LA

DIY: Hanging Lanterns (using jars)

I've found that these handmade lanterns can be styled in a variety of ways! They can be indoor or out, hanging or sitting, single or clustered, embellished or simple... used at home, as a gift to a friend or as bridal shower center pieces :) Plus-- they're practically free to make because you'll use mostly recycled supplies. Hope you'll make yourself a set too :)

• 3-5 small jars with a threaded mouth

• picture hanging wire (18 - 20 gauge works well)

• wire cutters

• tealight candles

Optional:

• beads

• metal charms

• jump rings (for connecting charms)

First, we'll create a basic lantern. After that, extra pretty lanterns :)

Step 1/ To begin, remove the jar lids and clean off any labels or glue from the jars.

Step 2/ Cut a wingspan (approx. 1 meter) of wire for each jar.

Step 3/ Before you begin wrapping, give yourself an excess wire 'tail' like the image above.

Step 4/ Wrap the wire around your jars mouth twice, then twist the 'tails' like a twist tie, securing the wrapped wire to the jar tightly (do not cut your wire yet).

Step 5/ Now we're going to create a handle with the long remaining wire. Lace the long wire under a piece wrapped around the mouth. Since it's wrapped tightly, it works best to poke it through the gap behind your 'twist tie' joint from the step 4.

Step 6/ Drag the long wire so that the handle is half way across the jar. Now pull the wire through until you have your handle the size you want. Form your handle so that it's the shape you like.

Step 7/ Secure the handle in place by feeding the wire around the handle a few times (like you're tying knots around the handle with wire).

Step 8/ Now you can cut off the leftover wire on both sides and press the cut wire tails down so that the sharp parts won't scratch you.

Tip: Since the jar will probably be holding/hanging a lit flame, I always test the handle strength by pulling both sides, making sure it holds strong. 

Pretty!

Repeat Steps 3-8 on your remaining jars and consider adding a few extra embellishments with the tips below.

Once you've got the basic method down, try adding a few extra details to your next lantern! Check out the tips below...

Beads/ When you're at Step 5 (forming the handle), feed a few glass beads onto your wire, then continue with the remaining steps.

Charms/ Using a jumpring, you can add a charm to the wire around your jar. Look through your jewelry box for broken necklaces with charms, odd earrings or your scrapbooking supplies!

Idea/ Layer the bottom of a lantern jar with glass beads, sand, tiny pebbles or other fire safe decorative elements.

Choose a pretty colored tealight (real or battery operated for safety) and dream of where you'll hang or sit your lanterns! xo! LA

DIY: Gift Card Mini Album

A few years ago, I collected pretty gift cards and dreamed up this album :) It's not a sentimental album but it was a fun project and way to track some of my favorite things at that time of my life :)

Looking through my album below, you'll notice that the 'front' of each page is a gift card with a photo related to that store on the back! The cover and back panel are recycled coffee sleeves, and the flower is made of fused plastic shopping bags. I'll show you how to make one too incase you'd like to make this album or adapt it :)

 

How to Make Your Own

You will need: 

- Gift cards that represent stores you love (Tip! If you don't save or have a lot of gift cards, most stores will let you have one of their Gift Cards if you ask permission and explain that it's for a craft project.)

- photos or magazine clippings relating to those stores/gift cards

- a few colored plastic bags (for the fusing diy)

- 1 binder ring (available at office supply stores) or 6" ribbon

- metal fastener or 'brad'

- 1 fun colored nail polish

- hole punch or crop-o-dile tool

- dymo/label maker or stickers

- 2 coffee sleeves

- packaging like hang tags, labels, etc (optional)

- scissors, glue, permanent felt pen

Step 1/ To begin, crop your photos to be a little bigger than your gift cards (gift cards measure 3.5 x 2.25"). Then match your pictures with their corresponding g.c.'s (g.c.=giftcard).

Tip! If you're printing your photos at home, try printing on graph or lined paper. The lines show through a little bit and give the photos a cohesive & cute look :]

Step 2/ With each giftcard & photo pair, apply glue to the entire back surface of the g.c., then attach the g.c. onto the back of the corresponding photo (double check that your g.c. is within the borders of the picture and facing the right way).

Tip! 'Tape Runner Glue' makes projects like this so much easier and cleaner (rather than white glue or gluestick). I recommend the blue tape runner glue (above) from Walmart for $4, with a double refill pack for $4... it's the best deal I've found.

Step 3/ Trim the overhanging photo paper around each g.c. (it's much easier to trim it afterwards rather than trying to line the image up for a perfect fit).

Step 4/ If you'd like to "laminate" your photographs, attach a piece of clear packing tape before you trim the excess, smooth out the bubbles and trim. The packing tape does not need to wrap around the giftcard.

Step 5/ To thicken the coffee sleeve for your covers, open it up, fold inside out to cover the branding, then glue it flat as one piece. Trace a gift card onto two coffee sleeves and cut out; these will become the cover and back panel for your minibook.

Tip! If you' want to add extra pages to record best finds, a dream shopping list, color schemes, etc... make a few extra coffee sleeve pages.

Tip! To incorporate packaging or hang tags in your album, treat the best side like the front of a giftcard page and add an image or magazine clipping to the back (unless the back is just as awesome).

Step 6/ In a few steps, we're going to create a flower for the cover. For the center, I suggest using an old fashion paper fasteners (remember when your teacher used these for the centers of pinwheels, pie charts and colorwheels?). To dress them up a a little bit, apply a few coats of nail polish in your favorite color! It's super durable and a supply you already have on hand!

Step 7/ Punch a hole in the top left corner of one of your g.c.'s, then use that card as a template to draw a hole in the same location on all of your other g.c.'s. Punch out the hole on each card using a regular hole punch or crop-o-dile hole punch.

Step 8/ One of my favorite free craft supplies is fused plastic bags! I learned how to do this from a magazine a few years ago, and haven't passed up a good colorful bag since! Learn how to fuse plastic here (it's easy)!

Step 9/ Freehand or trace 3-5 concentric circles on a fused plastic bag(s). Do it all in one color of plastic or mix a few colors like I did.

Step 10/ Layer the circles smallest to biggest and punch a small hole in the center.

Step 11/ Lay your circles onto the cover of your mini album and poke a small hole where you want the center of the flower. Once the nail polish has dried, attach your flower with the paper fastener and fold back the ends on the other side. Then think of a title that suits your style or album theme and punch it out with a dymo label maker or use letter stickers. Attach it to the cover where it feels right.

Tip! If you'd like your dymo label to reach edge to edge on your cover... add extra spaces on both sides, stick it down then trim the excess off after it's in place... you'll never be short :)

Step 12/ Put your pages in the order you'd like your album to read, line up the holes and feed your binder ring through (if you're using a ribbon, lace it through and tie a bow or knot).

Step 13/ Sign your album on the back cover and you are done!! :)

Feel free to add more pages & g.c.'s to your album over time and write little notes or stories in your album! Leave it on your coffee table or dresser for you and your family & guests to enjoy, it's a fun insight into your personality and some of the things you like!

xo, Leigh-Ann

DIY: Starburst Clock

I love clocks and especially love clocks with personality! Starburst Style clocks appeal to me in many ways but they're usually a little too retro or gold for my style-- so I was excited to try making a new version of the Starburst :) I'd love to see you do the same using the tutorial below!

These clocks were my inspiration! [sources 1 & 2] 

• a biggg handful of wood coffee stir sticks
• all-purpose white glue
• sharp scissors
• working clock with a flat face 

To skip drilling & wiring a clock from scratch, I used a flat pre-made clock with no dimension-- this cappuccino masterpiece was $10 at Walmart. Plus, the clock is ready to hang!

You'll find long wooden stir sticks at grocery stores, restaurant supply stores or ask your local coffee shop if you can buy some from them. Do not use the random wonky/curved sticks.

Step 1/ So that your sticks fit well side by side on the clock surface, you will need to cut a long and sharp point on one end of each stick. Use a pair of scissors (not your favorite pair) and cut towards the tip of the stick (not towards the center... that way is hard to cut). The longer the point the better; aim to shape each stick like a like a sword not a picket fence. Cut 100 to start and make more if needed.

Note: I originally covered the clock with contact paper so that any visible spaces between the wood sticks would blend in easier. You can ignore this step, the second layer of sticks covers any gaps :)

Step 2/ Start gluing a 'row' of sticks with the cut point aiming to the center of the clock (see 1), butting all angled cuts against each other. On the same layer, fill in the large gap between the 'first row' of sticks with another pointy stick (see 2). The sticks point should wedge in between the sticks snuggly-- trim and tweak along the way to help sticks fit better.

Gluing Technique: Apply glue to the clock in sections like a pie, then lay out the sticks and continue to the next 'slice'. For the second layer (see next step), I added the glue to each stick like I was icing a cupcake. The official pie and cupcakes technique ;)

Continue adding glue in 'slices', positioning sticks along the way until you reach your starting point.

Second Layer of Sticks:

Step 3/ For the second layer, you'll do it almost exactly the same as the first layer, but this time, focus on aiming the sticks to cover the gaps from the layer below. I also cut different lengths of sticks so that the starburst would feel balanced and 'bursting'.

Tip: Make sure that the height of your sticks doesn't get too tall for the clock hands to pass.

Now you're ready to hang your clock and enjoy the burst of style it ads to your home or office :) xo, LA

DIY: Arrow Bracelet

Happy New Year everyone :)

Last week I shared a Tie Cuff DIY perfect for the guys in our lives! Today's Arrow Bracelet DIY is a take on oldschool friendship bracelets, but I'm using yarn rather than embroidery thread for a beefier look that works for girls and guys alike! You can use up to 3 colors of yarn and it's really easy to make-- try it with your kids too!

2 or 3 colors of yarn, marker or pen. That's it!

Set-Up/ Measure your yarn to be a wingspan, times two (double the width of your arms stretched like an eagle). If you're making a two color arrow bracelet, you'll need 2 strands of one color and 1 strand of another color (3 color arrow bracelet = 1 strand of each color). Line the 3 long strands up, fold in half and tie a knot at the center-point. Put your yarn colors in the pattern above.

Tip: Instead of pinning your loop to your pants (which ends up tangling in the pin), feed a marker through the loop and hold the marker under your knees or between toes or feet. Sounds weird, but toes works great because you have lots of room for pulling your knots. 

Note: The yarn in the photo above didn't work well because it stretched... so I switched to a more regular chunky yarn below. 
To create the arrow, we're going to work from both outsides towards the center. Visualize a divide down the middle of your bracelet-- that's where your arrow tip will meet each time.

 
Making an Arrow:

Step 1- Take your "Left Main" (left-outside-strand) and tie two knots onto the first strand to the right. Take your "Right Main" (right-outside-strand) and tie two knots onto the first strand to the left.

Step 2- Tie two knots with your left main and right main on the next strand in.

Step 3- Once you're two Main's meet, tie them together twice to complete the Arrow.

Step 4- Repeat steps 1-2-3 with your new Left Main and Right Main. Repeat.

Note: Always tie two knots on each strand; your lines will show up more boldly and you'll see faster progress :)

Step 5/ Continue knotting arrows until you're bracelet fits comfortably around your wrist (with loop). To finish your bracelet off, make 2 braids with your 6 strands so that you can tie the braids through the loop each time you'd like to wear it.

Now you have a fun and easy bracelet, ready to wear! xo, LA

 

DIY: Tie Cuff

Making your own accessories can be so much fun-- especially with vintage materials! I've always loved neckties but I'm not interested in the  Avril Lavigne approach, so I turned a few neckties into cool cuffs for me and my boyfriend :) If you'd like to make a Tie Cuff too, take a look at the 6-Step Tutorial below :) Enjoy!

Necktie (vintage polyester ties work best), Large Snap, Coordinating Button, Thread or Embroidery Floss, Needle, Scissors (pin and fabric were for a different project).

Step 1/ From the wide point/end of the tie, wrap the the necktie around your wrist once. You'll need the tie to overlap where the button/snap will go, plus an inch extra for the raw edges finishing technique (see image above). Cut off un-needed length.

This image shows the approx. length difference between a finished and unfinished cuff.

Step 2/ Fold your ties raw edge under two times and pin in place. Using a matching thread, sew the fold down with a hidden stitch that doesn't go through the tie (if possible).

Step 3 + 4/ Next, sew one half of your large snap under the pointy tip of the tie. Before you cut the thread off, turn your tie over to the good side and sew the button in the same spot as the snap. You can poke the needle through the snaps center hole if you need it to go through, but careful aiming will allow you to sew the button onto the surface.

Tip: Try not to make the snaps stitches too bumpy or thick... it can make it hard to snap it closed.

Tie your thread securely and trim.

Step 5/ Now you can sew the other piece of your snap onto the good side of the tie end. Practice the way it will close before you sew it on, it's easy to attach it to the wrong side or the wrong way (I've done that 3 times).

Step 6/ Primo! Your tie cuff is done and ready to wear!

Silverspoon Windchime (Christmas Gift Ideas)

[Originally posted in early 2010, Style School]

A few years ago, I made my mom a Silverspoon Windchime like this for Christmas :) She hung it above the deck at our family cabin and it chimes a sweet gentle sound when the wind blows :)

Made with recycled supplies, these chimes are an inexpensive way to decorate your garden or patio and they'd make a beautiful and impressive handmade gift for a loved one this Christmas :)

You will need: 1 or 2 silverforks, 5 silverspoons, glassbeads, fishing line, pliers, a file, scrapwood, drill & tiny drillbit

Step 1: Using your pliers, bend the four tines in all four directions like a '+' sign. Start with the outside tine near the base, bending it down then twisting it slightly sideways... do the same with the other outside tine, folding it in the other direction. Then take the 2 middle tines and fold one in each direction (see above image).

Note: Sometimes the tines can break during this step. If this happens, discard the broken fork and use your second fork to try again. If it doesn't break, you have an extra/unused fork.

Step 2: Now we'll reform the tip of each tine into a loop. Doing one tine at a time, I start by folding a 90degree angle upwards.

Step 3: Then take the tip with your pliers and round it towards the forks' center. Next place the folded tine between the pliers (see above)...

and gently squeeze till the loop is formed. Do all four with the loops facing upwards.

Step 4: Using a power drill with a tiny drillbit, drill a hole in the handle of each spoon and the fork. I find it's sometimes easier to drill it upsidedown because the decoration on the front is bumpy. Important: Use a block of wood underneath your spoon so that you can drill through and protect your table surface.

Step 5: Since your windchime will have 5 hanging pieces and your fork only has 4 tines, drill one extra hole above the tines/loops. 

Step 6: File the surfaces of the drilled holes a bit so that sharp edges don't cut the fishing line while it's hanging.

Step 7: My friend taught me a knot that kicks butt! There's two ways to do it, my preferred version is Style 2 (below)... practice doing both ways and choose which one you're most comfortable with.

Style 1 Knot - Cut an arms-length of fishing line. Feed it through the hole and tie a knot, with about 5 inches excess line on the short end. Twist the 2 lines about seven times, then take the short end and feed it through a hole in the twist near the base of the handle. Pull the short tail and the line will gather tightly like a noose. Trim the short end with about 1 inch left (too short=unravels). See Step 11 for Style 2 Knot.

Note: If you just tie lots of normal knots (even LOTS), it will undo itself overtime.

Step 8: Attach an arms-length line to each of your 5 spoons using Style 1 or Style 2 knots.

Step 9: Lace a few beads onto each line and set aside.

Step 10: I put a few extra beads on the spoon that goes in the middle as an accent.

Note: I call the middle spoon The Clanger. For a more interesting clanger, choose a fancy spoon or unique butter/decorative knife-- extra personality :)

Idea: Let your children help with the beads! I made a tiny windchime with each of my twin nieces using mini cutlery. Olivia and Kennedy added the beads, counting out loud and comparing the colors and naming the shapes of each bead (one was called a "wormy" bead and the bent fork was a 'spider'). It was fun to get them involved, and they were really proud to help make something fancy :)

Step 11: Once you've strung your beads on, you're ready to tie each string/spoon onto the fork. Decide how long you'd like the strings/spoons to fall and tie your first string on (using a Style 1 or 2 knot). Then jump across and tie on the next spoon so that a balance is being formed. Then a spoon on each remaining tine. Lastly, your clanger is tied onto the center through the hole... I like to put the clanger a little higher or lower than the rest of the spoons so that it's stands out a bit.

Style 2 Knot is the knot technique I prefer for tying the noose knot (you can use it for all the knots in this project). How: Tie one knot with a 5inch tail. Now create a loop (like you're tying a knot) and wrap the tail around the mainline upwards/towards the fork, approximately 7 times. Pull the short end of the line upwards and your noose knot will be set. Once the noose knot is tight, trim the short tail with about 1 inch remaining.

Tip: The easiest way to assemble your windchime is to hang the fork from something above you so that you can work on the project hanging infront of you. I used the patio umbrella.

Step 12: To finish your windchime, tie an armslength of line to the top of your fork and feed a few of your favorite beads onto the string. Secure the last/top bead in place by lacing the string through the bead again (from the bottom up) so that it doesn't fall off. Your windchime will bring pretty music in the breeze :) 
This is the original windchime I gave my Mom at Christmas and it's patinad nicely & held up really well. This chime has a decorative knife clanger in the middle but on other chimes, I've used a tiny metal teapot (salt shaker), a small ladle or a pretty cut-out pie server.

Hope you enjoy making this special chime :) xo, Leigh-Ann

DIY: Button Collar for your Pet

[Originally posted in early 2010, Style School] I'd secretly always wished that Lola and I looked alike (you know, bowsers.) and I made my wish come true... I made Lola a button collar that matched my yellow & orange glasses! :) I've been making Lola and Tom (my two dogs) button collars for a few years and they hold up surprisingly well & we receive so many compliments at the dog park :) Lola loves hers and but after Tom's puppyhood passed, Keith said he needed something a little more buff ;)

Using buttons & just a few supplies, I'd like to show you a fun & easy way to add personality and style to your pets collar or leash :) This project best suits cats and dogs of any size and is a really fun way to give your sweetie a little flare!

Me and Lola are clearly related!! (Keith custom painted my glasses with my favorite colors... we're planning to do a DIY post together about how you can do this too). Check out our dressed up little family...

Supplies:

Select a nylon pet collar that fits your Cat or Dog (these kind do not work as well, choose the metal buckle kind). You will also need buttons, embroidery thread or strong/thick thread, pointy needle and scissors.

Little Suggestions:

• Pick out buttons in a color scheme that suits you or your pets style.
• Lola's collar took 18 buttons but each collar varies depending on the collar length and button sizes.
• Choose thick/strong buttons, avoiding any with cracks or weak spots.
• If your pet has dark fur, bright buttons look best. For light fur...dark buttons are a hit.
• Try to choose buttons that span the width of the collar or leash (not too much overhang).

1/ Lay the buttons out on the collar so that you can measure the right amount and visualize your pattern and flow :) Be careful not to put buttons over the collar holes or too close to the buckle closure.

2/ Once you're happy with your button choices and layout, slide them off the collar and keep them in a row in front of you.

3/ Cut an embroidery thread the length of your full wing-span (arms out, from hand to hand), then use this technique to avoid tying extra knots; it makes things way easier :)

4/ Start at either end of your collar and begin sewing the buttons onto the front side. I used a long/strong needle so that it was easy to aim & push through the holes.

5/ You will use the same thread to attach the buttons one by one (no need to tie a knot behind each button, that would make the collar weak). If you run out of thread along the way, tie it off as shown here and start a new thread the same way as the step 3. It's important to stitch 3-4 times per button, pulling the thread snug with each stitch (do not yank too hard though).

Tip/ As you continue sewing on your row of buttons, you might find it hard to grip the needle or pull it through tough spots. My solution for this is to use office supply rubber fingertips... it's better than a thimble! (Sometimes I cut one side so it can sit looser on my thumb).

Rubber fingergrips are helpful for any type of stitching or embroidery :)

6/ When your thread runs out or you're done stitching, take half of the thread (3 strands) out of the needle-eye. Leave half in (3 strands). On the backside where your stitching ends, weave the needle under the nylon a little bit (or under a stitch works). Then take the needle off and tie the two threads in 3-4 knots (don't tug crazy-hard, just firmly). Trim the thread tails near the knot. Now go dress up your furry friend, you're a great pet mom (or dady)!

Pet Leash:

Your button leash will be made exactly the same way as the collar, except that it will take more buttons & thread. On my leash, I sewed buttons on one side starting at the clip, heading all the way up to the beginning of the leashes handle loop. If you think your dog will want to chew at the buttons on the leash, then it would be better to start the pattern a little higher so that it's out of your buddies reach ;)

A few collars I've made... (Tom's first puppy collar... we saved it :)

Safety Tip: Please check your pets collar monthly to make sure your stitches are holding up. Lola and Tom's collars start to look beat up after about half a year, then I give them makeovers :)

I'd love to see pictures of your sweet pet wearing your handmade Button Collar-- please share a photo link in the comments (or email me) if you wanna show it off!

xox, Leigh-Ann & the Pups

DIY Hand Stitching, part 2

Last week, I started a DIY Hand Stitching series and began with how to hand stitch your own handwriting. I stitched onto paper and showed a method for transferring the pattern by poking or drawing dots as a guide on the surface. The same technique can be used when stitching a simple pattern onto fabric but when you stitch more than one color or there's a lot of intersecting lines (like these), it's much easier to use a piece of tear away backing. I'll show you how-- it's really neat!

You will need: Fabric (linen, muslin & thick cottons), Needle (i use a #5 Embroidery Needle), Embroidery Thread, Scissors, Pencil, Thumbtack or Piercing Tool, Masking Tape or Low-Tack Tape, Tear Away Backing (available at fabric & sewing stores), Emboidery Hoop (optional)

1> Cut a piece of tear away backing, a bit bigger than your pattern. Trace the border of your shape or place the flat image below the tear away backing and trace the image (the backing is see-through enough).

Tip: For your first time using tear away backing, try a simple silhouette like a heart or banana. We'll work on a more complicated pattern in the coming weeks :)

2> Poke holes along the line(s) of your shape, with the holes spaced 1/4inch apart. At tighter curves, put the holes a little closer together so that the stitches take the curves.

Note: This step is not completely necessary since you can poke through the Tear Away Backing & Fabric at once-- but, I find it improves my stitch spacing when I pre-poke the holes. You can skip this step if you're trying to save time or don't find it helpful.

3> Tape your pattern smoothly onto the fabric. Pay attention to where your pattern will be located if you plan to frame it-- I forgot to do this ;)

4> Begin stitching your pattern, start with my #1 Stitching Technique.

5> Continuous Back Stitch, using the poked holes from step 2 or the drawn lines on your backing as the guide.

6> This is what the back of the project looks like after you knot your thread (I have two knots because I ran out of thread along the way). Remove your tape.

7> Begin tearing away the outside pieces of the backing. Because the stitches create a perforation, it's easiest to tear along the stitches. Work on the inside piece last.

8> Once you've removed the outside pieces, the inside will come off super easy-- it's practically floating inside the stitches. You're not alone if it feels really satisfying to remove this piece... it's the little things ;)

Hope you enjoyed working with Tear Away Backing... we're going to use it again soon on a bigger project! See you next week for Part 3 in the DIY Hand Stitching series :) xo, LA

DIY Hand Stitching, part 1

One of my favorite crafts is hand stitching-- it's fun, addictive, expressive and relaxing :) Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share easy ways to make your own patterns for hand stitching along with some tips and ideas :)

These are some samples of my past projects-- I like to draw patterns freehand and use my handwriting. However, sometimes I adapt clipart type images to make a more complicated pattern, like the sewing machine or I just stitch the outline of an image I love, like the Goonies "Hey You Guys" silhouette :) I use a Back Stitch for all my hand stitching because it's very versatile and I like the look but you can use any combination of stitches for your projects... there's lots of fun ones!

Today, we're going to start with handwriting & transferring your pattern :)

You will Need:

- Card-stock or Thick Paper (I cut a piece of 6x8" card-stock & folded it in half to create a greeting card)

- Needle & Scissors

- Embroidery Thread

- Scrap Paper & Pen

- Thumbtack or Piercing Tool

1> On a scrap paper, write your word at least 10 times. When writing your word, size the font to be at least 2 inches tall at it's highest points, 3 inches is even better for your first project. Pick the best version and cut it out with space around the word.

2> To create your template, use a tack or piercing tool to poke tiny holes along the word.

- As you poke the holes, follow the lines of your word as your guide. 

- Space the holes about 1/4 inch apart. At the tighter curves (like the tops of my h), put the holes a little closer together so that the stitches take the curve & don't look jagged.

- When you reach a crossover on the word (like the first loop on my h), poke the hole right where the two lines overlap/intersect, this will help the stitched version look it's best.

* Protect the surface under your paper with a self healing mat or phonebook.

When stitching onto paper, gently tape the template onto your cardstock before piercing the holes-- then poke the holes through both layers. You can also reuse the word template in the future (or set-up the template in 2 stages) by re-poking holes with your project paper below.

If you are transferring a template onto fabric, you will need to mark your fabric rather than pierce it.

- After poking the holes in your template (step 2 above), secure your pattern onto the fabric with tape or a straight pin.

- Then, with the fabric on a firm surface, use a pen to poke a dot onto the fabric through each hole in the template.

* Test the pen on a corner of the fabric before applying your template, just incase the ink bleeds a lot.

* No need to worry about a special pen or disappearing ink, your pen dots will be hidden by the stitches along the way.

* When choosing everyday fabric to stitch on, I suggest linen, muslin & thick cottons. It is easiest to stitch on fabrics where you can distinguish the horizontal and vertical 'grain' of the fabric.

3> From the back of your project, secure your first stitch with my #1 Stitching Technique.

4> Begin stitching your word using the Back Stitch method (a continuous straight stitch with no gaps).

- Stitch the same path/flow as you do when writing the word (do not jump ahead in your pattern. ie. cross your t's after the base of the letter).

- The poked holes are the perfect guide for your stitches and make it easy to see the next step. Refer back to your template to see the big picture when you are at a crossroads.

- Pull each stitch evenly to create a smooth look in your project but be gentle with your paper, if you pull too hard or rapidly-- it will tear.

- If you tear your paper: undo your last two stitches, tape the torn paper on the back with a tiny piece of masking tape. Press the papers torn edges onto the mask tape and carry on (it will hardly show once the stitches cover it).

5> Attach any embellishments if you'd like. I like using buttons to dot the i's & j's sometimes :)

6> To complete your project, tie it off on the back, see #1 Stitching Technique.

* If you run out of thread as you're stitching, use step #6 to end the remainder. Then, use Step #3 to start the next thread.

You are done! The more you practice, the more your handwritten stitching will look like your actual handwriting :) Try different fonts too, it's lots of fun! xo, LA

Photoshoot Set-Ups, two

Last month I shared set-up tips for a little vingette photo and this month I'm excited to show an easy way to photograph a single item with a pretty base & background. This takes only a minute to set-up and is interchangable with different backgrounds!!

How To:  You will need a roll of wallpaper to create the one piece patterned background; wrapping paper works great too! Find a shelf with room below for a table or chair, near natural light. Drape your paper off the shelf (hold it down with heavy stuff), onto the tabletop or chairseat below and let your remaining roll of paper rest on the floor (no need to cut the paper). Place your object on the paper covered tabletop or chairseat, angle it towards the natural light (turn off your flash) and start shooting :) Viola!!

This is an eye-catching way to feature products in your etsy shop or a themed item for postcards/invitations, blog post photos or the back of your business card :) Enjoy!

[Photos taken in Jill's workspace/Lune Vintage]