Art, Crafts, and DIY

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Jersey Girl
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Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by Jersey Girl »

Hey All,

Whatcha working on over there? Got some art or crafts or maybe a DIY you're working on around the house or garage? Things that your children have created? Feel free to share pics and/or descriptions on this thread! Don't be shy about describing your "fails". We all have them! Maybe someone can help you out!

So I am a crafter who sells with an association. Tried something new today to see how it goes. I'll be happy to see how the paint and medium dries down. I'm hoping for a somewhat transparent finish. Don't think I'll get it on the green drippy one. If not, I have a plan B that uses a different paint medium that should guarantee transparency. We'll see! Oh and the green one isn't finished. It's going to get more embellishment after the first dry. These are just the prototypes. Sometimes the fun is in the experimentation for me!

FAUX CARAMEL APPLES

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Last edited by Jersey Girl on Mon Aug 12, 2024 10:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

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Morley
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Re: Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by Morley »

Wow!

Jersey, what materials did you use? What kind of paint? I would love to see your process!
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Jersey Girl
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Re: Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by Jersey Girl »

Morley wrote:
Mon Aug 12, 2024 10:36 pm
Wow!

What materials did you use? What kind of paint? I would love to see your process!
Oh wow! Someone noticed the thread!

So I watched various videos and then proceeded to break the "rules" to try to get the look that I wanted. Also found a paint color that wasn't mentioned in the videos and used that for the first go round because the youtuber's color seemed non-authentic to me. They mixed up various colors and I found one paint color that I thought would work.

Materials:


Fake apples
Candy apple sticks
E6000
Mod Podge gloss
Crafters acrylic (I think it's Hobby Lobby's store brand) in Cedar Bark
Bowl with lid (used Cool whip)
Soft paint brush
Sponge applicator (cheap ones)
Waxed paper
Corn cob small pet litter (nuts)
Plastic tray small (microwave meal throwaway size)

1. Pull out the fake stems and open the holes a bit more with a screw driver or whatever you have. Put some E6000 on the end of the stick and hammer it in.

2. Cover the whole apple with a coat of Mod Podge gloss using the sponge applicator. Let dry on waxed paper.

3. Mix up the paint in a bowl using approx. 3/4 Mod Podge and 1/4 paint color and mix.

4. For the dipping, actually dip it in the bowl like a real caramel apple.

5. For the drippy one, use the soft brush from the stem area working dabbing not brushing dab it on thick where you want the drips to start. Add more if it's not dripping enough.

6. For the dipping apple, roll it in the corn cob litter in the tray. For the dripping apple...sprinkle it on with your fingers.

7. Let dry on waxed paper.

Notes:

I coated the apples with Mod Podge because I wanted them to shine. I don't usually work with Mod Podge but it seems like that's pretty universal for these.

I used a much higher ratio of Mod Podge: paint than I saw in the videos because all the apples looked "muddy" to me and I wanted it to look a bit transparent like real caramel apples. It's mostly Mod Podge with a few squirts of paint. ;)

The dripping apple is going to get some "icing" on it using puffy paint or something like it. The youtubers also mixed up paint with silicone caulking in a ziploc, cut the corner and piped it on like icing. I don't see me doing that but if I do I'll add the gloss Mod Podge so it shines. The youtubers apples were consistently dull looking to me.

For sales they will get some kind of country style tag and a bow. Might sell them in real candy apple bags or boxes and hope they don't get mixed in with the real ones! ;)

If I don't like the way these turn out, I'm going to try resin mixed with craft paint. I've been wanting to learn how to use resin for a long time and this would be perfect. Also...if you want to make a red candy apple the resin would be perfect!

Update: They're drying down and looking pretty darn good since I posted the pic! The paint color right now leans more brown and they shine which is what I hoped for!
Last edited by Jersey Girl on Mon Aug 12, 2024 11:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

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Jersey Girl
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Re: Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by Jersey Girl »

So I was posting sitting here in my mess and snapped an update pic. If anyone wants to try these, the paint color does darken. I'm really liking it! The dipping apple on the right has a thinner coating than the drippy apple so the paint has already darkened up and darn it's shining too! :)

Image
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

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Morley
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Re: Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by Morley »

Thank you for the blow-by-blow of your process. I'm unfamiliar with some of the materials you used and had to look them up. I appreciate learning about them.

Very well done! Thank you for sharing this.
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IWMP
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Re: Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by IWMP »

Oh yum they look even better now that the shine has come up. <3

I am planning [sons]bedroom update but dreading to start it. The plan is to paint it entirely white, then the skirtings and door frames and window sill grey. One wall will have star wars wall paper, can't decide between two but I'll post both. And the opposite wall I plan to hand paint grey or black outline images like a mural. I add images. Then grey curtains and grey bedding. He already has a white bunk bed.

Image

Or...

Image

Something along these lines for a mural but will plan it with [son]

Image
free image hosting
Last edited by IWMP on Thu Aug 22, 2024 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jersey Girl
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Re: Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by Jersey Girl »

Morley wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2024 1:42 pm
Thank you for the blow-by-blow of your process. I'm unfamiliar with some of the materials you used and had to look them up. I appreciate learning about them.

Very well done! Thank you for sharing this.

Sure thing! The instructions are there for anyone who wants to try it and also there's plenty of youtube vids to check for different ways, colors, etc.
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

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Jersey Girl
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Re: Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by Jersey Girl »

IWMP wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2024 9:27 pm
Oh yum they look even better now that the shine has come up. <3

I am planning Oliver's bedroom update but dreading to start it. The plan is to paint it entirely white, then the skirtings and door frames and window sill grey. One wall will have star wars wall paper, can't decide between two but I'll post both. And the opposite wall I plan to hand paint grey or black outline images like a mural. I add images. Then grey curtains and grey bedding. He already has a white bunk bed.

Image

Or...

Image

Something along these lines for a mural but will plan it with Oliver.

Image
free image hosting

Wow! That's a great idea! I like that second pattern a lot because it looks like the actual plans for all the star ship things. Fresh paint and wall paper can totally transform a space and it doesn't cost a ton either. I know what you mean about getting started though. You have to be in the mood! I've got a small bathroom with paint swatches on it and still haven't started on the painting!

Here's Catherine in Dublin. She does a lot of wall papering, etc. in her home. It's all flowers but it might give you a "push" to get started! Love. her.

https://www.youtube.com/@DaintyDiaries

ETA: I just looked at that wall paper pattern I like and it actually says Blueprints. Didn't notice that at first!
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

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Jersey Girl
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Re: Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by Jersey Girl »

So here's where it's at with the overnight drying on the apples. If you look close you can see the crackles in the red one...it's an old one I had from preschool (been washed a million times) so I used it for experimenting. I'm liking the color and the shine on these. I also saw a photo where you can make them with mini faux pumpkins like from a dollar/pound store. :mrgreen: I have about 15 apples left and I want to set it up where I can actually dip some of them straight down into the paint solution in a cup like you'd dip the real thing. Have to dig something up. Also, if anyone is interested and looks at the youtube videos, you see them sprinkling the "nuts" on with their fingers. :roll: Nonsense! I put the nuts in a tray and rolled them like they do in a candy shop.

Image
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

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IWMP
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Re: Art, Crafts, and DIY

Post by IWMP »

Jersey Girl wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2024 10:07 pm
So here's where it's at with the overnight drying on the apples. If you look close you can see the crackles in the red one...it's an old one I had from preschool (been washed a million times) so I used it for experimenting. I'm liking the color and the shine on these. I also saw a photo where you can make them with mini faux pumpkins like from a dollar/pound store. :mrgreen: I have about 15 apples left and I want to set it up where I can actually dip some of them straight down into the paint solution in a cup like you'd dip the real thing. Have to dig something up. Also, if anyone is interested and looks at the youtube videos, you see them sprinkling the "nuts" on with their fingers. :roll: Nonsense! I put the nuts in a tray and rolled them like they do in a candy shop.

Image
These look edible. Amazing.
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