Mr. Mustache mug {DIY}

Do you remember my old Owl mug? My dear and precious DIY mug? Well..it's now broken.

I didn't want to make another one, but I had a simple black mug and the Christmas stalls for the cat shelter I support was coming, so....I decided to paint a new one :)

November was the month of Movember, and decided to dedicate my new mug to it.

This time I used a proper golden pen that paints on ceramic - I bought it in Italy this summer and paid it 1.50€ which is more or less the same price of the Sharpie..only this doesn't need to go in the oven, takes 2 days to let it dry completely and...the colour never fades!! I'm very happy with it!

I'll show you my design:

The front

The back

I used this pen twice, but this time I was a bit in a hurry and I couldn't finish the mug perfectly....

 I got the inspiration from some Mr. and Mrs. mugs I saw in a shop { but they were 8.00 pounds each....basically, 9.50 euros!!! pfff}

If you want to make a donation please visit Spanish Stray cats on Facebook! {If you don't fancy cats, please help Spanish Stray Dogs} --They all need your help!!

Do you have any expensive mug you want to make a copycat from? :)

Until next time,
Daniela

Christmas decorations & DIY Felt Christmas socks

How are you getting on with your Christmas Decoration?

I am almost done {I say almost because I usually end up buying more decorations}:

My tree is up...

 My Santa is climbing the balcony...

my table is well decorated..

and my brand new DIY mini christmas socks are pinned to the shelf :)

You like them? it's not too late to make them yourself!

What you need:

 red, green and white felt

:: Step 1::
Draw a little sock on a white paper, you will be using it as a silhouette:

:: Step 2::
 Pin the paper silhouette to the fabric and cut - don't forget to cut the white fabric as well for the collar of the socks.

:: Step 3::

Sew the socks :)

:: Step 4::

Flip them over, sew the white collar  :)

:: Step 5 ::
Pin them wherever you like ;)

They may also be used as Christmas tree ornaments, depending on their size :)

Have you made your own Christmas decoration ths year?

Until next time,
Daniela

Cheap&Creative Fall decor

Well Well, I can start feeling that Fall is arriving here in sourthern Spain too! Days are still sunny and we are wearing short slevees but evenings are getting chilly and I already spotted few people selling roasted chestnuts {which I simply love!!}

I like all seasons, some more than others, but fall colours are simply stunning don't you think?  This is the reason why I have added a small fall decoration in my house with the leaves and pinecones I found nearby my house!

This is my creation:

You can easily create your own decoration with no money at all! Simply grab golden leaves and add some old candles on a plate :) {I use those candles for Christmas decorations too!!}

I really like the outcome and I didn't spend one single cent!



Check out some other decorations I liked while I was browsing the web:

Clock wise:

1. Fall jars decoration via Pinterest;
2. Table center piece with candles via Pinterest;
3. candles and small pumpkins via Pinterest;
4.Table decor for a nice fall lunch/dinner via Pinterest;


Have you already made your fall decorations? What did you use?

Happy Fall season!

Until next time,
Daniela

Shopping bag tutorial

Few weeks ago I have mentioned on Pretty Elements facebook page that I have sewed a shopping bag for a good cause :) The cause is a cat shelter in my area: Spanish Stray cats. They are organising a small stall and all the money they make will help the gorgeous cats and kittens that are currently staying in their premises.

I have completed my bag (but I have other ideas in mind for this project) and will share with you the tutorial: it's very easy and you can have a personalised shopping bag :)

::STEP 1::

Cut the fabric of your choice {make sure to add 1-2 inches at the original size you want you bag to be} - I've cut mine 45 x 55 cm.

::STEP 2::

I wanted to add a lining with a different fabric - if you want to add a lining too, measures are the same.

::STEP 3::

Sew the edges of both fabric like two sacks: both have to be sewed inside out (only the red and white sack will  be turned out).

::STEP 4::

Since we ladies always carry loads of stuff with us, it would be good to make a pocket ;)

Cut a piece of fabric in hexagonal shape and pin the edges:

::Step 5::

Sew it on the external fabric:

I have also sewed a string of the fabric I used as lining :)

::STEP 6::

Now, you can sew the two sacks together:

::STEP 7::

Handle time!

I've made a medium handle since my bag is quite big ;)

Pin it on each side of the bag:

and sew it:

and you are done:

I sincerely hope that Spanish Stray cats manages to sell my bag: it would make me very happy! If you want to make a donation do not hesitate to visit their facebook page :)

Until next time,

Daniela

DIY Decorative Door Wreath

I must admit I do feel a bit patriotic lately  but this shouldn't come as a surprise if you only had a look at my entrance door wreath! ;)

I've seen many beautiful wreaths on Pinterest and I made one for myself - simple yet nice! I hope you like it!

What you need if you want to make a decorative wreath :

- hot glue gun;
- 40m of twine;
- 1 Polystyrene ring (I used one of 25 cm Æ)
- 1.5/2m of ribbon - the pattern you like ;)

I have seen many pins talking about using pipe insulation since it is cheaper - I would stick with my polystyrene ring because it doesn't bend or crease, but if you want to use pipe insultation,you better follow The Penny Parlor's suggestion!

Back to wreath instructions:

Glue the twine cord around the ring like this:

In the process I had left some white spaces due to the form of the ring - I adjusted everything by overlapping some cord like this:

After you've covered the whole ring, you can choose how to decorate your wreath, I have made a simple bow like this:

via Pinterest

and glued it to the wreath.

I used the remaining ribbon as a hanger for the door :

I hope I have inspired you a little!

Until next time,
Daniela

Striped shirt ReFash

Today I decided to "refash" an old striped shirt. I really like it but it is a bit too long and that's why I wasn't wearing it as much as I wanted!

I have cut the edges and sew a seam down the lenght of the edges:

sorry..didn't take any better picture :/

In order to give a ruffled look, I grabbed one of the loose threads and pulled gently :) :

I started sewing the fabric to the shirt, making circles and forming a flower. This is how the flower looked like:

This is the completed shirt:

Pose apart, here you have a closer look:

Can you guess where I took the inspiration for this shirt? Small Hint: a famous girl from New York ;)


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I'm delighted to say that this post has been featured on:

 










Until next time,
Daniela

What's in your Garden? Wood Panel Decor

One of the things we love about our house is the garden ;)

Few months ago we had to install 2 wood panels on our fence:

Do you wonder why? Well.. Canito, our dog, decided it was very funny to bite and destroy the plastic cover of the fence.

Wanna see a proof? there:

Thank you Canito..

Anyway, I didn't like those panels so much so I decided to make a Garden decoration out of them ;)

I painted both of them in green:

A tip for you: do not make any painting, crafting, etc under the sun.. I was boiling so much I didn't think I could make it till the end!!

Once the paint was dry I started decorating the panel with a golden phrase ;) 

Now, if anybody tells you that this is very easy although it's the first time you do it.. don't believe them! ;)

At first, it was easy..until this happened:

meh :/

Not nice!!! Luckily I still had some colour left and managed to correct the mistakes :)

This is how my fence looks like now:

My three boys enjoying the sun and the garden ;)

Do you like the outcome? The sentence I wrote is my homage to our nice garden that Stefano defines "our piece of paradise" : "If you would have a mind at peace, a heart that can-not harden, go find a door that opens wide upon a lovely garden".

I hope I have inspired you a little!

Until next time,

Daniela