A few weeks ago I stopped by my local Goodwill and found this lovely chair for THREE bucks! It was a little beat up, but not too shabby! I knew with a little love, it would be perfect for my little office space…and for impromptu photo shoots of my little girl. ;)

Have you ever wondered how to reupholster a chair? Let me show you how… the easy way! ;)

The very first thing I did was remove the seat. I sanded the wood, primed it with spray primer and gave it two coats of red spray paint.

Steps for covering the seat:

1. Lay the seat on your fabric and cut it out leaving a couple inches around each side. I covered the fabric that was already on there, but you could certainly remove it first. You’ll want to make sure if you have a pattern, it is laying down the right way before you cut it.

2. Pull one edge of the fabric around the top and grab your staple gun.

3. Staple around one edge every few inches. Once you have finished one side, go to the opposite side and pull the fabric tight. Staple that edge.

4. You’ll repeat with the other two sides.

5. Once you get to the corners, pull the fabric straight up.

6. Push the fabric down around the edges creating a smooth edge. While holding the fabric with one hand, staple it down with the other.  Watch out for those fingers!

7. At this point you can cut off any extra fabric.

8. Now put the cushion back in your chair, and enjoy the new look!

Here’s my red chair in my little office space. I love how it turned out! You can find all those tutorials on my blog as well (desk, stenciled wall, magnet board).

So what are you waiting for?! Head out to your local thrift store so you can find one to makeover! Let me know if you have any questions. :)

I love facebook. It’s fun to share photos of my kids, let Mom and Dad know what we’re up to since we moved to Seattle, and keep in touch with new and old friends (don’t say you haven’t spied on your jr. high crush!)

I also manage a facebook page for Make and Takes. A place to share creative inspiration, parenting questions, and fun crafty finds. Over the last couple of years my fans have grown to over 15,500, whoa! So to say thank you to everyone who has given us a “like”, I’m offering you all a free gift, my new gift giving ebook. Yippee! Head over to the M&T facebook page and you’ll see the “Free Gift” link on the left hand sidebar.

Here’s a little sneak peek: 

Gift Giving Ideas for Any Occasion is a collection of old and new handmade gift giving tutorials, all in one handy place. There’s an idea for almost every holiday, birthday, or party where you might need a gift wrapped present. Also included is a set of Free Printable Gift Tags just for you, provided by designer Juliann Law. And special thanks to Aimee Giese for her awesome ebook design skills.

So after you’re done checking the status of Dave from 3rd period English ;) click over to the Make and Takes facebook fan page to download your ebook for *free* today!

• If you’re already a facebook fan, simply look to the left of the M&T facebook page sidebar and you’ll see the link “Free Gift”. Click to download my gift giving ebook for *free*!!
• If you’re not YET a facebook fan, simply “like” M&T on facebook and you’ll be directed to the “Free Gift” page. Click the green download button and you’re on your way to gift giving success!

This is just what I need, a simple project for these winter blues. In Seattle, you know, it’s gray. The sun has been poking it’s head out here and there, but it’s mostly gray. So I’m looking for fun projects to brighten up my home, and this No-Sew Pillow tutorial that I found over at the M&T Spotlight is perfect.

I love a repurposed project, as she found the material at TJ Maxx (it used to be a table runner)!

Thanks to Jamie of Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom. 

I have to say I’ve got some pretty amazing contributors who come and write a post for Make and Takes once, sometimes twice, a month. From kids crafts, home crafts, recipes, and parenting tips, they each contribute fabulous “make and takes”. I’ve chosen these writers because they fit me, my brand, my vision. They do a great job with photos, writing, crafts, projects. I couldn’t have asked for a better team… wouldn’t you say?!

On that note, I want to give them each a shout-out here on the blog, showcasing what they do best, and to say thanks for all their hard work. Each week I’ll be showcasing a new contributor. To see them all, head over to our about page.

First up are the Little Birdie Secrets!

These little birdies are spilling all their secrets on fabulous DIY projects. From crochet hearts to fabric applique and homemade soap to hairbows, they’ve got your what you need to decorate, craft, or organize your home.

Little Birdie Secrets was born from the crafting obsession of friends living in the Pacific Northwest. It started with crafting playdates and blossomed into a place where we could share our ideas, knowledge, and finished projects with fellow crafters. Our mission is to share fun and creative crafting projects, tips, and tutorials to make crafting easier and more fun. Our main areas of focus are quilting, small sewing projects, kids crafts, home decor, and paper crafting. We hope our efforts will inspire you to be creative in every aspect of your life.

Here are a few of my favorite posts from their site:

• Crocheted Flower Bookmark
• Stitched Heart Note Cards
• Monogramed Cupcake Toppers
• Stretchy Baby Headband Tutorial

Head over to check out more of what fun they are coming up with. Follow the Little Birdies on twitter and facebook as well. And make sure to comment here to let them know how much we love them!!

I had a little extra time to scour the interwebs during the holidays! I came across a few yarn projects that are the kind you can’t pass up. Thanks to the genius of Carrie at This Mama Makes Stuff, my kids now have super cool stylin’ winter hats. I love this Mohawk Beanie Tutorial. It’s sooooo simple! And it makes my little one look super rockin’! (Although, I lack a bristle brush to give it that thick mohawk look. I suggest getting your hands on one for this project.)

In fact, this project spurred the post over at Babble this week, sharing all kinds of fun ways to spice up your snow gear. I’m sharing 10 ways to give your snow hats and mittens a few fun embellishments!

Another project that I’m head over “yarn” about is this no-knit yarn scarf from Kelly of According to Kelly. I LOVE it. Again, so simple! I have more yarn than I know what to do with, so this project is happening today! Here’s Kelly, isn’t she stylin’?!

And if you’re a knitter, I mean really into knitting, you’ve got to get on the Yarn Bombing train! Below is a photo from Apartment Therapy. So cool! I’ve seen it all over Seattle. There’s a park downtown that has about 15 tree trunks covered in knitted yarn sweaters! It’s so fun. Makes me want to really learn how to knit and crochet! I recently met Leanne Prain who co-wrote the book, Yarn Bombing. It talks all about the trend and how it’s “knitting” the nation!

What cool yarn projects are you doing? Scarves, hats, kids crafts?

If you haven’t yet, submit your ideas/posts today. Also, in case some of you don’t know, on most Saturdays, I post a round up from the project ideas submitted over at the Spotlight. I love to bring some of the great tutorials and recipes from Spotlight over to the main blog, giving you all the “spotlight”! So make sure to check in and see what the theme is for the next week. For this Saturday, I’m looking for ideas on winter. Submit your ideas for a chance to be featured.

Cheesy Babel Boats

Lego Birthday Party

Owl Candy Treat Jars

Polly Pocket Bracelets

Water Noodle Marble Run

Button Checker Board

T-shirt Pom Poms

Mod Podge Shoes

Easy Crochet Shawl

Yarn and Ruffle Wreath

Ribbon Organizer

Korker Cake Banner

Turkey Cakes & Wasabi Guacamole

Italian Breadstick Popcorn

Peanut Butter Pancakes

Vegetarian Burritos

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Homemade Smoked Salt

With the new year just around the corner (ah, where has 2011 gone?!)… I’ve been thinking a lot about goals for me and my family. Each year we try to think of a new motto that my family can focus on that year. The theme we decided on for 2012 is: Together we can do great things. I absolutely love it!

I wanted to create a sign we could display in our home to remind us of our goal. These wooden signs are so fun to make and you could use them for your favorite quotes as well.

Here’s what supplies you’ll need to make your own:

• Wooden board
• Spray Paint
• Vinyl/Transfer Tape or Stencil and brush

Directions:

1. Purchase a wooden board from Home Depot or Lowes. I bought a 2×1 ft board, but a 12×12 inch would look good too. They will cut down your wood for free! :)

2. Prime and spray paint your board. I did 3 coats of spray paint to make sure it covered nicely.

3. Design your quote and cut out your vinyl (you can use a stencil for this as well).

4. Apply transfer tape to the vinyl after it has been weeded.

5. Push down vinyl on the board and peel away transfer tape.

6. Enjoy your new 2012 motto!

So what’s your 2012 motto? 

Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday!

With the countdown to Christmas approaching single digits tomorrow, chances are that at this point you’re not obsessing about how to make things more eco-friendly (that’s not a judgment, just an educated guess). Life has a sneaky way of trumping altruism, but there’s still time to make green choices before the Fat Man descends down the chimney and the ball drops in Time Square.

Perhaps there are are still a few people to check off your own naughty-or-nice gift list. Consider giving gifts that won’t someday end up in a landfill: like music or cooking lessons, or tickets to a show. And nothing says “I love you” this holiday season like Carbon Offsets! (Yes I’m being cheeky, but you’ve got to admit the idea has its merits).

Buying local is another great way to reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases. Besides steering clear of the resources used to transport a gift from China to your home, buying local usually means less packaging – one more green thumbs up for the planet.

If you’ve got a few last minute gifts to buy, you’re likely to have a little wrapping left to do too. Might I suggest green wrappings. A few years ago I tried out my first “Make and Take” by recycling old magazines into paper that (I think) would rival any hipster-chic packaging at Urban Outfitters.

For my little guy I took advantage of some Sesame Street Advertisements (just tape or glue-stick together):

And we ended up with this under our tree:

I think this year’s samples are an upgrade:

You can find additional wrapping ideas in this Gaiam Life article.

No Green Holiday article is complete without touching on the great tree debate: real or fake? Most have probably already trimmed their tannenbaum for this year, but a little education could prove useful for years to come.  My husband and I seem to have the same “discussion” every year about this (well, he calls it arguing. I call it discussing.)

Hubs favors the fake tree for its supposed savings in the long term, the ease of putting it up and because he convinced our real tree will some how spontaneously burst into flames. I say something that’s $20 – $40 each year, smells fabulous (and without the help of odd fake fragrances or Scentsy candles), is virtually free of carcinogens and can be “treecycled,” is a much better long term investment for our family and the future of the planet.

If you’re looking for a little more info on the subject, I’ve found these websites helpful.

• National Christmas Tree Association
• Earth 911
• About.com

Regardless of which tree you’ve chosen, it’s hard to have a Blue Christmas when you’re thinking green. So what are your favorite traditions to make the season merry and bright for the planet?

I am loving all the burlap that’s being used lately for quick and easy home decor projects! I recently made a red burlap table runner and had some burlap left over, so I used my scraps to make matching napkin rings that double as place cards for a pretty Christmas table setting. Totally quick and easy. Plus I up-cycled paper rolls, so it’s a “green” project, too!

Easy Napkin Ring & Place Card Tutorial Supplies:

• Empty toilet paper rolls, or paper towel rolls cut in half
• Extreme Glitter paint in Champagne (optional)
• Paint brush (optional)
• Burlap fabric pieces cut to 3.5″ x 7″
• Scrap of sheet music or patterned paper, cut to 2″ x 6.5″
• Heavy-duty double sided tape (I like Score-Tape)
• Ribbon and twine
• Tiny Christmas ornaments (mine were mercury glass, but small glass balls or jingle balls would work great, too!)
• Strips printed with guests’ names
• Sewing machine and matching thread

1. For a less “preschool craft” look, paint empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls with Glitter Paint. This Champagne Extreme Glitter by Folk Art is transparent, so you can still see the color of the roll, but it looks a little fancier.

2. Cut burlap to 3.5″ x 7″.

Turn edges of burlap under about 1/4″ and sew hem with a sewing machine. This is optional, but it gives a much more finished look.

3. Adhere a strip of double-sided tape to one short end of burlap. Wrap burlap around roll and tape in place.

4. Add a strip of sheet music or patterned paper cut to 2″ x 6.5″ and tie with a piece of ribbon.

5. Tie a tiny Christmas ornament on top of paper strip with a piece of coordinating twine (I used baker’s twine).

6. To make a placecard out of your napkin holder, print guests’ names on card stock, cut into strips, and attach to top of ornament. I also painted a little glitter paint around the edges to match the toilet paper roll.

Roll up napkins and insert into napkin ring. Place on top of plates for a pretty place card!
Merry Christmas from Mandy & Jessica at Little Birdie Secrets!