Stick + Yarn Star Ornaments

Typically I am a person who will decorate and stay busy through the entire Christmas season until January 1st and then I want to sleep for a week. This year, I find myself looking for the blessing in simplicity.  To slow down and not make everything be about busyness and hustle.  So the cookies will be easy, the decorations are easy and of course...little projects too. 

Which is why I am sharing the easiest ornament in the entire universe. 

Simple for the kiddos and for you. 

Embroidery Hoop Yarn Spider Webs

Well, I know I am getting this just under the wire but here is a quick and fun idea that I shared over at Eighteen25 a few weeks ago.  This great project is quick, kid friendly, and REALLY versatile.  I had a bunch of empty embroidery hoops of various sizes (just hanging all lonely like) in my craft room closet. And I started thinking that they would make the cutest little spider webs! I played around with the best way to do it and here's what I came up with... :)

Yarn Ghost Garland with Speech Bubbles

Hi Friends! 

I am so excited to share this adorably cute ghost garland with speech bubbles!  I shared this over on Eighteen25 for their Spooktacular September. I actually took this idea off of another Spooktacular project I did (these adorable Monster Cupcake Picks) but expanded on it to make this ghost garland.

Yarn Tassel Christmas Trees

Happy Holidays my awesome friends! Yep...It's official.  The Christmas boxes are down and ready to decorate for this weekend.  I am all in...Christmas is HERE.

So clearly...you will see it looking like Christmas around here for awhile.  

I am giddy with excitement. :)

I absolutely love how many variations of Christmas trees there are during the holidays.  And I have this complete love with working with yarn as many of you know.  So I came up with these pretty yarn trees that look fabulous because instead of wrapping them with the yarn, I used yarn tassels to create the look of layers of branches.  I love them so much!

Tinkerbell Party + DIY Ideas

I am really excited to show you Cati's beautiful birthday party from yesterday.  I was pleasantly surprised how this party came together on a budget.  I was forced to get creative and it turned out better than I had hoped.

A Happy, Summer Chalkboard

HELLO SUMMER!

No more schoolwork, field trips, signing forms, remembering dress down day or show and tell, no book reports, spelling tests, history narrations!

SUMMER IS HERE BABY!

And I'm straight up stoked about it.

So why not greet summer and pretty up my chalkboard with stenciled lettering and a fun way to remind us that the relaxing warm season is here?

Embellish Party Hats With Pom Poms

Hey friends!
Can I just love on you guys a bit first?
It's just that there is something so sweet in knowing I can stop in, throw up a quick post and know that so many of you incredible friends will be here for me. It means so much. ♥

Yarn Monster Cupcake Picks

In case some of you missed the ever popular Spooktacular over with the fabulous Eighteen25 girls, here was my project for this year...the cutest Yarn Monster Cupcake Picks I ever did see!

They are not hard to make and you only need a few supplies you probably already have in your crafty stash.

Fall Pom Pom Wreath

OK y'all, I am itching to haul out all the Fall stuff. This is my favorite, favorite, favorite season of the year and I am getting so excited!  So today I planned on a little craft with my girls.  The three of us tend to work on wreaths a lot and I have been working with yarn a ton lately so I thought we would make a pom pom wreath to go on their bedroom door.

Spiraled Yarn Circle Garland

Whoa.  Two posts in two days. Shocking. But I wanted to share this fun tutorial to make this happy little garland.  I shared it last week on Kimberly's blog...bugaboo, mini, mr. and me.  She has a great Yarn It All series going on sharing all things yarn.  It is awesome.

I have been drooling over all the colorful crochet garlands I see out there.  So I decided to make my own version without the awesome crochet skills but still all the pretty. I am excited to share it with all of you!

Here's what you do to start making cute little yarn circles with the help of some paper and glue...

It's pretty easy and quick too!  If you don't have a circle punch just trace and cut a circle with scissors. I suggest using card stock the same color as the yarn in case you have some gaps. Also, I find hot glue to be the easiest to work with since it dries so fast and keeps the yarn from un-spiraling. You just have to  be careful not to burn yourself.  I have worked with hot glue so much I think I no longer possess fingerprints. :) 

Here it is in my Spring Vignette that is still a work in progress. Fun!

Hugs and blessings!

Pom Pom + Washi Tape Gift Tags

So my preoccupation with all things yarn continues.  And as most of you probably already know...making a pom pom can be rather addicting.  They are so fun, so colorful, and I thought to myself...something this fun should be on a stick. Seriously, aren't things cuter on a stick?

So that is just what I did.  

After gluing them on lollipop sticks I added some washi tape for a sweet little message.

{Oh and I have already made several sets of these for my soon to happen shop!}

I also decided that making little pockets on a gift would crank up the cuteness factor.  

To make the pockets I used leftover paint chips.

 I used washi tape and double sided tape to secure the pockets.

 This one I just folded over and taped the edges but left a little space by the fold for the stick to slide into.

So fun!

 But of course my favorite is with a little bit of simplicity.

Just taping it to the gift with some extra washi tape.

This makes me happy. :)

Would any of you be willing to purchase gift tags like these? 

(I'm curious) :)

I know I would which is why I made them.  And I really don't mind sharing them with you.

It's more fun to share.

Right?

♥

Yarn Wrapped Gourds & Pumpkins

Aren't these just the coziest, cutest little things?  

Almost makes me want to curl up and snuggle with them. Almost.

As a lot of you know...I love yarn crafts.  Anything with texture.  Yarn has so many possibilities and I believe these little $1 store pumpkins and gourds have been transformed into some pretty spectacular Fall decor pieces.

I bought those little mini gourds and pumpkins by the pack (5 in each) at the dollar tree and I think the bigger gourds and pumpkins are from Wal-mart at 97 cents each. All of them are FAKE PUMPKINS because I wanted each of them to last! I used different yarn gauges in ivory, green, and a mustard yellow to wrap them in different ways and make each one unique.This green pumpkin (which kinda ended up looking like an apple but I truly love it) was done simply by gluing the yarn around the base of the stem and then continuing to wind it around while applying glue. I prefer to use hot glue because it keeps it in place due to drying faster.  Even though I'm used to working with a glue gun, I still burn myself at times so if this is a kid project for you...use craft glue like Mod Podge or Aleen's Tacky Glue. Craft glue really does work great but be careful not to press too hard as you conform the yarn to the shape because it can cause hard glue spots.

Also, I loved the real look of this stem so I left it as is.

These little gourds and tiny pumpkin make me smile too.  Same technique as the green pumpkin but I just varied it a bit by going horizontal or vertical. The large gourd is wrapped in twine and the stem is wrapped in green embroidery floss. The smaller stems are made from twine bent in half and hot glued together.  I frayed the ends and kind of smooshed it on the top of the pumpkin or gourd to make it look like it grew out of the top.

Oh, I love this white pumpkin so much.  I twisted 4 strands of yarn together measuring them the length of the pumpkin from stem to bottom.  It reminds me a bit of a cable knit sweater without the knitting. The green stem is wrapped with twine to add even more texture. Craft glue worked best with this technique too.

These are not exactly rosettes but they are similar to the way you make fabric ones.  This mustard yellow pumpkin comes off sophisticated to me.  I think these in all white would be striking with maybe some touches of green.

The tricky part in making this style is rolling them into TIGHT spirals and then using craft glue to put them on. Start by tying a knot at the end and then rolling it between your thumb and index finger. Once you get a spiral you like, they have to be pressed flat with glue. So hot glue does not work. Incidentally...my above pumpkin has been handled by two 3 year olds and a 5 year old. Hence some of the spirals coming loose. 

The spiral rosettes are simple but it does take some time to finish one pumpkin.  But I think the effect is completely worth it! :)

Hope you like another yarn wrapped project I came up with for Fall!

Do you see yourself making these too?

 I would love to hear what you think. :)

Cozy Fall Hugs to all of you!

♥

linking to:
nest of posies
the diy show off 
tip junkie: tip me tuesday 
a crafty soiree: yesterday on tuesday 
strut your stuff: somewhat simple 
the 36th avenue 
show and share with southern lovely
thrifty thursday
tatertots and jello
creative me monday
itsybitsypaper

Fabric Houses Wall Art

So here is my second completed project for the silent auction.  This one has me biting my nails since this will depend on personal preference and taste.  But I am also hoping things like this will be in my  soon to be Etsy shop. This particular piece is in a glass frame but I like working directly on canvas.

 The materials I used were all from my fabric stash: burlap, linen, old towels, an old bed skirt, and yarn.

This would be so perfect for a little girl's room. I kept the fabric pattern colors light and playful.

I love the look of handmade stitches.  They are imperfect, childlike and whimsical.  

And the frayed edges of the fabric give it just the right texture.

I am loving the swirly blue sky and green grass too.

I hope someone likes this enough to bid on it!  

Do YOU like it? 

(be gentle)

Off to sew and create some more!

Textured Ball Garland

Love. Completely, totally, in love with this garland. I can, in fact, have this much of an emotional attachment to an inanimate object.  Oh yes.

This is a product of the genesis of me brainstorming ideas for my Etsy shop.  I am struggling with transitioning from being  a crafter who lives with the imperfections that come with handmade things and suddenly making them for someone to buy.  With like, money. It is terrifying to say the least.  But I have wanted to come up with something of my own design, totally me, and exemplifies my type of crafting.

 

This garland began with me experimenting with texture. I am drawn to anything with textures that evoke comfort, casual elegance, and depth. I love the juxtaposition of fine china on a distressed table or silver candlesticks on a rustic mantel. It is so peaceful and calming to my often preoccupied soul.  Looking at things like this and living with them is like a sanctuary of peace for me. So I set out to do just that with my one of my favorite things to make: Garlands.

I made each individual ball shape unique.  I experimented with linen, yarn, and satin creating beautiful rosette spirals, colorful stripes, and shabby textures. It is pure loveliness to me.

 

I wanted this garland to be classy and more grown up without being fussy.  Casual; not too fancy.

As you can see, the amount of photos I took depicts my intense infatuation with this garland.  I may need a garland intervention.

I  decided a rustic twine was the perfect complement to string them together and I am just so happy with the final result.  The garland measures 5 ft long and the balls can slide so you can make it as wide or close together as needed.

I sure hope you like this. I had so many of you in mind when I made it. You have all been more then fabulous spurring me on to do an Etsy shop and you helped me believe it is really possible.  Thank you so much for that. I was so nervous this project would not work out but it exceeded my expectations. Hope you enjoyed the first of many sneek peeks!  

P.S.  I have been manic crafting as I have been on deadline for the magazine; hence the crickets on this little blog.  But I got fun stuff to share coming up soon!