QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT: Blog Changes

A lot of blog changes coming up. Ispasiyo will be moving from Blogger to WP! Here is the new link: http://www.ispasiyo.com/

Gift Wrapping: Faux Wooden Box

I'm not sure how I first did the faux wood  design. I just know that I didn't have paint at the time, was too broke to buy acrylic paint and aside from a few sharpies, the only coloring medium I had was a set of soft pastels. Somehow, with a sliver of inspiration, I accidentally made a faux wood grain effect.

  

+ The gold ink/ stamp pad is optional for additional texture

+ You can use plastic cups for the water. Here, I used an empty yogurt tub and another plastic tray.

+ Scrap paper does not need to be kraft paper. I just used craft paper because 1) I'm recycling it from a parcel we got a few weeks ago 2) easier coverage when the base is in shades of beige and brown.

+ Sponge Brush works best for applying Mod Podge but any brush works. I usually use a stiff/ old brush for additional texture.

Step One: Apply Mod Podge on your paper. You can either use one big piece of paper to cover one side of the box entirely OR cut the paper in smaller strips and cover one portion at a time. I find that when you cut the paper with scissors or an xacto knife, the the straight line creates a more obvious seam. Whereas if you just tear the paper, it creates a more natural look, and it can be easier to hide the seam.

 Step Two: Cover the box with the modpodged paper. I like applying a thin layer of mod podge on top as well, but you don't have to. Cover all sides. Let it dry completely.

Step Three: Color the box. These are the usual pastels I use: brown, golden, orange, red and black. Experiment with the colors, keep in mind the tone that you want to achieve. 

  

This is how my first layer turned out. As you can see, it doesn't need to be perfect. Again, experiment. Don't be scared to get it wrong. 

TIP: I like black on my edges, because it gives me the dimension I like. I also like adding a couple of darker, harsher black lines.

Step Four: Smudge and blend the colors together, then color some more if you didn't quite achieve the tone you want yet. 

Repeat step four with all sides. The picture above shows how it looks once the pastels are well blended.

Step 5: Apply a generous coat of Mod Podge. It's best if the brush strokes are all in one direction. Go over the surface a few extra times with your brush; this helps blend the colors even more.

And you are DONE. 

IMPULSIVE ADDITIONAL IDEA:

I had some extra pink paint mixed on my palette from a different project, so I impulsively decided to stencil it. Personally, I thought it was overkill and immediately wished I didn't. That might be because of the color though. I think some gold accents would have been better.

  

* I refered to this site in my desperate attempt to learn how to make prettier bows. I'll post pictures of how they turned out soon.

DIY Gift Idea: Stenciled Mugs

Aside from receiving gifts, I enjoy curating gifts for the holidays. I usually end up spending days coming up with inventive ways to wrap presents, and putting either handmade or hand-picked gifts together into what I hope would be the ultimate gift to suit that person. 

This year is my first "independent" Christmas, away from family. I'm not even sure if I'm celebrating Christmas with anyone at all this year! Nevertheless, I'm determined not to let that stop me from having an awesome holiday season. To emulate this child-like excitement and anticipation, I've started preparing for the holiday season a little bit too early (bought the first few gifts early last month and have been working on gift wrapping ideas the past couple of weeks). 

DIY Gift Mugs || Soon: A DIY Tutorial on Faux Wooden Boxes for Gift wrapping 

DIY Stenciled Mugs: 

I've seen many variations of this project on pinterest and many DIY blogs--from the simple Sharpie technique to ceramic paint pens. I was tempted to seriously look for ceramic paint pens for this project because I wanted to make sure the designs would last. However, living in a relatively small developing city, it's really difficult to get any specialty craft supplies. So for this project, I gave in to using Martha Stewart Crafts' Multi-Surface Acrylic Craft Paint, which can supposedly work with ceramics.

TIPS: 
+ Most instructions and forums say to prepare/ clean the surface to be painted with alcohol. I never do it because I haven't painted (or etched) on any used glass or ceramic surface, so I figured it's clean enough. Haven't encountered problems yet.
+ I don't have a formal work area, meaning I usually work in the bedroom. If you're like me, just make sure you cover your work surface so you don't get paint everywhere. I just used scrap craft paper that came with a package.
+ Don't let paint completely dry on your stencil. Dip it in a tray of water as soon as you peel it off. This removes most of the paint.
+ The instructions from Plaid says it takes 21 days for the paint to cure via air-dry. This means leave it alone for 21 days. Don't wash it. Don't use it. Don't mess with it. Give the paint time to dry completely and settle.
+ I've read from multiple DIY forums that you can bake your cups instead of air-drying. This speeds up the process. I tried looking up any baking instructions for the multi-surface paint I used, but I didn't find any so I followed these instructions instead:

"Allow item to dry for one hour to be sure all layers of paint have dried. Place project in a cool oven. Set oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for 30 minutes. Glass must heat gradually with the oven to avoid breakage. Do not place glass in a hot oven.  After 30 minutes, turn the oven off. Let glass cool completely in oven. Do not use for 72 hours."  -- michaels.com 

Have you tried the Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Paints on ceramics or glass? Their site says it should work (and it's supposedly "top rack dishwash" if you use it on glass) but I have my reservations. Share your tips, tricks, experiences or opinions with this or a similar project! 

*Official instructions and project ideas for the Martha Stewart paint and stencil products are also available on their website. 

DIY: Chevron Binder Mod

We have one of those old company portfolio/binders laying around. I knew I wanted to use it for something but I just couldn't stand [1] how plain it was and [2] having the company name on it. So I figured I'd modify it with some paint, painter's tape and Mod Podge. And yup, I finally jumped into the Chevron bandwagon--although monthssss too late. 

1. Tape the edges off (and/or any part you don't want to paint over).
2. Since my binder is dark, I decided to prime the surface first. I just used white multi-surface paint.
3. Paint the surface over with the lighter color of choice. For this project, I used a light shade of grayish blue.
4. This step can be the most tedious one. Instead of making a real stencil, I simply used painter's tape. Just cut the tape to desired size and placing the tape in right (90 degree) angles. I just eyeballed the pattern.
5. Paint over the pattern with your second color of choice. Because I'm very conservative with my color combinations, chose blue-black.
TIP: Try to paint away from the tape rather than painting into it, because paint can bleed in (especially if you're not painting over a solid, hard surface). I didn't know this until after.
6. Let paint dry, then remove tape. Some paint bled in. If this happens to you too and it bothers you, just get a small angled paint brush to touch the lines up.
Extra Step: I did this as an afterthought to protect the surface, apply a generous coat of mod podge. 

That's it. You're done.

I'm thinking of stenciling a quote on it too, but I haven't decided yet. Any suggestions?

[Budget Plan: Part 4] Drafting Your Budget Plan

So we've set our financial goals, tracked down where our money is going and we've discussed our wants vs needs. Now we're all ready to draft our budget plan! Personally, the first time I ever did this, it was both exciting and a bit daunting. I wanted to put it off as much as I can, because having a budget felt like I will have to start having to completely deprive myself of my wants and occasional treats. It doesn't have to be seen that way though. A budget plan is simply a plan. It's just like writing a dreaded English paper--you start with an outline to start mapping your content rather than aimlessly rambling on. It's a simple extra step we can take to see where we are, what we want to achieve and hopefully get there with less stress.

TIP: Just keep in mind that your total expenses  do not exceed your total income. 

 Another Tip: When I'm creating my budget, I view my expenses in 2 major categories. We have our the monthly expenses and then there's the savings. We have to learn to think of expenses in both present  and future tense.

Look back and see what you've learned from tracking your expenses. Is your current spending pattern making sense? Were you aware of everything that you're paying for? Is your daily latte routine actually adding up to a fair bit of money? Look at your current list of monthly (or bi-monthly) expenses, and next to it, add a column with a revised budget plan. See what you can or should cut back on. Can you tuck more money away into savings? Are you spending more money than what you're making? The main objective of making a budget plan is not to limit ourselves but to start realizing our spending pattern, review it, and reflect on whether we're truly living within our means instead of spending money we don't have.

Also, remember those financial goals we made in the first step? Maybe you're saving for a down payment for your first home, or trying to make sure you're set for retirement. Whatever your goals were, try and assess whether your current spending pattern is allowing your to reach those goals. If not, then perhaps there are revisions to be done. Yes, perhaps this means something as little as going out for coffee less frequently. Or maybe spending less on something less pressing than an important goal; it isn't easy. Like I have mentioned before, it is a lifestyle change and it boils down to priorities. Just remember to not take it to the extremes! Don't do a total spending pattern makeover. Just as most fad diets do not work in the long run, totally depriving yourself and cutting your expenses down drastically can also be detrimental. Instead, make slow steady changes. Make budget revisions that are doable and realistic.

If you haven't registered for Mint or you have yet to write down your actual expenses, then you should! You can also try this budget worksheet, to get a quick look at how much you're actually spending on what and make the appropriate changes.

Don't Forget About the Rainy Days

It's difficult to think about saving money especially with all the bills and monthly payments (or when you have outstanding debt that you might be struggling to get ahead of). However, if we're really serious about trying to be more financially secure it is important to at least start working on building your emergency savings account.

Emergency savings, which, depending on your source could be 3-6 months salary's worth (I know, quite an intimidating amount!), is money put away in case of--yes you guessed it--emergencies. It's where you can dip into for seasonal and/or unexpected expenses; for living expenses if you're in between jobs, medical expenses not covered by insurance, etc. I cannot stress enough how important it is to start getting into the habit of saving for all those unplanned expenses rather than having to later on rely on credit and have a difficult time paying it back.

TIP: Don't get hung up on how much you should have set aside for savings. Just get it started!

 Disclosure: I am following the steps outlined in nomoredebts.org's Money Management Strategies. Head over to their website for more info and resources.