Vintage Flour Sack

I'm a little obsessed with how my pantry looks (it's a sickness), so for some time, I have been wanting to do something about how flour, sugar, and rice is stored.  I decided to use old fashioned cotton sacks, so I made this one today.

I will be making a tutorial for this very easy beginners project when I make the other sacks.  For those who don't need a tutorial, basically, I measured the sack, cut out front and back, sewed it up and formed boxed corners on the bottom edge.  I hemmed the top edge and then sewed in a strip of velcro. To keep the sack from sagging as the flour is used up, you can stuff it with grocery store bags if you are as fussy as I am.

The image is transferred after construction so that it can be properly centered.

I found the image in a google photo search, cleaned it up in Photoshop and used the transfer technique that is explained here.

Bottled Photo

I have been wanting to display this photograph of my parents on their wedding day, so I decided to stuff them over rocks in a bottle with a cork stopper.  I started thinking about how old this jar is, but if I told you how long I've had the set, I would be giving away how very, very old I am.

I gathered up some very old silver which is tarnished beyond belief, and which I love that way.  My mother left the tray here and it's been sitting forgotten under my kitchen sink, and to think how close I came to throwing it away!  

I think the heart shaped trinket box is just so perfect with a photo of the day you promised to love and cherish your sweetheart forever!  The box is another item I almost got rid of too, so it really does pay to be a hoarder, no matter what anyone tells you to the contrary.  It's as though something was telling me to save all of these things, that they were meant to be grouped together someday.

My parents are going to love what I've done with their photo!

Felt Needle Holder Books

I saw these on Pinterest and decided to make one for myself and one for my mother.  They were made with scraps of felt I had in my stash. 

I would have liked to have had a better choice of colours, but the dang fabric store near me closed, and now it's a huge deal to get to one.  Also, when I decide to do something, I need to do it *now*, and that means using what's around the house.

Refinished Chair With Seat Cushion Tutorial

I finally refinished the last of this set of four chairs and thought I'd make a tutorial on how to make custom seat cushions. Photos and instructions are after the break.

Sheet Music Vase

I had seen an arrangement like this on a DIY blog and have wanted to make one for a while.

I stained some cardstock with tea, found a musical score I liked the look of, and printed it in landscape orientation.  I wrapped it around a tall glass jar (you can use a tin can), and glued it down.

Wreath Topiary

I put this together yesterday using a coat hanger for the base of the wreath, a glue gun, and a mixed bag of greenery from my favourite place - the dollar store. I used a clay pot I had on hand, and cut a foam oasis to fit inside, which anchors the coat hanger. A ribbon scavenged from a pair of cargo pants was wrapped and tied around the pot to finish it off.