Here's my Teacher Anya...

Welcome to another edition of Transformation Tuesday! As you can see, I've been an altering fanatic lately. I just feel like it has more longevity and that the recipient can make practical use of it. I made this magazine holder for DD's teacher as a Valentine's Day gift. They are so much fun and easy to make, I promise!

Here are the supplies that you need:
~unfinished magazine holder (this one is from Michaels)
~glue
~2 pieces 12x12 cardstock
~paint (if desired, otherwise cardstock all around is fine)
~dark ink pad
~scissors
~bone folder
~foam brush to spread glue and/or paint
~gold school bell (used for this project)

{Note: If you decide to paint the door and window, this is a good time to do it. By the time you are done working with your cardstock, the holder will be dry enough to work with.}

Directions for 'wood' effect:
Start by folding cardstock in even increments to whatever size you wish. I folded mine about an inch and a half, then continued folding it in to the rest of the paper.

Score with a bone folder just to get the creases nice and flat.

Once you are done folding and creasing both pieces of cardstock, run each edge along your ink pad. This will give it the defined lines. (If you wish, you can also just draw it with a marker.)

Measure the cs against the wall of the house. Each 12x12 piece of cardstock will cover the wall of your house plus half of the back. The front remains bare, which is easy to cover with your scraps (so don't throw them away). Repeat on both sides and trim as necessary. Using scraps, cover the front part by sections. I find that this is easier to do as the window and door are tricky to cut around.

By this point , you are ready for the FUN part - the decorating!

Using a school theme, I added a white picket fence and some flowers in DD's teachers favorite colors. I attached my Anya and school sign with dimensionals. I added the school bell with a little bit of glue, then added the gingham bow to cover up that area. Here is the side version of my holder.


Tried and true tips:
*Don't worry about undercutting the walls. Make sure the top part is matched up as much as possible, the bottom is easy to cover up with decorative elements. (Not that I would know from experience - ha!)
*Window and door are frustrating to measure and cut around. I strongly recommend using sponge and ink or paint to finish those areas. I went through a ton of paper trying to get it right the first time I altered a holder.
*A great element to add to the wood effect is hand dotting (is that a word?) 'nail' dots to each side of the board as I did with the Dorothy holder (see blog entry right below this one). It gives it an aged/distressed look.
Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed my not-so-quick tutorial. ;) Have a great day~
*Love and Aloha*