Burlap Wine Bag for Halloween

Well, the opinions varied but I appreciate the comments on my last post about whether or not I should add a stencil to the Burlap Wine Bag I made a few days ago. The majority said “STENCIL IT!!! “ So I did!

Before After

It was a quick and easy addition. I did a google search for Halloween Witch Silhouette and found the witch I liked best and I printed it out after I played around with getting it just the right size. Then I cut out my own stencil with this:

It is the neatest little tool. It allows you to burn your own stencils and works just like a wood burning tool that came in those wood burning kits that I always wanted when I was a kid. I purchased it at Michaels earlier this year with a 40% off coupon of course and you can buy the blank stencil sheets there too. It’s very easy and very fun to do. After I burned the the outline of my witch I used it as a stencil on the top of my wine bag.

And you know about my fascination with numbering everything. Lucky 13 was just what this bag needed. I have been asked several times where I got my number stencils. I purchased a set from MAISON DE STENCILS and I also have a set from STENCILS ON LINE .

There were a lot of suggestions that I add a monogram to the the wine bag. That’s a good idea and I hope after I get some more bags made that I can make a few with monograms But for now I wanted something seasonal. Burlap and Halloween just go hand in hand don’t you think? Thanks for all your great ideas!

I am linking this post up to Just A Girl....STop by for more Halloween Decor Projects.

And I am participating in the FALL FESTIVAL over at The DIY Showoff. You have to stop by and check out all the projects!!

And I am joining in the fun over at Thrifty Thursday over at Tales from Bloggeritaville. Looking for some Fall and Halloween ideas? Come take a peek!

Burlap Wine Bags

  

I finished a wine bag today. I guess you could call it a prototype.  I like how it turned out and now I’d like to make several more.

I just have to go back and figure out what exactly I did.   I am not sure of the measurements I used. 

I am not sure if I should stencil something on it either.  I think I’ll make another one and stencil it and then see which one I like better.  What do you think?  Plain or stenciled?

I think I hear my number stencils calling my name…   :)

R.I.P. Halloween Stone

A few days ago I made an address stone from a scalloped edge garden stone.  Well the three little scallops across the top made me think I could do something with it for Halloween.  So this is what I came up with.  

 

I simply spray painted the stone black and then use some outdoor craft paint and my letter stencils to make it. 

Yesterday it was 92 degrees.  And this morning it is beautiful and in the 60’s headed for a high in the low 70’s. 

So much more like Fall.  I AM SO HAPPY!!

I’ll be pulling out a few more Halloween decorations today. How about you?

These stones might make cute sets of 3 candy corn or pumpkins.   For Christmas time I am thinking maybe “Ho, Ho, Ho”.  Any other ideas?

Yesterday I Painted Rocks

     

Yesterday I painted rocks.  I did a lot of other things too but the only thing I have to show for the day are the rocks.

My husband went to see the Alabama and Duke Football Game.  And The Tide Did Roll!  I watched some of it on TV.  Not pretty for the Duke fans.

Anyway, I had the whole day to myself after plans for several activities fell through and so after some lunch and some shopping I watched some football and I painted rocks.

  

I saw the idea to paint Halloween/Fall words on rocks on a blog somewhere.  Sorry to whomever I owe “idea credit”.  I can’t remember where I saw them.

There are so many Halloween words out there.  I ran out of rocks. 

I would like to get a few more rocks so that I can include some of the words I missed like “Werewolf”, “acorn”, and “Frankenstein”.

  

At first I had plans to take the dog out for a walk in the woods to look for rocks.  But the strange thing is that around here rocks are kind of hard to find. 

So,  I remembered that I had a bag of polished stones that I used in a candle arrangement once.  So I took them outside and spray painted them black.

I used some white craft paint and a very thin brush to paint every possible Halloween word I could think of on them.

And here is my plate of rocks.  I think they are kind of cute.

My son took one look at them and said “Why?”

:)

Progress!

 

As I said yesterday, decorating a teenage boy’s room is not easy!  It is still not done but I have to say steady progress is being made.  Although I have to admit, very slowly! 

    

With the 98 degree temperatures, yesterday and today were spent indoors in the AC.  So while I was feeling a bit trapped in my house, I decided to to spend some of the time painting a canvas for my son’s wall.  Yesterday I posted a photo of the inspiration pillow I was going to use and explained how an empty black canvas was already hanging on his wall just waiting for someone to paint something on it.  The only problem was that he was still sleeping and probably would be for many more hours (you know teenage boys like to sleep) and I wanted to get to work!   I was brave and I quietly crept into his room and picked the empty black canvas off of his wall.  He did wake up for a few seconds…long enough to give me the Evil Eye… but not interested enough to ask me what I was doing and then drifted off again.  :)

This was a very easy project to do.  I used a canvas that was painted with some black craft paint.  I then took a yard stick and a pencil and I marked on the canvas where I wanted the vertical lines and circles to be.  I did one column at a time because I wanted to vary the sizes of my circles and I didn’t want it to look crowded. This way I could visually see where the next column should go after I had the first one drawn.   I also measured from the side edges for each vertical line and made a tic mark at the top and bottom of the canvas and then lined my yard stick up to both tic marks to that I was sure to get a straight line.

  

I used drinking glasses to get the assorted circles that I needed and outlined either the top or bottom of the glass for perfect circles.  For the smallest circles, I traced around my craft paint bottles. 

Then all I had to do was fill in the circles with paint.  I did two coats for all the circles except the green circles which needed an extra 3rd coat of paint.

 

For the lines that thread through all of the circles I used a gray colored glaze paint that I had left over from another project.  It has a metallic and almost shimmery look to it. In the first few photos I only had a single gray thread running through the circles but when you look closely at the pillows they had two threads…so I added a 2nd thread.  It made a big difference I think and looks more like the pillows.

    

In this shot I am trying to show the “pebble” like texture that his quilt has in it. 

 

And here it is finally hanging on the wall. 

My son says he likes it.  I think that’s code for he’s glad it’s done and I won’t be tip toeing into his room in the early morning to take empty canvas’ to be painted off of his walls. :)

 

I still have some more work to do in here but at least the basics are taken care of.  And I am still considering re-painting it a darker color of gray but for right now it’s good. 

Is decorating a room ever really done?  :)

Cottage Cheese and a Shoe Box

Me: I’ll take “Trash to Treasure” for $500 Alex.

Alex Trebeck: Black spray paint, an old shoe box, and an empty container of cottage cheese?

Me: What is How to Entertain Yourself on a Sunday afternoon! You too can make a black box for holding your “stuff” and a new mini planter!

I’d like to say that I am always searching for ways to recycle but the truth is I am just having fun with “free” stuff that I already have. Don’t you just hate throwing away shoe boxes? I do and I just couldn’t part with this latest one because it was so sturdy and the lid was “hinged” or attached to the box. I am not sure what I’ll put in it just yet but believe me there are mini piles of stuff looking for a home all over my house and so the word “stuff” seemed more than appropriate.

. I am especially happy with my new little “grow” planter. The best part is that the lid makes a perfect tray or saucer for the pot. I used a knife to cut 4 “X”’s in the bottom of the pot for drainage and the pot sits perfectly on the saucer and will catch any water that drains out the bottom.

I am going to save myself a couple more containers so that I can have a set of three that say “Grow”, “&”, “Bloom”. How cute would that be? You know you’ll be the first to see them when they are done. I am adding more cottage cheese to my shopping list as we speak!

I am linking this post up to Nifty Thrify Tuesday over at Coastal Charm. Come see all the other creative posts!

Painter’s Cloth Pillow

 

 

I have been wanting to try to see what I could do with some painter’s cloth that I picked up at Lowe’s Hardware.  You know how I love to stencil on to burlap, well, I wanted to try the same thing with the painter’s cloth that I have seen on so many other other blogs and websites.  People have been making curtain panels and table cloths etc…with them and I thought I would try and recover some pillows.  The painter’s cloth worked great.  It was easy to work with and has that Shabby Chic look to it that I really like. 

  

I found these not so attractive pillows at the Goodwill not too long ago and after making sure they were clean and had no smell to them, I purchased them for $2.49 each.  The painter’s cloth package that I picked up had a nice piece that was 4 x 6 foot and it only cost me $4.99.  I cut out the cloth about 2 inches wider on all sides than the pillow I was cutting for so that I had enough room for my seems.  After stitching them together on all sides and leaving an opening to insert the pillow, I turned it right side out and after putting the pillow inside I hand stitched it closed.  I haven’t sewed a pillow in I can’t tell you how long and I can’t believe that I remembered how to make a ruffle!  It’s sooooo not perfect but good enough for me.  I am thinking that I might have to look for an Eiffle Tower stencil.  I need something tall to put on this one. 

For this pillow I decide to put “Thank You” in French on it.  I did learn the hard way that it would be MUCH easier to stencil a design on to the painter’s cloth BEFORE sewing and stuffing the pillow.  (also FYI…I did not pre-wash the cloth because I like the stiffer feel when it comes out of the package.  It does have a strange odor…but I have to say that disappears.  I made the pillow a couple of days ago and there is no smell at all right now.)  This pillow was already stuffed when I added the stencil and it wasn’t easy my friend! (Next time I will try to stencil before I sew.)  The paint didn’t cover as well, but you know I actually like how it almost looks faded and makes the pillow look older.  Happy accidents…don’t you just love them?!

Words to Live By

I saw this little saying on a plaque in a cute garden shop that I was in a few days ago.  I memorized it just long enough for me to get to my car and write it down.   I think it is one of the cutest things I have seen in a long time.  The one I saw was painted on a chunky piece of wood.  I didn’t have any wood but I did happen to have an extra small canvas so I thought I would try and make my own. 

    

I used my stencils and some acrylic craft paint. 

I need to try this one again.  I was a wee bit impatient and some of my letters are a tad off center…a few smudges here and there.  Not my best work so I am going to call this one a “prototype”.   I am going to make another one for my daughter.  I think she will get a kick out of it.  Yes, I think these are good words to start the day with!

Welcome To Our Home

I did a quick project today since going outside was not part of my plans today.  The wind and cold are getting old so I decided to stay inside, catch up on some of the blogs I like to read, watch the Olympics, enjoy the aroma of the pot roast I have cooking in the Crock Pot, and do a little painting and stenciling. 

   

I was at Lowe’s last week and found some pre-cut pieces of wood for less than $3.00 a piece so I brought a couple home with me.

I painted one of them black and then took out some stencils and some cream colored craft paint.

I used a yard stick and a pencil to mark the center of my sign and then the first letter I stenciled on was the letter “V” which was the center letter in the French work “Bienvenue”.  Then I added the rest of the letters to finish spelling the word.  I also use a piece of blue painter’s tape to help me keep the letters straight.

When it was done, I tacked a saw tooth picture hanger on the back and it is now hanging above one of the doors in my kitchen.

This really was a quick and easy project.  Cheap too!  Welcome to our home!

White Dishes

I only made it to Goodwill once this week.  Can you believe it???!!  And I found this lovely white platter.  I have never really owned dishes that are pure white with no decoration or color on them and I hear all the time how food looks best on a white plate.  Okay, I am willing to give it a try.  So I paid the cashier $1.99 for this great white platter and had her ring up a couple more white plates at .99 cents each.   I figure that I have lots of time to collect white plates and I can slowly put together a set….especially at these prices.

Once I got them home, however, I decided to add these French Rub-ons.  They are the same ones that I have been seeing Sissie use on her blog called Sissie’s Shabby Cottage.  I asked her not too long ago where she found them and she kindly told me Walmart!   I have to say I have never used a Rub-on before and I also have to say that it does not get much easier than that…that is literally all you do, cut it out, and rub it on!  

For the plates I decided to only rub on the top part of the design so that I only had a small Fleur de Lis in the middle of each plate.  Too cute! So much for plain white plates.  I gave it my best shot.