Beautiful bins

This is my beautiful mess before I added my fav: BINS!

This was the bookshelf in my dining before...it's a horrible picture, and a horrible mess.

The bottom just got overrun by toys, junk and who in the world knows what else is down there. My kids access this area a lot with the play food and play dough for the kitchen beside it. I also use it for recipe books (rarely, since I love Pinterest for recipes now.) So, I decided to do what I always do and make some bins. Check out here how I did it before. Last time I used amazon boxes, and this time I used boxes from the post office. They are strong and sturdy. As you can see, I was able to throw all of the food into one box and all of the play-dough into another box. It turned out pretty good. Of course, if I took a picture today, it would be messy again.

The bookshelf after the makeover with the two bins from post offices boxes.

T-shirt quilt not done, but darn near close

Click here to see original post.

I swore that I started this project in 2011, but alas, it was 2009.

Good news is, I feel very close to finishing this 5 year old project. VERY CLOSE. It’s amazing how a few years of crafting increases your confidence.

Last weekend, I teamed up with my sister in law. Both of us were in a crafting slump and meeting together with no kids or distractions was the perfect way to jumpstart our stalled projects. We talked. We laughed and we got some work done. My project is now ready to be quilted together (the scariest step of all for me, anyway.) 

It’s clipped together with magnetic clips…the backing, the batting and the top. I have nightmares about bunching and shifting, but I am committed to taking my time on this guy. This is a sentimental and amazing project that I cannot wait to complete.

Tie it up: Spring wreath

  I have a pretty beautiful front door. It's probably original to the house, built in 1938ish. It's deserving of some adornments. I have a great fall and Christmas wreath that were gifts, but I needed something for spring, summer and winter. So, I set out on a mission. Since it's timely, here is the spring one. I am a pretty random crafter. I kind of start with an idea and just wing it. I am sure this drives some people crazy, but I don't always like to read directions...I just want to craft.

What you need:

Wire wreath frame (About $3 at Wal-mart)

Fabric remnants (a sheet is a great, cheap choice)

Buttons

Needle and thread (hot glue if you hate to sew)

Directions:

 

1. Cut your fabric into strips. I would say about 8 inches or so.

2. The wreath has 4 rings. I found it covers the wreath better with less fabric if you use one of the middle rings and not the inside or outside.

3. Simply start tying knots. You can space them as close or far as you want. Tie until your whole wreath is covered. It’s a great project to do while watching TV or socializing.

4. For the flowers, there are A LOT of tutorials on Pinterest for these. I read a few and then just did what I thought worked for me. I just cut different sizes of a flower shape and layered them until it looked like a flower. I sewed them together in the center and added a button.

That is it! Seriously.

Mission: Organize jewels

That my friends was my idea of jewelry organization when I had to organize and declutter before Ayla was born. Well, since then I've discovered Pinterest and having be pining for a more functional and eye-appealing way to organize my jewelry before baby boy comes. These little containers were a great way to contain the earrings in one locale but definitely not easy to find matches.  And once Ayla found them, forget it. So, I made this:

Just by going through and picking out the pairs to put on the jewelry holder was eye-opening. I found a pair I loved, but never knew I had and have never worn. 

And this fancy little holder cost me 25 cents, actually maybe less.  No kidding. I already had the purple beading wire and white spray paint. The frame was a Rescue Mission find. It's marked 25 cents because it was missing the glass (which I didn't need anyway) and frames were but one get one free that day, seriously. 

To be fair, I didn't know what I was going to use this frame for. It was a candidate for Ayla's gallery wall, but I didn't end up needing it. I pick up inexpensive materials as I find them. It makes my craft corner a cluttered mess, but saves me a trip out when I have a project I'd like to start. This is part one of three parts of mission organize jewels. So there is more to come! 

Ayla's big girl room

 For the longest time, I have been plotting Ayla's big girl room. I scoured Pinterest, came up with some ideas, visited tons of thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets and slowly started assembling the pieces. My goal was to come up with a shabby chic, vintage-looking pretty room for my little lady. It's really a room that I would love to sleep in, but I am sure she will, too. It still has a little work to make it complete, but I think it's ready for her, when I am ready to move her out of her nursery. The plus of this room is that it has a huge closet where we can put all of her toys and clothes and keep the room looking clean and girly. And this room was seriously very, very inexpensive. Really. You know me!

In the first photo, is the reading corner.
1. The tree is a hand-me-down from grandmother.
2. The rocking chair was a gift.
3. My dad is an avid auction goer and gets me the best deals, so I do have an insider. The little wicker shelf beside the rocking chair was probably only a dollar or two at an auction.
4. The window came from Re-Stor in Lancaster for $10. I added the bird decal (Stampin' UP) and the Dream word (A.C. Moore) for only a few dollars. It's hung with a rustic looking chain and hook I found at the Re-Stor in York for less than $1 for both.
5. The dresser was $2. Not kidding. It needed a little TLC and after fixing a few problems, I painted it white and distressed it with sand paper. The new knobs were less than $20 at Home Depot.
6. The shutter was 25 cents at a yard sale, and I added a light coat of acrylic paint.
7. The pictures on the wall were made by my crafty mother.
8. The jars and glasses came from yard sales.

 This photo shows the gallery wall...my new obsession. I love the look of these and they can be done so inexpensively. I eventually may add more, and of course replace the old advertisement in one. I can with all honesty say that this wall cost me less than $10, with most of the cost coming from the Command Strips I had to use to hang some of the frames. Most of the frames were from the York Rescue Mission Thrift Store. They were having a 50% off frame sale (as if they weren't cheap enough), so they came out to be about 25 to 50 cents each. I looked for the old gold and silver metal frames. After I got a stock-pile, I laid them all out and spray painted them in the yard. The silver tray was 50 cents at the same thrift store as well as the two small mirrors. You really can't look at something for its color or material. A coat of spray paint does wonders. I painted the silver tray with chalk board paint. I found the old sheet music at the coolest little store in York New Salem on the square. The little place is full of old books and quirky little things. He is open Fridays and Sundays. The quote and the bird on the sheet music were cut out with my beloved Cricut. The A, is really just a wooden A from the craft store and covered it with decorative paper.  Her bed is under the gallery wall, but for now it's just a mattress on the floor for safety...so I kept it out of the photo.

And the final photo is her vanity/desk/bookshelf. Who knows what she will use this for.
1. The vanity/desk was the most expensive buy ($75) and it's probably the one piece she will take the longest to use. However, I fell in love with it at Restoration Warehouse in York. It is also clear that whomever painted it knows much more about it than I do..because it's gorgeously distressed with silvers and grays.
2. The chair was the perfect color and already distressed, and again, my dad got it at an auction for a steal, I am sure.
3. The magnetic board behind the desk/vanity is my masterpiece. I used an old frame I found in my basement. I think it was part of a box lot at an auction for $1. I covered a piece of sheet metal (aluminum so it's magnetic) with fabric (a few dollars at Joann Fabric). I can't remember what I bought, but a nice gentleman at Home Depot was very helpful in finding me what I needed. It was $10. I cut it with tin snips to fit the frame.Take a magnet with you to make sure. The magnets are actually vintage buttons and old clip-on earrings I found at yard sales. I used metal cutters and glue to assemble them.
4. The bookshelf was $1 at an auction (again my dad). I cleaned it up, removed the ugly legs and distressed it.
5. The mirror above the bookshelf was $1 at a church yard sale. It was gold, and I spray painted it gray. Going with the distressed look is lovely because you don't have to worry about chipping paint or colors showing through because that adds to its charm.
5. The silver frames on the book shelf were 50 cents each at same church yard sale. I added some acrylic white paint. I have to find something cool to put in them.
6. The top shelf has old children's books I've collected over the years.
7. The middle shelf has a large food can I covered with decorative paper, as well as a frame I painted with chalk board paint.
8. The plastic storage bin are from the Dollar Tree. $1 of course.

Overall, I am pleased with the room. Of course, I don't think it looks much like the lovely ideas I had in my head or the dazzling photos on Pinterst, but it's unique and there is no other room like it. I put a lot of love into it and used many items from family that mean a lot.

Pinterest Craft Party

Of course my addiction to Pinterest started nearly two years ago when my tech savvy sister told me to sign up before most people knew about it. I have always loved to craft, DIY and decorate on a dime, and Pinterest fuels my obsession even more. I'd been eyeing so many projects but never had time to sit down and tackle until I proposed to my lovely sisters-in-law that we set aside a day together and each bring a craft. I love that you can see something you would love to try and just save it for later on the World Wide Web! That saves the extra paper clutter in my house. With the four of us being artsy, crafty and a whole bunch of other adjectives...we came up with some really great projects. We each brought the supplies and ideas for one (or two) crafts and worked away. Mod Podge was the theme of the day. We LOVE that stuff. Here is what we came up with.

Sam: Distressed chalkboard frames. We cleaned and spray painted the glass of some Goodwill picture frames with spray chalkboard paint. Some of us distressed the wood with spray paint. We also embellished with a T-shirt flower and rolled up ribbon.   

 

Hannah: Hannah brought a variety of really cool glass containers and a stack of magazines. We each chose a theme and cut out magazine parts and used Mod Podge to adhere them to the bottles. They turned out really unique.

 

Lindsey: Lindsey brought mugs. We each researched our favorite Bible verse or quote and wrote on the mugs with Sharpie. After baking the mug, it's supposed to be permanent. She also brought a large bag of T-shirts and we made T-shirt headbands. With a little practice, these things are the coolest. She also showed me how to make a T-shirt flower (as seen on the Jesus chalkboard), but I ran out of steam to try that one.

Me: I brought the canvas for quotes. We each chose a quote or verse that we loved, cut the letters out of decorative paper on the Cricut and pasted them to the canvas with Mod Podge. I love how we each chose something to make ours different and stand out. Sam used her paper snow flakes as a stencil before she sprayed her canvas pink and I used a mixture of light blue and gray spray paint to make mine a little textured. Hannah used decorative paper and Lindsey used the Cricut to add a bird and branch. I also brought large aluminum cans and covered it with decorative paper. They make for great storage on shelves and in cupboards.

 

Can't wait to do it again!

Strawberry baskets

While spending the day in my dad's workshop, he unloaded a few items on me which included three strawberry boxes. I love them because they represent so much of my past (growing up working on a farm and watching my family can and freeze fresh produce).  I saw a really cool idea on Pinterest for putting 365 small index cards in a strawberry box with the date starting at January 1 and ending with December 31 on each card. Each day of the year, you write the year on a line and one thing that happened in your family. So, for yesterday August 23, I might write: 2012: Ayla learns to make the owl sound. Then next year on that day I write on the next line: 2013: Ayla pees on the potty (we hope so, ha ha). It's a great way to keep track of life's simple moments in a very compact place.

I also saw an idea for putting name labels on baskets and putting them on your stairs so when you clean, you can sort each family member's items into their respective box. That was my intention when I made the labels, but then I couldn't find baskets laying around the house that would work for my purpose. So, until I can come up with something (probably covering diaper boxes with fabric and liners) I added the labels to the strawberry boxes. They aren't being used right now...but I am open for suggestions. Maybe I should just do the index card idea for all of us. That would be interesting!

Mod Podge Masterpiece

Masterpiece is a bit ambition...but I love the alliteration.
Anyway, a lonely bottle of Mod Podge ($2) accompanied my endless craft supplies for years. I never used it. WHAT was I thinking? That stuff is amazing. I have been trying to take my Pinterest inspirations and not directly copy them, rather put my own twist on them. A crafter has to be a little creative, right?
I fell in love with the saying you see in the picture and wanted it for Ayla's room. It really exemplifies how Nate and I feel about our first born. On Pinterest, the saying was on a fancy wooden sign with fancy illustrated text. I jumped on the laptop to try to emulate the look, but since I am not trained in Adobe Illustrator and I am no expert in Word, I quickly got frustrated and quit. I dug out my Cricut cutter and decorative paper and experimented with various sizes and styles of the letters. Once I was happy with the results I placed them on the small piece of canvas ($1.50 and also victim to the getting lost in my craft supplies for years and never having a purpose). I brushed the Mod Podge over the canvas and placed the letters. Once they were set, I brushed another layer over the canvas to "finish" the canvas with a glossy look. Mod Podge comes in a variety of finishes. When I told a few middle-age co-workers about my Mod Podge project, they giggled. "We used to LOVE that stuff." Well ladies, I am bringing it back. In fact, there is a Mod Podge blog that I love to read. It showcases amazing ideas of other creative people.

Power hour

I am really proud of myself for finally finding the courage to take the power tool plunge. There are so many ideas on Pinterest (my new addiction) that require a little knowledge of drills, screws and saws. And surpisingly, it's really easy to use these tools that are usually reserved for the man of the house.  My dad spent a little time showing me a little of the ropes. I just took a deep breath and dove in. I wanted to create something unique that wasn't on Pinterest. I have an industrial look in my kitchen. It's painted grey with copper and silver accents. I don't really know how the idea came to me, it just did as I was digging through my tool box. I uncovered the old knobs I took off my built-in buffet (copper). They were replaced with cool yellow jeweled baubles. So, I had the cool tin trough with the copper handles and the copper handles. I decided to make a shelf-style storage container for the kitchen. I have no idea what will go in it, but that is for another day.

Beauty in a bottle

A few years ago, I snagged a very large box of random old bottles at an auction for a few dollars. I gave some some away and used some in home decor. However, the look is tired and old So, I have been seeing some really cool techniques on Pinterest and decided to try it out. My bathroom recently got a facelift with a crisp new coat of paint, so it needs some snazzed up knick knacks. Putting one of these flairs into the bottle as is would be a really cool rustic look, but that isn't what I was looking for. I wanted something that popped.

Nate calls it nesting....

I call it doing all of the creative crafty projects I can before baby bottles and dirty diapers replace my crafting scissors and sewing machine. Starting at Christmas break, I had a pretty long list of craft projects I wanted to start and/or finish. Surprisingly, I was able to get nearly all of them finished. The final entry to cross off my list was to make an abundance of cards to carry me through birthdays and other occasions that require a card. So, Saturday night, I set up a long, rectangular table in my living room and went to town. I spread out papers, ribbons, hole punches, stamps, brads and other baubles, and inks and markers. I can honestly say that my inspiration for cards comes from scraps. I like to use every last piece of scrap I have created. The photo represents some of my favorites. Between Saturday and Sunday nights when my living room was turned into a crafting room, I cranked out nearly 30 cards. Nate came home late on Saturday night from work and gave me the concerned husband look. "Are you nesting?" In birthing class they say nesting can be a sign you are soon to go into labor. I guess he is worried that my love of homemade items will set me into pre-term labor. He should fear not. I just really enjoy immersing myself into something creative. The more cards I made, the more ideas I came up with. I have a ton of materials and supplies, so it doesn't cost me any money. I told Nate that I would miss these long hours of immersing myself in a project. Then the sweet man said, "All you have to say is, 'honey, I need some alone time.'" What a man!

Another baby blanket

I knew that I wanted to attempt a quilt, which I successfully finished. However, my favorite blankets in our house are the double fleece style with the knots. And, I have been told that babies like tags or little items to play with, so I wanted to make my daughter one of these, too. You can never have too many blankets, or so I have been told. Fleece was $2.99 a yard back before Christmas, plus there was a 20% off coupon for an entire order. What a deal! I couldn't pass that up. So, I picked out two prints and both matched the cream fleece. Then, I found this gorgeous fleece on the remnants rack. It wasn't the fleece that was on sale, but it ended up being about $4 for about a yard and a quarter. It fit my organic, earthy theme of the nursery and even had a little pink for my gal. The blanket took less than an hour and when I was finished cutting, I tied the knots while sitting in the nursery chair. When it was all finished, I curled up and fell asleep with it. Super cozy. Click here for more detailed instructions on how to make these blankets. They are so easy, inexpensive and make great gifts.
I still have a yard of each of the other prints, so I am trying to decide what to do with those. The one is adorable little birds, which matches the nursery! We will see.

Quilt Success

I call it imperfect perfection. This quilt was a labor of love. It definitely has flaws, but the fact that I stuck to it and it's finally complete is a miraculous feeling. I got my information on how to do each step from a variety of sources. In crafting, you have to be resourceful. There are a lot of steps in quilting, but I have always been one to change gears, so quilting was a great project to embark on. First is the piecing together, which is fun because you get to cut out a variety of squares in cool colors and use your creativity. Then comes the putting it together with the backing and the batting. Then, you have to quilt it together, which I found to be the most challenging step. I had a hard time not getting it to wrinkle and scrunch up. And while I hand quilted the middle yellow square, I resorted to machine quilting for the rest to save time. Then, I had to trim the quilt. All the shifting and wrinkling that occurred made it a little tough, but I improvised and made it work. Then, I had to bind the edge to make it look finished. And, this is where the fun came in. I learned the invisible ladder stitch from a blog and was so giddy with excitement, I couldn't stop smiling the entire 4 hours I finished the quilt. I ended up finishing the quilt at 7 a.m. this morning (couldn't sleep). It's done a whole 8 weeks before my little girl is predicted to arrive. That just means, I can do a few more craft projects in the meantime.

Big crafting plans

I have big crafting plans for Christmas break. I am thinking...finish my baby quilt and make some more onsies. I think the list is longer, but I can't recall it right now. I have a lot of other projects in the nursery, but that will wait until the new year when my crafty mother comes to help me.
Oh, I also want to stock up on homemade cards so as I get really, really busy with the new baby, I still have a stockpile of cards to send for birthdays and other occasions. Hopefully, I can set aside a chunk of time to really dig into these projects and not dabble in them. I am really ready to finish. Let's hope that I do and post pictures to chronicle my adventures in quilting.

Where does time go?

I really don't have time to be blogging. I mean, I have lesson plans to develop, an IEP to write, two graduate research papers and a few reactions to wrap up the semester. But, I miss my crafting. I have so many ideas in my head. Being 27 weeks pregnant, I am starting to think of all the little projects I want to do for my baby, who is due to arrive Feb. 24. The T-shirt quilt was put on hold for a baby quilt. I am nearly done, but it's been a work in progress. I wanted to tackle something smaller to get the gist of actual quilting before I tackled a full-size bed blanket. It's been interesting. Of course, it's not perfect and there are a lot of flaws, but my baby is probably going to love it anyway.

And, I will continue to dream about other projects, like wall art, decorative pillows and maybe a mobile!

Stay tuned for photos of my completed projects.

Cute little bugs

What a cute idea for a house-warming gift. These little bugs are creative, unique and adorable. I made these two as a trial, but am starting to get more creative to make more. All it takes is a little wire, a few beads and pliers and cutters. You can use all kinds of colors, shapes and sizes to make bees, dragonflies or butterflies. I got the idea from a library book.

Amy's shower

The secret crafts were for Amy's shower, which was a surprise. We rented a beautiful bed and breakfast, so I didn't want to go all out on decorations. I wanted something simple, that would make it unique for Amy. I decided on canning jars mainly because I was able to borrow them for free. I filled some of them with coffee beans and a vanilla votive and tied a simple real ribbon to the top. Amy loves coffee and the combination makes a heavenly smell. I also bought some teal candles and filled the jars with rocks and used a brown bow. I had most of these items at the house...I just had to buy the candles (33 cents each at Wal-Mart) and the ribbon, which was also on sale at Wal-Mart. I wanted to do one really cool centerpiece for Amy to keep. I had a blueish candle that was a gift, but NOTHING in my house is blue. I placed it in a clear vase ($4.99 at Christmas Tree Shoppes) on top of shiny teal rocks ($1 a bag at Christmas Tree Shoppes...LOVE that store) and tied a brown bow around the outside. My real craftiness came out in the beaded flower that I added to the outside for some pop. All it required was some wire and seed beads, which I also already had in the house.

I really enjoyed crafting these fun and inexpensive decorations. It's easy if you just take a little time, creativity and a peek around the house to see what is already there.

Can't wait to show crafts

Monday was an unpaid snow day for me. I didn't realize how desperate I was to get my hands on some paper, scissors and cards. I spent the majority of the day crafting cute stuff. I can't wait to post photos.
I was amazed at what I could make with supplies I already had in my house. I found a great way to make a precious and unique housewarming gift and a beautiful decorative accent for candles. The ideas came from a library book (also free, by the way.) I know it's not nice to give you this little teaser, but I couldn't help it. I promise I will post them as soon as I have time to take the photos. I am getting better at that...you have to admit!

Super bead

While the rest of the Stiger family cheered on their beloved Steelers, I used the chunk of time Sunday to start beading the crystal bracelets for Amy's bridesmaids. It's been a while since I did one of these bracelets, so I was a little rocky to start, but once I got on a roll, I cranked out three. I have two more to go, but I think one of the three is too small, so I should probably rip it out and start over on that one. Maybe one of the gals has a super-skinny wrist.
I know the picture isn't very good, but I got so many compliments from all the girls (and guys) who were viewing the game at the Stigers. I am thinking of having a craft day at my house and teaching every one how to do these bracelets. I took a class at Ben Franklin Crafts (before it closed). They sell for about $40, but you can make them in about 30 minutes (once you get the hang of it) for $7 or so.

Watching paint dry

All the schools are closed today, so clearly, I am home. Since I am not getting paid, I figured it was probably best to try to get some things done around the house to make me feel useful. And, no, I am not watching paint dry while I write this blog, but I am waiting for it. After I shoveled the sidewalk and walkways around the house, I finally got to work on our tired, white bedroom. I painted the wall behind the bed (our accent wall) the deep maroon that is in our bathroom. I love the color, but the room is too small to paint entirely maroon, so we'll probably do the rest in the tan color of our hallway to tie the three areas together.
It looks awesome. But, since the wall behind it is white, I need to do two coats. (I am too lazy to prime.)
But what took up most of my morning was the finishing the afghan that I started SO long ago. I have to tell you that I can see that my knitting improved over time. The overall piece is definitely amateur, but doesn't look too bad considering it took so long to do. And I hate to say it, but even though Red Heart doesn't have dye lots, you can tell exactly where I ran out of green. The greens are different enough to see. And I think it's wider at the top where I started than at the bottom where I finished, which means I dropped some stitches. But I have to say, it stays together and is a nice warm blanket.
The photo shows the afghan folded in half. The dark color that looks black is actually brown. Now that I look at this photo, I can see more than one color change in the green...oh well. It's a handmade item that hopefully my husband will cherish forever.