Front Porch Redo

 During the pandemic quarantine I was looking for things to do that would make me feel good about my home and my life.  Since I now had a lot of time on my hands I started looking at what I had around that I could use.  

Because I am a big sewer, crafter and quilter I had lots of supplies.  I had been wanting to give my porch a little "redo" for a while so I gathered my supplies and dove into the project.

It was also a good project to put on my newly started YouTube channel - Sew-Learn-Create.  Making the videos gave me a deadline and the extra push I needed to get the project completed.

Watch the videos below to see the before and after of my porch redo.  It was fun to do and it did help give me a purpose during the difficult times of the pandemic.

I hope this will inspire you to go dig through your supplies and start that project you have wanted to do for a long time.  

Keep creating!

Danna

Cactus Baby Quilt & Table Runner

 Last Summer at one of my quilt retreats I decided to try a new pattern.  I had seen the pattern on Pinterest and thought it was really cute.  It is a cactus pattern.  The original pattern was done in green for the cactus and pink for the background.

I wanted mine to be a little more subtle so I used a muslin background.  

The baby quilt has 4 of the cactus blocks in an offset pattern.  I used a fun mix of scrappy green fabrics from my stash.  Since the squares are only 2 1/2" it is a great scrap buster project.  I actually made two baby quilts.  One was donated to our church quilt group auction to raise money for the ministry. The other one is on my Etsy shop Cactus Baby Quilt.

The quilt back is a soft green fabric

The binding is a scrappy binding to incorporate all of the fabrics once again on the edge.  Scrappy bindings are a great way to use up those last bits of fabric and can add a playful edge.  The finished baby quilt is 35" x 45".

I thought since the cactus is popular I would make a table runner also.

The table runner uses two of the cactus blocks and I put them facing each other with a wide muslin band in between.  That way you can see the full cactus shape from either end of the runner.  

On the back of the runner I placed a band of pieced scraps.  This gives the runner a completely different look when reversed.  I always like a table linen that has options with two looks in one. The table runner is 17" x 49". It is also on my Etsy shop. Cactus Table Runner

This pattern is easier than it looks and goes together fairly quickly.  I made two baby quilt tops and one table runner top in about a day and a half.  The here is the link to the original pattern by Kairle Oaks .  Her quilt is beautiful and very big!

So break out your green scrap bucket and make one for yourself or that new baby in the family.

Keep sewing & quilting,

Danna

Silverware Pocket Tutorial

 Head over to the Sew-Learn-Create YouTube channel and learn how to create some great projects.  I have created a playlist called Christmas in July.  It is a group of tutorials on simple easy projects that make great gifts.  

In the link below find out how to make silverware pockets.  These pockets add a festive touch to any table setting.  Use seasonal fabrics to ramp up your Christmas dinner this year.  We can all use a little extra spark to our celebrations during these uncertain times.  

So grab your fabric and machine and learn how to make these great projects.

Enjoy!

Danna

Face-lift for the Dishwasher

This was the easiest DIY project I have ever done.  I was standing in my kitchen recently and looked at all of my appliances.  Yes, they are functional tools we use very day but let's face it they are boring to the eyesight.

I had seen people (on Pinterest of course) putting large vinyl decals on their refrigerators. I think this is really cool but just a little too much of a change all at once.  I like to  "ease" into things.  So I decided I would make the change to my dishwasher.

During my next trip to the Dollar Tree I dove into the wall decal section looking for something to "liven up" my boring dishwasher.  Since the front of my dishwasher is black I could not use all of the fun sayings they have at Dollar Tree.  My purpose was to spruce up the dishwasher without making it the focal point of the room.  This left out all of the bright colorful decals.  I kept digging and found exactly what I was looking for and here it is.

Wall Decal from Dollar Tree

 This project took five minutes to complete.  The color is a silvery grey and my placement is very close to the way they had it on the package picture.  There is probably several variations of the layout you could do. 

One of my concerns was the decal would peel up when the dishwasher got hot.  This has been on there for several months with no problems.  I only run my dishwasher on air dry so it may not get as hot as some others.

I was extremely pleased with the final result.  It was super quick, inexpensive and easy to transform from boring to fabulous.

Final product!

Are your appliances are making you yawn and need a quick and easy update that won't break the bank?  Run to the dollar store and find your favorite wall decal.  Just peel, stick and enjoy!

Danna

Instructables - A New Tutorial Site

While recently searching for instructions to do a particular project I stumbled across a new site called Instructables.com.  The site is full of wonderful tutorials for all sorts of projects.  Anyone can post their "Instructable" tutorial in a wide array of categories.

Instructables has some nice features like: you can walk through the steps online while working on the project or print out a PDF file of the project to do later.  After posting you can be invited to judge one of their many contests.  I have been selected as a judge for several contests.

I have posted 3 Instructable tutorials for some of my projects both old and new.  I was excited when all three of my Instructables were featured on the site not long after being posted.  Below are the links for my Instructables:

Beginner Sewing Monogrammed Pillow

From Scraps to Gift Tags

From Book Page Scraps to 3D Garland

Be sure to check out this site to learn something new or to share your own "Instructable" with others.

Danna

Picture Frame Wreaths

Who said a wreath has to be round?  Whoever it was would not appreciate the new trend of "Picture Frame Wreaths".  Yes you read that correctly - picture frame wreath. If you are on Pinterest or any other creative website or just driving through your neighborhood you will see tons of variations of this new trend.

Bring in any season with a picture frame wreath on your door.

The concept is fairly simple.  You take an old picture frame, any size will work, take out the glass and backing board then paint the frame if desired.  Next you decide if your wreath will follow a holiday, season or your present decor theme.  Now the fun begins.  Select something to decorate your corners, hang in the center etc.  Really the sky is the limit.

For the Fall wreath I found a yard wind chime on clearance.

I removed the chimes and added buttons to cover the holes at the bottom.

To spell out the season I painted a wooden banner blank

and added the letters in scrabble tiles.

To finish off your wreath add a large beautiful bow that fits your style or leave the bow off, what ever you like.  On the fall wreath I did not add a bow because the flowers in the corners were enough.  I hung the owl and wooden plaque from the center using jute twine.  You could make this part where it could be changed seasonally to extend the life of your wreath.

Here is another sample using a small 5x7 frame with a Christmas theme.

I like the smaller size for variety of locations to hang it.

For this frame I put each plastic ornament on a piece of gold ribbon and hot glued them to the back of the frame.  I then added the ribbon bow and glued an old Christmas pin in the center for the finishing touch.

The ornaments are plastic so they are light weight.

Be sure to secure your decorations well especially if the "wreath" will be hanging on your front porch or door.  For my wreaths I used garage sale frames, dollar store ornaments and flowers, old scrabble pieces and some ribbon.  The total cost to make each frame was about $3.00.

So dig around in your closets for those frames, take out the outdated pictures, gather some additional decorations, the hot glue gun and make your own Picture Frame Wreath.

Danna 

A Different Kind of Wreath

So have you jumped on the paper straw wagon?  They come in all kinds of colors, themes and sizes. Paper straws are popping up in all kinds of places from weddings, baby showers to fabulous kids parties.  They definitely add a festive touch to any gathering in drinks, sticks on cake balls to a touch of color in your party decor.

Well I have used them some in various gatherings we have had recently.  But, I have definitely jumped on the paper straw crafting wagon.  Who knew you could use them in so many crafting projects.  Pinterest is covered with tons of ideas.  Just search paper straws and brace yourself for a flood of ideas.

While on a shopping trip to Target (in the Dollar Spot of course) they had some great Halloween colored straws.  I bought two packages and decided to give a paper straw wreath a try.  I bought one package in orange and white polka dot and another in black and white stripe.  Here is the completed wreath.

Mine turned out smaller than that ones I had seen online because I cut the straws in half.  My purpose for making it smaller was so I can hang it on my door at school.  Here is a quick run down on how I made mine.

1. Cut 6 stars from each package in half creating 12 from each color.
2. From a light weight cardboard cut 2 circles using a vegetable can lid as a template.
3. Draw lines on one of the cardboard circles dividing it into 4 equal parts.
4. Draw 4 more lines subdividing the circle into 8 parts.
5. Draw a small circle in the center of the cardboard about 1/2" in diameter.
6. Draw another circle about 1/4" out from center circle.

Lines subdividing the circle into 8 parts with smaller inner circle

7. Take 4 black & white straws and glue them to the 4 equal part lines touching the center circle.

8. Take 4 orange and white straws and glue them to the 8 part lines touching the outer circle. (This gives you the staggered straws at the outer edge.

9. Take the remaining straws and fill in between the beginning straws around the circle. Stagger the last straws glued to about 1/4" from the outer edge of circle.

By staggering the placement of the straws you create more

movement on the outer edge of the wreath.

10. Take the remaining cardboard circle and decorate it to cover the center of the wreath.  I made an orange paper pleated circle and then added some other fun embellishments.

11. To hang your wreath glue or tape a ribbon loop to the back.

My wreath on my classroom door.

So the next time you have a party and have some of these fun paper straws leftover jump on the paper straw wagon and create a fun wreath.

Danna

A New Adventure - Sewing Camp Bigger Projects

In the previous posts, A New Adventure - Sewing Camp and A New Adventure -Sewing Camp First Projects, I have shared about my sewing camp for kids.  I told you about some of the smaller projects the campers sewed both by hand and on the machine.  In this post I will describe our two larger projects.

Now if you have read other posts on my blog you will have come to the conclusion that I am a thrifty crafter.  This same thriftiness holds true in my seamstress projects as well.  Using old t-shirts the campers each made a pieced t-shirt scarf.

The tie dye t-shirts work great to add that fun element.

 The seams don't have to be perfect on this project.

A scarf ready for pinning the final long seam.

This was a great project for learning to sew short straight seams. The t-shirt knit is forgiving if the seams aren't perfectly straight.  It is also a great way to use old t-shirts you have outgrown and keep those memories alive.  The pattern and tutorial for the t-shirt scarf are on this post Repurposed T-shirt Scarf Tutorial.

The final project was a small monogram pillow.  The main body of the pillow is made from a canvas painters drop cloth.  The drop cloth canvas is a nice weight and a neutral color.  Be sure to wash and dry the drop cloth first to soften the canvas.  One other nice benefit to the drop cloth is the amount of fabric you get for a small price.  To see some other big projects made with drop cloths check out these posts.  Drop Cloth Table Runner and A Couch Refresh.

Our final project - a monogrammed pillow.

To see a tutorial on how we made the pillow go to my Instructable Beginner Sewing Project -  on Instructables.com.  

Sewing Camp 2015 was a success and I have already started working on the plans for 2016.  Since camp I have been told by several moms that their kids have been sewing on something each week.  They are excited and proud of the projects they are making.  Sharing your knowledge of a talent and passion you have is essential to keeping the craft alive in future generations.  I thoroughly enjoyed teaching these kids my passion for sewing and it brings joy to my heart to hear about the creative spark that has been ignited in their lives.  So be sure you are sharing your gifts and talents with the younger generations so you can share in the joy of igniting a new creative passion for years to come.

Danna

Old Cassette Holder turned Small Shelf

Okay, I may be dating myself with this question but that is alright.  How many of you remember cassette tapes?  If you answered "I remember." Do you remember the wooden racks they made to hold those music marvels?  Not many of us still use cassette tapes (my family excluded we have cassettes and vinyl) but the holders still have a purpose.

When I was looking for a small thin shelf to put on my bathroom wall everything I kept finding was too deep.  It was to go on the wall next to my sink and it needed to be fairly thin or I would constantly hit my head on it.  My sister-in-law was getting rid of the wooden cassette holder and as I stood there looking at it the light bulb went on.  That would make a great shelf for my wall if I removed the plastic dividers.  Here is the finished shelf.

An old cassette holder.

 

Sorry I don't have a picture of the holder before the transformation.  To make the shelf I removed the plastic dividers and painted the holder white.  To give it a more decorative feel I glued wall paper to the back of each section.  Adding saw tooth hangers to the back allowed me to hang the shelf very close to the wall.

Wallpaper is glued to the back of each section.

 

The shelf holds all the quick necessary items I need to get dressed in the morning and keeps my vanity drawers from overflowing.  The small shot glasses are from a game we bought at a discount book store and they fit perfectly on the small shelf.  I love the numbers on each glass it just adds a little whimsy.

  

 

If you are in need of a small thin shelf, head to your local thrift store and check out the old cassette holders.  Maybe it will sing the right tune to fit your wall.

 

Danna

Christmas Countdown 2014 - Easy Decorating #17

The packaged ornaments of glittered words that you can find almost anywhere are very attractive on a tree.  But, they also have another decorating use.  Attach them as a single adornment on just about anything and they really make a statement.

Attached with tape to the rim of the

apothecary jar adds a special touch.

 

They are easy to use because of the string hanger and are lightweight so you can use tape to secure them to whatever you like.  Or simply rest them against a larger piece for a nice table or mantel scape.

 

Leaned against the birdcage is the simple reminder about the season.

Used in a monochromatic setting can add impact.

 

Since mine are in a silver glitter I rearrange them after Christmas and use them with my winter décor.  Check out this previous post Winter Living Room Decor for more ideas.  Using the color scheme of blue, white and silver for winter makes the glitter really stand out.

 

So the next time you need a simple decoration for your holiday table grab those glittered words and get creative.  Only 17 days left!

 

Danna

 

New Fall Decor

Well for some in the country Fall is in the air.  In Texas we don't usually feel like Fall until about December 1st.  But since it is that time of year somewhere it was time to change over my living room décor.  So a few weeks ago I pulled out all my Fall decorations and began the transformation.

On my mantel I used the same tiles from last year with one slight change.  I colored the letters this year with a gold sharpie so they would show up in a muted way.  To see what I did with them last year click this link Fall is in the Air!  I thought that the subtle lettering would make a nice backdrop for my new owls I have collected. 

My mantel for Fall 2014.  The wooden shudders are just leaning against the wall.

These are a few of my new owls.  I found these at Cracker Barrel they are salt and pepper shakers.

 I like the fact that they are small.

 

To color the letters of the tiles I placed the letters onto a plastic baggie and then colored the contact paper letter with a gold sharpie. 

 

After letting them dry for a few minutes I placed them back onto the tiles. The subtle shading added just the right touch for a different look.

 

The tricky part was not stretching the letters out. 

I was able to reuse the same letters from last years mantel.

 

In the center of the mantel I placed the angel a very good friend gave me as a going away gift.  Every time I see the angel it reminds me of all the love and laughter my friend and I share.

 



The soft coloring of the angel allows me to use her year round in various places in my living room.

 

At the other end of the mantel I placed another salt shaker owl, several carved pieces my brother made for me and a ceramic pumpkin.

 

The small green owl is a salt shaker. 

The wooden owl and the man are carvings my brother made.  The owl was a gift when I told him I was decorating my classroom in owls.  I could not take him to school he had to stay at home. 

 The man is a recent carving from a piece of wood at their lake house. 

These are definitely treasured pieces.

 

The extra tile with the owl I colored in a brighter green and placed him on the end table by my couch.  My original thought was to color the letters the same green but it was too bright for the look I wanted on the mantel.

 

The owl was colored with a sharpie just like the letters.

 



On top of my entertainment center I used the frames from the mantel and turned them on their side.  I then added the silk leaves with sticky tack to the glass.  I place my new porcelain birds in front of the gazebo and filled in around them with other birdhouses and pumpkins.  The birds are also salt and pepper shakers from Cracker Barrel.

 

My new bird salt shakers.  They are soooo cute.

The church was a recent addition.  It is broken on the corner where the leaf is placed.  It is a music box.  We found it a garage sale and my husband's grandparents had one just like it.  It was even broken in the same place.  It brought back many happy memories for my husband.

Simple blessings and simple décor.

 

On the table in my entry way I placed a platter with a real pumpkin and a metal jello mold  and silk flowers.  They sit on an antique platter with die cut leaves scattered on the platter.

 

Arranging just a few items in the same color pallet can be very fun.

Another shot of the FALL tiles.

 

Overall the transformation was done using the same items that are out all the time but with the addition of key color changes and groupings it feels completely different.  So even if it doesn't feel like fall where you are, start digging out those decorations and you might just see the change.

 

Danna  



 

 

Pay it Forward - Always Give Back - Share Your Talents and Joy

I am a firm believer that if God has given you a talent or gift that He expects you to share that talent with others.  Recently I was blessed with the opportunity to share my talent with a friend and her son.

My dear friend Kay has four sons (and yes she is still standing).  Her boys are all grown now and have families of their own and she is enjoying being a retired grandmother.  Two of her sons are in the ministry.  As we were catching up with what we had been doing over the summer she was telling me about all of the craft items she was making for her son's church fall festival.  His church is not a large congregation and she was making some things to donate for their festival. 

Hearing this I jumped on the chance to offer a donation of my summer sewing and crafting endeavors.  I made several Christmas table runners and ask if the church would like one for the festival.  Here is my donation.

I used the keyhole block for this table runner.

The traditional Christmas colors turned out really well in this pattern.

 

Over the years my friend has always been loving and supportive of my family.  It was an honor to give back and support her child in his faithful ministry to our Lord.  So whether you call it "Paying it Forward, Giving Back or Sharing your Talents" remember that the Joy is in the journey and the journey is always sweeter when we share with each other in love.

 

Danna

A Modern Table Runner

Normally I am not drawn to anything that resembles a modern look or feel.  But when I found this piece of circle fabric in my friends stash it sang out to me and I had to have it.  Maybe it was the colors of the circles that pulled me in, I am not sure.   Once I brought it home I began to consider all the possibilities this fabric held.  Don't you just love how many options you have in quilting with just one piece of fabric?

Since I was on a table runner kick at the time I decided to make a more modern feel table runner.  I stated with the piece I had gotten from my friends stash and pulled matching colored fabric from my stash.  I wanted the circle fabric to be the main centerpiece of the runner so I left it all one piece and added the pieced border using my coordinating fabrics.

The circles seem to dance across this runner.

 

The piecing of the table runner was simple and quick to put together.  As I began to work on the quilting I was trying to stretch outside my comfort box and try something new.  I found online several options but settled on the meandering circles for the centerpiece.  This brings out the pattern of the circles and was fairly easy to accomplish.

It will be nice addition to a modern room.

 

The border quilting is where the fun really began.  I thought since the fabric and the quilting in the center was somewhat fluid the border needed to a little more of a straight line angular look.  I came across this pattern of the connected boxes and lines and loved it.  It turned out well and really anchored the piece.

 



My lines and boxes are not all straight. 

But I felt it was okay since the center has a fluid feel.

At the corners I made a box, turned the runner and kept going.

 

In keeping with my quest for my pieces to have more than one look I pieced the back with a strip of the circle fabric. This gives you two different looks.  The front has a more energized feel and the back is a little more calming.

 

You can really see the different quilting on the back. 

And remember it doesn't have to be perfect.

 

 

As I continue to try to get myself out of always doing the same thing the same way I have found that the things I thought were really difficult are not hard at all.  Sometimes it takes me just "going for it" and allowing myself to try and fail that I break out of the rut.  I am finding that this is rekindling my passion for quilting and crafting.  Do you have ways that you stretch yourself beyond the boundaries of your abilities?  If so, post a comment below for others to learn from your crafting journey.

 

Danna




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