Old Door Christmas Card Display

Merry Christmas all! I'm so excited about my card display this year. I can hardly wait for the cards to show up in my mailbox. For the past few years I've been taping them to a wall in my kitchen. Now that I have a new space I wanted something cute to hang them on. I picked this old door up for $25 at Landry's Antiques last week. It's the perfect size for my small kitchen, only 2 feet wide. A little twine and a banner complete the look. I think I'll take a little time next week to paint the clothespins gold. Oh, and order my own Christmas cards!

DIY Repurposed Wood Backpack Hooks

I have spent the last 7 years with a pile of backpacks in a corner of my mudroom floor. It was time to get organized. The older the kidlets get the more mess they bring home! The pile has now grown to include a saxaphone, gym shoes, Awana bags, and a Chromebook. Yikes!

I really had hoped to use re-purposed wood but the reality is that it is so dry and often cracked I was afraid that it would snap with the weight of three backpacks that probably weigh more than my kids.

So off to Pinterest I went searching for how to fake barnwood! I found an awesome tutorial here but it also looked expensive as I didn't have any of the materials in the house and time consuming (dislike).

So God bless my creative husband who took my dream and simplified it!

With leftover board from some shelves he recently made me (post coming soon) he distressed and stained a piece of new board.

He used all kinds of fun tools from the work room. It looks very drastic in this photo but once it goes up on the wall the marks look perfect!!

Once the wood was nicely distressed and abused he used rag to rub stain into the wood making sure the gouges and holes got nice and dark. We had some Provincial by Minwax left over from a different project that I think turned out perfect!

He then went over it twice with Minwax polyurethane, give it a quick sanding with steel wool and one more coat of polyurethane to make it super smooth and durable.

For fun I added three different antique bronze hooks I found at Hobby Lobby. I even bought them when they were half off so the entire project cost less than $10!

Be sure to use wood screws and securely attach the bar to the wall studs! Backpacks get ridiculously heavy!

I recently spent a weekend with my family at a cabin on the beautiful Boyne Mountain Resort in Northern Michigan. We spent one day at a local festival called Northern Michigan Flywheelers Festival.

A flea marketers paradise!

Old fashioned flour mill, basket making, and blacksmith shop.

Seriously, who doesn't love an antique tractor parade!

But the highlight for any crafter or someone who loves the unique and handmade this sign will make your heart beat just a little faster!

Oh yes! Handspun wool which was then naturally died with flowers and nuts a rainbow of gorgeous colors.

Then out the back of Big Craft Tent (which was actually an old barn) you come upon a pine forest with the most adorable little wooden booths for local crafters.

What I wouldn't give to set up shop in a location like this! The show itself did not seem terribly busy but you just can't beat the view while you waIt for customers.

PURE MICHIGAN!

I am so honored to be featured in the Spring Edition of Haute Handbags along side some of my favorite bloggers and artists!

Please enjoy the following tutorial for the:

shabby chic numbered zipper clutch tutorial

Grab a bunch of your favorite fabric scraps that are at least 10 inches by 6 inches. Mix textures, colors and weights for fun variety. You will also need:

trim/lace scraps

fusible lightweight interfacing (I like Pellon)
a 10 inch zipper

Heat N Bond Light

buttons/brads/gems

Make the number:

Using Word, print out a number 1. I used Gloucester MT font sized at 300. Feel free to play with your fonts but I find the simple ones are the best as you will have to stitch around all those little curves! 

Cut:

2 exterior pieces

2 lining pieces

4 interfacing pieces

Press the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric

Now comes the fun part!!! Pull together several pieces of lace, trim, and even a brad/button/or gem and play with the layout until you love it! Don't be afraid of unfinished edges, messy lines, and imperfections. The joy of shabby chic is the personality and uniqueness that comes with the imperfections. 

 Once you've found a layout you like, stitch it all into place and trim off the extra lace edges. You can always add more if the mood strikes you.

Now for the zipper!

If this is still confusing check out the link here.

I love how clear Florence of Flossie Teacakes explains making a zipper pouch. This tutorial helped me sooo much!

Unzip the zipper about 3/4 of the way.

Pin so that the right sides of the exterior and the right sides or the lining are together. Make sure the fabric part of the zipper is folded together facing toward the exterior fabrics! It will look completely wonky if you don't do this!

Stitch all the way around leaving a 3-4 inch opening at the bottom of the lining fabrics. Reinforce where the you stitch over the zipper. Trim off the extra zipper ends close to the seam.

Square the corners

Pull all through the opening in the lining then either machine stitch or hand stitch the opening shut and push into the pouch.

 DONE!

Otis the Owl Fabric Basket

I first made this basket as a way to give a basket of goodies to a friend who had helped me with some graphic design work for my Etsy shop. His little girl has an owl themed room and I thought I'd tuck in some gift cards and canned goods for a family centered thank you gift. It is rather small but with fall just around the corner I thought it would make a great trick or treat basket. It would hold plenty of candy for a toddler or preschooler although I think anyone older than 9 will need to take the trusty pillow case to have enough room for the haul they want.

Exterior Materials:

(1) 11 x 15 inch linen

(2) 11 x 3 inch cotton

(1) 11 x 20 inch fusible fleece

5 coordinating fabric scraps - these can be quite small, you don't need much

Heat n Bond light

Straps:

(2) 11 x 6 inch linen

Lining:

(2) 11 x 10.5 inch cotton

(2) 11 x 10.5 inch fusible interfacing (I like Pellon lightweight)

You will need to print out the Otis the Owl pattern found here. The only parts you need are the body, tummy, beak and eye. You will need to trim 1/2 inch off the bottom of the body and the tummy so that it fits nicely onto your basket.

Making the exterior:

Stitch the right sides of the 11 x 3 cotton pieces to the 11 x 15 piece of linen along the 11 inch sides. I use a 5/8 inch seam allowance through the whole project but you can use whatever is best with your machine.

Press the seam toward the linen.

When you are finished you should have a 20 x 11 inch rectangle. Using a hot seam iron press the fusible fleece to the wrong side.

Top stitch along the linen, close to the seam.

Making Otis

Cut out your owl pieces and trace onto the Heat N Bond light.

Press onto the wrong side of your fabric scraps. Then cut out using the lines you drew.

Layer the owl pieces onto the exterior and iron on using a hot iron - NO steam (unless you want an elderly, wrinkly owl).

Stitch carefully around each piece. If you are new to appliques use a small stitch and a thread that matches the fabric you are appliqueing. Mistakes will be well hidden. Take your time! Stitching around curves is a pain in the you know what so go SLOWLY.

I went around this guy twice to make him stand out against the linen.

Make your straps.

Iron your 11 x 6 inch pieces in half the long way. I call it a "hot dog fold" ya'know, long like a hot dog bun. Press with a hot steam iron. Open and fold the edges in to the crease and press again. Then fold on the center crease. If you want you can put in a strip of interfacing on the inside for extra stiffness but it's not really necessary.

Stitch along the outside. Twice for extra strength.

Pin the straps to the 11 inch ends of the basket. The outside of the strap should be 2.5 inches from the outside. Pin in place. Be careful you don't twist the strap. Repeat on each side

Baste in place and remove your pins. I've forgotten this before :(

Pin right sides together and stitch along the raw edges only.

Square the edges. A cheaters way to a flat bottom! There is a great tutorial here for boxed corners.

Your finished with the exterior! Moving on........The lining is the easy part!

Iron the fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the cotton. Stitch with right sides together leaving the top 11 inch side completely open and a 3-4 inch opening on the bottom eleven inch side.

Box the corners exactly like you did on the exterior. Be sure to match the seams.

Your done! With the lining. Easy, right?

Do not clip these corners! They will add stabilty and bulk to the bottom of your basket.

Turn the exterior right side out. Leave the interior as is.

Tuck the exterior into the lining. Line up at the seams.

Pin securely at the seams and at each handle making sure they are pointed straight down.

Stitch all the way around.

Pull the exterior through the hole in the lining.

While the basket looks like this, close the hole in the lining. You can either hand or machine stitch. I'm lazy and do machine but I know a nice patient hand stitch looks amazing.

Tuck the lining back into the basket exterior, press, and now your done! 

How cute are they!