Crochet Heart Garland

I’ve seen these things all over the place! So quick and easy. And cute. And lasting.

One heart took me less than five minutes.

And I like using up my scrap yarn!

I think this is my second time crocheting. So, its an easy project. Inviting you to make more and more!

Links to heart garland pictures and tutorials around the web:

• Little Birdie Secrets This has a video of how to crochet the entire heart. Perfect for those who’ve never held a crochet hook!
• Design*Sponge This is a different pattern from the one I used. Tiny and precise.
• Wise Craft I used this pattern. I love the way she used gray and black! And her crochet skills are way better than mine.
• Skip to My Lou I think this pattern is the one that sparked the craze. Its a bit different from mine, attached in two places.
• Maize in Montana

Bento Box Lunch Tote

Eleanor uses boxes for lunch and when I’m creative, it gets prettied-up. I love the idea of cute, well-packed bento boxes. Here are a few of my favorite inspiration blogs for bentos:

• Happy Little Bento
• another lunch
• Wendolonia
• KookyCulinary

I had picked up two cheap Daiso (we are lucky to have one at our mall) bento bags at the beginning of the school year, but they are falling apart already. Here’s her new one made from Ayumi’s tutorial at Pink Penguin.

Henry’s New Bed

I love loft beds. So practical for small rooms. We picked up a beat up loft bed for Henry on Craig’s List for $100. And when I say ‘beat up’, it was. It looked like a kid had taken a screwdriver to the soft wood. Stephen and I spent 6 weeks, re-finishing it. Here’s the Before and After.

I had a sewing marathon on Sunday, determined to get the quilt out of the way! Here it is with the proud recipient!

Projects I Want to Make!

I’ve got a long list in the works, but with a 5-week old, 3 year old and husband under foot, I can only swing about an hour of sewing a day. I am in the middle of sewing a basic twin quilt for Henry, that I WILL finish before starting on fun stuff. But, I couldn’t resist starting on a set of cloth napkins the other night. Here’s my to do list for the next few weeks! Click on the links to see my inspiration.

• Finish Henry’s quilt.
• Make 4 sets of cloth napkins (6 each).
• Sew Eleanor a new lunch bento bag. I like this one, but will probably just copy the one that is falling apart on her now.
• Sew a Nook sleeve. Like this or this.
• Sew a new tablecloth. With this fabric.
• Make a cloth trash bin for the car. Love this pattern.
• Oh, and I have such a hankering to knit! This or This. But, I’m afraid the yarn cost would break the bank.
• Last, I would love a HUGE one of these.

Too Cheap to Buy Frames Tutorial

Chalkboard is the new wallpaper!

Last year’s Anthropologie Catalog has inspired many! Anthropologie displayed their bedding  surrounded by chalkboard-painted walls and floors with hand-drawn accessories: frames, rugs, furniture, lamps, etc. Since then, I’ve noticed hand-drawn picture frames all over the blog-o-sphere, and the new West Elm Catalog has run with the theme as well. Here’s my take from this inspiration.

Frames in Relief (with light walls and a Sharpie)

Supplies needed:

Pencil
Tape measure or level
Black Sharpie
Straight Edge (ruler)
Different sized frames to trace around

First, decide the layout of the frames on your wall. I eyeballed it. You could trace your layout on a large piece of paper if you need to trial and error before marking up your wall.

Make sure to use the level or tape measure insure your frames are level. Using the pencil, trace around the frames you’ve selected. I used big and little frames to make the inner and outer lines of the frame details. That way, I knew everything would be square. You could use plates and bowls too, if you wanted round frames.  Trace away until you are satisfied.

Step back and take a look. Everything level? Everything square? Feel free to experiment with the frame details, like scrolls or Fleur-de-lies, with your pencil. I like to wing it directly with my Sharpie, and skip drawing everything twice.

As you can see, even walls finished with orange peel (instead of smooth) can be drawn on as well. Now, take your Sharpie and straight edge, and trace over your pencil lines. Its important to hold the Sharpie cap in your mouth as you draw. And, no. I’m not that stout…I’m 7 months pregnant. Okay, my vanity is smoothed… back to the tutorial.

Use the straight ruler to draw diagonal lines for 3-D detail.

Add frame decoration.

Fix little mistakes with fingernail polish remover and a Q-tip. Or,  if you have your wall paint, you could cover mistakes with a small brush.

Here are my finished frames. Click on the links below to see how others have drawn frames for inspiration.

I liked the way the Anthropologie catalog taped papers haphazardly inside the frame. So, that’s what I did. You could hide your tape or glue your picture to the wall.

Other hand-drawn wall frames:

• Pictures from Anthropologie of chalkboard walls.
• Man decorates basement with $10 worth of Sharpie.
• Nursery with chalk-drawn frames.
• Mixing real frames with drawn frames. (scroll to the end of the post)