Today’s words of wisdom, brought to you by Sylvester the Cat and my favorite Yogi tea. (not sponsored) “Love is the highest of all virtues.”
Right on, Sylvester.
I’m prepping for my first market since my oldest was an only child. 😬 If you’re local, come check it out. All the details are in the second photo. I’ll have all my handmade goodies from my shop out there.
Have a wonderful day!
#looneytunes #yogitea #sylvesterthecat #wordsofwisdom #smallbusiness #FortWorthTexas
I finally got all of the upcycled boho tops listed in the shop. I’ve been calling them poncho tops, but they’re really more kaftan-like. So Kaftan tops? Anyway.
I also finished another upcycle that I’ve been working on for over a year now. If you follow me on the socials, you’ve seen a little teaser of it. Either way, here it is!
This spooky box began its life as a vintage silverware storage box that had seen better days. (Of course I forgot to take before pictures. Grrr.) I gutted it, painted it, re-lined it with some lovely purple velvet and made a cute wooden planchette to go with it. I absolutely love it. It’s great for spooky or goth decor, or for storing tarot decks, crystals and ritual tools if that’s your thing.
Here’s the inside. the purple is such a nice contrast to the black and silver on the outside.
Everything above can be found in my shop. It’s all one of a kind, though, so if you see something you like, don’t miss out.
It seems like everyone has at least a couple of promotional mugs hanging out in the back of their cupboards. If you don’t, there’s hundreds at any thrift store. On the one hand, they’re actually pretty useful, as far as promo swag goes. even if you’re not a coffee or tea drinker, they’ll hold any beverage. Or, you could use them to hold pens or random desk stuff, makeup brushes, or toothbrushes. You could even use them as little planters. (Tip: plant in a nursery pot and put that inside the mug. No need to drill holes, and the mug catches the drainage. )
The problem is that the designs usually aren’t very cute, and who really wants advertisements with their morning cuppa?
Take this mug. I like the shape. It’s a nice size and a lovely bright orange. I could use it as-is, but the orange reminds me of the orange VW my husband drove way back when, and I don’t even know what idstc is. So, I decided to cover it with vinyl.
First, I measured the height and width of the logo. Then, I used Cricut Design Space to create my design, a VW bug, of course. (If you don’t have a cutting machine, don’t worry. I have ideas for you, too.) I made sure that my Bug was a little bigger than the logo. After that, It was just cut out the design in permanent vinyl and apply. Voila!
(Or, rather, cut it out, realizing after the first cut that you had the wrong color loaded, so you end up making a set in your original color scheme and one in the inverse. Then mess up applying one side so you do one side of the mug in the original, and the other side in the inverse colors only to decide you actually like the inverse better. But you leave it as is because you don’t want to risk messing it up trying to change it. )
Now, if you don’t have a cutting machine, you could use a big sticker. Clear contact paper does an excellent job making them water-resistant. I did that to cover a graduation logo on a water tumbler that worked well. You could also cut a heart or other simple shape out of adhesive vinyl or contact paper. I find lots of it at thrift stores. Dollar Tree also sells vinyl as well as sticker paper.
Another option that I haven’t tried is adhesive chalkboard paper. I think it would be so cute to be able to write little notes on a coffee cup. I’m not sure how well it would hold up to moisture, though.
So far, I’ve only hand washed any of the mugs and tumblers I’ve decorated with vinyl. I don’t think putting them in the dishwasher is the best idea. I really hate handwashing dishes, though, so at some point it will probably happen. When it does, I’ll let you know how it holds up.
Share your upcycled mugs in the comments or on our Facebook page.
On a different note, don’t forget my digital and printable planners are all only $0.99 through August 22, as well as all of my single machine embroidery files. I’ve also made some more of my older machine embroidery designs freebies, so be sure to check them out.
Embroidery design files and freebies from SubEarthan Cottage. All designs are scaled to fit 4×4 hoops common on home embroidery machines.
I’ve been working on some summer sewing and refashions lately. Here’s a quick video showing a few of them. The first is a backless halter top made with quilting cotton and ribbon. The second refashion is a halter tube top with a matching loose kimono/beach coverup. They were made from an old maxi dress that wasn’t getting much love. The beach coverup is my favorite. I love how it turned out, especially the print.
I hope you find these inspiring for your own projects. If you like these kinds of videos, follow me on TikTok. I also post on Instagram and YouTube. I tend to prefer the length options on TikTok, so that’s where most of my complete videos are located.
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