How to make a Birthday {Frame} Banner!

I LOVE BIRTHDAYS! They are so much fun and planning a party for someone special is a good way to show you care!  But it's the details that really show your love.  Here's a project that is quick, easy, and you don't have to have any crazy skills to do it!  A unique and beautiful birthday banner is in reach!

So, I started in my mind with a more traditional type fabric banner.  However, that seemed less than quick or easy, so I thought "cardstock!"  The theme of Mr. S's birthday party was board games, including monopoly, so what better template than a monopoly deed card.  Each card is a letter.  I created the template in photoshop, but you could print each letter on a mailing label and cut it out to cover the monopoly deed info on the card (leaving the color exposed).

Once I had my cards made, I picked a ribbon and affixed them with small wire hoops usually reserved for jewelry making.  Punch holes in the top of the cards for the hoops. :)

Now, at this point I had intended to affix this banner to the brick of the fireplace, but HOW???  Then it hit me!  We had a big, beautiful, frame out in the shed that I had planned to paint and hadn't yet.  So, I thought, "why not?!"

The frame is about 24" x 30".

So, I stretched the ribbon across the back of the frame and stapled it in place so it hang the way I wanted.  And that's it!  It was super easy.  And all it was completely free (because I had everything in my house already).  It turned out to be my husband's favorite thing about the party and it is STILL on our fireplace!

Hard to see details in this pic, but you get the idea :)

Recap:

Materials:  Picture frame {large}

                Ribbon

                Cardstock

                Stapler/staples

                Wire rings

                Hole Puncher

Program to make card:  Photoshop, but you could use Microsoft Publisher or 

                                 Word

I want to make one of these with our name and hopefully will post pics soon!

How to cover your {ugly} walls

Missed everyone while I was gone.  It has been a crazy few months.  Getting Little S ready for school and Mr S has been so busy with work.  I, too, have been busy doing freelance work for a few clients, so forgive me my absence, please. :)


Hope you are all doing well and as promised (if not much later than I intended) here is how I covered the ugly walls of my sunroom for Mr S's big 30th birthday bash! {Seen here}


Materials/Tools:
Fabric of your choice ( I chose white satin)
Dowel rods (I used 3/8") or curtain rods that you will use
Command hooks (check the weight) 2 for each panel
Measurement of walls you need to cover {height x width(2)}


Steps:
1.  Cut your fabric to twice the measurement of the wall you wish to cover. Adding 4" to the length.  If you want/need to sew the sides, give yourself an extra inch in width as well. 


Note:  In my case, I needed several different sizes and chose to cut and sew them all at one time, so I labeled them "a", "b", "c" etc to keep from getting confused and stuck sticky notes to the wall with the corresponding letter.


2.  Turn the top edge under 1/2" and press, then turn another 2" and press.  Stitch a 1/4" along the edge to create a pole pocket for the dowel.  **You can do the pole pocket whatever size you like.  I created a generous pocket as to allow me to use these on different dowels in the future**


3.  Turn the bottom edge 1-1/2" and stitch a bottom hem.
**If you were going to turn the sides in and sew them, do that before the pole pocket/hem**


4.  Place command hooks at the edges of the walls you wish to cover.  Make sure you leave room to put the dowel over the hook.


5.  Cut the dowels to fit the hooks (they can extend to just the edges, but they fall kind of easily, so let them extend slightly passed the hooks.  Once they are cut, thread them through the pole pocket.


6.  Hang them on the hooks and....


Voila!! Your ugly wall is temporarily covered.  This whole method could work for making curtains too, just make sure you make it all look pretty and neat if you're trying to do curtains.  Here are a few shots of my unfinished sun room with it's white satin wall covers.

Not a permanent solution, but a perfect, cheap,
short term solution!

With the black table cloths, red tissure paper flowers, and white curtains,
it isn't noticable that the room isn't finished!

Links to sites I used: White Satin  http://www.onlinefabricstore.net/satin-fabric/bridal-satin-white-fabric-.htm
More white satin:  http://www.efavormart.com/108x50ydtullebolt-white.aspx  (the fabric from here was much thinner than what i orderd from amazon, but it worked well)
Black table cloth:  http://www.smartyhadaparty.com  We bought these for our wedding and have kept them for occasions such as this!
Dowels:  Michael's
Command Hooks:  Walmart


All in all, the panels cost me about $40.  The reason I didn't bother with side seams on any of them is because I wanted to be able to use the fabric later, since it was the most expensive part.  Hopefully, this inspires you dress up your home without breaking the bank for your next party!

Summer is Here!! {Sorta}

Do you find your self more busy in the summer??  I do.  I don't even know why.  Except maybe I love being outside, so I'm always putting off my real work to go outside and work.  :)  I have the luxury of working from home part time, so often this results in a few days of 8 - 10 hours of cramming work in, so that I can go outside and play the other 5 days of the week.

Playing outside lately has included a chair repainting/reupholstering experience of which I'm in the middle, a spray painting extravaganza of changing free items into items that will work in our home, and learning to use my jigsaw properly.  Hope to start posting some photo rich posts soon.  I'm letting the warm summer days call me back to the outdoors for now...maybe I'll decide to blog from outside....

Just a few of my favorite "early summer" photos.  :)

Hope you're enjoying the weather!!