There's nothing you can't do.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

How to Stuff a Large Pillow on the Cheap

I recently came into some good-sized fabric scraps, and thought they'd make nice sofa pillows for our den. Our sofa is a dark brown, and the walls are painted a very light green. The fabric, striped with shades of taupe, blues, and greens, brought the two together nicely.


Polyfill, or any type of fiberfill, can cost a fortune - anywhere from $10 - $20 a bag. The large pillows I made here would have taken 5 - 10 bags, which would have made these pillows much more pricey than I would like. Instead of purchasing filler, I decided to look around our house for alternative stuffing to see if I could find anything usable. My pack-rat habits paid off for once!


I had a large bin of fabric scraps which were mostly sweater pieces. Many were wool sweaters that I'd felted. Others were leftover sleeves and t-shirt pieces left from long-finished projects. I decided the sweaters were ideal because they were bulky but not too heavy.

I sewed the fabric as I normally would to make a pillow: with right sides together, sew three sides along the edge, then sew the fourth side partially, leaving an opening wide enough to stuff the insides. Turn right sides out, then start stuffing.


I didn't quite have enough sweaters to completely fill both pillows, so I finished off the rest with an old mattress cover and the contents of an old bed pillow.

Once the pillows were stuffed, I hand-stitched them closed, and they were done! We love having them on the sofa - it really does make the sofa more comfy, and I love how they brighten up the room.


One drawback: these pillows are heavier than they would have been with fiberfill. However, given the fact that I ended up with huge, great-looking pillows for free, I don't mind it at all!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Fun with Little Bottles

I love little bottles, and so does my daughter. Whether it's those little airline-sized liquor bottles or the maple syrup bottle from Cracker Barrel, it's easy to turn it into something pretty and useful.

Take something like this:

and instead of tossing the bottle when you're done, dress it up a little.

My daughter simply stuck a jeweled sticker tattoo on this one and made a lovely vase:

You could also use paint to create a lovely and functional piece of art.

They're the perfect size for a single flower - we love them!


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Ginger Lavender Lemonade: My Favorite Summer Drink



Last year, I bought a gallon ziploc bag full of lavender, thinking I'd be all crafty with it and stuff. Of course, here are, the bag and I, not getting any younger...so, I discovered how delicious it is brewed and mixed up as a lemonade. Then, I discovered Domaine de Canton. Wow! Altogether, it makes a most delicious summer drink. Rather than clash, the mild spice flavors of lavender and ginger compliment each other very nicely.



What You'll Need:
-1/4 c. Dried Lavender
-1/4 c. Lemon Juice (or fresh lemons if you're picky like that - obviously, since mine is from Wal-Mart, I'm not)
-1/2 c. Sweetener
-A Pitcher or something to put it in that will hold 2 - 3 quarts (mine pictured is 2.75 quarts)
-A Strainer
-Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
-Water, ice, and a glass

First, combine 1/4 c dried lavender and 2 c. water into a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let brew for 10 minutes. Bonus: your house will smell like Avignon in late spring.



Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice, sweetener, and about 1 quart of water (or a combination of water and ice) in your pitcher.

When the lavender has brewed for 10 minutes, pour it through the strainer into your pitcher, and mix well.


In a glass, add 1 oz. Domaine de Canton and ice, then fill the glass with your lavender lemonade. Mix, then drink.

So delicious.