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So after my recent adventures in earring making, it occurred to me that I needed somewhere to display them! So I made an earring holder, complete with tutorial for you lovely people!
Materials:
– Crappy old picture frame from the thrift store, preferably with kitschy 50s cross stitch or print
– Paint/paintbrush
– Strong glue, like E6000 or FabriTack. Or I guess you could use tacky glue (which I used) or hot glue. Whatever.
– Aida cloth or plastic canvas (something with holes in) (I used 14-count Aida cloth. If you’re using Aida cloth, go for 11 count cause it’ll have larger holes. I just used what I had)
– Pliers (probably)
Step one: Dissemble kitschy art:
(IDEK)
Step two: Grab your pliers and yank out the points of DEATH holding the picture in the frame.
Step three: Paint frame.
Things I will not judge you for doing at this stage:
1. Forgetting until you get home from the thrift store that you do not have any paint and using watered down puff paint instead.
2. Remembering that puff paint will peel off, lacking some sort of sealant, and saying out loud, “Ah, fuck it.”
2. Visible brush strokes. We’re going for shabby chic here. Or something.
3. Lacking newspaper to put under the frame/paint and using ONE ripped apart plastic bag even though you have about a billion plastic bags.
Ahem.
Step four: Measure Aida cloth against the glass that probably came with your frame.
Step five: Glue Aida cloth against the sticky-out bit of the frame. Let dry.
Step six: Add earrings, hang up in the back of your closet so no one can see your shoddy paint job. Or on the wall over the dresser, which is what I actually did.
(Also, I have more earrings than this and the singular ones have partners, they’re just downstairs in my boyfriend’s apartment and seeing as we’re on Spring Break, he’s not here to let me into it.)
Yay!
Incidentally, if anyone has any idea what to do with several pieces of glass from picture frames, I’d appreciate some ideas. I don’t usually use glass with embroidery, but my frames all come with it.
So, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times so far, I am currently home in Virginia Beach for my summer break from school (and I’m not pleased about it, but that’s a story for another day). This means I have the time and supplies (or ability to drive to the store to get supplies) to do all the various crafts I’ve been meaning to get around to.
Like this tutorial on CRAFT for a vintage tea cup pincushion. I went to the Good Will outlet the other day looking for a couple of things (wool sweaters, yarn/craft supplies, and tea cups) and found some tiny porcelain tea cups, probably from a child’s playset.
I didn’t feel like sewing, so I just sort of stuffed the fabric in there. My first attempt at this turned out like this:
…Yeah. I have since pulled out the fabric with the intent on reusing the cup. My second attempt was much better because I gathered the excess fabric at the bottom and tied some thin crochet cotton around the bundle THEN glued and stuffed. It came out much better:
Yes, that’s Dora the Explorer. Yes, I am aware she’s now a busty teen. Yes, I am appalled. And yes, I will be using this pin cushion (and yes, it’s adorable).
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 