bluebird chic

modern style, vintage soul

Happy Flag Day | DIY Patriotic Pallet

 

Hi there and Happy Flag Day!  I’m excited to share a handmade project by ambassador Kimi Coopet of Oh Hello Photo with you all today.

She says, “Since basically forever I have wanted to make a flag pallet but never got around to it but with Flag Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day right around the corner I figured this was the perfect time to whip out this really easy project.”

MATERIALS

* Wooden Pallet
* Red, White & Blue outdoor paint or spray paint
* Paint brush
* Sand paper and/or palm sander
* Painters Tape
* X-Acto knife
* Ruler
* Thick piece of construction paper, cardboard or card stock
* 5 inch by 5 inch star (printable version included in the post)
* Polyurethane

I got our pallet from Lowes. I tried a few other big box home improvement stores and they all said they send theirs away and wouldn’t allow me to have one or even pay for it! Lowes was really great about it, so thanks Lowes! All the rest of the supplies I had in my garage. I have just about every color of spray paint so that’s why I chose to use it for this project. If you aren’t crazy like me & have all the supplies you can just buy what you need when you pick up your pallet.

There is a little prep work that you should do to your pallet before you paint. If you have broken pieces of wood falling off make sure you remove them. You can sand them down if they are smaller and hard to remove. If you pallet is like mine and sat around for a while it will have a lot of dust & dirt on it so make sure you remove that. I just used my paint brush to get it all off.

Prop your pallet up against something in a well ventilated area. Outside is the best. A mild temperature day with calm winds is ideal. You don’t want to end up with bugs or small leaves on your flag. This is the paint I used. Like I mentioned it was just paint I had laying around. I try to use as much recycled stuff as I can.

Now is the fun part, painting! First I started with the red. I painted half way on the top two boards leaving room for the blue. I did the same with the alternating boards with red.

I let the pallet dry for a little while before I started the blue. I taped off the top 3 boards in the middle and put a row of tape on the top of the 4th board so I didn’t get blue all over the board. If you are using actual paint and not spray paint you won’t need that row of tape unless you tend to spill a lot. Then I spray the area blue & removed the tape right after.

Then I let it dry and went inside to make a start stencil. If you are awesome at drawing stars you can just use a paint brush and some white paint to draw them on after it dries. If you are like me & can’t, you can easily create a stencil. This is the star I used.

I printed this star out, cut it out, traced it on a thick piece of construction paper and used an X-Acto knife & ruler to cut it out. SUPER EASY! Make sure you aren’t just using a thin piece of paper (like printer paper) because it will make it difficult to spray paint after a few stars. You can also use something cereal box or any kind of box you have laying around. You just need something sturdy,

Then spray paint 4 stars on each row of blue. You don’t need to measure out exactly. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Just wing it. I love the homemade look and it fits so well with the imperfect pallet.

Allow it to dry for 24 hours and then finish with a coat of Polyurethane so it’s weather proof. Be sure to follow the drying instructions on your Polyurethane and then put out to display.

I have gotten a ridiculous amount of compliments on this super easy project. It’s definitely a show stopper!

 

 

Kimi Coopet is a coffee addict & photographer out of St. Paul, Minnesota. Her company Oh Hello! Photo specializes in family and child photography. Outside of her passion for photography, she is a wife and mother to three kids. She loves to craft but isn’t sure she is nailing or failing her Pinterest finds. If she isn’t taking photos or crafting she is indulging in her love of junk food and watching comedies, all while snuggling one of her three dogs.

 

GEEK PRIDE | Make Your Own “Fan Girl” Scrapbook

Did you know that Thursday was “Geek Pride Day!?” I definitely consider myself all geek – fantasy and science fiction are my go-to’s for entertainment and relaxation, and yes – I did actually see Return of the Jedi in the theater the very first time it was released! Our sons definitely follow in my footsteps for fiction, but they take it to a whole different level with their love of mathematics and science that they inherited from the engineer dad. They’re avid programmers and gamers, already. Yay for science!

How about you – where does your geek pride lie? Are you a die-hard Star Wars fan, or an avid gamer? Do you secretly love playing Pokemon or Yu-gi-oh with your children or are you reading Lord of the Rings for the umpteenth time?

No matter your geeky pleasure, ambassador Kristin Tweedale has the perfect way for you to celebrate it – by making your own “fan girl” scrapbook! I love, love this album that she’s put together, and hope it inspires you to document (and be proud of!) your geek!

 

 

Here’s what you’ll need:
  • Photos, Memorabilia, Ephemera, etc.
  • Album of your choice
  • Cardstock
  • Stickers, stamps and other themed/color coordinated embellishments

 

 

 

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Fan Girl Scrapbook

Last winter we took a family trip to Orlando and spent a few days visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. As a huge Harry Potter fangirl, I was in complete heaven. There were so many places to explore, so many shops to step into, so many little details that I totally missed the first time around.

I had both my iPhone and my big girl camera with me, and I snapped some really fun photographs of our adventures. I printed out a few of my favorites and used this unique clear acrylic album (Jamaica Makes) to create a one of a kind scrapbook of our time at the WWHP in Orlando.

I kept this project simple by first using black cardstock on each page. Pages then got a photo, some memorabilia, and then some journaling. I made each spread unique with some themed paper and embellishments I picked up in the park.

It was so much fun going around the park and talking to everyone in character. People were dressed up in full costumes, and if it wasn’t ninety degrees outside, it was like you were totally at Hogwarts. If you’re a Harry Potter person, it’s an absolutely incredible place to visit and bring your camera along. Everyone who works at the park is a great sport about getting in your photos and playing along.

Thanks so much for checking out my Wizarding World of Harry Potter Scrapbook!

 

 

Kristin is a feminist scrapbooker, passionate about helping women document their lives through photos, stories, and pretty paper supplies. She uses her ‘big girl’ camera to take photos of her adventures around the US as well as photos of her everyday life in East Lansing, Michigan. Learn how to get your photos off the camera and into scrapbook albums you’ll cherish for a lifetime at http://rukristin.com/blog/welcomechic.

 

 

DIY Super Hero Chalk Photos

Did you know that today is National Super Hero Day!?

It is indeed, and we’re celebrating the occasion with a fun how-to from ambassador Kimi Coopet of Oh Hello Photo.

She says, “Growing up most kids pretend to be Superheroes. They are characters kids look up to. They imagine themselves flying high above buildings & saving innocent people from terrible villains. So, why not turn your child into an actual superhero on film with something as simple as chalk!”

“Now that the weather is getting nice & people are spending more and more time outside this is the perfect outdoor project.”

 

This is what you need:
  • Chalk (the more colors the better)
  • Camera
  • Step stool or ladder
  • Superhero Halloween Costume (we are doing Superman)

 

 

For this project I did two chalk drawings. One for people who can’t draw & something that requires a little more artistic ability. Blacktop driveways are the easiest to use but you can use a cement driveway. Just make sure the chalk you have has some darker colors in it so the chalk stands out. The best time of day to do this is when your driveway is completely shaded so keep that in mind when you start this project.

The easiest thing you can do is just draw some buildings. They are literally just a bunch of rectangles in different heights next to each other. Then you add a bunch of little squares for windows. If you are like me & didn’t have a cape you can easily draw on a cape.

IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

Just lay your child down on the ground, stand on your ladder or step stool & snap away.

Your kids will absolutely LOVE these!

If you have more of a creative side you can draw something with more color & dimension. This requires more chalk & when you are done you will have chalk all over your body.

I personally like to color my entire scene & leave none of the driveway. Sometimes I create the scene from scratch & sometimes I take inspiration from scenes from movies, TV shows or cartoons. If you can enlist a friend to help with the massive amounts of coloring that needs to take place that can speed up the process.

When I take these I use a wide angle lens. If you don’t have one (or you have just a point & shoot) that’s okay. You might need to use a ladder & get higher. If you do use a ladder make sure you have someone at the bottom keeping it steady. Safety first!

The finished product is always worth getting super messy for & the look on your child’s face after seeing it is priceless.

The ideas are endless! You can do all the superheros or enlist some friends and do a whole team of superheros in one photo!

 

 

Kimi Coopet is a coffee addict & photographer out of St. Paul, Minnesota. Her company Oh Hello! Photo specializes in family and child photography. Outside of her passion for photography, she is a wife and mother to three kids. She loves to craft but isn’t sure she is nailing or failing her Pinterest finds. If she isn’t taking photos or crafting she is indulging in her love of junk food and watching comedies, all while snuggling one of her three dogs.

DIY Earth Day Dirt Cups – 4 Ways

Today we’re bringing you a handmade holiday project to get you ready for Earth Day by ambassador Mayam Salassi of Hi + Hello Photography.

She says, “This Earth Day I thought I’d get my kiddo excited about celebrating this amazing planet we live on by putting a bit more effort into the festivities. In addition to making coffee filter planet earths and planting flowers, I thought I’d up the fun factor by making this easy and delicious dessert”

 

Earth Day Dirt Cups 4 Ways

 

 

 

 

MATERIALS

  • 4 small glass cups or ramekins (I used these.)
  • chocolate pudding (we used a packet but there are tons of great recipes if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or sugar free)
  • chocolate sandwich cookies
  • gummy worms
  • roasted pistachios
  • toasted coconut chips
  • fresh mint

 

 

 

 

First things first, make the pudding! While waiting for your pudding to set, smash up your chocolate sandwich cookies (the bottom of a mug works brilliantly).

Once your pudding is good to go, spoon a bit into each glass cup.

In the first cup, add a couple of gummy worms (try pressing them against the glass so you can see them from the outside), then top with another layer of pudding.

In the second cup, add a layer of pistachios, then top with another layer of pudding.  In the third cup, add a layer of crushed cookies and top with a layer of pudding.

And for the fourth cup, crush a few tablespoons of coconut chips and mix into a few spoonfuls of pudding. Fill the cup with the coconut pudding, leaving a quarter inch to the top of cup.

For your gummy worm cup, add 2-3 worms at the top with their ends sticking out, then layer on the crushed cookies to cover all the pudding.

For the pistachio cup, top the pudding with crushed cookies, then arrange three pistachios on top.

For the third cup, top the pudding with crushed cookies and add a sprig of mint sticking straight up.

Lastly, top the pudding with the crushed cookies, then find a few longer coconut chips and stick them into the pudding to create a nice visual.

These were a big hit in our house, and I hope they will be in yours!

 

Maryam Salassi of Hi + Hello Photography is an in-home family lifestyle photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is super chill and tends to choose sneakers over heels. When she’s not photographing fun families, she loves experimenting with film cameras, spending time with her own awesome family, hiking, reading, or just generally being supercool.