How To... Fabric Scrap Photo Frame Valentine's Gift

No matter what the occasion, coming up with original gift ideas for your loved ones each year can be tricky. With Valentine's day just around the corner, in the coming week I will be sharing some How Tos and ideas for making your own unique Valentine's gifts for the ones you love. I'm starting by sharing my How To for this fabric scrap photo frame, which is the perfect way to give the gift of a special photo. This is a really simple and very thrifty make, which goes to show that you don't need to spend lots to create a unique and special gift.

You can find the How To here. Happy making!

Are you making any Valentine's gifts? I'd love to see your makes, please do share in the comments!

How To Make A Set Of Coasters Using Old CDs and Lace

Last year I shared this How To, showing you how to make a set of coasters using old CDs and lace. It's been my most popular blog post so far, so I thought I'd share it again! This is a a really thrifty make, using up those old CDs that you haven't got round to taking to the charity shop, recycled lace and a paint tester pot.

You can also find the recipe for the rosewater, white chocolate and pistachio cupcakes here- go on, treat yourself to tea and cake and enjoy the excuse to use your lovely new coasters!

If you try this How To, please share your photos, I'd love to see your makes.

Happy making!

How To... Thrifty Plant Name Labels!

On Sunday I posted this How To for Chalk Painted Terracotta Pots and today I wanted to share the How To to make these really thrifty plant name labels! They are really easy to make by recycling materials you easily have to hand. Here's the How To...

1) You will need

Pretty papers from old magazines, A flat piece of plastic food packaging- I used a lid, PVA glue or Modge Podge, paintbrush, lolly sticks- you can easily buy these in craft or food stores, but it's much more fun and thrifty if you treat yourself to some ice lollies!

2) Cut the plastic food packaging to the size and shape you'd like for your labels. I've free hand cut mine as I'm going for the rustic look, but you could draw a shape onto the plastic with permanent marker first if you wanted to. Hearts or cloud shapes would look pretty- I might make some of those next!

3)Tear the magazine pages into small pieces and collage together on the plastic pieces using the PVA or Modge Podge, overlapping at the edges. I've only covered one side of my labels as the other side won't be visible in my plant pots, but you could collage both sides if you wanted to. Leave to dry

4) Trim the edges

5) There are a couple of options to use for the lettering on your labels. The most thrifty way is to cut letters from the magazines places to then collage onto the labels

Or, if you have an alphabet stamp set, you could use these to stamp your plant names as I've done with mine, stamping the names onto brown paper and then gluing onto the label back

6) Stick the lolly sticks to the back of the labels using the PVA or a strong all purpose glue and leave to dry

That's all there is to it, it's a super simple How To! Display in your herb, plant or flower pots. 

These labels aren't weather proof- I keep my herbs on the windowsill in the kitchen and put them outside on sunny days. I think a coat of varnish or even laminating the labels could be the solution to making them weather proof, if your plants live outside in all weathers. 

I'd love to see your gardens, be they conventional or balcony or window box. Share your green space in the comments!

How To... Make Pretty Napkins Using Tea Towels and Pompom Trim!

Try my latest thrifty How To and turn a set of tea towels into colourful napkins! These would be fab for a special dinner/garden party and you could even use them as place mats too! Here's how to make 

them...

1) You will need

Cotton tea towels (one tea towel makes two napkins), pompom trim, fabric scissors, pins, sewing machine, thread to match the pompom trim, hand sewing needle

A note on tea towels- If you have any vintage tea towels that are in good condition they would make lovely napkins, but if not, buy a pretty set to match your dining colour theme

2)  Wash and iron the tea towels. I'm terrible at ironing so mine look a bit crumpled... oops. Cut each tea towel in half across the width. Fold over the raw edges by 1cm, then press, pin and tack into place

3) Straight stitch each raw edge on the sewing machine,stitching close to the raw edge. 

4) Cut two pieces of pompom trim to the length of the napkin. You need two pieces per napkin. Place the trim on the edge of the napkin so the pompoms hang over the edge, then pin and tack into place

5) Again using a running stitch, machine stitch along the pompom trim, close to the edge without the pompoms

Happy making!

Liberty Fabric Handmade Mother's Day Card How To

There's something so lovely about receiving a handmade greetings card. So much thought and time goes into it, receiving one is a gift in itself! Here's my Liberty Fabric, handmade Mother's Day card How To...

1) You will need

A blank greetings card,small fabric scraps (I used Liberty fabric), fabric scissors, PVA glue, small paintbrush or glue spreader, short length of ribbon or rik rak, thread to match the ribbon, green embroidery thread, sewing needle

Optional

Alphabet rubber stamps to spell "MUM", ink pad, hang tag label

2) Cut 5 (depending on the size of your blank card you may need to cut more or fewer tulip shapes) tulip shapes from your fabric scraps. You could draw a template to cut around or cut them freehand

3) Decide on an arrangement for the tulips before you stick them onto the card

4) Stick the tulips onto the card with a thin layer of PVA

5) Knot the end of the thread and add giant stitches underneath the tulips to represent the stems. Cross the stitches over each other to create the effect of a bunch of flowers

6) Tie a small bow in the ribbon or rik rak and stitch onto the card where the stems cross

7) You could leave the card as it is or if you have some alphabet stamps, stamp "MUM" onto the label and stick the label onto the card, or you could write a message

 Happy making and happy Mother's Day!

DIY Fabric and Chain Tassel Garland How To

I came across this heavy gold chain in a craft store and instantly felt a How To coming on! I love the trend for tassels at the moment, so I have combined the chain with fabric tassels (a good way to use up long, thin fabric scraps!)to make this fun garland. Here's how...

1) You will need

Long lengths of lightweight cotton fabric in your choice of colours (I chose three blues), heavy weight chain (from a craft store or up-cycled), fabric scissors, metallic embroidery thread and a large eyed needle

2) Cut the fabric strips along their length aprox 5mm wide, to minimise fraying 

3) Decide how long you'd like the tassels to be and cut the long fabric strips into pieces of this length. My strips were 40cm long, meaning the finished tassels are 20cm long

4) Place 5 fabric strips (or more for a fuller tassel) underneath the chain and fold the fabric strips over the top of the chain

5) Secure the tassels with embroidery thread at even lengths along the chain. Trim the ends of the fabric tassels if needed

6) Ta-dah! A lovely garland to cheer up any space

Happy making! If you make a garland don't forget to share your photos, I'd love to see!

Make Heart Shaped, Liberty Fabric Scrap Shoe Clips. How To

Valentine's Day will soon be here (already!) so today I'm sharing a How To to make these Liberty Fabric Scrap, Heart Shaped Shoe Clips! Perfect to wear to celebrate on the day but wearable throughout the year too! Here's the How To...

1) You will need

Liberty/fabric scrap of your choice, felt for backing, shoe clips {I got mine from Ebay), thread to match backing, thread for tacking, metallic thread, sewing needle, pins, fabric scissors, heat dispersing pen, heart shape to draw round (or you could draw the heart freehand onto paper and use this as your template). Ooh and some nice shoes

2) Draw around the heart shaped template with the heat dispersing pen. I use a Frixion pen, I love it, so handy!

You need two hearts in each fabric

3)Cut the hearts out and iron the pieces to remove the pen lines if any are still showing

4) Stitch (or glue, if you prefer)the shoe clips onto the backing felt heart

5) Pin and then tack the front and back heart pieces together

6)Over-sew the front and back hearts together using metallic thread. You could use another stitch if you prefer

7) I finished the hearts off with some tiny cross stitches in metallic thread. Again, here you could customise the hearts in any way you wish with pretty embroidery stitches

8)Yay, they are ready to wear! 

If you make a pair share your photos, I'd love to see your makes!