It only took me 8 years to realize I should do something to protect the chairs on my front porch from rain and winter snow unless I want to keep making my chairs over every two years or so.
That is not a difficult thing to do. But I’d rather spend that time working on a new project, like helping our girl Lacey become a balanced and confident dog. That project gives kisses!
My chair projects do not give me kisses.
Sad Lisa
Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Drop Cloth Patio Chair Covers
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11/03/2013 12:54:00 PM
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Thursday, October 31, 2013
Highball Halloween Party!
Happy Halloween!
Today is one our favorite holidays because it is all about frivolous fun. I got my costumer on and made a rare set of matching costumes for Husband and I to wear to this year’s Highball Halloween party. We were Raving Rabbids!
I’m glad I made our full length Rabbid suits from fleece. It was freezing that night!
Today is one our favorite holidays because it is all about frivolous fun. I got my costumer on and made a rare set of matching costumes for Husband and I to wear to this year’s Highball Halloween party. We were Raving Rabbids!
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!
I’m glad I made our full length Rabbid suits from fleece. It was freezing that night!
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10/31/2013 08:00:00 AM
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Monday, August 12, 2013
How to Make a Front Car Seat Protector
Husband came home from running on the trail in one of our city parks on a recent hot day. I jumped into the car after he used it and OH. MY. GOD.
Now I understand why dogs hang their heads out of open car windows.
This doesn't happen to Husband because both Lacey and I always smell like flowers after a workout.
Now I understand why dogs hang their heads out of open car windows.
This doesn't happen to Husband because both Lacey and I always smell like flowers after a workout.
To his credit, Husband tries to cover the car seat with a trash bag he has stashed in the trunk. Well, until I toss the fetid mess and decontaminate the trunk and car. Rinse. Repeat.
Old towels don't work either. I need something that absorbs but has a barrier to protect the car seat and is washable. Washable is a MUST.
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8/12/2013 01:19:00 PM
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
12 Red, White, and Blue Patriotic Summer Decor Ideas
Memorial Day kicks off my favorite season - summer! Woo hoo!
Husband and I have an even better reason to celebrate this year. Good friends will visit us from Germany that weekend. What better way to welcome our friends to the United States and celebrate Memorial Day (and pre decorate for the Fourth of July) than with patriotic red, white, and blue decor!
I like to hang banners and garlands on my porch rails. I like the texture of Uncommon Designs burlap flag banner and how it will work in a variety of decorating styles.
Husband and I have an even better reason to celebrate this year. Good friends will visit us from Germany that weekend. What better way to welcome our friends to the United States and celebrate Memorial Day (and pre decorate for the Fourth of July) than with patriotic red, white, and blue decor!
I like to hang banners and garlands on my porch rails. I like the texture of Uncommon Designs burlap flag banner and how it will work in a variety of decorating styles.
Photo courtesy of Uncommon Designs
I also like the stripe detail on Sweeter than Sweets star garland. Can you believe she made it out of paint chips?
Photo courtesy of Sweeter than Sweets
I'm tucking Better Homes and Gardens red, white, and blue bunting into the Idea Center of my mind (AKA Lisa's Kooky Idea Center if you listen to how Husband describes it which you probably shouldn't because Condo Blues is not his blog. It is mine.) Every summer when I finally remember to buy porch bunting it is too close to the Fourth of July and the stores are sold out. Their project is an incentive to use some of the fabric in my stash to make it.
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Friday, November 30, 2012
How to Make Doctor Who Dalek Potholders
Husband is a great guy. He puts up with living with DIY projects
in process more than he likes (note: he hates it,) while also encouraging me by bringing home odd things for me to “do
something with” because “you are creative” and “they were just going to throw
it out. You can make it useful again.”
If there is anyone on my gift list who deserves a homemade
Christmas gift it is Husband.
My guy likes to cook. He likes Doctor Who (because
he has excellent taste in science fiction).
He also likes to keep his fingers from burning off around the stove. Homemade
Dalek potholders? Perfect!
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11/30/2012 08:00:00 AM
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
32 Gifts for Crafters and DIYers
I asked a bunch of my favorite craft and DIY bloggers what cool gifts for women they received or are on their gift list. While we all agreed gift cards to our favorite home
improvement and craft stores are always winners, sometimes the people in our lives are looking for new and unique gift ideas because they have gone to the gift card well a little too often.
Ironically, most of the gift ideas we talked about I've gotten or given as gifts myself. True story.
Gift Ideas for a Quilter
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11/08/2012 02:53:00 PM
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Monday, October 22, 2012
Schoolhouse Rock Costumes
Around here Halloween is ALL about the costume. I keep a running
Halloween costume idea list in my head of unique and slightly out there costume
ideas.
Last Halloween Husband and I went a Halloween party. The
theme was Childhood. After mulling over the costume possibilities, I realized I
had the perfect costume on my Halloween costume idea list. It’s something I’ve
been wanted to build for a long time School House Rock's Bill from Capital Hill! Husband got in on the School Rock costume action too.
He was the Engineer from Conjunction Conjunction.
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10/22/2012 11:58:00 AM
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Monday, October 8, 2012
25 DIY Superhero and Villian Costumes
Confession time. With superhero movies hitting the theaters, nephews who like superheros, and needing an escape from last summer's canine cancer battle Husband dabbled a bit in his childhood comic book hobby with an electronic subscription (much cheaper, greener, and he has access to comics published before, during, and after the time he spent all of his childhood paper route money on comic books.)
And he brought me along for the ride.
I had to read the paper books he kept from kid hood to save my marriage.
Are any of you buying that?
I thought not.
Since it is in our backyard, Husband and I got our geek on at the Mid-Ohio Comic Con 'cause you know how we aretotal sci fi nerds, into supporting local events.
Husband got into talking to the comic book artists he admired and collected. As a former costumer, I got into the cosplayers - the patrons who created and dressed up as their favorite characters from TV, movies, books, and video games. The detail on some of the costumes is amazing. Others were cheesy on purpose - my wacky sense of humor admires that too.
If you are looking for Halloween costume inspiration, this is the place to be.
And he brought me along for the ride.
I had to read the paper books he kept from kid hood to save my marriage.
Are any of you buying that?
I thought not.
Since it is in our backyard, Husband and I got our geek on at the Mid-Ohio Comic Con 'cause you know how we are
Husband got into talking to the comic book artists he admired and collected. As a former costumer, I got into the cosplayers - the patrons who created and dressed up as their favorite characters from TV, movies, books, and video games. The detail on some of the costumes is amazing. Others were cheesy on purpose - my wacky sense of humor admires that too.
If you are looking for Halloween costume inspiration, this is the place to be.
Hero Costumes
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10/08/2012 08:30:00 AM
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Sunday, September 23, 2012
Fall Drop Cloth Garland
This year I’m going with more autumn fall decorations for
our porch instead of Halloween garlands and ghouls. I’m also trying to use what
I have on hand with a few little extras here and there. Not only is that greener
and cheaper but it will also help me clear a bit of leftover the fabric I have
stored in my craft room from my costuming days. High fives all around!
I like the garland décor I see all over Pinterest. I think
strings of orange pennant flags over the windows and door will be festive. To
tie the bunting flags in with the drop cloth house flag I made, I moved into an urban country chic decorating direction (I hope) and made a cloth garland from the leftover orange and drop cloth fabric. Waste not and all that.
If you are looking for a plastic free decorating idea, this
one’s for you!
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9/23/2012 03:46:00 PM
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Friday, June 15, 2012
Bandana Tablecloth
When I mention my love of cloth tablecloths and napkins (I
never run out of either. I just do laundry!), one of the first objections is
usually the expense. Especially if you have children who frequently spill things,
which mean you need more tablecloths and napkins while the spoiled set is in
the wash.
Photo courtesy of My Insanity
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6/15/2012 09:18:00 AM
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Monday, June 11, 2012
Tie Dye Drop Cloth Shoes
I lived in black cotton Chinese Mary Jane shoes in high
school because:
China flats in a cute color since I don’t need black as part of a uniform anymore and I’m trying to stick to my One Small Green Change of only buying shoes that fit.
- I also wore them for my color guard uniform.
- China flats are one of the styles that always fit my weird kid sized feet and don’t give me blisters.
I dyed these shoes
with a Tulip Tie Dye Kit. (affiliate link)
It was easier and less messy than that fussy stuff in a bucket.
I didn’t anticipate how hard it was going to be to find a
pair of China
flats! I finally bought a new pair off eBay for $2.99. The price is right but
the color is a bore.
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6/11/2012 08:44:00 AM
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Thursday, April 19, 2012
9 Sneaky Green Ways to Save Money
I always struggle when it comes to writing an Earth Day post
because everyday is Earth Day around here.
The funny thing is, back when I was a newlywed and in Newlywed Saving Mode most of the things we did and still do to save money are green, only back then green was a color, not a movement.
Frankly, my mind is more on trimming
the fat from our family budget to pay for Blitzkrieg’s medical bills, and
rebuilding our emergency fund which keeps getting knocked back after last year’s Back Luck Summer.
A conversation with my newest sister in law Mrs J2 last
weekend lit the CFL light bulb of inspiration over my head. (What other kind of light bulb would expect to go off over my head? An energy wasting incandescent? Pea-shaw!)
She and her new husband (I never get tired of saying that. I’m
a gushy romantic - sue me.) are in Newlywed Money Saving Mode. I started kicking
around ideas with her from Condo Blues. She politely said she wasn’t into the green
thing so much because it is expensive. Her new family is more interested in
saving enough money to buy a house.
The funny thing is, back when I was a newlywed and in Newlywed Saving Mode most of the things we did and still do to save money are green, only back then green was a color, not a movement.
Sister in Law, here’s a little list of ways that save money and just so happen to be
green. This isn’t a I Do All of These And I’m So Much Greener than You list. Everyone is different, has different priorities and preferences, and some green ways
conflict with other green ways (which most people don't mention.) Consider this list a Swiss Army Knife of Money
Saving Green Options, Not Absolutes.
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4/19/2012 08:26:00 AM
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Thursday, January 26, 2012
Stitched Love Note
Valentine’s Day gifts for Husband are hard. I use all my good
gift ideas for Christmas.
Husband usually gives me candy or flowers. I don't do that in case I duplicate. Although for our first Valentine’s Day, I gave him an anatomically correct chocolate heart.
18 years later it’s still in the box in the back of our refrigerator. I’d show you the real thing but I’m too afraid to open the box.
Husband usually gives me candy or flowers. I don't do that in case I duplicate. Although for our first Valentine’s Day, I gave him an anatomically correct chocolate heart.
18 years later it’s still in the box in the back of our refrigerator. I’d show you the real thing but I’m too afraid to open the box.
I told Husband he had my heart - and gave him this
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1/26/2012 02:00:00 PM
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Sunday, December 18, 2011
How to Make Reusable Cloth Gift Bags
I usually like wrapping Christmas gifts. I have all sorts of
tips and tricks to upcycle just about anything into gift-wrap, ribbon, and bows to make Pinterest perfect gift-wrap. My gift wrap turned art projects reduce
waste while the recipient is none the wiser. All they see is a pretty package and
that’s the way I like it.
I save paper gift bags like these in our stash stored in an under bed gift wrapping storage box similar to this one) for Husband because
he claims he’s not as good at wrapping gifts as I am. This may or may not be a
spousal management issue on his part because it means I end up wrapping almost
everything. (I am including affiliate links in this post for your continence.)
As our extended family has grown so large that it takes me days to wrap all of their gifts. After
last year’s four night wrap a thon left me less than holiday cheerful (to put
it mildly), I promised myself I was going to make wrapping gifts easier this
Christmas.
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12/18/2011 02:00:00 PM
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Monday, December 12, 2011
Make Christmas Shimmer Placemats
I’m using the holidays as an excuse to bling up the two tonecloth placemats I made yesterday with a little shimma shimma pizzazz..
It's also an excause to play with the Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets and the Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Fabric Paint I got from I Love To Create.
I shy away from glitter because it's a hot mess to work with and often sheds from a project. Fortunately neither of these things is true with Shimmer products I used for this project. I rubbed the designs with my finger after the paint dried and the glitter stayed put!
It's also an excause to play with the Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets and the Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Fabric Paint I got from I Love To Create.
I shy away from glitter because it's a hot mess to work with and often sheds from a project. Fortunately neither of these things is true with Shimmer products I used for this project. I rubbed the designs with my finger after the paint dried and the glitter stayed put!
If you do not sew, you can dress up a set of purchased
placemats following the same tutorial.
You can also use the Tulip Shimmer products to give new life to thrift store or past its prime duds you already have by artfully covering a worn or stained area with a design cut from the Tulip Shimmer sheets or camouflaged with the Shimmer paints.
You can also use the Tulip Shimmer products to give new life to thrift store or past its prime duds you already have by artfully covering a worn or stained area with a design cut from the Tulip Shimmer sheets or camouflaged with the Shimmer paints.
How to Make Glitter Placemats
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12/12/2011 09:00:00 AM
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Sunday, December 11, 2011
How to Make Two Tone Cloth Placemats
I want to replace my placemats for the holidays. Me being
me, I figure why buy, when I can DIY?
This project will also help me in my New Year’s Resolution to
use my fabric scraps for impromptu projects before buying new fabric. I made a deal with myself that I cannot start
on the sewing room/guest room/room where-furniture-goes-to-die remodel I want to do until I do something with all of the fabric
and supplies I’ve been hanging on to for Someday.
Today is Someday.
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12/11/2011 11:00:00 AM
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Thursday, December 1, 2011
More Martha Stewart Christmas Paint Crafts Than I Can Count!
Are you ready for a little holiday craft eye candy? Eye candy is the best type of candy, because it's nonfatting and won't rot your teeth.
Santa (in the form of the UPS driver) delivered a slew of Martha Stewart craft paint, stencils, and supplies to a bunch of my crafty and DIY bloggy friends too! I used my supplies to make a stenciled snowflake bottlecap bracelet.
We've been Facebooking, Tweeting, Pinning, and sharing our crafty holiday projects amongst ourselves. Then Rhonda, one of the gals at Dollar Store Crafts gets smart and generous and creates a linky of our projects so we can share them with you!
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Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Sew Tabletop CornHole Mini Bean Bags
Now that you made a set of tabletop corn hole game boards, you need (4) 2 inch by 2 inch bean bags for each team (8 beanbags in all) to play Tabletop Cornhole!
What?! You didn't make my tabletop cornhole boards? Click on over to my tabletop cornhole ttutorial and make a set.
Table top corn hole game board
What?! You didn't make my tabletop cornhole boards? Click on over to my tabletop cornhole ttutorial and make a set.
I made a paper pattern to make sure I cut off of my squares the same size.
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Sew a Luggage Tag from an Conference Badge Holder
I needed to replace a few luggage tags for a plane trip. I like covered luggage tags for security reasons.
I couldn’t find a style I liked and that was unique enough to distinguish my suitcase from everyone else’s suitcase in the airport.
Blitzkrieg offered to help in the bag identification and security department. I think he was trying to get a free trip and told him he couldn't go. I hate making Blitzkrieg sad. I told him he can eat any robbers that try to break into the house while I am gone. I thought that might make up for being left behind.
I couldn’t find a style I liked and that was unique enough to distinguish my suitcase from everyone else’s suitcase in the airport.
Pin this tutorial for your next trip or vacation!
Blitzkrieg offered to help in the bag identification and security department. I think he was trying to get a free trip and told him he couldn't go. I hate making Blitzkrieg sad. I told him he can eat any robbers that try to break into the house while I am gone. I thought that might make up for being left behind.
I packed the most important stuff for your trip Lisa.
By the way, you could use a luggage tag on this suitcase.
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6/21/2011 08:00:00 AM
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Monday, May 23, 2011
Sew an Insulated Casserole Carrier
I wish I had a caddy for my rectangular covered Pyrex dish. I use that thing to store and tote cupcakes, and like here there and everywhere. A carrier would make toting my cookies easier.
Pin this tutorial for later, it makes a great gift!
All of the insulated carriers I saw in stores came with a new dish and hot packs. I don’t need a new dish and hot packs. I only want the carrier.
If I can’t buy, I’ll DIY!
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5/23/2011 09:52:00 AM
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