Baby Boy Mesh Wreath

As you probably noticed, poly-mesh wreaths are one of the popular new trends in wreath-making lately.  I had been dying to make one, and I finally got the perfect opportunity for my friend’s newest addition, a baby boy. 

There are lots of tutorials and YouTube videos on how to make these, so I won’t bore you with a step-by-step on how I made it, but I will share a few details.  I purchased a work wreath form like this one:

from Mardi Gras Outlet online and purchased the mesh rolls at Hobby Lobby.  I used two rolls for this wreath.

I went around the wreath once with white and blue mesh layered together and then around once more with just the blue.  So I have about half a roll of white leftover.   I also wove in some coordinating ribbon to give it more color.  The whole project really was quick and easy.  You can fluff and re-arrange as much as you need to. 

I painted this 5x7 canvas with the baby’s name (blurred for privacy) and stats and tied it on with some cute ribbon.

I found this little wooden alligator already painted at Hobby Lobby and just added his initials.

This was the perfect addition to the hospital door when he was born, and then can be displayed either in the baby’s room or on the front door when he gets home! 

I will definitely make another one of these to keep for myself for another occasion.  I really love how they can be customized to any occasion and they really make a bold statement. The possibilities are endless!

My Most “Pinned” Posts

It’s always a thrill to know that someone out there has enjoyed or been inspired by one of my projects or blog posts.  I took a quick look at Pinterest the other day to see if I had anything “pinned” from my blog and was pleased to see quite a few pins.  It’s no surprised that most of them are fall/Halloween related posts. Here are my most popular pins so far (click on the titles or photos for the original post):

Halloween Smores in a Jar

 

Beaded Spider Headband

 

Friendly Ghost Candle Shades

 

Curly Ribbon Wreath

 

Since I haven’t been posting any new projects lately, it’s good to see that some of the old ones are making a come-back!

DIY Floral Art

You may have noticed the colorful and whimsical art featured in my last post:

This was something my friend and her daughter made for her room, and it was a great way to get her daughter involved in decorating her new room.  They started out with a square canvas and brushed on shades of blue for the background.

She knew she wanted a floral theme to coordinate with the bedding.  She added the “stems” of the flowers in a free-form shape.

Then, to make it easy for little hands, she used a variety of items from around the house to stamp circles on the canvas to be the “flowers.”  Just use your imagination and don’t be afraid to experiment with colors and shapes.

And some glitter glue for accent.  These glitter glue sticks from Hobby Lobby are great for kids because they are easy to handle and don’t make a lot of mess.

Stamping and painting:

Almost done, just need to go back and add some leaves and accents :

It looks so much more fabulous in person, you can really see the little glitter accents and the colors really pop and bring the room together.  Best of all, her daughter was so proud of her project and will enjoy it for years to come!

Fabric Scrap Collage

Here’s another great project from my 2011 Sewing Calendar that utilizes all those leftover fabric pieces from other projects.  This one comes from Belle and Burger.  Click on this link for the full tutorial or read the calendar’s version below.

I love the idea of either covering a plain frame with coordinating fabric or using a re-designed thrift store/garage sale frame.

DIY Book Sling

I received a great little Christmas present from my brother and his girlfriend last year, the 2011 Sewing Calendar, which is full of over 100 easy sewing projects, 99 of which will make it to my to-do list and never get done!

Many of the projects were gathered from crafty DIY blogs and websites and I thought it might be fun to feature some here every now and then.

The first one that caught my eye is from Penny Carnival.  Click HERE for the full tutorial on her blog.  Below are the detailed instructions for this cute Book Sling from the calendar:

What a great project for a child’s room or nursery.  Since children’s books come in all shapes and sizes, this is a great organizational solution.  It would even look nice in a den, family room, or study with the appropriate fabric choice.  You can even make it “no-sew” by using an iron-on adhesive.  Many versions of this project can be found on the web just by searching for “Book Sling.” 

Have you made something like this lately?

Throwback Thursday: Curly Ribbon Wreath

It’s been a year since I posted my DIY Curly Ribbon Wreath tutorial.  With my birthday coming up this weekend, it’s time to bring my wreath out of storage and it got me thinking I should repost the tutorial. 

CLICK HERE for the Curly Ribbon Wreath Tutorial

Different versions have been seen around blog-land over the past year.  CLICK HERE to see some of them.  It’s so fun to see them all, and I’m so glad it was one that everyone enjoyed! 

Recently, Alice emailed me about the one she created and I love how it turned out!

Hers was made using an 18” wreath form from a local florist  wrapped with satin ribbon instead of painting it.  She made her own curly ribbon bows by using 22” lengths of 6 different colors and stapling them in the middle then curling them. She made about 45 of them and used floral pins to attach them to the wreath. 

I love the embellishments she used and the way she personalized it.  Great job, Alice, thanks for sharing!

If you have a project you’d like for me to share on this blog, email them to me at christy@embellishedbayou.com. 

Sharing today’s post with the following parties:

Thursday

 

Friday

 

Saturday

You Tube: An Important DIY Tool?

If you are into crafting, creating, or decorating, you may consider some of the following essential tools in your DIY arsenal:

• Glue Gun
• Crafting/Jewelry Wire
• Glitter
• Quality Scissors
• Paper/Vinyl Cutter
• Needle Nose Pliers

….and a host of other items I’m too tired to think of right now.  But have you ever considered You Tube to be an important crafting/decorating/DIY tool?  If not, you should! It’s not just for funny videos or clips of your favorite TV shows.  You can find an enormous amount of how-to videos for a wide variety of projects.  In fact, if I have a question about a project, I often search You Tube before Google or message boards.

For instance, I consulted You Tube during our kitchen makeover, when making a tu-tu, and most recently when making a few Mardi Gras hair bows:

I found several videos that were very helpful in showing me how to get the loops just right and stack the different ribbons together.

There’s everything from sewing tutorials to how-tos on building decks.  They even have a Lowe’s Channel with loads of home improvement advice! 

If you are a visual learner like me, You Tube is a great resource because you can see the exact steps needed to complete your project and follow along at your own pace if need be.  I highly recommend checking it out before starting your next project!

p.s. This post is entirely my own opinion, I have not been compensated or influenced in any way by You Tube.