Fuzzy Furry Hooded Vest

I can think of no better project to knock off my list on this cold rainy Saturday then to make this vest. I've been eyeing this for a few months now, and decided today would be the day it got done.

I found the lining fabric about four years ago and was just waiting for the right project. The fur was a new purchase for this particular vest.

I'm still a novice when it comes to sewing, but to be able to start and finish this in one day was quite an accomplishment for me. The pattern I used was for a regular jacket, so I had to modify it to make it a vest.

Since the pattern wasn't exact, there was definitely a learning curve. The pattern also didn't call for a lining, so that was another obstacle I had to overcome. One thing to remember, when you're making a vest with a lining, you want to sew the arm holes before you do the side seam. I didn't and couldn't figure out why I couldn't get to the arm holes. For the hood, you want to sew that right sides of the outer fabric/right sides of lining fabric together. That's with the hood inside to where you're working with the wrong sides of the lining.

If it hadn't been for these learning curves, it probably would have only taken half a day to do this.

Oh and one more tip, the fur will shed EVERYWHERE! Make sure you cut with the grain, and when all the pieces are cut, stick them in the dryer. Make sure the setting is on cool, (DO NOT WASH, that will ruin the fabric) this will get rid of all the fuzzies.

I hope you can get some inspiration from this, and don't forget, I am always more than willing to make custom orders for you.

How to Make A Shelf with Mitered Corners

I love going Warrenton, TX during the Texas Antique Weekend, because I always find great things I can repurpose, or just use outright. Almost guaranteed to find something a hundred other people you know don't have. I love being original and hate going somewhere and seeing something that's in my home. I especially hate seeing them on TV or in a magazine.

I found this great old mailbox my last trip out. Since I did not have a bar, nor a place to put wine bottles, I thought this was the best. I mean can you imagine having this many bottles of wine? Now in my new house, I do have a bar, but still didn't want to clutter the counter with a generic wine rack; this was still the best option.


The only thing this really needed was a top, both for decorative purposes and function. I received a great bottle opener for my birthday and didn't want it hidden away in a cabinet.


I had a bench built in the garage, and luckily had a piece of scrap that was the perfect size. All it needed was some molding and a coat of paint. The molding can be found at any hardware store, and I simply used some spray paint. Man spray paint has come a long way with all the different finishes and textures. I didn't want the top to take away from the box itself, so I went with a simple matte finish.


The molding was the hardest part of the project as I had to cut the corners just right. No power tools here. I decided not to cover the back of the piece as it was against the wall and would not be seen. I simply used some brad nails to secure the molding to the plywood. I didn't want the nails to stick out so I sunk the nails to just below the surface.

Mitered corners are HARD! I tried finding how to videos and they weren’t really helpful, so I have decided to put it on here.

Step 1:
Measure the first piece of molding to be cut. To get the correct length to make the corner you need to measure from one end to the other plus the width of the molding. You can use this piece to cut the second piece, but not to make the corner.

Step 2: Cut the piece at the marked line. Molding is such a soft wood that it can be cut with an old serrated kitchen knife.

Step 3: Once all three pieces are measured and cut, mark where the front of the plywood meets the molding. This is your starting point for your angle.

Step 4: To mark the third piece, lay the piece against the wood and lay the mitered piece on top of this piece. This will get the angles to match up once cut.

Step 5: Match up the ends

Step 6: File any ends that don’t match up. Be careful not to do a lot of filing at once, you can always take away, but you can’t put back.

Step 7: Using Brad Nails, nail the pieces on to the plywood.

Since this piece was scrap, it was not perfect so I used wood filler to fill in the holes in the plywood.
After the brads are sunk, I spray painted the entire shelf. I did two coats, enough to cover the wood, but not too think to hide the wood grain.

Now I have a custom wine cabinet that I love showing off. All that's left to do is fill up all the boxes with wine.

Glass Votive Holders

While decorating for the holds, I found the need for some sparkly votive candle holders. With money being tight like it always is around the holidays, I did not want to spend $10.00 per votive like I had been finding at the stores. 10x6 was just way too much to spend on something so small.

On one of my outings, I ended up at Pier One and found an assortment of clear votives for $1 each (much better). I ended up with two in each style. The next stop was Michael's where I was on the hunt for glitter. First I thought of using the spray glitter, but I really wasn't in the mood of scrubbing glitter off of everything for weeks to come. then it was good ole Elmer's and sprinkling the glitter on. That took me back to when we made our Christmas stocking oh so long ago. Glitter glitter everywhere, no thank you! I stumbled on some Glitter Glue (about $1.50 each). What a great little help! All the sparkle with none of the mess.

Perp: I washed all the votives just to make sure there wasn't any dirt that would keep the glue from adhering properly. Make sure to put some kind of paper down on your work surface, you are working with glue after all. I also had a cup of water to keep the brush clean, I didn't want the bristles to stick together, so I cleaned it after every coat. Even then, don't use good brushes, cheap little craft brushes will do. Since I used two different colors to add more depth, I alternated each coat.

Step 1: Apply a generous but light coat of your first color,and let dry of a few moments, applying the next layer too soon will only make the previous coat smudge. Clean the brush by dipping in the water and drying with napkins. NOTE: Keep the glitter glue on the outside of the votives ONLY. you don't want the glitter or glue to come in contact with the flame.

After 1 coat

Step 2: repeat step one with the next color. I did three coats of each color, letting each one dry before the next. I did get a little heavier with each coat. Having the glitter already on helped the next layer stick better.

After 2 coats

 

After 3 coats

After 4 coats

Step 3: let dry for at least 30 mins before lighting a candle, it is glut and it is flammable, but letting it dry and keeping it only on the outside of the holder eliminates that danger.

Step 4: light and enjoy!

Total cost of the project = $8.27