how to make simple earrings

Happy first day of Spring!! It's snowing again, but I believe the cold days are numbered (please!). I have some hopeful girls making more spring earrings as I type. Trading beads and designing their jewelry is the latest obsession around here. My daughter is happy to show you in pictures just how easy they are to make. 

You will need these supplies:

• needle nose pliers
• wire cutters
• beads or charms
• headpins
• earring hooks

HOW TO:

Thread beads onto headpin.

Snip off excess wire if your head pin is long(they come in various sizes) and save the discarded wire for other jewelry projects. You'll need enough wire to twist a loop at the top.

Using pliers bend top into a loop.

It will look like this.

Make a pair.

Open the loop on the earring hook.

Connect beads to hook. Slide them on to hook from the opposite side that you just opened.

Pinch the hook opening closed.

viola!

There is no limit to the design possibilities with this simple technique. My ten year old daughter and her friends could make these by the thousands… the only limit is their allowance! Find supplies at your local bead stores, Michael's and Jo-ann's. 

diy cork peg chalkboard

I've been looking around my house with fresh eyes this month. This little farmhouse is now mine. My nesting urges feel bigger than ever, so does the need for streamlining and organizing for my family. This new cork peg chalkboard is such a satisfying first DIY of 2013. It's also a great way to reuse all of those corks from holiday gatherings. REINVENTION!

 It happened by chance one day. A wine cork and a random screw were sitting on the counter (sounds like the beginning of a bad joke!), along with various other stray items. They called out to one another, and in the blink of an eye,  I had a new landing spot for my bag.

This was mid holiday season, and lots of folks coming in and out admired its clever reuse and function. I sent them home with these easy instructions:

- Insert the screw into the hole made by the corkscrew. You can do most of it by hand, but  a screwdriver will make the job easier.
- Make sure your screws are a bit longer than your cork. Every cork is slightly different. These screws were 2 1/2".

 An older cork may be too dried out. If it cracks, remove the screw and find a fresher one.

Now you're ready to secure it to something. How about an old piece of barn wood? That's what I had done for my bag and it looked great. Anything else will need careful anchoring.  I was determined to make some more cork pegs for my mudroom and since it already had a chalkboard on the wall... I had an idea.

Attaching them to a chalkboard invites monogramming, which makes everything more fun!

What about for a bathroom? When guests come, wouldn't it be nice to to label whose towel is whose? I love this idea!

Since this one is actually at our front door, it's currently our new hat rack. Hats are necessity this time of year... and are known to disappear. Having such a specific home is super effective.

This particular chalkboard was made by mom by painting a piece of masonite with chalkboard paint. I nailed it to the wall, but please use your own favorite method for installing if you don't want to go for my "get 'er done" method. The pegs went directly through the masonite and into the wall. They could hold a bag or heavy coat if need be. They're that tough! And slip-proof too! The cork grips whatever is hanging on like a good friend!

TIPS:
- I have a new chalkboard marker that writes like a dream. I got it at Michaels with one of their 40% off coupons that you can send directly to your phone.
 -I use this eraser.

NOTES: That light switch below the board is non-functioning so hanging stuff above it isn't a problem.  Obviously, don't install one above a functioning light switch... that would be a nuisance!

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green handmade holiday round-up

Incorporating handmade into your home and gifts always adds more meaning to the holidays, and the benefits are vast. It ensures that there's less rushing about. And if you create with friends and family, traditions are formed and memories made. There's still time...

So let's revisit some projects and roundups from past winters to serve as visual reminders for you (and me!). A good idea is a wonderful thing to recycle. Below are some of my favorites from the last two years... all are simple and don't take much time! 

diy yule log candle tray here

herb gift toppers found here

wrapping suggestions here

recipe found here

tutorial found here

oat floats: how to found here

diy frilled pencils (great stocking stuffers!)

And here are a plethora of good ones from deeper in the archives!

Above are some well-loved decoration ideas. Links are from left to right.
Row 1: burlap forest, snow covered pine cones, cranberry wreath
Row 2: rag wreath, newspaper snowflake garland, batting scrap wreath ornament

The following are links for simple gifts that whip up quickly. Once again from left to right.
Row 1:  elf slippers, card holders, milk carton cookie houses
Row 2:  napkin rings and other security paper ideas, gift bag/boxes, leather leaf cuff
Row 3:  wrapping ideas, child's travel pillow, paper whites
Row 4:  love letter pillow, travel felt board, envelope purses
Row 5: quick personalized stationery, memory game, last minute treat bags

Happy Making!

diy- burlap scrubber

There's always something new to learn... even (or especially!) when you think you know it all. Take burlap... the material that I've come to know exceptionally well over the years. I've always preferred spot cleaning to getting it wet. I still feel that way when it comes to projects like buckets and bags, but my mother taught me something surprising. Burlap makes a fine cleaning tool when wet! What? Yes, she made a little burlap "pocket" to hold soap scraps or to contain a little sponge. It's gentle, yet abrasive, and holds up very well for dishes and counter scrubbing. The smell I associate with wet burlap (certainly not my fave), disappears when it's used with soap regularly! Very cool. Letting it dry out after every use is recommended. Compost when it's seen better days.

How To:

1. Take a rectangle of  fabric and fold over the short sides twice and stitch in place to create a finished edge
2. Fold in half lengthwise and stitch up the sides, keeping the finished top open.
3. Sew a sturdy snap at the top.
4. Add some soap shards.
5. Get scrubbin'!

These might even make a make a nice alternative exfoliator in the shower. Burlap is totally natural, after all. It's made from woven jute threads, which are plant based. Recycled burlap from coffee sacks are untreated, so it has some good potential as a natural body care tool. I'm still in the experimental phase, but thought you might want to test it with me if you have some burlap scraps to spare. Let me know what you discover!

Happy Scrubbing!

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happy hour/doily coaster

I've often told you much I enjoy launching into Mondays full throttle... love those fresh starts. Well, by Friday afternoon, I'm often limping into the home stretch. I'm beat. Since I don't want to welcome my weekend with a whimper, I have a little ritual. Yes, it includes caffeine. But it's also about creating a special moment of celebration and honoring the completion of a full week. I make a special drink and sit to enjoy it. It's my version of hot happy hour. My children often join me with a frothy milk steamer or cocoa. The last few Fridays have seen a repeat of chai mocha lattes. I used to drink them in a Santa Cruz cafe back in college (anyone recall that coffee spot in the old big white house on the corner near the Bagelry? Dying to remember its name!)...  and have started making them myself with my little froth friend... it feels like a super treat. Almost makes me feel 19 again, but not quite!

So whatever your special hot beverage is ((herbal)tea, chai, cappucino), pour a mug this afternoon and know that I will be raising mine to yours with a big "SALUD!"

What's the little coaster under that dotty mug? Just a quick last minute Valentine's Day present for someone special. This time of year begs for all things sweet, red, and doilified. I've been wanting to try stenciling with paper doilies for a while, and this seemed like a good project to test it out. Fast, fun and easy... some of my 3 faves! The linen is an especially nice thick weave from a pair of trousers and the bottom layer is red wool suiting*.

  Doily Coaster

Need:

• 4" paper doily
• scotch tape
• textile paint
• foam brush
• 5"x5" square of linen
• "                  " wool
• "                  " batting
• pinking shears
• freezer paper
• thread
• iron

Make:

1. Sandwich batting between wool and linen. Sew around the entire perimeter using the edge of the foot as a guide for seam allowance. Trim off excess with pinking shears.
2. Tape doily to center of the linen side. Cut out a circle from freezer paper slightly larger than the edge of the doily. Center it around the doily evenly and iron in place.
3. Apply paint with a gentle touch. Allow to dry.
4. Peel off freezer paper and then work on the doily. It may have pieces that stick and uneven bits of paint. Use a toothpick to help take off tiny pieces of paper and to add extra dabs of paint where needed.
5. It will not be perfect... which we all know makes it just right. Place a cloth over the paint and heat set it with a hot iron.
6. Pour your hot mug of cheer and set it on your coaster.

Have a great weekend and stop back on Monday for the beginning of a week long "LOVE giveaway".


*My wool and linen projects use found materials: linen clothing, wool suiting and blankets. They are easily rescued from thrift stores and tag sales.

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how to: stiched half heart

Here's some more of what came out of this weeks heart play. These little stitched ones are incredibly quick and very satisfying for using up bits from the scrap basket. They make wonderful gift toppers and look beautiful hanging from a delicate branch. Make them into a vertical garland by attaching several together or tie them to a string for a horizontal bunting. Machine sewn or hand stitched, they're fun and versatile. Bet you can't stop making them once you start!

Fold fabric in half to cut out hearts free-hand. For light-weight and shifty fabrics, I recommend ironing them to a piece of freezer paper first. Just remember to use old scissors not your best fabric shears or the paper will dull the blade. I loved using the creased hem of an old curtain I've been using up for many projects.

Use the first heart as the template for cutting out the second, so that they match.

Open them each and place right side to right side.

Stitch down the center fold.



Fold each heart onto itself and sew down the center with a decorative stitch that catches both sides- zig zag or feather work well. Snip off the excess thread at the bottom, but keep the ones on top for hanging...or keep adding hearts with a little room between the two and then hang.

Have a loving and creative weekend!

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simple gifts: yule log tray

I have a new wooden tray.  I just made it a few minutes ago and love it! The idea came to me as I gathered firewood to bring inside. I realized that a flat slab from a log would make a lovely rustic centerpiece for holding candles and such. The rounded underside needed a base to make it steady. Fallen branches from our kindling pile looked just right. I collected some supplies and whipped it up. The end result is so pretty that I might just enlist my kids to make some more for giving. That's right... this is an ideal carpentry project for children (or woodworking novices) because there are very few steps and only two simple hand tools are needed.

Supplies:

• flat slab of firewood/log
• 2 branches of similar diameter (around 1")
• hand saw
• hammer
• nails
• sandpaper
• vegetable oil and rag (optional)

Make

1. Sand the rough hewn side of the the log just enough to smooth out edges and prevent splintering. I rubbed a little vegetable oil on the surface at this point. Optional, of course.
2. Saw the branches to equal lengths. Make them both a little longer than the width of the log.
3. Rest the log on branches and determine the steadiest spot for their placement.
4. Turn over and nail in place. I found that a single nail in the center of each branch was the most stable spot for attachment.

Done! That was quick, wasn't it?

A dusting of snow on our picnic table looked  like a romantic spot for a winter picnic... so I rounded up my candles and pretty greenery along with my camera.

What a perfect centerpiece for any winter celebration!