Sunday, February 27, 2011

Using Mod Podge reminds me of Grama

A few weeks ago, toward the end of January, I bought a box of Christmas ornaments on clearance for around $0.35.

I couldn't resist the price and knew that I could think of something to do with them.  I just didn't know what at the time.  What would I do with green ornaments?  I don't tend to decorate for the holidays since we're always on vacation at that time, and I don't use this shade of green for anything.  And so the ornaments sat for a while.

They sat until I was digging around in my fabric box looking for something to finish another project and I came across some scraps of colorful, sheer-like fabric.  A woman I know was going through her dress-making stage and gave me all of her scraps for my quilting projects, but this material was just not suitable for quilting.  It was too pretty to just toss, even if the scraps were small, so I hung onto it hoping to find a solution.

That was when I remembered my grandmother, "Grama," and her love of Mod Podge.  When I was very young she took a cardboard reindeer mold and showed me how to mod podge Christmas fabric onto it to create a decoration.  That was fun.  I wonder if I could do that with ornaments...

I removed the gold cap and used my little finger to hold the ornament as I brushed it with Mod Podge.
Yes, my fingers are always covered in spray paint.
I took a piece of scrap fabric, about 4"x6" or so, and cut it into tiny pieces (small piece work well because they wrap around the ball a bit better).
I placed each small piece on the ornament and covered it with Mod Podge.  The pieces of fabric overlapped like a collage.

It took a while, so I only made three...for now.
One of my brothers asked why I was doing this because it seemed like a waste of time.  I said "Some people like this sort of thing."  He was too little to remember all of Grama's Mod Podge projects, so I don't expect him to understand the sentimentality of such a project.  It was fun for me.

I used Mod Podge for another craft this weekend, one that I've been meaning to do for a long time: make  coasters.  I had leftover tile from my chalkboard coaster project that I made as Christmas gifts for a few people.  (I was really obsessed with chalkboard spray paint in November and December, but that's another story.)  Using the tile, pretty paper, Mod Podge, and some Anita's Polyurethane Sealant, I set about making some coasters as gifts.


Many people in BlogLand create coasters.  If anyone has discovered the secret to keep the paper from bubbling, please let me know!  I think I only achieved that about 50% of the time and have no idea why some coasters bubbled and others did not.

Regardless, it was a fun and easy project, even if it took a long time for things to dry between coats.  If they really turn out, then I'll add them to the gift box in the closet -- I always need a small supply of gifts on hand. One never knows when one might suddenly need a gift!

I'm linking here:

3 comments:

  1. Hi! Thanks for checking out my blog :) You are sweet. And I am following now. I think (I am still not positive) that bubbling means you used too much mod podge. I put a thin layer on the bottom then put the paper on it, and then set a heavy book on top until it dries. This seems to do the trick most of the time. Sometimes I still get crinkles and I can't figure out why either, so if you figure out the problem let me know :) I just try and not be such a perfectionist when it comes to mod-podge. You sort of never know what you're gonna get. Happy mod-podging!! Btw, what a great idea for those leftover Christmas ornaments! I love that. So creative!

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  2. Before you glue the paper to the tile, try painting on a layer of Mod Podge and letting it dry completely; if you leave the coat rough and let the brush marks stay, it acts as a sort of "primer" so that the paper will attach more thoroughly to the tile itself.

    Generally, I try to do what Christine said... use a thin layer on the bottom (after your first layer dries) so that the paper will stick. The thinner the coat, the better.. wrinkles and bubbles tend to happen when the paper become too wet. Make sure you paint a layer on top, as well. I tend to paint the over layer while the glue underneath the paper is still wet - though I can't attest to whether this aids in the no-bubbles attempt. When all that's finished, you may want to add a layer of polyurethane so that the condensation of the glass doesn't cause the paper to wrinkle.

    Your coasters are lovely, by the way. I don't think the bubbling takes away from the ones you've made already, because they're too cute to fault. :) Thanks for sharing!

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  3. These are awesome!! Thanks for visitng my blog and leaving great comments. :) Love all your creativity, thanks for linking up to my blog bash K.I.S.S. @ The Tattered Tag. Please link up more of your great ideas tomorrow. :)

    Drop by The Tattered Tag

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