DIY | Yarn Wrapped Letters

I saw this DIY project on Let Birds Fly before Christmas and thought, what a great idea for a handmade Christmas gift? My girlfriends and I have an Annual Girls Christmas Dinner every year and I thought I would make everyone yarn wrapped initial ornaments. Let me tell ya, I usually consider myself pretty crafty but my ornaments turned out absolutely nothing like this. My excuse it that my letters were much smaller and the wrapping of the yarn was difficult! Whatever makes you feel better, right? :) Anyway, I am ready to give this another try. I wanted to have the initial of the baby boy at the baby shower I'm planning & I think a yarn wrapped one will be a great addition to the party and will not only serve as decoration but could also double as a gift for the mommy-to-be. (Too bad Jenny is one of my dearest friends and she will be reading this. Just act surprised, OK?)

Anyway, on to this simple tutorial from Bailey at Let Birds Fly:

Materials:

Block Letters

Yarn

Scissors

From Bailey - i've had these block letters for a while (mine and my husbands initials), but i didn't know what i wanted to do with them. i was about to resort to painting (which is fine, i just wanted to try something different), but i've been seeing on different blogs the popularity of yarn, including simply wrapping things in yarn. which is FANTASTIC! i had yarn in the house, so that's what i decided to do. hope you like it! 

[Step 1] Begin wrapping the letter with the yarn, my recommendation is to wrap horizontally at first. (Though really you can do it any way you want!) and unless you have to wrap a letter with a hole (Bs, Os, Qs, As, Ps, Ds, Rs, etc) you don't need to cut a particular length of yarn.

[Step 2] Tackle the more difficult areas first (my example: the middle part of the K). It doesn't have to look pretty in the beginning.

[Step 3] Keep wrapping, and make sure the "uglies" (where you have to criss-cross to get to other parts of the letter) are on the back side.

[Step 4] Make sure you cover every single bit of the letter, even the sides.

[Step 5] When you're done wrapping horizontally, start wrapping over that vertically, you don't have to, though, this is just how I do it. I learned that I like to wrap the letters in the direction that I would write them. Does that make sense?

[Step 6] On the back, tie off your yarn (using some of the already wrapped yarn) and snip off the extra. You're done! Now you can decorate with your masterpiece, and embellishments, use them as tools to help your child learn his ABCs, or whatever!

How gorgeous are these?

Design & Photography: Bailey from Let Birds Fly

DIY | Paper Flowers

This is a super easy + cheap, yet very affordable way to add little delicate touches to your event! Incorporate  them into a DIY centerpiece or place them on a dessert table to add whimsical flavor on a dime! :) In the future we will take this tutorial to the next step and show you how + where to use these flowers!

Materials

- 4x4" square sheet of paper

- Pencil

- Scissors

- Hot glue gun

[Step 1] Draw a spiral on a 4x4" square sheet of paper. Cut out the spiral along the lines you have drawn.

[Step 2] Begin rolling up the sprial from the outside. Keep on rolling until there is no more left to roll.

[Step 3] Once there is no more paper to roll, dab a little hot glue to hold the flower roll in place.

And voila! You are finished! Use these delicate babies to create your own DIY centerpieces or sweet touches throughout your event!

TIP: Don't worry about cutting your spirals out perfectly. I found my best roses were ones I cut without drawing a template first.

DIY | Faux Flower Balls

When I first saw this tutorial over at Sew, Mama, Sew I honestly couldn't believe it. How can these beautiful Faux Flower Balls be made out of men's t-shirts? They actually look like they are made with real roses. It's gorgeous! It seemed too good to be true and yet below are the simple steps needed to achieve this beautiful look to make a bold statement at your next event.

I am planning a baby shower in May and I'm thinking about giving these babies a try! I'd love to see how they turn out in colors other than white - pink? yellow? Ooh! My mind is just racing with ideas! Can't wait to give it a try & hopefully have something beautiful to show all of you!

Materials needed:

- 2 men’s XL white T-shirt for large ball

- 6 inch and 4 inch styrofoam balls

- Hot glue gun

- Ribbon (in coordinating color for your event)

[Step 1] Cut off the bottom of the t-shirt. Now cut strips of 1 inch in width. Make sure you snip either end of your strips to create 2 strips each.

 [Step 2] Put your sewing machine to the “running” or the “basting” stitch.  On my sewing machine that is the longest stitch of 5. I then lightly held the thread on top as I ran my running stitch. This will make your ruffle gather as you go.

[Step 3] Start by coiling your ruffle. Place a dab of hot glue to the end of your coiled ruffle and to the back of your ruffle flower.

[Step 4] Now place the ruffle flower onto the styrofoam ball. Repeat the steps and add ruffle flowers to the styrofoam ball.

[Step 5] Once you get close to having the ball finished, add some ribbon (for hanging) to the top of the ball. Insert push pins at a slight angle going opposite directions to anchor the ribbon. Be sure to add some hot glue on top of them for added security. Continue to glue your ruffle flowers until the entire area is covered.

Create various sizes of the faux flower balls to create depth and impact to your area. Hang them from trees and verandas or if indoors, from the ceiling. Also don't be afraid to attempt this project in other cotton blend hues. Vintage pink? sunshine yellow? Yes, please!

View the original tutorial at Sew, Mama, Sew.

Thanksgiving Crafts From Sweet Designs | Via Paisley Card Company

So, I know Thanksgiving is tomorrow (oh my gosh, I can't believe it), but I thought I'd share these cute Turkey Day crafts I found over at Sweet Designs. What an adorable yet very affordable way to decorate your Thanksgiving Day tables in a very festive way? Head on over to the Thanksgiving Crafty Roundup from Amy Atlas and check out even more lovely ideas!

I mean seriously, how cute is this turkey?? :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with loved ones!