31 Days to Unleashing Your Creativity :: Day 1

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Jen

Welcome to 31 days to unleashing your creativity. Are you ready to join me on this adventure of realizing that you DO have the time and talent to create beautiful projects just like you see on Pinterest and around the web?

If this is your first time visiting Lovely Messes, welcome! If you are a return visitor welcome back. I’m so happy to be your guide on this trip and I want to welcome you to Lovely Messes. My name is Jen, if you would like to know more about me pop on over here.

Today I just want to get you energized and excited about this month! Throughout this series I am going to encourage you, inspire you, and prompt you to take action to be the creative person you want to be but might feel like you don’t have time for.

I used to believe that I did not have the time, energy, or money to make my house beautiful or create DIY projects. But I have realized over the past year that making pretty things, some which help me stay organized, others that are fun to give as gifts, and others just because they are pretty, helps me stay balanced as a mom and even just as a busy woman in this time centric society we live in.

If you are one of those women who loves to look at all of the amazing projects but hasn’t tried one yet or would like to find time to make more you are in the right place for this month of October.

In the next post we will get started with some practical tips for finding time for yourself. In the meantime, check out my Words Inspire board on Pinterest. You can’t help but get ramped up when reading them. My personal favorite for the series is below.

Prints can be found by karimachal on Etsy

I will be adding a link for each new day’s post at the top of this one, so always come back here if you get lost.

Woohoo, I’m so excited and I hope you are too!

Find the other 31 dayers right here.

Follow my RSS feed so you don’t miss a single post from the series.

31 Days Series

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Jen

Every October for the past few years I have been following some amazing bloggers through a 31 day series about all kinds of awesome topics. The Nester hosts it and I am so excited to be joining in this year.

I have finally come up with a name for my series!

If you want to be encouraged to step out of your comfort zone, start making time for creativity, or even just to realize your creative potential please join me every day in October for tips and inspiration to unleash your creativity!

It Could Be Free

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Jen

The library.

As homeschoolers it is a fantastic resource, as a mom it is becoming the bane of my existence.

All because of late fees.

The kids so easily lose books, but that is not the only problem. Why is it so hard for me to return the books on time?

This looks like a fun solution.

Library Book Box by See Rebecca Sew

We already have a library book basket, the problem is that the kids take one out to read and don’t return it to the spot.

Maybe this would work?

Classroom Organization by Teaching is a Work of Heart

I’m sure someone out there has the perfect solution and I just haven’t found it yet. If you are that person please clue me in to save my sanity.

Can anyone else relate to this? Please tell me I’m not the only one!

Free Halloween Printables

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Jen

There are so many cute printables around this year. I love using them for small gifts or just to send a greeting!

Here are two printable Halloween cards to send a spooky greeting to your friends and family. Not too many people expect Halloween mail so surprise someone special with some fun mail this year.

Click on the link below to download your free cards. Feel free to pass along the link to this blog post so your friends can download some cards too.

Printable Halloween Cards

Which card do you like the best?

For more fun Halloween projects check out the spiderweb tutorial, yarn wrapped pumpkin project, and the diy Halloween silhouette plates!

Happy Halloween!

I’m linking up to Tatertots and Jello, DIY Showoff, One Creative Mommy, and Itsy Bitsy Paper Blog this week!

Yarn Wrapped Pumpkin Tutorial

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Jen

Pumpkins are the perfect sign of fall aren’t they? I love how there are so many different ways to make pumpkins. I’m amazed at the creativity I’ve seen this year around the blog world! And the pumpkin recipes all sound so delicious. I’ve already made a pumpkin pie and had pumpkin cream cheese bars at a friends house, both fantastic!

Today I’m going to show you how to make a yarn wrapped pumpkin.

Supplies:

orange yarn
twine
green and brown felt
sturdy fabric or batting
polyfil stuffing
hot glue

Let’s get started shall we?

For my pumpkin I used an extra piece of batting I had lying around, but you can use any sturdy fabric you may have. Cut your fabric into a square, size is up to you. The larger the square the larger the pumpkin. Mine was about 12×12.

Fill the middle of your fabric with a mound of polyfil. Grab the edges of your fabric and wrap up the polyfil so you have a stem-like bunch of fabric on top, tie with a piece of twine or yarn.

Now let’s make it look like a pumpkin. Tie the end of your yarn around your stem.

Start wrapping up your pumpkin.

It looks a little funky at first, but keep wrapping. Make sure you are filling in areas on all sides. Fill it in as much as you like and when you feel you have wrapped it enough hot glue your end near the stem. At the same time hot glue an end of your twine to start wrapping the stem.

Cut a leaf shape out of your green felt, we are going to slip it in while we wrap the stem.

Wrap your twine around about 5 times and then hold your leaf in place while you wrap more twine around your leaf tip. Once your leaf is secure fold it down out of the way and wrap your twine all the way to the top.

With a tiny circle of brown felt, cover the top of your stem.

Use your pumpkin to add some autumn flavor to a part of your house. Here’s mine making it’s home with my favorite lamp, the blue and orange together are lovely!

Will you try a yarn wrapped pumpkin this year? I would love to see it!

Today I’m linking up to Tatertots & Jello, Itsy Bitsy Paper Blog, ADD Housewife, Happy Tree Life, and It’s So Very Cheri.