DIY Buffalo Check Napkin Rings

Welcome to the September Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop hosted by Erlene @ My Pinterventures.  If you aren't familiar with the Pinterest Challenge, it's a monthly event that challenges us to not just be pin hoarders, but to make it happen! 

There're some trends in home decor that never go out of style and buffalo check is one of them! It's been around forever and keeps on re-inventing itself over and over. Today, it's used mostly as accents - especially in decorative accessories. You can find lots of craft items on Pinterest using buffalo check.

And the best part, you can find ideas to mix it up with whatever suits you! Like these buffalo check flowers (made out of faux leather) and crystal clear napkin rings - Casual + Glam = Classic! 

There're not too many buffalo check napkin rings showing on Pinterest and most of them are quite plain! That's why I was eager to create my own design. And my napkin rings are right at home with the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday decor, too! And oh, don't let my using red & black fool you - buffalo check can be found in almost any color, including purple! Stay tuned for that!

Materials:
Faux Leather Buffalo Check Ribbon Fabric
Flower Template/scissors/pencil
Parchment paper/iron/fluffy pillow/round end handle
Super glue or quick grab multi-purpose permanent glue
Clear acrylic napkin rings

Instructions:
Let's start with a roll of buffalo check faux leather ribbon that I found at Hobby Lobby. It's a nice and wide, 24"x 8" roll! Just enough to make four napkin rings.

Next, find a free, flower template you like online, then copy in word. Make a slightly smaller version while in Word and print and cut-out the two sizes.  Next, trace the two patterns on the back of the faux leather .  .  . 

and cut out.

Then, place each of the faux leather flowers between two layers of parchment paper and heat with a medium heat iron for a few seconds to warm up the material. Quickly place the paper and flower on top of a fluffy pillow and use the round handle end to twist down on the faux leather flower to give it curvature, depth and dimension.  

 Also, while the material is still warm and pliable, pinch and twist the tips of the flower to   help shape the petals. 

To make the center, cut a 1/2" strip of faux leather six inches long. 

  Run a bead of glue along the wrong side edge and fold lengthwise in half, sealing edges together. Cut small slits on folded edge along the entire six inch length. Place a dab of glue on one end and begin rolling tightly together. Continue adding dabs of glue while rolling until reaching the end. Add dab of glue at end to seal and secure. Then fluff out the tiny slits.

To assemble the flower, glue the two flower petals together at the center, staggering between petals. Be sure to use either super glue or a quick grab permanent glue to seal. Hot glue will not hold faux leather together! Ask me how I know? I tried it!

Add glue to the decorative piece and apply to center. Let dry.

Measure and cut a strip of faux leather to fit around the center of the acrylic napkin ring. Apply glue to edge and along the middle of the strip.

Wrap fabric around napkin ring, smoothing out and sealing with glue when reaching opposite end.

Glue flower to center of napkin ring where fabric strip ends meet.

How cute is this!

Repeat steps to finish three more napkin rings.

Enjoy using these adorable buffalo check napkin rings in your fall and holiday tablesettings!

 I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This post also contains affiliate links.  I may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra.  The affiliate money I earn per month helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

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Let's meet this month's Pinterest Challenge hosts!

My Pinterventures •  Eye Love Knots

Faeries and Fauna  • Across the Boulevard

Suzerspace  •  Purple Hues and Me
My Family Thyme • Mom Home Guide

Love My Little Cottage • Our Unschooling Journey

Intelligent Domestications •  Our Crafty Mom

Sum of their Stories  •  Farm Girl Reformed
Stone Cottage Adventures •  This Autoimmune Life

Sew Crafty Crochet  •  Domestic Deadline

Cookies Coffee and Crafts •  My Sweet Things

To join next month's #pinterestchallenge, click here to sign-up ⇒ October Pinterest Challenge

 Now, let's see what the other hosts have created ⇓⇓

An InLinkz Link-up

No Sew Lined Denim Bag

I recently made a denim bowl out of hubby's jeans and had lots of fabric scraps left over. The left over denim fabric was perfect to make a small shoulder bag for our Craft Room De-Stash Challenge. Who doesn't love using up scraps to make a project!

And I had everything else I used to make it in my stash, too!

And it's not just any denim bag, either! But a no-sew lined denim bag with an outside pocket!

Materials:

Denim Scraps

Scissors/Ruler/Clips/Pliers

Fat Quarter Fabric 18"x 22"

Fabri-Tac Glue

Metal or D-rings

Magnetic Snap
Lanyard clips

Instructions:

Measure and cut out an area around one of the jeans back pockets large enough for a small bag. (9" x 9 1/2")

Then line up that piece with part of the pant's leg to cut out for the back.

Next, place both pieces separately on the fat quarter material, edge to edge. 

Run a generous amount of Fabri-Tac fabric glue along the tops of both pieces and seal together.

While the glue is drying, cut off two denim belt loops, smoothing them out .  .  .

then pushing the fabric loop through metal rings, folding over and gluing ends together, in place.

Spread the fabric and denim out, right sides up and glue loops down along edges at top denim side and clip in place until glue dries.

Then place right sides together, and run a generous amount of fabric glue 1/4" around the edges, leaving an opening to turn the fabric inside out. Be sure to smooth-out all of the glued edges and let dry.

Turn the piece inside out once the glue is no longer tacky and is completely dry. Then close the opening used for turning with additional glue and let dry.

Straighten seams and corners of the bag and check for any areas that might need additional glue.

Attach a magnetic snap for closing by inserting prongs into lining fabric and then closing prongs with pliers

I had a couple of old neck lanyards that I removed the end clip-ons and attached them to a cut off pants seam for the shoulder strap for a cool look!

Just perfect to carry an iphone, keys and wallet!

"What crafty creations could you make today from YOUR craft stash?

Every month a group of bloggers are challenged by C'mon Get Crafty to create a new craft or project from their own stash of goodies! Everyone is allowed a $10 allowance for necessities to complete their project, but the bulk of it must be created from their own stash of goodies. 

#CraftRoomDestashChallenge

 #CraftRoomDestashChallenge"! #CraftRoomDestashChallenge"]

If you'd like to join in the Craft Room De-Stash Challenge, you can request to join our Facebook group here!

Every month a group of bloggers are challenged by C'mon Get Crafty to create a new craft or project from their own stash of goodies! Everyone is allowed a $10 allowance for necessities to complete their project (i.e. paint brushes, glue, etc), but the bulk of it must be created from their own stash of goodies.

Let's meet this month's bloggers!!

C'mon Get Crafty | Purple Hues and Me | Stone Cottage Adventures

Domestic Deadline | Across the Blvd

This Autoimmune Life | Modern on Monticello

Elle Marie Home | Sew Crafty Crochet

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

DIY Ribbons and Bows Pumpkin

Looking for a unique way to decorate your pumpkins? I'm over on Bowdabrablog today showing you how to give them a sassy fall look using ribbons and bows! It's a fabulous and adorable way to decorate your pumpkins!   And the perfect accent piece for your fall holiday decor. Plus, you won't believe how easy it is to create the look! So please stop by Bowdabrablog and check out my latest tutorial!

Thanks for stopping by
 Bowdabrablog,

Happy Fall Crafting with Bows!

DIY Denim Bowl - Upcycle Challenge Material

Hey everybody! It's the 2nd Monday of the month and time for another Monthly Challenge Blog Hop! I've joined a group of creative bloggers to bring you this monthly challenge blog hop!  

The theme for September is to create an upcycled project that is made from Fabric.

Upcycling fabric into something different or unique is the way to go these days. Imagine creating something very elaborate or something quite simple from old clothes and household goods like curtains, tablecloths, blankets and just about anything made of fabric! 

Denim is probably the most popular fabric to upcycle! You can find upcycle items made out of denim everywhere! Almost everyone has some type of old jeans in their wardrobe - except me! Lol! Until stretch jeans came out, I was never a jeans wearing person. They had no give and was always grabbing me in the wrong places and I never felt comfortable wearing them. However, the hubs loves them and since he has recently lost weight, has a few pair of jeans for me to cut up - I mean, to make projects out of! Yay!

So for this project, start with the legs, cutting off the hem, side seams, and the hip area! *And don't forget to save these pieces to make more upcycle projects! Then open and smooth out the fabric on your work surface.

Next, using a ruler or yard stick, mark off 1/2" points to make denim strips.

Begin cutting 1/2" strips, folding up the strips to size and cut. After awhile, and getting impatient with having to cut so many strips, I starting eyeballing the 1/2" width to cut out. That's the quickest way there is for cutting them out at this point!

 I cut out a total of fifty-one, 32" long strips of denim from one wide leg. That gave me 17 groups of 3 to braid.

To braid, take three denim strips and lay them on top of each other with the wrong side up. Tape down the strips to a flat surface to hold in place.  Separate the three strips, crossing the left strip over the middle strip, then cross the right strip over the new middle strip, making sure the right side of the denim is showing. Now listen to some music or a tv show to braid lots and lots of denim strips!

When you need to lengthen the strips, here's the most "popular" way to do it: by lining up a new strip on the bottom of the old strip and fold over. 

 Then make a slit at the fold creating a hole in both pieces. 

Thread the bottom strip through the top and bottom slits and pull, laying the connection flat.  

Repeat the same steps for the other two strips to lengthen, and continue braiding for one continuous long denim strip. I must admit that after connecting a few strips this way, I got impatient and starting gluing the ends together with fabric glue. That works, too, and a whole lot quicker!

To begin making the denim bowl, add a dab of hot glue to the center of an upside down glass bowl and press one end of the denim strip down on top. Start coiling the strip tightly in a circle as you add hot glue along the edges of the denim fabric, making sure to keep the strips flat as you glue. Try not to get the glue on the glass - but if you do, it will come off easily when removing the completed bowl.

Continue adding glue to the edges of the denim strips and coiling it flat around the glass .  .  .

until reaching the desired size.  Then cut off the excess denim strip at an angle and blend into the coiled denim fabric, sealing close with hot glue. 

 Gently remove the bowl from the glass by running your fingers inside between the glass and denim bowl, un-sticking any hot glue spots and pulling the denim bowl off.

I love how this upcycle denim bowl turned out  .  .  .

perfect to hold just about anything!

Now meet this month's hosts to see their creations!

Across the Blvd | Purple Hues and Me

Stone Cottage Adventures | This Autoimmune Life

Sew Crafty Crochet | Cookies, Coffee, and Crafts

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter