DIY Ornament Christmas Wreath

Recently, I've seen ornament wreaths everywhere.  I think they look so fun and festive, but I also like the traditional look of a greenery wreath.  So, I busted out the hot glue gun and came up with this great combo wreath.  It only took a few minutes to make, and then a few more minutes to make the bow, so it was a quick-and-easy project!

I took a box of cheap ornaments, and moved them around my pine wreath until I was happy with the color distribution, then hot-glued them on.  I pointed the ornaments in all different directions to get a fun, random look.

Then I made a bow with wire-edged ribbon and hot-glued it to the wreath.  I'm sure there is official ribbon-attaching wire that I was supposed to use, but I just went for it and hoped that my ribbon wouldn't melt.  It worked, I think it turned out awesome :)

-Lily

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Christmas Wreath Ribbon Bow Tutorial

Last week I was trying to make a wreath with one of those really big wreath bows on it, but I didn't know how to make one.  I couldn't find any good tutorials, so I came up with a super-easy way to make a ribbon bow.  You can also check out my tutorial for making the ornament wreath.

To make the bow, all you need is a 12 ft spool of 2 1/2" wire-edged ribbon. 

1.  Cut a 9 ft piece of ribbon and a 3 ft piece of ribbon.  Hold one end of the long piece and make a 4 or 5" loop.

2.  Make a 4 or 5" loop on the other side of your hand.  Your bow will be about 8-10" across, depending on how large you want it.  Wrap the ribbon around 4 more times, making sure that the end is in the back.

3.  Find the middle of the short piece of ribbon.  Fold it in thirds and wrap around the center of the bow.

4.  Tie the short piece in a knot at the back.  Arrange the ends so they are both on one side of the bow.  Trim the ends at an angle.

5.   Slightly fan out the loops of the bow, and you're done!
-Lily

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32 Upcycled Sweater Tutorials

I have several old sweaters sitting around in my closet, and I thought it would be fun to upcycle them into some cute handmade Christmas gifts.  Here's a round-up of the best tutorials I found!

Around the House:
1.  Flower Pillow
2. Christmas Stockings
3. Christmas Ornaments
4. Sweater Pumpkins
5. Recycled Rug 
6. Plastic Bag Holder 
7. Wine Bottle Cover 
8. Hot Water Bottle Cozy 
9. Felted Sweater Quilt

Kids:
1. Little Girl Leggings
2. Kid's Pants
3. Little Boy Cardigan
4. Owl Hat and Scarf
5. Little Man Sweater Vest
6. Baby Girl Dress
7. Kid's Jammies

Accessories:
1. Adult Hat (free pattern)
2. Sweater Bangles
3. No-Sew Hair Clip
4. Sweater Boots
5. Scarflette
6. Leg Warmers
7. Hooded Scarf
8. Earwarmer/Headwrap
9. Anthro-Inspired Scarf
10. Sweater-Sleeve Socks
11. Felted Bag
12. Mittens
13. Sweater Hat

Pets:
1. Dog Toys
2. No-Sew Dog Sweater
3. Pet Bed

Simple Pillow Cover Tutorial

 When I started sewing, I wanted to make some custom pillow covers for our couch.  But, I was so intimidated by the buttons, snaps, zippers, and piping that pillow patterns always have. Then I discovered how simple pillow covers can be.  You can add all the cute extras if you want, but if you're a novice sewer like I was, you just want a simple, square pillow cover.

What I discovered was an envelope pillow cover.  The front is just a square, and the back is two flaps of fabric, so you can slide your pillow form in and out.  This style is great because it's cute, simple, and it can be removed and washed in case of a baby goo emergency.

What you need:  for a 16" pillow cover:

• 16.5" square of fabric for the front
• 2 pieces of backing fabric, 16.5" x 14" and 16.5" x 26"

  Let's get sewing:

1.  If you're using a simple square of fabric for the pillow front, skip this step.

I pieced and quilted a log cabin block instead of using a plain piece of fabric for my pillow front.  I made a 17" log cabin square, basted it with batting and white fabric, then I quilted a square spiral and trimmed it to 16.5" square.

 2.  Now, attach the back flaps to the pillow front.  I did some patchwork on one of the back flaps, but you can also solid pieces of fabric.

Press both pieces in half, right sides out.  You should now have two pieces, 16.5" x 7" and 16.5" x 13".

3.  Pin the 13" piece to the right side of the pillow front, aligning the raw edges.  If you did patchwork for the backing, make sure that your favorite part is facing the pillow front.

Pin the 7" piece to the other side of the pillow front, aligning the raw edges.  The back flaps should overlap about 3".

Detail of the back flaps overlapping.

 4.  Sew around the square with a 1/4" seam allowance.  If you'll be washing your pillow cover a lot, I'd use a triple stitch so it's more secure.  Backstitch at the beginning and end.

Flip it right-side-out, and you're done!
-Lily

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