Hello friends! I’m here today to show you how to make this glittery, glitzy set of candle holders with only a few simple items. These are perfect for dressing up your own home for the holidays, or for giving as a gift. The best part is, when the candles are lit, the glitter casts a million pretty little twinkles and shimmers around the room.

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:: supplies ::
candlestick holders
(I got an old set of three brass candlestick holders from a thrift store for $2 a piece)
flat white spray paint
(or any other color of your choosing)
glass votive holders
craft glue
paintbrush
glitter and sparkles
crazy glue
votive candles

:: directions ::

1) Prepare candlestick holders by thoroughly washing and drying them, then apply several even coats of spray paint to entirely cover.

2) While the candlestick holders are drying, coat the entire outside (minus the bottom) of each votive holder with a thin, even coat of craft glue.

4) Spread glitter on newspaper, foil, or paper towel, then roll votive holder in the glitter until it is thoroughly covered with glitter and sparkles. You may want to apply more glue and glitter if the first coating isn’t thick enough for your liking.

5) Once candlesticks holders and votive holders are dry and ready, apply crazy glue to the top rim of each candlestick holder then adhere to the bottom of each votive holder.

6) Allow glue to dry, then place votive in each holder, light and enjoy (or package up and give to someone else to enjoy!)

When it comes to handmade gifts, especially those that are sewn, knit, quilted, or crocheted, there is nothing better than finishing off a project with a stitched-on tag. I’ve been experimenting with making my own tags, and I’m really excited to share a very easy, proven method for printing fabric tags. This idea is not my own invention, and it’s been floating around the blogosphere for awhile, but in case you haven’t seen it before, I’m here to share.

If you have an inkjet printer, freezer paper, fabric, and a bit of patience, you will be well on your way to lovely, professional-looking tags that can be stitched or sewn on just about anything. I’ll be referring to this tutorial in weeks to come, as I show you a few projects that include a printed tag. So read up, try it out, and bookmark it for later!

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:: SUPPLIES ::

freezer paper (NOT wax paper)

fabric of your choosing (Neutral in tone or bright colored if you’d like.
A smoother finish will hold more detail than something that has texture to it)

inkjet printer (NOTE: my printer is top-loading,
I have not tried using one that feeds from the bottom)

scissors (straight scissors for cutting the fabric,
and pinking shears for finishing, if you choose)

‘handmade with love’ template (download HERE!) -or-
a template of your own created in a design or word-processing program

:: DIRECTIONS ::

1) Cut freezer paper into 8.5″ x 11″ pieces and set aside.

2) Iron your fabric (should be larger than 8/5″ x 11″).

3) Now place one piece of freezer paper, shiny side down, on top the fabric.

4) Place hot iron on the dull side of the freezer paper (which should be facing up) and swiftly move iron across all surfaces until the paper is adhered to the fabric. Do not press too hard or keep the iron on the paper too long, or it will wrinkle and bubble.

5) Once the paper is sufficiently adhered to the fabric, use sharp scissors to cut along the edge of the paper, trimming so the fabric is exactly 8.5″ x 11″ (matching the size of the freezer paper and a letter-sized piece of paper).

6) Place paper-backed fabric into your printer tray, with the fabric side in position to be printed on.

7) Print your tag template using the highest quality setting on your printer. Fabric should go through easily, since it has the freezer paper to give it structure. Once the fabric has been printed on, run a hot iron over the ink to set.

8) Finally, remove freezer paper backing (it will easily peel off), trim tags with pinking shears or straight scissors, and stitch on to your handmade wares!

Over the weekend, one of the projects I tackled was the creation of these felt cup sleeves. I had some scraps of felt left over from another project, and their long, narrow shape looked just right for wrapping around a cup of something hot. I traced a Starbucks cup sleeve onto one such scrap, cut, and then contemplated ideas for ways to embellish it. A strip of twill tape seemed like it would provide a nice, clean accent. However, I was fresh out of twill tape, and there was a blizzard raging outside.

Not one to be easily deterred, I bundled up and walked to our local variety store. It is quite a place. I think at one point it was a Ben Franklin. Now it’s a locally-owned “everything” store, packed to the brim with toys, craft supplies, holiday decor, pets, and who knows what else. I managed to find a spool of red twill tape, which, judging by the picture on the label, must have been from the early nineties.

Back home, I added the twill to the felt before sewing the ends together. The result was pretty cute, but something was still missing. So I came up with a little personalized tag (printed using this method) and then hand stitched one to each sleeve. Now all my friends will have cozy little cup sleeves for their coffee–personalized ones to boot! To make you own, just follow the directions below.

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:: SUPPLIES ::
felt
cardboard cup sleeve to use as a template
twill tape
sewing machine and contrasting thread
fabric and supplies to make tags (directions here)
pinking shears
embroidery floss
needle

:: DIRECTIONS ::

1) Trace cardboard cup sleeve onto felt, then cut along line.

2) Use sewing machine to sew twill tape along the center of the felt.

3) Sew ends of felt together by overlapping slighting, then stitching up and down along the edge.

4) Print fabric tags using this method, then cut with pinking shears, and hand stitch onto center of cup sleeve.

5) Slip the sleeve onto a coffee cup, and share the joy!

Hello friends! I’m here to talk about sewing scarves. I love scarves, and usually have one around my neck all winter long. I’m attributing this to the fact that I hate being cold and that I will take full advantage of any bit of extra warmth I can hold closer to my body. All that being said, when I noticed the growing “infinity scarf” trend, I figured I better try one out.

Feeling extra crafty this holiday season, I decided I would take a shot at making my own. First, I purchased two yards of this lovely plaid flannel that goes with just about everything in my wardrobe (black? check! brown? check! gray? check! white? check!). I cut a piece 12″ wide, by 2 yards long. Then I stitched the two long edges together to make a skinny “tube”. Next, I turned the scarf right side out, so the seams where on the inside of the tube. And here is where it got tricky. (Or maybe not, depending on how skilled you are as a seamstress.) Seeing as I didn’t have a pattern (or a clue about how to do this), I wasn’t sure how to finish the ends so the seams would be hidden. I ended up tucking one end into the other and then folding the exposed end in on itself before hand-stitching around the circle. I know there are better ways of doing this, but for the novice sewer, this method did the trick!

Now, enough about the process… the scarf itself is warm, cozy and easy to wear. I like being able to just loop it around my neck a couple times and forget about fussing with a knot. It’s perfect for wearing with a  winter jacket or vest because the longer loop can tuck in, while the shorter loop can sit higher around your neck.

I ended up sewing another plain scarf (not the infinity version) with the same fabric, and it was a snap to make. I simply sewed a long tube, turned it right side out, then stitched straight across each end, about 4 inches in. Then I took my fabric scissors and cut wide fringes below the seam. If you have a sewing machine and want a really easy Christmas present to make, buy some flannel and go to town on scarves! If you are a novice, just make plain scarves, or if you want a challenge, try your hand at the infinity scarf. Happy sewing, my dears.

p.s. don’t forget to add a “handmade with love” tag!

Hello my dears, and happy Friday!! I’m in and out today, as I have family in town and a full day of plans with them ahead. I hope you’ve been enjoying all my crafty little DIY gift ideas over the past couple weeks. I’ve sure had fun working on them, and my pile of homemade presents to give is growing daily. I have a few more last minute homemade gift idea up my sleeve, which I will share next week. Today I am here with a shameless plug, as I point you in the direction of my shop, Emmy Lu Design Studio.

I know many of us are feeling the cost-crunch this time of year, and are looking for budget-friendly, yet hip-and-trendy gift ideas. My shop is stocked full of lovely, simple and cheerful printables that can be purchased for a low price, then printed over and over, as many times as you’d like.

This year, I printed off several calendars, slipped them into CD calendar cases, and wrapped them up as a little something for many of my friends. The jewel cases are less than a dollar a piece, and they also double as a stand for the calendars! I bought a five-pack of cases for $3 from Papertrey Ink, and I was so pleased with how quickly I received them, and the nice quality of the end product.

So, all that being said, if you need a last minute gift, or are on a budget, head over to Emmy Lu, and check out my calendars, notecards, recipe cards and gift tags!

I think we all have at least a few people on our list who are impossible to buy for. Either they have everything they want, or their taste is miles from ordinary, making it difficult to choose any sort of gift without taking a giant risk. This is when cash or gift cards come in handy. Ordinarily, I don’t really love giving cash for Christmas. But, even I will admit there are times when it’s the perfect gift. If you have a couple cash presents to distribute this year, why not do so with a little handmade love. This Christmas I hand-sewed felt pouches for gift cards and cash. They were fairly quick and easy to make, and the recipients can use them over and over again for holding anything from coupons, to tea bags, to receipts.

To make the felt pouches, I simply cut a long rectangular piece of felt, folded it thirds, and ironed the creases. Then I used a blanket stitch to go all around the edges of the pouch. I also added a piece of twill tape across the front so that the flap could tuck in and stay closed. This required a bit of troubleshooting, as I had to switch stitches in order to allow the twill tape to be sewn into the seam, but still open across the front so the flap could tuck in. I also created another version using a basic in and out stitch, which was much simpler and faster.

Christmas is only four days away, and I am pleased to say that all my shopping and crafting is done for the year! I am almost 100% certain that this is a first for me. I’m usually pretty last minute with this stuff, but this year, I was on the ball. It feels great to know that I don’t have to brave the crowds or stay up ’till the wee hours finishing a project. How ’bout you? Are you done Christmas shopping, or is it crunch time for you?

Be back tomorrow with one final homemade gift idea! All for now, friends…

I have to say, out of the many projects I’ve been working on over the course of the past several weeks, this one definitely has a special place in my heart. I started making yarn pom poms back around Thanksgiving, and I just haven’t stopped. I keep coming up with more ways to use them, and every time I show someone how simple they are to make, they too become addicted to these little balls of fluff.

Speaking of balls of fluff, I am going to now throw in a very random story from my college days that has to do with poms poms. Please forgive my tangent. Back in my freshman year of college, I lived in the dorms with three other girls. As the fall turned to winter, I went in search of a warm hat at our local mall. I ended up finding one at Hollister, of all places. It was white, wool and happened to have a giant red pom pom on the top, which I immediately clipped off. I left it sitting on my desk, and somehow I think someone ended up hiding it in my shoe or something like that. (Jackie? Jana? Robin? Do any of you remember how it started??) Anyways, it became our thing. “The ball” traveled from roommate to roommate. It would show up in my mailbox, and I might put it under someone’s pillow, who might in turn put it in the microwave. I think the best was when someone took a picture of it and set it as my desktop background. Oh the memories! But, I digress…

Below are steps for making your own yarn pom poms, and a few of my favorite ways to use them!

:: STEP 1 ::

Wrap yarn around your hand. To make a large pom pom, use four fingers. For medium, use three. For small, use two. Wrap enough so there is a fairly substantial amount of bulk. A general rule of thumb is 50 times for a full pom pom, more if you want it really thick, and less if you want it not as full.

:: STEP 2 ::

Next, remove the yarn ball from your hand and lay flat on the table with a 4″ – 6″ piece of yarn below it.

:: STEP 3 ::

Tie the piece of yarn around the ball tightly, and double knot it.

:: STEP 4 ::

Now use scissors to cut all the loops, then give your pom pom a little shake. To finish it off, you will need to give it a nice haircut. Trim the long pieces and cut until it is full and round.

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Now, the fun part! There are many, many unique and creative ways to use pom poms… here are just a few of my favorites.

POM POM GARLAND

Simply thread string through several pom poms, then hang and enjoy!

POM POM PINS

Cut a bit of felt, flatten a pom pom, then glue a button on top.
Add a pin fastener to the back for a fun little accessory to any outfit or hat!

POM POM FLOWERS

To make these fluffy little flowers, simply poke a stick into the middle of the
pom pom, then set a few in a vase, and call it a day. Couldn’t be any easier. Or cuter!

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The best part of this project is that you literally only need yarn and a pair of scissors. That’s it! Now, I expect you guys to get busy making millions of pom poms, and then report back with your ideas for new ways to use them. All for now, be back tomorrow!

I love the clean, homey look of brown kraft paper tied up with cotton string, so this year, all my gifts got this simple treatment. I added a yarn pom pom to each package (yes, I know I am obsessed), and I think this little touch adds a bit of warmth and coziness, don’t you? I also designed gift tags using a birch tree design I hand-sketched, then printed with gray ink on gray paper. I finished off the tags with a narrow strip of woodgrain textured paper (hard to see in the photos, I know), and a simple to/from written in blank ink. For several of the gifts, I used small to-go boxes that were leftover from a project this summer. Nothing better than re-purposing unused stuff, right? I’ll admit I am a tad bit smitten with the gift-wrapping theme this year… sweet and simple!

This is one of those projects that I can’t help but share. I probably should have posted this a couple weeks ago, so you could have made a few to give as Valentine’s gifts, but better late than never! To make the sweet little cup cuff used in our Cozy Winter shoot, you will need an old sweater, a scrap of fabric, and a needle and thread.

When I accidentally washed and dried (and subsequently felted) a favorite wool sweater from Banana Republic, I was determined not to let it go to waste. So, I simply cut the cuff of the sweater off, and slipped it on my coffee cup. I loved how cozy and warm it looked on a cold winter’s day. To personalize the cuff for our Cozy Winter shoot, I printed “I AM LOVED” onto a piece of fabric using this method. Then I hand-stitched the tag onto the cuff. Perfectly simple and completely cozy!

photo by Emily Steffen

Hello dears, and happy Friday! The sun is trying to peek out from behind the clouds today, and I am optimistic that spring is just around the corner. I’m quite ready for the weekend after this busy week. This afternoon I’ll be getting my hair cut, then having dinner with a dear friend. Tomorrow I hope to sleep in and spend the day working on little projects around the house (perhaps doing a bit of shopping too). Sunday I get to spend the day with Miss Emily. So good things ahead… just have to get through a few more projects!

Before I leave you, I want to show you how to make your own birch bark tea bag tags, promised. For the Northwoods Romance shoot, I wanted to add something sweet and personalized to each place setting, so I whipped these up. One could even write guest names on them for place cards. Below are the simple instructions!

: items needed :
tea bags
cotton string
birch bark
black felt pen
stapler
scissors
double stick tape

: step 1 :
Cut 5″ length of string, and knot one end.
Staple other end to tea bag.

: step 2 :
Cut or tear small piece of birch bark.
Adhere a piece of double stick tape near one end.
Fold around string.

: step 3 :
Use a felt tip marker to write on the reverse side of the birch bark.
Drop in a mug, add hot water, sip and enjoy a spot of tea and your lovely little tag!

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Top two photos by Emily Steffen Photography.