#MICHAELSMAKERS: DIY Faux Marble Tray Using Shaving Cream!!

This month's challenge was "Make It Your Own".  So, what did I do?  I took a craft that my mom does with her preschool class and made it my own. But, even though I turned this fun craft into a classy piece of home decor, this is still a GREAT craft to do with your kids. It's the perfect DIY if you want to get a little messy, but it has an easy clean up and the results are SO cool!  I mean, who would have thought to use shaving cream as a medium to make a marble pattern?

Supplies:

1. Wooden Tray (this one is actually considered a plaque, but serves my purpose!)
2. Cardstock
3. Shaving Cream
4. Black Ink (or watercolors)
5. A ruler or a square
6. A paint brush
7. Scissors
8. Paint or stain for your tray
9. Mod Podge (I chose the dishwasher safe gloss)
10. Leather scraps
11. Screws and a drill
12. A dropper
13. Tiny jar or vessel to hold ink / paint

1 - Lay down a piece of parchment paper and cover an area the size of your card stock with shaving cream

2 - Use your dropper to disperse your color on top of the shaving cream

3 - Press your sheet of card stock into the shaving cream, moving it about

4 - Peel up your paper and set it on a fresh sheet of parchment paper

5 - Now you are going to squeegie the shaving cream and color off of the paper with your ruler or square

6 - Now I wanted a little more variation with my layers and shades, so I did this a second time, but used a more diluted mixture of ink and water.  If you are using colors, you can do more than one color at a time and forego the repeat

7 - Once you have your pigment on your page the way you'd like, lay it flat and cover with something heavy to keep the edges from curling while it dries

8 - Next, paint or stain your tray while the page is drying

9 - Take your leather scrap and cut two strips to use as handles and screw into sides with a drill and small screws.

10 - Once your page is dry, cut to size and then Mod Podge the heck out of it!  

An InLinkz Link-up

DIY Leather & Metal Housewarming Gift

Hi lovelies!  I don't know what it is, but I am so motivated to get creative stuff done lately.  I feel like I have been in a perpetual rut for the past year, but, now it's finally lifting.  The clouds are parting, the skies are clearing... and all is well in the world.

I might be old fashioned, but I love giving housewarming gifts and hostess gifts.  I'm trying to do this thing where I celebrate even the smallest things in life.  Even if it's just someone moving into a new apartment or a friend having me over for dinner.  These are all the things that make life so amazing, so why not acknowledge the happy moments with a little gift?

This idea was inspired by my good friend, Sarah.  We stopped by Michaels during lunch one day and she saw these little test tubes with corks in the fun little bins by the registers and told me her idea.  I immediately asked if I could poach it and share it with you guys.  I came up with the leather wrap and metal tag, though.  The tag idea came about when Martha Stewart asked if I'd like to try out their new metal stamping kit and sheets of metal.  Of course, I said, "HECK YES".  

First I have to say that the sheets of metal in the pack are GORGEOUS.  There's a copper hue, gold hue, then a rubbed bronze kinda hue.  All absolutely stunning.

Secondly, although the idea of this metal stamping is pretty awesome, I felt it difficult to execute well.  I did not have the "rubber stamping mat" they instruct you to use the tool with, so I improvised and used a towel.  It worked... kinda.  I had to go over the letter with the end of tweezers to really get the detail to show.  I'm going to get the rubber mat eventually and see if the stamp works any better.

So now onto the little gift.  You need a bunch of spices, EVOO, one of those nifty little corked test tubes that you can get at Michaels, and a small bottle with a cork also from Michaels.  You will also need a piece of leather and some leather cording.  Again, both found at Michaels.

Layer and mix the spices into the test tube and then cork.  Fill the bottle with EVOO and set aside.

I found this pre-cut, pre-shaped piece of leather and cut slits in it as shown below. 

The slits on the short ends are what you will slide the test tube and the bottle.  The tiny slits on the long slides will be wear you lace the leather cording.

Below, you can see how the glass items slide into the slits in the leather.  Cut an extra long piece of leather cording to lace into the tiny holes and then wrap around the entire package and finally tying.  Take a smaller piece of leather cord and tie your tag on.

TA-DA!  A super adorable, minimal, rustic looking housewarming gift that will be just as delicious as it is cute!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".

Leather Accent Zipper Pouch

This post originally appeared on The Sewing Rabbit. If you need a good makeup pouch, or even a trendy pouch for pencils and other school supplies, this is the tutorial for you!

I found a bag filled with leather scraps for under $5 at an estate sale a couple years ago and snapped it up as quickly as I could. It was like finding hidden treasure! Inside, there were several large strips of leather, leather lacing, and leather dye. Most of the leather strips were covered in chalk markings, and I've always wondered what those leather strips were meant for. Maybe a pair of men's shoes? Some belts maybe? Whatever the case, I'm sure the former owner never thought his leather collection would eventually find its way into my hands to be turned into necklaces, riding pants, purses, and now a zipper pouch!

I love sewing with leather. There's just something about adding leather to a project that gives it a little edge and chicness. With the simple addition of a few leather triangles, this simple zipper pouch becomes a stylish bag perfect for makeup or odds and ends.

SUPPLIES: two 8"wide x 6" tall pieces sewable interfacing, two 8" wide x 6" tall main fabric pieces, two 8" wide x 6" tall lining pieces, one 7" zipper, one 2" wide x 3" tall piece of fabric for zipper tag, four thin leather triangles approximately 4" long and 2" tall, iron and ironing board, zipper foot, sewing machine and basic sewing supplies.

Note about working with leather: when selecting your leather to use for this pouch you want 7-9 oz. leather that is soft and easily pliable (not the stiff kind typically used for belts.) You can find bags of thin scrap leather at many hobby stores. Also, if you're using thin leather as suggested, a universal sewing needle will work fine.

Attaching The Leather Triangles

ONE: first (not pictured), iron your interfacing to the back of your two main fabric pieces. Then, measure the 6" sides of your main pieces to determine where to place your leather pieces.
TWO: I didn't pin my leather down because I didn't want to poke holes in it. Instead, I held the leather in place with my fingers and slowly (and very carefully!) sewed in a continuous triangle until I got to the middle. You could always try a small amount of spray adhesive to help keep your leather in place, but I didn't have a problem with my leather moving around.

Attaching the Zipper

ONE: take your 3x2 scrap of fabric and iron the long sides over to meet in the middle.
TWO: next, fold each end to meet the middle and press, then fold once more in half and press so that the raw edges are encased inside of your fabric tab.
THREE: sandwich the end of your zipper in the fabric tab you just made, and sew straight across to secure. On the opposite end of your zipper where the zipper pull is, trim off approximately 1/2 inch.
FOUR: Place one piece of your main fabric face up on the table, then place your zipper face down as shown above with your zipper pull face down on the left side. Make sure the top edge of your zipper is lined up with the raw edge of the fabric.
FIVE: place a piece of your lining fabric face down, sandwiching the zipper inside. Your fabrics will now be facing right sides together (RST.) Pin along the top edge to secure.

Assembly


ONE: using your zipper foot, sew along the edge of your fabric close to your zipper teeth.
TWO: when you unfold your fabric pieces, it should look like this with your main and lining fabric wrong sides together (WST). Repeat the steps above to attach your main fabric and lining pieces to the other side of your zipper.
THREE: Your pouch should now look like this, with one main piece and one lining piece on either side of the zipper facing WST.
FOUR: to give the pouch a more finished look, you can go back with your zipper foot and top stitch along each side of the zipper.

FIVE: unzip your zipper halfway (don't skip this step!) and fold your pouch so that the two main pieces are facing each other and the lining pieces are facing each other RST. With your regular sewing foot, sew around the perimeter of your pouch, but leave a 2-3 inch opening in your lining pieces for turning as shown in the picture above.
SIX: pull your pouch right side out through the opening you left, and then tuck the raw edge of your lining fabric inside and hand stitch the opening closed. Push your lining inside your pouch, zip and you're done!

Now you have a beautiful finished pouch!

I love the polka dot lining fabric inside of my pouch. It's like a little surprise each time I open the bag :)

I hope you enjoy your new zipper pouch, and if you're looking for a few more ideas to incorporate leather into your projects, here are some past projects to try:

1.The Artsy Mini Tote 2.Plaited Leather Wrap Bracelet  3.The Little Things Purse  4.Riding Pants 
5.Leather Leaves Necklace
 

(Shan) WEARs: Leather and Layers

It's fall! Yay!  That means scarves, layers, boots, sweaters and.... LEATHER!  Or, vegan leather as I prefer.  I am a huge fan this season.  I've found that Target has an insane selection of vegan leather styles that are super cute and super affordable.  Perfect combination!

To soak in the perfect fall weather, I spent the day Sunday having fun, indulging in deliciousness and prancing around town.  We had brunch at Park Bruges. (Amazing!  If you're in the Pittsburgh area sometime, you must stop by!)  After brunch my sweet tooth decided to flare up, so we swung by Gaby et Jules... the most amazing, delicious slice of heaven that ever graced Pittsburgh.  Holy macrons.  As you can see from the photo below, I take my sweets shopping very seriously.  

The day concluded with an accidental 3 hour nap.  Whoops.  It was meant to be only 20 minutes.  Oh well.  Fortunately, I had nothing pressing needing to be accomplished, so I felt absolutely no guilt whatsoever about sleeping half of my day away.  

I have also decided that brunch is my favorite thing on Sundays.  I don't know exactly why, I just know it makes me insanely happy.  Maybe it's because mimosa's are always a part of it??

Outfit Details:
Booties: Ecote Mixed Slouch Ankle Boot via Urban Outfitters
Pants: Zella 'Live In' Leggings via Nordstrom
Baseball Tee: HM
Blazer: Mossimo via Target
Scarf: Nordstrom Rack
Crossbody: Kate Spade (2 years ago)
Sunnies: Elizabeth & James via Nordstrom

Fall Felt Series: Felt and Suede Clutch

I hope everyone has enjoyed all of our projects from the Fall Felt Series this year! Shannon and I have had a ton of fun getting creative with felt and coming up with some new ideas for fall outside of the typical felt projects you may see around.

For our last post of the series, I decided to make myself a felt and suede clutch. I'm not typically a clutch kind of girl (lugging 2 kids around means I need a strap on my bags or else I'm bound to leave it somewhere - not that I've done that before *cough cough*), but I gave it a go and I love how it turned out!

This bad boy is big enough to hold my stuff - I made sure to make a few pockets inside to hold everything - and it's great when I'm on the run, or for a date night out sans kiddos (hint hint husband.)

Wanna make one too?

SUPPLIES: 1/2 yard felt - I used 100% virgin wool felt in classic navy from Michael Levine, scraps of suede or leather - I used brown suede from Michael Levine, a rectangle of fabric 6 inches wide by 13 inches long, sewable interfacing slightly smaller than your fabric, leather or suede cording, rotary cutter and mat, chalk or disappearing ink marker, sewing machine and basic sewing supplies.

First you'll need to cut out your pattern pieces. Cut one piece of felt 21 inches long by 13 inches wide, and cut out a triangle from a piece of suede 4 1/2 inches tall by 10 inches wide. You will also need a rectangle of cotton fabric 6 inches wide by 13 inches long and a piece of sewable interfacing slightly smaller than your rectangle.

Attaching Your Pocket:

ONE: fuse your interfacing to the back of your fabric rectangle according to the instructions. Next, use an iron to iron each of the long sides down 1/4 inch.
TWO: measure about 7 inches from the bottom of your felt rectangle and mark with chalk.
THREE: place the bottom of your fabric pocket on the chalk line and pin, then sew across the bottom only to attach.
FOUR: use your disappearing ink marker to draw lines where you want your pockets to be. Sew on top of the lines you drew to make separate compartments.

FIVE: measure 7 inches down on either side and mark with chalk. Make another mark on the top middle of your felt. Draw lines from the top of your felt to the marks you made on the sides. Cut along your lines to make the triangle flap of your clutch.

Adding Suede:

ONE: fold the bottom of your felt up 7 inches and pin the sides. Sew.
TWO: use a rotary cutter and mat to evenly cut your suede into 3 pieces.
THREE: place your suede on top of your felt where desired and mark if needed.
FOUR: carefully and slowly sew your suede onto the front of your bag.

Making The Tassel:

ONE: make a small line on your suede with your chalk or disappearing ink marker and carefully make a slit with scissors or an X-Acto Knife.
TWO: cut a long piece of cording and fold it in half. Thread the loop through the hole and the tails through the loop.
THREE: this is what your cording should look like so far.
FOUR: now to make the tassel, I simply made long loops with the cording until I was happy with it.
FIVE: after you've made as many loops as you want, wrap the tails of the cording around the top of the tassel tightly and knot.
SIX: snip the loops on the bottom of the tassel with scissors to finish.

I love the handy little compartments inside that hold all my stuff!

I hope we've given you some new ideas for things to make with felt, and we'd love to see anything you'd like to show off (past or recent projects)! Post any of your projects you've made using felt on our Facebook wall, and we will feature some of our favorites next week.

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A HUGE thank you to our sponsor, Michael Levine, Inc. for supplying the felt for the Fall Felt Series! As I'm sure you can tell, we absolutely love their products and were so thrilled when they decided to jump on board and partner with us for the series.

Have a great weekend and be sure to check back with us on Monday, because we will be having a little giveaway to celebrate the series!

Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!

Fall Felt Series: DIY Needle Felted Wool Beer Sleeve (fits both cans & bottles!)

I try to come up with man-friendly projects every once in a while.  Crafty stuff usually tends to lean more towards the feminine side of things and it can be difficult sometimes to create something with a masculine feel that doesn't require power tools and making yourself stink like motor oil.  Fortunately, wool felt can accomplish quite a lot when it comes to manly things... and most of it revolves around libations of some sort!  Check out my Flask Sleeve and my Coffee Sleeve from last year.  This year, I decided to make a Scandinavian feeling Beer Sleeve.  The best part is that this thing fits both cans AND bottles!

For this project I used Michael Levine's Classic Navy 100% Wool Felt.  The fact that they offer 100% wool felt thrills me!  I can tell you that our local fabric store only ever has a very tiny selection of wool/poly blend felt.  100% wool is so much easier to work with when needle felting! 

First, we need the measurements.  A standard beer can has a circumference of 8.25 inches, so that's how long you want your piece of felt to be.  We are going to use the width of 4.25 inches so that our sleeve reaches just beneath the curve of the top of the can.  You should have a rectangle of fabric 8.25"x4.25".

Next, add some details!  You can do whatever you'd like, but I chose simple plus signs - 1.5"x1.5".  I used my needle felting tool to bond the fabric together.  This also adds an extra layer of insulation right where a hand would typically hold the sleeve.

Next, I used a tiny hole punch to put holes on both ends to lace the leather cord through.

A simple knot at both ends will hold this together perfectly!

Now for the next measurement:  I used the measurement of 1 3/8in for the diameter of the bottom circle.  That is a 2.75in circumference.  Use a compass to get a perfect circle on a piece of paper.  Cut that out and then outline it on the felt with chalk.  Cut on the inside of the chalk line.

I used some embroidery floss and blanket stitched the bottom to the sides.  I also did a blanket stitch around the top to prevent a lot of stretching of the felt and give consistency to the overall aesthetic.

I was expecting this project to be WAY more complex than it turned out to be.  I am so excited with the outcome!  (And so was the man of the house!)

I really think this will make an amazing gift for the guys in your life!

Thanks so much for joining us for day 2 of our Annual Fall Felt Series!  This is our favorite series of the year because the possibilities with felt are endless.  Don't forget to check out LowPriceFabrics.com and grab the discount code from our sidebar! 

Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!