Barrettes

A few weeks ago I bought a bag of hair clips from Hobby Lobby promising myself I was going to make clips for my girls but I just haven't found the time to do it. Yesterday the little one went down for a nap and the biggest one fell asleep on the couch so I rounded up my felt, fabric scraps, hot glue and got to work. I was only able to crank out 5 since the oldest didn't sleep very long and was feeling sick when she woke up.


I was happy with my results though and can't wait to make more. They were so easy and much cheaper to make than buy!

A Handmade Christmas

This year I tried to make things to give as presents. I love getting handmade things myself. There is something about knowing the work that someone went to make a beautiful thing out of a creative heart. I think handmade gifts are special and full of love. I wanted to share this with others this year. I wanted to share here what I made and where I found the ideas.

I have two knitters in my life and stumbled across a tutorial on making a knitting needle case...PERFECT! This was really not difficult to make and I was so happy with how it turned out. I found the idea on the blog Multicrafty. The actual tutorial can be found HERE.




When I was a preschool teacher I received a Hot Rice Pack that was handmade. It is one of my favorite things to use when I am not feeling well. I found a tutorial on line for making these. They were insanely easy!!!! I foresee many more of these in my future. The tutorial I used is HERE on the Pie Birds, Buttons and Muddy Puddles blog.


I also made a few of the Felt Rose Wreaths to give as gifts. This is such an easy project and can literally be done in one evening. If you don't sew, this is a good crafty project for you as long as you are armed with good scissors and a hot glue gun. I got the idea from The Pretty Poppy on THIS blog post.
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Each year I want to make something my for my girls with my own hands. This year I decided on handmade dolls. I found an incredible book called Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love (which my mother-in-law ended up buying for me for my birthday after I raved about it). It is awesome and has such fun ideas in it. I made a boy doll and a girl doll for my girls. They love them which makes my heart happy!

I made one more thing but forgot to take a picture to share here. I made an iPod cozy for one of my nieces using THIS tutorial on Sew, Mama, Sew!

Felted Sweater Garland

A few weeks ago I was able to get together with a really sweet friend who loves to make crafts. She had a really sweet project started that we got to finish together. (A friend, a craft, yummy food, awesome conversation and lots of laughs equates bliss.) She had bought some wool sweaters and felted them. (Washing in hot water and drying.) Then she cut out mitten, heart, and star shapes and glued matching sweater pairs together with fabric glue except for one small hole where she stuffed the shapes with stuffing.

This was what she had done already. Then together we stitched all the way around the edges with black embroidery thread. We stitched some small hearts onto some of the shapes and added button and rafia. To finish we strung all of our shapes onto twine to make a garland. At home I tied on strips of Homespun fabric for a finishing touch. The garland is hanging in my kitchen entry. I love how it turned out.

To give it a homey look I used clothespins to hang it. I attached those sticky removable strips to the clothespins and tied the twine to the two end clothespins then hung it from the wall.

Birthday Gifts

My girls were invited to a birthday party a couple of weeks ago. Our budget is pretty tight with Daddy in school so I decided to make a couple of things to give to the birthday girl. I made her a little cupcake fabric apron to use when she helps her mommy in the kitchen.

I like to make the neck loop a little big so they can grow into the apron. I just knot the excess so it fits better.

I also made her a little crayon roll out of the same fabric. I am not really that great of a seamstress when it comes to following a pattern. I like to think through the project and just kind of do it my own way and that is what I did here. My mother-in-law had made my oldest daughter one a few years ago so I just looked hers over well and came up with my own design.

I was so happy with how it turned out and it was really pretty easy.

There is something about a handmade gift that is so fun to give and to receive. These two gifts didn't take much fabric so I was able to use things I had on hand. They also really didn't take alot of time to make. Handmade is great!

Simple Crafting

I have made a few things over the past couple of weeks that I wanted to share with you because they were ridiculously easy.

The first were super girl capes for my girls. I just cut out a rectangle piece of fabric, angled it a bit going up the long sides. Then I stitched a hem all around it and sewed a piece of ribbon to the top for them to tie their capes on with. I also cut their initials out of felt and sewed those to the capes. EASY!

My oldest daughter is OBSESSED with baby dolls (well, so is the younger one) so I made her a sling to carry her babies around in. I do have to admit I was so excited for her to play with this and she hasn't been that into it. I'm hoping that over time she will.

This again was so easy! I just cut a large rectangle out making sure it was long enough to go around her like a baby sling and wide enough to fold in half. Then I sewed the long sides together and then the middle seam. EASY!

The last thing I made was trick or treat bags for the girls to use on Halloween and in the years to come. I got the idea from this post Kayla Aimee wrote (If you don't read her blog, you need to. She is HILARIOUS!) and she got the idea from HERE.

I am in love with banners/buntings...whatever you call them so I went with that for my bags and because I try to stay away from the "spooky" side of Halloween. I tried out Liquid Stitch for this project because sewing things on to a canvas bag with the sewing machine is too frustrating. This was awesome stuff. It was messy on the fingers but it washed right off. It has held up through one night of trick or treating so far too! I made sure to put the glue as close to the edge of the fabric so that it would not fray which seems to have worked. To finish the bags I stenciled the word "CANDY" across the top with orange paint.

Love these!

Buntings

I AM IN LOVE WITH BUNTINGS! I have been looking at them online for ages, wanting to make some but I hadn't. Then my oldest daughter's birthday came and I brought out the scrapbook paper, hole punch, yarn and went to work. It was so easy! Why did I think it wouldn't be? It added just right amount of pop and festiveness that I wanted for our simple little party.

So then I looked at the big window in my living room that has no cute curtains and thought, "Hmmm...Why couldn't I make a more elegant paper banner and hang that over the window?" I did and I love it! We live in an apartment so I am trying not to put too many holes in the walls so the bunting is perfect. I just have it taped up and it looks so simple but elegant.

This space needs something more but it really helped it not look so plain and expansive. This is so cheap too! I found the beautiful papers at JoAnne's. I had the ribbon already so it was only a few dollars to decorate!

This all spurred me on to finish a fabric bunting that I had started last January but got overwhelmed and quit. After looking at different ideas online I came up with a way to really simplify the bunting I wanted to make for the girls' room and LOVED it. It again was super easy and cheap.

I used 3 different fabrics and cut out a bunch of triangles using a template. I also cut triangles out of batting. I then sandwiched a triangle of batting between two pieces of fabric and sewed around the triangle edge. Then I sewed a few more inside. I did not worry about being exact. I was totally going for a shabby, scrappy look.

Next I cut around the outside seam leaving about a 1/4 inch edge. Then snip all the way around the triangle just to the seam. Throw the triangles in the washer and then the dryer. When they come out, the edges will be frayed to give them a scrappy look. I then sewed all the triangles together with a long piece of ribbon.

I love how it turned out and want to make more! I have yet to decide where I will actually hang this in the girls' room. That is why it is draped over their mirror, but I kind of like it there for now.

I love buntings!!!!! I love crafts that do not have to be exact! That is so freeing!

Wreath

The only wreath I have to hang on my door is a Christmas wreath. For obvious reasons I don't leave it hanging year round. I have been looking online for a low costing wreath to make that I like. I had found some ideas but then I found THE ONE on The Pretty Poppy. It was so super cute and the items needed were so cheap.

All you need is felt, a grapevine wreath, some ribbon, an old cd, scissors, and a hot glue gun.

You will need to cut out a BUNCH of felt circles using the cd as a template. I just held the cd on the felt and cut around it. Then start from the outside edge and cut a spiral all the way to the center.

Next start wrapping the spiral from the center out to shape a rose. The bottom of the rose will be flat. Hot glue the end of the spiral to the flower so it will stay together and hold its shape.

Once you have a large pile of roses, start hot gluing them to the wreath. Be sure to attach a loop of ribbon that you can use to hang the wreath if you want to.

This was so easy, so cheap and I LOVE the results. I want to make some more roses but make them into hair clips or head bands. The uses for these are limitless.

I love my new wreath!

Birthday Crafting

I am still here. Summer has been an especially hectic time for us. It started off with being in a horrible car accident over Memorial Day weekend. God totally watched over my family and only by His grace did we all get out with no major injuries. My hubby and I could hardly move for a few days but we healed up pretty quickly considering what could have been.

We bought a new-to-us vehicle, went on a few trips to see family, sold our house that had been on the market for 10 months, and in between all of that the girls have been sick off and on. We have battled Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease and I believe my youngest had Roseola.

Just last week my oldest turned 4! I can't believe it. I was determined to do some sewing for her for her birthday and I did. It felt so good to get a bit crafty again. It had been so long. I think my girls can play in the basement play/sewing room without killing each other for a longer period of time now. That helped alot!

So what did I make? Well, let me show you....

The first thing I did was find a small white T-Shirt at the Dollar Store and appliqued a number 4 out of vintage kitty fabric on the front. I added some pink ric-rac trim to the collar. Here's a piece of advice....When adding ric-rac trim to the collar of a t-shirt, do NOT sew it around the entire collar. The excited birthday child will not be able to squeeze her 4 year old head through the hole opening. You will then have to rip out half of the trim while your family is waiting to go out for lunch at Olive Garden and you will be so embarrassed for not thinking of this beforehand. So there! Free advice!

I also wanted to make a cute headband for her to wear with her birthday shirt. I found this great tutorial on making Scrap Flowers and went with it. I also sewed together two long skinny rectangles right sides together, turned them right side out, and sewed a finishing seam all around the outside. WAH-LAH...a head band that you can tie around your child's head. I hot glued my scrap flowers to the head band and felt all proud of myself. I think it turned out very cute.

As you probably know I make and decorate my girls' birthday cakes. I have so enjoyed this tradition. This year since Peanut was old enough to decide what she would like on her cake, I came up with 4 choices for her from ideas I found online. She got to choose from Strawberry Shortcake, Mr. Potato Head, Curious George and Cookie Monster. She picked Mr. Potato Head which actually became Mrs. Potato Head when I was decorating it. This was such an easy cake because I just used a star tip and grass tip to decorate then Potato Head pieces. So easy and so cute.

For the actual cake I made a homemade Pink Lemonade cake. I discovered this recipe a few weeks ago and knew I wanted to try it out for Peanut's birthday. It was so much yummier than something out of a box. Yum!

When she made her decision I remembered a tutorial I had seen online for felt Potato Heads so of course, I had to make one for her in honor of her cake choice. I also made a drawstring bag for her to keep the pieces in. I used sticky velcro on the pieces but have realized very quickly I am going to need to actually stitch them to the felt pieces.

I had so much fun making things for Peanut. It spurred me on to get busy on a bunting I had started making during winter but put aside. My triangles are currently in the dryer getting their perfectly frayed edges. I will be sewing them together hopefully tonight. Once the finished product is hung in the girls' room, I will post a picture. I am very excited to see how it turns out.

I also have a wreath and felt sitting on my kitchen table waiting to be turned into a something pretty to hang on my front door!

Friday This and That

Ok...so I don't know if I'll stick to this but I like doing a random this and that post. It may not always happen on Friday, but that makes it very exciting for you, the reader, doesn't it? Indulge me here. You could leave a comment and let me know how you feel about this kind of post. ;)

I told you in my last this and that post that I love to look at tutorials and craft ideas online but don't get around to making anything. Well, I'm going to share with you a few things that I am desperately wanting to make. I have even left a few of these open in tabs on my computer so they stare me down every time I open up the computer. My plan is to go to the fabric store tomorrow to get some needed supplies which will be a great use to the rest of that birthday money burning a hole in my retrieved wallet.

Sidenote - Can I just mention here that money does NOT burn a hole in my pocket? I save it and wait until I know for sure what I want. My hubby on the other hand, well his birthday money was GONE the next day after his birthday. Any of you who know both of us will SURELY not be surprised by this. Yet another characteristic of our polar oppositeness.

On to my list of "to be made" items...errrr...I mean "hopefully to be made."

*Pillowcase Dress - Do you know what these are? Have you seen them? They are to die for cute and my girls WILL have matching ones this spring. THEY WILL! This is the tutorial I plan to use because it has POMPOMS! Need I say more????? Hopefully the baby won't try to chew them off.

*Wallpaper Decals - I just stumbled on these today and think they are so cute. I am seeing these in my future, maybe not here in apartment land, but in my future, definitely.

*Polka Dot Circles - I love this simple craft. I found a link here and here to make these really cute circles out of embroidery hoops. So simple and what a great effect when finished. I want to make a set to hang in my girls' room. I have had this idea tucked away since before we had our second baby but never made them because I knew we were moving. Now would be a good time.

*Tote Bag - I love totes and think this would be a great library bag for us to use. There are so many cute prints out now and this looks very easy.

*Cute Curtains - I need to hang curtains! Isn't that HORRIBLE? We've been here since August and there are no curtains and seriously I only need to put up 3 sets! BAD, BAD, BAD! The really horrible, awful thing is that I have curtains for 2 of those 3 sets. The third that I am in need of is for the girls' room. I want to make something cutesy and found this idea. I'm hoping to get this done soon. I can invision some birdies appliqued (possibly) to the front since they both have the cutest birdie quilts made by my amazing mother-in-law.

OK....I really could keep going, but I can't. I will be overwhelmed and won't do any of it. So my goal is to make something in the next week. I will try. I promise. I need to let my creative juices flow. Not sure what I'll start with, but I will return triumphant!

This and That

Just alot of randomness that I've been thinking about and doing....

* I have found a new blog that I love. I will be adding it to my blog list over there on the left. Super great ideas to be found at No Biggie. I made THIS last night for Hubby and I for our movie time. It was yummy!!!! We love hummus but I have never made it before. I loved this recipe because it called for peanut butter instead of tahini. I do not have a food processor so just did it in my blender. It worked okay, definitely wasn't as smooth as it would have been but still very good.

* We love spinach. I add it to almost everything...casseroles, quesadillas, scrambled eggs, sandwiches. LOVE it!

* Finally made something a few weeks ago. I made a ton of yo-yos, added a button to each, hot glued a pipe cleaner stem and wah-lah...an everlasting bouquet of flowers.


* I have a problem. Hello...my name is "Daisy Path" and I am a blog reading addict. I LOVE to find great tutorials, dream about making the cute item in said tutorial, find another tutorial, dream, find, dream, find, dream...GET SERIOUSLY OVERWHELMED AND NOT MAKE ANYTHING! What is my problem? I want to craft. I need to stop looking at ideas, pick one AND make it. Is there a 12 step program for this?

* If I had THIS room, maybe I would actually make crafts. Hmmmm....I think I'm in love now.

* I have been singing my favorite hymns to the girls at bedtime. I heard Peanut singing Amazing Grace the other day while going potty. Awesome! I just checked out two cds that Amy Grant put out full of hymns and LOVE them so far. The first is Legacy...Hymns and Faith and the second is Rock of Ages...Hymns and Faith.

* I am pretty sure I want to be a photographer when I grow up. I need serious training, but I would like that. Anyone have an SLR they want to give me? Pretty please?

* And this brightened my day yesterday. My friend over at Midwestern Housewife sent me this Sunshine Award! Sunshine Awards are peer awards, and each blog is allowed to pass the award on to their 12 favorite blogs! (Thanks Friend!) A funny story about this friend...she is actually the niece of my cousin's wife. I met her almost 12 years ago when she was visiting her aunt and I had literally just gotten married. In fact she came along to watch us open our wedding gifts. How terribly exciting for her! But the funny part is that she ended up writing down the list of who gave us what. Without her, there would have been no thank you notes. Heehee! I haven't seen her since that afternoon many moons ago BUT now we live in the same town and we're both bloggers. We really do need to get together!

So here is my first blog award...isn't it pretty?!?










Sunshine Awards are peer awards, and each blog is allowed to pass the award on to their 12 favorite blogs!

Here are my 12 favorite blogs in NO particular order!

MommieDaze
The Back Door
My Crazy Blessed Life as a Jar of Clay
Some Days are Like That
One Day at a Time
The Buckle Family
Frankly Speaking
Smiling's My Favorite
Only Slightly Neurotic
More Left Unseen
WhiMSy love
Kelly's Recipes

Rules of Acceptance...
Put the logo on the sidebar or within a post.
Pass the award on to 12 bloggers who brighten your day.
Link to the nominees within your post.
Let the nominees know they received this award.
Link back to the person who gave you this award.

---So there is alot of randomness for you. Enjoy!

Advent Calendar

We have been doing lots of fun Christmas activities in our household with the help of our nifty advent calendar. The Mom's group that I have been going to at our new church gave out all of the materials and ideas for this. I was so excited about making one this year because I knew our oldest daughter would really get into it now that she is 3 years old and she has. She loves getting up in the morning and finding out what our special activity will be.

It was very easy to make. We were given assorted scrapbook papers cut into squares. I just rolled these into cones and glued one side down. We then hung them by the cutest little clothespins to a piece of yarn that was hung on our kitchen wall. It is so cute and adds a festive, Christmas spirit to our home.

Here is the list of our Advent activities:
1.) Go downtown to see the Christmas lights and take pictures of the girls.
2.) Make paper snowflakes to hang on patio door.
3.) Make a paper chain to decorate with.
4.) Write a letter for Santa Claus.
5.) Have family game night with Christmas music and hot chocolate.
6.) Go to the mall to see Santa and the Christmas decorations.
7.) Make a Christmas craft.
8.) Buy a present to donate to Toys for Tots.
9.) Make cookies and decorate them.
10.) Go to a local town (with Gigi, YEAH) and see the Christmas lights.
11.) Make Christmas cards to send to family.
12.) Go to the library for a Sound of Music for a preview performance.
13.) Have a Christmas tea party with our family.
14.) Read Christmas books together and enjoy some more hot chocolate.
15.) Drive around after Daddy is off of work to see the houses all decorated.
16.) Go to Christmas story hour at the library.
17.) Make a birthday cake for Jesus and read the Christmas story from the Bible.
18.) Watch a Christmas movie and camp out for the night by the Christmas tree.
19.) Donate canned food to charity.
20.) Go to Gigi's canata.
21.) Make and hang an edible treat for the birds.
22.) Be a Secret Santa to someone.
23.) Make Christmas cookies to give away.
24.) Open one gift before bed and leave cookies for Santa.
25.) Celebrate the birth of Jesus!!!

Homemade Journals

I made journals for my daughter's cousins for Christmas this year. (Ummm...I still have a couple to make and send yet. Oops! I need to get busy!)

I just used one of those black and white steno books from the school supply aisle, a glue stick and some scrapbooking supplies. I think these turned out cute.




For my sisters-in-law and mother-in-law, instead of making journals, I made them family recipe books. I had them email me some family favorite recipes with a snippet of why the recipe is special to them. I then printed these out and glued them inside the book. I divided the book into sections like appetizers, main dishes, desserts and sweets, and misc. using cardstock tabs that I stapled to the first page of each section. Then I just covered the front, back and inside covers with scrapbook paper and supplies. Then the recipients can add more recipes over the years to pass on to their children.



I wish you could see them better. I was happy with how they turned out.

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

Ahhh...finally, the creative juices are flowing! I made some Christmas cards this year to send out. Now if you didn't get a homemade Christmas card, please do not fret. I only made 20 and I had more than 20 people on my Christmas list. I wanted to make more, but that box of already made cards was so tempting. The card that I made this year was this one...

The past two years I had the full intention of making cards and sending them out, but only got a few made and ended up just giving cards to immediate family members. (Sorry again!) But I had a couple extra ones from the years past that I used also this year.




That ceramic Christmas tree behind the card is a family heirloom to me. My grandma, my mom's mother, and my great-aunt made a whole bunch of them many years ago. I am so thankful to have it. It is always displayed with pride in our home.

Tonight I got busy making some Christmas goodies to give away as gifts. I hate to even tell you how to make them because they were SOOOO easy.

Peanut Candies
1 whole bag of butterscotch chips
1/2 bag of chocolate chips
1 jar of dry roasted peanuts, salted

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double boiler (or in microwave). Once melted stir in peanuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. (I used a small ice cream scoop.) Let harden.

These are so yummy and so easy to make, such a great combination!!!!! My daughter enjoyed the taste test part of making them.

I have some fun things up my sleeve that I hope to get made for Christmas. I will post pics when I am finished.

Crafts

I like to make things although I don't do it that much. I meet with a group of gals once a month to make crafts. Unfortunately it seems it always happens to be a night when my hubby is busy and can not watch our daughter, so I either bypass going or take her along. It is really hard for me to focus on crafting when Peanut is along not because she is bad...she is just busy and I have to keep an eye on the clock for bedtime. It is just hard to craft when you can't focus on what you are making. And then at home I rarely get time to craft anything. I don't have a spot where I can put my stuff so it is all put away. I hate getting it all out just to have to put it all away again. I am pretty anal about leaving my stuff out. I have to put it away when I am done so it just is tedious. Here are some neat things that I have made and thought I would share with you.
Flower cards: These I got the idea for from things I saw online. I did these during one of Peanut's naps.


The rest are things I made at craft night.
Journal: Made from one of those black and white steno books. We just covered the front with pretty paper and accents.


Birthday Date Organizer


Paper Sack Recipe Book


Gift Can


Gift "Purse": This was made from the bottom half of a paper lunch sack.


There are so many cute ideas out there. My wonderful Mother-in-Law bought me a sewing machine a few weeks ago. I want to make my daughter a cute little apron that I found on another blogger's site. Mother-in-law has some of the cutest vintage fabrics too. I can't wait. So hopefully soon, I will be able to post some pictures of my fist sewing project since high school. Wow! I did sew a little like 7 years ago on a quilt that my husband's grandma and mom finished for me. It is beautiful though.

That's all for now.