Star Wreath Tutorial

July is completely sneaking up on me! I've had this wreath idea in my head for a while, and I finally got it finished...not a moment too soon!

I wish I'd broken this tutorial into 2, but in an effort to share the finished product before July 4th officially comes and goes, here it is in it's entirety!

To make the star, you will need:

• a scrap of wood as big as the star you'd like to make (my star was about 8 inches across)
• a star template (I used my Cricut, but you could print something on the computer, or just free-hand it!)
  
• hammer
• nails
• wire (I used 22 gauge wire...and it's MUCH cheaper at a home improvement store!)
  

You need to use nails with a skinny head like this:

Using your star stencil as a template, hammer the nails into the wood near the tips of the star.

Leave a 3-4 inch 'tail' of wire, and begin to wrap the wire around your nails. You may need to pinch the wire a bit as it rounds each nail to create a crisper-shaped star.

Continue to wrap the wire around the nails several times until the star reaches a thickness you like. Mine had 6 layers of wire. Leave another 'tail' of wire at the end.

Now, scoot the wire to the tops of the nails, being careful not to pop them off the nails yet.

Carefully remove one of the tips with the tail of wire.

Hold the wires tightly, and wrap the tail around the rest of the wires to secure the tip.

After the first tip is secured, move onto the second tip with the tail and wrap the wire again. Cut 3 additional pieces of wire about 4 inches long for the other tips and wrap each one tightly to secure. Now your star will look like this:

Next, wrap the end of the wire around one tip of the star. (I keep the wire attached to the spool at this point so I don't run short)

Loosely wrap the wire around the star form.

Keep wrapping until you are pleased with how the star looks. Complete the wrapping near one of the tips, trim the wire, and secure the wire around the tip.

Take a break for a little star-gazing!

I forgot to take a picture of the next step...I spray-painted the star with glossy white paint and let it dry overnight. You could leave it the color of the wire, but I wanted the white to stand out against the design of my wreath.

For the wreath, you will need:

• Completed wire star
• Grapevine wreath
• Feathers
• Assorted silk flowers
• glue-gun
• wire
  

I wanted my wreath to be asymmetrical, so I began by positioning the feather and the star just to see how things would fit.

I tucked the feather into the wreath, and used my glue-gun to secure it.

Next, I tucked in the flowers and secured them with wire. I just cut little pieces of wire to wrap around the stem of the flower and a few vines of the wreath. When using heavier flowers, I've found this to be a better way to secure the flowers.

After the flowers were in place, I used wire again to attach the star.

Here's the finished product all ready to greet our summer guests! I love how festive and whimsical it turned out.

Happy Independence Day!

Check out these parties for some other creative inspiration!

Need a laugh?

Do you know who Molly Erdman is? If you live in a place where Sonic drive-in commercials air, you'd recognize her. Funny lady.

She recently started a little blog where she offers some of the funniest commentaries I've ever read. You know all those magazine and catalog photos we view with such esteem? Ms. Erdman enlightens us with the personal stories behind these pristine photos. This is one of my favorites to date:

Time to stock up…

Oh dear, our Q-Tip decanter is almost 1/5th depleted.

I suggest you fix yourself a little snack before you head on over to Catalog Living for a visit...you'll want to stay for a while!

Hanging Leaves Wall Art

For the longest time, I was at a loss for a creative, cheap (ideally, free!) solution for the looming space over the couch. It was autumn when I finally came up with this, and I clearly had leaves on the brain! I love the way it came out, but I do look forward to making a few modifications in the future.

I used a branch from a bunch-of-sticks-used-as-decoration in my house. Some of the leaves were torn and some were cut from my paper stash, and my husband donated the fishing line. Yes, this means the project was 100% free...my favorite kind!


I started by making a rough template of a leaf to follow when cutting or tearing the shapes. I did my best to gather a variety of textures, weights, and colors of paper.

When I had a decent stack of leaves to work with, I set the stick on the ground and arranged the leaves until I had a design I liked. I knew I wanted to have the leaves hang at various lengths, so I kept that in mind as I worked. Once I was pleased with the layout, I used my tiniest hole-punch to make holes for the fishing line. Each leaf got holes near both tips, with the exception being the last leaf in each column, which only got one hole. Next, I cut fishing line to the correct lengths, leaving an extra few inches for knotting and trimming.

I began by threading the bottom leaf (with only one hole) onto the line and securing it with a knot. I was careful not to tear through the leaf. Next, I thread the line through the holes of the remaining leaves on that column. I did not secure each leaf with knots. I found that if I bent them a bit, they stayed put on the fishing line without knots.

I love the way the piece looks on the wall, and I love the dimension of all the textures of the different leaves. Not bad for free artwork, right?

Stop by these lovely places for more DIY inspiration!

Just so you know...

...I've been a bit out of commission, but I'm almost ready for a comeback! In addition to having house guests for the past 5 days, watching a friend's baby on Friday, and celebrating Father's Day, Maren and I got to take a little trip to the pediatrician's office this morning where we (sadly) learned of her latest ear infection. No wonder she only slept for 4 hours last night...

Phew, I'm exhausted. Not to worry, my brain has been spinning, and I've got some fun things coming up to share with you. Stick around, and HAPPY SUMMER!

Outdoor Decor (and an homage to the Wicked Witch of the West)

This was the state of our front garden one year ago, just after we signed the contract on the house. I loved the space, but knew it would be needing some TLC.

If I was a liar with photo-editing skills, I'd fake those bushes into being just as lovely green as the rest of the garden. Ha! In an effort to keep it real, this is the front garden as it stands today. Those three bushes that look like they're dead do have some green peaking through in spots, so I'm giving them a year to show me what they're made of. They'll be gone next spring if they don't shape up. We moved some bigger rocks from other places in the yard to add some interest to the garden. I picked up the urn and the little bird trellis at TJ Maxx. The lantern was a Christmas gift. Do you notice my little problem? (Hint: look closer at the lantern.)

If you look closely at the upper right corner of this next picture, you'll see a fun little metal flower I picked up several years ago at a craft show. The garden stone in the bottom right corner is special. Just after Maren was born, my parents came for a visit and we went and bought a tree for Maren. My mom picked up this stone to sit in front of the tree. Sadly, we had to leave the tree behind at the old house, but the stone still reminds me of those early days with my little lady.

Help, I'm melting! (Enter the Wicked Witch) This part of the house faces east, and apparently the morning sun was just too much for my candles. Don't they look sad?

Help a girl out! What should I put in the lantern? Candles seemed the obvious choice, but they're clearly not cutting it. I'm completely at a loss for what should replace them. I've seen pictures with the likes of shells and starfish, but we live in Colorado. The whole beach-vibe doesn't quite work here.
Something has to change before I end up with a puddle in the bottom of the lantern...what do you think?

PS...I'm the sponsor for this week's Tutorial Tuesday over at Hope Studios! If you'd like a chance at winning a $30 shopping spree to my Etsy store, drop in for a visit at Jennifer's. And, if you're visiting from Hope Studios, welcome!

Let's Meet on Monday: Favorite Cleaning Supplies

After an autumnal-weekend, today is looking like it's going to be another rainy, inside day. We're expecting company on Wednesday, so it's a great day to stay home and clean! With cleaning on the brain, I thought I'd ask about some of your favorite cleaning supplies. Are you a 'brand-loyal' type of person, or do you switch it up from month-to-month?

My all-time favorite cleaner is Shaklee's Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste. It's non-toxic, smells amazing, and works wonders on hard-to-clean surfaces. I especially love it for my kitchen sink and shower.

We recently became a relatively 'paper-free' home, mostly meaning we've switched to cloth instead of buying paper-towel and napkins. I found some great Martha Stewart brand cleaning cloths at TJ Maxx. They're made for glass, and I've been amazed with how great they work. I know there are other similar products out there. (Try these)
So, do you have any cleaning favorites? Spill it...I'm off to clean up!

The results are in

After two days of watching as strangers looked through my junk, I am happy to report a successful garage sale operation! Yesterday was perfect garage sale weather, and we had the traffic to prove it. This morning we awoke to a day resembling February 24...you know the one where it's raining because it's not quite cold enough for snow, but you still have to wear your puffy coat and drink lots of hot coffee to stay warm...it was just like that today. Thanks to my sweet husband I was able to venture around to a few sales, where I wasted no time in spending my hard-earned money on other people's cast-offs. Maren is now the proud owner of a collection of horse figurines, a rocking horse, several princess dresses with matching high heals, and a practically new pair of Keen shoes. At $2, the Keens were my favorite purchase. Isn't that part of the fun of garage sales? You never know when you'll find an exceptional deal on something that seems just too-good-to-be-true. I suppose it was my lucky day!

Have I told you about my dog? We have a lovely 6-year-old lab named Bo. Brett jokingly told a couple he was for sale. After driving around the neighborhood, the man returned only to ask Brett if the dog was truly for sale...his wife had gotten attached and was seriously interested in taking Bo home! Poor lady...I told Brett it's a good thing he didn't sell my puppy because it just might have made me want to go find myself a new home. (Kidding!) Bo is my first pet, and I am amazed at how quickly he weaseled his way into my heart. He thinks he's a lap dog, especially during thunder storms, which is great on cold and rainy days like today!

I am happy to introduce you to the male representatives of my family:

Garage Sales 101: Part 2

Today is the day! My in-laws are partnering in our garage sale extravaganza, and they joined us for dinner and set-up last night. We made these for dinner...delicious...seriously...make them tonight. You can thank me later!

Today I will share all my knowledge pertaining to timing, pricing, and shopping garage sales. You should probably set aside at least 2 minutes in order to have time to soak this all in. :)

TIMING:
Find out if your neighborhood has a community sale scheduled. This will bring lots of traffic, and most neighborhoods will provide some advertising and signs. If your neighborhood doesn't schedule a sale, talk with some people on your street and plan a weekend for a multi-house sale. Many moms will seek out neighborhood sales...it's so much easier to park once and visit several sales without having to re-load kids in the car and drive around.

PRICING:
People shop at garage sales because they are thrifty! Most often, our stuff isn't worth as much as we imagine it to be. Think of what you would be willing to pay for an item now...not in it's original state in which you purchased it 9 years ago! If you have nicer clothing items or more expensive things, think about taking them to a consignment store. I shop at garage sales and consignment stores for my daughter's clothing. I expect to pay between $0.50 and $2 per item at a garage sale and closer to $5 or $10 per item (brand name) at consignment stores. If you really do have a bottom line for an item, start by pricing it a bit higher to make room for bartering. Also, if you're not willing to drop your price, be prepared to have it left in your garage after the sale! Try to think of your sale as an opportunity to clear your house of clutter, and as an added bonus you might make $50 or $100. Don't expect to become rich off of your sale!

SHOPPING:
I mentioned earlier that I love neighborhood sales. I have found the older, more established neighborhoods to have the best sales. Most sales are held on a Friday and Saturday. Kids' items tend to go fast! For the best selection in kid's clothing and toys, shop early on Friday mornings. If you feel that an item is priced high, feel free to offer a lower price. If you purchase several items from one place, often the sellers will give you a deal. Another approach to garage sale-ing is to go towards the end of sales, when people are clearing out, and sometimes even giving items away. If you do this, the best things will be gone, but you might find a gem or get an extreme bargain. Just last week I went to a sale where the owners were moving, and were giving things away for free. I paid $5 for a wonderful antique tool box, and got 2 big bottles of Mod Podge, some cute plastic cutlery (not pictured), 3 packages of birthday candles, a book for Maren (not pictured), a spool of ribbon, several packages of envelopes and a Pottery Barn trivet FREE!



I hope you find some great treasures if you're out garage sale-ing today and tomorrow! And, I hope I have a good report from our sale this weekend to share with you on Monday!

Pool Clutch Tutorial

We are so blessed to have a neighborhood pool. Maren has learned to love the water, and asks me every morning to put on her bathing suit. I have quickly learned to streamline our 'packing' for when we go to the pool. It's amazing how many things go into our bag for a couple of hours! Inevitably by the end of our time, several wet items end up back in our bag. I also grew tired of digging through a bag full of stuff to find money for a snack, keys to drive home, my cell phone, etc. This is what I came up with to remedy these issues. I wanted to use cheap materials, something semi-waterproof on the outside, and fun colors. If you take frequent trips to the pool or beach this summer, try out this little project! It's quick, easy, and effective!

*Before you begin: The types of materials used in this project are not conducive to the use of straight pins. If you use pins other than in the mentioned way, your finished project will have visible pin holes. Be warned!

You will need:

1. zipper (I used a 7 in. zipper, and it was the perfect size if you use my suggested dimensions)
   
2. thread
3. clear vinyl (if you want an ID pocket)
4. some type of waterproof fabric (I used a piece of tablecloth vinyl...if you'd like to spend more, oilcloth or laminated fabric would also be nice, and maybe a bit more long-lasting)
5. ribbon
6. a key-ring or swivel clip
   

1. Cut your fabric to your desired size. (My clear ID pocket is 4.5 in. x 3 in. and the patterned pieces are 8 in. x 6 in. I wanted my clutch to be large enough for some cash, my phone, keys, lip-gloss, and my husband's wallet if he joins us.)

2. Prepare ribbon for swivel clip. I layered 2 pieces for interest. Your ribbon should be appx. 3 in. long.

3. Stitch along the edges of the layered ribbons on each side.

4. Thread the ribbon through the swivel hook, and sew to one piece of the vinyl. Do not use straight pins to secure the ribbon...just hold the ribbon as straight as possible. Make sure your hook and ribbon are positioned just like the picture before you sew!

5. Carefully pin your zipper and one piece of vinyl together: right-sides-together. If you keep your pins to the top edge of the zipper, the pin holes will be covered with stitching.

6. Using the zipper foot on your sewing machine, stitch along the outer edge of the zipper/vinyl.

7. Next, run a second row of stitching right along the zipper. Your zipper foot will help you to stay nice and close to the zipper.

8. This is what your project should look like at this point:

9. Next, using the same method as step 5, pin the other piece of your vinyl to the other side of the zipper. When the project is pinned and flat, the bottoms of the vinyl will not line up. This is ok! It just allows for the extra bit of length added by the zipper. Sew this side the same as you did the other.

10. Now, this is what you will see when you open up the piece:

11. Stitch down the seam of the zipper on each side like this:

12. This is how the stitching should look:

13. Line up the bottoms of the sides, and stitch together. Be sure to back-stitch at the beginning and end. Note: I allowed for close to a 1/2 in. seam allowance, because I didn't want the stitching to be prone to pulling out.

14. Before you sew the sides together, fold the zipper right-sides-together and pin. (Be sure not to pin the vinyl!) It's also helpful to un-zip the zipper about 1/2 way. This will make it easier for you to turn the project right-side-out after the sides are sewn.

15. Sew the sides, being sure to back-stitch at the top and bottom.

16. To add a bit of strength to the seams, I zig-zagged around the edges before trimming off excess fabric. I chose not to use a lining, so these edges will be raw inside the clutch.

17. Carefully turn the clutch right-side-out, and admire your finished project! OR...

18. Cut a piece of coordinating thread to add an ID pocket. (I used a single-strand of DMC thread, which ended up being doubled after threading and knotting on the needle)

19. Carefully stitch the clear, vinyl piece to one side of the clutch using a stitch of your choice. Remember to be CAREFUL when stitching...if you make a mistake, the hole from the needle will show! I used a large stitch so the vinyl wouldn't tear and because I wanted a little added drama!

20. Finished clutch, take 2:
I wave my ID card in front of a sensor to open the pool gate, and the clear pocket allows me to do so without removing my card. I added a big key-ring to a strap on my pool bag, and clip this little clutch right to it.

I'd love to see your own version of the clutch if you make one!

Happy sewing, and happy swimming!

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