Monday, February 3, 2014

Make It New Monday 02/03/14... 2 Projects, a Link Up and A GIVEAWAY

***The Giveaway portion of this post is over and the winner is VEE! *** 
 
Welcome to Make It New Monday here at My Not-So-Empty Nest!  I'm so glad that you stopped by!  Read HERE to find out a bit more about this once-a-month series. 
 
 
 
The weather in this area of the country (and if the reports of my facebook friends are accurate, every area of the country) has been so very cold so it is a perfect time to think about soup.  The first of the two projects in this post is easy-to-make cloth napkins featuring a persimmon and turquoise colored design of... SOUP!
 
 
 
 
 
 
I bought these really cute dish towels at Dollar Tree.  The soup motif and the colors really caught my eye but since I don't generally use dish towels I decided to buy a bunch of 'em to make cloth napkins.

 
Here is a close-up of the pattern...
 
 
I removed all of the tags then cut the dish cloths in half.
 
 
After cutting in half, I ran a straight stitch to hem the cut edge, then zigzag stitched along all 4 sides.  Easy Peasy!
 

 Next, I decided that the napkins needed coordinating rings.  Enter the second Make It New project...



I gathered up a bunch of supplies that I thought I might need.  Burlap string, buttons, tiny crocheted pretties, paint, paper towel rolls, etc.

 
First, I cut 1.5 inch sections of paper towel rolls, painted them with terra cotta colored paint, then gave them several coats of high gloss Mod Podge.  Then I wrapped burnt orange burlap string (left from another project) around the middle several times, applied a pretty and a button that had been threaded with the same burlap string with glue.  It took a little time to dry between coats of paint, but also an Easy Peasy project.


 
And here is the final product!
 

And now... the GIVEAWAY!  I am giving away a set of 6 of these napkins and rings.  All you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog, answering 2 questions...
1) What is your favorite soup?
2)  How often do you use cloth napkins?
Oh, and make sure I have a way to contact you in case you win. A winner will be chosen on Monday, February 10, 2014, and will have 7 days to respond.  After that, I will chose a new winner.

Okay, now it is time for you to link up!  And don't forget to grab a button for your post.  Thanks so much for joining the fun!
My Not-So-Empty Nest

21 comments:

  1. It has been brought to my attention that this site is having problems with comments. I will see what I can do. Please come back later if you want to comment but are unable. Thanks so much for your patience!

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    1. Ahhh....the terra cotta would match my dining room paint perfectly! I have been looking and looking for a tablecloth that would match. When we painted it last year, we thought we picked a rustic reddish color but it is really not..thus all my rustic reddish stuff doesn't match AT ALL.
      My favorite soup right now is Zuppa Toscana (a la Olive Garden) and I never use cloth napkins. The only ones I even own are burgundy which matched my old dining room color. :( Do I sound needy enough? Ha.
      These are so cute! You are so amazing and crafty! When I try any it is pretty much like our former foster child, Addy, always says, she wants to do "arts and craps".

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    2. Many of my attempts could be categorized as "arts and craps", too, Elvida! Love, love, love Zuppa. I made up my own version a few years back and we ate it until we got sick of it. Time to break it out again, maybe?

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  2. I love your "new" napkins, Joanne! I like to use cloth napkins. I don't use them for every day, but usually for company dinners and when the mood strikes any other time!

    I am working on a project to link up, but didn't get it finished on Saturday. I hope it's okay to do "Make It New MONDAY" on WEDNESDAY! :)

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    1. Cheryl, you can link up until the 10th! I figure people forget since it is only once per month so I figure a week is ample time to throw something together if they really want to! haha!
      You forgot to tell what your favorite soup is... It isn't just a "rule"; I really and truly want to know peoples' favorite soups!

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    2. Hmmmm...favorite soup...favorite soup...(scratches her head...)

      Is it Vegetable Beef? Is it Sausage Bean Chowder? Is it Cream Cheese Chicken Soup? Is it Clam Chowder? Is it Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice? Oh dear...

      I will have to get back to you with an answer...

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    3. Of course you can't choose a favorite from those you listed! They all sound so good.

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  3. I LOVE your soup napkins! how long ago did you find those towels? I don't have a favorite soup...I love them all, although my Mom's homemade chicken noodle is one of my favorites :) Our family uses cloth napkins exclusively.

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    1. It was quite a while back, Allyson. Probably a year or so ago. But they occasionally have other cute patterns, so keep your eyes open! Oh, I love your Mom's chicken noodle soup! I could eat it by the quart!!

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  4. Such cute napkins and napkin rings! My favorite soup would be sausage bean chowder. And we use cloth napkins occasionally.

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    1. Sausage bean chowder sounds like a filling and warming-to-bones kind of soup! Perfect for these cold, rainy days ahead.

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  5. I love soup. My favorite is probably cream cheese chicken soup, but I also love taco soup.

    We use cloth napkins occasionally. In face, we used them yesterday!

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    1. I might be asking you for that taco soup recipe, Kristin. I would likely hack it to meet my dietary needs, but that's part of the fun for me!

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  6. My favorite soup: potato and I use cloth napkins about once a month. Counting eating out it would be about eight.Your napkins are very cute and the rings are just the thing to use with them.

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    1. I like thick, hearty soups like potato soup, too, Aunt Betty. Especially when you add in things like bacon, cheese, and sour cream... Yum!

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  7. My favourite soup is cheeseburger soup or stuffed cabbage...I love having a pot of soup on cold days for sure! I believe we might even use cloth napkins if they are as lovely as those. -Ina

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    1. I made a stuffed cabbage soup a few days ago that was so good! I really like cabbage :-) Thank you for you kind remarks, Ina! So sweet of you.

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  8. I make a Vegetable Beef soup using stew meat, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, okra, and any other veggies I take a notion to throw in. It is wonderful on these cold, cold days. We use cloth napkins at every meal.
    I quit using paper napkins a while back as a frugal step. Love your soup napkins. Great idea on the rings.
    Sharon D.

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    1. I love vegetable soup, Sharon. My mother made it a lot in winter when I was growing up. I've never been able to get mine to taste as good as hers! I know several families who use cloth napkins exclusively. Good for you! Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Sharon. Make sure to stop back by to check if you are the winner.

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  9. Cheesy Corn Chowder is my favorite soup and we use cloth napkins at every meal. I must get to the dollar store because these are very cute!

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    1. Chowders and other thick soups are especially satisfying on frigid days, aren't they?! I have a secret fondness for Dollar Store makeovers, Vee. Shhhh! Don't tell anyone ;-)

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