POV Feature- Summer/ Vacation

Wow- this link  party was fun.  Lots and lots of great ideas.  Countdown calendars are always fun, and I just love how Stacey from Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy made this one.  You'll have to go over there and see what brilliant item she used for the pouches.  Such a fun idea.

Want to know what the other Point of View ladies featured?  You can find Gwen's, Jonie's and Ashlee's by clicking on their names.  Maybe it was you. :)

Our theme for June is Patriotic- so pull out your red, white and blue and get ready for some fun. 
We'll see you soon.
XOXO
Amy

May POV reveal- Summer/Vacation

Welcome to May's Point of View reveal!  The theme: Summer and/or Vacation.  Are you ready for summer?  We still have 3 more days of school, so I have time, right? ;)

If you're still getting ready, or want to expand on your summertime fun- check out these great ideas:
We are excited to welcome our guest for this month: Tone from Bless by Tone
My Summer Bingo clipboards.
Jonie's cute Bandana Dress can be found here.
Ashlee's darling sandals are here
Gwen's darling toiletry bag
Leanne's pots

And if you have projects you want to share,join our link party and let your Point of View be heard. ;)  We'll be featuring our favorites next week!

Enjoy your long weekend and we'll see you soon.
xoxo,
Amy

Summer Bingo Clipboards

Summer is almost here.  Long days, warm nights, lots of time on your hands.  Kids get restless and moms get desperate.  This year, I am hoping to get a jump on things before they get too far out of hand.  As much as I love the occupying power of video games and other screen time- it can quickly devolve into arguing and headaches, plus, I have decided (and I'm sure the experts agree) that it's simply not the best idea to allow the kids unlimited access to the video games.  But I am also certain that said experts would agree that the constant begging and harassment that two young video game addicts bent on gaining access to the magic box generate is harmful to everyone's health. :)

My solution is this: Summer Bingo.  Each time the kids want to earn screen time, they have to first complete a bingo on the board.  Things like: read 20 minutes, extra chores and math or handwriting practice are all part of what they have to do in order to gain access to their hearts' desire.  I tried to make them things that the kids can do mostly independently so that it's not an even larger drain on my limited sanity.  I am working on gathering supplies for the "art activity" options, some of what I have so far:

Small coloring pages that will allow my 5 year old to get a picture colored in a limited amount of time.  Drawing pads that will help the older two get inspired to create something using their *gasp* imagination.  I am hoping to add fabric, glue, markers, scissors, etc. to the pile.  Art time will also include play dough, water colors, and sidewalk chalk.
Other options on the bingo include playing outside for 20 minutes or writing a letter.  I plan on using the computer to help generate math worksheets and handwriting practice, as well as using flashcards and some math tools I have collected to occupy this part of the bingo.  (If you're wondering how I filled the board, I made sure that Read 20 minutes and Play outside 20 minutes were part of every bingo, the other options were used more than once in the bingo as well)
On the other side of the card (which I laminated by the way- using Scots self laminating pouches) I added some scrapbook paper to frame out the chore charts that I'll be using to keep the kids on track with helping around the house.  They will have to complete the chores before they can start on a bingo.  I didn't put the chore charts in the lamination because even though dry erase markers work well enough to keep track of the bingo- I don't have good enough markers to write down the chores in a way the kids can read.  So I'll attach the chore charts each week with a piece of tape and replace them every Sunday.  This will let me rotate jobs and adjust things as needed during the summer.

And I can't resist some close ups of the clipboards I made just for this.  These darling papers and stickers are from Doodlebug Designs.  I had the chance to tour their offices this week and I am so impressed.  I will have to blog about it next week.

Another clipboard.  So cute, right?  If you're interested in how I make the clipboards, you can go to my tutorial here.  And feel free to ask me if you have any questions.
So that's my grand plan for surviving the summer.  I also have some goodies lined up to give the kids next week on their last day of school, that I hope will help keep them busy and happy so we can all get through the first part of the summer.  And I'm being realistic in my expectations for the last part of the summer (after baby gets here) which will consist of pure survival.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!
xoxo,
Amy

Point of View Feature

I know a lot of times we think about the teachers of our school children, but what about coaches, music teachers, and others who help our children become all they have the potential to be.  I love this idea from Simply This and That- to thank a coach for all he/she has done for your child.  She even includes the file to make the darling labels.  So fun!

Her blog is full of cute ideas, I am loving this project where she spruced up an old corkboard with stenciled fabric- it looks gorgeous!

Thank you to everyone who linked up and stopped by!  We love having you participate in Point of View with us!  Our theme for May is Summer/ Vacation and the reveal will be May 25th so I hope you'll stop by with your ideas/ projects and let us know your Point of View! :)
Have a wonderful day.
xoxo,
Amy
*** If you like any of her ideas as much as I do, please click over to her blog before pinning- Thanks!! ***

April Point of View reveal- Teacher Appreciation/ Link Party

 Are you ready to party?  Ready to get some ideas for celebrating the end of the school year, or to say "Thank You" to a wonderful teacher?  Let's get this party started.

 So many fun ideas:  For details click the links below-
Gwen- Gwenny Penny
Leanne- Organize and Decorate Everything
Amy- keep reading!
Jonie- Just Between Friends
Ashlee- I'm Topsy Turvy

And now for my project:

The Life's a Beach tote bag

Teachers have a hard job.  Anyone who is willing to spend their days working with/for other people's kids for little pay and no recognition really is someone special.  I have been lucky with my children that we have always had wonderful teachers, and finding a way to tell them how much their hard work means to me has become pretty important- I mean everyone wants to be told they're doing a good job and their efforts are noticed and appreciated, right?  When summer comes around- I think teachers deserve a nice break- hopefully with lots of relaxation and low stress.  So to encourage that thought, I decided to make a "Life's a Beach" tote bag.  This bag is made pretty simply by using a premade canvas tote (you can find them at Wal-mart) and by including Heat n' Bond, there's no sewing involved.

 

The first thing you will want to do is decide what font and size letters you need.  I used my Cricut, so unfortunately I don't have any files to pass on, but if you also have a Cricut, I used the cartridge Cherry Limeade.  Cut your letters out of cardstock if you can, it will make the next steps much easier.

 Next you will gather the rest of your supplies: fabric (scraps are PERFECT for this) and Heat n Bond (make sure you have the NO SEW kind, so it will have the stronger adhesive on it).  You'll also need scissors and a pen or pencil, as well as an iron.  Then you're set.

 

The first thing you will want to do is trace your letters onto the heat n bond.  **Important** make sure you trace them BACKWARDS onto the heat n bond.  (this is where double sided cardstock comes in handy, you can make sure you're tracing them correctly)  To review- we are creating the MIRROR image of the letters onto the heat n bond.  The next step is to separate the letters from each other- this is only necessary if you are using multiple colors of fabric.  If you are doing all one color, you can leave them connected.  Cut around the letters, but not directly on your traced line.  You will want a border of heat n bond around the letter- it will make cutting out the letters much easier.

 Following the instructions on the package- fuse the heat n bond to the fabric.  Now cut out the letters on your traced line.  I use my paper scissors for this step because I don't want the glue to mess up my GOOD scissors. :)

This collage is just a tip for how I cut out the inside portion of the letters.  Take your letter, fold the area where the portion to be cut is, in half.  Snip a small hole on the fold- it just needs to be big enough for the scissors to fit through.  Then slide your scissors through the opening and start cutting down toward the traced edge.

The last step is to place and fuse the pieces to the tote.  Remove the paper liner from the letter and again following the directions on the package fuse them down to the canvas.  Your tote is ready. :)

One final step I did was to take a Sharpie pen and line the word "Beach" and the ball with a fine black line.  I think it just gives it a bit more definition.  Now, a tote is a nice gift in and of itself, but let's see what kind of fun things we can find to fill it with, shall we?

 The first idea I had was to create a fun "beach" bag for the teacher.  A new towel, a magazine and a treat- to inspire relaxation and fun.  The little tag I made (you can see it in the previous pic) said- "Teacher- hope your whole summer feels just like this:" 

The second tote doesn't need to wait for break time to be enjoyed.  The tag reads: "Teacher- Here are some tings to make the rest of the year feel like:"  It's filled with things teachers seem to run out of near the end of the year- cleaning wipes, treats for the class, baggies and kleenex.  You could add any kind of supplies your teacher needs or wants.
Either way you are helping to make their lives easier- and we all know teachers need a break every once in a while. :)

Thanks for joining us for this months' Point of View, we are so glad you are here.
Now it's your turn to share:  how do you say "Thank You" to your favorite teachers?  Or what ways do you celebrate the end of the school year?  Link up your point of view and share your ideas here:
Linking up to Friday Flair at Whipperberry, also linked up to Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff.

Point of View Reveal- Pinterest

Pinterest is a wonderful place.  Full of goodness and inspiration.   For this month, we decided to take that inspiration and run with it.  How about you?  Have you been inspired to try something from Pinterest?  We'd love to see what you've done with it, scroll down to link up your own Pinterest pinspired Point of View. (yes, I'm still rolling with the pinspired lingo. ;) )
See something that strikes your fancy from the collage?  Follow the links for more details on the projects:
Jonie- Just Between Friends
Ashlee- I'm Topsy Turvy
Gwen- Gwenny Penny
Leanne- Organize and Decorate Everything
And we'd love to give a huge shout out to our friend Lorene from I Am Just Lu, who is our guest poster this month!
I'm so excited to see how all these projects were made- they all look gorgeous!
As for my own Pinspiration?  Let me show  you the pin that started it all:

 This gorgeous layout from Bella Blvd Studio Blog.  If you're looking for inspiration- spend some time on their blog- I love the style and fun ideas they have there.
Anyway, I love the look of the strips of paper creating the sun.  The colors jumped out to me, and well, I simply loved the whole look of the page.  But, I didn't want to make something out of paper.  No, this was just begging to become a pillow.

A, You are my Sunshine pillow.  I love how it came together.  Even though it isn't as brightly colored as the inspiration piece, I am thrilled with it.  For details on how I created the pillow front, you can check out my tutorial, here.
And now that I've shown you my pinspiration- I'm dying to see yours.  We're trying something new this month and hosting the link party on all of the blogs participating in Point of View this month.  Hopefully having the link party right here will encourage you to link up and share your own projects with us.
One last thing before we get to the link party- we are excited to announce the themes coming up for the next couple months of Point of View.  The theme for April's link/ reveal is going to be End of School/ Teacher Appreciation and the theme for May will be Summer/Vacation.  Hopefully this will give you some time to get the wheels turning and get your projects all ready to share with us. :)
Now are you ready to Par-tay?

Point of View Changes

This month marks the 1 year anniversary of Point of View!  I can't believe we've already been doing this for a whole year- crazy how time flies! :)  When you reach an anniversary like this it's not unusual to stop and look back and reflect on how it's gone, what you like, what you want to change.  So here we are- reflecting and looking back- and CHANGING!! :) 

Up first Reflection:  
  These are a couple of the reveal collages from the past year:

Spring Point of View Reveal

October 2011 Reveal- theme: Burlap

And on a personal note, some of my very favorite projects have been Point of View projects, especially my very first Point of View project, my Scalloped Skirt:

 And I'm pleased to report that my daughter still loves this skirt and wears it all the time. :)

It has been a fun year full of amazing projects and challenges.  And I'm really looking forward to the year ahead.  But, with reflection comes the realization that while Point of View has in some ways been exactly what I wanted it to be, in other ways it has fallen short of its potential.  When Jonie and I first discussed the concept over lunch one day last year, we had both recently participated in craft competitions.  What we loved about the competition was the challenge- the opportunity to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and try new things, or perhaps finally find the motivation to make something that had been on our list to make forever, but we just never had the need.  What I didn't like about the competition was the judging.  I didn't like having my project, that I loved and worked hard on, compared to the others in the contest.  I didn't like losing. ;)  So, we came up with Point of View- a chance to push ourselves, to try new projects and to create projects regularly. (let's face it, sometimes we need a little external motivation ;) )  But I also wanted it to be more than just our group's projects- I really want to create a platform for everyone to participate, so we can all benefit from the motivation, the excitement and the opportunity to let our own "Point of View" be seen and heard. 

It's really that last bit that I feel we've fallen short on.  The missing piece of the Point of View puzzle- is YOU! 

So, now on to the changes.
In order to make this more about you, we are opening up the selection of themes to you!  Leave a comment on this post with your suggestions for themes you would like to see us use.  Do you have a project you LOVE that you'd like to share?  Give us a theme that goes with it and then come link it up!  Do you have a project on your to-do list you've wanted to get to FOREVER but never seem to have the motivation?  Give us the theme and then make it happen!  We want themes YOU want, so we can all be motivated and inspired. :)  And with that change comes another adjustment- we are actually going to publish the themes for the whole year as soon as they are decided on!  That way you can get going on them and look forward to sharing them with everyone.
And, just like we did last year, we are going to continue to invite guests to post with us each month- so you can have the chance for a little extra motivation if you like.  If you want to be a guest poster, please send me an e-mail with your blog URL and we'll get you on the list.  If you have previously contacted me about guest posting, and haven't yet had your turn- don't worry- you're still on the list and I'll be in contact with you shortly! :)  (but it might not hurt to send me a note again.  Mom-brain and all.)

One last bit of news- certainly not the least bit of news- is that we have a new member of our Point of View group.  Ashlee from I'm Topsy Turvy has agreed to join us!!  I could not be more excited- she has amazing projects and seemingly limitless energy and creativity and she also happens to be one of my real-life friends- I'm a lucky girl, I know. :)

So hit us with your best shot, open up the floodgates of suggestions and we'll make this year bigger and better than ever! :)
Have a great Friday!!
XOXO,
Amy
p.s.- I will have a better post about this next week, but I wanted to give you a sneak announcement of our next theme: PINTEREST!!  Anything that has inspired you from Pinterest (and if you're not on Pinterest, it can be anything inspired by a blog/ magazine/ picture whatever!)  Recipes, crafts, pictures- get started and we'll share more details next week! :)  Can't wait for this one!!!

Point of View Reveal- February- GREEN!

There are a couple of things you might notice about the collage today- the first is that there are only 4 pictures in it!  I'm sad to say that both Camilla and Michelle have decided that they need to leave our Point of View group.  I am really going to miss their fabulous ideas and terrific projects- but I'm thrilled for them that they find themselves in a position that they are busy enough with other things that make them happy that they have to let something go.  We wish them both the very best in all they have in front of them.  The second thing you'll notice is the abundance of GREEN. :)  Yes, that's our theme for February.  I thought the theme this month would be easy.  Boy was I wrong!  This one sure stumped me- so I'm hoping you've had better luck than I did with your Point of View on the theme. :)  I'm sure impressed with everyone's projects this month- I hope you'll take a peek at all of them and check out the details.
Jonie- Just Between Friends- where you can also link up your own GREEN projects for all of us to enjoy
Leanne- Organize and Decorate Everything
Gwen- Gwenny Penny
Amy- just keep reading! :)

I was very, very tempted to make a pillow for this theme.  Pillows come pretty easy to me and all. ;)  But, I really wanted to do something different and working with paper just seemed like a good idea.  Until I tried to get the project to come together.  It just didn't want to work for me.  The colors were off, the look wasn't what I wanted.  Finally I recruited my sister and between the two of us we worked out the kinks.  The result is this simple but fun Lucky collage piece.  I wish I had more process pictures, but as I was getting more and more frustrated with the project, it never crossed my mind to pull out the camera- so I'll just have to tell you what we ended up doing.  The letters are from recollections at Michaels.  The sheets of cardstock were also purchased at Michaels but I ended up using some of my own paper to get a brighter look on the papers.  The gold glitter paper is from American Crafts.  I used a 1" circle punch and cut out tons (a very specific measurement ;) ) of circles from each of the three colors of paper.  I knew I wanted to graduate the colors from light to dark and I liked the look of "mixing" the layers so there wasn't a harsh line between colors.  When I was pleased with the overall scheme- I pulled off all the circles and started gluing them down.  I just used a hot glue gun since it was cheaper and faster than the other options I had on hand. :)  Once all the green circles were down, we added in the gold and green glitter dots (the green dots were from the alphabet set- they are the dots for the i's and j's ;)  I'm just hoping I'll never need those letters)  The letters were self adhesive, but I found they didn't stick as firmly as I would like, so I ended up gluing those down as well.  I finished it off by gluing ribbon around the edges of the canvas.

I am still working on the finished grouping for this table, but here's where I'm at so far.  The leprechaun houses are birdhouses from the $1.00 section at Michaels.  I was originally going to have them double sided so I could use the birdhouse side for a spring display, but I've decided they will work for both anyway without over complicating the project.  (I think I've already over complicated things enough- haha)  The little figurines are my own creations, you can get a better view of them here.
So there you have it, even though I made this project WAY harder than I needed to- I really like the end result, and I feel pretty "lucky" to have gotten it finished.  Oh man, I think I need to go to bed.
Have a Happy Friday and Don't forget to link up your own GREEN projects over at Jonie's blog- I can't wait to see your point of view!  And, we have some very exciting changes coming to our Point of View group- we'll be announcing them next week- You'll want to stay tuned!! :)
XOXO,
Amy
p.s. If you haven't yet entered- today is the last day to enter my fabric giveaway- HERE!

January Point of View- LOVE

It seems like you can't turn a corner these days without running into something red or heart shaped.  :)  Well, even though the theme was LOVE and not Valentine's- I don't think these projects are going to disappoint.  Are you ready for the project reveal?
Wait no longer:

Mmmm- aren't they yummy?  Such fun projects to browse through, love and Pin- am I right? :)
Ready to go check out the goodness?  Here are the links to further details:
Jonie at Just Between Friends
Amy- just scroll down
Our very special Guests this month Meg and Steph joining us from DIY Divas
Camilla from Rosy Red Buttons
Michelle at A Little Tipsy
And Gwen from Gwenny Penny
Leanne had to miss this month dealing with a family emergency.  We love and miss her and are glad her daughter's doing better. :)

After you're done checking out all this goodness- head over to Gwenny Penny and link up YOUR favorite LOVE posts. (remember that it's any interpretation of the theme- so link away!)
Now- on to my project:

The Ruffle Heart Pillow

Oh yes- I am definitely in LOVE!

When I made the Wavy Ruffle Pillow last year I had the thought that it would be fun to create other shapes with the ruffles- and this seemed like the perfect time to test out that theory.   I didn't re-do the entire tutorial, because I followed all of the same steps from the Wavy Ruffle Pillow tutorial, but I did document the couple of changes I did.

First, we are obviously going to need a heart shape.  I just folded the paper in half and did it the good old gradeschool way, but you can be more deliberate and use a cutting tool like a Cricut or Silhouette if you want.  The shape does get a little skewed by the ruffles, so don't spend too much time on it- just a general heart shape will be just fine.

Here is where I make the confession of all confessions.  I am an "eyeballer".  I don't measure things very often.  I find that I am usually more accurate if I just eyeball where things go instead of trying to be exact in my placement.  So- center your heart on the front pillow cover panel and trace around it to give you a guideline for placing your strips.  Then take your pink (or colored) bias-cut ruffles, pin down the first layer.  I lined up the center of the ruffle (where the gathering stitches are) on the pencil line, you could also line up the outside or inside of the ruffle along that line as well- it's up to you.  For this pillow, I did sew down one round at a time, instead of pinning all the ruffles and then sewing- but either method would work.  Fill in the inside of the heart with more colored ruffles and you'll get something that looks like this:

Which I think is gorgeous and I was really tempted to leave it like that, but I felt it looked too much like my Faux Chenille Pillow- and I wanted them to look less alike.  So, next I filled in the outside with white ruffles.  Then I finished my pillow with an envelope closure and I was finished.

I'm really glad I added the white ruffles.  This pillow turned out just like I hoped it would.

Now are you ready for some linky fun?  Head over to Gwenny Penny and link up anything LOVE-ly.  We can't wait to see what you've done.

XOXO,

Amy
Linked up to the Be Mine Bonanza link party with At Home with K. Also linked to the Saturday seven at Positively Splendid. Partying with Creations by Kara at her Look What I Made linky.

Point of View Reveal- Gifts

I was pretty excited for this month's theme for Point of View.  It's not very often that I get a jump start on getting gifts crossed off my list.  But I think it backfired on me because looking at the awesome projects on the collage, I'm thinking that now I have to make many more gifts. :)
Are you interested in finding out more about these projects?  Click on the links below to find more details:
Michelle's adorable doughnut snowman at A Little Tipsy
Leanne from Organize and Decorate everything has a great idea for personalizing napkins.
Me- scroll down
Gwen has a tutorial for these adorable fleece hats at Gwenny Penny
Debra from Housewife Eclectic- one of our Guest posters for the month (please head over and give her some love)- has a gift with a secret- go check out what it is.
Caitlin from Cait Create  (another guest that we are so excited to have- please say hi to her) Has an inexpensive but lovely gift that would be great to keep on hand for those unexpected moments when you need something to give.
Jonie from Just Between Friends is back from having a new baby and we are so glad to have her!  Angry birds are a big hit at our house, I think this one is going on my to make list for sure. :)
Now- on to the full disclosure of my project:

I am all about cute handmade gifts, but even more about gifts that have a catchy saying to go with them.  For instance one of my favorite neighbor gifts I have ever received is a can of chili and a 2-liter of root beer with a tag that said "Have a Rootin' Tootin' Christmas!"  I still laugh about it. :)  So when I saw these cute dishtowels (made even cuter with some fabric scraps) at IKEA for $.49 I knew I would love to use them as gifts for my friends, but that it needed a cute card or saying to go with it to complete the effect.  So I came up with this:

In case it's hard to read it says: "A good friend sees you through the messes in life.  A better friend stays and helps you clean up!  Thank you for being the best kind of friend"  It would be cute to use this quote with some great cleaning supplies, hand knit or crocheted dishcloths or anything else along those lines.
For a quick and dirty tutorial on how I embellished the towels:
I used Heat n Bond lite (the sewable kind) because I know they are going to get a lot of use at my house so I wanted to sew them down.  To make this a no sew project just use the regular Heat n Bond that doesn't require sewing- it can still be washed but you won't want to use it as heavily.

Trace your shape on the wrong side of the heat n bond (the paper side), if your shape is directional, you will want to trace the reverse image.  Iron the heat n bond to the wrong side of your fabric (follow manufacturers instructions).  Cut out shape and arrange on fabric, remove paper backing and iron down.  If you are using heat n bond lite you will want to stitch down the fabric.  I used a decorative blanket stitch on mine.

Package it up and you have a cute, custom and inexpensive gift to give friends, neighbors, sisters- everyone! :)  You don't have to make these seasonal, you could choose fabrics that match the recipient's decor, monogram them or just keep them simple- the possibilities are endless.
Now it's your turn.  What gifts have you come up with?  Remember they can be new or old, your own ideas or someone else's you've implemented yourself.  Just come party with us and let your Point of View be heard.  You can join the fun at Leann's blog here.
We will be taking December off from Point of View and resuming in January so watch for announcements about upcoming themes and dates, and as always, we love having guests participate with us, so if you'd like to join in the fun leave a comment or e-mail any of the POV blogs and let us know, we'll get you on our list. :)
Have a great Friday!
xoxo,
Amy
p.s. Am I the only one slightly panicked that next week is Thanksgiving?  I have SO much to do! :) http://i745.photobucket.com/albums/xx93/SaSites/freeforallfriday1.jpg" />

Point of View Reveal- Burlap

The collage this month is just awesome.  Camilla is the genius behind each of our collages each month and she does an amazing job each time! :)
When thinking about burlap, the possibilities are endless- and a glance over the variety of projects in our Point of View reveal this month is a good example.  See something that catches your eye?  Check out one or more of the projects by clicking on the links below:
Leanne at Organize and Decorate Everything
Gwen at Gwenny Penny
Angie (our awesome guest poster- Please show her some comment love!) from The Country Chic Cottage
Camilla from Rosy Red Buttons
Amy (don't go anywhere)
Michelle at A Little Tipsy

I went to the launch of Amanda Herrings' new fabric line- Delighted for Riley Blake last week.  The samples she had made up were amazing!  One of my favorite things was the banner lined with burlap and topped with quilted pennants.  The contrast between the quilter weight cotton and the burlap was terrific and inspired my project this week!
Want to make your own burlap centered accent flower?  I'm here to help. :)

This tutorial is pretty simple- you can adjust the size of the flower by changing the size of the circle you use.  I am using a charm pack of Gobble Gobble from Moda that I had on hand, so I chose a circle that would fit on the 5" square.
1.  Trace your circle on the wrong side of the fabric.  2.  Cut out the circle with pinking shears (this will save you needing to clip the curves later)  3.  Fold in half and sew along the outer edge.  4.  Using sharp scissors, cut along the folded straight edge.  Make an approx 1" hole.

Next you will need to turn the petal right-side out.  (repeat for all five petals)

Sew a gather stitch (long running stitch) along the straight edge of the petal and gather.

I lined my burlap with a scrap of natural colored cotton.  Cut out a circle the same size as the petals and run a gathering stitch around the edge.

Pull the gather stitches to make a pouch and  put a small amount of fiber fill inside- tie it off so it's closed.

To make the flower I just used some pearl cotton and a running stitch to sew the petals onto the center.  Depending on what you're going to use the flower for, you can finish the back of the flower with felt, paper or another center to make it double sided.

On this tote- I sewed the flower directly onto the bag.  I think it makes a fun accent to this girly bag- and the contrast with the burlap really makes the cotton fabrics stand out.
What would you use these flowers for?
So, now you've seen my Point of View on burlap- what's yours?  Visit Michelle's blog at A Little Tipsy to link up your projects that use burlap and get your Point of View heard! :)
XOXO,
Amy