I’m crazy excited to be a part of the Sewing 2010 Day-to-Day Calendar edited by Megan Smith. One hundred simple sewing projects organized in three-day increments fill this crafty calendar of the new decade. Featured MerrimentDesign.com projects include sewn poppy fabric invitations, bridesmaid’s applique handbags, Thanksgiving felt leaf placecards and napkin rings, and Chicago flag …

When Shane told me that he wanted to host our sixth annual Thanksgiving dinner I didn’t quite know what to say. Baby Elise was born on October 20th and I was crazy sore and beat. Flash forward a month and we’re all starting to get the hang of things as a family. So what better …

Got leftover rice? Make these delicious rice pancakes with my yummy rice pancakes recipe straight from my Grandma Beulah’s kitchen. Yep, this is the original recipe that my OG Grandma Beulah used to make for us. Along with homemade egg noodles, decadent chocolate pie, and fresh-off-the-vine concord grape juice, rice pancakes were my Grandma Beulah’s …

My coworker Danielle recently came back to work after the birth to her first child, son Otto James. We work together at a web design company in an industrial part of Chicago near Oprah’s TV studio and the legendary Chicago meat markets. So I thought it would be fun to make a book for Otto …

Today I’ll show you how to make a DIY crib bed skirt with a gathered dust ruffle. We’re in the middle of converting our den into a baby’s room. We’re keeping it simple — borrowed our niece Madison’s crib, kept the room painted light gray — and have begun accenting with oodles of girly fabric. …

Make this easy fall DIY leaf wreath idea to properly welcome autumn! It’s a simple DIY fall wreath idea that you can make in less than 1 hour. Hang it on your front door or inside your home to decorate for autumn. I love this time of year …changing leaves, football, pumpkins, cider, late-afternoon sunshine, …

Here’s an easy, fun and practical gift for new arrivals: Planes, Trains and Automobiles burp cloths. Friends Tamara and Jon recently welcomed Lucas, little brother to adorable Sienna, and I made these especially for him. Now while this craft has little to do with the classic movie, the idea of using it as a theme …

It’s been 10 years now since I lived in Sydney, Australia. Recently we received a gift box (yay!) filled with heaps of Australian beer and food – including my favorite biscuits, Arnott’s shortbreads – as well as a box of Weet-Bix, self-proclaimed “Australia’s favourite cereal.” Never a huge milk and Weet-Bix breakfast fan, I thought …

Recently I took part in the first inaugural Chicago Craft Social hosted by Amanda Edwards, Megan Hall, Megan Heep, and Jessica Jones. In addition to meeting tons of super cool crafty Chicago ladies, I made these fun retro Paris notecards out of old time-y black-and-white France vacation photos. Table leader Lisa Haskin of Faux Transformations …

Whew! I finally edited and posted our episode of ‘Amazing Wedding Cakes’ that first aired June 2009 on WeTV …right after Bridezillas as a part of WeTV’s We Go Bridal night. Check it out below… The background: While on the road in Austin for SXSW, I got a call from Mary Maher from Cakegirls. Cakegirls …

During our recent weekend visit in northern Michigan, my friend Jennie and her two girls made this flower-topped chocolate iced birthday cake for me. Pretty, yes? Ten-year-old Elizabeth did much of the baking, mixing the batter… …and pouring it into pans… …with eight-year-old Mary serving as “official taster.” While Jennie made rich chocolate icing, Elizabeth …

Canning has been a theme the past few weeks so I’m excited to share these free printable canning labels with you. My pretty floral printable canning labels come in five colors — red, blue, green, purple, and yellow — for your jams, salsa, and relish. You can print my free labels for mason jar lids, …

I am totally in love with these DIY sewn fabric wedding invitations that I designed for recent bride Natalie Fayard. Thanks to Google, Natalie and her mother found me and my sewn fabric poppy wedding invitations that were featured in the The Knot’s 2007-2008 Fall/Winter National Magazine. Natalie had found this lovely yellow, black, white …

Cristin Siegel made this sophisticated wedding card box covered in decorative paper to collect cards at her sister-in-law Mara’s wedding reception. Pretty crafty and much cuter than a most of the pre-made money boxes being sold out there, don’t you think? And it coordinated perfectly with Mara’s black-and-yellow wedding theme to boot. This craft would …

These no-sew felt 4th of July napkin rings really brightened up Shane’s Fourth of July Birthday BBQ – no sewing machine required! I made a variety of star shapes using star cookie cutters and various loose buttons. Here they are all piled up before setting the table… And even more DIY napkin rings And yep, …