Chandelier Stenciling--Part 3

I know this is late...but my mom called this morning with an emergency.

And by "emergency"...I mean she wanted to go to the flea market. :0)

Part One is how I initially created the chandelier stencil** and made a pillow with it

Part Two is using the 2nd stencil I created to make an earring hanger thingy (totally technical term)

Part Three is about how cheap I am!

Kidding! But seriously, when you put all that effort into cutting out an intricate freezer paper stencil, why throw away the cut out image?

I experimented before with what I'm calling (for lack of a better term) "reverse freezer paper stenciling bleaching". I know, I know...brilliant. Stop, please, I'm blushing.

Here again, to review, is what I started with:



I did cut out two stencils, which should technically give me two cut-out chandeliers, but the 2nd cut-out image got too messed up to really use for anything. So I had the one good chandelier to iron on something.

"Something" being a shirt from girlfriend girl's drawer. I ironed my chandelier on low and off-set, wrapping it around the side. I used some of the pieces of the 2nd messed up image to extend a "chain" up to the shoulder.




Seriously--I love it like that--almost enough to make me want to cut out more stencils so I can do it in white on a shirt for me.

Put some cardboard inside the shirt, and take the spray bottle with a 50/50 mix of bleach and water outside and start spraying.

Last time I did this it was raining out, so I let the shirt sit for 2 minutes before I rinsed it. This time I did it in the sun, so basically as soon as I finished spraying I ran inside and rinsed it in the sink. (At least this is my working theory on why it seemed to lighten this shirt so much more quickly)

A quick wash & dry and this is what we have:



Cute, but it needs more.

So I picked up some iron-on rhinestones to add a little of the "bling" factor. I've been wanting to use these for a while, and with a 40% off coupon from Jo-Ann's I was able to get a pack of 300 in various sizes for about $8.



They simply iron on with a dry iron set to the "cotton" setting. I was able to basically lay out the entire design and then just press the whole thing in two passes with the iron.

Final result:



And on my model:




(sorry for the overly bright pics...i just don't feel like editing right now...all that flea marketing just wipes a gal out)

I think it was just the right touch! Unfortunately, its now an unseasonal 92 degrees outside. So I guess this shirt will have to wait for a cooler day!

Thus concludes our lesson on how to be cheap innovative with a freezer paper stencil! Hope you enjoyed it!

If you use this idea for anything you make, please let me know--I'd love to see it!

**I totally wrote "chandelier shtencil" the first time I typed that. And now...well, I can't stop snorting every single time I look at it. Every. single. time. Come on, tell me it doesn't make you laugh? Say it out loud. 


I'm linking up to these parties: (click the links for more great projects!)

Chandelier Stenciling--Part 2

Yesterday I showed how I created a freezer paper stencil of a chandelier to make a pillow for my room. While I was at it, I cut and stenciled two, because I had another idea.


This is what I started with:





The second stenciled image, a $5 black frame (11x13) from Walmart, and a piece of cotton batting.


I removed the glass from the frame and used the mat to cut a thick piece of cardboard the same size.





Next make a sandwich--cardboard, batting, fabric. I was going to staple this, but the staples poked through the front, so a little duct tape worked just as well. Tape it all down nice and tight.





Put that whole thing into your frame. I used a little more duct tape and a couple staples at this point to help the back stay tightly closed.


Oooh...look how pretty!





But what is it we've made?
Why, a chandelier for your chandelier earrings, of course!




I'm going to hang this in my closet to hang all my earrings from, and hopefully bring a little organization to that mess!!! (This is why you're seeing a picture of it in front of the window--NOT in my closet. Trust me, the internet is not ready for a picture of my closet)

Although, the more I look at it, I think it's REALLY cute, and may look just as good hanging in the room! (even though my OCD side desperately wants to hang the earringS symetrically...like a real chandelier!)

Okay, that's two down! Two projects from my chandelier stencil! (why do I sound like the Count? TWO! TWO projects done! AH AH AH!!!)

Come back tomorrow to see what happened with the cut-out image I had left! Click HERE to see what I did!

Linking up to these parties:
Show and Tell @ Blue Cricket Design
Wednesday Boardwalk Bragfest @ Bobbypins Boardwalk
Idea Sharin Wednesday @ Women Who Do It All
Make It Yours Day @ My Backyard Eden
Penny Pinching Party @ The Thrifty Home






Also:
Like the rest of blogland, I'm well aware of what today is~~April 7, exactly one year since little Madeline Spohr died. As I sit here in bed snuggling my own 17 month old, (the same age Maddy was when she passed) I think of her family. Yes, Heather, we do hold our children a little tighter when we think of all you've endured. My thoughts are with the family.

Pillow Talk

I've needed throw pillows for my bed since we repainted the room and got a new bed frame and comforter...oh, way back when I was pregnant with LittleBear. I just got stuck. But I finally found inspiration on a trip to Target when I saw these curtains:

(link)

I bought them with the thought of turning them into some throw pillows for the bed. It just didn't work--the white and black of the fabric didn't match the white and black of my comforter. And my comforter is a busy pattern--which was not complemented by the busy-ness of the curtain fabric. So back to the store they went. But they got my wheels turning.

I love the chandelier imagery, but I needed something simpler. And I figured I could freezer paper stencil it. (You know, I've done it once, so I'm totally a pro, right?) So after a long internet search, I finally stumbled across this site, scrapNfonts.com. They've got tons of great fonts, .png files, brush sets--random stuff that you need want for crafting/blogging/etc. I was able to get a group of 13 chandelier .png files for $1!

    ***Note--I have nothing to do with scrapNfonts.com, just sharing a resource I found on my own!

I printed out the one I like best (in gray to save ink). And I figured since I was cutting one, why not cut two?

(why yes, I did just staple it right to the table. I saw the staple gun before the tape)

The cutting went slowly, but it wasn't overly difficult. I didn't cut out every small space, just the ones I felt were necessary to the overall look. And ironing the stencil to my fabric wasn't as difficult as I expected, either. (Sorry I don't have any pictures--I did take some of the ironing process, but the white on white just didn't really show anything helpful) Basically, I ironed down three sides of my stencil, and then worked my way across--slowly peeling and ironing down each piece little by little.

When I was done this is what I had:

Two negative images to stencil, and one cut out chandelier.


I painted them with black fabric paint. The fabric I used wasn't the best, it did bleed a bit. But I'm okay with some imperfection :0)

The rest is simple--cut a square for the front and back, sew together, and stuff.
One chandelier pillow, as ordered:

Before I sewed it, I did mess around with different options--beaded trim, top stitching, ribbon. I thought at first that it needed "more". But then I remembered that the POINT of this was a simpler pillow. So it may look a touch plain all by its lonesome here on the floor, but I really like it's graphic, simple quality.

I know--you have so many questions!!!

So how does it look on my bed? I like it, alot. But I'm not done--I need more pillows. So I'll share a photo of the bed when I'm done.

What are you doing with the other stencil, and the cut-out? Ahhh...for that you must return tomorrow! I have big plans!

For part TWO click HERE!

For part THREE click HERE!

I'm linking this to: