tutorial

Recovered Lampshades

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They was Ugly!

2-DSCN5219Usually I try to give you a shot of the after, then I show the before. With this project I thought I’d show you what I started with and get the embarrassment out of the way.

This shade is one of a pair that I have in my living room. It is old, discolored and the inside lining is cracked…and has been since we moved here 12 years ago. It’s mate actually looks worse. Hmm, with this miracle picture you really can’t see the yuck…and that’s just fine with me.

We live in a small town with pretty much no options for replacements. I finally got tired of turning the shades ‘just so’ to hide the bad sides, so I decided a makeover was in order.

1-DSCN5217I have a stash of linens (tablecloths, sheets…) that I had picked up at auctions and yard sales. I cut a white tablecloth and a white sheet into strips.

3-DSCN5223Stitched them together.

4-DSCN5227Glued an end to the inside of the shade.

5-DSCN5233Then wrapped the shade with the strips.

6-DSCN5306I ended with a piece of twine wrapped around the shade and tied in a knot to add a touch of embellishment.

🙂 I’m not so embarrassed anymore!

Enjoy!

I WAS FEATURED!!
White Lights on Wednesday

Places I’m partying this week:

Monday

creative corner blog hop Keeping It SimpleSumo's Sweet StuffMaking

Tuesday

PhotobuckethomeworkThe DIY Dreamer

Wednesday

The Fun In Functional @ Practically Functional - Wednesdays @ 8amAdorned From AboveWhite Lights on WednesdaysManic MotherFine Craft Guild{Primp}Daisy Cottage Designs
Wow Us Wednesdays

Thursday

shabby creek cottageCatch a Glimpse ButtonPhotobucketSomewhat SimpleThe 36th AVENUEThe Taylor HousePhotobucketA Crafty SoireeBeyond The Picket FencePhotobucketDesigned Decor

Friday

The Shabby NestBlissful and DomesticHappy Hour ProjectsI'm Lovin' It at TidyMomRooted In ThymeLadies Holiday

Saturday

Too Much Time On My HandsFunky Junk's Sat Nite SpecialYour Homebased Mom

Sunday

The Girl CreativeUndertheTableandDreamingDIY Show Off

Weekend

Homespun Happenings Lovely Crafty Home

Recycled Neck Tie Pincushion Tutorial

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tie pincushion 8Recycled Neck Tie Pincushion

New tutorial on FaveCrafts.

tie pincushion 5The appliqued spool shape on this pincushion was made using a recycled neck tie.

tie pincushion 8Talk about a quickie craft, this pincushion took less than 30 minutes to sew. One neck tie will yield several appliques.

Enjoy!

Crocheted Egg Pattern

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Whew! I’m exhausted. Like a lot of bloggers that I follow, I’ve been working on a little spring cleaning. Ironically we are expecting a blizzard for the next few days. Go figure…

6-DSCN5172This crocheted egg pattern stitches up quickly and uses a “real” fake plastic Easter egg for the inside form.

The egg is made using a G-hook and worsted weight yarn.

Ch 3. Slip stitch to the first chain to form a ring. Note: The egg is crocheted in continuous rounds.

Round 1
6 sc in the ring.

Round 2
2 sc in each st. (12 sc)

Round 3
*Sc in next st, 2 sc in the next. Repeat from * around. (18 sc)

Rounds 4-9
Sc in each st.

Round 10
*Sc in next st, dec the next two stitches together. Repeat from * around (12 sc)

1-DSCN5165Slip a plastic egg inside with the fat end in the bottom of the pouch.

Rounds 11-13
Sc in each st around.

Round 14
Decrease around. (6)

Slip stitch in the next st. Finish off leaving a tail approximately 12 inches long. Thread the tail on a yarn needle. Sew a running stitch around the last row. Pull the thread to draw the opening closed. Knot and cut the yarn. Weave the end under the stitches.

2-DSCN5167The flowers are made using a D-hook and worsted weight yarn.

Ch 3. Slip stitch to the first chain to form a ring.

Round 1
Ch 1 (counts as first sc). 9 sc in the ring. Sl st to the top of ch 1.

Round 2
Ch 2. *dc and hdc in the next stitch, sl st in the next. Petal made. Repeat from * four times for a total of five petals. Finish off leaving a tail approximately 12 inches long.

3-DSCN5168Thread the tail on a yarn needle. Center the flower on the egg and stitch to attach. Knot and cut the yarn. Weave the end under the stitches.

4-DSCN5170Enjoy!

Places I’m partying this week:

Monday

creative corner blog hop Keeping It SimpleSumo's Sweet StuffMaking

Tuesday

PhotobuckethomeworkThe DIY Dreamer

Wednesday

The Fun In Functional @ Practically Functional - Wednesdays @ 8amAdorned From AboveWhite Lights on WednesdaysManic MotherFine Craft Guild{Primp}Daisy Cottage Designs
Wow Us Wednesdays

Thursday

shabby creek cottageCatch a Glimpse ButtonPhotobucketSomewhat SimpleThe 36th AVENUEThe Taylor HousePhotobucketA Crafty SoireeBeyond The Picket FencePhotobucketDesigned Decor


Friday

The Shabby NestBlissful and DomesticHappy Hour ProjectsI'm Lovin' It at TidyMomRooted In ThymeLadies Holiday

Saturday

Too Much Time On My HandsFunky Junk's Sat Nite SpecialYour Homebased Mom

Sunday

The Girl CreativeUndertheTableandDreamingDIY Show Off

Weekend

Homespun Happenings Lovely Crafty Home

Country Easter Egg Ornies

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Easter is just around the corner. Have you purchased a bag of plastic Easter eggs yet? My kids are grown, so I can finally skip the plastic grass and eggs. I still like decorating for the holiday, so I decided to try a more decor friendly twist using the old eggs I already have.

7-DSCN4585
What do you think about country western Easter eggs?

1-DSCN4566
I made this one into a hanging ornie, but I think several of them would look adorable in a bowl or basket. If making it into a hanging ornie, heat the end of craft wire in a candle flame and poke one hole in both the top and the bottom of the egg. Remove the wire. Ignore the two holes on either side of the center. They were there already, just not where I wanted them.

Ouchie Alert! You will want to keep a bowl of ice water nearby to dip burned fingertips.

2-DSCN4568
Starting at the top of the egg, apply a dot of hot glue. Don’t cover up the hole you made. Place the end of twine in the glue. Let it cool a bit so you don’t end up pulling it off. Note: I used baling twine, but jute could also be used for a similar look.

3-DSCN4571
Adding more hot glue as you go, wind the twine around the egg in a spiral. Push the new row snugly against the previous row. When you reach the bottom of the egg, don’t cover the hole you made. In my photos you can see the original color of the egg through the rows, but as I stare at it in my hand I can’t see it. Really! I wouldn’t lie to you! This project was done before the flash went out on my camera. I think the flash must have brightened the space between the rows. Yep, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

4-DSCN4573
Wrap a 1/2-inch-wide ripped strip from a red bandanna around the center of the egg and tie the ends in a knot.

5-DSCN4577I added a button over the knot using more hot glue.

6-DSCN4581
Cut a 4-inch length of craft wire. Insert the wire through the top hole and out the bottom one. You will have wire extending from each end of the egg. Thread a red wood bead on each wire end. Grasp one end of the wire with the tip of needle nose pliers. Curl the wire around the plier’s nose and remove. This creates a loop. Repeat on the other end of the egg.

7-DSCN4585
For hanging, thread a bit of twine through the loop at the top of the egg and tie into a hanging loop.

Enjoy!

Places I’m partying this week:

Monday

creative corner blog hop Keeping It SimpleSumo's Sweet StuffMaking

Tuesday

PhotobuckethomeworkThe DIY Dreamer

Wednesday

The Fun In Functional @ Practically Functional - Wednesdays @ 8amAdorned From AboveWhite Lights on WednesdaysManic MotherFine Craft Guild{Primp}Daisy Cottage Designs
Wow Us Wednesdays

Thursday

shabby creek cottageCatch a Glimpse ButtonPhotobucketSomewhat SimpleThe 36th AVENUEThe Taylor HousePhotobucketA Crafty SoireeBeyond The Picket FencePhotobucketDesigned Decor

Friday

The Shabby NestBlissful and DomesticHappy Hour ProjectsI'm Lovin' It at TidyMomRooted In ThymeLadies Holiday

Saturday

Too Much Time On My HandsFunky Junk's Sat Nite SpecialYour Homebased Mom

Sunday

The Girl CreativeUndertheTableandDreamingDIY Show Off

Weekend

Homespun Happenings Lovely Crafty Home

Crocheted Chick Tutorial

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Enjoy an evening of relaxing crochet while whipping up a chattering of stuffed baby chicks. You can add a yarn loop for hanging, or leave as is for a child’s stuffie toy. Make up several to use as Easter or spring decor, or fill a basket for a baby shower gift.

Abbreviations:

ch = chain
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
sl st = slip stitch
st = stitch
sk = skip

Things You Will Need:

Worsted weight yarn-yellow
Crochet hook-size G
Scissors
Yarn needle
Stuffing

Chick Front

Ch 3. Join with a slip stitch to form a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). 15 dc in the ring. Sl st to top of ch 3. (16 dc)

Rnd 2: Ch 3. Dc in the base of ch 3. 2 dc in each of the next 13 sts. 2 sc in the last 2 sts. Sl st to the top of ch 3. (28 dc, 4 sc)

Head

Ch 3. 9 dc in the base of ch 3. (10dc)

Rnd 3: (This round shapes the chick.) Sk next st. Sc in next 19 sts. Ch 2. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. (tail) Sc in next 8 sts. Sk last 2sts. Sl st to the top of ch 3. Note: This ch 3 was the beginning of the head. Sc in next 6 sts. Ch 2. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. (beak) Sc in next 2 sts. Sl st in next st. Finish off and weave in the yarn end.

Chick Back

(This is a mirror image to the chick front.)

Ch 3. Join with a slip stitch to form a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). 15 dc in the ring. Sl st to top of ch 3. (16 dc)

Rnd 2: Ch 1. 2 sc in each of the first 2 sts. 2 dc in each of the next 14 sts. Sl st to the top of ch 1.

Head

Ch 3. 9 dc in the base of ch 3. (10 dc)

Rnd 3: (This round shapes the chick back) Sk next st. Sc in next 9 sts. Ch 2. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. (tail) Sc in next 19 sts. Sk last 2 sts. Sl st to top of ch 3. Sc in next 2 sts. Ch 2. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sc in next 7 sts. Sl st in next st. Finish off leaving a long tail.

Finishing

Thread the yarn tail on a yarn needle. Place the chick front and back together with the wrong sides facing and the edges aligned. Whip stitch the edges together. Leave a small opening.

Fill with stuffing. Continue to whip stitch the opening closed. Finish off the yarn and weave in the end.

Enjoy!

Partying at:

Our Crafty Mom

More Easter Inspiration!