-T-shirt transfer paper for light materials

-8 x 8 canvas

-Floral fabirc

-Double sided tape/glue

-Paint

                                                            -Wooden buttons

1. Firstly I printed my bird cage design to the transfer paper. I did a test run on a plain piece of paper first to make sure that I had got the design to the right size for my fabric. If using wording you must make sure that you ‘flip’ the image so that when it transfers the words appear the right way around.

2. I cut my fabric down to size using a decorative blade on my guillotine. I wanted it to be approximately 2/3cms smaller than the canvas along every edge.

3. I cut out the birdcage and laid it face down at the centre of my fabric. I then ironed it on as per the transfer paper instructions.

4. Next I used a combination of double sided tape and glue to attach the fabric in to the centre of my newly painted blue canvas.

5. Finally I attached a wooden button to each corner in order to finish it off.

I struggled attaching my chandelier design and the fabric seemed to go a little bumpy. I am definitely going to work on developing these in to something nice. I am selling some crafts at a ladies breakfast tomorrow and will take them along and get a bit of feedback on them.

Vicky

I scoured the charity shops in my local town for tea cups and plates that I could use for my centrepiece. I was super lucky and found this amazing large tea cup and saucer set for 99p! It was perfect for my afternoon tea themed centrepiece.

I decided to make paper bunting as it is one of the most popular tutorials I have on this blog and I knew that it would go down well. I used a Forever Friends paper stack called “Pink Parfait” and a roll of Anita’s Ribbon, both from the Range.

These napkin rings were really easy to make. I cut up strips of the Pink Parfait paper and threaded the cutest little tea pot charms through the ribbon. I then wrapped both around the napkin and used double sided tape to secure them in to place. The charms were £2.50 from ebay – bargain!

I actually used a piece of paper from a Laura Ashley stack as the base for the wedding invite. The green colour of it contrasted so well with the pink parfait paper and I think that the twine handle is a really unique touch.

To see all of the pictures and read the tutorial click here!

Vicky

Painting:

Simply just giving your wooded furniture a lick of paint can make a he difference. If you want to achieve a vintage look then use white paint. Once it is dry use a sanding pad to wear the paint and give it an ‘aged’ look. To make super modern furniture try using black paint as it gives a minimalist and cutting edge look!

Fabrics:

Re-covering old chairs or reupholstering window seats with new fabrics can make old pieces of furniture fit in with your new décor.  If you are a dab hand with a sewing machine you could run up some table runners, cushions and other soft furnishings that is in keeping with your new upholstery.

Paper and Embellishments:

Adding new handles to your cupboards and doors is a much cheaper option than replacing the whole thing. You could buy yourself a selection of wooden door knobs and paint them up to match your newly painted furniture! Patterned papers can be layered on top of wooden items such as mirrors and then sealed with a glue or varnish. You can also use them to cover the inside of drawers or in frames as a piece of art work.

Wooden Shabby Chic Hearts:

I bought a pack of 10 blank plywood love hearts from ebay and painted them in pastel colours using emulsion paint tester pots. When they were dry I used a black fine liner to add some stitching detail around the edge of the heart. I then wrote a message in the centre of the hearts using the fine liner. Finally I embellished my hearts with buttons, ribbon, paper and sticky gems. The hanging twine came included with the blank hearts.

Textile Shabby Chic Hearts:

I found some great fabric bundles in a local haberdashery shop that contained some blue and pink floral fabrics. I also bought some ribbon in matching colours and some wooden buttons too. To start with I drew a love heart shape on to card and cut it out. I drew around this template on to my fabric and cut the hearts out leaving an excess of about 2cms. I stuck a piece of ribbon across the front of the heart using double sided tape and attached the button in the middle with thread. Next I pinned the two heart shapes together with the pattern on the inside. I used my sewing machine to stich along the heart shape and left a gap of about 1 inch at the end so that I could turn the heart out and stuff it. Once I had done this I hand stitched the gap closed and added a piece of ribbon at the top for hanging!

I am going to a craft fair on 3rd December and will be selling them along with some shabby chic fridge magnets that I have also made. Come along if you can!

Vicky

Christmas Craft Paper:

Having a good selection of Christmas themed papers is absolutely essential. Each year craft companies like Dovecraft and Docrafts will bring out paper packs in new Christmas designs and colours. These paper packs come in different sizes and will sometimes include a few sheets of die-cuts or some stickers at the back. Whether you want your cards to have a vintage feel or a more modern cartoon look you will find a paper pack that suits your theme.

Punches:

Punches are really easy to use and can be very effective. You can get all sorts of Christmas shapes such as snowflakes, trees, baubles, stars, holly & Santa’s hats. Punch shapes out of your paper and use them to either decorate the background of your card or to create one central embellishment. You could even use them to make Christmas confetti to sprinkle on your Christmas table.

Christmas Craft Stickers:

Stickers make really great embellishments for Christmas cards. They are not as complicated to use as decoupage and a 3D sticker will give a similar effect. Christmas stickers come in all sorts of colours and themes and can be bought as single sheets or in packs. Popular types of stickers are wood cut stickers, standard flat stickers, acetate stickers and 3d stickers.

These are just some of the types of card making products that are available at Christmas.

Let me know what your Christmas card making essentials are!

Vicky

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Decorations: 

It is really lovely to be able to decorate your tree with home made Christmas decorations. Kids will love  to make hanging decorations and see them take pride of place on the tree. It can be as simple as attaching some ribbon to your favourite wrapped sweets or cutting festive shapes from felt and hanging them with string.

Wreaths:

Plain wreaths are available to buy from craft stores and floristry shops. If you want to make a traditional wreath then decorate it with holly, berries, pine cones, slices of orange and green foliage. For something a little more modern why not try making a paper wreath and use a large craft punch to cut out some flowers for decoration.

Advent Calendars:

Instead of chocolate calendar this year why not have a go at making something a little more personal and fun? Get a length of string and attach 25 envelopes with wooden clothes pegs. Fill each envelope with a little treat or a special message to your family. Make it really personal and have a themed calendar like the sewing one in the picture below.

*please note that I found these lovely pictures on-line and am using them to serve as inspiration. I can’t claim to be so talented that I could make every single thing in each picture

Vicky

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