the thrifty crafter

Around St. Patty’s Day, I found a lovely tutorial for a rosette wreath made from a zillion felt circles.  Little did I know when starting the project that my delicate dentist hands would hurt for a few days afterward from cutting all those circles!  BUT, I still love the tightly clustered look of the wreath and decided to change it up a bit to make it 1.) easier on the hands, 2.) less time consuming and 3.) festive for the 4th of July! Instead of circles, I cut 3 inch squares out of leftover fabric from my flag bunting, leaving the edges a bit raw to create the illusion of bursting fireworks.  Hands are fine, I was done in a few hours (instead of a few days) and the colors really pop!

Here’s what you need:

• 10-inch white styrofoam wreath form
• box of straight pins
• approx 2 yards of scrap fabric, the thicker the better
• rotary cutter, rotary mat and Omnigrip (so fast and easy if you are a quilter and have these already, otherwise use a ruler and scissors)
• scissors
• ribbon for hanging

Here’s what you do:

1. Snip edge of your fabric every three inches and rip out strips.

   

   

2. Layer strips of fabric together and cut out three inch squares.

   

3. Fold each square as shown, such that the folded over corner bisects the edge it is being folded over upon.

   

4. Fold over again as shown, so that you have four points sticking up.  Insert pin at folded edge.

   

5. Pin each folded square onto wreath form, clustering tightly to create bursting firework effect.

   

6. Fluff fabric after adding a few squares and continue adding until all visible surfaces of wreath are covered (everything but the backside).
7. Flip wreath over and use straight pins to affix your ribbon hanger.

Cost: $5, after using leftover fabric from another project!  I picked up the wreath and straight pins at Joann’s and used a 50% off coupon toward the wreath.  A super thrifty holiday craft!

I’ve posted a fabric bunting before and, truth be told, this is one of my favorite ways to decorate a space for a get together.  For the upcoming 4th of July holiday, I thought pennant-shaped pieces of fabric in the colors of our national flag were a perfect way to decorate the front of our house.  I chose red and blue textural fabrics from Joann’s clearance and remnant sections, then added some heavy, white linen (formerly Ikea curtains) from my scrap bin at home.  If you’re familiar with my posts, you know how much I love my jute twine, and I used that to string the flags.  White cording would also be fabulous here, but as a thrifty crafter, I try to use what I’ve got at home before buying new materials!

Here’s what you need:

• 1/3 yd each of four different fabrics (yardage needed will depend on space you are decorating – mine was 20 feet across)
• rotary cutter, rotary mat and Omnigrip (so fast and easy if you are a quilter and have these already, otherwise use a ruler and scissors)
• jute twine
• Stitch Witchery by Dritz
• iron & ironing board

Here’s what you do:

1. Use your rotary cutter, mat and quilting ruler (or scissors and ruler) to cut triangular pennants that are 9 inches tall and 6 inches at the base. This is done extremely fast and precise with a rotary cutter and mat, so I’d invest in these tools  if you work with fabrics a lot!

   

2. Choose a sequence for hanging your flags.  I gave mine a bit of variety by shifting the position of  the red brocade print throughout the sequence.

   

3. Attach pennants to jute twine by folding base edge over and securing with 5″ pieces of strip adhesive.     Following the instructions on the back of the Stitch Witchery package,  place your iron on “Wool” setting and iron over folded edge for at least 10 seconds.  Check to be sure it is secure and repeat as necessary (various fabrics will differ in how much time is needed).  Be sure to place the corners of the triangles closely together as you go.

   

When I saw a fantastic stenciling tutorial using fabric paint and freezer paper on MADE, I had to come up with a project using this method.  After finding some kraft colored flour sack towels at Tuesday Morning,  I decided to make holiday-inspired kitchen towels.  Great thing about these towels is that they are oversized, so I cut them in half to create eight different towels (or enough for 4 different holidays if you do 2 per holiday). While I focused on the 4th of July since that holiday is soon upon us, I plan to make some for the other holidays throughout the year, just to add a touch of festivity to the room where the entertaining magic happens – the kitchen.

Here’s what you need:

• Tulip brand matte fabric paint
• paint brush
• plain cotton kitchen towels
• Freezer Paper (not wax or parchment)
• Exacto knife
• cutting mat
• clip art printout or design for tracing
• iron and ironing board
• hair dryer (optional)

Here’s what you do (for a wonderful step-by-step tutorial with pictures, please visit MADE):

1. If starting with oversized flour sack kitchen towels, cut in half, iron and sew cut edge.

   

2. Enlarge and print a clip art image or draw one out on a piece of regular paper.  I used a star from Microsoft Word (free!).
3. Trace your image onto the freezer paper, matte side up, shiny side down.

   

4. Tape your freezer paper tracing to your cutting mat and very deliberately use your exactoknife to cut out your tracing.  Be very careful not to make any extra cuts, as these will allow paint to seep through later.
5. Iron your “stencil” onto your fabric where you want it, being careful to make sure the edges of your drawing are sealed.
6. Paint onto the fabric with your chosen color, extending onto the freezer paper stencil.  Take care to not get any paint on the fabric surrounding the stencil.
7. Let the paint dry for an hour, using a hair dryer (optional) to speed up the process if you are impatient, like me.  Do multiple coats as necessary to get the color/brightness you want.
8. Carefully peel back the freezer paper and admire your craftiness!
9. Lastly, be sure to seal your finished artwork by covering it with a piece of cloth and ironing over it.

For this project, I decided to make my life difficult and use two different colors.  If you choose to do this, start by painting the outer portion of the star first (in this case, white area).  After that portion has dried and you have removed the freezer paper stencil, re-cut a second stencil to block out that layer (and yes, you can iron the freezer paper onto a painted portion, just make sure the paint is dry!) and paint the middle.  I did mine the opposite way and some of the white paint ended up on my colored centers, which made for an unhappy crafter!

Cost-Saving Tips: I found the Tulip Matte fabric paint at Tuesday Morning for $2.99 for the 6 tube starter kit – these go for about $1.69 each at Michael’s, so I was stoked on this find!

Need a fun way to dress up your existing cake plate?  For a recent get together, I used patterned felt leftover from a multicolored bunting I made for the same party to create a scalloped edge decorative border for my dessert plate.  Such an easy way to add some extra festivity to your spread!

Here’s what you need:

• scrap felt
• Zots or photo mounting squares
• scissors

Here’s what you do:

• For my 12-inch cake plate, I started off with thirteen 2×3 inch rectangles. Fold each rectangle over in half and round off the corners with your scissors (as pictured below).  Use your first rectangle as a template to cut the rest.  *If you really want to go on a high school geometry trip, use the formula for the circumference of a circle, 2∏r, to determine what the length of your rectangles should be.  In this case, my radius was 6, so I needed a total of 38-ish inches to completely encircle the cake plate.  Using a 3-inch rectangle gives you a total of 39 inches, so there is some overlapping in one spot, but I actually placed this on the front for a focal point as seen in the picture above.

• Affix photo mounting squares (or Zots might be better and more “sticky” – I just didn’t have any) to the backside of your felt pieces along the edge that will attach to the rim of the cake plate.  Attach each felt piece to the cake plate, approximating the felt edges closely as you make your way around the plate.  Center the last felt piece, as shown above.

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!

While my husband doesn’t love anything that makes our little dog look adorable, I happen to like giving him a little spirit for the holidays.  Recently, I saw a reversible dog bandana in a retail pet store that I thought would be super easy to recreate using spunky prints for the various seasons throughout the year.  By making a two-sided bandana, you can cut your adornment stash in half AND appease your husband by having less stuff!

For spring, I chose to do one side green for St. Patty’s Day and one side in pastels for Easter. My favorite place to shop for the prints (since you only need a small amount of material) is the clearance fabric bin at Joann’s.  The quilting quarters and Fat Quarters are only $0.50!  Using velcro closure, which you can usually find at the 99 cent store, this pet project definitely qualifies as a thrifty craft!

Here’s what you need:

• two spirited, holiday print fabrics
• scissors
• thread & sewing machine
• velcro
• hot glue gun and glue sticks (optional)

Here’s what you do:

1. Measure you dog’s neck.  Our barrel-chested little Jack Russell mix measures 14 inches.

2. Iron and pin your two fabrics together, print side in.

3. Trace out a bandana shape on your fabric (or if you plan to make more, trace onto a piece of stiff cardboard to create a stencil), using the neck measurement as a guide to the length (add at least an inch to have  an area for overlap).  For my bandana, see the measurements below (and no, I did not use the pythagorean theorem to find the length of the hypotenuse of the triangle – just connect the dots!!!)

4. Add 1/4 to 1/2 inch seam allowance along the outside of your tracing – this is the line where you will cut the fabric.

5. Pin, cut and sew, leaving one open edge to turn out your bandana.

6. Turn out, iron and close open edge.

7. Cut velcro into a 1.5 inch strip. Use hot glue gun with fabric glue (or use a sewing machine..i just got lazy!) to affix your velcro strips.  On one side, with the point of the bandana facing you, position velcro vertically, then flip bandana over, with the point still facing you, and position second velcro horizontally.

Cost: $2, with lots of extra velcro for other projects and enough material for a second bandana for a similar size dog!

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!

…tied up with strings, these ARE one of my favorite things.

Found vintage shelving paper finds another use as a decorative band, while remnants from a white canvas curtain are used to make a fabric ribbon and a whimsical rosette.  Finish it off with contrasting jute twine and you have one fabulous gift to give.

Here’s what you need:

• Kraft packaging paper
• decorative paper (I used vintage shelving paper that I found at a thrift store)
• textural fabric scraps
• jute twine
• ruler and scissors
• tape
• hot glue gun and glue stick
• mason jar lid (or anything with a roughly 3-inch circular shape, like a glass or round cookie cutter)
• pencil
• needle and thread

Here’s what you do:

1. Wrap your package in kraft paper.
2. Measure and cut a band of decorative paper to wrap around your box.  I used a 7-inch wide band for a shirt box.  Tape to box.
3. Measure and cut a band of fabric to wrap around your box.  I used a 3-inch wide piece of heavy-weight home decorator cotton for the ribbon.  Snipping, then ripping the length of fabric creates the rough, feathery edge.  Use hot glue to secure ends of fabric band to decorative paper.
4. Cut a long piece of jute twine and wrap around the box a few times and tie in a knot at the center front of the package. Snip ends.
5. Use mason jar lid to trace 15 or so circles onto remaining cotton fabric. Cut out circles.
6. Fold circles first in half, then in half again.  Use needle and thread to string folded pieces together tightly at the bottom corner, alternating direction of open edge with each addition to add dimension.
7. Spread out and “fluff” rosette.  Use needle and thread to reinforce the final position by sewing through the bottom edge.  Use hot glue gun or safety pin to secure rosette to package.

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.