Mint and Chocolate

My new year's resolution was to be more creative and complete more personal projects over the up coming year, this is a project Jake and I both worked on just before uni started so I never quite had the time to compile all the photos and write about it. But I digress, When we moved into our new flat we did a lot of second hand shopping for furniture and we picked up this little gem of a dresser for about $60, it was all scratched with paint wearing and it was the perfect little fixer upper for us. 

Both of us enjoy mint chocolate ice-cream, biscuits, candy etc etc, also the combination of colours is just so perfect and so before we stated sanding and dismantling the dressing table we decided on the perfect colour combo.

Fixing it up took about two weeks because we had to do it outside we had to wait for sunny days, we started with sanding all the paint off by hand and going through four rolls of sand paper. before buying paint and choosing how we would paint the drawers (we decided on mint drawers and a chocolate table. 

The dresser came with gorgeous little handles that had been painted white in places so we just changed the white to mint and hopefully with time the paint will wear and have a cool vintage-y vibe.

Because it was an old set of drawers and I scrubbed the insides with all sorts of house-y chemicals to rid them of whatever bacteria may have been lurking we brought some delicious vanilla flavored draw inserts so now our clothes always smell super yummy.

We're trying to create a vibe in our house that represents us and as we're students this vibe has to be portable and possible to move to another flat when we eventually move and being in a flatting situation and students it is impossible for us to make dramatic, expensive changes. I think that the drawers are a good start as they feel like us, possibly helped by the amount of work that we put into them. What do you think? Do you like our ice-cream colour scheme? (oooh that rhymed!)

Lot's of Love

Audrey Megan

Cute Cards

Keeping with my new years resolution of doing more crafty projects I decided to make these cute cards to send out to all our friends and family announcing our new address. They were super easy to make and can be used for almost anything. Here's a quick guide:

1) Cut your card in half then fold in half. 

2) Measure the width of your card then cut your lace tape to this 

measurement and apply to top of card.

3) Apply your ice-cream applique to the front of your card.

Cute huh? Plus the homemade-ness is so much more personal than a hallmark.

Lots of Love

            Audrey Megan

Summer Christmas must have: How to reline a picnic basket

Tonight Jake and I are packing up a picnic basket, grabbing a blanket and making our way down to Carols By Candlelight, part of the reason iI'm so excited for this is the six dollar picnic basket that we found at thrift store. My project today was to reline the inside because the original blue checked lining is quite stained, so here's my little tutorial on relining a picnic basket:

You will need:

I'm reusing the foam padding and clear nylon to secure the fabric but if you want everything spic and span I suggest you get these also. You will also need a sewing machine with all the appropriate bits and bobs, or you can tediously hand stitch.

Step one:

Unpick the pre-exsisting lining on both sides of the basket, If your's is like mine then it'll be long strands of Nylon which are very easy to pull through. 

Step 2: 

Remove and replace or just re-adjust the existing foam padding, If you are replacing measure the length and width of the base and sides separately and record before cutting. Do this on both baskets if you are planning to reline the top smaller basket also.

Step 3:

Using the needle and nylon sew the foam to the basket using big looping stitches inside where they'll be hidden and small discreet stiches to attach it to the basket as they'll be seen from the outside if there too large.

Step 4:

Measure the length and width of the base and sides separately, recording the measurements for the material covering. Add two centimeters onto each side to allow for room. Once again for both baskets.

Step 5:

if your using lined, checkered or patterned fabrics before cutting try to ensure that everything will match up after it has been sewn.

Step 6:

Sew the fabric sides to the fabric base leaving a two centimeter gap between the stitching and the fabric edge. Iron the two centimeters left around the top down so that when the fabric is placed in the basket it is touching the basket and is not visible. This hidden part will be sewn with nylon to the basket just as the foam was, by sewing this and having is steam pressed with the iron it means that the nylon stitching will be hidden inside.

Before

After

Have fun!

Lot's of Love

                    Audrey Megan