Puppy Pin Cushion

I usually end up going to Victoria's Secret during their semi-annual sale, and one time they were giving away these stuffed puppies.  These puppies are not squishy, they are very firm. 

One day I was sewing, pulling pins out of my traditional tomato pin cushion, and my boyfriend walks over and starts pushing pins into the puppy's head.  Why didn't I think of that!?  It fits way more pins than my old one, and it gives this silly stuffed animal on my desk a purpose.

I also have some safety pins stuck into his head.  (I use them when I thread elastic through a casing)

Im betting this could be done with any really firm stuffed animal. The fabric on the puppy is pretty elastic.  When I pull a pin out, there isn't a very visible hole where the pin once was. I'm guessing its plain cotton, similar to quilting fabric.

DIY Ornaments

I was feeling in the Holiday spirit, so I made some ornaments for all the other sororities on my campus.  Other sororities go caroling during the holidays and give out handmade ornaments, so it seemed like a cute idea to do as well.

I just bought clear glass ornaments at Michael's (which are 40% off this week), fake "snow flurries," and some cute clearance bin ribbon.  

First, I filled the ornaments.  I just used my finger to push the fake snow inside.  It was a little messy, so I put a shallow box underneath as I stuffed.  I filled them about halfway with snow.  Luckily, I had blue paint sitting around, so painted the letters for the other chapters on each ornament.  I let the front sides dry, and then painted another coat of the paint.  On the backs I painted a heart and KKG.

These were so easy to make,  I want to make myself some with maybe beads inside.  It also could look neat if you put water-downed paint inside the ornament.  It could drip down the inside, or you could shake it up for a marbleized look.

Nightstand Makeover

I found this nightstand at a thrift store for less than $10.  I thought it was a steal since it was made with real wood and not particle-board.  It needed some work though.  It was scratched, nicked, and not so pretty in some areas.  

I sanded the nightstand, and filled the imperfections with wood putty. Next, I sanded it again, and rolled on two layers of primer.  I then painted the body grey, and the drawer a pretty periwinkle color.  After looking at it, I freehanded a design on the top with a scribe paintbrush.

The paint was leftover from a sculpture I made, and since the paint was outdoor latex-based paint, it hasn't chipped yet.  

The butterfly print is from my printmaking class, from another student when we had a print exchange.  

Recycled Desktop Organizer Tutorial

I had tins, pencil bags, and drawers with so many writing utensils in my apartment.  I went through them finally, and half of the pens were already dead!  Look how many I still have left!  With all of these, I wanted a better way to organize them, so I made my own desktop organizer.

1.  Gather your materials: used paperboard boxes (cereal, cracker boxes, ect.), Modge Podge or other water-based sealer, scissors, and paper or magazines to cover the the final structure.

2.  Cut the box apart into long rectangles.  (It helps if one of the sides still has a box flap on it.)

3.  Roll the cardboard pieces into cylinders.  If there is an original box flap still attached, it is easier to glue it together.  Glue the pieces together by overlapping.

4.  Trace the cylinders to get sturdy bases.

5.  Cut the base circles out, and glue them to their partner cylinders.  Glue the cylinders together, and then cut out magazine or paper pieces for covering.  To cover, first put Modge Podge on the cardboard, place the image on the glue (making sure to avoid bubbles), and then brush Modge Podge on top of the image to seal it.  Continue until entirely covered.

Here is the another organizer I made.  Now it's so much easier to find a pen.  :)

Vintage Dress Makeover

I bought this dress at Goowill for $2.99.  I liked the soft texture and the print.  I recently got a pinterest account, and found a cute tutorial by Sweet Verbena: link.  It seemed fast and simple, so I tried it out.  

Here is how my version turned out.  I made a dress version instead (mid thigh length) of a shirt, and cut a good foot or so off of the bow. (My fabric is stiffer than hers.)  I think I want to change the straps to a lighter color, like a light pink or a cream to make it seem more feminine.    

BTW: I promise the dress is even on the bottom hem, its just hanging funny.  lol