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Bride-To-Be Sash

How to make a personalized bride-to-be sash:

What you will need: Burlap with lace overlay (1.5 yards), cotton fabric (1.5 yards), cardboard letters, acrylic paint, lace trim (5-6 yards), embellishments, glue gun, sewing machine

Looking for a way to put all eyes on the bride-to-be at her bachelorette party? Follow the steps below to create a rustic chic bride-to-be sash, or choose fabric and embellishments that match your bachelorette party theme to create the perfect accessory for the big celebration!

For this sash, I used burlap and lace to create a sash fit for a weekend of line dancing and wine tasting. I found a roll of burlap with lace overlay at Michael’s, and purchased plain white cotton fabric for the back side of the sash to make it more comfortable. To start, I cut two pieces of fabric from each material that measured around 1.5 yards long and 6 inches wide. I needed to make sure the sash was thick enough to fit the cardboard letters, and I cut the fabric approximately 1.5″-2″ wider than I needed to so that I had plenty of extra. Remember – trimming excess fabric is much easier than adding more!

Once the fabric was cut, I held a piece from my shoulder to opposite hip to get an idea of the length I would need. You may need to shorten the sash to fit your bride-to-be, but again, “more is more” in the world of sewing, so don’t worry if you have extra! I then cut four pieces of lace trim, and pinned them to each side of the burlap (lace side up) so that the finished side of the trim was facing in.

Once the lace was pinned in place, I pinned a piece of the white cotton fabric on top and placed pencil marks along the edge to ensure that the width was consistent throughout the length of the sash. Note – When you are sewing two pieces together to hide a raw seam, make sure that the right sides of the fabric (sides with the desired pattern/texture) are facing each other so that they show when the fabric is turned inside-out.

Once everything was pinned in place, I started to sew! I created a single seam on each side of the sash with my sewing machine, making sure the lace trim (sandwiched between the two pieces) was incorporated. I measured the distance between the two seams to replicate the width on the second piece, and turned the sash piece inside out.

I repeated these steps with my second pieces of burlap, white fabric, and trim, and again turned this piece inside out. I then pinned the front and back pieces together to get an idea of sizing. I sewed the two pieces together at the top at a slight angle so that it rested comfortably on my shoulder, again making sure that the two lace sides faced each other so that the seam was hidden.

For the bottom, I sewed the two pieces together at a more extreme angle so that the sash’s seam was parallel with my side, and voila! Time to decorate!

To give the cardboard letters a more bridal look, I painted them with white acrylic paint. Once they were dry, I glued them onto the sash using a hot glue gun. Warning – a couple of the letters started to fall off throughout the night, so I would recommend using a generous amount of glue instead of just a few dots on the edges of the letters. I then glued white flower accents to the sash, again with a hot glue gun, and set it aside for the bride-to-be!

Ribbon Board

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How to make a ribbon board:

What you need: Painting canvas, quilt batting, fabric, buttons (small), ribbon (~40 yards), decorative beads (with a flat backing and larger than the buttons), needle and thread, glue gun, staple gun

A ribbon board can be a great gift for any occasion, and you can choose materials to accent any décor. Glue the board into an open frame to add a decorative finish around the edge! Make one for a friend, or make one for your own room or office to display your favorite pictures, invitations, notes, etc – get creative!

Before purchasing your materials, decide on the canvas size that will look best in your space. Once you have done this and have an idea of the color scheme you want to work with, head to your nearest craft store! I would recommend buying your canvas and fabric first so that you can then coordinate the accent décor.

For the ribbon board shown throughout the post, I used a light lavender fabric (kudos to my coworker for knowing his wife’s favorite color!) as the base. To add contrast, I chose dark brown, thin ribbon and flat brown and white disc-shaped beads to attach at the intersection points of the ribbon.

I started by covering the canvas with three layers of batting (use two if you have thicker batting), and securing it to the wooden frame of the canvas using a staple gun. Make sure to pull the batting taut around the edges to create an even surface.

After ironing the fabric, I again used the staple gun to attach one end to the back of the canvas, and pulled it taut over the batting so that the surface was slightly cushioned but smooth and even. I folded the fabric in at the corners, similar to how you would wrap a present, to create clean edges. Make sure to staple the fabric as flat as possible to the back of the canvas and cut off any excess so that your board can lie flush against a wall.

Once the base was complete, I started attaching the ribbons. To ensure that each ribbon diamond was uniform in size, I first decided on even increments that fit the size of the canvas. For my 22” x 28” canvas, I measured four increments of 5.5” on the 22” side and five increments of 5.6” on the 28” side, making light pencil marks on the edge of the board to mark these points. I would recommend making your marks between 5″ and 6″ apart so that the board can easily hold pictures, but it’s up to you!

Once the board was marked, I attached each ribbon piece to the back of the board, starting in one corner and making my way to the opposite end. I only used one (large) dot of glue on the back of the canvas to attach each ribbon, and then moved to the other corner to attach ribbons perpendicular to the previous set, creating diamonds. Make sure to buy enough ribbon – you will use more than you expect, as learned from personal experience.

Before buttoning down the points of intersection, I measured the diamonds to make sure they were the correct size and held them in place using them using sewing pins. Then, I used a needle and thread to attach buttons at each point of intersection through all layers of the board, creating tufts and giving the board texture.

Once all buttons were secure, my coworker chose a great pattern using brown and white beads, and we glued them directly on top of the buttons. They were the perfect finishing touch to the chic and polished accent piece!

To hang the board currently displaying all of my favorite pictures and invites in my room, I hammered three thumb tacks into the wall and placed the board on the tacks using the wooden frame of the canvas. I had to add more staples to the back to flatten the batting and fabric, but it’s been on my wall for over a year now, so I must have done something right! Have fun!

Season of Love!

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It’s that time of year again – Valentine’s Day! When, for two months, the seasonal aisle of every drugstore explodes with pink balloons and heart-shaped chocolate boxes can be found in all sizes. Whether you have been dating your significant other for a couple of months or married for years, Valentine’s Day gifts can be tricky. In February, everyone is still recovering from the Christmas gift-buying whirlwind (I know I am), so this is a great holiday to exchange ‘thoughtful’ gifts (and no, that doesn’t mean buying the largest heart-shaped box of chocolates on February 13th…). Although this idea is fun and practical, it can be overwhelming when February hits and you have no idea what to give or make. Lucky for you, I made the mistake of telling my coworkers about this blog of mine, and was immediately bombarded with requests for gift ideas. A few of them insisted that I help them create DIY Valentine’s Day gifts, so I figured I would share my ideas with the rest of you, too!

Those of you who know me are well aware that I am seldom without my Crammera (get it?), so it should come as no surprise that I was set on creating gifts with a photo element. Follow the how-to steps below to create thoughtful and functional DIY gifts that can accent any home and make great gifts for any occasion!

WINE CORK BOARD

A wine cork board can be the perfect addition to any room, whether it’s the kitchen, living room, or his random room in the house that you try to avoid. And hey, if he doesn’t like it, keep it yourself (or call me, my mom really wants one…). To make the board, use wine corks that you’ve been collecting, or drink up! Just kidding – you can find wine corks at any craft store, and it will still have the same rustic look. Decorate the board with anything you want – pictures, memorabilia from your last trip together, an initial – get creative! If your boyfriend or husband collects bottle caps, glue them around the frame to create the ultimate bar décor.

RIBBON BOARD

Guys, if you’ve made it this far, you are probably extremely desperate and need an idea ASAP. A ribbon board is a great gift that can fit the décor of any home, AND you get to use power tools… does a staple gun count? Before buying your materials, try to get a sense of your girlfriend or wife’s style (you should take this time to find out her favorite color, if you haven’t already). Neutral tones are always a safe bet, but feel free to add some flare with the ribbon or buttons. I guarantee that she will be more than impressed with the board alone, but put a few of your favorite pictures on there as well to really seal the deal!

Wine Cork Board

How to make a cork board out of old wine corks:

What you need: Wine corks (~250 halves for a 22″x28″ board), cork roll, frame, wood glue, sharp razor, steamer (optional, if you want to cut your corks in half)

Have a collection of old wine corks that you just can’t seem to throw away? Don’t worry if you don’t, you can buy them at any craft store… or drink up! Wine cork boards can be a great accent piece for any type of décor – use a wooden frame for a rustic chic look, a white decorative frame to make it more shabby chic, or even a black or metal frame for a more modern look. If you plan to put the cork board in a bar area (you are using wine corks, after all), it could also be fun to glue beer bottle caps around the frame, too!

Before I even touched the wine corks, I prepped my frame by taking the glass out and reattaching the back. Then, I cut a piece of cork out of the roll and glued it into the frame using the wood glue, creating a base. This glue takes a while to set, so I used a few books to hold it in place until it bonded (overnight, if possible). In hindsight, I probably didn’t need to line the frame with cork, but it did add an extra layer of depth to the board, and the wood glue worked well on the porous surface.

While the glue was drying, I cleaned the corks in a mixture of warm water and dishwashing detergent (use gloves!!) to get rid of any residual wine and also the wine smell. I gently scrubbed each cork in the mixture and rinsed them with cool water before setting them on paper towels to dry.

Because I wanted to make two cork boards, I had the bright idea to cut the corks in half to create more (after letting the cork dry for a couple of hours). WARNING: Corks are not easy to cut in half. I tried everything – a steak knife, a giant serrated knife, an mini electric saw contraption – you get the idea. But naturally, I was still set on finding a way to do it. After relentlessly searching online, I finally read that steaming the corks would help to soften them, and it worked! I steamed batches of 10 or so in a double broiler for 6 to 10 minutes, and it made the task much more manageable.

Well, it was more a combination of steaming them and calling in reinforcements (a.k.a. Randy Cramm), but since you probably won’t be able to convince him to cut 200 corks again, I would definitely recommend steaming them. Because I wanted the design of each cork to show on both sides, I created a slit where I wanted the cut to be and my dad used a scraper blade to slice through each cork (Crammily assembly line shown below).

If this sounds far too complicated, remember that you can make your board with full corks as well, and it will look just as great! If you do decide to use full corks, I would recommend using a shallow shadow box versus a frame so that the corks don’t protrude too much.

Once all of my corks were cut and dry, I started to assemble a pattern in the frame. I wanted to keep each pair of corks together, so I placed the first set of corks in the middle of the frame and worked off of that. For the board on the left, I set the corks at a 45 degree angle to contrast the lines of the frames, and followed the same pattern until I reached the edge of the board (there were a lot of gaps because of the angles). For the cork board on the right, my friend Sofia created a more linear pattern, and even used the tops of some of the corks to add some flare around the border!

Once the corks were set in the desired pattern, I started to glue them down. I picked them up in sets of four to six, put a pool of wood glue directly on the cork board base, and then set the corks back into the pattern. Use a generous amount of glue!

Once all corks were glued in place, I worked to fill in the gaps on the edges. I continued the same pattern used throughout the rest of the board, and marked in pen where the cork met with the border of the frame. Using the scraper, I cut each cork to fit like a puzzle (also one of my favorite things) into the frame. I was able to use some corks to create multiple pieces, but I did need to cut more corks to fit the crevices in the angled pattern than in the more linear pattern. Both turned out great!

Once the cork boards were finished, I put a couple of books on top of them to help bond the wood glue and let them sit overnight. Well, with the second one at least. I made the mistake of tilting the first one upright too soon, causing a lovely trail of wood glue to seep down the back of the frame. Rookie mistake!

If you want to get really fancy, you can even create your own tacks using decorative beads, a little super glue, and some plain tacks. Simply put a dot of glue on the bead and attach the tack to create decorative tacks in minutes!

Pin a couple of pictures and/or a monogrammed letter to the board to make the perfect personalized gift, or use the corks that you’ve been saving in a jar to create a great accent piece for your home! It can also make a great housewarming gift (especially if you use the new homeowners’ corks to make it… Thanks, Ed and Mal!). Try different patterns to find what works best for you, and enjoy!

Mason Jar Potpourri

How to create an aromatic table accent:

What you will need: mason jars, roll of cord (slightly thicker than twine), potpourri, burlap ribbon (around 5″ thick), wood shred

During the fall, I become slightly (err… really) obsessed with all things pumpkin. When I saw a bag of pumpkin spice potpourri at a gift store, I figured there had to be something I could do with it. I found extra mason jars, burlap, and cord in my abyss of craft supplies, so I decided to make potpourri jars! They ended up being the perfect accents to the centerpieces at our fall feast, and they smelled scrumptious!

To start, I filled a mason jar about a quarter-full of wood shred, and filled the rest with potpourri. I used the wood shred as a filler to conserve the potpourri (and I thought it gave the jars a more rustic look), but you can fill the entire jar with potpourri if you have enough! With my roll of burlap, I cut a square that covered the entire mouth of your mason jar, and removed the inner disk from the cap. I then screwed the cap back on the mason jar so the top was covered only by burlap, allowing the aroma of the potpourri to permeate the room.

I used cord to tie a bow around the top which held the extra burlap down and added the perfect finishing touch to the jars. I added candles, fall leaves, and a ceramic pumpkin to the table to create a simple but festive fall centerpiece!

Craft With TLC

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