No Sew Napkin Wraps

 I am fearing that this post will be anti-climatic after already revealing the centerpiece.
So please comment just to be nice, OK? You are the BEST!

The idea for napkin wraps came to me after I realized I did not have any pretty napkin rings. Or even napkins to match.  I bought this pink coordinating fabric but still needed napkins.

You should have seen my high and low search for just the right napkins.  Drove myself crazy.  Drove my family crazy.  But then Marshall's had these adorable teapot ones and I had to have them.
Even if they don't match since they will be rolled up or in someone's lap. 

You probably don't not know this but I have this thing for teapots.  I collect them.  

So when I spotted this precious little embroidered teapot, on the perfectly colored napkin, that cost $3.50 for four...I was sold. It even has a bird on it.  It looks prehistoric but whatever.

So to make these, you need fusible bonding tape and some velcro dots .

Iron-on adhesive tape saves you from sewing.  Amen.

First, I rolled up my napkin to figure out the length I would need to wrap around a rolled napkin.

 I needed about 6 inches around for it to be tight when I closed the wrap.

Now I tried measuring this out to help you if you wanted to make these but I realized this is pretty much personal preference.  I made these to fit a tightly rolled napkin but they might not work if you wanted the napkin another way.

Then I used a piece of paper to figure out how wide I wanted it to be.  

This happened to be too much so I just folded it to a width I liked.

I ended up cutting 5 x 8 inch pieces of material to make the size I wanted.

Definitely follow the directions on the fusible bonding tape.  But here's what you basically do...
Fold the edges over twice and iron the crease.

Put the fusible tape (paper side up) on the crease and press with an iron for 2 seconds on medium heat.  

LET IT COOL!  

Then take the paper strips off revealing a clear adhesive strip.

Fold the edge over and press with iron for about 8 seconds. 

It should look like this.  Do this on the long sides first then the short sides.

Now we have finished edges with no sewing involved.

To add the velcro dots, I placed the fuzzy sided ones on the edge of one shorter side.  I used hot glue to reinforce them since the package said not recommended with fabric. 

Note to self:  Read labels before purchasing.

Then I wrapped it around a rolled napkin and aligned the scratchy dots with the fuzzy ones.

Now you can just roll and wrap.

It would have sounded so much cooler if I could have said wrap and roll. Dang.

I just love this color combination together.

Here it is coordinating with the fabric chargers I made.

It would be so pretty to wrap ribbon around this with a little place card.
Add buttons or snaps instead of velcro.
Even decorative buttons on the outside on the seam would be pretty too.

And if it is not already obvious, this method works for making custom napkins too!

Tomorrow is the last day where I will show you favors and place cards before I set it all up Saturday morning.  I have changed my mind 172 times so I wish I could give you a teaser but I still don't know.

See you tomorrow!

Hugs my sweet friends!

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...

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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

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