Shelley: DIY Wreath / “Swag”

Happy Monday Friends!
I’m so excited to introduce you to Shelley, from Crazy Wonderful, who has joined Playdates + Pearls as our DIY & Design contributor! You probably remember her from last weeks guest post where I spilled the contents of my bag over on her blog. If you want to read more about Shelley and the other P+P contributors you can check them out here. They have so much good stuff in store for you!!
She brought her A-Game today with a super simple, and gorgeous, DIY “swag” which I now NEED. Hope you love her as much as I do!
I’m struggling with how quickly Christmas is approaching this year. With all the Halloween candy still around (actually, I’m shocked we still have any with all that I’ve been eating) I feel like it should still be October. But, ready or not, it’s coming!
This year I wanted to do something other than the traditional wreath for our front door. The windows along the front of our house will each have a wreath so putting another on the front door seemed overkill. I decided to go with a swag instead.
If you want to make your own, here’s how I did it!
I found my swag at Hobby Lobby (50% off!). I believe these are meant to be pulled open and draped over a door/entry, but I just kept the long pieces bent down and later bent the wire even more so the long pieces would be closer together.
I tied a large burlap ribbon and attached it to the top with floral wire. Leave yourself extra length for the ribbon tails for the next step.
I wanted the ribbon tails to be pinned in place so I wrapped floral wire around different sections of the ribbon and then attached the ribbon to the swag with the remaining length of floral wire. Ignore the white ribbon. I ended up switching it out for the striped ribbon later.

 

I then stuck in some glittery floral sprays behind the bow and attached some large plastic ornaments to the front. All using more of that floral wire to keep everything in place.
Hang that bad boy up and enjoy!
Once I get all of our Christmas decorations out I’ll run some lit garland around the door to dress it up more.
Here are some other images of swags I’m loving. Most of which make me want to completely do a redo of my own :D This first one in particular I can’t get enough of. They’re HUGE!!!
| via |
These would be simple to put together using cuttings off the bottom of a fresh cut Christmas tree.
| via |
Definitely check out the entire outdoor decor from this house. She even shows you how she did it. I think I’m going to add a strip of ribbon to hang my swag from after seeing this.
| via |
Absolutely adore the simplicity of the pine cones hanging from simple ribbon.
| via |
And this one won me over with it’s stripe ribbon (can’t. get. enough!).
| via |
So what do ya think. Are you going to get your “swag”ger on this year??? I know, lame attempt at a joke but I couldn’t help myself!

DIY Curtain Trim

Welcome back!

First off, THANK YOU all for the incredibly kind comments, messages, texts, and calls about our pregnancy news. My heart nearly exploded. I’m so happy to have such a supportive, kind, and kickass group of followers. I say it all the time, but you’ve made my little corner of the internet such a joyful place for me. I’m looking forward to sharing my pregnancy journey with all of you. Right now, I’m bloated, tired, and craving caffeine. I could be used as a floatation device, and my husband and I are becoming more and more afraid of what two children will be like. HA! Get ready for more posts that sounds like that. If you’re a parent on 2+, please leave me regular comments reminding me that I’m not going to be outnumbered, and that two tiny terrorists are not going to deprive me of sleep and ask the words “why?” forever. Those are short term problems, right?

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good. My husband came home after an entire week away and I was beyond exhausted and thrilled to have him watch Camryn while I napped. :-) It was my sisters birthday on Saturday and we spent some time lounging by her pool and enjoying the “Camryn Show”, aka my toddler running around in her bikini being oh-so-silly. Pictures of that are on my Instagram. Pre-warning: 2 year old in a bikini might be more cuteness than you can handle. You’ve been warned. On sunday I went to get a last minute mani/pedi with my sister and none of our usual places were open, so we tried a new place called Crystal’s (off N. Lamar if you’re in Austin). DO NOT GO THERE!! It was the worst mani/pedi I have EVER had. :-( My nail polish, 8 hours later, is still mushy and peeling off my nails. How is that even possible? I swear they added acetone to the polish too many times or something. I’ve never had to remove my polish and re-paint both hands and feet the same day as having them professionally done. Such a bummer.

In other news, I’ve finished my DIY drapes, and they look fabulous if you ask me.

DIYdrapes.jpg

drapescloseup.jpg Pretty great for a $35 PAIR of 118″ curtains from Ikea, $3 worth of ribbon, and $4 worth of fabric glue. If you want to recreate this look, lay out your drapes and glue your ribbon down 1″ from the edge. All it to dry overnight, and Viola! I used large coffee table books to hold my fabric flat and wrinkle free. Even my husband was impressed with this cheap DIY and what an impact it made. The drapes looks beautiful and expensive and at 118″, they add so much height to our hallway.

If you noticed my fun “Everyday I’m Hustlin’” phone cover, it’s from Mulberry Press Co. I get stopped in the street and asked by strangers about that awesome case.

In addition to finishing my curtains, I also found a drawer pull for my hallway console. Of course it’s from Anthropologie…that place is like crack. The word “no” is non-existent in there.

This knob looks so much better in person. It’s absolutely drawer pull perfection. Once I install it I’ll post a picture for you all.

Until then, have a happy Monday.

XO – Samantha

DIY Lace Elbow Patches

I came across this picture on Pinterest, and well, I fell in love and then realized I could easily DIY something similar. So off I went to Michaels to grab lace & fabric glue. I found one of Camryn’s old’ish sweaters that will be perfect for Valentines, and started DIY’ing away.

This is SO easy, and requires very few items. 1 roll of lace, fabric glue, scissors, and your shirt or sweater of choice.

DSC_0074

Cut your lace into the shape and size you need. Apply glue to sweater, and then place your lace on top. I used a small paint brush to add additional glue on top of the lace, just to seal everything together. The glue dries clear, is flexible, and can be washed (turn garment inside out).

DSC_0076

The glue takes 24 hours to fully set, but I’ll update with a picture of Camryn wearing it tomorrow. This was quick, easy, and cheap, and it will look so cute on V-Day. I’m tempted to go cut up one of my own sweaters and try to replicate the first image now…

Here’s a tutorial for adding wool elbow patches to a shirt or sweater.

Happy DIY’ing. XO – Samantha

UPDATE:

Here are the pictures of Camryn wearing her sweater. :-)

red heart

elbow patches

Lust List: 11/22/13

Happy Friday!!!

My daughter and I both caught colds this week, and have been laying pretty low, trying to recover. Usually my husband is the culprit bringing home germs and whatever illnesses are running through his office, but this time I think I was the dirty bird who got us all sick. Wahhh!

I have been watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix while trying to recover, and I’m a little bit obsessed now. You guys, this show is CRAZY!! I keep catching myself getting all sassy (while drinking my chai tea, and hugging my box of tissues) and *Z snapping* at the screen, saying “Yeah girl, you tell her!”, and “Oh no he didn’t!”. I do the same thing when I watch Sons Of Anarchy. I’m an embarrassment to my family. ;-) Are any of you watching the show too?

If you missed yesterdays post, go enter the giveaway here. You can win the prettiest Anthropology apron and the “Can’t Cook Book”.

Here are all the other things I’ve been loving this week. Enjoy!
Lust List Image

1.|| I love this DIY gift guide from Lauren Conrad. These mugs are my favorite.

2.|| Please tell me you’ve seen this ridiculous Kanye West video. Is he serious? I love Ellen’s reaction at the end.

3.|| I bought my sister this candle for her birthday in April, and everytime I go to her house I smell it because it’s AMAZING. One of the best smelling candles ever. This would make a great gift.

4.|| These girls can sing!!

5.|| I received samples of the Guerlain Lingerie De Peau foundation with my Sephora orders, and it might just be my new holy grail product. It’s has absolutely blown me away, and I’m adding it to my Christmas list. (Dear Santa, I wear color Beige Clair 02) If you’d like to see me do product review “vlogs” or a tutorial on how I apply this, please leave me a comment down below. I’ve been on the fence about doing the occasional youtube video for “favorites of the month” videos, and product reviews like this. I know I always enjoy seeing a product used before purchasing.

6.|| How fun is this Christmas Bucket! Kids unwrap an activity a day, for example: write letters to Santa, make homemade ornaments, sort through toys to give to a shelter, go look at Christmas lights, hot chocolate before bed, Christmas movie and so on. I found this little gem on Pinterest, but couldn’t find the original source.

7.|| This book looks like DIY heaven.

8.|| Jennifer from The Chic Pad introduced me to High Street Market recently, and it’s so good! Definitely worth checking out. She’s rounded up some of her favorite pieces from there, so you can check her blog for a designers picks.

9.|| This post from Kristen of 6thstreetdesignschool was so refreshing. My previous home looked absolutely nothing like my current home. Pinterest and beautifully written blogs like Kristin’s have giving me a completely different look at interior design.

10.|| Awesome video from Fun Fun Fun Festival 2013 of the SprATX artists. They sell art and shirts designed by extremely talented local Austin artists.

I am starting to put together Holiday Gift Guides for you, so leave me a comment below if you want a specific type (ie: Kids, Co-workers, Husbands, or if you want me to focus on a store, like Target, etc) Wishing you all a great weekend!

XO – Samantha

Guest Post: Style by Kristen Blair

Happy Hump Day!
I have another amazing guest for you guys today, the beautiful Kristen of Style by Kristen Blair. She is so sweet, and has impeccable taste, so I hope you go check out her blog, and follow her here.

Hi, I’m Kristen!

I’m a 20-something student, intern, fashion lover, daughter, little sister, best friend, and author of Style by Kristen Blair. I am a lover of all things, clothes, shoes, and accessories… Basically anything fashion related. You name it, I probably love it. I am a senior marketing major at James Madison University, and I am hoping to get a job somewhere in the fashion industry after graduation in May! I started blogging as a requirement for a class, but after the class ended I kept going in hopes of sharing my love of fashion with the world. I live in Northern Virginia, but I am hoping to move to New York City (my favorite place in all of the land…) after graduation! If you want to learn more about me and my blog, stop by and visit at http://kristenblair.com!

1. In 10 words or less, describe yourself.

Sister, Daughter, Best Friend, Fashion Lover, Outgoing, Goofy, Workout Fanatic

2. “In my dreams, I live in…”

New York City. When I was 6 years old my family went on a road trip and each on of us got to pick a place that we wanted to go on the east coast. Well, I picked New York City. When we were there we were on the Staten Island ferry, I remember looking up at my dad and saying “Daddy, I’m gonna live here one day…” and ever since then I have known that was where I wanted to live.

Living in the city for 7 weeks this summer while interning at a fashion PR firm really was a dream come true. It was one of the best 7 weeks of my life and it only made me all the more excited about the possibility of one day calling the city my home. (Also, chasing a career in fashion, that is really where I need to live… So, I’m hoping that after graduation in May I can go home and work for the summer, save as much money as I possibly can, and then make the big move!)

3. “If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be…”

Jimmy Choo black patent leather pumps. They are just a timeless classic that everyone should have in their closet! They really are a staple… My black pumps are one of my most frequently worn shoes that I own. I would be Jimmy Choo because he is my favorite shoe designer… (My goal is to be able to buy a brand new pair of Jimmy Choos and wear them on the first day of my big girl job after college! … A girl can dream!)

4. What beauty product can’t you live without?

Granier BB Cream. Where to even begin?! This stuff is absolutely amazing… every girl needs to at least try it. I promise you will love it. It is basically a tinted moisturizer, but it does so much more than the average moisturizer. In addition to moisturizing, it also mattifies your skin tone, minimizes pores and conceals imperfections to give your skin a smooth, matte, flawless finish.” Pretty much the only place I don’t wear BB cream is to the gym!

5. Why did you start blogging?

Read all about how I got started here. (http://kristenblair.com/about)

~
Thank you so much Kristen! I’m guest posting today over on Style by Kristen Blair, so come say hello!
On a side note…
Remember these x-benches? If you follow me on Instagram then you already know that I finally got around to spray painting the legs a lacquered black, and reupholstered the cushions in a black greek key fabric. I might be a little in love. :-)
See you guys tomorrow for a special cooking edition of P&P with my sweet friend Rene of My Simple Kitchen.
XO – Samantha

Give {A Delicious} Thanks

I have been trying to come up with quick, easy, and affordable gift ideas for my friends and family for Thanksgiving. It is, of course, the day to be thankful for all those wonderful people who support you, love you, and make your life that much sweeter. I decided the thing my loved ones enjoy most is food…desserts specifically…so I started looking up pie recipes, and stumbled upon these adorable “Pie In A Jar” recipes. Is it just me, or is everything in a mason jar so much cuter?!

Lets start with Layered Pumpkin Pie in a Jar, by Brenda of A Farmgirl Dabbles

Click here for her recipe.

More of an apple pie lover? These look mouth watering!

Click here for the recipe.

Cherry is my personal favorite, so I’ll be trying these.

You can check out the recipe here.

Or if you want a gift that can be mailed, why not try cookies in a jar!

Layer the dry ingredients, and attach a card to the jar with directions on what to add (wet ingredients) and baking instructions. Easy peasy, and so cheap!

XO – Samantha

 

DIY {No Sew} Indian Costume

CamrynIndian

CamrynIndian3

I have a SUPER EASY, no sew, DIY Halloween costume tutorial for you guys today. This is best suited for children’s costumes, unless you wanted to cut your shirt and have a midriff and short skirt, which I don’t recommend. Let’s not use Halloween as an excuse to wear 3/4′s less clothing.

Ok, let’s do this! All you need is:

*1 Adult sized T-Shirt in brown, or a color of your choice (I used a women’s small)

*Scissors

*20 minutes

*Cute Kid

THAT’S IT!! This should cost you $5 or less. Michaels sells T-Shirts in every color for $5 (plus you can use a 40% coupon practically year round)

DSC_0832

Begin by cutting the bottom hem off the shirt (SAVE IT, it will become the belt)

Cut 3″ slits every 1-2″ along the bottom.

DSC_0834 Tie a knot at the top of each piece of fringe. Pull and stretch each piece to create thin, curled strips like mine.

Cut off the sleeves of your shirt. Save the sleeves if you plan to use them as shoe covers.

DSC_0836 Cut the sleeves apart (as pictured above)

DSC_0837 Lay one “sleeve” back up, and leave the other sleeve down to create a one-shoulder look. Cut the folded over material into strips, and repeat on the back of the shirt.

DSC_0839 Tie knots at the top of each strip, as you did along the bottom. Tie two pieces of fringe together on the left side to create a shoulder strap. You will tie the right side of the dress together (under your child’s armpit, if you want a one-shoulder strap look) after the dress is on, which will allow you to customize the fit.

CamrynIndian2 Use the bottom hem that you saved to make a belt.

My daughter doesn’t have long enough hair for “Pocahontas braids”, so I gave her pigtails instead, and threw on a brown headband. If you don’t have a headband, cut a strip from your leftover shirt scraps, and tie one on.

Optional Accessories (Photos of optional accessories below):

*Feathers for the headband

*Moccasins (We used Freshly Picked Moccs)

*Beads for fringe

If you do not have “Indian themed” shoes, don’t worry. You can use the leftover sleeves, cut slits in them, and tie them around your child’s ankles to create a fringe over ANY pair of shoes.

DSC_0811

Cut the end (wrist section) of the sleeves, leaving about 4″ for fringe

DSC_0812

Cut 4″ slits, and pull/stretch each piece of fabric to create long, curled pieces of fringe

DSC_0815 Slip those bad boys onto your ankle, and viola! You could wear these over any pair of shoes, or flip-flops.

I already owned the shirt, so this project was 100% FREE for me, but again, Michaels sells basic shirts in a variety of colors for very, very cheap. You could substitute the brown shirt for lime green and make this a Tinkerbell costume, or use an orange shirt for a Flintstones inspired outfit as well.

Camryn decided she wanted to add feathers to her headband, and beads onto each piece of fringe (which was a long and tedious job for mom) so here she was at our local Halloween festival wearing her colorful version.

photo 1 photo 2

Do NOT try to steal a girls chocolate.

photo 3

The beads and feathers only cost me $4 at Michaels, and I have a TON leftover for future projects.

She’s still insisting on being Buzz Lightyear Halloween night, and is making my husband and I be Jessie and Woody, and our dog is Bullseye. Should be interesting.

Hope you all enjoyed this quick and easy, last minute Halloween DIY !

What are y’all dressing as for Halloween? Maybe we should do a contest on Facebook, and y’all can submit your costumes, and we can all vote for our favorite. Any prize ideas? Leave me a comment below with your ideas!

XO – Samantha

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: