No Sew Wreath

This wreath is SUPER cute - and would be great for any holiday.

via soyouthinkyourecrafty.blogspot.com

this no sew fabric wreath is super easy and super fast to make. using up just scraps, it's also a pretty cheap but classy way to dress up your wall!

what you will need:

hot glue gun

muslin square

scraps of fabric

a frame you can place you finished product.



first i went through all my fabrics that i might want to put in my wreath. i eliminated some and kept 6 that were going to be in the wreath.

then i took my frame and placed it on top of my muslin.

i want a guide line for my wreath so i checked my cupboards for the right size circle, which in this case was one of my bowls.

i traced with a pencil around my bowl. now i have a guideline for my wreath.

next i took my fabric and cut little strips (mine are aprox 1 1/4 by 3 inches.

i then folded in half my strips, and ironed down. these are going to be your leaves.

now i'm going to show you how to make the leaf. these two next steps will help you make all your leaves on your wreath.

first you are going to make sure your raw edge is facing down towards you.

then you are going to take one of your sides of the strip and fold down at the halfway point like the picture above.

next you are going to do the same thing with the other side. just like the picture above.

and now you have your leaf. now lets make the leaves on your wreath!

using my drawn on circle as my guide, i will fold and hot glue gun my leaves onto the muslin



make sure you do a small dab of hot glue on muslin, and in between fabrics (i even added a little dab in each layer of fabric so it all stayed put well)

next place your second strip laying across the other way, and make sure you cover your raw edge bottom.



continue your process of folding and hot glueing your leaves by alternating the way you lay your strip.

and make sure you use your penciled in circle as your guide.

see how easy!



when you are done you will have a beautifully simple wreath. i hung mine with some fabric from the frame.

and it hangs in my hall by the door. i think it would look great hanging alone on a wall or with a collage of other black frames with other artwork or pictures of family!

thanks for choosing my craft as the winner of the "leaf" round. all of the crafts were amazing so i feel super honored to be the one to do the tutorial this week! thank you!

Beaded Wreath

This is way cute!

From infarrantlycreative.blogspot.com

I was perusing the 90% off Christmas clearance aisle at Joann Fabrics and I came across these beady things.

I was not a big fan of the "too organgey to call it rust" color of the beads. But at 90% off...

How could I resist? Then I had an idea. I got a styrofoam wreath out of my stash (originally purchased at Dollar Tree) and some floral pins that I inherited from my grandma's stash and started wrapping the beads around the wreath tightly. Every fourth or fifth wrap around I would pin a bead holding it all in place.

I made sure all the pins were in the back of the wreath so that they would all be hidden from the front. I also made sure I ended on the back of the wreath as well. Doesn't it look gorgeous?

What? No? You don't likey? Then I zapped it with some spray primer....

Looking better...then I had some leftover glossy spray paint in Berry Pink from this project. I gave her a once over with that. Then I wrapped a pink satin ribbon around it and secured it to the wall with a thumbtack. Then I made a bow and hot glued it to the tack.

Mosaic Picture Frame

So cute, and with retro plates would be awesome!

{from how-tostudio.com}

Anyone can mosaic. Whether you’re tackling a simple project or an intricate design, mosaics are fun, easy and relatively inexpensive. Plus, they make great gift for just about anyone!MostlyMosaic from Etsy brought us this great picture frame mosaic project. Check out her store where you can find more of her work and even purchase the picture frame featured in this design! Here’s the project:

STEP 1. Find at least two plates that go well together. (The artist used two plates in this project.) To save money, check your local thrift shops and garage sales.STEP 2. Place the plates (one at a time) between several layers of newspaper. While using safety glasses and gloves, start breaking the place with a hammer.STEP 3. After the first couple of hits, check your plate to see how it’s breaking apart. Since you’re looking for pieces that will work for your overall design, sort through the glass and remove any pieces that you won’t use. (This might include pieces that do not have smooth backs or pieces that might have gotten chipped on the front.)STEP 4. Continue breaking your plate into smaller pieces. Then repeat steps 2-4 with your other plates.STEP 5. Take your wooden picture frame. Starting in the corner, start gluing pieces from your plates down using craft glue. (Some people choose to layout the entire design before doing any gluing. But the great thing about mosaics is you don’t have to worry about being perfect!)STEP 6. Fill as much of the wood as possible, using the small pieces to fit in tight spots.

STEP 7. After you’ve given your project sufficient time to dry (12 to 24 hours), mix up your grout. You want it thick enough so that you can’t pour it out.STEP 8. Spoon the grout onto the mosaic surface and push it into all the cracks. Make sure you use gloves during this process, as some of the glass will have sharp edges.STEP 9. Use a wet rag to wipe off the excess grout. This might get pretty messy, but just take your time.STEP 10. Let the grout sit for 20 to 30 minutes, and then use a damp rag to finish cleaning up.STEP 11. If you like, you can choose a coordinating acrylic paint for the edges of the frame.Enjoy your new piece of art! Then start digging around to see what else you can find to mosaic. What else have you done mosaics with? Please share your ideas with everyone in the comments section!

Picture Frame Jewelry Case

Love this cute idea to store jewelry!{from http://www.how-tostudio.com}

Is your jewelry all knotted together in the bottom of a drawer? Are you always looking for a piece that you know “is in there somewhere?” We recently found the perfect solution for this dilemma from the unique and innovative Etsy artist, Uncorked.

She makes this unique hanging jewelry box from picture frames. It’s such a cool idea! Take a look at her shop and click on “Recycled Cases N Boards” off to the right to see the different styles she offers. (She does amazing cork jewelry, too. Definitely a seller to watch!) Thanks Cat!


Stuff You Will Need

• 2 picture frames of the same size (the deeper the better with square edges)
• 2 hinges with hardware
• 1 latch with hardware
• Foam board (cut to fit inside one of the frames)
• Fabric (dense weaves are best)
• A piece of glass to fit one of the frames
• Silicone sealant (clear for kitchen and bath)
• Staple gun
• Glazier points
• Hanging hardware (saw tooth hanger)
• Drill or dremel
• Clamps
• ScrewdriverStep 1. Line Up Your Frames
Marry your frames by standing them up on a table and fitting the interiors together. Sometimes you have to turn one in a different direction to get the perfect line. Check your corners and sides. If your frames are out of line, give them a quickie divorce and get yourself two frames that want to live happily ever after together. (If you skip this step, it will be at your own risk!) Once your frames do line up, protect your wood with cardboard and then clamp the two sides together with the interiors facing each other.Step 2. The Hinges
Line up the top of the hinge with the top of the interior frame. Set your hinges in place, mark the screw holes, remove the hinges, pre-drill your holes and then secure the hinges with a screwdriver. Repeat for the bottom.Step 3. The Latch
Determine which frame will be the front of your jewelry case. Measure to find the center (unless you are an off-center kind of girl), lay out your latch so that it opens toward the frame you would like to be the front of your case, mark screw holes with an awl, pre-drill holes for latch hardware, and finally, secure latch hardware with a screwdriver.Step 4. The Glass
Clean your glass; you need it clean to get a good seal and you want to check for any scratches or mars along the way. Open your case. Lay your glass into the front frame. Gently hold a slight pressure down on your glass as you apply a continuous 1/4-inch (approx) bead of clear silicone along the entire inside edge of the front frame; applying the silicone to the location where the glass meets the frame. This will hold the glass in place. Allow this to dry for 24 hours.Step 5. The Big Finish
Lay your foam, which you have cut to fit inside the back frame on top of the fabric you’ll be using as a backdrop for your jewelry. Cut the fabric about 2 inches larger than the foam all the way around (you may want to iron your fabric at this point). Fold the fabric around the foam (with the outside of your fabric facing away from the foam) and secure it with a staple gun. Cat uses 6mm staples so they will not poke out the other side. Staple one side and then the opposite side pulling tightly until all four sides are secured. Fold your corners like you are wrapping a birthday present and staple. Cut away excess fabric. Cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the foam (usually something you can use will come with the frame). Lay the cardboard into the back frame, and lay your fabric covered foam panel on top of the cardboard.Step 6. Hang it Up
Now your ready to hang your masterpiece. Use a screwdriver to push 8 glazier points into the frame on top of the fabric panel (two points on each side). Add your hanging hardware to the back by measuring to find the center and then nailing in the hardware. Use a long saw tooth hanger so the case can be adjusted for weight when hanging.Step 7. Extra Touches
Hang in style by using corsage pins (available at craft stores, florists, etc.). And for an extra little something, store your pins in a test tube container. (Cat will provide these for FREE; all you have to do is pay the $2 for shipping!

Photo Letter Frames

Love this idea. I need to start looking around for all the letters, so I can use my own pictures.

{from http://moonburst37.blogspot.com}

You've seen them in model homes, designer dream showcases and on the Oprah show. They're gorgeous and a true conversation piece. Letter Perspectives is the creator and it is the gift you give to someone who has everything, but only if you can afford to drop $150 as a starting price. OR, yes there's an or, you can DIY it for a fraction of the cost.

Begin with your idea, what do you want you frame to say? It could be your last name, it could be the traditional things like HOPE, FAITH, LOVE, FAMILY, it could be KITCHEN, or do a sports theme for BASKETBALL. Whatever you get the point. I chose to do WELCOME, so that I could put it in the entry hall.

You can either take the pictures yourself or you can use the work of others. Sites like Flickr allow you to save photos for free (as it was pointed out, let me make it clear you can save photos for free for your own personal viewing pleasure, professional photographers who post on Flickr typically have a setting so they can't be downloaded and/or watermarked images) or you can subscribe to sites like iStockphoto, for a minimal charge and download professional images. So start searching for images, things related to the style you want to use. So if your word is KITCHEN, look for images of things like utensils or spices. If your word is BASKETBALL, look for images like nets, balls, bleachers, hoops or courts. I've got a great start with the help of a friend (Gatorhightowers) for you here. So once you've gotten some great images you might have to do a little photo-shopping on them to get your desired letter.

Then just upload your letters to a photo print site like shutterfly or snapfish, where you can print 4x6 or 5x7 prints for as little as .15 cents.

Once you get your letters in it's time to start shopping for a frame. If you choose an uncommon number of slots, say a 7 4x6's frame is going to be difficult to find pre-made. However you can look for a frame that will match your dimensions and have a matt made for usually under $30. My suggestion would be to watch the flyers for a 50% off coupon and use it to buy your odd sized frame. That is how I was able to purchase a $50 frame for $25. Which brought my frame costs to only $35.00. Much better than $150!

Monogrammed Art

I LOVE this idea. So cute, for a wedding present, or for myself one day.
From Site: {http://alanandsteph.blogspot.com}

I have this weird fetish - I always want to change things up in our home. Although we are blessed to have an incredible condo, it just isn't all that big, so I don't have the option of making hugely noticeable changes (ex: moving furniture). However, I'm always able to move artwork, shelving, and decorative items.
Just a couple weeks ago I wanted a new art piece for one of our walls but didn't want to spend much money. I went to Michael's with my 40% off coupon and came out with everything I needed to make my own monogrammed art piece. Here's how I did it:

Items needed:
- An inexpensive canvas at an arts and crafts store.
- Wood Letters
- Fun fabric to cover canvas
- Black paint
- Hot glue gun
- Staple Gun

How to:
- Cut fabric to fit tightly across the canvas with some extra to staple to the back
- With staple gun, staple fabric to back wood frame of canvas (remember to pull tightly)
- Paint letters and let dry (only if needed obviously)
- Measure out placement for letters (just to make sure everything is even)
- Hot glue letters to front of canvas

That's it! It was super easy and didn't cost me any more than $15 for the entire thing. I think it looks pretty good too! :) (Note: this also makes a great wedding or anniversary gift)