Card Case Makeover

A while ago, I saw this clutch makeover and have been itching to try it myself.  But I had to bide my time until I found the right clutch.  I've scoured thrift stores for weeks.  Finally, I found this little gem. 

It's not really a purse (I think it may have actually been a manicure kit) but I thought it would be perfect for holding business cards.  I had made a case previously, but still wasn't quite happy with it.  It tended to get a bit bent up in my purse so I thought this sturdy little case would do the trick.

I used mod podge to adhere fabric to the inside and out.  Once this was done, I painted a little birdy on the outside with acrylic paint.  A few sharpie details and another coat of mod podge and I was done!

I'm really happy with the way it turned out.  Hopefully this case can handle the chaos that is my purse.

Ottoman Makeover

I recently found a storage ottoman at a thrift store.  It was fairly beat-up, but for $5, I thought it could be a good addition to my home.

My first step was to remove the hardware and the old fabric.  Once this was off, I was able to clean everything up a bit.

I then cut a piece of fabric (I used a thrift store sheet) to fit the top of the ottoman and stapled it on. 

I replaced the hardware and now have a finished storage ottoman.  yay!

ICC#20- T Shirt Restyle

This week's Iron Craft Challenge was to restyle a t-shirt.  I started with a plain t-shirt that I found on the target clearance rack.  It's a really pretty coral color that is actually one of my favorite colors to wear.

I started by cutting off the bottom 2 inches or so.  It was a little long on me so this put it at a better length and gave me extra material to use.

I trimmed my extra piece to just have the hemmed part.  I then did a quick stitch through it to create gathers.

I then sewed this part on the front of the collar.  I did this by hand because it felt easier than using the machine.

Ta-da!  Here is my finished ruffly t-shirt.

Want to see what some other crafters have made?  Check out the Iron Craft Challenge Flickr Group.

ICC#19- Spring Basket Tutorial

Iron Craft Challenge this week was focused on spring projects.  For my project, I created a fun little basket lined with oilcloth.  I'm thinking it could be fun to set out on a table full of fruit or maybe fill with cookies for an outdoor meal.  Come!  Follow along on the crafting process!

I started with a small piece of oilcloth from the craft store remnant bin and a small basket that I found at the thrift store.

Next, I measured the inside of the basket and cut out pieces of the oil cloth to fit.  I just measured the bottom and added a bit of edge.  I started by cutting one long strip that was a little bit taller than the basket.  However, I was having trouble sewing this; the basket gets a little bigger as it goes up so it wasn't lining up properly.  I tried again and cut four side pieces in the shape of trapezoids (these pieces not shown).

Next, I used my sewing machine to sew all the pieces together.  I did this with right sides facing each other so the seams wouldn't show.

Finally, I fit the oilcloth lining in the basket.  I folded down the edges and glued it in along the edges.  Ta-da!

Want to see more Iron Craft Projects?  Visit the Flickr group.

Product Photography

Now that I'm done with the craft show blitz, I'm working on putting some more products on my etsy site.  Let me tell you, this is a tedious project.  I'm getting it down to a system, but it definitely involves a lot of practice and learning.  If any of you have tried to photograph your work, you probably know what I mean. 

I wanted to share some of my before and after shots to show the learning process.  Here is an example of some of the photos I started with.  These were taken using a homemade photo box made of a cardboard box and some white fabric, as well as a desk lamp.

Pretty gross right? The next step was to update my system with a real photo box and a bit more reliance on natural light.

Definitely getting better, but I needed a prop.  Enter, my ceramic bird (who I named Wanda).  She has been a great model.

A little bit of cropping and brightening later, and it's a shot I'm pretty happy with.

What about you guys?  What photography adventures have you had?  I know that I'm constantly improving my photos and they can always use more work.  Oh the learning process.

Ring Display Makeover

Continuing my discussion of craft shows, I wanted to share a little ring holder makeover that I've been working on this week.  Come follow along!

My project started with this black velvet ring holder that I purchased at Michaels.  I got it on sale for $1.75 because the frame was broken.

Ring Holder

Notice the broken frame.  Gotta love the "As Is" section

I could have just repaired the frame, but I wanted a white ring holder to match my display.  I thought just painting the frame may have looked messy, so I found a wooden tray at a thrift store to serve as my new frame.

Wooden tray, partially through the painting process.

I painted the tray white and then moved on to the ring display.  I started by removing the frame completely.  Next, I cut a thrifted white pillowcase down the sides and removed the hemmed edges.  I glued the end of the pillowcase to one end of the holder and used binder clips to hold it in place.

Binder Clips, the solution to all problems.

Next, I slowly moved down the holder and worked the fabric into the openings on the holder.  Once I got to the other end, I glued this down as well.

Pushing in the fabric, slowly and surely.

Covered completely.

I don't have pictures of all the next steps, but I'll try to describe it well.  I made sure the fabric was glued securely around the holder, then glued this to the bottom of the tray.  It didn't fit exactly, so I used the leftover frame to fill in the spaces.  I used the pillowcase leftovers to cover the original black frame and then glued them in (this required a lot of fiddling to get the fabric to fit just right.  I can go into more detail, so let me know if you have questions!) 

Tada!

That's it!  I'm really pleased with the results.  Here is the finished product with some rings in it.

Now the rings really pop!

and they stay in place!

Iron Craft Challenge #16- Money in the Bank

This week on the Iron Craft Challenge, we needed to create something with the theme of money.  I had the perfect project for this.  I recently found a cashbox at the thrift store that I thought would be perfect for my upcoming craft shows.  However, it was not so pretty and I was looking for a way to make it more fun.

I started by spray-painting it yellow.  Why yellow?  Because that's what I had in the house.  I thought I did so well this time by painting in a box, but sadly, there were holes in the box and I got some yellow on the porch after all :(

Next, I cut a little bird shape out of a piece of cardboard to create a stencil.  I tried to cut legs but ended up scrapping that and just doing the body shape.  I did this with white acrylic.

I then used a thin black sharpie to add a little pizazz to the top.  Features for the birdie, my store name, and a few swirly details.

A coat of clear acrylic sealer later and I am all done! 

Game Shelf Curtain: Before and After

We have a shelf in our apartment that holds almost all of our board games (the collection has just started overflowing to the sides).  While this game abundance is fun for parties, it looked a little busy.  See?

My idea was to make a little curtain.  I had a beautiful scarf from a thrift store that I hadn't found a purpose for yet, and lo-and-behold, it ended up being the exact right size!  Yee-haw! (I don't think I have ever said yee-haw in real life).  All I had to do was fold down one side and sew across to form a hem.  Of course, I had a little help from my trusty orange kitty.

Then, I found a short tension curtain rod and slipped it in.  It fit right across the top of the shelf.  Voila!

It is a little too long and touches the floor, so I may hem up the bottom a bit.  I haven't decided yet.  In hindsight, I probably could have just folded down a bit more on the top.  Oh well, live and learn :)