Making Button Napkin Rings

                                                                       

They are fun and easy but take a little time.  I made these to co-ordinate with our multicolored floral tablecloths.  You could use school colors, holiday green & red or blue & gold, or all natural bone. I just happen to have several tins of old buttons from Mom, who used to make all our clothes when I was growing up.  I recognize many of the buttons on these rings and it brings back happy memories when I am setting the table with them.

First, cut the number of rings you want out of waistband elastic, about 4.5" long for each.  You can get the width that works for you. I happen to like the wider kind.

Sew on individual buttons, making sure to knot off each one.  This will ensure they don't all come off when one invariably does.  The flat buttons are easier to work with but use different kinds, shapes and colors for interest.  Be aware that metal buttons tend to eat through the thread quicker so double sew those for stronger attachment.

 When you get close to the end, leave a little bit of elastic so you can whip stitch the ends together. The mistake I made with the my first try was not allowing the the elastic to drape around my fingers.  When I went to finish it and brought the two ends together, the buttons were all popping up and I had to go back and tuck in more buttons to keep the elastic from showing. If you keep forming the elastic into a ring as you go along, you get a better idea how the buttons will lie.

After you attach the two ends together, finish sewing buttons over the seam and..volia!

I like being able to stretch the rings but, if you would like for the inside to be more finished, you could cut a strip of felt the size of the inside and glue it in after sewing.

If this short tutorial is not clear, please don't hesitate to send questions.  The great thing about blogs is I can edit and update them after the fact!

Utililizing Old Picture Frames

I love going to garage sales. I love finding bargains. And I love recycling. So is it any wonder that half of the inn is decorated with transformed treasures?

I also have a thing for old picture frames. There are still boxes and drawers of them in the basement, some in pieces, that I will find a purpose for some day. Finding an entire collection of small frames at a sale allowed me to display many of our old family photos in the hallway upstairs for just pennies on the dollar of what the new cost would have been. These were used just as they were.

But some of the old things I drug home needed some help.  This next one came as a package deal with two  good looking ones I wanted.  It, along with all sorts of decor, lined the walls of my computer area in Dallas (for lack of a better place to store them until the move here.)

One day,while leaning back and contemplating something, I got to staring at the lines on this old guy and realized there where little squares and dots around the edge. 

Nancy's Room was already heading towards a Mary Engelbreit theme with lots of black and white checks.  Maybe some bold paint choices were in order.

This went through several trial runs before I settled on something I liked.  At one point, the inside nubby rim was bright pink and the second layer had black and white stripes.













Each time I would just paint it all black again and start over.  When I was happy with the look, I spray painted a clear finish over the whole thing and took it in to have a piece of mirror cut to size.



Another absolutely horrible frame came to me by way of some old hotel that was selling off interior decor in a remodeling.  I don't have the before picture but just imagine an old very dark frame around a picture of "The Conquistador"...very popular in the early sixties. Needing something light and cheerful for a mirror in Hattie's Room, I started with a white base and played around with some semi-transparent stencil paints that I purchased by mistake (don't you just love those mistakes!)  I rubbed some blue into the carving on the inside rim and most of the paint off the flowers and leaves. Now I have a custom piece that is perfect.

So don't be afraid to play around.  Even if you don't need the frame for a picture, consider using it for a mirror...in a bathroom

Peaking out from behind and reflecting foliage...

Or interspersed with old pictures...