Red, White & Blue Ribbon Wreath

I never throw ribbons away. I rescue them from the trash at holidays and birthday parties and store them by color until the right project comes along. My stash of red, white, and blue ribbons supplied all the materials I needed to make this simple, all-American wreath. I didn't even buy a wreath frame; I just shaped a wire clothes hanger into a circle.

I cut the ribbons into 6" lengths, cutting on an angle so the edges didn't fray. Anything in the color scheme was fair game, so I used solids, stripes, polka dots, and any other style of ribbon I had on hand. To decorate the wreath, I tied the ribbons onto the wire frame, creating an even mix of colors. My ribbon collection covered the wreath quite fully, but there's always room for more. I think I'll be adding to it throughout the summer.

The wreath gives a splash of patriotic color to a door or porch, but it can also be used to decorate a Fourth of July party table.

Felt Pillow Band

When warm weather comes, it's time to change your home's wardrobe. If you have a stash of summer accessories, bring them out of storage. If you prefer to take a more frugal approach, spruce up the things you already have.

A flowered band made from felt gives a boring brown pillow a whole new look. I chose a pallet of pink and green that looks summery but still works with the brown. 

To make the band, I cut two panels of pink felt slightly longer than the pillow. I used bright green and pink embroidery floss to sew on ribbon, felt leaves onto one of the panels. When the leaf design was finished, I sewed the front panel to the plain back panel, right sides facing, along the short edges. 

To complete the look, I turned the band to the right side and slipped it over the pillow. I can change it back into a plain brown pillow when summer's over or make a band for autumn in an different color scheme.

Stamped Summer Card

This summery stamped card is a great way to use up scraps of card stock. It uses just one rubber stamp (a flower design by Inkadinkado®, but any small, square stamp will work), a mix of bright papers, and blue, red, and purple inks.

 The process couldn't be easier. Just stamp a bunch of flowers on paper scraps, experimenting with different combinations of paper and ink colors. Choose your favorites and cut them out, using the frame of the design as a guide. Arrange the flowered "tiles" on the front of a blank card, spacing them evenly and creating a balance of colors. Use clear double-stick tape to fasten the tiles to the card.

Send the finished card to a friend to brighten her day. It's much prettier than a text message or an email. 

Silver Lining Sun Catcher

April showers bring May flowers, but we also need rain in June if we want our gardens to grow. This cute raindrop suncatcher is easy to make from plastic crystals, white felt, and metallic fabric--because every cloud should have a silver lining. Follow the instructions below, or click here to download a printable pattern sheet.

First, draw a simple cloud shape on paper and use it as a pattern to cut a cloud from the white and silver fabrics. Stitched the pieces together--wrong sides facing--with a running stitch worked in silver embroidery floss. Stuff the cloud with polyester fiberfill before sewing the pieces together completely. To give the cloud some texture, make a few large stitches through all the layers, tie the loose thread ends in a knot, and trim.

For the raindrops, thread silver floss through plastic drop-shaped crystals and tie them to the bottom of the cloud so they hang at different heights. Add ribbon hanging loop and display the suncatcher in window to welcome the sun or invite a rain shower.

Tip: If your silver fabric tends to fray, apply Fray Check™ or another liquid fabric sealant to the edges, following manufacturer's directions.