Custom Halloween Pillows

A while back, I fell in love with this pillow.  It was on my list of Halloween crafts, but I just hadn't found the right template for my oversize couch pillows (remember them from this?). 

Flash forward a few weeks, and I found the above skeleton sketch in the trash!  Little E had drawn it to carve on her pumpkin, but didn't like it after all.  I pulled it out, enlarged it on the copier and turned it into a felt applique for the pillow cover.  Instead of a blanket stitch, I made coordinating felt piping (see here for the how-to).  I didn't have to worry about cutting on the bias because the felt is stretchy enough with the straight cut.  I basically followed these directions to make the pillow. 

With one pillow done, I was inspired to cover the other two in the same fashion.  Little E supplied the ghost.  Little A was more hesitant to draw on demand, so I found one of her drawings of a happy face and turned the hair into a stem.  Can you keep a straight face when you look at him?

 

I'm so excited to have festive, custom pillow covers for the Halloween season.  They are even more special because they are based on my girls' art work.  I know we'll have fun pulling them out every year and remembering their 4 and almost 7 year old versions of these Halloween classics. 

 

 

 

Orange and Pink

This fall, oranges and pinks seem to abound.  My eye is drawn to this vibrant combination, and I can't seem to get enough!

While walking through Joann's a few months ago, I spotted this fabric.  I couldn't resist scooping it up - especially with two new baby friends in the world.  

Two simple baby blankets, with rounded corners and a cozy chenille backing.  Perfect for that tummy time, and totally machine-washable for the mamas.  I hope the baby girls love the colors and print as much as I do!  Perhaps I'll inspire a (very) early love of fabric.

Wishing you a vibrant day!

Halloween wreath, take two

 

 

A few weeks ago, I shared this wreath, with some thoughts on a second version.  Miracle of crafting miracles, I actually made a second version!  

 

 

Same grapevine wreath, but different paint.  This time, I used Rust-Oleum American Accents Ultra Cover Gloss in Real Orange.  I was really happy with the color, shine and coverage, even with the first coat. 

 

For the flowers, I loosely followed this tutorial.  The cream and yellow flowers were made with 2 1/2" circles, while the smaller gray ones were made with 1 1/2" circles.

 

I cut a simple 3" strip of felt with this and tied it to the top with a simple overhand knot. 

 

Except for my uber-procrastination, this project would have taken about a night.  I think I might be slightly addicted to this spray paint/wreath/fabric flower wreath project.  Don't be surprised if you see a few more (dozen) in the future! 

 

What are you doing to decorate for Halloween?  If you are looking for some other fun, simple projects, check these out: