Archive for Step-by-Step Project
Project: T-Shirt Flowers
Posted by: | CommentsTHIS POST WAS (VERY RANDOMLY) FOUND IN MY “DRAFTS” FOLDER…WRITTEN IN 2009 AND NEVER POSTED. HERE YOU GO!
I love embellishing comfy, everyday things to make them more special. Keep in mind you can apply these flowers to all kinds of things – headbands, tank tops, cotton dresses – but you should probably stick to things that are cotton, any fabric more luxurious will be too dressy for these flowers. Check out “decorate your wardrobe” for flowers that are appropriate for a wide range of pieces, from t-shirts to silk cocktail dresses.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- a t-shirt you can chop into pieces. it can be a new shirt, but i suggest using an old shirt that is no longer worn – its always better to REUSE and REPURPOSE people! i like to have two or three shirts in different colors so i can create mulitcolored flowers.
- the t-shirt, tank top or other piece of clothing you want to embellish. Make sure that it’s comfy and you like the way it fits; its so horrible to put all the work into redesigning a shirt and then finding you don’t like the fit of the shirt – I’ve done it.
- Fabric scissors. Using scissors intended for fabric make this MUCH easier; you will be doing A LOT of small cuts and your joints will thank you if you use the correct shears.
- Needle and thread. You make the color decision: you can choose a thread that matches your t-shirt material so it blends or a contrasting color so your stitches stand out. Decide on what you want your final product to project.
- Beads or faux pearls. This one is optional, you would use them in the center of each flower.
- a thimble. always use a thimble – your fingers will be eternally grateful.
Okay, let’s do this. I am going to give you instructions using one color t-shirt, if you choose you can layer different colors of t-shirt fabric or make multiple flowers each in a different color.
First cut 4″ x 4″ squares of t-shirt fabric (from here on out, it will just be referred to as ‘fabric’ because I’m tired of typing ‘t-shirt’) You’ll need five layers for each flower so cut at least fifteen squares to start.
Second, take one square and fold it in half. With the scissors on the folded edge, cut a half flower with the top and bottom petals as half petals (when you open the fabric the two sides of the half petal will become a full petal) Cut either one full scallop or three full scallops between the half scallops to make the rest of the petals. IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: although you use five pieces of fabric for one flower, you need to make gradation in size…the biggest for the back of the flower, each layer being slightly smaller with the smallest at the front, or on top of the pile. You can make more layers for a fuller flower, but I would suggest five layers at the very least, otherwise it will be too thin.
Third, thread your needle and tie off the end (see sewing 101) Make an “x” stitch to connect all the layers together. If you are using beads or faux pearls, string one on your needle now. Make two more “x” stitches to make sure that the layers are secure together and the bead is tight, if you chose to add one. You don’t want that bead left behind in the wash!
Finally, arrange the flowers on the piece of clothing you have chosen. Is it a v-neck t-shirt? Place them along one side of the “v”. Scoop neck? Make enough flowers to cover the entire neckline from shoulder seam to should seam; if you’re feeling showy, continue the flowers around the entire neckline including the back of the neck. You can make a real show-stopper by making enough blooms to create a thick diagonal strip of embellishments from the left shoulder to the right hip. Get creative with your placement. Once you have your design chosen, commit it to memory, make a sketch or take a quick digital photo so you don’t lose your idea. Now stitch one at a time until the pattern is full. To stitch, sew the flower to the t-shirt with an “x” stitch. Now start connecting the base petals of the flower with a tack stitch (simple one in, one out so it looks like a dash) Once the base petals are secure sew through layers NEAR THE CENTER so the rest of the petal layers are connected to the t-shirt. Tie off your thread and hold the shirt up and shake it to check how secure the flower actually is. Does it hang crooked? Add a few more stitches to straighten it out. Repeat this process with every flower.
Now, wear your masterpiece and bask in the glow of compliments you will receive.
TIP…as always, the basic rule is “hand-made = hand-wash” But I have a two year old and ridiculous amounts of laundry to do so I rarely…okay, never…hand-wash. I pretty much rely on the delicate cycle and then air dry delicate projects like this. If you want a rougher look to your flowers, go ahead and throw your shirt in the dryer, but it makes for one shriveled looking t-shirt flower. Just a warning. Have fun!
Project: Mini-Apron (adapt measurements for full size apron)
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Okay, let’s do this. Do you have a little one that loves to get up on a step stool and cook with you? She needs an apron! (This one is geared toward girls because I have a daughter, but you could ix-nay the ruffles and rounded corners and make an apron for your little man as well) I think it’d be easiest to print this whole post out so you can refer to the photos as you read the instructions, but you know, do your own thing.
First, you’ll need to cut your fabric for the apron front, either two contrasting patterns or the same one, either way you need two pieces. If you want a rounded look just layer the pieces right sides together, fold in half and cut a rounded edge, see diagram for clarity.
Step two, leaving the two main pieces right sides together, sandwich the ruffle between them and pin so the decorative ruffle can’t be seen at this stage – you should only see the “bias” edges. Again, look at the drawing for clarity, if you haven’t done this before it can seem confusing. Now sew with a .25″ seam allowance. When edges are complete flip this piece right side out.
Step three, take your chest panel pieces and place them right sides together. Before sewing place your grosgrain ribbon INSIDE the two pieces with the ends poking out one end. Pin three edges making sure you include the edge with ribbon sticking through, see diagram. Sew three pinned edges and flip right side out, your ribbon should be secure – this will eventually be the neck tie.
Step four; (make sure you refer to the drawings for this one, they are much clearer than my wording) take the long skinny waistband piece then fold & press a half inch seam. Lay one long edge along the top of the skirt piece (with the ruffle) that you sewed in step one. Top stitch .25″ from edge. Now do the same with the chest piece.
Repeat on the back with the second waistband piece.
Now take more grosgrain and tuck it into the raw, open ends of the waistband. Tuck the edges inside the “tube” and pin. Topstitch so ribbon is secure and do this on both sides.
Measure how long you want the waist ties to be then cut, double fold the ends and topstitch. Now go back to the neck loop: find the center, cut so there are now two pieces (still secured to the chest piece) double fold and topstitch.
And you’re done!
Pop that puppy on your little chef and get cookin’!
Scroll to the bottom of this post to see Addie’s finished apron.
My Gooser’s apron:
Addie in her Rapunzel dress and apron rocking some serious naptime hair
Project: Hot Air Balloons
Posted by: | CommentsSo, if you are a fan of “Make the Most” on Facebook, talk to me personally or have been within 13 miles of me and can feel the ever expanding aura of ‘i-have-8-million-things-to-do-in-the-next-month’ then you already know that we are moving to Colorado at the end of April. I decided that I didn’t have enough to do and started planning Addie’s bedroom at the new house. Check out the last post and you’ll see that my frequent flier daughter will have a travel (semi-themed) room. There are many touches I’m planning on adding that either reference travel or make a direct statement — this one happens to be pretty direct.
How to make decorative hot-air balloons:
you’ll need:
styrofoam balls in various sizes, the number is up to you, I did 5
fabric to cover styrofoam (I used a different color and pattern for each balloon)
baskets or cardboard buckets in corresponding sizes to the styrofoam balls
yarn, twine, or thick string (I used thick wool yarn)
something to punch holes in cardboard buckets
needle, thimble and thread
hot glue gun
First lay out the fabric and wrap an edge around it and pin. Keep wrapping and folding fabric, pinning in the same spot so all the extra fabric gathers together.
Once you have all the fabric gathered, sew the folds together so nothing is loose. When you tie the gather off with yarn it should just be decorative because all folds and tucks should be sewn securely.
That’s it for the “balloon” part. Now move on to your baskets, or in my case, round cardboard boxes.
You can leave your cardboard raw but I decided to paint mine with a metallic finish…I like everything to have a little sparkle!
Poke holes in the sides of your containers. You can skip this if you are using baskets.
Now is the tricky part. Thread some of your yarn (or twine or whatever you’re using) through one of the holes, knot it on the inside so the yarn is secure. Leave the yarn long, you need slack to secure it to the ball evenly.
Now run a line of hot glue from the center TOP of the fabric covered ball. Working quickly before the glue cools, hold the ball above the basket to gauge the correct hanging distance, push the yarn into the glue (watch those fingertips!) Now continue the line of hot glue down the opposite side of ball, making sure that the two lines of glue line up exactly.
When you get to the bottom of the opposite side of the ball thread the end of the yarn into the opposite hole. Don’t knot yet, first, hold the ball up and straighten the basket until it is level. Mark the thread on the inside of the basket with a marker, pull thread through into the basket and knot. When you pull it tight the basket should be level.
Now repeat this process on the perpendicular line except when you get to the top of the balloon, leave a small 1″ loop at the top before continuing down the other side. This will be your hanging loop. Be thoughtful about keeping things level, it makes a huge difference in the finished product.
I LOVE how the finished balloons look. I did five balloons, total, and the different sizes and colors look fantastic together. We move in a matter of weeks and I will post an update with how the balloons look when they are hung…I can hardly stand the wait!
Project: Decorative Letters
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I had some time on my hands when I was pregnant with Addison. I decided to make the free standing decorative letters to spell out her name on a shelf I decided to go ahead and make the entire alphabet. Ambitious? Lil’ bit. Here are some instructions so you can make your own letters.
Step one:
Step One: On the WRONG or back side of your patterned paper, trace out the letter you want on your canvas. Make sure you draw it as the reverse that you want to see on the front. Or, if you don’t feel comfortable doing that, draw it on the front and make sure to cut your tracing lines out as well. Use an exacto knife on a self healing mat (or an old piece of cardboard) for clean, precise edges.
Step Two: Choose another color/pattern of paper and cut out a piece JUST LARGER than the letter from the first, letter, piece of paper. Place the rectangle, pattern side up, centered on the canvas and then position the letter on top to find the right placement for bottom rectangle piece. In the case of my example sketches, you would see the green stripes in the cut out “A” of the blue stripe paper.
Step Three: Once you you find the right position, glue the rectangle of paper to the canvas, RIGHT SIDE UP. Now cover the back side of the first piece of paper, with the letter cut out of it, with glue.
Step Four: With the letter cut-out paper GLUE SIDE UP on a solid surface, center the canvas on top and press down. Let dry. SEE STEP FOUR ABOVE.
Step Five: Run your exacto knife closely around all edges of the canvas. If you choose you can paint the edges of the canvas BEFORE you cut the extra paper off, this will ensure that you don’t get any paint on the front of your letter.
Step One: Choose a piece of patterned paper and place it WRONG or BLANK side up on a flat surface.
Step Two: Cover the front surface of your letter with glue. Make sure it is the side of the letter you want to see. Center the glue covered letter on the decorative paper you have set out in step one. Press down and let dry.
Step Three: Paint around all edges of the letter with your chosen paint color. No need to be neat, with the paper still attached there won’t be any paint leaking to the front of the letter. Make sure you remember to paint the interior crevices of letters as well.
Step Four: Use your exacto knife and a self healing mat (or large piece of cardboard) and cut around the letter as close to the edges as possible without cutting the letter itself.
If you want to hang the letter go ahead and attach something to the back of the letter about an inch and a half from the top. Staple some string, pop some picture hangers in there, you could even just poke a hole in the back for a nail. All options are super easy because the letter is made of cardboard. Now hang it up, set it on a shelf, do what you please. You’re done baby.
Ruffled Apron
Posted by: | CommentsThe majority of projects that I do for myself never make it to the website because in the chaos of inspiration and execution of an idea I forget to document the process. So here is the first post showing my attempt to rectify my negligence. For any project that I forget to photograph I will sketch out the how-to and hopefully the drawings will be more helpful than the photos!
Let me know what you think of this process, I think there will be a lot more content using this method. Just sayin.
So here we go: Frilly Apron.
My mom told me that my younger sister, Caroline (aka, Bean), wanted an apron for Christmas. Would you ever expect me to go buy an apron? Never. So rather than create a standard apron that I’ve made before (and will show you how one of these days) I wanted to do something special and fun for Bean. A retro/frilly apron is what I came up with. She loves the color green as well as subtle patterns so I took the inspiration for the fabrics from those clues. Scroll to the bottom past all the sketches to see the actual apron. I was inspired by an apron I found online at One More Moore and then changed and expanded to fit my vision.
Here are your measurements:
Piece #1: 15.5″ x 20.5″ for back of apron
Piece #2: 6.5″ x 33.5″ for ruffles (cut four or five depending on how many ruffles you want)
Piece #3: 5″ x 22″ for waist band
Piece #4: 4.5″ x 24.5″ for tie strings
Piece #5: 13″ x 13″ for chest panel (optional, you can just do a fold-over waistband and have a half apron rather than full)
Piece #6: 4.5″ x 24″ for neck tie
Piece #7: 4.5″ x 8″ for short end of neck tie
thread, needle (if sewing by hand), one set of D-rings (for neck tie)
First off, hem the main apron piece (#1) along one 15.5″ end. Double hem by folding over half and inch and then again one inch then secure using a running stitch. Repeat on all ruffle pieces (#2) along one 33.5″ edge.
Next, baste (long, removable stitches) along the remaining long edge of the ruffle piece. Pull the fabric along the thread so it puckers until it is roughly 15″, the width of the apron backing. Repeat on all ruffle pieces. See figure one.
When all ruffles are pulled, sew them onto the wrong (the underside of fabric) side of the back panel (piece #1) starting at the top of the panel. Before you sew lay them out on the fabric so you can see how much space you need to leave between each one so the entire back panel is covered. Leave about an inch of fabric above the edge of the top ruffle. Sew directly over the pulled fabric so the stitching secures the folds you created. Backstitch on edges so secure. Lift each ruffle as they are completed and sew the next ruffle with the predetermined amount of space for overlapping. Repeat on all ruffles. Important: you should be sewing the ruffles onto the wrong side of the back panel but make sure you are sewing the ruffles right side out. Imagine this: when all ruffles are sewn on, you will see all the patterns and colors as you are supposed to. But when you lift them up to see the panel, it will be the wrong side of the fabric. This is so the “pretty” side of fabric will be visible if the apron is turned around.
Next, take pieces 4, 6 and 7 and fold them in half length wise so they are long and thin. Press with an iron or enough that a visible fold is left in the fabric. Open the fold then fold in both edges to the center line. Press or pin and then stitch the edges closed, see figures 3a and 3b.
Now, if you are making the full apron, take pieces 5 (mine were two patterns, stripes for the front and dots on the back) You can leave them in a square shape or cut into a “v” or sweetheart neckline, Just make sure to leave an inch and a half open at the edges for straps. With right sides together, stitch the sides and neckline but NOT bottom and NOT openings for straps. see figure 4. Before you flip the sewn piece right side out, slide the strap pieces up through the interior of the body so a half inch of straps poke out through the openings you left when sewing the seam. see figure 4b, not marked as such but the second part of figure 4. Zig zag stitch three or four times along straps to make them super secure. Flip right side out and pull straps taught. All edges should be clean and straps secure.
Take the short strap and put the end through d-rings (keep them together) double fold and stitch a few times along edge to secure. see third part of figure 4.
The top is done now, remember the bottom edge should be open and un-sewn.
This is where I had to get creative so it gets confusing, try and stick with me.
To attach the top and the bottom, take one of the waist band pieces (#3 from first sketch) Lay out the bottom section on the floor (ruffles facing down) and situate the top section (front piece down, back up if they’re different patterns) just above it so the rough edges of both are touching. Lay the waist band piece out so it covers the un-sewn seams and fold UNDER the edges to create a clean seam. You can iron in a half inch fold along both long edges, but I tend to just fold under and pin. Top stitch these folds. I did my best in figure 5 to demonstrate with this should look like. Flip the whole thing over and do the same thing on the front. Make sure you do the back first and then sew the front piece on to cover the stitches from the back piece that show up on the front.
Now put the waist tie pieces and tuck the end into the open ends of the waist band. It should look like the waist band piece is eating the waist tie. Hows that for a description? Fold the edges of the waist BAND piece under and then topstitch. Repeat this on the other side. It should look like figure 7. When this is done take the remaining open ends of the waist TIE straps and fold the ends in on themselves, about a half an inch, then topstitch for clean edges.
Aaaaaaaaaaaand…you’re done. What do you think? Plenty of steps to this one, I know. But the results are SO fun. Here’s a picture of Beanie’s actual apron, I’m waiting on a new pic from her so until then here is a Christmas morning over sweatshirt picture:
Have fun, writing this out has inspired me to make another one. Here I go!
Christmas Party
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getting ready for our party!
So I have made it very clear that I LOVE Christmas and I wanted to share that love with my friends…so the Obsessed with Christmas Party was born. Here’s a peek inside:
Addie and I getting ready for our friends to arrive
Transfer alcohol to glass bottles and label them
I had hot cocoa and hot cider available for guests but I knew that some people would want to spice it up a bit. So I put Baileys Irish Cream, Peppermint Schnapps, Spiced Rum and vodka in glass bottles and vintage decanters to keep my kitchen counter from looking like a bar. Peppermint sticks were available for stirring and little marshmallows to finish off the cocoa. Gotta tell you, the cocoa was a crowd favorite!
Cocoa and cider in matching chrome tea kettles
Cocoa and cider on the stove in matching chrome tea kettles. I designed and printed out labels so people knew what was what. Silver platters on the front (cool) burners held coffee cups and Irish Coffee mugs.
Coffee station with flavored creamers...NO packaging to be seen!
People know how to pour coffee from a standard coffee pot, but not everyone knows how to use a Tassimo machine. I printed out instructions and set them next to the machine and the bowl of coffee capsules. Vintage creamer and sugar bowls held flavored creamers which were also labeled. A ceramic log vase held spoons for stirring.
Simple platters? Not here. Think UP not out.
Keep it simple with food, if you’re having a cocktail party people won’t expect a ton of food and not everyone wants to try wacky hors d’oeuvres. I had plates of various dippers: crostini, parmesan pinwheels, cheese straws, corn chips and crudites in decorative cups. For dips I prepared two different salsas, one spicy one sweet, artichoke dip, spiced hummus and vegetable dip as well as a bowl of kalamata olives. On the beverage counter I had a crock pot full of lil’ smokies (they went FAST and Chris had to go to the store to stock up on more!) and platters of turtle cookies and sugar cookies with crushed candy canes. Yum.
Have a variety of wines available with appropriate glasses on hand
Have a wood burning fireplace? Set up a s'mores station!
Have enough seating? Plan to have extra chairs if you don't have two couches
Make enough room around food and drinks that guests can linger comfortably
It’s almost like you were there, right? Now get out there and host a great party!
Paint your own Lyrics
Posted by: | CommentsI love this project. Even if you aren’t comfortable painting landscapes or still lifes on canvas you can still do this one. And it isn’t holiday specific, adjust your colors and lyrics and it can be used year round.
Get a canvas, paint (background color and text color), a sponge applicator, a medium tipped paint brush and if you choose, some liquid glitter and a frame.
Paint the background your solid color, in my case red. I used two different reds and a little metallic gold for the canvas pictured but a solid background will do the trick. Once dry, give it another coat especially if you’re using red, if not thick enough red tends to look a little pink.
When your background is done start on your lettering. I free handed mine using different scripts for a little more interest but you can try a variety of things:
tape your lines out so your script stays straight…(use painters tape and divide the length in inches of the canvas by the number of lines of text you want. Tape out equal spaces)
use stencils to apply your wording if you don’t feel comfortable free hand painting.
use a local print shop and have them print out your text to the size of your canvas on a clear material then apply to painted background.
When background and wording is done go ahead and apply your glitter if you choose. I applied my glitter to look like icicles and snow accumulated at the bottom of the frame. Then added a bit to the corners of the frame for a little umph.
I bought a black canvas frame (open backed with a ridge to accommodate a canvas) I painted it with four coats of metallic gold paint and inserted the canvas ready to clip it in with framing clips but the canvas was too deep for the frame. I originally wasn’t going to frame this piece so I bought a gallery canvas…deeper than standard canvas without any staples showing on the sides. SO I fished some extra blanket biding in my supply cabinet and used it and a staple gun to attach the canvas to the frame. I stapled one edge of binding to the wood of the frame then stretched it across the canvas stretchers (wood frame of a canvas) and stapled it there as well. Once the canvas and frame were firmly together I used another piece of binding and stapled it across the back to hang to entire kit and caboodle. Here’s how:
Project: Utensil Art.
Posted by: | CommentsI’m gonna get right to this: I obviously remake things constantly yet I have had the same two framed pieces over my sink for almost five years now. I finally reached my breaking point and took those puppies down and turned them into something new…ish.
Out with the old:
Utensils mounted on fabric backing in shadowboxes
To make these I wrapped fabric around the backing of two shadowboxes, sewed the back (this was before I owned a hot glue gun) Then sewed the utensils, which I purchased at a local antique store, to the fabric.
When I FINALLY took them down I ripped all stitched apart and started with a fresh ‘canvas’.
Step one: I painted the frames with a hammered bronze spray paint. See the paint post for instructions.
Step two: I wrapped the backings of the shadowboxes with an ivory contact paper. This paper was left over from other projects because the adhesive on the back is useless. I always keep things because what fails for one project may be perfect for another.
Take apart the old in order to make the new
lay out backing on sticky side of contact paper
wrap corners around backing like a present; make sure it looks good from the front, the back doesn't matter
Secure the edges with tape - especially if your contact paper is useless
arrange your utensils and adhere with double sided mounting tape
Completed Utensil Shadow Boxes
And I’m happy again. I love seeing these over our sink; they look fantastic. You can arrange your silverware in an orderly fashion or do what I did and make it look like the pieces were just tossed in the frames. Just make sure they are secure however you arrange them because they will shift/fall/rearrange themselves if you don’t.
Remember, if you don’t like something in your home MOVE it or CHANGE it. There are no rules that say once something is on your wall it must stay there. Make your surroundings beautiful…you’re the one that has to look at them all day every day!
Zippered Pillow Covers
Posted by: | CommentsThere are a few things I change in a room when I am transitioning from season to season. One of those things is my pillow decor. I used to sew covers that would end up being sewn closed because it never occurred to me to sew in a zipper.
This project was (believe it or not) my first foray into sewing zippers.
You’ll need:
- fabric (make sure you measure your pillows so you have enough fabric)
- scissors
- zippers (a couple of inches shorter than one edge of your pillow)
- sewing machine or needle and thread
- pins
- measuring device (ruler, tape, etc)
First, measure your pillow with a flexible measuring tape from edge to edge.
measure pillows from edge to edge
Now cut your fabric to the pillow measurements PLUS ONE INCH for seam allowance. Pin those bad boys out (pin along edges so they line up on all sides and are secure enough so as not to move when you are sewing) I found two plaid patterns I liked and used one for each side of my pillows.
measure, cut and pin pillow cover fabric
Once those puppies are pinned go ahead and sew three of the four edges. Easy enough. On the last edge sew in the zipper according to the instructions that are attached to the zipper packaging. It is really easy, though hard to describe…but I’ll try.
On the open edge – with wrong sides still out – pin the zipper on the INSIDE (what is the right side of fabric) with the raw edges lining up with the raw edge of your pillow fabric. Pin very securely. Now unzip the sipper and sew along the length of the zipper, the presser foot as close to the teeth as possible.
Now zip back up and pin the opposite side of the zipper to the fabric. Unzip and sew as you did the first side.
Once the zipper is secure pin the open edges of the fourth side from ends of the zipper to the corners. Sew ONLY TO THE ZIPPER STOPPER or you will sew your zipper closed.
Turn pillow cover inside out and pop that pillow in there. Close the case with a very satisfying zzzziiiippp and then admire your own handiwork.
closed zippers on winter pillow covers
zippety doo da
my lovely finished plaid pillow covers
Now get to it.
A little paint and a Fireplace screen
Posted by: | CommentsSometimes we surround ourselves with things that are just okay. When we decide we want something to knock our socks off it’s time to grab the paint. That’s right, paint.
simple screen before I got to it
This screen belongs to a client of mine who wanted her simple fireplace screen brought to life. And boy is it alive now!
This is so simple, here’s what you need:
- decorative paint for colors (I used metallic finish for some sheen)
- small, detail brushes
- high heat resistant clear coat spray paint (I used car engine enamel)
Once you have the materials, the artwork is up to you. I slipped a piece of paper between the vines/leaves and the mesh in order to keep the backing clean, leaning it to disappear into the background. With the paper in place I used reds, deep greens, a bright gold metallic and rich bronze metallics to bring the leaves to life. I stippled the bronze around the edges of the screen to brighten it up and give it an aged yet smooth finish. When the artistic work was done I took the screen outside and gave it two meticulous coats of engine enamel – I don’t want the paint bubbling and burning off!
painted leaves on fireplace screen
blend your colors
bronze painted edges of fireplace screen
Boom, plain screen has been transformed into a beautiful art piece. I’m kinda bummed I have to give it back to my client! I’ve grown attached to it in my family room. I just hope she loves it as much as I do!
final painted fireplace screen
“Save a Penny” Shelf Project
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white shelf that needs to be black
This project is so incredibly easy. If you are precise with your application it will look as though you purchased a black shelf rather than covered a white one in black faux leather contact paper! Whodathunkit.
What you need:
- contact paper, wide enough to cover AT LEAST the depth of the shelf. I chose black faux leather because I needed black and, well, I already had it from a different project.
- scissors
- a shelf to cover
- a yardstick
That’s it. Seriously.
Round One: take stuff off shelf. take shelf off wall. clean shelf and let dry COMPLETELY. put shelf on floor.
Round Two: “cap” the ends of the shelf in contact paper. Its hard to see in this photo but the front and back edges are not covered with the cap pieces, only the ends. This leaves you with a cleaner look when all is said and done.
TIP: Use the yardstick to ‘squeegee’ the contact paper on so you aren’t plagued by air bubbles. Get just the edge applied then lay the length of the yardstick against the flat surface and press down as you apply the bulk surface of the paper.
cap the ends then move on to the length
Round Three: Apply a large sheet of paper to the length of the shelf. I was so busy trying to do this with two hands that I didn’t take pictures of this step but I’ll explain as thoroughly as possible. I knew that the width of my contact paper was not wide enough to cover the shelf on top, around the front and then across the entire bottom. After noting how much shelf would be left uncovered I cut a piece to those measurements PLUS 2″. When I applied the “cover piece” to the bottom of the shelf (using the squeegee technique to prevent bubbles) it covered enough area that I wouldn’t risk leaving any white space when I applied the largest sheet of paper, which leads us to…
Round Four: This takes a little juggling…You’ll only worry about the top right now. Peel a ten inch section of backing off of the paper. Start in one of the back corners of the shelf, lining the paper up with the edges of the shelf. Use your yardstick to press out any bubbles, peeling more paper as you complete each peeled section. It can be slow going at this stage but be patient making sure that the paper is flat and smooth. Once the top is complete pull the peeled paper (the entire sheet should be peeled at this point) over the front edge of the shelf. Press out any bubbles. Now pull it around the bottom edge and then across the bottom surface making sure to pay attention to smoothness – just because its the bottom doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. It is a shelf after all and will be up on a wall where the underside will most likely be visible.
cohesive look
Bam. Pop that puppy up on the wall and admire your handiwork and the fact that everything finally matches. Good work, now its time to figure out what you’re going to put in those glass apothecary jars before you switch to fall decor…hmmmm…
The “O” Project: Applying your initials to the Wall
Posted by: | CommentsI have an allergy to empty wall space. It’s sad and untreatable. I try really hard to live with blank space on the walls knowing that not everyone needs to be surrounded on all sides my STUFF, but my condition wins out and I put something else on the wall. After my last family room redesign I had a chunk of white space in the upper right hand corner of the room; I thought a collection of our last initial would be rather fitting for the space. With our initial being a basic circle I had to search for shapes that had a little variation to them, your last initial will probably be a little more interesting!
What you need:
- an odd number of raw, unpainted letters (material isn’t so important, they can be wood, cardboard etc)
- craft paint (multiple colors or variations of one)
- sponge brush
- drop cloth or magazines, newspapers etc
- hanging materials
Whatever your letter may be, start with raw, unpainted pieces
- Step one, paint your letters. In the interest of making this as easy and clean as possible I put the paint directly on the piece and paint from there. Unless you have a really clear understanding of how much paint you need and how it moves/drips I would suggest starting out with your paint on a paper plate or palette. Squeeze out a 2″ diameter blob and dip with each stroke. Do at least two coats, three if you’re patient to make sure the raw surface is completely covered.
a couple of magazines and a sponge brush is all you need
Whether you are working with a palette or free painting the piece while holding it you are going to need somewhere to set it down. You don’t need anything fancy for this part, I use old magazines and just open them up for a larger area. You can use newspaper, open paper grocery bags; when I do a large painting I use an old shower curtain liner. Use your imagination, just make sure you won’t mind whatever you choose being covered in paint.
attach your hanging hardware to the backside
Unless the letters you chose came with hanging hardware you are going to need to attach your own. I found a picture hanging kit in our tool closet and started to attach the hanging bar with teeth. The tiny nails were IMPOSSIBLE to nail in on our family room carpet (it was pretty late at night when I did this project and I didn’t want to anger our downstairs neighbor) So I improvised and just used the thumbtacks to attach the tooth bars. Each letter is so light that the thumbtacks were more than secure and incredibly easy to apply.
make sure every piece has numerous coats to cover raw surface
I like to arrange the letters on the floor in the pattern I want to see on the wall so I’m not flying blind. But my two year old desperately wanted to help so by the time the O’s were up on the wall they ended up looking like I wanted a bunch of O’s in the shape of an O on the wall. Not what I was going for but I have yet to change it so it isn’t THAT bad.
find your hanging space on your wall
fill your empty wall space
In the end, the empty space is filled, I can breathe easier without all that potential staring me in the face everyday. I really like the final project even though, like everything I do, I want to make some changes and improvements before I am completely happy. One of these days I will take them down and vary the metallic finish a bit as well as change the design on the wall. But overall I am representing my pride in being an Overgard…and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!
Project: How to turn fabric scraps into drink coasters
Posted by: | CommentsWe just redesigned our family room and in the process added some end tables that we didn’t want to ruin with condensation rings. ”We need coasters.” Said my matter of fact husband. So I made some.
What you’ll need:
scrap fabric, any texture as long as its not so nubby that a glass will tip
needle and thread/sewing machine
interfacing (I used heavy weight for a firm coaster)
fabric paint (if you choose to add words etc)
scissors
This is a very simple project. First, decide how many coasters you want and cut twice as many squares of fabric (I wanted five coasters so I cut ten squares) Cut as many matching squares of interfacing. By the time you are done cutting you should have twenty pieces of fabric cut to desired size (mine were 4.5″ square)
4.5" fabric squares
Once you have everything cut out place your interfacing with each corresponding piece of scrap fabric; each piece of colored fabric should be backed by a piece of interfacing. If you have fusible interfacing iron it now to attach the pieces.
Assuming your scraps are fused to interfacing, separate all your pieces into sets (mine separated into yellow with yellow, green with green etc.) Place each pair right sides together (in the case of the brown coaster, the brown sides would be touching and the white interfacing sides would be facing out) Now sew with 1/4″ seam allowance. Leave two inches open on one side to pull right sides through.
Interfacing should be facing out
inside seams with 2" opening and topstitched finished coaster
When the interior seams are done clip the corners and turn inside out. You can iron at this point for crisp edges or go ahead to the top stitching step.
Once the color side is facing out turn the raw edges (where you pulled the fabric through) turn the edges in and topstitch closed. Continue the topstitch on all edges.
Finished top stitching on coasters
Now, you can stop here OR you can get a little fabric paint and add a little somethin somethin to your coasters. I chose the latter.
Not a lot of instruction here, plop a little fabric paint on a scrap piece of paper, take a fine tipped brush and paint!
get ready to paint
I decided to leave instructions for use...
FInished set of coasters
Now, go get a drink and set it on your awesome new coaster.
Project: The Temporary Mural
Posted by: | CommentsWe rent. Do you know how hard it is for a muralist to live in a rented apartment? And not just a rental, a historically protected rental where residents are forbidden to do anything to the precious walls. So I must make do when I want to decorate with something other than a hanging picture. My solution? Things that are sticky. Yup. Sticky things that can be cut into various shapes solve all kinds of decorating dilemmas. Case in point: we have a large wall that once displayed a number of black and white photos in black frames of various shapes and sizes. The wall looked great but after four years of the same old thing I grew tired of it and had to make a change. So the frames came down, holes were spackled and scuffs were cleaned. I was left with a big, blank, white wall. My painting hand was quivering with the possibilities but I didn’t want management coming after me in my sleep. The wall stayed blank for a month and a half until I finally decided on the solution. Here is what I did:
Temporary wall mural using contact paper.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- contact paper. I wanted a matte gray paper but couldn’t find it so I settled on a faux black leather. (Make sure it’s thin, adhesive paper – NOT squishy drawer liner contact paper)
- scissors
- level / yardstick
- your inspiration; mine was a lyric from an Ingrid Michaelson song that is beautiful and oh so true.
Let’s get going.
Step one, cut a long, thin strip of contact paper and stick it to the wall you want to use. If it stays adhered to the wall (no peeling or bubbling) then you are in good shape and you can proceed. The first paper I tried was too thin and wasn’t sticky enough and peeled from the wall within minutes.
Step Two, trace your letters or design on the wrong side of the contact paper. MAKE SURE YOU WRITE THE LETTERS/DESIGN SO THEY ARE THE MIRROR IMAGE OF WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE ON THE WALL. Otherwise you will need a mirror to read your message or see your design. Be aware of the size, I wanted the words to make an impact and I had a huge space to work with. Plan accordingly.
Trace the mirror image of letters on wrong side of contact paper
Step Three, cut out the letters. (Not much to this step.)
carefully cut out letters
Step Four, prepare your wall with the level and the yardstick. There are probably other ways to tackle this step but I work with what I have in front of me and what I had in front of me were: yardstick, short level, scrap contact paper. Why get out more tools if you can improvise? First, use the level to make sure that the yardstick is…level. Tape the yardstick to the wall using the extra strips of contact paper. Boom. You can start applying your letters and they will be straight and even. Move the yardstick as you go, leveling each time.
Tape your leveled yardstick to the wall with excess contact paper
Step Five, step back and admire your work. I told you this one was easy. When you get tired of the temporary mural peel it off the wall and start all over again with something new and different.
step back and assess your work - is everything straight? Yes? You're done!
I used a closet door as my guide
TIP: if you use metallic contact paper be VERY CAREFUL when cutting and peeling. Metallics show every flaw and bump…not very attractive. Be aware of your textures and finishes before you get too far into the process.
Project: Easy Pillowcase
Posted by: | CommentsAddie has been telling us that she wants a pillow…and what Addie wants, she gets (as long as its something I can make!) She was smart and told us while we were at the fabric store so it was easy to get everything we needed. We let her pick her own fabric that she wanted to sleep on and it wasn’t a big surprise when she bypassed the tropical prints for the character aisle!
Addie's chose her buddies Dora and Ariel for her pillowcases
What you’ll need:
- pillow
- enough fabric to wrap around the width of the pillow with a few inches extra on the length. I started with half a yard of each print
- thread, needle, thimble
- magnetic snap (I only do this because I made the cases for Addie and I didn’t want the pillow sliding out)
First off, measure the width of the pillow, from seam to seam. Cut your fabric to that length +1″ (plus one inch) this leaves half inch seam allowance. Don’t worry about the length of the fabric, leave it LONG (I like an additional 7 inches on the length of the pillow) and you can roll it down to the correct length later.
use a flexible measuring tape to get the correct measurments
Sew the side seams from top to bottom with the 1/2″ seam allowance, right sides together. Once the side seams are done, keeping the right sides together, start folding the top in a french hem technique to finish the edge. For a child’s pillow like Addie’s I each fold was about 2″. For a bigger pillowcase make the folds longer, closer to 4″ or 5″.
start folding the hem. fold a couple of inches, press, and repeat the fold
keep folding until it JUST closes at the end of the pillow
Once you have the length that suits you, top stitch the folded hem. Add any decorative touches that you want on your pillowcase now because otherwise you’re done, easy as that! I added hidden magnetic snaps into the fold of Addie’s pillowcases because I didn’t want any extra fabric flapping around or the pillow sliding out of the case. I also added a purple ribbon to the hem of the Little Mermaid pillow. I could say that it was just for decorative appeal but it was to cover the snap holes after I put them on the wrong side of the fold. Oops. A stitched on grosgrain ribbon hid those holes and added a little more color!
The finished product.
Addie pretending to sleep (and snore) on her new pillowcase
Have fun, if you’re making this for a child let them in on it! Let them decide who, or what, will be on their pillowcase and it will be even MORE special.
Have fun, let me know how you do!
