DIY (NOT YOUR TYPICAL) FELT BANNER

So you may be thinking, 'oh look, another felt banner.' Yes, this is a felt banner DIY, but it's next level. Why commit to one phrase when you can customize it to whatever you want whenever you want?! You may already have some of these supplies in your craft corner, but if not grab ten bucks and head to pick them up! In honor of February we used some cheesy love phrases.

M A T E R I A L S

+ Thick piece of felt 

+ Wooden dowel 

+ Felt letters

+ Sticky back Velcro 

+ Glue gun

+ Scissors 

+ Twine, ribbon or yarn to hang the banner

^ can you spot the kitty paw?

S T E P   O N E 

Cut the bottom corners of the felt banner making a point in the center of the felt. You may want to grab a ruler or something with a straight edge to help make this even.

S T E P   T W O

Saw or snap the wooden dowel so that it is sticking out a bit further than the width of the felt banner. Flip the felt banner over and roll the wooden dowel into the felt. Use your glue gun to secure the felt onto the dowel and hold down for about ten seconds.

S T E P   T H R E E

Using just the rough Velcro, begin to cut strips into squares to stick on the felt letters. The rough Velcro will stick to the felt banner while the softer strips of Velcro will not. Peel off the plastic on the back of the Velcro squares and stick onto the back corners of each felt letter.

S T E P   F O U R

Line up the letters onto your felt banner, flip over and press down firmly so the Velcro sticks onto the felt.

Switch up the felt banner as often as you want for celebrations, holidays, countdowns and more! The possibilities are endless. Share your banners on Instagram and tag @rayandablog - we would love to see them!

#morebangforyourbuck

DIY: Plywood Letterboard

You've all seen the trendy letter boards and light boards from Letterfolk and Heidi Swapp, and don't get us wrong, they're pretty awesome. I mean, they're what inspired us to create a hybrid of the two!

You'll also need some transparency sheets, sandpaper and a pair of scissors.

Step 1. Take your dowels, and measure them against your plywood board, marking the width with a pencil. 

Step 2. Cut the dowels with a handsaw or chop saw (or a very, very industrial pair of clippers). Sand the ends lightly until smooth. 

Step 3. Using some E6000 glue, glue your dowels onto the board, spacing equally depending on how many lines of text you want. 

Step 4. Paint your plywood board and dowels white (or whatever color your little hear desires) and let that dry. Do a second or third coat if you think it needs it.

Step 5. Start by cutting your transparency sheets into strips that fit in between your dowels. Then place the letters onto the strips you just cut, leaving enough space in between letters for equal spacing.

Step 6. Once you have all the letters cut out, time to play!

Now it's time to think of some snarky (or cute) quotes, and put 'em on display!

We'd love to see your own take on this DIY, so if you make it, share it! Tag your projects with #rayandablog

#sayitwithwords

DIY FESTIVE FRINGE TREES

Well, we're literally just days away from Christmas at this point, and if you haven't done any decorating yet, 1. What's wrong with you?! 2. Don't you have any holiday cheer?!, 3. It's time to change that. This stupid easy (and dare we say glamorous) DIY will have your halls decked in no time at all!

M A T E R I A L S

+ Party hats
+ Pom poms
+ Fringe tape

S T E P   O N E

Begin by wrapping the fringe tape layer by layer on the party hats starting from the bottom of the hat. If it creases a bit, perfectionists, don't worry, the next layer will cover it up!

S T E P   T W O

Continue sticking on layers of fringe tape until you get to the top of the hat. Cutting the fringe tape once you get to the high part of the hat makes it easier to place!

S T E P   T H R E E

Finish off the tree by adding a sparkly pom pom!

Want to double these as New Year's Eve hats? Keep the elastic string on the hat to wear! If you're still in need of last minute Christmas decorations check out the rest of our DIYs from the month of December.

#twoforone #getfestive

DIY: Air Dry Clay Ceramics

Desk accessories have really been trending lately, and we can't get enough of them! They're practical, useful, and super cute! This week we bought some air dry clay, and tried our hand at some desk accessories of our own– a pencil holder and a mini dish. Here's what you'll need to make this craft:

MATERIALS:
+ Air Dry Clay
+ Clear Gloss Sealant Spray (optional, but if you want a sleek, glossy look, this stuff is for you!)
+ Clay tools or a knife
+ Circular Glass
+ Straw or Pencil
+ Clay Roller to flatten the clay (OR a spray can does the job!)
+ Gold Paint Pen (optional, but adds a little something to the final product!)



PENCIL CUP

Step 1: Cut a piece of air dry clay, enough for however many pieces you're making. We used about half of the block to make our pencil cup and mini dish. Make sure you seal up the rest of the package if you don't use all the clay– if not sealed properly, it will dry out fast! 

Step 2: Cut out a circular piece of clay for the bottom of your pencil cup. You'll want to make sure the walls of your cup holder fit nicely around this circle without too much gap. 

Step 3: Roll out the wall part of your pencil cup with your roller (or spray can!) Don't roll the clay so thin that it sticks to your working surface, but you also don't want them so thick that it's hard to attach to the base of the cup. About 1/4" - 1/2" thickness is good. 

Step 4: Trim the top, bottom and sides of your clay slab so you have a nice rectangle to then attach to the circular clay base. Then punch some holes in the slab for a small decorative touch, or leave it plain- it's up to you!

Step 5: Drape your rectangular slab of clay around your clay base, and merge these two pieces together securely at the bottom. With a clay tool or knife, make tiny slashes across the pieces, then gently smooth over these dashes to join seamlessly. 

Step 6: Once you have joined the base to the sides, you can smooth out the rest of the pencil cup around the sides and the top rim. Remember, handmade is beautiful, so don't sweat the imperfections!

Step 7: If you're feeling fancy, or think the white is too white, take a gold paint pen and line the rims of your cup and dish. If you want even more color, don't be afraid to grab some paint and add a pop of color to your workspace!

MINI DISH

Step 1: We made our mini dish from the excess clay we cut off our pencil cup, so it doesn't take much! Roll that out into a smooth, round ball of clay.

Step 2: Gently press your thumb into the center of the clay ball to start forming the inner part of the dish. Keep smoothing and pushing against the sides until you get something that looks like a little dish!

Step 3: Add a touch of color if you want, or keep it plain and simple! These dishes make wonderful little homes for air plants (we can't get enough of them!)

This isn't your typical fine-crafted ceramics project, but it is a fun way to get your hands dirty and make some nice additions to your desk set-up!

#makeitmonday