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Easy Flag Wreath and Wall Art Tutorial

June 15, 2011 14 Comments

I love 4th of July! I don’t usually do any decorating for it, but I had this flag handkerchief with a couple of paint spots on it, and because I hate to throw things away, I decided to upcycle it into a nice wall hanging.
This is such an easy and affordable project, I just had to share it with you!

What You Need:
embroidery hoop (mine was 12 inches)
flag (mine was about 15 inches wide)
scissors
hot glue gun
ribbon

First you need to position the flag inside the embroidery.  Make sure that the area inside the hoop is the exact area you want display, and then tight the hoop.  (For mine, I did the “up and down” hanging flag as seen in the Olympics, but as you can see in the picture below, it looks great horizontal as well.)

Next take your scissors and cut out the excess fabric, leaving about 1/2 an inch to an inch all the way around.  Your cut doesn’t have to be perfect because you won’t see any of the excess after you’re done.

After you’re done cutting, take your glue gun and glue your excess fabric to the inside of your embroidery hoop.  Finally take a piece of ribbon (about 8 inches long).  Loop the ribbon through the hoop.  Tie the ribbon in a knot.  Hang on your wall or door and enjoy!
I’m linking up at these linky parties.

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Filed Under: crafts, decorating, Misc Holidays, Patriotic, Wreaths

Big Spring Flower Wreath

April 26, 2011 1 Comment
I love the colors of spring!  This spring I’m welcoming people in to my home with the colors of this wreath on my front door! Isn’t it pretty?  
And before I go further, you’re right the door in the picture actually isn’t the front door. Actually I put it up this up in the living room last month, but I moved it to the front door a couple of weeks ago for the Easter and Mother’s Day holidays.  But I think, this time next month, I’m going to put it back up in the living room, as it goes with some other rose themed decor that I have.
There’s no tutorial today because I didn’t make this, although I wish I had!
But I do have a tip!  They have a lot of wreaths at Walmart that are similar to this.  You can find them in the craft section with the flowers  They start as low as $20 (perhaps even cheaper for something smaller), and then they go up in price from there.  That’s just about the best price you can find for something new. And for a wreath of this size and fullness, you can’t really beat it!
Even if you made your own, you’d spend about that much in materials for a wreath of this size  The only catch is that the back of it is a plastic frame as opposed to a metal frame, but you can’t see the frame anyway, so it’s pefectly good to me!

Linking up to these parties.

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Filed Under: decorating, Home/Garden, Wreaths

My Easter Vignettes

April 20, 2011 2 Comments
I’ve been meaning to share my Easter Decor for weeks, but I guess the week before the holiday is better late than never, right?  I had the hardest time deciding how to decorate!  For one thing, some of my cutest pieces are packed up in storage, and I decided against getting them out, and then I also have some really cute glass eggs in my “treasure cabinet” that I’ve collected in the past few years, and oddly enough, I didn’t use those either!
So at first I was working with just a few different things that didn’t seem to go to together in one display, but I managed to throw some more things into the mix to make it work and actually made 3 displays. 

This is on top of the fridge.  I used a pink runner, and then in the center, there is a flower adorned wishing well with a glittery Easter sign.

My mom gave me this glass Easter basket either last year or the year before.  It was probably a Hallmark or Cracker Barrel find, as those are two of her favorite places!  And it is just super cute in person!
And I just threw this bird house up there because it’s springy and went with the color scheme.
Growing up, we always had a bunch of “country rabbits” like these.  I’ve been thinking of getting rid of them because I don’t have a place for them, but I figured I could at least use them for Easter! 
And that’s a Beatrix Potter tin in the center! My mom and dad collected tins when I was kid, and this one’s from their collection. It’s dated 1992.
And if you checked about my Easter Egg Banner last week, you probably noticed all the stuff on top of my treasure cabinet.

I actually keep this “runner” (it’s not actually a runner) on top of the cabinet all year round, except at Christmas.  It was on the end of my bed when it was a kid, and I’ve always loved it.

Actually come to think of it, I’ve had most of this stuff since I was little, except for all the egg pictures.  But I think they all came together quite nicely! What do you think?

I’m linking up here.

This post is sponsored by Petite Rouge. Are you looking for the perfect finishing touch? Petite Rouge has it. Simple, elegant blossoms to brighten up any outfit. Dainty enough for your smallest princess. Sophisticated enough for your growing girls. Clip on a headband or wear alone. 

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Filed Under: decorating, Easter

Easy Easter Egg Banner

April 13, 2011 4 Comments
I was decorating for Easter a few weeks ago, and I had all these foam eggs.  At first I was going to hang them in various places in the kitchen, but then I got this fun idea to turn the eggs into a banner.
This is a very easy and inexpensive project, and I was really pleased with how it turned out.  And it just happened to go great with this “Happy Easter” banner I already had.
What you need:
Foam Egg Sheets
Ribbon
You should be able to find the foam egg sheets at Wal-Mart, a craft store, or possibly a dollar store.  The holes were already punched in these, but you can always use a punch that works with foam if you can’t find any sheets like these.
Cut your ribbon in to 6-8 inch pieces.  You could actually go shorter with the ribbon, but I like the look of the longer ribbon.  Loop the ribbon  through the holes of two foam sheets. Tie the ribbon into a knot.  Keep adding eggs in the same way until you have the desired length.  On each end of the banner, take a piece of ribbon and loop it through a hole; tie a knot.  (These ribbons on the end will be used for hanging.)   To give the ends a more cute and “finished” look, take a second ribbon and loop it through the hole, but this time tie the ribbon in to a bow.
Another thing to consider is adding additional ribbons.  I thought about tying additional ribbons through the bottom wholes or tying ribbons through the middle of the eggs, but in the end I just decided to keep it simple.
This post is sponsored by Petite Rouge. Are you looking for the perfect finishing touch? Petite Rouge has it. Simple, elegant blossoms to brighten up any outfit. Dainty enough for your smallest princess. Sophisticated enough for your growing girls. Clip on a headband or wear alone.
I’m linking up at the Decor to Adore Spring Craft Party and these weekly parties.

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If you’d like to sponsor some posts on my blog, email me for details.

Filed Under: crafts, decorating, Easter Tagged With: , ,

The Sweetest Easter Tablescapes

April 7, 2011 5 Comments
I think I’ve got Easter Fever!  I had so much fun sharing all the great Easter wreaths last week, that I couldn’t wait to share some Easter tables that I found!  These photos are so cheery!  And everything is so cute!  It really makes me wish I was going to an Easter party!

See what I mean?  Don’t you want to go to this party? I Do!  Evertything is so cute—even the carrot centerpeice! Just adorable!  This is fromWants and Wishes.
Loved this!  It’s so whimsical and pretty! I love the soft pastels, and I love both of these egg trees.  You can see the tutorial at Torie Jayne.

Okay! Believe it or not, this isn’t a real tablescape! Surpise!  It’s actually dollhouse size!  But it was so cute I had to include it, and I think it would be great inspiration for a life size table. Check it out at Hummingbird Miniatures.

So many beautiful things here!  It’s Always a Party at the Parkers is a site that I found long time ago and forgot about.  I don’t know how I forgot because they sell some totally unforgettable party supplies!  And after you check out the party table, you can pick some free printables.

This one’s actually an Easter Brunch Table.  Isn’t that a cute concept?  Check out The Party Dress to see what is being served up.

I love the simplicity of this, and the tree with the birds is gorgeous.  I’m not sure of the original source, but this and other tablescapes are being featured at 79 Ideas.

For more cute Easter ideas, check out my Easter board.

This post is sponsored by Petite Rouge. Are you looking for the perfect finishing touch? Petite Rouge has it. Simple, elegant blossoms to brighten up any outfit. Dainty enough for your smallest princess. Sophisticated enough for your growing girls. Clip on a headband or wear alone. 
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Filed Under: decorating, Easter, party ideas

I Love Easter Wreaths

March 30, 2011 6 Comments
Photo Credit: UpTown Originals
Here lately I’ve been all about wreaths!  Last month I created an etsy treasury of St. Patty’s Day Wreaths as well as a Celebrate St. Patty’s Day treasury, and so this month I followed these up with a treasuy of Easter Wreaths and another called Celebrate Easter.
Also, this month (actually last week) I joined Pinterest. It’s a new bookmarking and social network site.   I’ve pinned some lovely things for Easter on there as well.  So today I’ll be sharing some wreaths from my Etsy Treasury and my Pinterest Page. (By the way, if you’re already a Pinterest member or you’re going to sign up, please visit my page and follow me, and I will follow you back!)

I hope you enjoy these finds!

Springtime Easter Egg Wreath from A Work of Heart
Easter Wreath from CraftyArtist

Bright and Colorful Easter Egg Wreath from Always Present

Feather Easter Egg Wreath from Every Crafty Endeavor

Spring/Easter Wreath from Loving Every Second
Easter Egg Wreath from Crocheted Creations

Easter Wreath Topiary from Cozy Home Scenes

For more Easter Wreaths, please check out my treasury.

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Filed Under: crafts, decorating, Easter, Misc Holidays, Wreaths

St. Patrick’s Day Wreath

March 2, 2011 22 Comments
I had planned for the first Wednesday of each month to be for my jewelry showcase, but I’m doing some rearranging this month because  I wanted to make sure that I shared this wreath in time for others to  be able to make their own for the holiday.  This is a very easy wreath to make.  No crafting tools or skills needed!
What you need:
plain wreath
clover garland (found at Wal-mart or Hobby Lobby)
ribbon (for hanging)
Directions:  Simply take your garland and wrap it around the wreath.  This particular kind of garland has a wire at it’s base, so it easily wraps around and through the vine wreath to stay in place.  But if you’re using another type of garland, you may need to use some hot glue to make sure it doesn’t come unwrapped.  Then simply tie a ribbon to the top for hanging. And you’re done!

In honor of the St. Patrick’s holiday, I’ve added this really cute clover cloth to the sewing machine in the dining room.  Here’s Dixie posing with a few of her clover-adorned friends!

I’m linking up this week to these parties.

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Filed Under: crafts, decorating, Misc Holidays

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these Fun Finds

February 23, 2011 1 Comment
Photo Credit – Hudsons Holiday

I just love looking around on etsy and have recently started creating my own treasuries.  I created a really fun treasury last week called Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It’s filled with adorable items that will help you celebrate the holiday:  cupcake toppers, cookies, banners, and fun decor!
Today I’m sharing just a few of the items from this treasury.
St. Patrick’s Day Wreath

St. Patrick’s Day Banner

Exquisite Fun St. Patrick’s Day Cookies

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Gift Tags

Looking for more? Check out the rest of the items in this treasury.

I’m linking up to these parties.

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Disclosure:  None of the shops featured in this post are paid sponsors. I hand selected all the items for this treasury on Etsy based on my own opinions. Photos are owned by the shop owners they are linked to.

Filed Under: decorating, Misc Holidays, party ideas, shopping

Nursery and Kids Decor at Gypsy Lane Designs

February 18, 2011 3 Comments

I’m really happy to welcome back Gypsy Lane Designs as a sponsor to my blog.  If you’re new to my blog and aren’t familiar with this shop, let me tell you all about it.  It is owned by Rachel who is an artist and art teacher.

Gypsy Lane Designs features fresh, bright & beautiful artwork for Baby & Home.  If you’re looking for adorable, unique, and personalized items for your child’s room, you should definitely check out Gypsy Lane.  They have custom artwork, name paintings, and name blocks, which also make great birthday and shower gifts.
Gypsy Lane also specializes in custom paintings of pets. (We can’t forget to celebrate the furry little ones in our lives!)

I was intrigued by how Rachel came to develop her fabulous line of children’s artwork:

Gypsy Lane Designs began when I thought I would finally try my hand at creating paintings for the masses. My shop first housed mostly travel watercolors and custom pet portraits. As countless numbers of my friends have recently had babies, I began getting some requests for custom nursery work. My shop has organically grown into a haven of hand-painted and original designs for baby.

I have been having a blast creating personalized nursery designs for my Etsy customers. I love making my children’s designs beautiful, completely unique, whimsical and delicate. I find inspiration every day in my art classroom as I watch my student’s active imaginations. I absolutely love doing custom work and strive to make my custom artwork interactions as easy, fun and painless for you as possible.

From cars, planes, and  animals, to flowers, butterflies, and princesses, Gypsy Lane Designs can make the perfect custom wall art for your child’s room that creates an atmosphere of whimsy and wonder every time your child walks in!

Connect with Gypsy Lane Designs
Rachel’s Blog: Gypsy Lane Designs

Please join me in support of this lovely artist and fabulous etsy shop  and check out Gypsy Lane Designs today.

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Disclosure: Gypsy Lane Designs is a paid sponsor on my blog.  If you have a business and you’d like for me to advertise for you, please check out my PR page for details.

Filed Under: Baby, decorating, shopping, Sponsors

Red Vignette and Valentine Garland

February 9, 2011 11 Comments
Today I’m sharing this cute display from my kitchen.  I’m in the process of doing a quasi-makeover in my kitchen.  For a while I’ve felt like my kitchen was having an identity crisis, and I decided that I’m going to make the predominate color in the room be red.
After Christmas I was taking down my decor, and trying to decide what to do with the top of this cabinet.  It’s very tall, and you can’t really see what’s on top of it very well, so it doesn’t need anything too showy, if you know what I mean. But it needed something.  Anyway, as I was putting my Christmas decorations away, I decided to place these red & white candles on top of this cabinet, and the vignette grew from there!

The above picture is how I had planned for it to look for most of the year. The candles are actually Christmas candles, but from the ground you can’t really tell.  Then I made the arrangement in the middle using some berry garland that I had.  And the cups were already on top of the cabinet.  I just filled them with red paper shreds so they would match.  And then I added the shiny red garland.  It’s actually Valentine garland, but again, from the ground you can’t really tell. 

And now for the finishing touch to make this vignette perfect for Valentine’s Day!  This adorable Valentine Heart garland was actually made by the super talented Liz of Hoosier Homemade.  Last year around this time, she had an assortment of giveaways. This garland was one of the prizes, and I was the lucky winner! 
Isn’t it the cutest! And you know how I said that you can’t see the top of the cabinet very well anyway, so it doesn’t really need too much stuff.  Well, now with all the red, it’s actually quite eye catching! Who knew!

So what do you think?

I’m linking up at these parties.

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Filed Under: decorating, Home/Garden, Valentine's Day
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