Vintage Valentine Tree

I have a white tree I have out at Christmas, and this year I decided to turn it into a Valentine Tree.  It's something I'll add to as I find the right cards at antique stores as I'm out and about, so it's just the start, but it's  a great way to display the few Valentine's I had already, an get a few more months out of my tree.  

 I had some white felt balls already, and I used some pink thread and felted some hearts and made a little garland for the tree.

 I collected a few more Valentine cards this year, I love the Mechanical Cards with moving parts.

 I want to add more garlands etc, but I'm trying not to rush the process and just let it grow through the years.

 I bought some little heart clips on Amazon I'm using to clip the cards to the tree so they aren't damaged.

Princess Baby Gift

 One of my good friends just had baby #4...and it was a girl.  She has three adorable boys, so we are all pretty excited they get a sister.  She also happens to be a Disney fan.  I went on a hunt for Disney themed gifts, and then made a few crafts to go with them.  I found this romper on eBay.  Her favorite movie is Snow White.  Then I made a little felt bow using this tutorial.  I also bought some elastic baby headbands from eBay.

 She named her baby Aurora Rose after Sleeping beauty, so I had to do a pink theme.  I made this name banner and a onsie with her name on it using my embroidery machine.

 I found a mirror rattle on Amazon and a little crown clip at Hobby Lobby.

I made a few other bows and sent this off.  Incidentally, this was the second package I've sent in less than three weeks...I'm all about the spoiling.  

Faux Flowers

I did a segment recently on Good Morning, Texas....and I didn't have a lot of time in advance to share the tutorials before I brought them to the set. However, I had some time to snap pictures of the trays with the step by step projects before they carried my table out to the set.

Sneak peak-this is my table sitting in the room that is behind the studio.  If I'm not in the first segment, a lot of times my table gets carried out during the comercial break.  

 Since it was in the heart of summer, I did faux flowers that can stand the heat and don't need water.  One thing I did was painted rocks.  I bought these at Michael's (near the bags of marbles).  I painted them different shades of green and then used a paint pen to mark on the 'needles.'  I put them in a little pot with some Spanish moss from the dollar store when I was finished.

I also made some felt flowers.  For the center I folded over a strip of felt and glued the cut edges together.  I then snipped on the fold about halfway down.  I rolled it up, adding a little glue as I went.  

 I then took some felt and cut in a spiral, but did a little 'bump'.  I glued this around the fringed center and added these to a cute arrow I had found at Hobby Lobby.
Last up-paper succulents.  I cut 3 leaves of five different sizes into a tear drop type shape.

                                                                                                                     

I cut the end about 1/3 up the leave and then overlapped the cut edge a little and glued it together.  

Then I glued each of the three same sized leaves together and then stacked them.  I also made a little heart shape piece for the center, but....get creative.  

The segments are always about 4-41/2 minutes, so I try to pick each crafts anyone COULD do that can be explained clearly on air.  These are all easy projects to toss together.

Felted Heart Banner

 I became obsessed with felting these days.  I bought some packets of flt at a local dollar (50) store, but you can also find them at any craft store.

 I took out bundled....

 Unfolded and divided them into two pieces.

 I then spread apart the fibers.

 Next I folded one.

 I took the second piece and folded it around the first piece the opposite direction.

 I bought a felting needled (a special needed with barbs-again they sell them at craft stores) and I saved some Styrofoam (not necessary, but it prevents me from stabbing myself!)

 I started by stabbing the middle a bunch of times to create the v.

 It will look like this after about 30 stabs.

 Then I took the needled and started stabbing it around the sides.

 You just poke it to form the shape.  When it starts to get firm you can then thread it onto string.  I tied a knot, took some rubber cloves to 'pull' it through the hearts (it helps with grip).

Once I threaded the heart I tied a knot on the opposite side and then repeated until they were all strung off.

Heart Garland

I saw a garland like this on instagram a few months back and I had just the stash of felt scraps to make it happen.  

 I cute up all the smaller pieces in my stash until I had a big ol' pile of hearts.

...and then I just went to town sewing them with a little space in between each one.  I didn't make them all down the center to give it character.  

I knew my hoarding ways would pay off....

Dollar Store Wreath

 I put this wreath together for less than five dollars (and half of that was for button covers).

 I got this wreath form at the dollar store.  I found this ribbon in the clearance section at Hobby Lobby for less than two dollars (and I only used half), and then I bought a few scraps of felt and burlap.

 I glued one end of the ribbon to the wreath and then wrapped it around the wreath/glued again when the two ribbons met.  I just made some simple felt and burlap flowers using some of these techniques.  I also bought these buttons for half off at Hobby Lobby and used some scrap fabrics for the center.

Felt Wreath

 I recently shared some tutorials for making felt flowers on Good Morning, Texas.  This is my end product.  I've seen these all over etsy lately, and they are really fun, easy, and incredibly affordable to put together.
Here is the video from GMT.  I post these on my facebook page whenever I can.
I also have tried to start doing some tutorials via youtube.
HERE is the tutorial for the felted yellow flowers.

My goal is to keep blogging, but to slowly start adding some videos on youtube as well b/c there are just some things that are better on video!  I've been practicing with the hows etc on creating short but informative videos.  I'm still just working on camera set up, but....I'll get there!

Felt Flower Tutorial

I filmed a short video on making this felt flower.  It's going on to a wreath I'll share later this week.  A true trashy treasure.  In the meantime, you can find the video (starring my dogs barking through the window at all my neighbors as they come home) here.

Primitive Halloween Sticks

 I spent most of June out of the country.  Getting out of the country required some really long flights.  I don't sleep on planes.  I'm a nervous flyer.  What if the pilot needs my assistance?  Who's going to keep track of the plane on the little screen on international flights?  You.  Are.  Welcome.  So, while I was keeping the plane safe and on track...I brought along some things I could hand stitch...trust me, nobody wants me talking to them for 16 hours...though I would if it was the difference between sleeping or staying away to, you know, keep everyone safe.
I have been obsessed with primitive Halloween lately, so I brought some felt I precut (because the travel scissors you are aloud to take on the plane won't do the trick).  I stitched the buttons and pieces onto the faces and when I got home I added some stuffing and sewed my new plane friends closed.  I poked a stick through each little guy at the bottom and added some ribbon on top.

I think they will be cute in a plant, or just somewhere in the house....I haven't quite decided.  I made five of each, so I think there is a wreath in my future, but four of these are now primitive Halloween wands.  I dabbed some hot glue to hold the stuffed piece on the end of the stick and the ribbon up.  I think the attraction to primitive right now is that it doesn't need to be perfect, in fact, that imperfect stitching is what gives it character!  At least that is the angle I'm going to take.