Valentine's Day Craft Ideas

Soccer Mom Style

I don't know about you guys, but it seems like Valentine's Day always sneaks up on me. With the holiday rush between Christmas and the New Year, January tends to fly by and before you know it February is half-way over. I'm making a concerted effort this year to prepare with some DIY Valentines for my family. There is something so much more special about a handmade gift for this holiday. For inspiration, I've pulled together a Pinterest board with some of my favorite V-day craft ideas. Click through below to check it out!

Follow Latoya's board Valentine's Day on Pinterest.

Happy July 4th!

Hope everyone had a fantastic Independence Day! I wanted to give you a sneak peak at the display that will appear in my next Tablescape post. Americana all the way!

Project Tutorial: Easter Tree

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I'm a Spring baby, so Easter was always near and dear to my heart as it evoked wonderful birthday memories. For years I've collected little easter knick-knacks, but the one thing I've been missing is an Easter Tree. Inspired by beautiful mercury glass egg ornaments from Pottery Barn, I decided to make one for myself this year. See the full process below!

Supplies:
Basket
Foam
Grass
Egg picks
Egg ornaments
Floral wire
Floral Tape
Curly branches

1. Cut the tops of the branches and attach them to floral wire to make them pliable. Cover with floral tape.

2. Place the foam inside of the basket, and insert your tree form into the foam.

3. Add the grass to cover the foam and base of the tree, along with an assortment of egg picks and eggs.

4. Use floral wire to attach your ornaments.

Enjoy!

More Easter decor shots coming this week. How are you celebrating the holiday?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope everyone feels the love today!

DIY Tutorial: Fall Harvest Wreath

Fall is in the air!  And, on my door! Last week, I decided I wanted to replace my Halloween wreath with something that had more of a Fall harvest feel. So I hightailed it to Michael's for materials and inspiration. Here is what I went with:

And, here is how it all came together:

1. Starting with one color of flower (I used deep red), use the hot gun to glue each flower to the wreath at equal spacing intervals. Be sure to hold the buds in place for 15 seconds to ensure a secure bond.
2. Then, fill in with the next color (for me, dark brown), using the glue gun to adhere. Continue this process until you are down to your final color.
3. Finally, use the last flower color (for me, goldenrod) to fill in any gaps on the wreath.

You're done. Enjoy! 

I'm really happy with the way this project turned out. The wreath is simple, but still makes a statement with bold color. How have you made the transition into Fall for your home?

Book Review: Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts

I truly believe that I'm one of the few women of my generation who was lucky enough to have my grandmother, mother and aunt pass along the craft of sewing. I have vivid memories of them creating their own outfits for parties and even a coronation gown for me as a child. I also remember how elated I was getting my first sewing kit for Christmas along with Barbie outfit patterns and sitting (on my bed, the couch, the floor -- wherever I could find space and peace) for hours hand stitching clothes and little plastic fasteners. I gleamed with pride as I showcased my finished pieces. Next, I graduated to the plastic kiddie sewing machine, which I never mastered, but never tired of trying. Then, in middle school I fell for floss and the cross-stitch, which led me to embroidery.

So, you can imagine that last year when Martha Stewart announced her new book, Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts,  I could not contain myself. Not only do I have an affinity for sewing, but I also love almost everything Martha touches!

The book is packed with great projects for sewing novices and those who are more advanced. It starts with a thorough introduction of sewing basics, including an overview of tools, materials and fabric. Next, it moves into stitch types and techniques, before providing step by step instructions, templates and patterns for more than 150 projects. Curtains, dolls, pillows -- the list goes on and on.

My first project from the book was...you guessed it. Embroidery! You can see my colorful bird in the first photo above. My next feat? Chair covers for some of my eBay and Country Living Fair finds. I'll post pics when I'm done.

I definitely recommend Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts for all crafters and anyone that wants to discover the joy of sewing. Do any of you own it? If so, what sewing-related projects have you been inspired to complete?