How much is that puppy in the window? Free! Because I made it from recycling old clothing I had laying around the house! Isn't he just the cutest little puppy puppet? I think he is pretty adorable with his necktie ears and button eyes. You can put one of these adorable little guys together in under an hour with my FREE printable pattern included in the tutorial. Happy Upcycling!
Read MoreI came up with the idea to make these pillow case grocery bags while I was perusing Pinterest, so I have to give credit to the blog that I got the inspiration from, GrowMama. I love a good upcycle project, and these bags are not only upcylced, but they are also great for the environment because they save on disposable bags! My daughter's favorite book right now is The Lorax by Dr. Suess, so we have been talking a lot about helping to save the environment and I think the best way we can teach our kids about being good to our planet is leading by example. Every time we go to the grocery store we talk about why we use reusable bags. It's such a good way to begin to teach her about being conscientious about the environment.
Read MoreAlright friends, it's time for the first upcycle project to kick off Upcycle March, where Audrey from Oh So Lovely and I bring you DIY upcycle projects all month long.
For my first project, I got super creative on you and took an old shower curtain and turned it into something super useful, and something that is fantastic for the environment, reusable produce bags. So, double whammo, I'm greening it up all over the place on Life is Made today. I made two different types of produce bags. The smaller ones I made just using the shower curtain and a drawstring. They are perfect for lighter items like herbs and greens. Then I made a couple of larger bags reinforced with fabric to carry heavy items like oranges and apples. The shower curtain is made from plastic, so I thought reinforcing it for the heavier items would help keep it from stretching and breaking.
Read MoreI love a vintage linen table cloth. Every time I see one at a flea market I feel like I have to adopt it, bring it home with me no matter how stained and full of holes it is and breath new life into it. You just can't replicate the delicate colors, gorgeous prints and interesting patterning in modern cloth. If the cloth does have stains or holes, you can usually work around it to make something new. You can check out the vintage table cloth pillows I made here. My sister-in-law saw the vintage table cloth apron that I made for the Woodstock Library Benefit Auction (you can check it out here) and requested one for herself for Christmas. So I made one for her. Shhhh....don't tell her! Follow my instructions below and make an apron for yourself or for a Christmas gift!
Read MoreA friend of mine told me about a local fundraiser to raise money for the Woodstock Library Annex. The Woodstock Apron Auction was a tradition for many years, but stopped for a long while and has only this year been resurrected. I thought this would be a great chance to get involved in the community and spread the word about Life is Made. I found this beautiful vintage linen at Castaways thrift store in downtown Woodstock. The woman who owns the store was nice enough to give it to me at a discounted price once I told her that I was turning it into an apron for the Library Auction. Doesn't it make a gorgeous apron? That was my first time making an apron, but I think I am hooked. My friends and family members may be getting vintage linen aprons under their Christmas trees this year!
Read MoreI'm always looking for new ways to decorate my home without spending a lot of money and without buying cheap, boring crap from big box stores. By the time I've made it to the "Shabby Chic" throw pillows manufactured in China at Pottery Barn I'm ready to pop a Cyanide pill. I know I'm being a little overly dramatic, but I have felt this way about decorating spaces since I was a child. I just think it is so much more fun and satisfying to make your own, one-of-kind decorations. These throw pillows could not be easier to make. I picked up some gorgeous vintage linens from the thrift store and cut them up to make these pillows. Don't you think they add so much to this bed? I'd love to see what you've made for your home. Please add some pictures if your one-of-a-kind decorations to the comments section.
My husband and I found this amazing old chest while we were out antiquing and decided to take it home and refinish it to use as a toy box. I could not be more pleased with how it turned out and how beautiful it looks in our living room.
I made this set of Onesies for a very special friend of mine who is about to have a baby boy. I started with some washed Onesies (it’s important to wash them in order to get the sizing out so the dye will adhere). To make the geometric dye pattern, wrap the Onesies around a paint stir stick (free at most hardware stores) and clip binder clips on the edges. After the Onesies are bound, soak them with water and set them aside.
My daughter has the cutest pair of patch worked and embroidered Baby Gap jeans that my friend found at a garage sale. She is about to grow out of them and I am so sad to see them go, so I decided to make her a new pair. I found a pair of jeans her size on sale for $7. Then I dug out some fabric from my pile of pretties that I am always dying to find a use for. I cut out a shape from the fabric and stitched it onto the jeans. I like DNC Pearl embroidery floss for the stitch work because I like to see the irregularity of the stitching, but you could use thread or a machine if you want a neater look. I wasn’t satisfied with just the butterflies and wanted to add a little more flare so I embroidered some flowers onto the jeans as well. The Lazy Daisy stitch is so easy to do. I included a scan from an embroidery book so you can see how it is done. I love my little girl in jeans like these- so original and cute!
