What Shall I Make Today? Little Light Ornies!

Wanting to make some last-minute decorations?

Here's a super quick and easy idea.

(I don't know if this is original or if I saw a version someplace--can't remember things like I used to!)

You'll need a battery-operated tea-light, an old jar lid, a rusty star, and some rusty wire.

Punch two holes in opposite sides of the lid.

I found the easiest way to do this was to tighten the lid in a vise and hammer a nail into it.

You'll also need to hammer a nail into the star to make a hole.

I found the white tea-lights at Michael's.

Since I prefer the grungy look, I painted the top and sides with black acrylic paint.

Before it dries, sprinkle with a mixture of ground instant coffee and cinnamon.

When dry, paint it with modge-podge (but not the bulb!)

Cut a length of rusty wire and insert one end into the hole in the lid.

Wrap the end around itself.

Thread the star onto the wire and bend the wire to hold it in place at the top.

Insert the other end of the wire into the other hole and wrap that end around itself.

Tear a little strip of homespun and tie it around the wire at the bottom.

Place the tea-light in the center of the lid.

Fill the area around it with bits of moss, berries, whatever you like.

That's it! 

Won't these look pretty nestled among my Santas on the mantle?

Or as little center-pieces on my Christmas table?

You could also give them away as party favours,

thread a tag with a guest's name on it onto the wire for a place setting,

or hang them on your tree.

Have fun!

What Shall I Make Today? Creepy Cobweb Coasters!

Here's a last-minute Halloween decorating idea for you!

Draw lines like this on a piece of graph paper.

My finished design will be 4 1/2" square so the cross-lines are at 2 1/4".

Make little marks at 3/4" down and across from each corner.

Draw an arc between the lines on the top half of the diagram, like this:

Fold the paper in half and cut out along the arcs.

Unfold the paper and pin to a double layer of muslin, with a piece of batting underneath.

Make sure to leave about 1/2" around the shape.

Sew around the shape, leaving one arc open.

Remove the piece from the machine and cut out 1/4" outside the stitching.

Cut straight across the points.



Turn the piece right side out through the opening.

Use a chopstick or other pointy thing to get into the points.

Hand-stitch the opening closed.

Place the piece between 2 single layers of cheesecloth.

Machine-stitch with contrasting thread across the shape from point to point,

making sure to intersect in the center.

After you've stitched the 4 lines across the piece,

move your needle about 1/2" toward the center.

Following the arcs, stitch around the shape.

When you get back to the beginning,

move your needle another 1/2" toward the center

and stitch again around the shape, following the arcs.

Repeat once more and remove from the machine.

Trim any long threads and the cheesecloth loosely around the shape.

If you like, you can brush some stiffener onto both sides of the shape and let dry.

Your creepy cobweb coasters are finished!

If you want, you can loop a length of thread through a point and hang them around your house.

Happy Halloween everyone!

What Shall I Make Today? Burlap Pumpkins!

Sometimes I want to take a break from quilting and just make stuff to decorate my home or sell at craft markets. Here's an idea I came up with for fall--burlap pumpkins!

First, find a plate or something with the diameter you want--mine was 8" across. 

Place it on a double layer of burlap and trace around it with a pencil.

Cut out the circles 1/4" outside of the traced line.



Sew all the way around the circle on the traced line.

Separate the two circles and cut a small "x" in the center of one of them.

Turn the circles right side out through the opening.

Stuff with polyfil.

Cut a length of twine, thread it through your largest needle, and knot the end.

Push it through the opening to the other side.

When it comes through the center of the other side, pull the twine around the circles and reinsert it into the opening.

Pull it around the opposite side.

Turn the circle one-quarter of the way around and pull the twine around and through the bottom center.

When you come to the end of the twine, knot it off and bring the end into the center of the pumpkin.



Keep going until you've divided the circles into 8 sections.

This is what it should look like when you're done this part.

Find a stick about 1" in diameter and cut off a 2" long piece.

Put a bit of hot glue on one end.

Press the glued end of the stick down into the opening of the pumpkin.

Squirt some more hot glue around the stick onto the pumpkin opening.

Press some Spanish moss onto the glue to cover the opening.

Enjoy your burlap pumpkins!





Happy fall, y'all!

Valentine Gift Bag Tutorial

Here's a quick project you can whip up in time for Valentine's Day.  First, find an image you want to print onto some muslin.  I found this one at The Graphics Fairy .  There are lots of tutorials online to show you how to print pictures onto fabric, such as this one here. Print your picture onto a piece of muslin.

Trim away the excess fabric, 1/4" from the picture.

Cut out a piece of backing fabric and 2 pieces of lining fabric, the same size as the piece of fabric with the picture.  Right sides together and with a 1/4" seam, sew the lining pieces to the top of the picture piece and the backing piece.

Press the seams in opposite directions and "butt" them together, with the right sides of the fabric pieces on the inside.

If you want, you can add some batting to the bag, to give it a bit of weight.  Cut 2 pieces of cotton batt 1/4" shorter than the other pieces, so they line up with the seam and pin on the top and underneath the backing and picture pieces.

Starting at the short end of the lining pieces, sew a 1/4" seam around the entire piece, ending your stitching a couple of inches from where you started so that you have an opening for turning.  Clip all corners.

Pull the bag through the opening (I use a pointy chopstick to get into all the corners).  Hand-stitch the opening closed and push the lining back into the bag.

Poke a little hole near the top of the side seams and insert a length of rusty wire.  Twist the ends to secure.

Fill the bag with gifts for your sweetie--chocolates, a candle, dried flowers, whatever.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

And thanks to all of you for your words of comfort, following my previous blog.  They were all so very much appreciated.