The Cross Wall

I have a few projects I'm working on and can't wait to share them with you, but in the meantime I thought I'd show you my cross wall! I did this back in the spring and just love how it turned out! It was fairly easy too. It all started with the center cross I got from a Southern Living party (now Willow House). It matches a few pieces in my entryway and dining room so I thought it was perfect! And I've always liked cross decorations in people's homes I've seen. I actually thought I had come up with this idea all by myself, but then I remembered my sister-in-law has a cross wall in her house too!! So I must have had that in the back of my mind. Hers is really neat...all the crosses are made of the same material and are the same color, but different sizes. She said they came in a kit. Wish I could find me one of those! But this way was not much more difficult. Hobby Lobby has a whole aisle of crosses!! So after perusing that section on several trips I had a nice little collection. Oh and of course I got them during their 50% off sales! I had my Southern Living cross on the wall by itself for a long time and then I picked up these two crosses and added from there!



Not a great picture, but you get the idea. And it helps you see that this is a small wall and it fits nicely here. I started with a green and red cross (I picked up the colors in the original cross). And then I picked out other smaller ones that I liked and that were different to give it some contrast. Once I had them all I was ready to hang them up! But it was a little tricky so I laid them out on the floor to get an idea of where I wanted each one to go. I had it perfectly arranged, but was a little confused on how I was going to keep them perfectly arranged from the floor to the wall. And then my smarty pants husband suggested I take a picture! Genius! So that really helped...I referred to my camera as I was hanging them up:-)

Fall Mantle and Banner Tutorial!

Remember these bad boys from my last post? Well here they are in action!!



And Tah-Dah here is my fall mantle!! Whatcha think? The following mantle (from pinterest of course) was my inspiration:



I saw it and loved pretty much everything about it. So I did mine very similar adding a few twists of my own:-)

Here's the low-down on everything:



The pumpkins on the ends and the leaves garland were on sale at Hobby Lobby.



The wire pumpkin is from Garden Ridge and was around $7. I had the red candle holder and candle on hand.



The candle holders acting as pumpkin stands are from Michaels (around $7 each, but used 40% off coupon). You may already have some you can use! I had the wire baskets and candles on hand.

Oh and just for kicks, here is my husband's version of our fall mantle:



Yes, folks you do see a hamburger piggy bank on display!?!! He saw this at Target and had to have it. I asked where he was going to put it and apparently it lead him to this idea. He wanted to see if I would notice...and yes I did!!! Lol.

Fall Banner Tutorial



Do you like my Fall Banner? If so, here's a tutorial so you can make your own!



First, I gathered the above pictured supplies; 1 yard burlap (about $2/yard), 2 felt squares (on hand, but available at any craft store), ruler, and scissors.

This was my first time working with burlap and I learned a few things. First, it is hard to cut! I tried cutting some triangles for the flags freestyle, but it wasn't going very well. So I grabbed some supplies I had laying around the house; 8.5" x 11" printer paper and a pencil. I wanted to fashion a flag template so I measured and drew a line at half of the 8.5" side (4.25"). Then I simply connected the corners and my center point to make a nice, straight triangle. I cut it out and had my flag template! It was the perfect size and so easy!

Next, I grabbed a black sharpie (any black marker will do) and traced my triangle on to the burlap. I flipped it every other one so I wouldn't waste any burlap.



Then I cute them out (very slowly) and had my 4 little triangle flags (to spell FALL).



After that, I grabbed my sharpie again and wrote the letters on the flags freehand. I also grabbed a flat-tipped paint brush and some black acrylic paint.



The scallops:

Next, I made some scallops for the tops of the flags. I had some felt on hand that were similar colors and fall-ish so I thought it would be a cute touch. And I'm loving scallops lately! The first thing I did was lay my felt on top of one of the flags and make a little mark with my sharpie as pictured:



Then I drew some scallops! I did them freehand by eyeballing the section into 3 parts and making marks and then drew the scallops connecting the dots. If you don't feel comfortable doing that, you can find something in your home to trace (like half of the bottom of a can).



Next, I cut the scallop out and used it to trace the next one! I did two of each color.



Here are my 4 little felt scallops!



Painting time!

All I did was paint right over the letters I drew. The type of paint brush I used made it particularly easy. See how it is very flat at the tip in the picture below? It made for straight lines on my letters.



Here's a shot of all my painting supplies...notice the white paper under the burlap? Yes, paint will go through burlap so protect your surfaces!



I laid it out to get an idea of how it was looking:



It looked good, but it felt like something was missing. I didn't like the plain black letters. It needed some sprucing up! So I grabbed some brown acrylic paint and using the tip of my brush I outlined the letters in brown. I turned the flags sideways to make this a little easier. I also painted over the black (with just a little paint on my brush) to give it a brown tint. I loved it! It just gave it a little something extra and softened it up a bit:-)



Gluing time!

Next, I grabbed my hot glue gun and glued on those scallops! I placed a paper towel under the flag because glue will go through burlap too!!



Originally I was going to connect the flags with felt, but later realized ribbon would be a whole lot easier. So I grabbed some ribbon I had on hand. I turned the flags over so I could glue the ribbon to the back (make sure your letters are in the right order!!). I made sure all my surfaces were covered and got to gluing! I started in the middle and did a little bit at a time.



Here it is with the ribbon! I actually like how it looks plain. Maybe I'll use it some time flipped over like this!



I hung it up and it looked nice, but it was kind of plain. It needed some color! When I looked back at the banner in the picture from pinterest I realized they had leaves between the letters and thought that may do the trick! So I picked up a bag of leaves at Michael's for a buck:



I began by cutting a line (starting at the bottom of the leaf) to the middle of the leaf and then cutting a hole in the center of the leaf.

I stuck them on my banner, grouping different sizes and colored leaves. They stayed on pretty good. Not sure this is the best method, but it did the trick!

I was loving it!! Oh and just so you can be annoyed too...I had the saying "It's fall y'all!" in my head throughout the banner making process - ahhh!!!:-/

Refinishing Projects

One of my projects over the summer was refinishing some candlestick holders and a shelf that I scored at my in law's garage sale! And they just love me so much they give them to me for free:-) Thanks Harold & Denise!!! I so badly wish I had a before picture for you:-( It was a big transition! Basically they were both dark wood before. The candlestick holders had a slick coating so I sanded them down so the paint would adhere better. The shelf was pretty dull and large so I didn't bother sanding it. My in laws also gave me some left over paint they had from trying different paint colors on their walls. So thanks to them this project was free!! My plan was to paint and then sand down in some spots to give them a "distressed" look. I consulted a few people about the type of paint I was using for this project. Here's what I found out for your knowledge and mine in the future:

• The paint used on most interior walls is flat. So if you want to have a finish that is more durable it's best to use satin.



• There is paint specifically for furniture, but my project was small so what I had was fine.



• When painting something that is oak (has the circles) you may want to use a primer as it will ultimately bleed through the paint giving it a yellow tint. I would think this would be more important if you're doing a bigger, more expensive piece of furniture.
  

I am really happy with how they both turned out. The paint on the shelf didn't stick as well as the paint on the candlestick holders. I think it's because I didn't sand it and the type of paint I used. But because I wanted a "distressed" look it will do just fine. If something nicks it and chips some paint owell it will just add to the look! Plus I'm putting it my guest room, which will get less wear and tear. I am by no means an expert on the subject, but wanted to pass my knowledge along! Tell me what you think!! I have not decided exactly where to hang the shelf yet, but my candlestick holders look fancy smancy in their new home. Stayed tuned for my next post to see them!!! I know the suspense is killing you;-) Here's a sneak peek...

Cluelessly Planting!

Ok, not only do I not have a green thumb, I have a black thumb (is that the opposite of green?)!!! Let's just say I have not had much experience with plants and the little experience I do have is not good (I had a hard time keeping them alive). The only plant that I have kept alive (and it actually flourished) was the one I had sitting in my cube. It did so well because I walked past it everyday and remembered to water it! We have a couple plants in the house that have survived ok (mainly because my husband waters them). I am challenging myself to pot some plants around the house and maintain them! These empty pots are screaming for some plants!!



I headed to Pike Nursery hoping they could educate me a bit on the basics. I especially wanted to know which plants are good for inside/outside, low-maintenance, and will last all year long or at least come back the next year. I talked with a woman who worked there who was very knowledgeable and helpful. She started off by telling me about outdoor plants that need a lot of sun (because the spots I wanted to put them get a lot of sun). She recommended perennials because they come back every year, need little attention, and get lots of sunlight. Sold! I told her I had one large pot that I needed to fill. She suggested doing perennials or a shrub in the middle and adding a few smaller plants around it. She said a lot of people do a shrub in the middle so they have something in bloom year-round. But the perennials are a good choice too because they come back each year. She showed me some ivy that would be good for planting around the shrub or perennial. I liked the idea of ivy, especially how it would drape over the sides of the pot.

I actually set out to get a fern because I thought it would fit all of my criteria, but I wasn't sure. I saw an autumn fern when I was looking before I talked to the woman and she later confirmed it would be a good choice and would last all year long. She said it would "thin-out" in the winter, but something would still be there. It sounded good to me!

The plants I bought came in some soil, but I bought a bag of potting soil to add to them. The woman also suggested buying "Sure Start". She said it would ensure the plants have a healthy start so they would do better. I don't know if I got suckered in, but I thought it couldn't hurt since I need all the help I can get!

Outdoor plants:


Here's what I came home with from left to right:

• Perennial - Mary Ann Lantana (I chose this particular one because she said hummingbirds like it)
  


• Autumn Fern
  


• Shrub - Boxwood Suffruticosa - Buxus Sempervirens
  


• Ivy - Variegated Large Leaf Periwinkle
  

I gathered all my supplies (plants, planters, soil, Sure Start, gloves, and a shovel), put the gloves on and went to town. My husband said to break the plants up at the bottom. I mixed a little Sure Start (I just eye-balled it, but it tells you how much on the box) and soil and added it around the plants. I mainly used it to fill in the spaces around the large perennial and ivy in the big pot. I made sure it was filled close to the top and packed in pretty well. I was going to do the shrub in the big pot to have something year-round, but the perennial was bigger so I put it in the big pot and the shrub in the smaller pot. The fern and shrub fit pretty well and didn't need any extra soil. My plan is to ultimately have a nice little collection of plants in the corner of our deck. Remember those lonely little pots? Check out this after shot...aren't the pots much happier and isn't the corner much brighter now?!

After:


P.S. I'm pretty sure I will eventually have to re-pot the shrub. It barely fits and those things get pretty big, right??

The Fern:

I took a picture of the fern a few days later because it is out front and I forgot. Let's just say it's not doing so well...



Poor thing. I did just read that it needs more shade so I'm going to move it to the front porch and hope that helps. It has been getting water because it's been raining. We'll see! P.S. I got this urn for under $5 at a garage sale!!!

Indoor plant project/spray painting before & after:

Check out my $1 find at a garage sale last weekend! I thought it would look good spray painted red to go in my stairwell (where I have red accents going on).



Next, I got to spray-painting. Here's some pics during the process. Oh and yes, my hubby snapped this embarrassing shot of me in my socks and flops. I picked up this little trick from Young House Love, but I added the flops;-)



I only used one coat and it did the trick! I kind of like how the gold shines through just a little bit. It turned out pretty bright though so if I ever want it a little darker I may ad another coat or two. Some spray painting tips: Quick, even strokes and several thin coats. And this may be common sense, but it is hard to spray paint something that is black to white. I've tried a few times and it takes several coats and the black still shows through a little bit. Maybe there is a spray paint primer out there? I will look into it!

Now for the reveal!!!

Before & After:


What do you think? I love how it turned out! I only bought one indoor plant and wanted something small. I told the woman at Pike it would get some sunlight sitting pretty close to one of our windows. She recommended some ivy. She said it was very easy to take care of and would only need to be watered a couple times a week or whenever the soil is dry. This ivy is called "California" Hendera Helix.

Here it is all planted and getting settled in it's new home on the stair landing (remember in my first post when I was looking for stuff for this shelf?):



I love how the color pops and it makes me happy when I walk by! So there you have it folks - a step in the right direction! Hopefully I will keep my plants alive! I will do a follow-up post to let you know how they're doing and to hopefully introduce you to some new ones I've added!

Quilting/Patchwork Class

I took a quilting/patchwork class this summer and thought I'd share with you! It was a great class and I would definitely recommend it! I'm not really into quilts at this point, but my sister-in-law, Robin, told me about a deal on Groupon for a quilting and patchwork class at whipstitch (a fabric and sewing shop in Atlanta). Sew....I jumped on it! At this point in my sewing journey I'm open to all avenues to broaden my skills. It was 2 hours of jam-packed quilting and patchwork fun! I was definitely lagging behind most of the other students the whole time (there were about 10 of us), but I was proud that I kept up with them! And proud that I completed a mini quilt that I brought home! I am by no means the appropriate person to try to explain how I did this to you so I'm not going to try. However, I do have some ideas where I can incorporate my news skills; perhaps a quilted top ottoman cover or a pillow with some patchwork? I don't know - we'll see! And if/when I do these projects I'll give a tutorial so you can see how I did it.

Deborah Moebes instructed the class. She was an excellent teacher. She explained things in an easy-to-understand-way, but also kept the class moving right along schedule. During the class she mentioned her book. And I was starting to wonder who she was. I thought she just worked there part-time teaching sewing classes or something. So I asked her what her book was called and she said "Stitch By Stitch". Other people in the class were talking to her about her book and how they bought it. I also heard her mention how people often stop by the store looking for her. This really intrigued me and I wanted to know more. Students even brought their book for her to sign. After the class I saw her book for sale on the checkout counter. I flipped through the book and it looked pretty good; I really liked all the pictures that would be especially helpful to a beginner like me. I decided to buy it! I heard others in the class mention they had gotten it from amazon so I know I could have gotten it for less, but it was convenient and I wanted to take advantage of getting the author's signature!!! Here's a pic and I love what she wrote:-) For those of you squinting (probably everyone) she wrote "Best wishes for lots and lots of happy sewing memories!" Deborah.

I thought she might be the owner, but wasn't sure so I googled it just now and she is, indeed, the owner. In fact, I was reading the site here and it really hit a soft spot with me because I can totally relate. She is a woman after my own heart with her passion and entrepreneur spirit. I also thought it was really neat to read her first blog post here. This really hits home with me when she says "I can very clearly remember writing that first post, feeling like I was either starting something I’d never finish or setting my foot on a path that would whisk me away places I’d never imagined". I was (and still am) nervous about this blog. Mainly because I hate to be a quitter. I have high hopes that won't be the case and that it will help guide me in finding my dream. Oh and how awesome is it that the owner of the store teaches classes!?!! Very awesome and humble, indeed. I just love that - thanks for inspiring us Deborah!!! I will be back for more classes:-)

P.S. What do you think of my little quilt?? I didn't get to finish the sides -- that's on my "to-do" list;-)

Easy craft project you'll LOVE!

I saw this cute "LOVE" frame from pottery barn and well, I loved it! But when I saw the $149 price tag my love started to fade. And then I thought "hey, I can make that (and for a whole lot less)!". And at that point it was more of a challenge. I thought I could paint white letters on burlap or do something with scrapbook paper. I already had the scrapbook paper so I went that route. Here's how I did it if you'd like to make your own!



The first thing I did was Google “printable alphabet stencils” and the one I used was “Alphabet Letter Stencils” (the second one). Then I clicked and saved each letter - L-O-V-E. I made this for a collage in my daughter’s room so I didn’t want it too big. So I opened each file and resized the percentage from 100% to 75%. Then I printed them. Note: The pottery barn frame is bigger and if that’s what you want I would keep it at 100% or enlarge it more. Next, I cut the letters out around the whole letter (keeping the letter in one piece). I did this so I could trace the whole letter because I wasn’t sure what distance to leave for the spaces.



I thought about cutting the letters out of scrapbook paper and gluing them, but I wondered if I could paint the letters? Then I was so curious to see if it would work, that's what I decided to try! So I gathered up a piece of scrapbook paper, white acrylic paint, a white paint pen, and a paint brush. Note: I use AP approved (non-toxic) acrylic paint and paint pens.



I placed the letters on the page where I wanted them and then taped them down with scotch tape to hold them in place. I traced around each letter to outline them.



Then I cut each letter on the remaining lines, lined them up within the outlines, and traced some more.



Here's a really bad, hard to see shot of the final outline:

I've never used acrylic paint and paint pen on paper so I tested it out in the corner of my scrapbook paper (I knew I would be cutting it later). I was glad to see that there was little to no warping. I used a pretty thick piece of scrapbook paper though. I'm not sure the thinner scrapbook papers would hold up as well (mine is similar to card stock and came in a book as opposed to the individual pages). Next, I traced the outline with a white paint pen.

It was time to paint! My technique was to keep the brush dry (if you use water in between make sure to dry with a paper towel before dipping back in the paint). I also made sure not to get too much paint on the brush at once and to use quick brush strokes! Acrylic paint dries fast, but apparently even faster on paper:-/ But all in all it was pretty easy!
Here are some shots during the process:

The first shot is after one coat of paint. I actually liked the faded look, but wanted the white letters to pop so I kept painting. The second shot is 3 coats. I was satisfied. The paint dries pretty fast, but I waited at least 15 minutes between each coat to be sure. After painting, I traced around the letters again with the white paint pen to re-enforce the border and give it a more finished look. Here's another shot of the finished product! I was LOVEing it;-)

The last piece of the puzzle was the hardest...finding a frame to fit it! Maybe I should have started there, lol! I would suggest making it easier on yourself and doing the letters bigger (100% as mentioned above) and using the whole scrapbook page. It is probably far easier to find a 12x12 frame (standard scrapbook paper size). Anywhoo...after much searching I found me a $5 frame from Ikea! I tested out a few other frames and decided I wanted something a little smaller than an 8x10. The Ikea Ribba frame is about 7.5"x 9.5" without the matte.

But the matte came in handy for cutting my scrapbook paper! I used it to center my art and simply traced around the outside so that when I cut it would fit perfectly inside the frame! Voila!


I framed it and here it is folks!!!! What do you think? I'm pretty happy with my $5 LOVE art as opposed to the $149 option. I already had the scrapbook paper, paint, paint pen, and paint brush on hand, but if you don't you can still make this for under $10.