Brought to you by the letter M

Pinterest Parties are the latest crafting activity where you get together with others and make an item found on Pinterest.  Willow Tree Fabrics had a party recently where we got crafty with a letter of our choice and enjoyed snacks also found on Pinterest.

We started by tracing and cutting out the letter.  The M was so BIG they had to cut a bigger piece of burlap for it!   A chevron template was available for the design.

Chevron lines completed.  I know, messy lines, it gets worse!  Ha ha!

Some letters do better on this project than others.  I liked the letter S.   They are stapled to the back piece and then stuffed with plastic shopping bags.

Hot glue is available in metallics too!   We ran the hot glue along the staple line of the letter.

I added a wire hanger and gave it a decorative twist.

The M is so wide that it kind of collapses together at the top.  Maybe more stuffing in the middle would have prevented that.  I just attached the wire at the point that it would collapse the least.

The look better from a distance rather than up close!  I may hang it on the door for a while then it's going on my sewing room wall.

Have you been to a Pinterest party?

Fabric and Crochet Infinity Scarf

Earlier this year when I was learning how to crochet, I started with a scarf.  I love 'em plus I thought it was a smaller and less threatening project!  Something I could see the results sooner than later.

Except it didn't go quite like that.  Learning the abbreviations and deciphering the patterns was sometimes frustrating and confusing.  Looking at the demos on Youtube helped me so much.  As I learned to "Turn", my stitches got off count (was I supposed to be counting? ha ha!)  so row 1-5 has 10 double crochets and rows 6 until the end of the scarf has 9.  

So my first project is not even and after finishing the skein of yarn it's not long enough to wrap around my neck.    It looks like a crocheted "thing".  

Have you seen the fabric and crochet scarf combinations?  I like those too, so I took my crochet "thing" to the fabric store to find a matching lightweight fabric.

I cut the fabric about half an inch wider than my scarf on each side.  Stitch up one long side.

Then I placed the crochet "thing" inside the fabric.

Then folded the fabric over the crochet thing making a sandwich.

Pin and stitch across all three layers.  Do this on both ends.

Now tuck the crochet thing inside the fabric and stitch the other long side leaving about 3" open.  Turn it inside out.  Stitch the 3" opening together to close it.

The ends of the crochet thing are attached to the end of the fabric making one long infinity scarf.

Wrap it around your neck and leave it long...

Or wrap it around again...

It's slightly bulkier than I would like but it will keep the wind off my neck when I run to the store this winter.

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At the Picket Fence

Button Bracelet

Bracelets are my favorite type of jewelry.  

One day I saw the I Spy DIY girl on TV and she mentioned her button bracelets.  So I headed over to her site to check them out and I knew I could do this!

The instructions are pretty straightforward.  It helps to pin the button to cardboard or corkboard while you're braiding the cord.  I gives it something to hold on to.

These 2 have already been confiscated by my daughters.   So I'll be making more for myself!

This charm came from the Bella Rustica vintage mall.  I'm not sure I like the black cord with it so I may redo it.

While I was on a roll with the cord, I made an arrowhead necklace.    My daughter has been wanting an arrowhead necklace and my father gave this arrowhead to her.

Gotta go make more button bracelets!

DIY Word Photo

I like letter art, typography and subway art and have done a couple of projects myself here and here.  

I've snapped lots of photos over the past couple of years of objects that look like letters.  If someone were to look at the picture directory on my computer, they would probably ask "why did you take that picture!"  Because I saw a letter.  Ha ha!

On our trip to the Ozark foothills, we stayed in a very nice cabin here.   It would be a nice honeymoon cabin and although we weren't honeymooning, it was a nice cabin for a couple to just get away.  And there were lots of letters around the cabin just waiting to be photographed.

Like this cabinet used as a TV stand.

And this wrought iron side table on the back deck.

The deck framing itself was "spelling" to me!  Hee hee!

Lots of letters in the fishing lure towel hanger too.

So I chose a few letters and here's my letter photo collage. 

Do you know what it spells?  

The only photo editing needed is cropping and maybe some rotating depending on the angle the photo was taken (ie not necessary to stand on my head to get pictures of letters!! Haha!) and a color change if desired.  

I like it much better than any "made in china" souvenir reminder of a trip!  

Maybe next time, I'll try a word with more than 4 letters.  Has anyone seen a "K" or "Q" or how about an "a" or "h"? 

It becomes a different way to look at the places I go and things I see!

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Mummy

I live in one of those neighborhoods where kids come from all over to trick or treat.  It is safe for the kids but there are way too many trick or treaters!  I get a big bag of candy, pass it out and when it's gone, it's gone.  First come, first serve. 

Some trick or treaters are just more special than others.   These don't just get the usual candy from the big bag.  They get something intended just for them.

My sweet grandaughter is one of those special trick or treaters (and ok, I admit sometimes my college kids get special treats too!).  I probably won't see her on Halloween in her indian outfit so I gave her a treat beforehand.

I ran across this cute mummy idea.  It's a perfect treat for kids who aren't old enough yet for candy.  And, no, I don't want to be the first grandparent to give her candy!

The original project used white electrical tape, but I used cloth sports tape.  Aren't mummies wrapped in cloth?   It was a little wide, so I just tore it down the middle to make 2 strips.

Remove the straw from the juice box and wrap pieces of the tape around the juice box.  Leave the area where the straw goes uncovered.

Attach the wiggly eyes with glue.   Attach the straw to the back of the box with tape.  Cover the area where the straw goes with a piece of tape that can be lifted up.

Cute, huh?  I thought so!

Do you have special trick or treaters?

 

 

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DIY Angry Birds Costume

Over the years, I've enjoyed DIYing costumes as opposed to buying the packaged kind.  The kids also enjoy it when the adults dress up.  It's just fun for everyone!



Cruella Deville and Elwood



Thing 1 and Thing 2 were simple to make and we had so much with it. 

Of course, I was Thing 1 :)  and have you ever seen Thing 2 with a  beard?  Ha ha!



Thing 1 and Thing 2

So that brings us to this year's popular Angry Birds!

I used my Thing 1 hat. 

To make the hat you will need:

a toboggan hat in the color of your choice
a feather boa in the color of your choice
safety pins or needle and thread

I happen to find a toboggan at Target that was just the perfect teal color!  The boa came from Hancock's Fabrics, but you can get these at Hobby Lobby, Walmart, or other dollar store type places.

Attach the boa to the hat using the pins or tack it with needle and thread.   I chose safety pins because I could adjust them easily if needed.  Since the toboggan stretches, put it on your head every now and then as you are pinning to get the best boa coverage.  It isn't necessary to cover the hat solid with the boa since the feathers fluff a little.  Just wrap it around, I used one boa spaced out between rounds to cover the hat.  The boa has thread ends, so just tuck those under the feathers so they don't show.

Now for the mask.  I wanted something that was easy to take off, yet will stay on my face.  (I don't ask for much, huh?) 

For the mask you will need:

Sunglass frames (lense removed, I got mine from the Dollar Tree)

card stock or craft foam

yellow felt

tape or hot glue

black Sharpie

Below is the drawing I did to cut out the shapes.  I used card stock for the white part, red foam for the red cheek part and yellow felt.  These are just items I had on hand, but the felt did work well for the beak so it would adjust to my nose when I put the mask on! 

Looking at Angry Bird images on the internet, my eyes may be a tad large in relation to the beak, but I was going for drama!  That can be adjusted easily by trimming down the size of the eye with a pair of scissors.

I taped each piece on the backside.  The tape can be adjusted as you fit it on the glasses and on your face.  When it's all together it can be hot glued, but my tape was sticking just fine so I left it as is.  

Using the black Sharpie, highlight the edges.



If only I could split into 3 like the game...

Have a safe Halloween!

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Fall Shawl

The fall colors in the yarn section of the Hobby Lobby are just too hard to pass up!  But could I actually get something "completed" before fall was gone?   My list of unfinished projects seems to be growing...including my fall mantel.  It has one item on it...sad, I know.  But that's another post for another day.

The target date for completed afghans was this past Sunday when we prayed for those who will receive these.    We pray for healing and that somehow our God given talents and works of our hands could be used to comfort them and let them know they are being thought of whatever their situation.

This shawl was delivered today to a special lady named Mary.

God bless Mary!

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Fall Repurposed Wine Bottles and Orbs

Determined to hang on to summer as long as I can, I put off starting my fall mantel until AFTER Labor Day. 

My friend Jennifer from Come Rain or Come Shine and The Sweet As Pie Cooking Club recently asked me what projects I had going.   At the time, I couldn't think of exactly WHAT I had going, so much of them are just in progress! 

So far I have more repurposed wine bottles.

Just spray paint them.  That green doesn't look like fall in this picture, we'll see how it goes with the rest of the stuff on the mantel.   Or use Modge Podge and attach scrapbook paper or yarn. 

When the yarn is dry, embellish to your heart's content!  These gold leaves were earrings I found on a clearance rack, and of course, the wine cork.  

This is all in progress over several days so I've still got to add something to the scrapbook paper bottle.   Suggestions are welcome!

As for orbs, I have always loved them, but never purchased them.  Some really pretty ones I have seen cost up to $12 each!   I knew I could DIY orbs.

I found large plastic Christmas balls and sprayed them brown.

Then with the Modge Podge attach anything with texture like these wooden discs.

I also covered one with jute but any heavy cord would work.

This is where it got ugly!  I cut some linen in strips and tied the ends together.

And wrapped it around the ball.

Ugh,  not at all what I was hoping for.  You might not see that on my finished mantel!  Ha ha!