Tag Archives: Home Decor

Tuscan Candleholder

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Create a warm and relaxing atmosphere in your home with the rich tones of this Tuscan candleholder. Or, gift this easy-to-make slice of Mediterranean décor to Mom as the perfect Mother’s Day present.

Materials

  • Clay pot and saucer
  • DecoArt Texture Stucco
  • DecoArt Acrylic Paints: Americana Lamp Black, Dazzling Metallics Champagne Gold
  • DecoArt Texture Stencils by Tracy Moreau Brocade & Berry Borders
  • Candles

Tools

  • DecoArt Palette Knife
  • Royal & Langnickel Paintbrushes: Royal Aqualon Glaze/Wash, Series 2700, 3/4”; Sable Standard Handle Fan Blender, Series 5030, #2
  • Beacon Adhesives Quick Grip All-Purpose Permanent Adhesive

Basic Supplies

newspaper (to cover work surface)

Directions

Note

Let dry between steps.

Candleholder

1. Place clay pot upside down on covered work surface. Position Berry Border stencil on clay pot.

2. Use palette knife to apply Texture Stucco on open areas of stencil. To remove stencil, hold one end of stencil down with fingers and carefully lift opposite end.

3. Repeat stenciling around pot. Wash stencil immediately.

4. Use glaze/wash brush to paint pot and saucer Lamp Black.

5. Use fan blender brush to drybrush pot and saucer Champagne Gold.

6. Adhere saucer to pot as shown. Place candles on saucer.

by Eve Leder

Earthly Angel Pillow

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Show mom just how special she is this Mother’s Day with a one-of-a-kind crafted gift. This easy-to-sew pillow can be created in a variety of colors and fabrics, so make an angel that looks just like Mom, right down to a dress in her favorite color.

Materials

  • Cotton fabric, 45” wide: tan, 3/8 yd.; flesh-tone, scraps; medium brown print, 1/8 yd.; black print, 1/8 yd.; green print, 1/8 yd.; blue and blue/tan plaid, scraps
  • Lightweight cotton batting, scraps
  • Pillow form, 12” square
  • Fabric and Battenburg lace doilies, 3”, four
  • Off-white piping, 1-1/2 yds.
  • Light blue satin ribbon, 1/8”-wide, 1/4 yd.
  • Embroidery floss: black, blue, dark brown, flesh, gold, green, off-white.
  • Flat-backed buttons in colors of choice: 1/2” diameter, six; mottled brown, 5/8” diameter, four

Tools

  • Air-soluble marker
  • Pellon Wonder-Under Lightweight Fusible Web Adhesive
  • Optional: red acrylic paint; 1/4” stencil brush, tea bags, saucepan

Basic Supplies

scissors, pinking shears, pencil, ruler, transparent tape, sewing machine, matching threads, straight pins, embroidery needle, embroidery hoop, iron, pressing cloth, paper towel

Directions

Prepare and Cut Fabrics

1. Wash and dry fabrics. For small pieces of fabric, it is best to wash by hand and let air dry to prevent tangling. Press fabrics.

2. For center panel, cut an 8-1/2” square from tan fabric. For border, cut four 2-1/2”x8-1/2” strips from medium brown. For corners, cut four 2-1/2” squares from black.

3. If desired, tea-dye doilies for a vintage look. To tea dye, fill saucepan half full with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add one or two tea bags for each cup of water used. (Note: The more tea used, the darker the final color.) Let tea bags steep for 15 minutes; remove tea bags and stir. Place doilies into tea, stirring fabric occasionally. Check every five minutes until desired color is achieved. Remove fabric from tea; squeeze out excess liquid. Line dry or place in dryer with old towel (to absorb the tea). Press doilies. Wipe out dryer before drying other items.

4. For appliqués, print and cut out patterns, cutting along dashed lines; set lettering pattern aside. (Note: The blue word “pattern” is a link. To access this pattern, select the link, then download and print pattern.) Trace outlines of remaining patterns onto paper side of iron-on adhesive, omitting halo on hair pattern and flower stems on grass pattern. For wings, trace one wing and one reverse onto paper side of adhesive. Cut out appliqués just outside traced lines; remove paper backing.

5. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse iron-on appliqués to wrong sides of following fabrics: hair to medium brown; dress to blue; face and legs to flesh-tone; shoes to black; grass to green; wings to cotton batting. Cut out appliqués on traced lines, using pinking shears to cut top edge of grass.

6. If desired, drybrush angel’s cheeks with red acrylic paint. To drybrush, dip brush into paint and wipe on paper towel until almost dry. Apply paint to cheeks in a circular motion.

Center Panel

1. Using lettering pattern and air-soluble marker, trace pattern onto right side of center panel. The “E” in “Earthly” should begin 5/8” from left edge and 9/16” from top edge of center panel.

2. Using photo as guide, position appliqués on right side of center panel and pin in place as follows: grass (side and bottom edges should be even with panel side and bottom edges), shoes, legs, dress, face, hair, and wings. (Note: Dotted lines on patterns show where a pattern piece is overlapped by another piece. For example, legs are overlapped by shoes and dress; wings are overlapped by hair and dress; etc.) When pleased with arrangement, use iron and pressing cloth to fuse appliqués to center panel.

3. In same way as lettering, use patterns to transfer remaining details to center panel: halo, facial features, dress details, line to divide legs, line to divide shoes, and flower stems.

4. (Note: Use three strands of floss for blanket stitching, one strand for hair bangs, and two strands for all other embroidery.) With matching floss, blanket stitch around outside edges of hair, wings, dress, legs, and shoes. In addition, blanket stitch lines dividing legs and shoes, working stitches toward the left. For grass, blanket stitch along top edge; stitches should begin between pinked points and end approximately 1/4” from top of grass.

5. With dark brown floss, stem stitch lettering and hair bangs. With green floss, stem stitch flower stems. With gold floss, stem stitch halo. With blue floss, stem stitch arm lines on dress. With black floss, straight stitch eyes.

6. For apron, use pinking shears to cut a 1-3/4”x2-3/4” rectangle from blue/tan fabric. Sew a gathering stitch along one long edge of apron, 1/4” from edge. Gather apron to measure 1-1/4”-wide at gathering. Pin apron to dress; gathering stitch should be even with dashed line shown on pattern. Sew apron to dress using blue floss and stem stitch.

7. From satin ribbon, tie a 1” wide two-loop bow with tails; trim tails even. Tack bow to center neck of dress. With off-white floss, sew to top of each flower stem one button in color of choice.

Assemble Pillow Front

1. (Note: Sew with right sides facing in 1/4” seams. Press seams outward away from center panel.) Sew one border strip to left side and one to right side of center panel. Sew corner blocks to ends of remaining border strips. Sew assembled corners/borders to top and bottom of center panel.

2. Using photo as guide, pin doilies to corner blocks; outer edges of doilies will extend over edges of pillow front. Trim doilies even with edges of pillow front. Sew doilies to pillow front using matching thread. With dark brown floss, blanket stitch around center fabric edge of each doily; stitches should point toward center of pillow. With off-white floss, sew one 5/8” diameter brown button to fabric corner of each doily.

Finishing

1. Beginning and ending in a bottom corner, sew piping around pillow front, 1/4” from edge. Clip piping seam at corners as you work, to round edges.

2. For pillow back, cut a 12-1/2” square from remaining tan fabric. Sew pillow front to pillow back along piping seams, leaving a 10” opening at bottom for turning and stuffing. Trim corners; turn right side out. Insert pillow form into opening. Hand sew opening closed.

Tip

  • To trace pattern in reverse, tape pattern to window during daylight hours, right side of pattern facing window. Position adhesive over pattern and trace.

Add Your Own Touch . . .

  • Create a treasured keepsake from packed-away baby clothes.
  • Use flower-shaped decorative buttons instead of round buttons.
  • Extend the lines of the angel’s dress, leave off the apron, legs, and shoes, and appliqué several angels onto a tree skirt or table runner for the holidays.

by Mary Ayres

Miniature Flower Quilt Sampler Box & Brooch

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Cross-stich this beautiful flower quilt sampler box or a quick-and-easy brooch as a unique gift for Mom or Grandma this Mother’s Day.

Materials

  • Zweigart 32-count White Lugana (box)
  • DMC 18-count White Aida (brooch)
  • Wooden box of choice, 6”x6”
  • Dritz Flat Button Form, 1-1/8”, Size 45
  • DMC 6-strand Embroidery Floss
  • White lace, 1/2” wide
  • Pin back

Tools

  • Needle
  • Craft glue

Stitch Type

  • Backstitch: 1 strand
  • Cross-stitch: 2 strands
  • French Knot: 1 strand (wrapped two times)

Basic Supplies

scissors

Directions

Size / Stitch Count

Approximate finished size: box, 4”x4”; brooch, 1”x1”. Stitch Count: box, 63 w x 63 h; brooch, 15 w x 15 h

Box

1. Print cross-stitch chart and key. (Note: The blue words “chart” and “key” are links. To access these, select the link, then download and print items.)

2. Stitch design centered on fabric over two threads.

3. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to place project in box opening.

Brooch

1. Using only heart design from chart, stitch design on 18-count Aida.

2. Following manufacturer’s instructions for button form, cut fabric to size and form.

3. Sew gathering stitch along long edge of lace. Adhere gathered edge of lace to back edges of finished button

4. Adhere pin back to button form.

Tip

  • Sudberry House (www.sudberry.com) offers a complete line of products to display your cross-stitch creations. Instead of a box, try this design on a small tray, a trivet, or even a stylish key rack.

by Gail Bussi

Wedding Box

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Capture wedding day memories when you place keepsakes from your special day inside this beautiful personalized wedding box.

Materials

  • Walnut Hollow Large Lancaster Wooden Trunk, 9”x5”x5-1/2” (38219)
  • Plaid FolkArt Acrylic Paints: Wicker White, Licorice, Ivory White, Metallic Silver Sterling, Metallic Copper
  • Darice Wooden Ball Knobs, 1”, four
  • Color copy of wedding photo

Tools

  • Plaid FolkArt Down Home Brown Antiquing Medium
  • Plaid FolkArt Satin Artists’ Varnish
  • Paintbrushes: round, #5; flat, #12
  • Plaid Bottle Top Tip Writers (30728)
  • Plaid Mod Podge Découpage Medium
  • Wood glue

Basic Supplies

paper trimmer, ruler, sandpaper, pencil, transfer paper, soft cloth, newspaper (to cover work surface)

Directions

STEP 1

Basecoat box Wicker White; sand lightly. Wipe clean with soft cloth.

STEP 2

Print pattern. Transfer heart pattern around sides of box bottom.

STEP 3

Paint the following: lid, wooden knobs, and top box section Metallic Copper; base and bottom of pattern Silver Sterling; hearts Ivory White. Let dry. Adhere wooden knobs to each corner of box bottom.

STEP 4

Transfer lettering to lid and names and wedding date to underside of lid. Use bottle top tip set and Licorice to add pattern details and write lettering. Spatter paint box and lid Licorice; let dry.

STEP 5

Trim photo to desired size. Following manufacturer’s instructions, use découpage medium to apply photo to lid. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to antique lid and box. Apply varnish.

Tip

  • To create a bridal bouquet keepsake display, adhere floral foam inside box, then arrange dried flowers and ribbon from the bridal bouquet as desired. The wedding couple’s name and date on the lid are the perfect background for this floral display.

by Kirsten Jones

Dog and Cat Pots

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Not only is this the cat’s meow, but it’s perfectly fine that this project has gone to the dogs. Create the perfect treat container to reflect your special pet’s personality.

Materials

  • Terra cotta pots: 2”, 3”
  • Polymer clay: dark brown, brown, grey, white, pale pink

Tools

  • Acrylic paint: dark orange, grey
  • Paintbrush
  • Glue gun and glue sticks

Basic Supplies

toothpick, baking dish, oven

Directions

 

General

(Note: Adult supervision is needed when using a glue gun and oven.)

1. Preheat oven to 275° F. (Note: When assembling clay pieces, be sure all pieces are pressed and stuck together.)

Dog

1. Paint dark orange on outside and inside top half of 3” pot. Let dry.

2. To make body pieces, use photo as guide. For head, roll brown clay into 1”x1-1/4” oval. See Figure 1. To shape head, use thumb and first finger to slightly squeeze one end of oval. For ears, roll two 1”-long teardrop shapes from brown. For nose, roll dark brown clay into 1/4”x3/8” oval; press nose onto front of head. Press ears onto sides of head. For eyes, use toothpick to poke two small holes into head above nose. For muzzle, use toothpick to mark slit below nose. For feet, roll four 5/8”-wide balls from brown; flatten one end of each ball for bottom of feet. Place bottom of feet on work surface, spacing feet so bottom of pot rests on top of each foot; press bottom of pot onto feet. Use toothpick to cut toe slits into each foot as shown. Remove pot. For tail, roll brown 1-1/8”-long tube. Bend tail as desired.

3. Place clay pieces on baking dish. Bake 1/2 hour. Remove from oven. Let cool.

4. Adhere back of head onto one side of rim. Adhere tail on back top of rim. Adhere feet onto bottom of pot.

Cat

1. Adhere back of head onto one side of rim. Adhere tail on back top of rim. Adhere feet onto bottom of pot.

2. To make body pieces, use photo as guide. For head, roll ball approximately 1” wide from grey clay. See Figure 2. Shape ball so head comes to slight point. See Figure 3. For muzzle, roll two 1/4” balls from white clay and slightly flatten. For bottom lip, roll tiny white oval. For nose, roll tiny pink ball. Press muzzle, bottom lip, and nose onto front of head. For ears, form two 1/4” triangles from grey. Press tiny ball of pink onto front of each ear. Press ears onto top of head. For eyes, use toothpick to poke two holes into head above nose. For feet, press white and grey clays together; roll four 1/2” balls; flatten one end of each ball for bottom of feet. Place bottom of feet on work surface, spacing feet so bottom of pot rests on top of each foot; press bottom of pot onto feet. Use toothpick to cut toe slits into each foot as shown. Remove pot. For tail, roll grey 1/8”x3/4”-long tube; flatten one end. Bend down tail.

3. Place clay pieces on baking dish. Bake 1/2 hour. Remove from oven. Let cool.

4. Adhere back of head onto one side of rim. Adhere tail on back top of rim. Adhere feet onto bottom of pot.

by Billie Ciancio

T-Shirt Pillow

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Rescue a favorite old t-shirt from the garage sale stack, then cleverly restyle it into a custom lounge pillow for your kid’s room.

 

Materials

  • T-shirt
  • Pillow insert, 14”x18”

Tools

  • Sewing machine and coordinating thread
  • Air-soluble fabric marker
  • Hook-and-loop tape (optional)
  • Beacon Adhesives Liquid Thread (optional)

Basic Supplies

scissors, ruler or yardstick, straight pins

Directions

STEP 1

Place shirt flat on table, right side up. Use scissors to split side seams and to remove sleeves along seams. Cut across top of shirt just below neck, separating it into front and back sections.

STEP 2

Decide which way you want your artwork oriented, horizontally or vertically. Use fabric marker to draw a 19-1⁄4”x14-1⁄4” rectangle on front of shirt, encompassing artwork; cut for pillowcase front.

STEP 3

Draw 20”x15” rectangle on back section of shirt; cut for pillowcase back. Cut rectangle in half, creating two 15”x10” pieces.

STEP 4

Place pillowcase front on table, right side up. Place two pillowcase back sections on top of front section, right side down, lining up outside edges and overlapping edges at center. Pin fabric to secure.

STEP 5

Sew, or glue, layers together 5⁄8” from outside edge of rectangles. If necessary, let glue dry. Turn pillowcase inside out through center opening. Insert pillow. If desired, sew or glue small piece of hook-and-loop tape to opening to help keep it closed; follow package directions.

Tips

  • Sew a bunch of t-shirt designs together to make a comforter cover.
  • Use size L or XL t-shirts with center artwork for best results.

by Aimee Dolby

Upscale Your Dollar Store Finds

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If you’re like me, the clearance aisle and the dollar aisle at any department or craft store is like being let loose in a candy store. I always manage to find something that takes my fancy and that I believe I can “do something with.” It’s typically a piece that I describe as having “good bones” – meaning it is smartly designed, robust, and useful but typically in need of a special “something extra.”

This frame is just that. It is a well-made plastic frame that takes three 2″x2″ photos. It stands up well and it has a certain charm – but that soccer ball at one end just didn’t do it for me. I don’t have kids who play soccer and I’m not a soccer player anymore – though I did play in school – so this frame needed a touch of magic to make it mine.

The photos are easy – whenever I do a photo project I always end up with lots more photos printed than I will actually use so I keep a stash of photos in my craft cabinet. These small images of my cat Molly are leftovers from recent projects so I chose three that would look good together – they have similar color schemes and they are varied in zoom – I find a mix of close-ups and longer shots usually works well in multi-photo frames like this.

Next up was some text to break up the very black area of the frame. I didn’t know if rub-ons would work on plastic but there are lots of things I don’t know will work until I try them. Turns out that rub-ons work really well!

Finally it was time to deal with the soccer ball – I wanted something big enough to cover it and to make the frame work- the answer was a huge fabric flower. I pulled it apart to remove the bit that pokes through all the pieces which is used to connect it to the flower stalk. I did this because I needed a relatively flat back to glue to the frame. Of course as soon as you pull a fabric flower apart like this, it is now in lots of pieces! I used Fabri-Tac  glue to glue the flower back together. Fabri-Tac is thick and grabs fast so it is ideal for gluing flowers.

Once the glue was set, I used E6000 to glue the plastic back on the flower to the frame – although Fabri-Tac would have done just as well.

So, an inexpensive frame now has place of pride in my home and I have a couple more of these frames ready for re-purposing when I’m in need of a fast, unique gift.

So now, what have you found recently that was inexpensive but had “good bones?” What did you do to make it your own?

  by Helen Bradley (www.craftinggoodness.com)

Spring Welcome Mat

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

What better way to greet guests than with a smile? This easy-to-paint, smiling flower welcome mat is a great way to add a touch of spring to your outdoor décor.

Materials

  • Green doormat, 18”x24”
  • DecoArt Patio Paints: Cloud White, Sprout Green, Petunia Purple, Wrought Iron Black, Citrus Green, Fuchsia, Pansy Purple

Tools

  • Round scrubber paintbrushes: sizes #0, #4, #6, #14
  • Poster board, 18”x24”

Basic Supplies

scissors

Directions

STEP 1

For stencil, print and cut out patterns. (Note: The blue word “patterns” is a link. To access these patterns, select the link, then download and print patterns.) Fold poster board in half. Trace patterns onto poster board; cut out.

STEP 2

For flower, center stencil on mat, aligning bottom edges. Use #6 to stencil petal edges Petunia Purple. Use circular scrubbing motion to force paint into grooves in mat. Remove template. Use #14 to fill in petals with Petunia Purple. While still wet, use #14 to paint Cloud White along petal edges and Pansy Purple along flower head edges. Use #6 to paint flower head Fuchsia. While still wet, use #6 to paint flower head edges Cloud White.

STEP 3

Use #14 to paint cheeks and nose Pansy Purple and to add Cloud White highlights. Use #0 to paint eyes, smile, and border Wrought Iron Black.

STEP 4

For border, position leaf stencil as desired. Use #4 to stencil edges Citrus Green. Paint leaves Sprout Green and veins Wrought Iron Black. Add Fuchsia and Petunia Purple mini-flowers and dots around border as desired.

by Annie Lang

Floral Welcome Sampler

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Are you a cross-stitcher who also loves to garden? We have the perfect project for you! Make this sampler and get ready for the planting season to come.

Materials

  • White 14-count Aida cloth
  • DMC 6-strand Embroidery Floss
  • Panoramic frame

Tools

  • Embroidery needle

Stitch Type

  • Backstitch: 1 strand
  • Cross-stitch: 2 strands
  • French Knot: 2 strands (wrapped two times)
  • Quarter Stitch: 2 strands

Basic Supplies

scissors, ruler, iron and pressing surface, pressing cloth

Directions

Size / stitch Count

Approximate finished design size: 2-9/16”x10-3/4”; stitch count: 150 w x 35 h

Welcome Sampler

1. Print cross-stitch chart and key. (Note: The blue words “chart” and “key” are links. To access these, select the link, then download and print items.)

2. To find center, fold fabric in half and in half again; mark with contrasting thread.

3. Use two strands of floss to cross-stitch and one strand to backstitch designs as shown on chart. Stitch quarter stitches where blue and gray meet near end of watering can spout. Use two strands for French knot (bird’s eye).

4. Press design from wrong side through pressing cloth as needed. Frame as desired.

Other Options

  • Stitch design on towel.
  • Use waste canvas to stitch design on tote bag or café curtain.
  • Use a single motif on a fingertip towel.

by Alice Okon

Boutique Knock Off Yo-Yo Display and Prize Winner!!

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When I stumbled across a similar version of this adorable way of displaying handmade yo-yos, I was immediately inspired. It was a recent new product offered by a pricey upscale boutique, and the price was way out of my league. Fast forward two or three months later. I had just received my Summer issue of Crafts n Things magazine and ran across an ad for this innovative display frame, I immediately remembered the pricey yo-yo shadow box display frame. I set about making my own version of this pricey Boutique Knock Off Yo-Yo Display.

These boxes from Amos Advantage are perfect for displaying memorabilia such as ticket stubs, vintage photographs, collected seashells, and any other treasured items you would like to proudly mount and display. The special feature of these frames are two transparent, flexible silicone membranes which surround your exhibition items softly. In doing so, it gives the impression of your collection levitating inside the frame. In addition, you get both the front and back view of your collection. The frames are completely open with one side hinged. You place the object on the silicone membrane and close the frame. It is securely closed by a magnetic flap. The frames come in three sizes: 9-1/16″x7-3/32″x63/64″, a slender 12-7/32″x2-3/8″x63/64″, and a small 2-3/4″x2-3/4″x63/64″.

Creating my little yo-yo display frame was super easy. First I gathered some coordinating fabric fat quarters and buttons and set about sewing my yo-yos.  If you have never created yo-yos, there couldn’t be anything easier. Simply trace a circle to use as a template. The rule is to trace a circle that is twice the size of your finished yo-yo.

Thread a sewing needle and sew a long running stitch 1/4” from the edge of the circle. Pull threads together and form yo-yo with fingers. Pull the thread to the back of the center of the yo-yo and knot off. If desired, sew a button to the center of the yo-yo.

I used a dry adhesive such as foam squares to attach my yo-yos to the frame.

Here are a few more ideas for using these frames in your craft projects:

1. Create a Unique Wedding Gift- Save the invitation and mount it along with a painted monogram and some dried flowers or favors from the wedding reception. This will delight any bride to be.

2. Display your Garden- Gather flowers from your Spring Garden and press flowers using a handmade flower press. Display them in the frame in a pleasing manner to enjoy your flowers all year long.

3. Showcase Vintage Documents- Timeworn and treasured vintage documents such as marriage certificates, old photographs, well-worn award certificates, etc. are increasingly being proudly displayed as part of home décor. Show off your family history by mounting these treasured keepsakes in one of these frames.

“Nimbus Frames” can be ordered from Amos Advantage by clicking here.

WINNER ANNOUNCED

Several weeks ago, we announced that we were giving away a prize package containing Rit Dyes, a basswood box from Walnut Hollow, and more goodies that can be used to create this gorgeous Spring box filled with hand dyed and stamped ribbons.

The winner of the prize package sponsored by Rit Dye as selected by Random.org is Becky Garrison of Becky Garrison Paper Crafts! Thanks for your comments and I hope you check back here often for more exciting giveaways.

Until Then…

Live Life Creatively,

Melony Bradley (www.mel-designs.typepad.com)