Some springtime decor for my home

Do you add decorations to your home for the spring time? Most of us decorate our homes for the autumn and winter holidays (summer for those of you down under). But often we get busy with, well, life! Too busy to think about some visual treat for our homes.

And I am one of those persons. I've been far too busy to consider what a delight to the eye can do for my mood. Yes, I'm suggesting a little spring decor as a mood enhancer. Skip the Prozac! Give me a fun craft that results in something of beauty to add to my home.

Having recently been inspired by Jemma's blog At Home With Jemma -- Jemma's Easter Table  and  Spring Decor Updates, and her lovely springtime decorations, I finally became motivated to make something that has been on a back burner for several years, a springtime wreath.

You see, we have a spot in our entry hall which holds an autumn wreath of dried leaves and gourds in fall, a faux evergreen wreath in the della Robbia style for Christmas, and a seashell wreath for summer. It's been my custom to replace the Christmas wreath in early January with the summer wreath, which just seemed wrong to me.

I had vowed to make a springtime wreath that would double as Easter decor, but still remain up until summer actually started here. Most years, I was bogged down with taxes, 4 springtime birthdays, and the Easter celebration itself (and all the surrounding activities).

        ~~crafting beautiful things brings me joy ~~


This year, I finally realized how much joy I would have in choosing items to make a springtime wreath. And equally important, that my joy was important, too.

Last Friday afternoon, one of my daughters needed a ride to the fabric and craft store to pick up some trim. Perfect opportunity! I browsed the floral department, thought and rethought many possibilities.

Ultimately, I decided that I wanted something very natural looking, using items that spoke "spring" to me -- a bird's nest, pansies or violas (the artificial violas actually looked the most realistic to me), moss (living in the Pacific Northwest, moss is part of the natural landscape), and English Ivy, in particular, needlepoint English Ivy.

I also remembered a small basket that was part of a flower arrangement I'd received a couple of years ago. I saved the basket, knowing I would someday do something with it. I'll use the leftover bits from the wreath to make this basket centerpiece for the kitchen table.

So, I'm (almost) finished with these two projects. With the wreath, I pinned on ivy and violas, and a tiny bird's nest with eggs. I've left it very natural looking. It seems to echo the Pacific Northwest landscape that I see outdoors. The wreath now hangs in our entry hall, on the hook where I hang the seasonal wreaths. The seashell wreath had to go back to the closet until summer comes. (I think the wreath needs a small bird on the top edge. I didn't see any at Jo-Ann's, but will check Hobby Lobby when I'm in that complex on Friday. What do you think? Bird, yes? Bird, no?)

With the basket, I wrapped the base of the basket in moss, then pinned ivy over the moss, added some violas and another tiny bird's next with eggs.

I've set the basket on the kitchen table. On the one side you can see the nest,

and on the other side, the violas.


A few tips (that I've learned the hard way) on making wreaths and baskets:

• For wreaths, identify where the top is going to be, before you begin. Place a hook made of wire in this spot, on the back side. As needed, you can hold the wreath up as you work, to see if everything is placed how you want it.

• Near the end of your work, find a nail on the wall to hang the wreath, so that you can make sure what you want to be visible, will be visible. I needed to adjust the tiny bird's nest, so that it could be seen from below (this wreath will hang up high).

• I use floral wire for most of the work, but I also use flexible craft cement, (the goopy stuff that is rubbery when dry). If you ever want to get the cap off again, leave the tube open, on top of some newspapers (it will ooze), until you are all done. Then, take a paper towel or disposable piece of cloth and wet with rubbing alcohol, and wipe the applicator tip clean. Now, seal with the cap. 
• To get your hands clean, a bit of vegetable oil rubbed into the rubbery stuff on your fingers is a non-toxic way to remove this stuff. You still may need to pick bits off. Alternatively, fingernail polish remover will also dissolve this type of craft cement.

floral pick, with tight cluster of flowers

same floral pick with the flower stems spread out,
it covers almost twice the area with flowers this way

• To get the most bang for your buck with those small floral picks (that look like tiny bouquets), spread the tiny floral stems apart and you will almost double the size of your floral pick.

While I bought almost everything for these projects, there is a frugal side. I'll use these items year after year, so this is a one-time investment for decor for the home.

And secondly, I had coupons! Lots and lots of coupons! Every single item I bought either was on sale already, or I had a 50% off coupon I could apply. Which just goes to show you how much of a markup fabric and craft supply stores have. I really try to never buy anything in those stores that's not either on sale or that I don't have a coupon that I could use.

In addition to making this basket and wreath, I already had a few Easter items to set out. Among them, these chocolate bunny molds. I put them in my main work area of the kitchen, as I'm the one who will most appreciate some spring decor.

          ~~we all have it within us to create~~


I have a theory that all mankind is designed to create. That this is a part of man being designed in God's image. Some of us create directly with our hands, others use traditional tools, many create in their gardens and kitchens, and others yet, create with technology. We all have it in us to be creative.

What have you been wanting to make, but have been putting off? If you made the time to create this special item(s), would you find joy in the process, as I do? What is your favorite type of crafting, redesigning, or needle work?

updated photo of the basket -- with chickadee on handle

Using fabric scraps: tea wallets (and fabric holders for other items)

First of all, thank you to all of you who commented on the subject of tea, and entered the drawing for this small giveaway. You probably aren't aware how much joy I receive when I open up my blog page and see that someone is interested enough to add a comment. It's for that joy that you give to me that I enjoyed sewing this tea wallet for one of you.

And now, drum roll, the winner of this tea wallet and assortment of tea, is Kris! Kris, please email me (lili.mounce@gmail.com) with your address and I'll post this out to you!

And for anyone who'd find making a tea wallet a fun endeavor, here's how I made this one.

So you know that I've been going through my stacks of fabric in my sewing closet this winter. I'm afraid I haven't made much of a dent this year, and will have to be more aggressive in my sewing. But I did find a wonderful use for smaller scraps (which is what I seem to have in abundance). This tea wallet (and many more to come, done similarly), used 4 pieces of 5 X 7 inch fabric. 1 rectangle of a decorator fabric (the heavy weight means I don't have to add an interfacing) and 3 rectangles of lighter-weight cotton. Perfect, as I have a lot of pieces about this size.

To make one tea wallet, cut 4 rectangles of fabric 5 by 7 inches. Use 1 heavier weight fabric for the exterior of the wallet, and 3 pieces of lightweight fabric for the pockets and interior. If you have found the perfect exterior fabric that is lightweight, iron on a piece of 5 X 7 inch fusible interfacing to this one piece. This will give the exterior some substance and prevent wrinkling. You will also need 1 button and about 4 inches of ribbon, cording or elastic for the closure.

Iron all pieces of fabric.

Fold the 2 pocket pieces in half, lengthwise, right side out. Top stitch along the folded edge, to give a finished look.

Place one pocket piece on the right side of the lining piece of fabric, 1 inch above the bottom edge. This will form the two top pockets. Pin along the bottom edge.

Sew this pocket piece to the lining fabric along bottom edge of pocket, about 1/4 inch from edge.

Pin remaining pocket piece on top of sewn pocket, lining up the lower edge with the lower edge of the lining fabric.

Sew along this lower edge, just under 1/4 inch from edge.

Fold the lining and pockets in half, and press with iron.

This will make a crease for you to sew along. 

Machine sew the crease, from the bottom edge up to the top of the top pocket. This creates 4 pockets, total. Also, sew along the lower edge, just under 1/4 inch from edge of fabric.

Fold a piece of ribbon or cord in half to make a loop. Play with the length you need to reach the button that you will sew on the front, eye-balling the placement. Pin the ribbon to the pocket/lining, on the right-hand side, just above the top of the lower pocket. Stitch in place, just under 1/4 inch from edge.

Place exterior fabric piece, right sides together, on top of lining and pockets. Pin all the way around. Stitch interior to exterior, 1/4 inch from edge, almost all the way around, leaving an opening, about 2 inches across, along the bottom edge, on the side of the wallet that the ribbon loop is attached.

Clip the corners just a bit, to minimize the bulkiness of the corners once turned right side out.

Through the opening, turn the wallet right side out, using a chopstick or other item with a dull point, to poke the corners,

then use a pin to pull out the remaining portion of each corner.

Press wallet, turning the opening edge under to match the rest of the lower edge.

Slip stitch this opening closed. You can top stitch all around the perimeter of the wallet, if you wish. But my top-stitching is not so neat, so I chose not to.

Sew the button in place, being careful not to sew through one of the pocket pieces. Fill with tea, and you're done.

These instructions make this sound much more complicated than it really is. I think, in total, making mistakes, unpicking, etc, I spent about 1  1/2 hours. When I make more, I should be able to get these down to about 30 minutes each, start to finish.

This idea can be sized for other objects one might carry with them, or want to keep all together, such as a small notepad and pen, some packets of handi-wipes, sunscreen and/or bug repellent, a small mirror and stick of lip gloss/balm, or a stack of home made note cards and envelopes.

Some possibilities for gifting fabric wallets (tea or otherwise) would include bridal or baby shower favors, end-of-the-year teacher appreciation gifts, Mother's Day gifts, and I'm thinking way ahead here, Christmas stocking stuffers for the tea drinkers in your circle. I plan on using another fabric to make a wallet for a purse-sized notepad and small pen for my step mom as part of a basket of gifts for Mother's Day this spring (US Mother's Day is in May -- happy belated Mother's Day to all you moms in the UK who celebrated this past weekend!).

Other things I'm considering making with my heap of small fabric scraps include, pin cushions, sachets, covered hangers, and covered cardboard boxes. Any other suggestions for using up small scraps would surely be appreciated!