Pretty Lanterns: Diffuse Light with Lace & Fabric

 I feel like I am coming home after a really long trip...I've missed all of you so much! I realized I have not had a fun DIY in a while for you guys so I had to remedy that right away.  I am gearing up for the Christmas issue for Good Living Magazine so today's little project was one of the projects for it.

Lucky lovelies...you get a bit of Christmas fun a little early!  

Actually, this will be a warm up to November where I will begin sharing pretty packaging ideas throughout the month. I can't promise it daily but I will try to do a bunch for some fun wrapping inspiration!

But back to these pretty little lanterns!

I am excited about this one because I am also planning my table for the upcoming Christmas Tea at our church.  I think these lanterns in varying sizes would look lovely as a centerpiece.  These ones above were actually my little practice ones. :) My husband and I were at Lowe's this weekend and spotted a bunch of these lanterns on clearance at $1.08 a piece!  We literally filled up the cart with them and we bought over 20 of them. I know I will find just the perfect thing for them...oooh I can't wait!

I had this little project in mind for awhile now so I knew some spray paint love was in order. 

So I brightened them up a bit with white and found my happy place.

Sigh.  I just ♥ white spray paint.

Now for adding fabric to the removable glass panels. 

1.  I actually used craft lace and a sparkly organza material to cover the glass.
2. I used Mod Podge but I tend to be a bit heavy handed with it.
3. You can use a paint brush to spread it on.
4. But I prefer to get all messy and use my fingers.

After spreading the glue, smooth your fabric onto the glass.  Wait until they are completely dry before placing them back into your lantern.

BTW...You really don't have to be precise when you cut out the pieces of fabric.  Just lay the glass on top of the fabric and cut around it.  The edges are hidden on the inside.  

Be sure to place them inside with the fabric on the outside of the glass.

 They look so pretty with the tea lights in them!  

I love how the lace one is more see through but the organza diffuses the light with a soft glow.

I can't wait to do this for the Christmas Tea tablescape with the different sized lanterns.

Other Ideas: You could also use Vellum paper or the the plastic paper like I used for the lemonade mason jars at the girl's birthday party. Tissue paper would work too and look lovely with that diffused glow look to it.  Wrap lace around glass votives or even large vases and place larger candles in them. So, so, so pretty.  I might lace up every glass container I own!

I promise to be back soon...HUGS!

♥

P.S.  I almost forgot...today I am at my sweet friend Tonya's blog with a guest post sharing the story of my faith for her 31 days series. 15 years ago today I met my Savior...♥


linking to:
the 36th avenue
a crafty soiree
show and share with southern lovely
someday crafts: whatever goes wednesday

Happy Owl-O-Ween Cards and Bookmarks

There is something about the cuteness of anything owl that always draws me in the Fall.  So I was totally excited when my new friend Courtney contracted me to design some Holiday goodies for her Thirty-one consultants for both Halloween and Thanksgiving. I was pretty excited. But knowing I needed to make 100, my goal was to make it cute but easy for me to turnaround. Plus, I wanted something happy and not too spooky. So these colorful and fun owl cabochon bookmarks seemed like the perfect solution.

First I designed the card using this completely fun owl clip art from the Etsy shop KPMDoodles Digital Clip Art. My idea was to have these cute little owls look like they are sitting on the branch on the card.

I ordered the owl cabochons from Suppliesagogo (I love saying that name) and the bookmark clips are from Everything Ribbons. As for putting them together, I just hot glued each owl cabochon to the top of each button clip.  Not sure if that is how you do it but that is how I did it...worked for me! :)

To attach the bookmark clip tot the card, I made two slits with a craft knife above and below the branch so I could slide both sections of the paper clip in it.

Like this.

The clip stays in the back so that nothing hides the front of the card. 

I tied raffia around each bookmark clip to give it more Fall flair. :) 

Here is the whole lot of them!

These would be a great idea to do for your children's friends or classmates too!  

It is quick and easy and inexpensive!

Such a fun Halloween project!

Happy Owl-O-Ween 

hugs to all of you!

This post sponsored by:

Speaking of cabochons...check out Popalicious Too for some amazing variety on cabochons and other fabric buttons.  And I have to be honest...I would have ordered from her in a heartbeat!  Her selection is unbelievable...she even has cute little owl ones too.

DIY Twig Votive

Here is a simple and quick project to tackle in an hour. I showed you a sneek peek of this in the post showing all my Fall projects around the home.  And this one is going to be a FOR SURE repeat project for me.  

I got inspired by these from Martha Stewart who made this twig vase.  But I thought this idea would be lovely to make a votive and have the candle light peeking through the twigs inside the glass.  So I grabbed some twigs from the backyard, some glass votives and a glue gun and got to work.

Seriously...this probably does not even need a tutorial. I mean, all you do is take some sticks and hot glue to glass. SIMPLE!  Do this all the way around and put them as close together as you can.

Fill in the gaps with thinner sticks to make it look fuller.  I like the look of different lengths at the top.
Gives it a more organic looky-loo to it.

Pop a tea light in there, wrap with twine and leaves...done!  A great idea is to recycle your glass candles or buy some glass votives and. vases from the dollar store for a little collection or tablescape.   

And I want to try this using  mason jars and hang them!

Happy Crafting my precious friends!

P.S.  Sorry I have been so absent from this blog and from your blogs! And I have even dropped the ball returning emails.  PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I have been so busy with upcoming projects that I can't share with you JUST YET. Just know I appreciate every one of you and I will do my best  to visit you soon.

Stunning Velvet Plush Pumpkins

First off...I did NOT make these.

But I DID win them. So I had to share. Funny that I don't really enter giveaways. But I had to enter this one over at the Lettered Cottage. I mean, look at them! And amazingly enough...out of 2000 entries...I won. They are from this amazing shop called LoveFeast Table. They have these for sale in their shop while offering several gorgeous color combinations. They were made by Plush Pumpkin and they are truly divine.

Oh my word I had no idea how one could have this deep abiding affection for pumpkins. I believe they are the most beautiful pumpkins in the whole universe.  Truly.

Velvet pumpkins with real pumpkin stems??!! 

Plushy and pretty in these delicious colors called Stone, Mushroom, Platinum, Sapphire, Snow and Dew??! 

They just about did me in as I opened my box with more giddiness then what would be considered cool.  I often wonder if my husband looks back on our courtship and has admiration for the savvy way I hid my ever present nerdiness until after the wedding.

Look at this teeny one my 3 year old is holding...is he not the cutest little thing?

The little care card says that because they are made with natural materials it is probably best to keep them out year round or store them in an air tight container.  I have never considered having pumpkins out all year but these beauties I think may be a year round treat for the eyes at this house.

If you love these and wish to pin them...I suggest pinning or bookmarking them from the LoveFeast Table website where I won the giveaway.  Thanks a bunch!

Share the Pumpkin L♥VE

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PS.  Andrea, owner of The Cottage Market just posted these gorgeous shabby pumpkins she made.  Please visit her blog and take a peek.

Fall Decor: A Tour of My Little Home

I first need to preface this post with a honest disclaimer and it is this...

I DO NOT LIVE IN A MODEL HOME.

But I wish I did.

Those who know me well, know that I have a a manic tendency to be a perfectionist when it comes to my home.  Yet it is not perfect nor do I rock magazine worthy style.  But as most of you know making a house a home is a work in progress that simply never ends. 

I will let you in on another fact-a-roo about me...I know I write a CRAFT blog but I actually used to study interior design.  Sadly, after moving here...I had to let it go and of course life takes you down a new course that you don't anticipate. And I still need to learn so much about decorating.  But I hope to add more decor content to my blog at some point in the future by sharing various projects I hope to tackle.  

Now I have to confess something.  There is something so vulnerable about sharing your STYLE.  Crafts feel safe to me because they cross over tastes and preferences.  But DECOR is such a personal, subjective thing. It says so much about you or a way of living.  So I seldom share my home on my blog because...well...I feel so exposed.  I mean, it's MY HOUSE!  My sanctuary and where I live. Of course there are a gazillion things I would change but I do love my home.

So.  I have decided to be brave.

Today I am taking the plunge to share a little of my home with you My 1600 square foot house is small but cozy.  I am not showing you bedrooms because...I don't decorate those with Fallish things. The rest is kind of one big room. And I did not clean up for my pictures.  I figured you would appreciate signs of real life since I do live one and I do not live inside this little computer and make stuff all day. :)

I also thought it would be fun for you to see a lot of these Fall DIY's I have made put into use in my home. I have a lot of photos so I put them in story boards so you won't doze off while viewing. :)

First off...note the STACK of TWO laundry baskets on that little antique bench on the right.  Yep.  That is because I am the biggest laundry procrastinator and I need two baskets just to get it all together. And the little table and chairs indicate that children do live here. See?  No model home.  Just one filled with real life and oodles of love. ♥

This is the view from my front door.  You just step in and you are in the middle of my living room.  All the Fall decorations make it so warm and inviting. Can you see some of the things I have done on the blog?  On top of the bookcases is my little Fall vignette with my fabric bird cage. And I found new homes for my little dollar tree wreaths that I swapped out for the apple baskets. I put one over the fireplace and one on my mirror in the dining room.

I will just go ahead and show you the rest of my living room.  My over sized couch and chair are almost 10 years old and I fear getting new ones because there is a real chance I will put plastic on them and make my children snuggle on what feels like saran wrap.  But if they spill on these...I don't worry about it.  And I buy pillow covers from IKEA for $5 each and just swap them out. They don't even match and I really don't care.  OK.  Yes I do.  But my chronic problem is if  a pillow goes on clearance somewhere, I buy it planning on doing something with it and then I just never get to it.  :)

Here are some close ups of little fall things around the house.  From the left going clockwise...1. The leaves hang above my dining room french doors. I attached fishing line to dollar store leaves using a needle, tied them off and hung them with scotch tape.  2. The white pumpkins are from our pumpkin patch visit.  I love the pop of green from the fresh stems since we had just cut them that day. Below the pumpkins are the leaf frames I made with the yarn wrapped gourds and pumpkins. Those frames are actually hiding speakers behind them on top of the armoire. 3. I keep my dining room table simple with a runner, some pumpkins, a vase full of orange goodness (with a little scarecrow cutie peeking out) and some velvet leaves in a long silver platter. 4. On the hearth are some stone fruit and a painting I picked up at an antique store and some orange pumpkins from the U-Pick patch. The flowers are from my sweet hubs who loves Fall as much as I do. :) 5. My fireplace can sometimes depress me since I long for a mantel. But I try to add drama when I can and I found a huge branch that fell from the big tree in my front yard during a wind storm.  The girls helped me paint it white and I made fabric leaves for it and hot glued them to it.  I hung it with fishing line as well.

And now I added my pine cone garland and it happily hangs right above the fireplace.

I am a little behind on Fall tablescape planning because it is one of my favorite things to do. You guys remember my napkin tags, right? And I get giddy when I pull out these colorful Fall bowls which I use through Thanksgiving. And this little votive was (inspired by Martha's twig vase) made with sticks from my backyard and hot glued to a glass votive.  I wrapped it with twine and faux leaves. Easy peasy!  

I have been having tons of fun with the gazillion pine cones we have found.  The girls and I painted them different colors with a fabulous mommy/daughter craft time.  I hung some up in our kitchen window by using eyelet screws (used to hang picture frames) and tying ribbon onto them. And we put some others in a simple basket on the coffee table in the living room.

And here is some handmade goodness sprinkled around the house too.  

1.  Those yarn apples are the ones I made last year for Cati's school party.  2.  A green apple made from an old sweater 3.  These pumpkins on my front porch are the fake orange ones and I painted them this pretty grey white color and distressed them with green, blue and brown to match my house. 4.  Cati is holding her paper mache pumpkin we made last year as a kid craft. 5. I don't know why but I put out that cute little dog every Fall.  And the fabric pumpkin was born of one of those days I used up some scraps and made something. 6.  The leaf and fabric pom garland is from my living room vignette.  I used coordinating fabric and made stuffie-like leaves and poms and hung it over two sliding doors that I removed from a bookshelf.

THAT CONCLUDES MY NOVEL LENGTH POST OF FALL PHOTOS.

Honest.

Well I hope you are inspired a bit with the little things I have done around the house. I had lots of fun sharing this with you and I wish I could have so many of you ladies over for coffee and a little craft-together session. Thanks for peeking around my house and truly caring about my little space in the blog world.  It means so much that you come here.

One more thing...another big breath...I am now accepting sponsors for my site. 

If you are interested please see my rates and reader stats here or email me at twoshadesof pink (at) gmail (dot) com.

Hugs and may blessings sweet friends!

♥

Pine Cone Flower Garland

PINE CONE FLOWERS...LOVE!  

This is such a pretty DIY!  I love that this simple garland is an easy one! All you need are pine cones, some felt, garden shears, hot glue, wood beads, twine and paint (optional).

And in all honesty...my obsession with garlands needed to be fed for the Fall Season. :)

Our neighborhood is full of long leaf pine trees so we have pine cones EVERYWHERE.  It has been fun hunting for pine cones with my girls and teaching them how to find pine trees.  And I must say I crack up when my youngest daughter points to a palm tree and calls it a pine tree because they have "pointy" branches.  It really is weird to have palm trees and pine trees next to each other in Florida.

I digress.  So.  It would not be the Fall season without throwing some pine cone love in the crafty mix.

Now gather a bunch of pine cones.  The bigger the better. Grab some wood beads and cut out about a dozen 2 inch felt circles.

1. Using the garden shears, cut all the little sections off the pine cone.  

2. Hot glue them around the felt circle in a flower pattern (as if they were petals) until you get to the middle.  

3. I tried using the biggest pieces on the outside edge (found towards the bottom of your pine cone) and the smaller pieces towards the middle. 

Instead of filling the middle with smaller pieces, use one of your wood beads as the center of your flower to make them look different.

I decided to paint some of them white for a bit of rustic distressing added to it. 

It nicely satisfies my cottage style heart. 

♥

And please don't tell me it looks Christmasy.  

Let's pretend it doesn't. 

I almost did not post this because I thought it looked Christmasy but then I figured no one else has to paint them or use white if they did not want to.  

So I posted it. Yay me. :)
Postscript:  I have already seen this pinned 3x under the category Christmas.  Sigh. So be it. :)

To create the garland I just hot glued twine to the top of the felt circles (they are slightly heavy) on the back while spacing my flowers out evenly. I ended up using about 5-6 pine cones to make 12 flowers.

So pretty!

I hope you make some pretty pine cone flowers too!

Let me know if you do!

Hugs to all of you Fellow Fall Lovin' friends!

♥
linking to:
crafty soiree...yesterday on tuesday
southern lovely
someday crafts
tea rose home
the creative spark...clean and scentsible
somewhat simple
creative me monday...the southern institute
the 36th avenue
jaqs studio
tatertots and jello
be different...act normal...show and tell
under the table and dreaming