ten projects in twenty days: drop cloth table runner

Project Ten!!!  Woot woot!

OK, I'm cheating here just a little.  I've had this runner for a while, but never got around to taking pictures and doing a post. 

I was late jumping on the drop cloth bandwagon:  my dropcloth curtains went up about 6 months ago.  I love them, but there's a LOT of beige in my house, so I'm trying to figure out how to add some color.  Any suggestions?

In the meantime, I made this cute little table runner out of an extra dropcloth I had.  I love love love table runners, but rarely get to use them, as tables in my house are used for homework and crafts and eating.  A runner just seems to get in the way.

 

Anywhooo...this was a pretty simple project.  I cut down the middle of my 6x9 dropcloth - which gave me one hemmed edge.  That way, I only had to hem one edge.  I had originally intended to make the ends "ruffled," but I find pleats so much easier to handle.

That flower vase was a Goodwill score for $3!  Those flowers didn't last long in the vase, though, because the water started to seep through the sides of the vase.  So this will be a fake/dried flower vase from now on.  I just love the crackling.  It always makes me think about where this vase has been, and who might have loved it in the past.  How did they use it?  Why did they donate it?  I hope that they loved it as much as I do.

So...what have you been crafting and thrifting lately?

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Come play with me...

 

I link up to the parties shown on the right side of this here blog - under Linky Love. Check them out...they're the greatest! :}

ten projects in twenty days :: another wreath?!?!

Day Eighteen Whatever :: Project Nine

Yes, it is another paper wreath.  This time with vintage sheet music, and this time with a Christmas theme.  We're having a craft fair at my office, and I thought I should put some of the time and energy I'm spending on my various projects into preparing for the fair.  So here's what I came up with. 

I found an old booklet of Christmas sheet music at my local used book store. I was specifically looking for something that already looked aged (so I wouldn't have to go through the tea-staining ordeal again). 

I cut out a donut-shaped piece of cardboard.  Fastened on a ribbon.  Best advice ever?  Miss Mustard Seed suggested stapling the ribbon on first, before gluing on the paper cones, and boy was she right!  Check out her tute here.

Can you tell I used my Halloween mantel to take pics of this wreath?  Pretend it's a lovely swath of greenery, and not holey old cheesecloth!  :)

I was going for a really rustic look and wanted the wreath to look "random,"  so I purposely tried to make the cones different sizes.  I might have added another layer of "cones" but ran out of sheets.

What do you think?

What crafty fun have you been up to?

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Come play with me...

 

I link up to the parties shown on the right side of this here blog - under Linky Love. Check them out...they're the greatest! :}

balance...

Ok...y'all know I'm in the home stretch of my Ten Projects in Twenty Days challenge, right?

Except that October is the CRAZIEST month in my house, and we have a big family wedding to attend this weekend.  So...in an effort not to make myself crazy, I may not post my last two projects until next week...even though tomorrow is day 20.  C'est la vie, right?

In the meantime, peeps, have a fantastic weekend!  See you next week!  Here's where I'll be tomorrow (don't be hatin'):

ten projects in twenty days :: rosette cake

Welcome back!

Day Sixteen :: Project Eight

{phew!  only two more to go!}


I've been seeing lots of these around the blog world and have been dying to give it a try.  Not that I need an excuse to bake a cake...

My inspiration - and the buttercream frosting recipe - came from i am baker.  Her tutorial is awesome and really gave me the courage to try it myself.  And, honestly, it was super easy.  

I cheated a little and used cake mix (lemon) and pre-made vanilla pudding for the in-between layer.  Instead of the vanilla that the recipe calls for, I used lemon extract.  If you make it, take it easy on the lemon extract.  Her recipe calls for a tablespoon of vanilla.  I used two teaspoons of the lemon.  Start with 1 teaspoon and add more to your liking. 

So easy and so pretty!  Mine was certainly not perfect, but still gorgeous and delicious!

I made this cake for my friend Amy's baby shower (again...like I needed an excuse!)

"M" is for sweet baby Madelyn

The Spread...

The Recipe
(courtesy of i am baker)


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THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

2 cups shortening8 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon clear imitation vanilla extract

6 fluid ounces heavy cream

In a large bowl, cream shortening with mixer until fluffy.  Add confectioners sugar (2 cups at a time) until well blended.  If the frosting gets to thick at any time you can add some of your heavy cream.

Add salt, vanilla, and heavy cream and blend until combined, then blend on high until frosting is light and fluffy.  If you need to add additional cream you can. (up to 2 tablespoons)

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Come play with me...

I link up to the parties shown on the right side of this here blog - under Linky Love. Check them out...they're the greatest! :}

ten projects in twenty days :: halloween mantle

Happy Friday!

Wecome back to Ten Projects in Twenty Days

Day Fourteen :: Project Seven

So until last weekend, I had a serious bah-humbug attitude about Halloween.  Then, all of a sudden...out of the blue...I was into it.  Much to the relief of my children.  

Last weekend we decided to scare-ify our mantle.  And here's what I came up with: 

{Note:  picture shown is purposely bad so that you will think, Ugh...THAT is an ugly mantel}

Meh.  It's ok, but it really needed something.  I couldn't figure out what that something was, but I just knew it was imcomplete.  I thought about spider webs, but they're so messy and I just wasn't sure that it was quite the look I was going for.  

But today!  Today we bought some old, ratty cheesecloth, and voila!

Big difference, huh?

Oh, and I also painted a fake pumpkin that my Mom gave me (it matches my cute little chalkboard).

I wrapped the existing candle in some of the book pages that I "antiqued" for my wreath.

Also, the blue shutters that are usually on my mantle (here) were flipped over, painted black, and distressed.  They're still blue on the other side, so I can use them more or less year-round.

So...what have you been doing to Halloween Up?

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Come play with me...

I link up to the parties shown on the right side of this here blog - under Linky Love. Check them out...they're the greatest! :}




Also...come check out

grateful...

I've been blessed to receive not one, but TWO Versatile Blogger awards from Erin of Salvaged Whimsy and Inspire Me Heather!  You guys are so awesome...thank you so much!

Go check out both of their GORGEOUS blogs!

ten projects in twenty days: book page wreath

Happy Friday!

Wecome back to Ten Projects in Twenty Days

Day...um Eleven Twelve :: Project Six

Now I'm even confusing myself.  Whose idea was this, anyway???

So here's what I have for you today.  Again, not super original, but I've been wanting to do a book-page project for a while.  I'm also in need of some cute Halloween decorations.  So I thought I'd whip up  a book page wreath. 

Now, I thought and thought about how I wanted to do it.  And I like to use supplies that I already have on hand.  I went searching the internet for some inspiration and found this post from Living with Lindsay which was EXACTLY what I had in mind.  Rather than posting a tutorial for you here, I'm sending you to Lindsay because I think she NAILED it (and because her pictures are way better than any I could hope to take). 

Props to Lindsay!  Here's her wreath:

  

I also used a foam wreath and book from Dollar Tree.

 
{names have been omitted to protect the innocent}

And while she painted the outside of the pages, I dipped each individual page in tea and quick-dried them in the oven at 300 degrees.  If you attempt this, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep an eye on your pages.  It's paper and fire, people, and it will burn.  While I like the effect and it wasn't too terribly labor-intensive, if I do this project again, I'll use Lindsay's method.

And here's my finished product.

My book pages are a little "tighter" than hers.  I'm actually not crazy about that, because you can't really see the words on the pages very well.  

I also wanted to add the BOO lettering, but 1) didn't want the letters to be permanent - so that I could use this wreath year-round (picture it with some cute red hearts at Valentine's Day...cutie cutie cute!) and 2) I didn't have any chipboard letters on hand and didn't want to run out to buy some.  So here's what I did:

Cut the letters out of plain black scrapbook paper and glued regular ol' sewing pins to the back.  I'll tell you what - my glue gun was plugged in for, like, 12 hours straight that day.  It was maybe the best day of my life.  :)

So...whatcha been up to?

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Come play with me...

I link up to the parties shown on the right side of this here blog - under Linky Love. Check them out...they're the greatest! :}

ten projects in twenty days: mini chalkboard

Welcome Back!

Project Five :: Day Nine

I am love love loving chalkboards these days.

For this project, I started with a $1 frame from Goodwill.  I did not sand, but did wipe it off with a damp cloth before getting started.  Also, I didn't prime - which turned out to be a happy mistake.

I used Krylon's Catalina Mist (this is the same color I used on my lamp makeover HERE).

I think it's a little more green in real life.

So...we all know that with spray paint you're supposed to do several light layers rather than one thick layer, right?  I was carefully painting this frame layer by layer, nice and thin.  Then I got to about coat 4 or 5 and the whole thing just puckered up.  Dun dun dun dunnnnnn......

So I got out my handy palm-sander (have I mentioned how much I LOVE my palm sander?) and got to work thinking that I would sand it down and start over again.  And here's what it looked like:

Like I said...happy mistake.  I could not have gotten this awesome weathered, chippy look if I tried.  So...I gave it a little bit of brown glaze (brush on regular old brown craft paint and wipe off immediately with a paper towel) and left it alone. 

I am madly in love with this little chalkboard!

Sweet huh?

So what crafty loveliness have you created lately?

UPDATE:  I made the chalkboard from 1/4'' MDF.  I used the glass from the frame as a size guide, and sprayed it with chalkboard paint.  The directions on the can recommend that you allow the paint to cure for 24 hours.  I highly highly highly recommend 48 hours or more.  I didn't wait long enough on my big chalkboard (here) and if you look at it from the side you can still see "joy to the world" etched into the chalkboard.

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Come play with me...

I link up to the parties shown on the right side of this here blog - under Linky Love. Check them out...they're the greatest! :}

ten projects in twenty days: easy picture frame

Welcome back to Ten Projects in Twenty Days!

Project Four:: Day Seven

Easy Peasy Picture Frame Re-do


Ok...so here's a super simple way to re-use and old tired picture frame.


What you'll need:
*  1 picture frame
*  1 piece of scrapbook paper
*  paint (spray paint or acrylic craft paint is fine)
*  glue (I used a glue gun, but you could use Elmer's glue)
*  1 clothespin


Get yourself an old picture frame (not more than 12 inches wide or tall, since you'll be using scrapbook paper for this project).  Remove the glass and cardboard backing.  You won't be using the glass for this project, so put it aside or discard it.  {does anyone have any crafty ideas for using old picture frame glass?}


Next, choose the scrapbook paper that you want to use for the backing and paint your frame and clothespin to coordinate.  I used a cream colored paper with black polka dots, so I painted my frame and clothespin black.  Reassemble the picture frame - substituting the glass for your scrappy paper.  Glue the clothespin to the top inside of the frame - to the scrapbook paper.  


Hint:  Make sure you have enough room to pin at least a 4x6 photo in your frame without the photo overlapping the frame.


I also think this would be a cute way to display kids' artwork.

See?  Easy!

So what have you been making?

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Come play with me...

I link up to the parties shown on the right side of this here blog - under Linky Love.  Check them out...they're the greatest! :}