Archive of ‘Tutorial’ category

Jute & Twine Wrapped Easter Eggs

If you’ve had a winter like us here in Maryland, you are awaiting the arrival of Spring with bated breath. Although the outdoors may not reflect Spring weather quite yet, there’s no reason your indoors can’t begin showcasing some warmth and happiness.

When it comes to decorating for the Spring & Easter, I like to bring the outside in—which means green & natural with a smidge of rustic. Some jute and twine wrapped eggs were a good craft to kick off my spring decorating.

Jute Wrapped Easter Egg

What you need:

  • Plastic Easter Eggs
  • Twine
  • Jute
  • Hot Glue Gun

Step 1:

Gather your eggs. I bought 2 sizes of the plastic eggs because I wanted a bit of variety. I found my eggs at Hobby Lobby for $1.00 —score! I decided to place a dab of hot glue where the 2 egg halves come together to seal it closed. I wasn’t sure if the egg would pop open as I was wrapping, and didn’t want to deal with that possible disaster.Easter Eggs

Step 2:

Warm up your glue gun, find some filler TV show, and get to wrapping. I chose to start wrapping the jute at the base/bigger end of my eggs. I found it helpful to wind a bit of the jute/twine and then glue it to the base. Glue and wrap on repeat until the entire egg is covered. I was able to get 3 eggs done before an hour TV show came to an end.

Jute Wrapped Eggs

Here’s something to consider: The jute eggs went much faster than the twine eggs. I only had very thin twine on hand, so it took a bit longer to work with in order to ensure that it was wrapped tightly (no gaps) around the egg. I do enjoy the look of both textures, but in the future I might go with a heavier twine!

Here they are, all ready to find a home somewhere in my house:

Jute Wrapped Easter Egg

                                 I really like them! It’s a nice change from the bright colored eggs                                     that everyone else seems to have.

Boxwood Bunny Wreath

 

Boxwood Bunny Wreath

 You all know how I love a fast and easy craft, right? Well,  this Boxwood Bunny Wreath is not. Maybe I am being a little overly dramatic. It’s not incredibly difficult, but it is not remarkably fast.  This is definitely not like the Burlap Bubble Wreath, which took all of 15 minutes. Nope, this little bunny required a little more time. You are going to have to devote ONE WHOLE HOUR to this little Spring cutie. I know, right. One whole hour. Ain’t nobody got time for that…  

Just kidding. Everyone has time for this Boxwood Bunny Wreath because it’s cute and cheap. If my crafts aren’t going to be quick and easy, they better at least be cheap. Apparently, my ideal crafts are floozies. Yup, I just personified my crafts. Things just got weird.

 What you’ll need:

- Three Wire Hangers

- Greenery- mine were from Joann’s (thanks, Carrie!)- 3 bunches

I wanted boxwood greenery, but I couldn’t find any. I guess if you want to get technical, this isn’t a boxwood bunny wreath, technically. But, Honey Badger Grace don’t care (I’m full of timely–read: not timely– virile video allusions today, aren’t I?)

Boxwood Bunny Wreath

-Floral Wire

-Burlap Ribbon ( you know I had to feed my burlap addiction) or any other ribbon you like

-Wire cutters

-Pliers

What you’ll do:

 - Shape the bunny’s body.

I shaped my bunny’s body by using two pots. I cut the hook off of the hanger and twisted it around two different sized bowls. For those who like precise measurements, my bunny’s head has a 6 inch diameter and the body is about 8. You will use the pliers to secure the circles.

Boxwood Bunny Shape

-Shape the ears

For the ears, I found that the shoulders of the hanger make perfect bunny ears, so I made four cuts on that hanger. This was my least favorite part of securing the ears to the head. I just used some brute force to get it done.

-Take apart the greens, so you have little sprigs.

I just cut the sprigs off the stem, which was easy since the sprigs were made of plastic and not wire.

Boxwood Bunny

-Tie/wrap the sprigs on the bunny form with your floral wire. 

I made my sprigs go in the same direction. I also found it easiest to cut a long piece of floral wire and just start wrapping the wiring around the sprigs. Nothing scientific. It was definitely a learning curve here. This is your longest step. You’ll need to finesse the leaves in case your wire holds all the leaves down.

-Put a bow on it.

- Hang it.

I broke it down for you with a series of pictures.

Boxwood Bunny Wreath

Boxwood Bunny Wreath

 

I think she’s pretty cute even though it wasn’t the quickest craft I’ve ever whipped up.

Boxwood Bunny Wreath

 Hippity Hoppity Easter’s on its way!

Top 10 St. Patrick’s Day Decor

For the past few weeks, the ladies and myself (and probably many of you too), have been combing Pinterest and our favorite blogs for some St. Patrick’s Day inspiration. We hope that you’ve enjoyed the decor/crafts that we’ve posted, and wanted to include our top 10 favorite ideas that we have seen on the good ol’ world wide web. (Each image will take you directly to the tutorial)

So here they are, in no particular order:

St Patrick's Day Clover Wreath

via blueskyconfections

What’s better than a St. Patty’s Day wreath that is made from fresh greens from your very own landscaping?

St Patrick's Day Bannervia lilluna

 This banner was the inspiration for Grace’s Easy St. Patrick’s Day Banner. We especially like how this one uses vintage maps of Ireland for the background. A great decoration for your house or even your classroom!

St Patrick's Day Printablevia pumpkinpetunia

 Everyone loves a free printable, and this one is full of whimsy. What a cute gift for your little ones or friends to get into the St. Patty’s Day spirit.

St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Tree

via lollyjane

This craft is super easy and super cheap– you can get everything from the dollar store. A great activity to do with the kiddies.

St Patrick's Day Vases

via eighteen25

A nice tutorial for making colored vases. Of course green works well for St. Patrick’s Day, but you could apply this technique to any vase for any holiday. This is great St. Patty’s Day decor without going too over the top.

St Patrick's Day Stamp

via prudentbaby

You probably have everything you need for this craft in your house already–we love an upcycled, free craft. The kids could make such cute St. Patrick’s Day cards with this stamp.

Shamrock Garland

via blitsycrafts

This garland is also something that can work in both your home or the classroom. As all it takes is strips of paper and a few staples, this is a craft that kids (who can safely operate a stapler) can help with too.

Lisa_Shatzer.jpg.rendition.largestvia ferncreekcottage

You know that we love us some burlap around here. What’s nice about this art is that you can really vary it to your taste. You can change the shape of the clover or use cardstock/scrapbook paper instead of foam board. Love the natural look of this one.

St Patrick's Day Chalkboard Art

via dearlillieblog

This is understated St. Patrick’s Decor at its best. A chalkboard with any saying related to the holiday (Irish blessings, songs, etc.) is a classy, neutral way to incorporate some holiday cheer into your home.

St. Patrick's Day Clothespin Wreathvia celebrations.com

This wreath can either go on your door or anywhere in your house/classroom. Using just a few supplies (most of which you may have already), this wreath is definitely a keeper!

Have you made any St. Patrick’s Day crafts? We’d love to see your decor choices!

1 12 13 14 15 16 19