Author: Kendra

Hi! My name is Kendra. I’m 23 years old and live in Ontario, Canada. This is my blog, where I share all of my creative endeavours.

DIY Porch Pumpkin

Kendra

I wanted to do something different to decorate the front porch this year. I’ve always been so disappointed watching pumpkins that I’d spent hours carving, rot away before the holiday is even here! After a few hours of scrolling through Pinterest for inspiration, I decided not to paint my pumpkin at all, but instead only paint on our family last name. You can use stencils or freehand paint, I chose to use my Cricut so I could try an adorable witchy font.

ETC: 1HR

Supplies:
– Pumpkin/gourd
– Paint
– Stencil (optional)

I don’t know why I expected vinyl to easily stick on a pumpkin but I was sorely mistaken! It applies well in small pieces but refuses to stick, especially after one coat of paint. Fortunately, that worked to my advantage since I love the distressed-witchy-antique aesthetic. It took 4 coats of paint over the stencil, and then 1 coat of painting freehand to achieve the opaque black lettering. Another thing I didn’t expect, how difficult it was to actually paint a pumpkin!

Once I was happy with how the paint looked, I used a q-tip dipped in nail polish remover to clean up some of the letters. I thought about adding some spider webs or drips of red paint for dramatic effect; but ended up preferring the simple, welcoming. homey look of the pumpkin just as it was. Since our front porch is covered with an overhang, I didn’t bother sealing the paint.

Processed with VSCO with m5 preset

I adore the vintage look of this pumpkin on our porch! The autumn leaves that are falling from the trees really brought my whole imaginative idea together. If you decide to paint your pumpkin this season, tag me on Instagram or Pinterest @paxtonlanedesign! I’d love to see other versions.

Blessed Samhain,
Kendra

How To: Backyard Mix

Kendra

I know many people don’t try to attract woodland creatures into their backyards, but I definitely do! My heart feels so full knowing I’m helping so many little animals eat and thrive in the middle of a massive city. I live in a neighbourhood suburb that’s luckily full of trees and foliage. My backyard has hundreds of different trees, bushes, shrubs, and flowers that are home to a few wildlife families.

I first noticed there was a family of chipmunks that reside in the man made waterfall near our pool. They’re so shy and fast, but curious. I also realized there was a specific black squirrel that came into the backyard to play with the chipmunks! I’ve also even seen an entire family of raccoons climbing a tree together to reach one of the feeders. There were three babies!

While planting flowers in the front yard earlier this summer, I had taken what was originally a birdbath that no birds ever tried to use it (I’m assuming because it’s relatively small), and tucked it away to find a more beneficial place and use for it later.

ETC: 10M

Supplies:
– Plastic or glass container to store mix
– Generic birdseed mix
– Unsalted sunflower seeds (in shell)
– Unsalted peanuts (in shell)

This backyard mix is straightforward and inexpensive. Simply layer the seeds and nuts, pausing to shake the container to mix. You’re finished!

After a simple Google search, I discovered what chipmunks liked and preferred to eat. It turns out, the backyard seed mix I’ve been feeding them is actually considered to be more of a treat; chipmunks will overindulge if you let them, leading them to become ill. Thankfully, chipmunks aren’t the only animals coming to feed but I assume that also applies to all small furry animals. I recommend using only 1 cup of the backyard mix per day (1 cup per feeder).

I buy all of my mix supplies at Dollarama!

If you’re an animal lover like me, you can take your backyard mix to the next level. Once you’re aware of what animals like to come into your yard, Google what foods they’re inclined to eat or prefer. It’s incredible how many different food scraps you can give back to nature instead of throwing away. For example, chipmunks love grapes. Cut 5-10 grapes in half or third if they’re really large, and sprinkle them on top of the mix.

If you decide to create your own mix, tag me on Instagram or Pinterest @paxtonlanedesign!

Stay inspired,
Kendra

How To: DIY Dishwasher Sign

Kendra

One of the very few inconveniences of a dishwasher, is that not every model has buttons that are visible from the outside of the machine. My boyfriend’s parents recently had their kitchen renovated and one of the beautiful new changes was that the dishwasher totally blended in with their new cabinetry. Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as perfect. Nobody can tell when the dishwasher is running! Sure, there are mechanical whirs and rushes of water at the beginning of the cycle; but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened it wholeheartedly believing it was dirty, only to be splashed with scalding water while I frantically attempt to unpause the cycle and close it.

After this happened to me for the hundredth time this morning, I had burst of inspiration.


ETC: 30M

Supplies:
– Wood pieces, thin and rectangular (or your preference)
– Twine/ribbon/string/etc.
– Paint
– Vinyl or stencil

Load it up!

I bought the wood piece at the dollar store months ago, which were sold in packs of six. I painted both faces and each side of one wooden rectangle in acrylic white. I chose to use stencil vinyl to give the tiny sign a worn, handmade look. I didn’t want it to look perfect. The font I used was the beautiful Chasy by peterdraw. I went back and forth between the idea of using black or an espresso colour for the words and ultimately decided on the dark brown. It reminds me of dark chocolate and makes the sign look less generic!

I recommend using a drill to make a hole for the twine, but I can’t take credit for this handiwork- I asked my boyfriend to drill it for me! He did a great job, and I inevitably had to sand the exit side of the sign to smooth the hole from the pressure. After a quick paint touch up that will dry quickly, choose your length of twine or ribbon of choice and knot it through the sign. I cut the length of my twine so that I could slip the sign through the loop, that way I don’t have to tie the sign the the dishwasher every single time I need to change it.

Since I didn’t want my sign to look too fancy, I didn’t spray varnish or apply Mod Podge before painting the stencils. This led to a few small bleeds into the wood, but I honestly liked the rustic aesthetic. There were 2 ‘major’ bleeds that I easily fixed with a few dabs of white paint. Hopefully, I never have to clean my glasses from dishwasher steam ever again! If you decide to make one, tag me on Instagram or Pinterest @paxtonlanedesign! I’d love to see other versions.

Stay inspired,
Kendra

DIY Personalized Stash Jars

Kendra

Amidst the chaos of the pandemic, I’ve barely left my house to get the necessities- let alone craft supplies! I’ve temporarily closed custom orders and have been trying to work with what’s remaining of my inventory. One of my most popular orders are stash jars, especially now that weed is legal in Canada. I’ve never posted a tutorial because it’s pretty straightforward and you don’t even need vinyl, you can use stickers or even paint. But, now more than ever is it a great time to use what you already have at home. Save that cash for when we’re free to roam Michael’s for hours!

ETC: 20-30M

Supplies:
– Glass jar or any airtight container
– Vinyl, stickers, paint, etc


Meg Thee Stallion is one of my favourite artists, so I decided to design my personal stash jar after Thee Hot Girl herself. I used one of Cricut’s free fonts
in a dark purple, glitter holographic vinyl. I wanted to give the jar a 70’s vibe and when the light hits the
vinyl, it reflects rainbow shimmers! It’s one of my favourite pieces, photos really don’t do glitter holographic vinyl justice.

This XO jar doesn’t mean hugs and kisses! It’s actually a beautiful fan replica of The Weeknd’s logo that I found with free commercial use, but unfortunately I can’t find the creator on Tumblr anymore. It’s almost identical to the real thing and I’ve used it for rolling trays, stash jars, and even car decals! I chose the orange holographic vinyl (that reflects as purple in the light) because the colours go perfectly with his aesthetic.

This specific stash jar made me start using wax paper when applying vinyl to surfaces. If you look closely or have an eye for imperfection like me, you’ll notice that there are miniscule scratches all over the vinyl. That was from my Cricut scraper, the rectangular plastic piece. I guess from months of using it repeatedly, the edge started to get ragged and I didn’t notice until using it to apply the orange holographic vinyl. I immediately thought of trying to put wax paper on top of the vinyl, and then scraping over the wax paper to apply it safely. It worked like a charm! Sometimes if the vinyl piece is large, I just tape down the wax paper to keep it flat and sturdy. The clasped glass jars above and mason jars with screw-on lids are the best for storing weed, in my opinion.

This is a craft that you can easily customize for profit or personalize for fun. Make it your own and enjoy.

Stay safe and stay inspired,
Kendra

FREE Commercially Licensed SVG Jackpot

Kendra

I wholeheartedly love using my Cricut, but one of the most stressful aspects for me is finding free commercially licensed SVGs. There are literally MILLIONS of free SVGs, for personal use only. As a very small business owner, it can be frustrating having to spend more money than I’m making in order to profit at all.

It’s extremely important to be sure that the designs you’re using for crafts, specifically ones that you’re selling, are commercially licensed. Using an artists SVG that isn’t commercially licensed for profit is theft! I keep my commercial/personal SVGs organized separately in clearly marked folders to avoid any confusion or error.

My favourite SVG site I use to find free, commercially licensed SVGs is LoveSVG. They upload new freebies every single day, but also keep ‘expired’ freebies from the last few days as well. They also have SVGs that I’ve purchased because they have such a great inventory! But still, I yearn for more.

I recently stumbled upon an amazing blog post from Fields of Heather, where she managed to compose a massive list of websites which you can find here. Each website has legitimately free, commercially licensed fonts and SVGs! I downloaded over 200 SVGs and fonts last night. Seriously! I couldn’t take my eyes off of the screen. I discovered so many unique artists like Designs by Aymara, Debbie Does Design, and Hoop Mama.

Enjoy creating and be sure to credit your favourite graphic designers!

Stay safe and stay inspired,
Kendra


Cork Valentine’s Day Coasters

Kendra

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday with your friends and family! I can’t believe we’re already nearly halfway through January… I’ll admit, the last few weeks have been a blur. I found myself so tired on Boxing Day. I just wanted to curl up in bed with my boyfriend and watch Netflix. I figured it was just because of the usual hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but soon came to realize I had a bad case of burnout!

The month leading up to Christmas, I was basically glued to my craft desk. I was constantly on the phone and computer advertising, marketing, blogging, taking orders, creating, brainstorming, etc. I was on a creative high! To be honest, I barely remember the month of December. I was so grateful for the opportunities I was creating for myself through my hard work, but I was overworking myself at the same time. Suddenly, I couldn’t think of one craft to put together- not even a simple card. I felt like I had brain fog, with no inspiration and definitely no motivation. It’s important to remember when to slow down, take a breath, express gratitude and rest!

That’s why I’ve been so absent from my social media platforms. I had to take time for myself to relax and recharge to go into 2020 strong! I encourage you to do the same when you feel overwhelmed. Now let’s get crafting!

Pssst! If you don’t want to purchase coasters, buy a sheet of cork and use a circle cookie cutter to create your own.

ETC: 1H

Supplies:
– Cork coasters
– Pink, red and gold paint
– Glitter (optional)
– Adhesive vinyl or stencil

I spotted these cork coasters at my local thrift store for $1! You can purchase the exact same coasters for only $2.99- they were originally from Ikea.

Pink Heart with Gold Background
I used the default heart shape in Cricut Design Space. I think it’s literally the perfect heart shape, especially for round surfaces. I cut the heart out on adhesive vinyl, then painted it onto the cork. Once it was dry (about 10 minutes) I painted gold around the heart. I didn’t want to paint the coaster gold first and then the heart, because the cork is thin. If you brush the paint on too thick, it’ll crack if the coaster is bent. I love the imperfections.

2020 Red Heart
Using the same default heart shape, I layered it with 2020 and centered them together. Once it was cut, I simply stuck the vinyl down and painted over the stencil with red paint.

Gold XO with Red Background
I used the font Halo Handletter by Mario Artuo which you can get here. It’s one of my favourite festive fonts- it goes with every single holiday! The XO was so thin I decided to paint the coaster red first, let it completely dry, then apply the stencil. I also lightly dragged the paintbrush dipped with gold around the edges of these coasters- I adore how they turned out!

Red Love Words
I also used the font Halo Handletter here but in lowercase. I made others that say sweetie, cutie, lovebug, kisses, hugs, etc. You have so many options to personalize these! I also put gold around the edge of these too. I painted some in red paint and some in pink paint.

And that’s it! If I could do these over (which I probably will for other holidays!) I would have added glitter and maybe some hearts or lips on the cork background of the plainer coasters. Which one is your favourite? How would you have designed them differently?

Stay inspired,
Kendra

Dollar Store DIY Holographic Initial Ornaments

Kendra

This has been my favourite DIY ornament to make yet! I used vinyl for the letters but you can use anything adhesive you’d like, even stickers. All other materials are from the dollar store. These ornaments make great gifts for teachers, anyone who loves colour, or you could even create the whole alphabet for kids! I finally had an opportunity to use some bold ribbons; this is your chance to use your most colourful and flashy materials!

ETC: 30-50M

Supplies:
– Plastic ornaments
– Tiny Styrofoam balls
– Rainbow sequins
– Rainbow letters
– Vinyl
– Ribbon or string

I originally came up with the idea for these beauties when I thought of using ornaments to help teach kids the alphabet, all while decorating the tree as a family. I decided to use a cursive font for the holographic vinyl for a playful, whimsical vibe and so that you could really see the colour behind the letter. I used my Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut the vinyl.

I stuffed the ornament with tiny, white styrofoam balls, small/medium/large rainbow sequins, and rainbow letters. Mixing a filler such as styrofoam balls with chunks of reflective colour help to actually fill the ornament, and not have the confetti all sink to the bottom.

I loved being able to use all sorts of colourful strings and ribbons that I normally wouldn’t have a reason to use! One of my favourites was this dark teal with yellow stitching. Using holographic vinyl makes these ornaments unique in the sense that you can make them unconventional.

Stay inspired,
Kendra

DIY Mini Nativity Set

Kendra

My Mom designed and put together this beautiful miniature nativity set! You can completely make this tutorial your own; all four materials used for this craft can be substituted. This would make a beautiful holiday decoration or gift. If you already have the supplies to make this craft, it can take as little as 15 minutes!

ETC: 20M-40M

Supplies:
– Cloche or glass case
– Wooden clothespins
– Holly or other holiday foliage
– Felt

This unique nativity set didn’t come together all at once- these were a bunch of crafting supplies that my Mom already had before she had a glorious light bulb moment! When I asked what inspired her, she said she had seen a plastic ornament with a tiny wooden clothespin inside as baby Jesus. She thought about an assorted bag of wooden clothespins she had purchased this past summer from Michaels, and quickly set out to find it. You can use any type of small wooden item to represent the characters, you don’t need to use clothespins. Check out your closest dollar store!

My mom then had the idea to wrap the Jesus clothespin in a ‘blanket’, using beige-coloured felt that she wrapped around the clothespin until she was happy with how it was placed.

The ring of holly around the Joseph, Mary and Jesus clothespins is actually from a huge roll of wired holly wreaths we found at a thrift store a few years ago (which is sadly almost gone!). You could use any type of holiday foliage such as a twig of spruce, red winter berry branches, etc.

The dainty cloche used to encase the nativity set is from a thrift store! You can easily use an upside down jar instead.

Every once in a while look through your local thrift stores, you’ll be shocked at the potential craft supplies you can find!

Stay inspired,
Kendra

Dollar Store DIY Birch Slice Garland

Kendra

ETC: 20M-40M

Supplies:
– Jute
– Wooden slices
– Drill

This adorable DIY is courtesy of my Mom, who found these mini birch slices at the dollar store and it didn’t take her long to find a use for them! She bought two bags, which had about 10-12 in each. Mom, who’s a little tree crazy, was decorating our kitchen tree (yes, kitchen tree) when she then had the brilliant idea to drill holes through the birch slices to create a garland! After quickly enlisting Dad to drill the holes through the birch (he did so with an 1/8 drill bit) Mom easily threaded the jute through the holes.

It took only 15 minutes to string this garland together!
Mom wanted to give the tree a vintage baking meets woodland theme.

Also, Mom didn’t measure the jute out beforehand, just kept stringing the garland until she could wrap it around the tree and it looked the way she liked. You can easily paint little stencils onto these pieces to personalize them, or even create little ornaments! Try applying vinyl to these! This is a very versatile craft- make it your own.

Stay inspired,
Kendra

DIY Glass Ornaments for Late Loved Ones

Kendra

An ornament is the perfect sentimental gift to give to someone special during the holidays! It can represent a small, beautiful token of love and gratitude for a loved one who has passed on. In this post, I’m going to show you how to make a two different meaningful ornaments.

ETC: 30 minutes – 1 hour

Supplies:
– Blank glass ornament
– Vinyl
– Jute or ribbon
– Confetti or glitter


I think the first time I ever heard the term ‘snowflakes are kisses from heaven’ was in a Hallmark Christmas movie, and I think it’s adorable for little DIY crafts such as this.

I found these flat glass ornaments at Michael’s. Glass ornaments are better than plastic ornaments in terms of denting; when applying vinyl to plastic, I have to be so careful not to press down too hard on the vinyl to be sure I don’t dent the ornament.


click here to purchase




I created this particular design in Cricut Design Space. I used the font Halo Handletter by Mario Arturo which you can find here. I tweaked the curve, length, height, and width to contour the letters to flatter the shape of the ornament.

Then I cut the design on vinyl and used transfer tape to apply it to the ornament. I always wait to fill the ornament with confetti until after the vinyl is applied, just in case a piece were to get stuck under the design. I stuffed the ornament with snowflake confetti and translucent glitter.

Click here to purchase

I bought this lovely cardinal SVG design here from the amazing Lyrical Letters Design. It’s originally $4.63 CAD but I got it on sale for $2.78 CAD! A great bonus is that a premium license is included with purchase of the SVG, so you can use this design on projects to sell!

‘Though we grow in different directions, our roots remain as one’


I decided to make the ornament reversible once I realized how tiny the design would look. An important tip to remember when working with vinyl is that smaller, cursive letters are harder to weed and and not rip. I put the quote with one cardinal on one side and the tree with roots and one cardinal on the other side. I love being able to see the other cardinal on the tree through the quote.

Clear ornaments tend to look plain or empty- use a thick or chunky ribbon to give it a professional look.

I filled the ornament with snow-like confetti to reflect the lights on the Christmas tree. To finish, I went with a thick, red velvet ribbon.

Handmade gifts are the best gifts!

Stay inspired,
Kendra