I saw this tutorial on
Girl.Inspired. & thought to myself, “Hey, I can do that!” So last weekend I set out to try my own fabric-flower-making skills. These trendy little rosettes are so easy to make & could be worn as a headband, a hair clip, a brooch, or even a pin on your handbag.
I purchased all of my supplies at Hobby Lobby, & hardly spent anything to make a ton of these awesome do-dads. To make these rosettes you will need:
-Felt- 25 cents per sheet
-Headbands- 2 for $1.99
-Thread- $1.99, the color doesn’t actually matter because it will be covered up, so if you already have some, you can use that)
-Clips for brooches/hair- $3.99 for a pack of 25
-Fabric- select any pattern that you like. I got a ½ yard of fabric in 5 different prints for $11.95 (everything came off the clearance rack). To be honest, I don’t think you need more than a ¼ of a yard of fabric because I have a lot of leftover fabric.
-Glue gun- I already had one of these but they do sell them at HL if you need one.
It takes very little time to make these little guys; it took me about 15 minutes for each one. So let’s get started:
1. Cut your fabric 2 inches thick from selvage edge to selvage edge. Girl.Inspired. suggested 2 ½ inches thick but I found that left me with a HUGE flower that overpowered my head. (If it was too big for my head, than I could only imagine how big it would look on my nieces- my gorgeous guinea pigs. So to me smaller is better).
2. Fold your fabric in half lengthwise, with the print on the outside, & iron. I know, I know, I didn’t mention that this project would require you to iron, but trust me it’s worth it. Your strip of fabric should be about an inch wide now. 
3. Sew a gathering stitch on the edge down the length of the fabric, pulling it tight. Now this is up to your preference: you can either sew down the FOLDED side OR the OPENED side. If you sew on the folded edge, the frayed side will be seen giving your flower a more vintage look. Alternatively, if you sew on the opened edge, the folded edge will be seen offering a more formal look. I like them both, but I think what I discovered last weekend was that I like the frayed look on solids, but not on prints with a lot of detail.
The flower on the left has a more vintage look & was sewn on the folded edge. The flower on the right is more formal, & was sewn on the opened edge.
This is a gathering stitch; it's very easy & a machine is not required.
4. Gather the fabric very tightly.
5. Starting at one end, wrap the fabric around itself tightly. As you are rolling, sparingly add drops of hot glue around the spiral.
6. Cut a small circle of felt & glue it to the middle of the bottom of the flower. Then work your way around bottom ruffle of the flower, gluing it to the felt. Now you can add a clip if you want to, or you can keep going to make a headband.
7. Cut another long thin piece of fabric (about an inch thick) & 2 smaller pieces. Glue the 2 smaller pieces of fabric on each end of the headband to cap it off. Then tightly wrap & glue (sparingly) the longer piece of fabric around the headband. Be careful with the glue, because if your finger accidentally touches the glue & then you touch the fabric without knowing, you will leave a white spot (I did this, oops!)
8. Decide where you want your flower to be position & glue it to your headband. Cut out another circle of felt & glue it to the back of the flower, sandwiching the headband in between the felt.
9. Tada!!!! That’s it! My first flower was a little on the big side, as I mentioned before, but remember you can always go back after your done to trim it shorter.
Isn't that so easy?! Have fun with this project! I can't wait to see the rosettes you make!
Meat loaf and Mac & Cheese- I apologize for not having any pictures for these two recipes, there was just too much going on & I was just trying to get food on the table before our nephew started eating his arms off. You’re familiar with these dishes so just pretend a picture is included in this post. I did get both of these recipes on the table in 45 minutes from start to finish. The mac & cheese was really creamy; I think I was the only one that didn’t like it (I still prefer my granny’s recipe). My mini meatloaves ended up looking like hamburger patties, but they still tasted & smelled like meatloaf. Everyone raved about the meatloaf sauce, which is probably the easiest sauce ever created. So if nothing else, I will use the sauce recipe again. Chicken Pizzaiola with Mozzarella & Pepperoni- This recipe certainly was the easiest & most simple recipe I have ever made for dinner. I had it on the table in about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, I don’t think speed is everything. Phil & I felt like we were eating a TV Dinner. The chicken was just..... kind of.....boring, I guess. It wasn’t a horrible flavor, we just thought it was really lacking something. In brainstorming how to make this a little more enticing, we thought maybe the chicken would be better on some French bread as a sandwich, or over some pasta, or mixed in with some spinach. 
Un-stuffed chicken breasts with dijon, ham & gruyere- This similar to chicken cordon bleu dish was fantastic. Phil asked me to make this meal again, & I definitely will. I used parsley instead of dill in the sauce, & the sauce was actually our favorite part of the recipe. 
Bistro-Style Mustard Vinaigrette- This was the spiciest salad dressing I have ever tasted! Well, I take that back, it wasn’t “spicy” as in heat; it was more like a burn (like wasabi). I think the combination of the vinegar & the mustard made this dressing almost unbearable. I followed the directions exactly, but ended up adding some water at the end to dilute the flavor a little bit. I made it, we tried it, & I dumped the leftovers down the drain. 
Italian Sausage, Pepper, & Onion Hoagies- This recipe is featured in the photo section, which is exactly the reason why I made this dish. I have a hard time imagining what recipes will look like when they are finished, so I will most likely make everything in the photo section of this book. Despite my off-the-wall reason for making these hoagies, I really liked them! I used mild Italian sausage, fresh oregano, & omitted the vinegar (after the salad dressing we were not in the mood for any more vinegar). I toasted the sub rolls right before serving, & they were simply a hit! This dish will be repeated for sure! 
Chicken & Rice with Broccoli & Cheddar- I was going to be out of the house at dinner time for several nights straight so I made this dish one night after dinner in an attempt to stock the fridge for my hubby. This was extremely fast to make with very few accompanying dirty dishes. Speed & minimal dirty dishes are just as attractive to me as taste (maybe more?). The only thing I did differently here was onion powder instead of onions. I forgot onions at the store so I used the next best thing. I will try my best to remember onions next time though. 
Alright, the dinner bell has rung. After reviewing our meals from last week I’m hungry again. Are you? What new recipes have you tried lately? Any recipe suggestions for me? Hope you’re having a great week Hawley readers!
We're so ready for Easter, can you tell? Hope y'all have a great week!
After I painted it white, I used sand paper to distress the wood. Just to give you a point of reference, in this picture, the top half is distressed & the bottom half isn’t. 
The completed ‘H’ on our mantle.
1. Sand down your birdhouse to make sure it is smooth (this is optional, but I did it). Stain the birdhouse & candle stick; I put on 2 coats of the walnut stain. (Please disregard the ‘H’- I will blog about that later) 
2. Once the stain has completely dried, attach the birdhouse to the candlestick using Gorilla Wood Glue. Now you’re ready to paint. I painted the entire pedestal & birdhouse white with 2-3 coats. Then I painted parts of the birdhouse lavender. 
3. Once the paint is dry, it is time to distress your birdhouse using the sand paper. I went over the corners pretty roughly because I figured that the edges of things get banged up more over time.
I also went against the wood grain on the roof of the birdhouse.
And that’s it! You’re done! Wasn’t that so easy? I had so much fun making this; it feels old, but it’s brand new & something I made for our home. I just love it! Here is mine on the mantle. 
Ok you’re turn, go make one & please send me pictures of yours.
Skinny Janes is the female lowfat version of Sloppy Joes. Like the new clever name I dubbed for this recipe? As much as I like the new named I gave the recipe, I think this was another one-time recipe. 
I got to use 
Skillet Penne with Sausage & Spinach was an awesome for a Friday night. We decided this tasted like pizza in a bowl; it was perfect for last Friday night. I added extra spinach, and used whole wheat noodles, & hot Italian sausage. Yum-o! 
I made the Quick White Chicken Chili late one night & tried it quickly before putting it in the fridge for lunches. It wasn’t bad but I wasn’t that impressed either. When Phil came home from work the next day the first thing he said was “that chicken stuff was great”. I went back to the fridge for a second sample & I have to say it was much better the next day. And we all know that a left-over compliment from me is BIG deal! 
Fast Oven-BBQ Chicken & 30-Minute Baked Potato- Maybe I’m a cheater (or lazy), but I have always cooked baked potatoes in the microwave. I don’t usually put them in the oven afterwards, so it was a *treat* this time because the oven gave them a nice crispy edge (which I’m sure most of you non-lazy cooks are familiar with). I had the potatoes in the microwave while I was browning the chicken & just put them in the oven when I put the chicken in the oven. We really enjoyed the BBQ sauce: it had a nice strong kick (because I forgot the maple syrup) but also a tangy after-taste. Both of these recipes were great & definitely fast. 
The only less than impressive recipe was Tortellini Soup. This dish had an extremely weird flavor; not bad, just weird. Phil asked me to never make this one again; I can’t disagree with him.
So those were last week’s dishes. If I had to chose, I would say that the fajitas & the chicken chili tied for first place. Hope you all have a great week!
