Mad Men-Inspired Coasters

"Mad Men" is back--finally--for its last seven episodes (six, after last night). I've been following the adventures of Don Draper, Peggy Olson, and the rest of the characters since the first season, but I could never predict where the story was going to go each season. I have no idea what will happen in these final episodes, but I suspect that more than a few cocktails will be consumed. So for this week's blog project, I made some retro coasters as a tribute to the end of the "Mad Men" era. 

The coasters are a super-simple project. You only need mat board or very heavy cardboard, clear adhesive-backed paper, felt, and some retro images. My pictures are from an old design book from a library sale and a 1967 "McCall's" pattern catalog that belonged to my grandmother. You can use images from old magazines or printouts from the Internet.

The first step is cutting the coasters from the mat board. I simplified this process by using a coaster I already had (it's about 3½" square) as a template and tracing it onto the cardboard. Cut out a cardboard square for each coaster you're making (I made eight), and then cut out matching squares from the retro pictures. 

To attach a picture to each coaster, cut a square from the adhesive-backed paper that's about an inch larger all around than the cardboard square. Place a picture on a cardboard square, peel the backing off the adhesive paper and press it over the picture. Flip the coaster over, trim the corners of the clear paper, and fold it onto the back of the coaster. You can smooth bubbles on the front of the coaster with a small ruler.

Use tacky craft glue to attach a felt square to the back of each coaster. I placed mine between sheets of waxed paper and weighted them under heavy books so they dried flat.

I've been using my coasters for a few weeks, and they're holding up quite well. They should definitely get me through the next six weeks so I can find out what happens to Don Draper.

More Spring Crafts . . . and Happy Blog Birthday!

Today is my blog's first birthday! I can't believe I've been writing these weekly posts (and a few extras, here and there) for a year. It has been a real learning experience, and I can't wait to get started on another year of crafting and blogging.

When I first starting posting, I did very little promotion. I wanted to make sure I could come up with a project each week--and write about it--before I went "public." My strategy worked, sort of, but it also kept some of my early projects from being seen. So, to celebrate the blog's birthday, I'm re-sharing a few crafts that appeared on the blog last March and April. Just click on the link below each picture and it will take you to the original page and directions. Enjoy!

Sweet Easter Egg Ornaments

Stamped Spring Gift Tags

Garden Party Place Cards

Button-Covered Easter Egg

I've used buttons to decorate everything from ornaments to purses to pillows. So when I was trying to think of a crafty Easter egg project, I thought why not cover an egg in buttons? As you can see from the pictures here, I had quite a stash of red, aqua and purple buttons on hand. You can use any buttons you have, as long as they're flat and fairly small. If the buttons are too big, they won't fit on the curves of the egg. 

The directions for this project are pretty simple. I  just glued the buttons to the egg with craft glue.  I set the egg on a bottle caps to it them steady and glued on the buttons, working on one section of the egg at a time. Getting the buttons to fit together tightly is like putting together a puzzle, so it's good to have buttons in a variety of sizes. When the egg is dry, use it only for Easter decorating--not for Easter snacking.

A Makeover for Rechenka

Rechenka the rag doll was born some time in the 1990s. I made her for my older daughter after we watched the episode of Reading Rainbow that featured the picture book Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Polacco. It tells the story of an old Russian woman named Babushka, who creates beautiful pysanky eggs. Rechenka is the name Babushka gives to the goose that comes into her life miraculously.

I think the reading of the book and the making of the doll coincided. When I made the doll's dress out of colorful fabric I had, it reminded us of Patricia Polacco's colorful illustrations. I guess that's how the doll came to be called Rechenka. Although she was much loved for many years, the doll eventually started showing her age--her fabric was dingy and her braids had detached from her head (not a good look). Now that she's about 20 years old, I figured Rechenka deserved a makeover.

Top left : Pre-makeover Rechenka. Top right : Post-makeover Rechenka. Not drastic, but a definite improvement.

I started by giving her a bath in the washing machine on the gentle cycle. The fabric didn't come out like new, but it definitely looks fresher. After Rechenka air-dried, I performed a bit of surgery on her head. It always bothered me that loose strands of embroidery floss were visible through the fabric on the face. (I guess I was a messy stitcher back then.) I opened the side seam, snipped and removed the stray threads, and stitched Rechenka's head together again. Luckily I was able to conceal the seam when I tacked the braids back in place. To finish the makeover, I trimmed the frayed ends of the doll's hair and tied fresh ribbons around her braids and waist. 

Now Rechenka is all ready for Easter! I'm sure my daughter, who's now 24, will be happy to see that I finally got around to repairing her doll.