Freezer Paper Stenciling

Freezer Paper Stenciling is showing up all over the blogosphere. There are tutorials everywhere. I have been dying to try it. So, I just did it. (Got the idea for the monogrammed napkins here, can't remember where I got the tutorial.)

I tried to monogram cloth napkins as a wedding gift. I did a set of 4 napkins and then tied with a coordinating ribbon. [Sorry about the picture. On the way to deliver the gift, I realized that I had not taken a picture and did so on my lap in the vehicle - don't worry I wasn't driving, DH was.]

I love the tone-on-tone look, so I chose white napkins and an off-white paint (color: linen). I think this is especially important since this is for a Bride-To-Be and I don't know the colors of her new kitchen (white should go with anything).

I used regular acrylic paint (with no fabric medium). I couldn't find fabric paint in the color I wanted and I couldn't find the fabric medium to add to the acrylic paint. I washed one napkin after painting, drying and heat setting with iron and it still looked as good as the others (couldn't tell them apart).

Monogrammed Pillowcases

I monogrammed a set of pillowcases as a wedding gift. I wanted the tone on tone look, but I didn't have any ecru colored thread so I did tan thread on white pillow cases. (If I realized that I didn't have any ecru thread, I could have gotton ecru pillowcases and the tan thread would have been perfect.) Anyway this is how it turned out. Not too bad.

I have also been working on something really cute (at least I think it is cute). I just finished yesterday, now I have to get some pix of it and I'll post about it. Can't wait.

Decorated Bucket

Last year I bought a galvanized oval bucket from Lowes. I primed it and painted it lime green and trimmed it in navy (I love those colors together). I trimmed it with a monogram (first initial of our last name) on both sides, a stripe around the middle and the handles.

I filled that full of ice and placed canned drinks, bottled water, and juice boxes in the ice. It was an easy and beautiful way to display the drinks.

We had a cooler of ice, so you could put ice in glasses for the jugs of sweet tea, fruit tea, and homemade lemonaid, but having the cans displayed this way kept the ice in the cooler from melting as fast (the lid wasn't opened as often) and it kept the ice a little cleaner (less hands and cans in the ice). I borrowed the idea (and colors - because I just love those colors together) from Momogram Momma.

I can also set potted plants down in the bucket at any time (and change them out with the seasons). Wouldn't it look welcoming and pretty next to your front door? You could do a lot with this beautiful bucket.

What colors would you decorate your bucket? What design would you use (a monogram, a theme, a picture)? Now how would you use your bucket? Where would you put it and what would you put in it? Let me know and send me pictures (I LOVE comments and pictures). I need inspiration, send me some comments please.