DIY Fabric Flowers

These flowers are all the rage right now, and why not? They're really cute! You can pin them to your shirt and dress up an otherwise plain outfit, or sew (or glue) them to a plain bag to make it fabulous. I have seen them all over and finally decided to learn how to make them myself. This is really a combination of 2 tutorials I found online that works pretty well for me.

First off, lets go over what you will need.

Scrap material (You can use either 1 or 2 different) cut into circles. I used 3" and 2.5", and you will need 6 of each. A small piece of felt cut to the same dimensions of your smallest circle. Scissors to cut all you circles (duh!?!), sewing thread, sewing needles, straight pins and a button.

First off, find the center of your felt circle. The felt will be used for your backing. I like using a straight pin, it just makes it a little easier for me.

Next, take one of your bigger circles and fold it in in half 3 times. It will look like this,

You will then cut a curve into the top of the piece.

When you unfold it you will have a scolloped circle. Do this to another (you will have 2 total), these will be your base of the flower.

Make sure they are centered (this is where the pin helps) and that they are not perfectly aligned with each other.

Now, take the rest of your large circles and fold them like before. This time however you only want to cut half of a curve. Make sure the folded side is the highest side or your petal won't turn out right. Believe me, I know.

Once you unfold it you will have a petal that looks basically like this.

Now fold it in half so that the scallops are uneven, like below.

Now fold again and you will have your petal. It will looks kind of like a heart.

Now, again, using your pin as a guide, center you petal and stich it on just at the point.

Do the same with the remaining 3 petals. It will look something like this.

Now repeat the same process with the smaller circles. Make sure all your stiches are in the middle.

Once all the smaller petals are attached you will be ready to sew on your button. You can use any kind of button, but I've just been using these little plain ones. The biggest reason for this is that I bought the whole box at the dollar store and don't really feel like laying out any more money when I have plenty right now.

The button is the last step! You now have a cute fabric flower. You may have to fluff up the petals a bit, but other than that you should be good.

Like I said before you can attach a pin so that you can wear it on your clothes (or jacket or hat or so on) or you can use a low heat glue gun and attach then to a bag. This flower is actually going to be used on a mini tote bag I'm making for Lindsey for her birthday. I've been making a lot of these lately, and she has just gone crazy over them. She'll love that she will have a bag that she can use as another pocketbook, and that it has flowers.

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial. I'm going to try to keep these going at least once a week, but I can't promise they will all be as fun and easy as this. But I'll try!

Have a great week!

Linking to:
The Girl Creative


Between Naps On The Porch


The DIY Showoff



Skip To My Lou

Scenes from a Kitchen

Hello again! I thought I would give you a little peek into my life. Yesterday after Brody finally decided to take a nap (he's 2, and really good at it) I made lunch for Lindsey. After she sat down to eat I realized that it was a perfect time to take some pics of the house. But, of course, I had been dealing with a 2 and 4 year old who couldn't agree on anything all morning, and nothing had been done. I did manage to load and run the dishwasher early in the morning, but that was the extent of my cleaning. So don't get your hopes up yet, here are just a few little glimpses.

I've mentioned before how much I love my coffee. I have accumulated quite a collection of coffee cups, but this is my favorite. I got it at Dillard's the day after Christmas, I think I paid about $2.00 for it. That's just another reason to love it!

The kind of "healthy" lunch that my kids love, animal shaped chicken nuggets and cheese puffs.

See, she actually sits and eats when she gets these kind of gourmet meals.

Now this is some of my DIY Dollar Store Art. Pretty cute, huh? See that one on the left, you know, the crooked one? Believe it or not, it gets straightened at least once a day. I just can't figure it out. If they weren't hanging above the pantry doors I would totally think one of the kids was doing it just to drive me crazy.

And just to keep it real, this is my kitchen and how it looks pretty much every day around lunch time, whether it's been cleaned or not. Look at your own risk!

So there is your first glimpse into my home. Exciting, wasn't it? I promise, soon I'm going to clean, hide all the toys, arrange all my little decorating pieces that the kids like to play with and take some real pictures. I'm sure you wait with baited breath. . .

Have a great day!

P.S. I'm linking up at The Girl Creative. Check it out and check out some new blogs.

So Easy Glass Etching

This is a super easy and inexpensive project. It can also be used in many different ways and makes great gifts. Here is what you will need:
A Glass Object - I used beer mugs from the Dollar Store. I lucked up finding these, they are huge and heavy and would sell for much, much more anywhere else.
Repositionable Contact Paper
Letter Stickers
Ruler
Cutting Mat
Exacto Knife
Armor Etch etching cream


Decide where you want your text positioned and cut your contact paper to the measurement you need. It's pretty easy as the paper has 1/2 inch scores on it which helps.

Next position your contact paper on the item, then place your lettering. I have found it is easiest if you begin in the middle and work your way out from either side. Make sure all the edges are pressed down securely, this will help prevent any of the etching cream from seeping under and messing up your lines. I ended up using a little painters tape on the corners where one side was cut just a bit more than the other.

Next you will apply the etching cream. I have seen this done several ways, but I just use a cheap 1/2" natural bristle brush. Be very careful not to get any of this on your skin. It's not paint, but chemicals that react with the glass, and can do real damage to your skin.
Brush on a good coating. The thicker it is the better it will cover, but don't overdo it. The etching cream can be expensive, so you don't want to waste any.

Once the cream is on, let it set for 5 minutes.

After the five minutes is up you simply rinse it off with water. Again, don't use your hands. I usually use the paint brush I used to put on the cream to help make sure all the cream is rinsed off.

Sometimes you will get a small spot that for one reason or another just didn't take. Just wipe on a little bit more etching cream and let it set for another five minutes and rinse again. This will usually work.


Then you take off all the stickers and contact paper, clean and dry your item, and you are ready to go. The etching is permanent, heat proof, dishwasher safe and food safe.

There are so many different things you can do with this. I have so many projects running through my head right now! I have a cousin getting married next month, so I think my next project will be an etched glass baking dish to give as a present. Then there are the hurricane candle holders I want to do for Christmas gifts, and maybe some Christmas ornaments. . . Hope you are all ready for more projects. More to come soon!
Have a great day!
P.S. - Sorry about the crappy pics, I tend to do most projects at night, and I hate using the flash. Something else for me to work on!

Linking up with:
Fireflies and Jellybeans


House of Hepworths


Fine Craft Guild