40 BAGS 40 DAYS Week Two Progress

You can read about my first week’s progress here. I have been continuing to work on cleaning out drawers and that sort of thing, but haven’t actually gotten rid of anything else.  Unless you count the indoor garage sale that I took those 26 bags/boxes to yesterday!  I made over $100 after expenses and got rid of all that stuff! And it happened in the midst of 10 inches of unplowed snow!  So I had to go to the storage building and wade through snow to the unit, find that the lock was frozen over and trudge back to the car, drive to the truck stop (we’re talking big time desire to get rid of this stuff!), get some lock de-icer, and trudge back through the snow to work on the lock for ten more minutes. 

Here’s the day before…my car got plowed in so I had to trudge (really getting a lot of use out of that word!) down the street to a local hotel because the university’s snow plows had plowed me in on three sides and it was still snowing.  The street I work on looked like a parking lot, so I was afraid I couldn’t get out anyway. 

So anyway, I digress, I finally got the lock unfrozen and starting the trek back to the car dozens of time.  I may or may not have made several inadvertent snow angels with my butt either to or from the car!  I fell several times, but hey, that much snow is soft!  I got most of it in my car (my help cancelled on me at the last minute so I had to leave some of it behind in the storage building) and a very nice man carried it in for me at the garage sale.  So, anyway, most of it is officially gone.  At least it’s not coming back into my house!

Go here to see everyone’s progress!

 

Drop Cloth Lamp Shade for a Vintage Lamp

This has got to be the easiest thing ever to do!  I bought this tiny crystal lamp at a thrift store in Milford, Connecticut last fall and had been looking for the perfect shade. 

I found this cover your own shade on clearance at Hobby Lobby…I think it cost $2.58.  The shade had this peel off label and then you use the label as a pattern and cut out the fabric.  The shade itself was adhesive covered.  So….

Easiest project ever.  I added some pleated ribbon trim (also at HL for $1.50 a roll), and just attached it with hot glue. 

It added the perfect finishing touch!

It sits on my bedside table…

I can also add something to the vase, the light fixture just screws onto the glass part, but I like it just like it is!

I will be linking to many of these great parties!!

Please go here and vote for my felted wool Christmas wreath…I would so appreciate your vote!!  Voting ends February 25!

A few wool felt projects…or what to do with that wool felt you made!

I posted a few weeks ago on making wool felt from thrifted sweaters, scarves and blanket…now I have a few flower projects for you that are easy to make. You can find many different templates by googling felt flower template or felt flower pattern. 

I made this one with a simple single template and I used the copy machine to shrink it and make several more sizes to stack. 

Cut the pattern out of cardstock or regular paper…then cut out the felt.

Just keep cutting until you have the number you want, use wild colors or keep it traditional, stack two three or four layers (or more!).  They don’t have to be perfect…I am going to show you a trick to make the edges look rounded.

Now take some thick thread (I used bakers twine because I didn’t want to go upstairs to get thread out of my sewing room!) and tack the pieces together snugly and tie the thread on the back.

I made this one the same way with a little different shape.

Now we are going to put them in a bag to wash them. 

I don’t really want to shrink them any further, just smooth out the cut edges, so I tossed them in a bag in a regular cold load.  This zip bag was made by my son in Home Ec (or what every they call it these days)!   Zip up the bag, add some detergent and let’s start a second kind of flower!

I like to use the ribbed cuffs and hem of the sweaters for these flowers.  Just cut two strips about 1/2-3/4 inch wide and as long as you want the flower to be across.  Play with the process and you will be able to judge how long to cut them.  You can also just trim them off when you get to the size you want.

Add a drop or two of hot glue to one of the ends, hold them together and wind them in a circle.

Keep adding the glue as you wrap the pieces around.

Hot glue the ends down.  Cut a leaf from green about the size of the circle except teardrop shaped.

Cut a small hole in the pointy side of the leaf so the hair clip can be stuck in there.  Stick the hair clip into the leaf…

Add some hot glue to the back and stick on the leaf!

Now those are done!

You can make the flowers look different using different sides of the ribbing or cutting the pieces narrower….actually there are a lot of variables to give you a different look.

I dried the flowers in the dryer and this is the finished look you get…no ragged cut edges!  I used two buttons for the center of this one…

And a soft pink glass vintage button for the center of the pastel flower. 

Use your imagination to create so many different variations!

Check out my Pinterest Board Wool Felt, Felted Wool for more ideas on what to do with your stash of wool felt! 

This was originally posted at A Jennuine Life, thanks Jenn for having me! 

Please vote for me in the Totally Green Crafts Contest!!!

I made the top 14 in the Totally Green Crafts Contest! 

Could you pretty please vote for me?  Just click on the picture above to find the voting place!  This Is my project below…

Thanks in advance!

 

40 Bags in 40 Days~~I’m taking the challenge~~Week One

Ok, I swear the clutter is killing me! I saw this post at White House Black Shutters and knew I had to sign up!  I started in my closet and of course ended up in my sewing/weaving/craft room, Milo is helping me of course.  Crap on  the floor, crap on the sewing tables, the closet doors won’t even close all the way because there is simply too much “stuff” in there!

So, I must confess I rented a storage building to get some of this junk out of my house.  It’s pretty small and I am telling myself it is just temporary while I declutter the house and get stacked things out of the corners.  I have been informed of all sorts of folks who have rented a storage building for the same purpose and ended up with them full and renting other units as well.  I swear that will not happen to me. 

I made great headway in the sewing room…these paints were rescued from two big boxes full of paints.  Some were dried out, I got all my brushes together where I can find them.

I found this 3 shelf storage thingy at a thrift store for $10.  I snagged it immediately and had to take it apart to get it home.  It’s perfect for storing my weaving shuttles, quilts to be bound, my sewing machine cover, and other things that take up a lot of space. Eventually I would like to paint the spindles a blue/aqua color and the shelves white, but for now it’s perfect!

I’m working on a shelf I can put over my serger table and I want to get my chalkboard hung on the wall as well.

So now, I can walk through the room and not have to fight my way to the machines.  Now for the great news…

My town is having an indoor garage sale at a local hotel.  I have reserved a booth and have priced all my things and they are in the storage building and ready to sell THIS SATURDAY!

So that was about 1 pm yesterday and by 4 pm I had this to show for my day of cleaning and pricing and organizing…

So, it’s all priced and ready to roll…and I am still collecting a few things here and there to add to the pile.  And I have resolved not to shop, just to sell!

So I’ll be there at 0600 Saturday, ready to rock and roll.  Oh, you curious about how many boxes/bags??  26 and counting and that doesn’t include the few furniture pieces! I am well on the way…

Guest Posting at A Jennuine Life

I am guest posting over at A Jennuine Life! 

Go here to check it out and see what Jenn has been up to lately!!