the thrifty crafter

What to do with the leftover yarn from your Party Animals wire animal project? Pick up some cheap tin cans of varying sizes from your favorite discount store and turn them into coordinating centerpieces, that’s what! Flowers are a must for me at any type of event and when you can get them gorgeous and on the cheap from your local Trader Joe’s, this craft really is a no-brainer! We ended up using the smallest can as a utensil holder…another great way to add some texture and color to your table!

Here’s what you need:

• leftover yarn
• hot glue gun and glue sticks
• washed and dried tin cans (I went to Big Lots and bought the cheapest cans I could with the best size variation)

Here’s what you do:

1. Remove outer paper label from tin can and thoroughly wash both inside and outside of can.

   

2. Once dry, use hot glue gun to tack end of yarn to edge of can.
3. Wrap tin can 10-20 times or so, keeping some tension.

   

4. Scrunch yarn down to cover up any openings and to create the textured look.

   

5. Continue wrapping in sets of 10-20 until you reach the upper edge of can.

   

6. Cut yarn and glue down on edge.  Voila!  Gorgeous vase in less than 10 minutes!

   

Cost: Under $4 for five vases.

I had the privilege of helping out in the decorating department recently for a very special one year old’s birthday.  The parents had sent out an Evite with animal silhouettes, so when I saw the brightly colored print below on sale at Joann’s, I knew it had to be apart of the celebration.  In typical thriftycrafter fashion, I made a few table runners and a new bunting to incorporate the print, but still wanted some type of wall/hanging decoration to carry the animal shape theme.

I remembered seeing a super cute craft that a very talented friend of mine did for her sister’s baby shower that involved wrapping colored string around the wire frame of an old lampshade; I loved the textural look of it and knew I had to incorporate this technique somehow.  I decided to mimic the animal shapes from the print by bending re-purposed wire hangers from the dry cleaner, then wrapping them in interesting textural yarns that matched the colors in the fabric.  The best part?  Most of the yarn came from Big Lots and was $1/skein…now that is a thrifty craft!

We hung them along the backyard fence with invisible thread for some extra outdoor festivity.  I think they turned out so perfect and cute…the giraffe is my favorite.  What’s yours?

This last one is supposed to be a hippo, but I think the consensus was that he ended up looking like either a pig or an aardvark.

Here’s what you need:

• wire hangers
• wire cutters
• pliers
• yarn
• hot glue gun
• scissors

Here’s what you do:

1. Use your wire cutters to remove the top portion of the wire hanger.

   

2. With the print in front of you, use pliers to bend the hanger to mimic the shape of the animal. Each of my animals needed wire from two hangers to complete.

   

3. Use hot glue gun to tack separate pieces together.  Allow to cool slightly, then mold glue while it is warm (not hot!) to minimize any bulk.

   

4. Once your wire animals are complete, spot glue end of yarn to hanger.  Wrap yarn around hanger 10-20 times, then cinch down and pull taut to create the textured, rugged look.  Repeat until you’ve covered the entire wire frame.  This part of the project can be tedious, but it is perfect if you need some mindless activity or need to catch up on your tv programs! Once completely wrapped, snip your yarn and use hot glue to affix end.

   

Cost: While 4 of my skeins were only $1 at Big Lots, I spent $9 total on yarn for the 6 animals in order to get the right bright coral and bright green for the rhino and turtle.  Still, not bad and certainly a lot of bang for your buck! Look for sales, shop your discount stores and use your Michael’s and Joann’s 40% off coupons!

My recent book club read, Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende, inspired me to host a themed book club last month.  Set in the mid 19th century, it is the story of a young Chilean girl, Eliza Sommers, who is raised by a well-to-do British family in Valparaiso, Chile.  At 16, Eliza finds her first love in Joaquin Andieta, a young man who, like many Chileans at the time, takes off to California to seek his fortune in the gold rush.  Months later, Eliza follows him, and in an elusive search for her lover, embarks upon a journey of self-discovery.

This novel is full of inspiration when it comes to hosting a themed book club evening.  There are many images and elements from the story to draw upon: Chile itself, the Victorian clothing of the period which incorporated lace, gold to symbolize the Gold Rush, luxuries to Chileans at the time, including chocolate, and the fact that our heroine is an incredible chef and baker and resourcefully makes empanadas while in California as a means to a living.

For our meeting, I served Chilean wine, empanadas, and an olive and spanish cheese plate with marcona almonds and black grapes.  We finished the evening with Martha’s devil’s food chocolate cupcakes with a velvety smooth dark chocolate ganache frosting. While the idea of topping my cupcakes with a sprinkle of edible gold leaf was divine, the $28 price tag from Sur la Table didn’t make it thriftycrafter friendly, so I had to omit it!

Gold chargers, crisp white plates and black lace adornments decorated the table and super easy to make hand-fashioned wine charms (this is, after all, a wine, er, book club!), marked our glasses. Finally, I made a simple garland out of leftover gold Christmas ribbon and white paper doilies from the Dollar Tree.  Thanks to apartmenttherapy.com for the inspiration!

First, the crafts!

Wine Charms

Here’s what you need:

• cardstock
• eyelet stickers (alternatively, you could use a stamp or these great rub-ons from Paper Source)
• compass with pencil
• scissors
• hammer, nail and wooden block
• jewelry ear wires
• gel pen or other marker for writing

Here’s what you do:

1. Use your compass to create circles on cardstock.  I made mine with a radius of 5/8 of an inch.

   

2. Cut out circles and adhere lace stickers to cover just more than half of the circle.

   

3. Cut excess edge of sticker and write your characters’ names below the arc.

   

4. Use hammer, nail and wooden block to pierce tag where you want your ring to go.

   

5. Use wire bending tool to bend end portion of your hoop up to create lock and feed through hole in tag.

   

Cost: less than $5!

Doily Garland

Here’s what you need:

• paper doily pack
• stitch witchery
• iron and ironing board
• 1/2 inch width ribbon or thicker
• scissors or Fiskars paper trimmer

Here’s what you do:

1. Use scissors or paper trimmer to cut doilies in half.

   

2. Rip stitch witchery in pieces that measure the diameter of your doily, place between the ribbon and doily, and use iron on low setting to adhere.

   

3. Repeat until desired length of garland is achieved!

Cost: less than $3!

Adorned Cake Plate

Here’s what you need:

• cake plate
• strip of lace, in the measured circumference of your cake platter
• Zots

Here’s what you do:

1. Adhere Zots to cake plate rim every 1.5-2 inches.

   

2. Starting with one end of your strip of lace, press lace against zots, keeping correct amount of slack, until lace band encircles your platter.

Cost: less than $5!

Now, onto the food!

I used an empanada dough recipe found on Epicurious.com for my mini empanaditas, a beef filling recipe from Susan Feniger (of Border Grill and Ciudad fame) and a pork filling recipe from Food & Wine Magazine.

Empanada Dough:

Doubling the recipe made just under 4 dozen 3.5 inch empanaditas

Beef Filling:

Makes enough for 4 dozen mini empanadas (I halved the recipe to make two dozen)

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup toasted almonds coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup dark raisins
• 8 Italian Roma tomatoes
• 3 serrano chilies
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large heavy skillet, over a medium high heat, saute the ground beef until the meat is browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off the excess fat.
2. Add the onion and saute 2 minutes. Then add the garlic, almonds, and raisins, and saute 1 minute.
3. Place the tomatoes, chilies, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth.
4. Add the puree, cumin, cloves, cinnamon and salt and pepper to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes to get rid of any excess liquid. Cool.
5. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle of pastry. Fold over the pastry and seal the edges. Let the empanadas rest in the refrigerator 1/2 hour or freeze immediately. (Bake the frozen empanadas without defrosting.)
6. Empanadas may be glazed (1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk, well beaten) and baked until golden in a 400 degree oven, for about 15 minutes.

Pork Filling:

Makes enough for 4 dozen mini empanadas (I halved the recipe to make two dozen)

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large white onion, very finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup amber beer
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon Chinese chile-garlic paste or sambal oelek
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and very finely chopped
• 3 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
• 6 pitted kalamata olives, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins

1. In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is browned, about 8 minutes longer.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped pork, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until the pork is golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Stir and cook until no pink remains, about 3 minutes longer. Stir in the browned onions, beer, soy sauce, paprika, chile paste, cumin and jalapeño and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the filling to a large bowl. Stir in the hard-cooked eggs, olives and raisins and season with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°.
4. Brush the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake them for about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the empanadas are golden brown, then serve.

I didn’t have a chance to get this post up prior to the 4th of July holiday due to lots of house and kitchen prep, but wanted to share this craft since it can be used in different colors as decoration for other holiday parties, bridal or baby showers, and even weddings.  For those who appreciate a more natural or vintage spin, using unbleached, kraft-colored coffee filters or dying the white ones with tea bags would make for a gorgeous display.

Sometimes I’ll head to the Dollar Tree or 99 cent store, just to get inspired by what I find in the aisles.  This last time around, I picked up a package of plain, white coffee filters which I ended up stapling together, then pinning to small styrofoam balls to make big frilly pomanders.  I dyed about 30 ‘bunches’ with red and blue gel paste food coloring, and while this worked to a certain extent, the end product was more remnicient of a romantic Monet painting than the spectacular display of American patriotism I was going for.  So to liven it up, I made three plain white ones, then added some smaller red and blue tissue paper pomanders that Martha made so popular a few years back.  Hung above the food spread, these are sure to bring some festivity to any get together!

Here’s what you need:

• 2 packages of plain white coffee filters
• stapler
• gel paste food coloring
• medium mixing bowls with water
• rubber gloves
• aluminum foil
• jelly roll pan (baking sheet with a rim)
• box of straight pins
• 2-inch dense styrofoam balls
• colored tissue paper
• scissors
• floral wire

Here’s what you do:

For the white coffee filter pomanders:

1. Take 3 coffee filters at their base and bunch together.  Staple.  Make about 15 of these for one ball.

   

2. Use stright pin to affix bunch to styrofoam ball.

   

3. Repeat Step 2, clustering the bunches together.  Fluff to desired shape.

   

For the dyed coffee filter pomanders:

1. Take 3 coffee filters at their base and bunch together.  Staple.  Make about 15 of these for one ball.
2. Mix 1/4 tsp gel paste food coloring into mixing bowl with water.  Adjust amount of food coloring/water depending on how vibrant you want your color to be.
3. Place coffee filter bunches in the mixing bowl and leave for a few minutes.  Do not overcrowd.

   

4. Line jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and place dyed bunches upright to dry.  Turn oven on to lowest setting and allow to dry (this takes a few hours).

   

5. (optional) If color isn’t where you want it after first drying cycle, dip and dry again.

   

6. Once dry, use straight pin to affix dyed bunch to styrofoam ball.
7. Repeat Step 2, clustering the bunches together.  Fluff to desired shape.

For the tissue paper pom poms:

1. Remove tissue paper from packaging, open and cut stack in half.

   

2. Accordion-fold each half in 1-1.5 inch width and use floral wire to wrap the center.

   

3. Use sharp scissors to cut the edges of your tissue paper – to simulate ‘fire’ I cut my ends to a sharp point.

   

4. Delicately begin to separate the layers, pulling from the base.  Fluff to desired shape.

   

Cost: $5.  While some stuff I already had, you can find everything needed for this project at Walmart for cheap, cheap!

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.

   

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.

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!

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.