celebrate CREATIVITY in all its forms

What's Old is New Again

When I first considered posting this project I wondered if anyone would really be all that interested in an ironing board cover.  I mean really, how sexy are ironing board covers?  Not very.

My reluctance to share this topic eventually gave way to my desire to share another example of how new life can be breathed into an old object, making it look better than ever before.

                           

Take a look at the before version of this ironing board in the photo below.  I bought this mini board at a store closing for just five dollars several years ago.  While I loved the small size it was the bargain basement price that tipped the scale and enabled me to look past this ghastly black and white fabric cover.  

Meantime, in my never-ending quest to re-purpose items where I can, I figured this mini board was a sorely needed target.

I settled on this pretty sage green and cream fabric with a wonderful acanthus pattern.  This is an upholstery fabric which makes for a heavier, more durable ironing surface. 

I really love working with upholstery fabrics, especially ones like this that have the texture of thick canvas.  

 

Two tools are all you'll need for this project.  Just grab a screwdriver (a Phillips in this case) and a staple gun.  It doesn't get much easier than that, does it?

By the way, if you don't already have a staple gun, it really is a good item to have in your tool stash.  Staple guns are inexpensive and you'll find a ton of uses for them too.

The first step is to remove all the hardware from the bottom of the old ironing board.  I always put the hardware and screws in a little paper cup to keep track of them. 

There's nothing worse than losing a tiny screw for something like this and wasting time turning the room over to find just one little piece of missing metal ( or trying to match up a lost screw at the hardware store).

Lay your fabric out flat and then place the board on top to determine how much fabric to cut.  This project required just a bit more than 1/2 yard of fabric.   Make sure you cut enough fabric clearance to fold over onto the back of the board all the way around. 

If you're not sure, it's always better to cut more fabric than you need initially.  You can always trim the fabric down later.

Corners can be kind of tricky and I always fold those first.  To create a mitered corner, fold the point of the corner over first toward the board creating a 90-degree fabric angle.  While holding the miter firmly in place, turn each surrounding side of fabric over to meet that first fold-over.  Make sure you don't cover the original screw holes with the fabric.

You also don't want an overly thick fabric edge so if you have an excess of fabric at this point, just trim it down a bit and begin the folding process again.

   

Before stapling, hold the miter in place and then turn the edges slightly so that the raw fabric edge is not exposed.  This creates a nice clean and neat looking finished edge.  Then staple the finished edge in place.

Repeat the same mitering technique on the remaining corners.  Make sure you pull the fabric tautly as you proceed.

Don't skimp on the staples because they really help keep the fabric in place all the way around the board and that helps prevent future fabric puckering on the ironing surface.

After all fabric is stapled in place, simply reattach the hardware to the board and you're done.

      

Sometimes a mini ironing board is all you need for small sewing projects.  It's great to finally put this  board to good use instead of having it tucked away and wasted in some dark closet.

  

In my continuing attempt to organize my workspace, I have vowed to use more of the supplies that I already have, purge and donate those items that I will never get around to using and re-purpose old items like this. 

As you can see in this case, the end result is not only attractive and useful-but what's old is new again.

Pretty Details and Butterfly Wings

I love scrapbooking and have enjoyed this hobby full force for about ten years now.  I can't count the times people have told me they would love to start "scrapping" but just don't know where to start. 

Scrapbooking can seem daunting with the overwhelming array of supplies and product on the market these days.  However, creating a great scrapbook page can be easy if you start with a simple design and few well-placed details.

        

I'll de-construct this super simple layout to illustrate just how nicely various embellishments and small details can help add something special to any page.  

For example, this circular pearl buckle at the top of the layout may be a small addition but it has a big impact and helps create an elegant tone for the entire page.

Ribbon is another wonderfully versatile product.   Consider spicing up your photo with a ribbon photo corner.   Cut a small strip of ribbon, wrap it across the bottom of the photograph and adhere in place with double-sided tape. 

Sewing machine stitching on either side of the ribbon (before you adhere it) is optional but it can also add nice touch. 

Want your journaling to pop off the page?  Try making the first letter in the journaling the largest element in your text block. 

I printed the journaling (minus the first letter) onto a transparency and adhered the transparency to the cardstock using thin slivers of double-sided tape.  Then, add an over-sized, coordinating die cut letter for jumbo effect.

        

One word is all you need sometimes for a scrapbook page title.  The word "perfection" looks like it's handwritten with a marker but it's actually a rub-on.   

For more easy elegance, top off the title with a pearl embellishment to dot the letter 'i".  This tiny treatment also ties in nicely with the pearl buckle accent at the top of the page. 

When you're taking pictures of a special event, don't forget to zoom in on different parts of the subject that can speak volumes on their own. 

Remember, faces don't always have to be in the photo.  Feet can also make a statement-especially when they belong to a group of little ballerinas.

I loved the detail in the bodice of my daughter's dance costume, so I cropped the photo to dramatize that part of the picture. 

While the second photo, shown on the right works just fine without any thing else, I decided to add a hint of whimsy with some faint-colored butterfly wings.

To create the butterfly wings you'll need embossing powder, embossing ink and a heat gun.  You'll also need a sheet of acetate or a clear transparency.

Embossing ink is the substance that holds the embossing powder to the project before heating it.  Tinted embossing ink has a slight color in the adhesive that allows you to actually see what's being embossed.   

Of course you'll need a butterfly wing stamp.  This particular stamp is manufactured by Stamper's Anonymous  which has a wonderful assortment of fantastic wood mounted stamps.

After stamping the ink pad onto the rubber portion of the stamp, then press the image onto the rough side of a transparency. 

Sprinkle the embossing powder over the image completely.   Notice you can see the butterfly image as you work?  That's the tint. 

Regular embossing ink is practically invisible when applied and when you can't see the image clearly it's harder to know that you've covered the image completely with the embossing powder. 

After covering the image with the powder, tap off the excess onto a sheet of paper. 

Return the excess powder to the original container.  It's a good idea to put the lid back on the powder right away.  Trust me,  it's no fun when you accidentally knock an open jar of embossing powder off a table. 

Once you tap off the excess powder, it's time to heat it up.  Slowly fan a heat gun over the entire image.  Don't hold the gun too close to the project because the intense heat could melt or distort the transparency. 

Important note of caution:  The air that comes out of a heat gun is extremely hot and should be considered a dangerous tool when kids are present.  Please remember to keep out of the reach of children. 

The melted embossing powder cools almost immediately giving the image a raised surface texture.  Use small scissors to carefully cut each wing from the transparency.

Use a very small strip of double-sided tape on each wing to adhere it to the photo.  You can also slightly bend the wings so they stand upright. 

VOILA!  Perfect butterfly wings.

Of course, you can use various embossing powder colors to create a fun assortment of elegant wings to choose from for future projects.

  

These are just a few fun and easy ways to dress up any scrapbook page. 

By selecting papers and embellishment colors that play off of the color in the main photos you can achieve a more unified and coordinated look throughout your page. 

      

You definitely want the focus to be on your photos.  So try not to overdo it with your embellishments.  Remember a little can go a long way.

Keep it simple and pretty details and butterfly wings like this will help your pages take flight.