Throw pillows out of placemats
I got this idea from Thrify Decor Chick's website. I found some great placemats in Fall colors at Pier 1 (about $2 on clearance) and poly-fill stuffing from Hobby Lobby ($3 per bag, which stuffs one placemat). Using a thread-picker (not sure if that's what it's really called), I opened up about six inches of seam at the bottom of each placemat, stuffed it full, and sewed up the edge. Two pillows took twenty minutes to make and only cost about $10! You can also do this project with two fancy napkins, but it requires more sewing.
Christmas stockings
For my next project, I plan on making us stockings using the leftover materials from the tree skirt that I made. I plan on using the following Etsy How-To videos from YouTube.com as a guide. I plan on using a little more fabric for the liner than the video demonstration used. This will hopefully allow the fabric fold over at the top to be a little larger, allowing more room for monogramming.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn5RecvUFUU&feature=channel
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXqNs5peII8&feature=channel
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htbwmrvjpsg&feature=channel
Our 2009 Christmas Tree
Basically I just wanted an excuse to post our lovely tree from last year. My favorite details on it were the big red, glittery poinsettias. I found a few stalks of them at Michael's and used a wire cutter to separate them.
Baby hair bows
Now that I have a niece to spoil, I've made some hair bows. I bought the 'Kuffi' hats and headbands on eBay. The following websites helped:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEWQN50PqWk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrWxTCEgcqM
Envelope pillow covers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhZnHhbcN-Q
I sewed three of these simple, interchangeable pillow covers.
Christmas tree skirt
Mine turned out beautifully. The only downside was that my fabric made the skirt a little too short (21 inches). I plan on adding dark green velvet trim to the bottom of it for added length and eventually have it monogrammed.
