the thrifty crafter

I found the grogeous photo above while perusing the web for Cinco de Mayo decorative inspiration – doesn’t the vibrant mix of colors just make you want to grab a margarita and host a festive get together?  Fiesta time is just around the corner, so stop by your nearest dollar store for some brightly colored crepe paper streamers and get busy creating these easy and colorful flowers. I used single colored rosettes to create a twine-strung garland and dual-colored flowers to create festive napkin rings for setting the table.

Napkin Rings

Here’s what you need:

• multiple colors of brightly colored crepe paper streamers
• needle & scissors
• dental floss
• floral tape
• floral wire
• plain napkin rings (mine are green glass and are from my decorating stash – a clearance find at Ross)

Here’s what you do:

1. Take two colors of streamer and pinch together at bottom.  Using your free hand, feed more streamer to the  pinched end, creating the center of your rosette.
2. Use needle and floss to secure first few folds.
3. Continue adding streamer around the base and use floss to secure after every few additions.

   

4. When flower is the size you want, tie off floss and snip ends.
5. Bend the end of your floral wire over a few times to create a decorative knot.

   

6. Thread the floral wire through the center of the flower, inserting from the top.

   

7. Wrap floral tape around base of flower to secure to wire.
8. Place flower in desired position on napkin ring and wrap wire around to secure.

Rosette Garland

Here’s what you need:

• multiple colors of brightly colored crepe paper streamers
• needle & scissors
• dental floss
• jute twine or some other type of string/yarn/ribbon

Here’s what you do:

1. Using the same technique as above, bunch together one edge of a single streamer to create the center of your flower.
2. Knot end of floss and thread through end to secure.  Add more folds to the pinched edge and secure with floss.  Repeat until flower is the desired size.
3. Tie off end, leaving a 1 1/2 inch tail of floss.
4. Tie rosettes onto jute twine with equal spacing (with my hand outstretched, I used the length from the tip of my index finger to the tip of my thumb for spacing – about 6 1/2 inches)
5. Hang and admire your handiwork!

Cost: $8 for both projects, with plenty of left over streamers for another use!

Tips: Brown floral tape and coordinating brown cloth covered wire were purchased at Joann’s for $4.  Streamers were purchased at the 99 cent store for a buck per color.  You could also use thread to secure your rosettes, but I prefer the strength of floss, as well as the fact that it doesn’t tear the delicate crepe paper.

I found a pretty, though maybe slightly garish, vintage print fabric while perusing my local Salvation Army one day.  While I always thought the material would create nice decorative throw pillows for either indoor or outdoor use,  using the underside of the print, à la classic Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirts, gives it a whole different feel. Here’s a super easy and inexpensive way to add some vintage style to your home decor.

Here’s what you need:

• two 14-inch square pillow inserts
• about a yard of vintage print fabric
• ruler & scissors
• pen
• sewing machine & thread

Here’s what you do:

1. Cut two 15 x 15 inch squares from your fabric
2. Cut two 15 x 18 inch rectangles from your fabric
3. Cut each 15 x 18 inch rectangle in half to create two pieces measuring 15 x 9.
4. Fold over one long edge of the 15 x 9 piece twice and pin to create 1/4 inch seam.  Sew.

   

5. With underside facing in, pin pieces together, starting at the edges.  The two 15 x 9 pieces should overlap and the sewn edges should be pointed in to create the envelope opening.
6. Sew the two squares together, starting with the edges that parallel the opening.

   

7. Finish edges (optional) and turn out.  Insert pillow form and fluff. Picture below shows finished backside where pillow is inserted (right).

Tips: I purchased my pillow forms from Joann’s on a buy-one-get-one-free sale for $4.49 each.  The fabric was a whopping $1 from the Salvation Army.

Cost: $10 for two unique pillows!

Need a simple way to freshen up your wall decor?  Before you get rid of what you have and go out and buy all new stuff,  try this simple craft to give new life to the existing artwork.  Using textural fabric, re-cover an existing mat to add dimension and interest.  Not only do you save money by not purchasing a new mat, but you get to re-use what you already have and cut down on consumer waste!

Here’s what you need:

• textured fabric
• old picture mat
• hot glue gun
• scissors

Here’s what you do:

1.  Iron your fabric.

2.  Place existing mat on top of fabric, leaving a 1-2 inch border of fabric around mat.  Cut.

3.  Cut a window in the fabric to match that of the mat, again leaving a 1-2 inch border.

4.  Miter the corners of the fabric.  Trim any excess away.

5.  Starting on one side, fold fabric over outside edge of mat and secure with hot glue.  Pull fabric taut, and glue down inside edge.  Repeat this for all sides.

6. Place newly covered mat in picture frame with picture, hang and enjoy!

Tips: I purchased my nubby cotton fabric in the remnants section at Joann’s for 50% off.  The black mat I had in storage and almost threw away, until I figured I could re-use it somehow, instead of buying a new mat.  Finally, the frame was purchased at Aaron Brothers with a 40% off coupon – always check their website before heading to the store – there is usually a coupon there!

While a simple silohouette can get you kicked off of Lifetime’s Project Runway, using that of a small bird is a creative way to add some spring festivity to your Easter place setting.  Start with robin’s egg blue cotton placemats (a steal at BigLots for $0.50 each!), pair with natural-colored linen hemstitch napkins (see my other post for another place setting using these napkins), and add chocolate brown felt birds perched atop paper-wrapped wire napkin rings.   Paper Source provides a printable bird silhouette that, with some adaptation, is perfect for this project.

Here’s what you need:

• Brown felt
• paper-wrapped wire
• wire cutters and jewelery making pliers
• sewing machine and contrasting thread (I used white)
• glue gun and glue sticks

Here’s what you do:

1. Print a copy of the bird silhouette and cut out.  I removed the legs and branch for ease of sewing.
2. Fold felt and pin paper bird to felt, cutting out two birds at once.

   

3. Sew the pieces of felt together, trying to follow the shape of the bird as closely as you can.  Clip loose threads.
4. Take two wires and twist them together.  Repeat with another two wires.
5. Twist the doubled wires together, then form a ring.

   

6. Use wire cutters to clip to desired length. Remove any sharp edges and use jeweler’s pliers to bend free ends. You should be able to make two napkin rings from each braided strand.
7. Use hot glue gun to secure felt bird to napkin ring, making sure to cover area where ends of wire came together.

   

Tips: Eco-Fi brown felt was purchased at Joann’s in the remnants section for 50% off – I always peruse this bin and pick up whatever I think I might use for future projects – it is an abundant resource!  I only used an 8×10 piece for this project, so I have leftover felt for future projects.  Paper-wrapped wires can also be found at your local craft store.  I happened to have some in my crafting stash from my sister-in-law’s wedding – they were used to create inexpensive, artificial monkey tails for flower arrangements…I kept them because I knew I could use them for some type of craft project! Always keep stuff that has creative potential!

I’ve always loved the robin’s egg blue, earthy brown and soft yellow speckled eggs you can find in the stores this time of year.  This Easter, I designed my decorations around these inspiring little symbols of the season and incorporated natural elements, like fresh willow branches and wheatgrass,  to capture the spirit of spring renewal.  Here are a couple of inexpensive and easy centerpieces ideas for your special gathering.

Egg Tree

Here’s what you need:

• one bunch of pussy willow branches
• tall vase
• one package of speckled eggs

Here’s what you do:

Clip your branches to the proper height for your vase, removing any buds that would fall below the level of the water in your vase.  Artistically arrange your eggs along the branches.

I found the pussy willow branches at Von’s for $4.99, the vintage milk glass vase is from a thrift store and the high quality speckled eggs (which are also used in the centerpiece below) were purchased at Tuesday Morning for $4.99 for 12 eggs (you can also easily find these at your local Michael’s or Joann’s craft stores).

Egg Hunt Centerpiece

Here’s what you need:

• two galvanized metal trays
• six small pots of wheatgrass
• one package of speckled eggs

Here’s what you do:

Place 3 wheatgrass plants into each galvanized planter.  Artistically arrange eggs among the blades of grass – I used a zigzag pattern with 4 eggs.

I purchased my 13×4.5×5.5 galvanized metal planters from Joann’s on a 50% off sale for $3.99 each and found the wheatgrass at my local farmer’s market for $0.99 each.

Tips: Instead of purchasing your eggs pre-strung and pre-painted, you could make your own and it would probably be cheaper, just more time consuming and messy!

Alright, I admit it- I’m addicted to making wreaths! These circular wall ornaments add a simple elegance to seasonal decorating that I just love.  So without further ado…The Pottery Barn-Inspired Sheet Moss Wreath.

Need some Spring in your home but don’t want to spend $49 at Pottery Barn to do it?  Try this simple, though slightly messy, craft to make your own modern moss wreath.

Here’s what you need:

• straw wreath form
• 2 packages sheet moss
• glue sticks and hot glue gun
• scissors
• olive colored thread

Here’s what you do:

Find a nice spot outdoors for this craft – the moss can get messy! Cut sheet moss into ~3″ wide strips.  Use hot glue gun to secure strips tightly to straw wreath form.  Fill in any uncovered spaces with appropriately cut pieces of sheet moss.  Once wreath is covered, use thread to wrap around wreath form in a decidedly haphazard fashion.  The thread will help to keep moss from shedding and also adds some textural interest.

Cost: $15 – a $35 savings from the Pottery Barn retail price!  Sheet moss and wreath were purchased at Joann’s with 40% off coupons and I have 85% of the second sheet of moss left for another project.

While perusing the web for crafting inspiration, I saw this gorgeous wreath on Domestifluff and HAD to try it.  And with St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, I thought a kelly green felt wreath would be the perfect decoration, not only for this March holiday, but reusable for Christmas later this year.  It is definitely a project that takes a bit of time, but what a lovely finished product!

Here’s what you need:

• 12-inch green wreath form
• box of straight pins
• 2 yards of green felt
• stamp pad (i bought a green one so it would blend in)
• a roughly 3-inch diameter lid (really, whatever size fits your stamp pad)
• scissors
• ribbon for hanging

Here’s what you do:

1. Use lid to stamp circles onto felt.
2. Cut out circles.
3. Fold each circle in half, then in half again and insert straight pin at the corner.
4. Pin each folded circle onto wreath form, clustering tightly to create ruffle effect.
5. Fluff felt after adding a few and continue adding until all visible surfaces of wreath are covered (everything but the backside).
6. Flip wreath over and use straight pins to affix your ribbon hanger.

Discussion: I am a dentist by day and cutting out ~130 felt circles the first day was a bit daunting for my hands.  It is important to spread this project out a bit so you don’t develop a repetitive strain injury, since you end up cutting out 300+ circles! What I did was stamp 16-30 circles at a time, cut them out, then pin and repeat the process.  Take a break to check out your favorite blog, have lunch, or walk your dog and your hands will thank you!

Cost: $12!

Wreath form was purchased at Michael’s with a 40% off coupon for $4, Eco-fi felt (made from 100% post consumer recycled plastic bottles) was purchased at Joann’s with a 40% off coupon for $6. Straight pins were purchased at WalMart for $1 and I found the green stamp pad at the Dollar Tree for $1.

I was inspired to create a new table setting for St. Patrick’s Day this year by the looks of a leprechaun hat.  Notions normally used to create belts were fashioned into napkin rings and linen napkins in the perfect kelly green were sewn up in a jiffy.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 yard of Dritz black woven belt material
• six Dritz gold fashion buckles
• black thread and needle
• 1 2/3 yards kelly green linen fabric (Joann’s)
• kelly green thread
• sewing machine and pins
• ruler and scissors

For the napkin rings:

1. Cut belt material into 5.25 inch pieces.
2. Thread a gold buckle onto each piece of belt material.
3. Overlap ends of belt material by 1/4 inch and use needle and black thread to sew together.
4. Cost: $11 for 6 napkin rings

For the napkins:

1. Iron material, then cut fabric into 19×19 inch squares.
2. Fold over 1/2 inch of material at edge, tucking free edge underneath for a clean seam.  Pin and sew two opposite edges, then repeat for the remaining two.
3. Cost: $7 for 6 napkins

Tips: This week at Joann’s was Coupon Commotion, where you can use multiple coupons in a single transaction.  I was able to get my gold belt buckles and belt material for 40% off, and my single cut of by-the-yard fabric for 50% off.  Gold chargers and plain black placemats were in my entertaining stash already and were originally purchased at BigLots for cheap, cheap!

One last baby shower decoration to post!  Originally, I had planned to use jute twine and covered clothespins to string baby pictures along a wall, but after making my bunting, decided I didn’t want jute twine strung everywhere.  Instead, I went back to my square motif and cut cardstock into 4×4 squares, affixed color-copied baby pictures of the parents to be, and used twine to hang them from a beautifully natural fallen tree branch.  The parents-to-be had a gorgeous hammered copper vessel at home that served as the perfect display piece.  So easy to do, and so inexpensive!

Here’s what you need:

• a branchy branch (please use only ones that have fallen, do not pluck one from a living tree!)
• colored cardstock
• ruler and scissors
• color-copied pictures
• glue stick
• jute twine
• hole punch

Here’s what you do:

1. Cut cardstock into 4 x 4 squares, using a ruler and scissors or your Fiskars paper trimmer.
2. Crop pictures to fit cardstock and affix with glue or mounting squares.
3. On backside, glue kraft paper tracings (optional, please see A Fine Liner for the how-to).
4. Use hole punch at top of square.
5. Use jute twine to loop through hole, creating a hanger.
6. Artfully arrange your pictures on the branches.

Here’s the final product on display at the baby shower!

Need a cute, easy and inexpensive way to say thanks to your shower guests?  Generic brown paper lunch sacks transform into chic favor bags with the help of a little ribbon, rubber stamping and decorative cutting.  You could build on these in a number of ways – using white paper sacks with jute twine, or yarn for ribbon would also be cute.  Get creative!

Here’s what you need:

• 1 package brown paper lunch bags
• pinking shears or other decorative scissors
• ruler and scissors (or a Fiskars Paper trimmer)
• hole punch
• decorative ribbon
• rubber stamps and stamp pad
• gel pen
• decorative ribbon

Here’s what you do:

1. Trim bags to 7 inches tall.
2. Measure 5 inches up from bottom and fold over flap to make a 5×5 square.
3. Use pinking shears to trim cut edge.
4. Use hole punch to create holes for ribbon.  To create uniform placement, I placed the hole punch midway between the cut edge and the fold, and moved it inward until it stopped.
5. Thread ribbon through holes.
6. Write “thank you” near bottom edge of sack with your gel pen.
7. Rubber stamp your image onto bag.

Tips: I purchased my paper sacks at the 99 cent store and the decorative ribbon at Michael’s for 3 spools for $1.  I had my hole punch, decorative scissors, and gel pen in my armamentarium already, but look for these items in the office supply section at the dollar stores, as well. Use your Michael’s coupons or make sure you shop the sales for the more expensive materials like the rubber stamp and stamp pad.  Each was purchased for 40% off retail.

Have leftover scraps from your bunting project?  Check out this thrifty way to make your fabrics do double duty as a festive background for signs you might need at your party.  Without the letters, these textured fabric “pictures” would make beautifully simple wall decorations in your own home. Craft on!

Here’s what you need:

• inexpensive frames
• exacto knife
• coordinating cardstock
• omnigrid and rotary cutting mat (or a basic ruler and scissors)
• glue stick
• leftover fabric
• tape or some type of adhesive
• decorative, dimensional stickers

Here’s what you do:

1. Flip over your frame and use your exacto knife to remove the kraft paper backing from frame.

2. Remove everything from frame and separate into individual parts – glass, matting, picture, frame and backing.

3. Remove original picture and use tape to secure fabric piece to mat, as shown.

4. Measure and cut a piece of cardstock to cover original matting.  I used a Olfa rotary cutter and mat and an Omingrid because I have them on hand, but a ruler and scissors would also work well.

5. Glue cardstock mat to original mat.

6. Put your frame back together, omitting the glass plate.

7. Use letter stickers to create your signs.

I have a square motif going with the baby shower and wanted to continue that with my signage. I found my inexpensive frames at the 99 cent store, colorful cardstock from my local Joann’s and my dimensional stickers (called “thickers” – how cute is that?) from Tuesday Morning (my inexpensive craft supply mecca!).

Total cost of the project: $4 for two, coordinating signs!

When I first set out to make decorations for an upcoming baby shower, I had no idea that what I wanted for decoration was called a bunting.  So first, a definition:

bunt·ing ¹ (bntng)

Many of the examples of buntings I’d seen were chevron-shaped, but I’ve always been in love with the simple, modern shape of a square.  I cut 6″ x 6″ squares, adding a 1/2″ seam allowance on one side for attaching to a strand of jute twine.  Strung along the wall of an indoor or outdoor area, this decoration gives a festive burst of color, perfect for celebrations.  It also would make a beautiful nursery decoration if shortened, and strung with ribbon instead of twine.

Here’s what you need:

I’ve never been a huge fan of Valentine’s Day, nor anything heart-shaped for that matter, but when I saw this gorgeous Lavender Heart Wreath in the winter Williams-Sonoma catalog, my opinion softened a little.  While the scent of a lavender wreath would be fabulous, the $60 price tag makes my purse strings want to snap.  Using this beautiful wreath for inspiration, I scoured my favorite discount and craft stores to create a more affordable, homemade version.

Tuesday Morning had lilac-colored dried phalaris for $1.49 a bunch – I purchased six bunches to cover the 12-inch grapevine heart wreath I picked up at Michael’s.

Here’s what you need:

• heart-shaped grapevine wreath
• decorative foliage (I used dried phalaris  – a type of grass)
• hot glue gun and glue sticks
• twill ribbon tape
• scissors

Here’s what you do:

1. Use scissors to snip your decorative foliage as needed – my phalaris came on long stems, so I clipped the buds from the stems.
2. Apply hot glue to the underside of your decoration and attach to wreath in a tightly woven, slightly overlapping fashion.  I started from the center and worked my way around the wreath (see picture) to ensure uniformity.
3. Once wreath is covered, flip over and thread your twill ribbon through the grapevine branches, as shown.
4. Use the ribbon to make a bow approximately 6 inches above the top of wreath.  Clip ends of ribbon tape on the diagonal so that the tips just brush the top of the wreath.  Hang and enjoy!

Tips: Use your 40% off Michael’s coupon for the wreath if it isn’t already on sale.  The twill ribbon tape I used was free from J Crew when I purchased a gift for someone and requested a box.  Always keep things that could be of use to you later, even if you’re not sure what you’d use them for immediately!  Save-on-Crafts has dried lavender for $8.50 for a bunch of 60 stems if you want to try to replicate the WS wreath, though you’re on your own for how much you’d need to order!

Cost: $12!

One of the most important tenets of shopping at thrift stores is keeping an open mind.  I always try to look at found objects as having a certain amount of craft potential – whether or not I realize immediately what that potential is, is a different story!  Most times, I get my findings home and they sit for a while until inspiration strikes me.

Such is the case with this yellow floral retro shelving paper I picked up on a recent trip.  I wasn’t quite sure what I’d use it for, but loved the vintage look of it, and at $1.99 a roll, I figured I’d eventually make something out of it!

Well, along came a baby shower for a friend of mine that needs some decor help.  The cheery yellow floral of the shelving paper makes it’s craft project debut as a decorative facing for clothespins, used to secure cardstock-mounted baby pictures of the couple to a twine strand.

It is a modern co-ed shower, so I wanted to stay away from pastels and give it more of a fresh and bright feel.  The couple is having a girl, and while pinks aren’t always desirable, I found a contemporary fabric at Joann’s that incorporates pinks, greens, oranges, yellows and browns and used it as inspiration for a color scheme (be sure to watch for a future post on a fabric bunting made with the inspiration fabric). I chose cardstock based on the inspiration fabric and added charming little clip-art tracings (that I got for free from Microsoft Word!), drawn with a white gel pen on natural butcher paper for some added whimsy.

Here’s what you need:

• jute twine
• 12×12 cardstock sheets
• color copies of old pictures
• glue stick
• white gel pen
• natural butcher paper (I buy mine at the 99 cent store)
• enlarged copies of clip art and a nice bright window (free!)
• rounded corner punch (optional)
• clothespins (purchased at Walmart for $1)
• cardstock or some type of material for covering clothespins ( I used shelving paper)
• hot glue gun
• scissors
• paper trimmer (or use a ruler and scissors)

Here’s what you do:

1. Use your paper trimmer to divide your 12×12 cardstock into six 4×6 rectangles.
2. Use your rounded corner punch (optional) to round the corners of your 4×6 cards.
3. Measure the height of your clothespin, cut a long strip of shelving paper approximating the height and use your trimmer to trim to the proper height, then cut your strip into same-width pieces.  My finished pieces were 3″ x 7/16″
4. Use your hot glue gun to secure the strips of paper to the clothespins.
5. Use a window on a sunny day to trace your clip art onto the butcher paper with a gel pen.  Loosely cut around tracings.
6. Secure photo to cardstock and arrange clip art tracings artistically. (Note : my tracings are not fully glued down in these photos but they should be)
7. Use covered clothespins to secure cardstock-mounted photos to strung twine.

Note: I purchased my Fiskars paper trimmer a few years back from Michaels with a 40% off coupon.  I use it all the time for my paper projects and think it is an integral part of my crafting armamentarium – just make sure to buy one on sale! Cardstock often goes on either 4 or 5 for $1 sales at both Michael’s and Joann’s – stock up at these sales instead of purchasing them at $0.59 per sheet! And finally, I always purchase my jute twine, glue sticks and butcher paper (found in the office section) at either the Dollar Tree, 99 cent Store or Big Lots for $1 each.

Decorating with the pristine, pure white of milk glass is a refreshingly simple way to add some brightness to your home in the new year.  And the best part?  The vintage pieces are readily found at second-hand stores, which makes for a very thrifty decoration, indeed!  Cheery florals, like bright pink mini carnations clustered en masse,  provide a striking contrast with the chalky white and are a favorite of mine for bringing a splash of color into the home.

Hosting tip: Use this combination for a more modern twist on an upcoming bridal or baby shower, utilizing other brights like orange tulips, yellow ranunculus and lime green mums – each color in a different vessel – for a striking, yet simple, look.

While out thrifting one day, I came across these jute burlap sacks, whose original purpose, I’m guessing,  was probably in agricultural bagging.  When I spotted them, I had no idea what I would do with them, but they were only $1 each and I knew they, or simply their material, would come in handy somehow, somewhere!

As it turns out, I was planning for an outdoor dinner party later that weekend.  I got the bags home and took a look at my patio chair Sunbrella seat cushions, which are roughly square.   How easy would it be to simply slip a seat cushion into a burlap bag, fold the excess end under and  – voila! – instant cushion makeover!  Turns out, the width of the bag was a perfect fit for the width and depth of the seat cushion  – the only excess that remained was at one end, which I neatly folded under.

No sewing or cutting neccessary!  And the best part, when you want to go back to your original cushions, simply slip it off and use your burlap for another thrifty craft!

Cost: $4 for 4 burlap bags (19.5″ x 35″)

This time of year holiday catalogs fill our mailboxes.  Unfortunately for a lot of us, decking the house for the holidays with gorgeous items from Pottery Barn, West Elm, Crate & Barrel and Williams- Sonoma just isn’t feasible.  What I try to do every year is browse through the catalogs and get inspired to create my own decorations and replicate the store’s classic style for much less than retail!

Twine Wrapped Tree

If you browse through my other posts, you’ll see that I love to decorate with twine by wrapping it around things.  I love the texture it creates and the organic look of it.  Recently, I was flipping through a West Elm catalog and saw these modern trees (above) and thought, what a great thrifty craft!  And can be made for SO much less than the sticker price!

What you need:

• craft spray glue
• newspaper
• styrofoam tree form
• jute twine
• hot glue gun

Here’s what you do:

1. Create a workspace with newspaper.
2. Secure twine to the top of tree with a spot of hot glue.
3. Apply spray glue in 2-3 inch sections and wrap twine around form of tree, making sure twine is taut and avoiding gaps between wraps.
4. Finish by securing twine to bottom edge with hot glue.

Note: It is important to start wrapping from the top of the tree, as wrapping from a larger to smaller diameter direction can be frustrating – the twine will want to roll toward the smaller diameter area.  So, start from the top!

Cost: $5! Twine was purchased from the 99 cent store and the styrofoam tree was purchased at Michael’s with a 40% off coupon for $4.  That’s a savings of $45 from the West Elm retail!

Red Berry Tree Topiaries

Decorating with red berries during the holidays is one of my favorite looks.  Unfortunately, good quality topiaries can be hard to find, especially if you like to shop the after Christmas sales for your holiday decorations – oftentimes, berries are missing, chipped or scratched. Here’s a way to have a beautiful topiary, on the cheap, with little effort! Comparable topiaries (like the one on the left) can be found at Target for up to $29 per tree!

What you need:

• wire cutters
• tree topiaries
• red berry picks
• silver (or gold) spray paint
• bright green reindeer moss
• terra cotta pots
• hot glue gun and glue sticks

Here’s what you do:

1. Use wire cutters to remove berries from their stems. Make sure to save one berry with a 3/4 inch of stem for the top of the tree.
2. Place sole berry with stem in top of tree, leaving 1/3-1/2 of an inch visible.
3. Secure first layer of berries below top berry with hot glue, making sure to place them as close together as possible, eliminating as much of the background as you can.
4. In sections, starting at the edge of your most recently placed berries and working outward, cover rest of the tree with berries.
5. Spread newspaper to create a large workspace.
6. Use spray paint to coat terra cotta pots, using short strokes and spraying another layer (after first coat dries) until pot has a uniform coating.  Make sure to flip the pots after waiting for them to dry and spray the upper rim.
7. Place berried topiary in newly painted, dry pot.
8. Attach reindeer moss with hot glue in sections to exposed areas of base.
9. Display and enjoy!

Cost: less than $10 per tree,  not bad! AND you have leftover silver spray paint for other holiday projects!

Tip: Michaels has wonderful sales throughout the month of December – most things holiday are often 40 -60% off!  I purchased my red berries at a 50% off sale, so each pick was only $0.49 (I used 17 picks total for two trees).  Spray paint and pots were cheapest at Home Depot – only $5 for everything.  An even less expensive, and less time consuming, way to do it would be to find silver pots that you like at discount stores like the Dollar Tree or 99 cent store.  And don’t forget your 40% off mailer coupons at Michaels for things that aren’t on sale!  My reindeer moss (which is the same color and look of the stuff they’re selling at Pottery Barn for $14 per bag!) was only $3 with my coupon.  Thrift and discount stores (like Tuesday Morning) are also wonderful places to find craft materials for pennies on the dollar – I actually found my topiaries at a thrift store for $1.99 each!

If you check out my Fall crafts posting, you’ll see that I love decorating with this apothecary jar!  It is such a great vessel for displaying pretty things and decorating with it is so simple! No instructions needed, simply fill and display!

What you’ll need:

• glass apothecary jar
• small, shiny, glass ornaments

Cost: $3 (+ cost of your reusable, versatile jar – mine was purchased at Ross for ~$8)

Everyone should have some type of decorative glass bowl in their decorating armamentarium.  Like the apothecray jar craft above, there is nothing easier than filling the vessel with simple and pretty things, like pinecones during the holidays.  Try to look for bags of pinecones in which some are spray painted gold or silver (or do it yourself!) for a more festive touch.

What you’ll need:

• decorative glass bowl
• cinnamon scented pinecones

Cost: $2! (+ cost of your reusable, decorative glass bowl – ours was a wedding gift and is from Crate and Barrel)

Any vase of flowers can have a lovely holiday feel by adding one simple flourish – cuttings from your newly purchased Christmas tree!  Don’t throw those extra branches away when you trim your tree!

What you’ll need:

• flowers
• vase
• cuttings from your tree

Cost: Free! (+ cost of your fresh flowers, of course!)

I saw a similar vellum-wrapped vase a few years ago in a Martha Stewart Magazine.  While she used gorgeous amaryllis to fill her vase, I opted for a flower that is less expensive and easier to find.   Here, I clustered mini white carnations and large red ones to create a lush focal point for my end table.

What you’ll need:

• red & white flowers
• tall, cylindrical glass vase
• 1 sheet of 12×12 white vellum
• red embroidery thread
• vellum tape

Here’s what you do:

1. Stand vellum paper against vase to determine proper height.  Cut.
2. Apply vellum tape to one edge of vellum paper and secure to glass, wrap vellum around vase, and secure free edge with vellum tape, overlapping edges slightly.
3. Find middle of string and, starting from the base of the vase,  wrap string around and up the vase, keeping thread taut and criss-crossing as pictured.  Use vellum tape to secure free edges of thread at lip of vase.
4. Arrange cut flowers in vase and enjoy!

Its that time of year again when everywhere you look, the rich colors of autumn abound….if you live anywhere but Southern California, that is!  Unfortunately for us, palm trees stay green and lawns aren’t littered with gorgeous crimson,  rust or gold falling leaves.  So, what’s a girl to do to bring in the fall season?  Get crafting, that’s what!

After last holiday season, I picked up some clearance items from Pottery Barn in preparation for decorating this year.  Among my finds were life-like acorns and preserved leaves in gorgeous hues for only $2.97 a box!  There is so much you can do with these simple vase fillers!  Here are a couple of easy projects to get those creative cogs turning.

Leaf Coasters

What you need:

• a set of photo coasters
• preserved, or artificial, leaves
• tweezers
• scotch tape

Here’s what you do:

1. Choose  four different leaf shapes in four different colors, selecting leaves that are comparable in size to that of your photo coaster insert.
2. Lay your selected leaf on the cardstock insert to position.  If your leaves extend beyond the edges of the cardstock, use scotch tape to wrap the tips around and secure to the backside.
3. Using tweezers, gently slide the cardstock into the plastic insert, being careful not to wrinkle or damage the secured leaf.

Photo coasters can be found at many stores.  These have a very simple design and were given to us as a wedding gift.  They can be found at Crate and Barrel for $20 for a set of four.

Cost: $3 (with lots of leftover leaves for other projects)!

Golden Wheat and Leaf Wreath

What you need:

• grapevine wreath
• dried wheat stems
• preserved, or artificial, leaves
• fall foliage craft stems for colorful accents
• hot glue gun
• glue sticks

Here’s what you do:

1. Pre-arrange wheat and leaves to ensure full coverage of your wreath
2. Hot glue 10-12 leaves on wreath in a scattered, yet deliberate, way, as if they fell on the wreath naturally.  You still want some of the grapevine wreath peeking through between leaves.
3. Cut your wheat stems to half their original length for ease of insertion.
4. Insert wheat stems into grapevine wreath horizontally, as close to 180 degrees as you can.  This ensures the wheat lays flat against the wreath and does not stick out.  Use hot glue as necessary to secure rogue wheat stems.
5. Cut buds off of your fall foliage stems, leaving a 2-3 inch stem. Insert into wreath at various points, making sure to even out the color distribution.
6. Turn wreath over and snip any length of wheat stem that protrudes from the back or can be readily seen.
7. Hang and admire your handiwork!

Wheat was purchased at a farmers market for $2 a bunch, wreath and foliage stems were purchased at Joann’s (foliage was 70% off after Halloween!).  Remember to check for coupons for your craft stores!  I was able to use a 10% off transaction coupon the day I bought these!

Cost: $12!

Flowers with Acorns and Lentils

What you need:

• 5″ square vase
• one box of acorn filler
• few handfuls of dried lentils
• plastic water bottle
• Exacto knife
• autumn colored flowers

Here’s what you do:

1. Place plastic water bottle inside square vase, centering it.  Fill square vase with acorns around water bottle to determine proper height, mark.
2. Remove plastic bottle and use Exacto knife to cut water bottle to marked height.  Smooth cut edges with scissors, if need be.
3. Center the cut bottle in square vase again, this time filling lower 1/2 inch or so of square vase with dried lentils to stabilize plastic container.  Fill acorns around plastic bottle, making sure there are no gaps where the plastic bottle can be seen.
4. Fill bottle with water and arrange cut flowers.

Cost: $3 + the cost of flowers

Apothecary Jars with Fallen Leaves

What you need:

• preserved, or artificial, leaves
• glass apothecary jar

There isn’t an easier craft than this!  Simply take a handful of leaves and place into jar, making sure to fluff them so they are not crushed.  Put on display and enjoy!

Cost: $3 + cost of apothecary jar (check discount stores for deals on these…I found mine at Ross for $5.99!)

Dinner parties are a great way to get your friends together for some Halloween fun!  Setting the table with creative, handmade details will impress your guests and satisfy your own creative sweet tooth.  Here is a tablescape that incorporates the littlest pumpkins centerpiece craft and the hand dyed napkin craft as well as a simple napkin ring fashioned from chenille pipe cleaners and mini feather boas.

Here’s what you need for the Feather Napkin Rings:

• mini feather boa
• black pipe cleaners
• scissors
• ruler

In order to get the right size lumen for the napkin ring, I wrapped a pipe cleaner around an existing napkin ring and twisted it.  Then, wrap the ends of the pipe cleaner around the diameter of the chenille ring to tuck, leaving a small tail unwrapped to serve as the “glue” for the feather boa.  Cut feather boa into 8-9 inch pieces. Take a strand of feather boa and wrap around the chenille ring in the opposite direction as the tail until you reach the end, bending the pipe cleaner tail around the ends of the feather boa to secure. No glue necessary!

Cost: $2 for 8 napkin rings! Can’t beat that! Materials were purchased at Michael’s at the regular price of $0.99 each!