Faux Embroidery Art & Rosette Tutorial

I adore the embroidery art I see on Pinterest and making a few of them has been on my to-do list. 

It seems pretty simple... embroidery hoop, scrapbook paper or fabric and you have instant art for a nursery, a little girl's room or a gallery wall.

 I also wanted to make them for staging photos on my blog. 

I recently did a dresser for a little girl and my normal staging was feeling kinda old and I wanted something new.

I'm a ~ I want it right now~ kinda girl so I wanted to find a way to make embroidery art with supplies I already had and the cheapest way possible. If you already have the supplies then this project won't cost you anything.....if you don't, it's still pretty cheap. 

I'm going to try to give you step-by-step photos to show you what to do.....so bear with me (and all the pictures).

  To make the faux hoops I used:

• diaper box
• scrapbook paper (you can also use fabric)
• scissors
• glue stick
• hot glue gun
• ribbon
• paint can for circle templates
• pen or pencil

Cut the diaper box along the folds (including the flaps on the top). After you cut the box you should have four large squares (which comes from the sides) and four small rectangular pieces (from the lid of the box).

To trace my circles I used paint cans. I used a sample size of paint (as pictured) and a quart and gallon can of paint for the larger two hoops.

After you cut the cardboard template lay it on top of you scrapbook paper and trace a circle onto your paper. Make sure to trace on the backside of your paper.....if not you will have this.

You don't want ink showing so make sure to trace on the back of the paper.

 Tip: glue your paper down before you add your ribbon. After you glue your paper flip the cardboard over and trim any overlapping paper. 

 To hide the edges of the circle use your hot glue gun to adhere the ribbon. 

I worked in sections instead of adding the hot glue all at once. Make sure to use a thin strip of hot glue or it will seep out when you press down the ribbon.

Easy, huh??! Now you need to embellish it a little. 

A few years ago I made rosette necklaces and I had some extra rosette's in my craft stash. 

There are ton's of tutorials online on how to make rosette's (that's how I learned how to make them).

I'm going to share a quick 101 on how to make them. They are easy to make and the more you make the better you get at making them. If you need a little more instruction I would suggest googling "rosette tutorials" if you need something more in-depth.

To make a rosette all you need is:

 fabric cut in strips

hot glue gun

extra glue sticks

I don't normally measure my strips of fabric but you can if you want. 

I did measure these to give you an idea of their length. The purple strips are about 9 inches long and the blue is maybe 14 inches. They are 1 to 1.5 inches wide. 

The shorter the strip the small the rose and the longer the strip the fatter the rose.

Tie a small knot at one end and then slowly wrap and twist the fabric around. 

Another thing that makes the size of the rose is how tight and how loose you wrap your fabric. Wrap tight and it will be small, wrap loosely and you will have a bigger rosette.

 I normally add hot glue every time I complete a full wrap. 

Just use a dab of glue because you don't want extra glue coming out and showing on the front of the rosette.

 

When you get to the end just glue and fold the extra fabric to the underside and trim any extra that shows. 

 

 Now you've made your first rosette! Aren't they fun?

I like the frays of fabric that show on the front but if you want a cleaner look you can trim them. 

Cuticle scissors work like a charm. 

Use your hot glue gun to glue the rosette to your embroidery art and you are done. 

A few tips:

Practice makes perfect.

Place your hot glue gun on an extra piece of cardboard to protect your working surface.

Be careful with the hot glue.....it burns and it hurts. 

You will probably get a small burn here or there when you glue your rosette.

Be creative...maybe use some glitter, beads, or other supplies you have.

If you don't have a diaper box use a cereal box or anything else you have on hand.

Use small scissors to cut any glue that shows and any flyaways.
Use command strips or tape to hang your hoops....(depends on their weight).

I had all of these items on hand so I did not spend anything on this project.

If I had my way, I would have loved to pick out cute vintage scrapbook paper or cute embellishments but I grabbed what I had in my stash.

Would you try this faux technique or just stick with the original embroidery hoop art?

linking up to:
shabby creek cottage
alderberry hill
uncommon slice of suburbia
rustic pig
elizabeth & co
A to Z
mod vintage life 

coastal charm
cozy little house
savvy southern style
finding silver pennies
the 36th ave 

shabby creek cottage

THE SCOOP

embracing change 

house by hoff 

show and tell 

too much time 

Abby's Dresser Makeover & Faux Embroidery Art

My newest client contacted me about painting a dresser for her daughter Abby. She saw the pink ombre dresser I did for my daughter and wanted to do the same on this piece. 

Unfortunately, there isn't a before picture because I misplaced the cord for my camera. 

It's easy to picture the before....imagine it white with a shiny manufactured finish. Oh, there were also burns on the top from a flat iron. 

I mentioned DIY art so the above is just a teaser.

AFTER

 Even though the dresser was already white it was a little beat up so it needed a fresh coat of paint. 

I used chalk paint (as usual), lightly distressed the sides of the drawers, and sealed with paste wax. 

The shades of pink are (from light to dark):  pink chintz, springtime bloom, and fuchsia kiss.

All are by Behr paint and are on the same color swatch (100B).

The pulls are from Hobby Lobby.

If you have ever looked online for ideas to decorate a little girls room or a nursery you have probably seen the embroidery hoops with scrapbook paper. 

source

This is just one example but there are many. 

Well, money is a little tight sometimes and I didn't want to spend money on embroidery hoops or fabric or scrapbook paper....etc.

I used things I already had on hand. I used a diaper box for the backing, ribbon to hide the cardboard, scrapbook paper, and the rosettes I used to make for decoration. 

If you would like to see a tutorial let me know in the comments or on my facebook page.

Here is one more after picture of Abby's new dresser

linking up to:
uncommon designs
uncommon slice of suburbia
rustic pig
elizabeth & co
mod vintage life
coastal charm
cozy little house
savvy southern style
finding silver pennies
the 36th ave 

Retro Gentleman's Desk

Okay, this isn't really a gentleman's desk.....it's just a desk. However, it is for my brother-in-law Ed and I have been working on it for way too long. I picked it up from Goodwill over a year ago (maybe close to two years ago) and added it to my furniture collection. Ed saw it, needed a desk and I thought it would be a great housewarming gift for him. Well....life happened, clients happened and his poor little desk sat in my basement for a very long time. 

It was worth the wait. Before I show you the after photos please keep in mind that Ed requested manly staging.....not my normal flowers and vases and garland. Apparently to me manly staging means using my daughter's toy dinosaur.   : )

 So manly!!!

I used Cliveden Pasture (at Lowe's) but I didn't glaze this time like I did on these pieces.

I painted the whole thing green and Ed requested I paint the legs and the back brace black. 

No problem.....but it needed something else. I painted the spaces between the legs and the base black as well. 

I used my homemade chalk paint but I did something a little different this time with the baking soda....I will share soon! I sealed with wax and did no distressing. It is a manly desk after all!

This style is different from what I normally do, and I miss my signature flowers, but I'm really happy with how it turned out! 

What do you think? 

Make sure to check out my facebook to stay connected. It's a great place to ask me questions! 

linking up to:
the shabby nest
at the picket fence
tater tots and jello
if it's not baroque
THE SCOOP
under the table and dreaming 

IKEA Crib in Pink

Last week I mentioned that I painted two cribs but I was waiting on after photos. Amanda sent me a few photos of the crib in her nursery. Thank you Amanda and congrats on sweet baby Felicity!

Just a plain, boring, white IKEA crib 

 I threw my daughter's mattress in there to see if it would fit. Apparently you have to buy an IKEA mattress to fit and IKEA crib (we wanted to see how true that was).

I used a green paint (safe paint) from Sherwin Williams called Dragon Fruit. This color is a little more true to the shade of the pink.

Amanda was sweet enough to send me a few photos she took. Most of you will probably wonder why someone would want to paint a crib pink? Why not?! 

I like things that are different and you won't see in every house you visit.

When Felicity gets older, her friends will come over to play; they'll all go home and tell their mommy's they want a pink bed too! She will be a little trendsetter. 

The walls in her room are pink so it's a little hard to get the true color of the crib. The two pictures on the left give you a better idea. 

Congratulations to Amanda and her family!

Dresser turned Media Stand

Last year I re-purposed an old cheap dresser into a functional TV stand....(click here for a refresher). 

My newest client wanted to find an old dresser to use as a media stand for her newly renovated basement.
She also had this desk customized to put in her basement.

I found a dresser on Craigslist, the price was right, and it was in great working condition. It lacked in the pretty department, but that's where I come in, and it had tons of storage. There's a total of 8 drawers and a cabinet with 2 shelves. I'm a little jealous myself.....I have a love of drawers (it's where I hide all of my junk.....I could hide a lot in this piece). 

BEFORE

AFTER

There were two big drawers inside the doors but that space needs to be used to house electronics so we added two shelves. My husband gutted the inside, took out the drawer tracks and cut 2 pieces of 3/4 inch  MDF to fit. I do the painting and my hubby does all the hard stuff.  

These three photos give you a visual of what the process of gutting and adding a shelf look like. 

Since electronics are going inside the doors I also made sure to add ventilation holes to prevent any overheating. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the holes.

Here is one more after photo

For those who are interested in the small details:

The paint is Thermal Spring by Valspar (I think it has more green undertones in person)

I used homemade chalk paint (1 c. paint to 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. baking soda) 

**start with 1/4 c. and add more if needed**

The pulls are from Hobby Lobby

I lightly distressed and sealed with Johnson's Paste Wax

Let's talk about the gallery wall! In our living room we have a huge wall, and it's vaulted too, which means a lot of empty space. We decided to turn it into a gallery wall using pictures taken by my husband's granddad, pictures we found on a trip to D.C., a few pieces I found on Etsy, and some plates I found at Goodwill years ago. We have lived in our house for over 2 years and we just started putting stuff on the walls.

 I wanted to make sure it was something I would love. We still haven't painted any room since we moved in either (except the playroom and guest bathroom). I feel like those are big long term decisions and I am not ready to make them......but the time has come. Baby steps. 

linking up to:
liz marie blog
the shabby nest 

the 36th ave
southern lovely
blue egg brown nest
savvy southern style
house of hempworths
too much time
5 days...5 ways
classy clutter
show and tell 

the cottage market
tater tots and jello
nifty thrifty
the dedicated house
mms

at the picket fence
domestically speaking
from my front porch to yours 

Desk Makeover

I seem to be working in pairs lately. I did two desks this past week and two cribs in the last month. I'm still waiting on after pictures for the cribs but I am hoping to share them soon. Both cribs have been delivered and one of the babies has been delivered (congrats Amanda). The only thing we are waiting on now is bedding so we can stage the cribs and take cute pictures.


The nice lady who bought the Soldier Blue Buffet was also looking for a desk which I just happened to have in my inventory. The desk was already painted white with a horrible coat of polyurethane.

 I sanded the top and sanded the layer of poly off the whole desk. It's amazing what a difference a stained top can make!

I used my usual homemade chalk paint (1cup paint and 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda). I also used my usual Swiss Coffee by Behr. She wanted white but not a bright white....Swiss Coffee fits that description perfectly. 

I kept the pulls and sprayed them with oil rubbed bronze. They were sprayed black originally but with a flat boring black. 

I also lightly distressed around the edges and sealed with wax. Personally, I am not a fan of polyurethane. Even though the label says it will not yellow (even the water based poly)....IT DOES! Plus it can leaves drips if you aren't careful. I have also used rub-on poly which is easier to use but it can still yellow.  Therefore, I am a huge fan of wax. 

What kind do you like better: wax or poly?

Head over to the Picked & Painted Facebook page (click here) to share your opinions

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under the table and dreaming