Nest Necklace

I saw these on Pinterest and I think they are so adorable.  These might be the perfect present that I've been looking for to give my sister-in-law and mother-in-law when they come to visit next month.The tutorial can be found on the Sarah Ortega Photography blog.

The best part is these pretty necklaces only take about 10 minutes to make.  I opted for leather strings instead of a silver chain because I like the natural look with the nests.  Which one is your favorite?

Newsprint Nail Art

Check out this youtube video instructing you how to make newsprint nails.  I think they turned out pretty awesome.  Instead of dipping my whole nail in rubbing alcohol, I used a cotton ball to wet the nail. I pressed on the newspaper and used the cotton ball on top to soak the paper and press it on the nail for about 10 seconds.

Fabric Roses

I saw a photo on pinterest and thought it was so cool, so I made one myself.  The idea comes from this tutorial on SnowyBliss.

They were very fun to make.  I chopped some small branches off my tree and found some in my yard after a huge hail storm we had recently.  Here's how it turned out.

I like the yellow ones best.  My husband likes the ones that match the bow around the basket.

I'm planning to make a matching table runner for my dining room soon and I'll put these on the table as a centerpiece.

Chenille Baby Blanket

I've been wanting to make a chenille baby blanket ever since I saw this tutorial, but

1) I don't have a little baby anymore, and
2) Sewing all those straight lines looks about as fun as playing leapfrog with a unicorn.

But I know someone that's having a baby girl soon and this will be a nice gift.  It turned out really cute.

I used basting spray to hold the fabric layers together while sewing.  It held the fabric beautifully, but the downside was that it really gummed up my new chenille cutting tool.  I love this tool, LOVE IT.  Cutting was so much easier with it, but I'll have to skip the basting spray next time.