Napkin Tutorial + a Give-Away!

Maria (daughter) and I have been creating things for our online shop, Wyoming Rose Boutique, since last November.  We have so much fun!  We also had a Wyoming Rose Boutique blog but with us each having our own blogs as well, we decided to stop adding to our store blog.  Instead, we will occasionally do tutorials and give-aways on our own blogs.  Maria recently did one on how to make some beautiful decorative flowers.  She often has give-aways on her blog as well. 

Our shop, Wyoming Rose Boutique, is NOT closing, just the blog.  In fact, we've been crafting away for our shop lately and we are also going to do our very first craft fair next week-end!  We're kind of excited about that.

Anyway...

I decided you might enjoy a fun craft I learned from a sweet lady named Rosemarie.  I met her at our church in New Mexico and she taught this to us at a ladies' gathering.

You'll  need some pretty napkins, a paintbrush and some Mod Podge.  I chose the glossy Mod Podge but the matte would be lovely as well.  Additionally, you need something like an old basket or some prefab little container dealies or whatever else you may think of that you might want to recover.

Be sure to put down newspapers first.  This is a craft you can easily do with children but even so, it is messy.  Also, it is helpful if you turn on the radio.  Music makes crafting much more fun.  I turned on KLove.  Do you get that station where you are?  I know it is national but I'm not sure it is everywhere.  Anyway, I enjoy it a lot.

So, now you are set.

Begin preparing your napkins by tearing off the edges, you know,

that part with the little bumpy area.

I know that seems wasteful, but it gets worse.  Next you must peel off all the white layers from the back of the napkin.  If you wish, you can save all the scraps and use them to wipe your mouth when you eat lunch.  I just threw my scraps in the trash.  Anyway, you have to be real certain all the back layers are off and that you only have the top layer left.  Some napkins are just 2-ply but a lot of the really pretty napkins sneak in another layer.  After you are certain you've removed the backs, tear your napkins into pieces.  You may make them any size you wish.  I have best results using anything from the size of a half-dollar to maybe the size of a paper dollar,
depending on what you are recovering.

The next step is to paint a bit of the Mod Podge onto your item.

Then start sticking on pieces of napkin and apply Mod Podge over it to make it stick well.  The biggest piece of advice for this project is to go very light with the Mod Podge.  I tend to want to drown the napkins but that leaves the final project sticky and you may even have white spots.  Less is better.

I was doing a pretty thorough covering on this basket but I also like it when I go even lighter and leave some of the napkin still papery, as long as it sticks.

You can choose to do the bottom of your project or leave it alone.  Just be sure that while you are painting on the Mod Podge you are remembering to leave a side to set it down.  I let my projects dry overnight and then do the other side if desired.

I did a whole batch of things at once.  I guess I figure if I'm going to

make a mess I may as well really get into it. 

And this little cutie is for the give-away.

And to make it more interesting, the winner will find a surprise pair of earrings inside!

So, you can enter in a number of ways...

1) Any new followers from today through Tuesday will be entered automatically.

2) Anyone who leaves a comment on any of my posts from today through Tuesday

    will automatically be entered once for EACH comment.  I will also count comments

    sent to my e-mail (see below).

3) If you let me know that you shared this post on FACEBOOK I will enter your name.

4) If you let me know that you shared this post on TWITTER I will enter your name.

5) If you let me know you visited our shop site I will enter your name.

6) If you let me know that you've visited Maria's blog between today and Tuesday I will

    enter your name.
7) If you let me know that you have become a new follower of Maria's blog,
    Little Things are Big, I will enter your name yet again.
8)  If you let me know that you blogged about EITHER my blog or Maria's, I will
    enter your name yet again.

So you see, you can enter any number of ways.  My e-mail address is onlythemanager@yahoo.com so you can "let me know" what you've done that way as well. 

Now, for the warning.  Yes, there is a warning!  It is likely that you will have left-over Mod Podge.  It is ok to look around and think of what else you may want to recover, but be cautious!  It is easy to get carried away!  For example, here is a picture of my bathroom cupboards:

So, you've been warned.  This is an addictive behavior and intervention may be needed!
Craft at your own risk!  ..........but have fun!