DIY: Needlepoint Key Fob

Happy Sunday everyone! Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

 

As I was browsing through the pictures on my phone today, I came across pictures of a needlepoint project I worked on a few months ago and wanted to share!

 

A while back, NMC told me he wanted a needlepoint key fob with his initials done in signal flags. I thought "Hey! If I made a needlepoint belt, I'm sure I can make a key fob!!"

 

The finished key fob. NMC in Signal Flags.

 

Supplies:

 

-Size 5 Pearl Cotton Thread in your choice of colors

-14 Count Aida Cloth

-Size 2 Tapestry Needle

-Fabric of your choice to finish back side

-D-ring

-Thread for attaching Needlepoint Canvas to Backing Fabric

-Leather

-Thread to match leather color

-Piece of leather

-Paint to match the colors you are using

-Paintbrush

-Scissors

 

Painted canvas.

Instructions:

 

1.) The first step is to figure out how big you want your key fob. Keep in mind, you will be folding your finished needlepoint canvas in half so you will want to double the length. (See Picture Below)

 

2.) Trace the shape of the key fob, and the design you want onto the canvas.

 

3.) Use paint to color in the background and design, making sure you extend the background color about 1/4" around the whole thing. If you don't, the white canvas will show through the thread, and trust me, you don't want that to happen!

 

4.) Start stitching! I like to fill in the designs first and then work on the background color. 

Completed canvas!

 

5.) After you have stitched the whole thing, cut it out, leaving about 4 rows of canvas.

 

6.) Fold over the extra and do a finishing stitch around the edge in the same color you used for your background.

 

7.) Cut out the fabric you are using as backing and sew onto your needlepoint canvas. I used a sewing machine, but just make sure to be careful, as it can easily snag your needlepoint stitches! (Tip: Use a thread color to match your needlepoint canvas and a bobbin color to match your backing.)

 



I took apart one of NMC's old leather wallets for my leather piece.



 

8.) Now you will need to cut out a piece of leather to attach your D-ring. (I used an old wallet for this). You will want a shape that looks like a rectangle with rounded ends, and it should be big enough to hold the D-ring and wrap around the needlepoint canvas as shown above.

 

9.) Fold your needlepoint canvas in half, making sure the ends match up. I put a couple of stitches through the end to hold it in place.

 

10.) Slip the D-ring over the leather, making sure the D-ring is in the center of the leather piece. Using a sturdy needle, attach the leather to the canvas. And voile! You now have your very own, handmade, needlepoint key fob!

 

Hope you all found this helpful! Let me know if you make one of these, I would love to see it!

 

Julia

 

 

 

DIY: All Natural Doggie Toothpaste

Hi guys! I hope you're all having a great week!

Today I noticed miss Sandy's breath was a little stinky and she was in need of a good old tooth brushin'!  Since we've only had her a month, I haven't gotten around to buying her a toothpaste set, and the closest store that sells them is 20 minutes away, so I started doing a little research into making your own doggie toothpaste.

It's very important to Neil and myself to keep Sandy as natural as possible. I'm not talking taking it to crazy extremes, but if I can make her something and know every ingredient that goes into it, I'm certainly choosing that option! 

Anyway, I found several different ideas, and got inspired to concoct my own version, so here it is!

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. Baking Soda

2 tsp. Water

1 tsp. Organic Coconut Oil, melted

A few drops of Peppermint or Wintergreen Essential Oil (make sure it is certified organic)

Directions:

1. Pour baking soda in small bowl.

2. Gradually add water to baking soda, stirring after each addition. (I poured 1/2 tsp. at a time. You want to use the least amount of water as possible, just enough to turn the baking soda into a paste.)

3. Add melted coconut oil and essential oil to mixture. Stir until the mixture turns into a paste. (If your mixture seems too soupy, just add a bit more baking soda.)

4. You can store the paste in a air tight container for up to 3 weeks.

The last step is to brush your pups teeth! I bought an inexpensive pack of Soft bristle tooth brushes for $1 at my local grocery store. Although I made a great tooth paste, Sandy wasn't as excited as I was to get her teeth brushed! After fighting her for 15 minutes, and getting dog slobber all over me, she was left with nice, clean, pearly white teeth. How pretty!

Let me know if you try this and how your pup likes it! Do y'all have any fun recipes you make for your pups? If so, please share!

xo Julia



A New Addition to Our Family

Hey there!

 

Life around here has been so busy, I haven't been able to find much time to sit down and blog. Now that the Holidays are over, and things have slowed down a bit, I hope I can get back into a routine blogging schedule again!

 

Back to the reason for my post!

WE GOT A DOG!

 

Meet Sandy!

 

This may not seem like a big deal to some of y'all, but Neil and I both love dogs, and we both have  wanted a Golden Retriever for as long as we can remember.

Her Story:

A few days before Christmas, I ran to the grocery store to pick up a few more things for Christmas dinner. (We had steak by the way, and it was ah-mazing!) Neil dropped me off at the door and went to find a parking spot. As I was walking in the store, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dog walking up to me. I stopped to look, and there she was. She walked right up to me and let me pet her. I felt so bad for her, someone had dropped her out and she was all alone.

After petting her for a minute, I went on into the store and she tried to follow me in. (insert melted heart here!) I went on in and got my groceries and when I came out I didn't see her, so I figured she had moved on.

When I got to the car, Neil jumped out and said "Don't freak out, but I have a dog in the car!" I looked in the back seat and there she was! I was SO excited! Apparently, Neil's cousin, Leah was at the store too and saw Sandy. While I was in the store, she and Neil asked around to see if anyone knew anything about her. Several people said that she had been dropped out, and that animal control was on the way to pick her up. After they heard that, Leah opened our car door and told Sandy to get in....and she did, without hesitation.

 

We named her Sandy for a few different reasons:

1. Because of our love fore the beach
and
2. Because out of our list of names, Sandy was the only one she would respond to!


It's funny, because my hair dresser, Theresa, volunteers for the local animal shelter and was in the area when all this happened. She heard the call on the radio for someone to come pick Sandy up, and then heard the animal control guys say he couldn't find her. Theresa said she was so glad we picked her up, because the shelter was full that day.

Several people were scared of Sandy because she had a weird bald spot on her ear, they thought she had mange or something. Turns out it was just from her scratching. She was a bit malnourished and because of that, she had developed a mild skin infection, but now it's healing nicely and is under control!

Neil and I both are so grateful to have miss Sandy in our lives! We've both said so many times that she was our Christmas blessing! She's such a joy and I honestly can't imagine life without her. She has such a sweet personality...I don't think she'll ever meet a stranger.

 

Does your pet have a neat story? I'd love to hear it!

 

xo Julia (and Sandy)