Barefoot Sewing & Crafting

Never Again-Again! Chair Reupholstered

2015-12-29T15:53:00.001-08:00

I have done many DIY projects trying to save money, only to meet with serious challenges. I have vowed "NEVER AGAIN" too many times. This time-I mean it!

Many months ago I purchased five old, worn out chairs form a place called Provisons Thrift Store. These chairs came from a retirement home, and they were pretty gross. This was my first time attempting to recover more than just a cushion, and it was challenging. Mainly because of the awful staplers I used at first, and the fact that I relied on YouTube videos for all my -how to- knowledge. I was clueless, but willing-at first.

The finished product is not great, but it will do-for now.

We moved into a new house that is twice the size as our starter home. We have a lot of space to furnish and a tiny budget. So I can't help but try to make something out of nothing.

I started by cleaning the chairs. Then I chalked painted the wood pieces a Colonial White.

The arms were pretty beat up. I didn't sand them or anything. I just prayed to the chalk paint gods to fulfill the no prep promises!

I had to give the wooden pieces three coat.

But it looks good. So good in fact, that I reconsidered distressing it.

I did not remove the old fabric on the seat or the front of the backrest. I did have to remove the panel from the back of the chair.

I did cover the seats in batting. I'm not sure I'd do it that way if I had it to do again.

This was the state they stayed in for nearly two months! My husband was ready to put them on the curb, and I objected only very little, but we settled for the garage.

I finally dug them out of the garage to finish what I started. I hate when a project beats me, so I refused to give up.

I traced the back panel-not that it did me much good. The backs panel is the reason I will never reupholster again. Aye yie yie! I can't even talk about it.

I do like the finished product, but I don't love it. However, it will have to do until we can find the perfect fit.

Happy Fall Y'all

2015-09-26T16:23:00.001-07:00

So here is another pinspiration. Our fall door decor using things I had around the house.

I used an embroidering hoop, an old brown sheet, orange ribbon, some greenery stems, a black permanent marker, and the orange flowers I bought for a dollar in the spring. I spent two dollars on the wreath today and didn't even use the products I purchased. Most of the materials were purchased at thrift stores long ago for nearly nothing.

It took me longer than it should have because I had to rewrite the saying over and over because my free hand is lacking!

I happy with the results and the price :)

Spring Bloom Hair Clip

2015-02-15T10:29:00.001-08:00

I love quick, cute, easy crafts. These Spring Bloom hair clips took five minutes to make. Five minutes for all ten! And that's only because the glue needed to dry before I could close the clip. All you need to make these are cute flowers (use the size of you choice), hair clips and hot glue.

These paper flowers were only a dollar a pack at my local craft store, and the clips were two dollars at CVS.

I MADE ten hair clips in five minutes. I know some little girls that would look super cute wearing these!

Big girls can wear them too.

I only use ten flowers. I still have 26 to use for other crafts. So if I were to do the math, that's less than 25 cents each.

Make some they're fun.

Candylipz

2015-01-11T05:04:00.001-08:00

So I don't usually do beauty posts, but this product really surprised me. It's called candylipz, and it's supposed to give you that bee stung, pouty lip. I've always had a pencil thin top lip. It bothered me a lot when I was younger, but as I have matured, I've come to appreciate it more. However when I saw this product on tv, I decided to give it a try; just for kicks. Before I purchased Candylipz, I went on YouTube and the Candylipz site to read all the reviews and watch the videos. Here is a link to the site http://candylipz.com

Here are the results after 2 minutes.

No make-up.....

I used the candylipz Model A, it's the double lobed bottom lip version, mainly because I wanted the cute case.

It comes with all sorts of goodies. The packaging is incredible; great marketing!

It definitely worked, and I didn't get any bruising, but I wanted to keep going which is NOT recommended in the beginning, but what can I say, I'm a rebel.

Again, no make-up, but I did have to put lip gloss on because my lips felt dry. This was after a total of 4 minutes including the previous 2. You can see a little bruising above the top lip now, but who cares....my lips are HUGE! The results last a couple of hours, but it's now the morning after, and my lips are still a little bigger than normal. You can condition you lips, and the more you use the product the longer your lips will stay pouty. This was loads of fun, and heck yeah I'm gonna keep using it! I would definitely reccommend it :)

Kick Your Feet Up and Have a Cup of Coffee

2014-11-10T16:25:00.001-08:00

Our coffee maker broke recently, and we decided to get a Keurig. The box it was shipped in is pretty sturdy. It's a box inside a box really. So that got me to thinking. We can always use another footstool. I decided to use some rope that had been sitting around the garage since April to wrap around the box. Rope footstools are durable and match any decor.

I just used the box, some rope (Blue Hawk, 122lb) and a hot glue gun.

The hot glue worked like a charm. The extra rope from the garage was used up pretty quickly. I had to run to Lowes and purchase three more packs of rope.

It took nearly 100 glue sticks, 250 feet of rope, three hours, and I can't forget, 1 pink glue gun. I am so proud of my little $5 glue gun. She was a real trooper.

It was a bit tricky at times, and the rope lines are a little wavy, but all in all, I'm pleased with the result.

It's strong enough for me to sit on but too itchy to sit for long. The rope on top is level, except for the very center where I had to squish the rope tightly for full coverage. It's just a little more raised. It will easily hold a glass.

If you can find one for $30 or less, buy it! This one required about $40 of rope. I could have just covered it in fabric. That would have cost a lot less. But fabric shows dirt and wear quicker than rope. This little treasure will last.

Reversible Wrap Skirt

2014-07-29T14:58:00.001-07:00

I decided to make a reversible wrap skirt using continous fabric instead of the three panel version from the pattern in the previous post. I have had this really cute yellow, gray and black fabric for many years and this project was a perfect opportunity to use it.

I used my previously made skirt as a pattern. I added 5/8 seams allowance to each side but not to the hem. I wanted this skirt to be a little shorter.

First I used a black band to make the tie. I just didn't like it. So, I ripped it all out and made a gray tie instead.

I like the gray much better.

The floral side is my favorite, but the dots side is cute too.

One Hour Wrap Skirt (Yeah, Right!)

2014-07-27T11:56:00.001-07:00

Wrap skirts are super easy to make, but don't be fooled by the 1 hour promise on the front of the pattern. The one hour usually refers to the actual sewing time. It doesn't include cutting or tracing the pattern, cutting the fabric, all the pinning and repinning and let's not forget the ironing. If you decided to make modifications, which I almost always do, add a little time for that too.

It may take longer than an hour, but it's totally worth it. It is so cute and comfy! I'll be making more. I'll also be making more adjustments.

Some people can just whip fabric into anything they imagine or desire. I don't possess that gift and always rely on a pattern regardless of how easy the project is.

Maybe one day I will trust myself enough to go all free style on some groovy fabric.

I'll just keep sewing until that time comes. New school year wardrobe here I come :)

Just some pix fro Little and Big Talbot Islands

2014-05-19T14:07:00.001-07:00

We had a great weekend hiking and biking on Talbot Island near Jacksonville Florida. This place is a gem. Just remember to bring the bug spray. On Saturday we hiked. The wooded dunes we beautiful, but the Mosquitos were a buzzin. The beach was beautiful and the water was clear and cool.

The deadwood is spectacular.

Someone had even created a hut using the deadwood.

We saw starfish and many stunning shells.

There were broken sand dollars every where.

Pretty!

We found many like this.

This section of the beach was unpopulated. It was a bit of a hike for sun seekers.

The next day we biked to Boneyard Beach.

Most of the path is paved.

You turn off the paved path to a natural surface path and Boneyard is less than half a mile down.

Be careful if you're biking. The trail drops off quick.

Our bikes on the drop off.

Dead trees are everywhere.

They are bleached and weathered.

There are loads of great shots.

It is a quite place. There were a few other groups of people there at the same time as us.

Every tree is a little different and interesting.

There is even an old rusty dingy.

I have lived in Jacksonville for over ten years and this was my first visit.

My husband and I will definitely go back. We still need to bike and hike a couple more trails. And we can't forget all the kayaking and paddle boarding opportunities! I highly recommend this park.

Salt Dough

2014-04-27T06:12:00.001-07:00

For some reason I have a hankering to play with salt dough today, but I can't remember which recipe I used to get the whiter finish. The love tokens and the charms were both made over a year ago using different recipes.

The charms came out a better shade of white. They are thinner than the tokens, and they were allowed to air dry for many days. The love tokens were place in a low heat oven. Maybe that was the difference.

I want to make pretty salt dough bowls.

I want to get good spring pastel colors when I make them. Does anyone have any tips for whiter dough? Thanks in advance :)

Oh no! They're Multiplying...

2014-04-18T18:48:00.001-07:00

Bunny #1 and #2

The bigger bow works better. Flowered would look great too. I have a couple more started with eyelashes. These make be a bit addictive!

Felt Bunny and Such

2014-04-18T14:11:00.001-07:00

It is a rainy Good Friday. So once again I had to keep myself busy with easy indoor activities. I decided to get into the Easter spirit by making this cute little bunny. It is a pinspiration. There are loads of adorable bunnies there.

I just drew a rudimentary pattern, found a 25 cent of felt and some embroidery thread and got started.

I must say that it turned out much better than my three little piggies!

Here is my basic bunny pattern.

I think I'll make a few more :)

Another Rainy Day

2014-03-29T12:13:00.001-07:00

It is raining again! North Florida has had its share of gloomy weather this Winter, and Spring isn't starting off any better. Rain, rain, go away! I'm stuck inside, and I don't want to make a big crafting mess. I've decided to color some pages in a book I've never read and never will.

The Search for Sunshine

2014-03-19T14:57:00.001-07:00

This week is Spring Break. Woohoo! Not really woohoo, more like wahwah. It has been cloudy, cold and grey in Jacksonville, Florida. Sunday was the last time I saw even a sliver of blue sky. So today I decided to hop in my car and drive south until I saw sunshine and blue skies. 100 miles! Let me say that again. 100 MILES! I dove down state road 17 and finally found what I was looking for 100 miles from Jville. On a whim I took a turn for DeLeon Springs Park. I had not heard of it before, but boy am I glad I discovered it.

It's a beautiful little park with a sweet spring head. It's a great place for swimming, and many people were doing just that.

It had a spectacular restaurant on site with delicious home cooked meals, or you can choose to eat from the take away window which is what I did. The tuna sandwich was huge. Apparently they bake their own bread, and the bread was baked big.

I took an hour long boat tour. I saw bunches of wildlife. There were gators, herons, turtles, fish jumping, and even a manatee, but most important there was sunshine and blue skies. It was a fantastic day.

On the way back to Jville I stopped at an interesting shop selling yard art.

I also had the opportunity to stop at the fern fields. I have always wanted to take pictures of these places. They are so serene and peaceful.

I finally arrived back in Jville and grey skies :(. Oh well. The sun'll come out tomorrow.

1st Grade Common Core-Close Reading-Gradual Release...........

2013-10-24T15:28:00.001-07:00

This week in 1st Grade Reading we are working on describing story elements-R.L.1.3. I'm using the book, Mean Jean The Recess Queen. I'm focusing on Katie Sue and her character traits for the I do and the We Do. The students will do Jean for their You Do. This is difficult because I am getting a lot of "nice" and "kind" even after I have taught the character traits on the anchor chart. So for Jean's traits I am expecting to get a lot of mean, rude, bully when I really want violent, spiteful and conceited.

We talked about each word and how it is different from nice, kind, mean and rude.

The previous lesson covered finding evidence in the book to help support our decisions about a character's traits.

Today we practiced using Character Traits other than nice or mean. Students talked with each other to decide on a trait or two or even, for some, three. Only three students out of 35 put evidence from the book to support their decisions on their post it and kind was the trait with the most stickies. More practice needed!

Here are my concerns:

There is a three day weekend in between the We Do, and the You Do. -Gradual Release

With only one book how can I expect students to work independently to pull evidence directly from the book? Make 35 student copies?-Close Reading

Am I expecting too much? Should I accept nice, kind, mean, rude?-this is my 1st year in 1st grade-I came from 4th grade

Sometimes I feel like the We Do is just a repeat of the I Do-I teach, we talk, we practice. I model and do think alouds. We need two days of I Do, We Do as a combo.

JUST THINKING OUT LOUD!

Finally Finished 2nd Regency Style Dress

2013-10-06T10:23:00.001-07:00

This sweet little dress has been on my dress form for over two years with the bodice hanging loose, no buttonholes, buttons or hem. I decided to spend a couple of hours on it this weekend to finish it off. It doesn't fit me just right in the, ahem, bosom. I mistakenly cut the pattern a cup size too small. That's why it was neglected for so long.

I found a short length of navy grosgrain ribbon to tie around the empire waist.

The ribbon is tied on a bit crooked, not to mention too short, but that is easily remedied since it's not stitched on.

Three large navy buttons close the dress in the back.

Because it doesn't fit me, I'm going to sell it on eBay. Hopefully, it will sell to a Jane Austen fan. This is a pic of the dress before I sewed the blind hem. I am 5'4, and the length is perfect for me. There is about 4 inches that could be let down in the length if necessary.

I hope this cutie finds a good home!

Pretty Pretty Pyrex

2013-07-29T15:35:00.001-07:00

I went thrift store shopping and could not resist these pretty Pyrex casserole dishes.

They are yellow and orange with daisy lids. As far as I'm concerned, they are perfect for three seasons. Spring, Summer, and even Fall suppers will be suitable for these pretty little dishes.

I paid more for them than I usually like to spend, but I could sell them for double what I paid.

They stack away nicely.

The same weekend, I also purchased a beautiful white Pyrex mixing bowl and 1 cup Pyrex measuring cup. These are the first pieces of Pyrex I've ever bought or owned.

I know people love the blue, pink, and turquoise pieces, and so do I,but these are great too. They are just so jolly!

I think they will get plenty of use in the Cary house.

Pyrex is not an easy thrift store find. I will buy any piece I ever find, and if it is not my taste, I'll sell it for a profit online. So if you see any Pyrex at thrift stores or yard sales, snatch it up! You won't regret it. Just look at the sales on Etsy or eBay.

As Good As It Gets

2013-07-16T16:55:00.001-07:00

The gate is as good as it gets. I worked on it from Wednesday to Saturday, and then waited through numerous summer showers to get it painted. I like it, but I loved our old gate. It was a home for moss, ivy, and loads of colorful lizards.

Like this little guy.

All the beautiful ivy and moss.

Whatever small but mighty beast formed that gossamer web.

But as much as we loved the old gate it just didn't function. We tried repairing it many times. In the in we were resorting to zip ties and plastic nuts fabricated for old coffee containers to keep it together. So, it had to be replaced to keep our sweet Maggie Mae safe!

It was a lot of work, and I'm glade it's over.

Digging 2 feet holes through a multitude of roots.

Getting the post set.

Hinging the gates was a two person job, and I needed to go to confession after all the flowered language I used in the process.

The finishing touches....Hardware!

"Now it just needs paint," say the little supervisor in the window.

DONE!!!

Blisters Abound

2013-07-10T14:58:00.001-07:00

I spent my day building a gate. It's a double gate and I only completed one side.

Looks easy right?

It took forever-mainly because of the comer kit I purchased.

Never buy this!

It came with the cheapest screws! Every single one stripped out. I tried using the drill and hand driving, and I pre-drilled every hole. Still, the screws stripped! Hand driving worked better but also caused blisters upon blisters which busted and leaked before I had even finished the first corner. So, I think I will rest tomorrow and build the second gate Friday or maybe even never!

Second gate lumber... aka fire wood!

Because of my insatiable need to be constructive and creative, I keep making the same stupid mistake over and over! What's the lesson I should learn but never do; PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT! Geesh

Shady Craft

2013-07-02T15:00:00.001-07:00

So, like many, I'm am addicted to Pinterest. I saw this great project for organizing sunglasses, and since I had all the supplies on hand, I decided to give it a try.

Two canvases, some fabric fat square, ribbon and a staple gun.

It's as easy as it looks, and works like a charm to organize your sun glasses.

Now I need to hang them on the wall or, I could just lean the on my entry table.

It too, a total of 5 minutes. I like easy, functional crafting :)

Hut, Hut!

2013-07-02T13:45:00.001-07:00

A while back I watched Paul Elkins video http://youtu.be/hG0aRjKDnKo about building a hut out of corolplast and decided to try it myself here is the result. http://youtu.be/UJkckjvPJcM Most of you have probably seen it on Facebook already, but here it is again :)

I started with 5 sheets of 4x8 corolplast.

I creased and folded a piece for the floor, and arched the roof/walls.

The I added the end panels, cut the door, and zip tied it all together. See the video for a more finished version.

Less than a days work and under $100.

Schools Auction

2012-01-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

I spent most of this weekend making things for our school's auction-like I need an excuse to craft. I found a pink gingham memo board at my local thrift store. It was really cute, but I decided to recover it for a more sophisticated look. To keep it young, I added some yellow accent flowers. They are easy to remove if someone would prefer it without the punch of yellow which I happen to adore.

I also found some plain photo boxes and jazzed them up with ribbon and the yellow flowers. The good news, again, is the flowers are also easily removable from the photo boxes. They are attached with Zots, and only attached to the metal label holder.

These Scrabble Tile Frames were super easy to make, if you don't consider that I unintentionally burned my fingerprints off with all the dag um hot glue. Ouch!!! These frames did not come with glass, so I think it would be nice to use double sided tape to attach pictures to the card stock matting.

Finally, I bought the 3 little photo/memo holders for just a few bucks at my local craft store. I hope it auctions for big bucks!

CLICK ON PIX FOR A BETTER LOOK :)

I decided to add some close ups! :)

Photo Boards

2012-01-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

I finally put some photos on a photo board I purchased from a thrift store for $1.99. It looked so good, I decided I wanted a couple more. I searched the thrift stores with no luck, so I thought, "What the hay! I like it so much I will buy a couple brand new from Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond." Well these things are much more expensive brand new. $25.00 to be exact. I decided to just make them. I figure it couldn't be that hard, and.......I was right. I made two in less than 2 hours. Luckily I had most of the supplies on hand. I did have to buy the boards from Lowes. They were less than five dollars each.
I had spray adhesive, an old yoga mat, button blanks, fabric, ribbon and batting on hand in my craft closet. This is a bit of a backwards tutorial or picture diary. Work your way up from the end of this blog post to get an idea of the process.

Here are the finished products. I just need to add photos.

They are larger than the inspiration board, but I like them just as much.

Yay, here they are.

The glue works :)

Super glue the button on to cover the staples.

Covered button blanks.

Cutting the fabric to cover the buttons.

Before the tufting staples.

All ribbons are in place.

Second ribbon in place.

The first ribbon just cuts from corner to corner. Easy Peasy!

Just staple the ribbons on to the back of the board.

I used an old yoga mat and batting to give a little cushion to the boards. Spay adhesive helps keep them in place.

Sand the cut corners.

Cut the pointed corners with a small hand saw. This was much easier than I thought it would be.

This project required thin, light weight plywood boards, scissors, fabric, ribbons, button blanks, a staple gun, small hand saw, spray adhesive, and old yoga mat.

Button blanks purchased at a thrift store over a year ago for very cheap.

I had planned on making three boards, but the yoga mat provided only enough material for two.

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Redecorated Dining Room

2011-08-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

This beautiful dining room inspiration picture came form Better Homes and Gardens online. I fell in love with it and thought I'd give it a try. I worked on it in between NASCAR race trips, vacations and work training/seminars this summer. I did a little bit of sewing and a lot of shopping at my favorite kinds of places-thrift & antique stores.

Our room is now about 85% complete and still a work in progress. I decided to share the pictures now, because I just broke ANOTHER camera. This one was less than a week old. (I really need to start using the little wristlet that comes as a saftly feature.)

The list of things we need to do: Dustin and I still need to create or purchase some artwork - I need to sew one last slipcover - We need to add sconces near the buffet for better lighting - Another rug needs to be added in front of the buffet.
The biggest challage is the paint color. We are still debating the color for the walls. I bought several quart samples of greys, but I'm scare to even put those on the walls.
Okay so maybe not 85% complete, but more that 50% surly?!

These picture don't quit look like the one above, but it's getting there. This room looks much nicer in person than it does it picuters......not only do I break cameras, but I'm not very good at using them either.

The material for the slipcovers are from sheets I purchased at local thrift stores. The flowers are so bright and cheery :)

The Dairy glass on the middle of the table came from inside the walls of our kitchen. When we renovated the kitchen in 2006, Dustin found it sitting inside the wall covered by 70 years of plaster. I'm glad we can display it.

The floral picture and mirror need to be hung on the walls, but with school starting back who has time?

The curtains are actually table cloths hung using those little rings and clips that you can purchase anywhere. The placemats were also found at a local thrift store for less than three dollars, I'm sure.

The Blue Willow dinner ware was a gift from my mom years ago. I'm glad they are no longer behind closed cabinet doors. The crocks were purchased at antique stores and thrift stores. Some where more expensive than others.

The buffet and hutch was a craigslist purchase and a great deal! The two red chairs were given to us by Dustin's mom. I painted them red. Betty don't kill me after you read this.

When the look is complete I will post more pictures; That is if I can stop breaking cameras.

Junkin' on a Wednesday

2011-07-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

Well I decided to go thrift store shopping the morning, but got a little lost on the way to a new one. Anxiously turning down unknown residential streets, in a not so sparkling neighborhood, I came upon a heap of items thrown out in the front of a house. There were some big ticket items like a ban saw, a table saw and some other extremely large wood working tools. It would have taken two Incredible Hulks to lift and load those items so I focused on the stuff I could carry myself.

I found these ramps.

This small cage needs to be cleaned out!

I also found this pen. It's in great shape, but has a few unwelcome inhabitants; SPIDERS!!! Luckily a neighbor came out to help me load it. He said he was happy to see the pile get smaller. He also told me that the house was in foreclosure. He never cared for his neighbors because they were "strange". In fact, he said that in the large pen these strange people had kept a defanged rattle snake. YIKES!!!!

Overall, I am happy with these free items, but my husband may feel differently........

Upcycled Bed Sheets Become Blinds and a Braided Rug

2011-04-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last summer I purchased three king sized, white, flat bed sheets for two dollars each. That's a bargain especially considering the prices of new fabric these days! I thought I could use the sheets in various sewing projects.
I was making a set of blinds for my dining room and needed a white backing fabric. The sheets worked perfectly, or half of one sheet worked perfectly. The blinds were super easy to make. I just cut the inner and outer fabric pieces to size, sewed them together, sewed two ribbon ties for each blind and sewed a pocked for the tension rod. I found the tension rods at the Thrift Center for $1.99 each. Not bad considering they are $6 brand new. The black and white fabric was given to me by my very generous mother-in-law. In the future I plan on using sheets for the decorative fabric as well.

The total cost of these blinds was about $5 altogether!

There is no fancy dancy system to lower and raise these blinds. I simply roll them up to the desired length and tie them up with the ribbon. It works just fine.

One up, one down :)

Both up, the usual position.

The color scheme for my dining room was to be black and white that way the accent colors could be changed with the seasons. I had the blinds made so the next order of business was a rug. Well my dining table is a small, round, black table with four black chairs. I decided that a round rug would be really cute in the small space, so I started pricing rugs. YIKES!!! Rugs are expensive.

I researched the web for easy rug ideas and found a tremendous amount of information and inspiration. I decided to make a braided rug out of the remaining sheets using this tutorial from craftpassion.com. Check it out if your interested. It is much more informative than this post :) I ripped the sheets into two and a half inch strip that ran the lenght of the sheet. Then I braided all the pieces together. I ended up with a small, heavy bundle of braided sheet.

The next step was to sew the braids into a circular rug. I started sewing the braids together by hand, but in the middle of a Florida summer that is a HOT job, so I used my machine for this and I doubt it will ever forgive me :) My shoulders were also very upset. The bigger the rug gets the heavier and more cumbersome it becomes.

I broke the sewing up by doing just a little bit each day.

The rug is not finished because it does not cover all the floor space under the table.

It has been a long process because I was hired for a very demanding teaching job while working on this project and it was put on the back burner for months. I hope to finish it this summer. I need at least two more sheets to finish the rug. In the end I will have spent maybe ten dollars on the whole project but a whole lot of time. This doesn't bother me because I am more than happy to have more time than money :)

Other helpful rug making sites: http://www.modabakeshop.com/2009/02/braided-rag-rug.html

http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2010/02/rag-rug-tutorial.html

http://vintagechica.typepad.com/the_life_and_times_of_thi/