DIY fall napkin rings using raffia.

Hi Podgy People! It’s Shannon from Madigan Made back again. Today I want to show you an easy fall craft project that would be an elegant idea for your autumn table scape.

I’m always amazed at the versatility of Mod Podge. Not only can you cover and seal stuff with it . . . but you can shape things, too! Fabric, yarn, rope . . . decoupage is a wonderful sealer and shaper for these materials. I made a bracelet with raffia and Mod Podge this past summer and it inspired these fall napkin rings that I made this month.

There are some things to remember when you use Mod Podge to hold fibers together.  First, you need a surface that will serve as the mold for your material. But  you also need to ensure that the fibrous material and mold will separate once the glue is dry. When you are working with a small object like a napkin ring, how do you find a cylindrical object that will allow you to easily release the rings once everything is dry? I figured out that a long balloon works perfectly! Especially the kind that you can use to make balloon animals. The diameter is perfect for a napkin ring!

These napkin rings were also affordable to make… I found my balloon kit and raffia at the dollar store. And the gems were only $1.50 for a big box of them at the craft store!

Let me show you how I made these simple fall napkin rings.

Supplies needed:
Raffia
Mod Podge, Satin formula
Long Balloon Kit
Rhinestone leaf gems
Hot glue
Scissors
Foam brush
Pin

Step One: Inflate your party balloon with the pump provided and tie the end shut.

Step Two:  This is where we get a little messy! Brush a thick coat of Mod Podge around a section of the balloon. Take one end of the raffia and wrap it around that area. Keep in mind that you are decoupaging the raffia onto itself . . . not to the balloon. The cylinder is just there to support your shape. Liberally apply more Mod Podge as you continue to wrap the fiber around the balloon.

If you need more raffia, you can add it. But one strand of raffia gave me a decent width for a napkin ring. Secure the end down with more Mod Podge. (You may need to tuck the end into fibers to get it to stay put, too.)

Step Three: Repeat step two and work your way down the balloon. Wrap more pieces of raffia with Mod Podge to make your desired quantity of napkin rings. Hang the balloon to dry overnight.

Step Four: Now comes the fun part! Use a sharp pin or scissors and pop your balloon to release your pretty napkin rings. Pop! The balloon will peel right away from the decoupage and raffia.

Step Five: Use scissors to clean up some of loose or hanging raffia and dried decoupage from the edges of each ring.

Step Six: Attach a jeweled leaf to each circle with your hot glue gun. If you can’t find a pretty jewel, try a button or an acorn top. Personalize it for your table!

Enjoy your new napkins rings at your next dinner party this season! See how easy it is to use decoupage to turn fibers into a shape? I’m loving how the natural material resembles corn husks. The contrast of organic raffia with a pretty jewel is simple and understated.

Why not make a set of these napkin rings for your Thanksgiving table? You can tell your relatives all about  the amazing things you can make with Mod Podge over pumpkin pie. (Beats talking about your aunt’s latest bunion trouble, right?)

About the Podger: You might call Shannon the Clark Kent of craft blogging. By day, she is a pharmacist and by night she shares simple ideas for crafts, décor and much more with her readers. She also craves chocolate, loves a thrifty find and tries (often unsuccessfully) to avoid glue gun burns. You can find Shannon on her blog, Madigan Made, and on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, too.

I’m participating in the following linky parties: I Heart Naptime, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, Somewhat Simple, Tatertots and Jello, Tidy Mom, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Creative Jewish Mom

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Candy corn un-welcome Halloween sign.

Hello Mod Podge fans! I’m so excited to be here today sharing a fun project using RIT Dye. But first, let me introduce myself.

I’m Vanessa from Our Thrifty Ideas. I blog about my family, crafts, and being thrifty. I am a play at home Mommy of 2 littles and a wife to an amazing and hard working handy man husband! I am living the life, and love being able to share it with those out in the www.!

Today I’m going to show you how I made the fun Candy Corn un-welcome Halloween sign using RIT Dye product!

Supplies:
Wood – whatever shape you choose
Orange Paint
White Cotton Fabric
RIT Dye in Orange and Yellow
Paper Letters
Mod Podge – Matte Finish

This was my first time using RIT Dye. I am loving every bit of it, and dying everything within reach! And plus, it is so easy.

Following the directions on the bottle, I just mixed 8 cups of really hot water with 1 tablespoon dye and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mixing continuously to avoid uneven coloring, soak your fabric for 10 minutes. Then rinse in warm (then gradually getting colder) water until the water runs clear.

Run the dyed fabric thru a regular cycle of laundry (wash and dry) to prevent any dye bleeding. Repeat these steps for the orange dye.

Cut the dyed fabric, and some of the white, into 1 inch strips. The number of strips will depend on the size of your wood. I made the mistake of cutting my strips and THEN dying it, causing my fabric to fray and become messy in the finished product.

Ok, so now that we have the fabric dyed you will want to prep your wood. I painted the sides and the back incase you see it while it’s hanging up!

Then Mod Podge strips of the fabric onto the wood in a candy corn pattern; white, yellow, orange. I left long strips of fabric on the edges to create a hanger.

Once this is dry (or a little tacky) place your wording onto the fabric and Mod Podge them on.  Let dry.

Cut the excess fabric off the ends, except the 3 left and 3 right ones on the top of your sign. Braid these and tie them together at the ends to create a hanger.

Hang on your front door or an entryway for the Halloween season!

Make sure to check out all the RIT Dye products on their website. And of course, follow them via social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Thanks so much for having me over here at Mod Podge Rocks. I’m so honored to be able to hang out with you guys for the day!

You can also check out some other fun seasonal projects made with the products from some great bloggers.

Find the post disclosure here.

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Queen of skulls Halloween DIY decor.

Morena from Morena's Corner is quite the Mod Podger, so I'm thrilled to have her here guest posting, especially about Halloween. Morena knows her way around a skull or two, so she's made this lovely queen skull display to jazz up your home for the big day. Let guests admire your craftiness as they grab a candy from the tray. Here is Morena to tell you how it was made.

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Isn't she a sight? We've been calling her the Queen of Skulls around my house. I wanted something shabby yet elegant, spooky but not to scary, and I think she delivers.

For this project you'll need:
-lace
-a plate
-3 inch candlestick
-paper mache skull
-sheet music paper
-Mod Podge: Glitter, Shimmer, and Paper

First up: prep the lace. I dug into my vintage lace stash, but any lace ribbon would work, too. Place it on a piece of freezer paper and generously apply Mod Podge Glitter to lace. Flip it over and repeat on the other side. Let dry.

Spray paint the plate, skull, and candlestick black. When it has dried, apply Mod Podge Shimmer to the skull and candletick. The MP dries to an amazing metallic shimmer!

While that dries, start on the plate. Tear sheet music paper into pieces. Cover the plate surface with MP and begin adhering the pieces. After it has dried, trim the edges and seal with MP.

Back to the lace: once it has dried, it will be stiff yet malleable. Peel the lace off the paper. Trim off any excess MP, and shape the lace into a crown. You can glue the ends together or if the MP is still tacky just press the ends together firmly and they will stick.

Now to assemble our queen! Use a glue gun to attach the skull to the candlestick. Next, glue her lace collar on to the base of the skull. Now you can glue the candlestick to the plate and top it off with a lace crown!

I think it looks good a little askew. I think she would look great at a more sophisticated Halloween bash, perhaps laden with fine chocolates?

She looks good coming and going! All hail the queen?

Don't forget to visit Morena on her blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

I’m participating in the following linky parties: I Heart Naptime, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, Somewhat Simple, Tatertots and Jello, Tidy Mom, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Creative Jewish Mom

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Vintage ABC cork board.

Are you in back-to-school mode with the kiddos? So is Gillian from Seasons Gredings. In order to have a place to store her children's schoolwork and art, she made this handy dandy vintage inspired cork board. There's also a chalkboard, which just adds to the greatness factor. I'll let Gillian tell you how she did it.

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Hi all you fun Mod Podgers! This is Gillian Greding from Seasons Gredings and I'm so excited to be visiting the ultimate craft blog - Mod Podge Rocks - today! This place is like an encyclopedia of craftiness!!! Love it!

Four of my five kids returned to school last week, so I thought, "what a perfect craft for the season" - a vintage ABC cork board. The perfect spot for all your little ones' latest works of art. 

SUPPLY LIST:

Mod Podge (of course!

hot glue

canvas

cork square

chalkboard paint

paper mache letters

sandpaper

push pins

embellishment for push pins

3 different papers

lace

ball trim

Paint the canvas with chalkboard paint (about 2 coats will do).

Trace the letters onto the BACK of the paper.

Cut out the letters.

Paint Mod Podge onto the face of the letter.

Place paper onto the letter and rub down with a small towel so bubbles won't form.

Sand the edges down with sandpaper to distress.

Cover entire face of the letter with Mod Podge.

Glue the cork square to the painted canvas.

Using a glue gun, adhere paper pompoms (or whatever you decide to use) to the pushpins.

Glue the gathered lace to the top of the cork board.

Glue the ball trim on top of the gathered lace.

Glue the un-gathered lace to the bottom of the cork board.

Glue the letters to the painted canvas.

Enjoy your vintage ABC cork board!

Thank you for letting me stop by for a spell, Mod Podge Rocks!

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Don't forget to visit Gillian at her blog, Seasons Gredings. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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