RSS Email
You are here: Home / Archives for home decor

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

January 16, 2014 by

Flowers are a common gift for Valentine’s Day so I decided to make a beautiful decorated vase where they can be placed.  Crafting your own vase can be as uncomplicated as you want to make it. I bought NO special supplies for my vase, using just what I had on hand.Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

Adding different dimensions and layers makes this vase stand out against simpler decor on a shelf or table.  Using a variety of textures gives it  more  sophistication I think.

Materials Needed

  • Vase
  • fabric, burlap, ribbon of choice
  • flowers, fabric or paper
  • buttons, beads or rhinestones
  • school glue hot glueBurlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

Directions

Thoroughly clean and dry a vase. Mine has been floating around this household for years, it’s one of my favorites because it’s very heavy and has a blue-gray hue. It’s usually filled with marbles and a fake flower.

Measure out your materials and using school glue adhere it to your vase.  I like using  school glue because it allows you to remove the materials if you ever decide to makeover your  vase.  It will simply wash off and you can start over. Layer multiple ribbons or fabric pieces to achieve the look you want.

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

My paper flowers were made using a paper cutter and quilling tool. These are NOT required at all.  I’ve done them before with scissors and rolled them with my hands. Here is a simple tutorial showing you how simple it can be.

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

Arrange your flowers and buttons the way you want then hot glue them directly to your fabric/ribbons.

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

Now wait for your flower delivery.




Heart Embroidered Map

December 3, 2013 by

Creating art and decor pieces for the house has become a little bit of a hobby for me.  Currently I have about 3-4 projects in the works but I want to show you this very personalized heart embroidered map that’s been hanging in our house.

Heart Embroidered Map #decor #craft

This project was very simple.  The only thing I needed to find special was a shadow box but feel free to use a regular frame with or without the glass.

Determine what you want to outline on the map. Is it your honeymoon spot?  The city where you met?  How about multiple hearts for everywhere you’ve traveled together? I chose the area where we live and spend most of our days, the place where we call home.

I found this vintage atlas at the thrift store and knew it was going to be a source of lots of crafts!  I love the coloring, the country flags and the variety of maps included.

Heart Embroidered Map

Materials

  • Straight Pin
  • Hand Sewing Needle
  • Embroidery Thread-color of choice
  • Map-original or photocopy
  • Tape
  • Frame of choiceHeart Embroidered Map

Directions

Make sure your map size fits into your frame or mat.

Decide what shape you want to outline and lightly draw that on the map. I used a heart shape cut out and traced that onto my map.

Heart Embroidered Map

Using a straight pin poke holes along your trace line about 1/4 inches apart. As you come close to corners or curves make your hole a touch closer so your thread can make that shape. If your paper is thin I would suggest adhering it to another sheet of paper or running strips of tape along the back to give it strength.  You don’t want the paper to rip as your are pulling your thread through.

Thread your sewing needle with more thread than you think you’ll need. Pull in through from behind the map and tape the end to the back of your paper/map.

Using a back stitch start filling in your shape with your thread.  This video will show you how to do the back stitch on paper, starting around the 3:30 mark. It’s not hard at all and this kind of stitch will fill your lines rather than leaving spaces leaving people wondering what your shape is. If you prefer a running stitch that is fine too. It’s all about personal preference.

Finish with another piece of tape holding your thread down in the back. Frame and hang.

Heart Embroidered Map

 

A sentimental variation on this would be tracing a long road trip or relocation with a heart at the final destination.




Fabric Pumpkin Home Decor Tutorial #craft

October 29, 2013 by

Festive table-scapes are fun ways to incorporate decoration into the home.  Our dining table is the usual catch-all of school papers, sunglasses, the day’s craft leftovers and water glasses so creating something decorative pushes us to clean up our messes. An for some reason I’m obsessed with pumpkins this year!

Fabric Pumpkins Tutorial

These decorative pumpkins can be found in favorite shops for hefty price tags. I’ve seen a gorgeous velvet ruby red variety for upwards of $30. I’m not one to spend that kind of money for decorations. I’m the kind of person to make my own. Using scrap fabrics I created some pumpkins of my own to decorate for years to come.

Materials

  • Fabrics of your choice
  • sewing machine or needle and thread
  • embroidery thread, raffia, ribbon
  • batting
  • stem, real or made from fabric
  • glue gun

Instructions

Create a pouch from your fabric. The length and width of your tube will change the shape of your pumpkin so experiment to see what you prefer.

Fabric Pumpkins Tutorial

Fully stuff the tube leaving a couple inches at the top. Loosely fold in the top to cover stuffing.

At the top of your pumpkin start wrapping your twine, raffia, thread or ribbon to create the indentations of your pumpkin. Finish by tying your thread tightly at the top.  Arrange your threads to achieve the pumpkin look you want, fluff with your fingers and hands.

Fabric Pumpkins Tutorial

 

Add a touch of glue to your stem and shove through the top of your pumpkin into the batting and adjust till it sits how you like it. Arrange on table or shelf to decorate for the holidays.

Fabric Pumpkins Tutorial

 




DIY Framed Yarn Spider Web #halloween #craft

October 16, 2013 by

I love decorating for the holidays, all of the holidays. Fall and Halloween themed decor is something I’m still building because I feel like I don’t have enough. Creating my own decor is always fun.

This spider web was created quickly and easily and CHEAPLY. From start to finish this took 1 hour including glue drying time.

 

Materials Needed

  • large picture frame ($1, dollar store)
  • black embroidery floss or yarn
  • plastic spider
  • clear, white or silver glitter glue
  • tape
  • glue

Instructions
Start with removing the glass and backing from your frame. If you prefer to paint it a different now is the time.

Create your base web by simply crisscrossing from corner to corner and side to side pulling the strings firm but not super tight. Tape them firmly to the back of the frame. I looped my threads around the intersection to give it some strength and bulk.

DIY Yarn Spider Web #craft

Once you are happy with your straight webbing the circular webbing can start.Gather a LARGE length of thread/yarn (5-6 ft), double it and start from the outside with a single loop knot. Start going around your web. I looped around every other thread. Continue going around until you run out of thread or you are happy with your web.

DIY Yarn Spider Web #craft

To finish the web I used a small piece of tape to secure it in place and glued the spider in place to cover that spot. Using my fingers I pulled the web open to make sure the loops were tight and the web was taut. I pulled the straight webs tighter if they needed to be, retaping and cutting as I needed.
DIY Yarn Spider Web #craft

To give it a little more visual interest I haphazardly added glitter glue in various spots on the web.

The kids loved it as soon as they walked in.

DIY Yarn Spider Web #craft