DIY Holiday Highlights ~ My Home for the Holidays

By now, our homes are probably all decorated and ready, right? Time to show it off!
 
And if not – why not?!  Maybe you’re like me and decided that spending 10 days lazing in a tropical environment sounded like a better plan so if your Christmas tree this year is all decked out with lights only (and a few that aren’t working)…it’s okay. Rationalize it. There’s only 4 more days until Christmas. Christmas is peaceful and about family. You know that going to the dark spidery recesses of the basement, messing up the semi-organization to find ornaments will induce stress.  So let it be. Rejoice. Bellow out a Christmas tune and admire what you’ve done. Christmas memories aren’t made from perfection. Years from now, we’ll be laughing and joking…”remember that year our poor tree only had lights because you were too sun-baked to trek down a light of stairs, battle cobwebs and destroy the basement looking for our collection of meaningful ornaments only to pack it all back up a week later?”  More likely:  No one will notice or remember.  So, if you’ve had other things going on, you’ve been working hard or different priorities…it’s okay.  It’s Christmas. I’m just thankful that you’re here.
 
Our Christmas decorating was toned down a bit this year all around. More natural, more DIY, less commercial. What is commercial…is from my collection purchased in past years or recent from thrift stores. I’d offer you a cup of cocoa and some Christmas cookies if I could.  Let’s take a tour of a home that’s ‘just good enough’ for the holidays. Looks festive. And if you squint, it might even look clean. It might even look completed.  Here we go…

white Christmas 

 
 
 
 
 
DIY Christmas centerpiece
 
 
 
 
Sitting Room
 
 
 
 
 
 
I‘d love to see your home all dressed up for the holidays! Ready or not – be real. And if you are ready and your home looks like a Better Home and Gardens holiday article – all the more reason to share! Go ahead, brag. You’re super woman and I want you to get some recognition for all of your had work! Then take a few minutes (or hours) to visit the links to drool over celebrate beautiful holiday homes…
 
 
  • You must use the button above in your blog post or side bar to share the linky love.
  • Add your permalink (not your blog url, but your holiday project post url which is the web address that goes directly to your holiday project blog post, not your blog address). Feel free to link a Past Post, just be sure add the DIY Holiday Highlights button to your side bar.
  • Or email your link to thediyshowoff@gmail.c
    om and I will add it for you.
  • If you notice your link has disappeared please check the content of your post. Is it holiday related? Add the link back to The DIY Show Off to your post today with a quick note to your readers about the party and try again!

Pin It

Felt Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Meet:  Dalys from

Burundanguitas
I love the wood rose wreath from Smith and Hawken:
How about a DIY version is much more durable and budget friendly!  Here’s Dalys:

First of all, the supplies you will need are:

1. about 2 1/2 yards of felt in the color of your choice
2. a wreath base (mine is approximately 15 inches)
3. a lot of push pins
4. scissors
5. a 3 inch circle pattern
6. ribbon or organza ribbon, to cover all the wreath around, in same color as felt.  I used 2 inches organza about 4 yards.
7. hot gun and glue just in case, I always turn on my glue gun when I start a project no matter what it is. I dont know why.


To begin wrap the wreath with the organza.  (Note: use push pins or hot glue gun if necessary.)

Then start cutting as many as you can of 3″ circles in your chosen color felt.  I cut aproximately 200+ circles no kidding, my fingers see a scissors and start to cry 🙁 

Keep going and going. It takes a LOT of circles.

 When you have cut all your circles, then you take one and fold it in half.

 Once again, fold it half.  It will look like a tiny triangle with a round corner like this…

And then with a colored push pin and beginning inside-out you start placing your mini felt triangles like this, all around the wreath:

Then the next like and the next line like this…


When you are done placing your mini felt triangles, fluff them to look like flowers.




Decorate your felt wreath with bows or Xmas ornaments bought from stores.  I added white felt flowers.


Felt Flower Tutorial:

I started cutting 6 circles of aprox. 2 1/2 inches (one extra for the bottom of the flower) and 5 circles of 4inches for each flower (the big one).  For the smaller flower I used one inch less for everything.

 After all the circles are cut, then I place one circle of 2 1/2 inches above the 4″ circles.

 and sewed them together like this:

After sewing all petals, you’ll have this:

Then you start making your flower by sewing the petals all together like this

 Tada:

The extra circle is for the  bottom of the flower. Secure with hot glue.

Accent with rhinestone or contrasting felt…


Also I used green felt for the leaves and there you have your flower and a NEW Felt Christmas Wreath.

I hope you have fun following this tutorial. If you have any question or doubt send me an email and I will be pleased to help you.


Thanks so much for sharing your creativity, Dalys! It’s beautiful!






Pin It

Numbered Drop Cloth Napkins by It All Started with Paint

I’m excited — and honored — to bring this post to you from The DIY Showoff.  Roeshel has so generously opened up her blog to guest posts – and has even given me two opportunities to feature my projects.  Thank you so much Roeshel!Now on to the post …You may or may not know that I’m obsessed with numbers.  If not, here’s a quick refresher of numbered things in- and out- side of our home … 

 Numbered Steps.Porch.closeup (2) (600x450)Porch Pillows Indoors (600x450) (2)Numbers Powder Room (600x450)Numbers Back Porch (600x450) 
When I landed on an image a few months ago showing off a table setting with numbered napkins, I knew I needed to make these for our home.  And then make some more to sell on my ‘in-the-works’ etsy shop …

No. Napkins Final Close Up (550x413) (2)

… and a plan took shape in the form of iron-on transfer numbered napkins made from drop cloth fabric … Painter’s drop cloth as fabric is my newest obsession.  It’s cheap. It’s washable. It’s easy to tear into perfectly straight lines.  I like the natural color, but it can be bleached lighter or even dyed — like I did for my fall wreath.Here’s what I did …1. Machine wash and dry drop cloth.  I purchased mine from Menards.  It cost just under $15.00 for a 4’ x 15’ drop cloth.2. Create mirror image numbers and print on transfer paper (I have an ink jet printer but mistakenly used paper made for a laser printer.  It was a mistake that worked in my favor because the images transfer to the fabric without that annoying film border.  It comes out a bit grainy and aged – but honestly, I like that look …)

DSCN3417 (550x413)3. I cut the drop cloth fabric into 22” x 22” squares, allowing for a 1” seam allowance around the border …No. Napkins Measured (550x413) (2)Here’s a tip that guarantees a straight line:  cut a small slit in the drop cloth and then tear …No. Napkins 2 (550x413) (2)No. Napkins Rip (550x413) (2)
 4. Double fold over a 1/2” inch and pin.  The drop cloth frays easily so the double fold will make it much more durable for frequently washed fabric napkins.
  No. Napkins Pinned (550x413) (2)No. Napkins Pinned All (550x413) (2)
 Here’s a quick ‘pic-tutorial’ on how I pinned the corners …No. Napkins Corner 1 (550x413) (2)No. Napkin Corner 2 (550x413) (2)No. Napkin Corner 3 (550x413) (2)No. Napkin Corner 4 (550x413) (2)
 5.  Sew … and since I’m a glutton for punishment, I sewed a double seam to ensure greater durability …No. Napkins Sewing (550x413) (2)No. Napkins Sewing 2 (550x413) (2)
 6.  Now it’s time to transfer the mirror-image numbers … (check back soon for my ‘screen cap’ tutorial on how to make mirror image text and numbers in a Microsoft Word document).No. Napkins Transfer (550x413) (2)No. Napkins Transfer 3 (550x413) (2)
 … the transfer paper I used comes out a bit grainy, but I really like that aged look on the drop cloth canvas …No. Napkins Iron (550x413) (2)No. Napkins Iron Transfer (550x413) (2)… and the finished product …
 No. Napkins 12 (550x413) (2)No. Napkins 6 (550x413) (2)No. Napkins 1 5 9 again (550x413) (2)No. Napkins 1 5 9 (550x413) (2)No. Napkins 1 5 9 more too (550x413) (2)No. Napkins 1 5 9 too (550x413) (2)… is ready for dinner …image

Thanks so much for sharing your creativity, Linda. You and your projects are amazing! I want these so I either see a project in my future…unless you get that in the works etsy shop up and running!  Can’t wait!
~*~*~*~

I‘m hanging out here today with Lisa…
Crafty Christmas
Pin It