On my quest to find ways to use all the feed sacks, I came up with bags to grow herbs and greens.

Making them is very similar to sewing the tote bag. The differences are size and no handles.

This is a fairly easy sewing project. My biggest problem, as always, is using the feed sack as fabric. It is slippery and sometimes jams the needle in my sewing machine. Going slow seems to help.

CUTTING THE BAG FOR HEIGHT

Trim the top and bottom of the bag to 12″ high.

CUTTING THE WIDTH OF THE BAG

Using scissors, cut the back of the bag down the middle.

Fold the bag in half(ish), centering the front.

From the center line, measure over 14″ & cut.

ADDING EMBELLISHMENTS

These bags were meant to be placed in my kitchen window and/or front porch, so I wanted to add just a little something for a homey feel. I have quite the lace and ribbon stash, so I chose to use them for the added decor.

It is easiest to add the lace and ribbon while the bag is one flat piece of fabric. I prefer to sew on the pretty stuff prior to sewing the bag back together.

To hold the lace in place while sewing, I first used a bit of fabric glue. It wasn’t totally necessary, but, it did help.

I chose a medium width ribbon, so there was enough to fold over the top of the bag. This created a nice, finished look to the bag.

SEWING THE BAG BACK TOGETHER

Fold the bag in half, inside facing out. Sew along the open edge about 1/2″ in. I sew a double line for extra durability.

Arrange the bag, inside out, so the seam is in the middle of the back. This ensures that the design on the front of your bag is centered.

Sew along the bottom edge.

BOXED CORNERS

The boxed corners are tricky to figure out at first. But, once you figure out how to fold the bag, they’re a cinch.

First, fold/push the bottom of the bag at each side to create a corner. The corner you make lays flat, but don’t expect the rest of the bag to.

I prefer these herb bags to have a wide bottom, so I create a fairly large boxed corner. On each side of the pointy corner, measure and place a mark at 3.5″.

Draw a line connecting the marks.

Sew along the line. Again, I do a double stitch.

Trim off excess fabric.

Repeat on the other side.

Turn the bag so the pretty side is out.

A PEEK INSIDE THE BAG

When done, the inside of the bag should look similar to this:

THE BAG IS COMPLETE

FILLING THE BAG

I put about 2″ of gravel at the bottom of the bag to help with drainage.

Next, I added dirt & compost.

Finally, I added plants. I started plants from seed earlier in the season, so I used those in the bags. Some bags had herbs, some had lettuce & kale.

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I love to travel & I can’t help but collect goodies while traveling. Back in the old days, I would add those goodies to my vacation scrapbooks. However, I was always nervous about it due to acid and such in the cheaply produced maps and ticket stubs. Now, though, I create digital scrapbooks and add photos of those tickets and maps – which leaves me with the originals. Usually they end up in an envelope crammed onto an unsightly shelf full of similar items. There they sit. Never to be looked at again. When I saw Martha Stewart’s Travel Keepsake Kits, I knew this was my solution.

Honestly, it took me a awhile to get around to making them. But, I did make them – a slightly distressed version of Martha’s. And, I love them. They’re fun and bright and full of fabulous memories.

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SUPPLIES

• Memory Box
• Stencils
• Acrylic Paints
• Paintbrush, sponge & spouncer
• Sandpaper

THE BOX

I would have liked to purchase the boxes Martha suggested, however they were almost twice as expensive as similar ones I found. Had I been buying only one box, I probably would have sprung for Martha’s. But, I was buying 5. So, I went with the cheaper Darice brand box.

I don’t know the quality of Martha’s box, so I can’t compare. But, I can say the boxes I did buy aren’t heavy duty. I’m sure they wouldn’t hold up to constant open and closing. Mostly, though, mine are sitting on a bookshelf looking pretty. I’m going to guess they’ll last quite a long time in that situation.

STEP 1: PAINTING THE BOX

First: I “primed” the box with a coat of ivory paint.
Next: I painted the box in my chosen color.
Then: To add a distressed look, I used a sponge to dab on various colors – mainly around the edges.
Last: I added way too much paint on the distressed layer, so I sanded most of it off. The sanding added a new aspect of distress, which I liked.

STEP 2: PAINTING ON THE DESTINATION

I scoured craft stores and the internet for stencils. In the end, I opted for the ones Martha suggested. I love them! They are adhesive, yet repositionable. I’ve used them on many projects since these boxes and they’re still holding up.

I positioned the letters on the box, then used a spouncer to dab on charcoal colored acrylic paint. I tried to dab ever so lightly so the paint wouldn’t seep under the stencil. It wasn’t perfect, but mostly I did an ok job.

In case you’re wondering, my fancy paint palette is a pringles lid. They make perfect palette’s for small amounts of paint.

STEP 3: PAINTING ON THE YEAR

Martha didn’t do this step, but I took creative liberties and added the year(s) of our vacation(s). I painted the numbers on exactly as I did the letters naming the place.

FINISHED BOXES

Now to go on vacation and paint more boxes.

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I remember years and years ago watching Martha Stewart make hypertufa on TV. I loved the idea & knew one day I’d have to try it myself.

And, I have. A number of times. My preferred masterpieces are mushrooms, but the possibilities are endless as to what you could create.

The process of making hypertufa yard art is a bit time consuming, but fairly simple and so worth it. I’ve had some of my pieces for 5 years now and they have held up to all the elements – kids, critters, freezing temps & snow.

CREATING HYPERTUFA YARD ART

This photo is from my very first hypertufa batch back in 2010. I used all sorts of different containers for the mushroom pieces. Usually I used some kind of bowl shape for the head of the mushroom and a cup for the stem. I was really nervous about the hypertufa sticking to the bowl molds, so I lined them with garbage bags we had lying around. Cooking spray would have also worked. However, looking back, I’d use the bags again because I like the texture it gave the mushrooms.

The nails sticking out of the hypertufa in the cups were meant to stick in the ground to hold the mushrooms in place. Really, they’re just a joke. Itty bitty nails do not help support the mushrooms. Rebar works much better.

After making all the pieces, I covered them with plastic and let them sit for a day or two.

A different batch looked like this. Same idea as the first, but I added chunks of rebar to the stems. This worked better than the nails, but longer pieces of rebar work even better.

I also rounded the bottoms of the mushroom heads.

ATTACHING THE MUSHROOM PIECES

After letting the pieces sit for a day or two to cure a little, I take them out of their molds.

I attach the head part to a stem piece by mixing more hypertufa and using it as glue. I tend to make this mix more cement style than hypertufa, meaning less peat moss and vermiculite.

CURING

After putting the mushroom pieces together, I mist them and cover them in plastic. And then comes the hard part. Waiting. Hypertufa needs to cure for about a month. Occasionally, I give the mushrooms a mist. But, that’s it. They are pretty much left alone in our garage until the month is up.

MUSHROOM VARIETIES

My mushrooms are all similar, however I do try to add a hint of variety.

I have tried adding liquid cement coloring to the mix for colored mushrooms. I don’t love it. I don’t hate. It worked perfectly fine. I’m just not a fan of the particular color.

Notice the longer rebar. This is the ideal length to keep the mushrooms in place.

Yet another variety. These were made the same way as my other mushrooms. But, on the day I made hypertufa to glue the pieces together I also added hypertufa mix around the head and stem for a slightly different look.

To give the mushrooms an aged appearance, I read you can make a moss/yogurt smoothie and apply it to your hypertufa to help promote moss growth. I was feeling lazy, so I didn’t bother blending it. I just mixed some moss in with the yogurt. I probably should have taken the time to do it correctly.

In my web research I found that adding beer can also promote moss growth. I had a beer in the fridge, so I dumped it on a mushroom. If I didn’t have Farmer John convinced that I was a kook before, I sure did when he walked by seeing me dump a beer on cement – on purpose.

July 2015 Update: Neither of these moss enhancing tricks worked for me. Boo!

Using outdoor paint, a few mushrooms received a makeover. I love their bright colors. However, Farmer John refers to them as my psychedelic mushrooms.

MORE WITH HYPERTUFA

The fun thing about hypertufa is making whatever you can come up with. Primarily I make mushrooms, but occasionally I make some sort of container.

Some birds and bugs like slices of fruits. So, I added a hypertufa plate on top of a flatter topped mushroom.

I have also made planters. This particular one was made from the bottom part of a plastic clam shell container. The succulents have been in there for years and continue to thrive.

I love the wonky cement faces I see in gardens. They have such character. So, I tried making my own. They’re not the best work I’ve ever done, but honestly I’m not sure how I would have done it differently. They were a bit of a challenge for me.

To make the faces I smooshed hypertufa mix around the black potting container, then added and subtracted hypertufa as needed for eyes, nose, mouth and ears.

I had planned to take out the plastic pots after the hypertufa cured. But, they don’t seem to want to come out. So, I guess they’ll stay.

A mushroom, wonky face container and pallet sign living together in our Bird Village.

Have you given hypertufa a try? What is your favorite item to create?

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To go along with the Freedom Canvas I recently made and our patriotic themed mantel, I created a no sew bunting. It was so simple to make. A little fabric, hot glue, red paint, and twine turned into new decor for summer.

THE CANVAS TRIANGLES

I used leftover canvas fabric from our Jedi robes to cut the triangles. They are about 5.5″ wide & 7″ high. I cut 12 triangles and left them unfinished.

THE STARS

My printer wasn’t working, so I had to freehand a star for the stencil. Eek!

I drew the star on cardstock and cut it out. The cardstock stencil won’t hold up forever, but it worked perfectly for the 12 stars I needed.

Next, I used red acrylic paint and dabbed it through the stencil on each canvas triangle.

ATTACHING THE TRIANGLES TO THE TWINE

I cut a long length of twine to fit our mantel and eye-balled where to place the triangles. The canvas is folded over the twine and hot glued in place. Once I finished all 12 triangles I cut off the two small excess pieces that was now showing in the front.

FABRIC STRIPS

For a chic look, I added a variety of fabric strips in between each triangle. I used leftover fabric scraps to make the strips. I simply tore the fabric in various lengths, then knotted them around the twine.

BUNTING ON DISPLAY

Happy 4th of July from Ridgetop Farm & Garden!

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Our fireplace mantel was in need of a summer redesign. I chose to go with a patriotic theme, but needed a couple more items to complete the look. The area was calling for a picture or graphic, so I created this collage style canvas. It has a rustic feel, is filled with imperfections, and works perfectly in this spot.

This post contains affiliate links.

SUPPLIES

• Acrylic Paint
(I used Engine Red, Poppy Red, Dutch Blue, Charcoal & White)
• Paint brush, spouncer & sponge
• 11 x 14 canvas
• Denim patterned scrapbook paper
• Mod Podge
• Letter Stencils
(I used these ones from Martha Stewart Crafts)
• Clear Glitter
• Glitter Glue

PAINT RED BACKGROUND

Using Engine Red paint, I brushed paint around the edges, sides and in the area the text would be going. I skipped the middle area because the scrapbook paper will be covering that spot.

Next, I sponged Poppy Red paint on the canvas.

BLUE DENIM MOD PODGE

I trimmed the straight edges off the scrapbook paper by tearing it against the edge of my table. This gives a less than perfect feel to the project, which I like.

Then I tore the scrapbook paper all the way across at 2.5″ leaving me with two pieces of paper.

I used mod podge to glue the two pieces of denim paper to the canvas.

Next, I sponged on Poppy Red paint to soften the edges around the mod podged paper. Then I did the same sponging technique with Dutch Blue and a tiny bit of Charcoal paint.

TEXT & SPLATTER

For the text, I used Martha Stewart stencils and white paint. I used a spouncer to apply the paint.

Then I used a paint brush and the splatter technique to add white “stars” to the canvas.

After the paint dried I applied a coat of Mod Podge over the entire canvas.

When the canvas was dry, I brushed glitter glue over the letters and sprinkled on glitter.

FINISHED CANVAS

Thank you to our Service men & women who protect our freedom!

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The few weeks leading up to Christmas were cold and/or rainy making it perfect weather to work on inside crafty projects. I got out the sewing machine and made a few Christmas presents.

My sewing skills would be considered novice & I typically tend to get in over my head. I have a horrible time understanding the printed directions in a pattern and spend way too much time with my seam ripper. Thankfully, my skills must be improving. I didn’t have TOO much trouble with these projects.

UNIFORM BAGS

APRONS

CHRISTMAS EVE PAJAMAS

These didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped. The pajama pants I made for the boys are way too big in the butt area. Maybe I sewed them wrong? My kids just don’t have that much junk in the trunk. The nightgown, though, turned out ok.

FUN HATS

PILLOWCASE

I found “I Bacon” fabric at Joann’s and knew I had to make something with it for my oldest son. He really does love bacon & he’s currently raising pigs. I decided on a pillowcase. It’s not my best work. But, he doesn’t seem to mind.

FELT FUN

The kids & I made felt chicken ornaments for our Poultry 4H gift exchange. I made the rooster at the lower right. It took me a couple hours to sew him together. He’s cute, but I don’t think he’s cute enough for the time I spent on it.
I didn’t use a pattern for the penguins. I found a couple photos and then winged it. It’s not quite as cute of a display as I was hoping, but the penguins turned out ok. And, most importantly, the kids loved it.

CHRISTMAS QUILT

It’s been a long time since I have had much time to dedicate to sewing. It was nice.

I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season!

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As I was getting my stuff together for the Poultry Swap, I realized I could make reusable price tags. So, I got to work making them out of materials found in my craft stash.

THE SIGN

There are multiple layers on the main sign, but it’s fairly simple to put together.

1. The first thing I did was create the wording & border in Photoshop. I printed the signs on scrapbook paper using my ink jet printer.
2. Black scrapbook paper cut slightly larger than the first tag.
3. Cream colored paper cut slightly larger than the black paper on 3 sides & about 4 times as thick on the top.

After attaching the 3 layers of paper together, I laminated them.

Next, I used a hole punch to make 2 holes on the top.

Finally, I applied one side of a velcro dot that had a sticky back to the sign.

INTERCHANGEABLE PRICE TAGS

The price part of the sign is a separate piece so I can change prices as needed.

Using Photoshop, I created individual price tags. They are one piece and printed on the same cream colored paper as the background of the main tag. I laminated these tags, as well.

The second side of a velcro dot is stuck on the backside of the price tag.

ATTACHING THE SIGNS

I used raffia to tie the signs onto cages.

SALE PRICES

Having interchangeable prices is convenient for a couple reasons. I may want to change my prices from swap to swap. Also, I can use the same main tag for chicks, pullets, or laying hens and only need to change the smaller price tag. The changing price tags also allows me to add sale prices, as needed.

OTHER SIGNAGE

I also made matching signage for other items for sale.

These signs looked just as good after the swap, as they did when I first made them. So I’m hopeful they could last quite awhile.

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At my request, Farmer John brought home a truck bed & trailer full of pallets & crates! I had been oogling over all the fabulous ideas crafty people had been creating out of recycled wood. I even made a pinterest board dedicated to pallet projects.

DISASSEMBLING THE PALLETS

CREATIONS

SIGNS
My favorite way to use the pallet wood is painting signs.

POTATO &ONION STORAGE BINS
John built a couple bins to hold potatoes & onions from our garden.

KIDS PLAY HOUSE
The bottom of our play structure is open, so we are going to enclose it to create a play house area. One out of 4 walls is complete so far. It’s not much of a play house, yet. But, the one wall makes a great backdrop for photos.

MORE SIGNAGE
A couple other signs I’ve made are a sign to take with me when I go to chicken swaps & shows, and also garden bed labels. They are actually made from repurposed bender board. But, they could just as easily be made from pallet wood.

Except for the pieces saved for the play house, we have used up nearly all of the wood. One day I would like to get another load of pallets to make more signs & also build an outdoor kitchen.

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To add a little character to our farm, I painted signs using collected pallet wood.

PREPARATION

After collecting the wood, we had to disassemble it, taking out nails & staples. I will admit, that was not my favorite part of the project.

Next was the fun part, though, getting creative & figuring out the types of signs I wanted to make.

Using my computer, I designed the sign text & printed it. I traced right over the printed text, which left a slight mark on the pallet wood. It wasn’t perfect. In some places I had to wing it & hope for the best.

PAINTING THE SIGNS

I painted the signs using DecoArt Patio Paint & Behr Indoor/Outdoor Primer & Paint. Then, each sign got a coat or two of Thompson’s Waterseal. I don’t know how long the signs will last. But, I’ve had many of them outside for almost exactly one year & they still look great.
Update: The signs are going on their second year & look just fine. I should probably wash them, though, and apply a new coat of waterseal.

SOME OF OUR SIGNS

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Years ago, when I made my first hypertufa & cement projects, I built a bench. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a bench. I’ve always thought it was boring, but didn’t know how to fix it.

At some point I decided to try mosaic. I had never mosaiced anything & this bench was a good place to learn. It’s not as if I could really make the bench look worse than it already did, so I gave mosaic a try.

BENCH BEGINNING

WORK IN PROGRESS

I came up with a design for the mosaic & ordered tiles from Mosaic Art Supply.

Next, I drew the design on the cement using pencil & layed out the basic areas of each color.

Section by section, I applied mortar and placed the tiles. This was my first ever mosaic. So, I’m not sure I mortared the tiles in the best order. But, it seemed to work.

COMPLETED MOSAIC BENCH SEAT

Here is the finished bench seat complete with grout. I feel like I need to clean up around the edges a bit, but overall I’m happy with the way it turned out.

I can now say I have created a mosaic. And, I have leftover tiles, so I will get to mosaic again. Oh, the possibilities.

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