Friday, October 14, 2011

fall decor

though i prefer 'autumn' i usually say fall, it's faster.  and it was so much faster for this project!  i love burlap, glitter, and banners.  so i incorporated the three for a little fall decor:


i've also been obsessed with freezer paper painting, so i used that technique to get the letters on the burlap. here are the steps i used -- if you haven't tried to freezer paper paint, you must!  it's super easy with fantastic results!


  • first, create your stencil.  i used my silhouette to cut out the font i wanted onto the shiny side of the freezer paper (if you use the silhouette, the shiny side cuts better, but you need to flip the image horizontally).  you could also print the letters on the flat side of the freezer paper, then cut out all the letter keeping the border intact.  you want to create a stencil.  
  • next, iron the freezer paper shiny side down onto your fabric, with the letter or image void and paintable.  
  • paint!  the paper makes a great seal, even on the bumpy burlap :).  i used a metallic gold, then matte brown.  after the paint dried a little, i added glitter to match the pumpkins.  
  • i peel off the freezer paper when the paint is almost dry.  i've waited until the paint is completely dry before and it's worked sometimes, but other times the paint lines aren't as crisp.  
  • wait for paint to dry completely, then iron to set (though i'm not sure how necessary this step is, i do it just to be on the safe side).  

i was going to hang the letters on twine with clothespins, but decided to use them to set the letters on our mantel instead.  it's a nice addition to our fall mantel!

some other freezer paper projects:
baby shower activity here and here
more onesies here
pillows here

i just completed another project (this post was 'scheduled' but i wanted to add these pics)!  holiday onesies for one of pete's friend's baby:
can you see the freezer paper?  it's there, ready for painting
also, have you seen martha's new paint?!?!
you can paint on anything - fabric, metal, wood - and it works super well!

DO IT NOW!

2 comments:

Leslie said...

Gooble!! It's cute because babies goo-goo a lot, right? Great work with all the fun fall activities and using that machine (sooo worthwhile purchase)! Unrelated, have you seen those J-lo Fiat commercials? Ugh.

courtney said...

your display is beautiful! can you please come and show me how to use glue and stencils and whatever it is you do so effortlessly?