a parliament of macramé owls

While out in the garden, tending to the...

English Daisies

Watching the blossoming...

Iceland Poppies

And ANXIOUSLY awaiting the arrival of...

Peppermint Pop Roses

There were a Parliament of Macramé Owls!

A couple of weeks ago we discovered the magic of the macramé owl and now we can't stop. We hope you love our modern take on macramé. Using modern materials and, of course, button eyes updates this retro craft.

On a side note, a parliament of owls is the name for a grouping of owls. A few other of our favorite flock names include:

a muster of peacocks

a murder of crows

a charm of goldfinches <--FAVORITE!

a pandemonium of parrots

Button Ornament

It doesn't have to be Christmas to create a delightful button ornament with plenty of sparkle! We used colors inspired by the peacock... deep blue, turquoise, purple, and green.  All you need to have is a Styrofoam ball, pearlized pins, sequins, ribbon, and buttons.

                             

We used a 2.5 inch Styrofoam ball. First, we painted the ball with a metallic blue acrylic craft paint. This keeps white from peeking through any nooks and crannies. Second, we looped a ribbon using a dab of glue and a pin. Then, using pins we just started putting buttons and sequins anywhere there was space.

So simple! But be sure to have enough buttons and pins, this project takes quite a few.

Button Bracelet

Obsessed with buttons we couldn't resist making a button bracelet! This little project was slightly time consuming since we did hand stitch each button to the elastic. Was it worth it? We think so, but you be the judge. 

                                         What you will need:

                                          Buttons 

                                          Elastic

                                          Needle 

                                          Thread

Cut a strip of elastic that will fit your wrist. Stitch the ends together to make a circle. Pick and choose what buttons to use and start stitching them any way you want onto your elastic. Simple, right!?

Here are our results!

We went with a white and gray theme for our bracelet. 

Would you wear this?

We would!

  

                    

                    

      

purple hooter

There is quite an owl craze going on right now.

\   /

(*v*)

( V )

''' '''

 So we have made our own macrame purple hooter with button eyes!! Reinventing retro craft techniques is fascinating and we love seeing the cyclical nature of trends. This is our first attempt at creating a macrame owl. What do you think? We think we have found a new craft OBSESSION!

This pattern was adapted from a macrame pattern we found online. CLICK HERE for the pattern. The site, called Alice's Dollhouse Page, is rather outdated, but check out some of the miniatures Alice has created. My favorite is this Harry Potter scene. There is a miniature Honeydukes shopping bag!

Have a peek around the internet and see what others have done with this owl pattern. We especially love this Rainbow Owl and check out this Mini Owl on a Keychain.

Queen Anne's Lace Scarf

I (Lindsay) love to crochet, and Laura would love to learn. I learned how to crochet from a little old lady when I worked at Rose Terrace Assisted Living. I am so glad she took the time to teach me because I have been crocheting ever since. I especially love to make scarves.

When it comes to learning a new pattern I have a hard time understanding written instructions. Thank goodness for everyone who posts crochet tutorials on YouTube. I was looking for a Queen Anne's Lace tutorial when I came across a wonderful YouTube post called Queen Anne's Lace Pictorial posted by Jenny Stark.

I used Bernat Softee Baby in Soft Peach with a Size H8/5.00 crochet hook. It's helpful to know crochet basics when working this pattern: single and double crochet, chain stitch, and slip stitch.

Here are my results!! I love the delicate, feminine pattern!!
Have fun!

Make Your Own Jewelry Rack!

We don't know about you but when it comes to earrings and necklaces we start with the best intentions to keep them organized and untangled. In reality, our earrings pile on our dressers until we  have to sit down and sort them out once again. Any store you go to will most likely have a possible solution to this problem. But, why buy a jewelry holder when you can make one? 



Transform this...

to this!

First: Find a wire rack. Thrift stores and garage sales are a good place to start. We bought a nice one for 25 cents! And the one above for 75 cents! Or look in your own kitchen. If you have a wire baking rack that you don't care for, use it!  

Second: Decide what color you want to paint your rack. We find spray paint is the easiest way to go. Decide if you want to glaze after you paint. Decide how you want to hang your rack. Ribbon? Wire? If you are using wire, make sure you have a nice pair of wire cutters. The pair in the picture, as you can tell, have seen better days.

For our rack, the base coat was Rust-o-leum's Flat Brown. Follow paint can instructions for best results. Then, using the foam brush we glazed with Martha's Medallion Metalic Glaze.  The wire is a thin mechanic wire that happened to be around. We used the E-6000 to glue on accents. You can find these things in home improvement stores and craft stores.

Third: Get creative and have fun! We added button accents, of course! And made wire S hooks to hang necklaces!

Last: Tada! Hang your new jewelry rack wherever you want to display all your beautiful earrings and necklaces!