baby monogram

Back in the day when we were still expecting and the name was top secret, I did very well at keeping my mouth shut. It came as quite the shock, then, when my coworkers were asking me questions about the nursery room that I almost let a *big* hint slip. You see, while my lips were sealed, I forgot that hands can speak, too [particularly mine - watch out when I tell a story]!

Descriptions of curtains, shelving, and wall decor were willingly shared, hands flailing as I described this and that. Excitedly, I described how I wanted to create a monogram to hang on the wall - and that's when I almost slipped. Just as my index finger flew into the air and started to swing in a C-shaped flourish, I caught myself with wide eyes [meaning I had to explain what I had almost done]. Fortunately, they weren't able to gather the letter I almost drew for them, so the name remained a secret. Phew.

This was a super easy DIY project, and it was created entirely of items I found around the house. It's quick, too, so totally doable while the baby naps. Win. 

Step 1: Sketch your letter on Styrofoam. You could print the letter really large in a font you like, but in the interest of time, I drew freehand.

Step 2: Use a knife to cut out along your lines.

Step 3: If you're re-purposing packaging Styrofoam, cut off dramatic outcroppings. 

Step 4: Sweep up those loose bits and gather your materials, because this is where it gets fun.

Step 5: Wrap it up! First wrap a base layer where the yarn is wrapped basically in line. You can stop there, of course, but it felt a little mummy-ish to me, so I added more texture with yarn wrapped in a crisscross fashion.

Step 6: Grab some ribbon you have lying in your craft drawer and hang that stylish monogram on the wall!

Now doesn't that sound easy and fun? Trust me, it is. What are you waiting for? Go make one for yourself!

tiny made tidy

 

The entryway in our house is really more of a landing. When we moved in, it had a coat rack that looked like a board with inserted dowels, hung at about waist level. It served as a place to put car keys and jackets; periodically one could even find mail precariously balanced on top of the dowel mess.

The problem with this wall is it's only 25" or so wide. And on this wall, I want to store shoes, keys, mail, coats, and other winter accessories. Neatly. Sadly, every organizational unit I found was too large. How to solve such a dilemma? Go modular!

One floating shelf, 2 boxes, 3 hooks,and 1 ingenious key hook/mail sorter later, and our essentials are not only easily accessible, but organized. Sometimes I gaze at in contented bliss. No, really, just ask my husband. Organization makes me very happy. Yeah, you can call me a nerd...

Once the direction was established and the pieces obtained, the project didn't even take very long. Cross another trouble zone off the list! [now...if only I could decide on paint color...]

For more ideas, check out the Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop. This week's theme is "organization."

mason jar decor

Canning jars. They are *so very* versatile! 

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is all of the lights that come out to brighten our dark evenings. Here in Minnesota it gets dark eeeaaarrrly. Way too early. Or, maybe, perfectly early because it makes the sparkly lights that much easier to see!

Some day I'll share with you the joys that were canning this past fall, but for now, check out what you can do with the leftover jars:

1. Line up some of your favorite glass jars, varying sizes if you can.

2. Add in some "twinkle lights" (or Christmas lights,  if you prefer, but calling them "twinkle" means they can stay up much, much longer).

3. Wait for, oh, 5 pm to roll around and plug them in...

4. Instant warmth! 

Seriously. We had these on during Thanksgiving and everyone agreed they made the room feel cozier. I love plugging them in every night and basking in their glow...and if there's hot chocolate in my hand, all the better. 

For more ideas, check out the Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop. This week's theme is "holiday decor."

upcycled wall decor

I am linking up with Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop and the prompt this week is DIY. It's time to share my latest decorating project!

It's not much of a secret that I enjoy coffee. The enjoyment of coffee runs deep in my family; it's a part of life. You wake up, you have coffee. Then mid-morning, you have more. Lunchtime, afternoon-time, really anytime is time for coffee. I like to think that each cup has a crazy mix of relaxation and energy that is passed to the drinker.

When I saw this idea in a local doughnut shop [another one of my loves], it seemed a perfect fit for our kitchen. It's really easy, super cheap, and comes together in a snap.

Step one: Buy some burlap bags from your local coffee roaster. These came from Dunn Bros and were $1 each. Buy some foam core board, and cut it in half [or not if your piece is smaller].

Step two: Center the design and pin the burlap in place. Trim down edges and corners to reduce bulk.

Step three: Use a hot glue gun to secure the rough edges. Trim any extra fabric.

Step four: Hang on the wall. We nailed right through the board, so even hanging them was easy peasy!

 

Step five: Make some coffee and enjoy your new wall decor. [okay, maybe this part is optional]

Seriously, you should make this! If you're not into burlap sacks, fun fabric prints would be cute, too. I'd love to hear if any of you try this project! 

diy bathroom facelift

 

Alternatively, this post could be titled "the wonders of spray paint." Inspired by countless DIY bloggers out there, I armed myself with a can of white and a can of oil-rubbed bronze and spent the 4th of July weekend *finally* conquering this project!

 

As you can see, we had quite a few color combinations going on. Wood veneer with brass towel hooks, a wall shelf painted the same color as the wall, and a light fixture that was beige with green speckels. It was time to bring some unity [+ a more modern color theme].

The process is really simple: sand everything and paint multiple coats until you've covered every angle. In hindsight, I should have sanded the veneer a little deeper. The white paint didn't like to stick to some of the wood grain, so it's not as completely smooth as I was hoping for. I just tell myself it's the antique look. :-)

[Also in hindsight I might have not worn my rings at the time, or flip flops. Though the white flecks do add some character to my nail polish...]

 

There it is - all together! Someday I'd like to paint the walls a warm gray to match the floor, but until then, they just get painted in Photoshop. Seriously, it's a great way to visualize paint colors in existing rooms.

< This shot has little to do with the main subject of this post, but a lot to do with why I need to put so many things on that wall shelf. Check out how small these drawers are! What am I supposed to fit in there?

Hope you had a wonderful time celebrating the 4th last weekend, or finishing up some projects yourself!

dress daring

Among the many wonderful people that find their way into my blog browsing is Suzannah from Adventures in Dressmaking. That girl can pull apart pieces from multiple patterns and whip up pretty much any dress she imagines!

While I don't claim to be that sort of seamstress, one cute pattern spotted at JoAnn's and a new mission was formed: to sew myself a dress. Sad story, the pattern was out of stock and now I can't find it online, but one of the above dresses could fit the bill. They all have the tucked natural waist silhouette and knee length, so which bodice would be the most versatile?

Which one would you pick?

Clockwise, from top left:
Cynthia Rowley 2497
Cynthia Rowley 2250
muse B5353
Retro Butterwick B5209
McCall M6279

curtain love

What was once a white sheet from IKEA is now a garment bag + curtain! Love it.

M'lady ye ole sewing machine and I have been having some tension issues, but it's now resolved enough that I was able to make these two items. They were so easy to whip up, it really makes me wonder why I procrastinated for so long. [isn't that usually the case?]

While I was getting my wedding dress altered, the seamstress told me to preserve my gown I could make a simple sheath-type bag for it, with a hole for the hangar, and it would be able to breathe yet be protected. Thus the sheet, with one cut and two seams, became a garment bag. The train is encased in the sheet and folded up the back, with the remainder of the sheet pinned over the top of the hangar [those two triangles you see]. Safe and sound.

The curtain was even easier. The window happened to be the right length for the height of the sheet, so three sides were already finished for me! Love that. A few pins + a 2" seam later, a curtain was born. Our home is a split level with no neighbor across the street, so we now have privacy from the street + sidewalk, while still enjoying the view and gathering sunbeams. Perfect.

Not quite a refashion, but extremely pleased to have these sewing projects finished nonetheless. Now off to read your blogs and see what projects you've been accomplishing!

[update] For those that want more details as to the creation of the garment bag, check out this illustrated guide.

DIY: family tree

One of my favorite parts of this time of year is receiving Christmas cards. I check the mail every day, hoping to get a photo greeting from family and friends.

The only problem with this fascination is their display. We don't have a mantle, so that's out. My husband doesn't like clutter on the refrigerator, so I can't hang them there. Adding to the dilemma is that I want them in a place where I can keep them year-round without getting in the way.

Then it dawned on me. A family tree! We have a long hallway in our lower level that would be perfect for a simple tree made from yarn, tacks, and pushpins from which the photos of loved ones could hang by paperclips or binder clips.

This week, my vision was put into action and I love it! It makes me pause as I walk to the laundry room to see a tree filled with people I love. It's visible, yet out of the way. Perfect.

 

My blank slate, waiting to be filled!

Here you can see the construction. I used thumbtacks for the angles in the tree and pushpins for mostly endpoints where I'll hang the photos. One helpful hint is to put your pushpins in first based on the distance you need for hanging photos. Then create your branches around them. While this tactic made my trunk a little funky, once it's covered, the funkiness is reduced.

See? Totally reduced.

What about you? How do you tackle incoming Christmas greetings?

quick and easy: camera sleeve

Sometimes I pick my last waking moments to tackle a project. Case in point: this camera sleeve. I like to keep our point-and-shoot in my purse so it's on hand for any possible photo opportunities. Unfortunately, when I also throw in the car keys, the screen is likely to get scratched. My small purse can't fit a bulky camera case, so this simple sleeve was born!

Step One: Measure your camera. Multiply its length by 2, then add 2". This is the length of the piece of fabric you should cut. For the width, add 1" to your camera's width.



I decided to throw measuring out the window and eyeballed it. Then I folded the fabric in half to see how straight (or crooked) I cut. Did pretty well this time! :-)

Step Two: Fold the narrow ends down 1/2" (wrong sides facing) and stitch with a quarter-inch seam allowance.

Step Three: Fold the entire piece of fabric in half (right sides facing) and stitch up the sides with a 1/2" seam allowance if your camera is thin, or 1/4"seam allowance if your camera is thick.

Step Four: Turn the sleeve inside out, and put your camera inside.  You're done!


Optional: You could feed a string through the top seam if you want a drawstring pouch, but I left mine out so I can easily slip the camera out for those quick photo ops.

If you're stopping by from It's a Blog Party, thanks for visiting! Return to the party here.

wine cork magnets

There's just something to love about wine corks.

They, like those unique buttons, each have a personality and history. My husband and I really enjoy trying different types of wine, and the corks tell stories of the vineyards we've tasted, so I can't throw them away.

Luckily, before our collection got out of control, we visited a bunch of cute local shops and inspiration hit.

Magnets!

Which means they can retain their character and have added functionality, too. Beautiful.

I experimented with a few different approaches to decorating them, but basically you cut the cork into four slices, glue a magnet to the back, decorate the front (or leave as is, if you like), and you're done!

card wallet

Remember when I recovered an incomplete deck of cards in my car? Here they are, in all their well-loved glory.

While I haven't yet tackled the purse concept, here is my first attempt at a wallet. Perfectly sized for your cards and tiny purses.


Materials: 5 playing cards, some clear duct tape, and scissors.