Fabric Covered Pot

Ready for a fun Spring project?!  

This little fabric covered flower pot is so cute and easy to make.

SUPPLIES: 

• terracotta pot (any size)
• fabric (large enough to fit around the pot)
• Mod Podge
• scissors
• paint brush or foam brush

Clean off the pot and pull off any price tag stickers.

Cut a bit of fabric to fit around the pot....rounded at the top and bottom.  

Your fabric should be about 6 inches taller than the pot.

Then cut notches into the bottom.  

 Cover the pot generously with Mod Podge.

 Smooth your fabric over the pot making sure to push out any bubbles or wrinkles.

Cut notches into the top.

Coat the inside of the pot with Mod Podge and 

tuck in excess fabric...smoothing out bubbles as you go.

Cut more notches into the bottom of your fabric to get rid of any bulk, 

coat the bottom of the pot with Mod Podge and smooth the fabric triangles down to cover.

It helps to set your flower pot upside down on something like a jar or a cup.

Apply a generous coat of Mod Podge over the entire pot and let dry.

Here's a look at the inside after the MP is dried.

This little flower pot came out so cute!

Enjoy!

xo

Painted Windows

One of the easiest ways to spruce up your space is with paint.  Everyone says it.  We hear it from interior designers, bloggers, homeowners, etc.  It's inexpensive, readily available, easy to apply, forgiving, and can make a huge impact.

I paint a lot.  It's a way for me to achieve (almost) instant gratification and change things up without costing a fortune.  Black doors and windows are my fav.  

Here's a little before and after of our living room windows.

before

during

 The window on the left really pops!

See what I mean.  The black outlines the windows and really makes them stand out.  It ties in with the frames and the black in the fireplace.  The only prep work was wiping them down before I painted and moving the frames out of the way.  You could tape off the glass before you start but I'd rather scrape off excess paint with a razor blade.

I love the way they turned out!

Remodelaholic Features Easter Avenue Company: DIY Chevron Lattice

We are THRILLED to be featured on Remodelaholic for our Chevron Lattice Tutorial!

This is pretty much the best birthday present ever!!

(and I've seen Diana Ross in concert at the Sunrise on my actual bday)

...Swing over there to check it out!

DIY Chevron Lattice

DIY Kiss Kiss Blankie

Oooh...I'm excited about this little muslin blankie....it's SO cute!

SUPPLIES

muslin (1 yard) (or you can buy a muslin blanket)

non-toxic water based acrylic craft paint (I used light pink, red, and salmon)

Frog Tape

lips stamp 

I started off by pre-washing (in hot water) a yard of inexpensive muslin fabric from JoAnn.  

With a coupon it came to a little over $3.

To get nice, straight angles, I folded it in half.

And then in half again...

Fold one more time.  This time don't bring your fold all the way to the top.  Just use it as a guide.  Make a straight cut across the top making sure not to cut the folded end.  

Just cut the raw end.  

Do the same to the side.  

When you're finished it should look like this.  

Once you unfold it you should see that all sides are pretty straight and symmetrical. 

I like the look of a raw edge on muslin....it's natural and unfussy. 

To create this look just stitch around the edge, wash, tumble dry, and snip off any long stragglers.

Tape your blankie to a table.

If you're worried about paint bleeding through, which it will, then lay craft paper down to protect your surface.  I wiped off any paint residue with a sponge and it came clean.

Now for the fun part!

I squeezed a little paint onto a paper plate and pressed the stamp into it.  I blotted on a clean plate until the stamp was covered in a smooth and even coat...not too globby. 

I alternated randomly between the salmon, pink, and red....cleaning my stamp before color changes.  As far as the placement of the lips, there's a loose pattern here.  I didn't measure or worry too much.

Once the paint is dry (it only takes a few minutes), heat set it with an iron.  I also washed the blankie in cold water and threw it in the dryer to make sure the paint didn't fade or run....it didn't.  

Look how cute it is!

Kisses!

Easter Avenue Craft Party

I was pretty pumped to host Easter Avenue's first craft party!

The menu was a no brainer.

HAM SLIDERS

VEGGIE CUPS WITH RANCH

SPINACH BROWNIES*
BOTTLED WATER

+

TRIPLE CHUNK BROWNIES for dessert
(I'm a make it from scratch kind of girl but this brownie box mix is my go to in a pinch)

The craft idea came straight from Martha Stewart Living.
(click on her link for the tutorial)

I ordered most of the supplies from Tandy Leather Factory and tried out the 
project to make sure it was easy enough for any skill level.
(scroll to the bottom for a complete supply list)

On average, it took about 6" of leather per key chain.  

Each guest would make 2 keychains, so I ordered 12" of leather per person

and a few extra feet for any last minute guests, and to cover any mess-ups.

I also bought Tandy's alphabet stamp kit, leather hole punch, 
grommets, and grommet setter.

The key rings, waxed twine, and craft paint came from Michaels.  
Rubber mallets came from Home Depot.

I made this little 'flyer' with a beautiful mess and posted it to instagram and Facebook.

By the end of the day, half of the spots were filled.  So exciting!

I calculated the cost of the supplies and food and figured that $15 per person 

would cover the event.

Some people prepaid on my website https://easteravenuecompany.squarespace.com, 

others paid the night of the party.

I came out of pocket a little but it was worth it.

I lined the tables with black craft paper and spread out supplies (mason jars of clean water, paint brushes, paint, straight edges, and exacto knives).

Each guest got a black paper bag with their name written in chalk.  Each bag had two 6" leather strips (that I precut), two key rings, and a printout of instructions 
on how to use the grommet setter. 

(I just made copies of the instructions that came with the grommet kit.)

I gave a quick tutorial and showed examples 
of finished keychains.

Look at em go!

We used old magazines for cutting mats.  

Exacto knives with new blades cut through the leather surprisingly easy.

I set up a hammering station on a sturdy table in the dining room where we took turns punching holes and embossing initials into the leather.

Look at these pros!

BYOB brought down the cost a lot.

Roxy and Kristen...keychain making gurus!

I didn't decorate for the party since it was October and 

my Halloween decorations were up, 

but I did stick with the black color scheme 

(black paper bags, black craft paper table covering, etc.)

Easter Avenue's first craft party was a success!

*SPINACH BROWNIE RECIPE

(These are sooooo good!)

SUPPLY LIST

• 12" of leather per person (plus a few extra feet just in case)
• 2 key rings per person
• leather hole punch
• alphabet embossing kit
• grommet setter
• grommets
• rubber mallet (guests took turns)
• waxed twine
• craft paint
• paint brushes
• cups or bowls for water (I used mason jars)
• paper towels
• exacto knives
• old magazines (used as cutting mats)
• straight edges (we used rulers and right angles)
• craft paper to protect tables 

If you host a crafty event, upload your pics to instagram and hashtag it #EACcraftparty