Back Porch Oasis for under $10

I did a quick and easy makeover on our back porch this summer.  

I will be honest...

I did not take a before photo.

There was LOTS of stuff on the porch.

You can use your imagination here.

I spent a day cleaning the porch off...

Putting stuff away...

Wiping things,

Vacuuming...

(We have carpet on the porch.

Not my choice.)

Once I was done, I wanted to make it a little oasis like the ones you see on Pinterest.

I do not have a Pinterest Designer budget.

So....

I bought 4 panels of sheer drapes from the thrift store for $2 each.

Curtains never go in bags  for "Bag Days" so I have to pay the full price.

You might get luckier at your thrift store...

I had a whole pile of those little drapery hooks my brother gave me with his old curtains.

I found 2 ways to hang them on my porch that did not cost me anything.

I already have a clothesline on my porch along the edge.

So I can hook them right on there like this.

Or I can hook them in the channel under the soffit on the porch with the hooks.

Here are the hooks.

This method has the top of the curtain right against the roof of the porch.

So, I took my husbands suggestion and hooked ours on the clothesline.

That way I can slide them to open or close them easier.

The sheers I bought have weighted bottoms which I like quite a bit.

I used a couple of tie backs from the curtains my brother gave me.

They were free and the size worked around the columns on the porch.

I moved a wicker chair from the sun porch out here to make a nice little reading spot.

I love how those curains make my back porch feel like a trip to an exotic island.

I know...

I have a great imagination...

I highly recommend adding curtains to your outdoor space.

My husband even let me keep them up.

I have to re-fluff them every so often if it is windy.

The tie backs sometimes slide down...

But I love them...

Thanks for stopping by....

Washi Tape Bracelets

It seems like I have shown you a lot of bracelet ideas lately...

I have quite a stash so I do makeovers on them from time to time.

Today I want to show you a simple makeover that just uses plastic bangles and washi tape.

I pick up washi tape when I see it on sale.

Wrap the plastic bangle with washi tape, being sure to overlap and pull tightly as you go.  

When you have completely covered the bangle, tear off the end and use fingers to firmly smooth tape in place.

 If tape rips at any point, just overlap ends and continue to wrap.  

 Coat with 2-3 coats of DecouPage, allowing to dry thoroughly between coats.  

If there are any rough edges, smooth with fine grit sandpaper and recoat with DecouPage.

It is fast and easy to make a whole armload...

Or a branch load as shown here....

I love how each bracelet looks different based on what color the plastic was underneath...

At my shows, I display them in a long tray and people pick them up...

curious....

This idea has appeared in Jewelry Affaire magazine

as well as GreenCraft magazine.

It is an oldie, but a goodie...

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these great blogs...

Workbench Wednesday...Shotgun Shells

I have not done Workbench Wednesday for a while.

Probably because I have a dozen projects started and spread out all over the place. 

 Here is just one look at some of what I am working on....

Hmmmm....

Shotgun shells and a heat gun.

You can see I removed the metal parts...

They are below in the basket.

My husband was instrumental in this endeavor....

And some regular brass bullet casings....

You will have to stop back later to see what they all become....

Thanks for stopping by...

Fun Shabby Chic Bangles from Old Sheets...A DIY Tutorial...

Easiest Shabby Chic bracelet tutorial....

EVER!

Start with plastic bangle bracelets and some fabric strips.

These are from old floral sheets from the thrift store.

 These same 4 sheets have fueled other projects I have shown you.

The skirt on this dress form for the garden made from chicken wire...

She looks so pretty in the wildflower strip.

You can read about her (and her friends) here.

Anyway, back to the shabby chic bracelet...

Cut your fabric strips (after they are ripped from the sheet).

Mine were about 6 inches long.

And remove any loose threads.

Then tie them on the bangle.

Just keep tying until the bracelet is full.

Done!

Can you believe it?

You could add fun color with some squirts of dye.

Or leave it like it is...

These would be the fastest, easist gift ever...

You can do a your whole list of co-workers in an evening while watching tv.

And I love handmade gifts best.

They would also be a super easy gift for a bridal party....

What are you waiting for?

Go get started.

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these awesome blogs.

Got Old Sheets and Coffee Filters? Make this Awesome Shabby Chic Banner...

This sweet banner is made from old sheets, coffee filters and twine.

The coffee filter roses are a cinch to make.

Just dye your filters like I described here.

I used Fuchsia RIT dye and lots of instant coffee granules in the dye bath to get the muted grubby rose color.

Next, loosely fold your coffee filter in half and in half again.

Pinch the pointed end and twist.

Some people staple it at this point, but I find the twisting usually holds well enough.

Each rose takes 7-12 coffee filters.

Lay down one filter as the base.  

Glue 6-8 filters around the edge of the circle.

Finish with one or two in the center.

Now you can add them to a bamboo skewer, your wall, the cover of a book, etc.

For this banner, I glued 2 roses back to back with twine sandwiched between.

I used three different twin sheets from the thrift store.

Two were floral patterned and one was the palest blue.

The sheets were ripped into strips.

Then a pulled off the loose threads.

And I cut them the desired length.

For these, they were about 8-10 inches long.

I just tied them to the twine while watching TV.

I love how it turned out...

I am not sure where it will end up.

Maybe in the studio...

Maybe as a gift...

For this post, I clipped it to the fence in the back yard.

I hope it brightens your day....

Thanks for stopping by....

We will be linking up with these great blogs....

Rose Bangles from Scrap Fabric Strips

This summer, my daughter had a blast learning to dye fabric.

You can read about it here.

She then used those strips to make a fantastic Shaggy Raggy Rug.

You can see how here.

When she was finished, she still had a lot of strips left so I asked if I could use a few.

She said sure.

I had a great idea.

All I needed were the fabric strips, plastic bangle bracelets, and some hot glue.

To begin, wrap the fabric around the bangle. 

 Leave a tail about 1 1/2-2 inches long so when you get back to that spot, you can tie the ends in a knot.

I showed you the bracelets on my workbench here.

The next step is just to twist and wrap the fabric around.

I run my glue around the outside edge and then wrap the fabric around it.  

Then I repeat and just keep going until all the fabric is secured around the rose.  

Sometimes I twist and turn the fabric and sometimes, not so much.

The colors my daughter chose are luscious and refreshing.

They all make me think of the beach....

The purple is such a great accent to the blues and greens...

This blue might be my favorite...

No, maybe this one...

Only one way to solve it...

Wear them all!

Sadly, I cannot.

I have a big wrist and hand and these are too small.

I will have to find some larger bangles to make my own set...

I do love these, though...

Hoping someone else falls in love with them as well...

They would make gorgeous wedding bracelets for the bridal party....

Thanks for stopping by....

I will be offering any 2 of these bracelets in the Swap and Tell Link Party at Tarnished Royalty....

Linking up with these great blogs.