Jewelry Holder

Today I'm getting around to posting a project that was done quite a while back, maybe over a year ago. It is still just as useful as it was back then. This is my jewelry holder. It holds a ton of necklaces, but I'm just about out of space, and I'm going to need second one real soon.

To make the jewelry holder I found an old picture frame from my closet, some cup hooks at Habitat for Humanity, a piece of cardboard, some batting, satin ribbon and fabric.

Step one: remove the glass from the frame.

Step two: If you don't already have picture hangers on the back add them now. They are hard to nail in once the hooks have been added to the front.

Step three: Screw the hooks into the picture frame. As you can see, mine aren't all the same size. That is because I bought all of the large hooks they had at Habitat for Humanity the day I visited, so I had to buy some smaller hooks as well.

Step four: Paint

Step five: Cut the cardboard to fit the inside of the frame, and wrap it with batting. I think I actually used duck tape on this project, but I don't want to take it down off of the wall to be sure.

Step six: Wrap the fabric around the cardboard, and duck tape or hot glue in place.

Step seven: Hot glue the ribbons in place. Every where the ribbons intersect with each other they are glued to both the fabric and each other. Then they are also glued on the back of the cardboard. The remaining ribbon is left loose, and able to hold light weight earrings very well.

Step eight: After everything is glued in place, the cardboard is inserted into the frame, and the normal frame backing is placed back on the back of the frame to hold everything in.

Great Deal on Alphabet Dies

I'm so excited. I just got my new Cuttlebug alphabet dies in the mail. I ordered these on Ebay from OhMyCrafts, and got all three for $18 including shipping. I cant' wait to get home and try them out.

Covered Brads- No Tool Required

There is a sucker born every minute, and today it was almost me.

Lately I've started to admire fabric covered brads, and was tempted to buy the I-top tool from Imaginisce. This maybe a is handy little tool if you use a lot of brads, and maybe someday I'll want to shell out thirty-five dollars for it, but not today. I was very close to buying one on Ebay for the low low price of $10, plus $8.50 for shipping. Then this thought occurred to me, "Do I really need this tool?" Then I wondered if the tool that comes with Dritz fabric covered buttons would fit the brads, so I hopped in the car and headed to Michael's to purchase a package of the small Brad Daddies.

When I arrived home I couldn't locate my fabric covered button tool, so I went ahead and gave it a shot without either tool. The picture above is how it turned out. Both brads above were made without a circle punch or even a good circle cut out. These are the results of cutting the corners off of a square and wrapping the square around the top of the brad. With a little pressure the back of the brad pops right in.

Final verdict. Unless you use a lot of brads, or are just not strong enough to push the back of the brad on without the aid of the tool, don't buy the Itop tool unless you find it on sale...cheap! It just isn't needed. However, I highly recommend the Brad Daddies themselves.

Make an envelope for any size card!

I wasn't having much luck making or finding an envelope template for note cards. Then I found this tutorial on YouTube. It is very simple to follow envelope tutorial, that shows you how to make an envelop for any size card. I highly recommend it if you have been having trouble making envelopes for the cards you have created.

Shirred Smocking Tutorial

I haven't been able to find the video I was looking for tonight. I wanted to find the Sewing with Nancy episode that showed how to create smocking with a serger/over lock machine. It is a great episode, and the guest shows all kinds of great stitches that can be created with a serger.

I did however find this great tutorial on YouTube that shows how to create smocking with a regular sewing machine. Marking this one now, so I can find it later.

That word? That word?

Do you ever have a word on the tip of your brain, but you just CAN'T pull it up to the surface? Uggh! That is exactly what is happening to me tonight. I really wanted to learn how to do _____ with my serger. I've seen it done on one of the sewing shows on OETA on Saturday morning. I would love to Google..or YouTube it right now, but I can't pull the word up out of my brain to type it in. So... if you just happen to be passing by, and want to put me out of my misery, can you tell me what they call it when the fabric at the top of a baby's dress is all gathered up, and then sewn on top? Please?

Blog Makeover

I've been working on a blog makeover, along with an Etsy banner makeover. Although I like the colors in my old design, I really wanted something brighter and more fun. So here it is, my new blog just in time for back to school and the end of summer.