A Burlap Wreath Project - Ashley's Apartment Patio

How are ya'll fairing in this August heat, my friends?

The humidity is fierce here in the Carolinas!

I'm about ready to throw up my hands,

and yell, "Bye, Felicia," to this heat and humidity, ha!

If only it were that easy!

When my daughter, Ashley, moved into her new apartment in June,

the weather was much more pleasant.

We gathered different pieces, (on a budget, of course), to set up her little space.

She crafted the burlap wreath with materials from New River Pottery, 

in Wilmington, NC.

It's a tiny little space, but cozy and shaded.

 Just enough space for a little round table in the corner...

She upgraded a hand-me-down table by spray painting it black.

That girl's getting to be a pro with a spray can!

A couple of pretty blooming annuals were added to the mix, 

and a battery operated Mason Jar candle from Big Lots.

Just enough room for two chairs.

The pillows were on clearance at Dollar General, $3 each!

Ashley doesn't get a lot of time to sit out on her patio,

but it is a welcoming sight when she returns home from work.

~Rhonda

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Sharing Post At:
Dwellings - Amaze Me Monday
StoneGable - The Scoop
Coastal Charm - Show and Share
Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesday
From My Front Porch To Yours - Treasure Hunt Thursday
Common Ground - Share Your Style

Simple Valentines Tree & Burlap Wreath

My Christmas decorations are all down, and have at least made it as far as the garage.

And my house is somewhat in order, at least it appears so on the surface (closets don't count! ha).

That's a good thing, right?

But I still can't quite get into the swing of things,

like organizing (closets, attic, laundry room, garage, etc.)

or remembering where everything is, or should go!

It usually takes me until February each year to get my bearings!  

So, what does this rambling have to do with this post...

I can't find my Valentines Decorations!

nada...nowhere...

And I just refuse to go buy more,

'cause eventually they will show up,

maybe by Easter, or Fourth of July,

but eventually...

So, what's a girl to do in the meantime...

Use what she has on hand ...be creative,  be frugal!

From a large supply of scrap book paper,

I cut simple hearts, and used fishing line to hang them from branches 

spray-painted with leftover white paint.

The "base" of the Valentines Tree was from my Collection of Ironstone Pitchers.

I purchased the one below, at a yard sale of an elderly lady friend,

who said the pitcher was her mother's and well over 100 years old!

The red raffia filler was left over from my Dollar Tree Candlesticks Project.

{previous post}

Next on my agenda for Valentine Decorations was a wreath for my Pantry Door...

For the form of the wreath, I started with Foam Pipe Covers.

{Four in a pack, for less than $3.00}

One foam cover wasn't long enough, so I added about 2/3's of another piece.

I tried hot-gluing the ends together, but the hot-glue literally ate away the foam.

I connected the pieces and secured them with duct tape,

which was probably a better choice all around.

After I completed the form,

I cut long strips of burlap to wrap around it to "pretty it up."

I used Aleene's Clear Quick Dry Tacky Glue to secure the ends,

and did two layers of burlap to cover the foam form well.

Gathering strips of burlap to make rosettes was really easy!

I selected a strand of "string" about 3 up from the bottom of the burlap strips,
and pulled to create gathers.

But beware, pull the string very slowly and gently, or it will break!

Once gathered, I rolled the strips into the shape of a rosette, securing them with hot-glue.

The open-grid burlap ribbon, below, was left over from Fall projects.

The rosettes were hot-glued, along with the bow, to the form.

(The red burlap and ribbon was found at Hobby Lobby.)

Sisal Twine was used to hang the wreath,

and being that the wreath is so light,

the twine was just draped over the door, and duck taped to the back side.

Just in case you're new to my blog,

I'll round up pictures later in the week of last year's decorations and share them.

But in the meantime,

I'm actually quite pleased with my simple, cheap frugal ones!  :)

My search has been suspended and I'm enjoying what I have!

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Linking Post To:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Be Inspired @ Elizabeth & Co
Be Inspired @ Common Ground
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here