Quiet Book Zippered Purse

I am slowly making progress on the quiet book I'm making for my little girl.  If you remember, the first page was the Ernie page.  The second page of the quiet book I'm making is a page that allows my little one to practice opening and closing a zipper.  I decided that this would be the most fun for her if I made it like a purse.  She can actually store things in it if she wants.

The construction was very easy.  First, I cut a rectangle of knit fabric (because it won't fray).  Then, I attached the zipper at the top by using my sewing machine's zipper foot.  I chose to go with an exposed zipper.  After sewing the zipper to the fabric and securing the ends to the back of the fabric, I sewed the fabric to the felt page, opened the zipper, and used my seam ripper to cut the fabric straight across under the zipper.

For the handle, I simply ruffled a strip of fabric and sewed it to the page. 

Easier Than I Thought!

Linked to:  Tues:  Tip Junkie,   Sugar Bee Crafts,  A Bowl Full of Lemons,   Today's Creative Blog,   Wed: Gingersnap Crafts,   Sew Much Ado,  Thurs: 36th Avenue,  52 Mantels,   House of Hepworths, Friday:Tatertots and Jello,  Serenity Now,  Whipperberry,   Sun.: I Heart Naptime,

Sheet Music Shade

This is the second project I took on for my mom's music studio: the lamp shade.  If you missed the painted chairs you can see those here.

Remember the pleated shade on the blue lamp?  (below)

Here is what it looks like now:

Don't you love it? I made it from strips of old sheet music. It is going to look fantastic and help tie in the musical theme at the studio.

Here is what I did:

First, I stripped the shade.  I removed the trim and the pleated fabric from the shade.  The only thing left was the plastic form. This was easy to do since the shade was old and crusty.

Next, I used a vintage music book my mom gave me and cut the pages into 2" strips using my paper cutter.

Then, I folded the strips in half lengthwise.

Using hot glue, I attached the strips to the shade by applying glue to the back of the strips and stacking them one on top of the other around the shade.  The key to applying them in this way was to place the strip vertically so it was straight on the shade.  Because of the shape of the shade, that meant the top portion overlapped more of the previous strip on the top and created a wider pleat at the bottom.

After I applied all of the strips around the shade, I glued 1/2" double fold binding to cover the top and bottom edges of the shade.  The fold of the binding matched up with the edges of the shade and helped cover the edges of the music pages.

Here is what it looks like at night.  It lets off a pretty, amber glow.

Easier Than I Thought!
Cost: A lot of hot glue sticks

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,   Sew Much Ado,  Thurs: 36th Avenue,  52 Mantels,   House of Hepworths, Friday:Tatertots and Jello,  Serenity Now,  Whipperberry,   Sun.: I Heart Naptime,

Painting an Upholstered Chair

If you read my last post, you know that I have been transforming some outdated furniture for my mom to use in her new piano studio.  The project I'm sharing today is certainly NOT the one I was referring to that has been giving me such fits.  I will fill you in on that next week. In fact, this project couldn't be easier.  It is the most simple transformation I've ever done with the most dramatic impact.  Here is the before and after:

Can you believe it? I love the new updated color.  It never ceases to amaze me what a coat of paint can do. I don't even mind that the texture from the material showed through.  I think it looks really elegant.  I painted two chairs in the same way. I am thinking about maybe painting the legs since they're a little rough, but they're pretty much done!

You ready for the tutorial?  I can sum it up in one sentence.  I had a gallon of latex paint left over from painting my office.  I grabbed a paintbrush and painted the chair.  That's it!

I have had a few questions come up as I have been working on these chairs.  My friends and neighbors couldn't help but notice me in my garage painting a chair with a paint brush.  I'm sure they weren't too shocked, but they probably thought I was a little crazy.  Here are some of the questions I've encountered:
  
How does the fabric feel?
It feels like outdoor fabric.  After researching this thoroughly, I found others have used fabric medium to make the fabric feel softer.  Since these chairs are meant to be durable and in more of a commercial space, I wasn't concerned with a soft feel.  If I was going to use these in my own home for more than just looks, I probably would use the fabric medium.

Is the paint going to stick to you if you sit in the chair?
Certainly not!  Once the paint was dry, it didn't flake, crack, or come off the chair at all.

What kind of paint did you use?
Valspar brand paint from Lowe's in interior satin finish.

 How many coats of paint?
ONE! If you are going to try this, I would suggest painting the piece a similar color to the original. I also used a heavy hand when it came to the amount of paint.  If I had wanted to make these white and had used more paint, they would have turned out more stiff because of all the extra coats of paint needed.

I was very skeptical about this initially, but my cousin (who painted a thrift store chair last year) promised it would turn out.  I was relieved and excited that it did.   Thanks for the encouragement, Jill!

More projects to follow as I continue to spruce up the piano studio.

Please feel free to e-mail me or leave any questions you might have regarding this project in the comments section. 

Easier Than I Thought!
Cost: FREE!!

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,   Sew Much Ado,  Thurs: 36th Avenue,  52 Mantels,   House of Hepworths, Friday:Tatertots and Jello,  Serenity Now,  Whipperberry,   Sun.: I Heart Naptime,

Not so easy

I know that the name of my blog is Easier Than I Thought. However, I have to tell you that I have had a project I've been working on the last few days that does not fit into that category. I promise to share it with you.

For now, I want to show you the before and give you a sneak peak of what's to come.

My mom is opening a music lesson studio and asked for my help to decorate the space and give parents a place to sit while waiting for their children. I am working on a $0 budget to get this done.  So, I did the most logical thing there is to do and went "shopping" for furniture in her basement.  That's where I found these gems and snapped this before pic.

I know you're probably saying,"Gems?"  They are in terms of transformation potential.  So stay tuned during the next several weeks as I share with you how I was able to add new life to this outdated furniture ensemble. 

Cheesy Zucchini Bites

A few weeks ago, I was at the local farmer's market and picked up a couple of zucchinis.  I wanted to make something different with them.  They looked so good!  I knew I had pinned a recipe using zucchinis, but I was disappointed that I didn't have all the ingredients called for in the recipe.  So, I improvised and put my own spin on it. They turned out to be delicious!  My skeptical hubby even loved them (as evidenced in this picture).

It is so easy and would be great as an appetizer or an addition to any dinner!

Here's what you do:

• Wrap a baking sheet in foil (this is a bit messy)
• Cut the zucchini into 1/2" slices and place on the tray
• Sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoning salt, and grated parmesan
• Top with mozzarella cheese
• Broil in oven for approximately 5 min. or until tops have slightly browned
• EAT!

Note: This is a great recipe if you have kids.  They won't even taste the vegetable!

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,   Sew Much Ado,  Thurs: 36th Avenue,  52 Mantels,   House of Hepworths, Friday:Tatertots and Jello,  Serenity Now,  Whipperberry,   Sun.: I Heart Naptime,

Custom Vinyl Chalkboard

We are starting school this week!  Well, kind of.  I am starting to teach my little girl.  The teacher in me can't resist.  She's like a little sponge and is talking like crazy!  Even though she isn't quite two, I want to get a structure to our day and have a theme of the week.  We will read books and do activities based on the week's theme. Ten minutes a day will be the extent of it. The alphabet will help guide our themes.  So, this week the theme is airplanes.

With this in mind, I felt like I needed to create a space to record the theme and showcase her work. I know.  I'm such a teacher.  And a teacher needs a chalkboard! I found some dark brown chalkboard vinyl sheets on clearance for $9.99 at Joann's and thought it would be a perfect solution.  I chose to apply the vinyl to the metal door which leads out to the garage.  It is a good door to use because we will be reminded of what we're learning every time we leave.  Plus, applying the chalkboard vinyl gives me a chalkboard without the commitment.  I can use magnets on the door and use it just like a real chalkboard!  I love it!

The challenge of this project was cutting the vinyl to fit the top door panel.  Like all of our doors, the raised panel is arched. After brainstorming, I came up with a plan to create a template for the arch.  Using my craft paper, I cut a sheet to fit the width of the panel and taped it to the door.  Then, I took a piece of colored chalk and ran it over the edges of the panel.  This created a template for the arch.  The only part that showed was the inner edge of the panel leaving a line where the edge was. Perfect!

Taking my craft paper, I cut out the shape of the panel using the chalk as a guide for where to cut.
Then, I taped it to the back side of the vinyl sheet.  After measuring the width and length of the remainder of the panel (the part the craft paper didn't cover), I continued the lines and connected them to complete the shape.

After cutting the shape on the vinyl, I fit the sheet to the door with the backing paper still on it.  Using painter's tape, I taped the edges to the door.  There were still overlaps on some of the edges, so I used the chalk on the vinyl to once again help the edges show.  A little more trimming here and there, and the vinyl was ready to apply!

I used a squegee to help apply the vinyl.  Starting at the top corners, I slowly removed the paper backing while smoothing the vinyl from the center outward to avoid any bubbles.
That's it! A chalkboard door.

Tip: When applying large sheets of vinyl, it is hard to get all the bubbles out.  If you have any remaining bubbles, take a small needle and pierce the bubble and smooth it with your fingernail.  You won't even see it!

Easier Than I Thought!
 Cost: $9.99 for the vinyl

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,   Sew Much Ado,  Thurs: 36th Avenue,  52 Mantels,   House of Hepworths, Friday:Tatertots and Jello,  Serenity Now,  Whipperberry,   Sun.: I Heart Naptime,

Guest Judge at CSI

Happy Sunday, everyone! I wanted to let you know that this week I am one of the guest judges for the theCSI Project.com.  CSI stands for Create Something Inspiring.  It is a fun site that has great ideas every week based on a theme.  For instance, this week is Back To School week on CSI.  There will be three tutorials based on the theme at the beginning of the week.  On Thursday, bloggers can contribute their best Back To School ideas to a link party.  The top ten ideas are chosen by the judges.  Since I'm one of the guest judges, I get to decide and share my top picks next Saturday.  From there, one winner is chosen to receive the prize from the week's sponsor.

You may have seen this button (below) at the bottom of some of my past posts.  That means that I joined in the fun and linked up my idea to one of the past themes on CSI.   I was even in the top ten for the watermelon ice cubes during the Summer themed week.  Also, I was chosen at random and won a prize pack from one of the sponsors just for submitting an idea a few months ago. 

Even if you aren't a blogger, it's a great site to gain ideas and inspiration.  If you are a blogger, get your crafty Back To School ideas together and link them up on Thursday! I hope you stop by and visit me over at CSI.  Don't forget to listen to the podcast where Dee, the host of CSI, asked me all about getting kids ready to go back to school, homework tips, blogging, and crafting.  See you there!

Did you notice...

I made a few changes to the blog? Check out the right sidebar.  A new picture (thanks to my wonderful husband), a search feature (since I finally feel like I have enough posts to have one) and a few new icons. It's starting to look pretty snazzy, don't you think?!

A few nights ago I started fooling around with some cool new social media and communication icons from cwfrosting. They were free!  If you're a blogger and looking for a change, you should check it out. She has a lot of fun and unique icons.

Please note that all icons in the right side bar have been checked and rechecked and are ready for action! Please take advantage. If you're new to the bloggy icons, I will take a moment to explain the meaning of each. I can't help it.  It's the teacher in me...

First, we have the connect icons.


Facebook: If you haven't yet, take a moment to like my page on Facebook.  I promise I won't overload your news feed with updates.  A few times a week you can stay connected and be reminded when I have new posts.

 
@: This opens your mail browser so you can write a lovely email to me.  What are you up to? Any cool projects? Questions for me? I'd love to hear from you!


Pinterest: This is for those of you who would like to see what I'm pinning and follow me on Pinterest.





Subscribe icons:

 
Blogger: If you would like to follow my blog and use blogger, this button is for you.


E-mail subscription: Get an e-mail alerting you of new posts.  I ONLY use this to notify you of any new posts.  No junk mail from me! 



I hope these new changes make it easier for you to stay in touch and enhance your blog reading experience:)


Easier Than I Thought!

Monogram Wreath Using Scraps

Here is the story of how I made my new monogram wreath using scraps of upholstery trim and other supplies I already had. 

 My front door was in need of some attention.  The wall pocket on the door was filled with tulips.  To me, that's kind of like having your Christmas wreath on your front door in March.  I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I kind of made it up as I went along.

My first stop was to Hobby Lobby in search of inspiration. I found a letter in the clearance section I thought would be great to incorporate.  For $2.50, it was a great score.  Once I got it home, I painted it white so it would stand out against the dark door.

Then, I got out one of the 16" straw wreath forms my mother-in-law gave me a couple months ago when she was cleaning out her craft supplies.  I wrapped the form in burlap wire ribbon that I had purchased half price at Hobby Lobby and sized up how the N looked on the wreath.  Unfortunately, it looked like I wrapped the wreath with an ace bandage and stuck a letter on it.

It needed something else, and I did not have time to waste.  Naptime was slowly waning.  I didn't want to make another trip to the store to buy some sad, fake flowers, so that meant I had to use what I had.  I started digging around in my sewing room and came across my stash of trims that I have used for various pillows and window treatments over the years.  The pieces were various lengths, but none of them were substantially long enough to use for anything else.  I knew they would be a great embellishment for my wreath.

I took the rope trims pieces and wrapped them in a circle.  Using my hot glue gun, I put glue on the ribbon piece of the trim and wrapped the rope around itself to create rope circles (see back and front pictures below).  Then, I placed them on the wreath to see what I thought.  It was looking good, but it was still missing some more texture. 

 Digging further into my stash, I discovered some different furry trims.  Using the same technique with the glue gun on the bottom edge, I wrapped the trim around and around to create a kind of furry flower.  I did this four times so each rope circle had a matching flower.  Then, I glued the flowers to the rope circles using a ton of hot glue.  Instant furry flowers!  I love the fun texture they created.  See?

Finally, I used floral pins and pushed them through the layer of rope trim and into the wreath.  That way, I can remove them and add some other kind of embellishment depending on my mood or the season.  The N was attached using fishing line and the hooks on the back of the N that were already there.

Done! Cute new wreath using things I already had.

Easier Than I Thought!

Cost: $7.00 total: $2.50 for the letter, $5.00 for the burlap ribbon

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,   Sew Much Ado,  Thurs: 36th Avenue,  52 Mantels,   House of Hepworths, Friday:Tatertots and Jello,  Serenity Now,  Whipperberry,   Sun.: I Heart Naptime,

Ernie Quiet Book Page

Last year, I made a felt house and a kitchen for my little girl for her birthday and Christmas (I'll have to show you those some time).  This year, I have been researching some ideas of things to make her.  I want to get an early start so I'm not scrambling at the last minute.  I had a few things in mind, but I kept coming back to making her a quiet book.  It seems like such a special project and one that she can keep for her own kids.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, a quiet book is a handmade book of different hands-on, educational activities for kids to work on when you need them to be quiet (at the doctor's office, at church, in the car, etc.).

Since I didn't really know how my little girl would respond to one of these books and since they are soooo time consuming to construct, I thought I would make one page and try it out.  I wanted to see if it would really hold her attention and if she was developmentally ready to sit down and actually do it by herself.

So, I went to work making a page I knew would interest her.  She is in love with Ernie from Sesame Street, and she also enjoys pointing out parts of the face.  I set out to make an Ernie face with removable pieces so she could construct Ernie's face and put his features where they belong.

To start, I decided the best material to use would be felt because it is durable. Plus, I have a lot of felt scraps to use.

Here is how it went:

1. I did a google search for "Ernie coloring pages" and settled on this image of Ernie and printed it.

2. I cut out each piece of Ernie's face and used the pieces as a template for the felt pieces.  I doubled the felt for each piece so the pieces would be nice and sturdy. The only piece I didn't double was Ernie's face.

3. I sewed each doubled piece together using white thread in the bobbin (since it wasn't going to show) and matched the top thread to the color of the felt.  This way, it created a really nice, professional look.

4. Using velcro, I cut and glued the soft pieces to the back of all the face parts using Liquid Stitch. 

5. Then, taking Ernie's head, I sewed it to the felt page.   The felt I used for the page is a more sturdy and stiff felt pre-cut to the size of a piece of paper.  I also sewed all of the sticky velcro pieces to the corresponding places on Ernie's face.

Now we were ready to give it a try!

A few notes: I was unsure if Liquid Stitch would be strong enough to hold the soft velcro on the back of the pieces.  It has worked great so far.  It saved me a little work too.  Also, if they do happen to come off in the future, the felt sticks to the sticky velcro pieces on Ernie's face without any issues.  I wish I would have known that earlier.  Oh well!

So how did the try out go?  She really enjoyed playing with it.  She even requested it a few times.  She is catching on to the idea of where the pieces go.  Overall, I think it was a hit!  Now I have a lot of work to do... More pages to come...

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,   Sew Much Ado,  Thurs: 36th Avenue,  52 Mantels,   House of Hepworths, Friday:Tatertots and Jello,  Serenity Now,  Whipperberry,   Sun.: I Heart Naptime,