Idea for a wall hanging

TV Stand

Toddler Weekly Calendar

Patchwork Picture

I just finished this piece of artwork last week. I wanted something big to hang on our wall, and spent a little time looking around pinterest for some ideas.  I found a couple of pictures I liked, and mixed them together to get this look. 

For the border, I measured 2 inches in and put painters tape all the way around.  I did 2 strips of tape, making it a 2 inch gap between paint and fabric.  Then I painted the border with a can of blue glidden paint I found in the mis-tint section at Home Depot.  I took off the first section of tape, next to the paint, immediately after painting to prevent the paint from seeping under. 

I cut some fabric into 1.5 x 2 inch rectangles to start with, and then trimmed from there to fit in. I've been decorating our family room with a lot of yellow, blue, green, and grey, so I found some fabric scraps to work with in those colors. I began with a full rectangle in each corner, and then worked my way in.  I put mod podge on the canvas, and then lay the fabric on top.  It took me several evenings watching "Parks and Recreation" with my husband to complete the middle.  :)

I loved how it looked when I took off that last section of painter's tape.  It is now hanging on our living room wall and I LOVE it!  One of my favorite parts is the light blue textured fabric I used.  It was difficult to put on, but really stands out when the light hits it. 

Table Runners

I found the idea for a burlap table runner online, and decided to try it out. I made this one for my mother-in-law for mother's day this year.  It was really easy, I just bought some burlap fabric from JoAnn's and cut it into strips. The longest part of the project was weaving.  I pinned the ends of each short piece as I went, so it would stay together as I moved to the next.  To finish it off I sewed around the whole edge with red thread.  Easy and cute!

For the felt table runner, I used a bowl and a lid to create circles down a length of felt.  Before cutting it out, I ironed on some fusible web so it wouldn't require any sewing to attach to the yellow felt.  After cutting out each strip of circles, I ironed them to the edges of yellow felt.  I was initially planning on leaving yellow edges on the runner, but didn't like how it looked. So I trimmed the edges along the brown circles and there you have it!  This table runner was really easy to make as well, although I think I prefer the more casual look of the burlap one.

Painted Bird Cage

I found this metal bird cage at a garage sale a few months ago, and it's been sitting 

in my garage waiting for a coat of paint ever since.  A couple of days ago I was checking 

out the mis-tinted paint at Home Depot and found a great eggshell blue color.  

For only $2, it was perfect for this job (and many more)! 

My daughter was kind enough to help with the painting, and I think it turned out great! We just did one coat, so some of the green/black shows through in the cracks, but I kind of like it that way.  

After drying overnight, it is now sitting on top of my piano music, hopefully deterring my son from throwing it everywhere. :)

After seeing how it turned out, I decided to try out this color on some old earrings. 

I love how they turned out!

Birthday Cakes