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

Valentine Corner Bookmark

    Using up my scraps is a constant battle between me and the storage space where they are kept.  So I am always looking for small projects that will help me win that battle.  Projects that are useful for a variety of people is a bonus win-win. 

    This summer in one of my sewing classes we made a reading pillow. The bonus project for that class was a corner bookmark.  Since I work in two school libraries I am a big promoter of reading for all ages.  The link to the corner bookmark video on my YouTube channel - Sew Learn Create is below.  It is my most popular video. This project is a great scrap buster because it uses only 3 pieces of fabric.

    Since Valentines Day is approaching I decided to tackle my Valentine fabric scrap bag.  My daughter is an elementary teacher and loves to shower her kids with a small gift at holidays.  So, I created a corner bookmark with a Valentine twist.  

    By adding a small stamped heart on a piece of muslin it made these bookmarks so cute!  To create the stamped heart you use a regular stamp pad and stamp on 100% cotton fabric.  I used an unbleached muslin.  Once you have stamped your image then iron the image on a cotton setting.  This will set the ink on the fabric.  Then you are ready to add your stamped fabric to your project.

    Add your stamped fabric to the folded piece in the project before you lay out the sewing pieces.  I found that using a thread color that matched the stamped fabric for this looked a little nicer.

    To make these easy to gift I cut up an old book page and put the bookmark on the corner.  Then they were slipped into a plastic sleeve with a topper and label.

    I would love to hear your comments on corner bookmarks you make and any variations you add.  Keep sewing and Happy Valentine's Day to all you readers out there.

Danna

Lunch Box Tag Tutorial

This project combines sewing and art and is a great for beginners.  I prepared a small kit for those attending my Lunch Box helpers sewing class in the summer.  We made reusable snack bags, small cloth napkins and lid grippers.  All great items to have in a lunch box for school or work.  If you would like to make those items go to my Etsy shop WebberWorks where I will have kits available with video instructions soon. 

Lunch Box Tag

Now on to the project.  You will need the following supplies:

2 pieces of muslin fabric 2.5" x 4"
1 piece of batting or felt 2.5" x 4"
1 piece of ribbon or fabric strip for loop - approximately 4" long
Crayons
Wax paper
Needle and Thread or a sewing machine

Follow these steps:

1.  Take 1 piece of muslin and lay out flat.
2.  Place the batting or felt piece on top of the muslin piece.
3.  Line up the edges so they are straight.

1 piece of muslin with batting on top

4.  Fold the ribbon or fabric strip in half and place on top of the muslin with the loop at the top above the pieces of fabric.

Be sure the loop is at the top and the ribbon sticks
 up above the fabric and batting.

5.  Place the other piece of muslin on top of the stack and line up the edges.  Clip or pin to secure for sewing.

Make sure you pin or clip your ribbon loop so it does not slip
while you are sewing.

6.  With either a needle and thread or a sewing machine sew all the way around the outside edge using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Back stitch the ribbon loop to secure.

7.  Now the fun begins.  Using the crayons color a design on the fabric.  You can color just one side or both sides.  I used the Neon crayons and a black Metalic crayon from Dollar Tree.

Color any design you want.  Have fun with it!

 8.  Once you are finished coloring your design you will use the wax paper and iron to "set" the colors.  I slipped my tag inside a folded piece of wax paper so it would set the front and back at the same time and not mess up my ironing board.

If you colored on the back be sure to put
wax paper on both the top and bottom.

9.  Iron the wax paper using a pressing motion not side to side.  If you move the iron around it may smear the crayon.  Use a medium setting on the iron.

Use a pressing motion not moving side to side.

10.  Let the tag cool and you are done!  Attach it to your lunch box and show off  your creative talents to your friends.

This is a great summer project for kids and grand kids.  They will have fun making these tags and putting on their new lunch boxes for school.  Remember if you want to make the reusable snack bags and other lunch box helpers check my Etsy page WebberWorks for kits.

Enjoy!
Danna

Tennis Lovers Wreath

My neighbor loves to play tennis.  She plays several times a week and enjoys every moment. Therefore she has an abundance of used tennis balls.

She decided she wanted to make a wreath using some of the old tennis balls.  This is where I enter the picture.  While describing what she wanted I ask the question, "Does the wreath have to be round?" Her reply was "no". We decided that we could get an old wooden tennis racket and use that as a base for the wreath.

So the hunt began.  I soon found a wooden racket at a garage sale for only $1.00.  I glued the tennis balls to the edge of the racket and made a big burlap bow for the bottom. Here is the finished wreath.

My neighbor was thrilled with the result.  So if you have a tennis lover in your house and don't know what to do with all those used tennis balls, grab an old racket, hot glue gun and get creative.

Danna

Badge Covers with a Twist

It seems like everyone who works has to have a badge of some kind.  From the fast food worker, teacher, to the top executive we all have a badge.  You can find a variety of lanyard type badge holders in almost every store.

I personally do not like a badge hanging around my neck.  It always gets caught in my long hair or gets in the way of my necklace.  So I prefer a clip badge holder that clips to my shirt.  There was just one problem.  Those badge holders are ugly.

During my search for the perfect badge holder I became very frustrated.  So I decided I would make my own.  I also had the idea that it would be nice if I could change the front of the badge holder.  That would allow for a different look during holidays or with a special outfit.  So here is what I created.

A variety allows for many unique looks.

The covers and the badge holder have Velcro dots.  This allows for easy switching of the cover without removing my badge each time.  Now when the mood strikes to support my favorite team, show some school spirit or celebrate a holiday it is an easy switch.  I also created some that were more like a piece of jewelry.

To see more designs check out my Etsy shop WebberWorks.   Don't be limited to just one style of your badge holder.

Danna

Crayons, Crayons & More Crayons!

At the end of the last school year I ask teachers to save their broken crayons for a project I was doing over the summer.  I was expecting to receive a bag of crayons instead I ended up with a box full of crayons. WOW! Who knew elementary school kids had so many broken crayons.

My copy paper box full of crayons.

The project I had envisioned was for the students in my Sewing Camps to make heart shaped crayons and then sew a bag to carry the crayons.  They could sew one for themselves and one to give to a friend.  At both of my sewing camps we made crayons and bags and the girls loved the project.

The two purple bags tied with ribbon are the crayon bags.

But, I still had a whole box of broken crayons left.  What to do? What to do? After spending hours peeling the paper off the crayons I had several ideas.

Peeling the paper off the crayons was in a strange way

kind of therapeutic. It was mindless work that was much needed

after a long school year.

First I made "crazy crayons" to pass out at my churches Trunk or Treat party.  I figured the kids would get enough candy so why not make something a little different.  This was a big hit!

Crazy crayons are made by putting a small piece of

various colors in the mold.  Each one comes out different.

Next I packaged in paper cupcake holders a small set of solid color crayons and a "crazy crayon" for my family and friends children and grandchildren for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

These paper cupcake holders hold 5 crayons perfectly.

I found my holders at the dollar store in a package of 24.

Each cupcake holder had 4 solid crayons and one "crazy crayon"

The remaining 500+ crayons I made will be used for student prizes in my husbands school classes and our daughters after school program.  It just goes to show that when you ask people to save some items that are destined for the trash can you need to be prepared for more than you thought you would receive.

The question now remains will I be able to distribute all of the crayons I made before the end of the school year, and will I ask for more?  Check back in June to see the result.

Danna

A Small Gift for a Large Crowd

I did not do the Christmas Countdown this year because of some health issues in my family.  I was able to make some unique and fun gifts for family and friends so over the next few posts I will share those with you.

As you know I am a very thrifty crafter.  I like to create new items out of old pieces.  One aspect of thrifty crafting is the challenge of making the same item for a large group.

At our annual quilters Christmas party I like to give each lady a small gift that has something of a quilting or sewing element in the design. Last year I gave each quilter a Christmas ornament made from an old wooden thread spool.  The ornaments were quick and easy to make and turned out quite nice.

To learn how this ornament was made check out

Wooden Spool Ornaments

Since we have about 25 ladies in our group I try to design a gift that uses supplies I can get in bulk that only cost a few dollars.  This years gift uses Jenga blocks as the base.  They come 50+ to a box and if you have to buty them new only cost about $3.00 per box.  But if you can find them at a garage sale they cost much less.  I paid $1.00 for my box so each block costs about $0.02 each.  Here is the fun gift I made this year.

A small reminder of how our friendships grow in our group.

Using the Jenga block as my base I wrapped lace around the center of each block and glued it in place.  I then added a small piece of paper I stamped with the phrase "Friendships are sewn one stitch at a time."  I inked the edges of the paper in a coordinating color to soften them.  To finish the block I glued a small fabric yo-yo with a button in the center.  The yo-yos were made from scraps of previous projects.  

To make the hanger for my small sign I coiled some lightweight wire around a pencil and added a bead to each end and hot glued the hanger to the back.

Another example.

Now each quilter has a small sign to hang in their sewing area to remind them of the friendships they have in our group.

A basket full of gifts.  I wrapped each sign in a small baggie

with a few pieces of shredded paper in the bottom and a curly ribbon tie.

The saying still holds true that it is not the price of the gift that gives it value it is the love that goes into the gift that adds the true value.  So don't be afraid to be a thrifty crafter and add lots of love to each gift you give this year.

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

Christmas Countdown - 15 days left!

Wow, time is flying by only 15 days til Christmas.  Today's project is something everyone can use.  Handmade notepads.  I have done several varieties of these in the past.

One of the easiest methods is to buy a notepad and decorate the cover and stamp each page with a monogram or phrase.  These make great gifts for teachers and coworkers.  It is always nice to have something on your desk that has a personal touch.  Since my name is rather unique I rarely have been able to purchase items that had the correct spelling.  So, I like gifts that are personalized with my name.

The next version I made is a little more time consuming but just as fun to create.  I even made my notepads in this version but you could do them with post-it notes or purchased notepads that are small.  The dollar stores have a wide variety to select from.

Here are several versions I made for a quilters event. The small ones measure about 3" x 3" and the large one is about 3" x 5"

I placed on the front of each one a fun quote about quilting.  You could make these for teachers or any other group and use humorous or encouraging quotes.

 

This is the inside of each notepad. 

 

Here are the simple instructions to make the large style notepad cover: (Be sure to read all instructions before you cut anything)

1. Measure cardstock the length of your notepad.
2. Measure the width of notepad and add ~4 1/2" + the depth of your notepad.  This will provide the width for the sides to fold over and overlap in the center.  You may need to adjust this based on your notepad width and depth. 
3. Cut out this size cardstock (You may want to cut a piece of paper first to make sure all measurements are correct)
4. Place notepad slightly off center on top of cardstock.  My notepad has 2 1/2" on one side and 2" on the other.
5. Lightly draw a line beside the notepad to mark the placement.
6. From the lines drawn measure out the depth of your notepad.  This will be scored so you can fold the cardstock around your notepad.  My notepad was 1/4" thick.  So from my placement lines I measured  1/4" out. 
7. Score both lines on each side.  Then place the notepad back in place and check to make sure the cardstock will wrap around.  (You may want to try this first on a scrap piece of paper, it is easier to correct the folds if needed)
8. Glue notepad in place on cardstock.
9. Attach some type of closure.  (I used some sticky back Velcro pieces that were left over from another project.)
10. Add an embellishment to the front or leave plain.

For the smaller notepad I did the same basic directions just cut the cardstock to cover from the top down like a matchbook.  The trick is to add the depth of the notepad and score the cardstock so the folds will be crisp.

 

If you have any questions please contact me and I will try to give your further instructions.

 

These sound like they are hard but once you get the measurements down they go together really fast.  I made about 20 of these in an hour.

 

Danna

 

 

 



Fun with Tagxedo

Finding the perfect gift when you are a teenager can be a challenge.  My son was trying to decide what gift to get his girlfriend for an occasion.  We were tossing around ideas from jewelry, flowers etc. when I remembered a website that we had used at school. Tagxedo.com

Tagxedo is a free user friendly site where you can create a word cloud picture.  You can put in a URL and tagxedo will create the word cloud from the website, or you can type in a list of words to create the cloud.  The more times a word is repeated the larger the word will be in the cloud.

The original thought was to create a word cloud using words that described my son and his girlfriend, print it out and put it in a picture frame.  Once we created the word cloud we began to review our options for printing and saving the word picture.  I found you could purchase items with your word cloud printed on the item.  There was everything from coffee cups, mouse pads, bags and tshirts.  We decided to print the heart shaped word cloud on a tshirt.

Here is the result:

There were several tshirt styles to select from.  We thought this one worked the best for our design.

The tagxedo can be designed many, many different ways.  My son liked the heart with the black background.  It did provide a nice backdrop to bring out the shape and the words stood out a little better on the black.

 

A tagxedo word cloud has an abundance of creative uses.  Here is a short list of some ideas I have considered.

1. Express your feelings about a person.
2. Put the names of everyone on a sports team, classmates, family reunion as a keepsake.
3. Words that describe a group (i.e. band, youth group, class, choir etc.)
4. Information about a special event (i.e. graduation, wedding, birth, anniversary etc.)
5. List of things you like to do - print it out and put it on the wall
6. Describe your company and what makes it stand out might be an interesting way to market your business.

Here is a tagxedo I created using the URL of my blog.

 

 

Try Tagxedo yourself and see what sparks your creative cloud.

 

Danna

 

 

 

 





Updated Mouse Pad

I am one of those people that likes everything on my desk to feel coordinated and bring a smile to my face.  So when I started my new job at school I looked at my mouse pad and thought "Oh, no this will never work".  It was ugly, ugly, ugly.  Now I know that a mouse pad may seem like an item that does not draw much attention.  But, since I teach technology my computer area is my area of expertise.  Therefore I use and look at my mouse pad all day long.  It also sits on the top of my desk not on a keyboard drawer. 

I did some research to find ways to do away with the ugliness.  I found that you can adhere fabric to a mouse pad using Mod Podge.  It is a fairly simple process.  My mouse pad had a type of plastic coating on the top so it was stiff.  I think the same process would work for one that is more of a fabric type material on top. But you may want to do a test first.

 

Here are the steps:

1.   Cut the fabric close to the size of the mouse pad.
2.   Brush the Mod Podge on the mouse pad in an even coat.
3.   Lay the fabric on top and press to remove any bubbles. (Be sure you take the time to get the bubbles out or you will have a rough spot that will be uncomfortable.) You may want to use something that rolls - a brayer, rolling pin or glass.
4.   Let it sit for about 5 minutes
5.   Brush an additional coat on top of the fabric to seal it.
6.   Let it dry for several hours.
7.   Trim the fabric
8.   Add an additional layer of Mod Podge to seal the fabric one last time and be sure to get the edges coated.
9.   Let dry completely. (If any parts are not coated add another layer of Mod Podge).
10. Use an emory board to sand down any rough edges.

I use my mouse pad constantly and have had no trouble with the fabric peeling up or fraying on the edges.  The Mod Podge gives it a surface that can easily be wiped down.

My challenge to you is don't settle for an ugly mouse pad.  Create one that makes you smile every time you look down.

Danna

Washi Tape

I have seen many projects on Pinterest and blogs that used Washi Tape.  I wasn't sure I would be able to incorporate it into my projects.  But one day I found several rolls on clearance (remember I am a frugal crafter), so I purchased them.  I brought them home and used them on the traditional paper projects - cards, gift tags, bags etc.  Then one day I was working on a project to "spruce" up some items for my desk.  I have a small tape dispenser that is the perfect size for my desk, but like most tape dispensers it is boring black.  My first thought was to glue ribbon around the edge to add some detail.  Then it hit me -- why not use the Washi tape.  Here is how it looks now. 

 

I didn't want to add color as much as I did detail.  This is for my crafting desk at home.  My color scheme is black and pink with a hint of green.  The pink and green tape I have did not coordinate well so I chose to use this simple lace pattern.  I think it turned out rather nice.

After that I kind of went "crazy".  I was in the process of gathering things for my classroom at school and wanted to "spruce" up some items.  I purchased this bulletin board at a garage sale for $1.00.  It had your basic metal gray frame, well that was not going to look very nice. So, I added washi tape to the edge.  It was the perfect width and when I want to change the color scheme of my classroom I can just remove the tape and put on a different color.

After the bulletin board I moved to my desk items.  I added two rows of tape to my paper clip dispenser.  And look I even found matching paper clips.  I also added some to my tape dispenser at school.  It looks like the one above just different colored tape.

 

 

One of the last projects I did was this "W".  I found it on clearance at Michael's for 30 cents.  It was a pale pink and not very exciting.  I added rows of the washi tape on the diagonal.  After the tape was secure I brushed on a couple of layers of Mod Podge to make it more durable.  I have not found a place to hang this in my classroom yet.  One thought I had was to glue it to the end of a cut off door hanger and then let the "W" become the hook.  

 



I think I may have found another crafting addition.  This might not be a good thing.  But at least I am having a great time!

Danna

Pillows with a Message

 In my world there is nothing better than merging my love for technology with my creative passion.  Printing on fabric has always fascinated me.  I did some research and found several ways to accomplish this task.  For several years I used the ink jet setting solution and rinse.  In this method you treat your own fabric with the setting solution and iron it onto freezer paper and then print.  Once printed you have to use the rinsing solution to set the ink. I used this method to make graduation quilts with printed pictures, dates, school names etc. 

Recently, I bought the pre-treated fabric sheets and tried them.  They work just as well as the solution and take less time to prepare.  The only difference I really found was that the fabric is slightly stiffer in the pre-treated sheets.  The stiffness worked well on these pillows.

I selected several quotes and printed them in different fonts and sizes.  I based the size of my pillow on the size of the quote.  On some I added a small embelishment to the design.

 I like this quote.  It is a good reminder that it is sometimes the simple things in life that make it worth living

 

This quote is a good encouragement for both the young and the old.

 

 

 

This is only a small sample of the pillows I made.  They make great gifts for friends and family.  You could make one with a quote that has special meaning to the recipient, or a family saying.  I have one on my bed that has a scripture passage that reminds me that God has a plan for my life.  Each day when I make my bed it is a beautiful way to plant that scripture in my thoughts. 

 

Have fun selecting your quote or thought to share with the ones you love.

 

Danna