Branch and Nest Centerpiece

Isn't this the perfect shape branch for a centerpiece?  I am hugging myself with joy...I am that excited.
Yep.  Over this branch.
I wanted to create a nest and branch centerpiece to compliment the "We are Family" theme for the gala. Yet I really had no idea how it would look until I started.  But I knew I needed JUST the right branch.

Picture this...I trudge out to the backyard hoping the little stick pile my husband created cleaning out the yard will surface the ideal branch since it is kind of the MAIN ATTRACTION. And all I am finding are long sticks with no branches.  As I begin to pray to find just the perfect one, I glance down and THERE IT IS!  The hallelujah chorus commenced above and with the angels, I rejoiced.

Honestly, this centerpiece requires more than one post but I crammed it all into this one, big, happy one.  So get a snack and come back to read. :)

Back to my divinely found branch...

So I take this bad boy, check for insect life that will reduce my excitement significantly and begin to dry brush it with a light grey paint.

Now the branch is lightened up a bit and not too, too rustic.

I decided I was going to make a nest from Spanish moss and use river rocks as my eggs.  I tried to find the flattest rocks that I could.  I bought those big ones in the background at Wal-Mart and they were way big and heavy.  Since the backyard proved fruitful once before,  I tried again...and I found smaller rocks (foreground) that worked!

I apparently have the BEST stuff in my backyard.

I painted  my rock/eggs to match the look of the table.  Alone they look kind of Easter like but I still liked it.  They are sorta distressed to give an appearance of speckled eggs.

 Next, I used my Target dollar section alphabet stamp set that is probably my most favorite ever dollar find.  Ever! 

And stamped our names on each rock. 

 How fun is this?

For the nest, I just kind of shaped it to look nest-like and used spray adhesive to keep the mess to a minimum so it would all stick together.  

It helped a lot but I am going to have to accept there may be some fall out. 

When I do the set up, I am bringing one of those lint rollers.

The nest was also a little dark for the look I was going for so I spray painted it white as well. 

Not completely but enough.

 I also added the slightest bit of sparkle with some really fine glitter.  I was not looking for anything obvious to bling the nest out.  I just wanted something subtle so that when candles are lit, it will sparkle a little.

 Can you see it a little here?  The sun kept hiding from me but I do detect some sparkles. :)

 Don't the eggs look so cute in there?

They totally rock. ;)

My husband also helped me again when I asked him to carve our last name into the branch.

(now you can friend me on FB...but I am never on there.)

Then I cut some fabric leaves that will compliment the fabric chargers and finish off the branch.
The following photos are blurry because my camera was on the wrong setting. Sorry!

I made the leaves by folding the fabric in half and then cutting it out, and gluing the leaf pieces together.
This way, the right side of the fabric is on both sides.
It looks like a green, flowery mustache, doesn't it?

I needed to pinch the bottom and glue to give the fabric some stability using a glue gun.
And clearly some paint just prior to snapping this pic.

 Then I simply glued the pinched leaves on the branches.

 

 

Our Family Nest.

I am pretty excited about how this turned out. And I love the idea of doing this for so many things.
How about a wedding with the couple's names in the nest?  How cute would that be?
Or a baby shower with pink or blue eggs.
Oh, or  a way to announce a baby gender?
My mind is whirling with ideas!

We are almost there to the completed tablescape!
What do you think so far? I would love to hear from you!

Until tomorrow sweet friends...

linking to this week: 

DIY Fabric Plate Chargers

Is it a charger?  A placemat?  A hybrid of both?
I honestly don't know but I am calling them chargers.

I can tell you that this is one of the most satisfying DIY projects I have ever done!  Nothing is more fun them making something both pretty and useful.  Such bliss.

My initial color scheme was my no fail, go-to colors of light aqua and pale green.  But I could not find any fabric that spoke to me. My husband had actually suggested we use two shades of pink (how cute is he?) since the theme of the gala is "We are Family." When I saw this fabric I fell in love with it and switched gears.

I saw a similar project like this recently where wrapping paper or contact paper was used on fiber board. But can not remember where.  If any of you know where you saw something like this, please contact me so I can add a link and give proper credit.  While churning this idea in my head for the Gala, I spotted some FOAM BOARD at the dollar store (while buying my little birdies).  I figured that would work and it was inexpensive too!

I started off by seeing what a place setting looked like.  

(Do you like how I did it up  a bit fancy?) 

 I then figured I would need 15 x15 squares and began cutting with a rotary cutter and cutting mat.

And they all turned out different sizes.  With me measuring it.  Causing me to sweat with moderate anxiety. Just so we are clear on my math prowess...if the free world's existence depended on my math skills...the world as we know it would end.

So I called upon this sweet guy who I happened to be married to measure and cut the fiber board FOR me.  Which he did.  CORRECTLY. Look at him lovingly sweating it out on our unpainted garage floor.  That is devotion. I gotta tell ya I love this guy to pieces.  And do you also notice how I posed him cutting an already perfectly cut square since I did not think to take a photo until he was already done?  Just keeping it real folks.

So my cut boards ended up measuring 13 x 13 and PERFECT!  

15 x 15 would have been too big.

I cut my material with about an inch (give or take) allowance on all sides.

After cutting and ironing all my fabric pieces, I laid out a foam board square and cut out the corner (blue dotted lines) to help me fold over the excess fabric onto the back of the boards.

With the right side facing down (wrong side facing up), I sprayed the entire piece of fabric with spray adhesive. You can use Mod Podge too but it will take longer.  

This method took me only 30 minutes.

Working quickly, I lined up the foam board corners with the cut out corners and began folding up the sides. I worked two opposing sides together so I could pull the fabric tight as I worked.

 It will end up looking something like this on the back...

And like this on the front. :)

 These really took me no time to make.  (Special thanks to the hubs).

A great finishing touch would be to put felt on the back.  I may actually try using cork liner.

(the kind you line your drawers and shelves with)

It's getting fun now, right? 

What do you think of these easy DIY chargers?

So many possibilities...

I may share the centerpiece or favors and place cards tomorrow.  Still not sure.  

But I will know by then!

I am beyond excited to see what the whole thing will look like at the end of the week!

Hugs!

xoxo

linking to this week:

A Spring Tablescape Needs Birds. Always.

This week I will be sharing with you little tutorials and ideas for a fun Spring tablescape I am creating for a Gala dinner this Saturday. It is a fundraising event for my daughter's school and it will be loads of fun.  You can see some items I created to bid on during the silent auction.  Check out my napkin rings, table runner, and fabric wall art.

I know my "THING" for birds is quite obvious on this blog.  I can't actually say I love real ones.  Oh, I love seeing them and hearing their happy chirps.  But I am not a bird WATCHER.  But I definitely can get down with some bird decor.  They are so charming and sweet. They can have a feminine, cottage vibe.  They can be modern.  They can be cutesy and youthful.  I just love it.  So of course...I knew this tablescape I was planning cried out for the need of birds. Oh, yes.
I saw these at the dollar store and knew they would be perfect...after a generous dose of spray paint.  I am looking to make a fun little Spring vignette for my sideboard in the dining room.  So I was also looking for things I could use later in my own home and not just for one night.

A white can of spray paint was needed.  This is the first spray towards the transformation. I almost felt guilty for doing this. I usually do when a can of spray paint is in my hands. The artist in me thinks that someone created this and may have delighted in its colors and beauty and here I am essentially WIPING IT OUT with my can of spray paint.  Yes, I know how it was PROBABLY made.  But I like thinking that some sweet old man painted this with a tiny smile on his face with meticulous detail.  Oh, maybe this is why I feel guilty?????????  OK, then.

Here are a few more sprays.  The spray paint was having a hard time adhering to whatever these birds are made of.. I actually did another bird with some wall paint sampler of green first but decided I did not like it. When I used the spray paint on top, it adhered to it perfectly. But I kept going on this one until it stuck.

Hello there, happy white bird!

What a difference a little spray paint makes!

Now these little birds can match and work together.  I may not use all of them...we shall see. :)

 Tomorrow I will be working with some of that pink fabric on the top. 

(the napkins on the bottom are for later in the week) 

All of this will all make sense at the end of the week.  It will be like a big, fun, crafty, week long puzzle. 

Good times, right?

See you tomorrow!

Happy Easter!

 

Happy Easter Friends!

This is my favorite day of the year as I remember what my Savior has done for me and for you.  

I give praise and glory to the Lamb! 

Love and hugs to each and every one of you. :)

xoxo

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.   1 Peter 1:3  (NLT)

Thanks to all of you checking in on me!

Have you ever wondered why you don't realize you need rest until you actually rest? Like when I don't know I am hungry until I bite into something and then eat like it's my last day to experience taste buds.

And apparently I did not know I have needed a rest from the B-L-O-G.  I spell it because the thing can just loom over me like this beckoning addiction that I can't shake. I even began noticing my camera was filling up with photos of crafts and less and less were of my precious girls and family. Yikes.

So something needed some adjusting and that something was my priorities.

I then did things I had neglected because the spinning wheels in my brain are always concocting some sort of SOMETHING to make.  So I folded the laundry that I rewashed 3 times because I kept forgetting it was still in the washer and rejoiced that said clothes finally graduated to the dryer. 

I also found my dining room table under oodles of fabric, scissors, and yarn with some home school papers thrown in for good measure.

I have played doll house and tea party. We even have had front yard picnics where I got some photos...

I have even watched many a concert that included a barbie guitar, a tambourine, and some maracas. With high heels and some fancy dresses.  It was a delightful symphony of sounds. And I would not want to have missed it for the world.

I planted flowers (and the girls helped) in my front yard like vincas, pentas, and zinnias.

 All different shades of pink of course.

And also becasue we apparently totally dig flowers that end in AS. 

OK.  I just reread that line and I SO did not mean to make that funny but it ended up funny.  

Read it out loud. 

See?  Funny.  

The backyard has only A-S flowers too.  Azaleas.  Begonias. No, wait!  We planted Jasmine too!  HA! 

OK.  Enough already.

So I have been enjoying my hiatus to just live my life. Today we had a sweet little Easter party at my daughter's school where they hunted for resurrection eggs and heard the whole story of Easter.  It was so touching to watch their reactions to this bittersweet message of love and sacrifice.

Also, for those of you who are new to my blog...our family hit a kind of crossroads last summer when my husband lost his job.  So many of you have been amazing as we have traveled this unknown road.  My husband is still unemployed but today he had an amazing interview and we are really hoping this is the one.  We probably won't know for a few weeks but if you think of it...please pray. 

So now I prepare for this gala that will take place next weekend. I am still unsure about what I am going to do as I am hosting a table.  I have a zillion ideas and plan on implementing them but nothing ever ends up the way I originally plan it.  So next week will be a bunch of tutorials while I create a tablescape using thrifty ideas to make it affordable. We can see how to turns out together! :)

So tune in next week!  And thanks for hanging in there with me while I have been blessed by everyday, ordinary (that is actually extraordinary) life!  I love that all of you are a part of my life and bless me so much!

So again...hugs to all you friends and especially those of you who sent emails to just say hi and see how I was doing.  It warmed my heart and I am thankful for everyone of you that read this blog and encourage me!

I will be back soon! :)