[How-to Tuesday: Cleaning Micro-Suade Seat Cushions]

My dining room chair cushions are micro-suade and seem to stain very easily. To prevent them from staining, I SHOULD have covered them with Scotch Guard, but I didn't. Blame it on being lazy. I even bought the stuff, so there's no excuse! Anyways, now that my 2-year old can sit in a normal chair while she eats, things get dropped right on the seat. (Of course I am blaming it all on her, but I am just as guilty for being a messy eater!)

So here is a photo of my dining set to give you an idea of what the seat cushions look like:

(and if you're wondering on how I made this chalkboard table, click HERE)

Yes, those seats were all stained at the time of this photo. I just had them cleverly hidden.

So now, I finally attacked the seats and cleaned them. Take a look at the before & after pics. But I must warn you, the "before" photos are pretty yucky!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

How did I do it, you ask?? By using this handy dandy product:

Folex Instant Carpet Spot Remover. I just sprayed the entire seat (of course you don't have to if you just have one small stain), agitated it with my fingers, and dabbed it with a paper towel. It's like magic! We bought ours at Home Depot and have used it many times over the years on carpet and other upholstery. And it hasn't failed me yet! :0)

[Note: No compensation was received for posting about Folex. Just wanted to share a useful cleaning tip!]

[Jen]

[How-to Tuesday: $2 DT Hurricanes]

About a year ago, I was inspired by Leanneja over at Organize and Decorate Everything on her thrifty candle holders (view her post HERE). And so I thought to myself, "hey, I could do that!" So I did. :0)

[I first went out and bought some supplies: tall cylinder vases & candle holders from the Dollar Tree, and E6000 glue from Hobby Lobby.]

[After researching the Internet, I found that this glue works best on glass. Plus you can still use it on basically anything, except Styrofoam.]

[After putting the E6000 on the glass to adhere the candle holders to the vases, I had to wait at least 24 hours for it to dry. This is an extremely important step!]

[And voila! As you can see here, I put eggs and flowers inside and wrapping a colorful ribbon around it to decorate for my Spring Mantel. But I am sure as the seasons change, I will put an actual candle inside.]

Not bad for $2! And it was so easy to make! I'll be linking this project up to these parties! Hope to see you there! :0)

[Jen]

Spring Cupcake Liner Wreath

After hearing all of the amazing and encouraging comments on my red cupcake liner wreath that I posted about a month ago (click HERE to view), I decided to make a Spring cupcake liner wreath. Actually I designed it to where I can change out the little embellishments throughout the year to decorate for the seasons/holidays. Which explains why I chose to use white cupcake liners to keep it neutral.

Here are the supplies I used:

• foam wreath (this one was 12 inches in diameter)
• thick ribbon (I used green since it's what I had on hand)
• white cupcake liners (I used about 150)
• hot glue and gun

Overall, it only took me a couple of hours (with many added interruptions), but it was well worth the effort!

I also added this little embellishment that I made out of tissue paper. It's just a standard pom-pom flower (click HERE to view the tutorial) with a big white button and and orange ribbon tied in a bow. I attached the entire thing with ribbon to make it easy to remove and change out according to the theme.

Linking this project up to these parties! Come join me! :0)

Stay tuned tomorrow to view my Spring mantel that includes this wreath!

[Jen]

[How-to Tuesday: Cupcake Liner Wreath]

Recently I stumbled upon an adorable little Whimsical Valentine Wreath over at Tatertots & Jello. And you are not going to believe what it is made out of....cupcake liners! How ingenious! You can view her entire tutorial [here]. And this is what her wreath looked like:

And this is the one I made:

To make this you will need:

• a Styrofoam wreath (I used the one pictured above from Hobby Lobby. It's the 10" Styrofoam extruded wreath.)
• wide ribbon
• cupcake liners (I used about 150 liners since my wreath was large.)
• hot glue gun
• LOTS of hot glue

[Step 1: Tightly wrap the entire foam wreath with some wide ribbon. Fold 1 cupcake liner like a flower, by folding the bottom of the liner to a point.]

[Step 2: Place a glob of hot glue onto the wreath, and then carefully place the folded cupcake over the glue. Hold it there for a few seconds to secure its placement.]

[Step 3: You will repeat step 2 many, many times. I found it easier to work in sections, to allow each section to cool properly. Once I had all 4 corners of the wreath completed, I filled in the gaps with more liners. I placed the liners in sort of a staggered pattern: started with one liner in the center, then staggered another liner on the inside and outside of the wreath. Does that make sense? Once you find a pattern that works for you, it will go by very quickly.]

[Voila! A beautiful cupcake liner wreath. I have to say I am quite proud of it!]

I made 2 of these wreaths for a retirement party I threw this past weekend. Stay tuned tomorrow for details and photos!

Linking up to these [parties]!

Happy "Party Week"! :0)

[Jen]

[How-to Tuesday: Accordion Button Flower]

Last Saturday I talked about a Valentine's Day card I made that featured this cute little button flower. [You can view the original post on the card HERE.] Well, today I am going to show you a step-by-step tutorial on how to make one. Of course, you can buy one pre-made, like the Eternal Delights Paper Flowers from American Crafts, but this one can be easily customized to whatever style/color you want and is super fun to make. :0)

Materials Needed:

Scrapbook paper or cardstock

Button

Tape adhesive or glue

Dimensional adhesive or glue dots

Scissors

Circle cutter (if you have one)

[Step 1: Cut out a circle. I cut mine to be about 2 1/2 inches.]

[Step 2: Cut a slit halfway into the circle. Then begin folding the entire circle "accordion-style" as shown. You can make these folds as large or as small as you want.

[Step 3: Once you have finished folding, your circle will look something like this. Notice it's only a half circle.]

[Step 4: Repeat the first 3 steps again to make another folded half-circle.]

[Step 5: Glue & adhere both half circles together, intertwining the folds, to form a full circle as shown.]

[Step 6: Adhere a button with a dimensional adhesive or glue dot in the center of the circle. Voila! A fun accordion button flower! Perfect for embellishing cards, scrapbook pages, or you can even make them into a magnet by adhering a little magnetic strip on the back. The possibilities are endless!]

[I will be linking this up to these linky parties!]

[Jen]

[How-to Tuesday: Mother/Daugher Valentine's Day Gift]

With all the fun, creative Valentine's Day crafts going on, I was inspired to come up with my own little craft. I wanted to create something special for my hubby that my daughter and I could give to him as a gift. All I needed was a few basic supplies:

• Cardstock paper (in white, pink, & red)
• Black ink (I used charcoal in ColorBox Chalk)
• Rub-on numbers (I used these black rub-ons from Doodlebug Design Inc. in their "All Mixed Up" collection)
• Scrapbook glue or other adhesive
• Frame (optional)

[Step 1: Trace the outside of the hands with a pencil. I really only needed to trace one hand, cut it out, flip it over and trace it the cut-out template to have 2 hands cut out. This is key when trying to keep a busy toddler still while tracing tiny fingers.]

[Top photo: daughter's hands cut out in red cardstock; Bottom photo: my hands cut out in pink cardstock]

[Step 2: Ink the edges of all the hand cut-outs. I say it doesn't have to look super neat. Just want it to have a rustic look. Once both hands are inked, glue both hands together to make a heart shape. See photos above for placement.]

[Step 3: Adhere the heart-hands onto the page. I tried to layer them slightly so that they both fit onto the 8 x 10 white cardstock. Place rub-ons anywhere you like. I put "2011" to date how tiny my daughter's hands were this year.]

[Step 4: Optional: Place artwork inside a frame. Voila! Two hands, two hearts, one very special project.]

Hope you enjoyed today's Valentine tutorial! I will be linking this up here! :0)

[Jen]

[Tuesday Top 10: My Favorite Blog Posts]

Since I've seen so many of you post about your "Top 10 of 2010", I figured I'd hop on the bandwagon and post about my favorite posts this past year.

1. Numbered Jars - I still use these daily to hold all of my laundry needs: detergent, stain remover, and fabric softener. Of course everyone always asks me if I bought them at Pottery Barn. Umm...nope!
2. Elizabeth's Sweet Shoppe Party - This was so much fun to plan & create! People are still buzzing about it! And I am so glad it was fun 2nd birthday for my little girl. I can't wait to plan her 3rd birthday party! :0)
3. Master Bathroom Renovation - I am so pleased with how our master bathroom turned out. And it still looks exactly the same today. I would love to rip up the linoleum & put tile on the floor, but it's not exactly high up on my to-do list.
4. Frames, Frames, Frames - Where would this little blog be without this work of art? Every time I look at it hanging on my wall, it always makes me smile. :0)
5. My Little Creation - This is actually my very first craft I ever posted about. And it's still hanging up in our master bedroom. Who knew what an old frame and a chipboard letter could do?
6. Chalkboard Table - This was the perfect solution for covering up a hideous stain on my dining table. And my daughter (and myself as well) love to draw all over it with chalk. It's become a fun daily activity.
7. Windowsill to Cozy Reading Nook - My most recent project. But it's still unfinished. After taking down the wreath and the "naughty/nice" pillow, it looks very bare. I'm working on crafting up some pillows and window treatments to cozy it up a bit. So stay tuned!
8. The EAT Sign - Yes, it's still hanging in the dining room. Really adds a splash of color to the place. :0)
9. Card-making - I really couldn't decide on a favorite card to put in my Top 10. I made so many cards this past year and enjoyed making every single one of them!

And my all-time FAVORITE blog post is....

10. My Laundry/Craft Room - a.k.a. my second home. This is where I spend all of my time blogging, doing crafts, and of course, laundry. But I still love being in this room! It's so inviting and organized (yes, it really looks like this all the time, I promise!), and I am so happy that I finally have a "mom-cave"! :0)

[Jen]

The First Noel

Since it's Christmas Eve, I figured it would be appropriate to post a "Noel" sign to help celebrate Jesus' birth. I was recently inspired by Jessica at Craftily Ever After to make this metallic-looking sign. Here's the gorgeous Noel sign she made for $20:

This one is sold at Pottery Barn at a much higher price:

And here is the one that I made for less than $10:

To make this, I bought these particle board letters at Hobby Lobby for $1.99 each (total=$8).

Okay, now it was time to bust out the glue gun! First I hot glued all the letters together tilting the "O" for that extra flair.

But since the letters were so thin I hot glued some small wooden rods on the back to give it that extra stability. This way it won't bend & collapse.

Next I spray painted it with one coat of Valspar Premium Enamel Metal spray paint that I had leftover from a previous project.

And here is the finished product:

Not bad for less than $10, huh? And it was pretty simple to make and took very little time to put together, which is always a plus. :0)

I will be linking this up [here].

Merry Christmas Eve!

[Jen]

[How-to Tuesday: Pom-Pom Wreath]

This craft is super easy to do. And you don't have to limit yourself to only making them around Christmastime. Depending on the colors you choose, they can be the perfect decor for any of the other holidays or even parties! Wanna know how to make one? It's easy as pie! :0)

Supplies:

• Tissue paper
• Ribbon
• Metal or wooden ring (I bought this 8" metal one from Hobby Lobby for $1.29)
• Sharp scissors
• Wire (I used twist ties)
• Ruler

[First up is making the pom-pom flowers. I followed this step-by-step tutorial from lillyella. {view HERE)} I made 8 pom-pom flowers for my 8" ring.]

[Next, attach the flowers to the ring by wrapping the excess wire (or twist tie) around the ring. You'll need to wrap it very tight to keep it from moving/sliding.]

[Once all the flowers are secure, loop the ribbon through the ring so that it can hang as shown. I wrapped my ribbon around a shelf on a bookcase to display the wreath in front of the bookshelf. And voila!]

[Here's another one I made on another adjacent bookshelf. Pay no attention to the dust on the shelf. Ha!]

I'll be linking this up to these parties. Come join me! :0)

[Jen]

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