Ramon Wants You! To Have A Happy Fourth of July Holiday.

I don't normally decorate much for holidays other than Halloween and Christmas/New Years, but this year I was inspired to do so for Independence Day.  Two things gave me the push; 1) we are having house guests and 2) Mavis was in need of a new look.

Luckily, I'd been saving paper towel tubes for when our wood stove fires need a little boost so I was able to put these together entirely with materials I had on hand.  WOO!

I got on a kick with the recycled tubes and purging my decorative paper stash and made a string of "firecrackers" out of toilet paper tubes for the front door.

It still needs something, but I'm not sure exactly what yet and want to get on with other projects.  Sometimes stepping away is what make me find the answer.

Ramon needed some summer gear after his wooly spring look, too.  His hat is made from the top part of an oatmeal-style tube-shaped box that originally had dishwasher detergent tabs in it, paper board, papier mache and paint from the Dollar Tree.  I had intended to make it, but didn't feel like I could get the look I wanted with the materials I had.  I was hoping the Dollar Tree would have some stars-n-stripes materials I could use, but they did not.

I like this beard so much that I'm already getting ideas for how to use it for other Ramon costumes.  The Dollar Tree hat I like less; I think I'll eventually make one I like better when I'm more in the mood.  I wish they'd had one the size of the leprechaun hats I got there for St. Patrick's Day.

Okay.  A third thing got me excited about making Independence Day decorations.  This hilarious fabric by the same company that makes all the other prints with which I create the pin-up "Hot Dishes!" potholders.  I got the last yard the Missoula JoAnn had and I was able to squeeze five sets of 2 out of it.  WOO!

Finally a Patriot who's handy in the kitchen!  For sale in my Olde Etsy Shoppe. Ahem.