T-Shirt Pumpkins

These are easy to make and you can re-use the materials once the season is over. I found one brown and one orange t-shirt at the dollar store last week and brought them home with the full intention of using them for the “garland” I had planned to make. Change of plans…they turned into pumpkins instead.

Supply List: One fall colored t-shirt One bed sheet (for stuffing) 10 Rubber bands Fall Leaves Ribbon / Embellishments   Turn the t-shirt inside out. Place a rubber band just under the area where the sleeves begin and tighten it as many times as you can.   Turn the t-shirt right side out again. You will now have a puckered area that will be the bottom of your pumpkin. If you do not want to re-use the t-shirt, you can always trim the excess off, but I found that the excess helped to stuff the pumpkin.   Now, stuff the pumpkin with the sheet. You will have to fluff it a bit to get a nice even shape.   Gather the open end of the t-shirt tightly and wrap a rubber band around it as tightly as possible. You will end up with a nice pleated pumpkin form   Then I wrapped the stem into a nice round ball and secured it with yet another rubber band. Next, you will use your rubber-bands to wrap around the pumpkin to get as many even segments as you would like to get the perfect  “pumpkin effect”. Start adding your embellishments; they will hide the area where the rubber bands cross paths under the stem. That is it. Fluff it up a bit and add it to your Thanksgiving display. It only takes about 15 minutes to put together. No hot glue, no sewing, no cutting, very easy project! Please take a moment and let me know you stopped by. Better yet, follow our blog or grab one of our buttons. Don’t forget to check out our “Flashback Wednesdays” linky party.

Newspaper Wreath

I realized that we barely have any Thanksgiving Décor and figured we needed a wreath, doesn’t everyone?  I have been collecting newspapers for a while and went to work. Here is what I ended up with. I did learn a few things while doing these and am working on a couple more at the moment.

Eventually, I will find the perfect process, but if you have made these in the past and have any pointers please send them my way! Here is a TUTORIAL if you want to try this.

Tips:

·         Make sure you glue or tape each strip when you apply it.

·         Do not use glossy spray paint

·         Shake your wreath as you paint it

·        Be patient and spray from a distance swiping the can back and forth or in a circular motion being careful not to concentrate on one location for very long or the papers will stick together.

Most of all have fun!! Please let me know you stopped by. We all love comments!!

Roll up your shirt sleeves- or just cut them off!

I found a couple of nice shirts/sweaters at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago and have been staring at them wondering what I can turn them into. Yesterday morning I slipped the sleeves over the top of some mason jars and realized I wouldn’t have to sew much and could have some pretty containers for my stuff.

I had one wide mouth jar and one standard size jar that had been staring at me from the cupboard for months now. I didn’t get to can anything this year since I was working during what would have been our harvest season, so I have extras this year. I didn’t want to paint them or alter them so much that I couldn’t use them in the future if I wanted to, so I figured a little glue on the outside wouldn’t hurt too much. 

This sweater was $1.00 and it has knitted lace over the top of regular sweater knit material. At first I put the lace over the jar by itself and although I liked it, I felt like it needed something else. I also found a cute flower print dress at another yard sale for $.25 so I cut a piece from that to place under the lace. It really added to the effect, I think. Then I just slipped the sleeve over the jar from the bottom and trimmed and glued the ends in tightly so it would sit evenly on the shelf.

I gathered the two fabrics together at the mouth and added some embellishments.

I will probably make a match soon, but you know how crafting goes…you get on one project and it takes you off in another direction.

So, I wanted something a bit bolder for the other jar and used yet another garage sale shirt $.50 which I had already cut into for something else. I realized the sleeve on this shirt was still intact and had a cuff at the end which would look great on the jar.

Thanks for stopping by. Please take a moment and let me know you were here. Send me your comments, links and ideas. I love to share!

KIDS

I have been busy with kid stuff over the past week or so. With Halloween came the annual pumpkin contest at school. My daughter Meagan always comes up with some kind of character. One year was a mouse, last year was Garfield and this year it was Angry Birds. She did all the work herself. She has become quite crafty.

The following day she brought home a blank turkey to decorate. We figured out something together with what we had around the house and then she finished it off with a balloon for the “wattle”.  We used our over abundant supply of shopping bags once again, for the “feathers” and added in some fall leaves for extra color.  My friends and family are always donating extra bags and craft goodies to me so we try to put them to good use. I do try to use the cloth bags when we go to the store...really I do.

Pardon my mixer in the background…lol…sometimes my counter is the only place I have to craft.

We also had a birthday party for my youngest over the weekend and my in-laws surprised me with cake and ice cream as well. Our birthdays are only a week apart and I always try my best to avoid being the center of attention...ugh...especially since this is my 40th coming up. I guess it is inevitable.

On to other things..... 

Tin Can Topiary

Tin Can Topiary

(Made with shopping bags, newspaper, a pencil and a tin can)

I wanted something "fancy" to place in my hall bathroom but just couldn't come up with the right thing. I was looking at all the tin cans and shopping bags I have accumulated and came up with this idea. Here is a Tutorial if you would like to try it.

I went to a yard sale over the weekend and bought a necklace and some clip on earrings for 10 cents. So, I added them along with an old metal heart I found years ago. I have used and re-used it on all kinds of projects over the years.

Thanks for stopping by, please let me know you were here by saying Hello.

Let it Snow

While many of you are getting snow, we are craving it here in Arizona. Yesterday, we sat down and made these fun little snowmen to make up for that loss. They were super easy.

I almost had 6 of them, but the dog ran off with one of their heads and my 3 year old ran off with the other.  Now we have to make more, I think these would be great holiday gifts.  

Next time, I am going to make a “girlie” snow lady and pair her up with a mate. I might add mittens and even some paint or decoration of some sort on the bottom rim of the snowman. Oh, I also placed felt on the bottom of the snowman.



Supply List:
2 inch terra cotta pot
2 inch wooden ball knob (found a 6 pack at Goodwill for $1.50)
1 Sleeve from an old knit tee-shirt (for the stocking caps)
1 Piece of Black Felt (for the top hats)
1 TP or Paper towel roll (for the top hat form)
Twigs (HARD to find in my backyard) cactus needles just didn’t work.
Misc. buttons, ribbon embellishments
Foam paint brush
Old non-working ball point pen or mechanical pencil (used to make the dots)
Blush (color of your choice)
White Paint
Orange Paint

 If you are stopping by please take a moment to say Hello, share your link, ideas, pictures etc. I would love to hear from you.

Christmas Tree - Made from Recycled Items

Here is a TUTORIAL if you would like to make one of these. It takes a bit of time and some basic supplies, you may already have lying around

Halloween went well last night and my thoughts are already on to Christmas. Yesterday while grabbing my last minute bags of candy, I spied one of those spiral type Christmas trees. I came home inspired and tried to recreate it. It didn't work.

I pondered on it all night, then this morning I had another idea. I still couldn't get the spiral like the Walgreens tree, but I came up with this alternative instead. As usual, my projects have to be made with whatever I have lying around and if you click the tutorial link you will see what I pulled from my recycling stash to make this.
*** See the link below for the inspiration for the tree topper.****

I wish I had a better camera...or...maybe could learn how to use mine. : ) One more thing to add to the
list.



Here is my supply list:

·         20 -25 (16 oz.) Plastic Water Bottles - Empty

·         1 (44 oz.) Styrofoam cup

·         1 (1 qt. carton) I used a Silk Milk Carton

·         1 Empty Soda Box or Similar thickness cardboard

·         Sand or Rocks

·         Scissors

·         1 can of spray paint

·         1 piece of metallic tissue paper

·         1 Tall/Wide Drinking Straw

The Tree Topper was made from an idea that I found on Homemade Ginger. She made a beautiful little flower arrangement based on an Anthropologie product. Thanks for the inspiration!!

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