Firewood Tote

Last Spring we chopped down a half-rotted crab apple tree in our backyard. It was dangerous - it overhung our house and our neighbors and it scared the poo outta me every time the wind blew. So down it came. We hired people to cut the parts that might do damage. And we did the rest of the work ourselves which, I admit, wasn't super smart but did save us a lot of money. So the tree came down (everyone's limbs stayed intact... get it? ha) and we chopped it all up and saved the logs for firewood. TONS OF WOOD.

Fast forward a year and the wood is finally cured. And thanks to my hunk of a hubs, it is now nicely chopped and stacked in the back of our yard. TIME FOR FIRES!

Nicely stacked at the back of the yard, this wood is in the perfect spot - it's not near the house (no critters, no ants, no termites...). BUT, it's a nuisance having to carry two or three logs at a time to the firepit. They're awkward. Ok, maybe it's me and my small arms, but I had to make like ten trips for our last fire. I needed a solution. So I made one. Boom.

Firewood Tote

What you will need:

-Wooden dowel 18'' x 2

-Canvas 21'' x 36''

-The Usual Suspects: thread, sewing machine, scissors, ruler

1. Cut your canvas to the above dimensions: 21" x 36". I used a leftover piece from another project.

2. Cut your wooden dowel into 2 pieces, 18" long. I used a 3/8" diameter dowel

3. Sew a 1/4" seam down the longest two sides of your canvas.

4. Fold your canvas in half the "hamburger" way - short ends meet together. Using a medium sized bowl (mine was about 6" in diameter) trace a half circle in the center of your short edges. Cut this out with your rotary cutter. This will be space for the handle.

  

5. On either side of the cut-out half circle, fold the edge down 1/4" and crease. Then, placing the dowel along the edge, fold the crease down over the dowel and pin. This will make a pocket for the dowel. Sew along this edge.

6. Sew one end of the dowel pocket closed along the 1/4" seam previously sewn.

7. Slide the dowel into the pocket and sew the other end closed along the 1/4" seam. 

8. Repeat steps 5-7 for the other side.

Now load 'er up and make a fire! There's never been a diet that couldn't (or shouldn't) be broken for a few s'mores. Just sayin'. Beach bod dreams aside, a roasted marshmallow is happiness in a bite. MAKE SOME HAPPINESS. 

Go forth and enjoy SUMMER!

Cheers,

Bridget

XOXO

Bridal Shower Card Book

Just over a year ago, my friends and family threw me an amazing bridal shower. In fact, just the other day it popped up on my "on this day..." page on Facebook. I got a little bit misty, honestly. As awkward as I was in the center of attention, I felt like a queen that day. All thanks to some amazing women.

As I clicked through the pictures that surfaced on Facebook, a full-on case of nostalgia came over me. There was no hope. I decided to dig up my bridal shower cards. I knew exactly where they were - neatly piled in a basket... on top of a pile of other wedding and craft crap that I needed to find a place for. Real romantic. I had to fix this situation.
Years ago someone had told me they had their wedding cards bound, which is an amazing idea. I didn't want to pay for this and I didn't have the patience to sift through Pinterest [sidenote: is anyone finding Pinterest to be getting SUPER congested these days?], so I figured out how to do it myself. It isn't rocket science. But nonetheless, it came out perfectly and it was far less daunting than I expected. It was exactly what I needed to honor this little memory and keep it safe to look back on from time to time.

Bridal Shower Card Book

Things you will need:
1/4" wide Ribbon (length - about 2 feet, cut into 2 equal halves)
Scissors
Hole-punch
Bridal Shower cards

Start by stacking your cards - all with the bindings to the left - and in any order you choose. I chose to stack my cards from smallest to tallest and I aligned them all on the bottom.

• NOTE: Depending on how OCD you are, you can do this a number of ways. I'm rather compulsive so I chose an organized route, but feel free to stack your cards in whatever order floats your boat.

Next, start hole punching. Choose a width between holes that will fit the smallest card at it's widest - this will ensure stability with the rest of the stack but won't leave the small card dangling with only one hole in it. Also, hole punch close to the edge of the binding, but not too close. You want to be able to open the cards when the book is finished, but you don't want them to tear easily. Also, be deliberate here, you don't want to oops on your most precious cards. Also, also, yeah. Don't mind my aforementioned OCD.

After hole punching your first card, align your second card with the bottom of the first, stacked. Hole punch through your first holes into your second card. This will ensure that your second card has the exact same holes and hole spacing that your first card had.

Continue this process with each next card (using the prior card as the hole punch guide).

Once all cards are hole punched, stack them neatly again. Pick your favorite card for the front. Maybe it has a sweet saying or maybe it's from a special person. Put it front and center and honor it.
Taking your ribbon, start threading each card, one by one. Tie the ribbon. Repeat for the second hole. Trim excess ribbon.

All done! Store is a safe, dry, cool place so the cards will last. 

This whole process took me half an hour. I'm pretty sure I did it while Joe and I watched TV. Extra time allotted for nostalgic reading, of course.

This post concludes our wedding season craft party... time for Summer crafts to happen!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,

Bridget

XOXO