How to Create a V neck Tee Shirt with Fringe Sleeves from any Basic Crew Neck Shirt

You've been asking for more V Neck tees... I'm listening and have a few colors coming in this week, although, I thought I would show you how you can take any of your basic, crew neck shirts and make it a v neck. With just three items, you probably already have, you can create the v neck, which is perfect for summer. In the video, I also show you how to create fringe sleeves.

Currently, our options for v neck shirts from suppliers are very limited and I refuse to offer a tee, if I can only get it in a couple of sizes, so this how-to shows you how you can alter any of the tees to create a v neck. The shirt I used, just happened to have a hole in the sleeve seam and be my size, so I experimented and had some fun with it. This would be a fun activity you can create for yourself or a summer project with your children. I believe I even have a shirt that had beads added on the fringe sleeves, so you could raid the craft supply stash (you know we all have a kazillion beads lurking in our craft rooms) and let them string the beads on the fringe and tie a knot to hold the beads on. It's a simple project, that can be completed using things you have around the house. 

If you want to see the really quick version of this, I broke it into two Instagram Reels and TikToks at less than 40 seconds a piece. We would love to see how you transform your tees, so make sure you tag us in your pictures! 

Grab the Plum Crazy Crew Neck Shirt online or in our space at P20 Land and Cattle on the Square in Gilmer, Texas. (I will be restocking all sizes online, as soon as my shipment of blank tees comes in.) The colors of this tee are so unique with the bleaching technique I used! 

How to Make a Gnome Tree

Gnome, gnome, gnome - you've got to say it three times! So we have become a little obsessed with gnomes lately! If you've been following along on facebook or instagram, you might have seen our recent gnomes at our shows and even Jeff holding a couple of them! We even have a new gnome tee! 

I sure do love me some bearded boys! (Angea made the two that Jeff is holding, although I've made some that are similar for our shows.) 

 Our friends have said we need to make Jeff a gnome hat and others have said we should just call them "Jeff's" instead of gnomes! lol

Since then, I've been planning my outdoor Christmas displays and I decided we needed a couple of gnome trees! We went thrifting to find some items to make our gnome trees. I saw some very generic and skimpy ones at one of the big box stores, but you know us - can we make it cuter and for less? In this case, yes! 

I found two artificial trees - one for $2.99 and the other for $4.99 (it came with lights.) I picked two that had longer branches and instead of "fluffing up" the trees, I pulled all the branches down, except the very top branch.

 I found this grey sweater for a quarter. Now for the hardest part - I pulled it over the top of the tree, with one sleeve over the top branch.

 Now, just take a sharp pair of scissors and cut about where you want the gnome hat to be. I had the ribbed collar for the front of the gnome. Since I know where my trees are going and that they won't be seen from the back (after this how to), I'm not real concerned about it being perfect on the backside.

 I was outside and didn't have all my supplies nearby and I really wasn't even considering sewing the hats. I had been string lights on my other trees and of course that meant there was lots of those little twisty ties from the lights ( you know the wire ties that you take off the new lights?) Anyways, I take one of those wires and use it to "sew" the back of the sweater together. It was stiff enough to thread through the sweater and twist together, to make the hat fit better. I did trim the sweater up a little bit.

That's what the sweater looked like after making one hat. 

If you work with much greenery garlands, you know there's always a piece or two that will fall off. So I took one of those pieces and tied to the sweater cuff to close off the sleeve. I shaped the one branch that was still sticking up, to make the hat have the curve I wanted. 

 Now for a nose... I went searching for anything that would work and came back with a shatterproof Christmas ornament and simply hooked it on a branch under the hat. I saw one pretty gnome tree made with fresh greenery and they used a potato for the nose.

I added a few bells to the hat and a little more decor to make it complete. While the camper has a kitschy pink and turquoise Christmas vibe going on, the gnomes are headed to the gazebo, where there will be more traditional colors with red, white, green, and grey. 

Of course the gazebo has rustic metal containers, so the gnomes are sitting in a galvanized water cooler and on a pig feeder. 

So whatcha think? Two cute gnome trees for $8.23! That's a fifth of what I saw the store bought gnome trees for and they were skimpy.

Here's a sneak peek of the gazebo - stay tuned for the full gazebo reveal coming real soon!

How to add vintage pins into a keepsake fabric bridal bouquet

Recently, I had a bride ask me how she could add her dad's medal into her bridal bouquet, so I decided to do a short video to demonstrate how easy it is to attach a sentimental pin into a fabric bouquet.

I have had several brides send me their brooches and heirloom jewelry for me to include in the flowers, although this shows you how to easily add a pin, if you want to do it yourself.




 I know at least one bride has attached a fire fighter badge into her bouquet and others have used their mother or grandmother's jewels for "something old." Krystle and Jared's wedding was previously featured and the fireman's pin was included in her bridal bouquet. (Two pictures below by Sarah Marble Photography)

I certainly don't mind adding your brooches or pins into the bouquets, but wanted to share this option with you. You can check out my etsy shop for some ready made brooch bouquets or I can create something custom for you! I do have an assortment of vintage jewelry in different colors (not displayed in my shop) so if you want a burlap brooch bouquet, just ask and let's see what we can create together!

Snowman Christmas Gift Tags

Six days to Christmas and there's not a single gift under the tree. Yikes! 

Honestly, I'm waiting to pick up a few handmade gifts and I've got to finish a couple of things myself, then I'll have a wrapping party in a couple of nights. I love wrapping with pretty bows and gift tags. Sometimes I also tie in a new Christmas ornament in the bow. 

I love brown paper packages or something neutral and old fashion, as I'm really not into too much glitter or bold prints. I also tend to make all my bows and gift tags for my presents. 

This is a simple snowman gift tag I made last year. I raided the button stash for white buttons in different sizes and found some tidbits of ribbon to create a snowman. 

I cut the brown paper tags from some kraft scrapbook paper (or you can recycle paper sacks). I inked the edges white with an ink pad from my scrapbooking days, then stamped names in red. I glued the buttons and bow on, then drew him some twiggy arms and punched a hole to tie it on my gift. Tada, easy and a cute Christmas craft! 

Since we are talking about snowmen, here's Mr. Dish Pan Snow Man! Three enamel pans are stacked to make him and a piece of flannel made his scarf. The small dish pan already had the holes in it that make up his facial expressions. 

Now, I've got to get busy and finish a wedding and all of my gifts! Tell me I'm not alone - Are you finished with all your Christmas shopping / making and wrapping yet? 

Peace on Earth - A Christmas Vignette in an Old Drawer

I recently created this Christmas vignette in an old wooden drawer. 

The wooden drawer was destined for the burn pile, at a house we helped clean out. I just can't stand to throw away good wooden furniture, when its still in good shape.

First I chalk painted and waxed the drawer. 

Next, I inked and aged some book pages for an old timey vintage look and attached them to the drawer. Later, I added the 12 x 12 piece of scrapbook paper with the snowy pine scenery. I then added the piece of old chicken wire to the front of the drawer. 

 I've looked for old bottle brush trees and vintage deer at every estate sale we've gone to this year, although they have been few and very far between. I finally found these two gold bottle brush trees and decided they would fit in my scene. Still, I needed deer. I finally found a wooden deer that I liked and decided he was already painted a white distressed look that would match my vision.

I attached the deer and trees and then tucked a layer of "snow" (cotton) around them. I had the Peace on Earth wooden sign / ornament in my stash and decided it belonged on the back wall of the vignette. I loved that the sign had the pine branches incorporated into it and thought it helped pull it all together. 

 A piece of burlap ribbon is tied around the drawer pull. The vignette can be hung on the wall, without any additional hangers added, since there is enough lip in the drawer front to hang it from or it can be set table top, etc.

P.S. This vignette is now available in our booth at Uniques and Antiques in Mineola, Texas or you can follow the directions on how to create your own scene.