Shabby Chic Birdfeeders

This craft is amazingly easy and fun to make, and could definitely be a collaborative project between multiple members of a household. Because I'm awesome like this, most of the photos I took of the step-by-step process were deleted, but I've included one of the finished product and half-finished.


Step 1) Purchase, acquire, salvage, or build a birdfeeder or birdhouse. Since I actually created this in conjunction with a neighborhood kids' project, I used one of the premade cedar houses purchased.

Step 2) Purchase, acquire, salvage or mix weather-resistant, waterproof paint in whatever colors you'd like to use. Many home supply stores (we bought at Lowe's) can mix sample-sized pots of paints in any color for you for under $4.

Step 3) Paint your birdfeeder with your base color and wait for it to dry thoroughly. Depending on how thick you apply the paint this may take a couple hours. You may also need or want a second coat. You can paint the sides any color(s) you want, or mix it up and choose a different shade for the roof, trim, etc. I picked green for my "walls" and orange for the roof and tray. Whatever works for you!



Step 4) Pencil on your design. I opted for a flowery branch design that had a little bit of whimsy with big blooms that could be easily seen from the sidewalk when I hung the feeder.

Step 5) Paint your design, being certain to let each color thoroughly dry before applying another coat on top. For my design, I started with painting all the green vine, then painted pink petals, then finished with blue centers for the flowers. I also added pink polka dots on the orange tray area and around the vines for no other reason than I liked how it looked. CRAZY, I tell you.

Step 6) Allow to dry (again) then fill with seed and hang outside! Be sure to follow the guidelines of bird feeder hanging- aka, make sure your birds can safely hang out in your feeder and no predators are going to be able to get them. Keep it high enough off the ground from the reach of cats, raccoons, and even kids if yours tend to be destructive.

Step 7) Watch your wild birds enjoy their trendy new feeder or home!

The Shoe Fit

This weekend, my event floral company created these sweet pieces for a "The Shoe Fit"-themed bridal shower.


Because they're so unique, I thought I'd share how I created them with you...in the event that you'd ever want to make your own for that Manolo Blahnik shoe-loving bride in your life. So here's how!

1) Buy the shoes you'll use to create your base. I recommend hitting the nearest deep-discount shoe store if you're only creating one (you'll just need a pair) or the Internet if you're creating multiples. Get the largest size of a closed-toe high-heeled shoe that you can find, trying to find one with as large a "closure" at the front as you can. For obvious reasons, try to find one that's a little more stable than a 6-inch spike heel.

2) Gather your supplies - you'll need a block of floral foam, a roll of Saran Wrap, your flowers, a glue gun, and a stable base to mount the finished product on to.

3) Soak your floral foam taking care to let it absorb as much water as possible. While foam can absorb more at a later time, it's hard to water shoes!

4) Using Saran Wrap, take one extremely long piece and fold it in half horizontally. Use the folded end to create a "bowl" in the toe part. You are using this to catch any water that drips down, so be careful not to tear or leave gaps. Using two pieces of wrap stuck together is going to practically guarantee a leak, so don't cut corners here. Use the rest of the piece to line the inside of the shoe, leaving the ends overhanging the shoe.

5) Stuff the toe with floral foam for stability, then work your way up the inside. As much as possible, use continuous pieces of foam instead of lots of small pieces. Those can be used to jam into the sides for stability.

(Optional Step- Add some decorative ribbon! It's easiest to tie this now, instead of later. You can also use a pinch bow on a pik instead of tying one.)

6) Roll the extra Sarah Wrap around the inside of the shoe. You can pin it to the foam if you wish- just don't tuck it under and leave foam exposed to leak!

7) Starting with your greenery work around the shoe and cover the sides where foam and saran wrap show. Optional (I did) would be to use greenery to create a "cascade" effect on one side.

8) Add your flowers, berries, and so forth!

9) Glue or otherwise adhere your creation to a beveled mirror, photo frame, block of painted wood, or other heavy weight that will sit flat on your table. While it is tempting just to put the shoe out because they may seem quite steady, remember that it is delicately balanced at best!

(Optional step: Add loose flowers to the base, especially if it is a mirror and there is writing on the underside of the shoe!)

10)- Enjoy!!

Creating Flowers!

Remember when I said I made a living crafting?

Yeah, it's still awesome.

A few weeks ago uber-photog Larry Gindhart shot some photos of my work and made this video to showcase them! Check it out!

Knitting Group!

I've just been reminded that one of my lovely neighbors, Jennifer, has started a knitting group for knitters in downtown Indianapolis.

The group meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6PM at the Herron-Morton Place Park (on Alabama between 19th and 20th). All are welcome. If you do not know how to knit, helpful neighbors will be on hand to assist and you can bring or purchase materials there.

Can't come? Not from Indy? Check out Jennifer's company, Alpaca with a Twist. They do lovely yarns, and they are available in just about every state. If you can't find a store near you, contact one in your state or the company and they might be able to ship!

After I finish Soon-To-Be-Born-Baby-Girl's blanket with Lambie Pie (and a couple other misc projects using synthetics) I am making the switch to all-natural alpaca!