{DIY} Chalk Paint & Tinted Wax

Y'all, this might be old news to you.  IF NOT, join in the fun of CHALK PAINT!  Annie Sloan has hit the DIY world by storm with her lovely paint-y ways... distressed furniture heaven...

BUT, I have yet to use hers... Shame on ME!  My DIY is totally a knock-off, and I can't tell you how it compares.  I just know I love the result and think it looks similar at least to what I've seen painted with Annie Sloan's paint.

I started out with 'Oops' or 'Mis-tinted' paint from Wal-Mart (also can be found at Home Depot and Lowe's).  I found a FANTASTIC soft, mustard-y yellow that looked even MORE fantastic at 50% off.  

Here's the chalk paint recipe I used:

1/2 cup baking soda

3 Tbsp. water

1 cup paint

Mix baking soda and water into a paste.  Add paint to paste until completely incorporated.  Use immediately OR let sit for a 'chalkier' texture.

(I've done both.. letting it sit does allow for a thicker first coat of paint)

-I used a small paint roller for the first coat on the large area, but a paint brush proved to be just as fast.  There's not need for the strokes to be absolutely perfect.  This is supposed to look OLD so the sloppier the better! 

-The second coat covered the rest of the table.  I didn't need an extra thick coat since I wanted the dark stain to show through.

-After the paint dried (it dries quickly!!), I lightly sanded all over the table but especially on the edges.  I made sure to allow the original stain show through on the places that would naturally be bumped and scraped.

-For tinted wax, I used Minwax Paste Finishing Wax (found at Home Depot) and Minwax PolyShades in Antique Walnut and Bombay Mahogany.  There really was no specific recipe here.  I just scraped out a good amount of wax into a tupperware bowl, poured in a little of the PolyShade, and mixed it until it was incorporated.  Using an old T-Shirt, towel, cheesecloth, or even one of Annie Sloan's special waxing brushes (which I hear are fantastic!), rub the tinted wax in small circles until the desired look is achieved. I suggest to test it out on a discreet corner of the table (or whatever you're painting) to see if you like the shade.  My first try was a little light so I just added the PolyShade until I was happy with the tint.  Also, rubbing in CLEAR wax BEFORE using the tinted wax prevents the color of the actual paint changing shades... instead, the wax just gets into the cracks and crevices.

If you WANT, you can finish it off with a coat of clear wax.

And.  THAT. Is how it's done.

I can't tell you how much I love my new table!!

I may or may not be obsessed with DIY chalk paint...

I may or may not have done a bunch of other projects because I loved it so much...

I may or may not have quite a few other projects up my sleeve...

What do you think??

Thanks so much for reading, friends!

-Jess

(Recipe for Chalk Paint recipe found HERE!)

Stone Statement Necklace -tutorial-

I love necklaces.

I think it's because a necklace can transform a plain outfit into a stylish one!  T-shirt and jeans become a fashion statement when you add a pretty necklace.

Today, I want to share an easy necklace you can make yourself! 

Here's what you need:

Hot glue gun // felt (Wal-Mart - 50 cents) // stones/pebbles (Dollar Tree - $1) // ribbon (Wal-Mart - $1.50) // beading wire (JoAnn's - $???)

1.  Cut felt into desired shape of the 'bib' portion of the necklace.  This will just be a rough cut.

2.  Play around with the placement of the stones.  Be sure to take a picture to remember where the stones fit best.

3.  Carefully hot glue the stones to the felt and each other.  I had to use the hottest setting and used quite a bit of glue!  It was nearly impossible to keep the glue from peering through the cracks.

-After all the glue dries, carefully trim the excess felt around the edges.

4.  Wrap the beading wire in between cracks of the rocks.  Use as little or as much wire as desired!

5.  Feed the ribbon through a loop of wire towards tip of the bib.  Cut to desired length.  I also put a dab of glue between the ribbon and felt AND tied a gentle knot in the ribbon.

6.  Secure the necklace in the back with a bow.

YOU'RE DONE!

This necklace would look great with beads, rhinestones, painted stones, buttons, etc.

Thanks so much for reading, y'all!

-Jess

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Drab to Fab: Tribal Print using Freezer Paper

We've ALL seen the tribal print craze.  Leggings, purses, shirts, jackets, scarves, pockets, and more and more and more!  Here's a way to join the trend (or add to your tribal print collection!) without spending much or ANY money!

1.  Draw your favorite tribal print on the paper-y side of freezer paper with a pencil.  (There's a waxy side, too.)  Before you draw, decide the size you'd like your print so you don't have to erase a bunch of times!

2.  Using an Exact-O Knife, carefully cut out the print to create the negative.  Iron the print with the waxy side DOWN.  Smooth out/iron down the fabric first to avoid bubbles and creases.

3.  I chose to use Martha Stewart's Multi-Surface craft paint.  I'm unsure of the durability of regular craft paint on fabric, and the only color of fabric paint I had on hand was black!  (Look back HERE to see where else I used this metallic paint!)

4.  Carefully dab the paint onto the fabric in the negative space.  Make sure to put cardboard or extra freezer paper in the middle of the shirt to prevent bleed-through.  

After deciding if you need another coat of paint, carefully peel off the freezer paper.  (My favorite part!!)  I chose to do only one coat of paint and peeled the paper off immediately after finishing.

Be careful to follow instructions for the fabric paint!  Some paints suggess letting the paint 'cure' for 48-72 hours, then heat-setting the fabric either with an iron or in dryer.

Now it's time to rock that print!  You can obviously choose a more intricate pattern to paint, but I like ease and time to be on my side in my projects!  This was literally a 30 minute deal.  You can make it even EASIER by printing out the tribal print from a template.  But we don't have a printer... bummer.

Let me know what you think!  This project is obviously VERY versatile.  Paint a word, picture, etc.

Thanks for reading y'all!!

-Jess

DIY Faux Ceramic Animal Head

Good Morning, y'all!

I gave you a little tour of my boys' room makeover last week.  One of my personal favorite DIY projects to complete the look was the faux ceramic animal heads.  I was quite honestly surprised at how well these turned out (because, don't be fooled, not all our DIY efforts turn out like this....I have had numerous "fails" along the way).

I've seen many pins on Pinterest, as well as many blogs, feature these ceramic pieces as part of their home decor, and I've loved the look.

But, as you probably know by now, I am constantly looking for a cheaper way to achieve the same look.  (And paying full price for those ceramic pieces just wasn't in the budget.  They can be expensive, y'all!)

While out on one of my "browsing" trips at TJ Maxx, I came across the moose antlers and gazelle head for about $10 each, and had an idea about trying to transform them into faux ceramic pieces.  

And a lot of times when I find something I like, I try and check Marshall's as well.  I don't think these two stores are owned by the same people, but they tend to have a lot of the same inventory.

And, lo and behold, I found the deer head!

So I grabbed my supplies and got to work!

                                                                 -Metal Animal Heads

                                                                 -Primer Spray Paint

                                                                 -Flat White Spray Paint

                                                                 -Pallet Wood

                                                                 -Jigsaw

1.  First I place the animal heads on an old sheet and sprayed them with primer.  I let that dry for about 30 minutes, then sprayed them with the flat white spray paint.  Each animal head was sprayed with 2-3 coats, depending on what it needed, waiting about 30 minutes in between each coat.

2.  Next I printed out an oval shape from my computer.  It wasn't quite as big as I wanted it, so I measured out about 6 inches all the way around and roughly sketched a bigger oval.

3.  I then used our jigsaw for the first time!  (Jess has been telling me I would love using it, and she was totally right!  I can't believe I haven't used it until now!)  If you've never used a jigsaw, don't be scared.....it's super easy to use and much less intimidating than a circular saw for sure!  (My husband attached a piece of wood to the back along with a heavy duty hanger.)

4.  The animal head is attached to the wood by a nail.  It could be pulled off pretty easily, but the boys haven't touched them once!  (I did threaten to take them totally off the wall if they touched them.....so far, so good! ;)

And that's it!

This could very easily be modified to your tastes.

I've seen the ceramic heads hung on the wall alone, inside a frame, etc.

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Rox


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Geometric Print Drape Front Cardi {tutorial}

I went through a stage where I felt like I needed to get ALL solid printed clothing so it would be versatile... 

SO... what do you do if you need more patterns in your wardrobe without spending the bucks?

Do. It. Yourself.

Here's how I added a little pattern to a piece in MY wardrobe:

1.  I grabbed a plain black knit drape front cardi from my closet that I NEVER wear...

2.  Using a sheet of foam from the craft store (with adhesive on the back), I cut a couple triangles and attached them to a jar lid to create a stamp.  I used Martha Stewart's Metallic Gold acrylic paint and a foam brush to paint the stamp.

3.  After deciding to alternate the triangles pointing up then down, I started stamping in the middle on the bottom of the back of the cardi.  I didn't worry about perfect spacing or clean stamping.  On each 'drape', I stacked the triangles higher so the triangles would be more noticeable when worn.

-  After the paint dried, I threw the cardi in the dryer to 'set' the paint.

And that's it!

tunic:  Marshalls // cardi:  Target (refashioned by me) // 'leather vest':  thrifted // leggings: Wal-Mart //booties: thrifted //short necklace: Wal-Mart // long necklace: thrifted

{I styled my cardi over a sheer tunic with leggings and wedge booties.

I added a 'leather' vest for texture and stacked two necklaces for added interest.}

I know this piece will get a lot more use now that I updated it with a little pattern!  I can't wait to try this with a lighter colored cardi and and darker paint...  I'm thinking an aztec feel!

Let us know if you have any questions or if you try it out!!

Thanks for reading, y'all!

-Jess

DIY Cake Stand { or jewelry holder }

I absolutely love the idea of using something for something else... you got me??

Example:  The cute porcelain Anthro egg crates used for storing jewery, water pitchers used as vases, or stacked suitcases as nightstands.

Now that my examples explain my vague description...

 You've probably seen (on Pinterest) gorgeous cake stands used to store jewelry or perfume, but I can't seem to find any for myself at a good price!

Sidenote:  Rox found a beautiful one on clearance at Target (awhile back..) so you CAN find them... I just never have... 

So I made my own!!

Supplies:

2 thrifted decorative plates, a candlestick from Dollar Tree, and a thrifted ceramic cup/planter

E6000 Adhesive and Krylon spray paint in Coral Isle

The process is EASY:

- Glue the candlestick or cup to the bottom of the decorative plate.  Let dry for 24 hours.

- Spray paint the cake stand using as many coats as needed.  You may do well to use a primer first!

That's it!  And I didn't even have to spray paint the off-white stand since the cup and plate were the same color! SCORE.

I used these to display rings and bracelets at my craft fair last weekend, and I loved how it looked!

I don't recommend putting food directly on the stands (especially the painted one) unless it's lined with wax paper or something similar.

I also recommend that you NOT use the clear gloss protective paint after painting with your original color... I had to scrape and scrub and start ALL over on the coral cake stand after trying the protective coat.  It wrinkled up and started peeling away... I wanted to cry.  SO, save yourself the tears and DON'T DO IT.

I've made them using a candlestick and a stove burner cover before... while they served their purpose for a cheap price, they have since broken and are not very sturdy.

So go make yourself a cake stand to use for your jewelry or perfume for just a few dollars!  And let us know if you do!

Thanks for reading!

-Jess

Mason Jar Pin Cushion Tutorial

 I've been wanting to complete this simple project for some time now.  

First, I love anything that has to with mason jars.

Second, I love the storage this pin cushion contains so all the pins don't have to be in the top.

And thirdly, this one is MUCH sturdier that my 1.5 inch round one I used previously.

All you need for this project is a handful of polyfil, a round scrap of fabric (I cut mine about 1.5" wider than the top of the mason jar), and a glue gun.

1.  Gather your supplies.

2.  Cut slits in the fabric about every inch all the way around.

3.  Put the polyfil on top of the mason jar lid insert.  Cover with fabric and begin gluing to bottom of insert.

4.  Continue gluing until all pieces are secure.

5.  Squirt small amount of glue all the way around lid.  Place lid insert into ring.

6.  Screw top on mason jar.

And that's it!  

This is a VERY quick and easy project that anyone can do!

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Rox

Drab to Fab: Knotted Tee

What do you do 'dress up' a baggy T-shirt?

There's the 'front-tuck'...

And the 'full-tuck'...

And the 'embrace-the-Tee-and-wear-it-untucked'...

But MY personal favorite is:

The front knot.

EASY way to wear T-shirt and jeans AND still feel put together!

Here's how I knot my Tee:

1.  Using a clear plastic hair band, create a 'pony-tail' with the excess of your T-Shirt.

2. Twist the tail.

3.  Twirl the tail into a little circle/snail/knot.

4.  Tuck the end of the tail into the hair band.

I love wearing a baggy T-shirt with a skirt and knotting it at the front, too!

Do you wear the front-knot??

Thanks for reading!

-Jess

Washi Tape Toothpicks

Sometimes it's just fun to eat snacks with toothpicks.

You don't need a party or event.

Get some Washi Tape (I got mine from Wal-Mart for 99 cents!), toothpicks, and scissors.

Cut about an inch of tape for each 'flag', flatten the tape around the toothpick, and voila!

You've got yourself cute, custom toothpicks for your afternoon snack!

Thanks for reading!

-Jess

Quick Ring Tutorial

Although I know people love wearing their 'special' jewelry, it's usually a timeless piece (which is GREAT!)... I love me some TRENDY.  Y'all.  I was ALL about the big plastic jewelry rings, bra strap necklaces, and toe rings.

It's always hard to justify buying those trendy pieces of jewelry, when you KNOW it's going to be out of style in the next few years.  (I love a good statement necklace, but you KNOW we are going to be making fun of them just a few years down the road!)

What am I getting at??

MAKE YOUR OWN JEWELRY.

(If you can...)

Here's an EASY, peasy wrappy, nesty, cutesy ring tutorial for you!

1.  Using a cute bead and 12 inches of 20 gauge beading wire (I used silver...), string the bead onto the middle of the wire.

2.  If you have a ring sizer, GREAT!  If not, use your finger to decide how big to make the ring.  Wrap each side of the wire around your finger until the wire is pointing into the air again.

3.  Make sure to leave a TEENSY bit of wiggle room, and take it off of your finger.

4.  CLOSE UP!

5.  Begin to wrap each side of the wire around the bead...

6.  ...for this bead I wrapped each end of the wire three times.

7.  With the excess wire, use jewelry pliers (or use your strong, nimble fingers!) to wrap around the double wires that go around your finger.

8.  With this particular bead and ring size, I was able to wrap it 2 or 3 times. Finish the other side of the excess wire and...

9.  DONE!

This ring LITERALLY takes 10 minutes or LESS!

Thanks for reading, y'all!

-Jess

Elegant Flower Clip: A Tutorial

Love is in the air.

I know a few lovely ladies getting married soon...

And one of the brides-to-be asked me to make her something for her hair.

Although I had a picture of some she liked, I had to come up with my own assembly process!  And now I'd love to share it with YOU!

1. You'll need:

chiffon

tulle

beads

felt

alligator clip

scissors

needle

thread

Candle and matches/lighter

hot glue

2.  Cut about 7 circles of chiffon about 2 1/2 in. diameter and about 5 circles of tulle the same size.  TOTALLY, roughly cut.. mine were more like octagons!

3.  Using a small flame, carefully melt the edges of each piece of chiffon and tulle.

4.  DON'T put the fabric IN the flame... just close enough for the edges to barely melt and curl up.

5.  Roughly stack the finished circles on top of each other.  The more random you stack them, the more they'll resemble real flowers!

6.  Tack all pieces together with your needle and thread.

7.  Use as many or as few beads as you'd like for the middle of the flower.  I wanted mine to have the clustered look.

8.  Cut a circle of felt (in a coordinating color) for the back of the flower.  Cut a slit just large enough to fit the back prong of the clip through.

9.  Hot glue the back of the felt (and clip) to the bottom of the flower.

Done!

Dress up your hair-do with some flower clips or give some to your favorite bride-to-be for her big day!

Thanks for reading!

-Jess

Jeans to Shorts Tutorial

Anyone find a great pair of jeans at a steal of a price in the store, only to get them home and suddenly you don't like how they fit anymore?

And you keep them past the return date because you are trying to convince yourself that you like them?

And you keep washing and drying them hoping somehow the magical dryer will spit out a perfect fitting pair of jeans?

And, even if you liked them before, they are now too short because of you washed and dried them so many times?

Just me?

Ok.

I guess I was being a little too specific to include anyone else in that story.

Ha!

But you can probably relate in some way or another. 

Well, I decided I needed to get some use out of them before being donated.  So, I decided to refashion them into shorts!

{ By the way, this is a VERY SIMPLE refashion that anyone can do, I promise!  So, if you are a beginner sewer, don't be scared to try this one! }

1.  First, I found a pair of shorts I already owned that I liked the length of to serve as a template.  I placed my shorts on top of my jeans so I could also use the slight slant of the bottom of each leg as a guide.  I cut 4-5 inches below the shorts on each leg of the jeans. (If you don't own a good pair of fabric scissors, now would be the time to invest in them.  It will make cutting through denim a whole lot easier.)

2.  Next, I folded each leg twice and then pinned the fold into place.  If you want to get super technical, you can measure your fold all the way around to make sure it's even.  I just eyeballed it.

3.  Pin both legs, making sure to pin the back of each leg as well.  Then iron to make a nice, crisp fold.

4.  I just wanted to show you what kind of thread I used!  It's specially made for jeans and matched the thread already used on the jeans I owned.

5.  Sew a straight stitch all the way around.  Mine was about 1/4 inch down from the top fold.

6.  And your done!

So before you throw away those jeans that don't fit you quite right consider refashioning them into shorts or changing them into skinny jeans (like Jess did a while back).

Happy Monday, y'all!

Rox

Herringbone Lampshade Frame

"I LOVE LAMP."

Yes, I do.  I love the soft glow.  I love the home-y feel of a lit lamp (a little different than 'homie', as in 'Yo, Homie!').

I don't love how boring some of my lamps are.

We have a trio of lamps (two large, one small) that ALL look exactly the same.  BORING.  Plus the small one had a broken lampshade... so time to update!

Along with the lamp, I used:

lampshade frame

three wire hangers

silver floral wire

Rustoleum Metallic Finish (silver)

Rustoleum Gloss Seaside

I really like the look of bare wire metal frame AND I love the Herringbone pattern. My lamp already had four metal supports, but to create the herringbone look, I needed four more thick pieces of metal (like the supports). I used wire cutters to cut the hangers into four pieces long enough to hook around both the top and the bottom of the frame.  With the extra supports in place, I used the floral wire to create the herringbone pattern.  You can make the 'stripes' as close together or far apart as you'd like!  I think making them even closer together would look great, but I wanted mine to be more 'bare bones'.  I painted the lampshade with the silver spray paint and the lamp base with the Seaside.

And that's IT!  It was a VERY easy update with a brand new look!!

Thanks for reading!

Remember to tell us what you think!  We LOVE hearing from you!

-Jess

Guest Post: Paint-Dipped Plant Stand with Cyntia!

Y'all are in for a treat today!  We have the lovely Cyntia here to share a fun project she recently did.  I love, love her fun style and am always looking forward to her new posts on her blog!!  So, without further adieu...

Hi there! I'm Cyntia and every once in a blue moon I blog over at Cyntiae.blogspot.com. I'm currently in the middle of planning my wedding & getting our newlywed home ready so when I was asked to share something, the only thing that came to mind was my new "nesting" hobbies. 

I have been lucky to find great deals while trying to fill the new space. Read "great deals=free". I am forever grateful for anyone who offers any of their treasures! My parents were getting rid of a stool they had in storage and of course, I snatched it! At first I thought I would recover but after my new plant obsession I decided to make better use of it.

My inspiration came from pinterest/instagram of course and all of the paint dipping trends. My resources came from a trip to Lowe's where I found a glaze that can dry to look like different metal textures. They have different kinds, but I chose the stainless steel one. I applied many coats because after all it is a "glaze" and had to wait 24 hours for the coats to dry. I wanted the black to be really matte so I used some leftover chalkboard paint that I've had for way too long(so thrifty). After I finally got it to look the silver I wanted, this is what it ended up looking like!

I love my new plant stand! I made a goal to add more green to my next home when I moved in April simply because it's pretty and because instagram seems to think it's the new hip thing to do... Let's be real here. So far I have had a mint plant that didn't make it through the move...or me not watering it. So then I went with succulents. I'm still new at the succulents and my mom gave me the vine plant that is hugging the stool leg over Memorial Day weekend so...it's still early. Here's a pic of my succulents on an ottoman that I recently found at Target. Just for fun. Hop on over to my blog and check it out sometime. I can't promise there will be anything new but I will definitely try. 

PS, I have known the Of Dwelling and Dress sisters since we were eight years old! Love these girls and love this blog :) Thanks for having me. 

*     *     *

Thanks, Cyntia!! We love you, too!! I LOVE the plant stand!! I pretty sure I need one now..

Thanks for reading, y'all!!  Remember to leave Cyntia a little love by visiting her blog or leaving a comment below!

Name Hanger

Happy Wedding season everyone!

Every year, once May hits, I feel like there are a TON of weddings to attend.

And I LOVE every one of them.  

Seriously.

What's not to love about eating, drinking, and being merry with the ones you love most?

And this season is going to be the best yet, because our youngest sister, Aly, is getting married! (To a pretty awesome guy, I must add.)

So, needless to say, wedding shenanigans have been on all of our minds.

So, I was feeling a little crafting withdrawal and had been meaning to make one of the brides a hanger for her wedding dress.  And, luckily, I had almost all the supplies on hand.

Supplies:

Wooden Hanger (Wal-Mart)

Spray Paint (only if you want to paint the hanger and/or wire)

Painter's Tape

Sanding Block

Drill

Wire (Lowe's or Home Depot)

Wire Cutter/Needle Nose Pliers

Glue Gun

First, I sprayed painted one side blue.  I waited 10 minutes for it to dry, flipped it over, and sprayed the other side.

The color I had pictured in my head was sort of a mint green which would go with Aly's color scheme. Since I didn't have any spray paint in that color, I thought I could achieve that effect by layering blue and green paint.  I actually ended up spraying it blue, then green, then blue again.

I then took the sanding block and lightly sanded all over, focusing on the corners and edges.  This allowed the green to be seen underneath and give off a bluish-green color when seen from a little ways away.

Next, I used a drill bit slightly larger than the diameter of the wire I was using, and drilled a hole through the hanger.  (I could have actually used one slightly bigger than the one pictured for reasons you'll read about in a second.)

Then, I wrote out the name I wanted to use as a template for the wire.  (You can also use a script font on the computer and print out the name as opposed to your own handwriting).  Using a combination of twisting with my hands and needle-nose pliers, I bent it into the shape of the name.  

Next, I spray-painted the wire gold since it will go well with this particular wedding.

I then cut the wire to the appropriate length at the ends, bent the wire at the ends as well, put glue in the hole, and stuck the wire into the drilled hole.  (The reason a larger drill bit would have been beneficial is because it would have been easier for the glue to get down in the hole.)

The glue dries very quickly, and since nothing will hang on the name part, it doesn't have to be super strong.

And that's it!

This is a great personalized gift for any bride or new baby!

If you make one of these, send us a picture to be featured on the blog!

{ I just wanted to let all you faithful readers know that Jess is out of town, so you are stuck with me on the ole blog this week!  Sorry for the Rox posting overload....but enjoy nonetheless! }

Bunting & Streamers { Tutorial: Five Ways! }

Summer brings opportunities for backyard BBQ's and dinner parties!

And what's a party without decorations??

(Umm, I guess it's still a party...)

Add a little flare with some homemade bunting or streamers!

Here's how:

1. You will need a little bit of fabric, string (or yarn or twine..), scissors, and hot glue.

2.  Fold your fabric with wrong sides facing together, create a crease (with an iron if you want), and cut as many strips as you would like to have on your finished bunting.  Mine were 3-ish inches wide and just under 4 inches long.  You can see where I marked the two different types of bunting you can then cut!

3.  To make things a little easier and quicker, fold each strip in half (length-wise) and cut your diagonal.

4.  Continue to create your flags until you have as many as you'd like.  I made about 10 of the traditional triangle-shaped flags and about 8 of the other flags.

5.  Unfold each flag and lay them out to figure out how long you will need to cut your string.  Go ahead and leave them spaced-out.

6.  Squeeze a strip of hot glue along the crease, lay your string down, and fold the fabric back with the wrong sides facing together again.  Leave a little length on each end of your string so you can hang your banner when you're done!

1.  You'll need scrap fabric, scissors, and string.

2.  Cut 2 squares for each flower pouf.  I cut 24 squares for 12 flowers each 2 1/2 inches by 2 1/2 inches.

3.  For each flower pouf, lay 2 squares cat-a-corner on top of each other.

4.  Pinch the squares in the middle and gather it into a little point.

5.  Tie your string into a knot to secure the flower pouf.  I found the easiest way to do this is to go ahead and make a loose loop in the string, stick the point into the loop, and then pull it tight.

6.  Turn the flower over and "floof" it up a little bit!  After tying all of your flowers, remember to leave a little length of string so you can hang up your garland!

*Original tutorial found HERE*

1.  You'll need tissue paper, string, scissors, and hot glue.

2.  Unfold the tissue paper all the way.  Considering that each large sheet will make four tassels, keep as many large sheets stacked as you will need.  Cut the large sheets into quarters.

3.  Fold each quarter in half.

4.  Cut the tissue paper into fringe starting on the OPEN side of the paper; NOT on the fold.  Leave about an inch and a half at the top of the folded paper.

5.  Unfold the sheet and lay it it flat.

6.  Roll the tissue paper down the middle with the fringe out on either side.  DOES NOT have to be perfectly rolled.

7.  Twist the middle of the rolled paper in middle until you get to the fringe on either side.

8.  Twirl the twist (that's a moutful!) into a loop and secure the loop together with a dot of hot glue.

9.  After you've made all your tassels, string them onto your twine or yarn and secure the tassels in place with a knot.  Remember to leave a little extra length on each end of your streamer for hanging it up!

Although I don't have any pictures of the creative process, this garland is VERY easy.  (And is probably self-explanatory by the picture!)

- Cut or tear varying lengths of different kinds of fabric.

(I used everything from muslin to chiffon to cotton...)

- Cut your sting or twine to the length you'd like for your garland to be plus some for hanging.

- Starting in the middle, tie the longest pieces of fabric into knots onto the string.

- Keep tying in ascending length until you reach the end of your string or your fabric supply!!

Now it's time to plan a summer get-together!

Thanks for reading!!