Thread Holder

This thread holder has been on my to-do list for awhile. The inspiration for it came from a blog post I saw awhile, but I can't find it anymore  :(  The blogger used a picture frame, replaced the glass with a piece of wood and mod-podged some pretty scrapbook paper over it. She then put in some nails like I did to hold the spools. If anyone knows the post I'm talking about let me know so I can update this post! 

While I was searching I found a couple that were similar to the original one I saw, but that used dowel sticks drilled into the wood instead of nails. Dowel rods might have been a good idea for me 'cause as you can see from all the crooked nails my hammering skills need some work haha

My intent was to use a frame like the original blogger did, but I didn't like the ones I found at the thrift store. I decided I'd have to get a piece of wood anyway, so why not just skip the frame all together? I used some scrap wood I had around the house, painted it green and put in some nails. Easy Peasy!

I'm linking up to Tea Rose Home's Link Party

A Design Wall and Hanging Baskets

I finished a couple small projects I am excited to show you. First I put up a design wall!

All I did was pin a white blanket to my wall. I used thin straight pins so the holes wouldn't be so noticeable. I just used an old blanket I had that has a 'sticky' texture. I have no idea what it's made of or what the name the type of blanket is. When we were little my sisters and I called them the "itchy blankets" and refused to sleep with them on our beds. Now I love them! My mom gave me several of these blankets. One I've been cutting up and using as batting, and now I have one on my wall! It's really big, basically from ceiling to floor and around 8ish feet wide. I considered using flannel or something similar but never felt like that would be sticky enough, but turns out I had the perfect materials all along for free! The only downside is the Ariel print on the reverse side is visible BUT it's not really that noticeable so overall I'm really happy with it. 

I made some hanging baskets for my sewing room and kitchen! I still have a few more to make for the sewing room, but they are handy so far. For the basket on the right I used this tutorial by Mother Huddle to make them. She shows how to make them in several sizes, and the tutorial is really well written and easy to follow. She suggested using something in the bottom of the basket to stiffen the basket and make it hold it's shape better, and I didn't... that's why it's kind of sagging. I also didn't use any interfacing or stiff fabric, in hindsight I probably should have and will when I make more. 

The basket on the left was an attempt gone wrong to make a sandwich bag (that's why it's lined with plastic) that I just made into a basket to store my hot glue sticks.

 

Here are the baskets I made for my kitchen. I was going for functionality so they aren't really all that pretty. I used the same basic idea as the tutorial, but used the leg of a pair of jeans so I only had to make a bottom seam. Yay for recycling! Another perk of using denim? It's stiff enough to hold it's shape without interfacing. Yay for skipping steps! :)

 That box with fabric coming out of it are my unpaper towels. Thrifted flannel sheet, cut into rectangles with my pinking shears and inter-folded so they popup like Kleenex. I can use them for anything I would use paper towels for; throw them in the wash, and I never had to buy paper towels!

 

For the kitchen I used a curtain rod hanger and a dowel stick (it cost like $1 total!)

In the sewing area I used two large command hooks 'cause I didn't want to put any more holes in the walls. A little more expensive but the plus is the rod sits closer to the wall so the baskets sit up straighter.

I'm considering painting the dowel rods in the kitchen and sewing room, what do you think?

More later,

Kandra