Motivated Monthly

Today is the inaugural Motivated Monthly linky party!  I'm so excited.  I can't wait to see all of the projects that everyone comes up with this month.

This linky party will be open all month long.

It's pretty simple, just follow the guidelines below:
1) Link directly to your family friendly project, not your blog post
2) Limit of 4 links/blog please, no one likes a linky hog
3) Please no shops or giveaways, just creative projects that you've made yourself

This party is co-hosted by my good friend Gen over at Cabin Fevered Gem, so your link will show on both of our blogs, getting double exposure!  You can link up at either blog and you can feel free to follow both of us if you'd like (we'd be super thrilled), but it's not mandatory.

We do ask though that you please post our button someplace on your blog where everyone will see it.  The more people that join the party, the more fun and exposure it will be for all of you.



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OK, let's get on with it!  This month's theme is the 3 R's.  Anything you've recycled, remade, or reused for something other than it's intended purpose is what we're looking for.

For example, I took an ugly old coffee table and made it into a pretty and super useful bench in my back porch.

It doesn't have to be only furniture though.  If you've deconstructed clothing or reused something in different way we want to see it!

Here's what's coming up:

June: In the Garden
July: Handmade Jewellery
August: Oh Baby!
September: Natural Materials

(If you link up you are giving Gen and I permission to tell the world how great you are and possibly post a picture or a link to your awesome project either here, on Facebook, or on Pinterest. Make sure you're OK with this before you link up.)

Let's see what you've got!  Remember, you have all month to link up your best projects~

WHOA! STOP! THIS IS A THEMED LINKY PARTY.  READ THE POST ABOVE BEFORE YOU LINK.  If your project is not something you've recycled, link up to our regular weekly linky party that starts on Mondays.  Thank you~ 

Make it Great Monday

Yay, another great start to the week.  Here are some inspiring projects to get your crafty juices going:

Urban Moppits shared an awesome restyle project.  You wouldn't believe what these pieces looked like before she got her hands on them.  Make sure to stop by her blog to see the before!

Crafty Confessions has a great tutorial to show you how to make the prettiest pin cushions you've ever seen!

It's that time of year again...time to get the garden cleaned up and ready to plant!  Head on over to A Pinch of Joy to watch a great (but short) video on how to build your own raised garden.  It's so easy!

Custom Slipcovers by Shelley linked up a post on some out of this world slipcovers she made for a customer using chenille bedspreads!  Make sure to check out her post because this one photo really is only a peek at the rest of the prettiness in the room.

So many more amazing projects last week!  I can't wait to see how you top yourselves.  If you were featured please grab a button from the sidebar.

Now for this week...remember, it's the start of something special!  When you link up you'll also be linking up over at Cabin Fevered Gem. 

Same 'rules' still apply though. Please remember to only link:
1) To your Family Friendly Project Post that you've made yourself, not your main blog page
2) Maximum of 3 projects that you haven't link up before
3) Please, no shops or giveaways
4) Feel free to hit one of those Follow buttons on the sidebar ;)

And, not really a rule, but something you won't regret if you do....go visit some of the other links and leave a comment, we all love comments right~
If you link up, please post my button somewhere on your blog so more people can come join the fun:
<center><a href="http://www.etcetorize.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k554/Etcetorize/2012PartyButton150.jpg"/></a></center> (If you link up you are giving Gen and I permission to tell the world how great you are and possibly post a picture or a link to your awesome project either here, on Facebook, or on Pinterest. Make sure you're ok with this before you link up.)
OK, let's see what you've got!  Come on, bring the craftiness on!

Linen Placemat Pillows

This is one of those projects that I've unnecessarily been putting off for weeks.  Why did I avoid it?  I have no idea.  I knew it would be easy. I knew it would look nice in the end.  I just wasn't into it....until today.  I finally conquered the great "Linen Placemat Pillow" project!  Hold your applause, please~


I picked up two of these pretty linen pieces at the thrift store a couple of months ago.  I'm not really sure if they're actually placemats but they're about the right size.  There's no way I'm eating on pretty hand embroidered linen though.  I'd be bleaching till the cows come home.  So....pillows they will become!

Materials:
linen placemats
thread
cotton for backing
cotton for pillow liner
batting or stuffing (I used old pillows)
tape measure
iron
sewing machine

Steps:
1) After pressing all of your fabrics, fold your pillow backing with wrong sides together.  Fold your placemat in half and align it with the selvedge of your fabric but in about 2 3/4".

2) Cut your fabric around the outside of your placemat, ensuring a hem of at least 5/8".

3) Fold over the straight edge approximately 5/8" and press.  If you weren't able to use a selvedge edge, finish the edge with a narrow hem.

You can sew this down if you want, but it's not necessary.

4) Zig zag or serge around the curved edge of your backing fabric.

5) Place your fabric on top of your placemat.  Fold and press along the edge to create a hem.

6) Pin your fabric to your placemat, one side only.  VERY IMPORTANT: place wrong sides together.  We will not be turning anything so make sure your wrong sides are together.

7) Sew as close as you dare to the edge.

8) Repeat, placing the second side of your backing down, overlapping the straight edges.

9) And there you have it!  Two wonderfully flat but pretty pillows!

KIDDING.  Now we have to fill them with something.  You could go out and buy pillow forms, but the odds of you finding something the same size as your placemats are pretty low.  Besides, pillow forms are a bit on the pricey side considering no one every even sees them.

First up is something to hold your pillow inside of the case.

10) I found some very inexpensive brushed cotton in a neutral colour in the bargain bin.  Just trace along the outside of your linen pillow case with a generous hem.

11) Cut and sew together.  This does not have to be pretty.  Absolutely no one will see this, so I just serged my edges together.

Next, I dug into my closet FULL of pillows.  Yes, I have a closet of pillows.  I was having major neck and shoulder problems and tried pillow after pillow, each one fluffier or more sturdy than the next.  Eventually I figured out that the only thing that works is one of those stupid molded foam wave pillows.  Not pretty, but at least I can sleep now.   Anyhow....

10) Open up your pillow.  I was very surprised that the first one I opened up was nothing but a quilt batt inside.

The second one had little foam chips.

12) Fill your pillow form and serge closed.  Place your pillow form inside your pretty linen pillow case.

Wish I had an embroidery machine to monogram the centers~

These are going on the day bed in my spare room.  I'm going for "Grandma's Spare Room Chic".

Before:

Just random pillows I had, that don't go with anything.

After:

It's a work in progress, but it's getting there.

Big thanks to my special helper, Katya.

"Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task." ~William James

Do you have any projects you're putting off for no good reason?  What do you do to avoid procrastination.  Share your ideas below...I need as much as help as I can get~

Have a crafty week everyone!

Postive Motivation

You are going to have a great day today!

                           

If that doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will~

Show and Tell: Stamped Candle

Take a look at this amazing stamp.

It's huge!  It's 4" X 5".  Guess how much I paid for it...go ahead...take a guess.  Nope, you're not even close!

I paid a whopping $3 for it at a second hand store!  What a find!  There was a whole batch of these beautiful stamps, never used, all for a fraction of what they go for in the craft stores.

The little ones were only $2, even though you can see the original tags.

I decided to do a super quick craft with this big one.

This seriously took me less than 5 minutes to make.  It's just a plain old ivory pillar candle.

I inked up the stamp, put it on the table face up, and rolled my candle across it.  Then I just added that little paper band that was from the original packaging. 

So easy!  This would be great as a personalized gift for someone who loves to travel...like me!  So, I'm gifting it to myself.  Happy Wednesday Tamara, here's a candle just for you!
This project was featured here:

New Linky Party Fun!

OK, here it is everyone...the big news....the Make it Great Monday linky party is getting bigger and better every week.  And to give you even more bang for you link my good friend Gen from Cabin Fevered Gem is joining in on the fun!

   

We're going to co-host the party!  That means when you link up at one of our blogs, people can see it in both places.  Gen has a lovely, creative blog that attracts lots of moms, cardmakers, cooks, do it yourselfers, and more.

You can link up at either blog.  You can follow both of us if you want but it's not mandatory (we'd be pretty happy if you did though).  We'll both do features and we'll both try to get around to as many links as we can to check out your awesomeness and leave comments.




And now for the really BIG news!  We're going to throw in an extra monthly themed party called Motivated Monthly.  On the first Tuesday of every month (this month will start next Tuesday) we'll open the party but you'll know ahead of time what the themes are so that you'll be motivated to complete a project that you can link up.


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Fun right?!?!  And if for some reason, we just haven't motivated you to create something brand spanking new...that's OK.  You can link up previous projects if you want, we're just nice like that~

It all starts next week.  So get ready!  Regular Make it Great Monday will still open on Sunday at 9:00 pm Central Standard Time for all of your creative projects.

And on Tuesday you can link up anything related to the 3 R's!

If you've repurposed something to make something new and useful like my coffee table to bench or T-shirt to undies then you can link it up...all...month...long~

Here are the themes for the next few months:

June: In the Garden
July: Handmade Jewellery
August: Oh Baby!
September: Natural Materials

I really hope to see you all at both parties and that you have lots of fun with this.  I know Gen and I will!