Moon Phase Garland - Home Decor Project

Hello everyone,

It's Elle here from Empire of the Cat and this time on the blog I have a fun home decor project to share with you.



GSL don't have any Moon phase chippies (maybe they will soon hint hint!) so I cut my own from some ATC coins. I started off with these ATC coins from GSL.  They come in a pack of three, and for this product I used eight of them, so I needed three packs, but it depends on how many moons you want on your garland.

   

 Decide how many full moons, half moons and quarter moons you want to have on your garland and then using scissors, cut the shapes from the coins.  To get the crescent moon shape, place one coin on top of the other, just overlapping enough to give you the crescent shape.  Draw around the curve with a pencil and then cut it out.  You can see how to measure this more accurately in my earlier post when I used these coins to make a moon canvas.

   

Next step is to gesso both sides and the edges of each coin and leave to dry.  

   

To cover my coins, I am using a white and a black Glimmer Paste by Nuvo.  There are plenty of similar options available or you could make your own using glitter and a transparent paste!  I chose to cover all my moons with white paste and then use the black paste to cover the oval shapes leftover from cutting out the crescent moons, just for a bit of interest.  Cover one side at a time and leave to dry before starting on the other side - don't forget to cover the edges too!

   

To make the garland I am using some metallic embroidery thread from my stash.  Spread out all your moons and decide how far apart you want them to be spaced, as this will be the length of your garland, then measure out the thread leaving enough on either end to tie a loop so it can be hung. 

 

Using some strong glue like this E6000 jewellery glue, attach the thread to the back of all the moons by making a line of glue across the centre of each and placing the thread on top of it.  Leave to dry, then if you want to hide the thread, add more glimmer paste on top of the thread.  Once everything is dry - hang it up!

   

So here are a couple of hanging options - horizontal using the loop on each end or vertical using just one loop.

   

I must apologise for how dark these photos are, but all my daylight seems to have disappeared with the good weather. 



Hope you enjoyed the project and will give it a try.  This is my last project for Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Design Team, having been on the team for just over two years.  This last year has brought a lot of changes and I have less free time now, and so I must say goodbye. 

Let me know what you think in the comments.   

As always, thanks for reading!

Elle
Empire of the Cat

Ingredients

GSL Artist Trading Coins D81M,
gesso, glimmer paste, E6000 glue, metallic embroidery thread,

A different photo frame for this summer

Hi everyone! 

Myry here again and today I'm gonna show you how I altered this helm to use it as a photo frame.

I already had my rudder ready (I glued scrap paper to the faces and painted the edges).

So I chose this "Vitamin Sea" as the main chipboard. I love the phrase (so funny!) and the marine elements.

I also used some elements from "Doodles Set 1". I recommend having some chipboard of this style because these are very versatile.

I painted the main chipboard with a color that stands out.

And before painting the rest of the chipboards, I put all the elements in their exact place: moss and pressed sisal as base, I alternated small chipboards with other small embellishments, and the flowers and the photo on top.

Once I was satisfied with where each element will go, I painted the chipboards with another color.

Now's the time to glue each item on their place!

To finish I used a little white liquid paint to give "drops" effect.

And that's it! A summery altered project!

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts items used:

Vitamin Sea

Doodles Set 1 

Other items used:

Cutter and glue

Polystyrene helm

Acrylic paint

Prima Marketing "Redondo" flowers

Moss and pressed sisal

Die cuts and some "marine" embellishments like shells

Small photo

Happy Home Harris Tweed Wreath - Home Decor Idea

Hi friends,

It's Elle from Empire of the Cat here with a home decor project for you. This is my first post for 2020 so Happy New Year!

For this project I am using one of the three wreath rings from this set.  In an earlier post last month I used the largest one to make a pom pom wreath, so now I am using the middle sized wreath to make this home decor project.

Firstly, give the edges a wipe down with a slightly damp cloth or paper to remove the residue left by laser cutting. I wanted to make this wreath look more like wood, so I used a woodgrain stencil and some texture paste and left it to dry.

I covered both sizes with the texture paste just in case I wanted to make two.

While this was drying I selected some fabrics from my stash.  For this wreath I wanted to use a combination of felt and Harris Tweed.

I used a couple of Sizzix dies to cut out flower and leaf shapes from the fabrics. If you don't have any dies like this, you could cut some basic flower shapes out by hand.

Some fabrics like this Harris Tweed creates lots of mess with tiny little fibers that get everywhere, so I keep one of these mini vacuums handy to clean up, especially on my die cutting plates and the dies themselves!

When you have a nice collection of flowers and leaves to use, and your texture paste is dry, it's time to move on to the next stage.

I painted the wreath shapes with a metallic brown paint and left them to dry.

These long leaf shapes are cut out of felt but they are very floppy, so because I wanted to be able to shape them as I wanted, I added some wire to them.

Using thin 24ga wire I hot glued it to one of the leaves, and then glued a second one on top to hide the wire. I repeated this twice more so I had three in total.

Next I used some thicker wire, 20ga and some pliers to create two words for my wreath, by bending them into shape.  If you have the right selection of pliers you can do this by hand or there are various jigs that make it easier for you.

I placed them over the wreath to check the size and placement and moved on to making the flowers.

For the layered flowers, make or buy some eyepins.  These are wire pins with an eye shaped loop on one the end, which will hold the bead in place.  Make the eye pin about 12cm/6inches long to allow for wrapping and securing in place, then thread on the bead, and then the layers of the poinsettia from small to large.

Keep making flowers this way until you have enough for your wreath.  I am only covering the bottom half with flowers so I made seven complete flowers, some from cream felt and the rest from Harris Tweed.

To hide all the wire and glue etc, cut out a backing piece from felt using the wreath shapes, remembering to use the smallest wreath shape to mark the centre cutout.

Start arranging the flowers and leaves on the wreath, looping the ends of the wires around and securing everything with hot glue.

I used some leftover felt pieces to tuck in around the wreath at various points - a bit like flower arranging! Then decide on the placement for your wire words and secure them in place and then adhere the felt backing piece onto the back.

Twist another piece of wire to act as a hook to hang the wreath and glue it onto the back of the wreath.  I also added a small bow at the top of the wreath just to give it more interest.  Rearrange and shape the long wired leaves into a position you like, I have one on each side of the wreath and one on the centre bottom.

Remember the smallest wreath shape?  Another option would be to use this extra shape and some of the leftover felt, to fill in the centre opening if you prefer it that way, and it might also make the wire words easier to see if you plan to hang it on a light coloured wall.

Here are both versions hanging on a white wall.

And now you have a sweet little fabric flower wreath to display all year round or it could also make a great housewarming gift.

I hope you enjoyed this home decor project and will try one for yourself.

Till next time,

Elle
Empire of the Cat


PROJECT RECIPE:
GSL Cuts - Wreath Rings WR001
Woodgrain Stencil
Paper Texture Paste
Brown Metallic Paint
Gold wire 20ga and 24ga
Red beads
From Stash: various fabric and felt scraps, ribbon, jewellery pliers, hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Winter Pom Pom Wreath - Christmas/Winter Home Decor Ideas

Hi crafty friends,

Today I have a quick and easy winter home decor project that you could easily do in an afternoon or less if you got the kids involved!

These kind of pom pom wreaths sell for a pretty penny in the shops but you can make one at home for a fraction of the price using this handy wreath ring shape and a few balls of yarn.  This wreath ring actually includes three rings in different sizes so you could make three wreaths for your home or to give as gifts.  Let's get started!

THE WREATH RING

For this project I am using the largest of the three rings and this yarn.

 For this wreath I am using two different types of yarn from my stash. Here is a comparison photo to show the difference in the two yarns and the size of the pom poms.  Chunky yarn on the left and a double knitting yarn on the right.  I used the thicker yarn with the larger of the cardboard circles I made and the thinner yarn with the smaller cardboard circles.

 Firstly, give the edges a wipe down with a slightly damp cloth or paper to remove the residue left by laser cutting.  I don't always mention to do this but today it is particularly important as you don't want it all over your cream coloured yarn!

I like to wind my yarn into a ball before using it as it makes it easier to use.

 Once you have done this, start winding the yarn around the wreath ring until you have completely covered it in yarn.

 Tie a knot in it at the back to secure it.  

MAKE THE POM POMS

You can actually buy plastic pom pom makers in various sizes but why not make your own out of some old cardboard and use less plastic!

 I am using an old cereal box for this, and some circle dies but you can use a cup or a glass and draw around that if you don't have any round dies.

My two circles are 3 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches in diameter, with the centre hole being 1 inch in diameter.

 Cut TWO of each size and then cut through to the middle.  This will help you to wind the yarn more easily and more importantly, to remove the cardboard from the finished pom pom so you can make the next one. Start winding the yarn around the rings through the hole in the middle.  The fact that you have cut through the ring beforehand, makes it easier to wind more yarn around the rings.  The more yarn you wind around the rings, the fatter the pom pom will be.

 When you are happy with the size, stop winding and cut the yarn.

Cut a length of yarn approx 12 inches long, this will be tied around the middle of the pom pom to hold the shape.  Then start cutting through the yarn wrapped around the cardboard ring.

 The best way to do this is to find the point where the two cardboard circles meet, and slide the scissor blade between them.  Start cutting through the yarn, keeping your scissor blade between the two cardboard circles.

 Now take the length of yarn you cut earlier and feed it in between the two circles, looping it around and then when the ends meet up, tie a knot and pull it tight.  This will form the ball shape of the pom pom.

 Tie a second knot to make sure it doesn't come undone. Carefully remove the cardboard ring and use it to start on your next pom pom!

 Continue making pom poms until you have enough to cover the wreath.  Think about whether you want to cover both sides or just one side.  I am only covering one side as my wreath will be hanging on a door and so the back will not be seen and the wreath will hang flush against the door.  I made 12 chunky pom poms and 12 small pom poms.

 Options:  If you want to have pom poms on both sides you will need twice as many pom poms.  If you want to add more bulk to your wreath consider adding a third size of pom pom that is larger, or an even smaller size to squeeze in between the other pom pom sizes.

ASSEMBLE THE WREATH

Now that you have all your pom poms made and your wreath covered with yarn, you can start to attach the pom poms onto the wreath. This can be done very easily using the long strings of yarn that is tied around each pom pom.

 For my wreath, I have 12 chunky pom poms, so I have attached the first four at the 3,6,9, and 12 o'clock positions.  That means I have two chunky pom poms to fit in between each of those four. 

 The 12 small pom poms will be tied in between each of the chunky pom poms and when you are done it will look something like this.

 Secure all your loose threads at the back by weaving the ends underneath the yarn that is covering the wreath shape, and now your pom pom wreath is completed. 

 Here's a closer look at the chunky yarn if you want to look for something similar.  I no longer have the label for this one unfortunately as it's been in my stash for a while.

WREATH OPTIONS FOR FINISHING

 The pom pom wreath is finished and ready to hang as is, but I thought I would offer some optional decoration if you wanted to add something extra.

You could wrap ribbon around the wreath, or add bows or do both.  Something like this gold ribbon loosely wrapped around the wreath is very nice with the cream pom poms and a simple bow tied at the top.

 Or you could add in another colour like this dark red velvet ribbon which I have used for hanging the wreath and for an additional bow at the bottom.

 I hope you enjoyed this child-friendly Christmas home decor project and that it's given you some ideas for quick and easy home decor for the festive season.

 Till next time,  



Elle
Empire of the Cat


PROJECT RECIPE:

GSL Cuts - Wreath Rings WR001
Yarn - various.  (I used 1 ball chunky yarn and 3 balls double knitting yarn)
Ribbon (optional)
From Stash: cereal box cardboard