topple pots

I don't believe "topple pots" is a technical term for these, but it's what my husband and I have been calling them since we made this next to our back patio:

me: "hey, did you water the topple pots today?"

adam: "No... I thought you did"

(for the record...Adam does most of the watering...I have a black thumb. whomp whomp)

After seeing this idea a few places online, I thought it would be the perfect thing for our newly mulched backyard (woohoo - another thing off our Spring(Summer?) to-do list). One evening after work, we took a trip to Lowe's and purchased our materials:

[1] a piece of rebar

[2] various sizes of teracotta pots

(we went with the "chocolate brown" color because we liked them better)

$20 later we were on our way home with the goods.

All this took was hammering the rebar into the ground and stacking & staggering the pots until we got a configuration that we liked. 

Here are a few helpful hints:

1. Coat your rebar with a clear acrylic to keep it from rusting.

2. If you want to "topple" your bottom pot, prop one side of the bottom with rocks and cover the rocks with mulch.

3. Buy plants after it's fully assembled so you can see what size/colors your want.

It definitely gives the backyard some character:

gift tags ::part 2::

Here we are: part 2 of gift tags (if you missed part 1, check it out here). I was pleasantly surprised with how part 1 gift tags turned out, so I decided to take them to the next level. Fabric tags! I bought a few yards of linen for a future project and stole a few small scraps to make these:

______________________________________________

Here's what you'll need to make your own:

small scraps of linen

gift tag template

letter stencil

fabric marker

scissors

sewing machine (optional)

rubber stamps & ink (optional)

twine

______________________________________________

doily votives ::guest blogger::

Dana from Let's Meet For Lunch is back today to share another cool diy project. Remember the flower picture she shared last time? Really fun and versatile. This project is just as fun and can be used for a variety of spaces and occasions.

Hey Sewing Barefoot readers! I’m so excited to be here today with a pretty cool idea for doily votives that could be used as a cute decoration around the house, or even for something more special - like wedding centerpieces. Sheesh, if I had known about Pinterest when I got married, you better believe that I would have done way more cool things... So here I am thinking of you in case you’re getting ready to tie the knot!

love birds

Christmas has come early this year (or late - depending on how you look at it). My husband and I started a tradition a couple years ago that involved naming our Christmas tree. We got the idea from dear friends of ours...and since we name everything else in our lives (I drive a car named Betty White) we knew that we could keep this tradition alive.

"wood stump" coasters

Last season, I participated in the Pinterest Challenge hosted by YHL & Bower Power (this time includes Ten June & Centsational Girl too). It's so fun to see everyone's ideas and inspiration come to life, so I decided I'd give it another go. Last time I linked up my It's A Cinch bag... so this time I decided I'd do a smaller scale project. 

Here's what I came up with...

I saw these adorable apple coasters on Pinterest [of course] and loved them so much I decided that I'd make some. However, I began thinking about it and knew that apples probably weren't the best choice of coasters for our house for everyday use... 

I brainstormed a few minutes and landed on the tree stump coaster idea. They definitely are more our "everyday" style and they were fun and easy to make:

____________________________________________________

Here's what you'll need to make your own:

felt (in a variety of "tree stump" colors)

my "tree stump coaster" template

coordinating thread (not pictured)

sewing machine or hand needle

scissors

pins

____________________________________________________

[1] Start by pinning the "outer tree stump" template to your darkest piece of felt (this will be your "bark"). You will need 1 outer tree stump per coaster.

[2] Repeat this step with the lighter felt and "inner wood stump" template. You will need 1 inner tree stump per coaster.

[3] If you choose to embellish your stumps with a twig and leaves... here was my method:

Using my sewing machine, I chose a stitch that looked the veins and stitched onto a piece of green felt. Keeping the thread tails connected, I cut them into the shape of a leaf. *** Be sure to keep the thread tails connected because you'll use them to attached your leaves ***

[4] Cut a small curved piece of dark felt for your twig. Pin together your outer stump, twig & inner stump and sew together on your sewing machine. I started with the outer edge of the wood grain and circled around to the middle (making sure to capture my twig so it would be secured to the rest of the coaster).

This part is fun because it doesn't have to be perfect - in fact, I tried to make some irregular lines to make the veins look more realistic. 

[5] Finally, hand stitch the leaves to the twigs for the final touch. Repeat steps 3-5 on your remaining coasters... then have a drink! Maybe some mint tea?

gift tags ::part 1::

I thought I'd give a try at making some homemade gift tags. I figured if I wanted to prepare for upcoming birthdays and Christmas, I better start now. They're easy to make and fun to personalize and are perfect for any gift:

______________________________________________________

Here is what you'll need to make your own:

card stock or scrap cardboard

gift tag template

letter stencil

twine

hole punch

markers/pens/etc.

paper cutter or scissors

rubber stamps (optional)

______________________________________________________

happy 4th!

I didn't do a very good job of planning ahead this year...so I thought I'd share a few last minute easy 4th of July treats that you can make in a pinch for any kind of gathering. Here goes:

TRIX KRISPY TREATS

adapted from Cravings of a Lunatic

_______________________________________

What you'll need:

1 box of Trix cereal (about 13 cups)

2 bags of mini marshmallows

1/4 cup butter

_______________________________________