Birth Announcement Art - Step by Step Tutorial

I have received so many wonderful comments on the wedding date art I did last October I thought I would share with you exactly how I created it. Rather then recreating something I have already done, I thought I would share how to create a birth announcement version of the wedding date art.

So I created a step by step tutorial on how to create these in Publisher.

Here is exactly how I make these in Publisher. Be prepared there are a lot of photos...but I found that to be the easiest way to explain how to make them.

Open Microsoft Publisher and select your desired size. I have used an 8x10 size in this tutorial.
Select 'Insert' and 'Picture'.

Locate the image you want to use and re-size it to be approximately 5 inches wide.  To center the image, slowly drag it to the middle of the page and a light pink line will appear when it is in the center of the page. I put the image in the upper third of the page.

To create a border around the image, select 'Insert' and then 'Shape'. Select rectangle and create a box that is a little larger than the photo image.

To make the border thicker, click on the border and select 'Format', 'Shape Outline', and 'Weight'. I used a 3 point weight line in black to surround the photo.

To center the border around the photo, slowly move it around the photo and a light pink hashed line will show you when you have it centered around the photo.

 Insert the three date images you have selected. (To find the links for the free date photos go here)

Be sure the dates are all the same size (you can right click on each image and select 'format picture' and then 'size' to do this) and then line up all three. Again a light pink line will show you when the top and bottom are lined up.

 I grouped the three date images together so when I move one, they will all move. To do this, select all three by either clicking on each one while holding the control key held down or click slightly off to one corner with the mouse, and while holding the mouse down, drag over all three images.

 Right click on the grouped images and select 'Group'.

 Center the date with the photo.

To create the double border around the numbers, I inserted two separate rectangles around the three dates. The inner rectangle is a 1.5 point black line and the outer is a 3 point black line.

 Again, align the two border rectangles so they are centered.

 

 To enter the name and birth information, I inserted text boxes. To do this, select 'Insert' and then 'Text Box'.

Create a text box over the bottom of the two number border lines. Type the baby's  birth information and select the desired font and size. Use the same technique to align the name with the photo. In order for the lines not to be visible through the box, select 'Format', 'Shape Fill' and then select the color white. This will fill in the text box with white, so you will not see the border lines through the typed.

Create a second text box for the baby's name. This one does not need to be filled in white. Use the same technique of slowly moving the box around to center it with the other images.

To change the images to black and white or sepia, select the image and then 'Format', 'Recolor' and either black and white or sepia. You will also need to do this for each of the three date images. This can always be changed back to color by selecting 'No Recolor', so don't be afraid to play around.

You can also insert a digital scrapbook paper (same way as inserting an image) for the background. This dramatically changes the look and can also be changed to black and white.

 Save the image first as a Publisher file. To then save the image as a high resolution JPEG image to have it printed, select 'Save As', pull down 'Save as Type'.

 Select 'JPEG File Interchange Format'.

 Then click on 'Change' to alter the level of resolution. Select 'High quality printing' and then 'Save'.

That is it! As my kids say Easy Peazy Lemon Squeezy!

I am not sure which of the four are my favorite but I really do like these two. What do you think? Which of the four at the top are your favorite?

So for $0 to create and under $1 to print you can create an amazing gift. You can buy similar items on Etsy for loads of money, so no one will have to know it cost you next to nothing!

Please leave me a comment if you have any questions or if you need any help. I am still emailing out the wedding date template, so leave a comment with your email address if you want that one sent to you.

Have a great week.
Stephanie

To the Cloud! DIY Cloud Identification Tool

I am sorry for being away from here for a few weeks. I truly appreciate all the emails I received from readers asking where I have been and if I was returning. Don't worry, I have no plan on stopping Full of Great Ideas.  No one has been sick and unfortunately, we have not been away, I just can't seem to find time to post anything. My projects have continued as normal, but finding the time to sit down and share them with you has been difficult.

So I am starting with a small post that I did with my kids this past week while they were on March break.

I pinned this Cloud Identification Tool kit idea a really long time ago and had always intended to make it. You can buy a kit online for a pretty reasonable price; however, they are intended for a classroom use so you have to buy at least 25 of them for $35. I have no need for 25, so I made my own.

I started by going online and found free images of the different types of clouds. Using Publisher (you can do this in any format), I arranged the clouds by the way they appear in the sky. The lower ones, are low clouds, the upper clouds are high in the sky...well you get the idea. I added the name of the cloud type below the image.

I printed the design out on photo paper with my color printer as a 5x7 and carefully cut out the middle rectangle. (I don't love the quality of my printer, so I think I might send it to Costco for a nice, professional print.)

 I then cut a piece of white card stock to the exact size.

I glued the two pieces together with a wooden stick secured in the middle to be used for a handle. To be honest with you, I have no idea why I have tongue depressors in my house, but I had a few of them. I was expecting to have to eat a Popsicle just so I could get a stick..but nope. I still ate a Popsicle though :)

 We are having the best March break weather ever, so we went outside to test it out. Unfortunately, we only had a few clouds in the sky.

 Here is the only cloud, but you get the idea though how it works.

 My son loved it...my daughter wasn't as interested. It always amazes me how different two kids from the same parents can be.

If you would like this, leave me a comment with your email address and I can email you the 5x7 high resolution jpeg. 
Here is the full size image. To download it:

• Right click on the image and select open in a new window or tab
• On the full size image, right click again and select 'save as'
• Save it to a place on your computer where you can easily find it
• Send it to your favorite photo developer
• Please only use these for personal use!
• Enjoy!!

As usual, I just ask that you use it for personal use..or classroom use :)
What do you think?

I hope everyone has/is having a great March break.

Stephanie at Full of Great Ideas

1982 called and it wants its Bookends back

I found a set of A and Z faux wood bookends at a local thrift store last year for the extremely reasonable price of $1.99. Nothing at my thrift store seems to be reasonably priced anymore, so you know they were bad and no one wanted them.

So here are the two beauties before.

Isn't the faux wood grain pretty.

They are even signed! Look at the date, November 1982. They will be celebrating their 30th Birthday soon. Wow I am old..it is scary when you realize you have something that is 'retro' (aka old but we want to charge you too much money for it so we will call it retro) and you could have made it.

My husband again rolled his eyes when I walked in the front door with this gorgeous set. Can't you see the potential? I could. And for $2 who could go wrong?

They each got a good dusting, because they were filthy, and a few coats of white gloss spray paint. Everything looks better with white gloss spray paint!

Here is the A now. Isn't it cute!

I intended to put them in our office but they have found a home on the shelves in my family room.

I am trying to put more white on these bookcases. As you can see the wood dice and recovered photo albums I created last year have also been relocated here.

I have never been happy with how these shelves are decorated but I think it has more to do with the selves. They look really red in the picture but they aren't really. I am seriously debating painting or wallpapering the back of each shelving unit. But there are so many other things to do around the house before that happens.

Not bad for $1.99 plus a little spray paint!

What deals have you found lately? Have you found your thrift stores are raising their prices too?

Have a great day and happy thrifting.
Stephanie

Pillow Case Yoga Bag -Sew it yourself for $0

As one of my New Year's Resolution, I vowed to start exercising. I know it is not a very original resolution, but after having an extremely serious bout of pneumonia a few months ago, I was informed I had scarring on my lungs. I had to start exercising just so I could teach my lungs to take deep breaths again and to stretch out some of the scar tissue. 

Well my wonderful sister-in-law convinced me to join bootcamp with her. I think the name bootcamp is a little misleading...it should be called "kick your butt and every other part of your body"camp! You realize you have muscles that you would never knew you had let alone imagine they could hurt that much. But I LOVE IT! I have actually already signed up for the next session. 

You are probably wondering why I am sharing this. Well, for each session we have to bring our own yoga mats. I have a mat but I don't have a bag to carry that mat. I struggle with it hanging out the end of my gym bag twice a week, then on my off days it sits in the corner of my bedroom slowly unraveling into a mess. 

I went out to buy one, but I am far to cheap to spend money on something like that. So I thought I would make one. After very little Google searching, I found quite a few ways to sew your own. None of which were great for basic sewers or lazy sewers like me. 

So this is how I got here. I wanted a quick and easy way to sew a yoga mat bag.

Materials

• Pillow case
• Thread
• Ribbon
  

 Method

I headed to my linen closet and found the ugliest pillow case we had. Don't judge my 90s burgundy, hunter green and navy blue paisley pillow case. I am sure if each and every one of you were to dive elbows deep into your linen closets you would find something just as beautiful! :)  Just note that since this worked so well, I will be making another one out of a nicer, maybe even funky pillow case that I find on clearance someplace.

Make sure the pillow case is longer than the yoga bag.

Cut off the 'cuff' (you know the fancy end of the pillow case where the fabric is folded over) of the pillow case with scissors; try to get as close to the body of the pillow case as possible. Then remove the seam on the 'cuff' so you have one long piece of fabric. This is going to make the strap of your yoga bag.

 Iron your cuff fabric in half.

Then sew it along the two sides and then down the middle. This gives a nice firm fabric that will not twist or bunch.

I then determined how wide I needed the yoga bag to be. Make sure you leave enough space that the mat can slide in easily. I recommend pinning it and testing before you cut.

I cut the pillow case with my rotary cutter to get a straight line but you can use scissors easily too.

Now this part will seem a little tricky, but it really isn't. With the right side of the pillow case facing in, you need to put the strap of the bag inside. This will allow you to sew the strap right into the side seam of the bag. I sewed the strap on an angle into the side seam so they lay nicely when I wear the bag.

I did not need the full length of the 'cuff' strap. So I recommend, pinning this, flipping it right side out and carefully (so you don't prick yourself) determine how long you want your strap to be. Everyone will like it a different length.

This is the strap tucked within the pillow case bag.

I then did a really loose stitch up the side seam (Remember the bottom seam is already sewn from the pillow case). I did this so that if there was a problem I could pull it out easily. I verified everything worked, i.e. the strap length, the opening for the mat, etc. Once I determined it was all good I did a nice straight stitch and then went over the seam with a zigzag stitch.

Now this is where you make the bottom stand nicely. The other patterns online want you to cut a circle and carefully line it up with the bottom..come on. I can make it a million time easier. Since the bottom of the pillow case was already sewn all you need to do is a square corner. To do this, grab one corner (where the side seam is) and pull the fabric out so the bottom seam is down the middle. Really the middle seam and the side seam are laying on top of each other. Pin it. Then do the same with the opposite side.

 So it will look like this.

 Determine how wide your yoga mat roll is and sew a straight line, creating a triangle on each corner. Taa Daa! You have a flat bottom. (In any other situation, I would not be hoping for a flat bottom :)).

Now to the top of the bag. I simple folded the top over by a 1/2 inch, ironed it down and sewed the pocket, threaded some ribbon through and used an old bauble thingy from one of my kids old boots :).

Here it is done! I did take some pictures of it on my back but I looked like I had two chins and I am not sharing those.

Not bad huh, 90s paisley and all. Just image how cute it could be with a pretty pillow case (if you have one on hand or find one on clearance).

If you have any question on my confusing tutorial, let me know.

Thanks and Enjoy!
Stephanie
Linking to some great parties including: Story of A2Z, Thrifty Home

Don't you love when you find things from your house in magazines?

Have you ever been flipping through a magazine and you see something that you absolutely love but deep down know there is no way you can afford it? I was browsing through my most recent edition of Style at Home magazine and came across an amazing chair. I mean I could have drooled over the pages.

Source Metropolitan Home

Do you see the one I am talking about? The one with the three ovals? Isn't it absolutely gorgeous? Let me officially introduce you to the Bracelet Chair by Barbara Barry.
Here are a few more images of it:

Source Metropolitan Home

Source Barbara Barry

Oh I love it so much, but not for the retails price of...wait for it...$2,800! Yes, there is a coma and two zeros on that price. If you drop the one zero I might consider it or maybe even the 2 and the comma (probably not) :) So I can honestly say I will never have it but I can dream. In fact I was dreaming so much that I showed it to my husband, and him being the wonderful man he is he looked at it and said "how is that different from the headboard you pulled out of the garbage?" I immediately corrected him and said I didn't pull it out of the garbage I picked it up at the Sidewalk Boutique. :)

But then a light went on and he was correct. It does look remarkably like this headboard I got for free out of the trash. Amazing! It actually made me smile.

Then I stumbled upon this in a Parenting magazine I got.

Source Ballard Design

It retails at Ballard Design for $153. Seriously, it is a small ottoman! But isn't the fabric purdy? Well does it look familiar?How about now:

 

This is the same fabric I used a year ago to recover my kitchen chairs and to create the stair basket I made out of a cardboard box here:

So if I were to find a cheap crappy ottoman at a thrift store for a few buck, spray paint the legs black and cover it with fabric I have on hand (cost under $15 per yard to start out with) I could have almost the same ottoman for around $10! A savings of $140!

I am literally going to head out to my local thrift stores after I hit publish on this post to go find one. I will let you know how it goes.

Doesn't it make you happy when you find things in your home that are in magazines? It makes you feel like you might have made a couple of right decorating decisions.

Have you ever found something like this before?

Have a great day,
Stephanie