Stitched subway art???

RESTOCK the scarves 1 more time before the Holiday? Tell me your opinon 
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A fun twist on Subway Art for the Holidays that has a bit of a "handmade with love" feel and fun 3D embellishments! 

Primitive Stitched Subway Art

materials:

Subway Art printable template (get yours HERE - Christmas or Family)

Scrap piece of fabric - enough for an 8x10 frame

coordinating embroidery floss

needle

scissors

embroidery hoop

fabric marker

fusible fleece or quilter's batting 80/20 (OPTIONAL)

embellishments - buttons, rhinestones, scrap fabric, etc

step 1: Print out template. Cut background fabric just slightly larger than the glass from your frame.

step 2: (optional) Cut a piece of fusible fleece or quilter's batting the same size as your fabric. Adhere per package directions for the fleece. 

step 3: Trace the wording onto the fabric using a fabric marker (tip: I usually just trace half of the design, stitch, and trace the other half). Use a bright window or a light box as needed to trace the words.

step 4: Take your floss. To create different widths with the lettering split your thread. Try using 6 strands for thick and bold, 3 strands for a middle look and 1 or 2 for thinner less bold or thinner look. 

step 5: Position your hoop around the area you will work on. Thread your needle and tie a knot on the end.

Stitching - the HOW TO - Pick a point to start and up from the bottom side. 

Decide the length you want your stitches to be and go down through your fabric.

Come up again the same distance as the length of your stitches but AWAY from your last stitch (you will be stitching BACK to your first stitch) see photo below

Then go back down the same hole as the stitch before. Repeat around the entire letter or number. Tie off on the back when finished.

step 6: Stitch all the letters and numbers outlining bolder ones.....

and simply stitching the letters on others. Don't forget to vary the width of your thread if desired.

Step 7: embellish! Once you are finished, sew or glue on rhinestones, sequins, buttons or add a different colored or glittery thread for a 3D effect and some sparkle

Give it a quick press with a hot iron and place it in the frame without the glass and you are DONE!

 (Pssst! Here's a little secret. If you are wanting to give more than one away but don't have time to stitch all of them up, simply  create 1 and make color copies of it! The fabric and the stitching will copy beautifully still giving it that "handmade with love" look! )

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Let them be little.......kids DIY Holiday decor

Christmas time is "the most wonderful time" of the year - no matter what age you are! The lights, the colors, all the fun decor that adorns every nook and cranny of the house....and on and on.

Now if you have tiny hands around your house like I do, it can be a world of "Don't touch" and "no, no".......am I right? From Christmas tree ornaments to that expensive or sentimental nativity set, The Christmas Season can come with a lot of "Do not touch items". That's hard for curious little hands and minds.

Solution? here's one! Give them a space of their own! and what better place than their bedroom!

A string of lights, some paper, scissors and a little tape and you have more than an activity - you've got a favorite memory and/or family tradition starting!

We sat down one night and cut outpaper snowflakes. It's one of their favorite winter activities. I help roll up tape for the backs and they got to hang them any where they wanted in their room - windows, walls, doors, ceiling, etc.

Then we took a string of lights and I helped them tack it up around their room. Hanging paper snowflakes from the string of lights is a good idea too but we happened to have a bunch of inexpensive white glittery plastic snowflakes ready for hanging and opted for that route. :)

You can imagine their excitement as their rooms transformed into a festive place THEY created! Lots of giggling, squeals, jumping on beds and just good ol' kid friendly fun!

and then if you are still up for even more fun............dig out the large paper! Colored or plain paper will work. We hit a local craft store and bought some very inexpensively if you don't happen to have any one hand. Lay out the paper on the floor (hard/smooth surface) and let them draw and color whatever they want! Snowman, Christmas tree, fireplace, stockings, Santa's sleigh, reindeer, North Pole, Train, etc. Let them be creative with the colors, shapes and use of the scissors, unless of course they are too small to be cutting. Will it be perfect? nope. Will they love it? YUP!

My kids created a Christmas Tree with a fireplace for their room. Complete with a real "warm" fire (whenever the heat kicks - tee hee he). We also personalized some gingerbread men ornaments to put on their Tree. Each one symbolizing a person in our family.

(This is my daughter's personalized gingerbread man ornament. Did you notice she is wearing a Kitschy Corset Apron? ha ha ha!)

They also created a snowman complete with a belt - who knew frosty needed one! :) ! My son was so excited to have him hanging on the wall that he hugged and kissed the paper snowman and then told me, "Brrrr! Mom he has cold kisses and hugs!".............aw - just love their imagination!

So what if their room doesn't end of looking like it came straight out of a Pottery Barn kids catalog....that's OK. In a season of "don't touch" all around them, they will love having a space of their own that they created......and you will probably get the title of "Best Mom in the world" for the day :) .............Have fun!

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