DIY Tiered Tray Set Painting

I was looking for some fun Easter craft supplies for my shop and discovered, tiered tray sets.  I decided to do one up myself to create some finished project photos and now I am ADDICTED!

Even if you're not super crafty, or great with decorating or short on space, these sets make it easy to create something lovely for the season (or everyday).

You simply paint and assemble the various dimensional elements and then place them with some little plants & knick knacks for a pretty themed look you can put anywhere.  I'd seen a few dimensional sets like these and just assumed you had to be some incredible detail painter to make them look good, but the secret is that they come unassembled so you don't have to worry about staying in the lines.  

I researched a bit and discovered that there were a few videos on YouTube showing some ways to paint them, but not very many and almost no blog posts.  I like to do a quick read and then jump in to a craft rather than watch 1/2hr long videos that have a lot of filler chatter, so I thought I'd put together all the best tips I learned (and some of my own) for doing tiered tray decorations.

Tiered Tray Set Painting Tricks

This particular set is for Easter & has these layered elements:

It's recommended to plan out your color scheme and group the elements by color to be efficient.  For mine I chose an off-white, sage green, butter yellow and chocolate brown:

I did all my painting on freezer paper (shiny side up) to keep things clean and no-stick.  

The trick to painting without brushstrokes is to use foam makeup wedges and dab the paint on.  Super easy and drip-free too:

To make it simple to do the little pieces like letters, put a strip of painter's tape sticky side up and put the pieces on it.  Then you can hold the tape rather than the pieces.  Less mess and easier to coat:

I gave all the light colored pieces a double coat of paint.  The trick to keeping the cut-in lettering nice & contrasting (unpainted) like the Matthew 28:6 here is to dab gently with very little paint in those areas and use a wet toothpick to remove any paint that does get in the grooves:

To smooth the finish, go over them gently with a high (fine) grit sandpaper.  If you want to distress them, sand a little harder.

When dry, I grouped all my elements back together:

The detail pieces for mine were self adhesive so I just peeled the backing paper off and stuck them in place:

You can seal them with a poly spray if you want - especially if using for outdoors.  I strung the banner elements on some baker's twine:

As someone who's free time is in short supply, I really loved how quick these came together and how fun it was to style them up.  I also like that they don't take up a ton of storage space out of season, unlike wreaths and bigger decorations.  

I used mine on a tiered tray, but they are also ideal to use in wreaths or turn into magnets.  I could also see adding some pretty ribbon loops and hanging them to make an Easter tree too.

I bought this lovely tray off Amazon here.  The quality is really nice for the price and it also came with the wood bead garland.  My faux plants and flowers were all from Hobby Lobby.  I know I can easily use them in other ways when it comes time to change the decor.  You can find this set and others like it in my shop here.  Happy decorating! 

Why I'm NOT buying a Cricut Mug Press

Today's post is kinda different, kinda bold for me.  Instead of being a project or sharing my experience with a new craft product, I'm sharing my thought process with holding back on buying a craft product.  It feels a little weird, but hear me out.

 

I'll be honest, over the years I've been a huge impulse craft supply shopper.  If something was new & fun (or just new to me), I was ALL about buying it.  My inability to walk out of JoAnn's, Michael's or Hobby Lobby with just a single item is proof of that.  

 

I needed all these...for something...although I didn't know what (and still don't).

These just "accidentally" fell in my cart....every single time I went in.

 

Cricut has been a craft supply brand that I've felt the same about.  They come out with new gadgets & supplies on the regular, with much online & in-store fanfare, and I always oohh and ahhh.  Their marketing team really knows how to make us crafty types swoon!  Their products are attractive, easy to use and made for the at-home hobbyist.  

 

I've shared a number of posts with projects I've made using their Explore™ & EasyPress™, including one of my most visited posts ever:

 

So I feel like I can say I'm a fan of their work.  A few weeks ago Cricut announced a new upcoming product, the Cricut Mug Press™.  It started to make the rounds on blogs that the company has sponsor deals with - in posts showcasing what the blogger created with it and giving their key marketing talking points for the new product.

 

So what is the Cricut Mug Press™? A small scale sublimation press specifically for ceramic mugs.  

 

How does it work?  You make a digital design that will fit on a mug using Cricut Design Space™ and use a Cricut Explore™ or Maker™ (or another cutting machine/hand cut) to cut it out of some infusible ink transfer material, then stick it on the mug, pop it in the press and presto!  You have a custom design mug that won't crack, peel or fade and is totally dishwasher & microwave save.  You can also use their infusible ink markers with the press to draw or stencil a permanent design too.

Image © cricut.com

My first impression was excitement and wanting to find out more details.  The product video on their site had me imagining all kinds of coordinating mugs to fill up our cupboard (& finally get rid of the multi-shape/design hodge podge assortment we have) and the idea of making fun mugs that I could gift for all sorts of occasions.  The product wasn't going to be released for another week so my buy-it-now impulse had a little think time to really weigh the pluses & minuses once the initial excitement calmed down:

Mug Press Pros

Easy push button use.  No massive learning curve to use it or temperature calculating (although it can be adjusted slightly).

 

Permanent design - unlike using vinyl or Sharpie, these designs will stay exactly the same, even with heavy use and machine washing & heating.

 

Speed.  The actual pressing is just a few minutes.  The longest time spent is on the design/cut part & cool down time.  You can have a completed mug ready to use in under an hour. 

Cute edge designs.  The short sides of your design that face the handle can be straight, scalloped, wavy, etc. which is fun.

 

 Compact product size.  It's as minimal as possible and the sleek shape can fit with many shelves and cupboards.

 

Mug Press Cons

 

Mug Limitations.  The press is sized for straight wall 12 or 15oz mugs so forget about doing tall, oversized, latte or other shapes.  Or other products.

 

Cricut mugs only.  You can't just grab any old blank mug at the dollar store.  You need to use specially formulated blank mugs to do the sublimation design.  You might be able to find other sublimation blanks that are the same size, but Cricut won't promise they'll work with the press.  Maybe it's 'cause they only want you to buy theirs, but you'd have to be willing to waste some $$ materials and do some trial & error to find out for sure and at your expense.

Designs can only be on the outside.  You can't put a design on the inside, bottom or handle, just a wrap-around on the outer side.

 

Limited infusible colors & designs.  The PR images give the impression you can do any design, but in reality, it's only what infusible sheets Cricut offers.  It appears they only have 5 solid colors and 5 printed design options (like night sky or buffalo check).  So it's not like you can create a totally custom design in whatever multi-color look you want - and forget about making photo mugs.  And same as ⬆️ with using other brands sublimation sheets, maybe they're fine, but Cricut's not one to give handy tips on using competitor's products in their devices.

 

Availability.  One of my big pet peeves about Cricut is the spotty availability if you do want to buy something new.  There was such big fanfare the week before its release and now just a few weeks later it's still showing as "Coming Soon" on their site.  Bundles of a machine with materials are Out of Stock in their shop.  On Amazon a machine will be available to ship out in a week at soonest.  A case of mugs (the most economical price/mug) will be 1-2 months.  Some big box craft stores have various Mug Press stuff, but it's limited availability in-store or slow ship times online.  And like most Cricut devices, it's excluded from sales & coupon discounts so the price is the same everywhere and likely will stay that way for some time.

 

Gives you the vapors.  No seriously.  In the fine print it says: Adult uses only.  CAUTION: Use in a well-ventilated area—vapors from heating process may be irritating to sensitive individuals.  So that's something else to consider if you're like me and have a bunch of kids in the house all the time or have any concerns about what you're breathing in...which is the entire world last time I checked, thanks to Covid mania.

    

Suddenly I wasn't so sure about forking over $200 for one.

And that's just the price of the machine itself.

 

Blank Mug Price: cheapest option is buying a 12 oz 6 pack at about $4.00/each
(unless you buy a set of 36, which would be just $2.16, but is conveniently out of stock)

Ink Price: the infusible ink sheets come 2 per box for about $7-11.  If you use an entire mug-sized sheet mug, that's $3.50-5.50 per mug.  Interestingly these mini sheets are considered compatible with the Cricut EasyPress (for using on fabric), but the larger, less expensive, infusible ink sheets they sell for the EasyPress state "Requires compatible Infusible Ink blank (sold separately) and Cricut EasyPress™ 2 or heat press that reaches 400°F (205°C). Will not work with incompatible base materials" which pointedly leaves out using them with the Mug Press. 

 

Heat Resistant Tape Price: You need this to hold the transfer sheet onto the mug while it's in the press.  That's about $5/roll too.

 

Actual Mug Total Costs: So each mug you make costs about $3.50-5.50 in just materials, and the machine itself is $200.  So if you make 24 mugs (which seems like a lot for a hobbyist) the total per mug cost is about $12-18 per mug, assuming you already own a cutting machine (which would cost you another $200 if you don't).

Investment: you need to fork out a couple hundred on the Mug Press, a variety of transfer sheets and blank mugs.  It's kind of a big splurge for something that's a one trick pony craft project-wise.

 

Limited Space:  While Cricut does a good job making its machines small and unobtrusive, it is still another device to have to store.  And collect dust in since it doesn't appear to have a covering for the actual press part, which is weird.  I can't see using it as often as my Explore or EasyPress because it's strictly for making mugs of a certain size, so taking up more of my already extremely limited space isn't ideal.

 

Other Options:  My husband did a quick search and found several other machines that cost a couple hundred more, looked a bit more commercial and were a bit larger, but were able to do mugs of all shapes & sizes, water bottles, glassware, etc.  My feeling is if I were going to drop hundreds on a new craft device, I'd want it to be as versatile as possible to maximize use.

The Apple Effect:  Cricut is the Apple of the craft machine world.  They create innovative, cool looking products and market them well, but usually, about 12 months after a new product hits the shelves, they release a newer version of it.  With better features, kinks worked out, more use options, etc.  Suddenly that first version is outdated, but it's too big an investment for most of us to just toss and plonk down the same $$ for another one so soon after.

 

 My BIGGEST reason to hold off: Zazzle, CafePress, Printify, VistaPrint, Printful and other custom print companies already offer the ability to do 100% custom mugs with your unique design.  And offer it on bowls, glasses, bottles, jars, as well as a slew of other products.  I did these that way a number of years ago and still love & use them regularly:

 

 

 

 Custom Print Pros:

 

More Design Options: The design is still your original creation, except you can do whatever colors, patterns or photos you want.  No limits on how much can go in one design compared to the small selection of transfer sheet options.

 

More Product Options: Want the mug to be two tone?  Latte or espresso sized?  Bone china?  Or maybe be frosted glass or a water bottle or tumbler instead of a mug?  You can do any of those with a custom printer.   

 

Same or less cost per mug.  They frequently have coupon codes & sales to lower the price even further and no quantity minimums.

Convenience.  Making a digital design and clicking buy is a lot easier than having to drag out the cutter & a bunch of materials, cut a design, apply it in the press, wait until it cools and put all the devices away.  All that is a bit of a hassle if you have small kids that can easily cause trouble with machines or a breakable project like a mug.  I don't have enough spare counter space to leave all that stuff out and not be in the way either.

 

Guarantee.  If your item doesn't look quite right or as you expected, most custom printers will offer a refund or replacement.  If you goof on how straight you tape on your transfer sheet or leave a bit of dust on your mug with the Mug Press, it's a permanent mistake and materials wasted. 

Custom Print Cons:

Lack of Instant Gratification.  Yeah, if you have all the gear on hand, the Mug Press gives you the finished item in an hour, which is great craft turnaround time.  In our Amazon Prime world, waiting a week for a printer to make & ship something feels like eternity, but realistically, it isn't that long. 

So after doing some soul-searching and practicality consideration, I've decided this isn't the craft product for me.  At least right now & with the current specs anyway.  I may change my mind someday, but for now, it just doesn't make sense for a lot of reasons.  Weirdly, I've never tried to do designs of any kind (paint, vinyl, marker) on mugs before but now my interest is piqued and I may give some a go.  I hand wash a lot of baby bottles & glass and steel water bottles these days, so more items to hand wash isn't a huge turn off.  Maybe I'll give some of those options a go and make some of my custom mug dreams come true, even if they aren't sublimated;)

 

I'd love to hear what others think.  Will you buy a Cricut Mug Press™?  Have you already?  Are there reasons for or against buying one I've missed?  Have you done custom mugs in another way?  Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments!    

Easy Project Love: Hand Knit Round Pouf Pillow

Want a quick & easy project that looks like it took a lot more effort?  Have I got the craft for you!  This fabulous Hand Knit Round Pouf Pillow.   

With baby coming any day now and nesting mode kicking in big time, I've wanted to do a few simple projects.  Things I can potentially leave at any time & easily come back to have been key - especially with a curious and active under 2yr old running around.  Now's not the time for me to be designing new things from scratch or drafting patterns with my brain & belly both a bit worn out.  I found a great video tutorial for making this hand knit round pouf pillow that's cheap, takes next to no time and requires even less knitting skills.  I'd seen poufs like this in catalogs for ridiculously high prices so being able to make one myself, inexpensively, was a huge draw.


I also wanted a cute little throw pillow for the glider in our nursery and this turned out just perfect for it:



I'm not going to rehash an already awesome & easy to follow video by copying it step-by-step in photo form here, but you can find the original here at Do It On A Dime.  

I'd actually found a different video first, but the instructions & camera work were harder to follow.  And the finished sample pillow shown at the beginning of that video was actually larger than what was made during the tutorial so when I was done it was too small and I had to unravel the whole thing.  Grrr.  

The Do It On A Dime video gives two size options and once I learned the technique I did one that was in-between to get the ideal size.  My finished pillow was 11 inches in diameter and 7 inches high, so I did 15 stitches around and 8 rows high.  



That original video tutorial I found was from a shop that also carried the 100% Merino wool yarn used.  It was crazy expensive and they didn't have the right color either, so I found a great Merino Acrylic blend over at Hobby Lobby (FYI it's called Yarn Bee Showstopper) that looked identical to the pricey one and was on sale for $7.  It literally looked and felt like cotton candy while I was working. Is it weird I totally wanted to eat it?  

I'd bought it before I found the second video, and in it she mentioned using this very yarn as a cheaper option to the 100% wool, so I knew I was on the right track.

A few tips I learned from making this were to use a little clip to mark the start of each row.  If you're easily distracted or have to step away in the middle, like I usually do, this keeps you on track with knowing how far you've gone.  It's also important to keep the stitches uniform and not too loose - if they gape too much you'll see the poly fill on the inside.  The yarn has a good amount of give so you can always stretch it a little to widen the stitches when you stuff it.  

Also, you'll need less poly fill that you'll anticipate so it's ok to under stuff it a bit - the thickness of the yarn gives it a lot of the pouf shape.  

Lastly, I learned from the first video to fold a little yarn remnant in half and stuff it in the center hole of the top and bottom of the pillow to give it a nice finish (and to stop up the hole so you can't see inside at all): 

I LOVE how this turned out and how cute it looks with all our other furniture and pillows in the room.  I'm totally going to make more of these, maybe even a giant floor sized one.  I'm also on the lookout for some thick chenille yarn to do different textures.

Fall Patchwork Ribbon Sign Tutorial

This year I am so excited for fall!  Normally I don't even think about putting out seasonal decorations until the "official" September 23rd date, but this go round I'm already whipping out the pumpkins & autumnal colors. I started with this new Fall Patchwork Ribbon Sign project and just LOVE the fall feel it brings to the house.

Not only is it easy to make, but it can be done in whatever size you want (and is the perfect use for ribbon scraps!).

I wanted to have lots of texture, print & color so I used an assortment of grosgrain, satin linen and burlap ribbons in lots of fun fall shades and designs:

It's really helped make our foyer look fall festive:

Materials:

- Wood Frame with some depth
- Craft foam (or foam floor mat)
- Assorted ribbons (mine are mainly from JoAnn Stores & Sugar Pink Boutique)
- Wood plaque
- Acrylic craft paint
- Card stock 
- Craft glue
- Tape/Fabric Fusion Permanent Tape
- Dressmaker's pins (basic silver flathead pins)
Optional: cutting machine like a Cricut

I started with a craft wood sign frame I picked up at JoAnn Stores that had an opening that was 6 1/2 inches high by 13 1/2 inches wide and had a depth of 1/2 inch.  I cut up an old 1/2 inch thick foam floor mat to fit inside as the base, trimming it to be slightly smaller to allow for the extra thickness of the ribbons.  Thinner foam can be stacked for different depths.  I used ribbons that were mainly 1 1/2 inch and 7/8 inch wide so they wouldn't have to overlap.  

Start by arranging the ribbons in the preferred order vertically and cut to a length that will wrap all the way around and over lap ends on the back.  Since my foam width was 13 1/2, I used seven 1 1/2 in wide ribbons and three 7/8 in lengths to completely cover the front. 

Tape the ends together at the back:

For the textured ribbon that tape won't hold well (you don't want the ribbon popping open during the next step!), I used fabric fusion tape that is doubled sided and has permanent hold power.  

This is how the front will look:

Time to make it patchwork!  Cut several lengths of other ribbons in a length that will wrap horizontally and overlap on the back.  Snake the first ribbon alternating over and under the vertical ribbons. 

Repeat with remaining ribbon cuts.  I did just four of various sizes, so it won't be a precise checkerboard, but more of a plaid kind of design.  Attach ends on the back like the first row was done.

Insert the ribbon block into the frame.  It fits nice and snug so there's no need to glue it to keep it in place.

For the center pumpkin design I painted an unfinished wood pumpkin plaque with some acrylic craft paint I had in my stash.

It dried nice & fast for the perfect background.

I used a free font called Good Feeling Script to create this script-style Fall png file:

It's easy to transform into a cut file.  I used my Cricut Explore and cut it out on some deep purple card stock (also from my stash):

Brush on some decoupage or glue on the back:

Press into place on the wood sign.

I was going to glue the pumpkin sign onto the front, but was concerned about the weight pulling on the ribbons. I figured out an even easier way to attach it: I used a few dress maker's pins around the bottom and top to "catch" the edges.  They were easy to press right into the foam and hold it in place perfectly.

The great thing about this project is you can customize it to match whatever colors or designs you have in the house and everything can be pulled apart if you want to reuse things for other projects down the road.  

I used mine as a tabletop decoration for our entryway, but it's pretty hung on the wall too.  Now we're ready to greet fall as it arrives!