Dictionary Page Garland

I've kind of been on a roll lately making ornaments for our tree which I'm glad about because I was having a bit of a dry season the last couple of months. Enter my wonderful old dictionary with pages and pages (literally) of availability for every idea I've had. I don't even think I've gone through 3/4 of it yet because it's so huge! Couple that with the repeated raiding of my linen closet and tearing up sheets, quilts and pillow cases for my crafting pleasure. I tell you what...nothing releases tension like ripping up fabric! Except maybe breaking dishes. I'll have to try that sometime.

I wanted to make a garland for our tree (which I don't actually have just yet) and I wanted it to be lonnnnggg because I hate that when I buy it, it mostly comes in 6 ft increments then there's always a gap or I always run out because I didn't buy enough. This year my decorations are cream and silver and vintage-y so off to the linen closet I went and found an old, dark cream, twin-sized sheet that I promptly started ripping up into 3-inch wide strips then started tearing pages out of my dictionary and cutting those into 1/5-inch wide strips that I crumpled up before I flattened them out (I like the look plus it makes them softer and more malleable).



I put a strip of hot glue halfway down one side then halfway down the opposite side then laid it down the center of my fabric strip (note: if there are images on one side of your page and you don't want them to show, just make sure that this is the side you put the glue on).






I wanted something on top that would pop so decided on some thin, shear black ribbon.



Originally thought of making a ruffle but ended up pleating as I went along; much easier imho.



I just kept going and stopped at 19.8 feet. Our tree will be about 6 feet and I want the garland to be generous. I have enough supplies left over to go longer if I need to.




It turned out pretty and I'm looking forward to seeing it on the tree with my other ornaments and lots of white lights! This would also be pretty as ribbon for a gift wrapped in brown kraft paper. Ahhhhh.....



Have you ever made a garland for your Christmas tree? What materials did you use?

Upcycled Grocery Bag

This past August, the city we live in stopped allowing stores to use plastic grocery bags effectively forcing it's inhabitants to go green whenever they shop and while most of these stores sell reusable bags to hold your purchases it's a quick process to make several of your own to use instead.

A couple of days ago I was sitting at my computer, pinning my little heart out, (oh how I love Pinterest...) when I came across this great tutorial from Between The Lines for a grocery bag made out of an old t-shirt.


We have LOTS of old t-shirts at our house so I rummaged around and found one to use. The fabric of this particular shirt is on the thin side and I think a thicker one would definitely produce a stronger bag for things like produce and eggs and such. Mine would be fine for bread, lettuce, paper towels...things that are on the lighter side.

The directions are pretty straight forward and there's even tutorial links for French and box seams if you're not sure how to do one or both (like me).





I also really like that slits are cut vertically which was SO much easier to do than making horizontal cuts like some others I've seen.



To reinforce the handles a bit I added some ruffles using a few strips of unbleached muslin I had on hand.



Kind of looks like a tank top. Actually, without closing up the bottom it would be cute to wear over a swim suit. Go rummaging through your drawer and pull out some of those t-shirts you don't wear anymore but have been holding on to for some reason. Save one or two for fabric flowers and then transform the others into grocery bags to keep in the car with you. If your city stops using plastic grocery bags, you'll be ready!

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