This past Sunday my mom and dad threw a little birthday party for my sister Andrea. It’s always so much fun to get together and eat great food with family. The homemade dutch chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and cookies and cream ice cream didn’t hurt the mood either.
These two canvases were the gift I made for her. And since I’m so handy with a needle and thread (is the extreme sarcasm coming through?) I decided to sew a flower for embellishing the tulle I used as wrap.
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| The two canvases with the “wrapping” above |
Now there are one million and five ways to make fabric flowers, but when I saw this tutorial from the amazing blog called wise craft that I happened upon, I knew I could blunder my way through without sticking myself with a needle too many times.
So I grabbed my handy-dandy scissors (not fabric scissors, shame shame!) and an ugly jacket that I loved the houndstooth fabric of and I got to work. It was super quick and almost painless (I did end up very lightly poking myself with the needle. I have never come out of a sewing adventure completely unharmed). The funny thing is my sister could sew circles around me and has probably made enough fabric flowers to create bouquets. I don’t know what possessed me, but I think I have more flower-making in my future.
For the canvases it’s pretty self explanatory. Mod Podge a page from a book to the canvas then paint the sides of the canvas and the monogram. For the letter I used this font that I adore from dafont.com I printed my H out the size I wanted it and you can use either carbon paper or the ghetto transfer method* to get an outline of the letter onto the canvas. I then painted in the transferred outline with black paint, and then with glue and poured on black glitter.
For the other canvas I got a picture of the San Diego temple where my sister was married, sized it for the 6″ x 6″ canvas, added some text with the pertinent information, printed it out on cardstock and mod podged away, finishing with a painted black edge. I really wanted to do a third canvas with a picture of their family done the same way, but they don’t have an updated family picture with their new little man. I think something like this would make a fantastic wedding or anniversary present too.
It wouldn’t be my sister’s birthday without this second dessert. My mom is funny and always makes a cake to “hold the candles”. Below was the “real” birthday girl dessert that she made. Any guesses as to what it was?
* the ghetto transfer method (I use this method 95% of the time) is as follows:
-Turn over printed monogram to the blank side of the paper, go along the outline with a pencil rubbing lots of graphite.
-Turn monogram back over, positioning it where you want it on the canvas. Take a pen and outline the monogram again, but this time on the printed side with the graphite facing the canvas. As you outline it will press the graphite onto the canvas leaving you a nice outlined monogram for painting or penning.
I really wish you were my neighbor! You are seriously so talented and if we lived closer I could suck out some of your talents!
Looks good!
mmmm – looks like lemon merigne pie!!!
Such cute wall hangings Liz! Miss that yummy lemon merigne Mom makes…or did you make it? One of the yummiest "candle holders" I know. Thanks for sharing these great photos and crafts.