20 DIY Burlap Ideas: For the love of all things burlap!

I may be slightly obsessed with burlap for the moment  month  season year....but I promise you there is a good reason why.  Burlap, while it can be a real mess to work with, is one of the most versatile mediums (did I really just write 'mediums'?? Just trying to up my game from my usual 'things') I use to create.  I have made everything from toilet paper napkin rings to wreaths and pillows with burlap.

Since I love it so much I thought I would share my love of all things burlap today with a great big roundup of some really cool DIY burlap crafts and projects we've featured right here on 2IY...so here goes.  You can click each photo to be taken directly to the tutorial.

DIY Wood Box Centerpiece with Mini Burlap Banner (Free Printable)

I've been changing over my Halloween decor into Thanksgiving and general fall decorations recently and needed to find a replacement for my styrofoam pumpkin tea lights on the kitchen table.  One of the issues I run into on my kitchen table, is that I need a centerpiece that's easy to move for when little hands get grabby..  I also wanted something that I could easily change out for the seasons and holidays.  I've been seeing these long wooden boxes and knew it was the perfect solution.

This box is actually a really simple "build."  I used pallet wood (seriously I have never seen a nicer pallet), but if you want to buy new lumber that would work too....of course, it comes with a price tag.

I started by cutting the three long pieces (two sides and bottom) down to the same length using my jigsaw.  Mine are 25" x 4" inches, but of course this is a great customizable piece that you can make fit your table by cutting shorter or longer.

Happy Friday & Happy Halloweens (Family pics from past and present)

So today I thought I'd do a little something fun and share a few pictures of my family from Halloweens over the last few (or more) years.

Halloween 2013: Cow, Witch, Scooby Doo x 2

Halloween 2012: Hotdog, Scarecrow, Bunny

Halloween 2011: Pig, Farmer, Monkey, Cow

Halloween 2010

Halloween 2009: Pirates and their parrot

Halloween 2008

Halloween 198???

Halloween 198??? (My husband on the left)

Thanks for stopping by 2IY! If you like what you see, we'd love for you to pin it! 

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Pinecone Decor: How to clean and dry pine cones for crafts

Awhile back I shared how to clean and dry acorns so they can be used - bug-free - for crafting and decorating.  If the acorn is nature's symbol for fall, then pine cones are winter's.  So, now it's time to talk about pinecone decor and how to clean and dry them so you can use them in all of your late fall and winter decor including pine cone wreaths, table-scapes, garland, etc.

The process to dry pinecones is very similar to acorns in that you want to bake them to kill off any bugs that might be making a home in your next craft project.  Unlike acorns, however, you do not want to wash them before you dry them in the oven.   Pine cones close up when they are wet and are open when they are dry...and you definitely want the scales as open as possible when using them for crafting and decorating.

Fall Home Tour: 10 DIY Fall Decorating Ideas {for busy moms}

 

If you've been following along for awhile you know I've been decorating for fall since what feels like  the first of September August.  This year I made a lot of DIY fall decor so I thought I'd do a great big roundup and take you, my lovely readers, on a fall home tour.   Like a lot of you, I am a busy mom to two little ones, so I know DIY decorating ideas must be fast, easy and cheap.

You're welcome, in advance :)

How to Make a {Real, Lighted} Pumpkin Topiary

I have been drooling over all the gorgeous pumpkin topiaries on Pinterest for the last month or so.  As I mentioned a few weeks ago, my front porch could definitely use some sprucing up.  After I scored five flower pots for $5 I decided I had a perfect excuse - not to mention a perfect base - for a pumpkin topiary.

I've been on the hunt for some large inexpensive fake pumpkins, but those babies don't come cheap in the peak of the season.  I plan to buy a few after Halloween when they're marked down on clearance, but this year I decided instead of going without I would go with a cheaper - real - version.  The problem with real pumpkins is they are heavy, they are not symmetrical, you can not drill into them (to use a dowel for support) or they'll rot within days.  Honestly, they're not ideal for a pumpkin topiary - but they are the cheapest way to go.  And with a few tweaks it is possible to make a real tiered pumpkin topiary, even one that's illuminated.

DIY American Girl Halloween Outfits: Witch Costume & Candy Corn Dress

Ever since my daughter got her American Girl Doll she's been begging for all the accessories.  I made Miss Rebecca a DIY doll bed and even some matching bedding, but with Halloween around the corner, my daughter has been asking for a few outfits.

For one, she wants them to have matching Halloween costumes.  Fortunately, my daughter wants to wear the witch costume my mom made me when I was her age - so put a big ol' check next to that  because I don't have to do anything but show up with some green face paint. Since I figured my mom did all the work on that one, I agreed to make her American Doll a matching witch costume.

2 Minute Styrofoam Pumpkin Tea Lights

Mini pumpkin tea lights are always a popular and very cute fall centerpiece. I've made them several times for Halloween/Thanksgiving-time parties and always love how they turn out.  But the problem is you can really only use tea light pumpkins one time, because you know how pumpkins gets once you cut them open.

This year I decided I would make them again, but instead of using real mini pumpkins I would try it with fake ones.   After pulling a few styrofoam pumpkins off a store-bought wreath in order to customize it for a friend, I had a few extra fake pumpkins lying around. (Score!)

The first thing I did was pull off the stem.

Junk Mail Burlap and Gold Pumpkins

What...these don't look like junk mail?  You mean to tell me you don't typically decorate with junk mail?   I don't either, but desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Okay, so I wasn't exactly "desperate," but I was in need of some cheap free pumpkin filler and the closest thing to me at the time was some junk mail.  I ripped it open and crinkled it up and that's what's inside my DIY burlap pumpkin.

These festive fall decorations are really easy and take no more than 5 minutes.  Just fill a plastic shopping back with balled up junk mail, newspaper or other plastic bags and tie the bag tight at the top.

DIY M&M Halloween Costume with Matching Hair Bows

A few Halloweens back my then-two year old daughter wanted to be an orange M&M. (This was a definite nod to her potty training incentive.) I whipped up a little costume for her - complete with M&M hair bows and it was adorable and very easy to make.   I'll try to explain as best as I can without my usual step-by-step photos to go along with what I'm talking about.

Supply list: 

• 2 Yards of fabric in your choice of M&M colors
• A quarter yard of white felt or two felt pieces 
• Spray adhesive (If your felt is not self-adhesive.  I recommend not using the self-adhesive felt.)
• Sewing machine
• Coordinating thread
• Fiber Stuffing

Start by cutting out four circles.  They should all be the same size.  I made mine 20" in diameter...but feel free to adjust smaller or large depending on the age and size of your child (or yourself...hehe).

Once you have all four circles cut out, cut two strips about 9" long and 2.5" wide.  These will be the shoulder straps.  Fold each strip in half longways so it's now about 1.25" wide.  Sew together the two edges and flip the strap right side out so the seam is on the inside.   Repeat on the other strap.  Leave the straps to the side for now.

Fall table decorations on a burlap runner

Now that my dining room is clear of all the yard sale stuff that had swallowed it over the last few weeks - I can finally see my table again.  That inspired me to decorate our large dining room table for fall.  If you follow along 2IY often you might notice a trend - I tend to shop my house before I shop anywhere else.  That's exactly what I did for my fall table decorations.

Halloween cake pop ideas: How to make pumpkins and candy corn cake pops

Why bring some ordinary slice and bake Halloween cookies to the party when you can bring these adorable little guys!  I mean come on...you know you want some Halloween Cake Pops (or at least your kids do!)

Inspired by cake pop master Bakerella and my friend Linsey who made an entire barnyard of super cute farm animal cake pops for her son's birthday a few years ago, I decided to make my second batch of cake pops.