Entry Table: Before and After

I have been looking for a table for my front entry since we moved into this house...7 years ago.  Until I could find something, I just put a family portrait on the wall and left it like that.  But, the space felt empty.  And, every Halloween I especially wished I had a table there to sit the candy bowl on.

I just couldn't find anything that fit all of my qualifications. It had to be inexpensive, fit the space, and be something I liked. I started scoping out local thrift stores for such a table (though I started to be resigned to maybe having a chest of drawers there at one point). Finally, I found it. It was about $40, fit my measurements, and was cute (underneath the iffy paint).

I especially liked the scallops.  But I didn't so much like it's 90s paint job, even if the details were in my favorite colors, yellow and green.  It was too fussy, too dated.

So, I took some spray paint to it.  I covered it, first, with white primer, and then white glossy spray paint.  And here's the after:

I added a big IKEA frame and a beautiful new family portrait, a funky Target Lamp, and I made some "quote boards," which is a post for another time.  :)

It really livens up the space.  I totally love it.

Envelope Clutch Tutorial

I made my envelope clutch with thrifted items, but you could make it with any sort of fabric you want.  Or, maybe you'll be lucky enough to find awesome table linens like I was.  Either way, here's how to make my envelope clutch!

So, my before picture shows the placemat and the table runner. Technically there were two placemats. I'm not sure how the second placemat didn't get into the photo...

Again with my trusty blue plaid scrap fabric, I measured out a pattern.  I sewed the two placemats together to make them long enough for the lining, leaving enough extra for the cell-phone pocket.

And then I cut out my lining.

I cut out the pocket, too, and determined where I wanted to place it.

I pinned it and sewed in in place.

After sewing the bottom in place, I pressed under the sides and top-stitched the pocket to the lining.

I used the lining as the "pattern" on the table runner.  I actually even just sewed it on before cutting anything.  I placed the lining and the table runner right sides together, and stitched along the pointed part of the lining.

I cut off the extra when I was done.  Then, I smoothed it out and pinned the bottom of my lining (what you see on the right in the below picture).

I stitched it to the table runner too, and cut off the extra.  So now I had a "house" shape, that was sewn to the table runner at the top and at the bottom.  I turned it right side out and pressed it.  Then, I sewed the sides of the lining closed (leaving the outside table runner layer still open on the sides).

I marked the spots to put the snap closure.

I installed the snaps, then turned the purse right side out again.

I hand stitched the sides of the "table runner" closed.  I finished the raw edges left on the top part of the clutch with some red twill tape I had on hand (see picture below).

To make the tassel, I rolled up some of the cut off fringe and cut off the rest of the fabric.

I used red embroidery floss to hide any remaining fabric and to sew the roll of fringe to itself.  I then stitched the tassel to the clutch with some more embroidery floss and called it a day!  :)  

I'd be so grateful if you headed over to Mommy By Day...Crafter By Night and voted for my clutch!  Voting has ended and I'm in the top 6!  Thanks for the votes!  Click here to see my entry for week 3.

SYTYCS Entry, Week Two: Envelope Clutch

This week's So You Think You Can Sew challenge is "Repurposed Items."

Most of the things I thought of making at first have already been done (a lot).  I spent a lot of time staring at old sweaters and worn out jeans.  I was just not feeling inspired. So, I abandoned my box of sweaters and headed over to the thrift store.

I wandered the aisles, looking for inspiration to strike.  The first thing I found that struck my fancy was a cream placemat.  It was nothing special.  It was a little stained, too.  But, I liked the pleating around the edges.  I was really excited, though, when a found a brightly colored table runner.  I may have done a tiny little jump of joy.  :)  It was perfect.

I thought it would look cute as a clutch purse.  I thought perhaps it could even look a little Anthropologie-esque.

I used the placemat as the inside lining for the clutch.  I made a cell phone pocket out of it, too, making sure to use some of the lovely pleating.

And, to give it a little something extra, I made a tassel out of the table runner's fringe.

I think it turned out pretty cute.  A nice little purse for a night out.

(Voting is open!  I'd love it if you headed over to Mommy By Day...Crafter By Night and voted for me.  Thanks!)  Also, the tutorial is now up!

Thrifting Treasures

Oh, I really like garage sale season. Our neighborhood had a huge garage sale a few weeks back and I really enjoyed searching out deals. Plus, I sometimes like to head over to our local Salvation Army or Goodwill to do a little thrifting when I need a break from day-to-day life, you know?

I got these two cute Radio Flyers at the big garage sale.  Both the scooter and the wagon are for my three year old.  He picked out the wagon himself and had such fun pulling it around.  And, he kept trying to find things to put in it, so the sweet lady selling it gave him a little wooden box to put in it.  The wagon is super cute, not only as a fun toy, but couldn't you see it as a centerpiece for a wagon or tricycle themed baby shower or something?  I could...and I totally will if given the opportunity.  :)

He picked out the wagon himself and had such fun pulling it around. And, he kept trying to find things to put in it, so the sweet lady selling it gave him a little wooden box to put in it. The wagon is super cute, not only as a fun toy, but couldn't you see it as a centerpiece for a wagon or tricycle themed baby shower or something? I could...and I totally will if given the opportunity. :)

And look at all the books I scored!  Some of those board books are practically new.  And, I love finding vintage books.  I collect Golden Books, so those are always fun to find.  But, the vintage Dr. Suess and Eloise Wilkin books are super-awesome.  Oh, and there's Twilight Books and a Sinatra CD in there, too.

I got all those books, the wagon, and the scooter for about $10.  Not too shabby. 

And here's my thrift store haul:

Can you believe those shoes?! 

Normally, I wouldn't necessarily buy thrift-store shoes.  It grosses me out a tad.  But, these were practically new, and GORGEOUS, and only $3.  I wore them 4th of July weekend with a denim skirt, a blue and white top, and a red necklace.  It was really cute.  No pictures, though.  Bad blogger.  :)

The record in the back of the shot is of the Buffalo Bills.  They're the guys that sing in the quartet of the "school board" in The Music Man.  I don't actually have a record player to play it (my record player--a purple one bought at a garage sale when I was like 8, by the way--only plays 45s, the little records).  But, I want one.  And, I couldn't let this awesome record pass by.  Is it totally weird that I'm excited about it?  Probably. 

And for like 50 cents or something, I found this sweet little tea set.  Yeah, I know.  I only have boys.  But, I have nieces.  And there was a cute little wooden box nearby just waiting to be gussied up to store a cute little tea set.  Of course, it's at the end of a very long "to make" list, so we'll see when I get to it...

  

And, finally, I found two cute little bud vases. 

I've always needed some little tiny bud vases, since my boys are forever bringing me dandelions and assorted wildflowers, which just don't fit in a regular vase. And I hate just throwing them away right away. They're like little symbols of love from my boys. So, now I have a place to put them. One is milk glass, a smaller version of one my mom had when I was a kid. And the other is pewter. Sort of. It's like 3% pewter and the rest is tin. But, I'm still going with pewter. :) By the way, the picture makes it hard to tell dimensions very well.   The roses that are modeling the vases for me are teeny tiny cupcake roses.  Don't you love the name Cupcake Rose?  I have a bush in my yard, and I'm loving snipping off tiny roses to put in my new vases!

None of the above stuff cost me very much at all.  And yet, as you can see by the vast number of smiley faces in my post, have given me much pleasure.  Yay for thrifting treasures!  :)

Hairbow Picture Frame

I've got a houseful of boys at my house, but no girls.  I get my girl fix by crafting for my neices.  I made this cute hair bow holder for my sister's oldest girl. 
It started out as this:

 

I picked it up at Goodwill for around $1.  I actually kind of love the painting.  I kept it around in case I find a use for it (and I scanned it, too).  The frame was perfect because it was an ornate style, like I was looking for, but not heavy at all (it's molded plastic). 

I primed it with a paint designed to stick well to plastic, and then painted it this pretty blue to go with her bedroom.  Her room is painted a light green with coral accents, and a few light blue accents.  I had a hard time finding coral ribbon.  I found this skinny coral ribbon, though, so I put two strips of the skinny ribbon next to each other to make it look like wider ribbon.  The ribbon is hot-glued to the back of the frame. 

It was an easy project, and very fun to make.  I love the result.