FALL in love with the Homefront

There's something about Fall that calls for handcrafted decor and homemade treats. Discover a handcrafted Fall with the Homefront Team.

Visit these wonderful shops: LilacAve, Nikid, NoahBabyBoutique, ThistleDelight, SmokeyMountainScents, Laurora, BunnyBaubles, TerisTreasure, WellofCreations, HungryHippie

Posted by: TheYarnChick

New And Exciting Changes to the Homefront Blog!

image courtesey of www.kerismith.com

There are more changes going on this autumn, more so than just the color of the leaves or the temperature, or the contents of our closets. The Homefront Blog has some great changes in store. We'll call it a Blog Makeover, and how amazing and exciting these changes are!



The Homefront Blog will now be a place for everything from Feature artists and Vendors to Fun and Easy "How To" articles for those who want to get their crafty on!



Here are a few of the Great Things You will See in the New Homefront Blog!

• Great Feature Interviews with Amazing Homefront Team Members


• Fabulous Must Haves and Gift Guides that will tempt the wallet!


• Easy and Fun "How To" Articles on everything from working with paper and jewlery to decorating and designing.


• AWESOME and totally Fantastic Giveaways from some of the unbelievable Homefront Team Shops on Etsy.

So Pull up a Chair...some coffee....and spend some time with us! You will find us entertaining and informative....and a great resource for amazing Handmade Products!

Homefront Weekend Sales! October 2nd- October 4th

This weekend select shops from the Homefront Team is having some amazing sales and we wanted to let everyone we know about them! Each shop has a different sale and some even have longer sales then others.... go ahead, check them out... I dare you!



AHeronDesign is offering free Shipping plus 10% off on all orders until the 9th of October. Please put "Homefront Team" in the notes to seller in order to receive the discount!

Dont miss out on this sale only for the weekend! 10% off your total purchase after shipping! Leave "HF" in the sellers notes for discount.

TheQStore is offering a "FREE" Lil Bitty Q Tree Ornament with a purchase of any item in this shop this weekend only, leave a message to seller at check out and I will add a free ornament to your order.

BubbaRye is offering 50% off all items in shop! Prices are already adjusted for instant purchase!

Teri's Treasure is offering free shipping on ALL items in the shop! Free shipping is to the United States and Canada, discounted pricing for all other countries!

nikid2 is offering 10% off your total purchase after shipping. Dont forget to leave "HF" in the sellers notes for discount!



AStonesThrow is offering from October 2-October 4 all of the items in this section http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5967454&section_id=5549512 will be buy one get one 50% off. The difference will be refunded via paypal and the discount applies to the lower priced item.


Fraybabybibsandmore is having free shipping on everything and a free gift with every purchase!


KristynsKards is offering free Shipping on ALL Single Cards. Reduced Shipping on Card Sets. -- Already Adjusted! Buy 5 Items - Get 10% OFF Total Order -- refunded via paypal. Buy 10 Items - Get 20% OFF Total Order -- Refunded via Paypal.




Thank you for looking and I hope these sales are tempting enough for you to make a special purchase, give a heart or two, or an item you may keep in mind for Christmas.

Also, please come and join us in the Homefront Weekend Sales thread! http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6304195&page=1

-The Homefront Team

Halloween Fun for the Kids!

Halloween Time is creeping up on us and what is Halloween REALLY about? The kids! Here are some fun items from the Homefront Team that are strickly for the kiddos!


This delightful bracellet by C&J Jewelry is sure to make any little girl smile!


This pillowcase dress will be a favorite among all the little girls in the neighborhood! Visit Laurora for her Halloween and Autumn themed dresses!



These fun felt food Halloween Sugar Cookies by BeckyM are a sure way to make playtime alot more exciting!


This unique Candy Corn Handband by JensCraftCorner will make your girly girl the talk of school! Check out Jen's shop for a large assortment of Halloween items!

These custom made Candy Corn Ruffled pants by TeenyTinyFashions are the cutest thing I have seen, a serious statement to bring in the Halloween Season!

Jaana the Giraffe by mirkah would be perfect the plush for your little one to squeeze tight while listening to scary stories around the camp fire!

Thank you for stopping by the Homefront Street Team blog and looking at some amazing Halloween items and shops! Hope these handmade items by the Homefront Team inspire you to get started shopping or planning for Halloween!

Member Spotlight: Deb of LilacAve- BubbaRye- SerendipityDecor

Deb has been a member of the Homefront Team for awhile now, she is a loyal and active member that has brought many members laughs and honesty. She is a valued member of the Homefront Team. She has 3 different shops she diligently works with along with being a proud Navy wife. She recently moved to Hawaii with her family from Virgina. We want to share Deb with everyone!

-Where did you move from and are now living? How was your move?We were living in Norfolk, VA, and we moved to Honolulu, HI. I have to say this was our most difficult of 4 Navy moves. I think because we were in VA for 5 years, and our kids are now school age, plus kids,and a ton of accumulated furniture, toys, and stuff. Add into that a house to rent out, and selling a vehicle, in this poor economy, and there you have the recipe for a stressful move.

-How is this move different that your last duty station? Hawaii is dramatically different from Norfolk. Out here there are alot more family centered military programs. Our kids school is 95% military, I go to the gym on base for Zumba classes, we only shop the Commissary. And a larger percentage of military live on base, and there is much more of a community feel. Hawaii is also a breathtakingly beautiful place. It is hard not to look at the mountains or see that aqua blue water, and not feel thankful for the life we have, and the opportunities we have as military families to live in extraordinary places!

-Has the move effected your shop? If so, how?I had to shut down Lilac Ave for 4 months, since my inventory was too large to ship it all without damage. Meanwhile I knew supplies would be more expensive so I was stocking up. So as you can imagine, with no way to make money, but spending lots, my profitability for this year is not looking great. I am hoping that the back half and holiday turns that around, especially since I need no supplies :)

-Tell us a little about your new shop. Serendipity Decor is my new shop. It is a home decor shop, but mainly focuses on decorative pillows and shams. I have a huge stash of fabrics, and my mother is giving me all her stash, which is now mostly vintage. It's been really fun and new.

-What are your favorite items in your new shop? I love them all for different reasons. For decorating my own home the organic fabric with appliques would likely be my choice, but I get most excited about the vintage stuff. It is so unique and different....I love that!!!!

-What are you newest items? In Lilac Ave the newest items is the dessert line. I had a friend that purchased the Berry Spice Candle, and she was really pushing me to have a whole dessert line. I love the little dishes, and the scents are to die for!

In SerendipityDecor, the submarine pride pillows are the newest thing. As I had said, Hawaii seems to bring together military, and I've been getting to know a lot of the wives, whose husbands are on board my husband's submarine. At a party they mentioned the pillows. I know how prideful we are of being part of the "silent service". I know how much I love the submarine paraphernalia. So I made some of the pillows. What I wasn't expecting was how overjoyed my daughter was to have one. She squeezed it tight, and said she misses Daddy. It came to me, that not only could it be a fun thing for us proud wives, but something that may comfort our little ones.

-Do you plan on having a sale soon or upcoming events? I have a couple of plans in the making. There is a craft fair on Hickam Air Force Base on Nov 14th, and I plan on having a booth there. I'm really excited, since I've never done a base related craft fair, but have heard wonderful things about it. I have also started doing candle making parties, which I have hosted at my home, and been invited to other people's homes to demonstrate. I do plan on having a holiday party sometime in November. And for those that don't live locally, I was going to start offering candle making kits, so you can share in the experience from thousands of miles away!
-What other shops do you have?

My Soy Candles, Tarts, and Home Fragrance can be seen at http://www.lilacave.etsy.com/

My handmade cards are available at http://www.bubbarye.etsy.com/

And all my home decor can be checked out at http://www.serendipitydecor.etsy.com/

You can also become a Facebook Fan, keeping up with sales and new items.

Back to School with the Homefront Team!

The Yarn Chic: PDF Pattern

The time of year is finally back around, YES, its time for the kiddos to go back to school! The summer has been long, vacations are over and soon you will be loading the kids back on the school bus and getting yourself a well deserved break!

As parents, we have to buy the kids their new clothes, shoes, backpacks and supply lists. Here are some great ideas and items to make your shopping that much easier this year! Brought to you by the Homefront Street Team!

Flight suit Toddlers Backpack by Farmgirlsfashion

Be Green Eco Friendly Lunch Bag by GothChics

Apple and Pear Reusable On the Go Snack Bag by Teristreasure

Personalized Felt Flower Hair Clip by cutesieclips

First Day of School Mini Album by CCustomCreations

American Heritage Notebook by PapersCapers

Thanks for taking a look! Please check out our team sales in the comment section of this post!

- The Homefront Team

The Process of Toothbrush Rugs by The Chameleon's Attic

Patricia of The Chameleon Attic has some of the most amazing hand knotted toothbrush rugs on Etsy. I can say that these rugs are high quality and can last a lifetime! I personally love my rug and it has been through many beatings. If you are looking to purchase some handmade rugs, I highly recommend The Chameleon Attic's rugs!

I contacted Patricia to learn more about her rugs and was so impressed with the process that I wanted to share it with the world!

What is the process in which you would make your rugs?

The process of picking the colors probably take the longest. Sometimes I see a sheet or other fabric and know right away what I want to do with it; like the Red White and Blue sheet I used in my Primitive Americana rug. Other fabrics sit in piles until a color scheme emerges. That's what happened with the Passion In Purple rug, I had a pile of fabrics sorted into purples and the purple and green plaid got tossed in the pile. I looked at that pile for about a month before I saw the rug in it. I had to dig around for more of the right color green and when I found it I knew I had a rug.

After I know what colors I'm working with I choose a shape. Most of my rugs are circles because I like the symbolism of circles. However, ovals fit much better in most areas.

Once those two things are done the process becomes easy. I start with a few strips and my locker hook and begin shaping the rug.You never know how a rug will look until you start working the knots. Prints never look like what you think they will and even solids take on different shades.

On the average, how long does it take to make a rug?

Of course, it depends on the size. I like my rugs to be 25 inches or more. But, it also depends on the fabric; some fabrics are harder to work and slow the knots down. On average I can do a 30 inch rug in about a 7 to 10 days. It really depends on how much rugging time my husband and son let me have.

What are the washing instructions on your rugs?

One of the wonderful things about these rugs is that they are durable and designed to be used. Don't be afraid to toss them in the washing machine. I wash mine on heavy duty usually with shoes or jeans. I have put them in the dryer but, I like to dry them in the sun. I just tap the rug down flat with my feed and let the sun do the work. Mostly because the dryer makes my house to hot in the summer. My mom's machine can't handle the rugs so she tacks them up on a clothes line, uses liquid laundry soap on them with a brush then hoses the heck out of them. She lets them dry on the line.

How long do you feel your rugs would last, quality wise?

My rugs are designed to be an attractive part of your home, an accent piece. Most importantly they are designed to be functional. Use the rugs, walk on them, dance on them, use them in high traffic areas. They are meant to be used and to last. Because they are individually knotted they will not come a part if a strip becomes worn or breaks. If you do have a loose not or a break it can be fixed either with another strip of fabric or with a needle and thread. They are easily repaired. The first rug I made is in my mothers kitchen and has been there for about 3 years. And, remember she pressure washes hers!

How many rugs do you currently have up in your shop?

Currently there are 7 rugs listed. Each is very distinct in it's look. I've recently added some cute hand bags made with the same knotting process as the rugs. I think they came out great.

Which rug is your favorite and why?

Right now my favorite rug listed is the Primitive Americana. I love red white and blue together and I really like the more worn primitive look. This rug would look great as a display for the fourth of July but, is also a beautiful accent rug all year long.

Anything else you would like to say about your rugs?

I love the hunt for new fabrics to recycle. I love working the strips and watching the rugs grow and take on a pattern of their own. One of the most unique factor in making my rugs is that they are made from re purposed fabrics. Old jeans, t-shirts, dress shirts, sheets pretty much what ever I can find. It's one of the reasons I do very few custom rugs.