Inside A Makers' Studio

DIY Burlap Fall Decor (With Mesh Stencils)

September 27, 2022

Join Kerri from Mama Dares for a fun fall DIY using the NEW Chicken Farm Newspaper Mesh stencil! We are so excited to see the way you use this stencil!

Shop What She Used:

Additional Supplies:

8.5 x 11 Canvas
Laminated Burlap
Plaid Ribbon
Lambs Ear Stem
Thumb Tacks
Plastic Plate
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Floral Wire
Nail

HOW TO

Step One

Take the Chicken Farm Newspaper Mesh Stencil off of it's backing and lay it on top of the Burlap Sheet. Line up the Mesh Stencil with the Burlap and rub the stencil firmly into the Burlap to make sure it adheres very well.

Step Two

Take the Foam Dome Brush and dip the tip of it into the Black One Step Paint. You may pick a different color than what Kerri used and you may used an Angled Squeegee if you prefer it over the Foam Dome Brush. Take a plate and dab the Foam Dome Brush on the plate a few times to remove the excess paint and to create an even layer of paint on your brush. Once you have removed the excess paint take the Foam Dome Brush and go over the Chicken Newspaper Mesh Stencil in a tapping motion. Continue this process until you have covered the entire Mesh Stencil in the One Step Paint.

Step Three

Once the paint is fully dry, peel the Chicken Farm Newspaper Mesh Stencil off of it's backing. Once fully removed, immediately wash with warm water and mild soap or put into a bath of water to soak. Once all of the paint is washed off of the stencil, lay it adhesive side up to air dry.

Step Four

When you remove your Mesh Stencil you will notice each side of your Burlap sheet has an unpainted section. Take your scissors and cut each side off of your Burlap sheet so that there are no unpainted areas. Once you have cut off the sides, take your finger and move it along the edges so that the Burlap comes undone creating frayed edges to give it a more vintage look. Once you are finished, take the hot glue gun and put a dab of glue on the back of each corner of the Burlap Sheet. To ensure it adheres well you may also add a small thin line of glue along the edges on the back of the Burlap Sheet. Next, place the back of the Burlap Sheet onto your Canvas. Press down to make sure it adheres well to the canvas. Be careful as the Burlap Sheet may be hot due to the hot glue on the back. Once the Burlap Sheet has been placed on the canvas, take the hot glue gun and add a dab of glue to each corner of the front of the Burlap Sheet and add a Thumb tack over the dab of glue.

Step Five

To create your ribbon separate your Lambs Ear and cut the stems off each piece only leaving maybe two inches of stem. Take a 16in piece of Buffalo Plaid Ribbon and fold so that each end overlaps just a little bit and once both ends have met bunch up that area until the ribbon looks like a bow. Take a piece of floral wire and wrap it around the center of the ribbon to create the bow. Then, take your two pieces of Lambs Ear and place the stems on top of each other with the plant side facing opposite ends. The Lambs Ear should resemble the shape of a bow. Take the Lambs Ear and place it behind the bow. Use the Floral Wire on the bow to connect the Lambs Ear to the bow. To secure all the pieces together put a dab of hot glue on the back of the bow. Place a nail in the top center of the canvas and use the floral wire on the ribbon to hang the Ribbon and Lambs Ear on the canvas. Take a small piece of extra ribbon and fold it in half. On one of the ends cut a dove tail. Once you are done, glue the ribbon onto the back of the canvas with the dove tail facing down.

Step Six

We hope you enjoy this fun DIY Piece! Make sure to post a picture and tag us! We love to see your creations!

For more fun tutorials and products, visit our blog at A Makers' Studio.com!

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DIY Decorative Plates

September 13, 2022

Looking for a nice little touch to make your dining room table decor stand out? A'Makers Studio's got you covered! What better statement piece than DIY decorative plates. It is sure to grab your guests eyes! Take a look below to find out how to make your own!

Products Needed:

Birds and Buttercup- Mesh Stencil
Ceramic Paint - Smoke gets in my Eyes
Angled Squeegee
Gilding Size
Your Choice of Leaf (we used Gold Leaf)
Artist Brush (or any small paint brush)
Chip Brush (or any medium sized paint brush)

Step 1

Peel the Birds and Buttercup Stencil and place it on the plate. Make sure to cover the edges of the plate as well by folding the stencil over it. Rub the stencil firmly into the plate to make sure it is adhered very well.

Step 2

Squeeze the Smoke Gets in My Eyes Ceramic Paint onto the Angled Squeegee and spread the paint onto the stencil making sure to cover all areas. Once done, slowly peel the stencil away from the plate (if you see any unpainted areas as you're removing the stencil, just lay it back down and add more paint over that area). Once fully removed, immediately wash with warm water and mild soap or put into a bath of water to soak. Once all of the paint is washed off of the stencil, lay it adhesive side up to air dry.

Step 3

Once the Ceramic Paint is dry Use the Artist Brush to apply Gilding Size over specific areas you want to gild on the plate (for example the birds wings), and let it come to tack (very sticky / not completely dry). This takes about 10-15 minutes. You can tell the Size has come to tack when you touch it and the skin of your finger comes away with some resistance.

Tip: Gilding Size is like glue, so be sure to keep the edges of your jar very clean so it can be easily opened in future.

Step 4

Once the Size comes to tack, open your leaf booklet and peel back the first tissue. Hold it by the spine of the booklet with your hands on the tissue, not the leaf. Lay the leaf face down on the plate. Burnish (rub) in one direction with your hand while the booklet is still on the leaf you just laid. Remove the booklet and repeat if the plate was not completely covered. Overlap each additional sheet just slightly so as to hide lines.

Take a Chip Brush and smooth in the same direction as you burnished to take away excess leaf. After the larger chunks of leaf are detached you can rub a little more vigorously with the chip brush to remove smaller sections of the leaf in the details.

Tip: You may re-use the excess leaf being brushed away!

Step 5

Finally!

You have a beautiful decorative plate to spruce up your dining room area, for hosting a dinner or to give as a gift!

Check out amakersstudio.com for more creative tutorials and to browse our other products.

Do you have more of a desire to refinish furniture or transform larger pieces? Take a look at our sister company, Amy Howard at Home, for furniture paints, antique finishes, specialty techniques, and more.

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Fun Fall DIY

September 09, 2022

The perfect cutting board for the upcoming FALL season. This stencil will create a fabulous background on any surface. Watch Lianep from DIY Beauty on Purpose as she takes you step by step on this fun DIY decor!

Products Needed:

Additional Supplies:

Masking Tape
Scissors

HOW TO

Step One - Prep!

Use masking tape to divide the cutting board into two sides. Overall, you can place the tape in the middle making the sides equal or however you would like. Lianep placed her masking tape at an angle.

Step Two - Paint!

Paint one side with the One Step Paint. You may pick other colors than what Lianep used. Remove the masking tape as soon as you are finished painting.

Step Three - Stencil!

Once the paint is fully dry, fold the Floral Fireworks Mesh Stencil in half. Lay it's backing over the side of the cutting board that hasn't been painted. Rub the stencil firmly into the wood to make sure it is adhered very well. To protect the painted side you can put some masking tape over the paint to avoid getting the Chalk Art on it.

Use the Angled Squeegee with the Heart of Gold Chalk Art to spread the paste over the Stencil, making sure to cover all areas. If you used masking tape to protect the painted side remove it first before removing the stencil.

Once done, slowly peel the stencil away from the cutting board (if you see any unpainted areas as you're removing the stencil, just lay it back down and add more paint over that area). Once fully removed, immediately wash with warm water and mild soap or put into a bath of water to soak. Once all of the paint is washed off of the stencil, lay it adhesive side up to air dry.

Once the cutting board is fully dry we are going to cut the Floral Mesh Stencil out of the stencil pack. Place the stencil on the painted side. Rub the stencil firmly into the wood to make sure it is adhered very well. Use the Angled Squeegee with Slow As Molasses Chalk Art to spread the paste over the Stencil. Once you are finished, slowly peel the stencil away from the cutting board and clean the stencil.

Step Five - Enjoy!

Now you can enjoy this beautiful fall décor in your kitchen, as a centerpiece to your table, sitting on your counter, or a a gift to a friend!

For more fun tutorials and products, visit our blog at A Makers' Studio.com!

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How To: Wood Block Pumpkins

August 23, 2022 2 Comments

It's (almost) fall y'all! We have fabulous new Mesh Stencil designs dropping for the season. Watch Lianep from DIY Beauty on Purpose use the NEW Birds and Buttercups Mesh Stencil to create wooden fall décor pieces. Don't miss it; we can't wait to see what you make!

Shop What She Used:

Additional Supplies:

Wood Blocks
Short Wood Branches (for pumpkin stems)
Jute or Twine
Fall Leaves (fake or real)

HOW TO

Step One - Prep!

Cut a 2x4 or other scrap wood into three rectangles (one tall, one medium, one short). Overall, they may be as tall or short as you like. Lianep made hers 11", 9", and 7" tall from tallest to shortest.

Step Two - Paint!

Paint each block a different color using the One Step Paint. You may pick other colors than what Lianep used, and you could also paint each block the same base color.

Step Three - Stencil!

Once the paint is fully dry, peel the Birds and Buttercups Mesh Stencil off of it's backing and lay over the front of the first block. Rub the stencil firmly into the wood to make sure it is adhered very well.

Use the Angled Squeegee with the Gel Art Ink to spread the Ink over the Stencil, making sure to cover all areas.

Once done, slowly peel the stencil away from the wooden block (if you see any unpainted areas as you're removing the stencil, just lay it back down and add more paint over that area). Once fully removed, immediately wash with warm water and mild soap or put into a bath of water to soak. Once all of the paint is washed off of the stencil, lay it adhesive side up to air dry.

Once the stencil is fully dry, repeat as desired on the other wooden blocks.

Step Four - Decorate!

Attach the wood branch pumpkin stems to the top of your painted wooden blocks. You may drill a hole and use a dowel to attach or you may use hot glue.

Take several strands of the jute and tie them around the base of the pumpkin stem. Add in the fall leaves by tying the stems in with the jute or hot gluing to the top of the wooden block.

Step Five - Enjoy!

Now you can enjoy this beautiful fall décor on your porch, as a centerpiece to your table, sitting on your counter, or a a gift to a friend!

For more fun tutorials and products, visit our blog at A Makers' Studio.com!

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Floral Gilded Mirror

August 11, 2022

This DIY takes a plain or thrifted mirror and turns it into your favorite piece of décor. Decorate your home with custom pieces made yourself with just a few products from A Makers' Studio. Whether you enjoy a sleek modern look or an antique vintage vibe, our new line of Decorate Molds are a must have.

Products Needed:

Acrylic Glacier Resin Bundle
Your Choice of Decorative Mold (we used My Flower Garden and Rose Garden)
Gilding Size
Your Choice of Leaf (we used Gold Leaf)
Resin Measuring Cup (or any disposable cup on hand)
Artist Brush (or any small paint brush)
Chip Brush (or any medium sized paint brush)
Light and Dark Wax (optional to antique)

Step 1

Measure Out Resin/Hardener Mixture and Mix

To make your final piece more flexible (if applying to curved surfaces), simply pour in your mixture of 60% resin with 40% hardener and mix well for 3 minutes. Pour into the mold and allow to dry overnight. Pop out your design and apply with super glue to your frame, furniture, or decorative object.

The recipe to make the resin very hard and inflexible would be a 1:1 ratio of resin and hardener. Measure to ensure exact mixing ratios. Your working time is 20 minutes once mixed. Your gel time is 30 minutes. Allow the surface to dry for 6-9 hours. For crafting, your through dry time is 10-14 hours. We recommend letting it cure overnight.

If you prefer using air dry clay in lieu of resin, you will notice some shrinkage and cracking. Be aware that air dry clay will not give you the detail that you can get with Resin.

Shop Our Acrylic Glacier Resin Bundle Here

Step 2

Pour mixture into your choice of Decorative Mold and let cure overnight. Pop out of the mold once hardened.

Step 3

Use the Artist Brush to apply Gilding Size all over the mold (or to specific areas you want to gild), and let it come to tack (very sticky / not completely dry). This takes about 10-15 minutes. You can tell the Size has come to tack when you touch it and the skin of your finger comes away with some resistance.

Tip: Gilding Size is like glue, so be sure to keep the edges of your jar very clean so it can be easily opened in future.

Step 4

Once the Size comes to tack, open your leaf booklet and peel back the first tissue. Hold it by the spine of the booklet with your hands on the tissue, not the leaf. Lay the leaf face down on the mold. Burnish (rub) in one direction with your hand while the booklet is still on the leaf you just laid. Remove the booklet and repeat if the mold was not completely covered. Overlap each additional sheet just slightly so as to hide lines.

Take a Chip Brush and smooth in the same direction as you burnished to take away excess leaf. After the larger chunks of leaf are detached you can rub a little more vigorously with the chip brush o remove smaller sections of the leaf in the details.

Repeat this same process on the edges of your mirror, taping off 1/2" from the side. Apply Gilding Size, let it come to take, apply your leaf, burnish, brush away excess, and peel away your tape to reveal a clean gilded edge.

Tip: You may re-use the excess leaf being brushed away!

Step 5

Using hot glue or super glue, apply your mold pieces to the corner and edges of the mirror (or place wherever you'd like). They may also be overlapped if desired.

Step 6

If a more antique look is desired or you want to tone down the leaf a bit, apply Light Wax in a cross hatching motion with a Chip Brush (offload onto cardboard before applying). Allow to come to tack (20-30 minutes), and then apply Dark Wax the same way but lightly only over about 20% of the surface. Allow to come to tack (20-30 minutes), and then buff with a t-shirt or lint free rag.

Finally

Hang in your home, gift to a friend, and Enjoy the Bragging Rights of the beautiful mirror you made yourself!

Check out amakersstudio.com for more creative tutorials and to browse our other products.

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Custom Earrings With Decorative Molds

July 15, 2022 1 Comment

This is your new DIY best friend! Say hello to your new obsession... There is so much you can do with our new product. Carefully designed for you, you can make custom detailed accents, hardware, jewelry, and so much more! Scroll below to see how we made custom earrings with our new favorite DIY accessory..

Amy Howard at Home Decorative Molds are perfect to use with the Acrylic Glacier Resin to create your own custom embellishments and raised decoration on your furniture pieces. Our silicone molds have a natural release and do not stick.
The detail on our molds will be quite exquisite due to the depth in each. You can use these molds over and over again

Shop Our NEW Line Here

Acrylic Glacier Resin + Fondant Molds = match made in heaven!

Let Us Show You How To Make Custom Earrings

Our NEW Decorative Molds pair wonderfully with our Acrylic Glacier Resin and Hardener mixture. The options are truly endless with 21 different Molds to choose from!

Step One

Measure Out Resin/Hardener Mixture and Mix

To make your final piece more flexible so as to apply to curved surfaces, simply pour in your mixture of 60% resin with 40% hardener and mix well for 3 minutes. Pour into the mold and allow to dry overnight. Pop out your design and apply with super glue to your frame, furniture, or decorative object.

The recipe to make the resin very hard and inflexible would be a 1:1 ratio of resin and hardener. Measure to ensure exact mixing ratios. Your working time is 20 minutes once mixed. Your gel time is 30 minutes. Allow the surface to dry for 6-9 hours. For crafting, your through dry time is 10-14 hours. We recommend letting it cure overnight.

If you prefer using air dry clay in lieu of resin, you will notice some shrinkage and cracking. Be aware that air dry clay will not give you the detail that you can get with Resin.

Shop Our Acrylic Glacier Resin Bundle Here

Step Two

Pour Mixture Into Your Choice Of Decorative Mold And Let Cure Overnight

Step Three

Pop Out Your Design Then Apply Gilding Size. Simply Apply Gilding Size With An Artist Brush And Let The Solution Become Tacky (not completely dry) Before Starting Step Four

Step Four

Apply Sterling Silver Leaf Over Entire Surface Area. The Silver Leaf Will Cling To The Gilding Size. Then, Brush Off Excess With An Artist Brush.

Step Five

Attach Jewelry Hardware And You're Done! You Have The Cutest Custom Earrings That You Can Gift Or Keep For Yourself!

What Will You Create?

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A DIY Baby Shower of Your Dreams

June 17, 2022 1 Comment

One of the many things that brings me the greatest joy is entertaining in my home. Special moments like weddings, baby showers, Christmas, egg hunts for Easter, holidays, etc. are opportunities to bring our home to life.

When our son and daughter-in-love shared with us that they were expecting, we wanted to host a shower for her. My daughter Brooke, my dearest friend Karen and Carol, a dear friend of Lee’s, were my co-hosts.

I wanted to create a shower that the ladies could make gifts with their hands and give them to Lee as a gift at the end of the shower. That would also create fun and excitement for the attendees. I loved seeing their creativity come to life and even laughing at their happy mistakes. It was all about the fun and making friends while honoring Lee and celebrating the upcoming arrival of Neff (named after my dad!).

I was determined to make all of the food from scratch and not use a caterer. It is more of a labor of love cooking and preparing for events like this. I am grateful to have a husband who loves cleaning the kitchen. My love of cooking and his love of cleaning have been such a blessing.

Carol Martin hand made all of the flower arrangements as well as the flower wreaths for the front door. It was a beautiful Spring Saturday and we started around 10 am. We invited the ladies into the kitchen to start their crafts and making their onesie. Janet flew all the way in from North Carolina to be a part. She has such a gift of serving others. You can see it on her face that it brings her immense joy. She was sharing with the ladies and showing them how to use the inks, stencils and tools. It was so cute to hear them squeal, being a little scared of messing up and then being so happy and proud at their creations. Everyone was having so much fun creating that I had to stop them to move on to get their food. We had lots of fresh fruit with yogurt, veggies, a sausage egg casserole, onion dip, a beautiful cake from Frost, chicken and biscuits etc.. I tried to keep everything somewhat brunch finger food.

We proceeded to go into the family room and I shared with the ladies that love giving a blessing over a mom-to-be; to give her a pearl of wisdom/advice on something you wish someone had shared with you with your first child. I always cry with these. It is such a sweet thing to speak into a young momma’s life about how to raise her children and not make your same mistakes.

Karen had so many cute games that we enjoyed while Lee was opening her gifts. I loved that she had gotten these adorable children’s books as gifts, that we were to write words of encouragement, words of wisdom or a favorite verse. Such a sweet idea. We also all filled out cards of advice to put together in a book for her.

All of the guests were so generous in their giving and Lee was thrilled and excited. We all lined up in the entry to get photos and loved on her. My heart was so full. What a beautiful day it was. The excitement of the baby to come and celebrating the gift of life was such a blessing.

Hugs,

Amy

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Throwback Series: Art Work With Ceramic Paints

April 18, 2022

Welcome to our NEW Throwback Series! In this series, we will be highlighting some of our favorite projects, and showing you how to do them. Sit back, relax, and watch as we uncover some of our most loved projects. Today, Amy shows you how she uses our Ceramic Paint to create beautiful works of art!

Shop What She Used

HOW TO

Step One

Thin Down Ceramic Paint With Water ( Two Parts Ceramic Paint With One Part Water)

Step Two

Pour Ceramic Paint Mixture On Top Of Coffee Mug (Be Sure To Have A Bowl Underneath To Catch The Excess)

Step Three

Use A Straw To Blow Around The Paint

Step Four

Continue Steps Two And Three Until Satisfied

Step Five

Bake In Oven For 25-30 Minutes at 325 Degrees

Product Highlight

A Makers' Studio No Bake Ceramic paint lays a rich, permanent color on ceramic and glass surfaces and it's food safe!

What you'll love:

Create your own custom dishes, vases, and glasses with vibrant pops of color (best on ceramic, porcelain, vases, glass, jars or fine china).
It's so easy! Just apply it to your surface with your favorite A Makers' Studio stencils!
This medium is food safe and microwave safe. For best results hand wash only.

Join in the fun of customizing platters, dishes, vases, glasses, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Instructions for Use:

Clean your surface before application and make sure it is completely dry.
Place your stencil or lay-out your freehand design. Make sure that there are no bubbles if using a Mesh Stencil, or the medium will go under.
Use a ChalkArt Spreader or firm brush to push the paint through the mesh in the stencil - it must get through the mesh and not just sit on top of it.
Peel the stencil and immediately wash it. If there are any spots with bleed or you went over the stencil edge, remove these with a wet q-tip. Allow the no bake ceramic paint to dry for 12 - 14 hours. If you want to speed up the cure time of your piece and give it more durability, we recommend baking your piece. Bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees, let the piece cool down in the oven.
You can then enjoy using your new custom creations!

Things To Know:

- Hand wash your piece ONLY! Do not use in the Dishwasher!

- Our No Bake Ceramic Paint is food and microwave safe!

- You can water the paint down and use it more as a watercolor medium!

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Easy DIY Cutting Board Decor

January 31, 2022

Turn a cheap cutting board into a timeless piece of decor for your kitchen! Kerri from Mama Dares To DIY uses just two products to create this stunning cutting board.

Shop our brand NEW Cook It Yourself Mesh Stencil

Shop what she used:

Cook It Yourself Mesh Stencil
ChalkART

From This

To This

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The Stencil That Keeps On Giving

January 18, 2022

A Stencil With A Purpose

This Stencil is sure to brighten someone's day. The purpose of the Giving Plate is to gift a gift that keeps on giving. Create a beautiful plate with this Mesh Stencil, fill it with your favorite recipe, and pass it along to a friend. When they finish the treat you made, they will see the note and get to pass the plate to someone new!

Shop The Products Here:

Giving Plate DIY Ideas

Pile your favorite homemade treats on this plate, and give it to a family member or friend!

Take this plate to your local police or fire department and share the love!

Write your name on the bottom of plate and encourage your recipient to do the same so people can see where this plate has traveled from!

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Winter Maker Box Project Ideas

January 12, 2022

We just launched our NEW Winter Maker Box! The opportunities are endless with this box. If you are needing some inspiration, this blog is for you. Scroll below to see how we used items in the box to create adorable DIYs! Be sure to join our Facebook group to post what you are creating, and get inspired by others.

Tap this link to shop our Winter Maker Box!