Thanksgiving Subway Art-FREE printable!!

My teacher word art was so popular a few months ago, I thought I'd make a fun Thanksgiving one!  Best part:  this one isn't personalized so you don't have to "order" it!  Feel free to click on the image (to make it larger), right-click on your mouse, and save it to your computer!  It should print nicely on an 8.5"x11" piece of paper or cardstock.  Just remember:  FREE means for personal use only; not for mass-redistribution or monetary gain.

However, if you choose to download it, leave a comment because if there's loads of interest, I'll do one for Christmas too.  :)

Nut Wreath

I have recently discovered my love for wreaths

and love the nut wreath featured in the last years

November issue of Martha Stewart Living.

So here is mine.

I made mine with a 12" wood wreath form

1 bag of walnuts

1/2 bag of pecans

1/2 bag of hazelnuts

lots of hot glue

ribbon

It was super easy and very fall-ish!

Another easy fall decorating tip:

fill vases or apothecary jars with pine cones

Easy and festive!

Hurry and get these done,

only 2 more weeks until Thanksgiving!

Thankful Wall

Since I was a little girl, we have had a tradition in my family to have a "Thankful Wall" during Thanksgiving. This is this year's version that I created!

Usually the Thankful Wall consists of a large sheet from a big roll of poster paper stapled to the wall. 

We leave it up from the beginning of November throughout the Thanksgiving holiday and we all get to write down the things that we can think of that we are thankful for. It has been such a fun tradition, and I look forward to the Thankful Wall every year. I even had one with my roommates when I was single and in college. It's especially fun to have if you are the one hosting Thanksgiving Dinner so that all the guests can write down what they are thankful for. It definitely helps keep the meaning of Thanksgiving on your mind.

This year, I had decided to put a little more into our Thankful Wall. I have had this huge frame that I got at a thrift store for like $2 that has been hanging around my house. 

It's an odd size, so I haven't been able to find any canvases to paint or prints to put in it. So I decided to do the DIY chalkboard from our earlier post by Kristin, found HERE, and make a Thankful Wall that we can use year after year. 

I spray painted the frame white, used some chalkboard paint on a masonite board we cut for the inside (and by saying "we" I mean my amazing husband), and I cut out some white vinyl on my cricut for the "I am thankful for" part. I found some perfect little cornucopia shaped baskets that I added some ribbons to and nailed them to the frame to use to hold the chalk too!

I let my little boy write what he was thankful for on there too, because he was just begging to use the chalk on the chalkboard when I put it up. I think I see a tree in there somewhere...it's fun to interpret.

Some of you may notice the "bloating" listed as what someone was thankful for in the last picture. I had originally wrote boating, but my husband came home and asked me why I wrote bloating down on the Thankful Wall. Obviously he just didn't see it right, but after noticing that, he decided to put an "l" in there anyway, and I just left it there. It seems like every year there is a little joke with the Thankful Wall. It's part of the fun!

Some great ideas for variations that viewers have given me are:

• use a framed dry-erase board
• if you have the glass for your frame, you can leave it in there and use dry-erase markers, and even do a cute background behind your glass
• leave the board up all year long, with or without the vinyl

So now you know how to start your own Thankful Wall, if you haven't already! It will be a tradition you look forward to every year that helps keep the meaning of Thanksgiving alive.

***Since I posted this, my husband has added "Power Tools" to the Thankful Wall. I just had to write next to it, "...and that I benefit from the power tools too!" because he is always busy helping me with some new crafty project that requires power tools. So I've also added, "my husband" to the wall. I couldn't have asked for a better one! Oh the list keeps getting bigger and bigger. There are just so many things to be thankful for!

What are you thankful for?

This project was Jen's Pick at the CSI Project

Linked up with:

The CSI Project

Today's Creative Blog

C.R.A.F.T.

Be Colorful

Blue Cricket Design

Free Halloween/Fall/Thanksgiving Buttons

So, I was thinking I had one more week till Creative Freedom Week but had already made these Halloween buttons under my topic of blogging out of the shear excitement that Halloween is so close. So I still have to post them before they expire! Snag them before Halloween is over! And I did sneak in a Thanksgiving one for those of you that are thinking ahead. More Thanksgiving ones are coming soon... 

Click HERE for more Halloween buttons, as well as instructions, if you need them, on how to install them onto your own blog.

And if you have any requests for sayings for future button freebies, for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc., don't be shy! Leave a comment and I might just make a personalized one to fit your request! I'm gonna make the free buttons either way! You might as well get a personalized one out of it!



<center><a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx186/thisandthatcreative/batHalloween.png" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx186/thisandthatcreative/happyHalloween.png" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx186/thisandthatcreative/leafAComment.jpg" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx186/thisandthatcreative/thanksButton2.png" /></a></center>

Linking up with:

Fall Pumpkin Craft

This cute little guy has made me extremely excited for the leaves to start changing!
First, I started off with orange felt (any fabric would do really; I just like the look of the felt). I traced the pumpkin sections like so and cut them out. If you want a fat pumpkin, make them wider.

I ended up with five sections. I wanted the pumpkin face to be on one of the sections rather than split onto two, and I wanted him to be fat, so mine are wide. If you make them thinner, you will need more sections.

I stitched the sections together along the edge, and then I stuffed the little guy. I was planning to hand stitch the remaining sides together, but I'll let you in on a little secret.... I just hot glued it instead. It works for crafts that never really get washed.

I took a square green piece for the stem. I stitched it together, turned it inside out.

Then I gathered it at the top and glued it together. Then I glued the stem in place.

I wanted to add the curly thingy (technical, I know), so I took my felt and cut in a spiral. I just continued cutting to the very center.

I didn't like the way the sides poked out, so I put some hot glue and gathered them in like so.

Lastly, I just toll painted his little face on. Now, I just need to make him a buddy, and they will sit on my table on top of my fall table runner.

I like this project because it's nice and simple. Happy fall!

Fall Table Decor

Welcome to Sewing Day on This and That. Each week I will present a project that can be completed in under an hour because I know an hour is plenty to sacrifice when you have many other things to do.

With it being the 1st of September, I decided the time for fall decorations has arrived! I wanted to add a festive touch to my table, so I pulled out my fabric supply and got to work.

I started with some cheap, plain broadcloth... I cut it in half and stitched around the outside leaving an opening for flipping the fabric right side out.

Next, I decided to use this pretty red fabric for a boarder. I cut it into 3 inch wide strips (if you want a wider boarder, just make wider strips). I then folded it in half and ironed...

Then, open the fabric and fold each side to the middle and iron again. (You can buy this already complete from the store, but it's a lot cheaper to make your own.)

Next, using a zig-zag stitch on my machine, I attached the boarder to the center. I used this technique to finish the corners. A mitered edge looks better, but I wasn't sure I could complete it in an hour.

In order to make it fall decor, I decided to add some leaves to the top. I drew the leaves on various scraps freehand.

I attached the leaves to the top with wonder under aka iron-on adhesive. I didn't get pictures of this part, but just follow the directions on the package.

And here is the finished product. It's a simple little addition to our table. I'm thinking of making Christmas decorations to add to the back, then I can just flip it when winter is here.

I love the way it turned out.

Stay tuned for next week when I make some pumpkins to put in the center of the table on top of the table runner.