project – Page 3 – A Smith of All Trades

Craft Projects, Holiday, Quick and Easy Crafts, Valentine's Day

10-Minute Heart Garland

January 21, 2013 Jessica Smith

Supplies:

Felt
Yarn
Scissors

Instructions:

To make your garland, first you need to measure your mantel or wherever else you’d like to hang your decoration. I used yarn for my garland, folding it in half so it was doubled up and a little bit thicker.

Cut your yarn and tie loops at each end.

Then, cut out hearts from red felt. Each heart needs two slits at the top for the yarn to pass through.

Start to weave one end of the yarn through the cutout slits of the heart until all of the hearts are threaded.

Then spread the hearts along the yarn until they will spread the width of the mantel. Then, you are done!

Hang it on the mantel some Valentine’s Day cheer made in less than 10 minutes!

Craft Projects, Dollar Store Crafts, Holiday, Valentine's Day

Hot Pink Valentine’s Day Boa Tree

January 18, 2013 Jessica Smith

Valentines Day Boa Tree

Need an inexpensive, cute Valentine’s Day decoration for the upcoming holiday? Why not make a Valentine’s Day tree!?

OK, I know trees are usually just for Christmas, but just follow along with this one because the end result is pretty darn cute.

Supplies:

1-2 boas from the dollar store
1 cereal box
Hot glue
Tape
Embellishments (ribbon, chain, etc.)

Step 1: Cut your cereal box down to one panel.

Step 2: Fold your cereal box panel into a cone shape and tape the heck out of it so it keeps the shape. This becomes the base for your tree. You can’t see the tape through the boa, so feel free to use however much you need.

Step 3: Trim the edge of the cone to be flat. You will have a lot of excess from the cereal box, so it is OK to cut a lot off. Cut it to the size that you would like your tree. I only had one boa, so I made a small tree. If you have additional boas, your tree can be taller.

Step 4: Starting at the top of your tree, hot glue your boa to the cardboard. Boas usually have small finger holes at each end that are made of rope. I put this little ring around the top of the tree and glued that on first.

Step 5: Start winding down the tree with hot glue and boa. When you get to the bottom, cut a small slit into the bottom of the cardboard base and place the other knotted finger loop in the slot. Hot glue it in place to secure the boa on the tree.

Step 6: I stuffed the base of my cone so it was a little sturdier. To do so, I spiraled hot glue in the cone and put two crumpled up paper towels in the cone.

Step 7: Embellish. I added a silver chain, black ribbon and a black bow to my tree.

Step 8: Display in your house for everyone to see. Mine’s on our mantel right now and I love it. It looks half tree, half little pink monster hiding behind our wedding photos.

Come Christmas time next year, I want to make several of these trees using white boas. I’ll probably make them in varying heights. How pretty would that be?

Happy friday and have a great weekend! Got any good plans for the holiday weekend? It’ll be visiting with family and lots of football at our house.

Craft Projects, Furniture

Metal Chair Redo

January 6, 2013January 3, 2013 Jessica Smith

Years ago my momma had a metal chair in her bathroom sitting at her vanity that she decided to trade in for something a little more modern. Even back then I scooped up this treasure with the quickness to refinish and use in my bedroom. The chair was olive green with a camel-colored leather seat. I painted it white and recovered the seat with a thin, blue fabric… and that’s how it has stayed for years and years and years.