Flower vase make over

I was looking for ideas for inexpensive crafty gifts to give some ladies that I was visiting and I came across this idea:

http://go.tipjunkie.com/hm/404/pm-betweenthelines.blogspot.com/2010/11/say-it-with-flowers-and-berries.html

I changed my flowers a bit.  I can't find the site where I learned how to make them.  You simply cut out a circle of silk and then take a lighter and hold the flame close (but not touching) the edges of the fabric.  It will curl from the heat.  Watch out for your fingers!  Then I took a cool bead for the middle of the flower petal.

 These two vases are recycles glass bottles (ketchup and fluff jars)

This is a vase from the dollar store.  They all turned out so cute.  Oh, and the fabric...

I am shortening a long skirt that just so happened to have cool sheer fabric!  I will post a pic when that is done too!

Happy Crafting!

Fabric covered mouse pad

I also work from home part time.  I use a black table for my desk and it has absolutely no grain for my mouse to pick up.  So, I had to figure out a way to  make a cute mouse pad, because the one we have is UGLY...

So I searched a few tutorials and they all pretty much say the same thing.  I got a piece of card board (luckily, it was already in the shape that I needed), and hot glued a piece of felt on top.  Then I got my fabric and  made sure to leave about an inch of the fabric all around the edges.  I then hot glued the bottom felt piece into place and tucked the over hanging fabric in as I went.  And that is all!  I love my new mouse pad!!!

Happy Crafting!

Fabric Business Card Holder

I needed a better way to hold my business cards than at the bottom of my purse or stuffed in my wallet getting crumpled.  I found this tutorial:

 

http://homemade.tipjunkie.com/how-to-business-card-holder-sewing/

I love my new card holder! 

 

 On the top are my Quilts by Kista cards,

the bottom holds my Crafting with Kista cards!

Happy Crafting!

Ruffled bookmark

I have been looking for a cute bookmark for a while.  A friend of mine had a special one ruined and I wanted to make her something to replace that bookmark.  I found this wonderful tutorial:

http://go.tipjunkie.com/hm/926/funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/2011/05/tutorial-thursday-ruffled-bookmark.html

I loved the final result so much, that I had to make a few for myself.  (I am usually reading two to three books at a time)

 I made a monkey one for my son. 

Happy Crafting!

Ruffle back pack/purse

I saw this tutorial and fell in love!  this is my summer purse:

http://go.tipjunkie.com/hm/901/www.mesewcrazy.com/2011/04/bustle-backpack-from-chloes-spring.html

I HIGHLY recommend making the straps wider (these were a pain to turn)  and if you want it as a backpack for yourself, I recommend making them longer as well (this size is for a child).  I think it would be an awesome diaper bag.  It is quite large, I didn't realize how large it would be from the pictures.

Happy Crafting!

Fabric Roses

I saw this tutorial and just had to make some!:

http://homemade.tipjunkie.com/long-stemmed-fabric-flower-tutorial-diy/

Happy Crafting!



Last name picture idea

I saw this great idea here:

http://mom.tipjunkie.com/mothers-love-photo-gift-mothers-day-gifts-to-make

and I thought it would be really cool to do the letters of our family's last name (also for a Mother's Day gift).  As I got to co-ordinating this (as most of our families are scattered throughout the U.S., I realized that I could e-mail everyone the cropped and black and white photos and we can all have one in our home!

We only did the grand kids, but families would be great too.

Happy Crafting!

Fabric flower pots

My Mother in law used to have chives in her yard that she used all the time.  This year, they didn't come back.  I saw this tutorial here:

http://go.tipjunkie.com/md/184/www.christinechitnis.com/2010/01/pretty-pots.html

and decided that I wanted to do this for her Mother's Day gift.  They turned out so cute, I can't wait to do my own!  I got plastic pots at walmart for super cheap.  The bottoms snap off, so it worked out perfectly with the modge podge.

Happy Crafting!

Mother's Day paper corsage

I found this tutorial here:

http://go.tipjunkie.com/md/160/www.makeandtakes.com/handmade-paper-corsages

and wanted to make one for my Mother in Law for Mother's Day.  It is made out of scrapp book paper so she can keep it and wear it for special occaisions.  I found out her favorite colors from my Father in law and made it last night. 

I pretty much made it exactly the same way as the tutorial, but instead of having a closed center, I glued a pearl button from an old shirt in for my center piece.  Super cute, might have to make one for myself!

Happy Crafting!

Birthday banner and gift for 'hard to shop for' Husband

Okay, the banner was not my idea, it was something our church made together and it has inspired all of my other banners as well. 

 My husband is pretty hard to shop for because it doesn't take a lot to make him happy and so I have a hard time coming up with things for birthdays and Christmas gifts.  This year I lucked out.  We have been trying to clear out the woods behind our house and he came across the perfect walking stick.  I kid you not, it was perfect!  So I decided to mark it with some of the nicknames he has gained over his lifetime and then I also marked it with things that he likes.  Like a soccer ball, basketball, a saw (he likes to build things), etc.  I borrowed some one's soldering (sp?) tool to do this.  Then I wrapped leather around the part where he would hold the stick for a comfortable grip and hot glued the ends in place.  It turned out to be a great gift and now we can't wait to go hiking together as a family!  My son has been looking for a good walking stick since then.

Happy Crafting!

Stuffed Animal Easter Baskets

Sorry this post is too little too late for Easter!  I still want post about our Easter baskets that we made.  I found three great basket ideas, but this is the one we all chose to make:

http://go.tipjunkie.com/ea/286/www.theidearoom.net/2011/02/diy-stuffed-animal-easter-baskets.html

I really wanted to do another one, but my son saw this one and started quacking, so I decided to do it too.

Here are the finished results:

                                                        Stuffed Bear basket with pink lining

 Girl duck and boy duck

                                                              My son hunting for eggs

Yum, now it is time to make egg salad sandwiches!!!

Happy Crafting!