Join us in creating 3 fun, trendy, and cool Mother’s Day projects for kids – but that can be just as awesome for adults to do as well! Below are DIY’s for a Chalkboard Fabric Banner (with a Dad Hack!), Terrariums (with 2 cutesy alternatives), and Beeswax Candles (with a bonus glitter candle holder). These can all be adjusted for kids of all ages or advanced to fancier adults. So, go! Create for mom!
Chalkboard Fabric Banner
Supplies:
Photo of your choice! We like vertical ones best for the banner layout.
Chalkboard fabric (at Modern Textiles if you are near Fargo otherwise here)
Chalk
Tacky glue, fabric glue (dries much faster), or DAD HACK: duct tape only
Dowel (any size thickness you prefer)
Twine
Scissors
Potentially needed: heavy book and wax paper to help hold while glue dries, sand paper if dowel has a sharp end later.
1. Place photo on chalk fabric and outline the size you want the banner to be. Consider how much writing you want to allow.
2. Be sure to mark extra for the fabric that will cover the dowel. We used about 1 1/4″.
3. Cut this outlined area out – including the extra on the top for the dowel.
4. Mark each corner of the photo with chalk.
5. Remove photo and add lines inside the corners you marked to frame the photo and allow it to stay behind the fabric when glued/taped.
6. Cut out this inside piece.
7. Place photo behind fabric and use a light tape like washi tape to hold photo in the place you want it to be able to work on the other side. {alternate idea: use washi tape to stay on the end project!}
8. – 10. Either use a DAD HACK and use just duct tape to hold photo in place OR a glue like tacky glue or fabric glue (dries faster than tacky if you have it!).
11. Place dowel on the top and fold fabric over. Use chalk to draw a line where this lands.
12. Using tacky glue, fabric glue, or just duct tape adhere this fabric you folded over into place. Be careful to leave unglued room for the dowel to slip in later.
13. If you used glue, hold into place and wipe excess glue with a damp cloth.
14. If you used glue, use wax paper between something heavy and the glued fabric. Let dry. Tacky glue we had to let dry for about 2 hours, fabric glue just took about 10-15 min, and if you used duct tape go to the next step right away!
15. Be sure there was space left to slip dowel in.
16. To create banner bottom, either fold bottom in half and cut from middle to corners downward. Otherwise, just use chalk to create this bottom and cut so you don’t have to fold photo.
17. Place dowel in place and use chalk to mark ends where you want to break it. Snap dowel close to this or use awesome scissors. If needed, sand this quick to prevent slivers. For us the dowel snapped cleanly and didn’t need sanding.
18. Attach twine. We just used a circle and slipped it behind the fabric and around sides. You could also just tie on both sides.
19. Add chalk drawings!
Terrarium + 2 Cutesy Alternatives
Supplies:
Succulents (Bakers Nursery in Fargo, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.)
Container (we used a heavy duty wine glass but the options are endless – larger mouthed glassware will be easier for smaller kids)
Soil
Little Rocks
Spoon (to help add soil)
Options: preserved moss (Hobby Lobby), sand, little cute decor
1. Add little rocks to the base of your glassware/container. This will help water drainage if the plant gets too much watering.
2. Add soil – but only a bit at first to fit the plant and then more soil around it.
3. Take your plant (succulent) out of the container. Divide if needed (if you have more than one succulent in a container).
4. Place in your glassware and add more soil around it up to the base of the plant. Add more plants if desired.
5. Add the cute stuff! Check out cutesy additions below.
ALTERNATIVE #1: Washi Tape Banner
Grab a little washi tape, extra dowel (break in half or to desired height), and twine! Fold washi over twine and cut into your cute banner.
ALTERNATIVE #2: Chalkboard Fabric Flag
Use a little extra chalkboard fabric, cut into desired shape, and glue (or duct tape!) onto a dowel!
Care for your terrarium:
*Do not leave in super direct sunlight. Just a little to some is good.
*Water sparingly. Wait until soil is pretty dry to add just a little water at a time.
Beeswax Candles + Glitter Candle Holder
Beeswax candles win because they are natural and actually purify your air (similar to how plants do) AND they are simple and pretty. We’ve used these as a fun after-dinner project with friends to a simple project with kids.
(this was from a Harvest Table dinner with close friends that ended with making beeswax candles to take home! photo credit: Kelsey Sargent)
Supplies:
Beeswax (there is literally no place at least in Fargo that sells these sheets so we keep buying them here)
Wick (usually comes with the sheets if you buy them from above)
Anything to decorate to gift such as scrap fabric, gift bags, etc.
Scissors to trim wick
1. Lay your beeswax on a clean surface so it’s mild stickiness doesn’t pick up dirt and dust.
2. Choose if you want a tall or short candle. If you want a short one, carefully fold the beeswax in half (consider what it’ll be burned in).
3. If you are going for short and folded the sheet of beeswax, you can now carefully “rip” it down the fold you created.
4. Cut a piece of candle wick (be sure you pay attention to the top and bottom of the wick and place the top on top!). Cut it to be a bit over a 1/2″ longer than the candle. Lay this near the edge of one end of the candle.
5. Carefully begin to roll the beeswax over the wick to cover it tightly.
6. Continue to roll the beeswax until the end. Try to keep the ends even so it can stand up straight.
7. Once rolled completely, use the warmth of your fingers to seal the end starting in the middle. Don’t press too hard – we’re just helping the candle keep its shape.
8. Press to each end.
9. Trim the wick to be about 1/4″.
10. Decorate for giving with scrap fabric!
11. Continue to DIY below to glitter-ize a candle holder if desired!
BONUS: Glitter Candle Holder!
(but truly you could certainly modge podge or glue anything on these that you’d want to if mom hates glitter…but glitter is just so awesome we needed to do something with it…)
Supplies:
Candle Holder
Masking tape/washi tape/painters tape
Modge Podge
Foam Brush
Glitter!!!
1. Put paper or wax paper below your project for easy clean up. Tape your holder where you don’t want the glitter to be. Press down well so extra modge podge can’t sneak under!
2. Apply modge podge with foam brush.
3. Shake on glitter.
4. Allow to dry about 10-15 minutes so the glitter isn’t flaking off too easily.
5. We choose to apply a second coat but this does mean some glitter will get into your modge podge container so consider pouring some out first. Apply a second coat of modge podge on top of first glitter layer. Shake on MORE GLITTER!
6. Allow to dry well – about 30 minutes. Take off tape. If desired, seal the glitter on prior to taking off tape with a clear adhesive spray or another layer of modge podge. If you apply these, some of the “glisten” of the glitter won’t be as nice…but if you hate glitter you’ll want to apply something to seal it. We didn’t…because we love glitter and it only came off upon scratching off. Save your leftover glitter from shaking it on back into the original container!
Still scratching your head for mom’s gift? You could also come visit us at Unglued (and online!) to check out some gift ideas or use this guide below:
{1.Love Builds a Happy Home Print $14, 2.Handmade Bead Necklace $20, 3.Fabric Butons $5, 4.Batiked Scarves $28, 5.Unglued Gift Certificate, 6.Card $4, 7.Mother’s Garden Seeds Bombs $22, 8.Freshly Roasted Coffee $10.50-15, Large Ceramic Mug $18, 9.Ceramic Spoon Rests $3.50, 10.Vintage Fabric/Vinyl Zip Pouch $12}
Thanks for making with us!
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