Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Quick & Easy Fabric Flowers {Tutorial}


Well it's finally here, the day us Huckleberry ladies leave for Haven!!! We are beyond excited to spend the next 5 days together without the kiddos, while learning some valuable DIY tips from the nations best. :)

As you might've guessed we've done a lot of preparation for this trip including some fun craft nights where we made these awesome tote bags.

 
Now, I'm not going to go into detail about how we made these beauties (we'll save that for a later date) but I am going to share how I made my embellishments for it.

I'm all for easy, quick craft projects that look great, so these fabric flowers were the perfect project for me to whip up in the final days before the trip. I had a bit of leftover fabric from the inner lining of my bag,


so it was a no-brainer for me to use that. I actually got the inspiration for my fabric flowers from Bead and Cord. I was excited about them because they look different than any other fabric flowers I have ever made.



 
Can't Get Started Without:
~Bit of scrap fabric
~Needle & Thread
~Sewing Scissors








Start by tracing out 5 circles on your fabric.



Next, cut them out.


Once the circles are cut out, fold them in half and then half again.


Then, draw rounded edges on the non-folded part of the circles


and cut the edges off.



When you unfold your cut circles, you should have rounded x's.


Take all of your x's and stack them up. Make sure you off set them as you don't want all of your petals on top of each other.


Now, fold your stack in half


and with your needle and thread, make a few stitches along the fold.



Lastly, take your flower and pinch it against the fold (it should now look like a cup) and stitch your flower into that position.

 
Fluff out your petals and voila, pretty fabric flowers.


I really like these flowers, but I wanted to make them my own. So, using my flower making technique that I used when making my Spring Grapevine Wreath I made centers for my larger flowers.


I quickly sewed them together and had my very own fabric flowers.


Because I didn't want a permanent fixture on my bag, I took pieces of felt and hot glued them to the back of my flowers. Then I hot glued a pin to the felt. This way I was able to pin my flowers on to my bag. I can now either have the embellishment or not and because I pinned each flower individually, I can re-arrange my flowers anytime I like. :)


I love this project because it was so quick and easy ( and when I say quick, I mean all finished during nap time quick) and I think even though it is incredibly simple, it adds a lot to my bag.

 
 
Are any of you going to Haven? We are so excited and can't wait to share all of the fun with you when we get back!!



Sunday, July 28, 2013

Much Ado About Monday {No. 20}

Wow, what a weekend! This one flew by almost too quickly. We celebrated our little one's first Birthday with some friends and had a blast :-). I can't believe my baby is one! Time flies.

I had so much fun with the elephant theme :-)
We're going crazy around here trying to get our house set before the Fall semester of teaching starts, so it was super nice to hang out with friends and even get a much needed nap today. Now we're all refreshed and ready for a great week!

And... now it's time to party!

The rules:

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* Please link back to us in your post. Whether it be through a text link or by posting our super cute button somewhere in your post. We appreciate it!
* If you do NOT link back to us in your post, you will NOT be Featured on Much Ado About Monday. So, link back! You'll thank us later.
* Feel free to link up decorating tips, DIY projects, recipes, organizational ideas, sewing and crochet creations or anything else crafty or that you find inspirational.
* Please do not link up giveaways, Etsy shops, or projects that were not made by you.
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We hope that you find some inspiration here at Much Ado About Monday. We know that we are looking forward to checking out what you've been up to this week! 




 
 
We can't wait to see what you have in store for us this week!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Friday Features {No. 19}

Happy, happy Friday everyone!  

This has been a pretty low-key week for us, as my husband and I just returned from a little vacation up north and are recovering {read: doing laundry}. We visited Traverse City, Michigan {gorgeous!!} and Chicago {so much fun!!} and had such a great time traveling to a part of the country we had never been before. We went without the kids, so it was a bit strange not toting around a diaper bag and all the accoutrements that two kids require. While it was a nice break, we were extremely glad to get back to them and back to our summer schedule.

Speaking of summer, you should stop by our friend Katie's blog, Made to be a Momma. She is running a Summer Fun with Kids series this week and our very own Karla is guest posting today with some great tips about activities to do with your little munchkins. Be sure to check it out and all the other fantastic posts she has featured this week!


And now to our Friday Features!


Jill's Pick:

Rocking Horse for Baby via Little Bit of Paint


Jamie's Pick:

Anthropologie Pattern Pop Tee Knock Off via Domestic Bliss Squared

DIY anthropologie pattern pop tee knock off sewing tutorial


Lydia's Pick:

Teddy Bear Doctor's Kit via The Simple Craft Diaries



Karla's Pick:

Mason Jar Lanterns via Day2Day SuperMom


Mason Jar Solar Lanterns ~ DIY Friday


Emily's Pick:

Cottage-Style Coffee Table Transformation via Pneumatic Addict Furniture



If you were featured, go ahead and grab yourself a button. And then pump your fist in the air and holler "Right on!" {the last part is optional}.




A huge THANK YOU to everyone who partied with us last week! We love you guys and the inspiration you bring to us every week! We hope to see you all again this coming Monday!


Thursday, July 25, 2013

Garden Fresh Greek Dip with Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I have always wanted to plant a garden. Every Spring since we've lived here (5 years, in case you're wondering), my husband and I have talked about what vegetables we'll put in our non-existent garden. And, while we talk about it, we have never actually put our black green thumbs to work.

Alas, another year has passed and our yard is still garden-less. But, after making this recipe, I am determined to plant one next year! So it is written, so it is done. ;-) {HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE, PEOPLE!!}



My wonderful friend, Rikki, makes an amazing dish whenever we get together for family nights or play dates. It's simple and incredibly refreshing. Today I want to share it with y'all.

If you have a garden, you will definitely want to put this on your summer recipe list! It's a delicious appetizer that will be a crowd-pleaser at your next summer picnic or cookout. :)


The main ingredient of this dip is hummus. Now, you could take the easy route and simply go buy store bought hummus... But, since I obviously love to make things more difficult, I decided to make my own! I found this simple and satisfying recipe for hummus over at A Cedar Spoon. She's Lebanese, so I figure this gal knows her hummus!

Let's get started!

 
To Make Hummus:
 
First, drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can to use later.
 
Next, combine all ingredients (except the reserved chickpea liquid) in the food processor, or if you don't have a food processor, use your blender

Blend for 2-3 minutes (blend longer for more creamy texture).
 
Use the chickpea liquid that you reserved to add to the hummus and blend more if you feel you want a creamier texture. I only needed to add a few tablespoons to get to the consistency I desired.
 
Finally, add the roasted red peppers and pulse until the peppers are blended in and the hummus is smooth.
 
If you just want a regular tasting hummus, just skip the last step and omit adding red peppers to your recipe.

 
This hummus is amazing! It's delicious by itself.... But, if you're feeling fancy, and you have a few veggies on hand, you can turn it into a fresh and easy Greek Dip. :)

For the dip....

 
To Make Dip:

Spread homemade hummus in a glass pie plate. (Or, if you're in a hurry, store bought hummus will work just fine!).

Next, top with the diced tomato and cucumber, then sprinkle on the olivers.

Last, and certainly NOT least, cover that baby with your feta cheese! The secret to this step is: MORE IS BETTER!!


Serve this amazing dip with rice crackers, pita chips, or warm pita bread. Either way, it's sure to be a crowd pleaser! :)

Be sure to check out some of our other amazing appetizer recipes for more mouth-watering party ideas!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Sharing with these awesome parties:


 
 

ThePinJunkie
 
My Personal Accent: DIY Eclectic Guide to Life

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