Wednesday, June 27, 2012

4th of July Printable



I was hoping to have this 4th of July Printable up a couple of weeks ago but better late then never.  One of my favorite things about the 4th of July is getting to sing all of the patriotic songs.  They still give me chills every time I hear them.  I am so grateful for those who have fought for our freedoms and still do.

This 4th of July Printable is FREE and found on my website for downloading in my Download of the Month section..  It was intended to be printed on an 8 1/2 x 11 size paper and trimmed to fit into an 8 x 10 frame.

What are some of your favorite things about the 4th of July?  If you aren't from America, how do you show your patriotism to your country?

Monday, June 25, 2012

I Am Back to Work!


June has been a sparse month when it has come to blog posts but I am happy to report that I am back to work and hitting the ground running.  

From the photo above you might be able to deduce that some of my absence is the result of a fabulous vacation to the lake.  It is definitely one of my favorite places to be and don't worry I will blog all about it.  Like most vacations, it will take me a couple days to get caught up with "normal" life again.  On the agenda this week though is to finish my coffee table and post my reveal as well as design another free download of the month.  

Any guesses as to which lake we were on?  What fun family vacations do you have planned or have just come back from?

Monday, June 18, 2012

A Work in Progress


I'm still here.  Life has its way of throwing curve balls which I did not have penciled in my monthly schedule.  Don't give up on me just yet.  Right now I am in the works of taking this laminate table and turning it into something fabulous.

I am really, really, REALLY excited with how it is turning out.  Just a little more sanding and the finish coat to go.

Has anyone else refinished their furniture?  If you have and have a link I would love to come check out your projects!

I'm thinking I will have the post up of the Before and After sometime early next week so be sure to check back here.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Patriotic Wreath Tutorial


No shock the inspiration for this wreath tutorial came from Pinterest.  How did we ever live before this wonderful site? A few months back I had come across a wreath tutorial using striped straws only it was for a Christmas wreath.  As soon as I saw the straws I immediately thought of fireworks and knew I wanted to create a wreath using this method but for the Fourth of July.

Supplies Needed:

- 1 foam wreath form (you need one with a flat front, I found mine at the dollar store)
- Yarn or Fabric to wrap around the wreath form
- Muslin Strip to hang the wreath
- Approximately 70 striped straws (I ordered mine from Amazon)
- 3 stars of various sizes (Michaels)
- Blue and Silver Glitter Paint
- Hot Glue


Step 1:  Wrap your wreath form in yarn or fabric.  You'll notice I used leftover yarn from my summer wreath.  This part is what took the longest.

Step 2:  Cut approximately 1 inch off half of your straws.  I would have a few extra of each size so about 35-40 straws in each size.

Step 3:  Glue your muslin strip to your wreath form, glue the front and back.  I did this because I ended up gluing my straws on top of the muslin.  Make sure you measure the muslin strip to make sure the wreath hangs at the right length.  

Step 4:  Glue your striped straws around your wreath form alternating between your two sizes.  You want the ends to touch at the center of the form.  A flat front wreath form is ideal because it gives you more surface in which to glue your straws to.  

Step 5:  Paint your stars and glue them onto the top of the straws.

That's it.  It's an easy wreath tutorial and can be done in an hour or two depending on how long it takes you to wrap your form.  The straws give the wreath a fun texture and shape, something a little different than most other wreaths.  It's patriotic and can be used for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, and even Labor Day.

I'm really excited with how it turned out.  How do you decorate for any of these holidays?  What tutorials  have you found or created?