Instagrams on the wall

Howdy friends! I've got a super simple project I completed recently that took minimal effort (awesome), but makes a huge statement (again, awesome).

My Pops recently had a birthday, and I wanted to give him something that he couldn't buy himself. Enter....Instagrams. Since he's not even ON instagram, I've got literally hundreds of photos of me, and his grandkids, and ME, and the hubs, and ME that he's never even seen. I showed you in THIS post how I print them out on computer to be a 4 x 4 square, then I picked up a 24x36 poster frame (on sale AND with a coupon) since I could fit a row of 6 and a row of 9 instas PERFECTLY.

I turned the paper insert from the frame over onto the white side and used that as my base for positioning the pics...

and to attach them, I used a small piece of washi tape. A scrapbooking tape runner would've also done the trick.

Then, ya know, I just kinda lined them all up....

it takes a while. Not gonna lie. There's 54 pics, after all.

It's probably best to keep any 2 year old's away from this project.

Just sayin.

Once I had them all stuck down, I stuck it back into the frame, and thar she blows...

And I'm happy to say that he and the mum LOVED it.

So did I.

I loved it so much I'm super jealous it's not mine.

Looks like I'll be making another for my house soon...

So tell me- do you use instagram? Do you love it? Have you taken any from your phone and plastered them onto your walls and in frames around your house? Do tell.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

That's right-
this year I've envisioned lovely vignettes of white pinecones, berries, ornaments, trees, and all things Christmasy. My hubs has talked me into having a real tree this year (with the agreement that HE cleans up needles off the floor each day) and I'm actually excited about it! We've always done a faux tree, but if you've seen pics of real ones, you know they're quite pretty. No...gawgeous.
They're gawgeous.
However, I don't want to junk it up with all of the hulabaloo that I usually put on our faux tree, so....
I'm going a more handmade, rustic route with everything this year.

While searching Pinterest for 'White Christmas' inspiration, I came across and fell in love with a white berry wreath so, naturally, I had to try and re-create it. This begins my 'Week of Christmas Crafts- 2011', and I'm starting out by saving a whopping $51 bucks.

Did you hear that internets?
I SAVED $51 dollaroonies by makin' this myself.
The one I found on etsy was $70 and I was able to pick up the supplies I needed for my own at a cool $19. While they aren't identical, I'm totally in love with my own now.
Totally.

Here's my version:

**updated**
I totally added a ribbon

and here's the one I pinned from etsy:

Source: etsy.com via Mary Kathryn on Pinterest

And yes, I could totally add a bow to make them even more twin-like...

Here's what I used to make it:

14 white berry stems from Michael's at 50% off= $14

1 wired wreath form= $2.99

1 spool of floral wire= $1.99

In short, all I did was attach each of the stems to the wreath form with the floral wire, and since the wreath form started out dark green, I also used some white acrylic paint I had on hand so it would blend in.

p.s. Do you like my manicure? I call it 'taupe-with-a-tip-of-white-acrylic'

and...that's the backside of the wreath form. See how that green sticks out like a sore thumb?

Thar she is with 2 stems attached.

By the way, you'll need some of these bad boys to clip the long stems off since they're not needed-

They're called wire-stem-remover thing-a-ma-bobs.

Forgot to mention that it may also be helpful to have a 2-year old who refuses to go to sleep because she just wants to 'help'.

Even before the 2-year old goes to sleep, the wreath will be done because it was just so darntootin' easy.

For now, it's in the foyer on the Narnia closet door. I'm thinkin' I may go back and make it a bit fuller by adding in more stems, but who knows. I could grow to love it in this skinny state. And speaking of NOT skinny, I'll be dieting until I get this turkeyhamdressingcasserolepie gut off of me. I'd love to say I'm kidding when someone asked yesterday when I was due, but I'm NOT.

Someone actually asked me when I was DUE.

I know this is neither here nor there in regards to the lovely wreath above but I felt like sharing.

Anywho....

I hope you have a most excellent Monday!

I'll be back tomorrow with something else I'm creating for my 'white, light, and bright' decor.

And yes-

extra bonus points if you immediately spotted the plastic Easter egg in the pic above. It just wouldn't be right if a random toy didn't make it into at least one of the shots.

**********

I've linked this post to:



Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog,

 The Crafty Lassy Linky at Sew Stylish Boutique,Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts,Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design,Kate's Holiday Crafts linky at Centsational Girl,

Because sheets are fabric too...(part 2)

Remember back in,

oh,................I don't know,

APRIL

of this year when I posted about updates I'd made in the master bedroom?

Like new bedding and lamps?

Well, 3 days after that post,

we had a storm,

I had a bit of surgery,

we moved in with my in-laws for 10 days,

moved back into our house,

and put ALL of our attention on the kitchen,

which you can read about HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Finally, yes, FINALLY I've gotten around to completing some of the many projects I'd planned to do way back when.

The first of which was curtains.

Or drapes, if you're uppity.

You know I'm cheap, so even though IKEA sells some fantastic AND inexpesive curtain panels, I set out to find a way to make them even cheaper.

Enter sheets:

King flat sheets, to be exact, from Target.

They cost a whopping 16.99 a piece, and measure 108" x 102".

Hmmm...I says to myself-

If I cut those babies into thirds, I'd have 6 panels.

Then I gave myself a pat on the back, threw 2 flat sheets into my red buggy, and strolled straight over to Starbucks & bought myself a white mocha for being so good at math.

After finishing my white mocha, I measured my sheets and cut them into 3 equal strips.

I folded over the edges that  had been cut and pressed down a 1" seam-

then I stitched each of those rough edges.

Enter curtain hanging devices:

I picked up 3 cheap-o spring rods and some drapery rings-

(We have window boxes in the master, so I didn't need to buy decorative curtain rods since they wouldn't be seen)

Here's a 'before':

See the pretty white boxes?

They came with the house and so far I haven't hated them enough to rip them down.

I opened up the drapery rings and placed them equally (or semi-equally) along the tops of each panel, then slid two panels onto each spring rod-

and this was the result:

Before:

complete with messy pile of hangers and a stack of empty shoe boxes...

After:

No, I haven't hemmed them yet.

Yes, they desperately need to be steamed.

No, that art work above the bed no longer matches the bedding.

Yes, I already have a DIY in the works to replace it.

No, we don't have a babe sleeping in that pac-n-play every night.

Yes, we keep it in here for days when the girls would rather talk and sing to each other than nap. Seperate rooms to nap in has kept us sane.

Yes, that's an ab roller in the bottom of the pic.

No, I don't use it much, unfortunately.

So, whatcha think of my sheet curtains?

I'd already put them on my kids, so I figured,

why not the windows?

**Stay tuned for LOTS more change-a-roos in the ole' master**

********

I've linked this post to:

Craft-o-maniac Monday at Craft-o-maniac,

Pink Hippo Party at Pinkapotamus,

Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff,

Tutorials and Tips Tuesday at Home Stories A 2 Z,

Get Your Craft on at Today's Creative Blog,

craft #3: I loves my monogram

I was originally going to title this post,

"I'd like to add his initial to my monogram..."

ten-thousand bonus points to the person who can tell what song that's from.

Back to business-

today's craft is all about the mighty

monogram.

If you've been to my house,

or even seen pictures,

you know that I have M's all over the place.

In the foyer-

St. Patty's Day foyer decor

On top of the piano-

fabric M from Anthropologie- thanks Christa!

In the hutch in the dining room-

On the mantel-

(and that one even grew recently....)

large craft M from JoAnn

And on my front door-

Gold M and grapevine wreath, both from hob lob

So is it any wonder then, that I would want to include a craft that had to do with my Monogram?

no, it's no wonder.

Here's what I started with for this project-

a couple of 'M's from the hob lob (already had these),

and an 11 x 14 frame (picked this up from wal-mart for 5 bucks)

The M in the bottom of the pic actually fit better inside the frame, so that's the one I went with. The hardest part of this project for me was deciding how to 'dress' the M.

For example-

just yesterday I saw this post on My Blessed Life-

cute as a button, right?

I'm also loving that she spray-painted her frame.

pretty pretty...

Now, the button idea isn't new, in fact it's quite popular, and for good reason.  How cute would that be in a playroom?

Speaking of playrooms, here's another example I found several months ago

 from Dollar Store Crafts-

Not only is this a cute decor item, but what an awesome teacher gift as well! I was very close to gluing on the crayolas, but alas...

I knew the only room I could put my new 'M' in would be the playroom,

so-

I went with fabric.

because I just happen to have egads of it.

can I get a Roll Tide?

houndstooth is a pretty big deal in these parts, since the University is just down the street. Just wanted to clarify for those of you who are new here!

I found the large houndstooth fabric at fabric.com and I'm lovin it.

just like micky-D's...

I placed the 'M' on the fabric and marked where I'd need to cut slits so that I could fold the fabric over the letter and hot glue it-

I could have also traced the letter and attached that with hot glue, but the fabric would have only covered the top and I wanted the sides to be covered as well. It's really just whatever suits ya fancy, ya know?

Then I cut around the 'M', being sure to leave enough material to wrap and glue...

I started at the top, securing it with glue first so the fabric stayed put-

and no, I'm not working with a 'W' now, that's just what happens when you turn an 'M' upside-down.

Sarcastic much?

Next, I pulled the bottom of the fabric up and secured that with glue-

Then I moved to the middle section, pulling and gluing, pulling and gluing...

Until that whole 'M' was a Bama fan.

Next, I started on the frame-

since I already knew I wasn't going to be using the glass in the frame

(the 'M' is at least a quarter of an inch thick)

I set it aside for another project and took that lovely came-in-the-frame-picture of the smiling girl-

placed it on a piece of white poster board, and cut out a perfect 11 X 14 piece. I placed the poster board in the frame, replaced the frame's back piece, and hot glued my newly covered 'M' in the center of the poster board-

Whatcha think?

I love it!

Even on my kitchen desk, it looks fab!

And also....

did you see me?

I'm thinking of making a Hitchcock-ian appearance in all of my posts like that-

back to the craft...

And here she is in the foyer.

At 1:35 am.

Because that's when my kiddos are sleeping.

sometimes.

Not quite sure where it will live just yet, but I love that it can work in a playroom, as well as our family room or the dining room, or even a bedroom.

I loves ya, houndstooth M.

Welcome to the family...

So-

What would YOU cover your monogram in?

Do tell...

pssssssttt.....for info on how I made the mossy 'M' in my header, go HERE

 

Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Designs,

We Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado,