Memo Board

While I was pregnant with Mims I got very into quilting.  I really enjoyed the idea of quilting, but there is a personality that quilting is really suited for and I am just not that type.  But, dang I tried really hard to become that type.  Unfortunately, I am just not that exacting and precise, even when I am trying my hardest.  

I ended up making several freeform quilts, which gave me the quilty good times with out the frustration for cutting the fabric in the wrong direction, sewing it with an incorrect seam allowance, and never ironing enough.  I also made a couple of small art quilts.  I hung one in Mims' nursery, and one I hung by the side of my bed.  It had a pocket, and I figured I could slip stuff I wanted to keep close in there.  Heh.  It never worked that well (it was just too small and everything falls out when there is the slightest breeze), so now I just use it as a place to stash needles and pins when I'm working at night in my room.  

It occurred to me that I needed an upgrade.  So, today I'm doing a crochet DIY!

Memo Board

Supplies

Worsted weight yarn in assorted colors

Size G hook

Yarn needle

An 8"x10" wrapped canvas

Small binder clips (optional)

I crocheted an 10 1/2" granny square out of worsted weight cotton which is large enough to wrap around the canvas.  

I laid the canvas on top of the granny square, and then used a long piece of the green yarn to weave in and out between the final row open spaces.

I pulled it snugly and tied the yarn in a knot.  The loose ends are in the picture, but I just snipped them off.  **If you get canvas board instead of a stretched canvas, you could use the loose ends to make a hanger by stretching them across the back and tying them to the other side.**

This is what it looked like when I first put it up.

I tied on a couple of binder clips using embroidery floss.  Since they're just tied on, I can move them if I need to.  For now, I like them where they are.  Once I actually put it up in my room (the pic was taken in the bathroom, since it has waaay better lighting - Jake works at night so we keep our room in constant blackout status so he can sleep during the day), I took all the straight pins, yarn and sewing needles off the quilt and poked them through the stitches up the side of the board.
(That's my fave family photo from this year!  The photo booth at Ro's wedding rocked!)

I like that this I could change out the colors on this as quickly as I can crochet a granny square.  I like that there's nothing permanent, and if I wanted to paint the canvas I could.  For now, I'm digging it.

xoxo

July DIY!

Happy July!

I'm getting ready to host our annual 4th of July barbeque this week, which has been dramatically scaled back this year due to my grandma's health.  Still, it's going to be a fun day with yummy food and lots of fun.

I got it in my head that I wanted to put decorated lights around the patio.  I blame Pinterest.  I saw this and this and decided to mash them together to make crochet-paper-covered lights.  Cute idea, right?  I was planning to pull out our Christmas tree lights and make them all crochet-y and festive.

The basic concept is this: using scrapbook paper (or in my case, a scanned copy of some granny squares I made) and some cheap plastic cups you can make cute little lampshades for your patio/Christmas/fairy lights.   You cut one of the cups apart to use as a template, and then trace around it onto your paper.  I was able to get two cup covers out of each sheet of paper.  Then you can Outdoor Mod Podge them to waterproof them, or as I did, just tape them on because I hadn't fully committed to the project... Ooh, the embarrassing truth just slipped out there...

This is how far I got.

I couldn't bring myself to print out more than 3 pages of "granny paper" because it was so saturated with printer ink that it just looked like a waste of money to me.  I thought about getting color copies made, but they're a buck apiece, and I'm just too cheap to want to spend $50 for something that looks like I made it for free.  No thanks.  ($50 was determined by dividing my 100 lights by the 2 covers I would get from a $1 color copied paper.  I'd rather spend my $1 here... or here... Shameless plug!!!)

But I'd already made 4 covers, which now seemed like a huge waste of energy, until I thought "Duh, flip them back over!"  The lampshades were made from cups, so why couldn't I just use them as festive party cups?!  Done!  And while I was at it, why not make matching plates?  So I did.

I just cut out a circle that fit the bottom of my plate (disposable clear Chinet that I got on sale at Target), and then taped it the paper to the bottom of the plate!  I think this would look super cute for bringing cookies to a party, and who cares about the plate afterward.  I'm already thinking of doing this again in red and cream to use at Christmas.

So, I guess my total craft fail turned out okay after all.  Oh, Pinterest, I can never stay mad at you...

xoxo