School has started and before you know it Halloween will be here. Have you started thinking about your Halloween decorating, Sweet Friends. The front door is the perfect spot for a Happy Halloween sign.

Do you wish you could make a Halloween Sign in just a few hours? Well, today I am going to show you just how to do it using a little paint and my favorite set of stencils, Essential Stencils.

Essential Stencils are thick and sturdy and can be used over and over again. You can purchase the stencils through CreateWithCynthiaShop.com. When you are at checkout be sure to use code CWC for 10% off.

For theses two signs; the Happy Halloween Sign and the Cat Sign, I used one stencil, the Halloween Stencil which includes 5 pieces.

Materials needed to make the Halloween sign:

• Wood – I used one piece that was 8 x 10 for the cat, and I used a 5 x 6. I used a pine board, but you could also use plywood. Most Home Stores and Lumbar yards will cut the board for you.
• 3 inch barnwood to frame out sign (this step is optional)
• Stain – I used Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paint in the Dark and Decrepit Stain. It is an all in one stain.
• White Paint – I used Rustoleum Chalked Ultra Matte Paint in Linen White.
• Clear Sealer Top Coat – I used Rustoleum Clear Sealer.
• Paint Brush – I picked up mine from the dollar store .
• Stencil Paint Brush – this is a paint brush with a flat tip.
• Stencil – I used the Halloween Stencil from Essential Stencils.
• Sand Paper.
• Frog Tape.

Directions to make the Happy Halloween Sign:

• Stain board and let dry.
• Apply stencil to board using Frog Tape to hold it into place.
• Pounce or swirl white paint onto stencil and let dry.
• Sand board with 220 grit sand paper. Do this lightly, just to create an aged look.
• Seal board with clear sealer or Top Coat.
• Frame sign with wood if desired.

These signs were so easy to make and literally took less than an hour. Enjoy the process and have fun.

Now go out there and create something.

Cynthia

DISCLOSURE

Many of the links on this blog are affiliate links. CreateWithCynthia.com receives a small commission when certain items are purchased, but the price is the same for you. Thank you for your help in supporting my little space on the internet.

The post Happy Halloween Sign DIY! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

Happy Day, Sweet Friends. I’m still working on Patriotic Decor for my home. These Fabric Balls, also known as Rag Balls were so easy to make. What I love most about this project is that they can be made for any season.

For this project I used Dollar Store Items and it cost under $5.00. It’s such a fun project and adds just the right amount of decorative elements to your home.

There are so many places to add DIY Fabric Balls to your home. They can be placed on a bookcase, dresser or table and even inside a bowl or tray.

If you are like me and love decorating for the seasons, you can make these Rag Balls for each season. I can see them at Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter and even Thanksgiving.

DISCLOSURE

Many of the links on this blog are affiliate links. CreateWithCynthia.com receives a small commission when certain items are purchased, but the price is the same for you. Thank you for your help in supporting my little space on the internet.

CreateWithCynthia.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

I purchased all of my supplies from the Dollar Store, but just in case you don’t live near a Dollar Store or if you just prefer to shop online, all the links above allow you to make these cute and simple Decorative Balls.

MATERIALS USED ON THE DECORATIVE FABRIC RAG BALLS:

• Fabric – I chose a Patriotic Scarf and a Red Bandana
• Balls – I chose Swim balls from the Dollar Store
• Glue Gun
• Fabric Glue Sticks
• Scissors

Step One:

Prepare your balls. I used swim balls and removed each of the tags.

Step two:

Prepare your fabric. I cute the fabric and then also tore the fabric. I liked the frayed edges and found tearing the fabric created this look. I chose to cut/tear my fabric in a variety of sizes, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch and 1 inch.

Step three:

Use your glue gun and glue sticks to adhere the material to the balls.

Tip: Enjoy the process. There is no rhythm or reason for how you complete the project.

Warning: Be careful because the glue gets very hot.

You can watch my video on You Tube which shows you how to create the Fabric Rag Balls. Don’t forget to subscribe.

I hope I’ve inspired you to create some seasonal decor for your home.

Cynthia

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We are half way through June and my home is brimming with Patriotic Decorations, is yours Sweet Friend? Red, White and Blue is so fun and easy as it adds the perfect pop of color to any style. Learn Five Quick and Easy Patriotic Decor Ideas using Dollar Store Items.

Patriotic Decorations from the Dollar Tree!

I love shopping. I especially love shopping at the Dollar Store and Second Hand Stores. Do you wonder why? Of course, not! Cheaper is always better! Seasonal decorating can get pricey, so smart shopping is a must.

Every season I usually pop over to the Dollar Store to see what’s new. This time the Dollar Store delivered. The Dollar Store had star scatter, lanterns, flags, scarves, signs, sparklers, and I could go on and on. It can be quick and easy to decorate your home with patriotic decor and here’s how.

Five Quick and Easy Patriotic Decor Ideas!

Number one: Set a Table

Dining can be elaborate or simple, but setting a beautiful table makes all the difference. Celebrating Red, White and Blue during the summer months is key. I used Dollar Store items on a Patriotic Tablesetting with bandanas, stars, sunflowers and simple white dishes.

The Patriotic Tablescape Idea project was so fun that I decided to create a video. Are you subscribed to my You Tube Channel? Don’t forget to check out the video.

Number two: Create a Centerpiece.

Every table needs a centerpiece and a vase full of flowers is not always enough. Remember the St. Patrick’s Day Flower Centerpiece I created last March? I can imagine a centerpiece similar flowing with Red, White and Blue.

Number three: Style a Bookcase

Bookcases aren’t just for books, you can include other items like Patriotic Decor. I like to add flowers or plants in pretty pots. Table scatter similar to the bandanas turned into stars I created (DIY tutorial coming soon), add a touch of whimsical nostalgic. I also incorporate cute patriotic signs on my bookcases. All of these items can be found from the Dollar Tree.

Number four: Decorate your Front Door

Every front door deserves to look pretty and decorating it for the season is a favorite of mine. Every door needs a wreath and if you are a wreath lover like me, you even put wreaths on your walls. Wreaths layered on Shutters or Old Windows are also a great addition to the home. I found some wood stars from the Dollar Tree last year and they made the perfect Star Wreath. I painted the stars Red, White and Blue and then attached them to an embroidery hoop. The DIY is on the blog.

Every door also needs a large sign and a beautiful door mat. Remember my DIY Valentine’s Day Doormat where I stenciled atop a Dollar Store Mat. It sat on my beautiful deck. You could also layer it atop a colorful rug. The options are really endless and the Dollar Store is the place to find ideas.

You could also use the Dollar Tree Hats in Red and Blue to create a wreath. I found that project on Pinterest and pinned it to make later. The Dollar Tree has so many different types of wreath forms available. The options are really endless.

I created a board on Pinterest just for my favorite Red, White and Blue Wreaths. Check out my 4th of July Patriotic Wreath Board on Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

Number five: Make a Pillow

The perfect way to show off the new season in your home is by decorating with pillows. I like to keep a stash of Ikea Pillow Covers on hand, because they are super cheap. I use these pillow covers to decorate with extra material or paint and stencils . No-Sew Decorative Pillows, just like the Heart Pillows I made for Valentine’s Day, are super easy. What do you think of my Star Bandana No Sew Pillows? The DIY tutorial is coming soon.

I’ve got a Patriotic Craft Board on Pinterest with some cute pillow ideas that you can check out and follow.

I hope these ideas have inspired you to decorate your home for the seasons. Now go out there and Create Something.

Cynthia

The post Five Quick and Easy Patriotic Decor Ideas! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

I’m all in on Red, White and Blue at the moment, Sweet Friends. Last Saturday officially kicked off the first day of Summer and I am more than thrilled. Summer reminds me of Blue Stars and Red and White Stripes. I love the warm sun, swimming in the pool, walking barefoot in the garden, barbecuing outdoors and setting an Easy Summer Patriotic Tablescape.

Easy Summer Table Decorations!

My Sweet Friends Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate and Andrea from Design Morsels are hosting a Patriotic Tablescape Blog Hop and I’m so honored to be participating.

If you are stopping by from Rebecca at Zucchini Sisters, a big Welcome Sweet Friends. The rest of the links to all my Blogger Friends is at the bottom of the post.

I’m Cynthia the voice behind Create With Cynthia, a DIY Home Decor blog where I share tips and tutorials on crafts with a seasonal flair as well as, vintage furniture makeovers. I also enjoy sharing about my little family of five. I have two teen boys and two pups and we live in Northern California.

 Be sure to check out my You Tube channel Patriotic Playlist here, and subscribe, as I upload videos weekly on Furniture Makeovers and DIY Home Decor project with a seasonal flair.

Celebrating Red, White and Blue!

Last week, I started working on my Patriotic Crafts. It began with creating a Patriotic Wreath with Stars, an embroidery hoop with wooden stars decked out in red, white and blue. Next, I pulled out some old Patriotic Decorations I created last year. On this project I used paint and stencils and showed off Old Glory; 4th of July, Land of the Free, Because of the Brave and the USA.

Now, I’m Celebrating Red, White and Blue with Easy Summer Table Decorations. When I think of Summer, I see our flag and the colors red, white and blue. I was thrilled to be setting another outdoor tablescape. Last month I shared a tablescape at my parents home. If you are looking for Simple Tips on How to Host an Outdoor Luncheon check out this post.

For this tablescape I was inspired by my parents gorgeous outdoor areas and wanted to use Sunflowers paired with the red, white and blue. The smells of the flowers in the garden always make me feel good.

Gardening has always been a pleasure that my family partakes in. These months the garden is usually overflowing with Sunflowers, Zucchini’s, Tomatoes and Green Beans. My mouth waters when I think of grilling these veggies on the barbecue.

For this Patriotic Tablesetting I went with mostly white dishes and used Bandanas in Red, White and Blue as table linens. Nothing reminds me more of summer than Sunflowers, Flags and Bandanas in the colors Red, White and Blue. The Sunflowers are brimming with beauty, can you smell the scent? The bumble bees can’t stay away for long.

There is nothing better than the Summer months when dining outdoors is a must. I’ve been spending weekends in the Central Valley at my parent’s home and loving their beautiful backyard.

Dining outdoors allows you to soak up the sunshine and fresh air whilst enjoying the scents of the flowers in the garden. The Sunflowers are brimming with beauty, can you smell the scent? The bumble bees can’t stay away for long.

I love how my parents have decorated their yard with pieces of antiques throughout. Isn’t the bicycle and cherub nestled along the fence such a sight to see?

I love celebrating Red, White and Blue! I especially like to use Red, White and Blue in my home decor during the Summer months; June, July and August. I picked up the patriotic decorations for the chairs and tabletop at the Dollar Store. Don’t you just love how the red, white and blue stars glitter?

Summer reminds me of simple times. Dining outdoors feels easy. I hope I’ve given you ideas on Easy Summer Table Decorations. All of these decorations I picked up at the Dollar Store. If you are looking for products to purchase follow the links at the bottom of the post.

Don’t forget to check out all my fellow blogger friends tablescapes. There is so many beautiful ideas and inspiration.

Celebrate & Decorate | Design  Morsels | Simple Nature Decor Blog | White Arrows HomeCalypso In The Country | Panoply | Decorate and More With Tip  |  The Little Yellow Corner Store | Corner of Plaid and Paisley | Home is Where the Boat Is My Thrift Store  Addiction | Everyday Living  | Our Crafty Mom Life and Linda | Living With Thanksgiving | The Painted Apron | Belle Bleu Interiors | Zucchini Sisters | Create With Cynthia | My Family Thyme | Follow the Yellow Brick Home 

Now go out there and Create Something.

Cynthia

Ready to go shopping? Oh good, me to.

Many of the links on this blog are affiliate links. CreateWithCynthia.com receives a small commission when certain items are purchased, but the price is the same for you. Thank you for your help in supporting my little space on the internet.

The post Celebrating Red, White and Blue! Easy Summer Table Decorations! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

This week is all about Red, White and Blue!  It started this weekend and has continued on through the week.  Tuesday, I showed off my Patriotic Wreath for the Pinterest Challenge. You should check it out here. Did you prefer the wreath layered on the wicker wreath or alone? Leave me a comment and let me know as I’d love to know.

I’ve been pulling out old signs, and wreaths and getting ready for the Patriotic Season. Do you like to decorate for the season?

Patriotic Decorations!

May, June, July and August make me think of Flags, Stars and Stripes, Let Freedom Ring, Est. 1776 and USA sprinkled with everything Red, White and Blue. If you’ve been following me for more than a minute you know I love decorating for the seasons.

Last year I made these super simple signs using Chalk Art and Stencils.

We are half way through June and the 4th of July will be here before you know it.  School is out and summer has began and it’s time to start the party!  

Last year I made a video on You Tube creating these Patriotic decorations.   I hope you enjoy the video here.

You can purchase the products I used on this project here.

A Maker’s Studio carries a ton of products and for this project I chose to use Chalk Art. The Rescue and Restore paint would also work fine.

Essential Stencils has a huge collection of Patriotic Themed Stencils. I love the mini sign stencils that I am using on this project. The stencils wash well and hold up great after numerous uses.

Don’t forget to shop online and use code CWC at checkout for 10% off.

To recreate this project here are a variety of items that you can use.

Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe to my You Tube Channel here.

Make it a great day!

Cynthia

The post Easy to Make Patriotic Decorations! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

It’s that time of year, Sweet Friends, where you constantly see Flag and Patriotic decor and I’ve been a little remiss at doing many Patriotic projects.

I’ve been kind of itching to work on some crafts but life gets busy. This weekend, I went all red, white and blue and boy oh boy was it fun!

Today, I am joining some blogger friends on the June Pinterest Challenge! My Sweet Friend Erlene from My Pinterventures, is the host behind putting this party together. Thanks Erlene.  The purpose of the Pinterest Challenge is to motivate us to not just pin, but to make it happen! This month’s challenge is all about Summer and Fourth of July projects. The pin I chose was here.

You might wanna pop on over to my Pinterest page and check out all of my 4th of July and Patriotic Craft projects that I pinned. There is so much fun inspiration on Pinterest.

Create With Cynthia is a place where I share ideas and inspiration on DIY Home Decor and Furniture Makeover projects all with a season flair.  I love to share about my family of five. I’m grateful for my two teen boys and my two pups. I love to share our adventures in and around our little town in Northern California. You can follow me on my website or You Tube channel to create these projects.  You can purchase the products or my completed handmade goods, on my online website CreateWithCynthiaShop.com.

This is my fifth go round on the Pinterest Challenge and if you want to go back and check out my other projects here is the round up.

In January my project was on organization and I chose to turn an Old Ladder into a Bathroom Storage Idea. In February I created Spindle Carrots for the challenge, as Valentine’s Day had passed and Spring was approaching. In March I created Drop Cloth Bunnies for the Spring challenge and in April for another Spring project I created the Carrot Wreath.

May came and went and I just got too dang busy for the challenge. Now we are into June and I’m so excited about my Patriotic Wreath.

MATERIALS NEEDED TO CREATE A PATRIOTIC WREATH:

1. Embroidery Hoop
2. Wood Stars
3. Patriotic Bow
4. Paint and paint products

CreateWithCynthia.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

For this project you really can use any paint products. I wanted to use what I had on hand and so I chose DIY Paint and Rustoleum Top Coat. After doing the project I realized Rustoleum Spray Paint would have made the project super easy.

Today on the blog is a video and tutorial on how to make a Patriotic Wreath. You can watch my  video on You Tube on the project.

DIRECTIONS FOR CREATING A PATRIOTIC WREATH:

Step one:

Paint the embroidery hoop and stars white.

Step two:

Divide the stars into sizes first. For my project I had three sizes of stars.

I kept enough large size stars in white to line the embroidery hoop.

Step three:

From the remaining stars, I divided them in half and painted half of the stars red and left half of the stars white.

Step four:

I then took six to ten of the smaller size stars and painted each blue.

Step five:

Once the stars were painted, I allowed each to dry. I took my paint brushes over to the sink and washed each. I used Dr. Jacobs Naturals Pure Castilles. This natural and organic soap is specifically formulated  and safe for sensitive, dry and even eczema-prone skin. It’s gentle enough for the whole family, even your four pawed kids.

Purchase Dr. Jacobs Naturals Pure Castilles online and use code Createwithcynthia25 and receive 25% off.

This post is written in collaboration with Dr. Jacobs Naturals Pure Castilles. All opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosures page for more information.

Step six:

Now the fun begins. Assemble your Patriotic Wreath by using a glue gun and adhering each star to the embroidery hoop.

I used the large stars first. I began by layering the largest stars around the hoop.

I then glued the blue stars to the upper top left of the wreath.

I then intermingled the red stars onto the wreath. No rhythm or reason, just create and have fun.

Step seven:

The final step is to add a Matte Clear Coat Sealer to the paint. If your paint already has a sealer you can skip this step.

Step eight:

Add a bow and hang your Patriotic Wreath on the wall. I picked up a bow at the Dollar Store, since bow making is not my favorite thing to do. I also layered my wreath atop a wicker wreath for a little more pizazz.

If you’d like to recreate this project, I’ve added below links to all of the items. Keep in mind when I created the project, I used the paint and paint products that I had on hand. There are many paint and paint product options when doing this Easy to Make Patriotic Wreath.

Which do you prefer, the Patriotic Wreath paired with a wicker wreath or alone? Leave me a comment and let me know.

I hope I’ve inspired you to go out there and Create Something.

Cynthia

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