Valentine's Series #2 DIY Beaded Bracelets

I wanted to make something for all the women I work with for Valentine's Day and I saw these cute bracelets on Food Coma (I love the Red Velvet Girls!)

You'll Need:

-waxed cotton/linen cord

- seed beads

-scissors 

-2 holed buttons

Here are the instructions from the original website. Check it out! There are other DIY bracelets that I can't wait to try too.

http://honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-beaded-bracelet/

If you want to make them into Valentine's Favors like I did the extras I used were:

-red yarn

-a hole puncher

-heart shaped doilies 

I has a bit of a hard time at first but after you do one bracelet you get the hang of it. I didn't take pictures of the process. (My hands were too busy! Hehe...)

 Here's the finished product...

I love how they turned out. Very cheap to make a lot of these too!

To make them into Valentine's "cards" or "favors" I took heart shaped doilies and made two hole punches at the top and tied yarn through the holes to make a bow. Then I attached the bracelet to the loop the yarn made in the back. 

I hope the girls at work like them! 

New Shelves & DIY Bookends

My very kind and generous husband had a great idea of putting up new shelves in our apartment. We had an old wood book shelf that we were using for DVDs and Blu-Rays but it was getting full and getting full fast. We had a great empty wall for this idea. When we put up the shelves and started putting up all of the DVDs and Blu-Rays we knew right away we needed bookends...

We started shopping for bookends and found the cute 'a to z' ones at Barnes and Noble (see second to last shelf). They were around $50.00! Kind of pricey to me for bookends! 

So I'm kind of addicted to Instagram (follow me! @jessicaneedham) and I follow Elsie from A Beautiful Mess and this weekend she put up a picture of a spray painted brick for a bookend. That got me thinking...I could use vintage looking wrapping paper instead of spray paint! Then my husband said, "why don't you use the vintage fabric you have just laying around?" ...So that's just what I did...

Brick bookends wrapped in vintage fabric... (see 3rd shelf in above photo)

You'll Need:

- 2 bricks (43 cents a piece at Lowe's!)

-vintage fabric (check the thrift stores, so cheap)

- Scissors

- Glue gun

Cut your fabric just big enough to wrap you brick, you don't want too much extra fabric

Wrap it just like you would wrap a gift and everywhere you'd put tape use the glue gun instead

Simple as that!

(see 2nd shelf)

Aren't they pretty! Super easy too!

Flowers Everywhere in Your Home

One of my new goals for 2012 is to be happy hanging out at home. We live in a tiny apartment and we love the location and the place it self but it's kind of an old place. Little by little we decided we'll do little projects here and there to spruce up the place. It makes us proud and happy to be in our apartment. 

So far we: 

- put up shelves in our dining area for my Pyrex

- we made a pretty faux flower lamp

- made a wall in our dining area chalkboard

Another little thing I have been doing about every 2 to 3 weeks is buying a cheap bouquet of flowers from the grocery store. All you need is 1 bunch that usually costs $7 to $10. I never spend more than that.

This bunch I paid $7.99 for.

You'll need little jars or bottles. ( I used recycled jam jars, Martinelli's apple juice bottles, and old mini glass vases I found)

When you get your flowers at the store make sure you grab a few of those flower food packets. I use a good amount in each little vase and my flowers sometimes last up to 3 weeks!

Trim your flowers and seperate them in different arrangements. Have fun with this! 

I even use yarn for decoration around the jars...

Then stick them all over the house!

It brightens up areas.

It's funny how something so small, makes me so happy. It really makes a room cute!

Do it! I bet you'll get addicted to having flowers always around, like me!

DIY Chalkboard Wall

This is a fun idea to spruce up a wall in your kitchen or dining room! It's so much fun!

You'll Need:

- Chalkboard Paint (around $13.00 at Lowe's)

- Paint brushes

- Painter's Tape

- Chalk

- Patience (you'll want to start writing on it right away!)

I was so excited I forgot to get a full before picture!

(thanks babe, for getting the top of the wall!)

Let the paint dry for 24 hours...

it's hard to wait, but it's worth it.

Peel off the tape...

I was trying it out...

It worked! When you're painting you don't think it will come out like a chalkboard, but it does.

LOVE my new wall...

Faux Flower Lamp

I'm really excited about this project I finished in one afternoon! I, of course, got the idea from Pinterest. 

It's a plain paper lamp decorated with faux flowers. 

You'll Need:

- A Paper Lamp (I got mine from World Market)

- Glue Gun (With lots of refill sticks!)

- Faux flowers ( Garland is the cheapest if you can find it. You get a lot for your money. I got mine from Michael's.) 

I started by cutting of the flowers from the garland and glueing them in rows around, from the bottom up.

This is what it looks like finished!

 You can find the original website I used here.

Please try this! It's so easy! Let me know if you do. Have fun.

Home Ec # 1 - Online Sewing Class for beginers/ My First Sewing Project!

  http://homeeconline.blogspot.com/

Lately I have been wanting to buy a sewing machine. They are so pretty and there are so many crochet projects I have done that I know would look so much cuter if I knew how to sew a few things to add to them. Well a about a month ago Target had sewing machines on sale in their Sunday ad. I'm pretty sure it was meant to be because I was just begging my husband for one. He agreed I could have one as long as it was reasonably priced and poof... Target had a beginners Singer on SALE! So, I bought it... It's just a basic model but that's all I need.

 

Isn't it pretty!? It's so new :)

 

I thought about taking a class at a craft store or something but I only have extra time on weekends and I hate waking up early. Then I came across the Home Ec image above on Pinterest. Oh lovely Pinterest! I looked more into the class and it seemed very reasonable. It cost $50 and there are about 27 step-by-step projects that get a little harder as you go. You go at your own pace. This has been great for me so far. I highly recommend this if you don't have a clue about sewing or even your sewing machine. They go over EVERYTHING.

The first project is a drawstring bag. Here's how mine came out...

It's the first project I've ever done on my own, on my own machine! I love it. I'm using it for my current crochet projects.

Neat Nails #4

I did my nails this morning for Halloween! Hope you like!

First I painted my nails black and used this Matte top coat by Essie

It really gives your nails a cool matte finish!

Then I just made Polka Dots...

Go HERE for more on how to do Polka Dots.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Crochet Project - Chevron Clutch

I love how this clutch photographs! But to be honest it's so flimsy. I can't see really using it as a clutch. I could put crochet supplies in it on the go, I think it will make great use for that. I wanted to sell this in my shop but like I said it's a little flimsy and I haven't mastered the pattern yet. I wanted to share because I know how much people are lovin' these colors in a Chevron pattern.

 By Regina Riox for Crochet Today Magazine

You'll Need: 

1 Ball of color (A)

1 Ball of color (B)

Size I/9 crochet hook

A sheet of felt or fabric to line inside

Sewing needle and thread

Instructions:

Clutch:

Row 1 (right side) With A, ch 58, 2dc in 3rd ch from hook (skipped chs count as a dc) *dc in next 3 chs [dc3tog] twice; repeat from *across ending at **; 3 dc in last ch - 56dc

Row 2 Ch 3 (count as dc here and throughout), turn; 2 dc in first st * dc in next 3 sts, [dc3tog] twice, dc in next 3 sts** [3 dc in next st] twice; repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **; 3 dc in first skipped ch, chaning with B in last st. [Note: To change color at end of row: Work last stitch in old color to last yarn over, yarn over with new color and draw through all loops on hook to complete stitch. Drop old color, continue work with new color. You may fasten off the old color or carry it loosely up the side of the piece]

Row 3 With B, ch 3, turn; 2 dc in first st, *dc in next 3 sts [dc3tog] twice, dc in next 3 sts** ,[3 dc in next st] twice; repeat from * across ending last repeat at **, 3 dc in 3rd ch of begining ch-3.

Row 4 Repeat Row 3, changing to A in last st

Row 5 & 6 With A repeat Row 3 twice, changing to B in last st on the last row.

Row 7-26 Repeat Rows 3-6, 5 more times. Do not fasten off.

Row 27 With B, ch 1, turn; sc in first 2 sts, *hdc in next st, tr in next st, tr4tog, tr in next st, dc in next sr, hdc in next st**, sc in next 4 sts; repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **; sc in next st, sc in 3rd ch of beginning ch-3 ---44 sts. Fasten off.

Top Inside Edge Hold piece with foundation ch at top to work in chs of foundation ch. With right side facing, join B with sl st in ch at base of last 3 dc worked on Row 1, work beginning tr2tog, *tr in next ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, sc in next 4 chs, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, tr in next ch**. tr4tog; repeat from* across, ending last repeat at **;tr2tog ---45 sts, Do not fasten off.

Edging ch 1, [rotate piece,work 82 sc evenly spaced across long edge,rotate piece, work 44 sc evenly spaced across short edge] twice; join with sl st in first sc ---252 sc. Fasten off.

To Assemble lay felt on top of finished piece. Trim felt/fabric so it fits just inside. Sew on. Fold crochet piece into thirds and sew or crochet edges of clutch together.

Pattern for personal use only. Do not sell pattern. Pattern is owned by Crochet Today Magazine Design by Regina Rioux

Baking: Pretty Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Cake Mix Bars

You'll Need:

 

1 (18.25) package plain yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 eggs

1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

When preparing to make this recipe DON"T FORGET a

can of sweetened condensed milk!

I almost did...!! I had to stop mid mixing and send my husband out to get some.

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter, and eggs in a large bowl using a mixer or spoon. Press this into a 9X13 pan reserving 1 1/2 cup of the mixture to crumble on top.

3. In a small pot, melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and coconut.
4. Spread chocolate mixture over the mixture pressed in the pan and then crumble the 1 1/2 cups of reserved cake mixture on top evenly.
 

 

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

 

They are so delicious. I suggest cutting them in small squares when serving. They are so rich, kind of a fudge texture. Very heavy! But so good! 

 

Enjoy!

Original Recipe by Greta White found HERE