Guest Posting at Infarrantly Creative Today!

Hey folks!  I'm over at Infarrantly Creative today guest posting about a nature inspired project.  It is such an honor to be a guest at Beckie's place!

I just can't seem to get garlands of flowers off my mind right now.

Come see me at Infarrantly Creative   for a brand new flower garland tutorial!

Vintage Crepe Paper Flower Garland

Do the last few weeks of wintry weather always have you yearning for cheery color?  Last night I was keeping vigil by a sick pet, and needed something to occupy my hands in the wee hours, so I decided to create a bright colorful garland to bring some of that cheery color into our home.

I pulled out my stash of vintage crepe paper and a needle and thread and some glue and started to play.

Before I knew it, it was dawn, the pup was feeling a bit better, and I had a little stack of vintage paper florets!

They were strung together with cord created by finger crocheting a length of turquoise crochet thread.

And then the pup and I napped! Finally.

I don't have pictures of the process for these, but they were fairly easy.  Simply take strips of crepe paper (vintage or good quality new paper gives the best results) and gather one long edge using your needle and thread.  Form into circles and glue to secure.  Next, stretch the outside of each circle to ruffle it a bit.  Create several layers, as desired, add a layer or two of book paper for interest, glue it together, and you're done!  No rules, no measurements, just play around till you find a combination you like.

Drape it across your mantle, over a mirror, or across a bit of weathered old fencing.

Layer textures, like an Anthropologie necklace, if you like.  Or keep the styling simple and clean.

Enjoy your bit of cheery color and dream of springtime and Maypoles! 

***to see another of my vintage crepe paper flower garlands come visit me at Infarrantly Creative, where I am guest posting a new tutorial***

This post is being linked to the following lovely places:Catch as Catch Can at My Re-Purposed Life
SYS at Somewhat Simple
Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog
Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Show off Your Cottage Monday at the House in the Roses
Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative
Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap Up

Under the Table and Dreaming
I Heart Naptime Sundae Scoop

Wild Pants and a Lamp Get a Make-Over!

A couple of months ago I posted about this lamp and a pair of wild pants from the local Goodwill Outlet.  The lamp had definitely seen better days, and the pants still had the tags on them.  

Here is what the lamp looks like today!

I love how the black glossy finish brings out the cool texture of the lamp.

The lamp was painted with a good quality black craft paint, but it wasn't very glossy.  The solution, I found, was to apply glossy Mod Podge over the painted lamp.

The wild pants were used to cover a GW shade, but it still wasn't wild enough, so I created some stylized flowers from some strips of jute burlap I already had for a flouncy border.  I wanted to keep the project light hearted and fun!

Before recovering the shade, I carefully peeled back the trim from the top and bottom of the shade...

... then reused the pieces after the lamp was covered, securing the trim with a high tack glue.

The flower flounce was inspired by the apple green flowers on the wild pants fabric.

These strips of apple green burlap were left-over from being used as a Christmas tree garland a few years ago.

I simply folded the strips in half, being careful not to crease them, and cut looped fringe into the folded edge.  Each flower consisted of a piece of this folded looped fringe about eight inches long that was gathered in the center (along the uncut edge) and glued to the base of the shade.  I used a needle and thread to gather mine, but you could used hot glue.  The centers, are just bits of turquoise fringe cut from the wild pants lining fabric.

On a difficulty scale of 1 to 10, this project is about a two.

It's a fun, not too serious look.

I like that it looks good with "beachy" finishes, but if I get tired of the wild shade, I can always rip everything off and do something more "serious".

Here's another "before"...

And the after.

Tell me what you think.  Would you use this wild pants lamp shade, with the crazy burlap flower flounce?  Or would you go for something more refined?

This post is being linked to the following lovely places:
Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design How To's Day at The Lettered Cottage
Craft-O-Maniac Mondays
I Heart Naptime Sundae Scoop
Under the Table and Dreaming
No Minimalist Here
Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special
Remodelaholics Anonymous
Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap Up
Air Your Laundry Friday at Freckled Laundry
Favorite Things Friday
Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday
Show Off Your Stuff at Fireflies and Jellybeans
Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple
Tales from Bloggeritaville
Beyond the Picket Fence
Transformation Thursday at Shabby Chic Cottage
Hookin' Up With HoH
A Glimpse Inside Catch a Glimpse
Strut Your Stuff on Saturday Mornings
What's Up Wednesday at Sew Woodsy
Penny Pinching Party at The Thrifty Home
Upcycled Awesome at The T-Shirt Diaries
Someday Crafts Whatever Goes Wednesday
A Little Bird Told Me at Rook No. 17
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Power of Paint Party
All Things Inspired at All Things Heart and Home
Handmade Tuesday at Ladybug Blessings
Vintage Wanna Bee Talent Tuesday
Not JUST a Housewife
Stories of A2Z
Giggles, Glitz, and Glam
Your Sassy Sites T2T Tuesday
Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog
Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative