Halloween Table Runner

I love Halloween! There is no denying that! I would transform my home into a haunted house and charge admission if I could! But, since that is out of the question, I settled for this hauntingly perfect way to at least deck out the table!

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Materials you will need:

-sewing machine 

-fabric glue

-black fabric (enough to cover desired area of table)

-pom pom fringe

-rick rac 

-silver paint pen

Start by measuring and cutting out fabric to desired size to fit your table. Hem edges of fabric. You can also leave them raw if you want an unfinished and frayed look.

Next, you will want to place a piece of tinfoil under your fabric to prevent the paint from bleeding through onto your work surface. Begin to draw spiderwebs all over your fabric. Different shapes and sizes add a lot of character! Never drawn a spider web before? Use a ruler to help make straight lines and also go here to get some ideas!

You should have something that looks like this when the drawings are done:

Next, you will want to measure your pom pom fringe to the width of the fabric. Start to glue the rick rack on. If you are super ambitious, you can sew it on, too! Be sure to fold the ends to the back of the fabric. Glue should take about 15-30 minutes to dry.

Finally, glue (or sew!) the rick rack on top of the upper portion of the pom pom fringe. Again, fold ends to the back of fabric. Let dry.....

and give yourself a pat on the back because you are now done! 

Decorate with your favorite Halloween items and some pumpkins of different sizes and colors, and you are ready!

fabric: $1.50/yard ( I needed 2 yards)

fabric glue: $5.99 

paint pen: $2.65

pom pom fringe: $3.50/yard (I needed 1 yard)

rick rack: $1.35 pack (4 yards in 1 pack)

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Total Cost: $14.99

Total time to complete project: 2.5 hours

Fabric Covered Bangles

Are you wondering what to do with your small scrap pieces of fabric? Are you like me and buy fat quarters with no purpose or use in mind, but only because they are pretty? Well here is a great way to use some of it up and accessorize your wardrobe as well! 

What you'll need:

-Fabric or craft glue

-scraps of fabric

-bangles (simple, preferably clean edges with no detail)

Did you ever own a few of these back in the 80's? I found them in my parent's playroom for the grandchildren. The granddaughter's used them to play dress up and I hadn't seen them in years! You can find them at most thrift stores and tag sales, however. You can also use metal or wood bangles if you have any laying around.

Start by cutting narrow width strips of fabric. I found that 1/4" wide worked best. The average bangle will use about 1 yard in length. You can make several shorter strips if your fabric is not long enough. Don't worry about getting your cuts even, you will not be able to tell when it is all done.

Put a dot of glue on the front and back of the bangle to hold starter piece of fabric in place. Wind the fabric around the bangle starting from the backside first. Slightly overlap the fabric as you go. Place another dot of glue every few winds to keep fabric from sliding during wear and tear. If you come to the end of the fabric and need to start a new piece, simply start on the back again by gluing the new piece in place and pick up where you left off.

So simple and so quick! You are done! You can even tie them together with cute ribbon and they can be worn as a set or worn separately! 

Embellishing Project #2

I have been working on my second project from Kayte Terry's book Embellishing - Techniques and Projects and have been having a lot of fun with it! This woman is amazing and I love so many things in her book! I really like that a lot of the projects are quite simple and really inexpensive. I am looking forward to a day with cooler weather just so I can sport my new sweater vest!

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Here is the photo from the book used as inspiration:

Here is what I came up with:

(sorry, no cute bike to prop with!) 

Cut out squares of plaid fabric and use Heat and Bond to attach to sweater. Simply hand stitch around the border of each square and then hand stitch more diamonds to create the argyle look.

The hand stitching was the most time consuming part of this project. The needle had a difficult time getting through the thick weave of the wool. 

The book shows the edges of their fabric frayed, but I stitched around each square with my sewing machine so that they wouldn't fray too much. 

Don't worry about getting your stitches looking exact. It's nice to have it a little imperfect, otherwise it would look factory made and that would defeat the whole purpose! Handmade items always have character! 

I also added this nice little detail!

FYI: wool suiting material can be very expensive but you only need about 1/8 of a yard (if that) and discounted remnants can usually be found in the clearance section of the fabric store.

sweater from thrift store: $3.50

wool plaid fabric: $2.50 

Embroidery thread: 2 qty. at .35 cents/ea.

heat and bond: $1.59

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Total cost: $8.29

Total time: 3 hours

***To view another great embellishing project from Kayte Terry's book, click here!***

Upcoming Events!

For the Utah locals, you may want to check this out!:

Garden of Art...A Bohemian Girl's Rhapsody!

Sept. 18 - 19

I am excited to attend this show! It will be a first for me and I am even hoping to get a little Christmas shopping done here!

for more information and a sneek peek at the vendor list and their creations, visit the show's blog:

gardenofartshow.blogspot.com

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Also, it is hard to believe, but winter craft fairs around the valley are already in progress! Applications are already being accepted for the Winter Beehive Bazzaar! If you think you have what it takes, click here for an application! The deadline is only a week away so hurry and get yours submitted!

You can visit the blog website for further information on participating vendors, dates and upcoming events!

www.thebeehivebazaar.com

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Also, Bijou Market was a huge success this spring and they are kicking off a winter market as well! We are all excited for this event to happen again in November! If you are interested in applying for this great show click here. 

(Do you all love winter craft shows as much as I do? I am really excited for the holiday festivities to start!)

Ruffle Necklace

Here is a great and inexpensive way to dress up your wardrobe! A little frill goes along way and so does saving your money! High end boutiques are selling these necklaces for $95.00 and I will show you how to make them for about $5.00 in just 7 easy steps!

Today's tutorial: Ruffle Necklace

Supplies needed:

-ribbon or strip of fabric measuring approx. 9" in length and 2" in width (measure to your  liking!)

-sewing machine

-needle and thread 

-chain ( I bought mine at an estate sale for $2)

-button or other embellishing object

-loop turner

Step 1:

If you are using synthetic ribbon, you will want to melt the edges to prevent from fraying. If you are using fabric, I personally like the frayed look so you may want to keep edges raw!

Step 2:

Sew the edges under so that they are not exposed

Step 3:

Fold ribbon or fabric over so that the top comes down to middle of the ribbon. (If you want a double ruffle, simply fold in half) and sew to make a pocket.

Here is what it should look like:

Step 4: 

Use your loop turner to pull chain through the pocket you just sewed. 

Insert loop turner all the way through pocket and attach one end of chain to loop turner. Pull chain through so that the chain is fed completely through pocket.

Here is what it should look like:

Step 5:

Push sides of ribbon or fabric down to desired length to create a ruffle.

Step 6:

Take a needle and thread and stitch the back of the ribbon to the chain to hold ruffle in place. Be careful not to go through to the front of your ribbon or fabric with your stitch because you will not want the stitch to show.

Step 7:

Find any kind of embellishing object such as a button, an old earring, a broach or decorative bead.

Attach embellishment anywhere on necklace that you like.

Ta-Da You are done! Great job! 

I would love to see any finished projects! Please email photos to me at hisforhandmade@yahoo.com. You can also reach me at this address with any questions! Thanks!

Embellishing Project #1

My first project from the "Embellishing Techniques and Projects" book is complete!  I am actually happy with the outcome for once! Usually, I will make something and then toss it into the pile of clothes to be taken to the thrift store because I don't like the final result. I was surprised at how simple, inexpensive and fast it was to do. If you are looking to update an old piece of clothing this is a really easy way to do it! No sewing machine necessary!

Here is a picture from the book used as inspiration:

The idea is to use vintage/antique embroidered linens and use them as an applique to a garment. So cute!

The book shows beading around the floral and ribbon applique, but I opted not to go that route since it doesn't really fit my style. I love how the edges are frayed!

I started with this linen table runner and cut it apart.  

Here is the end result!

I used iron-on fabric adhesive to attach it and then I hand stitched around the applique with embroidery thread, which is really easy to do!

A little detail on the back because a pretty goodbye is just as important as a hello! 

I found the linen shirt by Converse at Target for $4.95! The linen table runner was at an antique store for $4.00. Embroidery thread is .35 cents. 

Total cost of project:

$9.30

Total time to complete project:

1.5 hours

You can't beat that!