4-sided (4-season) decor!

I finally got around to making my 4-season stackables!  I loved this idea from the moment I saw it because (a) I like cute, handmade things, and (b) I live in an apartment so I don't have the space to store a lot of cute things.  :)  I haven't put any vinyl lettering (I'm gonna go with white eventually) on them yet, because I'm indecisive about fonts and words and such right now, but they look pretty awesome as-is.  So maybe they won't get any vinyl at ALL 'til next year?  :)

Anywho, I found a few variations of this idea via Pinterest (check out HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE)...because some of those links give tutorials or even an option to buy for various holidays, I won't go into TOO much detail here.  But there is a general idea/to-do list below the pictures if you're interested in the short version.  :)

Basically I bought some wood--I went with 4x4s from Home Depot (get the cheap wood, it's not for building--I got an 8 foot length cut down for about $9 total!  I loved that they would cut them for me, although I know most people get much thinner wood...also, I liked that I could make them HUGE and the 12x12 paper I bought would cover 3 sets...great for Christmas presents!  Cut your wood (whatever sizes you want, I used 6", 8", and 10" blocks) and sand all edges down as smoothly as you like.  

Paint or stain the blocks in the color of your choosing.  

Purchase and cut to size 3 scrapbook papers (I really recommend 12"x12", you can always use the leftover scraps for future art/decor that matches) for EACH holiday you pick.  I liked the white trim around the blocks to make it more uniform so I cut the paper 1/2" shorter than the length of each wood piece.  I chose Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day papers, although if you want to do other holidays--St. Pat's, Easter, 4th of July, back-to-school time even--go for it!  :)  

Mod Podge your papers on, under AND over the paper, one side at a time with at least 2 hours of drying time between each side.  TIP: Unless you're going to also seal it with some sort of sealer, I HIGHLY recommend storing/stacking these with a thin sheet of wax paper between each block.  At least for the first year of use.  Mod Podge can be temperamental, especially if you store it in a box in the garage/shed with weather changes, and you don't want to have to pry them apart and possibly tear your paper!  

Finally, if you so desire, add vinyl lettering to each side.  Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

Here are some of my Halloween projects and pictures this year.  :)  Better late than never, right?  :)

Voodoo wanted to tell you all to enjoy the holidays.  Next year I have decided we are sewing our puppies' costumes if we still don't have a baby and we are going to take THEM trick-or-treating...and then eat all the candy.  :)

This was actually SUPER FUN and SUPER EASY--a skeleton wreath!  I went to Walmart the day after Halloween and they had a 12-piece foam-like bone set for $5.  Some hot glue did the trick!  I think I want to find either a crow or a bottle of "poison" to add a little something more to it...and maybe a mini chalkboard "Enter if you dare" sign...but I can't wait to put it on the door next year!  Spooky, isn't it?  :)

For "dress like a hero day" at school (which also happened to be our Halloween party), I borrowed Paul's Air Force shirt.  I tried to fit into his old pants, but...no.  Hahaha.  :)

Speaking of our Halloween party, this is "Super K...to the rescue!"  It is when she really just started talking again, and she was adorable all day long.  I also thought this little kid-friendly craft they did was worth sharing!  It's just a ping pong ball, an orange battery-operated tea light, and a sharpie.  You can decorate the ping pong ball any way you want (she drew a jack-o-lantern/skull face), then use an exacto knife (parents' job, obvi) to cut a little "x" at the bottom.  It slides right over the tea light and looks awesome all lit up--especially with lights off!  How cute is that?  The kids LOVED it, and I bet since you sorta have to buy that stuff in bulk anyway they would be really cute lined up on a dresser or mantle or as a centerpiece.  :)

I also briefly dressed like a witch.  'Cause I could.  We didn't actually go to a party or hand out candy or ANYTHING, but this witch hat and wig were calling my name and I felt like I'd be deprived if I didn't dress up at ALL, so I wore them as I did my daily errands one afternoon.  :)

One reason this post is actually much later than the publish date would suggest: I had to wait until I "finished" (or at least finished ENOUGH) my 4-sided/4-season stackables!

I still have to add some vinyl.  But I like the look of it just the same, stacked on top of each other OR side-by-side.


Faux Corset Top Tutorial (and what NOT to do!)

Okay, let's start with a disclaimer.  I'm not a seamstress.  I'm not a great tutorial maker.  And I had no idea what I was doing when I started this project, other than I wanted to use what I had to make a fake corset top for my pirate wench costume, which I don't want to spend any money on if I can help it...This fake corset is for costumes and such, not everyday wear.  SO.  While I will initially share my tutorial with you on how I actually made this, I will also share with you all the things I wish I had done differently so that you don't make the same mistakes.  But, even saying that, I still love how it turned out.  So here's a tutorial.  But you really ought to read the end if you want to make it better than I did. :)

YOU WILL NEED:

* black (or whatever color you want) tank.  The actual corset is just a tank top/spaghetti strap shirt or tee shirt with sleeves cut off...I have lots of these for undershirts that are getting kinda gross or worn out or boring and need upcycling.  So, enter the black tank top.  

* matching WIDE (at LEAST 1 1/2"...mine was 2 1/2") ribbon, at least 5 yards long.  This is the stiff paneling for your corset top.

* red (or whatever contrasting color you want) ribbon, skinny (mine was 1/4" wide) and shiny, at least 10 yards of it.  This is the lacing.  If you want to use something else, like shoelaces or yarn or something, go ahead.  :)

* Fabri Tac or other glue, or, if you want, you can use good ol' needle and thread.  I used Sew No More, because it was cheap and supposedly washable and flexible, but in the end I wished I hadn't (see notes) and just pulled out the old hot glue gun...it's just a one-day costume, right?  In the future, I'll take the time to actually sew, probably.  But this was fast.

*Optional: pins and cardboard for the glue, eyelets to make it more realistic, wide creamy-colored lace to put underneath the corsety part. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Determine what sort of shape you want for your fake corset. This will depend not only on your tastes but your body type.  I initially thought I'd go with a vee-shape, but once I looked at my actual body (so wide, especially at the hips) I decided I liked the straight better.  If you go with the hourglass/star pattern, you'll want to find out where your natural waist (the skinniest part of you) is so that you can mirror that with the shape of the corset lacing.  :)

My awesome drawing on Paint...so you can get a visual. :)

2. Put the tank top on to measure where your bust line is on the actual shirt.  That's where the top of your lacing is going to be.  Mark it somehow, using safety pins or chalk or something.  Take it off, fold it over at that line so that you've only got the front part below the bust line showing, and lay it flat.  If you want, especially if you're using Sew No More, place some cardboard inside the shirt to keep the fabric glue from seeping out everywhere.

3a. (If you're using the wide lace to layer/panel underneath your ribbon lacing, cut it to fit from the bottom to this bustline and glue/sew in the middle now!).

3. Take your super-long red thread and do your best to find the middle.  Pin that to the middle of the bottom of the shirt.  If you're off a little, it won't matter, though...so don't stress if it's not perfect!

4. However wide you want your laced section to be (the width of your lace panel if you're using it), glue or sew the ribbon down in a straight line so it's tacked there.  I glued and then pinned it while it dried so that it wouldn't shift with all the folding/moving I was about to do.  Again, hot glue or sew is best, depending on your purpose for making this. :)

5. Lay out the general shape you want.  Feel good that you're starting to see the vision!

6. Zigzag the ribbon back and forth up the shirt to that bust line and back down again, gluing or tacking or sewing somehow at each turn/"corner".  I started off making the lacing too wide--almost 2" apart--and then went back through the middles so they are actually about 3/4" apart now.  You can do more or less, of course.  The zigzag lines should be parallel to each other.

7. Cut your wide ribbon into two lengths (from the bust line to the bottom of the shirt) and glue/sew them down so that they are just overlapping the sides of the lacing.

8. Glue or sew the middle of a looooooong length of the wide ribbon (long enough to pull around and tie in back) at the top, where your bust line is.  I started using the hot glue gun here, and glued at the tops of the two previous wide, black panels and in between.  Also tie a bow with your red ribbon (with long, flowy ends) and glue to the middle here.

9. Voila!  You're done!  Admire your work by pairing it with a peasant shirt or the like.

Imagine this with a tattered black skirt, red bandana  wrap, and boots?  Yes!

Okay.  Now the things I learned.

1. While Sew No More was cheap and is flexible, it makes everything UGLY.  Seriously.  See all that glue?

I thought, like Elmers, that it would at least dry clear and things would look fine in the end.  But it never quite dried clear and, even worse, it seeps through all the fabric and turns it ugly, too.  And, unlike Elmers, it doesn't come off your skin too easily...I was still picking at my hands the next day. I looked at reviews online after the fact, and it seems like Fabri Tac might be better about those problems (probably why it's more expensive), but I have no experience with it so I can't say for sure.  I ended up using the hot glue gun and wished I had done that from the beginning...but I also wanted some flexibility and washability, which is why I didn't in the first place.  Maybe I'll sew next time?  I don't know.  I was VERY disappointed...but I should have done my homework first.  Sew No More is really more for patching rips and hemlines, not major sewing projects!  Still, the edges/corners were covered in the end so the worst of it gets covered up, whatever you do...

2. I also, because this is a cheap costume for a birthday party and I didn't want to spend any money, didn't buy the wide lace paneling or the eyelets.  But both are great if you want it to look more realistic!  Some things to consider, though...first of all, the lace has to go down first.  Secondly, if you're using eyelets, I think what I would do is glue down the wide black ribbon-paneling first, then thread the skinny red ribbon through the eyelets...and then glue the eyelets down where I wanted them...it would be easier that way than gluing half of each eyelet down and trying to thread the ribbon through afterwards.

Eyelets...like this!

3. I should have done a little more measuring on this...especially ON me.  Tanks have a lot of give to them...especially if you have one with ribbing.  So what looks like the middle or the right width on a hanger might be a little different when you put it on.  And the shape may get slightly changed if you don't measure first...although, with the glue and such, it doesn't give TOO much where it counts.  I think next time I do something like this, I'll wear it, look in a mirror, and use chalk to outline the shape I want and where the true middle is.  If you look too closely, you can see that it's a little off.  :)

Still, not too bad.  Fast, cheap, and cute.  And for what will most likely be a one-night-wear, I can't complain!

If you end up making your own version of this, link up and let me see!  :)  Happy crafting!

Decorating pumpkins...take 1...

I don't like carving pumpkins.  Don't get me wrong, I love pulling out the gooey pumpkin guts as much as the next person.  It's my favorite part.  But the actual carving gets to me.  I am not skilled with a knife.  I get frustrated when it doesn't turn out on the pumpkin like it did in my head.  We never buy candles to light them up.  And then I just leave it to rot on the porch until around Thanksgiving (or later), when I finally throw it out. 

Instead, I started decorating pumpkins MY way, so that I can utilize my particular skill set.  Tell me what you think...which one is your favorite? 

Not pictured: the cute, curled up tail.  :)

A little elastic went a LONG way for shaping my cute little ghostie.

Close-up of the hat, which I am very proud of.  :)

Pippie.

Glow-in-the-dark skeleton.

Linkin' up HERE!

A few photos...

I've been crafting a ton today...and yesterday...so here's a look into what I did.  :)  Just because.

To help us budget our money a little better (especially keeping track of FUN expenditures, which we lose track of easily on a plastic card full of abstract numbers), I decorated these cute little Dollar Tree piggies to store actual cash and coins in after each paycheck.  Once the money's gone, we're outta luck 'til the next paycheck!  (I like how they're kissing.)  :)

Obviously, if you know how I am with fabrics, I didn't actually sew any of this...but I did iron the appliques onto the purse.  :)  This is my niece's 6th birthday present for next month...note the white canvas shoes in the background.

 And to go inside the adorable purse, I bought some gum (because she's ALWAYS asking for mine), a little fold-up mirror/hairbrush, and...

THIS!

Yeah, I'm in love with duct tape wallets.  Easy, cheap, and fun.  I want to make a million of them!  In lots of colors and with lots of designs.

These ADORABLE Halloween decorations were SO easy and fun to make...too bad my lights burned out almost right after I took this picture!  Now Franky doesn't light up. :(

 (You can go here to find the directions.)

Along those same lines...I'd painted and made this Halloween decoration last year, but each of those little critters is actually a wooden clip and I wasn't sure what to do with them.  So yesterday I made an Esperanza Rising-inspired yarn ghost to hang from one of them.  I kinda followed the directions HERE, except I braided the arms and didn't cinch anything at the waist.  If you have the book, there are directions for yarn dolls in the back of that, too.  :)  I'm thinking I need to make a couple buddies for him.  Or her.  :)

Linkin' up my Halloween stuff HERE!

My sister asked me to make a yellow flower arrangement for her home...so this is what I came up with!  I'm kind of in love with the simple, low, flat, round look right now.  Who knew mums and marigolds could look so interesting?  :)

 AND, for fun, I made these napkin rings to match.

And then, of course, I had to make some for US, too.  :)

If I had a million dollars, I'd pay off my debts.  But then I'd probably spend the rest on craft supplies.  I could literally do this all day.  Oh, wait...I did!  :P

Halloween 2008--the year of the Wiz

I hereby dub this Halloween the year of the Wiz...not only did Paul & I get together with close friends and try to fill out as many of the characters as possible for our costume contest (which we won, p.s.), but my niece and two little brothers also dressed up as Wizard of Oz characters and won the Boo at the Zoo costume contest. Some things are just a classic...

We had a murder mystery dinner party at the Institute, which was just a lot of fun. I had actually never done one like this before, so it was a good experience. There were SOOOO many great costumes, I wish everyone could have won something! But I guess some of those will just have to be filed away for future ideas. Anywho, it was a fun day, even though I am now quite sick and tired all the time. It's a new month. Who knows what wonders will happen? :)

In other news, I successfully managed to finish all of my crazy assignments over the past weeks (which were MANY) and to get the heat fixed. I also managed to make it through my first month of being engaged! I wish I knew how to enjoy the moment more and not get all stressed out about all the hard stuff in preparing for a wedding. I wish even more that I knew what to do to prepare better for the temple and for marriage. *sigh* Why can life just be perfect all the time? :)