A Few Quick Projects & This N That

It's only Wednesday and I already feel like saying "What a week!". I'm in the doldrums, in a funk, in other words I've got the blues. Between fighting with my daughters physics teacher about her teaching methods (I've been fighting with the public school system since she went back to school in 7th grade), wondering where we're going to come up with an extra $200 a month for a physics tutor, having to threaten one of our neighbors with calling the City Marshall about one of their dogs who is a major nuisance, I just haven't felt very cheery! That's just waaay too much drama for me! In an effort to get my mind off these things I decided to do a couple of quick projects from two books that I have, plus I stopped at the thrift store.

I found this for $1.21 and thought it would look pretty in my screened porch next spring.

Found these candlesticks for$1.91 and spray painted them black.

Everything looks better in black!

I remade a tassel I made last year from the book "Embellish Your Home" by Dena Fishbein. It's her Salt and Pepper Shaker Tassels project. She uses very cool vintage S&P shakers. I used the Salt shaker from a set I got at Target last year. It's a very easy project to do. The only thing I want to point out is that you are limited by the hole in the bottom of your shaker. So unless you have a shaker with a nice wide hole, you're not going to get a really full tassel.

1.You take a piece of wire and thread one end through one of the holes on the top of the shaker and then you add beads until you have enough to make a loop. Then you take that end through the other hole until it comes out the bottom and you twist the two wire ends together. You can adhere the wire to the inside with a drop of hot glue or just push up into the shaker. 2. You then take some bullion fringe, put a line of fabric glue on the top and roll it up until it looks like a tassel. You're limited by the hole of your shaker since you have to stick the tassel into the hole (secure with hot glue). 3. Wrap some trim around the top of the tassel where it meets the shaker and your good to go. You can hang from the beaded loop or add a small piece of ribbon to it and hang from the ribbon.

It came out pretty good - the ribbon around the bottom is a bit off. I have the other shaker so I'm going to make another one. So if you find any cute shakers - give this a try!

Then I did a little project from the "New Nesters" book I reviewed a few weeks ago. I did her monogram napkins. She uses white letters on white napkins which looks very elegant. I already had these apple green ones leftover from another project so I used them. I found 3 packages of big white napkins on clearance for literally pennies at Target a few weeks ago! Which is so great because we're cutting down on our paper products.

These are just iron on applique letters. I'll let you know how they launder. If they hold up to machine washing I think they would be really cute to add to a gift basket. You could do the initial of the recipients last name.

Let me know if you make the tassel, I'd love to see it. I'll be back Friday with Show & Tell and hopefully I'll have finished up that china cabinet!