This tutorial will teach you how to quickly craft elegant tapestry and lacework napkin rings for your Spring Garden Mother’s Day Tea Party, then easily make cross keychain gifts and an upcycled jewelry box encrusted with vintage buttons. These are great last minute projects that are actually pretty inexpensive to produce, but would cost a pretty penny if purchased from a boutique. So craft along with me… the best is yet to be!
Let’s begin our crafternoon by making 6 napkin rings so that our tables may be set early.
Start with 3 feet of any variety of woven tapestry ribbon. (I always snatch these up when I find them on clearance, because they are just so versatile. I’ll show you more craft ideas to use it with in the future.) Also look for 6 feet of lovely lacework in a small width.
Cut all of your ribbon and lace into 6 inch lengths.
Glue the ends of the tapestry together overlapping them slightly. Use hot fabric glue or clamp a cold fabric glue to dry… or sew it if you’re so inclined.
Glue one length of lace to either side of the ring, layering it over the serged seam of the ribbon to conceal it.
Fill with any coordinating cloth napkin to suit your event’s color scheme.
Next, let’s craft a cross keychain gift to extend our best wishes for a blessed life… or one with a heart full of loving-kindness.
Begin with any variety of coordinating beads of various shapes, a shape pendant, a key ring, thin fishing line, and a small split ring. (These can almost always be purchased on sale or clearance.)
Slide the small ring onto the key ring. (This will enable keys to be added to the ring later.)
Slip one end of the fishing line into all the beads first then through the pendant.
Now feed the line back up through those same beads.
Tie the two ends sticking up out of the beads onto the small ring with your choice of a double knot or surgeon’s knot. (Try triple looping the ends then triple looping them again in the opposite direction. Pull the ends really tight to bring it together. This is a great knot to keep keychains secure.)
Cut the dangling ends close but with a little bit sticking out of the knot to keep it from unraveling.
Package it with an apropos and sincere message.
Think about buying extra beads to make one for yourself as well!
Now I’ll tell you how I made an upcycled jewelry box, so that you can think about making your own quickly and easily. It would be lovely to enclose that keychain in it as a complete gift… because it’s bad luck to give away an empty jewelry box.
I actually began this upcycled project many years ago as a gift for my grandmother. I hot glued vintage mother of pearl, glass, and pearl buttons to a vintage powder puff box. I then used tacky glue to adhere white grosgrain ribbon to the sides and inside of the box. I added silicone feet to prevent table scuffing along with a button closure.
I never felt that it was quite good enough for my liking, so this year I decided to embellish it further with some ivory lace.
I simply hot glued dots onto the points of the lace then gently tapped them down onto the ribbon. I continued all around the box, and then cut and glued the end corner.
To finish it, I simply inverted another length of lace and glued it all the way around as well.
It looks so much more finished now, so I am happy to present the new and improved version back to my grandmother. To make your own, upcycle any old but pretty box or paint a new paper maché one. Cover it with vintage buttons or newly purchased ones. Glue on silicone or wooden feet. It’s an easy project that makes a beautiful gift.
Now you’re on your way to a fantastic Mother’s Day!
Faithfully Yours,
Leigh
P.S. Get free printable cards and invitations, plus see the napkin rings and box placed in the whole Tea here: Spring Garden Mother’s Day Tea Party Tablescape Décor Ideas (+ Free Printable Card & Invitation)
