Sew. Craft. Create.

DIY Stenciled Photography Backdrop

2013-05-20T23:01:06Z

We just bought our very first house (insert ‘Woot! Woot!’) and have been in a decorating frenzy ever since!

My upstairs bathroom is in desperate need of a FABULOUS shower curtain and I knew I wanted to make it myself. Cutting Edge Stencils was nice enough to send over the Chevron Allover Stencil. I grabbed an old white sheet and set to work. After completing it though, I decided it was the perfect photography backdrop for my sister’s baby shower {pics coming soon!}!

What you need:

Paint (colors used: red (I added white to make two shades of pink), Valspar Transit Pass, and Valspar Tranquility)

Roller Brush {I’m obsessed with this brush, I’m convinced the stenciling wouldn’t have gone as well without it!}

Painter’s Tape

Drop Cloth (There’s a piece of cardboard in my pic below, but I wouldn’t use it again. I’d rather have a smooth surface like a drop cloth).

Spray Glue (For painting walls they suggest you use spray glue on the stencil and then adhere it to the wall. I skipped this step because I wasn’t sure if it would leave my fabric sticky. It worked just fine.)

1.Tape your drop-cloth to the floor, make sure it is pulled tight and there are no wrinkles. Tape your fabric to the drop-cloth/floor (pull it tight, removing all wrinkles). Place your stencil onto your fabric and tape down all four sides. You don’t want the stencil to shift while painting. Roll a light amount of paint onto your roller and starting painting from the middle of the stripe (NOT the edge of the stripe! the excess paint will seep underneath the stencil. See picture above). Hold down the sides of the stencil as you paint over them.

2. Continue along your fabric. Match up the stencil and tape it down. Paint as you did before.

3. Matching up the stencil on subsequent rows is VERY easy. You just take the tiny triangle at the top of the stencil and match it up with the bottom of the zigzag on the previous row.

4. Continue until you’re done! I hung it to dry between each new set of colors.

5. Frankly, I was put-out at the thought of having to clean the stencil. That is, until I put it under the faucet. The paint peeled right off! There was some minor rubbing with my fingers but for the most part it came right off! Bonus!!

Here’s a sneak preview of the baby shower. Am I right or what?! CUTEST backdrop ever!! You’ll be seeing this a lot in the future.

I even had a new pic taken for my blog! That’s how much I love this backdrop!

Check back soon for baby shower pics!

-Heidi

New Hair Clips for Sale

2013-04-26T19:53:35Z

Hi Everyone! I’ve added more to the shop!

These adorable flower pieces are slightly off-white felt with a light pink heart in the middle.

5 inches across. Bobby pin on the back. Super durable and beautifully made!

SUPER SALE:

Add another headband from my shop for just $5! Regularly $15 each!

Specify which one you want when checking out.

Only 10! Grab one before their gone!

Everything ships for $2. United States only.

DIY Faux Wood – Dresser Upcycle

2013-04-24T22:02:51Z

THE HOW TO:

1) Tape the drawers to create an outline.

2) Paint one coat, let dry. Paint a second coat & remove tape. Wipe any areas that bled. Let dry for 24hours.

PREPARE YOUR GLAZE: MIX one part paint and 4 parts Martha Stewart Glaze.

Paint your drawers with a think layer of glaze. Hold the Wood Grain Rocker firmly, while maintaining pressure, drag it vertically through the glaze. Alternate between the wood grain rocker & the graining comb.

{picture courtesy of Home Depot}

Rolling the tool as you pull it down (see picture below). At the top (arrow) you start with one end of the rocker. By the time you reach the bottom the other end of the tool should be pressed against your drawer.

I removed the tape and let the drawers dry overnight.

Most of the drawer pulls were rusted beyond repair, so I opted to add new pulls. I got the white ones from Hobby Lobby. Then I added burlap ribbon for the remaining drawers. I thought it looked cool with the wood grain. I knotted one end and then inserted the new burlap through the holes, then I knotted the other end.

Nice thing about using burlap? It’s cheap and I don’t feel bad replacing it down the road if I want to.

What do you think?

Hope your day is going well!

-Heidi

Linking up at:

Skip to My Lou, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Making The World Cuter, The Girl Creative, Sew Can Do, The DIY Home Sweet Home Project, Today’s Creative Blog, Bloom, Someday Crafts, Sew Much Ado, Somewhat Simple, House of Hepworths, A Glimpse Inside, Tidy Mom, I heart Naptime, Thirty Handmade Days, Tatertots and Jello, Lolly Jane, Be Different, Act Normal, Lil Luna.

Up, Up & Away

2013-04-16T16:43:53Z

Personal moment alert: My heart is with Boston right now. We called it home for several years, 2 of my children were born there. We live 10 minutes from Boylston Street. Many of our friends are still there. I’ve attended the Boston Marathon in the past and cheered on the participants (friends and strangers). I’m truly heart-sick for my old home and the victims affected by this terrible tragedy. I’m praying for them.

_________________________________

I’ve been making artwork to hang in my kiddo’s room.

I currently have a major design crush on hot air balloons. Isn’t this picture awesome?

It’s going to double as party decor for my sister’s upcoming baby shower. I just need to find the perfect chunky frame for it! I’m thinking mustard yellow, white or grey/white striped {If you own a frame shop, contact me!}.

I’m also loving the Detailz Dies from Lifestyle Crafts.

You can cut & emboss at the same time. The dies also double as a stencil! Pretty cool.

I used the Party, Up & Away, and Labels dies.

I wanted the bunting to be a bit more colorful, so I used the Pennant Punches Die to cut out scrapbook paper to place over the bunting (1). Then I added foam glue dots to attach everything to the canvas (2). I wanted everything to look like it was floating.

I’m also loving the new magnetic cutting platform. It’s way easier to cut something now!

I also made this adorable heart board to hang in their room.

And nothing is complete without a picture of the boy that I LOVE!

{Stop chewing your lenses, Little Man #toomanyscratches}

Hope all is well!

-Heidi

DIY Yarn Bow Garland

2013-04-04T20:04:00Z

I love yarn. It can be made into the cutest things! This garland is no exception.

Here’s the tutorial! Grab yourself some yarn & scissors!

1-2: Wrap around your three middle fingers 30 times. Keep the yarn very uniform and straight.

3. Take the end of your yarn (from the ball) and wrap it a the center. Tie it loosely as shown.

4. Gently slide off fingers.

5. Tighten the yarn and knot it. Do not trim the end, you will use it later to tie a knot.

6. Wrap the yarn (still attached to the ball) around the center, keeping the yarn uniform and straight as you go.

7. When you’ve reached the desired center size, cut the yarn & tie a knot with the end that you left in step 5.

8. Step back to admire your handiwork! String them on to Baker’s Twine to make the cutest garland!

*Note: Because the yarn bows are heavier than the Baker’s twine they will not hang straight as show in top picture. I used glue dots on the back of the bows to attach them to the wall.

Now go make yourself one!

-Heidi

The Yarn Bow Garland was first seen on sew.craft.create. and is copyrighted. If you make one, please link back to my tutorial as the source for your inspiration ;)

Linking up at:

Skip to My Lou, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Making The World Cuter, The Girl Creative, Sew Can Do, The DIY Home Sweet Home Project, Today’s Creative Blog, Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee Craft Edition, Bloom, Someday Crafts, Sew Much Ado, Free Pretty Things For You, Somewhat Simple, House of Hepworths, A Glimpse Inside, Tidy Mom, I heart Naptime, Thirty Handmade Days, Tatertots and Jello, Lolly Jane, Be Different, Act Normal, Lil Luna.

Organizing my Craft Room

2013-04-01T20:10:03Z

Today I’m taking you on a short tour of my newly organized craft room.

For a long time my office was a hodgepodge of plastic bags and boxes. Each container was filled with a variety of craft supplies. Although clean, it was definitely NOT organized and much-needed supplies were difficult to locate. My husband, to his great credit, gently prodded me to find a more attractive way to store everything. Being the frugal-crazy that I am, I was convinced my ‘bag-lady approach’ was more than adequate.

Finally, I caved. Truth be told, I wanted a more organized, beautiful space too. After countless trips to Staples, IKEA and The Container Store I found everything I needed to create the space I wanted. One of my favorite organizers is the Wall Manager from Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery, available exclusively from Staples.

Why do I love it?

Several reasons: 1) I love that it comes in white; the perfect canvas to spruce up with some Washi tape & tags (though it’s also available in black, if you’d prefer), 2) I love taking advantage of barren walls to organize supplies and 3) I love how easy it is to mix & match the product to create the perfect piece.

The wall manager was also very easy to hang. The boards have built-in levels, so hanging ‘em straight is a breeze! Adhesive strips on the back keep it steady while you’re nailing it. After tapping a few micro nails into the provided holes, you’ve got the back boards in place. All that’s left? Sliding on the functional front boards.

I love the options! You can buy a magnetic white board or calendar. There are also cork boards and slots, used to slide on drawers, hooks, clips, etc. Customizing it to my needs was fun.

And I LOVE the file folders, boxes and drawers that I got to fill my book shelves.

And check out my cute pin and clips that I made for my Wall Manager.

After completing the process I stepped back and realized that the office, which had once been cluttered and unattractive, had become a beautifully organized space. Not only was it no longer an eyesore, it was sooo much easier to find everything! With labels galore and everything in its own place, I’m able to whip up projects more efficiently and I’m also happier to spend more time in there. I had finally created a space that I was happy to show off!

You’re welcome, hubby.

Want to win a $100 Staples gift card? Can I get a ‘Woot! Woot!’?

To be entered for a chance to win, just tell me:

How and where would you use the Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery Wall Manager products?

Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post “b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “”#SweepstakesEntry”"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post” c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 4/1/2013 – 4/30/2013 Be sure to visit Avery’s brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Summer Giveaway Series: Part 2

2013-05-20T07:23:16Z

Welcome to part {two} of our Summer Giveaway Series!

We just couldn’t let this giveaway end with only one set of awesome prizes- we want the Summer fun to keep on coming…

SO, we’re excited to share 3 more fabulous prizes

The ipad mini is everything you love about iPad — the beautiful screen, fast and fluid performance, FaceTime and iSight cameras, thousands of amazing apps, 10-hour battery life — is everything you’ll love about iPad mini, too. And you can hold it in one hand.

Giveaway Details…

It’s so simple to enter!

Giveaway open to readers who ‘Like’ these Facebook pages:

Then answer the questions in the form below to enter officially:

*This promotion is sponsored by the above specified bloggers and is in no way affiliated with Apple, Cannon, Pinterest, or Facebook. We hereby release Pinterest, Facebook, Cannon, and Apple, Inc. of any liability related to this promotion, the receipt of prize winnings, etc. The giveaway will run from Monday, April 29th at 12:01 AM MDT and ends Tuesday May 7th at midnight MDT. Once the giveaway ends, winners will be chosen using Random.org and contacted via e-mail within 24 hours. Winners will then have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open worldwide except where prohibited by law. Winners must be of full legal age in the jurisdiction in which they live. This group of bloggers are only responsible for sending out the prize. They are not responsible for loss, damage or theft once the prize is shipped. Participants will be responsible for any taxes, tariffs duties, etc. due upon delivery of the prize.

* Thank you to Clean Jewelry and Get Away Today for purchasing the prizes for this giveaway!

Summer Giveaway Series: Part 1

2013-05-20T07:23:39Z

Summer will be here before we know it…

And an amazing group of bloggers decided to team up together and give away some super awesome prizes to help make this Summer a little more fun!

In fact, these prizes are SO awesome that we need {TWO} giveaways to share all the fabulous-ness with you!

*The Canon 5157B002 includes the EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera and the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS type II Lens. This camera and lens is perfect for photographers ready to make the move to digital SLR photography. The EOS Rebel T3 delivers beautiful photos and video, speed, simplicity and fun. It features a 12.2 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor and Canon DIGIC 4 Image Processor for richly detailed images and quick camera response. It has Canon’s amazing 63-zone, dual-layer metering for accurate exposures and features Canon’s Basic+ function, HD video recording and Live View shooting, plus a convenient in-camera Feature Guide.

Giveaway Details…

It’s so simple to enter!

All you have to do is Follow all of the Pinterest pages below:

Then answer the questions in the form below to enter officially:

Stay tuned for part {TWO} of this awesome Summer Giveaway Series…

* Thank you to Clean Jewelry and Get Away Today for purchasing the prizes for this giveaway!

Winners Announced

2013-05-20T07:22:53Z

Thank you to everyone who entered our Summer Giveaway Series

Here’s a list of all the winners…

Canon Camera:

1) Michele Trobman

2) Sarah Rickett

3) Brenna Nelson

Universal Studios Get Away:

Andrea Dipper

ipad mini:

1) Stephanie Kingsley

2) Mallory Muntefering

3) Shannon Crabill

We hope all our lucky winners enjoy their fabulous prizes… Congratulations!

Please check us out on Pinterest if you haven’t had a chance

Please check us out on Facebook if you haven’t had a chance

We hope you have a fabulous summer,

Summer Giveaway Bloggers

Also, be sure to link up at my new linky party {here}! You may get free advertising!

Little L is way too cute!

2013-03-12T20:45:53Z

Finishing up some pictures I took of Little L.

Don’t worry Grandparents! Pictures of Miss M and Little Man are forthcoming…

they gang up on me when I take pics of them at the same time ;)

P.S. Loving the headband? You can grab one in my shop :)

-Heidi

Sew. Craft. Create.

DIY Stenciled Photography Backdrop

New Hair Clips for Sale

DIY Faux Wood – Dresser Upcycle

Up, Up & Away

DIY Yarn Bow Garland

Organizing my Craft Room

Summer Giveaway Series: Part 2

Welcome to part {two} of our Summer Giveaway Series!

SO, we’re excited to share 3 more fabulous prizes

*The ipad mini is everything you love about iPad — the beautiful screen, fast and fluid performance, FaceTime and iSight cameras, thousands of amazing apps, 10-hour battery life* — is everything you’ll love about iPad mini, too. And you can hold it in one hand.

Giveaway Details…

Summer Giveaway Series: Part 1

Summer will be here before we know it…

In fact, these prizes are SO awesome that we need {TWO} giveaways to share all the fabulous-ness with you!

Giveaway Details…

Stay tuned for part {TWO} of this awesome Summer Giveaway Series…

Winners Announced

Thank you to everyone who entered our Summer Giveaway Series

Little L is way too cute!

The ipad mini is everything you love about iPad — the beautiful screen, fast and fluid performance, FaceTime and iSight cameras, thousands of amazing apps, 10-hour battery life — is everything you’ll love about iPad mini, too. And you can hold it in one hand.