Google+ House Revivals: March 2016

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

How to Draw Pretty Flowers on a Trellis

Do you wish you knew how to create pretty doodles for you card making, Bible journaling, or art journaling projects? I promise, it's easier than you think!


You don't need to be a trained artist, or have lots of fancy art supplies to create pretty stuff. I keep a basket of kid's art supplies at our weekend beach house. On rainy winter mornings, I'm likely to be sketching and doodling, using Crayola markers and pencils.

Friday, March 25, 2016

How to Weave a Pretty Seat

I popped into a Goodwill the other day and found the cutest little bench -- that is, it could have been cute. If it had a seat.


My husband has a running joke about my love affair with "broken chairs". We've moved broken chairs half-way across the country and back again.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

How to Make an American Boy Doll

Recently, I was shopping for a little boy doll for my granddaughter, and had a difficult time finding one. There just aren't too many to choose from. My granddaughter loves her one and only boy doll, and thought he should have a brother. I agreed.


I felt a little sad that there were so few dolls available for our little boys to identify with. After all, our boys enjoy imaginative play just as much as our girls, and they can benefit from having a "little buddy" to hang out with.


On a recent trip to a thrift store, I found an Our Generation doll for only three dollars, so I decided to purchase it to turn into a boy doll. Our Generation dolls are inexpensive eighteen inch dolls to begin with, and this one had badly damaged hair, so I didn't feel too badly about altering it. I'm not sure I would use an expensive American Girl doll to make into a boy, unless I found one second hand and in poor condition.


To start the makeover, I chopped off most of the hair to get it out of the way.


Next, I cleaned the doll well. First, I used rubbing alcohol on the face and arms and legs; then I used acetone nail polish remover to scrub away some of the doll's lip and cheek color. I did not remove all the color -- I just toned it down a bit. You may find you need to scrub quite a bit to remove the color. Your doll will still look pretty, but I haven't seen a little boy who wasn't pretty, so I didn't worry too much.


Using a fine paint brush, I used acrylic paint to color in heavier, more "masculine" looking eyebrows. Don't worry if you mess up. You can always wipe it off and try again. Next time, I may try drawing in the eyebrows using a brown micron pen. You may want to add a few freckles while you've got the pen or paintbrush out.

I then washed the hair. I would recommend washing your doll's hair before painting the eyebrows, so you won't have to worry about messing them up. I used a blow dryer on low, and tried to shape the hair in the direction I wanted it to fall. You will need to work with the original doll's part, or risk exposing widely spaced hair plugs, if your doll's hair is rooted.

The hair was then trimmed a little more with scissors, then cut using hair clippers and a one inch attachment. I wanted to give the doll bangs, but since the original doll did not have bangs, the hair did not want to fall forward, no matter how much I tried to coax it with the blow dryer.


For a cute "little boy" tee shirt, I found this sweet little preemie size onesie from a thrift store, and cut the bottom off. The baseball is a plastic candy egg from the Dollar Tree.

So easy!

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to House Revivals in the sidebar, so you won't miss the fun projects we have planned. Find us on Facebook, too, so you can catch all the "in between" stuff, and see what I'm working on throughout week on Instagram. Feel free to link today's project to your favorite social media sites.

Thanks so much for stopping by!





Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Secret Sisters and Book Exchanges and Field Trips, Oh My!

I shared last week about what to expect when you attend a blog conference.  Today, I want to share a little about the "extracurricular" activities at SNAP conference in 2015.


Several weeks before the conference, registrants had the opportunity to sign up for a Secret Sister (or Brother). We were tasked with stalking (in the nicest possible way, of course), our secret pal, by following their blog and their various social media accounts.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

{15} Pretty Projects and Ideas for Spring

I love Spring! By the time March rolls around, I am done. with. winter.  How about you?


I thought I would round up some spring inspired projects, including how to create a garden for free!

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

What to Expect When Attending SNAP Blog Conference

It's that time of year again! Bloggers everywhere are making plans to attend their favorite blog conferences. Last year I finally decided to join in the fun, and I have to tell you, it really was fun!


I decided to attend the SNAP Conference in Salt Lake City, since it's only a short flight away, and I tend to wilt on long plane trips. Getting to the hotel from the airport was a breeze -- there is a light rail stop about a block from the conference. It's pretty much guaranteed that you will meet new blogger friends on the train ride!

Thursday, March 3, 2016

How to Decorate When You're Broke

We've all been there. We want to freshen up our homes, but our home decor budget is non-existent. Here are some ideas that you can use to decorate your home when you're broke.


Tuesday, March 1, 2016

How to Draw a Spring Tulip

Around this time of year, I am ready. for. Spring. How about you? Are you over winter, yet? I'm ready for a break from the clouds and the rain, and for my bones to warm up! Here's an easy tutorial for drawing tulips to put you in the spirit for spring. If you are into cardmaking or art journaling, it's great to have a few easy doodles in your toolbox!


I love drawing and sketching, and love to add flower drawings to my art journals and Bible art journal pages and cards. Sometimes, I just like to draw for no reason.