Artwork to Go!

So Stacy, over at Handmade by Stacy Vaughn, came up with an idea for a darling little travel art set using an old DVD Case, some fabric, spray adhesive, cardboard and then of course a few art supplies.  I re-pinned it the moment I saw it on Pinterest since we have tons of these cases, and having a preschooler...anything to take along in the car to keep her busy is a bonus.

Plus, I mean, its adorable!!

I put my own spin on it, of course.  I added some rub-ons to the front (doubt they'll last, but hey, its cute right now!), and changed up the structure just a bit...

Here's what I did.

First, I like the colored DVD cases.  Usually these come from old games (XBox has fun bright green ones) and children's movies.  I have no idea where this fun pinkish-orange one came from, but I grabbed it.  Then I followed the directions that Stacy provided.  I found that a box cutter knife was way more effective than my X-acto knife when it came to cutting out the DVD circle.  Next time I think I'll try removing the whole back and attaching two fronts, eliminating the gaping hole that you need to deal with.  Plus, I mean, it was frustrating and time consuming [insert a whinny voice here].  I decided to remove the plastic from the cover.  What I chose to do instead of making a new sleeve for the case was to use two pieces of thin cardboard (sort of like what they use to make those spiral notebooks) and more fabric to cover the outside.  With a little finessing I attached the fabric using the spray adhesive to the cardboard pieces tucking it all around to make nice pretty finished edges.  I then added a fat ribbon to use as a Velcro closure (just in case it was prone to popping open when filled).  I used the same adhesive, attached it to the inside of the cardboard before adhering it to the case.  Then I added rub-ons to embellish it just a bit.  I really wanted to use this freezer paper iron-on trick (also found on Pinterst), but alas, it doesn't work with plain ol' wax paper like I thought it would and who has freezer paper just laying around (note to self: buy freezer paper!!).  I applied some sticky Velcro to the ribbon tab and the front cover.

Ta-Dah!!

I added a ribbon detail on the inside to define the pocket a bit more and added a few more whimsical rub-ons (American Crafts Child series, I bought them at Big Lots years ago, sorry!).  Luckily I have a ton of unwanted paper laying around since I'm a scrapper.  I might add a ribbon to the spine for use as a purse or handle...my daughter digs that sort of thing.

I love this project.  In fact its on my holiday gift list for a few kiddos I know...  I'm contemplating the use of a double DVD case next time, which will allow more room for supplies.  I also think that those wind-up crayons would be fun in here since they don't need to be sharpened.  You could even make one of these using that Crayola Wonder paper and markers or paint.  I'm also contemplating using some pre-printed coloring pages.  Do you have any suggestions to add?

The verdict?  My daughter loved it!  In fact she asked me to make her two.  Gotta love that kid!