HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT!

Over at A Southern Lady's Ramblings she is cooking up something in the kitchen you don't normally see:  LAUNDRY DETERGENT!  Check it out!

http://asouthernladysramblings.blogspot.com/2011/07/homemade-laundry-soap.html

Adding some Halloween to tree stencil

From a previous post, I showed how to create a tree silhouette out of wallpaper.  Since Halloween is coming up, I am adding some crows and owls to the mix.

Click here  (courtesy of Martha Stewart) for the spooky owl...I am loving owls right now.  You can even put a bat on it too!

Click here for a somber forboding crow....creepy but seasonal!

Happy crafting!

Tutorial: make a birthday banner!

Hello crafters!  I have had two kiddos to have birthdays in September so I have had to use my birthday banner that I made from Katydid and kids blog tutorial.  The tutorial is here.

I started with these supplies: 

• Scrapbook paper (I chose primary colors)
• Cardstock paper that is neutral (I chose off-white/beige)
• coordinating ribbon
• hole puncher
• scissors
• glue stick (will dry evenly...don't use liquid glue...it is messy)
• computer and printer

I used this font:  circus

just print these out and...

I then went to word and printed each letter in different colors.

...cut loosely around the letters



  I just cut loosely around the letters.

trace around a bowl

Now, take a regular size bowl and with a pencil trace around the backside of the scrapbook sheets that you have selected.  I was able to put two circles per scrapbook sheet.

Take a larger bowl and trace on a neutral cardstock or posterboard.  This will give your banner sturdiness and stability...and it looks darn cute!

The pictures are not very good quality...I have very dim lighting!

Hopefully it is clear enough to be able to see what to do!

NOW........the fun part..........

With an acid free (with acid free it will last through many more birthdays) glue stick, just start glueing each neutral circle to the colored scrapbook circle.  Then plop your HAPPY BIRTHDAY letters on too.....

You then hole-punch each side of the circles and then tie coordinating ribbon to each circle.....

This project takes so time but it is so cute to do and you will feel so accomplished!  I did!

I made this banner for my sweet nephew's party...everyone made comments on it and I was so glad!

Here is the finished project with the ribbon!  It turned out very cute!

I use it for everyone's birthday!  This was used for Noah and Abigail's birthday.

I also made pennants....that is another tutorial!
 
After their birthday's, I hang the name section in their rooms above their beds.  Kids really like personalization items!
 
 
Happy crafting!

Vinyl or Wallpaper? -Tree design for huge wall **IT IS WALLPAPER**

It has been many moons since I have posted. Moving, winter, homeschooling, church, and other sundry things have occupied me! Today I feel like posting! YAY!

I have completed many projects, just haven't nailed them down to a post yet. I am going to show you a very *inexpensive* way to use WALLPAPER to create a tree scene (or whatever you choose, you are only limited by your imagination!).

First, get a roll of wallpaper out with a pencil, just draw a tree trunk. Free hand makes it unique and your own. Hind sight, I should have just painted the wallpaper, then drew, in pencil, my tree design. Instead, I drew the tree, then cut it out, and then I painted it. This works but you have to be very careful when putting water on the other side to adhere it to the wall....some paint comes off or even runs on to the wall!





Next, after you draw, paint it any color you choose. I chose black.



LET IT DRY OR IT WILL RUN!!!!!!! Wait a good hour for best results. Wait 15 min. for worst results, that is what I did!



Run water on the glue side of the wallpaper, book it for two to three minutes (keep glue sides together to make it paste well), and then place it on the wall.

Some black ran off so I got a small paint brush and painted it. I chose wallpaper because when I want to change I will just remove it and the wall will be none the worse!





I also drew two limbs free hand and painted them. Next, I took black scrapbook paper and cut leaf designs out and I just taped them on the wall...I am so HIGH-TECH! I then put two black shelves on the limbs of the tree. I have birds sitting on them now, but in the pics I put picture frames....



This project was little to no-cost and I love my WALL! Happy crafting!







I linked to Fireflies and Jellybeans

Repurpose a lampshade, I did, you can too!

So, I walk by my lamp *several* times a day, and my lampshade has holes in it and one of the kids knocked a metal spindle loose on it so the metal pokes through the lampshade adding insult to injury...It is my "holely" lampshade. It is hideous.....


I feel a refashion coming on!




You can roll the lampshade to trace on wax paper a pattern(leaving a 1-inch margin each side) OR you can tear it a part and cut around it leaving a 1-inch margin around each side. That's what I did.





I then took the old lampshade with the material and ironed it. It actually stuck very well to the old lampshade so I didn't use spray adhesive. If you want to use spray adhesive it works really good. Just keep it in line and press out bubbles or lines with a straight edge(like a credit card).



Next, I used Mod Podge to seal the ends (I could have used spray adhesive but I had Mod Podge). I put the metal loop at the base of the lampshade and wrapped the material -with Mod Podge- all the way around. I did this to the top also. I let it dry for a while. To secure the material around the lamp shade, fold extra material under and hot glue from top to bottom.






Because my lampshade was in such bad condition at the top, I made a bias for stability. To make bias, I cut material 2 inches wide and the length is according to your lampshade. Then I ironed the center of the material. Take the two edges, fold them to the ironed center, and iron again. Bias is born!



Now get the trusty hot glue gun out and glue the bias on the outside first. Work in small sections -hot glue dries fast. I turned the lampshade upside down to glue the rest of the bias to the inside. I kept looking at it from both angles to make sure it looked good!









I used heart material because Valentine's Day is coming and I am in that mood. Hearts are good year round, right?

Refashion - women's skirt transformed into a girl's dress

I had a skirt that was just too high above the knee for me (yes folks it is possible), so I refashioned it into something for Abigail. I just cut a backward "C" on both sides. Then I made a very long bias of a coordinating fabric and I sewed them to each side. I added a pocket as an embellishment...Abigail loves the pocket. This looks cute with jeans or leggings underneath. The dress can even be used as an apron....I keep all kinds of old clothing around...you never know when a REfASHION will hit you!



Here is a complete layout of the skirt-turned-into-apron-dress. I cut each side for the armholes and just made bias for each side....Had all the material...yay!




This is proof that this was my skirt!




One side tied into a bow the other side loose...




Here is my angel striking a pose...she is so camera shy ;-)