This guest post was written by photographer + makeup artist Jeanne & and designer Lenna of Enna Anne.

But before I let these lovely ladies break down this diy…I just wanted to mention that this one is near and dear to me for a couple of reasons. Of course the project is amazing, but more importantly than that, it features 2 adorable people from my family (Amanda + Tim). PLUS it was shot by Jeanne Ciasullo, who was the photographer at Jeff and I’s wedding. AND I almost forgot, another friend of ours makes his way into a few of these photos too. Kind of special, huh?

Anyway, I’ll let Jeanne and Lenna get right down to it…

Supplies: 1. Vintage button down collared shirts and vintage scarfs 2. Design Master Spray Paint (Found ours at Michaels) Colors Holiday Red and Raspberry 3. Rubber Bands & Miniature Clear elastic hair bands 4. Straight pens (which can also be spray painted) 5. Assorted Flowers (We love picking up fresh flowers from our local supermarkets but we always go picking from our local area too. Yards, parks & roadsides are some of our favorite spots. You’d be surprised what you can find in super market parking lots! Picking a little bit of the nature around us makes the bouquets look effortless, not perfect. We love that. Just make sure you are not picking on private property!) *We highly recommend using gloves when spray painting. Its a step we often forget because we’re so excited to start the process.

Here’s how you make it: 1. Let your flowers soak for one or two nights in water and flower food so that the flowers are happy and hydrated and the blooms open up.

2. Select a variety of flowers and lightly mist the buds with the spray paint. Slowly build on the color so you do not accidentally over saturate your flowers. A little of the natural flower color showing through is ok, in fact we prefer it!

3. Alternate paint colors to get a variety of results. Experiment with the colors. The paint colors on different colored flowers yield unique results. Have fun! Place wet flowers back in water and let dry.

4. Shirt collar boutonniere & Bouquet. We loved the idea of using a man’s button down shirt as a wrap for both the boutonniere and bouquet because it seemed like a great way to make it more masculine (even though it was pink and red heaven). To do the same, cut the collar off of the button down shirt. Save that for the groom’s boutonnieres. For the bridal bouquet cut the button down shirt down the middle leaving the buttons in the center of the fabric. Cut the remaining fabric into strips. We wanted her bouquet to look like a shirt when it was wrapped.

5. Making the boutonniere. Bundle a group of painted flowers together. We like to use interestingly shaped greenery and small wildflowers. Once arranged secure with a small clear elastic rubber band.

6. Utilizing the shirt collar from step 4, wrap the shirt tightly around the boutonniere and secure with short floral pins.

7. Making the Bouquet. Bundle a group of painted flowers together. We like mixing big blooms with wild flowers and berries. Keep adding flowers until you get your desired bouquet size. Secure with rubber bands

8. Now that the bouquet is arranged we like to step back and see if the color works. If it doesn’t we lightly mist the areas in the bouquet (with gloves!) that need some extra attention/love.

9. Use the shirt fabric from step 4 and place the front buttons of the shirt down the center of the bouquet. It’s easier with an extra set of hands. As one person holds the flowers the other person can tightly wrap the bouquet. Trim the excess fabric and secure with floral pins. Use the fabric strips and wrap the bouquet like a ballet slipper and tie off at the top in a knot and trim.

Using spray paint on flowers was a great way for us to achieve the saturated look that we wanted. We couldn’t find exactly what we were looking for, we wanted over the top color so the flowers would pop in person and in photos. Spray paint was our solution! Whenever we approach a project we always try to think about how we can make it special or unique. We believe that the small unexpected touches make all the difference.

Thanks so much for sharing this tutorial ladies! You are an inspiring duo. 

For more photos from this V-Day inspired wedding shoot (there are so many more to take a look at), visit this photo set on Enna Anne now. And if you don’t have a wedding in your future, you can easily translate this project into a tabletop centerpiece for any room of your house.

About the Jeanne and Lenna. ENNA|ANNE is a budding design, photography & makeup company that caters to the west coast of Florida and more. Business partners and childhood friends, Lenna and Jeanne formed the company after years of honing their talents in their respective fields, Lenna in graphic design and Jeanne in photography and makeup. These two ladies combine forces to create amazing projects through collaboration and their strong vision, bringing a fresh perspective for their clients to benefit from.

This contributor post was written by Beth of Parsimonia.

For those of us in the four-season states, the temperatures are really starting to drop! I finally broke out my mittens, scarves, hats and other cold-weather accoutrements this week, thus adding a whole new level of accessories to my wardrobe. But, I have to be honest: There are several pieces I acquired years ago that I know aren’t going to see the glint of snow. Just like most women, my tastes change with the seasons, but replacing winter wear always seems a bit more expensive. So instead of browsing online stores, I’ve been hitting the blogsophere for ideas, and these five DIYs are just the ticket for keeping me (and you!) warm, head to toe.

(above) Sew Your Own Mittens by A Beautiful Mess

DIY Leg Warmers by Split the Lark

Snowy Day Hat Pattern by See Kate Sew

Long Pom Pom Cowl via Purl Soho

Yellow Bow Ear Warmer by Delia Creates
(Note that tutorial is for personal, not commercial, use)

Beth is the writer behind Parsimonia: Secondhand With Style, where she blogs about her first love (thrifting) and her second love (cooking), as well as DIY projects, sustainable style and other bits of inspiration. She lives in St. Louis with one husband, one fuzzy dog and lots of dreams, and recently launched an online vintage store.

Okay. I am a fabric girl. And I suspect that you are too.

I collect piles of textiles. I have bins and bins of fabric from my grandmother and thrift stores, and fabric stores, and Etsy, and..well, you get the point. But the (kind of) weird thing is…dun, dun, dun…I don’t sew!

I know, weird, right?

So what do I do with all this fabric I stash in the closets and under the bed? Well, I use it for projects that don’t involve sewing of course, like the bunting from our wedding (yep, that was a no sew project).

But as much fabric as I have on hand, one of the types that I haven’t really tried out is oilcloth. I don’t really know why because it seems quite practical + it’s shiny and fun and easy to clean (bonus!). So I am thinking about giving it a try. And if and when I ever learn to sew, I will be picking up this book, Sewing with Oilcloth, from Kelly McCants…

Is this cover amazing or what?

I HAVE TO learn how to make that chalk runner at the top of this post from the book because I am pretty sure those cream puffs will just magically appear if I do. Yum!

If you are already a sewer, you are one step ahead of me. So kudos to you. And you can get a little sneak peek into Sewing with Oilcloth right here to see if it tickles your fancy.

Kelly has a really awesome selection of oilcloth as well, hence the name of her shop, Oilcloth Addict. So it’s pretty much one-stop shopping. What’s not to like?

Yesterday, Jeff and I strolled down to Barnes and Noble at lunchtime because (surprise!) I’m in the February 2012 issue of Women’s Day magazine. Yay!

Of course, I always get excited about magazine features, but I have to admit it’s partly because I like to send a copy to my grandma every time it happens so she knows I’m legit (she basically has no idea what I do for a living because she has never been on a computer in her life so its kind of difficult to explain it to her. but magazine features she understands).

Anyway, this year is the 75th anniversary of the mag and I am honored to be a part of it. My project for a lacy frosted glass mirror is on page 46. You may remember the original mirror project from the blog a couple of years ago if you’ve been around for a while.

If you’re interested, you can pick up a copy at your local book store or head to the Woman’s Day website and get the full tutorial online to make your own.

Big thanks to Woman’s Day for featuring my project. Really a pleasure to work with them.

I’ve been stocking up on all things organizational this month to plan out my year and one of the things that I’ve been looking at is calendars. Lots of calendars! All types of calendars too. I have already found my big wall calendar for the year, but I want something small to carry around with me wherever I go too. Maybe something like this mini calendar from Ready Go? Isn’t it cool? I really love Ready Go. And actually, I kind of feel like I need to throw a party just so I have an excuse to buy some of the other goodies in this shop - like these printable flags, gold glitter cake bunting, and these gift tags.

Visit Ready Go now to see more.

This contributor post was written by Beth of Parsimonia.

For me, the start of 2012 isn’t about resolutions; I’ve made tons over the years and usually forget about them before February rolls around. Instead, I like to look at it as a fresh start, a year brimming with bright, shiny possibilities along with the feeling that anything is within my grasp. As such, I thought it appropriate to bring you some bright and shiny DIYs to inspire you for the new year. The last one isn’t a full-out tutorial, but I know that you have what it takes to recreate it them — you are papernstitch readers after all! Here’s to a year of possibility!

(above) Gold Chevron Paintings by Makeunder My Life

99 Cent DIY Candles by Emily Henderson

Glittery Gold Bow Clutch by The World Is My Oyster

Metallic Gold Mason Jars by Lovely Little Details

Gold Tree Stump Side Tables via Love Maegan

Have a great weekend!

Beth is the writer behind Parsimonia: Secondhand With Style, where she blogs about her first love (thrifting) and her second love (cooking), as well as DIY projects, sustainable style and other bits of inspiration. She lives in St. Louis with one husband, one fuzzy dog and lots of dreams, and recently launched an online vintage store.

This contributor post was written by Beth of Parsimonia.

A Christmas poem for the DIYer.

Twas nine days before Christmas,
And all through the house,
Were flashes of red,
And the tree, it was doused,

With ornaments, ribbons
And lights hung with care,
But look at the walls;
They’re dreadfully bare!

No sleigh bells or snowmen,
No reindeer in flight,
No wreaths wrapped with berries,
It just isn’t right!

With so little time left
To make my walls festive,
I’m turning to garlands;
They’re oh-so impressive.

(above) Mini Present Garland by Oh Happy Day

Twisted Felt Garland by The Purl Bee + Easy-Peasy Paper Garland by The Happy Home

Festive Felted Garland by The Purl Bee

Holiday Garlands Three Ways by You Are My Fave

Beth is the writer behind Parsimonia: Secondhand With Style, where she blogs about her first love (thrifting) and her second love (cooking), as well as DIY projects, sustainable style and other bits of inspiration. She lives in St. Louis with one husband, one fuzzy dog and lots of dreams, and recently launched an online vintage store.

This guest post was written by Cathy of Catshy Crafts.

I’ve always loved felt. It’s easy to work with, relatively inexpensive and comes in a rainbow of colors. One of my favorite things to make out of felt are dimensional flowers. You can glue them to a hair clip or headband for a quick and easy hair accessory, use as a gift topper or just give them as is. I know my daughters can get pretty excited over a few hand-made blossoms. Today, I’ll show you how to make the three kinds of flowers (with 2 additional variations for a total of 5) that adorn my yarn-wrapped wreaths. Once you know the basics, you’ll be creating your own bouquets in no time.

Materials:

1. 9 x 12 sheets of felt in colors you love 2. Scissors 3. Embroidery thread and needle 4. Pinking shears (optional) 5. Faux pearl or vintage button (optional) 6. Pins (optional)

Here’s how to make it:

1. Fringed flowers

Step 1: Fold over over a sheet of felt lengthwise about 2.75 inches. With scissors, trim off excess so that you have a strip about 5.5 inches wide. (This will give you a flower about 3.5 inches in diameter. For smaller flowers, make narrower strips.) Note: Usually when I am making felt flowers, I do not whip out the ruler, but I wanted to give you measurements for this tutorial. Once you get the hang of it, you probably won’t need a ruler either.

Step 2: With the strip still folded in half lengthwise, cut your felt on the non-folded side in even intervals about 1/2 away to 3/4 down. (You may want to pin the folded strip before cutting, but I just use my hand to keep the felt folded, sliding it down as I cut.) Be careful not to cut all the way through your felt. The farther you cut will determine how “open” your flower will be. For example, if you cut 3/4 down, you’ll get a more open, floppier flower. If you cut 1/2 way down, your flower will stay tighter in the bud, so to speak. Another tip: You can also change up how wide or narrow you cut your felt strips for a different look.

Step 3: Starting at one end, snugly roll your fringed strip until you get to the other end. From there you can peel back the layers of fringe to poof up your flower. Feel free to give your flower a haircut, trimming fringe that are uneven or too long for your taste.

Step 4: Now it’s time to sew. Thread your embroidery needle with embroidery thread. Starting at the point where you finished rolling your strip in Step 3, push your needle through all the layers of felt. Turn your flower 90 degrees and repeat, again pushing your needle through all the layers. (In other words, the second stitch should be perpendicular to your first stitch.) This should be enough to secure the flower. If not, make a few more stitches. When you’re ready, tie a knot, snip the excess thread.

Step 5 (optional): Add faux pearl or vintage button to the center for a little glam.

2. Loopy flowers

To get the loopy flowers, the same steps apply as above. The only difference is that you will cut on the folded side in Step 2. (see photo for side-by-side comparison).

3. Rosette

These little guys are one of my favorites to make because they are so easy!

Step 1: Cut out a free-form circle of felt about 4 inches in diameter. No need to be a perfect circle, but if you need a little help you can always use a template (i.e. trace around a jar lid onto paper and cut out). As before, the measurements do not matter all that much, there are just here to give you a starting point.

Step 2: Starting at any point on the circle, begin cutting a spiral. I find that it is easier to rotate your felt as you cut (instead of moving your scissors around the felt). Cut all the way around until you reach the middle of the circle and are left with a little center tab.

Step 3: Pick up the end of the spiral on the outside of the circle and roll snugly until you reach the end of the spiral on the inside of the circle. The tab I mentioned in step two will rest nicely on the bottom, serving as a little base for your rosette. Your rosette will end up being about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (compared to the 4 inch circle you started out with).

Step 4: Time to sew! Turn over your flower. Find that little tab again. That’s where you will begin sewing, pushing your needle through the tab and picking up a few layers of felt. Repeat, again using the tab as your starting point. Keep sewing, until all your layers are secure. It usually takes 3 or 4 stitches depending on how big your flower is. If it’s a really big flower, I like to make sure it’s secure by gently pulling on the layers. If any give way, I just tuck them back in and add another stitch or two.

Now that you know the basics, here are a couple variations.

4. Wavy rosette

For this version, you get a fuller flower, with curved, wavy leaves.

Step 1: To start, cut a wavy circular shape instead of circle.

Step 2: Starting at any point, begin cutting a spiral, following the outline of the wavy circle. Again, I find that it is easier to rotate your felt as you cut (instead of moving your scissors around the felt). Cut all the way around until you reach the middle of the circle and are left with that little center tab.

Steps 3 and 4 are the same as the standard rosette.

5. Pinked edge rosette

For this rosette, simply use pinking shears instead of a standard pair of scissors to cut your circle and spiral. When you’re done with that, try a wavy circle with your pinking shears. Or a loopy flower. You get the picture.

So I hope this will get you started on making your own pretty felt flowers!

So which one is your favorite? Fringe, loopy, or rosette?

Share your opinion in the comments below.

 Cathy, designer and owner of Catshy Crafts, is a crafter at heart, memory keeper for life, and lover of handmade and DIY.  Through her hand-crafted goods, photography and paper and digital scrapbooking, she loves to celebrate the everyday and the special days of her life. She lives in a 1959 red rambler in the rainy Pacific Northwest with her indie game developer husband, two darling daughters, and calico cat. You can visit Cathy at her blog Catshy.

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This contributor post was written by Patty of P.S. it’s in the details.

I could just eat him up! He is so sweet and fun to make. Meet Mr. Gingerbread Man – he looks like the real cookie, but he’s made from recycled cardboard. The ‘sugar’ coating is actually coarse crystal glitter.

I make similar gingerbread people decorations for my Etsy store using kraft paper. We’ll be using cardboard here (some creative recycling!) for a sturdier body. I’ll be showing you how to make the boy, but you could also make a girl (add a fun bow to her head!). Or, you could go traditional red and green or even all white! The decorating possiblities are endless!

Here are the materials you’ll need…. 1. cardboard 2. brown ink 3. three assorted buttons 4. glitter glue and coarse crystal glitter 5. white pen 6. sequin trim 7. common crafting supplies: scissors, pencil, small paint brush, mini glue dots 8. the gingerbread man template (provided in post)

Here is how you make it:

1. Trace the gingerbread man template onto cardboard.

gingerbread man template

2. Cut him out.

3. Ink around his edges with the brown ink. It adds depth and makes him look like a perfectly baked cookie.

4. Use a white pen to add the ‘icing’. Draw a line around his body and add eyes and a big smile. (I used a broad tip uni-ball Signo pen.)

5. Add his buttons with mini glue dots.

6. Add mini glue dots to his wrists and ankles and add the sequin trim. (You could also use a ric-rac trim or a ribbon.)

7. Use the paint brush to add glitter glue to his feet, hands and body, up to his neck. Stay inside the white lines.

8. Sprinkle with the glitter, and then shake off the excess.

9. Let him dry. The glue will turn clear once it dries completely.

Isn’t he cute? Just remember – you can’t eat him, no matter how good he looks! But you can use him to decorate your home for Christmas. Or, make a bunch and give them as gifts, use on tags or add to a present as a great little detail. Make him into an ornament or a refrigerator magnet – be creative!

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

About Patty: Patty Schaffer is the owner of P.S. it’s in the details, an Etsy shop where you can find creative paper things that will make you ooooo and ahhh! Her shop specializes in paper accents for scrapbooking, card making, gift giving and home decor. Patty also shares DIY and craft projects, news on upcoming shop releases and other fun things on her blog, Capture the Details.

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And here are a few specific shops I recommend exploring…

(left to right. top.) Blackbird Letterpress ; D.I.M. by Mostly Clothes ; Michelemaule ; Man vs Ink (bottom) Too Cute Custom Crafts ; Ooh Pretty Shiny ; Urban Revisions ;  Osage Orange Studio

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