Wishing everyone

a fabulous

2013!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

My daughter informed me that since I've started a new business using Deco Mesh, I should makeover our Christmas decorations in Deco Mesh.  Here's our new front entryway.  Merry Christmas to all and I can't wait to begin my new projects next year!

Burlap Garland Tutorial

I saw burlap garland on Pinterest a few weeks ago and decided to try and figure out how to make it.  It's really very easy and adds so much to my natural Christmas Tree.  I'll be making many more for my mantle and stair banisters!  Here's how I did it.

You only need jute ribbon (I get mine from Michael's), 22 gauge florist wire, buttons and scissors. I use the buttons at the ends to adjust how full I want the garland to be.  If you want it fuller or for a smaller space you can untwist the wire from the buttons and slide them in towards the middle of the garland more and re-twist the wire around the button again. 

Unwrap the jute ribbon of all it's packaging. Don't pre-cut the wire.  I just slide one of the buttons on and pull out about one to one and a half feet of wire through the button.  You will keep pulling the wire through the button until you finish the garland. I then push the wire through about an inch and a half of jute ribbon starting at the beginning of the jute ribbon roll.  

You can see how I thread the wire through the jute ribbon.  Just continue doing this until you get to the end of the roll.  You can add more than one roll of jute ribbon to each garland, but the wire can become kinked as you go and it gets harder to work with.  I used one roll of jute ribbon per garland and pieced them together in my tree. 

When you get to the end of your ribbon thread the wire through another button through 2 holes so you can twist it and lock it as the end. See above. Adjust the garland to the length and fullness you desire and then cut the wire between the first button and the wire roll and tread the wire through the second hole of the first button and twist as you did the other button.

There you go!  I hope my directions were easy to understand.  Hope you have luck with it and will use it to decorate your home for Christmas. 

New Listings on Etsy!

Please join me this Saturday at St. Pius High School in Atlanta, Ga for the 

A place for the discerning shopper with over 150 vendors!

This Saturday, November 17, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Here are some of my new burlap wreaths for the show. 

Hope to see you there.  See the previous post for some of the Deco Mesh wreaths I will be bringing. 

Craft Shows

Last week's craft show

Last week went really well.  Good sales and lots of good experience.  I've been busy this week rebuilding my inventory and filling orders.  Some of my customers expressed that they were looking for unique wreaths, so I got a little creative. Here are some of my new creations.

 My New Favorite!

I found this adorable deer today and couldn't wait to add it to one of my burlap wreaths.  This is a great wreath for all winter, not just the Holidays.  He's so cute!

After seeing the previous post, I thought my bow needed a little something else, so here's the revised burlap wreath.

I also added a new burlap Christmas wreath that my mom already wants.  I found this cute owl to really dress it up.

I've also been working on these College wreaths.  I found these rolls of Deco Mesh at a great floral supply shop in Macon, GA.  I thought it would be great for a couple of my favorite SEC teams.  

GO DAWGS!!!--Just saying!

Here are a few more that I've done for a friend.  It seems that everyone really loves the bright green and red.  I don't blame them, they really pop out and I'm not sure if the pictures really show that.

I've also been working on these burlap wreaths.  I really love this ribbon and I am working on showing it in the best possible way.  The multiple loop bows won't really show the trim.  Here's what I have.

A couple of my friends asked me to do two smaller wreaths instead of the one wreath for their door since they have double doors as an entry.  Here are my first two I completed today.  They are already promised to someone, but I wanted to show that I can do any 18" wreath as a double.  Unfortunately, it doesn't go down significantly in price, but I will give a discount when customers are buying two.

A little more on the detail.  I found this pick at Michael's this week and love the effect.