DIY Night Light

My baby is growing up too fast. While it's exciting to watch her grow and become her own little person, it makes me a little sad. We put away the crib this last week and she's been sleeping in a big girl bed for a couple months now. So, time for a big{ger} girl room! I am kind of basing the design around her rag quilt, so it's kind of a purple, pink & teal fairy theme - hence the fairy stitcheries I made a couple weeks ago. Plus she has the purple Tinkerbell bed set, so the fairy theme just kind of made sense to me.

Since we moved the crib, it also left her plug-in night light in the open. It didn't last long, she unplugged it within minutes after putting her down for a nap. We needed a safer and more sensible option. I was deciding which night light from IKEA to pick for her room since they were an inexpensive AND cute option. Then it came to me... why not make my own??!! So, I did.

What you need:

• Glass block (I got mine at Hobby Lobby. I recommend going when glassware is 50% off. You could also use a 40% off coupon when glassware isn't on sale)
• Vellum scrapbook paper, with or without a design
• Stickers, cardstock or vinyl for words. I used my Silhouette to cut the letters out.
• Ribbon to tie around the block
• Light for inside the block (they have lights at Hobby Lobby next to the glass blocks. You can choose a string of lights or one bulb. I went for the single bulb.)
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush

We headed to Hobby Lobby that very day and bought all the supplies. This is a very affordable project. Even after buying everything I needed, I only spent about $12. I also ended up needing:

SPRAY GLUE. This was round 2 of gluing down vellum. First round, I painted the front of the glass block with Mod Podge and also the back of the vellum. Immediately the vellum curled on itself, and as soon as I laid it on the glass it bubbled. It dried before I could attempt to smooth out the bottom. I was so mad I didn't even take a picture of the mess. I washed it off and cleaned the glass. We went to the store the next day and bought spray glue and more vellum.

Spray the back of the vellum with spray glue, following the instructions on the label. I immediately & carefully placed it on the front and used my Silhouette vinyl scraper to smooth it out and get the air bubbles out. Worked great!

Next, I cut out my letters with the Silhouette and practiced arranging them on the block a couple times. Once they were how I wanted, I Mod Podged/glued them on one at a time. Vinyl would have probably been MUCH easier and faster, but I didn't want to buy two whole rolls for such a small project (yes, I am cheap like that). The cardstock worked fine, and I was proud of myself after I was done!

Personally, I thought the jewels would be a little too much, so I didn't use them. I wrapped the ribbon around the block and tied a bow on top. The side of the block has an opening with a removable piece of plastic. Pop the lid off and insert your light(s).

 Plug in, turn on, stand back and enjoy your personalized night light!!