Quilt and Fish Tail Towel Hanger

I’ve got a gazillion projects either waiting to be finished or waiting to be recorded.  I’ve been trying to get myself organized again since moving into our first home and sending our oldest daughter to Kindergarten.  It’s been quite the struggle to manage schedules and I’ll admit I don’t like having to work my life around school now.  It’s always been nice to just pick up and go whenever I wanted.  The worst part is the schedule crunching is just beginning and I know it will only get crazier the older she gets and as her siblings join her.  Life sure is crazy!

Anyways enough with my rant…

Here are some pictures of a couple of projects I just finished:

This is the baby quilt I made for my sister’s little girl who was born last January (this tells you how far behind I am)

This fish tail towel hanger came out of necessity when the kids hung on the original towel rod and it cam off the wall (thankfully not damaging the kids or the wall).  This makes it so the kids (except the baby) can now hang their own towels after their bath.

Kids Craft: Sea Shell Frames

We had the opportunity to visit the beach while on vacation to Pennsylvania.  We visited the Island Beach State Park in New Jersey.  After Grandpa brought them over some nice sea shells they started collecting any and every little piece of a shell they found around our beach blanket.

Then today while visiting my sister at her In-laws house my daughter pointed out to me a picture frame that had little turritella shells lined around it and so we decided to use their shells from our trip (plus the leftovers that I had from another project) to decorate old frames we found at the DI (local thrift store).  The purple one was $0.50 and the brown one was $0.75.

I armed my kiddos with paintbrushes and some cream acrylic paint.  TIP:  Dad’s old short sleeved dress shirts make for great painting aprons.

I helped some to make sure all the frame was covered.

Then we glued on the sea shells.  I had the kids arrange the larger shells where they wanted them and then I used the hot glue gun to attach them.  Then I spread Elmer's glue in the open places and the kids put the little one’s on wherever they wanted.

 (They really were enjoying themselves they just didn’t like the picture taking)

I then removed the inner picture and we covered a cardboard square with fabric using Mod Podge.  I let the kids spread the glue out and then we smoothed the fabric together.  After the mod podge dried I then ironed the appliqué starfish and ship using Wonder Under.

I used my Cricut and Sure Cuts A Lot to do the vinyl saying “Remember what you were born to become.”   This is located between the front door and living room window so as we leave the house we remember we were all born to become Kings or Queens and to act accordingly.

With the help of my kids I think this is our first decorating success, YEA!!!

Nautical Curtain Rod from PVC pipe and Foam Balls

My husband and I have been married for almost 7 years and we have never had curtains, so when I found some sheer maroon fabric at a thrift store for only $2, I decided to make curtains and with curtains comes the need for a curtain rod. My husband was working on a project and had about 6 feet extra of 1/2 inch PVC pipe and I quickly snatched it up to see if it would be the right size. It was perfect!!! So my brain started turning and I came up with this:

Here’s how:

I dug out a hole into 2 foam balls and then glued them to the ends of the PVC pipe.

Then I tightly wound Jute around the PVC pipe putting a little bit of glue about every 6 inches.

Painted the balls a cream color and glued on seashells

Then I took some of my broken not so nice looking shells and I smashed them with a hammer inside a plastic baggy and filled in all the empty spaces between the shells.

I used 2 strips of Jute to make the hanging loops so I could hang them from these:

and Instead of cutting the tails off the loops I drilled small holes in some seashells and hung them from the Jute.

Finally my living room is looking a little more like “Home Sweet Home”.

Link Parties:

Coastal Giveaway

Kendall @ Finsse You Nest is doing a giveaway of some Coastal themed items.  I am way excited as this is what my living room decor is.  So swing on over and you could win this:

Shell Topiary

and this:

A bag of Jute balls

 

You have until Monday January 25th @ 10:00 am to enter so head on over to Finesse Your Nest.