sweet nothings

Stocking Hangers

Once we finally got our mantle hung, I immediately started holiday decorating! I wanted new hangers and new stockings. I had already purchased fabric to make our stockings (which i actually didn't get enough to make Wina's which is why her stocking ended up being houndstooth :D ) 

THe one problem I found was that because I had waited so late to start looking for stocking hangers...there wasn't really much of a selection left in the stores. So what's a girl to do? Make her own!

Hobby lobby had knobs on sale. So I picked up 5 glass and metal knobs. 

I also purchased 5 wood plaques that are about 4 in square. At lowe's I picked up brackets and 1x2 piece of wood. I also picked up commando velco removable hanging tabs.

I cut the wood into 3 inch pieces. I screwed the wood piece to the plaque using 1x3/4" brackets. 

yes...I should've taken the price stickers off, but they were not coming off easily and leaving a sticky residue so I left them on...nobody will see them anyway. Then I spray painted the entire thing black.

I drilled a hole in the center of the square and inserted the the knob. After I put the knobs I put velrco sticky on the bottom on the brace.

Put it on the mantle where you want it to rest. With the removable velcro I can take it off the shelf after Christmas and it won't leave a mess...well at least that's why the product promises!

I think they turned out so cute! The stockings were sewn up last night...procrastinate much? But I really love how it all turned out. 

until next time...

S

 

Peace Bunting/Banner

I got a crafty itch this weekend...I had purchased on a whim a jar of tinsel glitter. I wanted a banner for the dining room hutch but I didn't want it to have any color but instead to match the rest of the dining rooms major accent color - black but still look Christmas-y.

This is what I came up with...

i think it turned out so cute! I used chipboard triangles. I covered them with some old Christmas sheet music. I also covered the chipboard stars in the same.

I stamped the letters on with foam stamps. I glued around the edges and dipped in the tinsel glitter. Tinsel glitter is not for the faint of heart. It's very clingy even more so than glitter. It was every where! I think everything in my craft room will have tinsel glitter for a while...

I attached the stars with those double sided sticky foam thingies...you know what i'm talking about right? the sticky things for scrapbooking! :D

Anyway. I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out!

until next time...

S

Headboard Bench

Two years ago I found this headboard at a yard sale for $5.

Much to my husband's unhappiness it's been just one more thing cluttering his side of the garage for way too long. Sunday after Thanksgiving was a perfect day to do something about that sad little headboard...

I dug through our scrap wood and other than going to lowe's for two front legs and the decorative wood piece on the front ($15 total at lowe's)...I bought nothing new! With a little paint and some light sanding...I have a lovely bench for our front porch! Grand total $20 (sorry in advance for the yucky pics. it's rainy and cold here in Texas)

The pillows I made this weekend...Burlap and red/white ticking. (just a side note...i don't like burlap. i know it's a hot craft staple but it's dusty and not straight and just bleh! this is probably the last burlap project i'll ever do! :D ) I stenciled the "merry" and "christmas" on the fronts of both pillows. The "christmas" was actually white but after the rain it's looking a little pink...oh well. As for the pot. I spray painted a clay pot red. With a 1 3/4" inch punch and some white contact paper it's now a polka dotted pot! And i won't even lie...that's a $4 fake poinsettia. I kill the real ones so I figured if I put a fake one out there it'd last a bit longer! :D

I think the bench and the pillows (pot too) turned out pretty festive! The bench will be fun to change up for different holidays and seasons!

until next time...

S

 

 

 

Miss "whatever" sash project

Ever since watching the Miss USA pagent Nora has been asking for one of those "pretty ribbon things" I've put her off for awhile and she started up about it today. This was super easy and I'm sure I could've spent much more time cutting out some sating and making a really fancy sash but didn't have the energy for it today. Easy was the way to go! 

I found some wide ivory satin ribbon. I'd guess it's about inch and a half wide. I just draped it along each girl's chest and measured...no fancy calculations.

Then i cut each end of the ribbon to have a V edge. 

I did sew an angled edge at the should so that it would lay correctly but you don't have to do that I'm sure it'd be fine without that step but i'm a bit anal.

Next I dusted off my box of unused rubons. FOund a set of black letters that fit the ribbon. I also found some metal brads with a jewel in the center.

After getting the girls requests for their titles I went to work...

Just an FYI...rubons go on ribbon very easily and you can use a crochet hook to rub them :D it works when you can't find your special rubon tool lol

Maddie's you can't see...but she's Miss Texas. :D

Nora hasn't taken her's off and she's quite proud of her title.

Maddie on the other hand took it off as soon as I snapped a picture. figures.

Fun cheap project!

until next time...Stacey

 

Bunting Tutorial

I'm working on various projects for the photo collage wall in our dining room. So far most of the frames and artwork are up and finished. Mainly the only thing lacking are the pictures in the empty picture frames. I'm hoping to get new pictures done of the girls in the next few weeks! I just thought I'd stare this cute little bunting I made. I love it

I had some scrap linen fabric. I cut out triangles using pinking sheers. 

Then I printed the letters I needed onto freezer paper taped to regular paper. I taped it to regular paper so it would easily run thru the printer.

After cutting out the letters, I ironed them to the triangles.

Then I tapped acrylic paint onto the "stencil".

Removed the paper...Then I sewed the triangles together using pre-gathered black lace.

i think it turned out really cute! Hope you enjoy!

Until next time...S

Alice party in the works...

It's coming together slowly but surely!

There for a time I thought it was all going to hell in a handbasket or more like...a party at chuck e cheese instead of a pretty alice in wonderland party at our house.

I never thought *save the date* notices were that important until now...Luckily I sent out save the dates because the party invites didn't go in the mail until today. Thanks to my mamaw for doing the Alice silhouette for me. Have I mentioned how talented she is? I have one of her oil paintings in my dining room :D

 

Bright colored tablecloths have been found (thank you molly) and thanks to a sale and coupons at joann's i'll also have black and white polka dot tablecloth.

 

thank you goodwill for offering cups and saucers for 59 cents each piece! I think I have about 20 cups and 10 saucers. i'm steadily spraying them in the 4 main party colors. i'm planning to stack them and use them for various table decorations.

 
have i ever mentioned that spray paint is one of my best friends?! I picked up these two candle sticks for half of $4.99 at a thrift store. I also have two cake stands that are in the process of being painted!

 

I picked up these frames at Hobby Lobby on half price. I'm planning to use them as placecard holders. I found a mad hatter looking hat in some clip art. so i'll probably use that for the boys and a bunny or alice for the girls. i'll share pics once i have that figured out.

 

We made a quick trip to party city (thank you nora for overcoming your fears and entering that store) and found the flatware, cups, plates and napkins.

 

These cupcake cups came from michael's...oh how i despise that store. i'm sure at some point i'll share my little incident from today. i will not be returning michael's again.

 

I had to go to michael's for these flowers because they had the colors i needed and the great price...i still need some turquoise flowers and i'm heading to hobby lobby to check there. i only need a few!

 

I saw these little figurines at hobby lobby and thought they were a must for the table decorations. I'm going to spray them to match :D

 

I've picked up flowers and feathers and pinwheels....and even a bunny because nora said there is a march hare in the story!

 

 

I ordered flamingos for the yard...we are planning to play croquet!

 
I also found these clear and white polka dot balloons which i'll have filled with a balloon inside in the colors of the party. I realize balloons aren't really the thing but i lvoe balloons and in my opinion a party isn't complete without them :D

 

I figured that even though I'll have cupcakes and jello and pizza and pigs in a blanket and candy and cookies that we should probably have something other than croquet and the swingset for the kids to do...so we must have a craft! I saw these when I was searching for some things online...I couldn't pass them up! They came from oriental trading. I've only purchased from them once and it went well but I've also heard of so many people ordering from there and having issues. I ordered these yesterday and got an email today saying they shipped...hopefully they will arrive in good condition and on time!

 

I am so excited about this party! I've got family coming in and friends coming over and it's going to be so fun! I only hope the weather cooperates and that everything comes together like I have in my head! :D

I tore my living room apart a week ago thinking that I'd repaint it last week...unfortunately i've been sick for the past week and am just now starting to feel human again. MY throat still hurts like the devil and I sound like a 85 year old smoker with this horrid cough! But I have a painter coming tomorrow to paint the living room. This is a first. We are such do-it-yourself-ers that we never get help! I just had to do it this time. I'm so excited. Fingers crossed that SW Killim Beige looks good and that I'll be putting my living room back together by the end of the week!

While I am blessed to be planning and celebrating My Madelynn's 2nd birthday there are those that are going through tough stuff! You know I'm always asking you to pray for somebody...usually a child. I want to remind you to continue your prayers for Kate, Madie, Levi and Charley Rae. But I'd also like to ask you to keep a friend in your prayers as she has some tests run in the morning...God is good...All the time!

And just one more...this little girl Maddie has been diagnosed with an inoperable, malignant brain tumor called DIPG. Each day is even more precious than before for she and her parents. Please keep them in your prayers. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/madeleinejames/journal

until next time...

Stacey

 

 

Valentine's Day treat cans

For Valentine's Day Nora wanted to give her friends a little gift. We looked for buckets and bags but never found anything we both really liked. I decided to save canned good cans for a few days...we needed 12. I purchased a smooth edge can opener like this one at Bed Bath Beyond...

 

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=12742371

Once all of the labels were removed, cans washed and dried, I spray painted them a candy apple red. I purchased this really cute kit from Andersruff http://www.etsy.com/listing/65012329/i-heart-valentines-day-printable-design?ref=pr_shop (on a side note...I emailed andersruff to find out the recipe they used for the jello cups in the pictures and they quickly and kindly responded with that information! very nice!)

 
I printed off the water bottle labels but they weren't long enough to wrap all the way around the cans so I cut white cardstock to put behind the labels. It worked out really well and I think turned out very cute!

 

Nora loved them! She made slap band bracelets for the girls and was so excited for fill the cans with all the candy and treats!

 
Until next time...

Stacey

Candy Hearts

I'm working on projects for Nora's Valentine Party...I made these today. They were quick and easy!

 
I used mini candy canes because that was all I had left from Christmas. Next year I'll remember to pick up regular candy canes. Then again...These turned out a pretty decent size!

I cut the celophane bags down so that they wouldn't be too long and used some end of the spool Christmas ribbon!

 Easy little project and I think the kids will enjoy them. This little deal was not my idea. I found instructions HERE at The Idea Room!

Until next time...

Stacey

 

 

Framed Heart Art

 

I saw the wreath at Hobby Lobby today...$2 or $3 and 30% off of that. I loved it and just really wanted to do something with it. I stuck it in my cart and started walking and thinking...found a frame for $10 plus 50% off. I needed something for a background. I searched the scrapbook paper but didn't find anything that stood out. I did find a piece of fabric though and I purchased 1/4 yd at $7 a yard with 30% off...so here you go.

Remove the backing, matte and glass. I cut a piece of fabric to cover the glass. I wrapped the glass with the fabric and did something massively technical...I taped the fabric down with scotch tape :D

( It looks like I used a ton of tape but honestly I only used a few pieces. The frosty white in on the glass is actually etched glass.)

Next I put the glass, matte and backing back into the frame.

 

and last but not least I glued the heart wreath onto the fabric. Luckily the wreath had a flat back so all i had to do was add some glue and stick it to the fabric!

 

That's it! Easy! I love it and can't wait to add it to the rest of my Valentine decor when I get back home!

 

Two of my favorites...linen and aqua

A friend of mine who is a member of the Plano Area Mothers of Multiples (PAMOM) asked me if I would like to donate something to their annual silent auction. I said, why of course!

So, since I was already working on some new items for Maddie and Rose, I decided to make one of the new outfits for the auction! Without further ado...here it is! (This will be listed along with a few other new items in the etsy shop very soon!!) Please note...I was rushing to get pictures this morning because Kim was picking it up. It looks wonky on this hanger. Much cuter on! I'll make the girls one soon and i"ll post pictures of the dress on! It's an adorable pinafore dress! I'm so in love with it! Wouldn't mind having one myself ;-)

 

 

 

and a matching hairband

 

I can't wait to show you all the new goodies coming soon!

until next time...

Stacey