Chevron Decor with the Plaid Simply Screen #simplyscreen @plaidcrafts

I was recently given the opportunity to review the new Plaid Simply Screen Silk Screen Kit.  This review had me extremely excited!  This kit allows you to make your own silk screens from printed or even hand drawn images.  I dove into my box ready to craft...

 The kit itself comes with 3 size screens, ink, tray, sponge, squeegee, the light and box -- everything you need to get started.  The folks at Plaid also sent me refill screens and ink. 

I don't know about y'all but when I open a box the kids are all around waiting to see what goodies are inside.  As soon as I pulled out the kit, I knew what my first project was going to be.  My son spied a skull and sword t-shirt design on the side of the box.  He had to have it.  :)  So I started my crafting there.  I printed out an image from the net on the paper in my printer. 

Note:  You do not need to reverse your image with this kit and you do not need to use transparencies.  After my experimenting, however, I would look for a lighter weight paper for my next round of crafting.  I believe it would make the images sharper. 

Please if you buy this kit, read all of the instructions and follow them exactly.  But the basics are that you put your image and screen in the light box for 25 minutes.  You them submerge in water and rub until your image is revealed.  My first skull and sword design was pretty basic and worked fairly well.  There were a few edges that were not as sharp as I had hoped.  But I continued on with screen printing.  I found that the ink worked best if I pulled down, right, and left.  The kit actually said to only pull down.  After three shirts, I had my ink application technique down pat.  Plus I had one happy boy....

So I moved on to projects for me.  I picked a fairly detailed mason jar design next.  I followed my previous steps exactly.  Using the same methods to put the paper in the light box, tape it down, expose it, then rub under water.  The detailing on the mason jar came out...how should I say...rustic.  It was good in spots, other spots lifted that should not have lifted, some spots did not lift that should have came off.  It was NOT a perfect screen by any means.  Detailed designs just do not seem to work with this particular kit.  But I did not give up.  My next screen, I used a basic chevron pattern on the largest screen available.  Again following the instructions.  Overall the screen came out very well.  There were a few lines that were not as sharp as I had hoped.  But I continued on with my projects.  First up, a white stocking for $1 purchased at the Dollar Tree.

I applied my screen taping around the edges so it will not move.

I then applied my red ink.  As you can see, the screen only covers a portion of my stocking.  I moved the screen after completing one area until the entire stocking was chevron!

I loved the result and this was definitely a very easy way to get that chevron look.  

So I decided to go for more!  I have yet to jump on the chevron bandwagon.  But I thought a touch of chevron would be tons of fun in my home.  So I found this pillow cover at the Dollar Tree for $1.  It is a tone on tone gray stripe.    

So I used my chevron screen again (yes you can use these screens over and over and over).  I made a subtle white chevron pattern all over the pillow cover.

From certain angles the effect is so subtle you can hardly see it, from others it is bolder.  This is exactly what I had pictured in my head!

The perfect non-traditional addition to my traditional bedroom.

My take on the Plaid Silk Screen Kit:

• I believe this product has tons of potential.
• It does have a learning curve before you are going to be able to master this one. 
• Overly detailed designs are probably not going to come out how you planned.  I hope Plaid works on this aspect some more and comes up with a solution.
• Product is available at Hobby Lobby for about $40 for the kit.  In comparison with the competitors, this is a very reasonable price.  If you are going to buy this and try it out, I would recommend picking up a package of refill screens along with your kit.  It may take you 2-3 screens before you get the hang of creating a screen.
• Ink takes a very long time to dry on fabric (24 hours).  And you have to wait 72 hours before hand washing.  I mention cause I am not a patient person.  :)
• Screen has to be exposed in the light box for a full 25 minutes.  Again if you are not a patient crafter be prepared.
• You cannot expose the screens to light before placing them and your design in the light box.  This means working in a dark barely lit room.  I got the hang of it after just a bit.  
• Screens come in three sizes: 6.7 in x 8.4 in, 6.7 in x 9.2 in or 7.5 in x 10.2 in.   So the largest screen is not even a full size sheet of paper.  I handled this by moving the screen around my project and using it multiple times.  
  
  
  
  Overall I loved playing around with this kit and got some great projects out of it.  With a few improvements, this could be a really great product.  Right now if you have a simple design that you need to reproduce multiple times, this kit might just be for you!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Visit the rest of the ladies reviewing this product and get their take on it!
Plaid sent me the product to review.  All opinions and ideas are 100% mine!

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Autumn Pillow from a placemat

I have an infatuation with the super easy placemat pillow.  I made one here and here...and guess what?  I am at it again!  This time an autumn pillow from a placemat...a super simple 5 minute craft that you will love... 

You will need a placemat, seam ripper, and poly-fil.  And something to sew closed the opening you are going to make.  You could even hot glue it if this pillow is just for looks. 

I got my placemat at Big Lots.  It was on sale for $2.30.  :)  Now that is a budget friendly pillow! 

Use your seam ripper to make a hole in one side.  Just big enough to stuff your pillow through...

Start stuffing with poly-fil until you like the way it looks... 

Then just sew your opening closed with your sewing machine or by hand.  Or use some hot glue...I won't tell... 

To make a pillow with this much detail from scratch would take hours.  This craft will take you 5 minutes but you can impress all your friends with your craftiness... 

These are cheap and easy enough -- you can have one (or more) for every season!  Get to the store and pick out your placemats today! 

Posted on Met Monday on Between Naps on the Porch.

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~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

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Courdoroy Pillow from a JACKET!

Okay to me a courdoroy pillow SCREAMS fall!!  So I just had to try one out.  Then I saw this courdoroy jacket for $2.50 at the thrift store.  Deep dark chocolate brown!!  Oh yes...my victim was choosen.  I turned that jacket into a courdoroy throw pillow..with a pocket and buttons I might add...

I snapped a few pics for a tutorial but there is a major flaw.  The directions totally depend on your jacket.  So I scrapped the tutorial.  Instead I am going to give some hints to get you started.  I wanted to keep one pocket and the two buttons.  Decide FIRST what you want to keep. 

My jacket was flaired -- the waist was smaller than the rest.  I found it easiest to make those seams straight fromthe very beginning.  I literally went one seam at a time.  Starting with the left, then the bottom, then the right, and finally the top.  I worked with the pillow form I was going to use.  Use lots of pins to mark where you are going to sew.  The last seam I sewed the pillow INSIDE...how you ask??  Those magic buttons...

Oh yes they still open up!  They are the opening to get my form in and out.  Now isn't that clever??  So after I sewed my last seam.  I unbuttoned my coat, took the form back out, turned the cover right side out, and put the form back in!!

The back is not near as fancy.  Just some straight seams that were already on the jacket...

I heart my new little pillow!!  This one is definitely NOT a no sew project.  And might give a beginning sewer hives.  But I know y'all can do this!

But I bet you will never look at a jacket the same way again!!



Posted at Get Your Craft On on Today's Creative Blog.

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~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

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Dye Fabric with Tea {A Thriftstore Pillow Makeover}

I found a gorgeous creamy white pillow at the thrift store!  It has a gorgeous quilted front and I loved it!!  But I wanted it to be a deeper cream color.  So I used tea to dye the fabric.  Yep a thriftstore pillow makeover just for you!  Here it is all finished and on my bed...

This is the before picture.  Okay this was soooo hard to capture the effect in pictures.  But I will attempt to explain...

First of all this is a PILLOW not a pillow cover.  And I wanted to dye it with tea.  So I made my tea using two tea bags.  And swabbed it right on my pillow using a few wadded up paper towels.  Scientific method I know.  I let it sit for a bit (5 minutes or so) then threw the entire thing in the wash.  Worked like a charm!!

The final effect is a darker, creamier color.  Oh and just look at that stitching...can you see the tea stain in this picture??  Maybe a little??

I think you can really tell if you compare the stark white of the roll pillow with the creamy color of the thriftstore pillow behind it.  Tea...that is all it takes!  And you have that in your cabinet!!

Want further info on the other pillows on my bed??

Monogrammed Burlap and Lace Pillow

Roll Pillow covered in lace in the front

Vintage Blue and White striped pillow

So this was my first tea dye adventure and I see many, many more in my future!!

Posted at Show and Tell on Romantic Home.

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~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

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Make your Own Pouf { Ottoman }: HINT - Coffee Sack Home Decor!!

I did it!!  I made my own pouf -- aka ottoman!  Now you can make your own pouf too!  The Nester blogged about em a while back and made me think "hey I could make that".  Then my better homes and gardens magazine came...oh yes...a pouf with INSTRUCTIONS on how to make your own!! 

Image courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

They suggested making one with burlap.  Wellll...I have a ton of burlap coffee sacks.  Seemed like the ideal project don't ya think??  So here she is....

Side story...I was almost done with her....loving every minute of it and dreaming of it being in my living room.  My son walks in...gasps...and says "is that for me??"  Course I said yes.  And I am sure it will wind up in his room before long...sigh...good thing they are easy enough to make more!!

I am not going to recreate a tutorial here.  Seriously Better Homes and Gardens does a fab job and the instructions are clear and easy to follow.  Print em out and get to work!

I will give ya a few pointers..or lessons learned.  If you are using coffee sack...don't wash em.  Sigh...they don't wash well and make a mess of your washer...lesson learned...you get the benefit!

I double stiched each seam on my sewing machine.  Call me safe if you wish.  I did the straight stitch as the instructions called for then went right back with a zig zag stitch right next to it.  Both with upholstry thread.  Then you also hand stitch for decoration at the end.  Seriously it seems ultra strong!!

Save your fabric scraps!!  Most of the stuffing (about 2/3) is just whatever you have lying around.  That really makes this project ROCK!!  And it works great!!  You still need the EXTRA large bag of stuffing from Wal-mart.  But the scraps will save you a bundle!  Plus you put your scraps in the bottom/middle.  So it makes the bottom heavier which makes it stable when you sit on it.  Awesome I am telling ya!!  Works like a charm!

I used three full size coffee sack for my pouf.  It took most of them to make it.  The rest got stuffed inside! :)  I used various pieces...love the graphics and colors!!  You can absolutely go plain burlap...or any fabric...and yes I have more pouf plans swimming in my head!!

I have a lot of other projects I need to tackle in the living/family room but this piece is a perfect addition for the vibe I want!!

Rustic, interesting, yet comfy!!

I even used one piece that already had a hole in it!!  The pattern is fully lined with an OLD sheet!!  :)  Love that!!  So rustic holes are TOTALLY allowed!! 

Download your instructions and patterns from Better Homes and Gardens today!!  I can tell you from experience....you can do this!!

Are you ready to jump on the pouf bandwagon??

Posted at Transformation Thursday on The Shabby Chic Cottage.

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~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

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DIY Pillow from a Placemat -- all for $2!

I know you have seen a placemat pillow floating around the net somewhere right?  I made one before waaaay back when! :)   I still love that one BTW!  When I ran across a placemat at Big Lots for $2 that was GORGEOUS!  I decided to DIY a pillow from a placemat! 

See this $2 placemat...both sides are gorgeous!  And those colors....perfect living room match!!  We need to talk pillows a minute.  I make lots for my family room and some may look like they are not to be used by snot nosed kids.  My theory is, I put $2 into this pillow, let the snot fly!  When it is too nasty to take it anymore, I will make another one and toss this one!

These are seriously the easiest thing EVA!!  You just use your seam ripper to make yourself a hole in one edge.  Enough to get your stuffing in there is all you need.  Then just stuff and sew that little hole back up.  So flippin easy!!

Okay that side above is def my fave!!  But the other side doesn't look shabby at all...

I heart my new $2 pillow!!  And will continue to heart it until someone rips it or spills something on it...then it will be on to the next pillow!

So let your kids use your "company" pillows -- it will be okay!

Posted at Get Your Craft On on Today's Creative Blog.

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Linking to Tackle it Tuesday on 5 Minutes for Mom.
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~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

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Burlap and Lace Pillow Tutorial

Did y'all see my guest post on The CSI Project??  I looooove burlap -- but you know that right??  So when I saw burlap week on the list...I did not pause for a second before volunteering to guest post!  So let's combine some burlap and lace for a rustic yet elegant farmhouse pillow cover! 

The graphics on the front could of course be anything you wish...for me I decided to show off the fact that we live on a farm! 

First of all let's work on the burlap portion.  My pillow cover measures about 17 x 17 and I started with a 10 x 10 inch square of burlap and some fray check.  You can get fray check at Wal-mart or any hobby store.  It is not expensive and it sure does the job!

The first thing I did was to pull out pieces of burlap all around the edges to get a frayed edge.  I pulled 5 strings around each side -- the amount is up to you and how much fray you want.  Then just use your fray check liberally all around that outside edge.  After it dries it does not affect the color.  However you can use the fray check on the back of your square if you are worried about it.

I then used my silhouette to design and cut out my graphics.  I use little pieces of tape to hold in the middles of my letters.

I heart the way white paint looks on burlap!  Stenciling on burlap is not an exact science -- all those bumps leave some room for your paint to run.  But I love the way it turned out!

And the area where I used tape to hold in the letter middles, I touch up by hand with a small brush.

Now while that is drying, let's talk about the "lace" portion!  I love this fabric...love!  I have used it in several places in my bedroom. 

I just cut one looong strip.  Enough to cover the front and back of my pillow plus some overlap for an envelope closure.  Make it the width of your pillow plus a seam allowance.  I then marked with pins where the "front" of the pillow will be -- top and bottom.

Then once your burlap piece has dried, center it on the front area of what will be your pillow and pin in place.

I used a fancy stitch on my machine to go all the way around the burlap piece.  A straight stitch will work fine. 

Sew around all 4 sides.

Now to make your pillow cover, you just have to hem both ends.   Then fold your long piece on the pins from up above where the right sides are in (so burlap to the inside!).  Sew up both sides of the pillow cover.  And flip right side out through your envelope closure.  Stuff in your pillow form.

Then enjoy the great pillow cover with an awesome contrast in texture!

I love different textures combined into one!  

Gorgeous lace accents that are store bought... 

You can change the front graphics to anything your heart desires.  Perhaps a silhouette?  A fleur de lis?  A bird?

Go ahead and stalk your fabric store for some lacy goodness so you can make your own!

Posted at Show and Tell on Romantic Home.

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Linking to Catch as Catch Can on My Repurposed Life.

Posted at friday fun finds on kojo designs.

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Posted at the Weekend Wrap Up on Tatertots and Jello.

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Entering the Canvas Corp's Burlap Contest!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

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