Projects this week

This week is supposed to mark the first day of spring, but we got dusted with enough snow yesterday to close schools! Here's what I've been occupying myself with:

1) I "Frankenstein"-ed two shirts to create this one. The lace shirt was a goodwill find that had a high neckline and too-tight sleeve seams. So I chopped off the lining and shaped it into a mock bustier. The white shirt is really too transparent to wear by itself but the lace over top makes it perfectly wearable.

2) These are 5"x5" wooden boxes my mom got to keep fabric scraps in. I adopted them and decoupaged them with old 70's sewing magazine pages. The funky birds were too cool to pass up!

More to add soon!

diy Valentines

This year I sent off homemade Valentines to a few friends. A few months ago I purchased one of the huge albums of photo album paper from Michael's (40% off!). So I combined that with some traced German stencils and all original steamy love letters.

"Katie, you are far from my body but never far from my heart. I am nauseous with desire for you, my pudding-cup. Be mine, my spritely love-butterfly, and let us frolic forever in the fields of bliss. Answer me with a kiss, or not at all."

Tiffany blue shoes

The end result

Confession: I love thrifting. That song "Thrift Shop" may as well be my anthem. So when I saw a perfectly good (if bland) pair of shoes for $3.50, I had to get them.

These are the bland shoes. They are actually brand new (had original stickers), so I assume they were surplus? But I already have a very nice pair of brown suede pumps, so I knew this would be the perfect time to try PAINTING SHOES!

I used a simple combination of teal blue acrylic craft paint and glossy modpodge. I did 3-4 layers to make sure it was opaque, hard-wearing, and not too brush stroked. This is a picture as they're drying for the last layer, the brush strokes are a lot less noticeable once it's all dried! And I did this outside on a sunny day so it only took 5-10 minutes for each layer to dry.

Waiting to dry....

So far they are wearing wonderfully! I like the gloss finish, it almost makes them look patent. But I think this would be an equally great look with a matte finish.                                       

Feeling Body Positive!

Wanted to share this today, hopefully it will make you feel good- about YOU! There are all kinds of stigma attached to body shape and size, and we need to recognize that no amount of exercise, dieting, and self-loathing will change our unique selves. I don't mean to be preachy, but there are a lot of negative feelings between women- women who judge 'big girls' and women who judge 'skinny girls'. Let's all just get along! -skincat 

Body Positive Style Guide - Inspiration For All Shapes & Sizes infographic

Fabric Flowers

I have recently come into possession of a ton of fabric. Maybe you are the same. Or, perhaps you have always had a ton of fabric, and aren't sure what to do with it. Here's an answer! Fabric flowers are super easy, super cute, and a super way to use up fabric scraps!
What you need:
-Fabric. I'm using silk because I have it. Use whatever you want
-Something to trace circles (the size you want your flower)
-Hot glue gun
-Buttons or beads to use for the center
Optional: a few episodes of Star Trek or something fun

1. Cut 5 circles of fabric in the size you want the flower to be. Cut 1 extra circle (#6) a little smaller than the others.
2. Lay one of the large circles down. It will be your base. Fold each of the remaining circles in quarters (in half, then in half again), gluing each one to the base.
3. Put a generous dot of glue in the center, and lay your smaller circle directly on top. I scrunch it around a bit before the glue dries to make it look more organic and leave a dimple for the center.
4. glue on your center piece, and voila! A perfectly sweet little flower

Extra: I got some hair clips to put the flowers on, and I found it's best to back the flower with a piece of felt or cotton before attaching to the barrette.
Other things you could make:
-flower wreath
-pin/brooch
-flower crown
-cuff bracelet
-attach smaller ones to bobby pins
-perhaps a mobile.

Would you like to see me attempt any more of the above? Let me know! I will brave the great unknown for you.

Lace Painted Table

Good afternoon, dear Reader, this post is about the 'Phantom Table'! The Phantom Table came into my family's possession when we moved into our current residence. It is a well-made circular table with a heavy (removable) glass top, and was painted a kind of mellow orangey pinky brown. It is also
-too short to sit at (as a small craft table)
-too tall to sit with (as a coffee table)
-too wide and circular to fit into regular bedroom furniture
Since no immediate use could be found, the table became a forgetful presence in our house, always around but never very useful. My sister and I painted (most of) it with crazy colors and brought it to school, where it also sat around.

No longer!

My brave plan was to re-vamp the table into something clean and fun, and finally USE IT FOR SOMETHING. Namely, to display all my finished crafts so they're not hiding in bins until someone wants one. I decided to paint lace onto the table top, really an easy project if you have a table, lace, and spray paint.
let's do it!
- Have a table- any size or shape as long as your lace will fit on it, and as long as it's prepped for spraypaint
-Paint- my rule is to get the second cheapest. For this, I'm using a bright Robin's Egg color
- Lace- and lace you don't mind getting painted.

1. Get your table prepped and in a garage or outside where you can paint

2. Test your paint! stretch your lace over a piece of cardboard to find out how close or far you need to spray to get the kind of coverage you want. Practice quick, light strokes to get even transfer.

3. Spread the lace on your table top. I tied the corners with hairbands and binder clips to keep it tight and also a little weighted. As long as your lace doesn't have creases and is reasonably heavy, you shouldn't have a problem.

4. Paint away! Remove the lace carefully while still wet, and let your table dry according to your paint can's specifications. Or until you remember it's still hanging out in your backyard and it's going to rain.

And that's it! Maybe I'll put up another 'finished' photo when the table is set up with all kinds of crafty goodies. What do you think?

Fabric covered bulletin board

Dear Reader, I have a confession to make. I am not a patient person. This can make crafting very difficult, but it also provides opportunities to make bulletin boards out of canvases because I'm too impatient to go out and buy cork boards!
 This tutorial can be easily applied to covering cork boards, never fear, patient reader.

1. Gather your supplies! you will need:
-your canvas or bulletin board (mine is a 20 x 30 canvas)
-fabric of your choice, a few inches bigger than your canvas/board
-staple gun. With staples, preferably.
Optional: felt to line the back of the canvas. I thought the pushpins might need a little extra to hang on to, though in the end I'm not convinced it's necessary.
Optional: refreshing alcoholic (or not!) beverage of your choice

2. If you're doing the felt, glue it to the back of your canvas. I used Mod Podge because hot glue was too gloppy. And no one likes gloppy glue.

3. Lay your fabric face down on your work surface. I'm using a rustic outdoorsy picnic table because it's the only horizontal surface I could find that didn't already have stuff on it! Then lay your canvas face down on your fabric and trim around, leaving 2-3 inches extra around each side. Clip the corners.

4. Now for the stapling! The trick here is to pick a side, do not start near the corners. 1 staple in one side, then the opposite, pulling the fabric taut. Do the same with the remaining sides (total of 4 staples so far). Then go back and work your way from the center of the first side, putting a staple every couple inches or so. Then the opposite side. Then remaining sides (I sense a pattern), remember to keep pulling taut. Leave a couple inches around each corner staple-free.

How to start stapling- sides first!

5. The corner. This is the tricky part, only because it's difficult to explain. Ordinarily, when covering a canvas you just pick whether it will be horizontal or vertical. Then you fold the corners down so that the excess fabric lays along the side you won't see. I figured to find a way around that, and have no unsightly fabric overlap! Smooth the side edges together, then lay the corner fabric overtop (should be square/diamond shape) and staple like crazy. If you're not sure you get it, consult the image and then compare to the sweet origami square base, it's the same basic principle.

OR
Just make it work! So long as you are happy with it, and it gets done. Am I right?

6. Polish off your delicious beverage and admire your handiwork!

Isn't the patio lovely?