{DIY} The Letter Pillow

Today's post is brought to you by...

the letter L!

I mentioned it in my last post - our baby girl's name is going to be Lila.  

Lila Marian to be exact (Marian is my grandmothers name).

Do you remember on the TV show Friends, when Rachel has her baby Emma, they have a large letter E hanging on the wall?  

I've always loved that - so I decided to make my own!

Thankfully the letter L wasn't too tricky - if you have a name that begins with S or R...I'm not sure this is the project for you, but you could always give it a try!

This project was fairly simple - it took me about 2 hours, and I was stopping to take pictures.  If you're game to make your own, here's the stuff you'll need:

My finished dimensions are for a letter L - 21"x17" (those are the long sides of the L).  

Your trim should be only about 3/8" - 1/2" wide.

Step 1: 

Go ahead and heat up your glue gun now - then, with your fabric folded in half, selvage to selvage, begin to take measurements.  From the top left corner measure 8 1/2" and put a mark.  From the center of the bottom edge, measure up 8 1/2" and put a mark.  From the bottom right corner measure up 8 1/2" and put a mark.  Connect the dots by drawing lines to complete the L.  Cut along those lines.  

The top edge of the L will still be a fold - cut along the fold so that you have a front L and a back L.

Step 2:  

Lay the front and back pieces right sides together and pin along the edges.  When you sew, you are going to leave 2 openings.  One at the top of the L and one at the bottom right edge of the L.

Sew along the edge using 1/2" seam.

Step 3:  

Cut every corner diagonally about 1/8" from the seam.  This will make the corners pretty when you flip it right sides out.

Also clip the inside corner of the L to within 1/8" of the seam.

(If you are doing a different letter with more corners or curves be sure to clip all of them)

Step 4:  

Flip the letter right sides out and press it well.  You may need to use a ripper to gently pull the corners right sides out.  

Be sure along the openings to press the fabric in 1/2" to prepare it for closing.

Step 5:  

Stuff the letter with polyfil.  You want to give it some shape, but not make it too poofy.  Another option would be to use batting in the shape of an L - but you would have to insert it back in step 3.

Step 6:  

Pin the openings closed.

Starting at the top corner, sew the opening closed - using 3/8" seam.  Continue sewing around the entire letter.  This little flange or ledge is what you will glue your trim onto.

 This is a little bit tricky.  

The key is to go slowly and really guide the letter through the machine - kind of squeezing the stuffing out of the way as you go.

It should look like this when you're finished.

Step 7:  

Starting at one corner, glue the trim onto the little flange you made.  Go slowly and just use a small amount of glue

 

Step 8:   

Lastly, hot glue little pieces of ribbon or rick rack to the back to use when hanging.  I put one in the center of the top edge, and one in the top corner of the far left edge.

That's it!!  A sweet little letter to hang on the wall or put on a shelf or toss on a bed!!

Happy sewing everyone!!

xoxo

jessica

{DIY} Anthro Knock Off: Sweet Blossom Hairclip

With Valentine's Day right around the corner we needed a great big pink hair clip!

I headed to Anthropologie to see what I could find for inspiration, and I found this lovely hair clip, with the staggering price tag of $47.  

It's sooooo easy to make your own, and I had everything I needed so it cost me $0.

Here's the original:

 

Here's my knockoff:

I actually cut up an old silky scarf that had found it's way into Charlotte's dress up box.

It worked perfectly, and I think will become a little more frayed, like the original, as she wears it.

Here's what you'll need to make your own:

Step 1 - Snip Snip: 

Cut 3 strips of material 2" x 20", and heat up your hot glue gun.

  Step 2 - Zig and Zag:

Set your zig zag stitch so that it is longer (more space in between each stitch), and zig zag one edge of each strip.  This is basically to keep it from fraying too much, but allowing it to fray a little.

Step 3 - Gather it up:

Now set your regular stitch to as long as it will go (mine's at setting 5) and sew along the other side.  Gather this edge.  Now you have kind of an old school scrunchie thing.

Repeat this process with the other two strips of fabric.

Step 4 - Fun with your glue gun

Begin gluing these strips onto the felt circle. 

Just start at one edge and glue it back and forth to make it look like a flower.

I used the hair clip to kind of poke it down in the center so I wouldn't burn my finger.

When you have glued all three, it should look like this:

You may need to keep gluing pieces down here and there until you are happy with the way it looks.

Lastly glue the hair clip onto the back of the felt circle and let it dry.

Clip your sweetie's hair back and give her a kiss!

have a great day!

xoxo

jessica

DIY *Star* Bow

Need a last minute bow for the fourth?

You can whip these up in no time!

Supplies for 2 bows:

1 yard of ribbon

2 strips of red/white/blue fabric 2"x10"

2 ponytail holders

sewing machine/thread or hot glue gun

Step 1:  Cut the ribbon to 18".  Starting at one edge, fold it like a remembrance ribbon.

I use the clip to hold it in place as I fold it
- but if you are using hot glue, you could glue it in the center as you go.

Then fold it again, 

and 3 more times after that - creating a star shape.

Step 2:  Make a small fabric rosette out of the 2"x10" strip.

Step 3:  Slide the star, with the rosette in the center, under the foot of your sewing machine (or hot glue it in place).  Carefully sew it in place - don't go too fast or you will break a needle.

Step 4:  Turn the star over and put the ponytail holder in the center back of the star.  Set your machine's zig zag stitch to a short length and width, so that it will tack it in place (or hot glue it in place).

There you go!

The most adorable patriot I've ever seen.

xoxo

jessica

{DIY} Jellybean Bunting

This is a kid's craft, home decor, recycling project all rolled into one.  Doesn't get much better than that.  I was going to save this for Monday - but I thought you might be decorating your house some this weekend and I wanted to share.

So here's your Monday post, two days early.

Supplies:
3x5 index cards
old magazines
white glue
water
paint brushes
hot glue
string/ribbon

Step 1:  Tear up old magazine pages into little bits - and arrange them by color.  I used an old Anthropologie catalog and an old Country Living.  Now grab your kids (or your friends or your hubby) and sit down at the table.  Pour some glue into a paper bowl and dilute it with water.

Step 2:  Give everyone a 3x5 card and have them paint the glue mixture onto it - place the paper pieces on - then put some more glue on top of the pieces.  This is not hard, my two year old did it with ease and had a blast.  When you're done it should look something like this:

Let them dry for a while.  You may have to lay a book on top so they will dry flat.

Step 3:  Draw a bean template (also could be an egg) 1"wide x 2" long.  On the back of your index card, trace the bean shape - I was able to get about 4 beans per card.  Cut out the beans.

mmmmm... I feel more festive already. 

Step 4:  Heat up your glue gun.  Cut a very long piece of ribbon.  Sandwich the ribbon in between two beans and hot glue the beans together.  Move about 3" down the ribbon and repeat this process.  Continue until all the beans are on the ribbon.

Now hang them in a little spot that needs some spring cheer!

Mine was the finishing touch to my mantle:

Happy decorating!

xo

jessica

Pretty Flower Easter Eggs - Pottery Barn Style

While shopping with Beverly, from Flamingo Toes, last week, I found some easter eggs at Pottery Barn covered in little hydrangea blossoms. (sadly I could not find a picture online of the inspiration eggs, so you'll just have to take my word for it)  I love hydrangeas, in fact they are my favorite flower. 
We had them at our wedding in our bouquets, on the cake, and on the tables.

 

My great-grandmother used to grow huge bushes of hydrangeas, and my mom and dad have one of the plants transplanted from her old home. So, I'm really happy that they seem to be "in" right now.  I'm not really sure the silk flowers I used are actually hydrangeas, but they looked close enough and were only $1 for a bunch of 3 at Michaels.  The eggs at Pottery Barn were $6.00 each, making the cost for 6 eggs, $36.00.  I spent $10.39 on the supplies to make my own.  Here's how you can make some for your home!

Supplies:

6 paper mache eggs (I got mine at Michaels for $2.50 

- I thought they would withstand the hot glue better than plastic ones)

ribbon

silk hydrangea flowers ( I bought 2 bunches of each color, $1 a bunch)

hot glue/glue gun

scissors

Step 1:  Heat up your glue gun and snip all of the blossoms off the stems.

Separate them by color,

then by size.

Step 2:  Cut 6 pieces of ribbon about 6" long.  Put a dab of hot glue on the top of an egg.  Gently press one end of the ribbon in the glue.  Loop the ribbon around and glue it to the secured end.  Now you have a pretty little loop to hang your eggs.  

Step 3:  Begin gluing the blooms on.  Start with the large blooms.  Just experiment with the gluing method - I got better as I went along.  You might have to put a dab of glue in the center of the flower first - stick it on - then add some glue to the petals.  They don't have to lay flat - in fact it's better if they don't - but you don't want them sticking out in every direction either.

Step 4:  Once you have a nice coverage from the large blooms, begin filling in the spaces with the medium and small sized blooms.  Just keep going until you can't see any of the original egg.  

Then you're finished!  Hang in a lovely spot or on some branches in a vase.

Happy gluing and have a great weekend,

jessica