Helmar Creative Team

'Metal' Letter Decor

It's been about a month since we moved.  We still have boxes in almost every room and we are still trying to find homes for all of our things, but I've started my favorite part of making our new place our home  - the decor.  I've had these wood letters forever and decided to finally get them out and do something with them in my boys room.  

I've seen a lot of images of metal letters used in home decor on pinterest and I love the look.  By using some metallic acrylic paint and rubons I was able to create the same look.  

*side note - I changed my mind a little mid project and never used the Helmar Super-Tac Glue in this image

I first painted the wood letters with a couple of coats of silver metallic acrylic paint.  

The paint went on a little streaky, but I decided that it resembled the brushed look of real metal.  Once the paint was dry I used the metallic rubons to distress the edges of each letter. 

The metallic rubons are fun to add distressing to the letters, but take a long time to dry.  Between adding colors I took them out on the front porch and sprayed them with Helmar Crystal Kote Gloss Varnish.  The varnish really helped seal in each layer and made building on the distressing fast and easy.  

I finished with one final coat of  Crystal Kote Gloss Varnish.  

And if your household is like mine you'll have a little shadow who follows you out doors to see what you are doing with the "wetters".  :)

 

Here is a look at the texture the streaky paint adds with the distressed edges.  

 

I decided to add just a touch of color to the ampersand with a little yarn.  I took three different colors of yarn  and wrapped them around several times before using Helmar Craft Glue to secure them to the back.   

Once the glue was dry I added some command strips to the back of each and hung them in my boys room.  

It's a great addition to these framed pictures I have hanging on the wall.  And although the pull back image is far from put together it helps me over look the rest of the mess . . . for now.  

Thanks for stopping by the Helmar blog today!

Happy Crafting, Nicole

Thanks

Hi everyone Simply Monica here sharing another Helmar post and today it is all about blue.  I created this Thank You card using Helmar Super-Tac Glue I find when I make flowers my biggest problem is finding a glue that will dry fast enough but not be so thick that I can pierce the center for stamens etc... The Helmar Super-Tac glue worked beautifully!

 

I inked all the edges of the flower using Versafine ink 

 Then I folded each petal a few times to give it a wrinkled look

Here is a close up of the flowers then I just layered each set

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I hope everyone enjoyed my post for today and thanks for stopping by!!

Products Used:

Helmar Super-Tac

Tacky Craft Glue

Cardboard Books

I've done a couple of these books and they're so much fun to do and so simple.  These are very versatile and you can really make them you're own!  My boys have even made them, so if you're looking for a kid friendly project this is it!  You'll need a cardboard box, or even a cereal box will work, Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive and your scrapbook papers and embellishments that you wish to use!  You can make these books any size.  I decided to make this one a little longer instead of square.

 

 

 

To start, cut two pieces out for your front and back cover of your book.  None of this really needs to be exact.  I think the one I made here was around 7x5.  Also cut a spine piece.  Adhere all three pieces on a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper and leave a little space in between the pieces as shown below.  This will allow your book to fold.  Trim off excess paper, but leave enough that you'll be able to fold and adhere the paper to your cardboard.  Trim off corners as shown below.  Use 450 Quick Dry Adhesive to adhere to the cardboard, as shown below.

Now, this next part is not exact which is why it's great for anyone of any skill level.  Select another piece of scrapbook paper and lay it over one side of your book.  Making sure to cover the cardboard.  Adhere with 450 Quick Dry Adhesive and trim off the excess as shown below.  Make sure to cover the spine as well.  I used some nice lace trim to put in between the space between the spine and the inside cover.  You want this part of your book to still be able to bend, so I always use trim of some type.  Cute tape could work as well.  The inside of your book is done!  Feel free to make pockets out of the inside covers as I did.  I also used matching papers and bound them together.  You can then adhere them to your spine or on the left or right side of the cover as seen in my second book I made.

Note- my desk is very used so don't mind the mess!  Also, take these instructions as guidance to make your own version of a cardboard book! Here are some others that I have made

I would love to see what you guys come up with!

~Amy

 

John Wayne style

Hi everyone, Sandee here waving hi from the hills of North Carolina. It's a beautiful day here and there is nothing more beautiful than seeing your country's flag and patriotism being held in high esteem. I love creating Americana projects to be proudly displayed in my home. This is a wall hanging that I created using a quote from the American legend John Wayne.

I first begin by scoring a 12x12" piece of chipboard in half, drawing my house shape and cutting it out with an exacto knife. Then I used Helmars Super-Tac Glue to firmly adhere the 2 pieces together. 

While my base piece is drying I start my construction of the door. ( I use to love to build doll houses when I was a child and this reminded me of that time in my life. ) Cutting out the door and the door trim from chipboard and layering them together to create some dimension.

After it dried I painted it with acrylic paint and added a layer of crackle finish, a brad for the door knob and a small screw brad to hang my sign from. I love wreaths and welcome signs on my own doors, so why not add one to my house sign? I wanted to it to look loose, like it was hanging freely so I used Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots to help achieve that effect. I add a nice healthy dollop on the backside of the sticker and gently lay it down on the door, but then lift up on one end to give it an angled appearance.

Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots have always been my favorite glue to work with because I enjoy creating different heights and with it's clear drying surface, they are almost invisible to the eye. Here I used it under all 4 stars, yet each one is a different height. You get that effect by pulling up on the adhesive before it dries.

The glittered stripes were achieved by first painting the stripes on with acrylic paint, waiting for it to dry and then taking your Helmar Tape Runner and applying it on top of the painted surface and then sprinkling the glitter over the top. That tape is very strong and really holds the glitter tight!

The very last step is one of the most important ones, which is protecting your surface so that inks don't fade, and surface treatments like glitter don't rub off when handled. I use Helmar Crystal KOTE Gloss varnish, and I LOVE it. I just take my sign outdoors and spray 2 light coats on it.

I hope this piece inspires you to create your own flag waving spirit!

Helmar products:

 Super-Tac Glue

Liquid Scrap Dots 

Tape Runner 

 Crystal KOTE Gloss varnish