DIY Owl Planter

Sometimes most of the time I get innovative ideas in my dream about my art and craft work. 

Few days ago I saw tiny clay pots kept on my kitchen window sill and the same night I saw owls made of those tiny clay pots in my dream. Next day without giving it a second thought and without any planning I just started making owl planters and viola!!! the result was awesome. See here they are..

 I even named them Peter and Paul. All my readers and Facebook page fans wanted me to share the procedure of making Peter and Paul. So here is the procedure:

• Supplies:

       Hobby ideas Shilpkar/M-seal
       Carving knife/ craft knife

       Glue

       Talcum powder

       Plastic sheet

       Clay pots (any size)

       Acrylic paint

       Paint brush
       Varnish       

• Procedure:

1. First wash the clay pots thoroughly and let it dry. Now You can apply a coat of varnish inside the pot to seal it.

2. Now prime the outside of pot with white acrylic paint and let it dry. In below image you can see Hobby Ideas Shilpkar. It contains two packets, one is resin and the other is hardener. Take equal amount of both resin and hardener and mix them well. 

3. Keep the plastic sheet on working area and dust it with talcum powder to avoid Shilpkar clay sticking to sheet. Now take a small amount of clay, put it on sheet and roll it out as shown in below image. For rolling you can use pen or pencil.

4. As I didn't have carving knife I used craft knife to give shape and cut the clay. Though the carving doesn't look neat when you use craft knife. You can use something else like toothpick, empty ball pen or anything else that can solve the purpose better. 

5. Made two carved parts (left and right) and joined them. Then I took small amount of clay, made beak of owl and pasted it on carved clay. Now gently pick up the clay and paste it on the pot.

6.  I made two different kind of owls. It was hard to make features of Peter so I went easy on making Paul and gave it simple look. When it is dried prime it too. 

7. Now the last thing is to paint it in your desired colour and let it dry. You can give a protective coat of varnish if you wish.  It's done!!! See how I am using my Peter and Paul..........

You can see the before and after of my tiny clay pots in image below. 

Some of my artwork that is exclusively mine and not inspired from any other source, you can check out on 'Exclusively By Design Decor & Disha'. 

Stay tuned!!In my next blog I will be posting about my work-space makeover. 

Read More

DIY: How To Paint Plastic Container

I have recycled so many plastic food containers and turned them into beautiful and useful planters and brush/pen holders. All my readers liked them so much that they wanted me to share the tutorial on how to paint a plastic food container. So sharing it today!!

Supplies: 

Plastic container (That you want to recycle)

Acrylic Colors

Paint Brush

Rag

Varnish

Steps:

1). The very first step is to wash and clean the container. It should be free from dust, oil or grease.

I cut the edge of container in pattern. Have a look....

2). Next apply either water based primer or white acrylic color on the container. Do not worry if the paint doesn't spread evenly on the container's surface as you will going to give a second coat of primer. Let it dry for atleast 30-40 mins. Give another coat of primer and then again let it dry for 30 mins.

3). Now paint the container in your choice of color. Remember do not mix excess of water or else color wouldn't spread properly.

Giving a second coat of color is always a good idea. As it gives a good finish.

4). Now its turn to make pattern or motifs of your choice. You can use acrylic/pearl/shimmer or enamel paint. I used pearl colors and this time it's my take on 'Gond Art'. I truly loved painting it. Its simple and beautiful...just lines and dots and it is done.

Painting these two fishes took one hour. Painstaking isn't it.......!! I was so meticulously filling the lines and dots in the fishes that I even held my breath so my hand wouldn't move or shake (and I usually do that :)))

5). Now that you are done with art on the pot let it dry for 2-3 hrs and then apply protective coat of varnish.
It will give shine to the pot and protect it as well. Here is my complete pot with Gond Art on it. How do you find it.

It's adorning my dining table and looks fabulous there.

A closer look. Lots of fishes there :)))

Stay tuned for more fun and interesting posts.


Linking it to Make It PrettyMonday

Read More

Pot Full Of Happiness!!

Never miss any update from my blog. Like my Facebook Page click here.

I have a confession.......

Yes I am obsessed with recycling, lotus and Buddha  and this post is combo of recycling and lotus obsession.

My husband had a sudden desire of drinking natural cold water of a clay pot last summer. So we got this black pot but it had some leakage problem so was lying unused. Then one day I just picked it up and without even a proper plan in my mind I just painted it blue. Then it was lying like that for a week because I had no clue about what to do on it. 

Then my obsession with lotus came to rescue and I painted a blue lotus on it. It was looking very beautiful and suddenly it has become 'pot full of happiness' :)

Then bit emptiness was there or something was missing so one pink lotus came to give it company and it was
'sheer happiness'

Pink one became my favorite. Getting dried and getting ready to get a coat of protective layer so that I can use this pot as planter and can keep it outside as well.

Here is a complete look. Adding cheer and pop of color to my balcony garden.

A closer look. Looks mesmerizing whenever I look at this pot. Lotuses look so real and happy.

Enjoy some more views of the pot :)

It looks wonderful indoors..................

as well as outdoors.........

I have a beautiful baby pink Bougainvillea that I'll plant in this pot. That will be icing on a cake and all of you wonderful readers you just stay tuned to see whether bougainvillea will add the charm to pot or pot will enhance the beauty of bougainvillea :) Will be a fun to see that!! Till then you can suggest me a nice and appropriate name for this pot :)

Wish you a very happy and creative weekend ahead!!

Take a look of all my DIY projects here.

Update: I have planted bougainvillea in it and this is how it looks.........

  

Read More

Fan Of The Week: Shashwatee Raut

First let me share some exciting news for all my lovely readers. I know you all love decorating your homes, so here is a contest and a chance to win gift voucher worth Rs.3000/- for more information click here.
This really cheers me up and keep me going when I receive some sweet notes from fans and readers of my blog. One such reader 'Shashwatee Raut' sent me her very very creative work to share here. Have a look of her DIY projects and beautiful balcony garden. Over to Shashwatee-

Many items in my garden are clay items which I have painted...Tulsi pot, small dog, swan, stool on which I have kept the fountain and the lotus pot.

Small cranes are made of U shaped hair pins and left over M-Seal. The mushrooms are made of plaster of Paris and body of a Reynolds pen (white body)...I have used egg shells as mould to give the mushroom shape. The small insect is made of a plastic ball. The bells are made of Chai ke kulhad!!!

This is Shashwatee's small but lively and beautiful balcony garden.

These five hanging pots are just rabdi handis which I have painted :) 
They look so vibrant and enhance the beauty of her small balcony garden.

   

Small pot in below image is made of paper clay...and I have placed an artificial plant in it as I can't water it......and the lotus like pink flower is made of pistachio shells. 
That lotus looks so real . Pot and butterflies are adding character to the space.

The nest in below image is made of coconut coir...I tried to make it as real as possible but......it became like this. 
Now who will going to believe this that nest isn't real.

I have made the pen stand with a rejected glass on which there was a crack...by simply pouring candle drops on it..then painted with fabric colour.
That's creativity at it's best.

 And the tablas are made of coconut shell..

Two creations are inspired from yours..
This is beautiful and she has done great job. You can find these two tutorials here and here.

Thanks a lot Shashwatee for sharing your passion for art and craft here on Design Decor & Disha.
What say friends. Isn't everything just fabulous. Everything that she made tells a story of her creative imaginations. What do you think.....just let her know through your comments :)

If you also have something to share please feel free to write me at designdecoranddisha@gmail.com!!
Stay tuned to meet Inspiring Eminent Artist of this month :)

All images are provided by Shashwatee Raur and are subject to copyright.

Read More