April Copycat: DIY Anthropologie Mason Jar Sewing Kit

Anthroplogie has many adorable gifts, don't they? Every time I peruse their website I find my self audibly ooh-ing and ahh-ing but then I get to their price and the sticker shock hits me like a ton of bricks. So I thought, in the name of spring, a DIY Anthroplogie Mason Jar Sewing Kit would be perfect for our April Copycat!

Copycat Cost: approx $2.50 per jar.

Here's the anthropologie mason jar in all of its $45.00 glory

INSTRUCTIONS

       To make our copy cat, simply cut a piece of fabric in a circle out of the painters drop cloth. I used a cup that was about a half of an inch larger than the lid. Separate the flat lid from the ring. Run a bead of glue on the ring. Place the fabric and batting through the ring and "pouf" a bit until you make a pin cushion like dome. Place the lid inside the ring and press together. The glue should saturate the fabric and adhere both to the ring and the lid sealing your pin cushion. Fill your mason jar with your sewing kit contents (found at the dollar store!) and once dry, screw on the lid and tie with a piece of twine.

Then gloat over the $40.00 you saved yourself!

Here's the April Copycat Project Summary Pinterest image to pin to your pinboard for future reference...

(Please excuse my terrible photography.... I'm learning!)

I am so excited these Anthropologie mason jars turned out better than I hoped!!!  I decided to make 2 dozen of them as party favors for a crafting theme baby shower! I added tags that said "Thanks SEW much." and handed them to each guest as they departed. They were a hit! I have a few left... so I will list them for purchase on my Etsy store. They really are adorable, functional and cute!

AT A GLANCE

Product Guide

Ball Mason Jar - Albertsons, 10.00 for 12

Painters Drop Cloth "linen"- Big Lots, 15.00 for 9'x12' sheet

Batting- Salvaged from an old pillow, free

Sewing Kit- Dollar Tree, 1.00

Gorilla Glue- Dollar Tree, 1.00

Twine- Walmart, 3.00 per 25yds.

Happy Copying,

xoxo

DIY He Laundry Detergent.

You know I love saving money. A penny saved is ....more money to decorate! So, in the name of having more money to make life pretty, here is a cheap, effective and all natural laundry detergent. Did I mention CHEAP?!?!

I was able to find all the ingredients at my local copy-mart. (Walmart for those who aren't fluent in copy-ese yet) I tried and tweaked many recipes from all over the interwebs but this is the one I came up with and like the best. No fillers, no artificial ingredients. He safe and perfect for sensitive skin.

PRODUCT GUIDE

1 c. Borax- Walmart

1c. WASHING soda (Its baking's much stronger counterpart), Walmart

1 bar Dr Bonners Soap (I use peppermint because it smells so pretty and fresh), Trader Joes or Online but you can use Dove mild soap as well.

Multiply the ingredients to make your desired amount. Since we do A LOT of laundry at Copycat Cottage, I make mine by the box (1 box, 1 box and 3 bars... a bit different but still effective) and store it in a pretty glass cookie jar.

DIRECTIONS

1. Grate (with a cheese grater- bought at the dollar store because no one likes soapy cheese) your entire bar of dr bonners soap. I use the fine side.

2. Measure out and add one cup of each: washing soda and borax.

3. Combine in a pretty container and mix.

4. Use 1/4c. powder per load.

That's it. No cooking, very little fuss and you save BUCKS! Now with your money savings and your time savings... go make something beautiful!

And because this is a decorating and crafting blog, i decided to add a link to some pretty laundry images from my favorite image blog: The graphics fairy. 

Happy Copying,

xoxoxo

A copycat vegetable garden... part1.

So work has been pretty hectic lately. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new job. Getting to work with kiddos on the weekends, teching them about the love of an amazing savior is the most rewwarding endeavor this side of parenting i have ever encountered! I just completely underestimated what juggling a job and family would be like (even part time). After nearly a decade of doing my own thing, it's taken quite an adjustment to being on someone else's timeframe. (Or many someone eles's for that matter)

As you can see, my blog time has suffered. I am sorry to neglect you. If it feels like i have forgotten you- I haven't. I promise. You are there in my dreams... now if only I could sync my dreams with this blog, we'd be flyin high!

There are so many crafting projects just screaming to be finished right now. (in fact they are all piled in the trunk of my car) You moms know that a mom's trunk is just about the only place the kiddos won't plunder and destroy right? Or are my copykittens especially destructive?

Anyhow, spring has sprung at chateau copycat and it has brought the itch to garden. So, in a feeble attempt to scratch the gardening itch I am daring to plant a vegetable garden. (Currently Mr.Copycat is cursing in the living room as he attempts to plot my front yard to scale on graph paper, so I can try to design my garden. He loves me. This I know.)



Today I planted my first batch of seeds in a table top green house and hopefully in a few weeks I will have seedlings. For now, I just have to be content to dream about the type of garden I want. Ever the optomist (so far the only thing that grows at my house are the kids and they are pretty insistant about letting me know their needs! ) I started looking at renaissance vegetable gardens. Here are a few examples:


Now, I am fully aware that the chateau copycat is no castle. I am also aware that I have nowhere near the amount of space that these gardens require but I have been reading. I have been reading this little darling of a gardening book called square foot gardening that gives me hope that I may be able to accomplish this similar style in a more humble space to a similar effect. In true copy cat fashion, I am aspiring to make a square foot renaissance vegetable garden in my front yard. (Do you think I am crazy?) Heres what my front yard looks like currently:


I think this blank canvas is just begging for a pretty addition that also saves on my food budget (And increases my design budget in the process!!!) I'll keep you updated on copycat gardens as we progress. Till then- have fun. stay crafty. C.

March CopyCat: Restoration Hardware Faux Belgian Linen

There is just something so irresistibly crisp and comfy about Belgian linen. Maybe its the understated cool- its casual texture and warmth. Perhaps it has a way of looking so polished and relaxed at the same time. So very Hemingway meets Casablanca. I love the neutral palate and the mottled flecks of dark and light fibers woven throughout. I love texture and Belgian linen is a linen you can feel as you look at it. I believe it is safe to say I love everything about Belgian linen...except its price tag. These yummy curtains on the left are from Restoration Hardware and will set you back $104.99- $599.00 (And that's their sale price!)



Seeing as I am the kind of person who would rather, um, eat for the month than buy delicious Belgian linen curtains; how would you like to learn of a super cheap, super, easy, just as luxurious way to duplicate these darling gems? What would you say if I told you you could have luxuriously long, spill on the floor in extravagant piles, faux Belgian linen curtains for just 10 bucks a piece?



Its true. Let me introduce you to my dear friend, who will make repeat appearances in this blog I assure you: Painters Drop Cloth. Because of its cost effectiveness, durability and versatility, it is a Copycat essential and it is my personal belief that no designers tool box should ever be without it.

You can get painters drop cloth at your local hardware store. I buy mine at Walmart. Just 10 dollars for a pre-hemmed on all sides, 9' x6' sheet.

One you get these beauties home there are many ways you can handle them to transform them into your masterpiece. Some prefer to wash them in loads upon loads of fabric softener and dryer sheets. Some like them pressed and proper. I love their folds and creases so I just shake them out and clip them to the curtain fasteners, hang them from the rods and let them puddle on the floor.

Here are a few pictures of my DIY faux Belgian linen (drop cloth) curtains.

So what have you used painters drop cloth for? I'd love to know!

DIY Chalkboard Paint

Remember my recent post admitting my new found lust for all things chalkboard? Well, Mr. Copycat and I took a stroll through our local hardware store today and I asked the kind gal behind the paint counter where the gallons of chalkboard paint were located. She kindly chuckled at me and said, "Its not sold by the gallon. Its only sold by the quart."
"Uh oh." I thought to myself. (Since I never think of anything on the small scale. I had envisioned an entire twenty foot wall covered with the paint! Go Big or Go home, right?) "I'm going to have to sell a kidney."
"Its fifteen dollars for a quart" she said as she shattered my chalkboard dreams into a million of teeny-tiny slate pieces.

Not being one to give up easy or to pay crazy money for design I left the store thinking- where there's a will there's a DIY!!! And so.... here it is:

A tutorial on how to make your own chalkboard paint...

whatever brilliant color your little heart desires... at a fraction of the cost! Read on to learn how to make chalkboard paint yourself.

Things You'll Need:Latex paint with a flat finish (amount will vary based on the painting project)
Unsanded tile grout.
Container
Paintbrush, roller or a sponge
Paint stirrer
150 grit sandpaper
Chalk
Felt cloth
Dampened towel or sponge
Towels or rags

1. Measure the flat finish latex paint and unsanded tile grout into a container. See Tips for ratio of paint with other ingredients. Your project will dictate how much chalkboard paint you need to make.

2. Mix thoroughly using a paint stirrer, until they are very well blended and there are not any clumps.

3. Apply the paint to the surface that you want to cover using a paintbrush, roller or sponge. Make sure to allow the paint to thoroughly dry before applying another coat of paint.

4. Sand each coat of paint gently, using 150 grit sandpaper.

5.Wipe the dust away using a clean towel or rag. This will help to keep your chalkboard surface nice and smooth.

6. Condition your new chalkboard by turning a piece of chalk sideways and rubbing it over the entire surface of the chalkboard. Make sure that you cover the entire board with the chalk.

7. Clean the chalk off the chalkboard using a soft felt cloth. Dampen the cloth with water and wipe off the chalkboard.

8. Enjoy.

Mixing ratio tips:
•Mixing proportions for the chalkboard paint: 1 part acrylic paint, 1/2 part glazing medium and 1/6 part of powder tile grout. For example, measure 3 tsps. of paint, 1-1/2 teaspoons of glazing medium and 1/2 tsp. powder tile grout. Another example is 6 tsp. of paint, 3 tsp. of glazing medium and 1 tsp. of powder tile grout..
•Use a magnetic primer under your chalkboard paint for a magnetic chalkboard..
•If you are applying the chalkboard paint to a small area such as a section of a door, or message board, mix only 1 cup of paint, making more if needed. For larger areas, simply increase the amount of paint and un-sanded tile grout proportionally..
•Remember, grout dries quickly. Make your "paint" in small batches at a time as it does not keep well.

xoxoxo,