Showing posts with label ribbon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ribbon. Show all posts

Monday, October 17, 2011

Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party - Ruffled Fall Hand Towels for Under $2

Hello there lovely bloggers! 

So, you guys know I have been like crazy busy lately, working on my big order. Since I'm still trying to squeeze in projects where I can (if only to keep my sanity!!), I thought I would resurrect a tutorial from the past. Of course, I re-made the project to be a little more "Fall-ish" and to show you that I'm not cheating over here, haha!

My all-time most viewed tutorial is...



What do you think? Pretty cute huh? Not your "traditional" fall decor, but somehow it just feels right. 
I don't know what it is about these towels, but people love them. They're inexpensive to make, super duper easy, and totally customizable depending on what you have laying around in your scrap pile.
 Okay... so I see why it's #1. ;)


Ready for the tutorial??

~ Dressed Up Hand Towels ~

Wal*Mart, 2 pack, $1.68. 
SCORE!

My fabric was a little scrap left over from a jelly roll, ribbon was a scrap from my white felt wreath, and the lace stuff a scrap from a ribbon scrap pack I bought at Hobby Lobby ages ago. You don't need much of anything to do this project, these particular towels are only 15" wide to give you an idea.

First, lay your pieces out across the short side of your towel to make sure they are long enough with a bit leftover at each end to fold under and hem. I left about an inch on each end.

{UPDATE: If you're doing the ruffled version like my new set, use about twice the length of fabric as I mentioned above, so that you have plenty of ruffle room. Just run the top edge of the strip through your sewing machine on the longest stitch length, and it will ruffle right up before your eyes.}


I started with my fabric since I knew I wanted it on the bottom. I planned to sew the ribbon and the lace over the top of the raw edges of the fabric so I wouldn't have to do any more hemming than necessary.

I folded under and pinned the edges down first, then used the wonky little zig-zag stitch 
to attach it to the towel. Clean edges, pretty little ziggy zaggy.

{UPDATE: no need to baste down the sides of the fabric if you're using a ruffle... 
just tack it down along the top edge of the ruffle and let it ruffle away at the edges.}

Next, I pinned and basted down the long edges. I know I'm going to be attaching the ribbon and lace 
over the fabric, so I mostly just need it to stay down and in place. The real reinforcing will come later.


Now more pinning for the lace...
{Seriously, what is that stuff? I have no idea what to call it, so I'm just going with lace for now.}
And again with the wonky zig zag stitch to make sure this stays in place and can be machine washed.


I did the same thing for the ribbon on top that I did for the fabric: 
Pinned and basted on both the top and bottom long edge. 
Somehow I managed to miss taking the pic on this one so you'll just have to use your imagination, haha!

Iron out any wrinkles, and ta-da! Pretty little dish towel!


They're SO easy, and you already have an extra towel, so why not make it a pair?


 Two is better than one anyway, I think. :)


Since I made these two, I've been digging around in my scrap box for other coordinating colors to make more. I could seriously solve my entire house-wide towel problem with what I find in my scrap box. :) 
But wouldn't they make great gifts? Housewarming parties, hostess gifts, wedding shower, holidays... 

I'm so excited that our little linky party is growing so large. Thanks to you all for participating and spreading the word!! Grab yourself a button if you're linking up this week, and you can find all the parties I'll be linking up to this week up top under the "linky parties!" tab. There's lots of great spots on that list so definitely go check them out, and let me know if you have a party that I can add to my list!

Now it's your turn! 
Link up your projects below, and grab a button for your project post. 
Be sure to visit other links on the list and share the love! :)
Today's Creative Blog

Have a great week!!

XOXO





Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Tutorial Tuesday - Pretty Storage Solutions

Welcome back to Tutorial Tuesday! 
I hope you all have your projects ready to link up... 
I can't wait to see them! :)

Today's tutorial is an organizational/storage solution. But, it's pretty! 
Because who wants a craft/work/play space that's not pretty? I don't! :)





but....
First things first!


Have you entered the Baby Shower Gift Set Giveaway? If not, go now! Winner will be selected Friday, March 11th at 5pm central time. Gift set includes, Eli the Elephant {from last weeks tutorial}, matching bib, matching burpie, and a cute little tufted block {perfect for those little hands!} all made from the super cute green flannel with brown polka dots. This set would be perfect for a boy or a girl!

There are plenty of ways to win, so don't miss out!


Now... on to the reason you're really here today! 
It's Tutorial Time!


I don't know about you all, but I think baby food jars are just perfect for storing things in. There are always plenty of those little tiny bits and pieces that are difficult to wrangle, especially when you have so many other things occupying your craft play space. But let's face it, not so pretty. So I took a few baby food jars, some pretty scrap paper, some ribbon scraps and the trusty old Mod Podge and went to town!


What you need:
baby food jars
scraps of pretty paper
scraps of coordinating ribbon
pencil
scissors or exacto knife
mod podge
rubbing alcohol
soft cloth


First we're going to take the rubbing alcohol and your soft cloth and clean these babies up. No matter how much you picked at that label, there is bound to be leftover goo... and well, that's not pretty. But with a little rubbing alcohol and some elbow grease it will come right off, as well as any printing that may also be on the jar.



See? Nice and clean and ready to dress up!



Next, flip your jar over onto the backside of your paper. Trace the shape of the lid. 


Now, I don't know if any of you have one of these, but it is amazing! I picked up this little teeny tiny exacto knife with a swiveling head one day while I was at Hobby Lobby, and I llllllllllllove it! It makes cutting out circles a snap because it moves with your hand. Genius, I tell you!


OK, so cut out your circles by whatever means suits you. Be sure to leave about 1/4 inch or so around the outside of the circle so you have plenty of room to fold it down on the sides of the lid.



Next, slap a thin layer of mod podge onto your lid for sticking power. 
Careful not to overdo it, as too much will make the paper slide all around and, well, not stick.



Place your paper print side up over your lid and mod podge over the right side of the paper. 
{I did this upside down so it was easier to center.} 

As you're pressing it down, make little pleats around the edges to keep things nice and smooth.
{I should warn you- you're going to get dirty. Have some paper towels handy!}



Let this dry completely before doing anything else. If it's still tacky, that pretty paper will rip. 
Sadly, I know this from experience. Do over! haha!

Once it's dry, cut your coordinating ribbon scrap to fit around the edge of the lid and mod podge that bad boy in place too. {Don't you just love mod podge? It's like Super Goo or something.}


TA-DA! Pretty little jars to adorn your space and store all your little tidbits.




They look so cute on my shelf!



Now it's YOUR turn! 
Link up your projects below and be sure to go and visit each other's project posts so everyone feels loved. 

If we ever get more than 2 or 3 people linking up 
I'll do a feature post on Saturdays of my favorites!


XOXO



As for me, I'm linking up here this week:


Grab a button if you're linking up! :)

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Tutorial Tuesday - Valentine's Burlap Wreath

Just like everyone else in blogland these days, I am having a love affair with burlap! It comes in so many fun colors, and the possibilities for what you can do with it seem endless. I found the cutest tutorial from Life on the Ridge Side for a burlap wreath around Christmas time, but unfortunately I already had waaaaay too many wreaths, and not enough places to hang them, haha!

Sooo... I decided to go with the red burlap and added a sweet little felt flower for a simple and easy-to-make Valentine's Day door decoration!

Um... excuse my ugly, ugly door... we rent, but I may just refinish it anyway!! ;)

It's hard to tell from the photo, but I used the sparkly white felt for the flower just to give it a little extra pizzaz! I mean, really can you ever have too much sparkle?? :)

One thing I would suggest to further your success with this project is: Don't be shy with the burlap. Especially if you live in a humid or rainy climate {like me}. After about the first week, and 2-3 days of hard rain, my pretty wreath was drooping to the bottom and I had to add about another yard of burlap to fill things back in. Apparently burlap relaxes!! LOL


and to see her pretty wreath too!!


XOXO


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