yarn on the windows. seriously. And someone WON!

Ok.  First things first.  Thanks for entering the giveaway!  

The winner was picked randomly and you can see who it is over on the giveaway post... it's Danielle!  You'll get an email soon from Call Her Happy.  Congrats!

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Time for my second yarn project!  This is one I'm really in love with, but unfortunately, it does NOT photograph well.  Know why?  Because it's yellow.  In a yellow room.  I adore yellow - you know it.  But yellow indoors does NOT take pretty pictures.

I digress.  What I'm really here to talk about today is this:

Yes!  A valance made of yarn!  See, we started out with something like this in mini's room:

I got the valance in a crib bedding set and I thought the giraffe print was perfect for her safari mural.  BUT, all we had were this super cheap cafe rod thingies.  And the curtains are tab top.  So you can see I was committing all kinds of decor faux pas here... too matchy matchy, ugly cheap rod, tab top curtains so the ugly rod shows... you get the idea.

Instead of buying a new rod and some normal curtains, I decided to keep the ugly cheap rod and use something I had on hand to make an awesome valance that would totally go with the look and feel of the room.

If you want to make one too, all you need is:

Yeah, and it doesn't even have to be yellow.  I used 6 different colors of yarn - mustard, yellow, pale yellow, tan, brown, and white.  You can use however many colors you want, just keep in mind that the more colors you use the less of each skein you will use (and vice versa).  So I still had a bit of each skein left when I was all finished.  

I don't have photos of the actual process, because I'm pretty sure I lost them to the ether world.  But, here are some drawings.

1. Wrap yarn around a big book.
2. Cut yarn from the book along one edge.
3. Do this with each color.
4. Take multiple strands at a time of different colors.  Fold them in half and put the folded middle under the cafe rod.
5. Pull the ends of the yarn over the rod and through the loop made by the folded middle.
6. Pull tightly.
7. Adjust the yarn so it's hanging down nicely.
8.  Repeat all along the cafe rod.  Scootch each one down close to the previous one so that the rod is completely hidden by the yarn bunches.  I did the whole rod, even the curved ends.

What's that you say?  This tutorial looks familiar?  You mean it's the exact same technique I used for the hula girl?  And the pixie tutu?  Huh.

You can go to the pixie tutu for an actual picture tutorial if you'd like - the only difference is that it's elastic instead of a metal rod and it's in a circle, not straight.

I should mention that I did this while the cafe rod was OFF the wall, obviously.  Otherwise my arms would have turned into weird jelly mush.  I sat and watched TV while looping and pulling about 75 (thousand) bunches.  Then I hung it on the window, scootched bunches around a little, and trimmed the ends, but not too much.  I didn't want it to look PERFECT.  I also unraveled a few strands, but not as many as the tutu, and I didn't braid any or tie any knots.  

I really think this complements the safari look, but maybe I'm weird.  It kind of looks like a thatched roof or something.

In any case, it's WAY better than what was up there before, am I right??

Don't worry.  Not all the projects are looping yarn around stuff.  I promise.

Don't forget to link up your yarn projects!! (just click the button)

*Be sure to check the right sidebar for all the fun parties I link to!