Painted Planters

This project I did with my sister, Natricia, for some friends of hers. It was fun and I think this is a great painting project for kids to do as well.

What you'll need:
Terracotta Pots
tempera paint
stencils
blue 1/2 inch painters tape

Step 1: Paint terracotta planters. We chose white and copper for our color scheme but any combination will do. I also like white and dark blue. Or if you know their favorite sports teams colors go with those, the possibilities are endless.

Step 2: Let the base coat dry for at least 4 hours. The pots should be dry enough that the paint won't chip when you remove the tape.

Step 3: Prepare your stencils and paint. My sister made our stencils using Microsoft Publisher by enlarging the font of her choice which we then cut out with a Exacto knife.  You can also use a packaged stencil kit as well. Use the painters tape to hold the stencil in place. We used our friends names, but you can stencil just about any words: plants, names, team slogans the list goes on and on. Let paint dry for at least 4 hours before removing stencils.

Step 4:  Fix any spots that need a touch up. Some paint might have steeped through the thin areas of the stencil just paint over the blotch with a fine tip brush and appropriate paint color.

TA-DA! 

Happy holidays!

Kiss Kiss,

Natrina
The Perki Giver

HAPPY 2013!

Hey Givers!

I know you are all pooped from celebrating the New Year. Thank you all for following, liking, pinning, tweeting and plusing this blog. Please share it with all your friends and post a comment or two.  I hope these projects helped you keep the season bright. I have lots planned for 2013 so stay tuned! 

Check out all we made in 2012!

Awesome Ampersand Mugs

Red Hot Cinnamon Pine Cone Centerpiece

Paint Chip Polka Dot Calendar

Scentsational Bath Salts

Great Guy Necktie

SMASHing Monthly Calendar

Oh Christmas Tree Art

Painted Terracotta Pots

Lots of Love in the New Year! Stay Perki!

Kiss Kiss,

Natrina 
The Perki Giver

Great Guy Gift: Ombre Necktie

This tie I made for my friend John for Hanukkah! Every year we celebrate at least one night together, its become our families' tradition. I also made one as my Step-Dad's Christmas gift in a different color which he totally loved.

Things you'll need:
Dye-able necktie
Tulip Dye (powder or liquid)
Stainless steel bowl
Water (temperature per instructions)

Step 1: Follow the direction on your Dye  for prepping your tie and preparing the dye. Some dyes need hot water others room temperature will work fine make sure you know which type of dye you are using and how the color is set, either by cold rinse or dry set where you put your item in the dryer for the color to stay. In my case for this project i used a hot water heat setting dye. I also wet my tie first according to the dye instructions.

Step 2: Begin the dying process. There are two main ways to get the Ombre effect. 

• Option 1-- Dunk your item to a point where you want the effect to begin then, slowly remove  the item  out of the dye a little at a time. 
• Option 2-- Sink your item  into the dye a little at a time watch carefully since the dye will climb or be adsorbed by the fabric in this method.. 

Both methods require some time standing over the dye so which ever method is easier for you to do for your item go for it. I tried both and it's my personal opinion that Option 2 gave me a richer color saturation than Option 1 but to each his own.

*Warning:  DO NOT cook or boil dye. Only follow dye instructions.

Option 1- submerge the whole front of tie.

Option 1- slowly pull the tie part way out of dye

Option 1- the tip of the tie stays in the longest

Step 3: Rinse  and set the  Dye. According to my instruction I rinsed my item in cold water until it rinsed clear and then popped int in the dryer at medium heat. Huzzah, a cool tie for your husband, dad, brother, son or guy friend!

Option 1-- Final Results

Here's a look at Option 2 final results, you can clearly see where the dye 'climbed' at the top. this happened when I dipped the tie and then slowly pulled it out, the dye went both directions.

Option 2-- Final Results

Happy Holidays!

Kiss Kiss,

Natrina 

The Perki Giver

Homemade Scented Bath Salts

PERKI GUEST POST!

Here it is our first guest post. I'm so excited because crafting is what my sister Natricia and I do for fun. 

By Natricia Perkins

What your need:

Extra virgin olive oil

Epsom salt

Essential oils

Small or medium jars

Narrow spatulas or spoons

Paint and stencils to decorate

Decorate your jars with paint or stickers. Label them and be sure they are clean and dry before you begin.

Step 1.

We filled our large bowl half way with Epsom salt and added the olive oil until it was a paste. Be careful not to add too much or your scrub will be runny.

Step 2.

Portion the mixture into your jars with a small spoon or spatula. Fill it only half way.

Step 3.

Add your choice of essential oils to scent your creation. I chose Peppermint for one and Lavender and Lemongrass for another. Measure by drops carefully into the jar. For the small jars 4 was enough. If you want to mix your scents find a ratio and add drops sparingly.

Step 4.

Add the last portion of the salt- olive oil mixture to fill the rest of the jar.

Step 5.

Screw the lid on tightly and shake to ensure even distribution.

Step 6.

I tied a bow on this one to give it a special touch.

What a great gift, especially since it was for me, wink!  

Thanks Natricia!

Kiss,Kiss

Natrina, The Perki Giver

30 Handmade Gifts til Christmahanakwanzika or A Gift for Every Holiday until New Years' Eve

Hi folks!
 I'm Trina and this is my blog. It's about  two of my favorite things making crafts and giving them to just about any one who will take them aka family and friends. If you are  like me you are all jazzed by the holiday season and are excited to share it with your loved ones, right? Or maybe the tryptophan hasn't worn off yet and your not sure where to even begin gift shopping none the less you are probably going to want to give some thing to some one  very soon  why not make and give that special some one something you put your heart into? Oh, but I'm not that crafty you say. Well I'm here to help. I am going to be the guinea pig for all those neat do-it-yourself gifts we see all over the interwebs, so you can hand make the most awesome homemade gift ever.

This year I am challenging myself to make gifts for my loved ones with in the next 30 days. I've made some gifts of this sort in the past like mini family cookbooks for my sister and mom, gift baskets for friends and  birthday cards for sorority sisters. This year will be different!
 (1)  I'm going to attempt to document it all in this blog so you can follow along at home
 (2)  my list includes 20 people of different backgrounds with a couple birthdays thrown in the mix not to mention all the different hostess gifts, stocking stuffers, and  holiday party/potluck/gift exchange that pop up along the way.

 I'd like for the gift to be unique to each person so I'll need some inspiration from my friends on Pinterest  (check out my 'homemade gifts' board). Let's see do I have all the markers of a an S.M.A.R.T. goal?

• S - Specific (or Significant). making gifts.............................................................................check
• M - Measurable (or Meaningful). created a list of people who would receive gifts...........check
• A - Attainable (or Action-Oriented). making one gift a day ...............................................check
• R - Relevant (or Rewarding). warm fuzziness from giving to others ..................................check
• T - Time-bound (or Track-able). doing this blog to keep me honest ..................................check

Mark your calendars with the important dates below. Do not forget to mark December birthdays and events for  church, work and school etc too.

Hanukkah begins in the evening of Saturday, December 8, 2012, and ends in the evening of Sunday, December 16, 2012.

Winter Solstice is on Friday, December 21, 2012.

Christmas Day is on Tuesday, December 25, 2012.

Kwanzaa begins Wednesday, December 26, 2012, and ends Tuesday,January 1, 2013.

New Year's Eve is on Monday, December 31, 2012.

New Year's Day is on Tuesday, January 1, 2013.

Seeing how fast that calendar has filled up I think one of those super cute paint chip ones would be a great gift for my best friend, stay tuned! 

Kiss Kiss,

The Perki Giver