Gathering Around the Table

Today I thought I would share with you all an easy and inexpensive table renovation project.  We’ve been in our “new house” for almost 2 years now, and shortly after we moved, God laid it on mine and my husband’s hearts to also move churches.  Our move from one house to another was only about 15 miles but it was a different town with a different community.  We both felt the importance of being in community with those around us and what better way to minister to your community than to be a part of the believers that are also there.  

Bloggortunities and Easily Distracted

Confession time.

I have a slight problem.  Ok maybe it's bigger than "a slight."  Thing is, I am easily distracted.  Yeah, most people are, I get that.  But this is a little more serious. Let me just give you an example. 

Book Page Wallpaper and A Little Tour

As you might remember, we purchased a home about 16 months ago.  There are so many things that are perfect about our house...character, 2 bathrooms, a fireplace, hardwood floors, a craft room... but it's an old house.  

Built in 1928.  

With plaster walls.  

Yeah, aesthetically they are really nice to look at, but they are quite the pain in the back side.  There's no insulation, they cause extreme pain when rubbed against elbows and knuckles with laundry baskets in tow, and they are near impossible to put a nail or screw in to hang something from. 

Everyone Needs a Lima Bean Wreath

So what's a girl to do with a hankering for a new winter wreath and an excess of lima beans?  I guess any normal person would let the lima beans cook all day while making a fantastic wintery wreath but I don't guess I'm what you'd call normal... 

Although I do enjoy a good ole pot of limas!


Instead.... I decided to make me a wreath covered in limas...not cooked, of course.

It's funny, moving from the country to the city is way different.  I say country, it was country to me, even though we were nestled nicely on the side of a mountain next to the river.  And especially now that we have moved... but, "living in exclusion" may be a better term for the old homeplace.  

I mean, I still decorated and made lots of projects in the old house, there was just no one to see them.  Except for those of you out there who enjoy reading and looking at the pictures on this blog.  

Let me just be blunt with you... in the city, the pressures on!  To have a nice yard, a unique wreath, fancy-shmancy oversized, and overpriced I might add, potted ferns to welcome any and all guests.  And the pressure is especially high since our home seems to be on the way to work or on the way home for most of the people we know and love.  Some even go out of their way to drive past our new home, so things that may seem insignificant... (to the husband) like a wreath, or a garden flag, or the welcome mat...are a big deal to me!

I even recieved a few custom orders for Christmas from people who drove by the house, saw something they loved, found me a Facebook, and messaged me to make that something for their loved ones.  See...that kinda pressure.  You get what I'm saying?!

So, with the wreath, I knew I wanted something white...crafty yet elegant...eye-catching but modest.  And after googling and pouring over Pinterest and finding something similar to this, I knew exactly what I had to do.  I was super excited with how this turned out...Hopefully you will be, too!

Make-it-in-Minutes Monday

 Welcome to Make-it-in-Minutes Monday, where I introduce a simple project that can be made in minutes, only take pennies from your pocketbook, and add oodles of oomph to your decor.  This post will actually be the first in this series.

Today, I'm gonna show you a project so simple that you'll be thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?"  

This project is a do-it-yourself hurricane.  These things can be SO expensive.  All you need is a candleholder, a glass hurricane, and E-6000. 

For this project, I only have $3.50 in it.  I am always on the search for candleholders of all shapes and sizes and glass hurricanes.  I happened across this candleholder at Christian Ministries and the hurricane I found at World Market.  Typically, I would have painted the candleholder but this one was already white and a little distressed...

This is a one step project.  Squeeze glue around the top rim of your candleholder and then place your glass hurricane on top.  Allow to sit for several hours so that the glue sticks.  And voila!

Isn't she a beauty!! Easy on the eyes...and on the wallet!!

If this book page wreath catches your fancy, you can find a tutorial for it by clicking here.

If you have any simple and inexpensive projects, please feel free to share!!

Not So Shabby Lamp Re-Do

I bought this lamp about 6 months ago from the Christian Ministries...Something about it just caught my eye so I paid $10 bucks for it, rode it around in the back of my vehicle for about 3 weeks, then stuck it in my craft room to collect dust.  I cleaned my craft room out a few weeks ago and there it was, still waiting for me...

I have had a vision for this from the moment I spotted it.   It was a lot of fun seeing it come to life.  Oh, and it looks exactly like I had envisioned it.

This is the lamp before I started.  It's about 3 feet tall... and I must admit, it was a pretty cool lamp before I got started.  The base was like mirror / mercury glass-looking because the metallic paint had starting chipping off...so vintage!  But this didn't match my decor so...I had to add a little burlap, some spray paint, and a few embellishments!

What You Need: 

old lamp  

old lamp shade

spray paint

burlap

ribbon or trim

hot glue gun

scissors

marker

..Numero Uno...1...One...

First things first... I took tape and wrapped it around the socket and the cord...then spray painted the base of the lamp. 

While you wait for the base to dry...

...Numero Dos...2...Two...

You need to cut the burlap to the shape of your lamp shade.  I just laid the shade onto the burlap and as I rolled the lamp shade around, I traced around the bottom of the shade.

...Numero Tres...3...Three...

Now cut your burlap...I cut about 2 inches below my traced line so I would have plenty of burlap to fold under and glue to the shade.

...Numero Quatro...4...Four...

Here I just cut out a small circle around the top...leaving plenty of burlap to fold over and glue to the shade.  This is what your burlap or material should now look like.

...Numero Cinco...5...Five...

Now just lay your lamp shade down on one end of the burlap and roll the shade around, gluing the burlap as you go.  Any excess burlap that you have on the inside of your shade, you can trim.

Oh...and let me just say this... if someone tells you that covering a lamp shade is easy, you may wanna decide whether or not that person is really your friend...because THEY ARE LYING TO YOU!!  I thought this was super tough...but maybe its just me.

...Numero Seis...6...Six...

There is a seam in the lamp shade anyways so try to work it to where the end of your burlap is overlapping this seam.  Fold the burlap under and hot glue in place.

This is how your covered lamp shade should now look.

Walmart has this pretty little flower embellished ribbon rolls now in their craft section.  Love!! When I was thinking about this re-do, this ribbon came to my mind as the perfect trim!

...Numero Siete...7...Seven...

Hot glue the trim around the bottom rim of your lamp shade.  I guess you could glue it around the top rim of the shade, too, if you like...

And your finished shade... isn't she a beauty!!

Now, just grab ya a light bulb, top your freshly spray painted lamp base with your newly covered shade, and plug in your revamped lamp!

And here are a few pictures of the finished project....

  

Frugal and Fantastic Dollar Store Creations

Today I wanted to share a "CHEAP" and easy project with you and I believe you are going to love it....I do! And the best part is that I found all of the supplies at the dollar store. We as women love dress-up, go ahead, admit it, that's a phase that I believe we never truly grow out of. And we also LOVE cheap! This wreath allows you to bring out that fun and playful side with the use of feather boas! I have no where to put this in my home, it matches absolutely nothing I have, but I don't care. I think it's fantastic!

So grab your keys, hop in your car, and run out to your local Dollar Store...I'll wait.................

You need:

wreath form (if you can't find a wreath, cut one out of a piece of cardboard or a cereal box)

2 or 3 feather boas

sparkly "Merry Christmas" sign

a handy dandy hot glue gun

Hot glue one end of the boa to the wreath and start wrapping it around. When you have finished one boa, glue the other end down and start wrapping the next one around. Wrap and glue until the wreath is covered. You can add more boas if you like to make it fuller.


Decide where you want your sign, then hot glue it in place. Ta daa! See...how hard was that! You can get creative...I also used red and white, ya know, for that candy cane effect!

Isn't that fun!! And here's another picture

And here's a picture of the original...

merry christmas ya'll!

Sheet Music Meets Burlap

These 2 are a match made in heaven!
Burlap and Sheet Music were meant to be together!

This was a simple and easy wreath to make so I thought I'd share it with you...
Tutorial Time!!

For this project, you will need a wreath form, burlap, sheet music, hot glue, and whatever you choose to embellish your "rosettes" with.

First off, simply wrap your wreath in burlap. Hot glue in place.


Next, you'll begin to create your rosettes. You will need 3 pieces of the same size of sheet music.



I like to stack them together to fold them. Begin folding accordion style. Fold one side up...

Then flip, and fold that side down. Back and forth until complete.


Pull your three sheets apart and they should look like this.

Now, fold them in half, like so.


Glue the two pieces in the middle of the fold together. I like hot glue because it dries very fast!

Do this for all three sheets.
Now glue 2 of the pieces together.


And then glue in the last piece. Voila!


All you have to do now is glue the rosettes to the wreath, however you like and embellish! I hot glued crocheted doilies to the tops of my rosettes.


Loving this! Told you these two were a match made in heaven!