Shenanigans

Baby Shower Banner

2012-02-28T07:21:00.001-08:00

I absolutely LOVE these banners! I threw a shower for an adorable friend this past weekend, and decided to go with another triangle banner. I also downloaded these gorgeous vintage number cards from The Handmade Home freebies page to add to the bunting. I love them! Also fell in love the with alphabet card collection. Gorgeous! I'll be adding these to my nursery, for sure.

Please pardon the picture with most of the food eaten! I always forget to take a picture before the guests begin to eat!

Makes me smile. :)

Card Event- February

2012-02-26T19:07:00.003-08:00

We're back! Holy smokes. My apologies for the two month (plus) sabbatical from this lovely blog! For those of you who don't know, I am expecting our second little girl (squeal!), who is due in May, on Mother's Day. So I have to sincerely bow down to all you mommies where morning sickness / nausea is a given with each pregnancy. Holy smokes!!!! It totally wiped me out! This is my first experience with it, and wow, it's a beast. So, during those weeks of sickness, it was all I could do to be a somewhat fun mommy and wife, and to show up to the class I taught a couple hours a week with a lesson plan and my students' papers graded.

So, with that wussy explanation, I hope you'll forgive me, and begin to visit our blog again regularly. I'm happy to be back! :)

February's card event was super awesome! Our theme was a classic "Thank You" theme, which is always needed in my card box. Very creative things these girls came up with!

Thank YOU girls for these cuties!

Crayon Wreath Tutorial

2011-11-05T05:17:00.002-07:00

Remember how I love wreaths? Well, when my little guy's preschool teacher's birthday rolled around, I thought I should make her a wreath. I had seen crayon wreaths all over the Internet so I tried it out.

Here's what you will need.

2 Embroidery Hoops: Different sizes. Make sure the difference in size will accommodate the lenghth of the crayon being glued to each.
Box of Crayons: The number of crayons will depend on the size of your hoops. 96 crayons were perfect for my project.
Hot Glue Gun
Cute Ribbon: I used ribbon with a ruler print for a school setting.

First, I divided my crayon colors into groups because I prefer my colors on the wreath to nicely transition into one another.

Next, I started gluing the crayons onto the hoops by color. I did a dot of glue on each hoop where the crayon should be placed and stuck them on! Make sure that the flat parts of the crayons are closer together than the pointy tips.

Continue with the gluing all the way to the end and... Ta-Da!

I got a little careless around the greenish area so I ended up with a little funky looking section, so be sure to line your crayons up on your wreath more like the orange and red sections pictured above. Good luck!

Pumpkins!

2011-10-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with all these cute pumpkins and all the amazing fabric options! It's a big ticket and low budget decoration, as it uses a small amount of fabric for each pumpkin. I just love them! I found this cute tutorial that is pretty much the exact way I did mine.

Ahhh, I love em!

Toddler Halloween Skirt & Trick-Or-Treat Bucket

2011-09-23T02:08:00.000-07:00

This skirt was so incredibly easy, and I made it in just over an hour. Totally worth your time, because it'll be stinkin adorable on your little lady!

It's just three panels, basted and gathered , then sewn to one another. The waistband is just a casing with 1/2" elastic. I'm so happy with it! I made it just big enough that she'll be able to wear it two (maybe three) Halloweens.

This trick-or-treating bucket was super easy too. It's a re-purposed ice cream bucket (not too hard to come by for me) covered in black felt, and stamped with a template from my Cricut. Her name is on the other side. I lined the top of the bucket with ribbon, then tied ribbon knots all along the handle. Super quick, super cute, and would be a fun craft with older kids who can tie knots! Can be used year after year.

Halloween Wreath

2011-09-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

I am on a wreath kick. I love them...I want them...I NEED them...
So I decided I would make my own Halloween wreath.
All you need is:
a wreath frame,
black satin ribbon,
and
funky Halloween color ribbon.

First, wrap the black satin ribbon around the wreath frame. Don't underestimate how much ribbon this takes. I used about 20 yards.

Next, take all your fun colors and cut them in pieces about 6 inches long. I would cut one first and tie it around the wreath to make sure it's the length you want before cutting all the ribbon.

Then tie the ribbon in knots all the way around the frame. You don't have to go in an order or follow a pattern. I just used whatever piece of ribbon I though would look good.

And.... ta-da! You get a funky little wreath perfect for greeting those little trick-or-treaters!

I'm Committed!

2011-09-19T14:11:00.001-07:00

With Christmas just 96 quick days away, I've got to step up my game! My mom has always been so amazing with her Christmas planning; finishing up her main Christmas shopping by Halloween, it seems. She's always as cool as a cucumber all Thanksgiving, and gets to enjoy the days leading up to Christmas because she's so pulled together.

My hope is to be basically ready by Thanksgiving this year. To achieve this, I've got to get started now (since my favorite gifts to give [and to receive, by the way] are handmade)! Alexis' main gift from us is going to be a table playhouse. These are not a new idea, so our generation of mommies can't take credit for this idea. Check out this Vogue pattern from the 1970s!

I'm sure you've seen these all over blog land, and I've fallen head-over-heels for this one from Homemade By Jill.

Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?

I love the idea of using felt because you don't have to finish edges, and it's so much easier to add embellishments that kids can detach, thanks to velcro, and actually play with. I'm considering making the body out of a cotton material, then adding the felt accents to that.

Thoughts? Tips?

All her little carrots, ears of corn, and apples come off. I love it!

I'm confident Alexis would get hours and hours of play-time with hers. And, it's so much cuter than that cardboard box she played in for 6 months!

The cute girl at Sew Much Ado made this adorable one for her little boy. Boys need playhouses too!

DIY Growth Chart

2011-09-08T10:43:00.001-07:00

I have been wishing I had a growth chart for my little guy for quite some time. After searching in stores and online with no success in finding something that I liked enough to buy, I decided to make my own.

This is probably the easiest thing I have ever made.... and I love it!
I love how simple and rugged it looks. I also like how it looks like a ruler. Want to know how I did it?
Here we go.

First, I made a little visit to our local Home Depot and picket up a smooth, knotty board. When I got it home, I placed it against the wall, above the base board and marked where 1 foot would be. That was my first mark. Then, I proceeded by making marks every 1/2 foot with a pencil. If you look closely, you can see the markings on the board above.

Next, I asked my friend, Terra to cut some vinyl for me: black, simple font, numbers 1-6, 11 dash marks. This is what she came up with. It was perfect!

Next, I rubbed on all those little numbers and dashes on the appropriate marks.

And now we have a finished product. It's cute enough to put inside, but we decided to hang it in the garage.

Now, we can mark the little man's height on every Christmas, birthday and first day of school. Awesome!

More Crazy for SPRAY Paint

2011-08-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hi! This is Shannon. I have been MIA from this blog for quite a while and my beautiful sister, Tori has been the sole contributor for months now. I love her. Anywho....I have a love/hate relationship with crafts. When I love them, I LOVE them. When I hate them, thinking about crafting makes me feel sick in my tummy.
With that said, when fall and winter holidays are on the horizon, I start to get the crafting itch. Thus, the sudden desire to actually post on the blog! YAY!
Alright, enough blabbing. Let's get to the purpose of the post.
Shortly after Tori published THIS post on Shenanigans, I called her to tell her that I had done the EXACT same thing in my house. I got so tired of looking at my decor and I felt the desire to freshen up the colors in my kitchen. I wanted to throw all of my decor in the garbage and start from scratch. (Sometimes I do that.) However, I resisted the urge and thought about how I could make myself like my stuff again. SPRAY PAINT came to mind. I spent the next few hours gathering all the stuff I was tempted to trash and painted it.
Here's what I came up with.The star needed a re-do. I love the color.

I sprayed these things Ivory to go in a flower arrangement.

I sprayed the little hook to hold my cute apron that Tori made for me.
Did you know you can spray paint wicker baskets?

Remember THIS plate? Well, I was tired of it so I soaked it in warm water to take off the mod podge and added this cute little vinyl bird instead. I also sprayed the stars ivory and the little LIVE thing.

It's amazing what a little paint here and there can do to brighten up a room.

A New Favorite!

2011-08-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

You may have already heard of this website, but it has nearly changed my life! It's called Tip Junkie. Laurie is THE tip junkie! I can liken it to a gigantic linky party, that's archived, organized, and focused on economical/DIY. In addition to the ideas that came to me on this site, I got exposed to many new blogs, including one that sang to my heart, named I Heart Organizing. Are you kidding me??? How did I not know this one existed?! Another new treasure is Living Locurto, where she shares amazing printables, recipes, party planning, and home decor ideas.

Just after spending time in the "free printables" section of Tip Junkie, I have seen tons of resources for a variety of themed birthday parties, home organization, childrens' activities, home decor, gift ideas, and many more things! Here are just a few of my many, many faves:

Cute recipe cards for homemade play dough. Great for a hosting a playgroup activity!

This ridiculously cute birthday party printable pack

And for those of you who are already thinking of Halloween (ummm, I totally am!), Tip Junkie put 20 great Halloween resources all together in one list here. It's a fantastic collection! You MUST check it out!

One final website I'm featuring today is Sprik Space. She is so kind to share a ga-jillion beautiful, free printables for home decor and holidays.

I downloaded this one because I recently started singing this song to my little lady. The first time I sang it, she got super still and quiet as we were cuddling on the couch, and she said, "That's a pretty song, mommy."

Guest Post and Tutorial- Amazing Wall Art!

2011-08-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

Amy is my super talented friend, who always amazes me with her ability to recreate virtually anything she sees! I'm dying over this Wall Art she created, and now she's sharing her secrets with us! Here she is...

Hey Shenanigans readers!

My name is Amy and I am kind of new to this blogging business. I finally gave in and decided to explore the world of blogging a few months ago. I admit I am a craft blog stalker. I marvel over all the wonderfully creative things everyone makes and blogs about. You can check out my Pinterest boards where I have started to pin all the fun and crazy things I have found.

Tori and I met when we both moved out to St. Louis so that our husbands could start medical school. We have been craft buddies ever since. When I showed Tori my latest art piece that I made for my living room she insisted on me sharing it with the blogging world. She asked me to do a guest post. I have read enough blogs to know that this is a big deal. I feel so honored!

I call this my multi-canvas ~~art piece~~ masterpiece!

This is a partial tutorial since I didn’t take any pictures during the process. And most of the canvases are painted more or less free hand. Sorry. But I did draw some diagrams to help you visualize some of the steps on how to make your own canvas. And if you are artistic in the least bit, which you probably are if you are following craft blogs, you can paint these things if you use a template or stencil.

There are several ways to approach this project; some may be easier than others or even easier than what I did. I just jumped right in without thinking too hard about the process.

One day as I was browsing all the talent out there on craft blogs I came across this DIY art piece at Project Nursery. I really liked the multi-canvas idea and thought I would make something similar. I am a stay at home mom and married to a medical student, so we are on a tight budget. I couldn’t afford to just go out and buy 9 canvas pieces. A 12”x12” canvas (with a 40% off coupon) costs about $5 each. I decided to make my own ‘canvas’ instead since I could make them for just under $2 each (with my 40% off coupon). If you can afford to buy the canvas, I would strongly recommend it.

Supplies that you will need:

· (5) 20”x30” Canson Art Board – It is about 1/16” thick and has a slight tooth.*

· Ruler

· Pencil

· Eraser

· X-acto knife

· Cutting Mat

· Elmer’s Glue

· Dark Brown Paint (Edge color)

· Green Paint (Accent color)

· White Paint

· Paint Brushes of various sizes

· Card Stock

· Cricut machine (not required)

· Items to make your own stencil (optional)

*I bought my art board at Hobby Lobby. It is sometimes called illustration board as well.

Making the Canvas:

Using a pencil and ruler draw (2) 12” squares on the back side of each art board. This will give you 10 squares (1 extra in case you mess up.) Then in the remaining space on one of the art boards draw (20) 1”x12” strips. In the remaining spaces on a second art board, draw (20) 1”x11 7/8” strips. You will have 40 strips total.

Place a cutting mat under the art board and using the X-acto knife cut out each square and all of the strips.

You are going to make a shallow box which will become your canvas.

On the back side (wrong side) of the art board, place a small line of Elmer’s glue along one edge. Place a 1”x12” strip with the tooth side facing out perpendicular (90 degrees) to the 12” square along the edge. Hold in place for a few minutes until glue become tacky and strip remains in place. Repeat with another 1”x12” strip on the opposite side of the square.

Now glue the 1”x11 7/8’” strips on the 2 remaining side of the box as you did in the previous step. Now you can see that cutting the strip 1/8” shorter allows these strips to fit perfectly inside the other 2 strips.

Repeat for each 12” square canvas. Now you can see why it would be easier to just buy the canvas if you can afford it.

After the canvas has been assembled, allow to dry overnight. Then paint the edges of the canvas. I painted the edges of my canvas a dark brown since the wall I put them on was a medium brown. You could also use black paint.

I decided to use some of the original patterns from Project Nursery and then found some other images that I wanted to use for the rest of the canvases on the internet. I just Googled things like ‘modern art’ or ‘damask’. You can use any patterns your little heart desires.

Line Canvas:

For the line canvases, cut out (16) 1/4” thick strips from 12” cardstock to use as a template. Arrange the strips on the canvas as desired and trace with a pencil.

Trace the SAME pattern on both of the canvases. Use the first canvas that has the lines drawn on it to mark the location of the lines for the second canvas. To do this, lay the blank canvas flat and placed the lined canvas on top with the top edge against the face of the other canvas so it is at a 90 degree angle along the top edge of the blank canvas.

Mark the locations of the lines at the top of the canvas. Flip the upper canvas over and move it to the opposite end to mark the locations of the lines at the bottom of the canvas. Using the cardstock strips as a template, draw the line pattern on the second canvas...

Using the green paint (or your accent color), paint the lines on one of the canvas. Use the white paint to paint the remaining areas of the canvas to hide any smears or mistakes. You have to commit to the white paint; you can’t just touch up here or there otherwise you will be able to see where you painted the white. On the second canvas, paint the lines white and the background green. When hanging the line canvases, rotate one canvas 180 degrees.

Circle Canvas:

To make the circle canvas set I used my Cricut to cut out 2 1/2” diameter circles, but you can use anything with a 2 1/2” diameter as a template. Start by lightly drawing a grid on 2 of the canvases. Draw a very light vertical line down the center and then draw light lines 2 3/8” out from each line so that you have 5 vertical lines.

Find the middle of the canvas horizontally. Draw a very light line 1 3/16” above the center and one line 1 3/16” below the center. Then draw a light line 2 3/8” away from those lines.

Find the center of your circles by either folding them in half or drawings lines through them. Place the circle template on the canvas with the center of the circle at the intersection of each line. Trace the circle. The top and bottom rows you will only need to trace half of the circle, as the other half hangs off the edge. Repeat for the second canvas.

On one canvas, paint the circles white and the negative space between the circles green. On the second canvas, paint the circles green and the negative space between the circles white.

Swirls:

For these canvases, I just free handed the lines with a pencil and then painted the canvas. I am sorry that there is no template or an easy way to do it.

Flowers:

For these canvases I printed off the image on cardstock at the scale I wanted. I cut out the basic shape as a template and traced the outline of the flowers onto the canvas to get the placing. Then I free handed the details.

For those of you who do not feel comfortable free handing the design, you could make a stencil. To make a stencil, print of the pattern at the desired scale. This will take some trial and error and the image may need to be cropped in order to get a larger scale.

Place a transparancy over top and trace with a marker onto the transparancy. Using an X-acto knife, cut out the pattern. Then lay the transparancy onto the canvas and trace the pattern onto the canvas.

Tori said that she has also found a make your own stencil kits at Walmart. Live.Love.Craft has a tutorial on a DIY stencil.

I found the image for this canvas on Lucky Art

The image for this canvas came from Graphique Gallery.

Damask Pattern:

This is the canvas that almost made me lose my sanity. I am not sure if it was just because it was the last one I made or if it was just so detailed.

Find a pattern by serching Google Images for ‘damask’. You can use any damask pattern you like. I found this damask pattern by searching ‘ green damask.’ The image I used is from a website that is no longer available but the image is still on Google. I printed this pattern off at a slightly larger scale than what originally fit on an 8 1/2”x11”. I cut out the overall diamond shape. I drew a few light vertical guidelines so that all the diamond shapes would line up. Then I traced the diamond shape onto the canvas. After that I went back and free handed the detail and painted it. Once again, you can make your own stencil.

Assembling the Masterpiece:

Once all your canvases are complete, hang them on the wall using 2 nails spaced approximately 4” apart with a 2” space between each canvas. Make sure you use a level so that all of your edges line up and the canvas hangs straight. I initially used one nail per canvas. I accidentaly bumped one canvas trying to hang the last canvas up and they all came falling down. (One of the corners got dented and I just about cried.) Using 2 nails makes them more stable.

Then step back and admire your work! You better believe I did…and do almost every day. If you worked that hard on something, don’t be afraid to show it off.

Thanks for letting me share my latest project with you and thanks for putting up with my first ever attempt at a craft tutorial. Hopefully this has inspired you to do something creative. Have fun!

Linked to these Link Parties:

Making the World Cuter

Today's Creative Blog

Sugar Bee Crafts

Blue Cricket Design

Large Quad Scripture Cover

2011-08-05T04:53:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I LOVE my big daddy scriptures? Because Genesis, most of Exodus, and the entire Pearl of Great Price come completely out of my old set that I got when I turned 8, Dan got me a brand spankin new set of scriptures for Valentines Day! I love how much room there is in the margins, and I love the large font.

So.... how excited was I to make a scripture case for this pretty book?

I spent weeks thinking the pattern through in my mind, and commiserating over the fabric. When it was time for execution, I was so confident. Super stoked! With camera at ready, I was snapping photos to take you lucky readers through my custom scripture case tutorial. It was looking so promising... then I placed my scriptures inside before sewing on the zipper.

Needless to say, it was a miserable failed attempt at designing my own scripture case, (what the crap was I thinking? I've never even followed a box pattern before-- why did I think I could design my own pattern?).

I dried my tears, hopped online, and found this cute scripture cover pattern on etsy at Baby Depot.

I loved the design, and I loved even more the idea of an actual pattern (seriously, my first attempt looked like the grim reaper made it!). The directions are very clear, and I'm super happy with it's functionality. Cute, right?!

Flower Bib Necklace

2011-08-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I had a craft night with some girlfriends, hosted by our sweet and talented Emily. There, I learned the way of the fab fabric flowers!

After learning about these, I was hooked. I've always loved these necklaces, and now I can make one! What an awesome way to dress up any outfit.

Supplies:

fabrics of choice (felt, jersey knit, old t-shirt...!)
scissors
hot glue gun
chain/pearls/necklace

Step 1:

Create your flowers. I must have erased the pics I took while making the flowers, but don't worry. Below are some awesome tutorials for fabric flowers.

fluffy t-shirt flower @ Emily's Little World

rosettes @ Little Birdie Secrets

gorgeous felt carnation, right here, @ Shenanigans

a collection of 10 additional tutorials @ Skip to my Lou

Step 2:

Arrange flowers and prepare them for the necklace...

Spread hot glue on the bottom piece of each flower (if your flower doesn't have a clean, flat piece of fabric on the under side of your flower, simply glue on a round piece of felt).
Step 3:

Place each flower onto a full sheet of felt, in the exact arrangement you'd like for the necklace.

Step 4:

Trim away felt so that it can't be seen from top of flower arrangement.

Step 5:

This step is where we attach the necklace to the flowers to make the bib. You will need a longer chain of some sort. Clasp the necklace together to make a loop, then find the middle of the chain. Break the middle link with jewelry pliers so that you now have 2 pieces of the necklace when it's unclasped, or just one long chain when it's clasped together.

Using hot glue, attach one broken end of the necklace to the under side of the flower arrangement. Then, continue for the other broken end. (so, so, so sorry about the blurry photos!)

Step 6:

Cut and attach a final piece of felt to cover the work. Be sure to glue down all the sides, so that none of the chain is exposed on the under side. Trim that piece, and allow it to dry completely before picking up by chain.

There you have it! Super easy, quick, fun, and cute!

Linked to Blue Cricket Design

Pom Pom Wreath- Tutorial

2011-08-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

This is a super cute and fun wreath you can make from any type of wreath form! It's completely covered in these pom poms. I am already imagining how cute a white winter one will be!...

Supplies:

Yarn, in as many colors as you'd like (I used 5)
Scissors
Wreath form (fun if you rehab a tired wreath)

Step 1: Wrap yarn around 4 fingers. I used about 7 yards of yarn, and spread my fingers, as pictured below. Use more yarn for thicker pom poms, and spread fingers more for longer strands.

Step 2: After wrapping around fingers, pinch yarn in the middle, and place it on separate piece of yarn, which is about 8" long.

Step 3: Tie 8"yarn in knot around wrapped yarn. Leave 8" yarn pieces long.

Step 4: Snip loops on either side of knot.

Step 5: Fluff pom pom! It should look like this (sorry I switched colors).

Step 6: After you have several pom poms (I made 8-9 of each color, except for brown which I wanted only 4), begin tying them where you want them on your wreath, using the 8" strands of yarn.

Step 7: Trim all the long pieces, and enjoy!

I'm happy with it, and it only took a couple hours of yarn work during a movie. :)

Crazy For Spray Paint!

2011-07-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

Couch covers. It all began with couch covers! Little did Sarah know, that when she gave me her couch covers as she was packing up to move to Denver, that she was commencing a home decor revolution in our little 2-family flat here in St Louis! Now, perhaps "revolution" is a tad dramatic, since we are renting and because of a minuscule decor budget. But, it's almost more exciting creating a "new" accent piece for the mere cost of spray paint!

That's right! My home decor is Americana, no more! Not sure what it's evolving into, but I'm liking it's eclectic transformation.

Before:

After:

This next little goodie entered my life while I was helping another friend, Natalie, pack up to move to Ohio (I'm beginning to develop abandonment issues)!

Before:

After:

A mason jar sprayed yellow! Don't you love my new little Anthropologie bowls? Mmmmm, I do.

I had a student once whose nickname was "Spray." As his name denotes, he also liked spray paint; but it turns out he appreciated it's inhalant affects more than it's power to revolutionize one's decor. Hopefully I don't inherit that nickname!

July Card Event

2011-07-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

We decided on a Congratulations theme for this month. Really pretty cards, girls!

The card I made is the one with the 6 repeating cylinder shapes (top pic). That was done with my Cricut, using the George and Basic Shapes cartridge. I love that cartridge- I've had it for 3 years now, and I always find a ton of uses for it!

Too Too Cute Tutu!

2011-07-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

My cute sister-in-law made the Little Lady one of these for Christmas, and she's totally in love! I passed on the love and made one for a good friend's new baby, Kate.

Here's a tutorial where you can get the main idea of how to make one. It's the easiest thing you'll ever make, it just takes a LOT of tule. So pretty! I like getting tule from the bolt and just cutting 6" wide strips, and this girl's tutorial shows by the spool. Either way, you end up with a gorgeous and fun tutu!

Doily Tank

2011-07-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

The Little Lady totally joined the doily revolution!

She's definitely the hipster in the family. She and I had such a fun time painting this doily fluorescent pink with fabric paint, then gluing it to the tank top (great for covering up stains, might I add). I sewed it into place in several spots just for reinforcement. Doesn't a cute little bandana skirt just really pull it all together? :)

Blue Cricket Design

Bandana Dress

2011-07-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Aren't all tiny things just adorable? Well, think of a super fluffy skirt made of nothing but a little bandana! That's what we have here. A dress made from a bandana! I love sewing with bandanas because you don't have to mess with any unfinished edges, and they're the perfect size for a 12-18 month old skirt (call me lazy, go ahead).

So, I got this little ribbed tank from WalMart, and the first time the little lady wore it, it got a snag along the bottom. So, to cover up the hole, I grabbed a bandana from my stash (a stash that I've hoarded since my high school days when it was the cool thing on my basketball team to wear it like a doo-rag), and sewed it to the bottom of this tank! Here, you'll see another version of this bandana dress.

Step 1: You just take one bandana, cut directly in half, then sew two short ends together to make one long rectangle.

Step 2: Sew a basting stitch on one long side of the rectangle, and gather the bobbin thread to gather the skirt/bandana. Gather until it's the same length as the circumference of the bottom of your tank top.

Step 3: Pin and sew skirt and tank top, right sides facing, all the way around the bottom of the tank. Finish by sewing up the side of the skirt to close gap.

Flip right sides out, and voila! You have a super cute, and easy play dress.

Onesie and Burp Cloth Applique- Tips and Tutorial!

2011-07-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

First of all, a HUGE apology to my 40 loyal followers (yes, 40! Can you believe it Shanny? We're famous!), for the lack of posts the past few weeks. I know that the first thing that comes into your mind as your head pops off the pillow each morning is, "Just when is there going to be a new post on Shenanigans?" :) xoxo Now, to the craft...

Onesies are a staple in any newborn's wardrobe! When you fancy-up one of these little gems, then you can feel like your babe is ready for those surprise visitors all the time!

A couple good friends have recently had babies, so I bought a pack of onesies, busted out my Cricut, and sewing machine, and just went for it!

This can be super fun for baby boys too! Here's a onesie and burp rag for baby Andrus.

For the airplane, I cut out an airplane from a cotton print fabric, and satin stitched it to the burp cloth (see detailed instructions below).

Then I had a few friends who had little girls. At the end of this post, I added pics of just a few of my favorites...

Materials:

"Heat N Bond" iron-on adhesive. Get the no-sew kind, so it can adhere to both materials
Stabilizer (found near the Heat N Bond in notions section), or white scrap fabric
Cotton fabric for cutting out designs
Cricut (optional)
Sewing machine
iron

Step 1 (if using Cricut):

Cut out a scrap of fabric large enough to fit your design. Cut the same amount of Heat N Bond. Place fabric piece, right-side down, onto ironing board. Place adhesive side (bumpy side) of Heat N Bond directly onto the wrong-side of fabric. Iron until completely bonded (about 8-10 seconds). Directions come with all Heat N Bond packages.

Step 2:

Cut design, using Cricut, then peel off the paper lining from the back of the Heat N Bond. Place onto onesie, the iron into place. It's a good idea to stitch the edges of the design onto the onesie so that it doesn't peel after washing.

Step 3: Using a satin stitch, or a tight zig-zag stitch, sew along outside edge of design (or you lucky chicas with sergers, go at it!). Be sure to place something on the inside of the onesie to stabilize the sewing (such as stabilizer, or scrap cotton fabric). Stabilizer can be torn off after sewing, but the cotton fabric is meant to stay as something soft against the baby's skin.

Huge, Monumental, Life-Changing (well it changed mine), Major tip! To reduce your chances of sloppy and loose stitches due to the gunking up of your needle as it goes through the Heat N Bond, place wax paper over the top of the bonded onesie, so it can "lubricate" the needle each time it goes through. :) It can be a bit tricky to see exactly where you're going, but you get used to it (see pic below).

June's Card Event!

2011-06-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here are the gorgeous cards from this last month's card club! We had a "blank-inside" theme this month, with a few wedding and birthday cards mixed in.

Here's a quick photo of the cards I made. These are the three different varieties here...

Another stellar card month, girls!

Wet Bag! What's a Wet Bag?!

2011-06-03T04:25:00.000-07:00

PUL Fabric obsession part II:

Here's the next thing I've made with my new favorite utility fabric. It's a Wet Bag! For me, it's been super useful for storing wet swim suits in after we leave the pool or fountains. Keeps the other stuff in my bag from getting soggy. Yuck! And, it's machine washable, so if you have a major emergency while out and about, you can put that nasty diaper inside here and protect the rest of your stuff.

It's such a great bag! Here's the tutorial I followed. Have fun with it! It's sooooo super easy, and you can change things up, like the strap placement (if you look closely, there's a strap that goes right across the top).

Snack Bag Tutorial

2011-06-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Have any of you entered the wonderful world of PUL fabric? I just recently discovered this amazing stuff, and my life will never be the same! It can be used for making cloth diapers, but that's just the beginning of it's possibilies. How many times have I reached into my diaper bag, only to find something a bit damp from grapes, wipes, a wet swimsuit, etc...

So, here's one thing that PUL has done for me! I have been wanting to make these cute reusable snack bags for all of the little lady's snacks I bring to church or just have in my purse. These work great, and she LOVES putting her finger through the ribbon, and toting it around the store with her. :) My super talented friend, Emily, has a great tutorial on her blog.

Here's a view of the PUL. Though it's white, with white velcro, I'm afraid you can't really see it. But, it helps keeps my purse dry!

Check back tomorrow, and I'll show you another great thing PUL has done for me...

I shared this tutorial at Sun Scholars!

Shopping Bag Holder- Tutorial

2011-05-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

My friend made so much fun of me when she saw that I was making this, because she's constantly teasing me about how I "obsess" over these stinkin plastic grocery bags trying to take over my life! Even though I remember to bring my reusable grocery bags probably 8 times out of 10 (isn't that so "green" of me?), I still feel like I'm drowning in them. So, an effort to not let these little puppies get out of hand, I have always taken like 3 seconds to roll each one nice and tightly, before stuffing them into my overflowing tote bag.

How does she know I do this?.......

So it's like this- In my church, there are a billion little babies. Consequently, a billion stinky diapers at the end of the 3 hour block. That makes for one rancid smelling "mothers' lounge." So a few of us have been "donating" our grocery bags to the lounge, in hopes that moms will first wrap up their kids' stinky diapers before placing them in the pail of horror.

One night, some friends and I were together chatting, and we somehow got on the topic of that smelly mothers' lounge, and how the smell was improving. After many stinky diaper related comments, my friend exclaimed, "Who is the world is bringing those grocery bags?"

Just before I could proudly raise my hand as the girl who saved our olfactories, she continues, "Because whoever it is, needs to get a grip! Each bag was rolled up all tight and neat. Who has time for that?!"

As I hesitated for a second, wondering if I was going to own up to this said "odd" behavior, I realized that, YES! I'm an organizational freak who takes the time to roll up my bags. As a result, I don't have to get spittin mad each time I try to pull out a bag with one hand, and instead, a tangled mess of 46 bags comes falling out onto the floor! Nope! When I want one bag, I get one bag! It's rather freeing, really.

And that's what I proclaimed (in somewhat similar words).

So, now I'm taking it one step further, with an even better way to organize those cursed bags. My grandma had one of these when I was growing up, and I found an amazingly simple tutorial at Make It Love It!

Great way to get rid of some scrap fabric, and also make our lives just a tiny bit simpler. :)

Thanks for all the grief, Ann...

May Card Event

2011-05-18T21:00:00.001-07:00

Look at these lovely little cards from this month's Card Club! We're finishing our 4-month theme explosion of baby, thank you, wedding, and happy birthday.

Simply lovely ladies! I'm thoroughly impressed, as always.

Pretty {Standard} Pillowcase

2011-05-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

Little Lady has decided that she needs a big pillow to sleep with. After a few mornings of waking up with a stiff neck, her daddy finally decided he needed his back. So I ran to the store, found a pillow, and began sewing!

When I showed it to her the next morning, she was thrilled! The simple pleasures in life...

I found a tutorial from 44th Street Fabric and then added these ruffles and pom poms to it! I just can't get enough of these poms! Thanks, Jess, for the last minute pom pom donation ;)

Easy, quick, and soooo cute!

See Show and Tell Fridays for fun link parties.

Quiet Book Project- Round II

2011-04-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

Take a look at these beauties! I did a second round of the Quiet Book Project with my friends from college, and WOW, are they impressive!!!

I love all the different skills they focus on, and especially the imaginary play they promote!

Barn with animal finger puppets

By: Marek

Summer Tree

by: Nyoka

Clothesline and basket

by: Becca

Getting Dressed page

by: Janae

Peek-A-Boo Page (click here for details)

by: Tori

Finshing Pole with magnetic fish

by: Stacie

Monster with changeable faces

by: Mitzi

Ice Cream cones

by: Jan

Can you believe these?! Ridiculous! Thank you so much, girls. My kiddo's quiet book is now bursting with fun and gorgeous entertainment.

See Show and Tell Fridays for fun link parties.

Show and Tell Fridays

Emmeline Aprons- Sister Style!

2011-04-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Have I expressed how much I love my sis, Shannon? Well, I'm obsessed with her. Shannon and her son came out to visit us in St Louis, and it's been such an amazing week! I wanted to thank her for coming to see us, so I decided to make her an apron to wear while she's whipping up all those out-of-this-world cakes she makes.

I used this pattern from Sew Liberated. It's double sided! A two-fer! I appliqued a little "E" on Shanny's.

BEEP, BOOP, Robot PARTY!

2011-04-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

Last week, my little guy turned 4 years old. We hosted a ROBOT PARTY for him. It was really fun to put together.
These are the invitations I came up with for the party.

I had all the fun stuff out on my kitchen table.

We made a goodie bag for each child with a tag that said, "Thank You For Coming." Inside the goodie bag was a wind up robot, a glow stick, silly bands and a baggie of M&M's, pretzels and Cheerios. I attached a tag to that bag with robots that said, "Nuts and Bolts."
I loved the idea of ROBOT FUEL for a beverage. :)
The cake turned out great! I couldn't find much inspiration for a robot cake online, so I came up with this little design. I was pretty happy with how it turned out. However, more importantly, the birthday boy loved it!
I made this shirt for the b-day boy to wear for the party. I used the Robotz Cricut cartridge for the template and dabbed acrylic paint around it.

At the party, we made robots out of pretzels and marshmallows. The kids had a blast.

Another activity was Pin the Robot on the Spaceship. I had all the kids color their own robot to pin on an enlarged image of a spaceship on my door.
We also made robot costumes out of paper bags. The kids really got into this. Check out these cute little robots. :)

Happy birthday dude! We LOVE you!

Finishing Quiet Book Pages- Directions

2011-04-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

My long-time and close friends from Ogden, UT made some exciting quiet book pages for which I'll be checking my mailbox at least 17 times a day until I get them! I can't wait to add them to my book!

Here's a quick tutorial with pictures of what I'm talking about for you cute O-Town girls!

Step 1: After making all reinforcements to the pages that you'd like, decide the order you'd like the pages to be in. Place two pages right sides together (be sure that you have them facing the right directions so that when you flip the pages right sides out, they aren't upside down).

Using a 1/4" seam, top-stitch down one length-side of the page, across one width-side, and up the other length-side.

Step 2: Flip the pages right sides out, and iron flat. Be sure to place a towel on top of the pages with felt, as the iron can melt the felt pieces. On the unstitched end of the page, fold the unfinished edges in, and iron flat. Begin to topstitch the top side, the outside edge of the page, and the bottom side of the page. When you get to the inside edge of the quiet book page (where your eyelets will be), finish your straight stitch, and begin a zig-zag stitch.

I used white thread on the page on the right, so you can't see the stitching very well. Look at the page on the right of this pic to see the stitching. Be sure to back-stitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Step 3: After finishing all quiet book pages, begin setting your eyelets. Remember that I used:

1 package of 15 Large Eyelets size 1/4" (6mm)- Dritz brand, silver color. You can buy a starter pack that includes the little eyelet tool for applying them to a page. I think one package is only like $3...
Book Rings- I got 2" size, and they're really big. I went big because I planned on adding pages to the book often, so it made sense to do that. I bought these in bulk at Office Depot, and we all just split the cost at the exchange party... Super cheap too.

When deciding where to place the eyelets, get a piece of notebook paper, place it over your finished quiet book page, and mark over the holes onto your page using a pencil. This gives you a uniform guide to use on all your pages.

Good luck girls! I can't wait to feature all your pages in an upcoming post!

Canvas Mail Sorter!

2011-04-05T06:15:00.000-07:00

Nothing sends my heart into spasms like Office Depot, and the Rubbermaid aisle at Walmart. I LOVE organizing!

It's a mail sorter! Custom with the sections labeled just as I need them. Exhilarating, isn't it?!

Here is a detailed tutorial from Bright and Blithe:

Materials:unbleached cotton fabric (I, Tori, used canvas. It stretches less...)

coordinating thread

1/2″ wide elastic or ribbon (depending on where you’re hanging it)

safety-pin

off-white cardstock

Steps:1. From your fabric, cut a rectangular panel measuring 27.75″ by 16.5″ (or whatever dimensions you deem appropriate depending on your needs).

2. On each of the long sides, fold in the edge about 1″ and press flat.

3. Top stitch both folds closed using a 1/4″ seam allowance.

4. Determine which side you want to be “the front”, and top stitch a second time 1/4″ below the first line of stitching. (See the image if you’re confused.)

5. Fold the panel in half, lengthwise, right sides facing, and stitch up the sides. (1/4″ seam allowance again)

6. Now it’s time to add the pockets. I chose the size of mine based on the widest piece of mail that we receive on a regular basis. Using a straightedge, simply pencil in a faint line from the top to the bottom of the front panel to show you where to stitch in your dividers. This makes it easier to sew in a straight line and you can’t see the pencil mark after you sew over it.

7. Stitch in your dividers, following your pencil line, beginning at the bottom and stopping when you reach the lower top stitch line. (Again, refer to the image if I lost you.)

"Congratulations" Banner with Tutorial

2011-03-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

How many times have I said to myself, "Ugh, I'm so tired of my boring crate paper and balloon go-to decorating for showers I throw! I wish I had a big ticket decoration that I could reuse and something that looks pretty and finished (but mostly pretty :) ...)." So I decided to stop whining, and actually make something, in advance, for a baby shower for our dear friend, Angela.

With the help of Natalie from A Tale of Two People, who donated the gorgeous fabric to the cause, I made this little beaut!

Here's all I needed to make this happen:

- A total of one yard of three different fabrics (I just used Natalie's scraps, and didn't have a ton of the orange, so I staggered the colors).

-1/3 yard fabric for letters (if using Cricut)

-6 Yards of coordinating bias tape

-one yard of lightweight interfacing (optional for between layers of each flag)

-pinking shears

-iron

-Cricut for cutting letters

-Heat 'n Bond

-thread, scissors, and sewing machine

Step 1: Prep all fabric by ironing smooth. Then, on wrong side of fabric, measure down 8.25", fold, then press the entire length of the fabric on that fold. You should have 8.25" of the right side of fabric showing. *

*(I forgot to take a picture of this step while making the banner, so here's a photo using different (and wrinkly) fabric just to show you what I mean)

From here, you can measure across the fold 10", and that's the length of each flag. Cut as many across as you can on the fold, then move down the fabric and fold and cut again. By folding the fabric, you're able to make two flags at a time, with wrong sides of fabric facing, and the top of the flag is attached (if you unfold the flag, it'll be one long diamond shape). And, the banner can be reversible!

Step 2: Now you've measured and marked every 10" across (leave about 1/4" between each 10" segment), Find the middle of each 10"segment (5"), and that'll be the point of your triangle. Each triangle is 10" across, and 8" down.

Step 3: Cut triangles with pinking shears.
Step 4: Topstitch all three sides of flag. Pinking shears dramatically reduces the potential of fraying, but still try to stitch closely to edges of fabric.
Step 5: Cut 12" x 12" squares of fabric for letters. Iron on 12" x 12" squares of Heat 'n Bond, and place on Cricut mat. Cut letters.
Step 6: Iron on each letter to each finished flag.
Step 7: Find middle of 6" bias tape and sew on the middle triangle (letter U). Sew each banner on from there!

Isn't that easy! I'm so stoked about it, and I love it to pieces!

It was a hit!

Julie's Jewelry Frames

2011-03-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

My friend, Julie, has a TON of beautiful jewelry! So she repurposed some frames to make not one, but THREE jewelry frames. For her long necklaces, she added hooks to the bottoms of the frames so they can just hang.

Great job Julie!

DIY "Moby" Wrap Tutorial

2011-03-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

My little lady is 2 years old now, and too mobile and heavy to carry in any sort of wrap. She enjoys the Kelty pack only because she's carried high enough over our shoulders to not miss out on anything.

I've seen a lot of my friends with infants using this style of wrap- the Moby Wrap.

Isn't that sweet?! When my friend had her baby boy, I immediately knew what I was going to give her. Since these wraps seemed a bit spendy for what they actually are, I decided to make my own.

Here's all you need. Pencils ready...

~5-6 yards of fabric (I prefer jersey knit)

~Scissors

That's it! It's super easy, and my friends have gotten a TON of use out of them from church, to parks, to getting things done at home.

Step 1: Fold fabric in half lengthwise ("hotdog fold" for you educators out there)

Step 2: Cut along fold to make one looooong strip of up to 30" wide fabric.

The edges don't fray with the jersey knit (but do roll a bit), and it stretches nicely as you're doing the wrapping. Click here for directions on all the different wraps, and if you're giving this as a gift, be sure to print these off for the mommy so she'll know what the heck to do with all this fabric!

March Card Event

2011-03-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a preview of the beautiful cards I got to take home this month! I {heart} card club!

Wire stems, glittery paper, and Cricut love.

Button embellishments, stamps, and graphic designs.

Great job ladies! Absolutely lovely.

Kids' Apron and Chef Hat

2011-03-16T07:22:00.001-07:00

My talented friend, Sarah, over at Forced To Cook, had such a fun idea for her handsome little man since he loves to help out in the kitchen. She made this amazing apron using this tutorial. I just LOVE the fabric she chose!

To "top" off the chef look, she whipped up a hat using this tutorial!

Look at this guy in action. Such a charmer with his curly hair sticking out from under the hat!

So cute, Sarah (both the kiddo and the ensemble)!

Shamrock Topiary

2011-03-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

My mom came to visit for a week, and brought me some supplies to make this cute little shamrock topiary! It was so fun making this craft together. She was kind enough to be my model in several of the tutorial pictures. :)

Finished it in a naptime, and I'm super happy with it.

Here's what I used to make this:

3/4" dowel (cut with chopsaw to be 12" long)

3/4" drill bit and power drill

2x4 block (cut with chopsaw into a square)

shamrock template

1/3 yard St Patty's print fabric

green acrylic paint

sponge brush

rhinestone embellishments

tule ribbon

Step 1: I bought a package of these cardstock shamrocks last March at JoAnn's (I've seen them at all kinds of stores, however). This is the template for the shamrock. Fold fabric in half, then place template on the two layers of fabric, and trace. Cut.

Step 2: Place fabric shamrocks wrong sides facing, and topstitch around edge of shamrock, about 1/4" from edge. Leave about 3" unstitched for stuffing the shamrock. Leave bottom of stem unstitched also (where the dowel will be pushed through).

Step 3: Using poly-fiberfill stuffing, stuff shamrock firmly. It needs to be pretty full so that it has enough gusto to stand up straight when mounted on dowel. Topstitch the opening closed.

Step 4: Paint dowel piece with green paint. After letting dry, glue the end of the dowel piece and fit into hole in block.

Step 5: Smooth glue bubbles, then paint block with green paint.

Step 6: Spray with sealer for a more finished look.

Step 7: Glue the top of the dowel, and push stuffed shamrock up and through shamrock.

Press firmly onto dowel and let dry.

Step 8: Tie bow with tule, and embelish shamrock and tule with rhinestones and buttons.

Cute!

Peek-A-Boo Quiet Book Page

2011-03-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

I have a problem. I'm obsessed with these quiet book pages! I recruited 14 crafty ladies for aquiet book group here in St Louis in December, and LOVED the result. So much, in fact, that I organized another group with friends from college and we're exchanging those pages next month. I can't wait to add to the book!

Here's what's been occupying my life, and dining room table for the last couple of weeks. A Peek-A-Boo page where you can switch out the pictures or flashcards in these vinyl pockets behind the shutters, chimney, windows, and door.

For the detail stitching on the shutters, I found a quick method (since I ended up stitching horizontal lines across 40 of these bad boys):

I fed each rectangle through the machine, one after another. The pic below shows how they're all in one long attached banner, and then I just trimmed the strings and detached them after. You have to be sure to backstitch at the beginning and ending of each line on each rectangle.

I'm thinking of adding a little something to the door for a doorknob. Other than that, all 10 pages are finished!

Now that these pages are complete, I can finally get back to focusing on St Patty's Day again!

2 Year T-Shirt Applique

2011-03-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

Did you know that a Cricut can cut fabric? My life will never be the same.

My daughter's birthday was this week, so I put this together in about 10 minutes for her to wear on her big day. Fuse some Heat `N Bond to a fabric scrap, and press CUT! Stitch onto the shirt, and you've got it!

Happy Birthday girl!

Toddler Schedule

2011-02-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling like my daughter is old enough to understand and anticipate events in her day, so I made this daily schedule for her. It's a magnet board that Shannon got while in college, then passed it on to me when I went to college! Ha!

My daughter can easily place and remove the event cards as we advance through the day.

On the back, I can store the extra cards that don't apply for the day.

It's made from a Word document- print, cut, laminate! Then I used those adhesive magnets on the back. :) My little lady really seems to like it.

Happy Birthday David!

2011-02-20T20:11:00.001-08:00

My hubs recently reached an important and memorable age. He turned 30! I wanted to surprise him by making a cake for him. Here's what I came up with.

All you need is

a round cake pan
1 cake mix
black fondant
yellow fondant
orange fondant
circle cookie cutters - different sizes
number cookie cutters if desired
letter cookie cutters if desired

I baked and iced the cake with buttercream icing. I saved some buttercream and dyed it black to outline the center circle. I set the black icing aside for later use.
Next, I rolled out the black fondant and placed it on the cake.
I then rolled out the colors and cut out David's name. I placed the letters on the cake and then followed with the circles and numbers.
Last, I outlined the center circle with black buttercream to make it POP! So fun, and easy!

I linked up to CraftOManiac. Check out more fun craft ideas there.

Card Club!

2011-02-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

We started a card club, almost 2 years ago, where we meet every month and exchange handmade cards. I've seen some super classy and fun cards during this time, and so I thought I'd better document these! I'll be posting pics of all the goodies after each "meeting," but until then, here are just some of the cards we've seen...

Great work, ladies!

Celebrate the BOY!

2011-02-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

Alright. Do you moms of boys ever feel frustrated that bloggy land crafts are comprised mostly of Tu-Tus and hair bows? Well, here's an event for you! Just head over to MADE this month. They are doing a month long event called, CELEBRATE THE BOY. It's so great! There are lots of fun prizes and give-aways along with a ton of cute and studly items you can create for your little guy.
I love it! I hope you do too. Enjoy!

Luck 'O The Irish

2011-02-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

Since moving to Dogtown, in St Louis, I've truly begun to embrace my Irish heritage. My great great grandfather came to the United States from Ireland after joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and was among the first in the settlement party to settle Parowan, Utah. This cute little valley is absolutely gorgeous, and packed with 2,500 of the friendliest and most patriotic people you'll ever meet! You can still pick up on the Irish accents and colloquialisms that define our little town.

So, I'm counting down the days till St Patty's day (as is everyone else in the neighborhood) and adorning my home in green. Here's the first sneak peek!

Our mom made these for us! She painted the blocks beige, then cut and inked square scrapbook paper. Mod Podged them to blocks, then also mod podged Cricut letters with inked edges for the antiqued look!

I linked up with some of these fun linky parties this week!

Crayon Roll

2011-02-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

I had a truly inspirational dream about a better (and cuter) way to store A's crayons! It stemmed from a little tool kit, we keep in the trunk of our car, that holds the tools vertically, then rolls into a nice tight pouch. I thought this would be perfect for crayons, and could change everything we know about crayon storage!

The next morning, I checked to see if anyone else had thought of this before, and sure enough, Skip To My Lou was all over that, complete with a tutorial and measurements! First search result, and I found a winner! So I followed the tutorial and made this little puppy.

Isn't bedhead the greatest! She loves it, and it fits in my church bag so neatly.

I linked up this project to some of these fun link parties!

Hairbow and Headband Storage

2011-02-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

Last week was a stormy week in most of the country, it seems. Here in the midwest, and especially in the eastern states, we experienced freezing rain. This pic shows how each individual needle on the pine tree out back was frozen solid! When St Louis gets storms, or if someone mentions the word "storm," the whole city shuts down. Nobody leaves their homes. Kind of exciting right?! For our "snow days," the man was home, so we caught up on some family time, and I crafted while he played with the little one.

I'd been wanting to figure something out with my daughter's hairbow and headband storage, because we had been late for church one too many times, in the name of hair fashion! It was just too hard to see my options when they were stuffed in a plastic box. This is what I came up with!

I found this idea on this Aly & Ash blog. Sorry the pics are not too pretty- it was so dark and gloomy outside!

The font is from my Cricut, Winter Wonderland cartridge.

For her headbands (and mine also), I made this in about 5 minutes.

Just an oatmeal canister(that I've been hoarding "just in case I need it"), covered in pretty paper! Her stretchy headbands fit inside nicely, and the sturdy and more fragile ones are nicely formed to the outside! I was super stoked about this because I've had to repair that feather one sooo many times from it getting squished in a drawer. :)

I linked up this project to some of these fun Link Parties!

Craft Night- Luscious Wreath

2011-02-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

You've probably seen these wreaths all over by now. When something like this becomes so big, it's clear that it's stinkin amazing! I told my friends about how I just HAD to make one. They immediately discouraged my doing so, which was so weird! I found out a couple days later at a little birthday party they did for me that they had already bought the supplies for us to make them at the party! Such sneaky little girls. :)

There are a few tutorials out there, and I really like this one from The Idea Room.

Here's Sarah's, after just a few minutes of pinning... so much excitement!

Such sweet friends!

Just luscious...

Chalkboard "Welcome" Board

2011-02-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

I'm a teacher, but you'd never guess by my yucky chalkboard penmanship! But I love this sign because I'll be able to change it for each holiday and event happening. How many times have I been hosting a shower or meeting, and had someone knocking and knocking on the door without my hearing it!? I'm stoked about this quick and easy piece!

All I used was:

one fat quarter
one rectangular board (mine came from the picture slot of a wood frame from JoAnn's)
thread and machine
chalkboard paint
ribbon

Step 1: Cut fabric into five 1 and 3/4 inch strips. Then sew each strip to the next to make one long strip. Press, and finish all edges.

Step 2: Baste (or stitch a long stitch) down the middle of the strip. Take the bottom thread, and pull it to gather fabric into a ruffle.
Place it around the border of the chalkboard and decide how tight to pull the ruffles. Attach the ruffles with hot glue, and you're ready!

Hot glue the ribbon to the back of frame, and you're set!

Ruffle Valentine Burlap Runner

2011-02-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

Over at Tatertots and Jello, she did a tutorial on a Spring Burlap Runner.

I fell in love, and did my own version for Valentines Day! It's dimensions are 72" x 14" made with burlap, muslin, bias tape, and 4 different coordinating fabrics. Very easy, just takes some time. I love how it turned out!

So much ruffley joy!

Valentine Subway Art

2011-01-27T23:23:00.001-08:00

Isn't this a beautiful Valentine spread? Visit Craftily Ever After to find out more, and for a Felt Rosette Decor Tutorial! I will be making these, stat! Gorgeous.

Felt Flower

2011-01-26T14:31:00.001-08:00

Here's a really simple way to make these fun felt flowers you can clip to your hair or pin to your favorite sweater or coat.

All you need is:

a flower cookie cutter
a piece of paper
a straight pin
a sheet of felt
a stapler
a hot glue gun
an alligator clip
a pin to pin the flower to your clothes

Get a flower shaped cookie cutter and trace around the edges.

Cut out the flower and use it as a pattern to cut out 6 felt flowers.

Be sure to save a few of the long pieces left over. I usually end up with 3. One longer than the other two.

Take 4 your flower cut outs one by one and fold them in half twice.

Next, staple the flower toward the pointy edge.

Do that with 4 of the flower cut outs.

Next, take the remaining 2 flower cut outs. Fold them the same way, but staple closer to the middle.
Take the 2 folded and stapled cut outs and cut off the pointy edge.

Take your longest left over piece and make it into a scalloped edge. It does not have to be perfect. I think it's cuter if it's not. :)

Roll it up.
Like this... AND staple it!

This is what you should have. 2 rectangle pieces, 2 folded with points cut off, 2 folded with points and one rolled up piece.

Clean up the edges of one of your rectangle pieces and begin to place the pointy ended flowers on the rectangle. Hot glue them in place.

Next, take your two pieces with the points cut off and glue the ends on top of the previous 4. Glue them upright and more toward the center. This will help the flower start to be rounded and full.

Next, take your rolled up piece and glue it right in the middle of the previous two. It should be in the center of the flower. You should have a beautiful little flower.

Take your last rectangle piece and clean up the edges. Prepare your clip and your pin to be glued between the felt rectangle and your flower.

Drag a strip of glue down the back of the flower.

Attach your last rectangle strip to the flower with the pin and clip.

Wa-la! Done!
You can wear this beautiful flower in your hair or you can pin it to your clothes. Very versatile and fun!

{XOXO} Blocks

2011-01-24T07:52:00.001-08:00

Valentine Blocks

{XOXO}

{LOVE}

{HUGS}

{KISS}

Look what our mom {Mama Mo} made us! We love these Valentine blocks, and they're great because you can change their message to say: XOXO, KISS, HUGS, or LOVE.

I love the embellishments and paper she chose.

Cricut letters, scrapbook paper squares, modpodge, and wood cubes. You're set!

Check out the other fun XOXO letters at Craft-O-Maniac's link up party!

Heart Burlap & Felt Rosette Wreath

2011-01-20T06:08:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love Valentine's Day? Well, apparently a lot of people! I, however, am hopelessly devoted to the traditions of the holiday. Never one to hate Valentine's Day (a.k.a. "Single Awareness Day"), I'm totally stoked to decorate for it each year!

I've proudly jumped on the burlap bandwagon, and love the organic-chic look of it! I know this stuff has a loyal following in many places. However, St Louis is not one of them, so this stuff is way hip to me!

So, for my first official burlap decor project, I made this ca-ute heart shaped wreath, inspired by this one on Craftaholics Anonymous. I wanted to add a splash of color with the felt rosettes. Here's what you need to make your own:

wire (I used a wire hanger)
wire cutters and pliers
1/4 yard of burlap (there are many color choices)
4 pages of felt
ribbon
scissors
hot glue gun

Cutting burlap can be tricky, so I learned a lot from this link, also from Craftaholics Anonymous.

Step 1: Using pliers, take your wire (or hanger) and form into shape of a heart. Leave a little extra for twisting it closed when you're finished placing the burlap. The closure can be at any spot on the heart.

Step 2: Cut your burlap into several 2 1/2 inch strips. I used 6 strips for mine. Take the strips, and thread them (accordian style) onto the wire as shown below.
Do that for all the strips, and choose how full you want your wreath. After you've added the burlap you want, arrange it and decide where you want your rosettes. The rosettes will be placed permanently in their spots, so keep that in mind.

Step 3: Begin making your rosettes by taking one piece of felt, and cutting it into a large circle, using most of the rectangular sheet of felt. Then take that circle, and cut the edge into a random wave-like pattern all the way around. After you make the whole circle wavy, begin to cut about a half inch strip inside the circle, following the outside of the circle (only no waves this time). You'll cut the circle into a spiral. When you approach the end, stop cutting and leave a small circle of felt attached to the spiral.

Begin rolling the top of the spiral as shown below, and place dabs of hot glue along the way. Note that you have a wavy side of the spiral strip, and a flat edge. Be sure to line up the flat edge, as the bottom of the rosette.
When you get to the end (or desired size) of the felt, you'll come upon the circle you left uncut. Flap that over the bottom of the rosette as a cover.
Step 4: Spread the burlap flat on the desired spot of the wreath, and hot glue the rosettes to the wire and flat strip of burlap.
Step 5: Twist the wire closed, and wrap ribbon around the top of the heart, tie a bow, and hang up your wreath! Quick, easy, and fun! I linked up to Craft-O-Maniac, so check out the other great stuff over there!

"Family" Blocks with Tutorial

2011-01-17T06:05:00.001-08:00

We made these letters for a Super Saturday, and I LOVE them! There really are so many options for these. My good friend, Amy, saw these somewhere, and figured out all the measurements. They're just 2x4s and 2x6s cut into different widths and heights, then using a Cricut, I cut out each letter with the following cartridges: Winter Wonderland, Plantin Schoolbook, George and Basic Shapes, Jasmine, and Wild Card. Mod Podge some of your favorite paper on the blocks, let that dry, then Mod Podge the letters on top (see detailed instructions below)!

Supplies used:

one each of 2x4 and 2x6 board
saw (we used a chop saw)
patterned paper of choice (for background)
solid paper of choice (for letters)
Cricut and cartridges
Mod Podge and sponge brushes
Black acrylic paint
embellishments of choice

Adding ribbons and embellishments really finishes off the set beautifully. {I forgot to take a pic of the above blocks with the brown ribbon and embellishments}

A super fun and classy looking home decor piece!

Here's the cut list for the wood:

"F"- 2 x 6 board cut 6.25" high
"A"- 2 x 6 board cut 4.25" high, then cut in half, vertically (half the width of a 2 x 6)
"M"- 2 x 4 board cut 5.25" high
"I"- 2 x 6 board cut 6.5" high, then cut in half, vertically (half the width of a 2 x 6)
"L"- 2 x 4 board cut 4.25" high
"Y"- 2 x 4 board cut 6.25" high

Step 1:

Measure out all the measurements for 2x4 and 2x6. Cut. Be sure to measure again after each cut, as the saw takes a bit off each time you cut.

Step 2:

After cutting all 6 blocks, sand smooth and prepare for painting.

Step 3:

Paint all 6 sides of each block. Decide which side you want to be the "face" of the block, and you can just paint the outsides of that face (the part that will show around the patterned paper). Let sit to dry completely (about 2 hrs.)

Step 4:

While paint is drying, cut paper to fit the blocks. Decide how much of the black wood you want to show as a border on the "face" of your blocks. It's up to you.

Step 5:

After paint has dried, paint a layer of Mod Podge onto the "face" of the block. Quickly lay the corresponding paper onto the layer of Mod Podge, and set straight and flat onto block. Take a credit card or a ruler and slowly and firmly scrape over the paper to flatten any air bubbles and evenly distribute the Mod Podge. Do the same to all blocks.

Step 6:

Prepare to glue the letters on! Do same as in step 5, where you paint a layer of Mod Podge to prep surface of paper (don't worry, the Mod Podge dries clear, so just paint in even strokes the same direction, and it'll look beautiful). Place corresponding letter on block, align, and the press onto prepped patterned paper using your fingertips or a pen cap (or something like that). After the letter is pressed down, and set (about 2 mins), layer one final coat of Mod Podge onto the face of the block. Repeat for all blocks.

Step 7:

Add embellishments with hot glue gun, and presto! It's done, and oh so classy!

Kindle Cover Tutorial

2011-01-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

You can imagine the thrill that filled my heart when I unwrapped my gift from Grandma Carrie, and found a beautiful, sleek Kindle resting peacefully in it's packaging! So many possibilities with this puppy. LOVE IT!

It's equally easy to imagine how stoked I was to hurry home and make a little case for my new literary gem.

I have been in love with this bohemian fabric for a while, and knew it would be perfect for my case. Junie Moon already did all the measuring and troubleshooting for me in this tutorial, so I followed it and ended up with a case that I'm super happy with (and, you can't beat the price- about 2 bucks!).

I decided to add a ribbon as an accent, but other than that, I followed Junie's directions.

She also has an awesome laptop sleeve tutorial that has had some great responses. :)

Elegant Earring Frame

2011-01-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

These earring frames were birthday gifts for my 3 sisters/sisters-in-law, whose birthdays are in November, December, and January. I LOVE sisters!

This cute frame helps you keep track of and even display your beautiful dangly earrings. My earring drawer in my jewelry box is rapidly morphing into a black hole, so I plan on making one of these babies for myself, STAT!

If you're interested in making one, here's what you do: Get a picture frame (I got mine from Hobby Lobby), paint it, then cut some webbing found in the stitching section at Hobby Lobby to fit into the window part of the frame. After making and hot gluing the flowers to the frame, hot glue the webbing to the back of the frame.

My mom collects vintage buttons, so she donated several to the cause. I love how they turned out!

Snoapballs!

2010-12-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

For my little guy's friends Christmas gifts, we are making snoapballs. They are so easy and fun to make. Here's what you do...

Get some bars of Ivory soap, a cheese grater, and a bowl.

Grate the soap into the bowl.

Put about 1 cup of water into a small bowl.

Place a small handfull of grated soap into your hand and add a few sprinkles of water.
Pack the soap into your hand like you would do with a snowball. Continue to add soap shreds and water until the snoapball is the desired size. Be sure to pack as you go. The ball should not crumble in your hand. If it does, add more water and pack again.

Place the finished snoapballs on a cookie sheet to dry. When they are dry, you can place one in a cellophane bag with a cute little tag and ribbon tied around it. WALA! Done.

Jessica's Winter Wonderland Wreath

2010-12-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

Here is Jessica's sparkly and fantastic version of the Modern 3D Wreath. I'm in love!

Isn't it absolutely stunning?

Beautiful job Jess!

Linked up at Craft-O-Maniac

Linky Parties We Party With!

2010-12-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

Mondays!
*Before&After Party-1st Monday of the month
*The DIY Showoff Project Parade
*Metomorphosis Monday
*Made by You Mondays
Just Something I whipped up Monday
Making the world cuter Monday
Tools are for women too
Market yourself Monday
Motivate Me Monday
Mad in crafts
Craft
*The CSI project
Craftomaniac
Menu Plan Monday

Tuesdays!
*Get Your Craft On
Anything Related
Oops I craft my Pants off
The gypsy corner
Take a look Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Show and tell

Wednesdays!
Pinching Penny Party
Power of paint party
Blue Cricket Design
Creations By Kara
We are that Family
Somedays Crafts
My backyard Eden

Wandering Wednesdays

Thursdays!
Transformation Thursdays
Somewhat simple
Show off your stuff
HOH
Thrifty Thursday
Under 100
Stuff for little boys
Life as Lori

Fridays!
Just a girl
The Shabby nest
Show and Tell Friday
Remodoholic
Finding Fabulous
I'm Loving it
Furniture Feature
Fingerprints on Fridge
Blog Hop
TGC Blog Hop
kojo designs

Saturdays!
Iheartnaptime- Sundae Scoop
Tatertots and Jello
Be different Act Normal
Funky Junk
A little lovely

Sundays!
Under the Table and Dreaming

Submit your craft any day!
http://homeandgarden.craftgossip.com/
/http://www.oneprettything.com/
http://www.tipjunkie.com/
craftzine
Make and Takes
I share crafts
I share fun foods
Craft Gawker
Food Gawker

Pom Pom Christmas Tree Skirt!

2010-12-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

For the past 6 Christmases, my tree skirt has been the skirt we had under our tree growing up. It was a salmonish-red, and featured a charming little Christmas scene with Panda Bears dancing around a Tree wearing dresses. So cute, right? So why would I decide to retire the pandas? Well, it was just time.

I have always been a HUGE fan of pom pom trim, and it seemed so fun and classic Christmas to me! So, I grabbed about 3 yards of it, and one yard of 44" fabric. I traced a friend's tree skirt, and pinned, and sewed right sides together, being super cautious to get the trim straight. Adding batting to the inside and some quilting stitches would be another option, just depending on the look you want.

With the slit down the "back" of the skirt, I just added velcro to three parts for a closure.

I'm so happy with it! It's subtle, as a tree skirt should be, but very rich and fun!

Now, to add more presents...

Merry Christmas!

Complete Quiet Book... Just In Time For Christmas!

2010-12-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

We've done it! It's been a 3 month process, and we met together on Tuesday night to exchange and assemble our pages. It was so exciting to see all the beautiful work and to see it all coming together! I recommend this to anyone thinking of doing a quiet book. See the end of this post for any details on our Quiet Book Project, and click here to see a tutorial on the QB cover.

Enjoy!

Button flowers: Amy

Jonah and the Whale (zipper whale mouth): Glori

Noah's Ark (snap ark door with animal slot): Tori

Street Scene (velcro garage): Jessica

Cupcake Decorating: Emily

Mailbox and Letters: Blair

Football Laving: Michelle

Treasure Chest (lock and key to open chest): Shannon

Weaving Strips: Sarah

Colorful Kites (snaps to matching color): Kadee

Shapes (snaps to matching shape outline): Jen

Barn and Finger Puppets: Natalie L.

Tic Tac Toe- Natalie M.

The idea was that we would all have 14 different pages for our children's quiet book, while only having to buy the materials and design one! We all made duplicates of one page. We had matching criterium, such as page size and medium. I set the completion date for 3 months, and I wouldn't recommend doing it in any less time since I actually enjoyed myself doing this-- taking my time, finding materials on sale, etc.

I love having this keepsake from several of my friends, and also that my children can benefit from all these girls' diverse creativity and talents! Thanks ladies-- they turned out even better than I had hoped for (sniff, sniff)!

Modern 3-D Wreath

2010-11-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with this wreath when I first saw it on this tutorial from Tatertots and Jello. I had to make it immediately! Her tutorial is great. When I talked to her about it, she gave me some extra tips I'll share with you!

Tips:

Wrap your ribbon super tight around the wreath form. This will help the dowels hold the weight of the circles that are glued to them.
Use the medium size and small size circles for the highest dowel pieces.
Attach circles to dowels with gorilla clue, and dowels to wreath form/ribbon with hot glue.

Good luck, and enjoy!

Quiet Book Cover

2010-11-10T11:52:00.001-08:00

Hello! I'm Shannon's sister, Tori. When Shannon invited me to be a contributor on her craft blog, I began to hyperventilate. Then when the euphoria wore off, I came back to solid ground and began sewing! You see, Shannon is my hero and all my life I've been trying to be like her. Annoying, yes, but any of you who know her can understand why I'm obsessed with this gal.

A group of friends and friends-of-friends here in St Louis joined forces to create quiet books for our kids. This post is for the 14 girls working on this project that's due on the 30th of November. Here's my quiet book cover!

It was super easy to make, and here's what I used to make it:

1/2 yd. of prequilted fabric (catch this on sale at JoAnn's or use a 40% off coupon)
scraps of coordinating fabric (for inside spine and handles)
3 yards of bias tape (wide single fold)
thread
button
sewing machine

Assume a 1/2" seam allowance...

Step 1: For the book, where it's pages are 10.5" x 14," cut the prequilted fabric 25 3/4" x 14"

Step 2: Cut coordinating fabric 14"x 2". Fold and finish edges. ("spine")

Step 3: Cut coordinating fabric (two times) 12" x 1.5." Fold and finish edges. (handles)

Step 4: Fold prequilted fabric in half lengthwise, and iron crease to find middle of the book for the spine.

(sorry this picture is flipped- I don't know why it kept downloading it this way. This picture shows the green "spine" that the book rings will loop around to anchor the pages.)

Step 5: Attach "spine" binding to the inside of the cover, by stitching at the top and the bottom of the book (see above picture).

Step 6: Sew on binding strip, around the entire edge of the cover.

Step 7: To attach handles, lay bookcover open with with back of cover facing up (inside is facing down). On each 14" side of the book, measure 7" to find the middle. Then, measure 1" from either side of the 7" middle mark, and pin edges of finished 12" x 1.5" strip to cover. These are the handles! The handles should be topstitched to the outside of the book.

Step 8: Sew on remaining binding strip to 7" x 1.5" piece of prequilted fabric piece. (strap)

Step 9: Attach button to book and create button hole on strap.

You're done!

I hope this made sense. If it doesn't, please email me or make a comment...

Good luck!

dtcox04@gmail.com

Creepy Crawly Candy Containers

2010-10-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year so I love decorating for it. I needed a candy jar to display the cute and colorful candy corns. Do you like what I came up with?

I bought everything at Walmart. The entire project cost about $3.50.
I love the jars they sell at Wally so I grabbed one. I also bought google eyes, felt, pipe cleaners, ribbon, and of course, the CANDY!

First, I cut a oval out of the black felt.
Next, I hot glued a black pipe cleaner around the oval to make the spider look furry.
Then, I cut 2 pipe cleaners in half and shaped them to be the spider legs. I glued the legs to the back of the felt with hot glue.
After that, I hot glued on the eyes.
Once the spider was ready, I hot glued the entire spider to the jar.
I finished by embellishing the jar with the cute ribbon.
I love it!

Creepy Cookies

2010-10-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

I love decorating cookies for the different holidays. Fortunately, I had lots of time today to do just that! Which one is your favorite?

Patriotic Canvas

2010-07-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

I got the inspiration for this patriotic subway art here. I did mine a bit different. Side note: Why is everything I type underlined???

I made some fake canvases out of foam board. Next I cut red and white card stock and modged it to the foam board.

While the fake canvas dried, we busted out the CRICUT and cut out some patriotic images and sayings from various cartridges.

Once the modge dried, we started sticking those vinyl images to the foam board.

Ta-Da! Happy 4th!

Patriotic Cookies

2010-07-01T17:05:00.001-07:00

They're not perfect, but they will do.... :)

Studly Boys Velcro Ties

2010-07-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

For a long time now, I have been wishing that I knew how to make cool ties for my little guy. I am so glad that I stumbled upon this awesome tutorial. It's sew easy. (chuckle, chuckle)

Happy Birthday Dad and Mike!

2010-06-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

More Father's Day Crafts

2010-06-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some more things we did today for Father's Day gifts.

I went to Wally the other day and bought a $5 hammer with a wooden handle. I sanded it and let the boy go to town with paint. When he was finished, we sprayed it with clear glaze. It was fun. This is NOT the hammer we painted. I don't have a pic of ours, but it definitely does not look this orderly. It's cute though.

We also had the kids run around in the yard with a blank poster board. We took pictures of them posing. Next, we loaded the pics in Photoshop and added text boxes to make this cute collage for the dads.

I have had these containers laying around for a while. I had Linc paint some paper and I glued it to the container. I am going to make cookies and fill the containers to give the dads on Sunday.

I Love My Dad Shirt

2010-06-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

My friend, Becky of randomactsofobsession, and I were talking about Father's Day and what we are going to do for our hubbies. At first, we didn't have any ideas of what the kiddies could give to the dads. Next, we started brainstorming and came up with TONS of ideas. Probably too many ideas to be honest... Anyway, I decided to jump right into it and get going on the first gift.

We thought it would be fun to have the kids wear a shirt on Sunday that expresses their love for their daddy.

I went to the computer and printed on one sheet of paper, the words "I, my" and "dad." I used a big, bolded, blocky font.

Next, I got out the razor and rotary mat and cut out the letters. I didn't worry too much about the lines being perfect and such, cuz I am a little bit of an IMperfectionist. I like a little character to my creations.

Next, I got out a plain white shirt,

and a cake pan cover. It fits inside the shirt to keep the pain from seeping through the fabric onto the back.

Next, I pinned the stencils to the shirt. The word, "dad" had some pieces inside the letters that needed to be included. This is how I did that. Sorry, this is confusing. I am even starting to confuse myself!

Next, I got out my sponge brush and some paint colors and went to town. I softly dabbed the paint onto the cut out of the letters pinned to the fabric. Confusing again... Hopefully the pics provide enough illustration.

After the paint dried a bit, I carefully took off the paper. I am glad I am not patient enough to wait for the paint to completely dry because I think the paper would have stuck to the shirt in some parts.
The DAD word is kinda messy, I like the flaws....
Next, I made this little heart out of felt. I stitched around the top layer to secure it to the back one.
Last, I sewed the back layer to the shirt. Here is the final product.

If I were to do it again, I would place my letters closer to the top of the shirt, but whatev.... Lesson learned. I hope some of you try this one. It's fast and fun!

Happy Birthday Mia!

2010-05-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Mia wanted a modest princess Barbie cake. Here's what I came up with. :)

Tile Necklaces

2010-05-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Check out some super cute necklaces I made with my friend, Becky, of randomactsofobsession. Click here.

Happy Birthday Linc!

2010-04-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Linco's birthday cake. I love this one.

I linked up to some of these link parties.

Final Cake

2010-03-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well, that's it! My cake class is over. I have really enjoyed it. Cake class is definitely something I would recommend. :)

Happy Birthday Lexie!

2010-03-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

Lexie's first birthday cake.

Springtime Wreath - Price: FREE!

2010-03-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

My front door needed some love, so I made THIS!

This springtime wreath was made completely out of stuff I already had at home. I got a wire hanger and shaped it into a circle. Next, I cut a bunch of strips of fabric, pink burlap and felt I had laying around. The strips were about 5 inches long. I just tied them in knots all around the hanger. Last, I tied on the ribbon for hanging and some rick-rack for a little extra whimsy. So easy and SO cheap. Enjoy!

By the way, if you want to hang a wreath on your door without using a wreath hanger or putting a nail in your door, you should try these adhesive hooks. They are fab! Did everyone on earth already know these existed? I am a little behind the times.

Monster Shirt

2010-03-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

I made this shirt for Linc the other day. I love it and he does too. :)

First Fondant Cake

2010-03-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

Isn't it cute?

Lucky Shirt

2010-03-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a St. Patty's Day shirt for my little guy so I came up with this one.

Getting him to hold still for a picture was the hardest part of the entire project.

Cakes

2010-03-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

CAKES! I am loving my cake class. We learn lots of new techniques every week. It's so much fun! I made this cake cuz I wanted to try out some new things I learned and I had a bunch of left over icing. I gave it to my friend, Becky. ....love her....

Again, I had a bunch of extra icing and I wanted to try some things so I made this cake for Monique and her kids. She probably hated me because there was a TON of sugary icing on this cake. I am sure her kids were pretty wired before bed.

Although I am not that great at cake decorating (yet) I am going to take pics of all my cakes to document my growth. You can laugh at my attempts if you want. Heck! I do.

Spring Table Mat

2010-03-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

I've recently caught the sewing bug. (I am NOT good at sewing.) I have tried a few little projects. Here is one I attempted the other day. I needed something to put on my table under my centerpieces.

Please don't look too closely at the stitching. :) I am still learning.

I wanted to make it reversible too so that I can turn it over if I get sick of it. Not bad huh?

Flower Jars

2010-03-11T21:13:00.000-08:00

I really like these little flowers. I got my inspiration for them here. Check them out.

Fanci-fying a Plate

2010-03-11T21:05:00.000-08:00

I recently found this plate sitting all dusty on my highest shelf in my tallest cabinet. I was sure that I could find a use for it.

I went down stairs and found this scrappy paper.

Next, I cut out the little flowers and placed them on the plate where I thought they would look good.

Last, I mod-podged them to the plate and let it dry.

Cute and springy huh?

Felt Chocolate Bunnies

2010-03-08T21:04:00.000-08:00

I found these look-a-like chocolate bunnies on a blog and had to try them out. I love them. They are so cute and easy. To get the pattern, click Here

Introducing.... DA-da-DAAAA!

2010-03-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

.....My craft blog.
Disclaimer: I am not now, nor have I ever claimed to be a crafty person. I don't posess the natural gift that some have for crafting and DIY projects. However, I enjoy creating fun and new things. Enjoy.