Ring Bearer Pillow with Flower

DIY ring bearer pillow with fabric flower, made from wedding dress scraps

Until yesterday, I've been highly uninspired about ring bearer pillows.  All I had in mind was making it from scraps from my wedding dress.  I did some light googling, and came across this DIY silk flower ring pillow tutorial by Martha Stewart.  Perfect!

I started by cutting the fabric for the pillow - 9.5" squares of the lace, taffeta, and lining leftover from making my wedding dress.  I used the lining simply to make it stronger.  I put the right sides together, and sewed around the edges and all four corners, leaving about 3" unsewn so I could stuff the pillow.  I trimmed the edges off in the inside so that the corners would look better when turned right side out.

Then I stuffed the pillow.  My Mom suggests using small tufts of stuffing, and shredding it before you insert it.  She says otherwise it'll look lumpy.  No lumpy ring bearer pillows allowed!

Next I sewed through the center of the pillow to give it some dimension.

On to the fabric flower!  I cut long ovals from taffeta scraps from my dress.  The large ones were 10" long and about 4.5" wide.  The next size down were 8" long by 3.5" wide.  The tutorial I was using as my guide suggested using four sizes altogether, but once I started putting it all together, I found I didn't need those extra layers, likely because my fabric does a nice job of being poufy.

I cut 4 ovals of each size, for a total of 8 ovals.

The edges were unraveling a bit, so I held them close to the flame on a tealight candle and slightly melted the edges.  This also made them curl a bit, and I liked the effect!

Then I basted through the centerline of each oval, and gathered up the fabric.  To finish it off, I sewed through all the layers a few times.  I did this with all the ovals.

Next I layered two ovals of the same size to make an X-shape, and sewed them together. 

Then I stacked two X's of the same size to make one layer of the flower, and stitched all of that together.  I did the same with the smaller set of ovals.

Finally, I attached the two layers and a small ribbon to the pillow, sewing through the center to make it all nice and snug.  I arranged the petals aesthetically, and... ta da!

This project cost me about $4 for the bag of stuffing (of which I used about 20%), and all the fabric was free because it was scraps from my dress!  The ribbon I had hanging around from a long-ago project.  It took me about 4 hours total to make this.

I can't wait to see it walk down the aisle!!!

Bonnie Projects

Renewed Peacoat Lining

I got a great grey peacoat from the Gap Outlet about seven years ago.  It's been my go-to coat for mild winter days or times when I need to wear something a little fancier than a ski jacket.

Peacoat in action on a cute date at the Kennedy Center in Washingon, DC

This year, though, it started looking a little rough.  The wool on the outside has worn wonderfully, and still looks new.  The lining is a different story.  The pockets are completely shredded and unuseable, and the inner lining is slowly disentegrating.

It looks even worse in person

I had a new peacoat on my shopping list for the past six months, and had even browsed for one last winter, but I never saw anything that seemed just right.  They were all too long, bulky, artsy (weird collars), or cheap looking.

Thus was born the idea of simply fixing the coat I already own!  I was originally considering completely replacing the lining, but my mom and my best friend talked me out of it.  It would be too much work and a genuine pain in the ass.

Because the entire lining wasn't wearing out, just the bottom, I decided that I could patch it.

A trip to Hancock Fabrics yielded a lovely floral fabric that feels like lining (1 yd.), Pellon wonder-under transfer web (i.e., double stick iron on stuff for fabric, 2 yds.), and some cute flannel (1/3 yd).  I wanted the inside to still be silky so it would move nicely over my clothes.  I got the flannel for the pocket lining.  You never see it, and the flannel seemed like it would be soft and snuggly.

I ironed the transfer web to large sections of the fabric, then cut out one edge along the flowers.  The other edges I trimmed to fit perfectly over the old lining.  I pinned the piece in well, and ironed it on.  I then repeated this for the other side of the coat.  To finish it off in a fun way, I cut out complete flowers and ironed them on top of everything, sometimes covering the wool.  I apologize that I didn't take intermediate pictures!  I just got so caught up in all the fun.

Floral lined peacoat

Next I tackled the pockets.  They were clearly unacceptable as-is.

 I cut out the existing lining to get a fresh start.  One of the pockets wasn't too bad, so I used it as a template to cut the new lining.  I traced them and then added a generous seam allowance.

 Next I pinned the new lining into the coat.  I really had to wrestle to get it in there, but the pinning was well worth it later!

pin twice, sew once!

I sewed as much of the seams as possible with my sewing machine, because it makes a stronger stitch.  I had to really wrestle all the fabric to get under the presser foot, and I was terrified I would sew my finger, but it ended up OK in the end.  Plus, the seams are all inside this coat, so who cares if they look a little wonky?

see?  you can't tell it's wonky inside!

I finished the seams by hand, and ... ta da!  New pockets!!!

I'm really happy that I won't feel like a rat chewed up my coat anymore, and I'm super excited about the snuggly pockets!

Altogether, this project cost a whopping total of $13, and took about two hours (which includes a tea break).  I didn't even use up all of my materials.

I'd say that beats $100-$200 and six months of shopping for a new coat!!!  And who knows?  Maybe the floral lining trend will be the next big thing.

Lemon Cake

I volunteered to make my future-mother-in-law's birthday cake this year.   A little bird told me that she loves lemon, so I decided to make her a lemon cake!

Some light googling led me to this lemon cake recipe, and the comments made it sound easy and no-fail, so it was an easy choice.  I'd never made a cake from scratch though, so I was a little anxious how it would come out.

lemon cake ingredients

My kitchen aid mixer was awesome for this project, as many steps require mixing for several minutes.  I was also happy I had my handy dandy zester, which made zesting all those lemons much easier!

The cake came out a little dry, but that may have been due to forgetting the step of dousing the cake in lemon syrup right when it comes out of the oven.  I did this step the next morning, and the syrup didn't soak into the cake well.

However...the icing was AMAZING.  I really could have eaten the entire bowl of it.

lemon cake

In the end, the cake turned out pretty well, and my future-mother-in-law was happy!  Success!


PS: This cake is also delicious for breakfast!

Family Established Sign

My family loved the idea my in-laws had about doing a secret santa gift exchange, with the requirement that the gift be under $10 and be either funny or creative.  We're all getting together for a wedding the week after Christmas, so we decided to copy their idea!

I drew the groom-to-be as my giftee, but I don't know him very well!  Given that, I decided to stray from the funny gifts and instead focus on something nice for their newlywed home.

I keep seeing these "Family Established" signs on pinterest and etsy, and I got one for my parents 30th anniversary last year.  The pre-made ones are beyond the $10 price range, but I thought surely I could make something similar for less!

$40 on etsy

I decided to print out the sign on cardstock and display it in a nice frame with a mat surrounding it.

First I used my awesome powerpoint skills to create the wording.  I went through lots of fonts and placement for the words (haven't you heard how I'm not actually creative, I just use trial and error tenaciously?), and finally decided on an aesthetically pleasing arrangement.

Then I took my 40% off coupon to the craft store and found a pretty frame that already included a mat.

I stuck my cardstock in the frame, made sure it was straight, and voila!  Beautiful Christmas newlywed gift for under $10!

Bonnie Projects

Mardi Gras King Cake

It's that time again... King Cake Season!  Historically, King Cake season is the period between Epiphany and Mardi Gras (the day before Ash Wednesday).  It's the primary dessert of Mardi Gras.  There's a trinket hidden in the cake, usually a small plastic baby (for the Baby Jesus).  Whoever finds the baby in their piece is King for the day.  They also host the next Mardi Gras celebration.  As a kid growing up on the Gulf Coast, we had Mardi Gras parties at school every Friday.  Whoever got the baby was responsible for bringing the cake the following week.

King cakes come with a variety of fillings, but I prefer cream cheese, so that's what I'll write about today.  This can be easily left out altogether, or substituted with strawberry jam or anything else that sounds delicious.  King cakes taste a lot like a frosted cinnamon bun when it's all said and done.  While they make a great dessert option, I also enjoy them with a cup of Community Coffee for a traditional Louisiana Mardi Gras breakfast!

To begin, I like to get all my ingredients out.  Some of them, like plastic babies, colored sugars, and dry milk powder can be challenging to find, so I like to get everything a few days before I plan to bake.

This recipe makes two medium King Cakes (about 15 servings each).  Allot about four hours total time, with an hour of hands-on time dispersed throughout that four hours.

Bonnie’s Best-Ever
Mardi Gras King Cake

(with cream cheese filling)

Ingredients:

For the cake:

½ oz. instant yeast

1 ½ c warm water

½ c sugar

5 c flour

½ c dry milk powder

2 t salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 c melted butter

For the filling:

½ c melted butter

2 c sugar, divided

4 T cinnamon

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

For the topping:

2 plastic babies

2 lbs. powdered sugar

1 T almond (or vanilla) extract

¾ c water

Purple, green, and gold sugars

Making the dough:

1.      Combine yeast and warm water and set aside.

2.      Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl.  Using the dough hook on your electric mixer, blend ingredients on low for 2-3 minutes.

3.      In a separate bowl, combine eggs, ¾ c butter, and yeast mixture.  Slowly add this to the flour mixture.

4.      Mix 8-10 minutes or until dough separates from the bowl.  An additional ½ c of flour may be added if the dough is too wet.

5.      Brush a large stainless bowl with melted butter until coated and place dough inside.  Brush dough with melted butter to keep moist.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let dough proof in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

If my house isn't warm enough to make dough rise well, I'll put the oven on the lowest setting and let the dough rise in front of the open oven door.

Assembly:

1.      Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.      Take about half the dough and roll out onto a floured surface into a large rectangle (about 24” x 14”).  

3.      In a small bowl, combine ½ c sugar and 2 T cinnamon.

4.      Brush the dough with ¼ c melted butter, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly on top.

5.      Mix 8 oz. cream cheese with ½ c sugar.  Apply this mixture, about 1” wide, to the dough rectangle, about 2 inches from the close side.

6.      Starting with the cream cheesed side, roll the dough into a long log.  Bring the ends together to form a circle (I like to weave the ends together to make a continuous circle), and place on a baking sheet.

7.      Repeat steps 2 – 6 for the second half of the dough.

8.      Let the dough rise for one hour or until doubled in size.

9.      Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: When I don’t opt for the cream cheese filling, I like to braid the cake instead.  Cut the rectangle into three pieces, longways.  Fold each in half so the cinnamon sides are hidden.  Pinch the ends together on one side and braid the strands.  Make a circle once you’re done, weaving the ends together for a clean look.

Finishing touches:

1.      Allow the cake to cool completely.  Insert the baby into the cake.

2.      Combine sugar and salt.

3.      Mix on low speed while slowing adding the almond extract and water.

4.      Drizzle glaze over the first cake, and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugars.  Repeat with the second cake.

Tips and advice:

1.      Plastic babies can be found in the baby shower section of your local party store or on Amazon.  Don’t bake the baby into the cake.

2.      The cake aisles of party and craft stores offer the best colored sugars.

3.      Glaze one cake at a time so the glaze doesn’t set up while you’re still decorating.

4.      King cake makes a wonderful breakfast, especially with a cup of coffee.

5.      Try warming up a leftover slice of king cake for about 10 seconds in the microwave.

6.      It’s much easier to make two medium-sized king cakes with the recipe rather than one large one.  Then you can share it at two parties!  (Or keep one for yourself)

Coral Bouquet Inspiration

Well friends, it turns out I've chosen the Color of the Season as my wedding color!  Coral, Honeysuckle, Rose, whatever you want to call it, it's popular.  Given that so many other brides will be using similar elements in their weddings, I wanted to share my collection of inspiration photos.

I'll lessen the suspense - I won't be making my own bouquets.  My bridesmaids rallied against me and forbade it, insisting on me relaxing instead (gotta love 'em).

My bridesmaids dresses will be various shades, shapes, and textures, and I want that theme to come through the flowers as well, so I plan to go with a mix of blooms in shades of coral.  My wedding planner is making the, and she may use hydrangea, calla lily, gerbera daisy, ranunculus, mums, billy balls, roses, garden roses, peonies, carnations, lilies, hibiscus, dahlia, or hypericum!

photos from harmonious palette, wedding planning 101, and the wedding row

photos from poppies and posies events, bouquet wedding flower, the knot, and I am a Weddingaholic

photos from the Knot and My Wedding

photos from the Knot

photos from Branches Floral, DK Designs, and Birdie

photos from Lisa's Flor Decor, Wedding Chicks, and Martha Stewart Weddings

I had originally thought adding pops of blue or yellow would be fun,  but I'm worried about them being too crazy, so I think I'll avoid them.  Same thing with lots of greenery (maybe).  They're pretty though, for an arrangement or against all-matching dresses!

photos from Elizabeth Anne Designs, Ruffled, and the Knot

Oh, and we can't forget the boys!  I thought the ones below made from fabric were just darling, and the live flowers are beautiful as well!

photos from Lisa's Flor Decor, Wedding Wire, Branches Floral, and Bella Fiori

I can't wait to share the final results!!!

Bonnie Projects

Rose Cake

After my recent discovery that wedding cakes cost upwards of $6 per 1.5"x1.5" slice, I decided to see just how difficult making one myself might be!

I really like cakes with a lot of texture, like the popular ruffle cakes and rose cakes.  I don't know how to make ruffles (and I hear they're fondant), but I have made a rose or two from buttercream icing before!

Googling led me to this tutorial by I Am Baker on how to make a rose cake.

It's pretty simple!  Make some cakes, stack them up with buttercream layers, frost a base layer, frost some roses!

I spent about $10 on two boxes of cake mix, fresh eggs, and two 2-pound bags of powdered sugar.  Being a diligent Southern baker, I already had the crisco.  I found the cute cake stand for $25 at TJ Maxx.

I made the first box of mix according to directions, and made two 8" round cakes.  To the second box I added several drops of red food coloring so I'd have some pretty pink layers inside my cake.  It took about an hour and a half to mix and bake the cakes.  I let them cool overnight (this is important!  I tried remove the first one from the pan, still warm, and it was a disaster!  I glued it back together with frosting...)

The next night, I made up the buttercream frosting recipe from the link above.  It sets up nice and sticks well, preventing massive frosting failures on the sides of the cake.  I highly recommend it!

I put a layer of buttercream between each cake layer, and alternated the pink and white cakes.  Then I coated the entire cake with a base of frosting.  This helps cover up all the cake, preventing pieces from getting into the "good frosting".  I didn't bother making it very smooth, since the roses should cover up most inconsistencies.

Then I set to work making the roses.  You need a 1mm star tip for making roses.  To make a rose, you start in the middle and swirl your tip around, making a rose shape.  I started in the middle and worked my way around the top, then did the sides.  If there were any blank spaces, I filled them in with lines of frosting along the same arcs as the roses.  I kind of winged it on this cake, but would be more exacting on wedding day.

The frosting (including layers, base, and roses) took about an hour to complete.

All in all, about $10 and 2.5 hours of labor for a cake that should feed 25-30 guests.  Sure beats $200!!!

Bonnie Projects