Wood Slice Coasters

When the holidays came to a close and it came time to toss our Christmas tree, I did a little begging and bribing to get Joe to chop off a few slices of the trunk. I have been giddy to make coasters out of wood trunk slices. They are all different and full of character! There's something I love about the texture and earthiness they bring to a room.

*Sorry for the lack of pictures, I got a little enthusiastic in the beginning and forgot to take photos!

Wood Slice Coasters

What you will need:

• Slices of wood from a trunk or thick branch - let them sit out and dry for a week or so
• Sand paper
• Polyurethane or other wood sealer
• Felt brush
• Silicone calking (can be found at any home improvement store) (you could also use felt instead)
• Wax paper
• Level

Step One: sand down your "slices" of wood... You only have to do one side, but feel free to do both if you want. Leave the raw edges alone, the bark add character.

Step Two: brush off all sawdust and wipe down each wood slice with a damp cloth.

Step Three: coat the wood slices with two coats of polyurethane according to the directions on the can. Also coat the sides. I skipped the bottoms.

Step Four: once dried, lay out a piece of wax paper and on the underside of each slice, add a few circles of silicone. This will prevent sliding and protect surfaces.

Step Five: flip over your slices so they were silicone side down in the wax paper. Take a small level and level out the coaster by pressing on each side until level. The silicone will help level the coaster.

Step Six: let dry overnight. Then, carefully peal the coasters from the wax paper and flip them over to finish drying for another day.

There you have it! Non-slip coasters that are unique and beautiful!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

Bridget, XOXO

Fleece Scarf with Bow Appliqués

I am completely in love with this scarf.  There is something so cute about bows and they never seem to get old. Now we are seeing them more and more in high fashion on wedding gowns… I even almost bought a hot pink shirt at Ann Taylor Loft that was covered in a bow print. Don’t worry, I stopped myself… and pledged to find a way to incorporate bows in a different way into my wardrobe.

Due to the deep freeze here in Connecticut and most of the Northeast and Middle America, below zero temperatures are forcing us to bundle up with even more layers. So, my days in scarf design are far from over… and I love it! This is my latest – long scarf with bow appliqués. Cute, classy, and feminine… maybe it will bring some cheer in this miserable weather. Also, if you are seeing a color trend with all of my scarves it’s because I bought way too much fleece last month during a clearance spree. Forgive me, I’m a hopeless sale shopper.

Fleece Scarf with Bow Appliqués

What you will need:

• Fleece – I used about a half yard in scraps here and paneled them… feel free to make your scarf as short or long as you want. Length: 72” long, 12” wide
• Scraps for bows – Again, I used scraps here, but two strips of 12”L x 6”W of fleece or a cute fabric will work great
• The Usual Suspects: sewing machine, needle, thread, scissors

Step One: Make your scarf. I finished the edges by folding and sewing a seam on all sides. I like my scarves to be long so I can double them up if it’s really cold.

Step Two: Make your bows!

Take your bow piece of fleece and cut a 1" strip off of the end

Fold the longest piece with right side in and sew closed

Turn loop right side out with seam in the middle toward back

Pinch loop in the middle

Around middle, wrap spare strip that you cut off at the start

At back, whip stitch end of wrap to keep it in place. Done!

Step Three: Fascine your bows to the scarf by whip stitching the middle to the scarf and then stitching all four corners of the bow to the scarf.

Now check out your adorable scarf. Seriously, how easy was that? And it looks amazing!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,

Bridget, XOXO

Little Things: Framed Fabric

So this may not be an earth-shattering discover for anybody else. BUT, I really wanted to share my little epiphany - putting fabric in picture frames. I have a frame collage on one of the walls of my living room that still has some empty frames... don't ask, I have no idea why I haven't found pictures to put in them. Needless to say, it looks a little weird.
Now, I frequently find myself oggling over beautiful fabrics. Sometimes I even hoard them in my stash and avoid using them because they are so pretty - none of the projects I have seem worthy of them. So - why not display them? They add texture and pop to walls, and can be changed out whenever you change your mood!

Here's my wall:
I chose a simple chevron fabric to go with my decor, but I am already thinking of other fabrics that would look awesome.
The frames are mostly from thrift stores and Homegoods - I like to keep them inexpensive - and I like the collected feel they give when they are all different and a little used.

I have two more frames to fill! 

I want to redecorate my living room for spring with some bright new pillow covers and some fun accessories - these will make great before pics. I'll keep you up to date on my changes!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers, Bridge

XOXO

Upcycled Pajama Infinity Scarf

Joe seems to have an endless collection of pajama pants… probably from years of trying over and over to find a pair that fits his 6’3” frame. Most of the time he strikes out, so after receiving another pair of plaid PJs this Christmas, I asked him if he might surrender a shorter pair and he obliged. I’ve been wanting to make a plaid scarf for quite a while but I can’t seem to find the right fabric and if I find a good plaid, it is never soft and cozy like these worn in pants. Luckily I found a way to upcylce these pants that would have gone to the Salvation Army (perhaps you have some of these lying around that haven’t been worn in ages… or you have teenage boys that outgrow their clothes every 6 months haha).

Upcycled Pajama Infinity Scarf

What you will need:

• Pajama Bottoms (adult size – the longer the better)
• The Usual Suspects: thread, sewing machine, pins, scissors

Step One: fold the pants in half and cut below the pockets and crotch seam.

Step Two: Cut the inseam out to make the pant legs straight.

Step Three: Cut bottom hem off.

Step Four: With two pant legs layered one on top of another with right sides in, pin and sew bottom edges together. You will now have a long piece of flannel.

Step Five: Fold your long piece of flannel in half the long way (the hotdog way, not the hamburger way) with wrong side out ( so you should be able to see that middle seam you made sewing the two pieces together). Sew along the longest edge to make a long tube.

Step Six: Turn your tube right side out.

Step Seven: Sew ends together. I prefer to cuff in one side of the scarf and tuck the opposite end inside. This makes for a neat seam and less bulk.

Done! 

This took about ten minutes, tops. It took me longer to take all of the pictures!

I would love to see this made with different pajamas, imagine the possibilities...

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers, Bridget

XOXO

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday!

To ring in the New Year I've decided to post my resolutions (a way for me to actually commit to them this year... maybe).

1. Make a piece of clothing!

Clothing intimidates me, but I'm going to do it.

2. Make something for myself!

I give away most of my creations so it's high time I make something for me.

3. Watch what I eat and work out more - even if it's yoga.

We'll see how this one goes.

4. Organize my life

It seems like, especially lately, I'm completely disorganized. It's starting to creep in on my psyche and increase my stress level. I want to organize my professional life as well as my home life. I want to purge my closet and my junk drawers (which are overflowing), but I seriously need to organize from craft stuff - it's taking over the house and it's starting to make Joe twitch.

5. Spend more time with friends and family

Each year I get a little better with this, but it still needs work. I'm never happier than when I'm with friends and family. Research shows that each human needs 8 contacts with another human over the course of a day to keep our psyche healthy. So, I should call my mom more.

Thank you so much for spending the last five months with me. Writing this blog has given me a breath of fresh air, as well as an output for my creativity. I love you all and I can't wait for the year ahead!

Cheers, Bridget

XOXO