Inspiration

My favorite thing about the Internet is the vast array of information out there. I recently joined a new site called Pinterest that helps me reign in all the inspiration I receive by browsing around. Check me out, or follow if you like... Sweet Adeline

Now off to bed as I hear this is a crazy snow storm coming our way. It sounds like shoveling is in my near future.

Jersey Upcycle

So I have this dress. It was $4 and great while it lasted... which wasn't too long. First, I was asked if I was pregnant while wearing it. Mark #1 against it. Second, some cute baby cheeks got some Vaseline on the shoulder. Mark #2. Let's face it, at $4, this dress wasn't meant to have a long life. I stumbled upon this while looking for inspiration one day. Not quite what I was looking for, but I liked the braids. So this is what I came up with...

I took the dress and cut up strips from the skirt of the dress.

Next, I stitched three of the strips together at one end.

Let the braiding begin! Pinning it to a pillow made it a lot easier. The braiding actually took a pretty decent amount of time. I had to come back to this project multiple times.

10 braids in total came out of the dress.

After all the braiding, I stitched the two ends together to make a loop.

Finally, I gathered the 10 finished loops and sewed a band of the remaining fabric around them. I then turned the band inside out to hide the stitching. Ta da!

Little did I know that this kiddo would not let me take it back from her!

Fabric Flowers

This is a must try! You just need some fabric scraps and some fabric glue. You start with a 1 1/2 inch wide strip of fabric. The length you choose will determine how big your flower will be.

First, tie a knot at the end of the fabric. Begin to twist the fabric as you roll it around the knot, adding glue as you go. You can either do loose twists or really tight twists. It just depends on the look you are going for and also the fabric you are using.

Twist and roll until you are left with enough fabric to cover the bottom. Glue the end of the fabric to the bottom of the flower. Trim the excess fabric.

Ta da! You can now add any final touches that you want. On a few of mine, I added leaves, while on the others I sewed on some beads in the middle.

Upcycle

Once sweet Addie was on the move, I realized it was finally time for my beautiful 4ft. tall glass vase to go. I fear that it won't come out of the basement for another 10 years. Sad! I was left with a big blank spot on my wall. Here is what now fills that space...

Can you guess what it is made of? Paper towel and toilet paper rolls! So easy and so cheap!

And this is how you do it...

1. Save those rolls!

2.. Spray paint the outside with your choice of color and let dry. I used a dark brown. You could even paint the inside if you really want to get creative.

3. Cut the roll into 1 inch segments (which means for a toilet paper roll, that is about 5 pieces).

4. Lay the pieces on the table to form the design you want. You can always add more later. I ended up making about 3 designs and adding them together.

5. Staple the pieces together and flatten the staples with needle nose pliers.

That's it! It is so light too. Mine is hung with just two nails!

I'd LOVE to see pictures if you guys try this!

babies babies babies

Since TWO of my sisters are now pregnant, I am on a baby crafting train. I decided to make a diaper/wipes case, but it really could be used for anything. Give it a try...

To make the case you'll need:

(2) Front piece = 8 x 11 inches

(2) Back piece = 8 x 14 inches

Cut out a front piece in your outer fabric and your lining fabric. Cut a back piece in both as well. So you'll have a total of 4 pieces of fabric for one case.

Next, sew the front piece to the back piece, right sides together with 1/2 seam allowance. Notice the trimmed corners on the bottom. Repeat for the lining.

Sew a piece of velcro to the flap of the lining and also to the body of the outer shell.

This next part is a little tricky to explain. You place your front piece and your back piece together, with the right sides of the top flap together. Pin the two flaps together. Sew along the flap with a 1/2 seam allowance. Again, trim the corners. Next turn the outer shell right side out, making sure it's completely turned out. Then shove the the lining down into the outer fabric. It should look more like a case now. Fold down the fabric at the front opening and pin it into place. Iron and sew along the opening to the outer edge.

And there you have it! A perfect baby gift!

fresh listings

{heart on a string}

Mail

I love mail. I love packages even more! Check out what my talented friend sent me...

Martin Luther King Day??

New Years is over. Christmas is long gone. So what's next? My bare home needs some decoration, so up come the Valentine's Day decorations!

{my yarn wreath gets a fresh look. heart on a string}

{old crayons become new with these crayon hearts. i love the way the light catches them! good old Martha}

{fabric scraps are great for some little pillow hearts}

New Beginnings

I have to say that this is usually my least favorite time of year. The holidays are over, family has gone home, and the long winter is still months from ending. Yet amidst the gloom is a hope for new beginnings. January brings with it a time to start fresh and resolve new goals or wishes.

2011 brings a new blog for me. A blog dedicated to all things design and craft. I value your comments and feed back. It means a lot to me. So keep reading!

Now onto crafting...