Tuxedo Dress

One of my readers told me I had to check out this li'l dress and I'm so glad I did!! Sewing in No Mans Land shares her amazing tuxedo dress for little girls.

Tuxedo Dress Tutorial

American Flag {PB Knock-off!}

Check out Moody Girl Projects latest creation! She was inspired by Pottery Barn to create this wooden American flag and it looks incredible!

American Flag Tutorial

Creative Guest: Vacation Countdown Calendar by Stephanie Lynn

Hello there! I'm Stephanie Lynn from
Under The Table and Dreaming.
I am beyond thrilled and so excited to be visiting Ucreate today!
Thank you so much Kari for inviting me!

I simply adore Kari's blog and all the fabulous projects she highlights and inspires us with each and every day. When she asked me to guest post I knew I had to come up with something special and unique...

How about a Vacation Countdown Calendar! I know I, myself, get excited counting down the days to sandy beaches and carefree days ~ and as my son gets a little older I'm sure this will come in handy as the summertime kiddie going away anxiety grows.

Vacation Countdown Calendar
Materials Needed
Scrap Piece of Beadboard
Scrap Piece of Thin Wood
{30} 3/4 Inch Wooden Beads
2 Small Screw Hooks
24 Gauge Craft Wire
Jute Twine
Assorted Acrylic Paints
Gorilla Glue Epoxy
4 Inch Foam Alphabet Stamps
1/2 Inch Mini Numerical Rubber Stamps

Began with a piece of beadboard {cut 25 inches wide by 6 inches high} and a piece of thin wood {cut 21 inches wide by 5 inches tall}. I used a few scraps I had left over from previous projects.

You can get creative with your color scheme to match any decor; I went with a washed out, beach inspired, Americana look. The beadboard received a coat of a custom Blue color, which I made using a combination of acrylics and water {Apple Barrel Blue Stoneware 20566, Americana White Wash DA02, & Folk Art Medium Grey 425}. The wood piece was painted with Americana Bleached Stone DA257.

Once dry, if you prefer a distressed look, sand over the beadboard with a palm sander.

Drill two holes at the top for the hanger. {4 inches from each side and 3/4 inches from the top}

You can use any type of string or ribbon for the hanger; I chose to use three pieces of jute twine, which I braided together. Stick one end thru one of the holes {from the front} and tie into a knot on the backside; repeat with other end of the string into the second hole to create the hanger.

On the bottom edge of the beadboard insert two mini screw hooks, one on each end; this will later hold the wire for the beads.

Now you are ready to start the lettering on the second board. I used 4 inch foam alphabet stamps for mine. These can be found in the scrapbooking section of your local craft store, usually with the rubber stamps. I have used these on a number of projects and just love them! They come in several different styles and sizes and run from $5 - $10 a set.

Lightly paint on a small amount of acrylic paint with a brush and stamp on. I used Folk Art Medium Grey 425 for my letters.

To ensure your letters are aligned use a measuring tape or straight edge as your guide.

Once dry, again, if you prefer the distressed look, sand the edges and over the lettering. I just adore the weathered look this adds to the piece.

Attach the two boards together using Gorilla Glue Epoxy and let sit to dry for at least 90 minutes.

For the 'counters' you will need 3/4 inch wooden beads; make sure you purchase the ones with the pre-drilled holes. These are normally in the wood craft section and come already packaged in bags of 30.

The easiest way to color these is to let them sit in a mixture of paint and water. This will give them more of a translucent 'stained look' than solid paint. Simply fill a small bowl with water and add in your acrylic paint. Stir with a brush to mix well and drop in the wooden balls. Let sit for about a half hour or until the desired color is reached. To dry, thread them into a wooden skewer and sit on top of a vase or open container.

Once dry, you are now ready to number. I used a 1/2 inch mini stamp set with black ink pad for mine. These can be found in the scrapbooking section of your local craft store.

Stamp each ball with numbers 1-30 and re-thread onto the wooden skewers to dry.

To hang the beads cut a piece of 26 gauge craft wire and tightly wrap the end around one of the screw hooks. Thread on your beads in descending order from left to right and secure the loose end of wire to the other screw hook.

Hang and count down those last 30 days until your relaxing vacation!

As the days pass, simply roll each bead around, until the number is hidden on the backside.

Happy Summer!

Thank you so much for letting me share this fun project with you all! You can check out what else I’ve been up to over at Under the Table and Dreaming.

I love to craft, decorate, create, and cook; plus everything else ‘us’ mommies do in-between to make our house a home. Hope you can stop by and say 'Hi' sometime! Enjoy!

Monogram Photo Walls

Jamie from the Crafting Chicks shares how to create these amazing monogram photo walls!

LOVE how you can see the boy and girl versions, too.

I also had the opportunity to meet some of the crafty chicks this weekend and let me tell ya they are a fun & creative group!

Monogram Photo Wall Tutorial

Shutters Wall Art

I had to share my top pick at the CSI Project this week!!

Allison created this fabulous home decor wall art over at A Glimpse Inside.

I was instantly in love with the distressed shutters, the bright frames, and that gorgeous wreath!!

Shutters Wall Art Tutorial

Creative Guest: Nail Polish Washers by A Little Tipsy

I'm so excited to have Michelle here today!! I saw her at a conference and immediately recognized her gorgeous eyes {I'm really weird that way...I can tell you the color of any body's eyes I've ever seen in person and in pics!} and said, "I know you, you look so familiar." She told me she was Michelle and I immediately knew she was from A Little Tipsy! She is so sweet. I sat next to her at lunch and we discussed views on blogging, shared opinions, and I even found out she was expecting! She is here to share how to brighten up those silver washers with nail polish...super fun idea!!

Hi there! I am so excited that Kari asked me to come share a tutorial! Ucreate is at the top of my reader and I love her even more after meeting her at CBC!

Michelle, from A Little Tipsy here!

I am a SAHM of 1.5 boys and married to a big ole geek (software developer) of a husband. I love projects that can be done during nap time on a single income budget. I just turned the big 3-0 and still can't believe my twenties are gone, I am a total kid at heart!

Enough about me, let's get to the good stuff!

Nail Polish Washer Accessories



I love the glazed and stamped washers and decided to put a fun new twist on the washer. I "glazed" them using nail polish.

Supplies needed:

• Washers
• Nail Polish (color and clear)
• Nails
• Cereal Box
• Accessory supplies: key ring, necklace, charms, clasps

(all the accessory supplies I used were 50% off at Hobby Lobby and cost $2 or less)

1. Poke the a few nails in the cereal box to hold up each washer so the paint can drip if needed.
2. Paint a light coat in the back of the washer so it will be the same color if it flips when you are wearing your necklace/bracelet.

3. Paint the edges of the washer.

4. For the top, really glop it on. There are four different techniques I used.



A. Paint small circles (I did about 10) to get a spirally effect.
B. Drag your brush from the inside to the outside all the way around to make it look like the iris of an eye. Next time I would do this in blue or green. :)



C. Stipple with your brush to get a hammered type look.
D. Drag your brush in circles around the whole washer.

5. Let dry until hardened. Add a clear coat to protect and add shine.



Ta da!



Now embellish however you like.

Add a clasp and a charm for a fun key chain.


Play with chains (mine was a 60 in. that I wrapped), clasps, and charms for a super versatile necklace. Click any of the images to see them up close.

Or rock it as a bracelet.

The possibilities are truly endless!

Thanks again to Kari and I hope you'll come visit me soon!