Recycling…Spool of Thread Garland

Hi everyone.  I think about Christmas all the time, especially tree decorating ideas. Garlands seem to be the theme for me lately! This week, I want to share another garland idea and it's a recycling project for everyone who sews!

A spool of thread garland with lots of buttons...uses up lots of scrap fabric too!!

I so wish I would have saved all the empty spools of thread that I've thrown out over the years!!

Marshmallow Christmas Tree Garland...

Hi everyone! I'm starting another Christmas decorating project early. I need a garland for my candy themed tree.

Here's the tree from last year. It's in the landing at the top of our stairs. It's full of things I've collected on sale each Christmas in the "Sweets" theme, but I wanted to add more...

Like a fun cereal and marshmallow garland.

Come on in and see the cute garland you can make too!!

Embroidery Hoop Tinsel Wreath...

I've been busy decorating for Christmas, but wanted to share a very fast wreath project with you!!

I needed 2 small wreaths in the girls' bathroom. They are away at school until next week, so these wreaths are just up for a Christmas party I'm having tomorrow.

Peppermint Candy Garland...

Easy peasy peppermint candy garland...

Tool Time Tuesday...Polka Dots

Happy Tuesday everyone!! People often ask me where I come up with my ideas for Tuesdays. Well, some ideas come from walking the aisles of a lot of different stores and really looking at something for that "hmmm moment"....when I say "hmmm what else can I do with this?"

Other times the ideas come out of necessity...not wanting to go to the store for something or paying money for it. What can I use that I already have.

Here is one such idea...polka dots. I LOVE them!! They are all over my sewing room. These bowls came with their dots, but the rest of the dots in all these projects below came from the office supply store.

Adhesive dots come in so many different colors and sizes.

Lots of ideas just waiting for these dots...

The first project is to use the dots to label your scissors and rotary cutters.

Red dots on little key ring tags.

Red dots in my house means FABRIC cutting only. Especially since I just had my Fiskars just professionally sharpened. Woo Wee, they cut like butter...or should I say buttah.

My husband and I take pills daily and use those little pill boxes that hold the daily dose, but when the girls have a prescription once in a while for something, I put a sticker on the top of the bottle so it's easily identifiable for them. They each know their color.

We all have iPhones and share an iPad...they all have the same charger. To avoid the "that's my charger", I mark it with a dot. I know the dot can be removed or switched, but the girls really don't think like that. Our daughters are 18 months apart and in college. For most of their lives, they've been color coded...toys, book bags, lunch boxes etc. They always wanted the same exact thing in the same exact color, so labels really helped.

These little white rings are the reinforcing labels you put on 3 ring binder paper so it doesn't rip.

This jar is a really cute Yankee candle glass jar that I cleaned out. It has a great lid that has a nice tight fit. I keep my pins in this.

Even cuter with dots all over it!!

This square glass vase came from the florist when an arrangement was delivered. You know we all save those vases, but this was such a unique shape.

This vase, plus the blue dots equals...

A Yahtzee game holder!! I think this one is my favorite.

String and multicolored dots makes a very cute mini garland.

Place one dot colored side down and place the string across the middle...

Now place a matching dot on top of that and press over the string.

A little dot/string sandwich.

So cute...

For a mini party...

• mini garland
• mini cupcakes with dot sprinkles
• decorate white paper lunch bags with the dots for the favor bags
• use the dots to decorate a table cloth to match the party colors.
• "stick the dot on something" game

If you don't have dots at home, but have label material, you can use a hole punch in different sizes to make your own dots.

A little tedious, but cheap!



Other ideas for dots...

• Stick them on pumpkins or gourds for fall decorating
• place the dots on something before painting and they act like stencils for the perfect painted circles
• stick them on plain Christmas ornaments to jazz them up
• use the tiny dots to decorate Easter eggs...you can leave them on or use them before you dip them into the dye.

Hope you enjoyed the post...I, myself, am seeing dots every where!!

~Karen~