The Craft Begins

1.  You know that I love anything made from recycled materials, so this lamp made from wooden hangers by Organelle totally floats my boat.

2.  I’m not sure if it is a fall thing, but I’ve been really into felt lately.  This necklace transforms a staple craft material into something more sophisticated and modern.  And of course, the colors are just perfect for the changing seasons.  Find it at Gugaw.

3.  Hooray for bunting!  This little pretty is a great fall decorating accessory, and the double-sided flags mean that you can hang them just about anywhere.  I like Knitty Bitties‘ shop especially because of all the great fabric choices.

4.  It’s a little bit macabre, but I’m constantly picking up bones and stuff that I find in the woods.  I think that it’s because of the archaeology training.  If you don’t want to go searching for them yourself, you can find something like these lovely moose antlers at ReDesign Technologies.  You can also find paper clip chandeliers, which are a little different than moose antlers, but still awesome.

Thanks to this week’s sellers!

After finding so many delicious fabric bunting examples on the internet, I thought that it was time to try to make one myself.  I have a big box of vintage hankies that I used.  It’s easier when the edges are already finished, it looks a lot more polished, and it gives it a fun eclectic feel.  Want to make your own? Here’s how.

1.  I picked 8 handkerchiefs that didn’t match but coordinate.  I thought that blues and whites would be a nice look for summer.  Don’t worry about them all being the same size – the variety is really charming.  You’ll need more or less depending on the size of the hankies and the length of your bunting, but 8 is a good starting number.

2.  Whenever I’m digging around at the flea market or in a thrift store, I always look for vintage sewing bits.  This fabric binding works really well with the blues in the hankies, but you could use anything – ric rac, quilt binding, or just a piece of fabric or ribbon.  Contrasting thread pulls it all together.   Cut a piece as long as you want your bunting (I made mine 12 ft.) and make sure to leave enough on the ends to tie it to something.

3.  Lay out the hankies along the length of your binding – this gives you an idea of how many hankies you need, as well as how far apart to space them.  I just eyeball it.

4.  Pin the hankies to your binding, with the hankies on the back side.  Again, the spacing doesn’t have to be exact, but make sure to leave enough space between the hankies that they can fall well (6 inches, more or less).

5.  Run it though the sewing machine, making sure that the thread goes both through the binding and through the fabric of the hankie.

Trim your ends, and find somewhere to hang!

Single strands look great over windows, or as a backyard party decoration.  Or you could make a lot of them and hang them up for a wedding!  The possibilities are endless.  If you make one, I’d love to see it!

I made some bunting a while back for a project and then promptly forgot about it.  Then I found this shop, and I couldn’t say no!  I love the way that it looks strung over the rafters at that party, and I’m a sucker for anything outdoors that is still decorated.  Stop by and pick some up for a party or just a really cool way to spend the summer.  I think I’ll hang mine with all of my party lights.