Small ~ Project ~ Sunday – A Yard Sale Find Extraordinaire

Hello my lovely friends 💕 How nice of you to make time for me on this wonderful weekend 😍

No crochet news today – but what I wanna show you instead is pretty nifty. 😁

On Saturday I spend a few hours thrifting. And at one yard sale I spotted an amazing vintage embroidery 💜 

Here are some details 

Beautiful, isn’t it?!

After I brought my treasure home I hunted for a frame…I always buy them at thrift stores – just in case. And yesterday was such a case 😆

It was already stretched on a piece of cardboard…and wouldn’t you know, I had a frame that fit perfectly! 😃 Happy Dance! 💃🏻

The frame is  was not very pretty, but is in great shape 

     Very ‘blah’ 😟
Time for some chalk paint and wax…ta-da 

I applied the paint, with a wide, flat brush, yesterday…let it dry overnight (even though it doesn’t take that long – an hour or two is plenty). Then I applied a thin layer of wax in a few spots (not all over ’cause all I had is a dark brown). Done!  🙆🏻

A few staples in the back – the frame didn’t have any of those metal bendy thingies. 🤓

And here she is 

I’m very happy with it 😍 It seems like it was meant to be….the perfect fit and the color paint I had is actually a color in the embroidery. 

Now I’m sitting here admiring my lovely ‘new’ wall art ☺️

Did you ever have a spontaneous project that worked out on the first try?  (Psst – doesn’t happen all that often around here 😆)

Thanks for dropping by and reading all the way down to here 🤗

 

Macrame Plant Hanger ~ DIY for Beginners

If you remember the 70s, you probably remember the wildly popular ‘Macrame’ phase. Everybody was knotting rope, and the plant-hangers, wall-hangings, and owls (!!!) were everywhere.

If you miss the knotted beauties (yes, I do think they’re quite pretty…well, most of them – I did see some doozies 😝  ) ….good news! It’s making a comeback.
While some crafters got a bit carried away ~ I’m still on the fence about this one 😊 What do you think? ~

I think we’ll start with ‘simple’.

This little plant-hanger is easy to make, and with the lengths of the rope/hemp you can adjust it to any size pot.
I want to show off one of my favorite coffee cups, so I made a small version. If you have a bigger pot, just make the rope/hemp strands longer.

Alright….let’s begin

You’ll need

~ 4 strands rope/hemp , 65″ long   ~ I like to use hemp. It’s easy to come by, comes in        pretty colors, and is not stretchy!
~ 8 wood beads (optional)
~ 1 metal ring

~ 1. Double all 4 strands, and thread the loop through the ring.

~2. Take all 8 ends, thread them through the loop, and pull tight

~3. Separate the strands into pairs, thread a wood bead on each pair (optional – if you don’t like beads just skip this step), and knot the strands – with an overhand knot – about 12″ from the ring. Push down the beads.

~4. Lay everything flat on the table, and pair the strands, using one each from neighboring duos. Add more beads.

 

~5. Knot the new pairs about 4″ from the other knot.
Knot all 8 strands together, 4″ down, forming an overhand knot.

Pick your favorite cup, add a plant, and hang your Macrame beauty in the window.

Before I leave you to get crafty – 2 tips
-Since the cup doesn’t have a drainage hole, you wanna set a potted plant in there. Otherwise it might not make it. 😢
-The easiest way to set your cup/pot into the hanger – trial and error experience  😋  – set your pot upside down, place the large knot on the pot, and arrange the strands around it. No tilts, no tangles, no shards! 😍

I do wanna learn more about this ‘revived’ craft ~ as I do I will share my newfound knowledge with you!

I hope you have fun, and will share your piece with me.

I hope to see you soon! 💕

 

Ideas for an empty wall

I don’t know about you, but, once in a while, I get really bored by my wall-art. Then I go on the hunt…only to find out that replacing it – even only a few pieces – could potentially break the bank. Apparently I have very expensive taste.😝
What to do? Let me tell you! I’m in the middle of a budget-friendly project. Photos!
There are motifs all around the house, the yard, and prints are very affordable.
I took my camera and started snapping pictures (if you have a device with a good photo editor built in use that one). Once you start looking, you’ll be surprised how many picture-worthy images there are. Walk around and snap away!

Here are some examples of my photo shoot…

I took the pictures, then I cropped them in the editor. As you can see – anything that catches your eye will work. Plants, flowers, a sparkly Christmas ornament…

Oh…here’s my favorite…

Sometimes a little staging helps to liven up the object

Once you’re happy with the look, print them (or have them printed at the drugstore – that’s what I do), stick ’em in a frame and – voila – all new wall decor.
For frames – speaking of breaking the budget, right 😦   I scour Thrift- and Charity shops.
Since that can be very time consuming (very inconvenient, especially now during the Holiday season),  I will share a nifty idea with you – Clip-Frames. Now, now – don’t wrinkle your nose and go ‘eww’  – hear me out 😄  Buy one that’s bigger than your photo, line the back with scrapbook paper or fabric

arrange your photo(s)  on the background, glass, clip – done! There…doesn’t it look great?

(Sunset photo taken by Gerald Rowles)
Here you see that magazine pictures, and greeting cards work very well too.

If you need a little help arranging them on the wall – here are two links that can help you out…

http://pin.it/2sdcK2O
http://pin.it/s8rr591

Now go snap some photos, and get decorating
I hope you show me your pictures, finished walls!
As always, if you have any questions send me a message.

Until next time

~Tina xoxo