Merry Christmas!

A heartfelt thank you for just being here!

 

 

Your friendship, kind words, enthusiasm and encouragement mean so very much!

 

 

 Wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday with the ones you hold near and dear to your heart!

 

 

May all your dreams and wishes come true!

 

 

Peace Sheet Music Garland

I haven't had all that much time to share holiday craft projects this month. For some reason, this December just seemed to fly by even faster than usual. But here is a quick and easy version of a sheet music garland that you can whip up in no time at all. I chose the word PEACE for my mantel.

 

 

Old hymnals are usually pretty easy to find, very reasonably priced and are perfect for so many sheet music craft projects.
 

If only seemed appropriate to go to the Christmas section.
 

I just tore out five pages.
 

Then I went to Microsoft Word and printed out a few different fonts and sizes of letters until I was happy. I ended up with Century, size 400. Then I used a glue stick to glue the sheet music on printer paper at the correction position where the letters would print.
 

 

 Once they printed...
 

I just cut them out.
 

 

 These pages were especially cool because they actually had drips of wax on them - see that spot in the lower right corner in the above photo. I could just imagine someone singing these songs by candlelight.

 

 

Then I just punched two holes in each sheet and connected them with red and white bakers twine. I added a little red bell for fun.
 

And that was it - quick and easy!

 

And you could certainly add glitter or other embellishments, but I kind of liked the simplicity.
 

 

 And in case you're wondering, I attached the garland to the mantel with these nifty little Command hooks.
 

They will be so easy to remove.
 

I just covered the hooks with garland. 

 

Our stockings still need to be hung, but the stocking hangers seem to be missing at the moment.

 

 

 But I'm loving the garland and PEACE is exactly what I'm wishing for all of us this holiday season!
 

 

 

I'm linking to... 

Glitter, Glue and Paint

  

Be Inspired Features and Link Party #50

I think we're all still trying to wrap our heads around the events of last Friday. The loss is staggering and the sadness overwhelming. Our hearts go out to all the families impacted by this senseless tragedy. We will continue to keep you in our thoughts and prayers.
We wish you peace and comfort!

Now here are just a few of the awesome projects that caught my eye from last week's party...
 

This gorgeous campaign dresser in the perfect shade of blue comes from Reeves at The Weathered Door. I'm always excited to meet and feature a relatively new blogger, especially one whose furniture transformations just blow me away. And guess what, Reeves is an 18 year old college student!

 

 

Lisa from {createinspire} had two fabulous projects to share. First up, this sweet little vanity with the cutest curves!

And I love this darling little cabinet in a fun color. You really need to see the before to appreciate the after!

 

 

Same goes for this dresser that Lauren from At Home, Sweet Home shared with us. The before was pretty bad. I think I would have passed on this one. Luckily Lauren could see it's potential!

 

  

Robin from Happy At Home shared her charming red and white Christmas kitchen. Love the happy vintage feel!

 

 

 And Doreen from Hymns and Verses shared her holiday house tour. Her home has a lovely glow and feels warm and peaceful!

 

 

 

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!

We so appreciate having you here. If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!

 

 

Now on to this week's party...

* Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds, etc... We want to see whatever is inspiring you at the moment!

* Grab a party button and add it to your post or link back in some way. You must have a visible link back to be considered for a feature!
 

* And be sure to follow along with us!

Since Christmas is next Tuesday, this party will remain open through the end of the year. Feel free to link up as many projects as you like - new or old, perhaps one of your all-time favorites. We'll be back with features and a brand new party to kick off 2013!

 

 

Holiday Stocking Tutorial

These holiday stockings are one of my favorite holiday projects. I've made more than I can count. I've given them as gifts to friends and sold them at our holiday tag sales.

 

And the fun part is that no two are ever exactly alike!

 

Last year we put one on the wreath we donated to our local arts council wreath auction.

 

And Megan has one hanging on the hutch in her dining room.

 

 

Now here's the scoop on how to make one of your own. You can change up the size, the fabric and the embellishments. What a great way to use the little odds and ends you have on hand. Just start with a simple stocking shape. Since I usually make them in batches, I draw a pattern on a piece of poster board. But you can draw right on your fabric. Just double your fabric, wrong sides together.

 

Cut our your stocking and stitch it up, leaving the top open for stuffing.
 

This is what your stocking looks like just after stitching.

 

At this point I like to iron it so the edges are nice and crisp.
 

 

 Then just fold down the top about an inch or so and add a loop for hanging. I like to stitch the loop for security and use a bit of hot glue on the underside of the fold.
 

 

 Next the entire stocking gets stuffed with batting.
 

 

I like an organic feel, so I cover the top with moss. A little hot glue holds it all together.

 

 

Now you get to decorate your stocking with whatever you like. I usually start with a wide piece of ribbon or burlap.

 

 

Then add branches, greenery and berries, whatever you have on hand. And don't limit yourself to a holiday mix. I especially like ferns and a mix of greens. Just hot glue it all in place leaving space for another layer of ribbon.
 

 

Now your glue is completely hidden and everything is secure.

 

Just tie it up nice and pretty!
 

 

 

Then for a finishing touch, add a little more moss and embellishments like bells, ornaments, pinecones, etc...
 

 

And there you have it...

 

 

a cute little stocking!

 

 

Actually, I think they are fun when they are kind of big. These stockings were about 24 inches from top to toe. But like I said, you can make any size you like.

 

 

And I've used all sorts of fabrics, including vintage ticking, dropcloth scraps and burlap.

And for a snowy look, give your stocking a light spritz with spray adhesive and dust with snow.

If you've been here before, you know I rarely make just one of something. So every holiday season there is a day or two when I wake up and just make stockings all day long. It's commonly known around here as the stocking frenzy!

I'm linking to...

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Shanty 2 Chic

Craftberry Bush