Jewelry Holder for the Tennis Fan

You gotta love a sport where each game starts with the word LOVE.  

Even though it means you haven't scored any points yet, it is a kinder way to say ZERO.

When DecoArt asked me to create room decor for a sports fan, tennis immediately came to mind.  As it turns out,  I am a decent player on the doubles court.  

I started this project on a search for a vintage wooden tennis racquet  You can usually find them hiding in the corners of thrift stores.  I paid $6, which was a bargain compared to the ones I saw at last week's flea market for $50 and more!

I sketched out my plan to turn the racquet into not only decor, but a useful jewelry holder.  

I chose colors that tied into tennis: blue representing the courts and neon yellow for the ball, with white & black for the trim.  The paints are Americana Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic.

 First, I painted the entire racquet (including the strings).

 Then I painted white stripes on the handle and sides of the racquet face

 and added rhinestones around the frame.

The ball was a bit tricky.  I didn't want to try cutting a real tennis ball in half. After some thought, I used a paper mache cupcake top, which has a flat bottom.  I painted it neon yellow with white stripes, added a sticker that reads, "Queen of the Court," and hot glued it to the racquet face.

 Lastly, I screwed small cup hooks into the holes where the strings are looped through.

Voila!  Not only will I kill it on the court, I will now be able to quickly accessorize my outfit before warming up.  

You might also like these handmade gift ideas for sports fans:

Recipe-in-a-Tennis Ball Can

Sports Fan Gifts

Pull Tab for Chocolate

Sharing this project at these parties:

From my Front Porch to Yours

Posed Perfection

Disclosure: DecoArt provided me with product and compensation for this project. 

However, all ideas and opinions are 100% my own.

Fall Porch Planter Decor

Another thrift store find gets a makeover!

This is an easy transformation. 

It started with this old wooden planter.

I added a coat of paint

[used Americana Decor multi-purpose satin acrylic 

in Pumpkin Patch]

and sprayed it with a clear matte sealer.

Then I transferred this typography printable from 

The Graphics Fairy,

using the freezer paper transfer method.

It looks grainy, because the wood is far from smooth, 

and I didn't sand it because I wanted to keep its rustic look.

Then I planted two mini pepper plants, bacopa, and a small palm.

If you look closely, I also added small pine cones and

 faux cranberry stems,

 because after all, the planter says 

"Cape Cod Cranberries."

This planter now sits on top of my garden stand on our front porch, 

above my Halloween sign.

This project is featured at:

The Graphics Fairy

The Answer is Chocolate BFF Open House

You may also like

Tiered Terra Cotta Planter

Altered Mailbox Decor

Garden Theme Chalkboard

Meet me at some of these parties as well as:

Brag About It

Life As We Know It

Romantic Home

The Sunday Social

The Cottage Market

Adirondack Girl at Heart

From my Front Porch to Yours

The Handmade Hangout

Posed Perfection

Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesday

Kammy's Korner Trash-2-Treasure

French Country Cottage

Adventures Frugal Mom

Answer is Chocolate

Mad in Crafts

Tidy Mom

I Gotta Create

Funky Junk Interiors

Tater Tots & Jello

Juggling Real Food & Real LIfe

Halloween Treats in a Jar

Here's a quick and easy DIY project:

HALLOWEEN TREATS IN A JAR 

You will need:

recycled jar with lid, a glass candlestick, E-6000 glue, 

acrylic paint [I used DecoArt Americana multi-surface satin in 

Cotton Ball (white), Pumpkin Patch & Lemon Zest],

and foam brushes

Use recycled jars that are thoroughly clean and dry.  

Paint the candlestick white.

When the white paint is dry, 

paint the middle section orange and the bottom part yellow.

 Adhere the jar to the top of the candlestick, 
using a strong bonding glue.

I also embellished the jar with a rubber stamp with the phrase, 

"One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats" 

that I stamped on white card stock, backed with orange card stock,

 and wrapped around the jar.

Twine and a tag completes the project.

Now just add treats! 

I'm sending this treat jar, and a few other pumpkin treats,

to my daughter and her roommates,

who live on the other side of the country, 

just in time for Halloween.

This project is easily adaptable to any occasion or holiday.

Just change the color palette.

Happy Halloween!

Disclaimer:  This post is in no way sponsored by any retailer.

Find me here and
The Cottage Market Cup of Morning Joe

A Little R&R Wednesdays

Our Mini Family

Michelle's Party Plan-it

Cooking & Crafting with J & J
The 36th Avenue
Janine's Little World
The Sits Girls
Ivy & Elephants
Kammy's Korner

DIY Candy Corn Treats

What do you get when you mix m&ms with candy corn?  

Well, if you add them to a painted terra cotta pot, 

you get a special Halloween treat!

Now I'm not one for much Halloween hoopla.  

However, I am a sucker for embellished terra cotta pots.

So when I read Kim's creative idea at Maiden D'Shade,

I decided to borrow her idea of candy corn painted terra cotta pots. 

Plus, I couldn't help myself while trolling past the candy aisle

without picking up some of these:

 

Like Kim, I painted the lower part of the pots white, 

 orange in the middle, and finally yellow on the rim.

Be sure to allow each color to dry before adding the next.

I sprinkled bright yellow glitter to the top rim of my painted pots, 

adding shimmer to this Halloween terra cotta treat.

After shaking the glitter onto the just painted yellow rims, 

and letting it dry,

I decided to give it a good spritz of top coat acrylic sealer 

to help those little shimmies stay in place.  

Then I gobbled up poured about 1/2 cup of each candy

 into a cute clear bag,

tying the bag with orange and black ribbons. 

I added a tag, which I had quickly embellished with Halloween paper.

These would make great DIY projects for a Halloween party.

And, as they say in the 'hood:

TRICK OR TREAT!

Check out this Halloween gift idea:

Spooky Socks Gift Package