Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Make An Easy DIY Mini Potted Faux Cactus

Succulents are always in style! This cute little potted plastic egg cactus is fun to make and looks great displayed year-round. Follow along to make your own unique little cactus! 



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By the way, check out my Pinterest boards for more inspiring craft ideas!


Mini Easter Egg Cactus


Supplies you will need:



Mini Potted Cactus Craft Tutorial


Step 1  

Paint the styrofoam egg with one coat of acrylic paint in any shade of green you prefer. I used three shades of green: light, medium, and dark on each egg. 




My styrofoam eggs had wood skewers attached, making it very easy to paint all sides of my egg at once. If your egg does not have this feature you might have to paint one side at a time so that the paint does not get smudged. Let the paint dry completely between coats.




Step 2 

Paint or draw with a paint pen with small "cactus needles" using dots, x's, or "v" shapes all over the painted egg. Let the paint dry completely.


Step 3

Cut a piece of floral foam into a small square and make sure it sits about 1/2" below the lip of the pot, then press it down into the inside of the small pot. Secure the cactus egg onto the foam with hot glue. 

Step 4

Next hot glue decorative stones around the egg to cover up the floral foam.



Step 5

Cut a small 3" square of tissue paper, fold it in half diagonally then fold the opposite sides together. Use hot glue to attach the tissue flower to the top of your cactus. Trim away any protruding edges of the tissue until you are satisfied with the shape of the flower. 




Crafts For Teens

Sometimes it is hard to find fun & easy crafts for teens but these little cacti are a super easy craft your teen will love making! 

Whether looking for a "grown-up" way to decorate Easter eggs or a simple southwest theme craft this easy-to-make mini cactus is so much fun. There are so many ways you can use these cacti too! They will make the perfect place-setting marker if you are hosting a dinner or adding to your tablescape decor. 

How do you decorate your Easter eggs? Have you tried any new ideas like shaving cream dye or decoupage? Leave a comment and let me know your ideas. 




More DIY Crafts

Here are some more easy craft tutorials you (and your teen) should try!

How To Make Hydro Dipped Pencils

Colorful Layered Salt Jar Art

Awesome Rock & Wire Picture Holder


Are you looking for new crafts to try? Make sure to click the link below! Annie's monthly kit club has everything you need to create amazing new projects every month! (Affiliate link)





Monthly Science Kit for Kids - Lots of FUN!



Saturday, April 1, 2023

How To Make A Mosaic Tile Coaster

Coasters are so handy to have around! Not only do they protect surfaces from water marks and scuffs but they come in many different colors and patterns adding a small decorative pop of color to your room. Making your own tile mosaic coaster is super easy and a fun project you can do with your kids!




This project will take a few days from start to finish but the end results are sure to please! I had the perfect helper to work with me on this project, my ten-year-old son. He enjoyed creating his pattern and placing the tiles on the board base. 

We were both blown away by the finished result and I'm sure you will be just as happy with your own DIY mosaic tile coaster too. 


This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!




Materials To Make A Tile Coaster


Do not let tile and grout intimidate you! For this project I used pre-cut tiles I purchased from Amazon so I didn't have to do any cutting with any specialty tile-cutting tools. 

Also, for this project, I recommend using pre-mixed grout instead of the powdered version. Premixed grout is available in a variety of different colors and comes in a small resealable container so you can use it on future tiling projects. Powder grout is very dusty and needs to be mixed with water in order to use it making it a little more difficult to use if you have never used grout before. 

Another important tool for this project is a small plastic or metal putty knife. If you don't have a putty knife you could use a plastic ruler or even a large popsicle stick to wipe and smooth out the grout over the surface of your tile. Anything with a smooth flat edge could be used too if you don't have a putty knife.




DIY Mosaic Tile Coaster


Materials needed to make a tile coaster:





How To Make A Mosaic Tile Coaster


Step 1:
It is completely optional, but if you choose to paint the wooden base make sure to do this before you start the next step. Let the paint dry completely before continuing.

Step 2:
Lay out the tiles on the surface of the wood base in the pattern you like. You can get creative with your tiles and design a special shape or pattern or just wing it and place them in a random order.





Step 3:
Carefully slide the tiles off of the wood base so they remain in the pattern you just placed them in. 



Then spread a layer of glue over the surface of the wood coaster base. Begin placing the tiles back onto the coaster, leaving a small gap between each tile. 




Toothpicks are a helpful tool to use to space the tiles out and to gently nudge them into place making sure they aren't crooked. 




After all your tiles are glued onto the coaster base let the glue dry completely before moving to the next step.

Step 4:
Put on a pair of rubber or latex gloves then scoop out a small amount of pre-mixed grout and pour it over the tiles. 



With a putty knife or a large craft stick with a flat edge scrape the grout across the tiles gently pressing the grout into the gaps between the tiles. 



Continue applying the grout until all of the gaps are filled evenly. Then let the grout dry slightly according to the grout directions before wiping off the tiles.

Step 5: 
Once the grout has slightly dried and set for a short period of time use a damp sponge to wipe off the excess grout that is covering the tiles. Rinse off the sponge regularly and continue cleaning off the tiles until they are no longer cloudy from the grout. Then let the grout finish curing completely.







Step 6: 
Apply small pieces of stick-on felt squares (or circles) to the bottom of the coaster to prevent it from scratching your table.




Congratulations! Now that the grout is completely cured and your coster bottom has an anti-scratch surface you are ready to start using your coaster! 

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Make a set of four to give to someone special for a housewarming or holiday present or make them to match your home decor and use them for yourself. Once you learn how to make these tile coasters you aren't going to want to stop making them!




More Easy DIY Projects You Are Going To Love!