4 calling birds... (well, more like 8)

First I cut out these cuties.

Then I looped 3 inches of ribbon.

Then I put right sides facing eachother...

And pinned the ribbon on the inside.

Next sew right along the outside keeping the tail open.

These birds are awesome because my one year old can hold them and love them and not break or destroy them!

I stuffed them and then did a blind stitch on the tail.

Add some buttons or beads for eyes and you're all done!

PS~I found my cute Holiday fabric at Jo Anns:)

Merry and bright

I found these chairs at DI (thrift) for 5 dollars each!

I love the rustic wood but I can't help thinking how awesome they would look painted a bright color.

The pillows actually aren't pillows at all. They are place mats bought at Tai Pan for 3 dollars each and I stuffed them. They match our tree skirt!

Mommy's stocking...

Daddy's stocking...

                       

Baby's stocking...

Step one: I took a dollar store stocking that we used last year and traced around it on a double layer of felt.

Step two: I cut out around the trace leaving an extra half inch or so.

Step three: I pulled out all kinds of scrap fabric and trimming.

Step four: I added the trimming and sewed it on to one side of the stocking.

Step five: with the right sides of the fabric facing each other I sewed the stocking together.

Step six: I sewed the trimming on the top.

Step seven: I cut out a strip of felt with angles at the ends
Step eight:  I sewed a piece of red ribbon down the center.

Step nine: With angled ends touching I attached my loop to the inside seam of the stocking.

Hooray!

I was a little intimidated to start this project, I had high hopes and wasn't sure I could reach them.... I'm so glad I tried.  It really feels good to make something completely yourself.



Wedding DIY: Fabric Flower Center Pieces

Jenna and Mike's amazing photographer Wendy Carter sent over these amazing pictures from the reception.

Find her Photography website HERE.

Find her Blog HERE right now she has a bunch of pictures from their wedding and they are all so amazing!

So here's how I made them...

Cut out what feels like hundreds of  1.5 inch circles (They do not have to be perfectly round). 

 Purchase Styrofoam balls in various sizes.  Joanns was great and you can ALWAYS find coupons online as well.

Fold your circle in half.

Then fold in quarters.

Use strait pins to push the corner into the Styrofoam.

You can also push in circle halves to add variety.

Add some wedding bling by putting a pearl on the end of a strait pin.

Use a few different textured fabrics throughout.

So pretty.

Keep adding circles until ball is covered.

Most of these were placed in vases and we covered up to the point where  the vase covered the Styrofoam.  It was easier to leave the bottom clear.

To find more vases that matched Jenna's color scheme clear vases from the dollar store were spray painted.

We created 11 total fabric flower balls and it took a good half a day with 6 people helping. It is a bit time consuming but in place of real flowers well worth the time and money saved.

Sophie's Tip: There are two kinds of Styrofoam at the craft store. Buy the cheaper one! It is called "smooth" Styrofoam and it hold the strait pins SO much better!

DIY: Earing Frame Fabulousness

Everyone needs this on their dresser!

1. Start out with a regular frame with out the glass in it. Mine was meant to hold an 8*10 picture but an even BIGGER frame would be even more fantastic.

2. Measure the frame across and cut out three strips of lace. I needed less than a yard of lace for this frame size.

3. Using the frame backing as your guide cut out fabric leaving it an extra inch bigger all the way around. Pin your strips across the fabric. Space them according to your frame size.

4. Sew or hot glue your lace down.

5. Line up your fabric on the frame backing and flip it over.

6. Hot glue the fabric around the edges.

7. Next I painted the frame with a color called "raspberry wine" then I had the song "Strawberry Wine" stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

8. Put the frame backing in the frame and TA DA! Done.

I'm constantly looking for ways to be more organized with the mess of stuff I have on my dresser so this little creation should help a lot!

PS- After I was done I thought  How cute would it be if I put some quilt backing under the grey fabric to give it a "cusiony" look... To late for me, but you might want to give it a try.

PSS- Um, I am kind of known in my family for my incredibly terrible spelling... so feel free to laugh at the fact that I was utterly shocked to find that there is a "P" in raspberry ... I feel like the rug was pulled out from under me!

Thank goodness for spell check!
XOXO~ Sophie

DIY: Spray Paint Vases

These were all just plain clear vases that i have collected over the years... they basically just take up room in my cupboards... so i sprayed them stylish!

Give it 2 coats and 30 mins to dry...

So pretty!

Sophies Tip:  Make sure that you sand the glass just a pinch so the paint sticks!