kattitudes

Decorated Easter eggs, truly decorated easter eggs are such a treat. I am not talking about those dip them in dye and hope the kids find all of them eggs. I mean real decorated eggs, the kind that you keep around and use the decorate the mantel, the basket on the table and the table by the entry door.

I never remember in time to make truly lovely eggs, so I want to give myself some photos with which to remember to get my decorating done. This is a simple hand painting job, rolled in glass glitter after the painting and ribbons attached.

Even thought Christmas is racing up to us (and how I love this holiday season) with spare time, we can always plan ahead for all the holidays to come.

I have been looking for ways to decorate my out-all-year-long metal tree that holds my Waterford. I have gotten better at finding the perfect thing with which to decorate, and I believe this fits the bill perfectly.

I have two nephews and a soon-to-be niece that will be waiting for Easter baskets from their Auntie Kat, and rather than filling them with chocolate, I have been trying to expand my ideas for what might make it in there (and I think their parents will appreciate a little less candy and a little more fun).

A needlework piece of art like this is a lasting gift that they can keep with them always, and use to decorate their own homes when they get old enough to move out. (The oldest nephew is one year plus some, so I have more than enough time to procrastinate before I get these made for their baskets).

Sachets smell so amazing sometimes, and others, they are simply overwhelming to the senses. This particular sachet pillow has the potential to be too much, so an easy way to limit the scent is to cut the filling lavender with rice.

In other words, sew your simple pillow (this is such an easy pattern that I really do not need to give specific instructions, unless really needed), and fill 2/3 with rice and 1/3 with lavender blooms. When you wish to refresh the lavender scent, toss it in the microwave for a very short period of time. Use care when heating.

This makes a fantastic gift for so many different occasions.

Another thought about these pillows: the scent does not need to be limited to lavender. I have made these with cloves, cinnamon sticks, rosemary and even sage (I love the smell of sage. It reminds me of thanksgiving dinners at Grandma’s house). Pick your favorite spice and use them in place of lavender.

One of the wildest scents I have used is lemon verbena and to this day, I still keep that pillow handy for my naps as I could not bring myself to give away such an incredible smell. Experiment a little and I guarantee that your recipient will love this pillow!

I have always admired those people that are dedicated enough to decorate for each and every holiday. I finally bought myself a fantastic metal structure that I use to display my Waterford crystal ornament collection and I think it is too beautiful to put away after Christmas. So it stays out in my kitchen. I love it but now I pay more attention to ways to decorate it for specific holidays.

When I saw this tree skirt for Easter, not only did I think it would be easy to recreate (well, I do not feel like dying the base fabric to match, so I will probably just go with a pastel) but I absolutely love love the Easter eggs on this skirt…they are fried! That is perfectly lovely to me. This would be easy to duplicate. Now I just need to remember to take the picture to the fabric store so I can pick out enough of the correct felt to make the carrot, bunny and easter egg embellishments.

I was torn between posting these and ignoring the idea. My rule of thumb for posting ideas is to keep to things I would want to receive myself. If I do not want it, I am not going to give it as a gift, because we accumulate enough crap in our lives as it is. Gifts should not add to material possessions, but instead be a thoughtful representation of love you feel for the recipient and your interpretation of the person that they are to you.

So, having made that little philosophical observation, I realize that there are times that I would indeed carry these bags. I think some events call for something a little special.

Having looked and looked at these purses, I can see how to make them. Start with one half of a basic bag shape made from fabric that appeals to you, start at the *bottom* pinning the leaves or petals into a straight line. Using a straight stitch, attach the leaves/petals to the fabric. Then, move up a layer, and pin another line of petals/leaves in place, making sure they overlap the stitch line from the layer below. Once they are pinned into place, stitch that layer in place. Continue in this manner up to the top of the fabric. Repeat this on the second half of the basic bag shape. Once both halves are finished, you can sew the front and back together. Pick a ribbon you like to finish the top of the bag and attach your handle (the method depends on the handles you choose).

The more I think of it, the more I like these purses. I have a fetish for rose items and I can just see making this bag with velvet rose petals to use at Christmas. Oh, I like that!

I know that I posted a similar handbag earlier, but I wanted you to have some different ideas to work with. Get going on this - what an adorable summer bag to use. And Christmas is so right around the corner. This is handles, white fabric, black ribbon and a black flower. I am in love with the black white contrast.

You really do not need a pattern for this, just look at the cut and go. Give it a shot. Those handles are oh so easy to attach and if you wanted, you could just pin the flower on instead of sewing. You can find flowers like that in so many different colors right now. Make matching bags for you and your best girlfriend!

Is this not a fantastic table runner? A long piece of fabric, two tassels, and more wee little ghosties than you can shake a stick at. This year it is my turn to decorate the house while my husband makes the dinner for our annual dinner party. I think that this year - I’m going to whip out a few of these table linens and decorate with them. Little ghosts on the napkins and ghosts under the steaming skulls on the table - wonderful!

As I say so many other times (over and over and over) you are only limited by your imagination on this project. Easter - little eggs. Baby shower - little bunnies. 4th of July next year - small flags or firecrackers. Christmas - obvious. Weddings - rings or flower or hearts. Even St. Patricks Day - shamrocks. Go for it!

I love the colors here - the fabric is too fun. But what a simple purse to kick out for summer fun. I see fabric (obviously), some O rings, and a handle (handles can be purchased in your fabric stores - ask for the sales staff to point them out if needed).

I’ve done purses before and they are really not difficult, but the rewards are so fun. Friends go wild for your handmade purses! I love the selfmade floral accent on this - nothing too difficult.

Try it out this year. The great thing about handbags is that they really are “anything goes” - you can make them out of any insane fabric that you wouldn’t dare try on anything else. But for some reason - we women will carry the strangest things and end up making new friends talking about it. Trust me, I know!

Give it a shot. You don’t have anything to lose, but you will have a lot of coordinating outfits to gain!

I loved this idea, especially in the summer time when nightfall always brings a chill. I love the idea of a nice chiffon scarf or shawl (and have about a kazillion myself!), but to add to the idea, this picture is definitely worth 1000 words.

Run to either your crafts storage or your nearest and dearest fabric supply store and purchase a least 2 contrasting ribbons. Then simply pin in place (so as to keep things nice and straight) and with a running stitch, put the ribbon in permanently in place. Sewing time on a machine would probably be 5 to 10 minutes.

Can you imagine making this with different designed ribbons for holiday treats? A black background with wee little ghosties for Halloween? And what a wonderful idea for a holiday throw. And don’t forget that there is little difference between a shawl and a table runner. You could make a two-fer as Christmas gifts. Hum - now my mind is running. I might be making a stopover at the fabric store this weekend.

Every time that I look at the picture of these votive holders, more variations explode in my mind. They are easy enough to make. Using clear glass, you will need enough holders to spell out whatever word you select. This could be good for any event or any party. Imagine spelling out Happy Birthday.

Now as for the votive holders themselves, you could use glass etching to permanently etch the letters (or words) into the glass. Or you could attach letters to the outside of the votive candle holder or use permanent marker that marks on glass. You could enlarge a favorite font and create a stencil or just glue the cutouts to the votive. You are literally limited only by your imagination on this one. Hey - 4th of July is coming up - America’s Day of Independence - and you could use the opportunity to create the cutest American flag as a wonderful hostess gift!

Remember that when you make (and gift) these votives, the image won’t just dance on the votive glass itself. Imagine what the image will look like projected onto a wall behind/beside this holder. Put little jackolantern faces on it and watch it dance on the wall. click here for more gift ideas