The fine ladies at Prudent Baby asked me to do a guest post on what a brand new sewer should have in her beginner sewing kit. And I thought that you might want to read it too.

When you’re starting out as a beginning sewer you really just need the basics and that’s good because my crafting space is city-condo-cramped. Head on over to Prudent Baby to see what I think you should put in your Bare Minimum Beginner Sewing Kit. And do let me know if I forgot anything, will you?

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and if you’re like me, you want to show you truly care with some DIY. I just featured a countdown on my Facebook page with five free gift tutorials and some adorably romantic wrapping. If you missed it, don’t fret – I’ve got them all right here.

• Recycled ring holder tutorial is perfect for jewelry lovers
• Kids will love this heart pocket bracelet to carry all their candy and valentines
• Does your sweetie like sweets? Try this easy but decadent toasted coconut chocolate dessert
• Make coffee lovers a monogrammed coffee insulator
• Music lovers will love these vinyl record picture frames for their home or office
• Wrap it all up with this adorable vintage-inspired kissing couple box

What are you making for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? Tell me all about it in the comments below or tweet me a picture.

So I asked and you told me about all the creative ways you’d use 11 yards of handmade red and white heart ½’’ double fold bias tape made with my trusty Simplicity Bias Tape Maker. Melissa Gerbrandt-Heath would use it on homemade bunting or candleholders. Kendyl Black would sew a terry cloth cover up, and Dawn Herman says she’d use it to edge her potholders.

One of my favorite suggestions was from Leigh Wood who’d make Valentine’s Day boxers for her husband — hubba hubba. Ashley Owen Brundage, Danelle Facer, Jenn Mauermeyer and Shelley Marie Luchansky Ebinger all plan to make clothes for their daughters, and you know I’m a sucker for daughters. I love all of these great ideas and I’d love to see all of your finished projects (tweet your pics to me or post on our Facebook wall!), but we’ll leave it up to the giveaway winner to decide how she’ll use it.

Congratulations to winner Amy McGill! Amy who was randomly selected from 168 entries by Rafflecopter plans to use the bias tape to make a Valentine’s Day apron, and I can’t wait to see it. Send me your address, Amy, and your 11 yards of heart-shaped bias tape goodness will arrive shortly!

Thanks to everyone who entered and be sure to check back soon for my next giveaway. It has something to do with chalkboard fabric, yeah, go figure…

This free printable Valentine’s Day card was inspired by vintage piano sheet music that I found in a Brooklyn antique store. I bought the sheet music thinking they might make nice wedding save-the-dates or wedding cards someday.

I tucked the vintage sheet music away in my crazy crammed craft closet and just recently re-discovered it (funny how that works). And I’ve never been a particularly mushy Valentine’s Day person but the lyrics really hit a (ahem) note: “Just because you’re you, that’s why I love you. Just because you’re you, what more can I say?”

I scanned it in, retouched it, turned it into a red-backed card and added “For My Love” notes with red hearts on the front.

Perfect for printing out for your Valentine’s Day love.

WANNA MAKE IT? Free printable Valentine’s Day card template, step-by-step instructions and supply list –>

Continue reading “Valentine’s Day Card from Vintage Sheet Music {free printable}” »

Etching glass. What a cool DIY way to recycle those generic glass vases from floral deliveries into something that ends up looking pretty darn elegant. And I’m sharing my free monogrammed printable glass etching template (PDF) template with you so you can make your own.

This free glass etching template is a monogram inside a circle surrounded by little circles that suggest the sun.

I liked the idea of etching it all in reverse so the glass etching wraps around the vase from the front to the back with stripes on top and bottom to add a little more charm.

While I’ve seen how to etch glass before this was my first time doing it DIY. I followed Marie’s etched glass pans tutorial at Makes and Takes and with the exception of a few missed spots that I had to re-do (and apparently large areas can be tricky to do by hand) it was pretty easy all around.

This monogrammed etched glass is a great DIY gift idea – Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, wedding engagements, birthdays…

I had almost tossed my old glass vases in the Goodwill pile but I’m glad the packrat in me paused. Now I’m eyeing other Plain Jane glass around my house to see what I can etch up next.

WANNA MAKE IT? Free monogram template, step-by-step tutorial instructions and supply list for making my etched glass monogrammed vase craft idea –>

Continue reading “How to etch a glass vase and free monogrammed DIY glass etching template” »