Tag: design

Lifestyle

How to Create a DIY Hula Hoop Photo Display

hiralk126

Looking for fun and creative ways to display pictures for your family, birthday parties, bridal showers, maternity display, graduation parties, theme parties, weddings or even as a gift to your friends? I think Hula Hoop Photo Display is a great way to instantly add to the decor while also compiling your favorite memories. I created a beautiful Hula Hoop Photo Display recently for my husbands birthday.

Materials Needed

A Hula Hoop (There are 2 sizes available – I got the slightly smaller one but you can pick any)

White Spray Paint (Any color of your choice. If you are planning to display for your wedding gold would be a great color option too to add some glitz and glam)

White Satin Ribbon

Faux flowers

Faux greenery/leaves

Hot glue Gun

A small wooden Block (Optional – If you want to make it stand)

Pictures (I printed ours using the Printic App)

Scissors

Directions

Step 1: Shortlist the pictures from your phone or social media which you would like to use for creating this beautiful photo display and send them for printing. I got mine printed using the Printic App. All you need to do is select the pictures you want to print and they will pop and print polaroid type pictures for you and send them in your mail. They did a fantastic job and I was extremely happy with the quality. If you want you can even have them edited to a black and white version for a more vintage look on photoshop before getting them printed. You can also print these yourself on Photo Paper if you like too.

Step 2: Next I took my Hula Hoop and wooden block and spray painted it white in a ventilated area. I gave them around 2 to 3 coats to ensure they were completely covered. I also coated them with a topcoat to seal the paint. You may skip this step if you like but I highly recommend it. Set them aside to dry completely. I kept them to dry completely for 24 hours. I did it in the summertime so it dried fairly quickly.

Step 3: Once they have completely dried, I cut 4 satin ribbons measuring the hula hoop and where they will be placed and secured them with a glue gun. If your pictures are fairly smaller than mine you can add a thinner satin ribbon too and add more ribbons to add more pictures. This is completely your choice. I started with cutting and sticking the center ribbon to be as symmetrical as possible.

Step 4: Next, I started to add the faux greenery. I first laid them out to decide how I wanted them by laying the leaves first and adding some faux flowers and faux buds around it. Once I was happy with the arrangement I secured everything with a hot glue gun. You can add as many or ass little of the faux greenery or faux flowers as you like. Remember to add enough hot glue to secure everything in its place.

Step 5: While everything was drying, I started laying the pictures on the satin ribbon until I was happy with the display arrangement and then secured them with a glue gun.

Step 6: Finally, I took the Hula Hoop Photo display and using a hot glue gun stuck it to the wooden block. Remember to hold it for a couple of minutes to give it support until the glue dries and can hold it easily. Ensure to apply enough hot glue in order to secure it in place. If you wish to hang them you can easily hand them too using ribbons and skipping the wooden block.

Hope you enjoy creating your personalized Hula Hoop Photo Display. If you do create one using the directions feel free to share it with me. I will be happy to see what you come up with.

Lifestyle

How to Create your own Gallery Wall

hiralk126

A gallery wall lets you tell your story and is a fun way to add to the decor of the house. I have always wanted to add a personal touch to my home with pieces we collected over time but renting does not always make it easy. I have always liked the place to be more inviting and cozy and not be an eyesore. I couldn’t think of a better way than a gallery wall to do all that. Sharing a few tips with you for getting the gallery wall look.

Firstly, I would suggest to get some craft paper from any local arts and crafts store and trace any frame you wish to use on the craft paper and cut it to size. This really comes in handy so that your gallery wall looks like you envisioned, you have even gaps between your pieces and your pieces are not crooked or crammed.

I cannot stress this more but do not be in a hurry to create a gallery wall. Carefully curate pieces of art that matter and appeal to you or tell your story to give it a personal touch. They can be a mix of photos, art prints, mirrors, postcards from your favorite vacations, gifts you have received which matter to you, drawings, wall planters, love letters, license plates, antiques, medallions, writing pads, dates or numbers that have a special meaning, baskets or platters and plates, your first house keys, etc. The opportunities to get creative are endless.

Now lets get started:

  1. Move any furniture to the side for the wall you plan to use to put up the gallery wall so that you have enough space to hang your pieces freely.
  2. If you are moving any furniture make sure that you mark the area using the painters tape so that you are aware about the space you have to work with.
  3. Lay your art work on the floor and play around with the colors and layout till you are happy with it. A tip would be to anchor your favorite or biggest art in the centre and then slowly work the other artwork around it. Do not be afraid to try out different layouts as there are no real guidelines or rules to create a fun gallery wall.
  4. Remember that is it not necessary to have all your artwork in the same color palette however a tip would be to tie it in with the color scheme of your house or room you are doing it in so that they compliment each other.
  5. Once you have the art work you like, using the painters tape apply the craft paper on the wall and step back and view it from various areas in your room. Check that the sizes of the pieces balance each other out well and make any small adjustments that are needed.
  6. Hang your pieces and remove the tape once you are done. If you are living in a rented space like me you can use Command strips to stick your artwork to the wall without damaging the wall. Move your furniture back into its place, and you are done!

Things I Used for My Gallery Wall

1) Writing Paper Clip . I got it from Staples and it cost me around $5 for the A4 size.

2) Our First car and State’s License Plate

3) Our First Anniversary Dinner Menu – I got it framed from a local framer here (Frugal Framers) and it cost me $30.

4) A fun Caricature from our trip – I got it framed from a local framer here (Frugal Framers) and it cost me $45.

5) Life is a Beautiful Ride with LED Lights frame.I purchased this frame from A.C.Moore for less than $20.

6) A Poem my husband wrote and gave me on my first birthday with him – I printed the poem on the special paper of my liking and clipped it on the writing paper clip I purchased from Staples.

7) Love Frame. I purchased this frame from A.C.Moore for less than $20.

8) A Vintage looking mirror with the quote – Every Love Story is beautiful, But ours is my favorite. I purchased this frame from Cost Plus World Market for $30. Here is a link of the same.

9) Pictures of our Personal memories – Pre Wedding Celebrations in Mumbai, India (Where our Journey began), of our Honeymoon in New Zealand and of Snowy Chicago, our first home.

I used bayphoto.com to get these pictures printed and loved the quality and the final pictures. I printed the 3 pictures for around $100 as I got a 25% discount on my first order.

The best part about Gallery walls is you can add pieces or take away pieces as you go on to make them relevant to your life. So get creative and have fun creating your own gallery wall.

Here is a picture of another Gallery Wall I recently created!

TV Unit Gallery Wall
Lifestyle

DIY Jewelry Organizer Tray – In less than 30 minutes

hiralk126

Jewelry Trays are so fun and colorful to create using Sculpey and a fun way to add a pop of color to your wardrobe. From solid colors, to interesting patterns, different shapes and more, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few tips I would like to share with you to create a jewelry tray in no time. Seriously, its fun, useful, easy and addictive!

Materials Needed:

  • Sculpey soft clay
  • Clay Roller/ Rolling pin
  • Butter Knife
  • Cookie/Clay cutters – Different shapes (not necessary – made this one without any cutters)
  • Thick paper or Ceramic tile (to keep your work space clean)

Step1: Working on the ceramic tile or thick white paper, roll your sculpted clay using your hands to form thin ropes of all the different colors you want to use.

Step 2: Twist all the ropes together interlacing the colors into one large rope.

Step3: Continue to twist and turn the rope and fold on top of itself, mixing and swirling the colors together.

Step 4: Using your hands, make the rope in the shape of a ball and flatten the ball using a rolling pin. Avoid it being too thin or too thick; you will want to get it to about the thickness of a quarter. I selected a mix of 2 colors here but you can mix and match as many colors you like or use only one solid color. I used a piece of white and a piece of violet.

Step 4: If you want to make the shape more natural like me just use your hands to give it the shape you like or use clay/cookie cutters to give it any shape you like. You can also use a bowl to give it a round shape.

Step 5: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit . Transfer your tray on a parchment paper, and bake it for 15 mins for a tray having thickness of a quarter inch. If your tray thickness is more it will be needed to be baked for longer. Follow the instructions on the clay you are using for baking instructions. If you feel the clay does not fold the shape you can even put the tray over an oven safe bowl and put it to bake.

Step 6: Let the tray cool. Once completely cool, paint the rim for detail or leave it as it is. Place your favorite jewelry inside.

These trays are so easy to make and can be made in various shapes, colors and styles. They also make a great gift to give to your friends or simply enjoy yourself. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!