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    T Tuesday: It’s beginning to look like Christmas edition

    December 6, 2016 - By 

    Now that we’ve had a bit of snow that stuck for a few days…although it’s mostly gone again…I’ve been getting into a festive mood.

    Christmas tree at night

    The tree looks so pretty even with a meager amount of ornaments this year. The ones that are on the tree are not breakable just in case.

    Marvin enjoying the lights

    Marvin enjoys lounging on the tree skirt and so far has only knocked two ornaments down.

    tea for wrapping duty

    I enjoyed a cup of tea yesterday morning while wrapping a few presents.

    crochet

    And even my crochet is a festive green color. I know I have tons of flaws, mistakes and goofy stitches in this one. I did it while watching TV, basically in the dark with Mini-me. It doesn’t matter though since this will just be a dish cloth. My stemware really doesn’t care if the stitches are right.

    Mr. G is on vacation again this week so I have no idea what the day has in store. It’s kind of fun to have a blank slate once the kids are off to school.

    What are you doing today?

    T stands for Tuesday
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    A second look: Upcycling Projects

    April 2, 2016 - By 

    Secondlook

    Since it’s April and this month is Earth Month I thought I’d share a second look at a bit of upcycling from a few years ago.

    eyes

    Oct 6, 2013

    Upcycling Projects

     

    We all know how to recycle and I’m sure most do it daily. Newspapers, cardboard, glass and plastic are all readily recyclable in most cities, at least across the USA.

    This is wonderful! But I’ve been really focused on upcycling lately.  Finding a new use for something that would ordinarily be tossed out.  Wine corks, bottle caps, worn out clothing, stained linens, broken plates…you get the idea.treesI showed a sneak peek of these a while ago. I made a wine cork tree last year but this time I decided to change things a bit. I used a Champagne cork cut in half for the trunk.  I think they turned out really cute.

    sewing

    I’ve also been using some scraps from previous projects such as the denim remaining after completing a quilt or two.  As well as the remainder of the dress shirts that I made wine bottle gift bags from.

    cards

    In addition I’ve been making a bunch more cards. I’ll show more of these last two projects at a later date. The cards have much less upcycling in it’s truest sense but I am still attempting to include elements that might otherwise be considered unusable such as tiny scraps of fabric and yarn. As well as photo trimmings. I have a cigar box full of photo trimmings…they have such vibrant colors that it’s a shame to toss them out.

    It doesn’t have to be Earth Day to be a little “green”. Do a little more every day to be kind to our planet. Last time I checked…it’s the only one we have. 🙂

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    If you’d like to see more recycling and upcycling projects please use the tag cloud on my sidebar.

  • Blog - Crafts

    After Christmas crafts

    January 9, 2016 - By 

    On Wednesday I was on a mission to get all of my errands complete before the snow then wicked cold snap was to hit. I went 11 places in just under 4 hours. Shockingly I didn’t spend a bunch of money either. I was hitting all the loss leader deals at various stores while still getting the essentials to last into next week. I wasn’t even planning on going to Michael’s but since I was just down the street from it I decided to check out the 80% off all Christmas deals.  I picked up the needed supplies to make a couple of wreaths.

    Deco mesh wreaths | Halle's Hobbies

    Since we are putting away all of our Christmas decor today, it was now or never next year for wreath making. So I gathered my supplies and set to work.

    Deco mesh wreaths | Halle's Hobbies

    I also had to find a video tutorial on the process of creating a deco mesh wreath.

    This one worked for me.

    What I didn’t comprehend was just how huge this was going to be!

    Deco mesh wreaths | Halle's Hobbies

    It became painfully obvious that the scale of the elements I had purchased would be completely wrong.

    Deco mesh wreaths | Halle's Hobbies

    I added some ribbon…and what appears to be a nice bow in the photo. Nope…just shoved the rest of the ribbon in there for storage until I can find someone to help me with the bow. Did I mention how much I suck at making bows!?! I called my crafty neighbor for help and evidently she lacks that skill as well. I’m thinking with the addition of a proper bow and perhaps some plastic Christmas balls this would work for an outdoor wreath.

    Next I set to work on a winter themed wreath. Something to take you through until Easter.

    Deco mesh wreaths | Halle's Hobbies

    Did you notice the price sticker on the deco mesh…? Goodwill $2.99 and I used a 25% off coupon so it was really $2.24, sweet! The wreath base was purchased previously when I made my burlap wreath. I started out and realized that the green wire base was showing through in a very unflattering way. First I doubled the number of pipe cleaners on the base but the green still showed through. It needed to be white.

    Deco mesh wreaths | Halle's Hobbies

    Lucky for me, the temps were hovering around freezing yesterday so I was able to give the base a quick shot of paint in the garage.  Honestly, I’m surprised at how quickly it dried. I was really worried since the can said not to use below 55°F.

    Isn’t it pretty!?!

    Deco mesh wreaths | Halle's Hobbies

    I was making it for a gift but it looks so good on my front door that I think I’m keeping it. Shhh…

    Deco mesh wreaths | Halle's Hobbies

    I love the iridescent shimmer in the mesh. Perfect match to a cold winter day.

    Do you decorate for “winter” to carry through until St. Patrick’s Day or perhaps Easter?