Leafy Runner for Fall

I love this fall table runner, made from an old sheet and stamped with leaves from my yard. The colors are beautiful and it's just the thing to spruce up the dining table or the buffet this fall.

To get the effect, I collected leaves from the yard and lightly brushed them with paint. Though I chose colors traditional to fall, it would be lovely in any colors you like.

Once the leaf was painted, I placed it (paint side down) onto the sheet material I had sized for the purpose. I placed a napkin over the top of the leaf and then used my rolling pin to imprint the leaf on the fabric. Rolling over the leaf only a couple of times is enough to leave a detailed imprint.

Experiment with the amount of paint you brush on the leaves as well as the pressure with which your press your rolling pin.

As you might be able to see, my fabric was folded length wise into a long rectangle. When the paint was dry and I was ready to sew, I simply folded it length wise with right sides together and sewed up the raw edges (no pictures for these steps, sorry). I then turned it right side out and ironed it flat into its long rectangle shape. I decided to top stitch each side so that it would lay nice and flat.

In order to close the ends (which were still raw at this point), I decided to use a small piece of fabric which I folded and ironed to be the width of the runner. You can see below how I prepared the small piece and then attached it to either end of the runner.

With all the edges sealed up and hemmed, it was time to choose its home.

It's such a nice and easy way to bring your outdoor leaves inside.

Painted Easter Eggs

I bought some wooden easter eggs during a sale at Joann Fabric's online site. Of course, this sale occurred after easter, so my eggs will be waiting almost a year to be displayed in our house. We don't even really do easter. I never had an easter basket as a kid, never did the easter dress thing, never did the egg hunt... And, to be honest, I'll never desire participation in most of the traditional easter rituals. So, this is one of the holidays for which I have the fewest decorations.

I love spring, though. And I love a pile of brightly painted eggs. So, I painted me some.

And I used some varnish to seal them afterward.

I used a glue gun to lay down circle stands where the eggs could sit as they dried. This worked moderately well. The glue circles should be sized appropriately to your egg size. And taller than mine were to truly hold the egg. They did work. But I'd more carefully plan their measurements next time.

I do love my eggs, though. Bright and cheery and springy. Just what they should be.