Nailed It - DIY Paperweights

Ever look on Pinterest and think, 'Wow. That looks really, really easy.' And then proceed to try it out only to have it be a dismal failure? Yeah, me neither. (Ha! One day I will show you some of the less than perfect crafts I tried in the beginning. And if you haven't already checked out Pinstrosity, you should do so, very funny).

Seriously though, I saw these from my new favorite blog, Mod Podge Rocks (indeed it does) and I thought 'How easy' and you know what? They really were. 

So, here's my take on this. The tutorial on this is pretty easy step by step, but I changed it up a little bit, cause, you know, that's how I roll.

All you need is:

• Votive candler holders (from Dollar Store: $1 for a two pack)
• Fancy pants paper or a photo cut to size (I used scrap book paper I had left over from     another craft and was going to use a photo of Little P, but the candle holders are pretty small and you have to really size the photo right - which I didn't, but you get that)
• Mod Podge (or any other crafting glue that dries clear and is easy to brush on. I prefer Mod Podge - a) because I have a bunch of it and b)it seems to dry better than any other glue. But that's just me)
• Brush (to brush on the glue)
• Something to trace a circle the size of the candle holder (I used a cookie cutter that just fit into it)
• And a glass of wine (it's not necessary, but I find doing crafts with one on hand tends to go much easier. Not sure why)

And that's about it. See? Piece of proverbial cake.

(Small disclaimer: even though I have been using Mod Podge for a good six months now, I still manage to a) get it all over me and b) forget that when crafting, one should not have spent a good hour doing their nails the day before - Mod Podge, paint and fancy nails DO NOT a happy partnership make. Oh and the paint was from another craft, but you will see that next week)

So, get your fancy pants paper or photos (Exhibit A):

Exhibit A

And your candle holders (Exhibit B):

Exhibit B

And cut your fancy pants paper to fit inside your candle holders. You should have a circle and a long strip (exhibit C):

Exhibit C

Now, grab your Mod Podge (Exhibit D) and take a sip of wine (Exhibit E). Cover the inside of the candle holder with a light coating and the picture side of the paper with a light coating ,

Exhibit D

Exhibit E

and place Exhibit C into Exhibit B, so that you get Exhibit F:

Exhibit F

Then you just do the same with the long strip, sit back and let it dry. Once the Mod Podge has dried (it goes on white but dries clear) You will have your paperweight (Exhibits G & H).

Exhibit G

Exhibit H

Now, the tutorial on Mod Podge Rocks goes a little further and adds resin to the inside to give it more weight and a more 'finished' look. Since I didn't have any resin on hand (and I'm a little wary of using it - if I get Mod Podge everywhere, who knows what will happen if I use resin!) I skipped that part. But you would mix the resin and then pour it in at this point if that's what you wish to do.

(And if you are wondering what's up with all the 'exhibit' stuff, I had 'Law and Order' on in the background while writing this and kept hearing the 'dunk dunk'.)

So, sit back, take another sip of wine (if you have any left) and admire your handy work. For $1 (for the candle holder  - I had everything else on hand) and about 20 minutes of time, it's not a bad effort, huh?

So, did I nail this one?

K