Felt Leaf Garland

I love creating with felt.  It's easy to work with and is available in so many gorgeous colors.  There are so many projects that can be made with felt.  In the past, I've shared a few pillow projects here on the blog.

Today I want to share with you a really simple felt project you can make for Christmas or any time of the year.  With so much inspiration, I decided to create my own felt leaf garland.

Here's what I did!  I started by purchasing felt online from Etsy.  Once my leaf template was selected, I traced and cut about 72 leaves.

Not all at once though!  I cut them over time.  Music helps!  A cutting machine would be quicker.

Then starting from the bottom I attached the leaves with hot glue to a long piece of scrap fabric.

Once it was complete, I thought it would be fun to hang it in an open doorway in my dining room.

I used a few push pins to keep it in place.

I added mini globe lights and ribbon bows to make it really festive.

I love the way the garland cascades down to the floor.

I'm tempted to leave it up all year!

I am linking this post to:
Kelly's Korner

Thrifty Decor Chick
The SITS Girls

Cocktail Coasters

Summer is all about spending time outdoors and outdoor entertaining is on my mind!  We've been working very hard on our deck to create a casual area for eating and a place to sip a cocktail or two.  And since no one likes water rings left on their furniture, I made a few coasters.

Ceramic tiles are cheap, I bought mine for about .30 each at Home Depot.  Wallpaper samples are free from Serena & Lily and Farrow & Ball. (Thanks again, Caitlin!)

I used a tile as my guide, then traced and cut the paper into 4 squares.

 To adhere the paper to the tiles I used equal parts clear Elmer's glue and water.  After the paper was dry I gave each coaster a few thin coats of Polycrylic.  I allowed them to cure for a few days before using.  The last step is to add felt pads or cork to the bottom of each coaster for surface protection.

They would also make a thoughtful housewarming gift.

Easy and inexpensive!

Cheers to summer!

I am linking this post to:

Summer Celebration Link Party
The SITS girls
Cupcakes and Crinoline
It's Overflowing

Recipe Box Makeover

This weekend I decided to give my recipes a new home.

My recipe box contains a few great family recipes with the handwriting faded, some cut from old magazines and newspapers. It's fun to go through them! It's like sorting through old memories.

Although a little outdated and beat up, my recipe box is very special to me.  I've had it for years, it just needed a little makeover.

I began with a couple of wallpaper samples from Serena & Lily, cut to size. (Thanks again, Caitlin!) I used Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the box after painting the lid and trim with paint.

Then I added an adhesive metal bookplate from Staples, on one side.

I used my printer to create the recipe label.

There are a lot of ways to manage your recipes online, but I love the traditional way of storing my recipes in a box tucked in the cabinet. Why do I feel like I was born in the wrong era?!

How do you store your recipes?  Do you keep them fresh in your head or pinned to your Pinterest boards?

*Recipe cards are available to print from here. 

No-Sew Bow Ties

Our dogs are an important part of our family, so it only seemed natural to include them in our holiday photos.  I wanted something cute for the dogs, so I decided to make a few matching bow ties.

For my no-sew version I decided to use my glue gun.

I started by cutting my fabric into a large square.

To prevent the unfinished edges from showing, I ironed a crease on both sides.

Next, fold the bottom half of the fabric to meet the center.

Then fold the top down to meet the center and slightly overlap the bottom half.

To keep things neat, I went over my fabric again with my iron.

Flip the fabric over and pinch the center.

Dab a little hot glue to the center of the bottom pleat and attach it to middle of the bow.

Repeat the same step for the top pleat.

Flip your bow tie over and dab a little glue in the center of the pleat to secure the shape.

Cut a long piece of fabric and fold the raw edges toward the center of the fabric and iron flat.

*Your piece will not need to be this long if you are only making one bow.  It should be long enough to wrap around your bow and secure with glue.

You could easily attach an alligator clip or pin to the back of your bow tie to wear it in your hair or around your neck if you like.

I simply attached the bows to the dogs' collars using my glue gun.  If you would like something less permanent then you can attach them with a piece of elastic glued to the back of the bow tie and slip it through the collar. 

My dogs don't wear their collars around the house, only when we're walking them and for pictures!

They look so cute in their bow ties!

I'm a little bit in love with that face!

I am linking this post to: Home Stories A to Z