Runners amok.

  Did I mention how many table runners I have? I decided to decorate them! Some for me, some for gifts andddd some for my Etsy shop that I had completely let fall to the way side over the past year or so. But I’m getting my crafty act together now! So head on over here, and check back in the next couple weeks for more goodies.

Now this was a process that gets you a lot of visual bang for your buck. I had originally been at the art supply store looking for block printing ink that you could heat set, but there is evidently no such thing (if you know of one…let me know!). I didn’t want to deal with the oil based kind, so I picked up a jar of fabric paint in the next aisle over. I did some tests when I got home, and the consistency of the fabric paint really wasn’t stellar for block prints. (Side note: I also tried regular acrylic paint from a tube, and that worked reasonably well and although it’s water-based I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t wash out…but that’s an experiment for another day.) So I scrapped that whole idea, and instead used masking tape to make a design on the runner and painted it in with a brush. Now it’s dry and I just have to heat set it with an iron to make it washable! Hoorah!

Re-Re-Use

Going in to our wedding planning process, I knew that doing it from afar would mean using things I wasn’t particularly attached to and dropping it all off or foisting it on our friends after the event. So I focused on accumulating decor that was as cheap as possible while still being earth-friendly and cute (duh.) What I didn’t know was that my mother-in-law is arguably better at hoarding things than I am. So when they came to visit for Thanksgiving, they brought along an SUV full of mugs, table cloths, paper goods of all sorts, etc. I was powerless to say goodbye to these goodies twice!

Now I have four times as many mugs as we could both use if we were drinking out of both hands and probably both feet. And several more for the cat. I also have probably 60 fabric napkins and 10 table runners. Considering we break out the big formal dining table (aka work desk aka two saw horse legs and a piece of wood) only about once a year, I figure that leaves me at least 6 extra runners. (Yep, by my conservative calculations I still NEED four. Ahem.)

So I set to work getting some more use out of this fabric. If you remember, it was initially a dropcloth, because you’d be amazed at how cheap dropcloths are for a linen-looking fabric source. Then it was a table runner. And now it’s pillows! We had some cheap Ikea pillow inserts lying around that attract cat fur like whoa. With just a couple simple stitches they can at least add “-chic” to their shabby. But wait! There’s more. As soon as I can get up from this comfy couch with these commmfyyy pillows, I’m going to print on them with some spicy pop-color designs. I bet you can’t wait.

Now down to business!

Now that all that weddingschmedding stuff is out of the way, I can really get down to crafting! Get ready in the next couple weeks to catch up on all those projects I was keeping under wraps this past year. And maybe some new stuff, too.

For starters, these little numbers are the gifts I made for my lovely bride’s maids. I tested out a manly khaki one awhile back, but here’s the cute version, made from the vintage sheets that I also made my napkins from. (Shhh, those are just dollar store notebooks under the thrifted fabric covers.) Then I stuck an orange pen and some retro style orange-wrapped gum so the girls would have all the essentials at hand to simultaneously remember all my bidding and have fresh breath. With Christmas around the corner, these can be easily customized by switching out the fabric or even adding an embroidered or printed monogram. Because who doesn’t love notebooks? What’s that you say? Not everyone likes to make lists as much as I do? Nonsense.

make like a tree and leaf

I assure you I HAVE been crafting, it’s just mostly top secret! But here’s one little ditty than I can share, and I assure you anyone can make it. In one minute. For free . I saw the original version here, and thought it would be perfect to use up the scraps of scraps that I just can’t part with. I have a bunch of tiny pieces of cute prints on hand from making our wedding napkins from old thrifted sheets. I actually already used the biggest of the scraps for another (secret) project, but then there were smaller scraps from that project that were “still good.” (As my Dad would say, about things in the back of the fridge.) I didn’t have any floral wire, so I cut up an old wire hanger, which made these a little more substantial than the original version. All you do: rub a glue stick all over a piece of fabric, then make a sandwich out of that piece and another piece, and stick some wire (or a toothpick…or a pencil would be cute…) in the middle. Then cut it into the shape of a leaf with some notches around the edge for veins. (Ok it was originally a feather, but leaves go better with my fall color scheme, so I have donned mine “leaves.”) I normally hate glue sticks, but bonding fabric together like this is actually a pretty cool way to use one. Not sure what these leaves will be for, yet.  Boutonnieres? Cake toppers? Either way, I’m just happy they’re not in the trash.

Oh and we’re taking a little road trip to the Brimfield flea market tomorrow, so hopefully I find some goodies to show you!

look at me go!

Two posts in one week! I’d say that’s pretty impressive considering the hours I’ve been putting in at work.

I’ve been wanting to make some notebook covers to gussy up cheap drugstore notebooks. In case you hadn’t noticed, I love lists. And I love writing lists in beautiful notebooks. But sadly, I cant afford beautiful notebooks all the time. That’s where this re-usable cover comes in.

My sleepy-head boyfriend is basically dead to the world on Sunday mornings, but I can never sleep in much past 7. So last Sunday I decided to be productive and start working on a test version of a notebook cover. I used the remnants of some “khorts” (that’s khaki shorts, yall) that I had elegantly ripped off for Brad. The fabric was rugged and contrasted nicely with the little hint of paisley that I used for the pen pocket. I like the diagonal pocket shape, but I must admit it was only because my bobbin ran out half-way through and so I just folded it that way instead of changing out the thread. Laziness is the mother of invention. It took me less than an hour to make before I was back to jumping on the bed in an effort to roust my breakfast partner. Crafting on an empty stomach is dangerous!

 

je regrette!

I know, I know, I haven’t been blogging lately. All my labors lately have been wedding-related, and I don’t want to give it all away yet! Rest assured, in October you will see recaps of many wedding-day surprises.

Until then, be satisfied with this quick post about my latest obsession. I don’t normally get caught up in tech trends. I don’t have a twitter, or an iphone, or play Angry Birds. BUT. I did recently join Pinterest, and I’m loving it. I have a ridiculously long bookmark folder, full of recipes, inspirations, craft ideas, and lots and lots of wedding junk. But it’s hard to find what I’m looking for when I scroll down through a list of titles with tiny icons next to them. Enter Pinterest, a virtual inspiration board. I use it mainly how I would use my browser’s bookmarks folder, but it stores pictures, so I can see everything at once, broken down by category. Perfect for visually-oriented people who’s bookmark folders contain headings like “color I like for living room” or “cute kitten.” Now I can see all those colors and kitties with one click! Plus it shows me everyone else’s pins, so there’s a dizzying wealth of ideas available.

Check it:http://pinterest.com/oopsydaisy528/

i’ll be the little spoon

I’ve seen some dipped silverware around that I really like, but it’s out of my price range. I thought I could DIY a solution to make some cheap servingware that would stand out at our reception. So I picked out some pieces from the 6 for a dollar bin at our favorite thrift store, and literally dipped them in a bucket of old wall paint. I let that dry, hanging on some elephant clips overnight, and then dipped them in polyurethane the next day and repeated the process.  They’re not quite as durable or swanky as the real deal, but I think they will get us through a few hours and look smashing in a pumpkin pie.

last days of spring

Believe it or not, it’s still spring for two more days. This time of year always brings lots of birthdays, so I’ve been mailing lots of packages and baking lots of cupcakes. It’s also the time when farmer’s markets are springing up across the city and there are fresh berries to be had. I didn’t have any food coloring to pretty up my usual frosting recipe, so I mashed up some raspberries to give it a little color instead. I added whole blackberries and raspberries to top each cupcake, plus a cute little kitten toothpick topper. As easy as these are to whip up, you now have no excuse for forgetting anyone’s birthday.

this says “party time”

Brad’s and my birthdays were both this weekend, so I needed something that says “party time.” And what says that more than ripped up sheets?

I’m so over the bunting flag trend, but I wanted to make some cheap  and easy decor that we could use to dress up the reception hall in October.  So I thought this could be a good updated version, a little less cutesy and a little more modern. Then about five seconds later Urban Outfitters jumped on board and used ripped fabric strips in their window displays for the summer…so as I write this I’m kind of already over the fabric strip banner trend too. But I’m rolling with it, because we can’t all be two steps ahead of every fleeting decor whim, now can we?

Anyway, all you do is take whatever fabric you have on hand or can find in your goodwill pile, and rip it up. Or give it to your cat who will shred it to pieces with her razor claws. I used some old sleep shorts for the yellow you see here, and plan to add some other colors/lengths/textures. Then you just knot the strips along a longer strip or rope at whatever lengths you like. Now hang it up for all the world to admire in its free and recycled glory.

py-ranasaurus-rex

Just wanted to show off this little cutie I got the other weekend at the SOWA vintage and farmer’s market. I’ve never seen this pattern before and snatched it up as soon as the vendor told me I could have all of its mod glory for under ten bucks. I was technically scouting out serving ware and decor for the wedding, but I’m not sure if this one is leaving my kitchen.