Candelabras: Dollar Tree

Framed prints: Lifestyle Crafts die cuts and letterpress.  How to here.

Subway art: The girls at eighteen25.

Crows: Dollar Tree

Spider web plate: Tutorial here.

Bat banner and bats on frame: Lifestyle Crafts Be Spooked, bats die.  I used the large size for the banner and the small size for the frame.

And, not mantel related, but festive nonetheless:

Have you pulled out the Halloween décor yet?

Remember how I mentioned that my Epic came without a cutting mat? One call to the folks at Lifestyle Crafts and they got one out to me ASAP! I decided to use the die cut feature to make this Easter banner. I printed the damask background that I showed you here on several squares. Then, I used a square die with rounded corners to fancy them up.

I used a circle die to cut pieces of white cardstock. The lettering is black vinyl I cut with my Silhouette. I only did this because my printer was out of ink. My initial plan was to print directly on the cardstock and then die cut around each letter.

The letters circles are attached to the damask backgrounds with glue dots. I punched holes and tied the squares together with ribbons. And then I used thumb tacks to attach them to the mantel. I’m classy like that.

The grass came from Hobby Lobby in sheets like this:

I cut them in half and laid them on top of the mantel. I used a little bit of that white tacky stuff that I cannot think of the name of right now to keep them from moving around.

The wreath details are here and the chick came from Pier 1. The carrots are from Shopko. The plastic white eggs are also from Hobby Lobby.

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to pick up your own Epic 6 (letterpress/die cut machine from Lifestyle Crafts for 25% off. Use code “BLOGCRAP” to take advantage of the deal!

Check back tomorrow to see a fun project using Silhouette’s new fabric interfacing and to get the details on this month’s Silhouette promotion!

In addition to 3 posts here yesterday (Epic letterpress, Spring at Pier 1, and winner of the GiftCardRescue giveaway), I also did a guest post on the blog for Abode, a local consignment store. I talk about my love affair with shutters. I know a bunch of you have asked about the ones above my fireplace, so head on over to the Abode blog to check that out, if you’re so inclined.

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So, I mentioned that I got a couple of things for myself at Pier 1. I could not resist these mossy bunnies:

I picked up a grapevine wreath at the craft store along with some faux forsythia. That’s fun to say, no? And, I already had some hilariously awesome fake carrots. I don’t know what they’re made out of, but I got them at Shopko in a bundle.

I put it all together and came up with this:

I also found this chick at Pier 1:

The current state of my spring mantel:

It still needs a little somethin’ somethin’, but I’ve got time. Spring doesn’t start until Saturday, right?

The color palette was once again inspired by the same Target table runner that I used to make my Valentine’s canvas.

I traced a heart template (that’s mine, but feel free to make your own) on some fusible web (Wonder Under, Heat n Bond, whatever you like) 16 times. That’s enough for each letter plus a spacer heart between BE and MINE. I fused it to the back of the pink houndstooth fabric following the manufacturers directions and then cut out all 16 hearts.

To put the lettering on the hearts, I cut freezer paper with my Silhouette (the font is Madfont). Remember if you cut freezer paper with your Silhouette that you’ll need to put the shiny side up and reverse your text. I also have to use the green mat, but your mats may still be more sticky than mine are.

Then I turned Macy loose with some Tulip Fabric Paint and a sponge brush.

You could also use iron on lettering or cut freezer paper by hand or even paint the letters on…whatever works for you!

Next, I fused each heart (again with the manufacturers directions) to a 7” square piece of backing fabric. I ripped mine, because I’m lazy. And then I stitched the hearts in place.

Macy put a matching 7” square on top and sewed 3 edges (leaving the tops open) using 1/4” seams.

Then we clipped the corners…

and turned right side out and pressed.

Once all 16 squares were finished, I laid them out in order to make sure everything looked good. Then I grabbed some extra wide double fold bias tape. Decide how long of a “tail” you’ll want for hanging and mark with a pin.

Start sewing (I zig zagged) at the end and go until you get to your pin.

Stick in one of your squares and keep on sewing.

And when you get to the end, stick in another square, and so on and so on and so on.

After the last square, keep sewing for an amount equal to the “tail” you left at the beginning.

And then hang it!

I started with a 16 X 20 canvas (2 for $7.99) and some chipboard letters ($1.77 each).

I gave the canvas a coat of the same aqua paint I used to paint my piano (Watery from Sherwin Williams) and then laid out the letters.

I made some pencil marks (which were impossible to photograph)so that I could get them back in the same place.

I painted my letters using this table runner from Target as the inspiration for my color palette.

Then, I just hot glued them to the canvas.

It’s grown on me…A LOT. And, it’s way cuter with the bunting, which I’ll post about shortly. (Tomorrow, I swear. The post is done and scheduled already!)

Do you decorate for Valentine’s? Do you use the traditional red and pink or do you branch out a bit?