Valentine Mantel 2011

So this ended up being the final result of our mantel for this year.  I had a lot more I planned on doing, but the kids got sick for over an entire week straight so decorating had to take a back seat.

Fabric Boxes

 Made these to match the theme in the nursery and broke 4 needles in the process!  They will hold diapers and wipes and what not.  Found this awesome tutorial on how to make them.  Also, if you want to make your own biased tape to sew onto the box(es) here is a tutorial for that as well.

Topiary

This is a super fast, affordable craft.  I used chopsticks from Panda Express and painted them black then used them as the "stem".  I also used conversation hearts as the filler.  Underneath the hearts I had a small block of floral foam.  follow this link for a tutorial:
http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/2011/01/simple-valentines-day-topiary.html

Valentines Door Wreath

 Saw the idea on pinterest.  I really like how the burlap looks, so that's the route I went.  I added some embelishments and sewed a couple fabric hearts together, stuffed them, and sewed them to ribbon.  I tied them in the center of the wreath from the top.  I like how it turned out.

Conversation Heart Pillows

Cute, right!?  I love them. Go here to make your own. 

"Every Love Story..." Picture Frame

 First off, let me appologize about the glare from the flash on my camera.  Still trying to figure that one out.  I did take a second picture at an angle to avoid the glare, but I like how it looks better front facing, so I decided to post the one with the glare anyway.  Okay, how to make it!

I went to the dollar store and bought an 11"x14" picture frame.  Removed the glass and cardboard backing from the frame and proceeded to paint the frame with black acrylic paint.  I used my cameo to print off the vinyl lettering in a font I found endearing (LD Petticoat Black) and then made sure to clean the glass really good.  After the glass was completely dry, I carefully placed the vinyl in the desired location and applied it.  Be very careful when placing vinyl on glass, it sticks like crazy!  For the back ground, I used the cardboard backing that came with the picture frame and just taped patterned paper of my choice to it.  I used three different patterned sheets and layered them.  Once the frame is finished drying, you can put the frame back together.  On a side note, once the frame is put back together, the vinyl lettering should be on the OUTSIDE of the picture.  You should be able to touch it with your hand.  I left a gap between the phrases so that I could add some embelishments.  I wrapped pink crochet thread around the entire frame, taped it to the back and then taped a little heart to the thread on the left hand side.  I LOVE how it turned out.  So does the hubby.

Burlap Banner

 If you like what you see and want to make your own, go here for a tutorial.  All this project requires is cardstock (for the hearts), burlap, ribbon, scissors and a hot glue gun.  Honest.  Oh, and some sort of measuring tool so that you cut your burlap to the right size of course.

Candles

Nothing fancy here!  Just some patterned paper, felt hearts and crochet thread.  They don't look that awesome alone, but on the mantel I am working on, they fit perfectly.  Pictures of the finished product coming soon.

Tree of Love

Saw an idea that sparked some creativity and got my brain going.  Follow this link to see what the tree looked like that caught my interest.  Here is what I came up with:

Yes, I know we're missing Arlin in the tree and I want to add a pic of my belly also, but I'm too pregnant at the moment to want to load up all three boys and take them to Walmart just to print up a couple pictures.  Maybe if Alan gets home early one of these days...

I used my Cameo to print off all the cute hearts and what not, sawed a branch off of my tree, spray painted some clothes pins red and white, used red hots as the base and tied red and pink ribbon on various branches.  Alan likes it and so do I.  I'm thinking it will stay and I will just switch things up according to the special holiday that will be taking place that month.

Felt Polka Dot Curtains

Made these to coordinate with the nursery theme.  I have The Very Hungry Caterpillar fabric that has tons of colorful polka dots all over it, so I used that as my inspiration for these curtains.  I had left over curtains from an Ikea trip my family made years ago, so I used those as the base and just sewed circles on them that I cut out of felt.  I made sure the colors I used matched the polka dot fabric.  Also, I used clear thread to sew the circles on as a way of saving time.  That way I didn't have to change the thread for every color.  Yup, that easy.  I LOVE them.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Pillows

Super easy.  Just cut a panel into pieces so that I could have the pictures centered, then pinned them (front sides facing) to whatever color I wanted to go on the back and cut the excess fabric off.  Sewed with a 1/2" seam all around the edges, left a small opening along the bottom to turn them right side out, stuffed them with poly fill, then sewed the openings shut.  The backing on the two bigger pillows are strips of coordinating fabric that I sewed together in 3-1/2" strips.  The sewn strips were left over from the teething pads I made for the crib so I figured I would use them.