My First DIY

Dear Monster,

   I can't wait to work on crafty stuff with you! Fun projects for Dad, homework sent home from school, or fun things just because they're fun! I can't wait! I've never been a crafty person, but for some reason, thinking about doing crafts with you makes me giddy!
~~~

Hello readers! I hope everyone's Saturday is going well. Saturdays are not all that thrilling for me as I have to work on Sunday but my husband usually gets home early and I get to spend the whole day with my monster so, they generally rank about an 8.

Although most Saturdays are an 8, today was AT LEAST an 11!! Why you ask? Because, today, I got to give my husband a gift. Let me preface by saying that Sean is the WORST person to try to give a gift to. He is always humble and ever so kind so no matter how hard you work, how much money you spend, or how much thought you put into it you will still get a "Aw...thanks. That's awesome." Then maybe a hug. Maybe. In 7 1/2 years I have only been able to make my husband cry TWICE because of something I have given him. 1) On his 29th birthday I bought him a "Yard of Beer" glass and a 6-pack of his favorite beer, I prepaid for his Uncharted 2 game, I bought him the Slave 1 from Star Wars in Lego form, and I gave him an incredibly romantic card....I think he cried for the Legos. 2) When I had him come home for lunch so that I could present him with 2 positive pregnancy tests.

THOSE ARE IT! So, it is like this intense DRIVE that I have now to try to get my husband passed his simple reactions to gifts. I've tried big and expensive, I've tried little and handmade, I've tried sentimental, funny, weird, and fun. I've tried it all. So, now it's just the luck of the draw. It all depends on what mood my husband is in. Due to this discovery, I try to make each and every gift intense and awesome...just in case.

Which brings me to today's blog! It's my first DIY blog so bear with me. :) I got the idea from a poem on Pinterest that I repined from a friend of mine. I was in tears by the second line (I'm convinced I am still working through some sort of pregnancy awfulness because I am, most definitely, NOT a crier) so I decided I had to do something with it. It helps that I had a very small budget to work with. Whenever I'm strapped for cash, I head to the crafts department and whip out some creativity. My basic idea for this was the print the poem out on some pretty paper and put Liam's little footprints next to it, then frame the whole thing. Simple. So, here we go...

The basics for that you will need for this project are as follows:

1. Card-stock Paper (I went ahead and grabbed 4 pieces of my chosen color because, let's face it, I'm gonna mess up)

2. A frame (I quickly discovered that frames are ridiculously expensive and that a normal 8 x 10 wouldn't work unless I trimmed the paper. So, I went with a "floating picture" design and bought an 11 x 14 frame. Your local Thrift Store would be a great resource for an awesome/unique frame!)

3. Finger paint (The incredibly helpful and patient lady at the JoAnn Fabric store informed me that normal fabric paint was NOT a good idea and that I should head over to the "Kid's Crafts" section for finger paint. Duh, Courtney! Did I not notice the GIANT sign for "Kid's Crafts" when I came in??)

4. A onesie that you're not so fond of (This is optional. The lady at the store said it would be a good idea just in case but I decided to keep Liam in his diaper. That way I don't have to clean a baby AND a onesie!)

5. Stickers (Also optional. I happened to find a sticker that went very well with my project so I purchased it. You, most definitely, don't have to.)

6. A bowl of luke warm water with an old wash cloth (You'll want to rinse off each foot as you finish with it.)

7. A paint brush (I found it easier to apply the paint directly than dipping his foot in and making a GIANT mess!)

8. A mat you're not so fond of (I used one of our old changing mats.)

9. You may also need one of these:

Alright, got your supplies?? Ready to go??

Step 1: Put your quote or poem or whatever you're going to use to your card-stock paper. This step is actually were I went through most of my paper. This was mainly because I was attempting to use a font that prints quite a bit lighter than every other font in existence. Once I finally got my font and placement figured out it went very well! Please note: It is a good idea to inform your printer that you are using card-stock paper before you attempt to print your project. Not saying that it won't work if you don't, but it might make it easier on your printer. :) Also, practice on some regular paper a couple of time.

Step 2: Once you've got your paper arranged, lay it on a firm surface. Most of my house is carpet so I placed it on an old album that we had laying around. 

Step 3: Paint your kiddo's feet/hands/whatever:

I squeezed my paint out on some baby wipes

Red tootie! If your kiddo is like mine, hold the foot very still. Ticklish feet cause bigger messes! ;)

Step 4: I rolled Liam's foot from heal to toe while having him sit in my lap. It went very well for his left one, but the right was more difficult. Turns out that while his body was hanging over the rest of the paper he tried to grab and kick at it and causes all sorts of paper movement. We were golden until I went to pull his right foot from the paper and he kicked the paper with his left foot. *sigh* This whole process is easier with a second person.  

Step 5: Let the paint dry.

Like watching paint dry. ;)

Step 6: Once the paint is dry, it's time to place it in your frame. 

Always so helpful

I flipped over the stock photo to create a white background for my paper

 And the final results??? TADA!!!!

Yay! I love it! I'm a perfectionist so the right foot print bothers me every time I look at it. lol I've convinced myself that I'm okay with it because it's unique and adorable but *sigh* I fear it will always bother me just a little.

Oh well, I think I did fairly well for this being my first real crafty project with my son. I can't wait for our next one!!! I hope you enjoyed my first DIY blog. It was hard to miss out on some of the photos because it was only me so I will endeavor to have Sean with me for our next one.  

This project was really important to me. The poem touched my little heart so much and Sean adored it as well. He loved the gift but I'm pretty sure he loved it more because it came with two Butterfingers ;)

Let me know what you guys think. Any advice for my next DIY blog? Any requests for projects I should give a try and blog about? It's always more fun when you have no idea what you're doing! Ha ha ha.

Happy Father's Day to all of you amazing fathers out there. I am blessed with an amazing team member, husband, and friend. I wish I could thank him in some small way everyday! (Hmm...that may have to be a part of my next crafty project) Thanks for stopping by everyone! What crafty things have you done lately? Are you a crafty person?