Smile And Wave

Woven Bath Mat DIY

 

In case you haven't already seen it over at A Beautiful Mess, I shared how you can use your weaving skills for more than just beautiful wall hangings! Grab some fabric yarn, spend some time finger-knitting a chunky garland or two (or four), and then make yourself a luxe bath mat that you'll wish covered your entire floor! It's ultra plush and textural so it's a great way to turn a boring but practical bathroom item into something beautiful. 

This mat cost about $40 to make which can be comparable to similar-sized, plush mats but I didn't have to look long and hard for the colors I wanted in the right size because I got to choose my own! One of my favorite fabric yarn resources is Gannxet. If you're looking for all of those subtle tones or even prints, they have a huge selection at reasonable prices. 

Head over to A Beautiful Mess to get the full tutorial.

If you already know how to weave, this is a great way to stretch your boundaries with a home decor project. If you've been wanting to learn, my new book DIY Woven Art is a great resource for beginners! It takes you step-by-step through the simplest of weavings and teaches new techniques and stitches with each of the 12 projects. You'll also learn about building your own affordable looms! It's available for pre-order now so be sure to grab yours before they sell out once they hit bookstores in August!

-Rachel

 

Mini Pom Pom Pillow DIY for A Beautiful Mess

These fuzzy, pre-made pom poms are making headlines for being applied in some unlikely places (hello, nail art trend!) but my new favorite place for them is on my throw pillows. I've shared how to apply them the easy way and the hard way so you don't have to wonder about the best way to get those little suckers to stay put. My most reliable testing method for wear and tear is my trusty two-year-old so if they can outlast a few rounds with him, you won't have to worry about them coming apart on your couch. Head over to A Beautiful Mess for the full tutorial. 

These pillows are one of the easiest, most affordable pillow DIY's you'll find and they're a breeze to make, especially if you use a pre-made pillow case. Time to get crafting! Which one is your favorite?

-Rachel

 

Floor Pillow Tutorial for A Beautiful Mess

Looking for a quick(ish) way to add some color to your space but can't afford to spend your life searching for the perfect coordinating pillows in stores or online? Time to make your own! If you already have basic sewing skills you'll be able to whip out a floor pillow or oversized bolster pillow in an afternoon with the full tutorial I shared over at A Beautiful Mess this month. I made these for Ruby's mini room makeover and they've been getting lots of use!

If you've been wanting to learn to sew but get overwhelmed at the thought of figuring out where to start, SEW WITH US, an e-course I wrote with Katie Shelton, teaches everything you need to know to thread your machine, choose the right fabric, and learn all of the basic techniques you'll need while finishing home sewing projects and wearable items. The projects and techniques build on each other so that you learn while producing items you'll be able to use and then customize with your new skills. I see custom floor pillows in your future! 

-Rachel

Shibori Tie-Dye Napkins for ABM

Shibori! If you've always wanted to get that indigo-dyed look but aren't as interested in the long process, check out my easy tutorial over at A Beautiful Mess. I share three different binding shapes and the beautiful patterns they create. I took advantage of a large bottle of dye and worked on a 2yd cut of white cotton and have turned it into a lovely wall hanging for my studio. I've never really loved the traditional summer camp tie-dye aesthetic but I've quickly fallen in love with how the shibori technique can create more graphic patterns. Paired with dark blue and this rich pink, I'm in love!

Follow the link for the full tutorial. You're going to want to add this to your list of spring/summer projects!

-Rachel 

Potato Stamped Bow Tie Curtain Tutorial

Need a weekend project? This potato stamp tutorial is a fun way to add some pattern to fabric (or paper) to customize something plain or just refresh something you already have in your space. I made this cotton curtain panel from fabric yardage to fit the specific size of the window in this room and then added a little pattern to the bottom 1/3 to add some interest without it getting too busy. I love the way it turned out! 

Get the full tutorial over at A Beautiful Mess, grab a potato, and have a little fun refreshing your own space!

-Rachel

 

Finger Knit Fabric Necklace Tutorial for ABM

Sharing the easiest statement necklace DIY you'll ever make over at A Beautiful Mess today. After taking a few months off to write my DIY Weaving book, I'm so happy to be sending projects out into the crowds through their platform. Those ladies are dolls and they have a great team of hard-working friends helping work all of that magic. If you haven't already heard, they're about to release a new photo-editing app that gets your brights brighter in one little step! I can't wait to try it out! It'll be available for Android users this time, too, if I'm not mistaken.

Go see their news and then read through my post on how you can add something special to your winter wardrobe in just about an hour. 

-Rachel

 

Abstract Painted Curtain DIY for ABM

Well, there is one less undressed window at our house. Ruby's room has plenty of light all day and is one of my favorite spaces in our current rental but with soft grey walls it needed something more exciting than white cotton curtains. I took care of that with a little paint and a cheap shower curtain liner from IKEA. 

Head over to A Beautiful Mess for the full tutorial and then go make your own!

Also, I had a few people on Instagram ask for a straw bunting tutorial. I have one from a few years ago that I made for Valentine's Day decor that you can find here.

Have you been working on any fun home projects this summer?

-Rachel

Washable Dog Bed DIY

Sunday, our lab/weim mix, has had a few different dog beds since we got her four years ago but they usually only last about a year for all kinds of reasons. When she was younger she'd chew holes in them and with each move the stress has led to a few doggy accidents that were hard for those dog beds to recover from. The last bed we bought was brown and ugly and huge and had zippers and layers and was supposed to be the king of dog beds but even that one had it's expiration date. 

I decided her next bed would be something I made for her using what I had on hand. I used an outdoor canvas for the outer cover because it needed to be durable but also cute. This one is from either JoAnns or Hancock's from a few years ago. The inner insert is leftover fabric from a sheet set that I cut down to make Smith a fitted crib sheet. It's just regular cotton and could probably be thrown in the wash and hung to dry like you would with a pillow. The outer cover is easy to remove and doesn't look half bad sitting on our dining room floor. When you have a choice, always go for the cuter option, right? Right.

Speaking of cute.

Supplies: Canvas or outdoor fabric measuring about 36" x 50" wide. Cotton fabric measuring about 36" x 50". Your size may need to be larger or smaller depending on the size of your dog. Just be sure that both cuts of fabric are equal and you'll do fine with a different set of measurements. Stuffing or pillow forms. I have also been known to use clothing or towels that we've outgrown or stained beyond repair. It's a great way to repurpose them and save money on stuffing! You'll also need a sewing machine, thread to match your fabric, scissors, straight pins, and 4' of ribbon or binding for the ties. 

Step One: Fold your inner fabric in half so that the right sides are facing each other and pin the open sides together with straight pins. Stitch up your open sides but leave an opening on the short end so you can fill it with stuffing. If you stitch up about 5" on the top and bottom of the short end as shown above, it makes it easier to stitch it all shut without messing with corners in the next step. 

Step Two: Turn your inner pillow right side out and push out your corners. Then fill it with stuffing until you're happy with the shape and density and pin your opening shut. Carefully stitch along the whole length of the short side about 1/4" from the edge. I had a wrestling match with my machine because I overstuffed the heck out of this pillow so my seam is a bit wonky but it'll be tucked into the pillow cover where it won't be seen.  Remove your pins as you stitch or after you're done. Phew! Halfway there.

Step Three: Fold the long edge of your outer canvas fabric down about 1/4" and then another 1/4" and iron flat. This creates a nice, finished hem for your open end. Pin it down and stitch along the inner fold. You can see the selvedge edge (note the the little pinholes) on my inner fold.

Step Four: Next, fold your fabric so that right sides are facing together and stitch up the short and long open edges. DO NOT stitch your hemmed side together. You can then add ribbon ties on equal and opposite sides of your canvas. Simple place one end along the hem on the inside, pin in place, and stitch it down. I used double-fold binding that I stitched up in place of ribbon because it's what I had on hand. Resourcefulness always beats another trip to the fabric store in my book!

Step Five: Turn your pillow right side out and slide the inner pillow inside it. 

Tie your ribbon ends to help keep your pillow cover in place and remove as often as it needs washing. Ta-Da! Go see if your furry friend likes it.

The beauty of this kind of project is that you can make the same thing in the same size and use it as a floor pillow for toddler or big kid lounging or adjust the sizes and make it into a decorative cover pillow for your own bed. 

I have a feeling I'll have to keep someone else from climbing onto her dog bed all day. Cozy spots are hard to resist!

-Rachel

If you're interested in learning how to sew but have always been a little intimidated by it, Katie Shelton and I have written a sewing eCourse for beginners that teaches you how to sew while you work on projects that start out easy and build with each new skill! Check out our Sew With Us eCourse page for more details and to purchase yours. 

 

Cultivate Your Creativity eCourse Launch Day!

Cultivate Your Creativity is my newest eCourse. I've designed it as a resource guide to aid you in exploring and developing your creativity and share insights from my own creative journey. It's full of encouragement and advice but also offers plenty of structured steps to show you how to develop your own creativity no matter what season of life you're currently in. 

Who is is it for?

This eCourse is written for anyone who used to paint but hasn't made time for it since their new job or once spent all of their free time sewing but hasn't made it a priority since they had a baby. If your creative spirit has been been set aside while you deal with regular life this course shows you why you're selling yourself short. If you've been feeling the urge to create but get overwhelmed with where to start this course offers steps to make things feel manageable. If you're in the middle of a creative dry spell this course is ready to help you find your way back to fresh inspiration. 

Why should I buy it?

I walk you through all of the reasons your creativity should be valued so there's no excuses for setting it aside any longer. I'll show you the importance of setting up a creative space no matter what resources you have available, walk you through my creative process and the checklists I run through when I'm narrowing down design ideas, point you in a few different directions to continue your creative growth, talk about the value of creative community, discuss ways to avoid and overcome burnout, and share exercises I use for project development. It's also full of encouragement to remind you how important that creative spirit inside of you is and plenty of high fives as you work through the course material!

What do I get?

You get a big push in the right direction in the introduction and can follow along as I share how my creativity has served me since I was a kid and especially how it's seen me through some challenging times as an adult. Then I share five chapters on how to set yourself up for a successful creative journey with posts covering creative space, the creative process, creative growth, creative community, and burnout. Each chapter has reflective homework questions to help you get specific about your own journey. Don't worry, this is the good kind of homework. 

You also get six interviews with creative women that share how their creativity has served them, their families, and in a lot of cases, their budgets. They share how they stay inspired and affirm that YES YOU CAN BE CREATIVE no matter what season of life you're in. On top of that you get 3 free hand-lettered art printables designed by the lovely Jenny Highsmith to hang in your creative space as reminders to make time to make things. Add to that a list of resources gathered to guide you as you grow and creative affirmations I use on a regular basis to keep my thoughts in a good place when insecurities arise. 

Contributors include: Alison Faulkner of The Alison Show, Jahje Ives of BabyJives, Amanda Rydell of Be Crafty, Sarah Rhodes of Arrow and Apple, Jenny Highsmith of Maiedae, and Erin Hisaw of Tweet Potato Pie.

This eCourse is a self-paced course with no start or end date. Work through the material at your own pace and come back to it as often as you need. It never expires. Upon purchase you'll be sent an e-mail automatically with your log-in information to access the private eCourse blog. 

Cultivate Your Creativity will be offered at the price of $42 USD but is currently for sale at the launch price of $32 until June 12th. Yay for sale prices!

Purchase Course Here

Offered at $42/USD 

Launch Sale $32/USD

 

 

I'm so excited to finally share this with you all. I've written over a dozen eCourses in the last five years but this is the first course that aims at the heart of creatives and encourages you as you develop your own specific talents and gifts. It not only gives you permission to make a mess, it reminds you how refreshing and satisfying it is to your spirit to get your hands a little dirty. It is an investment of time and energy that will return to you tenfold. 

Below is an excerpt from the chapter on Creative Process:

The reason I think it's important to finish those projects is because they take up space in our minds and in our homes. It's creative clutter and just like the piles of mail that can become both an eyesore and a forgotten energy sucker, creative projects left unfinished leave us feeling a little undone. If it's something sentimental like a baby quilt made from all of the outfits worn in your little one's first year, that might fit into its own category. However, if it's something you thought you were into but it's been sitting half-finished for six months, either make time to finish it soon or make the hard choice to either reuse the supplies or find it another home. Clearing out crafting clutter feels as good as clearing out your closets and makes space for the fresh ideas to come rolling in. 

I am so thankful for all of the lessons I've learned in making my creativity a priority even more so because I'm a mom. I get to share those lessons with my kids and in turn they remind me what it looks like to take such pleasure in using their imaginations to make something just for fun. Those kids know things! 

I hope you enjoy this course as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Thank you ever so much for your role here as readers and for all the ways you've added meaning to this space and my creative ventures with your support and encouragement along the way. Thanks for being a part of my creative community! 

-Rachel

Purchase Course Here

Offered at $42/USD 

Launch Sale $32/USD

 

 

 Photo Credits: Janae Hardy and Rachel Denbow

Sew with Us eCourse Giveaway!

Who wants to win one of our Sew with Us eCourses?!

Katie and I are proud to offer a few lucky readers access to our newest eCourse with hopes that you'll enjoy working on some of these sewing projects as much as we did. There are easy to follow, step-by-step instructions for making both home decor and wearable projects that start out simple and then build in skill level as you gain confidence in the techniques you're learning. All you need is a sewing machine and can-do attitude! 

The response to this course has been incredible so far and we're thrilled that so many of you have already decided you're ready to finally learn how to sew! I love seeing people taking action on something they've always wanted to try and I can't wait to see more of the projects everyone finishes with their newfound confidence. 

For your chance to win one of three Sew with Us eCourses, leave a comment below with your name and a way for me to contact you if you're a winner. Three winners will be chosen and announced later this week. 

If you're not wanting to wait, Sew with Us is offered at $45 but is on sale at it's launch price of $30 until April 8th so don't miss out on the $15 discount if you're planning on purchasing this course!

Good luck, friends!

-Rachel