Monogram Mirror with Tutorial

During my weekly daily stroll through Hobby Heaven, aka Hobby Lobby, I passed by a section in the store that I have never crafted from: the glass section. I decided to stop and see what was going on in this uncharted territory. I stumbled across some Armour Etch Cream, and after I read the label for its uses and saw the word "mirror," BAM! I had my next project. I would monogram a mirror! I had seen this technique done on the Martha Stewart show and memories of my want to do this came flooding back in. Plus, this solved the "what are we going to put over the dresser" dilemma in the soon to be (10 days!!!) Pierce Apartment-hold (it's technically not a household yet). So here's some pictures and the tutorial on how to create this:

Materials:

For the Monogram: 
-clear vinyl contact paper
-a box cutter or other type of precise blade
-a mirror
-Armour Etch cream (make sure to get this kind, not the cheaper version. Trust me, you'll end up just buying this one in the long run)
-a print out of any type letter you want to use ( I used a monogram "P" in about 700 pt. font)
-tape
-paint brush or sponge

If painting the mirror too:
-Spray Paint
-Newspaper
-Glazing Materials (see This Post)

Directions: 

To get started on our mirror, my mom graciously donated an old wooden mirror we had at the house. Little kitty once again, was my assistant....

Little kitty held the mirror up so you could see it...

 I first spray painted the wood an ivory.

After the spray paint had dried, I glazed the mirror in order to have the same finish as the dresser. For instructions on how to glaze furniture, see my post Click Here.

The mirror after the glaze is wiped off.

After the spray paint and glaze are set, remove the newspaper and clean the mirror well with Windex.

In the area where you want your monogram to go, stick a large piece of clear contact paper to the mirror. Try to not have as many bubbles as possible.

Next, tape the letter print out on top of the contact paper EXACTLY where you want your monogram to be.

Time to cut! This step can be time consuming depending on what kind of letter you use. If you do not have a steady hand, I recommend using a more print style font rather than a script like the one I used.

Use the print out letter as a stencil and cut all the way around it.

After you have cut the letter out, remove the contact paper of that letter where you have a stencil on the mirror.

Next, apply the etch cream. I used a fluffy paint brush for this step. You can use a sponge, but you will get more application with a paint brush.

You want to apply a THICK THICK layer onto the stencil. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes.

Rinse the cream off with either a water hose or a damp paper towel. Do NOT rinse in the sink. This cream may damage the finish on the sink!

REPEAT!! This step will take several applications. Just keep rinsing and repeating until you get your desired frostiness.

After you get the mirror just as you want it, remove the contact paper and TADA! you have a monogram mirror.

Here is our monogram mirror!

My Wide Striped Curtains with Tutorial!

As some of you may know, I have been slightly obsessed with wide striped curtains for a while now. I've seen them here and there on some blogs and just absolutely fell in love with them!

Exhibit A: from a Well-Dressed-Home-Blog

 It didn't take long for me to decide that this was a must have on my list. So I started searching for the fabric.....I searched online, in stores, even at two of the largest fabric stores in Nashville and all my efforts ended with no luck. I could not find wide stripe fabric anywhere! Since I never give up on my projects, I knew I was just going to have to make them! And "sew" I did (haha I know that was corny).

Here is how I made my wide striped curtains!

Materials:
-two curtain panels in one color (54"x84")
-one panel in a contrasting color (either 54"x84" or I used 55"x90")
-sewable heat and bond
-yard stick
-a sewing machine
-matching thread
-straight pins 
-a rotary cutter or good pair of scissors
-curtain rod

1. I bought two fully lined panels in white. I bought these from Burlington Coat Factory which in my opinion, has the best selection and price for any blackout or fully lined curtain. The material is a faux silk material which has a little shine to it.

I also bought 1 blue unlined panel which I found at TJMaxx on clearance for $4! Can't beat that!

2. Using my rotary cutter, I cut the top part off the blue panel because I knew I wouldn't use it.

**Note on rotary cutters: If you cut a lot of fabric, this is a must have! It is much faster and gives a much cleaner cut. Just make sure you use the cutting board underneath...



3. Time to cut the stripes! I first measured my panel to make 14" wide stripes. This would give me 6 stripes per panel (84" long divided by 6=14"). This is why you only need one contrasting panel. Because I could cut 6 stripes per panel, I could put three blue stripes on each white panel. Because I had a 90" blue panel, I had some extra fabric to remove. If you use an 84" panel, then you should have the perfect amount of fabric for 6 stripes.

4.  I then needed to hem the edges of the blue stripes to give them a cleaner look. To do this, i cut thin strips of heat and bond and "hemmed" the edges with the iron.

5.  Time to place the stripes. I laid out the white panels and placed the stripes where they needed to go. I started at the top hem just below where the curtains would hang. Below the first blue stripe, I measured a 14" white stripe. Repeat until you reach the bottom. I then did the exact same for the other panel. You want your panels to be identical so that the stripes will line up.

6. Sew Time! Using matching top thread, Sew a straight stitch along each stripe on all four sides.

And here they are! My Wide Stripe Curtains! I'm so proud of them! 

Here is Jock modeling the curtains....Cutest Puppy Ever! 

This is Jock's bed by the curtains. He thought he could hide from the camera. And yes, he sleeps with a pillow under his head....

Above you can see the curtains with the dresser that I redid

 I love my curtains!