Five Little Pumpkins You Can Make

Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate,
The first one said, "Oh, my it's getting late!"
The second one said, "There are witches in the air!"
The third one said, "Well, I don't care!"
The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run!"
The fifth one said, "I'm ready for some fun!"
Ooooo went the wind and out went the lights
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

Does anyone besides me remember learning this poem in kindergarten?  And by the way, I went to kindergarten a long, long, long time ago, but I still remember this poem.  Actually, I remember almost all the songs and poems I learned in school.  Why?  Because I liked them and what we like we tend to remember.

Today's adorable tutorial is really inexpensive!  All the supplies came from the Dollar Tree and the five little pumpkins cost me a total of $3.00.  You did not misread that nor did I mistype the figure - $3.00.   How is that for a great price?  

I first saw this project on a blog site called ALittleTipsy.com.  I thought it was so cute that I pinned it to my Pinterest board and, of course, I had to try it!  So, I made a trek to the Dollar Tree and bought two packages of pumpkin-shaped doilies.  Each package contains 32 doilies and each pumpkin has 12 doilies in it, so I was able to make 5 little pumpkins.  The packages of pumpkin doilies are mixed in with packages of  leaf-shaped doilies so you may have to search through the rack to find them.  I also purchased a glue pen made by Elmer's.  It is fantastic to use on this project because it has a narrow pen-like dispenser on one end and a wider dispenser on the other end which makes it perfect for gluing the doilies together. 

To make a pumpkin, count out 12 doilies.  They stick together, so be very careful peeling them apart so that you don't tear them.  Fold each doily in half with the bright orange side facing out.  Make a sharp crease down the fold.  

Open each doily out and place some glue on one side.  I used the wide dispenser  on the glue pen for this.

Fold the doily back in half, pressing the two halves together to make sure the glue holds.  Stack the twelve folded doilies up with creased sides together.  Run your fingers down the creases again, then press them together tightly.

Pick the stack of doilies up holding them tightly in one hand.  Using the wide dispenser on the glue pen, run a bead of glue down the folded edges making sure all edges get some glue.

Run your finger up and down the glue making sure all edges are covered.  Now, stand the pumpkin up on the curved edges with the glued side up to let the glue dry.  (They reminded me of apple slices.)

When the glue is dry, open the pumpkin up by folding each doily sort of back and forth, working with it carefully until it will stand on it's own.  You may want to place a small dot of glue on the first and last folded doily to help it stay open.  I also used the small pen-like dispenser to put tiny dots of glue on the open doily edges to help keep them from curling open.  

Now, you need to make some little squiggly stems and add a small leaf to the top of the pumpkin.  ALitteTipsy.com used some little metallic garland for this step.  I used some thin floral wire I had and a couple of little leaves that I cut off a stem of silk flowers.  Wrap your garland or wire around a pencil (I used a paint brush) like this. 

Remove the wire from the pencil and it will be curled tightly.  Stretch it out a bit and wrap it around the top of the pumpkin stem and glue a leaf to the stem.  It should look like this.

  How can that not make you smile?  I have some of these adorable little pumpkins on my mantle and the others sitting around the house in different places.  Remember - $3.00 for 5 cute little pumpkins.  Enough said.

This would be a great project for children to make.  They may need a little help with gluing all the doilies together, but they are just so cute and inexpensive.  They would also make great table decorations for any autumn event and would be quick, easy  and inexpensive.  You know, my three favorite words.  I hope you will give this fun little project a try.  I mean seriously, there is nothing cuter than a paper doily and now you have a paper doily pumpkin!  Fantastic!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Instead of counting your days, make your days count.  ~Author Unknown

Make A Beautiful Fall Arrangement

Is there anything more representative of fall than pumpkins?  Pumpkins = jack o lanterns in our minds.    Pumpkin carving has become an amazing seasonal art form.  But - pumpkins don't last very long.   They get smelly and shriveled and yucky.  Now, they are making these very realistic artificial pumpkins that can be used throughout the autumn season.  You may not know this, but they are hollow just like a real pumpkins and can be carved or used to make autumn arrangements in!  Or, you can set them in groupings  on your mantle or tables and they won't get all yucky and you can use them year after year.

Fresh flower arrangements in pumpkins are so lovely and will last as long as an average fresh flower arrangement - up to 7 days if properly taken care of and watered.  You know my love for fresh flowers, but I wanted something to sit on the table by the fireplace that would last through the Thanksgiving season.  Hence, the arrangement in the picture above.  Michael's has their artificial pumpkins on sale for 1/2 price so I splurged and bought one.  I had some artificial fall leaves, cattails, flowers and wheat that I planned to use in it.  This is a tutorial to show you how you can make a professional looking arrangement for your home.  It can be done on any scale to suit your need.  I wanted one that was fairly tall to fill up the corner in the living room.

There is a method used in floral arranging to get  proper scale and professional results.  For this arrangement, I wanted a round design.  In the shop, we called these "roundy moundies" and were the most common arrangement for centerpieces for tables.  They are not hard to do once you understand the process used.  For this arrangement I used one stem of japanese lantern, two cattail bushes, two fall leaf bushes, two mum bushes, and one package of wheat.

First, I placed the block of dry foam that I was going to use on the top of the pumpkin to get a measurement for the hole I was going to cut.  I wanted the foam to fit right inside the hole with little or no movement so I didn't have to anchor the foam to the pumpkin.  There are special tapes to do this with, but this is much easier.  After marking the area I would need to cut, I used a sharp knife (actually, one of our steak knives - don't tell) to cut the top out of the pumpkin.  You will have to make up and down cuts just like with a real pumpkin.

Remove the top and place the block of dry foam inside the pumpkin.  I call this dry foam, because wet foam is used for fresh flower arrangements.  You may have to shave the sides of the foam with the knife to get it to fit in the hole.  Square foam, round hole.  Just shave it a bit at a time so it doesn't end up too loose.

Next, you want to set the line for the height of the arrangement which should be at least the same height as the container or higher.  Mine is at least two times taller than the pumpkin.  I used a stem of japanese lantern to do this.  Since these are artificial, I broke the stem down using wire cutters, leaving the longest piece to go in the center of the foam.  The other pieces should surround the center at east, west, north and south.   Place them close to the center stem at varying heights.

Next, I used the cattails and placed them around the base of the foam at north, south, east and west, and then filled in between the base of the foam and the japanese lantern with more cattails so there is a symmetry and "fullness" beginning to the arrangement.  You will want to place these stems at northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest.  Make sure to cut the stems different lengths so the cattails are different heights to give the arrangement interest and depth.

Next, I used the fall leaves and mums to fill in between the cattails and the japanese lantern.  Use the same procedure and fill in at different heights and around the entire block of foam.  Because the wheat is real and the stems break easily, make them the last step when completing the arrangement.  Make one or two stalks of wheat tall and place them near the center of the arrangement.  Place one stalk at east, west, north and south and fill in the rest of the arrangement placing stalks of wheat all around the arrangement. Then, take the top of the pumpkin that you cut out of the middle and place a bamboo skewer in the middle of the underside by pushing it into the foam.  Put some hot glue around it to hold it in place.  

Now, take the pumpkin top with the skewer attached and place it into the finished arrangement.  

Wow, you now have a beautiful arrangement that will last through the entire autumn season.  How pretty is that?

Remember, I have been doing floral arranging for 30 years and it doesn't take me that long to put an arrangement together.  My goal is to show you the principles of arranging so that you can make professional looking arrangements.  Like anything else, it takes practice and patience.  Remember to always cut your stems longer than you think you will need them to be - you can always cut them off if they are too long.  The other most important thing is to have a really good pair of wire cutters to use.  That will make the whole process easier.  Now, go make yourself an arrangement to enjoy.  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.  
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."-   Edwin Way Teale

The Answer is Chocolate Pie

Yesterday was a cool, rainy day here in middle Tennessee and I was in the mood to cook.   One of my friends made the comment they wished they had something to bake.  I said I was thinking about apple pie bars or chocolate cream pie.  Her remark - chocolate cream pie - so pie it was.

This is a "from scratch" pie that is rich and chocolaty and delicious.  It takes a little time at the stove stirring to keep the filling from scorching, but is more than worth the time and effort.  I also made the crust from scratch and whipped cream from scratch.  Here is the recipe:

Crust:

1 and 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening (I used 2 stick butter)
4 - 5 tablespoons cold water

Sift the flour and salt together in a medium sized bowl.  Cut the butter into small pieces and cut into the flour with a pastry blender until it looks like small peas.  Add water 1 tablespoon at a time and stir with a fork until it forms a ball.  Roll out to fit a 9 inch pie pan.  Place crust in pie plate and crimp edges.  Prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork and bake at 350 until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool before adding filling.

Pie Filling:

2 and 2/3 cups milk
3 eggs - separated
3 squares baking chocolate, quartered
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine 1 2/3 cups milk, 3 egg yolks, chocolate, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tablespoon butter in blender for 15 - 20 seconds.  Put in top of double boiler.  Add remaining cup of milk.  Cook on medium until thickened  - stirring constantly.  The filling will start as a light chocolate with lots of little chocolate pieces in it.  Suddenly, it will start to thicken and become a rich dark chocolate as all the little chocolate pieces melt.  Takes about 20 - 25 minutes of cooking.  Remove from heat.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir.

Cool slightly.  Pour into baked pie shell.  Top with whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

1 pint heavy whipping cream
sugar to taste

Place whipping cream in a deep bowl and use mixer on high until whipping cream starts to thicken.  Add a couple tablespoons of sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.  Cover pie with the whipped cream and place in refrigerator.


This is such a delicious treat with coffee, especially if you share it with friends or family!  The crust is buttery and flakey, the chocolate filling is rich and silky topped by the delicious whipped cream.  Is your mouth watering?  Mine sure is.  Think I'll go have a piece right now.  Give it a try.  I hope you will like it as much as we do.  All I can say is yummmmmmmm.

Everyday Donna


Things to Remember:


Chocolate is the answer.  Who cares what the question is.  ~Author Unknown

A Festive Fall Banner For Your Home

It's Friday and the first day of Fall!  What a great end to a week that simply flew by.  Perhaps it's because this has been fall project week here at the "Little Yellow Cottage."  Today, I finished the mantel and am  very happy with the results.  My project for today was creating the banner on the front of the fireplace.  It was so easy to make and adds such a festive look to the living room.

Remember, I am in my burlap phase, so today I used natural burlap for my pennants.  This is such an easy no-sew project.  Although I do sew and could have made these by sewing them over the sisal string, I made them with hot glue to show you how you can make this without threading a needle.

All you need for this project is some burlap in the color of your choice, a hot glue gun and glue sticks, artificial fall leaves, small pine cones, berries and artificial acorns (unless you have access to real acorns), some  small rocks, and a moss roll from the Dollar Tree.  This is a strip of moss on a web backing that can be cut and glued to most anything.

The first thing I did was measure a piece of sisal string on the mantel to know exactly what length I needed.  Next, I created my pattern for the pennant.  I drew a 12 inch square on a piece of brown craft paper.  Mark the center of the bottom line which would be at 6 inches.  Take a ruler and draw a diagonal line from the top two corners of the square to the center point on the bottom line.  You have your pennant shape.

Cut out the pennant along the lines you have drawn.  This pennant will have a 12 inch top which is rather large for indoor use.  I carried this pattern piece over to the fireplace and held it up to determine the size that I would want to use.   I made a crease on the edge of the paper where I wanted the top to be for the size pennant needed.

The pennant had to be cut down, so I folded the top over a straight edge, in this case a ruled, and creased it along the top.

Now, all you have to do it cut it straight across and you have the size pattern piece needed.  No drawing and re-drawing of patterns.  This can be reduced to a tiny little pennant if that is the size needed -  simple and easy.

Next, I folded the burlap and pinned the pattern on to start cutting my burlap pieces.  You can minimize waste by laying the pattern one way when cutting, then turning it the opposite way to cut the next piece.  This leaves practically no waste to the fabric.

I cut 12 pieces of  burlap for the banner that I would use across the front of the fireplace.  It is better to have a few extra than to find youself short and have to go back and cut more.  Next, I covered the table to protect it from any hot glue that might seep through the porous burlap.  I took my first piece of burlap and starting laying out pieces on it to get the look I wanted.  Each pennant I made is different, but you could make yours all the same if that is the look you wanted.

Here are some close-ups of a few of the finished pennants.  I  would lay down a leaf or two, some pinecones or acorns, until I'd get the look I wanted.   Then, I would glue them to the burlap. 

The pennants can be decorated an any way you choose.  After I finished all 12 pennants, I began gluing them over the sisal string.  First, I found the center of the string and marked it with a pin.  I laid the finished pennants out in the order I wanted them to hang on the twine.  I laid the first pennant face down on the table and placed the twine about 1/2 inch down from the top.  I ran a bead of hot glue along the top edge of the pennant and turned it over the twine and pressed it down.  Be sure and use something besides your finger to press the edge down because the glue is hot and may seep through the burlap resulting in a burn. 

 Next, I placed another pennant piece on the other side of center and followed the same procedure.  I used my finger to space the pennants so they would be equidistant apart.  I continued gluing until I had 10 pennants on the banner and had just enough twine left to tie the banner to the mantle.  That left two extra pennants which was great.  I found another place to use them.

I placed a clear push pin in the center of the mantle and one on each end.   I took the banner to the mantle and hung the center over the push pin and tied each end to the other push pins.  Finis!  (done)  I had to stand and look in admiration, it was just what the mantle needed,

The top of the mantle is decorated with gourds, pumpkins and Indian corn.  There are also some adorable paper doily pumpkins.  (There will be a DIY for these next.)  Now, were are all ready to settle down for an enjoyable autumn in our new home.  It has been a long time since was have had "firsts" in a home and it is rather exciting. 

This is a fun and easy project for any weekend crafter.  The banner can be hung anywhere you would like and adds so much color and pizzazz to a room.   What a fun way to welcome fall into your home.  What do you plan to do to decorate for fall?  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." ~ Pamela Vaull Starr

Other than Christmas, do you change the accessories in your home to fit the season - spring/summer flowers and accessories for spring/summer, fall accessories for fall and holiday decorations for the winter holidays?  I always have and probably always will because I like it that way.  It just makes sense to me that the inside decor matches the season of the out of doors.  OCD?  Probably.

Since today is the last official day of summer and fall is rapidly approaching, I have been working on making the transition indoors.  All the summer decorations are being changed for fall decorations as I create them.  Our new home, the little yellow cottage, is getting all new decorations because creating is a very joyous experience for me.  Yes, there are pumpkins and pots of mums sitting on the deck waiting for their assigned places out of doors, but first I want to finish the interior.  First things first - that's the way I like it.  

At the moment, I am in my burlap phase.  All artists go through phases and this is mine at the moment.  First, it's inexpensive and second, it has so much potential.  I bought two yards of red burlap when I made my fall wall hanging knowing I would use it for something.  I liked the wall hanging so much, I decided to make a runner for the table out of some of the remaining fabric.  The runner is 18 inches wide and two yards long.  The edges are unfinished and there are painted stencils going down the center of the runner.  Easy, inexpensive and creative.  

I thought about what I wanted on the runner and the thought of being grateful kept running through my mind.  So, I stenciled the phrase "Always Giving Thanks" in the middle of the runner as we try to always live in a state of gratitude.  I wanted the runner to be used through Thanksgiving, so I went with a fall harvest/cornucopia look.  Brown craft paper is great for inexpensive stencils that will only be used a couple of times, so I traced some of the artificial fall leaves I have on hand, cut an apple in half and traced it, googled images of acorns and drew one, and drew a small pumpkin.  I cut the center out of all the drawings to make stencils.  Quick and easy - my two favorite words.  If you don't feel comfortable drawing stencils, just find images on your computer and print them out.  The grapes were made with a round foam one inch "stomp".  It makes perfect circles and gives the bunches of grapes depth and dimension.  

Paint colors used were pumpkin orange, santa red, leaf green, hunter green, chocolate brown, dandelion yellow, purple pearl, eggplant and black.  All you need are the little bottles of acrylic paint available in any craft store.  Other supplies needed are a stencil brush, thin liner brush, foam stomp, and something to cover your table so you don't get paint on it.  I used a plastic trash bag.

Start by pinning a stencil to the runner with some straight pins.  I did leaves first, then acorns, grapes, apple, and pumpkins.  Start on the outside edge of the leaf stencil with whatever color you want to use and paint the outside 1/3 of the leaf one color.  Work toward the center of the leaf with a second color and complete the center with a third color.  If you start with orange, work to red then yellow.  You want the colors to be as natural as possible.  Nothing is ever just one color.  Don't be afraid to mix colors, it gives you depth, texture and dimension.

The brown leaf above was started with brown, then green and the center in yellow.  It makes everything much more interesting that way.

The grapes were done with the eggplant paint on the top part of the cluster and then the purple pearl was used on the bottom to give contrast.  The apple was painted yellow and then shaded from the top down with red.  The pumpkin was painted solid orange and the stem was done in brown and highlighted with dark green and yellow.  After all the paint was dry, I went back with the little linter brush and added veins to the leaves and lines were added to the pumpkins. All the stems were highlighted with green or yellow.  The acorns received a little shadow under the "cap" to show separation and depth.  Don't be afraid to trust your instincts.  I am not Monet or Van Gogh, but I love the way my runner turned out!

Stenciling is very easy.  Just make sure the stencil is snug to the fabric using pins or tape.  Use an up and down pouncing motion.  I like to work from the outside in, that way you get nice crisp edges.  Remove the stencil once the paint is partially dry.  I would complete one object, then move on to the next image I wanted to place on the runner.  

This is an easy and inexpensive project.  You can choose whatever design you want to put on your runner.  We now have a lovely table runner and the adorable candy corn tea lite holders from last night's post.  It's going to be a good fall!  

What could be more fun than creating your own personal table runner to use in your home or to give as a gift?  Give it a try, you can do it!  And, you will feel so satisfied knowing you created something lovely and meaningful out of something as humble as burlap.  Get that creativity out and use it as often as you can!  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Gratitude is an Attitude!

Candy Corn Tea Lite Holders

Candy corn is such a symbol of fall.  When the bags of candy corn appear in the stores in mass quantities, you know that fall is just around the corner.  You may not like to eat candy corn (I happen to like it a lot), but there is nothing more colorful and "fall like" than candy corn.  I even have jars of it sitting around the house.  Not only is it for us and guests to eat, but it adds so much color and playfulness to a room.  Everything is a decorating possibility you know.  

I have a life long friend by the name of Joyce whom I play word games with every night on Facebook.  We have a grand old time trying to outscore each other and while we play, we chat back and forth on instant message.  Now let me tell you, she is an absolute hoot and we have some crazy conversations and laugh till our sides hurt.  Have you read the blog about the rusty chicken?  If not, find it immediately and read it!  We still bring it up several times a week and have other running jokes that make me laugh just to think about them.  That is one of the wonderful things about Facebook, even with it's crazy constant changes.  It keeps us connected with friends from all over the place and that is a good thing as Martha would say.

Well, Joyce has a son who will be getting married next month and we have been chatting about ideas for decorations for the rehearsal dinner.  She had some ideas for arrangements incorporating a candy corn look.  I found several things online and sent them to her - even posted a couple to my Pinterest board.  Do you Pinterest?  If so, let me know.  I would like to follow you and see what your interests are.  Mine is out there for the whole world to see.  So far, it's only DIY things.  Imagine that!  

Well, I was on one of my forays through Michael's the other day and sitting on the shelf were these adorable little clay pots.  They are 4 inches tall and 3 inches in diameter.  I stopped and looked at them and they said "candy corn" to me.  Yes, I heard them speak to me right in the aisle.  They jumped in my cart and what was I to do?  I had to get paint in the traditional candy corn colors of course!  Yellow, orange and white.  I bought Krylon spray paint in white and a small bottle of orange and yellow in an acrylic that said it was usable on glass.  I couldn't wait to get home.

First, I base painted my five little pots all white inside and out.  I forgot to take a picture of them before I painted them, but you know what a terra cotta flower pot looks like.  I'll try to remember next time.

Since they were now white, I could keep the tip that color and just paint the orange and yellow.   I used a small ruler and marked a broken line around the bottom with a pencil so I would paint it straight.  I am a pretty steady painter, but did you ever start something and you get it a little bit crooked and then you try to correct it and then it's crooked on the other side and so it goes until you have covered up everything and now what do you do?  I did not want that to happen, so better safe than sorry.  I made the line 3/4 of an inch from the bottom so it would look like the tip of the candy corn when painted.

Now, I was ready to paint my first color which was orange.  I don't know how you work, but I like to work "assembly-line" style so I can use the same brush and paint before washing out the brush and changing colors.  I lined up my pots and painted the orange from the top of the pencil line to the bottom of the lip on the flower pot.   I used a one (1) inch foam brush and put a glob of paint on my favorite palate - a paper plate.  Make sure your brush is well coated, then place your hand inside the pot and turn it as you paint.  Makes the job very quick and easy.  Let the paint dry before painting the yellow, then you will have no smudges or smears.

 The paint dries quickly and you are ready to proceed with the yellow.  Just follow the same steps above and tadah!  you end up with this➦

Now seriously, how cute are these?  Adorable.  I wanted to use mine as tea lite holders, so I cut small pieces of styrofoam and shaved the sides down so it would fit in the pot.  

Place a piece of styrofoam in each pot.  It should be about 1/2 inch from the top of the pot.  Next, set your tea lite in the middle of the styrofoam and surround it with candy corn.  Don't eat all of it before you fill the pots!   (Be sure and keep the candy away from the flame because it is sugar and will burn and smell bad.  You don't want that! ) 

I lined these up down the center of my dining table for now.  Um, check out the table runner I made while you are looking at the picture.  That will be tomorrow's tutorial!  I am in my burlap phase at the moment.    

Anyway, for $.99 each you can purchase these adorable little pots.  The two paint bottles will be less than $3.00 and the Krylon spray paint was on sale for $3.99 at Michaels.  The pumpkin spice tea lites came from Dollar Tree.  

You will have plenty of paint left to do many more projects - you could even paint big pots and put them on your porch or wherever you would like and they will be good to use all the way through Thanksgiving.  What great hostess gifts these would make for the Thanksgiving holiday.  I mean, come on, it's candy corn!  What more can I say?  Cutest candy ever!  Even your kids could give these a try.  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Candy Corn is the only candy in the history of America that's never been advertised. And there's a reason. All of the candy corn that was ever made was made in 1911.
- Lewis Black 

(Sorry, couldn't resist this quote.  Made me laugh hysterically)

Starry, Starry Night

 For my part  I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.  
Vincent Van Gogh


What makes you dream?  What fills you with wonder?  What takes your breath away?  For me, it is the night sky filled with uncountable stars and planets twinkling in the inky blackness of nighttime.  When did I fall in love with the night sky?  In 1960 while traveling to Arizona with my family - I was not quite 12 years old.  We traveled all night and my dad was driving.  My mom and sister slept in the back seat while I stayed awake to keep my dad company.  We were traveling route 66 in my dad's first brand new car, his red and white 1960 Chevrolet Impala.  We had the windows down and the cool night air stirred something in me as I raptly gazed at the glory of the night sky.  If you have never been in the desert or far away from the city without all the lights interfering with the wonder of the night sky, you have not lived.   You have not experienced the night sky.  As long as I live, I will never forget that night as I gazed intently at the innumerable lights twinkling and flashing in the sky.  I started to count the shooting stars which flashed across the sky with regularity leaving glowing trails behind them.  Some were short bursts of light while others seemed to cross the entire sky.  I watched the changing positions of the constellations as we traveled, knowing this was a night I would never forget.  As dawn approached and the sky lightened, I was thankful that I had gotten to experience a most unforgettable night.

For those of you who know me or have been in our home, you know my love of stars, or the shapes we use to represent the heavenly bodies.  My home is filled with stars.  My son-in-love teases me about all my stars, but they represent wonder and awe to me and what inspires me.  To me, the mystery of the universe is just a reminder of where we came from and the place we will return to some day, becoming one with the divine.

The first picture shows a project I just finished for our guest bedroom and I chose a quote from Vincent Van Gogh about the stars.  We are all familiar with his painting Starry Night which is my most favorite painting.  Van Gogh understood the glory of the night sky and was able to express it in his painting in a truly inspiring way.  The wall hanging is from an inspiration I found on a blog site called The Lettered Cottage.   She took her inspiration from a picture in a Pottery Barn catalog and that hanging cost hundreds of dollars.  This one can be made for waaaaaaaaay less.  Check out her blog for some great inspiration.  As soon as I saw the picture of her hanging, I knew it was exactly what I wanted for the guest bedroom.  The wall had been empty since we moved here.  I just hadn't found the "right" thing to put there.

We made a trip to Home Depot to purchase the materials we needed for the hanging which is a take off of an antique drying rack.  We purchased two 1x2's and a package of lattice strips that are used for replacements when they break.  The lattice strips were 72 inches long and there were 10 in the package.   The 1 x 2's were 8 feet long which is enough to make the frame and he cut the lattice strips in half.  The materials were less than $15.00.

Dan built the frame which he made 25x36 with a reinforcement strip down the middle.  It looks like this.

Next, he cut the strips to the length needed to fit the frame (36 inches) and attached them with small finishing nails.  He pre-drilled the holes before hammering the nails in so the thin lattice strips would not split.

 We laid the strips out so we knew how many it would take to cover the frame and then he worked from the top and bottom edges to the middle so there would not be a gap at the bottom if the spacing was off just a bit.  We used a "shim" to measure between the strips so they would be evenly spaced.

 This is how the finished hanging looked before painting.  I chose a dark red paint for the color since red is the accent color I use throughout the little yellow cottage.  And, red just makes me happy.  It took one can of spray paint to spray the front and back plus the frame.  I did not spray it heavily as I wanted a rustic look.

After the paint  dried, I went over the entire surface with fine sandpaper because I did not want any shine to the paint and to give it an aged look.  The strips are 1.5 inches wide, so I used a 1 inch stencil to place my quote on the boards.  After deciding how I wanted the words to be placed so they would fill the space,  I went to work with my small stencil brush and white acrylic paint.

The first picture shows the guest room with it's fabulous new "headboard" of stars and a truly easy and inexpensive hanging that is very personal to me.  I am hoping our guests will enjoy the quote from Vincent Van Gogh and that they will dream beautiful dreams, finding inspiration in his words.

What makes you dream?  What inspires you?   What takes your breath away?  For me, it is the stars.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

You may not be a Picasso or Mozart but you don’t have to be. Just create to create. Create to remind yourself you’re still alive. Make stuff to inspire others to make something too. Create to learn a bit more about yourself.” Frederick Terral

An Easy Fall Wall Hanging - No Sewing Required

I am not a pastel kind of girl - it's jewel tones for me every time!  Their rich colors make my heart sing.  Perhaps that is one of the many reasons Fall is my favorite season.  The rich colors of the season cause me to smile in anticipation of lovely days to come.  Vermillion, golds, greens, purples, oranges and rich, warm browns are the colors I love to wear as well as decorate my home with.   As summer days wane and the air begins to cool, it is time to put away all the lovely shells and beach themed decorations I used in the little yellow cottage this summer.  Its time for a change while Fall decorations are plentiful and varied.  

I did not want to use another wreath in place of my summertime shell wreath in our entryway.  There was an idea stirring to make a wall hanging of some sort and burlap was my fabric of choice.  There is something about the texture and colors available in burlap that make me think of fall.  You know what that meant - first stop - the fabric store.  So, Dan and I headed down the road to a few of my favorite places.  I shop for fabric and craft supplies, he goes to the guitar store.  Works for me.

I had several packages of fall-type leaves that I had purchased at the Dollar Tree when I made my fall wreath for out of doors.  There were yellows, oranges and browns, so I decided to use a red burlap for my wall hanging.  I bought two yards, knowing I only needed a little for the wall hanging, but I have plans for the rest of it.  Of course, I had to sashay around Jo Ann's to see what other interesting things were available and then headed to Michaels.  At Michael's I found a couple of packages of smaller leaves that would go nicely with the ones I already had.  There was a mesh bag of itty bitty pine cones that I also purchased and some things for another project.   Time to go home and get started.   (Anticipation - I LOVE the process of creating things.)

I measured the area where the new wall hanging would go.  The finished size needed to be 18 x 22, so I cut a piece of burlap 18 x 25 because I knew I had to make a hanger at the top using either a dowel rod or something to tie the hanger to.  Fabric is never straight when it is cut at the store, but burlap is very easy to make straight.  All you have to do is pull a thread the length of the piece you are using and then trim along the gap where the pulled thread was.  Easy Peasy.

If you look closely, you can see the thread I pulled laying on top of the burlap and the gap it left.  Trim here to make your piece straight.  I left the edges unfinished because I like the slightly fringed appearance it leaves.

I put a plastic trash bag on the table because I knew I would be using hot glue and paint.  You don't want to get it all over the table top and risk ruining your table.  Next, I laid the burlap on top of the trash bag.  Laying the leaves out on the table, I chose leaves and laid them in different ways until I got the look I wanted.  

This was my "base" for the decorations.  (Picking up one leaf at a time, place hot glue on the back and return it to the place it came from so as not to disturb your arrangement).  Next, I added smaller leaves to make the arrangement have more depth.

Now, repeat the same process.  Pick up each leaf, put some hot glue on the back of it and return it to the proper place.  

Next, I placed the itty bitty pine cones and some small pods I had around until I liked the look, put hot glue on the back and glued them down.  

Because burlap is a very loose weave, stenciling seems to be the easiest way to paint on it.  Since our last name begins with "K", I decided to monogram the hanging.  I googled images for the letter "K" and found one I liked.  You could enlarge it and print it out which would be the easiest way, but our printer is not working so I freehanded the letter onto a piece of printer paper and cut it out.  Pin the monogram to the burlap in the location where you want it.  You will need a stencil brush and some acrylic paint in the color of your choice.  You only need a small bottle and they can be purchased at most craft stores for less than $2.00.   Place a small amount of paint on a plate and you are ready to stencil.  If you have never stenciled anything, a stencil brush is flat on the bottom and you use an up and down pouncing motion so that the paint does not run under the edge of the stencil.  Fill in the entire area that has been cut out.

The finished stencil will look like this.

Let the paint dry.  Remove the pins and then the paper.  This is what you will have.

Lovely isn't it?  Nice and crisp like a beautiful fall day.  Now, it's time to add the hanger.  I had some pieces of wood that are used to replace broken lattice strips.  They are 1.5 inches wide.  You may choose to use a dowel rod, I just didn't want to purchase something when the lattice strip would work.  I cut it to 20 inches long so there would be some wood outside of the wall hanging to tie my sisal to.  This is how I did my hanger.  I turned the burlap over and laid the wood strip along the top edge of the burlap.  I used the hot glue gun and glued the burlap to the wood.  Then, I turned it down so the wood was covered with the burlap and glued the bottom of the wood to the burlap.  Next, I cut a piece of sisal (jute string) and tied it to the wood outside of the burlap.  I cut a few extra pieces of sisal in different lengths and tied it to the hanger with a knot.  Now, it was time to hang it on the wall.  It only takes a small nail, the hanging is very light.  

Here is the finished product and I am really pleased with it.  It is something different than a wreath, you could make it any size you want, big or small, (you could hang it on your front door if it is protected from the weather) and it was really inexpensive!  Now, how is that for a quick afternoon project?  These could make lovely gifts for friends and family too! How easy to do one for the Christmas holidays!  There goes my busy brain again, ideas are already formulating.

There is absolutely no sewing required for this easy project.  I hope you will give it a try using whatever colors you like.  Let me know how yours turns out.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Paulo Coelho
Live with no regrets and love with no apologies