Annie Lang's Blog!

When the weather turns warm, it's time to once again get outdoors and enjoy every minute of the season!  Nothing could be more fun than an outdoor picnic with goodies served up from a bright and cheery picnic basket covered with smiles.  It's also a delightful shower or wedding gift that will not only be well used, but treasured for years to come.  I purchased this reasonably priced basket online from Amazon after I was unable to locate one with a wooden lid locally.   It arrived within a few days, was fabric lined, filled with accessories and was easy to paint.   You can find the FREE DOWNLOADABLE line art pattern and painting instructions for this project on the DIY page at my Annie Things Possible website.  Hope you enjoy because life truly is a picnic basket meant to be enjoyed!

Here's a quick and easy holiday home decor DIY project that anyone can make in minutes.  Best of all, chances are you already have all the supplies you need on hand.  You'll find the free step by step instructions along with lots of other fun ideas RIGHT HERE . Happy wrapping!

Today I'm getting ready to mail out this year's greeting cards to friends and family.  I thought this would be the perfect time to reshare this " 15 fun things you can make with recycled greeting cards " project ideas post for you just for fun.  Wondering what to do with all those wonderful greeting cards you've been saving up?  Here are 15 fun DIY ideas anyone can try and I hope you'll share this fun video with your creative friends and family.   All the pictured sample crafts were created with 5" x 7" cards printed on heavy cardstock with a gloss finish.  I'm sure many of these ideas can be easily adapted for use on  cards of various sizes, so go ahead and enjoy your creatively recycled cards!

As one of my favorite holidays approaches, it's time to start planning our Thanksgiving feast.  This year, I had a little help from my 4 year old granddaughter who helped create turkey napkin holder place settings for each guest.  With a few basic supplies and a sky filled with blustery snow flurries, we completed this project together and had a lot of fun chatting about our many family blessings.  So go right ahead and invite a turkey to dinner this year.  I hope you'll give this fun project a try and enjoy the smiles! 

It was a great year for my outdoor herb garden but the time has now come to harvest and dry what I can to be used for the long winter ahead.  Since I don't have a kitchen window to grow fresh herbs indoors and a cat who loves to indulge in anything resembling greenery, I had to come up with a way to safely dry my garden delights while keeping them handy for kitchen use.  Up until now, I've been hanging them "willy-nilly" from cabinet knobs and kitchen peghooks which simply isn't practical.  So here's what I came up with to work for my limited kitchen wall space.  I already had a 9" x 12" board which I painted white and then streaked with wood stain.  The two Command small wire hooks I used were those I had on hand which I sprayed with green paint to match my board lettering.   The tree branch "rod" was one from my grandkid's outdoor "enchanted fairy forest" and the herbs were naturally harvested from my outdoor garden! I hand

You just never know who may drop by unexpectedly for the holidays so I've been making some quick and easy last minute gifts to keep on hand for any occasion.  You can also adapt the project for any beverage bottle, be it coffee lattes, bottles fruit juices or full size wine bottles.  Simply use burlap bag sizes to match your bottles.  These dressed up mini bottles are also great for tucking into Christmas stockings, adding to gift baskets and for decorating your luncheon or dinner table.  The empty bottle dress-ups can also be upcycled into mini vases for the shelf or mantle.  Best of all, you only need scissors, a glue gun and odds and ends for embellishments.  So go ahead and make up a batch to have ready for whoever might drop and you can celebrate the season in style! The sample project shown features 5.4" x 3.7"  mini burlap bags purchased at a local craft and hobby store.  If you cannot locate them locally, you can get them for about $.35 each at Amazon .   

While recently doing an internet search, I accidentally stumbled upon a Halloween project Crafts 'n Things published in their October 2001 magazine 20 years ago.  I was simply amazed at how many images of the completed clay pot projects were posted anonymously by crafting enthusiasts over the years, making this a timeless project that continues to make the Halloween season fun.   Though Crafts 'n Things magazine is now considered as a vintage craft magazine publication collectible, you can still find variations of many of the finished projects it has inspired being sold today through online EBay and Etsy stores, at craft fairs and bazaars as well as numerous Pinterest board pins.  There are also several sites offering a variety of back issues of the publication which can be purchased.  While I cannot provide the original patterns and instructions for the original project, I can provide basic project instructions so you can make your own.  You can use any size clay or plastic po

There's a chill in the air as the calendar page turns and the pumpkins come out! In case you missed it... here's a fun post from my 2013 BLOG   I'm sure you'll enjoy if you haven't already seen it.  All month long I'll be sharing fun pumpkin projects, "JOLLY JACKS" themed posts and fun autumn themed features to keep you smiling throughout this festive season. AUTUMN SMILES, EVERYONE!

Next to my kitchen, the busiest room in the house seems to be the laundry room .  I decided to finally freshen things up a bit in there with a whimsical sign and a few favorite decorative touches.  Here's a fun free DIY project you can try with only basic craft and painting skills needed.  To download the line art pattern, just right click and save to your computer.  You can find most of the supplies at your local hobby or home improvement store.  I found the wood scroll and wooden plaque at Cupboard Distributing.   Happy Laundry Day!

Just released for your seasonal holiday DIY projects!  Annie's Burlap 'n Plaid digital prints from Creative Market are versatile, easily modified and richly textured for any variety of creative project you have in mind. Annie Lang's hand rendered 12" x 12 coordinating, repeatable and seamless textured prints were designed to be used over and over again for creating backgrounds, papers, cutting by hand or machine for appliques, scrapbooking and cardmaking elements, textiles, gift wrap, wallpapers, creative arts imagery projects and more.  So go ahead and get printing to see what you can come up with because Annie Thing IS Possible with a little imagination! 

If you enjoyed my  Wishing Witch project, here's a few more ideas as to what you can make for Halloween with basic craft items you may already have on hand.  All the projects shown here were originally published in magazines nearly 20 years ago and the directions/patterns are no longer available but with the character project ideas are timeless.  Hope you enjoy...and don't forget to share this link! This Candy Holder was made with painted flower pots.  The cape can also be made with a black plastic table covering or black felt. This project is just as easy as can be...just sponge paint a canning jar and add the face with a black permanent marker if you don't want to hand paint the details. My Peek-A-Boo Pumpkin character pattern can be found in Annie Lang's Scarecrows in the Pumpkin Patch line art design book and you can download the pdf from my Annie Things Possible website!    These pumpkin characters were painted on gourds, but you can appl

It won't be long until the leaves begin to fall and the Autumn Pixies Characters come out to play!   The pumpkin harvest will soon be happening soon so it's time for a visit to Pumpkinville so you can get started on your Autumn themed DIY projects.  You'll find all Annie Lang clipart collections along with prints and fonts at the Creative Market Store because Annie Things Possible with a little imagination!  ENJOY!

  When the weather heats up, it's time to get tropical!  Make anyplace your own Sunny Paradise with creative clipart, paper prints, handcrafted home and patio items,  Pineapple Passion Fashions, line art patterns and more.  It all starts with creatively fun art because Annie Things Possible with Sweet 'n Sassy pineapple characters and a little DIY imagination.      So let's get your Tropical Pineapple Party started!

Download this free "Mr. Lucky " character line art pattern and make this your lucky day!  This design was originally hand painted as a calendar art project and it's a timeless image guaranteed to make you smile.  I transferred the design onto tracing paper, placed the tracing over a sheet of graphite paper and then transferred it onto a sheet of Acrylic Paper.  The entire design was colored using acrylic craft paints that were thinned with water to create this sample project.   Here's an expanded view of the paper used to paint this sample project.  I've use this acrylic paper for years with all types of mediums including watercolor brushes, markers, inks, gouache, tempera and tube acrylics.  This paper has a smooth linen weave finish and canvas-like texture that grabs the medium and holds the vibrancy of your colors.  It's a quality heavy weight paper that doesn't bleed through to the backing and best of all, doesn't curl when wet!  I seems a bit pr

Here's an enchanting project that will fill the air with a music box tune!  I designed this paper mache music box as a fairy garden collectible with my granddaughters in mind and I can't wait for them to add it to their rapidly expanding fairy village.  The project requires only a few basic craft supplies along with a paper mache house and wind-up music box.  The paper mache house was easy to find locally, but you can also order it online from Factory Direct Craft or  Amazon .  However, I had quite a difficult time locating wind-up music boxes at a reasonable price and finally stumbled onto an online source with fast service, good prices and easy ordering at Glaser Ceramics  .  I ordered several and mix and matched the tunes in the event I want to paint another Enchanting Musical Cottage for the Holidays.  So grab your brushes and get ready to create your own magical cottage and fill your days with a happy tune.  Enjoy!   House photo from Factory Direct Craft   CLICK PHOTOS TO

Ready to paint something fun?  You can paint this fun hostess tray with a few basic craft supplies and a quiet afternoon.  Simply trace the included pattern onto a wood tray and even a beginner crafter can color the design with acrylic paints and a smile!  To download Annie Lang's free project from Annie Things Possible, CLICK HERE and enjoy.  

If you've got cabin fever these day, why not get started on those Valentine's cards right now!  All you need to do is select a card design, grab your scissors and get ready to print and personalize something absolutely AMAZING from the heart.  This publication features 20 designer ready-to-craft card designs that anyone can make in only minutes.  Each printable page is 8.5" x 11" with foldable designs to create 5"x7" cards.   Finished cards can easily be embellished with glitter, embossing, dimensional writers, gemstones, scrapbooking trinkets and more.  Great for rainy day, camp, party, classroom craft activities and more because Annie Things Possible if you have hearts!    You'll find this downloadable .pdf publication at Annie Lang's Book Store  

Don't throw out those wrapping paper, paper towel or cardboard mailing tubes just yet!  You can easily upcycle them for fun holiday decorating and gift items in no time at all. Here's just a few project ideas of how I used them to brighten up the holidays.  Make some holiday visitors and hide them anywhere!  Use large mailing tubes if you want your character short and stout or gift wrap tubes for long and lanky house guests.  Whether it's boots, socks or fuzzy slippers, I'm sure you'll find the perfect footwear in your closet or sock drawer to make your visitor whimsically  festive.  Tubes can be painted white or cover them with white paper.  Spray the paper with adhesive, lay it flat o a table and then roll the tube and press the paper in place.  To make candy stripes, I wrap it with red masking tape spiraling downward and pressing it in place. This idea is also great for making glittery tinsel fairy legs or black and orange striped witch legs for Halloween decorat

The Christmas Holidays will be here soon so do you know where your House Mouses are!  Watch this NEW line art pattern book trailer to get a look at what you'll find in this publication.  Christmas Holiday House Mouses pattern book is now available in paperback and downloadable .pdf editions at Annie Lang's Book Store .  Ready to use clipart collections are also available for the book characters at Annie's Creative Market Store!

There are so many fun things you can make with wood slice rounds and the possibilities are simply endless!  Here are just a few items I made for my seasonal Fall, Winter Holiday and Fairy Garden decor to get you started on your own creative adventures.  I recommend you lightly sand and apply wood  sealer to both sides of the wood slices before you begin your projects.  Not only will it help preserve the wood, but it also helps prevent paint from bleeding when it hits the porous surface.  The wood is usually soft which makes it quite easy to drill holes for inserting hangers.   Enjoy! Right Click and Save to your computer