Spring Moss Wreath

I was definitely inspired by the tutorials I found yesterday. I was hoping to come up with a thrifty wreath like number two. I spent around $30 which isn't too bad compared to spending $70 for one that is pre-made. I was surprised to spend as much as I did as the flowers were half off; luckily. Oh well! I'm still feeling good about it. So let me walk you through what I did...

I started out with a straw wreath and hot glued spanish moss all over it. I decided not to use the smaller package of light green moss, it didn't look how I thought it would.

Then I cut the ends of the flowers off of the stems and placed them around the wreath different ways until I decided on a combination that I liked. As you can see I used butterflies like tutorial number three. :)

I glued them down and....viola! Finished!

I'm happy with it but it isn't as eye catching from the street as I was hoping it would be. We live and we learn right? This is only the second wreath I've ever made. I'm excited to make one this summer with bigger flowers and more vibrant colors, most likely on a grapevine wreath (The gluing of the moss was very time consuming!!!! Way more than I thought it would be). 

On a side note: this is the first day of Spring! What are your plans on this most beautiful day? I already completed my goal for the day so I guess that means I get to play now! Well, I can hear Noah jabbering in his crib, I better go get the little man.

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I learned from Sarah that I need floral spray to ensure the moss stays on! If you decide to make a moss wreath, invest in some floral spray. :)

Spring Wreath Ideas

I've talked my husband into taking me to Hobby Lobby today to get supplies to make a Spring wreath for our front door. Aren't I lucky? I just love wreaths and Spring! I can't wait for everything to be in bloom. I decided to search for a few tutorials to inspire me. So, let me share them with you. :)

1. This first tutorial is from Sunshine and Carousels.

What you need for this project is

-straw or foam wreath

-colorful cupcake liners

-yarn

-matt modge podge

-needle and thread

While this wreath is absolutely adorable it's not what I'm looking for. I had to share it with you because of the unique items used to make it. I never would have thought to use cupcake liners on a wreath! How creative!

2. This inspiring tutorial is from Centsible Savings (love the blog name!).

This blogger saw a wreath in Michaels that she absolutely loved but it was extremely pricey; at $69.99, so she took a few pictures of it and decided she could create her own version of it. Well, she did and she spent a mere $10.98! She grabbed the grapevine wreath at goodwill and didn't glue the flowers down so the wreath is reusable! Very green. :)

3. Ok now we're getting closer to where I'm wanting to go. This wreath tutorial is from A Diamond in the Suff.

I love moss wreaths at the moment. I suppose they are really 'in' because in my searches I found a few tutorials on how to make a plain moss wreath that were Crate and Barrel/Pottery Barn inspired. I don't want just a plain ol' wreath! I need some pizazz like this one. She used a grapevine wreath, a few different kinds of mosses, butterflies, (that she painted) and some bird's nests. I really like the ethereal look.

4. Oh my goodness I am drooling! This wreath was made by Stephanie Lynn on Under the Table and Dreaming.

Is this not absolutely stunningly gorgeous?! Does anyone agree with me that this would be perfect for a wedding? Definitely so! I must share this with my bestie who is getting married this summer. Perhaps she'll want one or two and I'll get to make them. I'm not sure if I like it for my front door for two reasons, 1: it's a little too dressy for my taste; 2: TIME CONSUMING! She hand rolled all of the flowers from recycled book pages. Don't get me wrong, I would love to spend hours making this because it would be totally worth it BUT I'm needing a quick fix for my door asap. :)

 I'm having a love affair with this wreath...I'll probably make one anyway....

p.s. this picture was on her site as well, I'm sure you would just do the same thing but glue the rolled flowers to a styrofoam ball. Again, gorgeous for a wedding.

Okay, I think I'm done for now. I'll let you all know what I come up with when I have finished. 

-Mandy

Hard Work & Patience

I love making things. My favorite parts are picking out what to use and the finished product. The in between part can be at times tedious and mundane (for a beginner like me). My LEAST favorite part of a sewing project is cutting out the various pieces...it makes me want to SCREAM! I feel similar to how a child feels about waiting to get home from the toy store to play with their new toy.  I don't want to wait to get home to put the batteries in! I want it now! In the car!!!! However, as I'm moving along in the process and I begin to see the silver lining I am overwhelmed with satisfaction.

Anyway, today I used my Granny's Singer that's approximately 54 years old! That's over twice as old as me!! And it works fabulously, a lot better than my $75 machine that's loud and bouncy. It's beautiful...that's my grandma getting it set up for me. She's so sweet. :)

Here are the fabrics I chose from Hobby Lobby.

And here's the clutch! I added a handle to mine to make it a wristlet. :) It's unzipped in this picture. I should've zipped it up but I was in a rush.

A close up, I love the gathered part. So cute. So feminine. 

And here's the inside. Complete with two card slots and a divider. Perfect, all I ever need are my keys, phone, DL, debit card, and of course lip gloss. I was using my phone to take the picture so it couldn't be in the photo...

And I'm going to make one for my friend Sarah with these materials...just because. :o)

Here's a link to the tutorial that I used, it's awesome, I recommend it. 

So fun! If you sew, definitely check it out.

To conclude, hard work and patience pays. In my case, I gained a cute lil clutch that I'll be happy to use AND I'll love when people ask where I got it because I will get to say, "I made it!"