Kick Plate Baking Sign...

I wanted to share this quick tutorial on the BAKING sign I have on top of the baking center I just finished. Click here for the baking center made from an old desk post.

I made this sign from a kick plate from our front door. Easy project and it was free!!

What's a kick plate? It's the metal strip at the bottom of some doors that protects the door and the paint.

We just put this new shiny one on last month because...

the other one looked like this.

Don't get me wrong,  I love the patina of this one...the way it has different colors and textures. Just didn't look great next to a shiny brass door knob.

How did it get that way? When this one went on the door about 10 years ago...stupid me didn't know there was a protective plastic sheet that I should have pull off.

Ten years of beat sun melted that plastic in to this work of art!! Lol.

I know all of you don't have this exact piece of metal to make a sign, but remember to think outside the box.

How about...

• an old piece of wood
• an old metal tray
• a picture frame
• an old wooden shelf
• the drawer front from an old dresser

anything you have hanging around will work with this technique.

I just printed the letters that I needed on Microsoft Word. So many different fonts to choose from and you can even change the color. I used the font Georgia at size 440.

I went to Staples office supply to buy a package of 4 inch letters and it was $10.00. Sorry, but no thanks!

Just print them off yourself.

I just used regular printer paper, but maybe next time I'll use a heavier card stock.

Just cut the letters out and either Mod Podge it on or I used Elmer's glue with a few drops of water added to it to thin it out. Having it a little thinner helped spread the glue on the thin paper.

I didn't spread glue on the front. Didn't want to press my luck with ripping the letters when they were wet.

You can use this idea for anything...

• your family name
• a child's name for their room
• sign for your laundry room
• kitchen
• game room

Have fun looking around and creating your own sign!
~Karen~

Thoughts on Thursday...

Halloween is coming up on Monday. I was just thinking about all the costumes I made the girls had over the years when they were little...tube of tooth paste, M&M's, flower and a bee, Dorothy and the witch. They were so darn cute! (can you tell I miss them lol)

One Halloween, Kelsie was a flower and Courtney was a bumble bee...they were 2 and 3 years old. Kelsie's flower costume was a green coat that I added big wired flower petals to the hood...all around her face. Then she stepped into a large plant pot that was attached to the coat. (you know those brown light weight pots that disintegrate in the ground) Looked adorable, but she couldn't take big strides with her walk. Lots of tears. Funniest memory was Courtney, the life size bumble bee, holding the crying flower's hand trying to get to the next house. The bee was bent over, looking at the flower and patting her on the hand, trying to convince her to go on. Courtney knew there was candy at that next house and would do anything to get it!!

What's your fondest Halloween memory?

Happy Thursday,
~Karen~

Baking Center From An Old Desk...

When my parents moved in with us 7 years ago, we added a second story to our house. The new stair case created this odd area at the bottom of the stairs in the kitchen.

I've had lots of things there, but I think this may be a keeper.

I had this bookcase storage unit there in the past...good for storage, but try to give it more height with the clock and lamps.

This is how I tried out the new change.

• brought up an old desk from the basement
• swapped out the larger bookcase (from the above picture) for this top of a hutch
• put my baking stuff in there and lived with it for a week before committing to painting

Let the painting begin.

I left the top of the desk natural, so I don't have to be careful about chipping the paint when working on the desk. Breaks up the black too.

I have a tutorial coming up on how to make this BAKING sign. Easy peasy! Click HERE for sign tutorial

Simple cardboard boxes covered with fabric. I just wrapped the box like a gift and hot glued the edges down. I bought the boxes in the mailing office supply section in Walmart. They were the perfect square size and only 50 cents.

Pipe straps found in hardware stores for the handles...these are always my cheap "go to" handles. I think $2.00 for a bag of 10-12.

Key chain tags to tell whats inside.

Store all your baking items in there.

I've had these glass canister jars for years...they are only $10.00 in Walmart. I just saw them this week, so I know they still carry them. Smaller sizes are about $7.00

The computer key board drawer pulls out and holds my cookie sheets and baking racks.

The drawers hold bowls...

cake pans...

mixers...

and a file for recipes...

When you find a recipe on line, you print it out on an 8x10 piece of paper. In the past, I folded them up and stored them away.

Hard to find when they are all folded up.

Now they are easy to read.

Little jar for small baking tools...

and don't forget the kitchen mouse.

Just need to put drawer pulls on and it will be all set.

I love what paint can do. Look around your house and see what you can transform!

Take care,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday and Make A Gift On The 25th...Place Mats

Tool Time and Make A Gift On The 25th on the same day...Woo Hoo, it's a twofer!!

You know Tool Time is where I take something and turn it into something else.

"Make a Gift on the 25th" is a club where we can all make a gift for Christmas on the 25th of each month. If we craft ahead of time, we won't be proCRAFTinating on Christmas Eve. We've been doing this since July here at Sew Many Ways, but it's not too late!! Click here for past projects and join the club.

So here's today's project...a Christmas card holder.

Made from a place mat

Flip place mat over so the wrong side is up. Add ric rac, trim, ribbon etc to one of the edges.

I sewed the ric rac down the center.

Turn the raw edge of your trim over to the other side for a finished look.

Now fold up the decorated edge to about 1/3 from the top or however deep you want to make the pocket.

Pin the two sides on the right and left.

Sew 1/4 inch away from the edge from ric rac down to the fold.

There are different ways to hangs this, but I sewed two curtain rings to the back on each corner.

Quick zig zag to secure.

 Add a little bow and you're all set.

Add your Christmas cards as they start to come in for the holidays.

Another way is to hang it on the refrigerator with magnetic clips.

I started playing around with different designs.

Fold back the 2 corners and sew them down to form a roof line.

You can decorated your gingerbread house any way you'd like!!

even a little button for a door knob.

Pocket is still there for the cards.

Place mats are a very versatile item that are ready made and can be turned into something else quickly. It's hemmed and has finished edges for a fast project.

Look for them in the clearance section...these red place mats were only 50 cents!! Click here for other place mat projects

Have a wonderful Tuesday,
~Karen~