St. Patrick's Day Deco Mesh Door Wreath

I have fallen in LOVE with dove tail ribbons on my wreaths! 

While browsing YouTube for inspiration on wreath making, I happened upon several FREE tutorials from Southern Charm Wreaths. After watching her tutorials I came up with my St. Patrick's Day Wreath.

• I used 2 types of green foil deco mesh, which I bought at Hobby Lobby's after Christmas sale. $4.99 each! 

• I bought 5 different types of ribbon, a 3" wide sheer with polka dots, 2 different 2" shamrock prints and 2 different 2"sheer greens. 

• 1 wire wreath form

• Dark green pipe cleaners 

• Hot glue gun

• 5 floral spays ( I have not idea what the technical name is, but you can see at the bottom of the first photo) I bought these for .10 cent each last year at Ole Time Pottery's after Christmas sale.
•  Gold foam balls. I picked them up again, at the after Christmas sale from Hobby Lobby for .80 cents a bag!

 


Cut your deco mesh into 9" pieces. I used 40 pieces of deco mesh, 20 of each color.

Rabbit trail: I bought an all purpose self healing mat for easier measuring and cutting. Hobby Lobby and Micheal's have 50% off coupon fairly often, I picked this mat up for $32.00, worth the investment!!!

Learn from my mistakes! For quicker cutting I laid one deco mesh over the other. DON'T pull tightly on the bottom deco mesh, doing this will cause it to cut at an angle. Make sure it is laid flat without tension.

Once you have them all cut out separate them.

Attach the pipe cleaners to the wreath form. First, fold your pipe cleaners in half. Then, starting from the outside use a dab of hot and twist at the to of the support. Work your way around the form. Now, skip a row on the form (this will be the 3rd row from the outside.) In the center of the 3rd row attach a pipe cleaner. I will look like the 2nd photo when completed.

Attaching the deco mesh.

I used a method that adds more texture to the wreath.

• Take a piece of your mesh and roll (not to tight)
• Attach to the wreath about 5-6" in on both sides.

You will end up with a bubble in the middle.

• When you start your next piece attach it to the end of the previous piece. They will overlap each other. Alternating your colors work your way around the exterior of the wreath.

 This is one layer on the exterior.

• Add a 2nd layer to the exterior, again alternating your colors.

After you have added your 2 exterior layers move to the inside pipe cleaners and work your way around.

I used 3 layers on the interior pipe cleaners.

 (This photo shows 2 outside layers and 1 interior layer.) You can see how full it is getting.

You will have plenty of pipe cleaner length.

After the deco mesh was attached I added the ribbon.  I cut the polka dot, and 2 shamrock prints into 14" lengths, and the 2 sheer green into 12" pieces. I did this for 2 reason. 1st the sheer greens were only 9 feet in length and I needed enough to make it around the wreath. 2nd, I thought it might add a little more texture.

For the exterior row of ribbon. (I wish I would have taken photos) I used 2 ribbons per pipe cleaner. 1 sheer green and 1 shamrock print, I alternated the shamrock print and sheer green per pipe cleaner. Again, working my way around the wreath.

The interior row. I used 3 ribbons. The polka dot for each pipe cleaner and alternating the shamrock print and sheer green.

After this was completed I added the gold balls. 

There are 2 different styles and textures. the "sequined" balls are about 1/4" round I attached one to the end of each exterior row of pipe cleaners. The pipe cleaner simply pushed right into the ball. For the interior row I took the 1" ball and pushed it onto one of the pipe cleaner. The other end of the pipe cleaner I simply wrapped around the back of the wreath.

I found the 5 floral sprays and decided to add them at the last minute.  They are a little difficult to see in the photo. I need a new camera!!!

And this is the finished product!

 

You really should check out Southern Charm Wreaths and see her beautiful wreaths! (FYI, she does not know me nor I her, I just like what I see!)

Fabric Covered Tin Cans For Organizing

~This was a fun and easy project to complete~

I've been working on my craft room for a year or two years... (See this post if you want to know how it became the craft room, because I am not about to bore you out of your mind!)

On to the project. I made several tin can organizers a couple years ago. I used scrapbook paper to make them and surprisingly they held up better than I thought they would.

Since my craft room is now slash my home office, I have once again began the task of revamping and organizing. I've become a little obsessed with tin cans which behooves my hubby to no end! (at this point he no longer asks what I am creating, he just waits for instructions, LOL)

Supply List:

Fabric of your choice
Tin cans
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Mason jar lid (say what!)
yard stick (OCD optional)
pen (OCD Optional)




Lay out your fabric and cut out a length enough to wrap around the can. 

This is where my OCD kind of takes over. For my own peace of mind I used my yard stick and pin and drew a line out on the fabric so it would be straight.

Can you see the line?

Because the tin cans vary in size I can't tell you what length to cut the fabric, however, I cut the width about 1/4" longer than the can on the bottom and about 1" longer on top. 

Add a vertical bead of hot glue down the can and press the fabric to it.

Wrap the fabric and add another vertical bead of hot glue.

Now run a bead of hot clue on the inside lip of the can and fold over your fabric.

repeat for the bottom of the can

(believe it or not but that sticker stayed intact through a dishwasher cycle!)

I used a mason jar lid to cut out a circle of fabric for the bottom of my cans. It just so happened to work perfectly.

 And again with the hot glue gun put a bead in the center an round the outer edge and press the circle onto the can. I think it makes the project look finished.

There are 2 cans here I used spray paint, twine and flowers. And although you cannot tell in the photos, the colors match perfectly with the owls.

The the twine cans I simply spray painted them, allowed to them to dry wrapped twine around them and then flowers for accent.

I am so excited about this project! I would love to see your tin can projects and know what you think of mine!

Happy Pinteresting,

Mel :D

4th of July Rag Wreath

This is a super EASY project! It does take a little time to complete, but the results are worth it!  I happened across this burlap rag wreath video, and thought ohhhhh new obsession! 

Disclaimer, I didn't set out to make another 4th of July wreath, I thought I would make the burlap wreath, but when I got to Hancock Fabric and was searching through the clearance rack.... Well, you can take it from there, LOL.  On another side note, I also went to Phoenix Fabric that weekend and rummaged through their scrap bins and picked up a 4th of July print.

All in, this cost almost $11.00 to make, which includes tax. Don't forget you can download apps on your smart phones for Michael's and Hobby Lobby coupons. I picked up the wire wreath form for 40% off, it only cost me $1.79.

Now, that that is out of the way.


Supply list:

Fabric ( I am guestimating but I got about 1-1.5 yards of each fabric)
Wire Wreath Form (Medium)
Sharp Scissors
Yard stick or measuring tape

I love fabric, but I do not know the difference in them, so I can't tell you if it's poplin, cotton blend, rayon etc... What I can tell you is, the white fabric was a little stretchy, the red with the white stars is shinny and not easy to cut, it is very clingy, the stars and stripes is stiff, and the blue with small white stars is; I think, plan ol' cotton fabric.

*The stars and stripes is printed and the red with white stars fabric is printed on both sides. This is something I suggest you find. If all the fabric is only printed on one side, I personally don't think it would have turned out so well.

My circle fabric cutter you see in the above photo didn't work well cutting. You don't need one!

The most time consuming part is cutting the fabric. I cut long 1 inch strips and then cut those down to 9 inch strips. (For all my fellow OCDer's it does not have to be perfectly 1 inch by 9 inch strips. As my eyes were crossing from all the cutting, some are more narrow others are wider!

 

After all the strips were cut, the fun begins. It  didn't take long to tie them on the wire form maybe 1.5 hours.

 

I started at the inner most circle and worked around. I made an assembly line and I went from one fabric to the next.

 

 

When I was ready to start the second row I pushed the first row of fabric toward the center of the wreath form to give myself working room.

 

 

When I finished the 2nd row, I was almost out of white fabric, so I stopped there. I though about going back for more fabric, but the wreath is full and looks great!!!  I'm super happy how it turned out. My next rag wreath will be a Gamecocks wreath.

 

 

 

I thought about adding some ribbon or an initial... Would love to hear what you would do!

 

Halloween Wreath for Grandma Fread :)

I know I have been MIA from my site, but it is not without warrant. I do currently have several unfinished projects going on ;}  My Hubby's family will be coming for Thanksgiving this year (they live in Missouri and Kansas) which means big projects around the house!  Poor, poor Hubs!

Now that you know that useless bit of information... I got a text from my Aunt asking me to make a Halloween wreath for my grandparents they're 91!!! 

You know most of my projects I do on the cheap, but it's my g'parents and I want to do it up right! I get my handy dandy smart phone, hit up Michael's and Hobby Lobby with my in store coupons, and still come out pretty good.

I hit there Halloween decor and starting picking up stuff at random with no real thought about how it would end up.

I did make sure I had the black, purple, orange and green deco mesh, black ribbon and a circle foam.

I covered the circle foam in the black ribbon, took the deco mesh (I use floral pins and hot glue to hold in place) and worked my way round the circle. Once this was completed it's just a matter of putting everything in place.

I took my larger items the WELCOME sign, owl, witches hat, BOO!, large spider, large pumpkin and the squiggles (for lack of a better word) and placed them around. I always go back and forth, moving, adjusting, and arranging everything. I also like to let it hang up on the door so I can see how it will lay.

 

 

 

Once I have the bigger items like I want them, I hot glue and pin them in place. After this I place the small green and black spiders around, green, purple, and black glass balls, small squiggles, etc.

This project at most took an hour, more like 35-45 minutes.

Let me know your thought!! I would love to see your projects too.

Happy Halloween!
Mel :D

Getting Ready for Game Day! GOOOO GAMECOCKS!

I saw this on Pinterest and KNEW I had to try my hand at making it.

 

 

Supplies:

• 5-1x4's
• Paint- I like Lowe's Valspar Vanilla Steam, I've had a gallon for about 6 months I use on different projects. It is the perfect NOT WHITE, NOT YELLOWISH neutral.
• Sample paint Madeira Red, I got a sample from Lowe's at Christmas for $2.50, I used it on this project, O' Come Let Us Adore Him. Then while at Lowe's I picked up another sample of it from their Oops paint for $0.50!
• Electric saw and tape measure to cut the wood down.
• Electric Drill and screws or a hammer and nails. (A drill is so much easier :-})
• Paper for your stencil and scissors to cut it out.
• Paint brushes: Foam and artist brushes

First I cut the wood down to 36" pieces. Screwed in the cross pieces to hold it all together.  I didn't take photos of this process (sorry:}) Here's the after.

 

 

To make my stencil I used my PC, scrap paper, and scissors. Open MS Word or what ever word processing program you have, type out your text and enlarge, trace the letter and cut them out. I guesstimated at the size I needed and it worked out:)

 

 

 

Side note: There are TONS of FREE FONTS out there you can get a little side tracked looking for the PERFECT font!

 

 

 

It took me about 30 minutes to copy all the text and cut them out.

 

OK, now paint your base.

 

You can either caulk the seams or leave them alone, I left them. I want my sign to look a little aged and tumbled.

After the paint has dried (of course) lay it all out again, and use a pencil and lightly trace around your letters.

 

Can  you see it???

 

After everything is traced start painting.

 

I have no idea why I started at the bottom....

 

 

 

So, here is my little BIG difference, LOL. I added the Gamecock's logo to the State.

 

 

 

 

Happy Pinteresting!!!

 

Mel:D