craft the rainbow Archives

Best Things to Buy on Amazon Prime Day

Brittany

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July 7, 2022

Cricut Products

First up: Cricut products. Ever take a look at the price of a Cricut Maker and feel your heart skip a beat? They can be pretty pricey. That’s why they should be at the top of your list this Amazon Prime Day! Based on past years, there are notoriously awesome price cuts on these amazingly useful craft machines. And I can say from experience that the price tag is worth it, and it doesn’t get more worth it than the price on Amazon Prime Day. If you want the lowdown on why to use a Cricut and which option to choose, see this post.

Here’s a list of Cricut products you’ll want to consider putting on your Amazon Prime Day shopping list:

Cricut Air Explorer 2

What to make with them:

And here’s just a small taste of what you can make with your new-found Cricut products:

Fiskars Products

Another thing you might want to add to your Amazon Prime Day shopping list are Fiskars products. I can’t gush enough about my love for Fiskars products, especially when it comes to sewing. I would be lost without them and can personally vouch for how incredibly useful they are. We’ve been doing a ton of sewing projects here lately and the first things I always grab are a pair of scissors, rotary cutter, cutting mat, and clear, gridded ruler. Here’s the list of Fiskars products we love:

What to make with them:

Here’s what to make with your Fiskars products:

Other Crafting Supplies

Among the crafting supplies you’ll want to add to your cart on Amazon Prime Day, here are my picks:

Paints/supplies
- Apple barrel acrylic paint
- Paint brushes
Tape
- Painter’s tape
- Scotch clear tape
Cardstock
Crepe paper
Cyanotype paper
Acrylic sheets
Craft wire
Floral tape (and other flower-making supplies)
Sewing machine (Janome and Singer are highly rated on Wirecutter. We recently bought the Singer one–it’s more expensive than the basic version but WAYYYY better and worth the upgrade!).
Sewing thread
Embroidery thread
Needles
Glue gun
Craft caddy
Craft cart (large and small)

On Our Shop: My Book, Craft the Rainbow!

No more words needed. My favorite book of all time (okay, I’m fully aware of my biases here), this is the book of all books to get you started on crafting! It’s the perfect thing to pair with crafting supplies you’re about to buy. You’ll be equipped to make so many things! See the previous section for a list of other crafting supplies you’ll thank yourself for buying.

We want to know: what are you most interested in buying this Amazon Prime Day?

Rainbow Cupcake Toppers

Brittany

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May 31, 2022

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Rainbow Party Favors

As you know, we have a whole host of cake and cupcake toppers. We even have a rainbow cake topper, which you can find here, along with a whole suite of rainbow-themed decorations.

Well, we’re excited to share our new rainbow cupcake toppers with you today! They’re the perfect solution if you’re short on time but want a cute pop of color for your June celebrations. All you have to do is buy some store bought cupcakes and pop these little rainbows on top and you’re done! (If you have a bit more time, you can make this colorful rainbow cake and turn the cupcake toppers into cake toppers).

How to Make Rainbow Cupcake Toppers

First, download and print the Rainbow Cupcake Toppers PDF found here. Print off as many copies as you need for your party! There are six different rainbow variations to choose from.
Next, cut out the rainbows.
Now you’ll simply attach the rainbows to striped straws or toothpicks with a dab of hot glue. If using straws, we’d recommend trimming them down a bit so they’re not as tall when you stick them into the cupcakes.
Last, pop your completed rainbow cupcake toppers onto your cupcakes. Done!

We love how versatile these little cupcake toppers are. You can even transform them into other decorations by sliding them onto some string for a garland. You can also tape them onto a wall for a simple little rainbow backdrop. The options are endless!

We’d love to see what you do with your rainbow cupcake toppers. Let us know in the comments!

More Inspiration

Looking for more rainbow crafts? Try these add-on rainbow buttons or check out Brittany’s rainbow office (and order a rainbow calendar of your own). Also, make this fun rainbow sun hat, these rainbow earrings, or try some rainbow weaving.

Cyanotype Sun Prints

Brittany

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May 26, 2022

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What is a Cyanotype?

Ever seen those iconic blue and white photographs and wondered how they were made? If cyanotypes are new to you, here’s a little background. Did you know that cyanotypes are where architects and engineers picked up the term “blueprint”? They are literal blue prints! That’s because of the traditional blue and white color of an exposed cyanotype. A cyanotype is a photo process where specially treated paper reacts to UV light (the sun’s rays) and exposes the paper. Specifically, our method involves placing foliage on cyanotype paper that turns blue when exposed to the sun, leaving beautiful white shapes of foliage behind.

Pressed Flowers

Remember this post on how to press flowers in three methods? Cyanotypes are a perfect way to repurpose your beautiful pressed flowers again and again! We love the delicate designs the pressed flowers make in a cyanotype.

In our cyanotype method, we use a simple sheet of clear acrylic to make our design first, then set it on top of the cyanotype paper. That way your design is set in place and you won’t damage your precious cyanotype paper trying to get the glue dots off.

How to Make Your Own Cyanotype Sun Prints

First, create your pattern by arranging pressed flowers on one side of the acrylic. Make sure the design fits. Secure the flowers with glue dots (this is helpful to keep your design in place, especially if there is wind).
Next, lay the cyanotype paper flat on the ground in a spot that gets direct sunlight.
Now, position the acrylic on the cyanotype paper and set it in place.
Leave in the sun for about 20 minutes, or until the design has set. Our paper was quicker than 20 minutes (closer to 5 or 10), but the time varies depending on the specific brand of paper you use.
Last step is to rinse the cyanotype paper with water, and let it fully dry on a clean surface. Done!

If you’d like, you can frame your beautiful print or leave it on its own, whichever you prefer. Add it to your collection of art and put it somewhere that makes you happy!

More Inspiration

Loved this tutorial on cyanotype sun prints? Remember to check out our post on how to press flowers in three methods! Also see this post, where we compiled all our paper flower tutorials all in one place.

Living By Design Virtual Showhouse Feature

Brittany

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March 8, 2022

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The Living By Design Virtual Showhouse

Well, the first Living By Design virtual showhouse has officially launched! This is a unique opportunity to tour the Living By Design showhouse completely virtually, from the comfort of your couch. I love that on the tour, you can actively click on links to the elements of each room and get inspiration for your own home. And is it any surprise that I designed the craft room? So I’m particularly excited about that. All you have to do to access the tour is visit this link and peruse the rooms to your heart’s content.

The Craft Room

Be sure to check out that craft room! There are a lot of elements in there that I’m particularly jazzed about, like the wallpaper, art, and that amazing crafting island. Minted was my go-to for the art, and I have to say they made the decision-process difficult. So many lovely options that complimented the space so well! And those dreamy velvet curtains? You have Calico to thank for those.

But what really had me excited was all that amazing storage and furniture, thanks to California Closets! You know how important craft room storage is to me. I mean, it’s essential to have a functional space that’s easy to keep organized when you’re an avid crafter. I love how it all came together for the craft room!

Architecture and 3D Visualization

I can’t talk about the craft room without giving a nod to the amazing architecture by Brandon Architects. It’s always more enjoyable to design a space when the architecture really lends itself to the design. And since this is a fully virtual experience, I should also mention the impeccable 3D visualization by YouSee.

Special Thanks

I’d like to also give a special shout out to all of the tour’s sponsors: California Closets, Carrier, Minted, and Monrovia. It goes without saying that this Living by Design virtual showhouse tour wouldn’t have been possible without them.

Also, thanks to Martha Stewart Living, the showhouse national media partner. And we can’t forget the amazing producer/production team Embello.

More Inspiration

Did you love the Living By Design virtual showhouse, and especially that craft room? You might also be interested in this post where we talk about how we organized our craft room!

How to Jumpstart Your Creativity

Brittany

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January 20, 2022

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Most People Can Be Creative

So here’s the thing: most people are more creative than they give themselves credit for. The trouble is, they don’t believe it. Often, that lack of belief comes from one bad experience that’s convinced them they just don’t have the talent. A friend of mine, for example, was told by her elementary school music teacher she had a lousy voice. She’s been self-conscious ever since, though may people since then have told her she has a lovely voice.

We’re not talking about singing here, but my point is that it’s easy to be critical of your abilities when someone you respect and look up to tells you you’re no good. To be honest, hearing stories like my friend’s makes my blood boil. Mentors should never do that! Most of the time, they’re wrong, anyway. I really do believe the biggest impediment to our ability to do anything is our belief that we are incapable. And the best way to help someone feel capable is believing in them and giving them the resources to learn how! So here’s my little push to all of you: you are capable! It may take time and patience, but we hope these ways to jumpstart your creativity will help get you going in the right direction.

How to Jumpstart Your Creativity

Look For Inspiration

One of the best ways to jumpstart your creativity is to look for inspiration. Just start with things you like! It’s a lie that everything you do has to be 100% original. It’s almost impossible to find anyone that hasn’t been influenced by others in their ideas. We are all inspired by one another, and you can use that inspiration to fuel your brain, get outside of your head, and come up with fresh new ideas. And honestly, sometimes copying what others have done is an excellent way to get you started (just avoid plagiarism and violating copyright laws). Often, it’s in the process of making something that you get sparks for new ideas, so start with something you like.

Here’s an old inspo board from years ago:

We love Pinterest as a means to gather inspiration. We also make lots of mood boards, and make sure the space we’re trying to get creative in is full of inspiration to reference. Print things out, use magazine clippings, etc. and decorate your space with things that inspire you.

Here’s another inspo board from my bathroom remodel:

Set Up A Creative Space

Speaking of places to put the inspiration you gather, set up a space for yourself where you can feel creative! Let it be a stress-free environment where you can concentrate and let the juices flow (Hint: not the dining room table during dinner prep). I’ve found that it’s so much easier to be creative when I have a designated space where I can concentrate, look for inspiration, and store all my supplies so everything is on hand when I need it.

If you’re looking for inspiration in setting up your creative space, here’s my newly-renovated office!

And here’s Jane and Jenny’s office space!

Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself

Don’t be too hard on yourself. These tips on how to jumpstart your creativity aren’t something that will make you Matisse overnight. It takes time and patience, so keep trying even if you feel like you’ve failed (you haven’t). Don’t give up on yourself just because you didn’t like one thing you did a long time ago. Give it another go! It’s like a muscle you have to exercise.

Also, remember that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Some people are extremely precise when it comes to painting details, but others are great at identifying color schemes for their design. So don’t sell yourself short. Just because you don’t feel confident at one aspect of creating doesn’t mean you don’t have something to offer!

Just so you don’t feel quite so alone, here was our recent epic fail with marbled pumpkins:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The House that Lars Built-DIY (@houselarsbuilt)

Believe me, that wasn’t a first, and it won’t be the last time we don’t get a project right.

Talk to Others

If you like to be social, start a group or invite friends to come make things with you–it can help to talk to others if you’re not feeling very creative. That’s why we all work in the Lars studio together–we love bouncing ideas off each other and brainstorming. The more brains you have working on a creative project, the better. If you feel shy about showing what you’re working on to others, don’t feel pressured, though. It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re not quite ready to show your project to the world and you receive some premature criticism. Wait until you’re ready. But when you do feel ready, it can be beneficial to receive feedback on what you’re working on. Constructive criticism can be really helpful to take you to the next level of excellence.

Here’s a photo of team Lars! It’s a few years old, but you get the idea.

Keep it Low Key and Have Fun

Most of all, one of the best ways to jumpstart your creativity is to keep it low key and just have fun! Don’t pile the expectations onto yourself. Experiment! You likely won’t get something you’re ecstatic about the first time, but then again, who has? Remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect right away. You’re just learning, and learning takes time.

Some Simple Crafts to Get You Started

To give you a place to start if you’re not sure where to begin, here are some great crafts to jumpstart your creativity without being too intimidating.

Easy DIY Valentines Crafts

This is a great post to turn to for easy crafts that also happen to be seasonal, as Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Many of these crafts require little more than a little cutting and gluing. You can make a whole host of adorable valentines in a snap.

Lars Shop Kits

Kits are a great place to start if you want a craft that’s less intimidating. Our kits give you all the supplies you need, so you can plop down in your chair and be done in a flash! We give you instructions that walk you through each step, too, so you won’t have to puzzle through it on your own.

Paper Weaving From Craft the Rainbow

In honor of Craft the Rainbow, this paper weaving project is a great project to start with if you’re just dipping your toes. Weaving paper is a cinch, but looks so delicate and lovely when you’re finished. Frame a few and you’ve got some instant inspo for your creative space!

Craft The Rainbow

Speaking of Craft The Rainbow, if you’d like to read a bit more about it in the book’s two year anniversary post, here you go! We would highly recommend buying it–there are 40 colorful paper projects to get you started on your crafting journey, not to mention some anecdotes that will (hopefully) help you understand that crafting can be for you, me, and everyone.

You got this! We would love to hear your stories–what’s your journey with creativity been like?

Cranberry Garlands with Ben Schilaty

Brittany

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December 7, 2021

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Cranberry Garlands

We’re excited to be making cranberry garlands today! These are such a fun, festive tradition and the ruby red berries look so beautiful amidst all the green pine boughs and other Christmas decorations. We were curious how cranberries became associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we did a little research. We found that cranberry garlands became popular in the 1800s in colonial Massachusetts, partly because of their long shelf life. They were also harvested in the fall and winter, making them the perfect candidate for holiday decorations and food! Their beautiful red color sealed the deal and we’ve been hooked ever since. If you’ve never made a cranberry garland before, this is such a great Christmas craft to add to your repertoire. It’s so easy, and the result is magical. I had such a fun time making mine with Ben Schilaty!

Introducing Ben Schilaty

First of all, Ben is my next-door neighbor! I didn’t know him nearly well enough, so I thought making cranberry garlands would be the perfect opportunity to get to know him a little better. If you didn’t know, Ben wrote a book called A Walk in My Shoes, which is about his experience being a gay member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I would highly recommend! He also hosts a podcast with his friend, Charlie Bird (who is also a gay member of the same church), called Questions from the Closet, which also addresses being gay and members of their religion.

Ben was such a fun guest to have join us! He also did an impeccable job on his cranberry garland, I must say. This is proof that getting to know your neighbors is a good thing! Here’s the video of us making the cranberry garlands:

Making Cranberry Garlands With Ben Schilaty

And now, here’s how you can make your own cranberry garland:

How to Make a Cranberry Garland

First, measure how long you would like your garland to be. Cut a piece of string to that length, plus a few inches.
Now take your string and thread it through your needle.
Next, dump your bag of cranberries into a bowl for easy access.
Now you can start threading the cranberries onto your string! Simply poke the needle through the middle of the cranberry and slide it all the way down. Tie a knot at the end so the berries don’t slide off the end
Keep sliding cranberries along the string until it’s full.
Remove the needle and tie a knot at the other end of the string. Clip the excess string.

Ta da!

This cranberry garland is such a versatile and beautiful Christmas decoration. You can use it to decorate your Christmas tree, string it along your mantlepiece, hang it along a wall, drape it around a window, and so much more. I love the little pop of color it can add to a room, too! The best part is, cranberries (as we mentioned before) have a great shelf life. They dry out after a while, but still look pretty that way. And after you’re done with them, they’re biodegradable, too!

We would love to see what you do with your cranberry garlands!

More Inspiration

If you had fun making cranberry garlands with us, we would recommend these other lovely Christmas crafts: Pomanders with Becky Edwards, Paper Poinsettia Wreath, Oversized Holly and Berry Garland, Christmas bulb advent calendar, holiday nesting dolls, paper honeycomb ornaments, DIY nativity puppets.

Our Great Artists! Course is live now!

Brittany

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August 17, 2020

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A tool for parents and kids

If you’re like most parents, screen time is both your saving grace and your worst enemy. This Great Artists! Course is the perfect after-school activity that can replace some screen time while still allowing you to get some work done. Or if you are homeschooling, this course can be your art class! I have so much respect for teachers and parents who are homeschooling, and I’m eager to help out in the best way I can: by taking something off your plate.

This hands-on learning course is full of crafting based projects, videos, printables and more that will simultaneously keep the kids creative and busy. The Great Artists! Course will teach them basic art principles and art history, all while making truly beautiful art for your home. The course program is so in-depth that you can honestly just log your child in and let them learn. All of the teaching components are done in the course itself (featuring a guest teacher, yours truly). You can be as involved as you want! If you’re a working parent, let your child’s Great Artists! Course time be time that you can use however you need to. If you’d like to be more involved, the classes are honestly engaging enough that you’ll learn something new. Honestly, you might even make something you can be proud of!

The Details

When we started out planning the Great Artists! Course, we designed it with kids ages 6-13 in mind. That’s a pretty wide age gap! We are confident that the projects are realistic and simple enough for young kids, but interesting enough to engage the older kids too! All of the projects are customizable. So if you need to tweak things a bit for your classroom, feel free to. It includes instruction on six famous artists, projects, supplies, and so much more. As we were planning this course, we wanted to make this a real resource you can feel good about. Because of this, we designed it with essential Learning Objectives in mind.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In the Great Artists! Course, your child will:

Develop a love of art and history through relatable hands-on projects
Learn basic principles of art and design that they can apply to their own artwork/projects
Create multiple art pieces that develop fine motor skills, color pairing skills, concentration, and listening
Study Art History, including the lives of artists from different cultures, backgrounds and art movements
Develop a greater understanding of global cultures
Be encouraged to think introspectively about their own lives, homes, and passions to help them cultivate self-understanding to expand their creative mind
Learn to initiate creative play

Art is something I feel really passionately about. Art can be therapeutic, it can train critical thinking skills, and help your child visualize creative solutions to problems they face. Art became real for me in my childhood classes about great artists, and led to my life-long creative projects. Which is why I feel so passionate about offering this resource to your family! Whether or not you are an art-lover or a professionally trained art teacher, the Great Artists! Course can help your child develop the tools they need to enjoy art and make it.

FAQs about our Great Artists! Course

Click here to find answers to all of your questions, including what the course cost covers, what artists the course includes, and more!

DIY rainbow doormat inspired by my latest tv show binge

Brittany

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August 12, 2020

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My latest tv show binge

I remember talking with my brother about the show maybe a year ago. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, where the show has been out for a while now. It’s just about to premiere for viewers in the US and I’m so excited!! August 13th is going to be a binge day; it’s already calendared in. This show is seriously perfect for me and I’m assuming you too if you’re into a Friends meets HGTV interserction. It has everything I could possibly want!

It’s technically a romantic comedy series, but the characters are all new homeowners. Mind you, these homeowners are a bit different from Paul and I. They are five perfect strangers who met at the singles table of a wedding!! One member of the quintet (tipsily) suggests that they co-invest in a home together, as the five singletons have more buying power than your average family. The house they buy is a fixer upper like mine, and I gotta tell you. It’s so refreshing to see someone do a remodel on TV who’s not a professional contractor/design duo *cough cough Chip and Joanna.* What I wouldn’t do to turn Paul into a contractor…

Anyway! While I don’t exactly share the house with five randos, the remodel struggle is relatable!! The Five Bedrooms makeover was particularly tough due to unexpected shenanigans, and the fact that they’re trying to mesh five independent styles into one home. Melding mine and Paul’s respective design preferences is something that I find exciting, and this DIY doormat is one way I intend to do it! I love a good challenge. If only I’d been hired as the interior designer in the show. If you’re out there, Peacock producers, pick me for the next one! A girl can dream, right?

Get crafty while you watch a new show!

Adding happy personal touches is one thing I’m doing to stay energized during the remodel stages of my own renovation. There’s a welcome mat that came with the door and it’s old and crumbling and honestly, so depressing. I’ve been wanting to change it ever since we moved in. Yes, I know it’s silly to make little decor items for a house I haven’t moved into yet. But, this is the kind of thing that I need to get excited about in order to proceed with the rest of the logistical nightmare that is home renovations. Excitement and creativity feed off each other, and I need something that keeps those juices flowing.

Cue my doormat plans. The DIY rainbow doormat of my dreams is a cute semi-circle made out of natural fibers. Nothing fancy needed! You can get a similar one at pretty much any store that sells homegoods. I’m going to paint 3-inch wide arched stripes in a color scheme that will go with the new house. It’ll be a little rainbow! Any excuse to show off a good color scheme is not something I’ll let pass me by. Which reminds me – don’t miss the premier of Five Bedrooms! It’s not the kind of show you want to miss. Here is the trailer!

Link to Trailer: here

How to make your DIY rainbow doormat

Materials:

Doormat – we used this one!
Interior House Paint – At Home Depot you can get any color mixed and get in in a sample size for just a few bucks!
Paint Brush
Painter’s Tape

Instructions:

Decide the shape of the rainbow you would like to paint on your mat. We used a 18 x 30 inch half circle braided doormat.
Pick a color palette! We chose mustard yellow, orange-red, and blush pink.
Draw the lines for the arches of the rainbow. We painted the innermost arch 7 inches tall and the middle and outer arch each 5 inches tall.
In order to get clean lines, you will need to tape off every other color section. Tape off the innermost arch first.
Get your brush full of paint (we used mustard yellow first) and dab into the small innermost arch. *If you choose a mat with a coarse texture like we did, you will need to dab firmly to make sure the paint saturates the rug fully*
Once it dries, remove the tape. *Drying will vary, but can take up to 2 hours. It is important to make sure you allow enough time for the arches to dry so the paint will not pull up the already painted arches. When the painted sections have dried, you can tape off the other sections. Or you can use a hair dryer to make the process go faster.*
Next, paint the middle arch by adding tape to the innermost arch you just painted and then add tape above it about 5 inches up to create your inner arch. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with your next color for the middle arch.
Continue on your last arch by repeating steps 4-7.

The symbol of having one completed item in my new house is so important to me–it makes me feel like we can get through all the dust and scheduling and there is something bright at the end of the rainbow 😉 Can’t wait to see your rainbow doormat! Tag us with #LarsMakes so we can see them!

This post is sponsored by Peacock but all opinions are my own!

Hold up – it’s sticker time! Introducing our new colorful stickers

Brittany

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July 6, 2020

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Hold up – it’s sticker time! Introducing our new colorful stickers

Stickers have been really popular on college campuses for the last few years. As the rest of us have warmed up to the sustainable water bottle trend, stickering the heck out of ‘em is a natural next step! Stickers a great way to personalize you stuff. Before you tell yourself that stickers look a little young, hear me out.

Who cares??

I’ve noticed something – little kid clothing is adorable. Like, so cute. I’ll look at clothing for adults from the same store, and it’s all completely stale. Sometimes it’s good to steal style cues from the kids! Truthfully, I do that a lot and I’m interested in helping you do the same. With the help of these new colorful stickers!

Color Lover Stickers

These are the first three colorful stickers of many – keep your eyes peeled for more! Find them here individually or available as a discounted set. We will continue to add more sticker options in the future, but for now we are starting with these cuties. Since I am who I am, COLOR is the official theme of this first sticker set. The rainbow, color wheel, and “Color Lover” designs are simple, bright, and share just a little bit about you. I want to put them on everything I own, like a calling card. Catch me acting like Oprah:

giving oprah - you get a sticker you get a sticker

Where to stick your colorful stickers

The possibilities are literally endless, but here are just some of our favorite options. A hydroflask is the classic choice! But think phone cases, laptops, anywhere you could use a creative reminder. Our team has been sticking ours all over our My Life in Color journals!

Check out our full sticker shop here!

How to make writing in your journal fun and creative

Brittany

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April 14, 2020

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How to make writing in your journal fun and creative

Why should I write in a journal?

We have all been told the importance of writing in a journal for our posterity’s sake. If this is the reason you write, I admire you for it! Preserving history and making sure your great-grand kids know what it was like during the COVID-19 pandemic and the beginning of tik tok is a noble reason to keep a diary. Though for some of us this motivation wanes from time to time, and we find our personal history missing some pretty major gaps.

For me, I have found I am the most consistent with writing when I make it a creative project. This post is full of tips on how to make your journal writing more fun and creative, and we think it will keep you more motivated than ever! Keeping a diary can be a creative outlet that helps you get pumped up in the morning or wind down at the end of the day. It can help you learn discipline making good habits.

How writing in a journal can improve your art

I remember reading the book Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron which discusses the importance of “morning pages.” The idea is that, first thing when you wake up, you write at least 3 pages of stream of consciousness in your notebook. No thinking of making sense, just writing whatever (whatever!) comes to your mind. Doing this regularly unlocks your creativity and trains your mind to let ideas flow freely. I love this idea! It takes all of the pressure out of writing daily.

Different types of journals

If you are stuck on page 2, it’s possible you aren’t using the right kind of journal for you! Try out a new kind from the list below:

Writing prompts

Wreck This Journal

(And other journal books you get to color in!)

Photo books

Write one line a day

Travel journals

If writing daily feels like too much right now, stick to travel books instead! Find one that will be sturdy enough to stay nice in your carry-on, reflects the place you are visiting, and fill it with memorabilia and travel stories to tell your friends back home!

Different ways to fill in your journal

If you’re the queen of filling up the first few pages of a notebook never to touch it again, I feel you. I see you. No one wants a journal that jumps from 8th grade to Senior prom to their wedding day; so when we find an old (and mostly blank) book it’s hard to find the motivation to start writing in it again. Though there are not many feelings better than starting a fresh crisp new notebook, our hope is that with this complete journal guide we can all start a brand new diary and then actually stick with it! And remember, when you reach the end you can reward yourself once again with another beautiful empty book.

The key to filling an entire journal is remembering this is meant to be a mod podge book filled with your growth, mistakes, good days, and everything in between. No one’s life is free of spilled milk and mascara stains, and your journal shouldn’t be either! As a recovering perfectionist, even I can promise that a full messy journal is a much bigger accomplishment than a half empty perfect looking one.

If you are having trouble overcoming your desire for perfectly dotted i’s and margins free of doodles – try this: abandon your perfectionism in at least one area of your life – your diary. Doodle to your hearts content. Bring your notebook with you to the breakfast table and don’t worry about spilling your coffee. Fill your book full of ticket stubs and anxious scribbles.

If we are overwhelming you, take a deep breath. There is a more structured way you can learn to love a messy journal – this Brave New World journal is filled with prompts to help unleash your inner artist. Baby steps, baby steps.

Try these creative ways to fill your journal

Doodling

While trying to jog your memory of what happened this morning, don’t be afraid to doodle in the margins, or fill the entire page! This snapshots in time say just as much about your current self as your words do. Draw a daily flower in your notebook and use this to keep yourself on track with writing!

Bullet points

Don’t stress over a novel of your day, just write at least a few key bullet points at the end of your day and call it good! If that’s all you can do, it’s a great place to start. Before you know it you’ll find yourself wanting to write more and more!

Collect recipes

If writing or doodling aren’t really your things, figure out what is! One idea is to gather family recipes and write down the memory you have attached to them. Making and writing our the recipe for your mom’s infamous chocolate cake is sure to start a flood of memories you’ll be itching to get down on paper. Try keeping a notebook dedicated to recipe related memories!

For Jasper’s first birthday I filled his baby book with photos, pins, and other paper momentos from his party! I can’t wait to show him when he is older.

Our favorite journals

Hardcover

Simple ruled

Dotted

Bullet

Unruled

This colorblock journal is customizable, comes in multiple color choices and page options!

Customizable

Journals for kids

Stickers

We promised you ways to make writing more fun, so of course we had to include stickers!

These habit forming stickers are such a fun way to keep yourself accountable (for more habits than just writing daily!)

Journal supplies

Hold all of your journaling supplies in this folio! These pastel pens are on sale in our shop now for a limited time!

All of the items in the photo above are on sale right now for Craft the Rainbow month! Click here to see the sale and start your own My Life in Color journal!

The Green and Blue Chapters

Brittany

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September 24, 2018

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We’re keeping the color train going with our ode to green and blue this week in honor of the release of My Life In Color, our new prompted journal. All aboard! Who are my green/blue lovers? We’ve been having a great conversation about color on our Instagram (head on over to check it out!) where I’m also sharing interiors and styles inspired by the colors. It’s making for quite the feast for the eyes. Join us as I show you how I’m filling out my own copy. You can see the red/pink chapters here and yellow/orange here.

It’s a tough decision, but I think the green chapter is my favorite in both Craft the Rainbow and here in My Life In Color. I love the way that all the various shades of greens work together. There’s something so refreshing about green–maybe it’s because it’s the color of foliage and gardens. On the other hand, blue was my favorite color as a girl. I think it was because of the grunge of the early 90s and inspired my love of navy. I’ve since replaced it with a love of more grey/blues and I especially love wearing it. I’ve noticed that a good portion of my closet is blue.

One of the prompts in the book is below:

Make a list of places, near and far, that you’d love to visit at some point. Here’s my list. What’s on yours?

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Craft the Rainbow Book Art + Sneak Peeks

Brittany

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May 9, 2018

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Craft the Rainbow Book Art + Sneak Peeks

We shamelessly chose Craft the Rainbow as this month’s book club book. How could we not?! It’s a pretty great book if you ask me. The cherry on top? Illustrator and artist extraordinaire, Lisa Congdon created the book art print! It’s amazing, no? “The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most” by John Ruskin. Words to live by! Lisa Congdon is also quoted in the pink chapter of the book so you’ll have to check it out!

Since the virtual book tour has come to a close, the launch party is over, and you can now all get your hands on a copy, we wanted to talk about some of our favorite projects within the book. Each of these projects has a story behind its creation and some of them make for great stories though at the time I wasn’t laughing so much. Ha! Turns out, the making of a book, especially 40 full crafts and scenes, is a lot of work and a lot of logistical organization so there were a few hiccups along the way. Let’s check them out!

Get the free Craft the Rainbow bookmark download on the next page!

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