I am using a large embroidery hoop as the base for the wreath.  They come in many sizes.  An embroidery hoop is basically one unit consisting of two round wooden hoops. The smaller hoops nestles inside of the larger hoop.  A piece of fabric is stretched between the two and clamped into place.  It is an ideal tool for creating embroidery.  I am using a 16″ hoop for my wreath.  It really is the perfect size for a DIY spring door wreath!

If you don’t want to destroy the handkerchiefs, you can simply insert them into the hoop rather than cut them or alter them in any way.  At the end of the project, tape the excess fabric to the back of the hoop.

Prep Work

Start by ironing and starching each handkerchief.  This will give them a stiffer texture allow them to stand up nicely along the edge of the hoop.  Without the starch, they will be limp and will not stand up allowing you to see the patterns and colors.  Who wants a limp and wilted DIY spring door wreath??

Assembly

After ironing, fold or scrunch each handkerchief and lay it on the hoop laying the pointed ends facing outward along the edge of the hoop, essentially forming the circle of the wreath.  Move the hankies around until you are pleased with the color pattern. 

Once you have your pattern, carefully place the inner hoop inside of the outer hoop to secure the hankies into place.

Adding a center to the wreath will cover the excess fabric from the hankies.  Trace the inside of the wreath onto some cardboard and cut out the circle. 

Next, cut a piece of fabric to cover the cardboard circle.  Attach the fabric by stretching it across the cardboard and over the edges.  Use hot glue to secure the edges of the fabric to the back of the cardboard circle.  I used my Ryobi cordless glue gun.

The fabric covered circle should fit snugly on top of  inside of the hoop.  Hot glue it into place by applying hot glue to the back edges and set it into place on top of the hoop.

Embellish

You can leave your wreath as is or add a sweet message to the center.  I found this little wooden blank sign at Hobby Lobby. 

I filled the holes with wood putty and sanded the surface smooth.  Two coats of Rustoleum2X white spray paint with primer and the sign was ready for a message.

I used my Colorshot Paint markers to write a little message. 

After the sign was completely dry, I hot glued it into place with my Ryobi cordless glue gun…one of my favorite Ryobi tools.

Since I didn’t cut the hankies, I used some packing tape to secure the excess fabric to the back of the circle to keep the extra fabric flat.

And here she is before the sign…

And after…

I thought the banner needed something more so I added some flowers.  I’m torn between using the sign and leaving the center empty.  What do you think?

Now I can enjoy these vintage beauties.  So much more lovely than sitting in a box in a garage!

If you enjoyed this project, you will also love these other spring idea.  Check out my post 5 Simple Ways to Add Spring to Your Decor.

The post DIY Spring Door Wreath from Vintage Handkerchiefs appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Historically, dough bowls were used in making bread.  The bread was mixed and kneaded in the bowl and left to rest.  Modern day dough bowls are used for decor purposes though I am sure some folks still use them as they were intended for creating bread sensations.  You can usually tell an antique dough bowl by the weight, the aged patina, and even the odd shape.

Our challenge was organized by Danielle from Faith and Farmhouse.  Over 5 days, ten bloggers each posted ways to style a dough bowl according to the daily prompt for Kitchen, Dining Room, Entryway/Mudroom, Coffee Table and Designer’s Choice.  

Dough Bowls in the Kitchen

This dough bowl has been sitting in my kitchen since we updated My Tuscan Inspired Kitchen.  It is the perfect display for these gorgeous counters.  I often use it to hold fruit, or items to use in cooking a meal.  I’m getting ready to make some scones and cookies so I gathered all of the ingredients which fit nicely in my dough bowl and I am ready to go!  

Dining Room

I am blessed with a large family so we have a good sized dining table in our dining room that we use for all major holidays.  This table is the perfect size for my largest dough bowl.  For this challenge, I decided to go simple and only placed a berry garland in the center of the dough bowl.  Then I added some candle sticks and a vintage candelabra.  Though simple, this decor was quick, easy and, I think, impactful.  I will probably add some pinecones too.  Check out my post on how I reclaimed my dining room as part of the One Room Challenge. 

These elegant candles are 15″ Flameless wax tapers from Lights.com.  The beauty of these candles lies in the safety feature of having the ambiance without the danger of a live flame.  They are battery operated and come with a remote for easy use.  You will see them again in my Designer’s Choice dough bowl.

Entryway/Mudroom

Our home is a split entry/ranch style.  Last year, I upgraded the entryway.  I was lucky to participate in Woodgrain’s feature wall competition at the Haven Conference.  I update the entry with this beautiful feature wall.  Then we added a new door with sidelights and changed up the look with the $100 Room Challenge.  With the new secretary, I really don’t have a place to functionally use a dough bowl.  So I placed a round dough bowl at the top of the steps for convenience.

Normally we just drop our keys on the piano.  But I love the idea of using the dough bowl since it holds much more!  I can set items there to bring to the car like my shopping list, air pods, masks, etc.  Centralizing these items in one staging area reduces the chance of multiple trips back into the house for items that I forgot to grab.  I also added a few items that were left behind by my kids on their last visit and a photo for a friend who will be by to pick it up.  In my never ending quest to declutter, this entry dough bowl makes things more visually appealing.

Bonus, I added an antique dough bowl at the entry to bring some color into the area.  She looks great with this Christmas cactus who surprised me with some blooms this week.

Coffee Table

We don’t keep alot of items on our coffee table because we’ve had dogs over the years who like to eat reading glasses, Roku remotes, cable remotes, note pads, pens, etc.  I usually start my day with a hot cup of coffee, a note pad, and the Today Show.  It’s my time to jot down my plan for the day and any genius ideas that might surface as I prepare for my day.  So I decided to use my dough bowl on my coffee table to keep my morning items together.

I am confident that I will start using my dough bowls more decoratively as the clutter continues to disappear from my home.  It’s all a process. 

Life is definitely simpler with only one of my five children still at home. I no longer play chauffeur, stylist, or room  mom.  I am definitely enjoying the opportunity to focus more attention on decor, simplifying, and polishing up my home.

Designer’s Choice

We recently replaced our deck on the back of our home.  It’s a spacious addition to our home and I’ve been decorating sporadically waiting for the wood to be ready to stain.  It’s been mild this week in Alabama so we’ve been back out there with coffee and cocktails enjoying our property.  This is the perfect place to showcase another dough bowl.  And I used my favorites…succulents?

My bodyguard approves!

This  was such a fun little challenge.  I enjoyed seeing everyone’s style and ingenuity for each day.  And honestly, though I love my dough bowls and they are visible in my decor, I rarely use them.  That is soon to change as I have so many new ideas on how to style a dough bowl.  As I was styling my kitchen dough bowl on day one, I thought, “Dang!  This dough bowl is convenient!”

How do you style or use your dough bowl?

Here are some other ways I’ve styled over the years at my store, The Blue Building Antiques.

How do you style your dough bowls?  Share a photo on social media and tag me!

Dough Bowl Challenge 2021 Blog Links

Here are the links to the other dough bowl posts.  Be prepared to be dazzled!

Faith and Farmhouse

From Farmhouse to Florida

 Gathered in the Kitchen

Hen and Horse Design

Saved from Salvage

Shop at Blu That’s me! You’re here!

Sweet Valley Acres

White Lilac Farmhouse

Bushel and a Pickle

If you enjoyed this hop, please feel free to pin some of the images!  You can do that directly from the photo!  Just hover over top left corner and save the inspiration for later.

The post 50 Ways to Style a Dough Bowl appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I thought this next one was crab apple, but I like to properly identify them.  It’s fun to research.  It’s always a bonus to be knowledgeable about the details on highly collectible items.

I did a quick google search of how to identify Blue Ridge Pottery patterns and was amazed to find hundreds!  Here is the link I found most useful.  In this guide alone there are 247 patterns!  Right??!!!  Who would guess that there are so many patterns for this pottery.  And apparently there are more patterns because my first two patterns above were not on this extensive list.

Usually, when I need to identify a pattern, I refer to Replacements.com.  This is a service that will purchase individual pieces of china or complete sets.  They have a quite extensive list of china, porcelain, pottery by manufacturer.  Most items are accompanied by a photo so is easy to identify you pattern.  This is by far the most extensive reference I have found for identifying china.  And guess what?  They do have the two patterns that were missing from my first search.  The first is Anemone and the second is Ring O Roses.  While Replacements.com’s list is not as extensive as blueridge-sp.com they did have several patterns that were not listed on blueridge-sp.com.

Below are some of the more common patterns that we see here at The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment:

I was very surprised to learn that patterns BRP34 and BRP37 are in fact Blue Ridge Pottery patterns!  These are very common patterns among estate items.

I have found that different manufacturers will produce similar patterns.  Here is pattern similar to Blue Ridge Pottery BRP34 and 37.

This is in fact a pattern by Taylor Smith, Taylor USA #5431

Here is a similar Taylor Smith pattern #10631:

Have you ever wondered how to identify china?  Usually it has a “mark” or a stamp on the back of each piece.  The stamp contains a Maker or Manufacturer’s name and a pattern identification, usually a number.

Here is an illustration of what this stamp or Maker’s mark means:

I have seen these china pieces with pastel florals and gold ornate trim many many times.  Usually, they do not have a stamp.  But now I have an idea of maker and age thanks to this little dip into the world of China!

I hope this has been helpful.  The next time you are at a yard or estate sale, you will have a reference on how to research and identify china patterns!

The post How to identify Blue Ridge Pottery and China Patterns appeared first on Shop at Blu.