Vintage Frame Spool Holder DIY

I mentioned a post or so ago that I've been working on  making my studio space a little more usable. Part of that is finding accessible storage for all those little odds and ends. My ribbon spools for instance were just tossed into a paper bag that I'd dig through blindly whenever I thought I needed a bit. And I never remembered what I had. To solve this problem I decided I needed a ribbon spool holder that I could mount on the wall. Pondering this dilemma I happened to see an old bare frame I had leaning against the wall and inspiration struck. I'd use that.... Now how to hold the spools.... a trip to Lowe's was definitely in order.

 The result of that trip is this Vintage Frame Spool Display. It's easy to make and I think looks great on my wall. I'm a big fan of the make vintage work movement (also known as the "I found it in the back of my garage and painted it" movement). Anyhoo, take a look and have a fabulously creative day!!! I'm off to a christian artist's retreat this weekend and will post some pics when I return. Hope you have a great weekend too and thanks as always for stopping by. :)
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Vintage Frame> Ribbon Spool Holder Tutorial

Tools and Materials
Old frame with 16" x 20" opening
6-8 little screw in hooks to fit the size of your dowels
2 3/8" diameter dowel rods 36" in length (cut into 4- 18" lengths)
small hammer
saw or branch cutter
Measuring tape
Pen or pencil to mark
Assortment of spool sizes you plan on hanging to guide placement
wire to hang (only if your frame doesn't have one already)

Step One: With the frame upside down on the floor decide where you want to place your dowels (using the spools you have as a guide). Mark on one side about 3/4" from inside of frame. 

-I thought I'd be smart and put the hooks on the recessed part of the frame so the whole thing didn't sit out too far from the wall but when I tried this the dowel rod didn't fit because it was longer then the hooks and had to stick out from the surface (rather then be recessed) so that it was able to slide in and out of the hooks.

 
Step Two: With pen, use measuring tape to make sure you have the same mark placement on other side of frame as on the first. For instance, if your first dowel mark is 2 1/8" from the bottom, use your measuring tape to measure 2 1/8" on the opposite side so that your dowel rods hang straight across. Do this with all your marks. 

-In the finished pic you'll notice that I only have 3 dowels hanging that's because I didn't buy enough hooks and haven't been to the store yet to get more. There is room for one more dowel. Although I kind of like the gap bc it shows off my pretty wall. :)

Step Three: Screw in your little screw hooks where marked on frame. I hate trying to get these little things in so I cheat and use a hammer to tap them in as far as I can then start to screw them into the frame. This sometimes alters their shape so once in the wood I used a pliers to bend them back into shape.

Step Four: Measure and cut your dowel rods in half with branch cutter or use small saw. Thread spools onto rods and then hang on hooks. If desired you can probably stick something on the end of each dowel to keep from sliding off but I haven't had any problems with mine. 


* I didn't have as many ribbon spools as I thought I did so I hung the decorative tapes I buy compulsively on the very top dowel.



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And TA DA!!! It's like magic- all your spools are fabulously, artistically displayed and you'll never wonder what you have and where you put it ever, ever again. Hopefully. :)

Fourth of July Fabric Corsage Tutorial

Happy Fourth of July!!! To celebrate today's holiday I whipped up this sweet little holiday corsage yesterday. It's red, white and blue at it's best. With a little imagination and fabric you can easily adapt this tutorial to any holiday or special occasion. I think this would be a lovely finishing touch to your outfit when worn to a wedding or garden party. The design is meant to be reminiscent of the ol' time corsages worn high on the shoulder but because of the versatile pin back/clip combo it can also be worn as a hair accessory or you can clip it to a long necklace for a focal accent. However you choose to wear it- Enjoy!
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Fourth of July Fabric Corsage Tutorial

Tools and Materials
Scissor
Needle
Embroidery floss or thread
Variety of coordinating fabrics (I used Moda)
Canvas cloth
Bit of ribbon or other trims if desired 
Glue gun with glue stick
Pin back/clip combo (found it at Hobby Lobby) 

Step One: Rip or cut a strip of fabric approx. 2' in length by 2 1/2" in width. 

Step Two:  Fold the strip in half width-wise, hold and tie a knot an inch or so from one end of the strip 

Step Three: Thread your needle and pierce your knot in the center then begin to wrap the strip around the center knot, adding a stitch here or there as you go to hold the shape. 

Step Four: Give the fabric a twist here or there before adding a stitch to create the form and appearance of petals.







Step Five: When finished, add a few more stitches to the base of the flower to secure. Then add a couple of stitches up and through the center. Knot off at back and cut thread. 

Step Six: Choose a couple of coordinating fabric and cut 2-3 leaf shapes. Place on canvas and leaving a 1/4" border cut around your patterned fabric. Rip a few more strips to hang down decoratively from corsage as well.

Step Seven: Play around with your positioning and then stitch leaves to back of fabric flower as desired. Feel free to embellish your leaves by stitching around their edge or adding some buttons or beads. To add dimension to the leaf, pinch bottom and stitch to hold as shown. 

Step Eight: When you've finished assembling your corsage and stitching it all securely in place heat up your glue gun and adhere pin back to back of flower. Hold for a few seconds for better bond.  Alternatively, you could stitch on a pin  back. Make sure to position slightly high on back of corsage so it hangs well.  
Wear with patriotic pride (and 'cause you know you look good). :)

Best Wishes to you and your family- I hope you have a fabulous Fourth of July!!!!!

Product Comparison: Easy Carve Printing Blocks

Recently, I was at the Dick Blick store in my area and they had a make and take using hand carved stamps. There was a little demo about how to carve and then they let you print using some stamps they made. I was curious because I saw three different easy cut blocks. There was a pink, a grey, and the standard cream block that I've used in the past. When I first started block printing, there were only the linoleum or wood blocks available. You had to heat up the linoleum in order to make it a little softer and safer for cutting. But it cooled quickly and the smell of the heated linoleum was a little overwhelming. So when the EZ cut blocks came on the scene I began using those. They weren't as hard to work with as the linoleum and I loved how I could cut the block to any size. However, it has it's limitations. For instance, when you carve with it it gets all crumbly and it's almost impossible to get much detail because of this tendency to crumble. It also deteriorates with frequent handling. I've thought of trying to coat the backs of the blocks with a stiffener after carving, or mounting them on a block, but I'm lazy and usually just stuff them into a drawer once I've cut them and used them. Also, unlike the linoleum which was dangerous because it was SO hard to carve, it's maybe too easy to carve for safety's sake.

So I grabbed one of each type of easy cut block available and went home to give them a try. The grey was very rubbery and I wasn't a huge fan. It was down to the pink vs. the cream and here's the comparisons I made....

1) To begin a stamp I'll frequently sketch out my design on paper with a pencil and then press the paper on top of the block to transfer the design. I tried this technique with both blocks and didn't really see much of a difference. So far so good!

2) Next, on to the carving. I used the same basic design on each block. The pink block required more pressure when carving but I actually liked that. It was less likely to crumble and I was able to cut a lot more detail. You can see in the pic that the cream seems much more crumbly and the lines aren't nearly as good.  When done carving the blocks I decided to use a scissors to cut away the excess block around the image on each block. They each cut just fine with the scissors.

3) On to printing! I used the same dye ink pad for each and stamped them side by side. They both seemed to print the same. The image on the right is much crisper but that's because of the carving and not the application or transfer of ink. They both rinsed off fine, although the cream did retain a bit of the ink color.

4) Durability testing came next. To do this I bent each stamp gently in half. Here's where I saw another big difference. The cream block split and cracked immediately, the pink was just fine. This would be especially important to me if I was carving an over sized image. In the past I've had a real problem with those larger stamps cracking after just a few uses.

The cream block was the E-Z-Cut by Dick Blick, the pink is the Speedy-Carve by Speedball. Both are available from Dick Blick. The Speedy Carve was priced at about $20 for a 9" x 12", the E-Z-Cut is about $17 for the same size. Each block was also available in store in a variety of sizes.


Hope you found this interesting! Happy Carving!!!

p.s: I do have tutorials for carving stamps available- just check under the tutorials tab at the top of the page- Thanks!!!

Simple Jeanius #5- " Waist not... Pocket Purse"

Back again today with the fifth tutorial in this upcycle your old jeans challenge. Who would've believed so much blog material could be found in a single pair of old jeans. :) So far I've got a cute little headscarf, a funky fabric cuff, a super cute little denim ring, a chunky yet comfy necklace and now this... a little pocket purse. The jeans into a purse concept is something I've seen before so I actually wasn't going to do it unless I felt I could put my own spin onto it. I think I've done that with this little purse. First, it's smaller then the other purses I've seen, as it uses only the right back side of the jeans. Second, I cut off the waist band to reuse it as the purse strap. Again, because of the parameters of the challenge I set myself, I've tried to stick to only using what I could find on that one pair of jeans. The jeans by the way are getting pretty bedraggled. I thought I'd show you what they look like now. Still there's some good material there yet so I'll have to start thinking up my next couple of projects. But for now, I give you.....

All that's left of the original pants :)

The "Waist not... Pocket Purse"
Tools and Materials
Pair of old jeans (specifically back pocket with leg fabric, and waist band)
2" x 2" square of fabric with brass button attached (preferably from waist)
Embroidery floss in dark blue
Needle
Scissors

Optional:
Red Staz-on ink
Stamp

Step One: Cut off the waste band of your jeans and then cut off the belt loops. Set aside. Then, cut a rectangle that's approx. 8 1/2"wide x 12" long. Fabric piece should include the right back jeans pocket and back fabric of leg. (In the pic above you can see the left back pocket with leg fabric attached. I already used the right for this project when the pic was taken.) You will need to trim the fabric into a more regular rectangle shape. Fold the fabric in half length wise and then using an iron, press a seam all around the edge of the fabric.

Step Two: Then, cut a second piece of fabric that is approx. the same width but only 8" in length. Position fabric, facing up, inside purse as backing as shown. Fold over seam at top back of bag and slide fabric beneath. Using needle and thread stitch through fabric tacking edge down.

Step Three: Using a needle threaded with embroidery floss, back stitch the left and right edges of the purse shut. Beginning at the top of each side.

Step Four: Place the end of the waist band that does not have the button hole beneath the top fabric on the far right side of the purse and stitch to top fabric.

Step Five: Place the fabric square that has the button still attached on the far left side of the front of the purse and stitch around edge to secure. Then slip buttonhole end of the waist band over the button to secure strap.




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Optional: I added decoration to my purse in two ways. First, I stamped the fabric with Staz-on ink and one of my hand cut stamps before I began the purse. Second, I added little jean rosettes and stitched leaves to the right side of the purse. Again, these two steps are purely optional, I just thought they'd be fun to try and might look cute. Feel free to add embroidery, or other stamped images or to applique to your purse. Just have fun!!!

Simple Jeanius #4- Bloomin' Sweet DenimRing

I have this little ring. It's cute and sweet and so so comfy to wear and I love it. :) This ring builds off of two previous tutorials, the necklace and the cuff. In the necklace tutorial I demo'd how to make a ring out of a piece of inseam. The cuff tutorial shows you how to cut the little flower shapes out of the denim jean fabric. This ring tutorial is sort of a mini tutorial because it really doesn't take much time or many steps to put one of these together. Especially if you already have the ring and fabric flowers cut. I'm going to post a sneak peek of next week's bag project at the bottom of this post. Have a great weekend and why not take a couple of minutes to sit back, grab some coffee, and enjoy the tutorial!
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Bloomin' Sweet Flower Jeans Ring- Tutorial
Tools and Materials
Ring form made from inseam of a pair of old jeans
Flower shapes cut from a piece of old jean denim
Red bead or button
Embroidery floss in dark blue
Needle and Scissors

Step One: Following the steps in Tutorial #3- denim necklace, cut a thin piece of stitched inseam from a pair of jeans and fitting it around your finger for size, stitch closed.

Step Two: Time to layer the blooms. For more dimension I cut a super small square little piece of inseam from my old jeans and placed this between the two blooms I had cut out previously.






Step Three: Using a needle and thread knotted on one end I stitched up from the back of my little stack, through the layers and then back on down. Repeat a couple of times and then add the little bead or button on top and stitch through that and back down.

Step Four: Then placing the bloom where desired on top of ring (I put mine slightly off to the side of the ring's seam so the blooms didn't stick out quite as much), stitch through top of ring form and then back up and through the bottom layer of the bloom. Repeat a few times, slightly varying where you stitch through the bottom of the flower and where you stitch to the ring so that it's as
secure as possible. Then slip it on and enjoy!


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And here's the little sneak peek I promised- coming soon as a tutorial ! Happy Weekend Everyone!!! :)

Simple Jeanius #3- Denim Delight Necklace Tutorial

Everything goes with jeans, right? This denim necklace takes that a step further as not only does it go with anything but it really makes the outfit as well. Simple, artsy, and comfortable it really is a delight to wear. I love how it looks paired with my new denim cuff and a sweater vest. Again, super simple to make, I used only some embroidery floss and strips cut from my painter's jeans. After this project which uses much of the pant legs, I have to admit the jeans have started to look pretty worked over. Still, I've the fabric from one more pant leg, a couple of pockets, and a waste band left to play with, and this is where the challenge starts to get really interesting. :) Tomorrow- the cutest little denim ring EVER. Of course it's the only denim ring I've ever seen so I have to admit the competition isn't that stiff. Still- I'm sticking with it, because it is seriously the cutest denim ring EVER!

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Denim Delight Necklace Tutorial
Tools and Materials
Old pair of paint splattered and worn out jeans (boot cut)
2 skeins Embroidery floss in dark and light blues
Needle
Scissors

Step One: Cut along the inseam of one of the pant leg you should have left yet after the other tutorials. Cut as long as a strip as you can and trim as close to the seam as possible. Then cut this strip into pieces approx. 4 inches in length. I cut 10 strips to create the rings for my chain.

Step Two: Create a ring form from the strips by overlapping the ends just slightly and then stitching it closed with your dark blue embroidery floss by first piercing and then stitching around the edges of the two pieces. Once securely joined, set aside and repeat with all your loops.

Step Three: Next, from the front or back fabric of the jeans cut several strips approx. 3/4inch in width and as long as you can. Cut these strips down into pieces that are approx. 4 inches long. Make 12-14 of these. I made more of these then I did the strips that were cut from the inseam because I ran out of inseam. To make the necklace the length I wanted I stopped alternating the two different rings and added extra of these plain fabric strips from step three. The finished length of the necklace is up to you- mine is 34" in length.

Step Four: Knot the end of a piece of the light blue floss and starting at one end of a strip, straight stitch up the middle until you reach the end. Leave about 2-3 inches excess floss hanging. Repeat with all your fabric strips.

Step Five: Now you're ready to begin building your chain. To do this, pick up one of the fabric strips and thread two of the closed denim loops onto it. Then wrap up end up and around and use the excess floss stitch close your strip to form a ring as you did in step two with the inseam pieces. Repeat this step until you've run out of rings or strips, or until the necklace is the length you desire.

Step Six: For a closure you have a couple of options, you can simply connect the two ends to create a closed chain or you can use something else to join them, like a strip of ribbon. Because of the parameters I set originally for the challenge I decided to join the two ends with another strip of jean fabric.
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Tied together with this cute little bow it really does make a "oh so casually cool" sort of statement. Have you tried making fabric jewelry yet? It's so very very much fun and I hope I've inspired you with this little series of tutorials to look at your old jeans in a new light. Have a happy creating day and thanks for your time! :)

Simple Jeanius #2- Painters Jeans Cuff Tutorial

Front of Cuff

Old Jeans + A New Challenge= A Fabulous Denim Cuff. Why old painting jeans? First, I love the feel of denim, but ESPECIALLY worn in denim. I also love the way the paint splatters or gets wiped onto the jeans, and thirdly, I just really really love that distressed faded look that a really worn pair of jeans gets. And because I'm a bit short, the bottoms of the pant legs get very very tattered looking from scraping the cement whenever I walk which really adds to that worn in look. :)

The Challenge part of the equation is to upcycle an old pair of painting jeans. Yesterday, I showed you the how-to for the head scarf I made and today I've got this cuff. As part of the challenge I've been limiting myself to just a few materials, as I attempt to reuse as much of the original jeans as possible. So far I've got the head scarf, this cuff, a necklace, a cute little ring, and a bag in the works. I hope you enjoy!!
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Back of Cuff

Painters Jeans Denim Cuff Tutorial
Tools and Materials
Old pair of worn out painting jeans- preferably boot cut
embroidery floss in both light blue and denim
old shell button
scissors
needle

Step One: From the bottom of one of your pant's legs cut a strip that is approx.
8 inches in length and about 3 inches in height. (You might need a bit more if your wrist is a little large. A tip would be to wrap the fabric around your wrist before you cut it to length. Then make sure to tack on an extra inch so that you can fold under a half inch on either end.)

Step Two: From the inseam of your jeans cut a strip along the seam that is approx. the same length as the fabric in step one (approx. 8"). Cut close to the seam on one side but leave about a 1/2 inch fabric allowance on the other side of the strip. If desired feel free to fray this edge by pulling some of the threads out.

Step Three: Using the light blue floss stitch the small strip from step two to the raw edge of the larger strip from step one. Using a "x" stitch, stitch along the bottom edge of the top strip, overlapping the raw edge and the fabric beneath with your stitches (as shown in photo for Step Four) .

Step Four: At the right side of the cuff bend under about a 1/2 inch of the raw edge and stitch down for a nice edge finish. I used a straight stitch with my dark blue embroidery floss.

Step Five: Cut the button from the front fly of your jeans. Rather then cut out just the button, I cut a 1"x 1" square around the button. Then using the dark blue embroidery floss straight stitch this to the left edge of your cuff.

Step Six: Next cut a strip of fabric from your original jeans that is about 3/4" wide and about 3 1/2 inches in length. Fold fabric in half width wise and place it around the button you just stitched on, then pull around the other end of the cuff and decide how much of the loop you need to get the right fit around your wrist. Next cut the strip making sure to leave at least an extra 3/4" at each end to stitch to the right edge of your cuff. Now that you've sized it, fold it in half width wise (wrong sides together) once again and using your dark blue floss stitch the two raw edges together as shown.

Step Seven: Bend the stitched loop in half and place behind right edge of cuff. Stitch securely into place. Tip: I'd double check the placement of the loop at this point by once again wrapping it around the button and then holding it around my wrist, then I'd double check how much of the loop needs to protrude from the edge. My loop sticks out about 3/4" from the right edge.

Step Eight: The cuff looks great as is, but if you'd like you could add a flower to the center front of your cuff using scraps from the jeans. I free cut three sizes of flower heads, each progressively smaller then the first. The largest is approx. 2" in diameter and is an 8 petaled flower, the second has four petals and is about 1 3/4" in diameter, and the smallest also has four petals and is about 1 1/2" in diameter. For interest I slipped over the middle flower so that the wrong side of the fabric is showing. Then cut a small circle for the center of your bloom that is slightly larger then the button you selected.

Step Nine: Stack your blooms and button as desired, then using your embroidery floss, stitch through the center of the layers, up and through the button, and back down again. Repeat a couple of times. Knot securely on back side of bloom. I left about 3" of extra floss dangling from the back after I knotted and then used that floss to stitch the flower to the center of the cuff. Knot securely and you're DONE!!!

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There you Go! From pant leg to wrist, making a huge style statement in the process. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I hope you give it a try with a pair of your own worn jeans. Make sure you don't throw away any excess fabric though because next I've got the cutest necklace and ring to share with you. Love to see you come back for that! :)