Metal Basket Resuscitation

I love using wire baskets for storage. But they can be a little on the pricey side, so I've only bought new once (and I had a gift card. I'm cheap.). But I've collected a few nice, sturdy baskets for $1-2 each at yard sales over the past year or so. The only problem with these cheaper alternatives is that they all seem to have something in common... they are crazy rusty. So they haven't actually been very useful because I don't want them to ruin any of my stuff. And then I had the big "duh" moment a few weeks ago (why does it always take me a few years to get to the "duh?") and realized I could just paint them!

 

The one nice basket I have is an ORB finish and I wanted to match the finish with my rust buckets, so I pulled out my new favorite spray paint.

I started using a stiff brush to remove any loose rust (I'm not sure if it made a difference or not) and wiped it with a wet rag to remove any dust. Then I just gave it a few coats of paint until it was all covered. And don't forget to flip it over and do the bottom!

Then I just left them outside to cure for a few hours before bringing them back in and loading them up with fabric. I LOVE storing my fabric like this because it looks so pretty and I can always see what I have.

And I'm so happy with how the finish turned out. I was a little sad

Plaid Shoulder Bag - Giveaway #2!

** This giveaway is not closed - the winner is Beth T.! Keep an eye out for an email from me! **

Good news! I decided to throw in another giveaway for giveaway day week! Better late than never, right?

This time it's a handmade goodie of my favorite kind - a bag!!! Woot woot! For anyone who doesn't know, my sister and I have a little shop on Hyenacart called Twice is Nice where we sell some of our favorite things. Today I'm giving away a blue & red plaid shoulder bag (it's actually one of our discontinued styles, so this is your last chance to get your hands on one!).

This bag is perfect for everyday!

It has plenty of space for your daily necessities with enough extra room to throw in a book, magazine, snack for the kids, or whatever else you need to have at hand.

It has two exterior pockets and four interior pockets to keep your belongings organized and accessible, and includes a small wallet. The bag is fastened with a magnetic snap closure.

Check out our shop for more bags & purses, and be sure to visit the clearance section for a great bargain!

So, want to win this one? It's easy! Here are the details:

Big Little Felt Universe - It's Giveaway Day!

** This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Jess! Look out for an email from me! :) **

Guess what, friends? It's giveaway day again!

Let's join the fun, shall we? This week I'm giving away a copy of Big Little Felt Universe! It's full of patterns for making felt toys for your favorite littles.

I used the book to make the fire from the camping set for B's first birthday (you can get a peek at it here). The instructions were great and I love how it turned out... but I learned that I do not have the patience or commitment for hand sewing and I haven't touched the book since. So I figured I would pass it on to someone who would actually put it to good use!

You could make a grill set just in time for summer!

One of my favorite things about this book is that it has so many ideas for little boys!

How to Enter:

May the 4th be with you...

Star Wars day is Saturday! Let's celebrate with a fun little sewing project. If you're like me and not a big Star Wars buff (to be fair, I have actually watched all the movies... once) it's still a fun way to put a smile on a slightly nerdy husband's face. :) But when he came up to me and said "Star Wars day is coming up, you should make a Boba Fett!" I was all "Make a what-now?" Thanks to a little Google image searching, I got all my ducks in a row and ended up with this guy:

It's a little Boba Fett plushie pillow! It's made of felt (you can spring for the fancy wool stuff for a nicer pillow, but if you're like me a few $0.25 sheets from Hobby Lobby do the trick) and it's actually really fast and easy to make. I did the whole thing in under two hours with a potty training 2 year old on my lap the whole time. I'm not sure how that translates to no-one-on-my-lap time because I haven't done that in a very, very long time. :) Here's what you need to get started:

• 2 sheets green felt (8.5" x 11")
• 1 sheet red felt
• 1 sheet black felt
• 1 sheet yellow felt
• coordinating threads
• stuffing
• Boba Fett pattern (print it here)

Step 1 = rally your helper. Which shouldn't be a problem since he can't resist an empty lap. And if that's not enough, scissors really seal the deal. He wouldn't leave for ice cream and ponies.

Now the real step 1 - print my Boba Fett Pattern and cut out the pattern pieces (the directions are included with the pattern, too). Trace the pattern pieces onto the felt. You can use a washable fabric marker, or if you've made it this far in life without owning one *ahem* you can get by with a sharpie. Just be sure to flip your pattern pieces over and trace the backside so no stray marks show up on your finished pillow.

Cut out the felt pieces.

Thank your helper. This must be his concentration face. Or possibly his "cheese!" face. They're pretty similar.

Once the pieces are cut out you can lay them out to make sure they look good and fancy. Nice.

Now we're ready to put it together. Start by laying down one green piece face up. Line up the black piece, face up, on top of it like this.