Favorite Projects from 2014

2014 was my very first year blogging.

It was fun, hard work and scary.

I have learned so much and I am looking forward to all I will learn this year.

I shared some special places and some of my favorite  projects.

To remember the year, I wanted to review some of my favorites.

So here are 29 of my favorite posts from 2014.

This post was one of my very first sharing something creative with you.

It has some sweet wind chimes for the garden made from recycled goodies.

I had a summer workshop with my good friend and then shared what we did.

This post brings back memories of those days of fun for me and hopefully some inspiration for you.

Click here to see.

I love dress forms.

Just ask my family.

I made a bunch of them.

This gal got a new perch and a fancy raggedy skirt in this post.

This was one of my most popular posts of the year.

I can thank Hometalk for that.

You can see all of my projects over there if you look here.

The full blog post can be found here.

 It is still one of my most used studio storage pieces.

This is one of those projects I always wanted to do and am thrilled that I did.

While it was not highly viewed, it is one of my most treasured projects.

Please take a look here.

This is another workshop/project that went viral thanks to Hometalk.

For a month, my daughter and I mosaic-ed anything we got our hands on.

Using unconventional materials was fun and caught on.

We had three posts to cover the whole process.

Starting.

Continuing.

Finishing and tips.

A trip to the thrift store provided the materials and inspiration for these Glass Garden Mushrooms.

You can make your own by following our tutorial.

This was our most popular post of the year.

This fun rug was made from recycled sheets that my daughter dyed herself.

While these are very costly to buy, she made hers for about $3.

For instructions to make your own, check here.

I shared one of my very favorite necklaces with you.

To see more, check here.

These just make me smile.

Crafted from left over scraps from my daughter's raggy rug, these bracelets are easy and make great gifts.

Tutorial here.

I already mentioned how much I love dress forms.

This summer I finally made my own from chicken wire.

They are perfect (to me anyway).

If you would like to try your hand at making one too, click here.

My daughter made her own magnetic memo board for her dorm room by painting this great antique ceiling tile.

To see the transformation, look here.

A rescued cart from my neighbor got a French makeover.

I use this all the time.

Tutorial.

I transformed a stack of clearance bangles with washi tape here.

These necklaces were made with shotgun shells and over-dyed silk strips.

I show you how to dye the strips here.

This burlap wreath found a great home on our porch this fall.

I love that it looked great from September until November.

See how we did it here.

This step-by-step tutorial for making this Spider Spells book shows how easy it is to create an aged spell book for Halloween.

Find it here.

This post has a whole bunch of wool projects ranging from felted wool bracelets you make from yarn to this sweet machine felted purse bag made from thrift store clothing.

Find these projects here.

My felt mushroom cups make me grin.

This particular photo is so special to me that I use the picture as an avatar sometimes.

You can see the post here.

What can you make from old book pages?

Dozens of things...

Check out this post on Book Page Dresses...

While this post was not as widely viewed, the finished project was special to me and my co-worker whose shower they adorned.

Her baby boy arrived in November.

Her mom says these are in her nursery.

I later made a pink set for another colleague whose baby we are still waiting for.

See the post here.

My Spooky Doorside Vignette had several of my favorite projects featured.

You can see it here.

These Waterless Mason Jar Snow Globes were easy and gorgeous.

I think those crystals on the top made them special.

You can check out how to make them here.

These burlap roses used up some pieces of burlap ribbon I had from the fair this summer.

They are sweet with French book page leaves.

If you would like to make some too, you can see how here.

This cinnamon stick star ornament was created for the Christmas Craft Lightning.

All the crafts there can be completed in 15 minutes or less.

I love that!

Check out my post here.

While this post was not exactly a project or tutorial, it does have some of outdoor décor decorations that make me smile.

You can see all the outdoor touches here.

Even though this ornament post did not appear in time for Christmas, the snow globes from recycled light bulbs is one of my very favorites.

You can see the tutorial here.

These pinecones have not been transformed yet but I love their natural beauty.

Beaching them was easy and lovely

See how here.

While I removed color from some pine cones, I added color to others.

Check out how here.

My goal for my first year was 100 posts.

This is post 101...

It has been an awesome year.

I hope you stop by in 2015 as well.

If you don't want to miss a single post, sign up in the side bar with Blog Lovin' or have new posts arrive directly in your email box.

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with many of my favorite blogs.

15 Handmade Gifts for Under $10

I create all year but some projects are just perfect this time of year...

So I wanted to do a round up of great handmade gift ideas that can be made for under $10.

Some are actually under $5.

Get Ready...

Get Set...

Go!

  First up, is a Shabby Chic Wind Chime from goodies you already have laying about...

Tutorial here.

Transform a candlestick into this great girly accent for your favorite girl.

Tutorial here.

My daughter and I spent about a month making mosaics.

Her coasters are easy and inexpensive to make for gifts.

I covered recycled bottles to make neat garden accents.

I had the marbles on hand but you can use whatever you have a bunch of.

Tutorials here, here, and here.

An old glass bowl and vase become a crystal mushroom for the garden is mere minutes.

Tutorial here.

 Strips from an old sheet become a shabby chic bracelet in minutes...

Tutorial here.

A cardboard cone from the craft store and a pack of coffee filters become this fun Christmas tree decoration.

Tutorial here.

Another cone gets a makeover with a burlap sack...

Tutorial here.

These Rose Bangles actually started as white sheets that we dyed beachy colors.

You could make your own with any fabric you have on hand.

Tutorial here.

Some coffee filters and sheets torn into strips become a shabby banner.

Tutorial here.

Transform plastic bangles into chic accessories in minutes with washi tape.

 Tutorial here.

Transform coffee filters into chic home decor....

You can use coffee to dye them.

Or coffee and RIT dye to achieve the look you want.

An old book and one coffee filter rose makes a beautiful gift that will be perfect for someone on your gift list.

 Tutorial here.

 Use some old sheet music and some scraps to make a cute banner as a gift.

Nestle it all in a mason jar and you are ready to go.

Tutorial here.

Speaking of Mason jars...

This simple craft comes together in minutes.

 Tutorial here.

Have a roll of burlap ribbon left over from a project?

Use it to create these fabulous burlap roses in a mason jar.

Tutorial here.

Last but not least, use a few cinnamon sticks and some twine to create some sweet Christmas tree ornaments or package toppers.

Tutorial here.

I hope you found a couple of ideas you can try for handmade gifts this Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these great blogs...