| DIY: FESTIVE TOTES |

i recently subscribed to better homes and garden and good housekeeping magazines [ i know, i know, so grown up of me. ] i received both magazines for the first time when their october issues came out. they both had so many fun halloween/fall crafting ideas and it got my creative juices flowin'... i made these cute halloween totes for really cheap [ less than $10 a piece ] and i think they turned out adorable.  Use these for your kids trick or treat bags or bring one to a friends fall party with a bottle of wine and a festive candle.  the best part: there are no rules-- decorate to go with a costume or keep it on the safe side so you know you'll use it again.  have fun!

** link to totes // if you decide to spray paint cover the rest of your tote with paper or old magazines so it doesn't get dirty // the cob webs started as a garland; i cut them apart // i bought two bows each roughly $1 (the silver and black skull & the orange one on the skulls head) and took off the clips // any questions email me at erin(at)netaloves.com happy crafting

| DIY table runner |

happy friday, guys!  sorry this post is coming later in the day: I've been trying to post first thing in the am but ran into a big DIY disaster!  I was planning on posting a do it yourself chevron printed tray and it was a total fail.  I plan on attempting again but in the meantime I put together this fun do it yourself table runner.  Jeff and I have been looking for a table runner and just haven't found one we liked so...why not make one?!  This is a super-duper easy craft, if you're new to DIY or just don't find yourself too crafty this is the perfect "beginner" project.  Use this on your every day dining room table, for a party you are hosting or add some fun to your wedding tables.  If you want to get some more inspiration check out diy runners on pinterest .  enjoy!

- the supplies: burlap; we picked ours up at wal-mart, paint (in whatever color you'd like: I went with a "cottage white" by Behr), paint brush, blue tape, a pencil and a tape measure.

- i cut the burlap 44 x 13 inches to fit our table: you will need to figure out how wide you want your runner to be and if you want it to hang beyond the table length or shorter?  ***I think making it shorter makes it a bit more casual.

- next you need to figure out how you want your lines to look: i loved the idea of our runner not being centered with a two stripes, different widths.  I found the center and placed the blue tape to outline my lines.

- don't be nervous; you want to pile on the paint: once you rip those pieces of tape off there is no turning back!