Pepper Design Blog

A Little Knit Vase DIY Project

I’ve been determined to try this idea out for some time, especially after posting about Recycled Sweater Vases here. Creating my own knit covers for candle holders turned out to be one of the simplest projects to tackle!

I used an assortment of class cylindrical and square vases to hold my candles, and then I purchase Goodwill knit sweaters to create snug coverings for the glass.

Only one large vase required any stitching, the others slipped into the neck and sleeves of the sweaters without any trouble. Simply measure out the length of your vase on the sleeve of the sweater, cut, and slip over glass. I don’t mind the slight fray in the knitted edges, though you could fold these over to create a cuff as well.

For my biggest vase, which wouldn’t fit a sleeve or the turtleneck of the sweater, I cut the body of the sweater to the correct vase proportions, turned inside out and hand stitched the pieces back together. Super easy.

They look quite cozy at night with a flame as well:

While on the sweater hunt, look for interesting edging and variations in the knit. The more variety the better!

These might make it over to the dining room table to serve as a fall runner sometime in the future… I love how soft and fall-ish they look, and how simple they were to create. The entire project took about 15 minutes and cost just about $6 since I had the candles and vases on hand, my only purchase was for the two thrift store sweaters.

A Simple Fall Get-Together

It’s the perfect time of year for a sweet fall outdoor celebration. It’s beginning to crisp up elsewhere in the States but here in San Diego the weather is still offering it’s sunny, cloud-less skies in the first week of November.

This pumpkin brunch by City Cradle Design is a cozy and simple way to celebrate autumn with friends. Mmmmmm. And I’m definitely inspired to purchase rattan floor cushions ASAP!

The details are great – from the hanging cakes in the trees to the scooped out pumpkins filled with pancakes and handmade, heart-shaped toppers. And replacing the standard water bottle labels with lace (see above) is an idea I’d love to steal for a tea party or shower. Victoria offers all of the little DIY projects at her site.

The paper flags in the trees would be a neat decoration to leave up from September through Christmas and sharing a meal out on the grass (again on those great cushions) sounds like a fun way to dine any time of the year (maybe even for Thanksgiving?).

Ahhh sweet fall inspiration. Isn’t this the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning in November?

Halloween 2010 Round Up

Halloween has come and gone… it always amazes me how much prep can go into one day and then how quickly that day passes! But I suppose the fun of the anticipation, the decorating and the celebration is what makes this time of the year so special (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are just around the corner!)

Here’s a round up of Halloween in our home:

The mantel was plenty of fun to create, here’s the full post (including our day at the pumpkin patch). Most of the decor came from garage sale finds and a bit of diying.

We hosted our annual Halloween dinner party last night as well, the formal planned sit-down meal had transformed itself into a buffet-style potluck at the last minute but here was my set up for the seated version:

I kept the color scheme traditional with oranges and browns, mixing in the occasional white and green to add vibrant pops. Cheesecloth created spooky cobwebs draped over thrift store milk glass candle sticks and round vases full of colorful candy & candles. I borrowed HWTM‘s clever idea of creating wine glass labels out of Halloween rings to help guests differentiate their glass from their neighbors.

My go-to manzanita branches made for a bit of height and I added ‘dead’ floral stems to the ceramic vase (love the organic moss in the bottom). White cake plates were set up to hold family-style serving dishes but made for temporary mini pumpkin displays a top fabric remnant strips (didn’t bother to hem) to bring in pattern and color as a table runner. I love the casual, messy look of several different styles of fabrics draped together – and at just a few bucks for each remnant at the fabric store you can’t beat it!

Else where in the house picture frames received a bit of spooking, giant spiders were hung from window curtain rods and plastic skulls covered in black spray paint adorned countertops and shelves:

Costumes were great fun… everyone showed up in unique and spirited handmade getups. I attempted to incorporate Baby S into the theme and made him/her my little spider… quite the handmade costume but it was fun to create.

From flowers and bumble bees to Mary Poppins and April (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!), everyone always comes up with a fun and creative idea.

And there’s our 2010 Halloween round up. Down will come the black and spooky decor today and up will go the rustic colors of Thanksgiving!