Easter Egg Wreath

I've never been a huge fan of Easter egg or bunny wreaths because I feel they trivialize the significance of the holiday.  However, the recent loss in my life has taught me to take enjoyment in the simple things.

Presenting: the Easter egg wreath!

Supplies are from the $1-$3 aisle at Target or were already on hand. Don't let your cat hog the painted grapevine wreath.

I originally tried using wire to affix the strand of glittery egg lights.

This didn't create the look I was going for, so I ultimately wound up using hot glue to attach each egg to the grapevine. The excess wire was also hot glued to the back of the wreath.

I still used the wire to secure the battery pack to the wreath.  The battery pack must separate completely to insert new batteries, so its attachment must be temporary.

 Quick test of the lights....

Then I hung it using some spare pink ribbon (also, incidentally, from Target).

Even if it isn't a cross, this glittery wreath makes me smile and want to celebrate - which, in the end, is what Easter is all about.

Costs:
Painted grapevine wreath: $3.00
10-bulb egg light strand: $3.00
Wire, glue, and ribbon already on hand: $0.00
TOTAL: $6.00


Cheap and simple for a little Easter spirit!

Moustache Neck Warmer

Stress = Crafting. Always.

Today's project was inspired by my lovely sister. Her car battery died, so she decided to bike the twoish miles to work. Our parents were less than thrilled that she decided to do so in the middle of winter, especially when it was snowy and way below freezing. My sister sent me a picture of herself one morning, scarf wrapped completely around her head, ready for the bike ride ahead.

The idea of making a neck warmer that could be worn over her nose was born! Since she loves moustaches, I decided to take a felt one onto this tutorial from Escapades in Sewing.

If you've ever made an infinity scarf, the idea is very similar, but the work is on thicker material in tighter margins. The tutorial called for 22.5"x18.5" of fleece to make a double-layered neck warmer. I was worried it would be a bit too large, as my sister and I both have very small heads. However, the size is PERFECT.

After cutting my pre-washed/dried fleece down to size, I took a piece of simple craft felt and used a moustache-shaped post-it as a stencil.

A thorough moustache test is encouraged before attaching it to the fleece. Remember to measure carefully! I knew I wanted the seams of the neck warmer to lay on the "inside" so they wouldn't show, so I pinned my moustache about 5-6" from the edge of the material. A simple straight stitch was applied down the middle of the moustache and for 1" centered along the top. This could easily be accomplished with hand stitching after the neck warmer is complete, as well.

The rest was a piece of cake! This is a fast project. Total time spent cutting and sewing was about ten minutes. I ran a zigzag stitch with quarter-inch seams down the long edge. Make sure the "wrong" side is out!

After this tube was created, I pulled one end "inside" the tube to pair the loose ends.

Since it had to be pulled through a gap in the seam, I didn't bother to pin the two layers together as I sewed around the circumference.

This is my favorite part of the project: pull the inside out!

I used the same zigzag stitch to close the hole. This was accomplished by "rolling" the seam-to-be a bit to the side and using the zigzag to pull the two edges together.

Last, but not least, a quick check to see how it fit...

That's it! This tutorial was very easy to follow and I know the double layer of fleece will keep my sister warm.

Here's the totals:

Fleece: $2.97/yd (I bought a whole yard because I am the worst at cutting fabric. Used about one-third of the material.)
Felt: $0.23 for a single sheet
TOTAL: $3.20

For a 10-minute project with high-quality results (and leftover materials to make at least 2 more), I'd call this neck warmer a win!