4th of July Burlap Door Decoration

Ok, I love tutorials - the kind with more pictures than words.  I guess I am a visual learner?  Yup.  So here you go!  Just had to share.  It isn't rocket science but hopefully it will inspire.  

Supplies - burlap, dot painting brushes, pins, paint, scissors, and wrapping paper or brown kraft paper

Cut a shape out of wrapping paper.  I have a problem with straight lines so my star is a bit wonky.  That is ok, I am too.

Using template, cut two of the burlap shapes.  I pin burlap together and cut.  Then pin burlap shapes onto a plastic surface (so paint won't bleed through).

Let dry - duh?

And the rest I forgot pictures!  Hot glue two sides together.  Leave a small gap in the middle to insert "stuffing.  I use Publix sacks.  Not to much.  Just enough to hold shape.  Glue shut.Glue on bow etc. etc. 

Ta-da!  Done!  I used a cheap plastic hanger hot glued to the back.  Holds the star shape perfect.  And it is free!  _ yippppeeeeeee

Total cost - 3.25 and 30 minutes time.  

Felt Flower Mums Tutorial

I love cute flower pins!  These little (or big) mums fit the bill.  They can be placed on a pin back for a friend, a hair clip, or even my wreath that I recently made.  Super Easy and fast.  The perfect craft.

Supplies

glue gun

sheet of felt

scissors

Yup, that is it.  

Take your sheet of felt (.25) and cut a strip the longest way possible.  The height of your strip depends on how big you want your flower.  The lower the height, the smaller the flower.  Remember that this strip will be folded in half.

Fold strip in half and put a light line of hot glue along the bottom of the strip and fold the strip in half.

So now you have a long strip, starting from the top cut a length down.  Being careful not to cut thru the entire strip.  Continue to cut this in a fringe type pattern.  The width of each of these cuts determines the width of flower petals.  

After it is all cut, put a small bead of glue at one end of your fringed strip.  Begin rolling the strip.  Yes, just roll.

  

After all is rolled and done, hold your little roll together.  Turn it over and lean it on the table to flatten the bottom.  Then take your hot glue gun and glue the heck out of the bottom.  It is then up to you what you are going to do with your little flower. 

I added some vintage buttons to the center of mine.  I think these would make a great Mother's day present or Pinterest party idea!  Enjoy! 

Spring Wreath

I'm not really a Valentine's day decor kind of girl.  I love red, love pink and love hearts - but it's just not my thing.  Now don't get me wrong - I go could for any classic vintage style Valentine's but those are hard to find.  

Instead, this February, I choose to make a transitional wreath of sorts.  Maybe a winter hope wreath.  It is inspired by the candy flying around the house right now.  This wreath wishes for the bright colors of spring flowers.  And it is simple - something I have spent the winter trying to find.  

My bright little wreath requires just a few supplies.....

1- 10 inch foam wreath.  I used one that was smooth on the sides

1- skein of multi colored yarn.  The inspiration for this project.

4 - sheets of felt.

In all about 10.00 worth of easy to get supplies.

First, you need a starting point.  It is always so hard for me to find the end point on yarn so I just clip and snip.  The end of your yarn needs to be hot glued to your wreath.  Then wrapped your little heart away.  I would say this is boring!  So boring!  But it is a great time to catch up on your favorite episode of Project Runway!  Just keep wrapping.  I stopped every four inches or so, added a dap of hot glue (just for good measure). 

When you are done wrapping your heart away (or your episode on Netflix is over) finish the end with hot glue.
  

See, how simple was that?  A yarn wrapped wreath.  Who knows, you might change the world with that thing?

I chose to jazz up my wreath with some really simple felt mums.  Seriously, these little stinkers took me ten minutes and I love the results.  (And if you stick around on Wednesday, I will teach you how to make those).

In the meantime, my wreath makes me happy to come home.  A sweet little reminder that spring is almost here.  The birds will be out and the yard work will need to be done.  In the meantime, I think I will plan a felt bunting to add to the door - can't have too much happy around here!  

Painting Furniture

A few weeks (no, I am lying) a few months ago, I found this little beauty on Craigslist.  I believe it was once the bottom of a hutch.  It is a bit taller than a dresser, leaner than a dresser and perfect for our breakfast room a.k.a freakishly small dining room.  It was listed for 50, I snagged it for 40. This little gem is SOLID wood — very heavy.  It came with what the seller thought were the most adorable apple shaped knobs.

First off, I knew the knobs had to go!  See-ya knobs!  I also knew the orange tinged stain was a goner too.  Looked like it was time to get dirty! 

This was my first time painting furniture (well, I painted one piece on a whim 9 years ago, with the wrong type of paint so that doesn't count).  I was incredbility nervous as I walked into Home Depot to get supplies.

  Now, don't get me wrong - - I was practically raised in a Home Depot.  Walking onto a job site or into a construction store is in my blood.  Heck, my dad ingrained The Home Depot so thick in my blood that I even worked there for a few years!  

Anyway, I walked into HD armed with what I needed in mind -- a great color of paint ( a remix of Halycon Green by SW), a paint brush (do not chinch on this one my friends), a foam roller, stain and finishing wax.  There you go!  What I ended up with was a quart of primer plus primer in one from Behr (helloooooooo Behr!).  And Stain and Wax (clear) from Miniwax.  In all supplies were 33.09. 

I am waiting for a later date to write a full tutorial on how I did this but for now I will share that THIS MAMA HAS MAD SKILLS!

  Seriously, I am so happy with the piece!  While I do not think the aging is perfect -- for my first time I am seriously HAPPY!  I love the color, the texture, the Pottery Barn type hard finish on the paint -  I love, love, love the new piece!  It is the perfect addition to the breakfast room!  

The part I love best about this project is the investment.  In all painting, staining, waxing took me 3 hours.  I was even able to include the kids on most of it.  I spent 40 on the piece.  Then spent another 33 on supplies.  If you recognize the fact that there are enough supplies left to probably finish 4 more pieces then I really only spent 6.60 on supplies.  So for a custom piece that I drool over every time I see it -- a grand total of 46.60!  Yup - one happy mama! 

And since you might be concerned about the apple knobs -- as I drove out of the Craiglists ladie's neighborhood she chased me down with these black oil rubbed beauties in her hands!  Thank you Jesus!