Etcetorize

Flower Power Pedal Pushers

2013-06-19T07:30:00.000-06:00

It's Kids Fashion Week here at Etcetorize and I am so excited to show you today's project! I'm so happy with how well this outfit turned out I'm thinking about making a larger version for myself!

I used this adorable pattern from Butterick:

Even though I actually bought this pattern from the fabric store (I usually just comb the second hand shops for patterns), it looks like Butterick has already removed it from their catalogue. Craziness considering how cute it is!

The fabric was part of my monthly bundle of supplies that I get from Wholeport. It's from the quilting section and was sent as a replacement for something else I had asked for. At first I had no clue what I was going to do with it. But I always say "Everything happens for a reason", and eventually inspiration struck me.

$12.60/metre at Wholeport!

I love Wholeport's cottons. They're great quality, wash nicely with little shrinkage, and many of them are 60" wide!

What do you think? Should I make an adult version for myself? Leave a comment below~

Girls Sundress

2013-06-18T07:05:00.000-06:00

Up next for Kids Fashion Week is a super cute little sundress that I made for my niece!

It's so hard for me to hold back and not just make a closet of these for her.

I picked up this great pattern at the second hand store. I liked it because it has so many great basic shapes and enough sizes that I can probably still use it next few summer seasons.

New Look 6195

I had a bit of cotton batik leftover from my summer tunic project. It was looking a little on the plain side when I was finished so I cut up a little doily and sewed it on the front for some embellishment.

My niece is just a little on the precocious side. Her mom had to give her a slightly wacky haircut recently because she got gum stuck in it. No matter what she did to get it out it was stuck. My niece doesn't really seem to care, so all's well that ends well I guess~

What's your favourite thing to make for kids in the summer? Leave a comment. If you have a link to a project make sure to add it~

Boys Shorts

2013-06-17T07:11:00.001-06:00

It's Kids Fashion Week here at Etcetorize! Everyday this week I'll share something I've made for one of the kids in my life.

Starting with my soccer playing nephew.

When he can't take goofball photos
he's a little at a loss as to what to
do in front of the camera~

This is absolutely the last I have of this camoflage fabric I picked up from the bargain bin. I think I got 2 or 3 metres at about $2/metre. It was 60" wide so I was able to get loads of projects from it. I think I got a pair of pants, a vest, a jacket, and a pair of shorts out of it.

Here's the pattern I used, an oldie but goodie from the thrift shop:

You can't see it but I used a drawstring elastic in the waistband. He grows so fast, I wanted to make sure these shorts would fit him for awhile.

I never really know what to make for boys clothing other than shorts and pants and jackets. Do you have any good sources or favourite patterns that you use for your little boy? Leave a comment below~

Easy Peasy Bangle Holder

2013-06-14T07:30:00.000-06:00

It's our last project of Recycle Week here at Etcetorize!

If you love big bulky bangles as much as I do then you'll also know how hard it is to store them when you're not wearing them. You can throw them in a (big) bowl or stack them up somewhere but inevitably they'll get scratched or come tumbling down just as your in a hurry to get ready to go out.

So, here's the easiest way to get them organized so you can see them all and pick your favourite quickly.

1) Start with a trip to your local thrift shop and pick up an old ugly mug holder.

If you can find one with some truly tacky stenciling then you're really lucky!

2) Give it a few coats of white paint (oops! forgot to take pictures of that step), and then drill a hole in the very top.

3) Add a cute but bulky knob to crown it.

And there you go!

Not only are you a little more organized, but you've saved something from the going to the landfill, or worse yet, from sitting on someone else's kitchen counter with ugly coffee mugs on display~

Easy peasy!

Hope you got some fun ideas from Recycle Week. Keep on reusing and reinventing the things you find around you~

Have a crafty weekend everyone!

Refashion Files

2013-06-13T15:35:00.000-06:00

We're talking about recycling this week...and do you know what my favourite kind of recycling is???? Refashioning! I love taking something out of my closet that I haven't worn in ages and making it into something new again.

Here are just a few refashion projects I've shared with you in the past.

You can find them all just by clicking on the tutorial tab up top.

Another great place to find awesome refashion ideas is Refashion Files!

It's a great place to submit your own refashion projects too! You can find all sorts of ideas for accessories, clothing, undergarments, even footwear! Check out these cutey patooty leggings for babies...they're a refashion!

Do you have more great refashion leads?!? Lead the way, leave a comment below so we can all visit~

Underbed Storage

2013-06-12T07:30:00.000-06:00

It's a good thing it's recycle week here at Etcetorize this week! I recently pulled out all of my summer clothes from storage and suddenly realized that I have WAY too much stuff!

What's a girl to do? Give away all her pretty summer clothes? Not yet....I made new storage!

I just cleaned up a couple of drawers from a discarded dresser that's out in the garage.

Gave them a few coats of nice white paint and some new knobs.

Pulled out my drill and electric screwdriver to add a few wheels on castors to the bottoms.

And voila! More space to ~~hide~~ store my clothes!

Warning! This is not a good place to store
your black turtleneck sweaters because
it also makes a cozy hiding place~

Which season do you have more clothes for? Summer or winter? My winter clothes take up just as much space but I think that's only because they're bulkier. Leave a comment, and let us know, how do you store your off season gear?

Old Man in the Garden

2013-06-11T07:30:00.000-06:00

I didn't make today's project but I have to share it with you anyway because it's an awesome example of recycling something that was just laying around.

This old guy was a gift from my neighbour who does wood carving from wood he finds. He guards my garden from unwanted trespassers (the statue, not my neighbour).

Who guards your garden? Do you have any special friends in your outdoor space? Leave a comment below~

Recycled Mirrors

2013-06-10T07:30:00.000-06:00

This week is all about recycling here at Etcetorize! Most of us have too much so let's look around the house, or the thrift shop, and see what we have that we can make useful again.

Starting with these super ugo little mirrors.

I guess if you like really yellowy goldy gold mixed with silver they aren't so bad.

I just couldn't think of a room in my house where I put them up though. So I painted them a few coats of white. (oops, sorry, I was having so much fun painting I forgot to take photos)

Then I used the mirror that was inside and used it to trace some pretty scrapbooking paper.

Throw it in the frame and it's a whole new and updated look that I'd be happy to put up somewhere in my house now.

When I get around to buying some ink for my printer, I'll print some pics off of my niece and nephew and print off some nice black and white photos to put inside.

What do you think? Do you have something laying around that just needs a fresh coat of paint? Leave a comment below and let us know what you're going to recycle!

Water Feeder

2013-06-07T07:30:00.000-06:00

Now that all of the snow has FINALLY melted and I can spend some time outside I got out my trusty Outdoor Mod Podge and set to work on this week's fun butterfly project.

This is a fun and easy project that comes in super handy if you're going to be away from home for more than a few days and don't want your flowers beds to dry out.

Here's what you need to make your own water feeder.

Materials:
-empty bottle
-Mod Podge and sponge brush
-Pretty paper shapes

Steps:
1) Clean out your bottle and remove any labels.

I just used lots of hot water and this little scrappy thing. If that doesn't work for you try using cooking oil~

2) Have all your shapes cut out and ready to go. I had all sorts of butterflies left over from my canvas project I showed you last year so I figured I might as well put them to use.

It's nice if you have different colours and sizes but the look is all up to you.

3) Paint on your first layer of Mod Podge, adding paper shapes as you go. Use your sponge brush to
make sure every little corner sticks down.

**Important! Remember that your feeder will be standing with the mouth of the bottle down, make sure you hold your bottle upside down while adhering your shapes so that their right side up when it's put to use. (Does that make sense???)

4) When your first layer is dry make sure to go back over the whole piece with a second layer to seal in all of your designs.

5) Once everything's dry, fill your bottle up with water and tip upside down into the soil where all your pretty flowers are.

Now you'll come home to full and well fed gorgeous planters!

What kind of flowers do you plant in your planters? Any favourites? I'm trying wave petunias this year! I can't wait to see how they fill out throughout the summer.

I hope you've enjoyed Butterfly Week and have found some inspiration in all of the fun and fluttery projects~

Butterfly Pins

2013-06-06T07:30:00.000-06:00

If you've hung out here for any length of time, you've probably figured out I have a small fascination with butterflies.

I'm not even sure why, because when I think about how they start out in life the whole thing sort of grosses me out.

In any case, I love the pretty colours, I love how they casually float across your path from time to time, and I love their magicalness (not a word, I know, but it's what they make me think of).

So, of course I had to have a pinboard devoted to butterflies.

What you might be surprised by though is that I only have a measly 26 pins. I'm pretty particular about my pins.

But have you noticed a new button at the top of all your board lately?!?!?!

If you hit that little "Find Pins" button you are automatically taken to loads more boards that are the same or similar theme as yours! This makes finding specific pics super easy!

I have a feeling my little butterfly board is about to expand, exponentially~

What's your most self-indulgent pin board? Is it baking? Home Dec? or some other guilty pleasure? Leave a comment, and a link, below!

Happy Butterfly Week!

Butterflies from the Past

2013-06-05T07:30:00.000-06:00

I was going to try to make another new butterfly project for you, considering it is Butterfly week here. But I've been on the road for work so much lately that it's been really hard to find the time.

So, instead, I'm going to remind you of some of my fun Butterfly projects from the past.

There've been a few~

Almost all of these projects come with step by step tutorials so click through here or head over to my Tutorial page to find out how to make all of these on your own~

Butterfly Gazing Ball

Fabric Covered Vase

Beadbuster Garden Ornament

Butterfly Travel Journal

Butterfly Mobile

Butterfly Canvas

Fluttering Butterflies Top

Butterfly Paper Lantern

More butterflies to come!

I hope you're enjoying Butterfly Week!

Butterfly Cupcake Picks

2013-06-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

Last winter while I was in hibernation and not leaving the house, I half-heartedly planned on creating another Etsy shop, focusing on handmade paper items. I went to town...for about a week, and then got tired of it all. That's just what winter does to me.

So, now I need to throw a party, or two, because I have more than a few sets of these cute little cupcake picks that I made.

I found unlicensed butterfly images on the web, printed them,embossed them, and cut them all out by hand. Then I used my Silhouette to cut out the medallions and inked the edges. I glued them all together on toothpicks and tah dah! The perfect addition to any cupcake!

These are high quality cupcake picks!
Even the backs are covered~

I also made photo corners and paper buttons for scrapbook/cardmaking embellishments. I still think it's a fun idea, but now that summer's here, and I've come out of hibernation, I just don't have time for the assembly line.

I LOVE this green set~

Maybe next winter~

Happy Butterfly Week!

Butterfly Board

2013-06-03T07:30:00.000-06:00

It's Butterfly Week here at Etcetorize!!!!

I picked this weird little piece up at the thrift shop ages ago.

The first time I saw it I thought it was interesting but put it back and the shelf and walked away. But I had to rush back the next day to grab it because for some reason I couldn't get it out of my mind.

It has some notes in German on the back and I'm sure the cute little pictures on the front tell some kind of folk story, but really, I don't know what it's all about.

I didn't want to lose the cute little pictures so I covered them up and gave the rest of it a new coat of white paint, covering up those stenciled vines.

Then I cut some pretty but fairly plain cardstock to cover the pictures and used some repositionable adhesive so that it wouldn't permanently damage the original pics underneath.

Then I got out my trusty Silhouette machine and cut some butterflies from some gorgeous paper, stuck them on, and voila!

I used the Butterfly Garland design
from Silhouette and then just stacked my shapes.

It's still a funny little piece but I love it. And no butterflies were harmed in the making of it~

What's the strangest thing you've picked up second hand? Tell us about it below~

Happy Butterfly Week!

Easiest Lace Skirt Ever!!

2013-05-31T07:30:00.000-06:00

Well, it's the end of Lace Week here at Etcetorize so I thought I'd finish up with a fun tutorial.

Here's what I started with at the beginning of the week~

See that lace to the left? Well, here's what it really looks like on it's own.

It's about 15" wide!

I originally picked it for my Wholeport shipment to make some sleeves on a pretty top but when I had it in my hands I could only see it as a pretty little mini skirt.

Here's what you need to make the easiest skirt ever!

Materials:
-Super duper extra wide lace and matching lining fabric
-standard sewing kit: sewing machine, pins, measuring tape, thread, scissors
-waist elastic

Steps:
1) The first thing you need to do is cut your lining to match your piece of lace. My lace is just under 1 metre long and about 15" wide. Consider this is size XS-S. If you're making a larger size you'll need a longer piece of lace. Just wrap it around your hips and add extra for a seam to figure out how much you'll need.

Pin your lace directly onto your lining fabric, one layer of each. I didn't even hem my lining because it won't fray. So, I lined up the bottom edge of my lace a little lower than the lining so that it won't show. Be generous with your pins so that everything doesn't slip on you.

2) Even out your lace and cut your lining at the same time. The top edge of my lace was pretty jaggedy so I gave it just a tiny bit of a trim. I couldn't afford to lose too much on the length of the skirt so I trimmed the least amount possible.

Don't forget to make sure that your ends are also straight and even too.

3) Keeping your lace and lining together, make a tube and stitch the ends together.

4) Set your skirt body aside and cut enough elastic to fit comfortably around your waist plus about a 1" overlap.

Sew the ends together.

I usually don't care what my stitching on my elastic looks like because no one can see it in a casing, but there's a chance with this skirt that people might catch a glimpse of your waistline so try to be tidy with your stitches.

5) Divide your elastic and waistline of skirt into fourths. Just pin directly across from your back seam, then bring those spots together and pin the ends again to find the fourths. Do the same with your skirt body. If you're making a larger size you may want to divide into eighths.

5) Now all that's left to do is to attach your elastic waistband to your skirt. There are lots of ways to do this but like I said up top, I didn't want to lose any length of fabric of my skirt towards my waistband so I attached the elastic on the outside, right on top of the fabric.

Match up the pins your marked with in step 4 on the elastic and the skirt, overlapping the fabric onto the back of the elastic about a half inch.

6) Use a straight stitch to sew the elastic onto the fabric, gently pulling the elastic as it glides under your presser foot. This will ensure a nice even gather.

Don't forget to remove all those pins that were holding your lace and lining together, because guess what?!?!! You're done!

I'm pretty sure my mini skirt wearing days are long behind me but I just couldn't resist making this cute little wardrobe staple. It's super easy to dress up and with a long light sweater you can wear it in the daytime too!

I hope you've enjoyed Lace Week! Don't forget, if you want to find your own lace pieces for awesome prices, just head over to Wholeport....or join their Sponsorship Program and you can get your own supplies for free too!

So, how old is too old to wear a short skirt? I know what all the magazines say but I want to hear what you think. Leave a comment below and let me know if I can pull this off or if it's something I need to give to a younger friend~

I Got a White Dress!

2013-05-30T07:30:00.000-06:00

If you follow me on Pinterest then you might have noticed that I have a board called "I Need a White Dress".

I don't really NEED one, I just thought it would be really nice to have one. For what occasion? I have no idea, but I still want one.

So, remember the pile of lacey things I got from Wholeport? I decided to finally make myself my white dress from that pretty white lace fabric above.

And here it is!

Sorry for the fuzzy photo.
I have something set wrong on my camera~

I ended up using the same pattern that I used for my latest LBD and my red dress but I altered it slightly.

I used bias tape instead of the facings, nixed the sleeves for a summertime look, and deleted the zipper in the back to a bit of flirtiness.

I have absolutely no idea where I'll wear this dress but I really like it.

You saw a sneak peek of this dress on
Tuesday with my sparkly crochet collar~

This lace is so soft and comfortable, no scratchiness whatsoever that you can sometime get with lace by the yard. I also love that it's not super duper blinding white but it's not ivory either. It's somewhere just over the line between the two.

Where do you where lace? Any ideas? Leave a comment below.

*This is a sponsored post however I did not receive any remuneration other than supplies and all opinions are my own.

Crochet Back Inset

2013-05-29T07:30:00.000-06:00

On Monday I showed you what I did with a front crochet lace inset that I got from Wholeport. I also received this awesome little piece too!

I guess you could put it in the front as well, but I decided it would look best as an inset on the back of a cute little summer dress.

I have loads of maxi dresses so I decided it was time for something a little more casual. I used the same basic tunic top pattern that I used on Monday but this time I lengthened it.

I used View C
but made it longer~

I used the same technique as the tunic from Monday. I just put the top together as usual, minus the back neck facing. I stitched on the inset and then did the side seams, armhole facings, and hem.

Make sure to overlap the shoulder seam
just a bit~

Once it's sewn down, trim the fabric underneath away~

It's a little plain in the front on it's own but it's easy to jazz up with a great necklace and my favourite sandals.

You can find this inset over at Wholeport.com for less than $2. Check out their Lace/Applique section for more fun pieces too!

What style do you like best for summer? Maxi dresses or short dresses? Leave a comment below~

*This is a sponsored post however I have received no remuneration other than product and all opinions are my own.

Crochet Collar

2013-05-28T07:30:00.000-06:00

Next up for lace week is the super cute sparkly crochet collar you see on top of my lace pile from Wholeport.

I love the sequins on it.

You could sew this directly onto a blouse or other top but in order to give you the most options here's the easiest thing to do.

Just add a hook onto the back corner! You don't even need an eye~

Now I can wear it with any top or dress I feel like.

You can find this item over at Wholeport for less than $2 each!

*This is a sponsored post however I did not receive any remuneration other than supplies and all opinions are my own.

Summer Tunic

2013-05-27T07:30:00.000-06:00

This week is Lace Week here at Etcetorize!! Take a look at all of the fun goodies that Wholeport sent me this month.

We're going to start with this awesome crocheted inset.

Only $1.99!

Don't you love the flowers?

It even has it's own built in closure!

I started with this pattern and some batik type cotton I had on hand.

I made View C but lengthened it.

I started by making the top just as I normally would but left out the front facing. Then I added the crocheted inset right on top.

Making sure to overlap the shoulder seam just a bit.

I stitched it on, cut away the fabric underneath and then completed the side seams, armhole facings, and hem as usual.

Tah dah! Super cute casual tunic to wear all summer long!

I was out in the garden so please ignore that green leaf
and my farmer's tan~

Come back tomorrow to find out what else I make with my Wholeport lace stash!

This project was featured here:

Spice holder

2013-05-24T07:30:00.000-06:00

I was putting my groceries away the other day and realized my box of crackers was empty so took it out of the cupboard to recycle.

Then I went to put some other things away and got frustrated with all the little spice packets everywhere.

Then I realized a funny coincidence....they were the exact same width as the cracker box!

So, you know I just had to make something with the box right then and there~

Here's what you need to make your own:

Materials:
-1 box
-pretty paper
-craft knife, pencil, ruler, and cutting mat (or scissors)
-glue and sponge brush

Steps:
1) Draw out the shape of your box before you cut. Measure about 2.5" from the bottom on one side and draw a line across.

2) On the opposite side, measure and draw a line about 4" up from the bottom.

3) On the sides, draw a diagonal line to connect the lines you've just drawn.

4) Now just carefully cut along all of your lines with a craft knife.

You should end up with something that looks like this:

5) Use your box as a template to cut out your paper, one for each side, including the inside.

6) Paint some glue onto the sides and adhere your papers.

And you're done!

It's a little thing but it makes me feel organized~

Anyone out there who actually knows how to cook probably doesn't use these spice packets, but I rely on them heavily. If you're like me...tell us how you keep the packets from spreading throughout your cupboard. Leave a comment below~

Fun Craft Projects Board

2013-05-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

I know you're all on Pinterest, and I bet you're probably following already following loads of crafts boards....but have you seen this one??

It's called Fun Craft Projects
by DIY Supplies

I received an invite to add pins a few weeks ago. I admit, it took me a couple of weeks to actually check it out but boy am I glad I did!

There are over 9,000 pins, which can be overwhelming, but guess what, there are over 10,000 followers. That means when you pin one of your awesome crafty projects here it's going to appear on over 10,000 feeds!! That's pretty exciting stuff.

It's a great way to bring some attention back to your own projects from the past and it's also an amazing place to get more ideas!

If you haven't received an invite yet just check out the board and then email the owners at pinterest{at}diysupplies {dot}org. I'm sure they'd love to add you as a contributor~

Boho Cardi

2013-05-22T07:30:00.000-06:00

I've been meaning to make this cute little cardi for ages but I wasn't sure about the fit, so I decided to try it with this fabric that my great aunt gave me ages ago instead of the special fabric I had set aside just for this project.

As much as I like this pretty border print, I'm glad I tried it first, because as it turns out the pattern does need just a bit of tweaking.

It's from the book Sewing in a Straight Line.

In the book they use a T-knit and either I didn't read the directions right or something's not quite right, because the front panels are just way to narrow. So, instead of adding bias tape to finish the front seam I ended up using some lace seam tape to add just a bit more width and interest.

Can you see the stork?

You can get a better view of the fabric here when I used it for my Mary Tyler Moore inspired top.

It's cute and very boho I think. It's quite a bit more colourful than anything else in my closet so it's a good departure for me. Sometimes it's a good thing to step out of our comfort zones~

This project was featured here:

Songza

2013-05-21T07:30:00.000-06:00

You guys know I'm not really with it when it comes to technology. There was a time when I always had the latest and great gadget but at some point I just opted out and didn't get into the whole 'I-anything' craze.

So downloading new music can be bit of a challenge for me. And then along came Songza!!

No downloading required! Just awesome playlists already compiled for you that you can pull up at any time.

What's really fun is that it helps you find music based on your mood! Just click on a few choices and it will take you to several "expert made songlists for every occasion".

When you choose the one you want there are similar lists handy in case the one picked just isn't working for you.

Best of all...it's free! There are no listening limits and so far I haven't run into any annoying pop-ups or ads.

So, if you're looking for something to soothe your nerves while you sew, wake you up while you're blogging about last night's creation, or just want a relaxing background soundtrack you should try this out!

Are you already on Songza? (I have been known to be a little behind on trends so I wouldn't doubt it if I were one of the last ones to know about this site) What are your favourite playlists? Leave a comment below and share!

*This is a not a sponsored post and I have not received any remuneration, I just think this is a fun website that you'll enjoy~

Last Minute Blouse

2013-05-20T07:30:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I sewed like a crazy person trying to get this blouse done before my next work trip. I got it done, and in the end didn't even take it with me!

I'm still not sure that I'm crazy about the fit but I really love the fabric so I'll give it a test run and see how it wears throughout the day.

This is the pattern I used, another steal from the thrift store (I don't mean that literally, I just love getting patterns for 50 cents!).

I think I'm going to try it with a stretch fabric and not do the side zipper. It might fit my body a bit better.

Have you ever sewed something up for a certain occasion and then changed your mind at the last minute? Why do we do that to ourselves? All the stress for nothing. Leave a comment and tell us about your last minute toss away projects~

Old School Trivet

2013-05-17T08:49:00.001-06:00

Like many of you, I have a stash of fabric that is waaaaay too big. Part of the reason is because I can't bring myself to throw away any scraps left over from other projects. So, I pulled out my half metre of cotton leftover from my dining room chairs makeover and decided to put it to good use~

This is such a simple project but I love it when I can put the things I make to really good use. Plus it reminded me of the kind of thing I used to see at church sales with my grandma when I was a kid so it brought back some good memories.

Here's all you need to make your own trivet:

Materials:
-.5-1 metre of cotton fabric
-scissors, thread, needle
-optional: thimble (not shown)

Steps:
1) If you're new to working with fabric this first step might scare you a bit but just go for it, once you start you won't want to stop.

You're going to make strips of fabric from your cotton by tearing it on the grainline. Just cut an inch two perpendicular to the selvedge of your fabric. I made my strips 2.5" wide.

Make sure to start with a straight
torn edge so that your strip
will be an even width throughout.

2) Now just pull the fabric apart and it should tear easily, and straight, along the grainline. It might look like it's crooked compared to your print, but trust me, the fabric itself will be straight.

I made 6 strips but you can make any multiple of three that you want. The more you make the bigger your project will be and the more hand sewing you'll have to do. (3 strips makes a nice little coaster size piece.)

3) Start with 3 strips of fabric by folding the ends into a T shape and securing with a few stitches.

Ideally you should use a matching colour of thread.
This lovely lilac was on my machine though
and I was too lazy to change it.

4) Now just braid your strips together, folding in the raw edges as best you can as you go.

5) If you want to add more strips of fabric to make your braid longer just weave them in near the end of your first set. When you're happy with the length of braid you have, secure it with a few hand stitches.

6) Now just coil your braid into a circle, hand stitching on the BACK or bottom of the piece as you go.

There will be a top and bottom (or front and back). Keep your stitches to one side and don't worry too much about how it looks under there. Do be careful not to let your piece take on a bowl shape though. It will curve a tiny bit and that's OK but try your best to keep it somewhat flat.

7) When your done, just fold the ends to the bottom and stitch down. Now steam the heck out of it and will flatten right down.

Steam your glasses up if you have to~

And now you have something to set your hot pots and bowls on when making dinner tonight!

(This photo was taken before I steamed it)

It's such an easy project and easy to do. In fact I did most of my hand stitching while watching bad TV shows throughout the week. I didn't use a thimble but I sure wish I had. Depending on your cotton there may be some bits that are harder to push your needle through than others and a thimble will save your tender little fingers from bearing the brunt of that work.

Of course, I still have some fabric left over and I haven't thrown it away so now I'll have to come up with another scrapbuster to use the rest of it up once and for all~

On another note, the snow has finally melted here and now I can get outside to do some gardening and get some fun outdoor crafts done!!! I have loads of fun ideas planned for the coming weeks so I hope you'll keep stopping by to check them all out.

Have a crafty week everyone!

DIY & Crafts

2013-05-16T07:30:00.000-06:00

If you follow lots of DIY and crafting boards on Pinterest you may have noticed more than a few pins from this site lately:

DIY & Crafts is another fun submission site that highlights the best from the web in the areas of decorating, fashion, health, home, homemade, lifehacks, and repurpose.

Some of their more popular posts include:

As you can tell, it's kind of a wide range, which is fun because you never know what you'll find there.

They comb the web looking for awesome projects to promote but you can also submit your own projects in case they've somehow missed you.

According to their Pinterest page, everything they post comes with step by step instructions...so if you like to share tutorials this is an excellent place to get more exposure.

Have you ever been featured on DIY & Crafts? Have you ever visited the site before? Leave a comment and tell the rest of us all about it!