DIY Chalkboard Frame

For this project I used:

- A picture frame. I got mine from poundland - they actually have a really good range of decorative ones.

- A glue gun (or a bit of strong superglue will do fine).

- Black paint.

- A strong fridge magnet - I had a big ugly advertisement one on the fridge already, so used that.

It's so super simple it doesn't really need much of an explanation, but here goes...

I took the back off the frame and took out the glass... (is there a craft use for a spare piece of glass? Let me know if there is, I never like throwing things away if there might be a use for them)

Then I painted the wooden back of the frame with a couple of layers of black paint (I just used a cheap tester pot from Wilko)...

Pancake was keen to assist, as always...

After I put the wooden bit back into the frame, I got out my trusty glue gun (seriously, the best thing ever) and stuck my magnet on the back.

Ta-da! A chalkboard on your fridge, for shopping lists or cute notes. The DIY button magnets can be found right here too, if you're interested.

Simple and quick crafting is where it's at when I've got a 15,000 word dissertation due in, eeek!

Valentine's Gift Bag Tutorial

Happy Valentine's! Well, almost..

We don't really celebrate in a big way, but I do have a small gift to give, so I thought I'd make it a bit more personal by making a gift bag to give it in. There are LOADS of gift bag/box tutorials online, and mine here is pretty simple, so I've also included some of my favourites for something more fancy :)

First, find some pretty paper. Scrapbook paper or card would work well. I used some pretty hot air balloon pattern wrapping paper (he's a bit of a balloon fan) - luckily this paper is quite sturdy, this might be a bit trickier with thinner type wrapping paper though. 

Next, measure your gift onto the paper. Draw your pattern around this, so you get a larger size than your item. This is just a really simple template - 4 sides, slits along the bottom so you can glue it all together, and a tab at the side to join. I also folded over the top to make it look a bit more neat when it is together. 

This is what happens when you glue it all together... 

I pinched in the sides and punched a couple of holes at the top. After putting in the gift, tie a bow with string or ribbon.. and that's it! 

Well, I did say it was simple...

Here's my Valentine's offerings, with my gift being accompanied by a jar of treats - in this case LOTS of jellybeans. I hope he shares! 

And take a look at my DIY Fox Box tutorial for more gift-giving inspiration!

If these aren't your bag, here's a few of my favourite tutorials to give a go.

Awesome DIY gift box for Cookies and other treats - find the tutorial here

Recycled newspaper gift bags - find the tutorial here

A super colourful variety of the easy square origami boxes we have all made before - make it here

...Or how about these recycled cardboard pillow boxes? Perfect for small things - here

<3