Inexpensive Patriotic Decor

Remember my patriotic mantel?

Here is how I created the glass hurricane filler and the garland:

Hurricane Filler
Using dry red kidney beans, northern beans, and black beans, I created red and white stripes on the bottom with a thick, blue stripe at the top. The black beans end up looking navy, not black. You're going to have to trust me on this one, because my pictures aren't very convincing. 

My advice if you use beans as a filler: measure the beans using a measuring cup to create even striping.  I used one cup for each of the red and white stripes and three cups of black beans for the blue stripe.  Experiment, but beware that there is no easy way to separate the colors if you mess up and have to start over.  Make sure the bean layers are even before you add the next layer. You could end up wasting a lot of beans and time sorting.

Garland
I created the garland by simply tracing and cutting out the stars from felt. I used the medium star from this free printable.   I used 10 stars of each color, sewing them together by slightly overlapping the tips of the stars, one after another without breaking the thread. Once I almost got to the edge of one, I lifted the presser foot, stacked the next star on top of the tip of the previous star, put the presser foot down, and kept sewing.  This way, they were in one continuous strand.  It was quick to sew and something I can use year after year.  It is a fun addition to the mantel.

A couple of simple ideas to spruce up your home for the holiday and show your patriotism.

Easier Than I Thought!

Cost: the beans for the hurricanes cost about $12 total, the garland cost about $3 in felt

Decorating a Mantel Around a Television

With Memorial Day a few days behind us and the Fourth of July around the corner, I needed a red, white, and blue splash of color for my mantel.

First, as you will notice, I have a very large television that takes up almost the entire mantel.  This leaves me with very little decorating space (we're talking about 8 inches on either side).  I am actually OK with the size of the television and its placement. Since my husband and I have a custom home electronics business, this is probably not a surprise.  It doesn't bother me that the viewing angle is elevated.  There is no other logical place for the television in the elongated, octagon shaped great room I have.

*It was very difficult to take pictures of the mantel with the lighting in the room. Lots of glare.  Sorry!

I recently started researching about how to decorate around a television.    I found, for me, there are two large principals to follow: create symmetry and shift the focus.  

Creating Symmetry

Keeping some of the things I read in mind, I decided to move my large hurricanes to either side of the television to create symmetry.  Their height would create a balance on either side and they wouldn't look too small beside the weight of the television.

 The rest of the decor just came from random items I already had in the house. It took a little time rounding up items and experimenting with things on the mantel.  I looked for things with different textures and materials. Finally, I found a few items I thought were the right scale alongside the hurricanes. I grouped the items together at different heights to create visual interest, remembering groups of three are also pleasing to the eye.

On one side, I added washi tape to a small picture frame and the glass plant container to tie in the patriotic theme.

On the other side, I found a metal star and recycled the flag from the local Memorial Day parade and stuck it inside a small terracotta pot.  The twine ball is one I had in a basket elsewhere in the house. This side has four things, I know.  I liked the different texture the twine ball provided, so I threw it in there.

Shifting the Focus

Instead of making the television the focus, shift attention to either side and also underneath. The star garland helps break up the black of the television and draws the eye down.  You can find garland for every season now. I experimented with how to hang it and found bringing it up in the middle helped break up the wide expanse of the television.

I would eventually like to add some things on the hearth, but that just isn't practical right now with a toddler in the house.  

Go here to see how I made the hurricane filler and the star garland.

I hope this gives you some ideas to work with if you have a television or a large, heavy piece over the mantel.  Happy decorating!

Easier Than I Thought!

Linked to: Tatertots and Jello,   

Focaccia Pizza

This past weekend we bought a loaf of focaccia to bring to a party.  At the end of our round of golf in 95 degree heat, I didn't feel like piecing it out for dipping oils to share at the barbecue.

Today, I knew I needed to use the focaccia before it went bad.  I decided to use it to make pizza with some miscellaneous ingredients from the fridge.  It was light and delicious.

Ingredients:

• Focaccia bread loaf
• Sundried tomatoes in olive oil
• Portabello mushrooms, sliced
• Garlic powder
• Leaf spinach
• Gouda cheese, cubed
• Feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

• Split focaccia lengthwise
• Using sundried tomatoes in their oil, saute tomatoes for a minute in a hot pan
• Add mushrooms and garlic powder to the tomatoes
• Cook on medium heat until mushrooms and tomatoes are browned
• Brush olive oil on focaccia bread
• Spread tomatoes and mushrooms on focaccia
• Top with spinach
• Sprinkle with gouda cubes and feta cheeses
• Bake for 10 minutes @ 350

 The smoked gouda adds a sort of bacon flavor while the feta provides a creamy texture.  I think it would taste awesome grilled instead of baked.

 You could even add hot sauce (my husband puts it on everything).

Enjoy!

Easier Than I Thought!

Linked to:  Tues:  Tip Junkie,   Sugar Bee Crafts,  A Bowl Full of Lemons,   Today's Creative Blog,   Mommy By Day Crafter By Night,  Wed: Gingersnap Crafts,  36th Avenue,  Tutus and Tea Parties, Thurs: Tatertots and Jello,   52 Mantels, Crafty Scrappy Happy,   House of Hepworths, Friday: Serenity Now,  Whipperberry,  Family Ever After,  Sun.: I Heart Naptime,  

Flattening the Fabric Mountains

Well, the rocker re-do has hit another roadblock- the weather.  It's all painted up and ready for the slats to be attached.  Since the weather has gotten ridiculously hot, I have decided to borrow a nailer to finish the project.  I can't imagine nailing all those slats using just a hammer in 90+ degree heat.  No thanks. The nailer will hasten the project.  I will show you once it's completely finished. 

Meanwhile, I have been spending some time indoors trying to flatten the heaps of fabric that are creating a mountainous terrain on the floor of my craft room.  In researching fabric organization, I stumbled upon crating mini bolts using comic book backing board. They are about 7" x 11" and made of thin cardboard.   I thought this might work for me.  It is the perfect size height wise to fit in the Ikea Expedit bookcase in my craft room. 

I ordered the backing boards from Amazon.  I have to admit, they sat in my craft room for a month, but I finally broke them out and started wrapping fabric around them yesterday. Let me show you the difference.

From this:

to this:

Using this tutorial, I watched the season finale of Revenge (let me just say-WOW!) and organized a huge pile. 

Somewhere in the middle of my task, my "helper" woke up from her nap. The assembly line I had going started looking something like this:

I had a bunch of fabric that was oddly shaped, so I just did my best in folding it into the roll.  It all worked out.

Overall, I'm happy with how it turned out.   The pile shown above represents about 1/4 of my stash.  I still have a lot of work to do.  All in good nap time:)

Easier Than I Thought!

Cost: Around $10 for 100 boards!

Rocker Re-do

When we moved into our new house (almost six years ago), I knew I wanted to have rockers on the big front porch.  Growing up, I spent a lot of time at my grandparent's farm.  I loved to swing on the porch swing and rock in the rockers. Those are some of my fondest memories of my grandparent's farm.

Come to find out, my grandparents had kept those rockers when they moved from the farm.  I politely asked if I could rescue them from their basement to use on my new front porch.  They, of course, gave them to me. I was so excited.

Once I got them, I realized they weren't in great shape.  Paint was chipping off, and they were a little unstable due to some of the rotting seat slats. One of my neighbors convinced me that it made the rockers look antique, so I didn't bother painting them and left them the way they were.  Besides, no one could see their condition from the street.

Over the last couple of years, the seat slats on one of the rockers have broken off, leaving it unusable.  Despite the fact that my nephew has enjoyed playing swords with the broken slats, I knew I needed to replace the seat in order to preserve the rockers. When I began this project, the rockers looked something like this:

This year, I vowed to save the rockers from further dilapidation.  This is the one that I chose to start with since it was in such obvious disrepair.

After looking extensively online, I couldn't find curved replacement seat slats that were similar to the ones on the rocker.  Finally, I decided that the curve of the slats wasn't so significant and decided to replace the slats with flat, cut pieces of poplar.

First, I used a rubber mallet to knock off the remaining slats of the rocker.

After a quick trip to Lowe's, I got pieces of poplar that were similar in width and thickness to the originals and cut them to size using the old slats as templates. Poplar is much stronger than pine and paints up well.  This was only my second time using the saw, so I was pretty pumped when I dry fit the pieces and the rocker looked something like this:

My intent was to finish sanding and painting the rocker this past weekend, but much needed pressure washing and a day by the pool took precedence.  Stay tuned to see the finished product...

Washi Wipe Box

If you're into DIY crafts or addicted to Pinterest, you may have seen projects like the one pictured below (from Centsational Girl) using washi tape to decorate a simple vase. Washi tape is from Japan and is like a masking tape with cute prints. I was able to find it at Target after looking at a few different stores. The scrapbook section has some as well as the office supply section.

After seeing projects like this one, I figured I could come up with a way to easily incorporate the same idea into making customized wipe containers for the upcoming baby showers I will be attending. Here are the final products:

Aren't they cute? Who wouldn't want a personalized box of wipes that matches the nursery?  I would have loved it.  In fact, I want to make one for myself now even though our diaper phase may be coming to an end before the end of the year (if all goes well).

Here are the incredibly easy instructions for how I went about making these two customized containers:

• I went to the store and got two white wipes containers.  I used one from Target (Up & Up brand) and the Babies R Us brand wipes.  If you are going to try this, make sure you inspect the box to confirm the labels will peel off.  

• Then, using Goo Gone, I wiped all of the tacky adhesive off the box.  

•  Once the box was no longer tacky, I wrapped the tape around the container, equally spacing the strips. I smoothed out any wrinkles or bubbles in the tape using my fingernail.

• To create the chevron pattern, I used the polka dots on the tape as my guide.  With my exacto knife, I carefully cut triangles along the top and bottom edge using the polka dots to keep my pattern, and continued all the way around the box. You get a little cross eyed after staring at all those dots!  I taped on one strip at a time, lining up the polka dots vertically with the previous row to keep the pattern. 

• Finally, I embellished the boxes by painting and gluing on pre-made wood decorations using a strong craft glue.  **Hot glue will not adhere to the plastic.

Now the new mama will have a cute wipes container she can refill with whatever brand wipes she prefers.  You know she'll be thinking of you since she'll be using it so often:)

This is just a preview to what's coming in a couple of weeks.   I'll be sharing my favorite go to handmade baby gifts!

Easier Than I Thought!

Cost: about $8 including rolls of washi tape, box of wipes, and embellishments

Linked to: Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee Crafts, Mommy By Day Crafter By Night,  Today's Creative Blog, A Bowl Full of Lemons,  A Little Tipsy,  The Shabby Nest, Crafty Scrappy Happy,  House of Hepworths,  52 Mantels,  Whipperberry,  Family Ever After,  Tatertots and Jello,  Serenity Now

The Secret to Beautiful Ferns

Adding to my love of window boxes, I also love the look of big, full ferns on a southern front porch.  We don't live in the south (nor are we southerners), but the big front porch with the rocking chairs and hanging Boston ferns holds some kind of American nostalgia for me.

That relaxing, southern look (like the one above from Southern Living's website) is a look that we were striving for when we built our house and front porch.  I love spending time on our front porch swing with my little girl.  I am currently in the process of revamping our porch and giving it more character.  More on that in the coming weeks...

When we first moved into our new home, I was so excited that first summer to plant my ferns on our  front porch and couldn't wait for them to grow big and full.  The only problem was that they never grew very well.  They got dry and dead, brown fronds were everywhere.  I didn't understand what I was doing wrong.  I watered them and even fertilized them.  This happened the following year too.  I was so disappointed.

By the third summer, I had almost given up on my idea of big, beautiful ferns. That is when I made a few changes that made a big difference.

• Epsom salts- an old lady at a roadside flower stand told me this secret.  One tablespoon of epsom salts dissolved in gallon of water and fed to ferns once a week.  Better than any fertilizer and cheap too!
• Baskets- coco liner baskets don't hold moisture. They are not a good choice for a hanging basket since the wind is already drying to a plant.   I traded out the coco lined baskets for wood baskets with plastic liners.  I poked a small hole in the plastic at the bottom of the basket to let the water drain.
• Soil Moist- planting product that is a gel like substance that I use in all my container planters.  It reduces watering by 50%!  Talk about eco-friendly!

Ever since I made these small changes, my ferns have started growing big and full.  Sometimes they look like they might outgrow the baskets I plant them in!

Soon, the $5 Boston Ferns I bought from Lowe's last weekend will look something like this:

Easier Than I Thought!

Window Box Recipe

I have always admired homes with window boxes.  There is something that is both charming and inviting about them. When we built our home, one of the first things I did was install two custom window boxes that are 6' long in the front of the house.  This past weekend, I was excited to go buy flowers and plant my window boxes.  

I, by no means, consider myself to have a green thumb. Over the years I have experimented with container gardening.  This isn't near as intimidating as gardening to me, and maintenance is fairly minimal.  I have had plenty of trial and error, but I have discovered a recipe for beautiful planters. In order to have gorgeous, full containers, you must have three ingredients:

1. Fillers- mounding annuals that will fill in the window box or planter

2. Spillers-  plants that will spill over the side of the container

3. Thrillers- taller plants that will provide height in the middle and/or either end

* It is important to choose plants that coincide with the amount of light the area receives where the container is located.

With these key ingredients in mind, plant placement is also important so the plants will grow and thrive.  The following diagram shows the plant arrangement I used in my window boxes (plant names I used are in parentheses) :

Here is what my window box looked like once I was finished planting:
 

I can't wait until my plants start to mature.  It is going to look so beautiful!  I'll be sure and post a pic in a few weeks.

It is fun to experiment with different color combinations and plant textures.  Google "window box recipes."  You'll be amazed at how many different plant and flower combination suggestions there are.

Don't forget to like me on Facebook or sign up to receive an email when I post new ideas! Both of these are in the right side bar.

Easier Than I Thought!

Linked to: Tatertots and Jello  A Bowl of Lemons, Nifty Thrifty Things, I Heart Naptime,  The 36th Avenue,  Crafty Scrappy Happy, House of Hepworths, The Shabby Creek Cottage,  The Gunny Sack, 52 Mantels, Tip Junkie,  Today's Creative Blog Sugar Bee Crafts , Mommy By Day Crafter By Night
 Ginger Snap Crafts

Mother's Day Off

Today is my second Mother's Day.  I feel so fortunate to be a stay at home mom. It is the best job I've ever had.

Because my husband works long hours, I spend many days and nights with my little one completely on my own.  This can be very difficult at times (I know many can relate).  So, to celebrate Mother's Day, I requested a day off.  I told my husband I wanted a day to myself.  He could keep our little one while I went to do whatever I please.  My agenda included going to the mall and the fabric store-  BY MYSELF!

On my "day off," I set up a few ground rules: 

• No buying anything for anyone else other than myself (this is actually hard to do)
• No looking at the live webcam feed we have on her crib to see if she was napping
• No  calling my husband at home to see how things are going

I had the most wonderful time aimlessly wandering through Joann's by myself and shopping at the mall.  Here are some things I enjoyed about my glorious five hours of shopping bliss:

1. Eating an entire Auntie Ann's pretzel and not having to share it with anyone
2. No lugging a stroller in and out of the car and around the stores
3. Taking the stairs or escalator (no waiting for the elevator)
4. Only worrying about my own bodily functions
5. Using the regular stall in the bathroom and not having to seek out a family restroom or handicap stall big enough to wheel the stroller into
6. Not worrying about what time it was and trying to get home before nap time
7. Trying on shoes and clothes at my leisure as opposed to grabbing whatever is closest to my size and hoping it fits when I get home
8. Not leaving a trail of goldfish crackers behind me with every step
9. Listening to silence in the car
10.  Not having to awkwardly acknowledge every stranger after my toddler has said, "hi"

Today, I celebrate motherhood and hug my little girl tightly as I thank God for her precious life.  There were many years this day brought loneliness and feelings of inadequacy during our struggle with infertility.  I am thankful that period in my life has passed and feel blessed and honored that I have been given such an important job, being a mom.

Dress to Skirt Refashion

In the past, I have successfully sized down some of my old clothes to fit my daughter.  It's easy to do, and it's free. Since I decided I loathe almost everything in my closet right now,  I knew I needed to revamp some of my own clothes for myself.  I thought a good place to start was with this baby doll dress.  My mom convinced me to buy it several years ago, but I decided I didn't look so cute in it once I got it home.  I wore it a couple of times when I was pregnant, but I never really liked it.  The bottom looked like it had skirt potential, so I decided to refashion it into a new skirt .

It only took me about a half an hour. 

This is what I did:

• Cut the top off the skirt
• Serged the top of the skirt.  This step is not necessary since knit fabric does not fray.  However, I really enjoy using my serger, so I serged the top.
• Created a one inch casing around the top of the skirt using my sewing machine by folding fabric down on inside of skirt.  Sewed around the top of the skirt leaving a 2 inch space so I could feed the elastic in the casing.

•  Then, I cut my one inch elastic to size by stretching it around my waist. 
•  Pinning a safety pin to one side of the elastic, I fed the elastic through the casing using a safety pin.  

•  After that, I zig zagged the two pieces of elastic together.  I went back and forth a few times.  It didn't need to look pretty since it would be on the inside of the waistband.

•  Finally, I sewed the opening of the casing closed.
• Once I had the gathers equally divided around the front and back, I sewed right over the top of the side seams so that the skirt waistband wouldn't shift around on the elastic.  

 

Since I was using the original hem of the dress, the skirt was done!  It turned out really cute, and  I got a new skirt for nothing!

 

One of the best parts is it matches with my painted shoes.  Pairing it with a white tank and cardigan from my closet, and I have a brand new outfit for free!  Wouldn't it look cute with yellow accessories?  

Easier Than I Thought!

Cost: Free!

Linked to: Tatertots and Jello 

A Little Tipsy   

Fun with Fabric Paint

Color blocking is everywhere this year.  A couple of weeks ago when I was at Target, I ran across a super cute pair of wedge heels that were pink and yellow.  I couldn't justify spending $30 on a pair of shoes that would only match a couple outfits from my closet (at most).  After my first experiment with the little/big brother shirts using fabric paint, I was looking around for what else I could paint.  A few years ago I bought a pair of wedge sandals with canvas straps from a local discount store for $3. They were cute, but they needed a little pizazz.

I decided to add a little color blocking myself. First, I taped off the sole and the other straps with painter's tape so I wouldn't get any paint on them.  Then, using yellow fabric paint, I painted the middle strap using a sponge brush by dabbing it on.  It took 10 minutes, and they turned out fabulous! I love the results and can't believe how much better they look!

I wore them this past weekend and got a lot of compliments.  After telling everyone I painted them, no one could believe it.  You can't even tell.  Even my husband commented on how nice they looked.  I accepted this very rare comment from him as the ultimate compliment.

Experiment with fabric paint.  What can you pull out of your closet to paint? You can turn it into something funky, fresh, and fun in just minutes!

Easier Than I Thought!

Cost: Free. I already had the paint and the brush from one of my last projects!

Linked to: Tip Junkie 
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Today's Creative Blog
Mommy By Day Crafter By Night 
 Sugar Bee Crafts
Ginger Snap Crafts
Domestically Speaking
A Little Tipsy  
House of Hepworths
The Shabby Creek Cottage 
Crafty Scrappy Happy  
Serenity Now
I Heart Naptime 

National Teacher Appreciation Week May 7-11

Teacher Appreciation Week is this week.  As a former teacher, I have to stress the importance of recognizing your child's teacher. Teachers sacrifice so much for their students.  They give time and money as well as time away from family and friends. 

The teaching profession has been hit hard recently since the economic down turn.  Levies have been failing and many districts have had to make drastic cutbacks.  Now, more than ever, is a great time to let your child's teacher know how much he or she is appreciated.  Let your small gift of gratitude help light up his or her day.

Based on my personal experience, the best gift ever is a personal, handwritten note. I used to keep a file of thank you notes in my desk drawer.  Sometimes I would read them when I was having a rough day.  I had a variety of notes from students, but some of my favorite notes came from parents too.  A short note detailing something specific that you and/or your child love about him or her or something you think is great that your child is learning about. The best part about this gift is that it's virtually free. 

Refreshing Treat

One of my friends gave me this recipe years ago. I felt like making it yesterday since it all of a sudden it became super hot here. It's a great refreshing treat on a hot day and very low in calories too! Super easy too. 

 Ingredients:
1 cup of yogurt
1 pack of flavored Jello gelatin (sugar free if you desire)
1 cup of water

Instructions: Boil one cup of water and mix in gelatin. Mix until gelatin is completely dissolved.  Add yogurt. Mix together. Pour into small containers and chill for a couple hours. 

The result is almost like a whipped sherbet. It is smooth, creamy and delicious! I have tried this using different flavors of yogurt and gelatin. My favorites are peach, strawberry, and raspberry. Orange adds an extra tang to it too. Experiment with your favorite flavors.

In other news, we are taking our daughter to the zoo tomorrow for the first time. She is at that perfect age of curiosity. We are excited to enjoy a little family fun. Have a great day!

Easier Than I Thought!

Oh, Brother! Part 2

If you missed it, yesterday I dyed the two shirts for my nephews to match one another using my front load washer. You can see Part One here.

Today, I'll show you how I created the stencils for the text on the brother shirts.  Here is what I used:

• freezer paper (after searching many grocery stores, I found mine at Meijer)
• exacto knife
• matte fabric paint in orange and yellow
• sponge brush

First, I played around with different fonts on my computer until I found one I liked.  I printed out the message to make sure it was the right scale for the shirt.  Once I decided it looked good, I cut out freezer paper to the size of a piece of computer paper.  Instead of tracing the text on the freezer paper like a lot of tutorials suggested, I thought I would cut a step out and print the text right on the freezer paper using my computer printer.  I had to be careful to print the text on the flat side, not the waxy side of the paper. 

After printing my text on the freezer paper, I used my exacto knife to cut out the letters. If you mess up, you can use scotch tape so the paint doesn't penetrate it.  As long as you go slow and are careful, you'll be fine.  This was the first time I used an exacto knife, and I didn't have any mess ups!

Once all my letters were cut out, I set my iron to the cotton setting, adjusted the template so it was centered and level on the shirt, and ironed the freezer paper (shiny side down) onto the shirt.  It stuck really well.  Don't worry, the freezer paper doesn't leave any residue. I even used the little pieces from the B in BIG and ironed them on too. I was really surprised that they stuck so well since they were so small.  Here is what it looked like once they were ironed on.

 
Then, taking my paint and sponge brush, I painted the text using a pouncing motion to apply the paint.  If you try to use strokes, it will stretch the material inside the stencil.  I filled in the text and gently smoothed the paint out so it didn't look dimply.  A second coat was necessary to hide the dark blue of the shirt.

Once the painting was finished, I let the paint dry completely (about 3 hrs), and removed the stencil by gently pulling it off the shirt.  I really couldn't believe the results.  It looks exactly like screenprint.  The edges are SOOO precise.

I can see using this for birthday shirts, special occasions, monogram totes, I could go on and on.  There are so many uses!

Easier Than I Thought!
Cost: $16 including the larger shirt, paint, sponge brushes, freezer paper and dye

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