Tag Archives: Christmas crafts

No-Sew Faux Grain Sack Ornament

I adore vintage grain sacks.  I love the rustic, nubby look, I love the simple bold stripes, and I love that it’s a fabric that goes with just about every type of decor. 

The thing is, I don’t always love the price tag.   Especially when I want to use it for something seasonal like I did for the project I’m sharing today.    

So, what do I always do when I love the look of something but don’t want to pay the price?  I make it myself!

faux grain sack Christmas ornament

 

I promise, these look even better and more authentic in person.  I’m so thrilled with how they turned out!

 

The branches on our real Christmas tree tend to droop as the season goes on so, after I lost a few breakable ornaments last year, I decided that I needed lighter ones in my collection and these are perfect.

Christmas tree

 

Our big Labrador can wag her tail and knock them off the tree and no harm is done!  Haha!  Success!

I think I need them all over my tree!

 

Tutorial

Materials:

  • fabric (I used scrap drop cloth fabric but you could also use linen or muslin)
  • craft paint
  • masking tape
  • paint spouncer  (affiliate link: Plaid 34106 10-Piece Spouncer Set)
  • small (3 or 4-inch) wood embroidery hoop  
  • ribbon or twine 

Instructions:

Wash and dry fabric if it’s new to give it a more nubby and time-worn appearance.  

Then, use masking tape to create a stencil for the lines you’ll be painting. If you want three lines, you will need to use four pieces of tape.  Two lines will need only three.  

taping lines on fabric

 

Use the paint spouncer to paint the lines of the fabric.  Don’t overly saturate the fabric with paint.  My paint is heavier in some areas than others.  I like a little bit of the fabric peaking through to give it an aged appearance.

painting stripes

 

You don’t need to wait for the paint to dry before you peel off the tape.  Go ahead and take it off after you’re done painting and then wait for the fabric to dry.  

When it’s ready, open up your embroidery hoop and position the fabric in between the two hoops.

fabric in hoop

 

Once the fabric is positioned between the two hoops, tighten the hoop using the screw at the top and then trim off the excess fabric with good fabric scissors.

The last step is to add a little hanger by using ribbon or twine.  I used hemp twine I already had on hand and tied it to the top of the hoop.

faux grainsack ornament

 

I varied the pattern of the stripes in each ornament I made so no two are alike.

faux grain sack hoop ornament

 

I think these are so cute and if you don’t sew they’re the perfect grain sack craft.

 

Speaking of grain sacks, today’s post is part of a one-day tour I put together with a few of my favorite blog friends who are masters at decorating with grain sacks.  

christmas cheer and grain sacks

 

  Please pay them a visit to see what magic they have worked with this wonderful vintage fabric.  I cannot wait to see what they’re sharing! 

 

Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Lilacs and Longhorns — you’re here!

My Soulful Home

On Sutton Place

 

To see a complete round-up of grain sack projects please visit Yvonne at  Stone Gable.

 

 

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From My Front Porch to Yours
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100 Christmas Projects

The holiday season is now in full swing.  Somehow, through all of the hustle and bustle, I manage to do more crafts, projects and baking than any other time of the year.  I go in to full nesting mode and get my Martha Stewart on!  

In that spirit, I’m taking part in a great blog hop that is perfect for people like me (and, hopefully, you too!).  I have teamed up with  25 amazing DIY and craft bloggers who are each sharing 4 of their favorite DIY Christmas projects.  That means we’re bringing you 100 Christmas projects!

  Collage-100-Christmas-Projects-Red

 

Here are 4 of mine that I’m sharing.  Click on the links to get the full posts and tutorials.

Christmas Card Wreath

DIY Christmas Card Wreath

 

 

A Family Favorite — Farmer Cookies

farmer cookies

 

 

Vintage Spoon Ornaments

vintage spoon ornaments collage

 

 

Shutter Door & Burlap Advent Calendar

Up-cycled closet door with louvers makes it the perfect place for an advent calender!

 

 

Please go visit the other links to see all of the fabulous Christmas creativity!  

 

Maison de Pax

100-Christmas-Projects-Maison-de-Pax

Cherished Bliss

100-Christmas-Projects-Cherished-Bliss

Five Heart Home

100-Christmas-Projects-Five-Heart-Home

Debbiedoo’s

100-Christmas-Projects-Debbiedoos

The Wood Grain Cottage

100-Christmas-Projects-The-Woodgrain-Cottage

Design, Dining, and Diapers

100-Christmas-Projects-Design-Dining-Diapers

Life On Virginia Street

100-Christmas-Projects-Life-On-Virginia-Street

House By Hoff

100-Christmas-Projects-House-by-Hoff

Everyday Enchanting

100-Christmas-Projects-Everyday-Enchanting

Lilacs and Longhorns

100-Christmas-Projects-Lilacs-and-Longhorns

On Sutton Place

100-Christmas-Projects-On-Sutton-Place

Migonis Home

100-Christmas-Projects-Migonis-Home

Stone Gable

100-Christmas-Projects-Stone-Gable

The Turquoise Home

100-Christmas-Projects-The-Turquoise-Home

So Much Better With Age

100-Christmas-Projects-So-Much-Better-With-Age

Funky Junk Interiors

100-Christmas-Projects-Funky-Junk

Eclectically Vintage

100-Christmas-Projects-Eclectically-Vintage

The Lettered Cottage

100-Christmas-Projects-The-Lettered-Cottage

Garden Therapy

100-Christmas-Projects-Garden-Therapy

My Soulful Home

100-Christmas-Projects-My-Soulful-Home

The Happy Housie

100-Christmas-Projects-The-Happy-Housie

Top This Top That

100-Christmas-Projects-Top-This-Top-That

Live Laugh Rowe

100-Christmas-Projects-Live-Laugh-Rowe

The Golden Sycamore

100-Christmas-Projects-The-Golden-Sycamore

Tiny Sidekick

100-Christmas-Projects-Tiny-Sidekick

 

Amazing, right?!  

 

Thank you all for stopping by today.

Wishing you a day of blessings,

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Savvy Southern Style

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DIY Wooden Joy Sign {Easy Image Transfer Method}

When you finish a renovation project, you are often left with some leftover pieces and parts that no longer have a home or a purpose.  Some of it gets trashed and others get donated.  For me, our leftover cabinet doors and drawer fronts from our kitchen renovation this summer are set aside in the garage so I can give them each a makeover/up-cycle one at a time.  

A few weeks ago, I made over two cabinet fronts and turned them in to chalk boards.  

Today, I up-cycled a small cabinet door and turned it in to a wooden Joy sign for this year’s holiday decor.

easy image transfer  

I love the pop of red and the vintage look of this little sign!

This was such a simple project and I used my easy image transfer method that I often use for my chalk boards to create the word “Joy” so it’s a project anyone can tackle.  More on the transfer method in a minute.  First, let me explain the overall project.

I began by painting the frame of the cabinet door using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Emperor’s Silk.  The interior of the frame is painted with ASCP Old White.  I used green craft paint for the lettering and the square outline.  When it was all painted I lightly sanded with a fine grit sand paper to distress and antique the piece.  I didn’t go crazy with this step, just a light sanding was good enough for me.  Finally, I finished the sign with one coat of Annie Sloan clear wax and then a top coat of AS dark wax to give it an antiqued appearance.  

red and green joy sign

 

Now, here’s the part that makes many of us nervous — hand lettering.  Specifically, hand lettering using paint!

Easy Image Transfer Technique:

1.  I typed out the word “joy” in a font that I liked and printed it on my printer.  Here’s a printable version of the word,  Joy that I used.

2.  I turned over the sheet of paper and colored over the back of the letters using colored chalk (I used a color so when it is transferred on to the board it will be easier to see.)

chalk transfer method

 

3.  Turn the paper over and center the word on your board.  Then firmly outline the letters using pen or pencil so the chalk will transfer on to the board.

image transfer

 

4.  Using craft paint and a small tipped paint brush outline and fill in the letters with paint.

joy sign

 

That’s it!  It’s so easy.  Creating this with a distressed finish makes it so forgiving, so even if you don’t have a steady hand with a paint brush your finished piece looks old and authentic. 

I love how this turned out and I think it’s perfect for a pop of color in my kitchen this holiday.

 

Looking for more holiday projects?  Check out these past posts:

Christmas card wreath

Vintage spoon ornaments

How to make your own Christmas stockings

 

Happy crafting!

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