tutorials

The craft began as we created stamped coasters.

Using these supplies:

3 ¾” x 3 ¾” unglazed tiles

Rubber stamps and ink pads

Felt or cork (sticky sided)

Spray fixative/varnish

The cost per tile was 32 cents from Lowes. Each girl made “4” coasters!

We made fun designs

Spraying, drying and putting 4 felt squares on the bottom

All tied up, ready to give away!

Our next guest poster needs no introduction. You know her and love her and I’m thrilled she’s been so gracious to post her ragamuffin garland tutorial for us. I haven’t tried this one yet but am gathering my fabric scraps as we speak. When I met The Nester last year at Blissdom, I was so impressed by her approachability and her kind, sweet spirit. She’s the real deal. And we all have learned some valuable decorating tips from her, but more importantly we’ve learned to be content with what we have, to repurpose old/tired objects into beautiful new creations, and to shop the house before we shop the stores. I love her motto: it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. Thank you Nester for joining our party!

I’m thrilled to share my ragamuffin garland over here at Edie’s blog. If I could pick 5 bloggers and visit their homes to get inspired, Edie would be one of them! I first published this tutorial in May 2008 at Blissfully Domestic and then I republished it on at Nesting Place in November, 2008. It remains one of the most popular posts. The beauty of the garland is that any fool can do this!

To make a plush, fat, beautiful full garland all you need is fabric, ribbon, ring clips and time–lots and lots of time.

Here’s the finished product it is captivating, fluffy and adorable.

I make my garland with long strips of ribbon, fabric, fringe and anything else I can get my hands on. I never measure but here is a close up of a few strips so you get the idea of how long. I would err on cutting your fabric too long. That is if you had to err.

You want to have one base ribbon that is the one you tie everything else to. I used a long pink one here and I usually make it about as long as my arm. You can make them as long or short as you want.

And you tie the strips on. And you tie the strips on. And you tie them on. You keep doing it until you want to curse me and anyone who you are making this for and then you look at it and you are almost half way done. And you keep doing it. Your kids can help too. You cannot tie wrong.

For my boy’s garland, I used some old shirts from my husband’s teaching days. Look, there’s a cuff. I also cut up some sweet little jeans they all wore and a blanket and even one of their little shirts. I even had extra fabric left over from a window mistreatment that I threw in there.

It’s like making a big soup. You just keep adding all sorts of stuff until it magically looks right. You are thinking that I don’t
really make soup and you are right.

As you are tying and tying and cutting more stuff because you didn’t dream it would take so much fabric, just remember how adorable this is gonna look. You really want to pack the fabric and ribbon in. That’s how it looks so fab. Do not skimp on this, you will just be wasting your time.

Once you get to the very end, you tie the ribbon that is the base onto the ring of a ring clip. Do the same for the other end. I actually do this first so I can see where my start and stop are easily.

I like to add clips or clothespins in every 6 or 8 inches so you can hang stuff in the garland. You can hang photos or baby shoes or grocery lists or Christmas cards or ticket stubs…
Look how cute this one is in my old kitchen. And yes, those are napkins used for window mistreatments. I’m so glad you noticed!

I hope you have fun with this project! It’s like a quilt only easier and you don’t have to sew and you can’t cover up with it.

This garland would be adorable hung over a changing table, window or bed. Make a Chirstmasy one and hang your cards on it. Use your babies old clothes and hang it in the playroom.

This is the perfect time of year to make a garland for someone. Need more inspiration? Google “Ragamuffin Garland” and get inspired by what others have made as well!

Here are a few other ideas of what you can do with some ragamuffin scraps!

I’m so excited about today’s guest and I know that after you visit her site, she’s gonna be one of your favorites. Please make welcome the ever gifted Darby from Fly Through Our Window. Her blog is a treasure of great resources from how to make crock pot apple butter {which I’m currently trying} to how to make a professional looking roman shade. Through her exquisite photography, we get to ‘fly through her window’ and be blessed by her mother-love, her refreshing perspective on being a follower of Christ and her abundant tips and tutorials on all things ‘home’. She is the mother of three adorable children, wife to Justin–her college sweetheart and archeologist, a member of a PCA church {her motto is ‘I’m a big sinner with a bigger Saviour’}, twin sister to Erika {interior designer—whose blog I also love} and we are so blessed she has opened her life to us through her wonderful blog. So, now go, be a fly on the wall! Take it away Ms.Darby!!!

While I wish that I could take full credit for this creation, I must admit that the idea sprouted from something I saw on the SouleMama.com blog for a bathmat that was altered to make a dish mat using recycled towels. I loved the idea and if you’re anything like me, you always place a dish towel above the dishwasher as you unload for those pesky plastics that never dry. This version is a combination of terrycloth and 2 fun fabrics. My dish mat has become a permanent fixture in the kitchen and has been put to very good use!

You’ll need:
5/8 yard of main fabric **PREWASHED**
5/8 yard of coordinating fabric **PREWASHED**
5/8 yard of terrycloth or a recycled bath towel **PREWASHED**

Instructions:

::All seam allowances are ¼” unless otherwise noted.

::Cut or tear main fabric {with grain} into (4) 5 ½” x 22 ½”
strips.

::Cut or tear coordinating fabric {with grain} into (5) 3 ¼”
x 22 ½” strips.

::Starting with the thinner coordinating fabric, piece the front of the dish mat together, sew with a straight stitch
& press seams towards/under the main fabric panels {this will build bulk and give an appearance of fabric being inset}.

Once you’ve pressed the seams. Top stitch with a 1/4” seam allowance, using a triple stitch along the inside seam of the main fabric. A triple stitch will give you a thick & substantial looking stitch. If your machine doesn’t have a triple stitch a straight stitch would work just fine, but be less “substantial”.

Note how the weight of the triple stitch makes the smaller strips look inset.

Now that you’ve pieced the top together, lay it on top of your bath towel or terrycloth {with right sides together} cut the terry cloth to size and pin together around the edges.

Using a 1/2” seam allowance, sew around the outside of the dish mat with right sides together, be sure to leave an opening large enough on one side to turn the dish mat right side out. Once you’ve sewn around the outside with right sides together, trim your seams and clip your corners.
Then you can turn your dish mat right sides out, press, and hand sew the opening shut. Finish by top stitching around the outside of the finished dish mat using about a 3/8” seam allowance.

The terrycloth does tend to pucker a little around the edges. After the first wash it will lay completely flat. These will make wonderful Christmas gifts, hostess’s gifts, and if you have time, make one for yourself– you will put it to good use, especially if sippy cups come out of your dishwasher regularly!

The {pdf} tutorial can be downloaded and printed here.

Start with a stocking whose design you love. I used this one {for the large size}

that I bought at the antique store. Just find a stocking you love and use it as a template.
This particular sweater was one of my favorites {from Gap} for several years and then I accidentally dried it. Its’ colorful stripes are perfect for a stocking.

1. Turn the sweater wrong side out and use the band of the sweater as the top of the stocking. Lay your template down and use a rotary cutter to cut around it leaving about 3/4inch of fabric all the way around for the seam allowance.

2. Sew the stocking {leaving the top open, of course} using about a 1/2 inch seam.

3. The stocking will then look like this. Turn it right side out……

and let one of your sweat shop helpers demonstrate its’ loveliness.

4. Embellish ’til your hearts’ content. The girls and I used felt flower pins and initials for this one. We bought these wood letters at Hobby Lobby and then spray painted them, drilled a hole in the corner and then hung them from the stocking. I used a cut piece of the arm band of the sweater as a ‘hanger’ for the stocking—-but you could use any ribbon or fabric.

Your helper will then proceed to find every old sweater she possibly can

and stockings will begin to take over your life.

She may then have the brilliant idea of using her sentimental baby blanket

to make another gorgeous beauty.

Warning: This activity is highly addictive and may result in a VERY cold winter. Hope you enjoyed and let us know if you make some stockings! No children were harmed in the making of this tutorial.

This is a teaser/sampler of what you can expect during the 12 days of handmade Christmas tutorials that begins next Sunday November 1. I’d love it if you shared this adorable little button on your blog. {Thank you Darcy}.

<center><a href="http://lifeongrace.blogspot.com"><img decoding="async" alt="12 Days of Handmade Christmas" title="12 Days of Handmade Christmas" src="https://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee349/GDest07/Edie%20Life%20Grace/ediexmasbutton125.png" /></a></center>

Any contributors to the ’12 Days’ who haven’t emailed me lately with a post update, please do so. I’m trying to stay kind of organized but it’s not my strong suit.

Love to all and happy crafting! Visit Kimba’s and Kim’s and Kris‘s sites for other fun DIY projects.

Visit here to for the 12 Days of Christmas Tutorials.

I’ve asked her a zillion questions since she’s been here and now I am thrilled to pass the ‘must have’ tips on to you all! (Any male readers still with me at this point should probably see if there are any good football games on. There’s nothing for you here. You have entered the sacred life of women’s beauty and trust me, you don’t want to know what goes on here. Do me this favor though, tell your wife she looks beautiful today!)

Steps to a flawless face and the Audrey Hepburn (or Marilyn Monroe) look:

1. Start with your normal foundation and preferably a tinted moisturizer. Then apply Mineralize Skin Finish liberally all over the face. (I just bought one and it is WONDERFUL stuff—-and not that expensive compared to other department store brands)

2. Eye primer—Use the tip of your finger to apply painterly (from a paint pot) all over the eye from lid to brow. This functions like double stick tape for your eye shadow and gives much more even coverage. (I’ve been using this product or one like it for 3-4 years and I love it.)

3. Apply brule’ eye color over the whole eye. Then use a light brown like wedge for the crease. To apply the crease color, use a blending brush (MAC brush number 217) and apply the color at the lateral edge of the crease and then do a windshield wiper motion just under the brow bone in the crease. It’s better to start with less color and then build it; you can’t easily remove the color. Of course, if you’re Tammy Faye like me, then more is better.

4. A good way to brighten the eyes is to add a light color like brule’ to the tear duct. You can apply it with your finger or with the same blending brush.

5. The Audrey Hepburn eye is heavy on the black eyeliner. And it’s not rocket science, but it’s not that easy to do either. To make it easier, Savannah used a small angled brush (MAC #266) to apply a brown eye shadow (Handwritten) in exactly the place where the black eye liner is to go. It serves as a template for where to place the liner. Start by lining the lower lash line as close to the base of the lash as possible. Then extend the line past the corner about 1/4th an inch following the natural line of the lower lid. It’s a common mistake to just free hand the top liner without paying attention to the actual shape of the eye. (This usually results in having it curved upwards in an unnatural way).

6. Then fill in the template with the black liner. The one from MAC is called Boot Black liquid liner and it is fantabulous. After Savannah did my left eye, I practiced on my right eye. Not too bad, huh? Then finish the look with the brow groomer. It is applied with a wand (like a mascara) and makes a huge difference in the overall look. I used to never leave the house without lip gloss and mascara. Now, I never leave without brow groomer heavily applied. It would be one of the ten items I’d take if I were stranded on a deserted island.

7. Apply blush (Dainty) with a good brush (MAC #168) on the apples of your cheeks. A peachy pink blush (or as close to the same color as you would naturally blush) works best. I love dainty. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE apply blush in a stripe on your cheekbone. (Savannah’s emphasis) You apply blush where you would naturally blush.

Go ahead and confess it, ’cause we both know good and well that you’ve been guilty of the striped cheek.

Quick tips: what you must have

1. Mineralize Skin Finish powder

2. Brow Groomer

3. Painterly paint pot (to use for eye primer)

4. Boot Black Liquid liner

5. Dainty blush

6. Hue lipstick (for me) but Savannah says the lip color is not limited with this eye look because it’s so basic and pared down.

Big round of applause for Savannah!!! Thank you for taking the time to teach us. Being around you makes me FEEL 25 again—-that counts for something!

Disclaimers:

This is NOT, unfortunately, a paid advertisement for MAC. I’ve been using their products for 7-8 years and love them. I’m doubly blessed that our wonderful Savannah works for them. This would have been way more fun if they would have sent me $200 in free products to sing their praises. But they didn’t.

I’ve written a much more important post on beauty that I highly recommend you read. A woman who is at rest— comfortable in her own skin—accepting of her own flawed body—is a beautiful woman to me. But, hey, we’ve got to take help where we can get it. And make-up, to a southern women, is serious business. I’m still working through Kubler-Ross Stage 2 over all the MAC lip gloss I had stolen last year. It is not safe to come between a woman and her beauty products.

Post Edit: I re-read this post this morning and I’m not sure I made it sufficiently clear about the power of the brow groomer.
I need you to be on the same ‘brow-groomer’ page as me. There’s power in the brow.
So, I snapped another little pic for you this morning.
Go to MAC. Go directly to MAC. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Get some brow groomer—which is officially called brow set. Mmmkay?