Real Decorating for Real People
How about creating a beautiful ribbon pillow by weaving together beautiful holiday ribbons? It makes for lovely décor or even a special gift. Anyone who knows me well knows that pillows are one of my favorite accessories, any time of the year. I think holiday pillows are particularly festive – especially when they are hand-made…
Birch tree napkin rings seem like a fall to winter item to me, but if you have rustic style decor in your home, Shari seems to think they’d be fine all year-long. Well, that sounds even better to me because once I make them, I really would like them to be used! Birch tree napkin…
Aprons with pockets make so much sense, but I never see anyone wearing them. What’s the problem? They are super easy to make, so you can have one that you love in a couple of hours, and you can make them to fit YOU! Here’s how. Materials List: 1 ¼ yards of your favorite washable…
Apples are a fall staple, and I think its fun to add them to your seasonal décor during the autumn months. A fun and very inexpensive way to do that is by hand stitching up a whole basket full of apple napkin rings out of felt. Here’s how easy it is to do. Materials List:…
You might not call my “apple” cloth napkins elegant, but they certainly were easy and you can create any ambiance you like by selecting fabrics that portray the look or feeling you are going for. When you select your cloth napkin fabrics, make sure they are of an absorbent fiber like cotton. Materials for 2…
Isn’t it wonderful when a baby comes into your life? Well, when one is on the way, you need to get busy and make that baby a blanket to wrap up with love! This seed stitch blanket is a winner and it’s a pattern I found on the wrapper of the Bernat Baby yarn I…
A recycled jar “carrier” can be used for so many things. I like the idea of silverware and napkins for a buffet, but it could hold candies, craft items, office supplies and more. This is also a good project to do with kids since you can have most of the cutting done at your local…
Candy conversation hearts are all the rage around Valentine’s Day, but with a few scraps of felt and embroidery floss you can make some of your own that have your sentiments on them and can be used year after year. Materials List: Variety of 9×12 felt squares or scraps Heart shaped template or cookie cutter Coordinating embroidery…
When a favorite sweater doesn’t fit anymore, don’t throw it away, turn it into a pillow cover and enjoy it years longer. That’s exactly what our friend Jennifer did with her baby sweaters. My Italian Grandma was a prolific knitter. For my 7 siblings and me, both of my parents, and countless others, she knitted sweaters,…
Stocking stuffers are difficult to figure out, but these candy coins will make every stocking searcher happy because they can use the cash to purchase exactly what they want! You’d expect me to show you several of these since they are so small, but it’s tough to hang onto money these days, even if it…
This is a holiday craft that looks great, helps to support the holiday season and works hard for you because they are more than just decorative, their kitchen essentials! Go ahead and admit it, these are adorable! And, I think they would be the perfect homemade gift for the woman who has everything. I say this…
Hand made appliqued kitchen towels are something you don’t see too often, but they can be great additions to your kitchen and even nicer if you make them for a friend! Matt and I showed off another cute project for the kitchen: appliquéd kitchen towels. To make one that looks just like the one pictured,…
There is a product out there that allows you to make projects that are insulated to protect you from the heat so now oven mitts and pot holders can be sewn to coordinate with your kitchen. When Matt and I tape a show, or a whole season of show for that matter, we depend on sponsors…
You can use both spray paints and paint pens to dress up your clay pots to match or coordinate with your outdoor furnishings. One of the fastest ways to do any type of painting that I know of is spray painting, especially for craft projects. For this project we are using Design Masters Color Tool Sprays. …
These painted rocks could be colorful paperweights, adorable little reminders on your desk, or painted with cute words to place inside luch boxes and briefcases. On our show about a colorful exterior we briefly showed you some cute little painted rocks. Well, those were returned to their owner and I didn’t get a good photo of them so…
Take some time this year to craft a few gifts and make some awesome Valentine decor for your home without spending too much cash. Valentine’s Day is the day we celebrate those that we love. Although it is most often associated with romantic love, why not make this Valentine’s Day extra special for your entire…
Coffee cup candles are a unique way to make that collection of pretty tea or coffee cups useful. For a long time I collected pretty cups and saucers and then found that I lost my interest because they just sat there taking up space. Well, by turning them into candles, I can bring one out…
Create a folded greeting card perfect for a special someone at Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any holiday you wish. This is a lovely project for you and your children. It may not be the type of card you make to send to all your family and friends, in fact, you might just keep it yourself! However,…
Inexpensive felt and beads come together to give your holiday table setting a special touch. Add embroidered names and they double as place cards. Go ahead and say it – I’m a crazy woman. I adore making holiday napkin rings as you’ve seen from the variety I have shown you over the years. Well, this is…
Whether you use them to put a gift inside or make the boxes as presents themselves, the effort involved will be much appreciated and the box will be kept for years to come. I don’t know about you, but Matt and I both agree that hearts and chocolates are a mainstay of the holiday. So, why not…
Don’t save all the really cool projects for the holidays, you can put together all sorts of interesting embellished kitchenware and serving pieces any time of the year! Sure, the holidays are the seasons for celebrating, but if you’re anything like Matt and me, you enjoy entertaining throughout the year to enjoy the company of your family…
If you are looking for a sweet treat to give as gifts this year for the holidays, how about whipping together some chocolate bark? I must admit, I have a sweet tooth, and this time of year is tough because I can never decide, do I want cake, pie, cookies, or candy? Well, at the holidays,…
This wine rack is a very simple project and it’s a great way to display your favorite bottles of wine. What a pretty display this wine rack makes in a dining room where we often have an empty corner. It’s just as much artistic as it is functional and it is a fairly easy project to…
Surprise your neighbors with a treat hung on their front door on the first of May and enjoy the act of giving. As I contemplated the idea of May Baskets, I started thinking that maybe a “basket” per se was a bit overdoing it. After all, this is just a little “hello” to your neighbors…
Drawstring bags can be purchased, but none of them will have the little extras like you can add, just like this pretty sleigh bells snowflake! This is a great little drawstring bag design that could work for all sorts of things. Sized right it could be gift wrap for wine, an evening bag, bags for…
Aromatic and attractive, hand made Valentine sachets are a thoughtful and unusual gift, sure to be remembered. I have owned this valentine sachet for quite some time now and I thought I would share it because it would be very easy to make. Whip up a couple of these on your sewing machine, or even…
Sure they are gorgeous as accessories in your home, stacked, tucked in a bookcase, or placed on a coffee table, but consider them as gifts as well since they are functional and beautiful. I believe this is about the third ribbon top box I have made. I don’t remember where I saw it first, but…
