Arm Chair Refinish

I always try to make a lot of the gifts I give at Christmas. This year I've been inspired (mostly through the blog world!) to take it even further. I've attempted some pretty large projects for people that I normally just buy gifts for. I'll admit, I'm very excited to give these gifts!
I shared the dresser I refinished for my mother-in-law a few weeks ago.
Today I'm sharing the chair that I refinished for my mom.
Here's the before.

Love the lines! Everything else, not so much.
The caning in the back was pretty damaged - which was okay with me, because I don't really love caning, anyway.

I sanded her down and painted her heirloom white.

Then I cut her caning out.

She sat like this...backless...in the basement for a few weeks.  I couldn't quite figure out how I was going to put a new back in.  I began to wonder if I had screwed things up royally. Why didn't I just upholster the caning???
Oh, right...because it wasn't really structurally sound.

Then I remembered my new crafting best friend, hardboard.
Hubby cut some out in the right shape for me.

 

I wrapped it in a double layer of quilt batting and the fabric I had chosen (staple gunned it all on) and screwed the hardboard into the chair frame.

Then I took a piece of 1 inch foam and cut it to shape. I wrapped it in batting, too, then I used spray adhesive to attach the cushion to the hardboard.

I used the staple gun again to cover the cushion with fabric.

Then I covered the seams with a braided trim.

 

And here she is - totally revamped and gorgeous!

Linking up at Donna's!

Noel Banner

After my "Fall" banner (for Autumn) I just had to have one for Winter, too.
I considered several words - Joy, Merry, Believe...
But I ended up with "Noel"

I decided to make it on book pages. I'm making some book wreaths and the pages are so much fun to look at I decided to use some for this project, too :)

First, I tore 4 pages out of my book.
I happened to pick page numbers that meant something to me...because it sounded like fun.
41 was my husbands high school football number (far more significant to me than to him...man did I love that uniform...sigh)
99 was the year we got married
13 is the day of the month our daughter was born
81 for my son's Birthday, 8/1

I tore the pages out carefully, but ended up with some jagged edges, anyway (which I LOVED)
I used a glue stick to glue to page to some cream colored card stock.

Then I used my scissors to cut the card stock to the same size as the book page, following the jagged edges exactly.

 

I printed the word NOEL out in light grey ink on the BACK of the paper I was using with the mirror image function turned on.

I cut the letters out by hand.
It was HARD to see the lines! Until I got smart and traced the outline with a pencil.  Duh.

I used brown stamp ink and a q-tip to distress the edges of the letters.

Then I attached the letters to the book pages with gorilla glue.

Once all my glue was dry I hot glued the pages onto a ribbon.
I decided to hang the banner on our Christmas tree.
It's in our front room, which is filled with books, so I think it looks very appropriate on the tree.

I'm thinking about more book page banners, though - they are so very cute!
I think they'd be really fun gifts, too :)
Linking up to the parties tonight! I can't wait to see all the projects, I'm looking for something fab to make for a centerpiece on my coffee table :)
See you at...
ASPTL
It's So Very Cheri
Newly Woodwards
Cottage Instincts and
The Persimmon Perch

Christmas Sugar Cookies

This is a re-post from just a few weeks ago.

I wish I'd had time to bake a batch of these cookies yesterday so I could show them to you decorated in Christmas theme - but I didn't :(

Still, I know sugar cookies are a big deal at Christmas and since these are the BEST sugar cookies of all time, I thought a re-post would be okay :)

I’m president of the SPO this year at my daughters school (it’s their PTA – just a different acronym.)

Anyway, we were in a meeting, planning the next several parent events we’ll be hosting and discussing food options. The general thought was that cookies were fine for afternoon activities, but for morning we should have something fruity/healthy and for evenings something savory.

MY opinion was slightly different. I will eat a cookie anytime.

Seriously – any.time. Wake me up from a dead sleep at 2am with a freshly baked cookie and I will thank you politely – then ask for more. I.love.cookies.

About a year ago I discovered a local bakery that makes the most amazing sugar cookies. Normally I’m not a sugar cookie fan. Give me peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip…throw as many extra ingredients in as you can. But sugar cookies? Boring!

These ones, however, are like heaven. Heaven with a touch of almond extract. Heaven with a texture that’s almost a cross between cookie-like and bread-like, with a thick layer of butter cream frosting that also has a touch of almond extract in it. If God eats cookies, (and I’m sure that he does!) then these are one of his favorites.

I spent a small fortune over a few weeks buying these cookies as rewards for myself. Rewards (?) you wonder? Yeah. It was like those Arctic Circle commercials – cookies were a reward for anything – cleaning the house, going to the gym, volunteering at school…

Unfortunately the cookies cost $1.75 each.

I’m not kidding. Ridiculous, right? But sooooo tasty…

So I began a mission to recreate the cookies. First I dreamed of things I could tell the head baker to make her give me the recipe, but abandoned that when I actually pictured myself making that phone call.

Instead, I made about 8 batches of sugar cookies, experimenting with different recipes until I finally got it right. I was hoping that by mastering them I would break their hold over me. Alas, that has not been the case. Still, at least now I can more than one without dipping into my savings account!

I made some last weekend and decorated them cute to take to a friends house. Look at that yumminess!

Now – when you make these (because you WILL make them, won’t you?) be sure to put a THICK layer of frosting on. Because the frosting is to die for.

Mandy’s Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1.5 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

2.5 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

dash salt

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and extracts, then dry ingredients. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, then roll out between wax paper with plenty of flour to about 1/3 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cookies will NOT be colored on top when they are done, but will be light golden on bottom.

Cool completely, then frost.

Mandy’s Best Buttercream

1/4 cup butter

3 cups powdered sugar (appr.)

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp hot water

Beat until fluffy – continue adding sugar and water until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Look! I found a picture of what yours might look like, if you made them with Christmas cookie cutters...and had mad decorating skillz.

Linking up to The Girl Creative's Creating Christmas party!

Go check things out to see some great Holiday recipes!

Party Time! (excellent)

This post has nothing to do with Waynes World - the title just came to me and I had to use it.


Have I mentioned that I am a contributor to The Girl Creative blog?
I am :)


So I thought I'd mention...
The Girl Creative is throwing a week-long holiday extravaganza beginning Monday!  I'm super excited for 5 straight days of Christmas linking! We have some really great categories planned, I hope some of you will play along :)
Here is the schedule:

Monday Dec. 7
Favorite Christmas Recipe
Tuesday Dec. 8
Family Christmas Traditions
Wednesday Dec. 9 
Handmade Gift Ideas
Thursday Dec. 10
Creative Gift Wrapping Ideas
Friday Dec. 11
Show Off Your Tree (and decorations)

I've got an awesome post planned for Thursday - Creative Gift Wrapping Ideas. Can't wait to share it!

If you'd like to add a party button to your blog, here it is!

More PB Candlestuff

Just wanted to show you all how these turned out...

Before: Bleck! So over them!

After: Much better! Love the glow :)

And they've not too far off the PB original!

Rag Quilt

When my daughter was born I became one of those women that wants to talk about her baby all the time.
all. the. time.
When she was just a few weeks old I was invited (through babycenter) to join an MSN chat group. It was called May Babies, because all of the mommies that were part of the group had little ones that were born in either April, May or June of the same year.
I joined and formed some very strong friendships.  We are spread across the country, but I've met several members on vacations.  We've been with each other through a lot, and some of these women have done wonderful things for me over the years!
One of our members is pregnant right now - (actually, several are. always!)
and she's having her first girl after 2 boys.
It's been a difficult pregnancy and I wanted to make her something.

A few weeks ago I went to a little boutique and saw the most amazing blanket.
It was so shabby chic...squeal worthy, for sure.
I had to make one.

It's called a rag quilt, and though I searched online I couldn't find a good tutorial.  So I put one together.  It's not fantastic, but it's something!
Also - big disclaimer here - I am not a quilter. At all.  So this is actually a tutorial for my backwards way of making this quilt which is really, really not how the pro's do it.

Choose your fabrics.  I picked these 4 lovelies.  Pale pink, green and purple with a pretty floral to pull them all together. The back is darker pink.

Cut your squares.  Online I read that 8-10" squares are best, and I did 8" ones, but I think any size would be fine. My neighbor is making one with 6" squares right now.

Lay out your pattern.  I drew my quilt on a piece of paper and figured out where I wanted each color so that they wouldn't be on top of or next to each other.

Sew two pieces together, then two more, then two more, then sew all those together to make a strip of quilt.
Does that make any sense? This is harder to explain than I thought it would be.

Most Important part!!! Sew the WRONG sides together.  In most sewing you sew right sides together, but these raw edges will be frayed and exposed.  Give your seams a 6/8 inch (or more) allowance.

Once you have your strips sewn together, connect them - again, with the wrong sides together.
Keep connecting until you have a quilt.

I did the next part on my quilting frame, but it can be done on the floor, too.  I've made lots of blankets that way!

You'll want to layer the back of your quilt, your batting (if you are using it) and the front of your quilt.  Then either put it onto your frame (I always need help with that part!) or lay it out on the floor.

Once your blanket is laid out trim the threads that need to be trimmed.  Then cut into your raw edges, perpendicular to the seam, about every inch.

 

I tied my quilt in the corners with pink yarn, because I thought it was cute. This type of quilt does not need to be tied, though.

Now use your sewing machine to sew the front to the back, wrong sides together again, leaving that big seam allowance.
Once it's all sewn up, cut into those edges again.

Now it's time to wash and dry it, which is what will give it all it's charm!
I washed on a regular cycle, dried on one, too.
And it came out perfect.

Isn't it the most charming blanket you've ever seen?  Those curly, frayed edges are delicious :)

I love it. Now I need to make one for my daughter!!!
BTW, she's 7 1/2 now, and our group is still going strong!

Pottery Barn Candlesticks

Yesterday I stopped by the thrift store.
I didn't see anything that excited me and I had resigned myself to leaving with (gasp!) nothing - when I spotted several brass candlesticks.
Lately I'm very into candles.
So I started picking them over, and a picture began to form in my mind - a display of several mismatched candlesticks, painted heirloom white, used as a Christmas centerpiece.
I chose 8 of them.

When I got home that afternoon I saw the Pottery Barn Christmas catalog had come in the mail - hubby had left it on the counter for me.  That night I sat down to look it through.
On the cover is this picture.

Several mismatched candlesticks.
Oh, Pottery Barn...how I love thee.

Theirs are silver, so my plans quickly changed.  After all, if the Pottery Barn says silver, who am I to disagree?  And anyway, I've been planning to add more silver to my Christmas.

This morning I scraped the dripped wax off my candlesticks and scrubbed them 'till they shone.

Then I took them out to the garage and I gave them a light spray of Rustoleum metallic finish silver spray paint.  They got 2 additional coats throughout the day.

This afternoon I went to Hobby Lobby for candles.
And tonight I put it all together.

I LOVE quick projects :)

I am still working on these guys...

I've had them forever - and hated them nearly that long.  I'm spraying a couple of them silver, too, to see if that makes me like them anymore.  I'm hoping they'll end up something like this.  They're fairly similar, right?

Fingers crossed!