Frugal Back Porch

I recently discoverd the Mod Podge Rocks site. Amy features so many wonderfully creative ideas all using Modge Podge. The one to the right was a crafty use of Modge Podge, wall paper and salvaged dresser drawers from the Crafty Nest. Isn't is totally adorable???

Personally, I think Modge Podge is a little pricey but I'm a mere hobbist when it comes to my crafting. If I were selling my products then, I'd probably use the "good" stuff instead of the "good enough" stuff.

I make my own Modge Podgey type glue. It's really very simple. 3 parts white school glue (any brand) to 1 part water. If I need a thicker glue then I mix in less water. I've had very good results with this but if you prefer the top shelf stuff, then go for it! Today I read online you can mix in 1 tablespoon of clear varnish for a gloss finish but I haven't tried this one...YET! Either way, Amy recommends giving your finished product a once or twice over with a clear varnish spray to seal it and increase it's durability. I've got a fish tank stand, a side table and a wooden magazine rack begging for some crafty modge podge work. What do you have sitting around in need of a facelift????

Christy Nelson's May Craft Challenge is open for voting. The poll closes at midnight Friday so get your votes in early. I entered my Spring Clipboard I shared with you earlier this week. You can either visit Christy's site, view the images and vote for your favorite there...OR you could just vote for mine from the embedded pole!!! {wink wink}

There are some really creative submissions. If I didn't enter, I would have voted for the Flower Fairy because she's so darn cute! I had so much fun with this, even if I don't win, it was worth it. I may even sign up for next month's Craft Challenge!

While you in a voting mood, don't forget to vote for my dresser (Entry #2) at Fresh Nest's Design Challenge. Daniel would love a new bed!

Thanks so much for voting for me! Let me know if you ever need a vote so I can support you too! We all gotta stick together!

I found YouCanMakeThis.com a while ago and immediately fell in love with the site. They have the CUTEST patterns covering all sorts of projects all at reasonable prices. I've grabbed several ebooks from their site-most of them from the FREE section! I've tucked a few away for a rainy day project and a few I've actually tried. Recently I was presented with one of their favorite books, Personalized Name Pillows, for review. Since my sewing skills are VERY LIMITED this will give a true test of their statement "...it's written in a way that even a person who has never sewn before, could make these."

After reading it, I agree! This book would have been a lifesaver if I'd had it at the beginning of April. If you recall, I made my daughter a personalized name pillow for her birthday using upcycle material from her outgrown wardrobe. I was inspired by the cute pillows on YCMT. I thought it'd be easy enough to do with the video tutorial sample (scroll to the bottom of the page for the video). A simple afternoon project took me several days to complete! The final product turned out Tween worthy but I could have saved myself a TON of headaches had I just bought the ebook. LESSON LEARNED!

Courtney with YCMT has generously offered two lucky readers their own copy of Personalized Name Pillows ebook. Click here to enter this fabulous giveaway!

For anyone who needs some inspiring ideas this Easter. Here's a run down of some great Spring finds.

50 Uses for Plastic Easter Eggs is an awesome article on how to reuse all those plastic eggs after the Big Hunt has passed. I definitely plan to use some of her suggestions.

Easy Chocolate Easter Egg Recipe.

Scroll towards the bottom of this foodie article for the Easter Egg Nest Cake recipe.

Land O Lakes has a great recipe for Simple Spring Baskets.

Be sure to check out EHow's article on how to decorate your Easter/Passover Table for cheap.

Woman's Day has tons of great spring recipes and crafts here.

Make cute window cards for spring.

Great Easter Art projects and songs.

50 things to do over the Easter weekend.

This is something we should all keep in mind during the Easter holiday.

Here's a yummy Easter Bread recipe I may try making this year.

Nifty Spring coloring book perfect for the kiddos while they wait for the eggs to be hidden.

Cutest Clothespin Bunnies you'll ever see!

Here's some fun facts and historical information on Easter you might enjoy!

Finally, here's some fun cup cakes I'll be making with the kiddos. They look YUMMO!

A few weeks ago I submitted my Flower Power Key Chain to Crafty Nation's Craft Off Contest. I certainly didn't expect to make it to the final ten. There are simply so many fantastically talented crafters out there. My easy to make key chain used things I already had lying around the house-big surprise right!?! The finalist were announced this morning and I AM A TOP TEN FINALIST! I don't mean to shout but I am so excited about this. All the finalist get a prize but, now I am seriously hoping to win the Grand Prize $100 Gift Basket from YouCanMakeThis.com. If you want to make your own flower power key chain, click here for the tutorial.

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Please tweet the following to help spread the word. Every vote helps.

Vote 4 my Flower Power Key Chain in Crafty Nation's Craft Off http://tiny.cc/gs3r4 Pls RT

Thanks so much to all who vote! Thanks to Crafty Nation for a great opportunity to show off my craftastic work.

Stephanie at Make It From Scratch has the coolest Travel Wallet tutorial. She makes a trendy travel wallet using Tea Towels and some ribbon. It's perfect for biking, traveling through the airport, walking, going to the mall, etc. It's a quickie project perfect for a last minute gift or as a rainy day activity!

Apparently I've been living under a rock or was hit in the head with one because I never NEVER thought about doing this by hand. It looks so very simple and is great since I don't have a working sewing machine anymore! I love Cal Patch posted this and I L-O-V-E Craftstylish's website. I can totally do this which expands my crafty adventures without a pricey sewing machine!

If you're looking for another great handmade craft, check out Kellie's fabric coasters. These look simple enough I can do with some of the kids outgrown clothes and fabric remnants lying around. In case you didn't know, I've been on the hunt for some creative ways to use my kid's outgrown clothes. There's not a consignment store within a 70 mile radius. We've been under several feet of snow since November so yard sales aren't an option right now. I save the good clothes for yard sale season. The play clothes or "unstylish" clothes that don't sell, I hate to simply toss in the trash so this would be a great project to add to my craft arsenal!

What's in your craft arsenal?

This would be a great kids craft and could be adapted with any shape for any holiday or occassion. With the proper prep work, I can see doing this at birthday parties, Sunday School class, etc. This would also work well as an overlay to a decorative mirror. All I have to do now is get the tissue paper and clear contact paper.

Ding Ding Ding!!!! Light bulb just went off...I could print an oversized font of my kid's name, cut out the middle, put my tissue paper in and mount it in a set of frames to spell their name for simple wall hangings! This is something I can do quickly and easily...the perfect craft when you're busy chasing Wild Man all day!

Want the how-to details? Click the image.

My idea was to take a regular box, cover it in paper mache, cut out a hole, tape it in place then paint it and have the kids whack it. My decoupage paste was too thin. I used 1 part glue to 2 parts water when it should have been 2 parts glue to 1 part water! Considering I already had all the guts for the pinata, I improvised by using a Happy Birthday gift bag! The kids were none the wiser and had a great time trying to knock out the loot!