Dried Flowers in painted Mason Jars DIY

 

From my previous post, I spoke on what inspires me in my crafting, and one of them is just browsing Pinterest! Well, this little number I saw some mason jars painted up and glossed up and even some had decoupaging done, I decided to do the same thing, but instead of keeping it perfect and glossed I wanted to make my jar looking rustic!

This was extremely simple to make and an absolute joy! 

What you will need to make ONE of these jars:

• A size mason jar of your choosing (I bought about 12 for about $10 at my local Walmart).
• Acrylic paint for glass, the color(s) of your choosing.
•  Sponge

• Gloss top coat
• Dried flowers
• Fine sanding paper

 
 The type of colors I was looking for were those that would not only compliment the color scheme of our apartment but also that would go well with the flowers that I had dried for about 3 months prior.

I had two acrylic paints going on, I wanted a base color which was: Dark Chocolate (the brand: Americana) and a plaid purple color (the brand Folk Art). Both paints plus The top coat spray (Brand: Krylon) I got at Michaels.

 

 

What I did was first paint the base color on the inside of the jar, the reason to do that is because when you sand down the paint, you don't want to look through to a clear jar, you want some sort of dark look there. Trust me, that "clear" look doesn't look all that "rustic", it just looks like a bad accident! HaHa!

 Then of course you will want to paint the outside of your jar with long strokes as you want the paint to go on evenly. Allow the paint to completely dry (which if you do it in the sunlight as I did will dry very quickly!), before adding another coat (in the jar and outside).

After your desired look, you then are able to add on your next color! Again, you will do the same as the first coat. After you are done with the second color you will then spray evenly your clear finish and allow your jar to completely dry (mine took about 3 hours to do so).

 Once it is dry, take your fine sanding paper and begin to "take off" the gloss, what I did is I purposely took off a chip or two of the paint off to give it that worn look!

 Then all you got to do is arrange your dried flowers the way you like! 

 What I did, was I made a total of 6 of these plus take a couple of pallet wood and distressed the wood by:

• Wetting the wood entirely.
• While still wet I drizzled a small bit of the Dark Chocolate Acrylic paint and took a paper towel and started to smear it all over the wood. Then I allowed it to dry.

• After the wood completely dried I then drizzled white acrylic paint on it (brand: Americana, Snow White.) and used a bristled brush and used hard long strokes all over. Do not cover the wood with paint, you want to just sporadically cover the pallet.

Pallet wood that I got from someone moving and the best part... Free! You'd be surprised that not all scrap pallets are free!

Pallet wood that has been distressed.

 I hope you enjoyed this extremely simple project! :)

Inspiration of being a Home Maker

 Now that you all know the passion I have in being a wife and a keeper of my home, let me give you a deeper look at the kind of person I am when it comes to creativity!

My love for crafts began not too long ago! I grew up watching my mom make her home into something you can see out of a Country Cottage magazine! Her secret? A love for her home and a passion for making it into a beauty that when people walk in, they literally stop at the entrance and gasp, "How quaint and lovely it is in here! It reminds me of something out of a movie!". Growing up I watched my mom and her creative flow, but I never knew I had it or even desired to try it out until I turned about 25! After I got married, it was if the Lord opened up the windows of Heaven and poured over me a desire and passion for making things with my hand to beautify my home!

 I get inspiration from the surroundings of my upbringing...

I'm a county girl. I grew up in the mountains, FAR from the nearest town (a 20 minute drive down the mountain just to get some milk!), a lot of my life was appreciating the beauty of God's creation, I was home schooled from kindergarten all the way to Senior High School, so I had a lot of time to be a thoughtful individual with no peer pressure and a lot of time to enjoy what my surroundings gave me... Creativity!

If you step into my home you will immediately feel as if you are in a cozy cabin out in the country, though my husband and I live in an apartment in a small little town, majority of what is in my home is either hand me downs (furniture) or hand made... by me.

(Photo by me. View of where I live looking outside)

I am also inspired by this country that I love! I am ever so grateful for those who served in the military who fought and died to preserve our freedom! My mothers 2 uncles fought and died in combat during World War II, one was a Sergeant in the Army and another was in the Navy. 

I love the country and I love anything to do with it! 

Also, can we say, the best inspiration to get online is... ta-ta-ta-daaaaa... PINTEREST!!!! Thank you, Jesus for Pinterest! That's all I gotta say!!! :)

Also, I need to give a shout out to my husband! He also inspires me, with his calm and peaceful personality, I married a man who also adores the country and who also has amazing ideas and has a passion to be creative as well! I love you my darling, you make our Home a place of peace, joy and you always make me think! :)

He is the one who not only encourages me in my creativity in making our home a dream to dwell in, but who inspired me to make a blog! 

(My husband on our rocking chair relaxing outside and our Chocolate Labrador Retriever, Sadie, sitting at his feet)

So this is another "introduction" to what inspires me! 

God bless all who have read this!

My heart began to beat as I stood at the front door of my parents home, anticipating my cue to open it and step out. I pushed back behind my ear a strand of hair escaping from underneath my sheer veil, I gazed down at the lovely bouquet of flowers I made and as I gazed at them, I began to smile knowing that this day was not like any other day, what I was holding was not like any other bouquet and this dress I was wearing was not like any other dress! 

 I turned slightly to my right to gaze at myself in the mirror and admire the dress that was lovingly handmade for me and that I also designed myself, a dress that symbolized the promise I made to my God to keep myself for the man that He created for me...

 I looked around at my childhood home and sighed a sigh of satisfaction that I also fulfilled the commandment of; "Honor your father and your mother...", as I stayed underneath their covering until the age of 26, where now I will be moving out of the home of my childhood and into the covering and home of my soon to be husband!

 My dreamy state was quickly startled by my cue... I walked out the door, down the steps of the porch my daddy made himself and down the dirt path to where my husband to be was waiting for me, he also wearing all white as he made a promise to wait for his wife... after 13 years of waiting, his wife was coming down to meet him to be his wife.There we stood before God and Man and I made a vow:

To be a Crown of Glory on His head, and never a thorn in his side.

 After my Pastor married us in the presence of our families and friends and above all, in the presence of God Himself we finally had our first kiss... Our very FIRST Kiss... we never once kissed eachother until that day, we held hands and hugged yes, but never a kiss...

 Oh! The whirlwind of sweet joy to feel his lips against mine, to know that finally... I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine! After our first kiss I realized, we were in for an Adventure like no other...

 Leaving my parents home was quite an adventure in itself! As we arrived in my new home in Honolulu, Hawaii I felt an overwhelming sense of homesick! I began to cry, but I only allowed myself to cry for a few minutes (and my darling husband did his best to comfort me), after those few minutes I stopped and never cried (homesick) ever again, I made a decision, "I am not a married woman, and a married woman I shall act like... This is my life now and I will fulfill my vows as his wife to the fullest!", I never looked back!

 When I created this blog, I did so not only to share my love for crochet, rustic crafts, photography and light hearted subjects, but to also share the joys of Wifehood! What a difference it is to love your man and loving the Godly role of being a wife and his helpmeet!

There is no other Royalty as a Wife who is the Queen of Her Home!