week full of diy

Last week, it just so happened that I attended two DIY classes and had such a blast gathering some new skills.

 The first course was on Cake Decorating as part of the YMCA's DIY Series. I had the same instructor from the Frozen Treats class that Jenn and I took back in July. Chef Anna is always so much fun and really knows her food. She shared some great tips about cakes and icing and taught us a few techniques for jazzing them up. First, we learned how to roll out fondant and cover a round cake (sadly, we were just working with styrofoam stand-ins). Next, Anna showed us how to make cornets (fancy mini piping bags) from parchment paper, fill them with chocolate, and try our hands at lettering and drawing designs. Finally, we got out the big piping bags and metal tips and went to town icing our cakes. It was really fun and super simple. I can't wait for an occasion to try my new skills at home!

The other class I took was on monogramming (Southerners love putting their initials on everything) with bloggers Hannah Villio (fellow Auburn alum) and Amy Anderson at the west elm in Chelsea. The ladies supplied us with some cloth napkins (plus champagne and snacks) along with a few ideas to get our letter or designs on the fabric. We all chose to try out using paint and freezer paper as a stencil. I had vaguely heard about using this in the past, but now that I've tried it, my life is changed! It worked so well for getting crisp edges and the steps are really simple:

Trace or freehand a letter or design on the matte side of the freezer paper.

Cut out the design with an x-acto blade.

Locate your freezer paper stencil on the fabric with the shiny side down.

Iron the paper to your fabric for a minute or two. Check to make sure the edges sealed.

Let your stencil cool a little. Then use a sponge dabber and apply several thin layers of paint.

Let dry a few minutes and then peel off the stencil. Voila!

Do you like my dollar sign monogram? I wanted to try something a little different from my initials and we laughed that it was so gangsta of me. It was a hit! Maybe I should make a whole set! :) Anyway, the class was really fun and it was great to catch up with some sweet Auburn ladies. Now I'm in the crafting mood!