Fourth of July

Enjoy the fireworks, everyone. Have a great weekend!

Food Flags

Howdy! On Monday, I promised you an easy craft fit for this weekend's Fourth of July festivities. Here it is:

We will need red tissue paper, blue paper, glue, a pair of scissors, a star punch and several wooden picks.

Cut strips from the tissue paper and punch out stars from the blue paper (if you don't have a punch, draw stars on the paper and then cut them out).

 Then, assemble these little patriotic flags with a small amount of glue.

Use these to decorate cupcakes, cakes, appetizers or fruit.

Now, don't be surprised if your food is awarded "Best Dressed" at you picnic or barbecue! TADA!

Red, White and Blue

Happy Monday dear friends! I can't believe that June is over -- how did the first part of the year go by so quickly?

This Friday, we're celebrating America's Independence Day (Fourth of July) and the colors red, white and blue reign supreme.

Here is a round-up of patriotic crafts that I found on Pinterest. I liked them for their simplicity and having an element of recycling...definitely blah to TADA!

via Sassy Deals

Firework prints for paper or fabric using an old dish cleaning brush.

via The Outlaw Mom

An adorable basket for fruit-picking or picnic snacks made from ribbon and an empty berry basket.

via Creative Green Living

Wind chimes fashioned out of empty cans.

Please stop by on Wednesday for another craft idea. Thanks for coming over!

Sprucing up the Balcony

It's officially summer in the East Coast and I'm doing cartwheels! This season calls for a relaxed pace, dressing down, and dining alfresco. 

We have a small balcony in our apartment with a picturesque view of the George Washington Bridge. I want to spend more time here that's why I'm embarking on a "Balcony: blah to TADA!" project.

Right now, there's a bunch of old furniture hanging out there (I can't help it if I don't want to throw them away!).

There's this side table that finds history in my husband's bachelor pad. So blah.

I cleaned it up, sanded it down, and covered it with several coats of black paint. I figured black paint would cover its flaws and be appropriate for an outdoor piece.

Here's the same table, looking all sleek. TADA!

And then there's this large picture frame that I saved from the trash. I guess the owner got rid of it because it no longer has its glass front. Well picture frame, I'm here to adopt you. Come to momma.

I'm turning you into inexpensive art.

A good excuse to visit the fabric store in New York's fashion district. Geez, so many choices!

On a whim, I chose this floral fabric. It's cheery and summery. Since I'm putting this outside, the black background will hide the dust. I can easily swap it into something more graphic when the season changes.

And here it is -- instant wall art! The frame was free and the fabric, $5.00 a yard (and I only used 1/2 a yard). Talk about a cheap thrill...TADA!

This is just the first part of my balcony transformation. I'll keep you posted on my work in progress.

In the meantime, have a beautiful start of the week!

Needle Felting Fun

Wasn't the weekend gorgeous?  Today, we'll be crafting with this:

I know, it looks like cotton candy! Sorry to disappoint all those with a sweet tooth out there. This, my friends, is wool roving. It's the main material for a craft called needle felting.

Felting is on my list of "Crafts to try this Year" and needle felting is just one of its many branches.

I would define "felting" as painting a pattern or sculpting an object with wool fibers. 

I decided to try it with this kit that I bought at my favorite craft store.

It had everything I needed: wool roving in assorted colors, foam block, plastic template, felting needle, thread, and an instruction sheet.

Because poking with a very sharp needle is involved, I put a piece of thick cardboard on my work surface to protect it. Then I put the plastic template {it looks like a cookie cutter; another food reference that's making me hungry} on top of the foam block.

I pulled off small pieces of roving from the big ball that came in the package. I placed these inside the plastic template, roughly filling it.  

I pushed the felting needle straight down through the roving and into the foam block. This process tames the roving and allows them to stick together. Do this in shallow motions {about 1/4 inch} so that the roving doesn't bury itself into the foam block.

Repeat the needle-pushing until the roving begins to flatten. It also helps to rotate the block and pattern to get to the easy-to-miss corners.

Once I filled the bottom-half, I added a new color to the top, repeating the needle-poking process. 

Fair warning: hold the needle straight during the entire process. If the needle is angled, it will break. I learned that on my first try -- I had to buy a new needle to finish the project. Don't even try using a regular sewing needle or pin. It won't work.

I always referred to the photo to help me position the roving.  It's totally alright to remove the template to see how the pattern is taking shape. Also, gently peel off the roving from the foam block every now and then. We don't want to roving to stick to the foam block. That's not cool.

Continue the same process when adding details and accents.

The instructions say that the finished shape should be 1/8" to 1/4 " thick and fairly dense and firm. If you haven't achieved it, repeat the process using small amounts or roving. It also helps to peel off the shape from the foam block and poke the needle through the back side to make both sides even.

Also poke the needle around the edges to get rid of the strays.

And here is my little felted teacup. TADA!

By adding a string {attach it on with hot glue or by sewing}, it doubles as an ornament or gift embellishment.

Here is a tutorial that I found quite useful.

Enjoy your week!

Happy Father's Day

I want to wish all the daddies out there a very Happy Father's Day! May each of you have a fun-filled day and know how much you are all appreciated. 

Paper Flower Fiesta

Here is a collection of paper flowers I made this week:

They're inspired by the blooms in the book Paper to Petal. I hope you'll have a vibrant weekend!