Lisa Storms

pillow wraps

Did you know September is National Sewing Month?  In honor I created some super easy pillow wraps for Fiskars...

These are a simple way to mix up the colors or style of a room without the commitment! Have you ever wanted to add fun pinwheels, flowers, ruffles, etc. to your pillows but didn't want to sew into the actual pillow?  Or are you like me and are always changing up colors in a room but don't have any more storage space for the insane amount of pillows you purchase? Ha! Problem solved. =)

The full tutorial and photos can be found here.

from tee to cardigan

With spring's arrival, we have to do a lot of layering here in Oregon.  It's warm one minute and cold the next.  Enter my love of the cardigan.

Transform your tees into cardigans easily as I did here answering a Fiskars challenge for National Craft Month to make something using only a t-shirt, yard of fabric, rotary cutter, and hand/sewing machine.  Full photos and step-by-step directions can be found here.

cookie decorating party

Cookie decorating is a fun party activity for any age or any holiday!  It can also hold its weight as its own party theme.  A rolling pin invitation, which fits into a standard business envelope, kicks the party off before guests ever arrive.

Not only does this theme take care of an activity, snack, and a take-home goodie built-in ... it's also just so *cute* to decorate with.  Even down to the smallest details like these sweet cookie straws.

I created monogrammed cookie aprons from dish towels for the guests not only to keep them clean and to send home as a goodie gift for future use, but they make the party so adorable and become part of the decorations.

These monogrammed cookies were inspired by a layout I made for the December 2010 cover of Scrapbooks Etc. magazine, where I lined chipboard letters with puffy paint to mimic frosting.

You can view the full party including photos and directions here in my Fiskars online project.

halloween costumes

I've always loved making the kids' Halloween costumes.  The more kids I have, and the busier life gets, I've had to learn to take short cuts!

Starting with a premade base, like a hoodie, just lets me spend more time doing the fun part of embellishing.  I'm sharing this year's costumes over at Fiskars.  You can see the full article and photos here.

And while you're at it, take a peek at last year's costumes here.

felt leaves necklace for fall

And just like that ... school starts, summer's unofficially over, and fall is peeking around the corner.  So in honor of National Sewing Month, I created these fall necklaces for Fiskars.

I may have mentioned a time or a hundred that I am a lazy sewer and love working with felt so I don't need to worry about fraying, etc.  And it comes in such beautiful colors these days.  

My daughter is obsessed with jewelry (she comes by it honestly) so I plan on making several more pieces for her fall "collection" and will be sure to share the easy directions here.  

For full photos and tutorial on these, check out my article at Fiskars.  Happy sewing this month =).

tank top bag

I saw my daughter carrying this bag recently and was reminded of an article I did for Fiskars long ago on turning tank tops into summer bags in minutes.

Full instructions and photos are here on the Fiskars site.

lemonade stand

Summer is in full swing, and the lemonade is plentiful at the Storms household. 

One summertime activity the kids love is having a lemonade stand, so I created an article over at Fiskars on how to make your own stand with a removable faux awning that stores away easily without damaging your table!

... and of course cute ways to decorate the stand ...

... and everything on the stand ...

... and even the cute kid behind the stand =).

Lots more ideas, lots more photos, and full directions can be found in my full article on the Fiskars site.

st. patrick's day accessories

My daughter is obsessed with hair accessories.  While it's a fun way to add a little something extra to your outfit, on St. Patrick's Day it can also help you avoid being pinched =).  I have designed three pieces that are meant to be projects made from items you likely have around your home.

And you thought you'd seen the last of mustache sticks on my blog?  It's a sickness, people.  Had to add something fun in for the boys, too.

Full directions and photos for these projects can be found here at Fiskars.