I'm Just So Crafty

Honestly, people might start calling me Martha Stewart.  That's how crafty I am.

I blame this new surge of craftiness on our new patio out back.  The backyard project was started about three weeks ago and the last of the landscaping was completed last Friday.  We had our new patio furniture delivered Thursday, all but the portable propane fireplace which will come tomorrow.  And, we are having friends over tomorrow to "break in" the new space.  Although other parts of the country seem to be in the path of some nasty stuff with hurricane Isaac, the weatherpeople are still saying tomorrow will be a very pleasant day here.

So I got thinking about what I will have for dinner (chili and salad),  what dessert will be (a variety of ice cream treats and creme puffs), and how I will decorate the table.  It wouldn't be right to simply bring out the inside dinnerware.  No.  Martha Stewart wouldn't do that either.

I purchased some picnic plates and flatware, and then I had the brainiac idea to MAKE my own napkins!  How crafty is that!  Maybe it happened because I've been reading blogs of these other crafty ladies lately.  One girl even gave her scotch tape dispensers a makeover!  See here If your tape dispensers need an uplift.  Or maybe I got inspired because I made my way up the rickety attic steps for the first time in about 13 years and saw my box of fabric scraps sitting there looking at me.  (I used to sew.  A lot.)

So I thought why don't I just cut up some of those fabric remnants and make them into disposable tres chic napkins?  And that's when I morphed into a version of Martha Stewart for an hour or so.

Let me show you what I made.  I used four different fabric pieces, with colors mostly in the greens and browns.  (Our patio furniture has brown framework and green seats.  Martha would say "well done" but I don't really care what she thinks.)

First I cut the fabrics into rough rectangles, using a zigzag scissors.  I did not measure.  I did not draw straight lines.  That's the beauty of this.

Using a zigzag scissors spiffs up the edges so you don't have to do any sewing, and it prevents the edges from fraying.  I didn't want to work too hard, because we are gonna just throw these away after one use.

Next I loosely rolled up each napkin, right side out, starting at the short end of the rectangle.

Cut a piece of twine for each napkin, about 15 inches long.

Tie a small bow around each rolled napkin, and then trim the ends to about two inches.

Here they are, all ready for the last embellishments.

I went to the craft store and found some small fall-colored plastic leaves.

With a glue gun, glue a leaf (or a button or what have you, be creative) onto each end of the bows.

 Voila!!

So easy, so satisfying, and I suppose so "green."

Just don't ya be callin' me Martha, OK?