DIY photo clocks

Now that their bridal shower has come and gone, I am so excited to share my latest project that I made! Earlier this week when I made the two canvas prints, I also made a fabulous photo clock for our friends Ryan and Alyson for a bridal shower gift to celebrate their upcoming wedding in September! I had emailed Ryan asking for a jpeg of some of their engagement pictures and he got them to me in record time - so thanks for being a big help, Ryan! This project was very easy and quick (and affordable!)....with a really awesome final product! I am already thinking of what picture I want to use to make one for myself to have at our place! Anyway, here is what you will need and how to make your own photo clock:

- plywood or MDF board (I used 1/4 Oak pinewood from Lowe's)
- mod podge
- paint brush
- acrylic paint color in whatever color you choose
- numbers (I used scrapbook numbers but you could place them on before printing the picture by using PhotoShop or some other photo editing program)
- clock parts
- battery
- easel/stand
- matte sealant spray 

1. order your picture and make sure it is a true .jpeg or formatted nicely...downloading one from Facebook won't print out nice at all! I ordered mine from Staples in a 16x20 and am very happy with the print quality!

2. get your plywood or MDF board. I knew I wanted the clock to be 16x16 so I had a guy at Lowe's cut the board down to 16x16 so now I have a left over piece...perfect for making a second clock! You can obviously choose whichever size you would like depending on where you plan to put the clock!

3. once you have the board, cut the picture down to match its size.

4. put a layer of mod podge onto the plywood and then starting with one side, align the picture and swipe across it slowly to make sure there aren't any air bubbles and to help keep it aligned on the plywood.

5. place the numbers onto the picture. I did this by measuring across creating an X and then down the middle and across the middle to essentially create a pie. I placed each number on and then measured to make sure then were all equally spaced. You could also get a clock template and mark on the picture where to place the numbers if you don't want to measure it out yourself.

5. **this is optional** on a few of the edges, just barely, the plywood was sticking out because the edges weren't perfect cuts and I wanted to edges to have more of a paint brush effect/look to match the background of the picture. So all you do for that is, get the paint color you would like, just dab the tip of the brush in the paint and then make quick/short strokes along the edges. There's really no right or wrong way to do this and you can make the strokes as thick/heavy as you would like. **this is optional**

6. once the paint has dried (or if you skipped that), paint a thin layer of mod podge over the picture including the paint and the numbers. Be careful going over the numbers so you don't peel one up but if you do, just stick it back down and make sure it is secure! This is just like painting over the picture with mod podge when making a canvas picture so it will look white/glossy at first, but it dries clear! Make sure to keep it a thin layer and if it bubbles, that means you have too much so spread it out evenly.

7. now it is time to drill the hole for the clock parts! I measured the width of the clock "hole" from the old clock that I took the parts off of so I knew what size of drill bit to use. Then, I measured an X across from each corner and marked the center so I knew the clock parts would be centered. Once you have the correct size, drill the hole .

8. **this is optional** I sprayed the matte sealant spray on top of the picture and along the edges to completely seal it and help protect it from sun damage and fading. I did two coats of this and it gave the clock a nice matte finish! **this is optional**

9. insert the clock parts along with a working battery then set the time and admire your new personalized photo clock! I found a nice picture stand for the clock but you could attach some poster hangers on the back of it if you would prefer to hang it up instead. 

"together until the end of time"
Congrats to the future Mr. & Mrs. Nelson!
We are so excited for your big day!

(more!) DIY canvas pictures

The crafting bug hit me again and I whipped up a fabulous wedding picture display that I love! And I did it super cheap and quick too so for anyone who is still afraid to take a stab at making their own canvas prints, don't fret any more! Canvas prints are a huuuge thing right now and as most of you know, they are also a huuuge expense. They are just plain crazy expensive! And you really have to commit to the picture that you decide for them since unlike a normal picture frame, you can't simply swap out the picture and update it as the times change! Which is why I knew I couldn't go wrong picking out some wedding pictures because those are ones that we will always cherish and I want to have on display to share and remember our special day! So, let's get down to business! Here is what you will need:

- blank canvas (I got mine from Hobby Lobby in an 11x14 two pack for $5 on clearance!)

- pictures of your choice (I got three 11x14 prints from Staples for $20! and they are awesome quality!)

- mod podge

- brush

- paint (if you want to paint the edges of the canvas instead of leaving it white)

- matte spray sealant (completely optional but since I already had this, I figured I'd spray on two coats to completely seal the final picture and protect it from fading)

1. paint the edges of your canvas whatever color you would like. I chose black since I had printed out and white pictures for mine. 

2. let the paint completely dry before moving on! I painted these at night and then finished the project the next morning so the paint wouldn't run or get on the picture. After the paint is dry, add a layer of mod podge and align picture onto the canvas making sure to do it from one edge to the next to help eliminate air bubbles.

3. ok this is usually the scary part of making a canvas picture and working with mod podge that people don't like and I was leery of it at first too (but I tested out the mod podge on a smaller picture just to verify and had proof it would dry clear and not ruin the picture!) Once the picture is set on the canvas, take the mod podge and put a thin layer across the picture and make sure to get all of the edges done too - this will help seal it entirely to the canvas and prevent it from trying to peel away. The picture will look sort of "milky" while the mod podge is still wet but I promise it will dry clear and leave a perfect matte finish! 

4. once the top layer of mod podge is dry, your new awesome and original canvas picture is done! After this, I sprayed two layers of the matte sealant spray onto mine but that is optional and not something you necessarily have to do!

Here are the final products up close:

I also picked up this float frame I found on clearance at Gordman's and used the extra set of vinyl letters I got when I had ordered them for our wedding mailbox to make this center picture:

And here's how they all look put together and hanging up to help decorate our bedroom. And of course there's Paisley, being my shadow and helping to model the complete look! I love it and even Jordan was completely impressed with these pictures! I wish I wouldn't have waited to long to make these but I see some being made in the future for gift ideas for people - they are cheap, quick, and easy plus such a great keepsake!

Professional Wedding Pictures are here!!!!

We got our professional wedding pictures today...ahhh!!! 3 CD'S FULL OF PICTURES!!!! Holy smokes!! Our photog was beyond amazing and he truly ripped himself off....we got a hell of a deal from him! He was there from 8am until at least 9 or 10pm at the reception! He got so many unique shots of details throughout the day, candid shots, fun poses and was super helpful to have around too! I have no idea how we'll narrow it down to start getting them printed and framed and scrapbooked! They're all amazing! So without further adieu, I give you a small snipit of some of our favorite shots from our wedding day!