Easy Pottery Barn Inspired Music Candles...and More!

I’ve been playing with my sheet music…can you tell? lol I have been inspired by all of the wonderfully creative things I have been seeing here in Blogland, so I thought I’d try my hand!

First on my list of things to try were these wonderful Pottery Barn music candles! I really love the vintage look, but at $16 and $29, they are just out of my price range! Soooo…

… I took some vintage sheet music, found at Goodwill for about $1.00 for a whole book, and some cream pillar candles from Michaels…bought with a coupon, of course, and went to work! Only one problem…a nonflammable way to attach the sheet music! I was Googling around for an idea when I came across the solution…Mod Podge! Why, of course! Our friend Manuela at The Pleasures of Homemaking had told us about that a while back! (Click here to see her post!) I simply cut the music to fit, brushed Mod Podge on both sides and attached it! I like the glossy-finished variety. Then I finished with two more coats of it and…

…here is the result! What do you think? The candles should tunnel burn…down the  middle…but I think I will wait until closer to Christmas to try that! For now, they will just look pretty! And they were so inexpensive to make, coming in at about $2.00 each! Woo hoo!

Then I was looking at all of the little sheet music scraps when an idea was born…sheet music ornaments! I had bought a plastic sleeve of 4 ornaments for $1.00 at Target and decided to try covering those since the little hanger was already built in. I cut the music into small pieces, notching it in about half way in 3 or 4 places so that it would fit the curve of the sphere a little better. Once again, I applied Mod Podge…my new BFF!…on both sides and two final coats of it at the end. I added a bow on top and…

…voilà! And since I already had the supplies I needed, these were just 25 cents each for the ornaments! Love it!

And finally, you know I had to try making a sheet music wreath! I have seen so many pretty ones! I will say that it was a lot of tedious work, but fortunately, I was aided by my lovely assistant, Miss Isabella! And I will give you a big hint…unless you have a large space and want to create the wreath that ate Manhattan, cut the sheets of music in half! I know because I wound up making two of them to get one to fit my little house! My first one was about 25 inches wide with a hole in the center…I won’t even show it to you! lol

And this one is about 18 inches with a closed center. I am really pleased with the results this time! I finished it off with several layers of smaller cones. Click here for an excellent tutorial from {Primp}.

And there you have it…fun with sheet music! These really could be used any time of year, however, I am planning to incorporate them into my Christmas decor. I’ll be showing you some of that next time!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my projects!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Roeshel at The DIY Showoff for the DIY Project Parade
Kate at Centsational Girl for the Christmas Craft Link Party
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Before and After Party on Wednesdays
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Artie at Color Outside the Lines for Vignette Fridays
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Linda at A la Carte for Junkin' Finds on Fridays
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Layla at The Lettered Cottage for A Few of My Favorite Tutorials 2010
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Christmas Open House: Great Ideas to Steal...er...Borrow!

If you know me, you know I am a big fat copy cat! lol So when my friend Linda at Nina’s Nest and I found out that our favorite antique/flea market, the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta, Georgia,  was having their Christmas open house, we headed out in search of inspiration…and we found it! First, this wonderful vignette of frenchiness greeted us when we walked in the door! I want that mirror!

Be still my heart! An entire smorgasbord of inspiration in gray, silver and white with pops of natural greenery…breathtaking!  I am seeing a lot of silver so far this year!

Look at this fabulous hutch! It makes me want to paint all of my furniture gray! It was filled with a marvelous assortment of wonderful old silverplate…one of my favorite things! I love the flocked garland with the gray ribbon intertwined!

And here’s the matching wreath! Have you ever thought of gray as a Christmas color? So unusual!

I love this little vignette with silverplate mixed with mercury glass and that gorgeous little snow bird!

I don’t think I can breathe! Have you ever seen so many pieces of beautiful mercury glass?

Some of the pieces were absolutely translucent! Even the Christmas trees were filled with mercury glass ornaments! I love that acorn! I have seen acorns as Christmas ornaments at several stores. I could stand here and drool all day, but we need to check out the rest of the store!

More inspiration…sheet music wreaths…even one in the shape of angel wings…gorgeous! And do you see the one made from old maps? How unique!

More fun with sheet music…ornaments galore, even from old books! And I love that tree…sitting in a champagne bucket with flatware ornaments and a sheet music garland!

And now an assortment of interesting things to do with corks!  My favorite is the wreath in the upper right…corks affixed to a grapevine wreath.  And what a simple yet elegant idea to put them in a silver dish waiting to be served up!

Look at this cute Parisian tree…all black and white! I love the lampshade tree topper…great idea!

This is the first time I have seen these…windswept silver trees! I love the way they are mixed in with aqua…another unusual color combination for Christmas!

How fun…silver dollar plant (lunaria) spray painted silver and used in a wreath! Funny…my mom actually did this when I was little! She must have been ahead of her time! lol

Another fun display…silver ornaments in a muffin tin!  

Oh, my little wheels are spinning! Moss ribbon! I can see is wrapped around all sorts of Styrofoam forms! I actually found it online here…$7.50 for 6 1/2 feet of it. Hmmm…would the staff eat that?

Are you seeing a pattern here? I seem to be attracted to silver this year! And what have I decided to copy? Here’s the easiest thing to do…run right over to Walmart and buy these silver mercury glass acorns…$2.00 each! No kidding! They also have them in white and turquoise, too!

Finally, I decided to try my hand at making the little snow bird, using a  $1.00 Dollar Tree birdie. First, I spray painted it cream since I am using it rather than white this Christmas, then gave it a good coat of Mod Podge followed by a sprinkling of white glitter…

…and voilà!  Not bad for $1.00! Now you will have to excuse me…I am pulling out my supply of sheet music and corks to get to work! lol More later!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my inspiration!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Artie at Color Outside the Lines for Vignette Fridays
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
See you next time! A la prochaine!

My Thanksgiving Table...Cream With Natural Elements

I have been playing with some ideas for my Thanksgiving table for several weeks now and I think I have finally found one that I really like! It combines drop cloth, burlap, family heirlooms and Goodwill finds...an unusual combination, I admit! Let me show it to you...

…since our co-host Baby Kitty is preoccupied at the moment…watching the fall leaves blow around in the backyard. It’s his favorite thing to do this time of year and has been since he was a just a little guy! lol

At the center of it all...literally...is my grandmother's dough bowl filled with pillar candles tied with raffia and mini pumpkins on a bed of dried pinto beans! (Ooooh...sounds like a new vegetarian dish!) I thought a little pop of orange was needed with the creams and naturals on the table. It’s a variation of a centerpiece I did last year with white pumpkins. (Click here to see last year's before version!)

On either side of the dough bowl are my Pottery Barn inspired hurricanes. I love their subtle addition of  fall color and texture! (Click here to find out how to make them...so easy!)

How do you like my tablecloth? It's a $5.00 drop cloth from Home Depot! lol They come two in a pack for under $10...already hemmed! I just washed it with a little bleach, popped it in the dryer and then pressed it with a steam iron and...voilà!  It is topped with my ruffled burlap table runner that I showed you several weeks ago! (If you would like directions for making one, click here.)

The plates were a $10 Goodwill find...a service for four of Chris Madden Felice. I added a few pieces of my Wedgwood Queensware Plain to complete the setting. The embroidered napkins were $1.00 for four in the clearance aisle at Home Goods.

I love the chunkiness and the scrolled details of the plates! They really glow in the candlelight, don't you think?

Here's a better look at the burlap and drop cloth...more texture! The flatware is my mom's Towle Silver Flutes...I like the simple lines. There is nothing like the wonderful patina of old silver!

I am using my Irish crystal iced tea goblets along with some wine glasses I found at Goodwill. I like mixing it up a little...can you tell? lol

I also mixed in a few odds and ends. This is one of my favorite GW finds...a silverplate roll-top butter dish! I had let one get away and was determined to grab the next one I found. It was only $6.00!

Here's a final look at my table. I really like the combination of the rough textures and simple fabrics with  the polished silver and sparkling crystal. I think it is simple and elegant without being too fussy.
Now all we need is our Thanksgiving dinner...turkey with herbes de Provence, dressing with giblet gravy, wild rice, congealed cranberry salad, broccoli casserole, sweet potato soufflé with brown sugar pecan topping, baby lima beans, green bean casserole and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert! It's the same every year, but my brother-in-law says that we have perfected it, so why change? lol
What do you think? Have you already planned your table?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my project!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Before and After Party on Wednesdays
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursdays
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Artie at Color Outside the Lines for Vignette Fridays
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Linda at A la Carte for Junkin' Finds on Fridays
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Make Your Own Ruffled Burlap Table Runner!

I recently showed you my ruffled burlap table runner that I made for my Thanksgiving table and also offered one in my blogaversary giveaway. Since I had several requests for directions for making one, I decided to do a tutorial. Even if you are accomplished at sewing, maybe the way I calculated my measurements will be helpful. That’s always the hardest part for me! Sooo…here goes…



This diagram is based on the usual 48 inch width of burlap. First, measure the length of your tabletop and add 14 inches. The extra 14 inches is to allow for overhang on each end of the table. You will use this measurement to calculate how much burlap to purchase. It’s good to buy extra, since burlap is sometimes not straight on the bolt. For my 68 inch table, I bought 2 1/2 yards and that was more than enough. The fold may not be at the center of the fabric, but unless it’s way off, that won’t matter. If it is, you will have to center it and press it.

• First, cut the fabric to the desired length…your tabletop plus 14 inches. You can use this cut to get a straighter edge on both ends.
• Next, cut along the fold, creating two lengths of fabric.
• Then make another cut so that you have a length of 17 inch wide fabric plus a 7 inch or so remnant. You now have two 17 inch wide strips and two 7 inch wide strips.

You will only use one of the 7 inch wide strips, so choose the one with fewer defects. (Burlap is just that way!) Cut the strip in half so that you have two shorter 7 inch wide strips.  Make a hem around three sides, using the selvage side and the two short sides. (Selvage is the edge of the fabric that has been finished so it will not ravel.) You will have to turn the shorter sides under twice to create the hem, pressing each time, but the selvage side will only need to be turned under once, since it won’t ravel. Repeat for the other strip. These are your ruffles.


Now you are going to gather the ruffles. Burlap is too heavy to use the machine for gathering, so I used a doubled thread to hand stitch. I used a contrasting thread here so you could see. Of course, you would want to use matching thread so that you aren’t having to worry too much if any of it shows. You will have to tie the thread at the end, rather than use a knot, as it will just pull through.


Gather the fabric on the thread, pulling as you go along.


Fit it along the short end of one of your 17 inch wide pieces, adjusting the gathers, and then tie your thread at the other end. Pin the ruffle in place. I found it helpful to press the ruffle at this point. The hemmed side should be facing up with right sides together. (There is no real right side for the 17 inch strip. Just choose a side with fewer defects.)


Be sure that you have left a seam allowance at each end of roughly 1/2 inch or so. Then stitch the ruffle to the 17 inch strip. Repeat for the ruffle at the other end.


Pin the corners of the ruffles back so that they will not get caught in your next seam…


…then pin the other 17 inch strip on top of the one you have been working on. Once again, you will want to put the prettier side down, if there is one.


Stitch all the way around the fabric, leaving a 12 inch gap on one side. You will use this gap to turn the fabric inside out. I always back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam so that it will not ravel. Be careful at the corners, making sure to sew right next to the ruffle edge along the seam allowance, not getting the ruffle caught in the seam. Now, turn it right side out, pulling on the ruffles at the corners to be sure that the fabric is completely turned.  Then press with a steam iron.


You will want to turn under and press the fabric along the 12 inch gap to give it a finished appearance. Finally, hand stitch that gap closed. If you wish you can top stitch the runner around the rectangular portion.


And here it is! Burlap does have a strong smell at first, so you may want to air it outside for a while. Mine has been on my table for a couple of weeks now and has virtually no smell. It cannot be washed, but can be dry cleaned, so watch out for that cranberry sauce! I hope this tutorial was helpful! Let me know if you try it and tell me how yours turns out!

NEW! Confessions of a Plate Addict is now on Facebook!  Check out our blog page here to see the latest posts plus additional goodies...such as a link to visit this fabulous restaurant in southwestern France! It is featured in the online French decor magazine e-mag DECO. Also...like us in the box on the sidebar and receive updates regularly! I hope you'll join the fun!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my project!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Before and After Party on Wednesdays
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Denise at First a Dream for the Re- Party
Layla at The Lettered Cottage for A Few of My Favorite Tutorials 2010
See you next time!  A la prochaine!