mirror.

DIY lovebirds etched mirror from And Next Comes L

My mom, who is a ceramic artist, made us a beautiful custom mirror for our main floor bathroom.  It replaced this very plain dark brown framed mirror.  I decided to hang on to it, but not entirely sure what to do with it.  

Eventually I came across this lovebird wallpaper and fell in love with it.  I just knew that it would look amazing as an etched mirror.  One problem though.  I had never etched anything in my life.  I was hoping that my Cameo would make it a breeze.  It totally was!  Seriously, the Cameo is an amazing product for anyone that loves to craft.

Thankfully I had most of the supplies from the Silhouette etching starter kit already on hand from another Silhouette starter kit.  So I ordered myself some etching cream to try this process out.

I popped the lovebird image in my Silhouette Studio program and used some vinyl to make a stencil for my mirror.  Once the stencil was on the mirror, it was only a matter of applying some etching cream, washing it off, and removing the vinyl.  Then I was left with this gorgeous upcycled mirror.

DIY lovebirds etched mirror from And Next Comes L

The finished mirror now hangs in our back entryway.  And I absolutely adore it.  It is the perfect compliment to what was once a very plain wall.

DIY lovebirds etched mirror from And Next Comes L
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