The first project was to dig a space for the pallets to be "buried". We thought it would look better then laying them on top of the surface and looking like we threw pallets in our yard.

Once we dug up the space, we lined it with cardboard we got from a local furniture company (free). That way we were less likely to get weeds growing through. We scattered some dirt over the cardboard and placed the pallets on top. This step was frustrating - lol. Once we would get one in place, the next one would be taller or shorter so we would have to adjust the height of the dirt accordingly.

Next step was to fill in the sides of the boardwalk with dirt. We bought some solar lights, at Walmart for .97 each, to light the path at night.

Our next step is to plant marigolds along the edge of the boardwalk for color and pest control for the garden.

There are still a couple of spaces that need filling - on the pallets - mainly for reinforcement. But we can do that as we go along. Below is a picture of it at night :)

The total project cost less than $10!!

Last year I bought some Leather Scraps from Hobby Lobby. Brought it home and then didn't really know what to do with it all. So this year, I have decided to tackle it one project at a time - to see what I can come up with and to see what I can make out of it all. I am having so much fun and learning so many things. I keep wanting to go back down to the city (3.5 hours away) and get more leather, but I am trying to push myself to use more of it before I get any more.

My hubby gives me all of his old, worn out cargo pants. So I took 2 of the pockets and made a purse with them. I also got to use some strapping and a buckle that were from the Marines during World War II (see the little anchor) love how this purse turned out!

Since making this purse this week, I have decided to use it primarily as a Brass Collecting Bag. For those that don't shoot, I'll explain. When going to the range it is considerate to collect your brass (also the brass can be reloaded), so instead of getting my pockets dirty, I wear my bag and put the empty casings (brass) in there. I can also carry extra magazines in it, so I don't have to cram them into my pockets either.

I used it today when I went shooting and one of my friends loved it so much he now wants one!! Of course he wants one a "little less girly" than mine. Yay! Good thing I have a whole bunch of old cargo pants to work with!

Well, I better get to work!!

Originally posted on old blog site on August 2, 2011.

I started out with a pile of 15 pairs of very used overalls, that a friend gave me. So far I have made 2 cute purses and have cut the rest for a cover for our futon. Here are the purses...

For the one above, I used the two back pockets from one of the pairs, sewed them together and then took leftover scraps to make the strap. I really like the worn, frayed look so I left the edges undone, and then washed and dried it to get the fraying started. I love this one, I use it for when I want to carry a purse but not tons of stuff. It's great because it essentially has a middle section and then a pocket on each side for dividing stuff up :)

The second one I made is out of the bib part of the overalls. For this one I used 2 sets of overalls.

I think I love this one the most! I added some of my favorite pins to "jazz" it up a bit :)

The Peggy Skirt (from Mad Men)
>> Project Instructions <<

Decorative Book with Hidden Potential
>> Project Instructions <<

Plantable Heart Paper or Gift Tags
>> Project Instructions <<

Homemade Pretzels
>> Recipe <<

The other night when me and my friends were hanging out, Sara's little girl Sammie would come in and ask her mom to put a crown on her head (always an invisible crown). It was too cute! Once she placed the crown on her head, Sammie would dance off into the other room and "show it off" to those in the room. So last night, I made her a pocket princess crown. One that she can carry around in her pocket and wear when ever she wanted :) a girl should always have her crown with her! (Not to replace the ones her mommy gives her, those could never be replaced) :)

The top one is mine and the bottom one is the one we were taught from. I like to change mine up a bit - color outside the box! :)

I found this tutorial on Pinterest when I was looking for something cute to make at the Craft Party. I fell in love with the simplicity of the pumpkins. As I started looking through my fabrics, I noticed these two fabrics and knew that those were going to be future pumpkins :). Here is the tutorial I used, I changed it up a bit to fit my needs.

Changes:
I added wheat berries to the bottom as a weight (you can use rice too, I just have a lot of wheat berries)
I sewed my stems on instead of hot glueing them. I found that this made them a little more sturdy. It took a little more time, but I feel it was worth it.

What an adorable idea for a party, a gift, for a baby or wedding shower...the possibilities are endless! Plus you can make these little darlings with your kiddos. Check out Cute Food for Kids for this recipe and many more fun and easy ideas.