When Mardi Gras gives you beads, make a wreath!

Every year my husband and I go to the Universal Orlando Mardi Gras event both for the musical acts and to see the parade. We have been Annual Passholders for years so we usually go several times and it is always a blast! I have seen so many great musical acts, my favorite being Weezer front row and FREE since it is part of admission! They also have a great parade complete with lots and lots of beads. While I loved the excitement of catching necklaces flying through the air I was never sure what to do with them once I got home. After searching Pinterest for ideas I finally found the perfect use for them, a wreath!!

This was very easy to make and costs under $10.
For supplies you will need:
  - foam wreath
  - hot glue gun
  - about 30 strings of beads
  - floral wire cutters
  - 2 masks, these are from the Dollar Tree

  - optional Styrofoam ball cut in half and painted black, black pain and brush

First step is to paint the wreath black. You don't have to do this but I prefer it so the green doesn't show through, also my door is black so the green would have really stood out. Once it's dry, add a dollop of hot glue to the back and attach the end of a bead strand.

Once it is secure, wrap the strand around to the front. Add another dollop of glue to hold the strand in front. Continue wrapping and gluing as you go.

When switching colors, I made a point to stop at the back and cut off any excess beads if necessary. This way the pattern looks smooth and continuous from the front. Once it is all wrapped, I attached the masks. If you have an area that is a bit wonky, don't worry just attach the mask there, no one will see it! My green mask wasn't hitting the wreath enough to get it glued securely so I glued half of a Styrofoam ball behind the forehead area then glued it to the wreath.

All done! Time to hang from the door and enjoy your shiny new wreath. I love how colorful it is! The shiny plastic really pops on our door.

A funny story about the beads. I actually started making this wreath back in January but was two purple strands shy of finishing. Instead of buying some, my husband suggested we just go see the Mardi Gras parade at Universal and most likely catch a couple of purple strands. We ended up with over 100! Here is our haul.

We went on Super Bowl Sunday which happened to be rainy so there was hardly anyone there. We were worried the parade was going to get cancelled because of the weather but it didn't so I was able to get the two purple strands I needed and many more! Many thanks to Universal Orlando for the beads and much applause for continuing with the parade in the rain. We had a blast!

My Favorite and Functional Pattern

I love patterns! To me there is so much potential tucked away inside those paper envelopes or PDF files. That said, I rarely use a pattern multiple times, usually once is enough and I move on to the next. Except for this pattern, Card Wallets by Michelle Patterns. I have used this one so many times, I ended up cutting out plastic pattern pieces for easier tracing. Here is a picture of the trial versions I made from scrap fabric, just to test the pattern and sizes.

There are three sizes included in the pattern, but you can scale it to fit what ever you have in mind. The pattern is very clear and easy to follow.

I actually purchased this pattern because I was looking for a cute birth control case that would fit in my pocket. I hated the plastic sleeve that came with my pills, the edges were so sharp it almost cut a hole in the pocket of my favorite pants. This was the perfect solution! After making a few as gifts I realized how versatile these little pouches are and since Michelle Patterns very generously allows a "Sew it & Sell It" policy along with the purchase I started offering them in my Etsy store. They are perfect for carrying just the essentials when you don't want to carry a purse. I use one as my amusement park wallet, no purse = no bag check line! It easily holds my pills, license and credit card while still fitting in my pocket.  Here are a few more I made.

The owl one I sent to a friend with a bar of French soap inside that I picked up in Paris. The green wallets I gave to my mom and sister with small gifts inside. My mom loves hers for corralling her lipsticks in her purse, she even asked for another one and I think my sister uses hers for business cards. That's why I love this pattern so much, it is a nice bonus gift if you are sending something small and can be used after.

If you are looking for a new and functional sewing project I highly recommend this pattern. Or if you would like one but don't sew check out my Etsy shop I also do custom orders if you are interested in a specific color or print.

*I was not persuaded nor compensated in any way by Michelle Patterns to write this, just a happy customer who wanted to share my experience. 

Organized and Ready for 2018

I'm back! I know you probably thought I would never return but I have and I am hoping to be better organized and have more blog posts in 2018. Perhaps even moving over to YouTube for video tutorials and crafty tips. Needless to say I am very excited about the new year.

While the thought of using YouTube is exciting it made me realize I had some major work to do before anyone sees where I work. It was very disorganized to say the least. Over the last week I have dusted and sorted and labeled and now I am happy to say I'm done!! It doesn't look like the polished and precisely decorated art studios on Pinterest, oh no. Instead it’s a hodgepodge of shelves, tables, and storage containers that are both practical and functional. Here it is:

As you can see I don't have color coordinated specially sized bins perfectly arranged on my shelves. I used what I found around the house and purchased a few inexpensive, clear, Sterilite containers, labeled them with post it notes and fit them as best I could on the shelves.

This is an old movie rack I turned into a much-needed ribbon organizer.

The one downside to my room is that it is upstairs so it tends to be a bit warmer than the rest of the house, hence my "lovely" green black out curtains for those hot sunny days. Maybe someday I will cover them with a prettier fabric, or paint them!

My thrift store sewing table. A fresh coat of paint works wonders, its blue on the outside pink inside.

It doesn't look like the perfectly decorated rooms I see online but it doesn't need to. I feel so much better now that things are tidy. I am officially ready for a productive 2018!