happy holidays: christmas tree skirt + diy felt garland

ryanpamela — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:02:21 +0000

i was so hoping to do lots and lots of christmas projects this year, but of course work and the usual holiday bustle took priority. i was able to squeeze in a couple of fun things though. i had my first real christmas tree as an adult this year because i was hosting christmas at my {tiny} condo. my big project to compliment my grown-up tree was a tree skirt using some cool vintage christmas fabric i had been holding on to. my inspiration skirt came from baylee from the tanner’s. i followed baylee’s basic instructions, but with a few changes: a) after i cut the fabric i realized i wanted to put a hem on all the rows so it wouldn’t fray. this made all the rows a little narrower so i needed an extra. so, either cut the strips a half inch wider or plan on six rows of ruffles. and b) i ruffled my rows differently. instead of sewing a straight line and pulling the thread to create ruffles, i just set my tension and stitch length to the max and stitched each piece of fabric. super easy way to ruffle!

like i’ve said before, i’m not great a sewing, but i think my tree skirt turned out pretty nice!

the only other holiday project i attempted was felt balls, inspired by this west elm felt garland .

umm, but maybe i should have just bought the garland. felting balls is pretty darn time consuming. martha stewart explains it better, but here’s a quick run-down on the how-to.

1) shape roving wool into a ball that’s about twice the size of your desired ball.

2) dip the wool ball into hot soapy water

3) and shake, shake, shake. shake, shake, shake. dip again. shake, shake, shake. this takes forever. and it makes really awkward noises. this project makes a great giggle-fest if you’re attempting these with your girlfriends.

4) once dry, string the balls and hang on your tree.

i hope you guys had a very merry christmas! and here’s to all of us having more time for blog-worthy projects in the new year!

happy h’owl’oween!

ryanpamela — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:13:15 +0000

yes, i’m corny and a couple days late, i know. regardless, i wanted to share my new favorite halloween costume with you guys. i’ve gotten really into making my own costumes the last couple years. remember these scary things?

since practically every other blog post is about owls in some way, it’s only natural that i chose to make an owl costume this year. i was inspired by a couple of other amazing costumes. my wings were inspired by this cutie from prudent baby, and my dress was inspired by this pillow case owl dress by a beautiful mess. both sites have great tutorials, so i won’t include them here.

a couple little notes though. {note 1} the wings tutorial linked above is written for child wings. to determine how big your adults wings need to be, measure from the middle of your back to your wrist. mine was 28 inches, so that’s how long each straight end of my wings were. {note 2} lay everything out before you sew and take a picture! this will ensure that you have enough feathers and the picture will help you remember how to space everything. sewing this is a tedious process (or it was for me…because i can’t really sew), so the picture will be a blessing!

what do you think?! i love, love, love how this turned out. i got so many compliments, and most people actually knew i was an owl!

i'm owling. of course that had to happen

lovely ladies

in addition to getting a couple of wears out of my new favorite halloween costume, i even participated in a thriller flash mob!

diy: fall yarn ball wreath

ryanpamela — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 01:33:07 +0000

remember my round-up of fall fun a few weeks ago? one of my favorite things on that list was this adorable yarn wreath from write it down.

a girlfriend of mine threw a pinterest party a few weeks ago. everyone was to bring supplies for a project they had pinned and a bottle of wine. this was the perfect time for me to start this wreath!

i couldn’t find a link to any diy instructions for this, so i’ll give you my best interpretation. here’s what you’ll need:

three colors of yarn
about 15 styrofoam balls. i used two different sizes
floral wire
burlap or ribbon for hanging

1) tie the yarn onto a ball.

2) and then start wrapping! wrap each ball until completely covered and then tie off. you’ll need about fifteen balls of different colors.

3) arrange the bottom layer of ten yarn balls in a circle.

4) string together with floral wire. i found it helpful to poke holes through each ball with an ice pick before i started stringing. also create a string of five yarn balls to attach to the circle.

5) wrap some yarn around the wire between each ball and tie off.

6. attach a ribbon (or in my case a strip of burlap) for hanging.mine didn’t turn out quite as pretty as my inspiration, but i still think it’s pretty cute.
what fall crafts have you done this month?

diy: festive felt fall garland

ryanpamela — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:00:09 +0000

despite blogging so highly about my favorite season last week, nature has been a bit cruel, as i’ve been under the weather for a week now. one advantage of staying in is that i’ve had time to work on some projects! first up, this adorable fall garland from a beautiful mess that i was ogling during my last post:

source: a beautiful mess

luckily i already had all the supplies- twine and felt- in my craft cabinet. after a few hours of cutting and stringing while watching a saturday morning movie, i had completed my first fall craft project. what do you think?

now, on to my halloween costume! can’t wait to share with you guys (assuming it actually comes together. fingers crossed!)

i’m falling for you, fall

ryanpamela — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:17:26 +0000

ahh! can't find the source! message me if you know.

whoa, i do miss blogging when i go mia. i’ve been working non-stop to make krush awesome (what’s krush, you ask?), so many of my creative outlets have been put on the back-burner for a little while. this post is warranted though because i love, love, love fall. seriously, i think i’m my best self when there’s a crisp in the air and my favorite colors are everywhere. here are a few of my favorite inspirations so far this season.

{{{{to wear}}}}

this festive shrug from Woolbridge on etsy. i need to work on my knitting asap!

this owl shirt from charlotte russe. an owl shirt? yes, please. and at $19.99 i might order this baby. wouldn’t it be cute under an burnt orange cardigan?

i rarely wear heels (because they make me cry. wah), but these stripey heels from lin77 are full of fall loveliness.

{{{{to eat}}}}
i don’t really cook much. like, ever, really. i’m gonna try this though. twice-baked butternut squash? sounds like heaven.

i’m not sure how to make a chocolate mug, but i’d sure like to indulge in one.

{{{{to make}}}}

why hello, all my favorite colors. i’ve gotta make some fall leaves garland (from a beautiful mess) to decorate my home and office.

cuteness. a mummy pumpkin. done and done. i just want to squeeze his little pumpkin cheeks.

and finally, check out this amazing fall wreath from write it down. this makes me insanely happy. it’s first up on my fall diy list!

what’s on your happy list so far this fall?