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This is a call out for help from all those craftier than I.
I have cross-stitched the names of each of my neices and nephew in various styles of letters based on their age, gender and general interests. I want to give them to the kids to put as name plates on their doors when they move to their new home in a few month. I was wondering if anybody had (simple and inexpensive) ideas for mounting them. What could I put them on to make them look attractive. I have a broad ribbon that I could use, but the ribbon that I have doesn't match two of them so I would have to go find another color to finish those. Help!!
Posts: 340 | Registered: Mar 2003
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The local craft store sells a sticky board that can be used as a matte. You can cut the cross stitch fabric, stick it to the board, then just glue some ribbon around the raw edges to finish it off. Add some long ribbon to hang it from the door knob.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Thanks for the ideas. I hadn't even thought of matting it. We have equipment here to do that and lots of people around here know how to do it who could help me out.
In a few weeks, I'll be able to go to a craft store so I'll look around. Thanks for the suggestions!
Posts: 340 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I buy 1/4" thick foam core at Hobby Lobby for about $2 a sheet (24x36" size), which I can cut to size with a utility knife. I make most of my ornaments by sewing a coordinating fabric to the reverse side in a pocket, slipping a piece of foam core in the middle, and whipstitching the opening shut. Then I get 1/4" ribbon to cover the seams and act as a hanger.
I also use the same foam core for framed pieces and pin the fabric into the edges with sequin pins.
I won't use the sticky-faced boards (EZMat?) anymore because I discovered that the adhesive discolors my fabrics once they've been mounted. This usually takes some time (like a couple years), but I have a piece I mounted about a year and a half ago done on antiqute white linen that was icky cream within 6 months. And I've never smoked or allowed smoking in my home so I'm certain that's not a factor. That was my last adhesive board mount.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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At least make sure they're acid-free. Otherwise use glue or staples on the underside, depending on how thick it is. Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Anybody make anything for their mom for Mother's Day?
I sewed a purse for my step-mom. She loves dolphins so I found this pretty dark teal placemat at the home store for $2.99 and cut out a purse from it. I printed out clipart of a leaping dolphin then traced it onto tear away stabilizer. Ironed the stabilizer to the bottom of the purse, so the dolphin is leaping out from the bottom right hand corner. I then used seed beads to outline the dolphin as well as some stylized waves of water using dark teal beads for the dolphin and light blue for the water.
I just finished putting it all together - black satin lining and a bamboo handle. If I had my birthday present yet I'd show it to you (I'm getting a new digital camera from my hubby but it isn't here yet.) At any rate, I'm rather proud of it. It's the first time I've made a purse with the purchased handles, I usually make my own handles from excess fabric, but the placemat wasn't big enough for that. I like the way it looks. Little bit extra work, but I think I will do more this way in the future. The only drawback - the handles cost $4.99, plus $1.99 for the D-rings to attach them so they were a lot more expensive than the material!
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I'm so excited about what we're making for Mother's Day.
I teach 1st-5th grade sunday school, and all of us are doing this project for our mothers. (As much fun as the project has been, I don't think I'll do it again...tons more prep work than I thought it would be). I will however do this myself again. It's been a kick coming up with ways to improve it.
Over the past few weeks, I've been taking pictures of the kids in my class, then cropping them in Photoshop to 2.5x2.5, printing them out, then punching them out with my 2.5" circle punch. I've got about 5 or 6 of each child's face with different facial expressions. Silly, mad, surprised, smiling, relaxed, that sort of thing. The kids will pick out their four favorites and glue them to cardstock flowers I cut out a couple of weeks ago (I use Fiskar's Shapecutter with a template). They'll take another flower and a blank circle cardstock center (cut with my 2.5" punch), write something they love about their mom in the middle, then glue the center to the second flower. The picture flower will get taped to a short chenille stem that is wrapped with florist tape to a ballpoint pen (I've been doing these up while sitting in front of the TV...just have 40 more to go...). The Mom Sentiment flower will get glued to the back side of the picture flower, sandwiching the chenille stem. They'll make four picture flower pens for their moms, then put them in paper mache flowerpots we decorated last week, that I'm going to fill with beans tonight and cover over with tulle to make sure they don't fall out before they get home.
In the end, they'll have a small bouquet of picture flower pens in a flowerpot pen holder. So far, they're turning out adorable -- I knew one of my kids wouldn't be there this weekend, so I did her pens up as a prototype. I was really proud of how they turned out.
I'm going to make one for my mom with all of the grandkids for the faces. Once I have my mom's done, I'll take a picture and post it. I'm planning to decorate her flowerpot decopaging bleeding tissue paper. I think it will end up looking like stained glass, then I'll heat emboss butterflies in glitter over the top of that. I think it'll look really cool.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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That sounds beautiful, Belle! Sheesh, I feel lame now for just going the flowers-and-card route, but the holiday kinda snuck up on me and now I don't have time to make anything.
Posts: 957 | Registered: Aug 2002
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I crocheted big thick twin-bed sized Afghans for my Mom and Mother-in-law. It takes a while to make a big thick Afghan, and twice as long to make two.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I think it would be neat, we live in a wooded area, so having one tree that can look back at you will add flavor.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I finally got the picture of the purse I made for my stepmother online. Here it is.
The color is not quite right - the material was lighter and more green than in that picture but because it had a sheen to it it was hard to capture the exact color.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I'm in a polynesian dance class, and decided for a memorial day project to make my own poi balls -- two long, and two short. I have tons of yarn just lying around, so the rope part of it is almost completely done. Today my teacher's gonna show me how to make the ball part.
Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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