The Cheerful Dreamer Blog -

16
Aug
2016

Alcohol Splatter Coasters

categories: Art

A while back, I saw someone make these cool coasters on tiles with sharpies and alcohol. I finally tried it for myself and am officially obsessed. There are so many great things about this project. First, you can get the tiles for super cheap at your local warehouse stores. I opted for the oversized tiles at Lowes and only paid 48 cents per tile. The average sized tiles were only 16 cents each. What?! You can also use any brand of permanent marker. I used both Sharpie, PrismaColor and some cheapo markers from Michaels on these. What I love about using different brands on the same piece is that they each transition differently at the end of the process.

Now comes the fun part… drawing! If you have a specific design in mind, go with it. If you want to free hand it, that is okay too! I have two different tiles posted here for you. One is a rainbow. I knew that is what I wanted, so that is what I drew. The other is just random dots. I had nothing in particular in mind when I did that one. Just color your heart out. Once you are done, spritz your tile with a little alcohol. The ink will automatically start to dissipate once the alcohol hits it. If you want an even cooler effect, you can stand the tile up on any side and let the alcohol run a bit. That is what I did with my rainbow. As you can see, the colors began to run into each other.

Once they are dry, be sure to thoroughly seal them. I used this:

I sprayed several coats, letting it dry completely in between. Be sure to spray your art in a well ventilated area. I used my picnic table outside. The fumes from the spray are pretty strong and definitely should be breathed in. After that, simply glue on some cork or felt to the back and you are done! I am thinking about how I can make more and turn them into some sort of mosaic project. If I come up with something, you will see it soon!

08
May
2016

Happy Mother’s Day

categories: Everyday Life, Pets

I was so happy that my weekend off fell on Mother’s Day. I have been so busy at work lately. With the pharmacy transitioning from Target to CVS, when I get off of work each day I am just too exhausted to function. Seriously, if you go to a store that just transitioned to CVS, please be nice to them. They are dying. People are horrible. It’s rough. It was nice to have a day that I didn’t just feel the need to stay in bed. We got up early and took my mom to breakfast at my favorite diner. It was absolutely y-u-m!

I just love that lady. After I got my belly full and did a little shopping, it was home for some doggie snuggle time. I tried to take some cute selfies, but all Delta was interested in was trying to get some kisses. Typical.

She is such a goofball. I hope that everyone reading this enjoyed their weekend. It is back to the grind for me tomorrow. Wish me luck! Hopefully I won’t be too pooped to try out a couple of projects for y’all!

07
May
2016

Outdoor Water Fountain

categories: Outdoors

Hello lovely people! It feels like forever since I have been here presenting a project to you. My laptop went to computer heaven right after my last post and it has taken until now to get a new one. Ah, life. It feels good to be back at it, though! I have been working on creating a little backyard oasis for myself lately and I have been wanting to add a little water fountain to it. What better project to stage a come back with, right? Right. So without further ado, here is my super easy, anyone with thumbs can do it, outdoor water fountain!

Start by gathering two big clay pots and one small pot to hold them together. I just went for Terra Cotta because I was already dishing out a bunch of money on plants and I had somewhat of a budget I was trying to adhere to. You could always splurge and go for the nicer painted, glazed pots of you are feeling froggy. Here are mine:

As you can see on the pictures on the left, I sealed the bottom hole as well as adhered the smaller pot to the larger one with some caulk. This will keep it from leaking everywhere. You don’t have t use caulk, it is just what I had handy. I didn’t worry too much about how it looked, because it is just for me and you won’t see any of that in the end. Once the caulk (or whatever adhesive you decide to use) is dry, Place the smaller of the two pots on top of the larger and position however you find appealing. I chose to tip mine, because the fountain attachment worked well that way and it just looked nice.

I bought a bag of nice stones from Lowes to fill the pots with. I love the contrast in colors. Like I said, the sky is the limit when making your own. Once you get the logistics of how everything works, there are so many options to choose from. Before you fill your pots completely up with rocks, put your pump in. I was lucky enough to find this solar-powered pump at Harbor Freight this morning for a heck of a good price! It is nice because I don’t have to worry about unplugging it or wasting power. Love!!

Once it is in and positioned like you want, start loading in the rocks and water. It really is that easy. This is what mine looks like now:

You can always use tubing instead of the plastic stand that it comes with. That comes in handy if you don’t want to see where the water is coming from. I didn’t mind on this one, but I have an idea for another one that I might use tubing for. If I make it I will be sure to show you guys! I added a video down below of the fountain in action. Before you watch it, know this. I have not figured out the video editor yet. So the clip is sideways. Yikes! You get the idea, though. Bye loves!!

DIY Outdoor Fountain

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04
Jan
2016

DIY Dog Toy

categories: Pets

You might remember my post and corresponding video tutorial on making t-shirt yarn. Well, I finally got around to posting the video for the dog toy I made with the yarn. Honestly, I completely forgot about it until I was going through my phone and saw it. It is really quite simple. Even if you don’t make your own yarn, you can purchase some to make this toy. I simply finger knitted three long strands and tied off each end. Once that is complete, secure all three stands together and braid, twist or knot them until you are at the opposite end.

Check the video out here:

03
Jan
2016

Airbrushing Fun

categories: Art

Happy New Year friends! I hope everyone had a great holiday. I have been super sick for the past two weeks, but I am finally starting to feel better. Woo hoo!! My super awesome hubby got me an airbrushing kit that I have had my eye on for Christmas. I have been dying to play around with it. When I thought I wouldn’t possibly cough up a lung yesterday, I started playing with it. It. Is. AWESOME! Seriously, everyone run out and buy one immediately. I had so much fun creating art with it. I was in my own creative world and I never wanted to leave it.

I got a five pack of canvas for $12 right before Christmas at Michael’s. They were having awesome deals every day. I couldn’t stop going in and spending money. I used that and tons of free paint that I have been collecting from the dump. This is what I made:

It is a galaxy! I love it. I think it is pretty good for my first time playing with an airbrush gun. The only thing I would change is the method that I used to make the stars. Some of them just came out too big and chunky. Like I said, it was so much fun to create. I think it is safe to say that I officially have a new obsession!!

If you are interested in trying it out for yourself, he got my kit at Harbor Freight. They are the go to place for cheap tools. Always check RetailMeNot for coupons too. I got some accessories for my kit for 20% off when I went yesterday.

21
Dec
2015

Pool Noodle Wreath

categories: Home Decor

I have been playing around with the idea of making a wreath base out of a pool noodle for a few weeks now. I finally got around to actually doing it today. It took a few tries before I found out how to make sure it wouldn’t come apart. It reminded me of magnets… The ends did not want to be together. The easiest thing I found to do is hot glue the ends together and while you are holding them (it helps to have a partner for this step) apply duct tape length wise. I used four pieces of tape. Once it was secure, I then spiraled more tape around the noodle.

I then grabbed some pieces of burlap that I had and hot glued them on. I didn’t have quite enough to go completely around, so I glued a piece of sweater on each side.

I didn’t like how the pieces on the right side flowed together, so I made some quick fabric flowers. Some were made with t-shirt yarn and some with an old skirt. I glued half marbles on the center of each of them. I threw in a couple swirls of pearls as well. They hide the imperfections pretty well!

Here is a close up of the flowers:

What I love about this project is how little I spent. The pool noodle was $2. The burlap was about $2 each because I used a coupon at Michaels. I got the pearls and marbles at Goodwill for $1. Everything else was upcycled. That’s less than $10! Not bad, huh? I’m really happy with how it turned out.

20
Dec
2015

Secret Santa Gift

categories: Everyday Life, Holiday

Every year we have a Christmas party for my work crew. We have food, play secret Santa and have an ornament exchange. Every single year (except for one) I have drawn my boss’s name. I wanted to make him something cool this year. He is a huge gator fan as he went to school at UF. This is what I came up with.

I was so nervous about making this. I certainly do not consider myself to be a painter. Yes, I use paint to draw words and abstract images on canvas occasionally, but this is a whole new ballgame. I found an image online that was similar to what I had in mind and started paining. I found the frame a few weeks ago while thrift shopping. It had a horrid looking picture in it, but I couldn’t pass this frame up. It is beautiful!!

As for the painting itself, I just used acrylic paint. I am super eager to paint something else. He had such a great reaction when he opened his gift. I can’t even tell you how much it warmed my heart!

Don’t be afraid to try something knew. You might just surprise yourself!

18
Dec
2015

Traditions

categories: Uncategorized

One of my most treasured holiday traditions is baking Christmas goodies with my mom. We do it every year. Last year we started spreading it out over two days. It’s nice. It’s less stressful and we can have more fun by taking our time. We always listen to music and reminisce about old days. We tell the same stories over and over, but they never get old to me. It is such a joy. AND it couldn’t have come at a better time this year.

I have been completely beyond stressed out. Work has been a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. I haven’t been feeling well either. Hooray for autoimmune diseases! 🙃 I needed a day or two to just laugh and eat way too many sweets. It was definitely a fantastic way to let all of that drama fade away far behind me.

It is so easy to become absorbed in the hustle and bustle of our every day lives these days that we lose sight of the important things. Don’t put off making happy memories with the ones that you love. Before we know it, those people won’t be with us anymore and the memories will be all that we have to hold on to.

So tell me, what are some of your favorite holiday memories and traditions?

14
Dec
2015

Thrifty Crafting Tips

categories: Everyday Life

Crafting on a budget? No problem! Here are some tips that might help you along the way.

Check with your local landfill to see if they will let you have discarded paint. Mine lets you come get whatever you want, free of charge. It saves them from having to dispose of it. I have found some really great quality paint in fun colors!
Never shop at a craft store without a coupon! I cannot stress this enough. Most stores have apps with coupons saving you up to 50%. You can also sign up for money saving emails as well as check for coupons in the Sunday newspaper.
Ask your friends for help. If you need bottles, books, old jewelry or anything ask your friends if they have anything. You can post on social media what you need and see who can help. Most of my friends just toss old wine bottles and things so they are happy to let me pick them up instead.
Shop at thrift stores. You can save a bundle by buying second hand. Some of the stores even have dollar and half off days!
Don’t skip over clearance end caps! Whether you are in a craft store or a big box store like Target, look at the clearance. I have found dirt cheap paint, pens, paper and numerous supplies.
Check dumpsters. I’m not saying go dumpster diving, but if you see something awesome sitting out by a dumpster – ask the business owner is you can have it! I have found awesome countertops and office supplies in great condition that were just being cleared out for new merch. It can be a goldmine!

13
Dec
2015

DIY Ornaments

categories: Holiday

We just put our Christmas Tree up last night! It is so pretty! Seriously, I feel like a little kid. We played Christmas music and I had the best time putting all the ornaments on. So I thought it was perfect timing for this post. Sure, it is easy to buy the shiny, glitzy ornaments that you can find in the big box stores. It is so fun and rewarding to make your own. There are so many options when it comes to customization. The sky is the limit! I have put together just a few ideas to get you started.

The first thing you need is clear glass ornaments. I’ll let you in on a little secret: you can never have too many!! All you have to do at this point I fill them. Here is a list of what I filled mine with!

Feathers
Mardi Gras Beads
Scrap Material
Acrylic Paint
Glitter
Colored Sugar meant for baking

I will say, the beads make the ornaments a bit heavy. Make sure you place them on a sturdier branch! This is just a grain of sand in the big picture of all you can do when making your own ornaments. I promise you will have so much fun and it will be such a great memory when putting up your tree in the years to come.

**This article contains affiliate links. I do get paid a percentage if you buy a product. That being said, I only link to products that I have or would personally buy for myself.**