Shhh...it's a surprise!

I made something for my sister for her birthday, and I'm not giving it to her until this weekend - but I'm too impatient to wait to blog about it till after Sunday!! So here goes. I follow this awesome blog called http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/, I highly recommend checking it out. It's a set of sisters who I think live in Texas somewhere, but they are always making things, and giving tutorials about them. So, I need to credit their blog for this idea!

I bought a little set of fabric fat quarters from Stampin' Up (a scrapbook company that actually was selling fabric pieces a couple of months ago, not sure if they do this all the time or was just a special). The fabric totally reminded me of my sister, who is a seamstress; I wanted to make her something functional, not just a dorky little pillow or something (about all I can do with my limited sewing skills). I'm not that great at sewing, but I can use a glue gun!!!

Here's the fabric. I love how the top piece has a little girl with the letters next to hear labeling the pattern pieces. The second piece of material has lines that are actually different stitches.

I bought this frame at Hobby Lobby half price; it has a back, I just removed it for the picture. I like buying already made frames, as opposed to the open back frames, because I don't like having to deal with making my own back for it.

I chose this frame because I liked the details around the edges. I was not, however, a fan of the color of the frame. The Shanty sisters spray paint everything, so I was inspired.....

...to use Rustoleum's Heirloom White for a nice, off-white look. Totally changed the look of the frame. I love it.

I bought a piece of galvanized metal from Home Depot (it was right in the plumbing section, just as they said!). I traced the glass from the frame onto the metal. Used gloves while using my tin snips to cut it out, because this stuff is sharp.

I hadn't used a hot glue gun in YEARS. I'm not sure I can make a fingerprint now, because I feel like I burned off all the ridges on my fingers as I glued this thing. Anyway, I stretched the fabric tight and glued it down. I actually had to peel it off and re-glue it, I learned it's best to get one side glued down, then pull as tight as you can on the other side to make the whole thing really taut.

I bought little round magnets, and covered different sized buttons with the fabric (using the glue gun), as well as adding the little chenille trim around them (also came from Stampin' Up and matched the fabric). At first, I put some cotton under the material, thinking it would be cute and puffy - but, not so much. Didn't look good at all. So the material is glued straight to the button, and I think looks good.

Ready to see the finished product? Just popped that piece of metal into the frame, but the back on, and....

Here it is! I figured she can put pictures on it (and rotate them out), hang lists, coupons, whatever. I'm not sure if the colors totally match her house, but, she could always put it in her sewing room too! (Notice I used one of Grace's pictures I took from her 16th birthday. Thought I might print some of those out for her, since her pictures tend to live IN her computer).

Can't wait to give it to her! I'm now inspired to keep making more projects (and ignore housework!!!)