DIY || bokeh heart tutorial

i have always seen examples of bokehs, but i have never tried them until now! this was a bit tricky to figure out at first but after searching the web i figured it out. 

{supplies needed}:

- black paper

- sissors

- tape

- dslr camera

- lights

{step one}: get black paper or something similar and cut a small heart {or preferred shape} into it. then shape it to the size of your lens, taping it so it fits on like a cap. 

{step two}: put all your camera settings on manual and set your aperture as low as it will go. my nikon will only go down to about a f3.5, but it is best to have it as low as an f1.4 if you can. the lens should be set at about 55mm {or more in my case for some of these pictures} and the focus ring all the way up {to the left}. you need to have a lot of lights in the background for this to work. i used christmas lights that were still up, but a city scape at night would work great. and the more colors the better {i only had white available}. 

this is what it should look like without the bokeh cap off: {the first one is more out of focus than the second, which creates a different size of shape for the heart once the cap is on}

f5.6, 1/25, 80mm

f5.6, 1/25, 80mm

{play around with it if you want to put an object in front of the lights. it helps if the lights are farther away and the subject is closer up. then adjust the focus and zoom accordingly to what looks the best}

f5.3, 1/13, 66mm

{step three}: add the bokeh cap on to the lens to create lights in the shape of hearts! again, play around with it until you get the desired effect. but keep it around 55mm or more, and out of focus. 

f5.6, 1/15, 80mm 

f4.8, 1/13, 56mm

f5.3, 1/8, 66mm

{this is what it will look like if you are doing it wrong and you aren't zoomed in enough. it creates a heart vignette, which does look cool as well anyway!}

f3.3, 1/25, 28mm 

nikon love! {bokeh cap added in front of iphone camera}

and there you have it! now go out and create your own! and don't forget to add a comment, or share if you do it yourself! 

DIY || eraser stamp

this is the simplest DIY ever guys. it took me no time at all and looked really cute. eraser stamps can be used for everything. from birthday cards, to packaging, tags, and school art projects. in this DIY i will be using no.2 pencils but if you carve designs into larger erasers as well they can make great stamps too. it is a great art project for kids as well. 

{first step}: take a pencil eraser and outline the area you want to cut {or freehand it if you are like me!}.  i decided to do a triangle. i chose to use a larger pencil and a regular-sized one so i could have varying stamp sizes. 

{second step}: cut away the excess area to create the shape of the stamp you want. i have access to a scalpel, but you could use an exacto knife or even a regular knife.  

{step three}: pick out colors of choice. i used really cheap craft paint, but anything works and if you already have a stamp pad laying around, then you are set!

{step four}: dip your eraser into the color and stamp! i played around with it for a little while to make sure i was getting what i wanted consistently. 

{step five}: create something! i chose to make an example of a quick birthday card. i used the triangle shape of the eraser to make bunting on the front...

and a cute little cake on the inside! {the colors came out a little off, but i did take these with an iphone}

see, simple right? and fast too! plus you can keep the supplies for a later date to make a quick card or tag and they will already be prepared! now go out and try this or make something of your own to post on your blog. and if you do please share by posting a link to it in a comment.