Archive for the ‘Crafts’ Category

Traveling Placemat Tutorial

In Crafts, Travel, Tutorials on March 10, 2010 at 9:00 am

As you know, my darling husband Nathan is in the process of a master’s degree. And the truth is, he is quite an odd ball at his school. Not in a “hey-let’s-pick-on-that-dude” kind of way. But rather, he is a minority because he is married with not one, but two kids. Majority of his classmates, if married, do not have kids. So when we visit their homes, I am terrified that our children will terrorize their beautifully decorated expensive homes. It’s mostly in my head though, because all of them are really nice about having our children in their homes.

Anyway, to the point. When we dine with Nathan’s school friends, they usually don’t have kid-friendly dinnerware. That’s when I though we should probably bring our own. That’s when I thought a traveling placemat would work great. Not only could we take it to other people’s homes, but it could also be used at picnics and restaurants. Make a whole set for everyone in the family and go out for a nice family picnic once the weather warms up a bit.

The measurements for this placemat is specifically for The First Years Take And Toss toddler forks and spoons and a square plastic plate that I can’t remember where it came from and it doesn’t say on the plate either. Please make note of the dimensions in the tutorial. Depending on what size plate and utensils you would like to use, you will have to change the measurements accordingly. I’ll tell you how you can do that in the tutorial.

Supplies:

1/2 yard of one fabric
1/4 yard of second fabric
1/2 yard interfacing or transweb (the size of your placemat)
matching thread
plate
spoon and fork
napkin

1. Measure your plate and utensils. If you are using are using a round plate, you will need to figure out the diameter and radius of the plate. My plate was 8″ x 8″, a square. The fork and spoon were 5″ x 1″ width. If your measurements of plate and utensils are similar to mine, then you can use the measurements in bold. If yours are different, then you will need to figure out how to come up with your own measurements. Instructions below in italic.

2. Cut out your pieces, 1 piece each. Placemat top (where you have the pockets for plates and utensils) 13″ x 20″. Placemat bottom (where you have the tie) 13″ x 20″. Interfacing or transweb the same size 13″ x 20″. Plate pocket is 9 1/2″ x 9 1/2″. Spoon and fork pocket is 7” x 4″. Napkin pocket is 7″ x 4″. Tie is 3″ x 27″. All measurements include a 1/2″ seam.

Figuring out your own measurements. Get ready for some math. Length of plate + 5″ = length of placemat pieces. (Width of plate + 1″) + (half of plate + 1″)x2 = width of placemat. (Half of plate length x 2) + 1/2″ = length of plate pocket. Width of plate + 1 1/2″ = width of plate pocket. Length of utensil + 2″ = length of utensil pocket. (Width of utensil x 2) + 2″ = width of utensil pocket. The napkin pocket is the same measurements as the utensil pocket. Tie length is 3″. (Width of plate + 1″) + (half width of plate + 1″)x2 + 6″ = tie width. Let me know if any of this is confusing (probably all of it).

3. Iron all the pocket pieces and tie piece right sides together folded in half lengthwise (the width are touch each other). The measurements above are length x width.

4. Sew with 1/2″ seam the long side of the tie. Make sure the right sides are together. Make an angle at one end and cut the same angle on both ends by matching them up then cut.

5. Sew 3 sides of the pockets right sides together. Flip the pocket right side out through the open side. Do to all 3 pocket pieces. Tip: I like to cut off the corners so when you flip right side out, the seams fit flat at the corners.

6. Iron the sewn edges flat. The tuck in a 1/2″ seam at the open side and iron flat. Do to all 3 pockets and tie. You should have 2 open ends on the tie.

7. Top stitch the 2 open ends of the tie close. It should be at an angle and with the seam tucked inside the tie.

8. Place your plate and utensil on the placemat to mark where you want the pockets to go. Remember to start 1/2″ from the edges of the fabric for the seam allowance. For my particular measurements, I did the plate pocket 2″ from the bottom (not including the seam allowance) and equal distance from both right and left sides of the plate. The utensil and napkin pocket I did 1 1/4″ in from the left or right edge of placemat (not including seam allowance). Then 7″ from the top and 4″ from the bottom of the placemat (not including seam allowance).

9. Pin the pockets in place to the right side of placemat top piece. One side of the pocket is still open. Make sure the open side of the pocket is not the top of the pocket. Then top stitch the pockets along the right, bottom and left sides at 1/8″ away from the edge of pocket. Do to all 3 pockets.

10. The utensil pocket will need to be sewn down the middle, making 2 pockets from the one piece. Don’t do to the napkin pocket.

11. Following instructions from the interfacing or transweb, iron the interface or one side of the transweb to the wrong side of the placemat top piece.

12. On the placemat bottom piece, find the center of the piece on the right side. Match the middle of the tie piece to the center of the placemat on the right side of the fabric. Pin in place. Then mark where you will stop sewing with pins. To figure out where to stop sewing, it’s the width of plate + 1″. But make sure it’s even on both sides of the center mark. See picture below.

13. Get the 2 placemat pieces, one with pockets has interfacing or transweb on the wrong side and the other with the tie on it. Put the right sides together. But make sure that after you sew the edges and flip it right side out, the tops and bottoms of the placemat match on both sides. Sew 3 edges together with 1/2″ seam. Cut off corners.

14. Flip right side out. Check to make sure the placemat is correctly assembled. If you used transweb, take off the paper on the second side. Iron the placemat, mainly the edges. And fold 1/2″ seam inside the placemat and iron it in place.

15. Top stitch all 4 sides of the placemat, closing the open edge too.

16. Since I used interfacing, I sewed a line down where the folds of the placemat are between the pockets. Make sure you don’t sew the ties down on the back side. And done.

» Tell me… So what do you think? Is this something you could use too? It is also machine washable so if it gets dirty, toss it in the laundry. And if you don’t want to fold it up afterwards with dirty dishes in the placemat, I thought you could probably bring a gallon size Ziploc bag to toss dirty dishes in.

Tags

children, design, sewing

▶ 13 Comments

Simply Said… Stephanie from Somewhat Simple

In Crafts, Simply Said on February 11, 2010 at 9:00 am

I have been a fan of the fabric flower for a long time. I have yet to make one. But I’m glad that Stephanie from Somewhat Simple is here to show us her version of fabric flower on a headband. Perfect for me because I bought some headbands around Christmas time and they are still sitting in my craft closet. This is what Stephanie simply said…

Hello! My name is Stephanie and I am so excited to be here today! I just love Tiffany and her blog- it is so fresh and fun here, isn’t it?!

My little corner of cyberspace is called somewhat simple, and it is the perfect place for me to share with the world my creative side.

The tutorial I have for you today is my take on a very popular item right now- fabric flowers! These are so easy and so fun to make. You cannot mess them up. There are a million ways to make them, but here is how I make them.

Supplies:

Scissors
needle and thread
glue gun
button
headband
1 piece of rectangular fabric, approx. 1/2 inch by 1 inch
6 fabric circles, 2 large and 4 small

*You can use any size circles you want, just make sure you have 2 of the same size for the larger circles and 4 of the same size that are smaller. You can use all the same fabric, but for this I am using denim for the large circles and a cute print for the smaller ones.

Ok, here is a video I made to show you how to assemble your flower- it’s easy, easy, easy.

Once you stitch your petals and your button in the center, you get to decide what to do with this pretty little flower. I decided to make some headbands. Here is one more video of me showing you the easiest way I found to attach your flower to a plastic headband.

You can find headbands super cheap at Wal-Mart (4 for $1) and also the dollar store. No need to spend a ton.

And that’s it! So easy and super cute!

Doesn’t really match my 3-year-old’s purple Jonas Brothers PJs, but thats OK!

Thanks so much for letting me visit today! I’d love for all of you to come and say hello over at somewhat simple! If you come today you can join in the fun of our “Strut Your Stuff Link Party”. Come show off your latest creation and enter to win an awesome prize each and every Thursday!!

Thanks for having me, Tiffany! I love it here!

Steph

Tags

guests, ideas, sewing

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Party Decoration Idea: Photo Lanterns

In Crafts, Tutorials on February 10, 2010 at 8:00 am

As if you haven’t heard enough about Elle’s Chinese birthday party, this is my last post about a last minute decoration idea for the party. I made paper lanterns with photos from her 1 year photo shoot hanging from the ceiling. Quick decoration requires a quick tutorial.

Supplies:

paper
something round for a circular pattern
photos
glue stick
string
clear tape

1. Make paper lantern. Fold lengthwise. Make 1″ marks all the way across the folded end of the paper. Then cut from fold to about 1″ away from the open end of the paper.

2. Glue the two short ends of the paper to make the lantern.

3. Glue a strip of paper as the handle at the top end of the lantern.

4. Using something circular to trace circles on the photo. Then use the same pattern to trace circles on matching paper. Cut them out.

5. Using about a yard of strong per lantern hanging, tie string at the handle of the lantern. Make sure to leave about 12 inches of string above the handle to hang from ceiling. Put the string through the inside of the lantern.

6. Glue photo to the circular paper backing with the remaining string in between the photo and the backing. Do to both photos or however many photos you want to dangle under the lantern. On the last photo, make sure the string ends in the middle so you don’t have a string coming out of the bottom of the photo.

7. Hang from ceiling with tape.

What are some of your party decoration ideas? I need ideas for the next birthday party… Nathan’s 30th.

Tags

decorating, ideas, party

▶ 3 Comments

Simply Said… Emily & Anne from Bloom

In Crafts, Holidays, Simply Said on February 4, 2010 at 9:00 am

Today, I want you to meet Emily and Anne of Bloom. They are two amazing mothers who write a blog covering every aspect of motherhood – budgeting, simple living, healthy eating and numerous ideas for entertaining kids. Over the course of time, I had the privilege to become blogging friends with these two ladies. I hope to meet them one day. Both Emily and Anne simply said…

Pop-up Valentines with your toddler or pre-schooler (by Emily)

It’s almost time for heart day! My little Henry and I have had so much fun making pop-up Valentine’s Greetings for our lovies this year. We found the simple step-by-step tutorial on Robert Sabuda’s website. A pop-up V-day greeting fit for a Queen (or a grandma)!

Supplies

Template from Robert Sabuda

Let little hands help with the tracing.

Fold along the dotted lines, glue to a blank card and... ta-da!

Have fun making lots of variations. Then we glued a matching heart on the front of each card. And smiled as we imagined our dear ones opening up their greetings to find a cheerful Valentine’s surprise!

Watercolor Valentines with your school-age children (by Anne)

To help my niece, Katie, with her valentines for school, I revamped an idea from my 2nd-grade-teacher days. I gave Katie a sheet of watercolor paper (regular white paper will do nearly as well) and a set of watercolors. After a quick lesson on warm vs. cool colors, I gave Katie three guidelines for her painting…

This is abstract art, so just let your brush flow. We’re not painting an object.
You must cover the entire page and leave no white showing.
Stick to the warm colors.

Katie enjoyed playing with the different hues and saturation levels with her reds, pinks, yellows and oranges then came up with this. As a side note, every mother should invest in a vinyl ‘project’ tablecloth!

Once the painting dried, we began making the cards. There are two ways to use the watercolor designs. For the first version, we used a cookie cutter to trace a heart. Cut out the heart and glued on the first card. Cardstock or construction paper will also work fine, use what you have.

For the second version, we used a cookie cutter to trace a heart shape on a red paper then cut it out making a window. Next we glued a piece of the painting to the backside of the window covering the opening. I love the way this one looks, but it is considerably more time-consuming.

The results: 1) A child who understands the difference between warm and cool colors, and has experience with blending watercolors. 2) A set of valentines that look far more darling than anything you could find in a box!

Thank you so much, Tiffany! We loved being part of your amazing site for a day!
xo,
Em and Anne

Tags

children, design, guests

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Special Delivery Paper Mailbox Tutorial and Pattern

In Crafts, Tutorials on January 28, 2010 at 9:01 am

Special delivery! Who doesn’t like it when the mail carrier comes by? I especially like it when they bring me packages. I designed these little mailboxes for Kaye and Elle for Valentine’s Day. I call them Special Delivery Paper Mailboxes. I thought it would be cute to exchange family Valentines in them. At 3, Kaye in intrigued by the concept of mail. Anytime we get a package, she thinks it’s a grandma envelope from Grandma in Washington.

I created these paper mailboxes from my own pattern which I put in PDF format for you. While putting these together, I have found that transparent tape will be your best friend. And after I made both mailboxes and taken the photos, Nathan notified me that the flags should be pointing the other direction. Oh well. Learn from my mistakes.

Supplies:

special delivery paper mailbox PDF pattern
a brad
12″ x 12″ cardstock scrapbook paper
scraps of coordinating color paper for flag and tab
scissors
pencil
transparent tape
glue
removable Glue Dots
small hole punch

1. Print the paper mailbox PDF pattern. Follow the instructions on the patterns to piece together the mailbox base. Then cut out the rest of the pattern pieces. You should have 4 pieces in the end — mailbox base, mailbox cover, flag and tab.

2. Trace the mailbox base and mailbox cover pattern onto a 12″ x 12″ cardstock paper. Then race the flag and tab patterns onto the coordinating color papers. Make sure you cut the tabs as shown in the second picture below.

3. Cut out your pieces. Cut the solid lines and fold the dotted lines.

4. Use hole punch to cut out the holes at the indicated circles on the flag and mailbox cover.

5. Fold the tab according to the folds indicated on the pattern.

6. Use a brad to attach the flag to the mailbox cover. Secure the back of the brad with a piece of clear tape. Make sure you don’t make my mistake of pointing the flag in the wrong direction as shown in the picture. It is supposed to go the other way.

7. Apply glue to the tabs on the mailbox base. Then attach mailbox cover to the base by matching the tabs. The short sides of the mailbox cover attach to the long tabs in the middle section of the base. The trick is to use clear tape to help keep the glued parts together, especially at the curves.

8. Apply glue to the full half of the tab, not the half with a second fold. And attach it to the top center of the open flap of the mailbox.

9. Using Glue Dot’s instructions on the box, apply a removable Glue Dot to the top center of the mailbox. Make sure it’s the point where the tab on the open flap touches.

Let me know if any part of the instructions are not clear. Happy mailing!

Tags

children, design

▶ 28 Comments

Gift Tags

In Crafts, The Gift Box on January 18, 2010 at 9:00 am

My shop, The Gift Box, is a place where your purchases come with gift boxes or wrappings. I also designed and created these gift tags to go with the boxes. I designed a few different patterns. Reused paper bags. Tied raffia. Simple and easy.

Tags

design, gifts, store

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Initialed Felt Hair Clips Tutorial

In Crafts, Tutorials on December 28, 2009 at 9:00 am

Giving my girls the initialed felt hair clips and some of the other patterns went well Christmas morning. Kaye loved having a hair clip with “K” on it just for her. The best thing about it was I made it in one sitting within minutes. I used scraps laying around in my craft closet.

Supplies:

hair clips
fleece or felt (I actually used fleece in this tutorial)
paper or cardstock
pencil
scissors
glue gun
embroidery floss
large eye needle

1. I reused some of my old hair clips that were functional, just worn. So I cleaned them first.

2. Draw patters you want on paper or cardstock. Make sure the hair clip will fit in your pattern. For the circle, I found a vitamin cap that was large enough and traced it. I freehand the rest.

3. Get your felt or fleece. Fold it over so you can cut out 2 of the pattern at the same time.

4. Take one of the felt/fleece, fold in half and measure the clip in the center. Cut 4 tiny slits. This will hold the clip in place. See step 7.

5. Take the top circle and embroider the initial.

6. Hand stitch around the circle to enclose the front and back pieces.

7. Slip your clip into the slits previously cut in step 4.

8. Use glue gun to glue to clip to the felt/fleece where it touches. Remember don’t get glue in the center piece of the clip.

Tags

children, design, fashion, sewing

▶ 6 Comments

Initialed Felt Hair Clips

In Crafts on December 24, 2009 at 9:01 am

I was making Kaye and Elle some hair clips for their stockings. I figured I would make some extras for some of their friends. I had some used hair clips that were worn, but still functional. I washed them and reused them with some scrap felt. I think they turned out pretty well. OK, maybe not the picture. I could have used a different background and made it look nicer. But we are all sick around here. I am trying to finish up some last minute things and go to bed by 9 p.m. The good news is I’ll have a tutorial for this coming next week. Hope you have a great Christmas!

Tags

children, fashion, ideas, sewing

▶ 1 Comment

Twisted Paper Snowflake Tutorial

In Crafts, Holidays, Tutorials on December 23, 2009 at 9:01 am

I am being featured on Bloom today! Emily of Bloom invited me to guest post on their site and I was more than excited to do so. I even came up with a forth snowflake design for the special occasion. If you haven’t been over to Bloom before, you will have to visit. Anne and Emily of Bloom are full great articles about family and motherhood.

Back to the snowflake. I got a bit crazy with this one… probably because I have been cooped up in my house for the last few days. But did you noticed that this time I used double sided cardstock paper? Yes, I upgraded my snowflakes. This is the last one I promise. I’m sure you’re quite sick of them now. Just in case you are not, here is a picture and links to the other three previous snowflakes. The piping paper snowflake, the twirly paper snowflake and the cookie cutter paper snowflake. This twisted paper snowflake (nicknamed crazy octopus) is a combination of both the piping and twirly snowflake.

Supplies:

cardstock paper
8 markers, pens or pencils
4 pipe cleaners/chenille
paper cutter, scissors
ribbon, string or thread
needle
hole punch or other embellishments for the center
glue
low adhesive tape

1. Cut 9 strips of cardstock 3/4″ x 6″.

2. Place glue at one end of the first strip. Then make a ring, only to one strip of cardstock.

3. Fold one end of the remainder 8 strips at 3/4″.

4. Tape one of the strip diagonally to the markers, then wrap it around and tape the second end. Do to all 8 strips. Allow the paper to settle for at least an hour. The longer the better.

5. While waiting for the twists to settle. Take your pipe cleaners and mark at the edge of the ring where the holes need to be. There will be 8 holes all evenly spaced.

6. Unwrap the twisted strips then apply glue to the end where you had previously folded at 3/4″.

7. Glue the strips of twisted paper onto the ring according to the markings previously made with the pipe cleaners. Make sure they are all equally spaced.

8. Use a small hole punch or scrapbooking hole punch with hammer tools to punch holes in the middle of each glued ends on the ring.

9. Pull the pipe cleaners through the holes across from each other. Then wrap the curls around the pipe cleaners.

10. Trim off excess pipe cleaner ends.

11. Use needle to attach ribbon or thread to the snowflake to hang. Optional, apply embellishments to center of the snowflake.

Tags

christmas, decorating, design

▶ 4 Comments

Kaye’s Sketchbook Caddy

In Crafts, Holidays on December 21, 2009 at 9:01 am

I have been lucky in the sense that Kaye’s Christmas wishlist to Santa has been pretty simple the last two years. Last year, she wanted a candy cane. That’s it. I got her the biggest candy cane I could find. This year, the list got longer. A horn (the musical instrument kind, not the rhino kind), paper, pencils and a book. Easy enough, except the horn.

And because I can’t just wrap a ream of paper and a couple pencils and toss it under the tree, I came up with a sketchbook caddy for Kaye. You see, we’ve been having a little problem with Kaye and her drawings. She sees me with my sketchbook and is motivated to draw, too. I love that she is creative like me. However, the problem has been she takes the crayons, pens and markers then draws on our hearth, dressers, bookshelves and my office desk. Not ideal for the resale value of our house if we ever move. I’ve been trying to drill in her that we only draw on paper. Nothing else. Hopefully this will take care of the problem.

I drafted the caddy idea in a day, then finished it the next day. And I had all the supplies at home, just needed the sketchpad and markers. What do you think? And anyone out there with an idea of how to get blue crayons out of a slab of marble?

Tags

children, christmas, design, gifts, sewing

▶ 23 Comments

Blanket Stitch Christmas Stockings

In Crafts, Holidays on December 15, 2009 at 9:01 am

I can’t take credit for this one. My amazingly talented and fun spirited friend, Marcie, came up with the patterns and designs for my stockings. This is actually a set of six stockings… gingerbread men and a candy cane are the other two designs. See all six designs below. They were so simple and cheap to make -felt, fleece, floss, buttons and scrap fabric. It’s a simple blanket stitch all the way around. I was able to finish all six in one day.

Tags

christmas, decorating, design, friends, ideas, sewing

▶ 17 Comments

DIY Microwavable Dough Ornaments

In Crafts, Holidays, Tutorials on December 14, 2009 at 9:01 am

A tradition Nathan and I started when we were dating was add a new ornament to our tree each year. Something that reminds us of that particular year. Last year, we couldn’t find any store ornaments that represented our year, so I decided we would make our own microwaveable salt dough ornament. It was quick and easy with only THREE ingredients for the dough.

Supplies:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
3/4 cup hot water
toothpicks
cookie cutters
rolling pin
microwavable glass plate
paint, acrylic or tempera
glitter, optional
Mod Podge
paint brushes
ribbons
cooling rack

1. In a bowl, mix together the three ingredients – flour, salt, and water. Mix well, then roll flat on a flat surface (counter or table top). You will want the ornaments to be less than 1/2″ thick.

2. Using cookie cutters, cut out the ornaments.

3. Use the toothpick to make a whole at the top of the ornament to string ribbons through for hanging.

4. Place similar sized ornaments onto a microwavable glass plate. Heat in microwave until water has evaporated from the mixture. And since all microwaves are different, I would start out heating 2 minutes, check it, then continue in 30-second or 1-minute increments. If you heat too long, the top and bottom of the ornaments may start to brown. A little browning may be OK if you use a darker paint color over it. And most ornaments will crinkle a bit at the top. There is not much you can do about that except sand it down later. The ornaments will be extremely hot.

5. Allow the ornaments to cool on the cooling rack. Then paint. Once the paint is dry, you will want to seal it with a couple layers of Mod Podge.

6. String a ribbon through the hole and hang on tree.

Tags

children, christmas, decorating, families, ideas

▶ 9 Comments

Chinese Literature – Craft Books

In Crafts, Inspirations on December 9, 2009 at 8:59 am

My mom came home from her two month trip to Taiwan with these goodies in her luggage. Too bad I can’t read Mandarin. But the visuals were eye candy. I’ll have to get my mom to translate. Here is a sample of the gorgeous pages that filled those books.

Tags

fashion, ideas, photos, sewing

▶ 4 Comments

Twirly Paper Snowflake Tutorial

In Crafts, Holidays, Tutorials on December 7, 2009 at 8:59 am

Last of the 3 part snowflake tutorial series. Hope you have been having fun making the other two snowflakes, cookie cutter paper snowflake and piping paper snowflake. Then a surprise forth snowflake, the twisted paper snowflake.

Measurements and sizes are according to the snowflakes I made for this tutorial. You can adjust to make a snowflake bigger, smaller or fuller.

Supplies:

cardstock paper (must use a thick type paper like cardstock)
paper cutter, scissors
pens, pencils or markers
stapler
ribbon, string or thread
low adhesive tape
hole punch or other embellishments for the center
glue

1. Cut your paper into 1/2″ x 6″ strips. Cut 6 strips.

2. Tape one end of the strip diagonally to a pen, pencil or marker. Twist the rest of the strip around the marker, then tape the second end. Do to all 6 strips. Let it sit for about an hour or so.

3. Unravel the paper from the marker.

4. Take two of the curled paper and join them together in the center, they are across from each other. Then take two more curled paper and space it evenly between the previous two strips.

5. Staple that first portion in the center.

6. Take the last two strips and space it evenly on the open part of the snowflake. Staple it again. You may want to staple a few more times to keep the strips secured.

7. Hole punch a different colored paper and glue the punched circles to the center, covering the staples. Or add other types of embellishments.

8. String it with ribbon or strings using glue or tape on the back.

Tags

christmas, decorating, design

▶ 23 Comments

Piping Paper Snowflake Tutorial

In Crafts, Holidays, Tutorials on November 30, 2009 at 8:59 am

Continuing with the 3 part snowflake tutorial, this is #2. Here is the cookie cutter paper snowflake, the twirly snowflake and then a surprise forth snowflake, the twisted paper snowflake. See all three in the picture below. And if you make this, please link up in the comments so I can check it out!

Measurements and sizes are according to the snowflakes I made for this tutorial. You can adjust to make a snowflake bigger, smaller or fuller.

Supplies:

cardstock paper
pipe cleaners/chenille
paper cutter
ribbon, string or thread
needle
hole punch or other embellishments for the center
glue

1. Cut cardstock paper into 3/4″ x 6″ strips. Cut 7 strips.

2. Glue the strips into circles.

3. Use the hole punch to punch holes into the circled strips. I used a scrapbook hole punch and hammer for smaller holes. Gently bent the circle in half then punched a hole through both sides so it comes out even. Do only to 6 circles.

4. To do the holes for the center circle, lay the chenille over the circle like the picture below and mark with a pencil where all 6 holes will go.

5. Then repeat step 3, but do it three times ending up with 6 holes.

6. Pull chenille through the holes, aligning the circled strips in place. Trim off excess chenille.

7. Glue the outer circled strips at their touching points.

8. String it with ribbon or strings using a needle.

Tags

christmas, decorating, design

▶ 15 Comments

Cookie Cutter Paper Snowflake Tutorial

In Crafts, Holidays, Tutorials on November 24, 2009 at 12:38 am

It is winter, meaning snowflake season. I designed three simple paper snowflakes you can use as decorations, tree ornaments or just something to get you in the mood for snow. I am not a snow person myself, however, I do like decorative snowflakes. I made these snowflakes with single colored cardstock. Next time, I’m planning on using designed double sided cardstock.

I am doing each snowflake tutorial separately to prevent extra long posts. Here’s the piping paper snowflake tutorial, the twirly snowflake and then a surprise forth snowflake, the twisted paper snowflake. If you make some snowflakes, please leave a link or email me so I can see these snowflakes in action.

Measurements and sizes are according to the snowflakes I made for this tutorial. You can adjust to make snowflake bigger, smaller or fuller.

Supplies:

cardstock paper
paper cutter
ribbon, string or thread
needle
hole punch or other embellishments for the center
glue

1. Cut cardstock paper into 3/4″ x 6″ strips. Cut 7 strips.

2. Fold one end of the strips at 1/4″. Do to all the strips.

3. Keeping the 1/4″ folded, fold the strip in half.

4. Open the half and fold in the two ends, with the 1/4″ still folded, into the center.

5. Apply glue to the 1/4″ portion of the strip and glue the other end to it. It should be diamond shaped.

6. On the outside of the diamond, apply glue to the center point and to the left point of the strip. Then attach a second diamond strip to that. Continue until all diamonds are glued together at the center and the touching points.

7. Hole punch a different colored paper and glue the punched circles to the center. Or add other types of embellishments.

8. String it with ribbon or strings using a needle.

Tags

christmas, decorating, design

▶ 26 Comments

Entertaining the Children

In Crafts, Entertainment, Holidays on November 18, 2009 at 9:01 am

{image by Parents Magazine}

If you are hosting a party or the actual holiday itself, one of your sanity savers this holiday season will be keeping the kids busy. Sending them outside won’t always work. Here are some children’s craft and game ideas to keep them entertained on their own. Or designate another adult or a teenager to supervise. And don’t forget about the Thanksgiving garland.

Prop improv. Gather random things around the house and the kids have to improv a scene with that prop.
Sock puppet show. Collect old socks, provide decorations, and have the children make sock puppets. Then have them do a show for everyone.
Magic tricks. Look up some simple magic tricks online and have the kids learn a few.
Entertaining kids’ table. Cover the table with butcher paper and have a cup of crayons or markers for the kids to doodle while eating. Let them design their own placemats with pre-cut paper shapes or foam shapes.
Yarn necklaces. These never get old as long as you supply them with edible beads such as Fruit Loops and LifeSavers.
Fake mustaches. Have them make fake mustaches on a stick. Then take a picture of each child with his/her mustache to take home as a souvenir or mailed later as a thank you card.
Fingerprint tree. Draw a tree with only the trunk and branches. Or use brown yarn and glue on paper. Then have the children fill the tree with leaves made by their finger prints. Use water based paints that will be easy to wash off such as tempera paint.
Pumpkin bowling. This will have to be done outside. Use uncut leftover Halloween pumpkins as the bowling ball and empty liter soda bottles as the pins.
Gratitude pie spinner. It is pictured above from Parents Magazine. Go to link for a how to.
Mayflower place cards. It is picture below, also from Parents Magazine. Go to link for a how to.

{image by Parents Magazine}

Tags

children, ideas, thanksgiving, tips

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Did You See Me on Tangled & True?

In Crafts, Featured, Holidays on November 17, 2009 at 9:01 am

Did you see me yesterday on Tangled & True? The lovely Brittany from Tangled & True invited me to be a guest on her blog and I posted the Thanksgiving garland that is super simple to make. You can also find the tutorial on my TUTORIAL page or this link. Thanks, Brittany, for allowing me to experience Tangled & True. It was fun!

Tags

decorating, ideas, thanksgiving, websites

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Adorn That Door With Wreaths

In Crafts, Home, Inspirations on November 4, 2009 at 9:00 am

To tell you the truth, I own only two wreaths. Some of my neighbors have one for every season and they keep the off season ones hanging in the garage. I see them when I walk by and wonder if I should be ramping up my door decors. I am picky about my wreaths because I’m not into the fake flowers and plastic fruits glued to wreath shaped foam. If you can’t tell, I’m the simple and classy kind of gal. The wreath above is my fall wreath. I purchased it last year.

This wreath I made two winters ago. It’s was the first wreath I owned. I had been on the hunt for a Christmas wreath and couldn’t find one I loved within my price range. That’s right, did you know that wreaths could be outrageously prices? Some of the ones I liked were around $80. I decided to attempt designing and making my very own. Nathan laughed because I ended up spending more than I wanted to on it, but still nowhere near $80.

Here are some other wreaths that I like and would like to try one day. Click on photos for more information about each of the wreaths.

Dried flowers and vines.
Photo embellished.
Green gourds and leaves.
Pearl.
Shimmering rectangular leaves.
Quick and simple tape to the wall.

{image by BHG}

Tags

decorating, design, ideas

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Reversible Aprons

In Crafts on October 27, 2009 at 9:00 am

I recently took a sewing class my friend Emily taught. I kind of roped her into teaching it, only because she’s an amazing seamstress. We have really bonded with our crazy sewing ideas. And I love learning from her since she’s really good at what she does.

Emily showed us how to make these super adorable reversible aprons. But of course, I couldn’t just follow instructions exactly. I had to revamp mine and change it up a bit to complicate things with my silly ideas. The apron Emily made had a neckband and a neck casing with ties in the top strap. I went without the casing and made my neck band two pieces so it ties at the neck. I also adjusted my measurements then readjusted it again. Hence the different widths between the pink and the brown.

I made the brown/blue one for my mom’s birthday. So happy early birthday, mom! She’s in Taiwan right now and won’t be back until after her birthday. Sad. We’ll celebrate when she’s back home again.

Tags

fashion, friends, sewing

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Halloween Kids’ Crafts

In Crafts, Holidays on October 20, 2009 at 9:00 am

halloweek

Link round up of kid-friendly crafts to get the little ones into Halloween. As if they need more motivation. Click on photos for more details and how-to’s.

Mummy candy holder from water bottles.
Hanging sock bats.
Tissue paper bat garland.
Broom stick place cards.
Haunted house.
Halloween character hangers.

{image by Parents Magazine}

{image by marthastewart.com}

{image by Country Living}

{image by Family Fun}

{image by Hershey}

Tags

children, halloween

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Glass Pendant Necklaces Tutorial

In Crafts, Tutorials on October 13, 2009 at 9:00 am

Easy. Cheap. Adorable. How can you pass up something like this? I found places online where they sold the tutorials on how to make these glass pendant necklaces. Here’s mine for free.

Supplies:

paper
exacto knife
ruler
cutting board
glass tiles* (rectangular, circular, or square shapes available)
bails* (I used aanraku small size)
clear glue (I used Diamond Glaze. Mod Podge will work too, just not as well.)
super glue or E6000
toothpick
wax paper
ball chains, ribbons, necklaces
paper towels

*glass pendants and bails can be found pretty much anywhere online… Amazon, Etsy supplies, etc. I have also found bails at craft stores.

1. Using the exacto knife, cutting board, and ruler, cut your papers to the size of your glass tiles. I prefer to cut my papers slightly smaller than the tiles (about 1mm shorter all the way around). I had squared tiles, so I rounded the corners of my paper a bit to fit the tiles better. You can use just about any kind of paper, although tissue paper may be to thin and transparent. Suggestions: magazine pages, scrapbook paper, origami paper, cardstock.

2. Clean the glass tiles with a slightly damped paper towel or cloth. Allow to dry completely.

3. Lay a sheet of wax paper over your work space, the glue doesn’t stick to it. If your glass tile has a frosted side, you will want the paper to glue to the frosted side. Apply a layer of Diamond Glaze or Mod Podge to the frosted side of the glass tile. Gently place the paper onto the glue with the designs facing down. (The polka dots in the picture below is the back side of my pendant. The design is on the other side of paper.)

4. Quickly wipe off excess glue with toothpick and dry paper towels. Turn the tile over and press down on the glass tile hard to allow the layer of glaze to even out. Allow to dry completely, approximately 30 minutes to an hour.

5. Working on the back side of the pendant again, put another layer of glaze over the back of the paper to seal it. If you are using the Diamond Glaze, you will only have to do this once. If you are using Mod Podge, you will need to use a brush and do a few coats allowing drying time between coats. I also applied glaze on the sides of the paper to protect the edges. Use a toothpick and paper towel to wipe off excess glaze or glue. Also use the toothpick to pop any air bubbles in the glaze. Let it completely dry, approximately 5-6 hours or longer.

6. Once it dried, clean off any excess glue anywhere on the glass tile with a lightly damped paper towel or carefully scratch it off with finger nails.

7. Glue bails to the back of the pendants at the top. Make sure you check your designs and note which side you would like to have as the top of the pendant. If you use super glue, apply a small amount of the glue to the back of the tile and the bail. Work quickly as it dries fast. You will also need to get it right the upon first contact because super glue doesn’t allow much time for adjustments. If you use E6000, squeeze a pea size onto wax paper. Then use a toothpick to apply a small amount of it to the back of the tile and on the bail.

8. Let it dry for about 30 minutes to an hour. Then put on ball chains, ribbons, or necklaces.

Featuring Thea, my model…

Tags

fashion, gifts, ideas

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Baby Doll Shirt w/ Ruffles

In Crafts on September 24, 2009 at 9:00 am

I tried it and it didn’t work on me. I worked on repurposing a men’s dress shirt into a shirt for me. It turned out OK. The pictures are of the shirt I used as a rough draft. But since this style of shirt didn’t flatter my body, I’m not modeling it for you. And I am not proceeding to make another one for the tutorial as previously planned. So I’m posting my rough draft in case this style of baby doll shirt works for you. If enough people are interested in making it, maybe I will do an actual photo tutorial later. Let me know.

Remember, this was my very rough draft. I used an XL men’s dress shirt. This shirt is supposed to be long and hang below the rear. Cute to wear with skinny jeans.

Cut off the collars and long sleeves.
Cut the V neck to just right above a button. Hem the V neck.
Make the arm holes smaller to be more fitting and add the sleeves. I gathered the sleeves a bit where it is attached the the rest of the shirt.
Make casting at the end of the sleeve for the elastic.
Measure elastic around your upper torso, just below the bust. Then zigzag stitch the elastic onto the shirt all the way around while pulling the elastic to fit the shirt so it will scrunch. Don’t sew elastic over the button front.

Tags

fashion, reuse, sewing

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Shirt Dress Take 2

In Crafts on September 2, 2009 at 9:00 am

It’s been a while since I repurposed the shirt dresses for Kaye and Elle. Well, the other day I was inspired by Lindsay at Liliash to do a second version of the dress shirt. I just freehand this one so there were a couple mistakes, but still wearable. I got the shirt at a thrift store for $1.50 and I wasn’t too keen on the pattern. However, Kaye will only wear pink. As she watched me make the dress, she commented with, “Mom, that dress is beautiful.” I’m glad she was able to overlook my mistakes.

Sorry this picture is so horrible, but it makes the dress look so much better, huh?

Mistake #1: Putting the pleats between buttons.

Tags

reuse, sewing

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Simple Shoes

In Crafts on July 30, 2009 at 9:00 am

My dad loves shoes. He can’t even keep track of how many pairs of shoes he owns, definitely more pairs than what’s in my closet. A while ago, he purchased this pair of Simple shoes. It’s a kit to make your own shoes. The shoe on the left is the final product. The pieces to the right of that are parts.

Although the kit came with instructions on a DVD, my dad wasn’t able to match up the holes. So he asked me for assistance.

Super comfortable and environmentally friendly shoes. Visit Simple’s shoes website to learn more about it.

Tags

fashion

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Ribbon Board

In Crafts on July 27, 2009 at 9:00 am

My parents gave me back an old cork bulletin board I had on my wall in my bedroom in high school. The cork was frail and I had written stuff all over the frame with a permanent marker. Not wanting to toss the board, I covered it with quilting padding and a cute fabric. Then I stapled ribbons crisscrossing over the front of the board. Finally, I used twisted pins for furniture to tighten the ribbons where it met and glued buttons to cover the twisted pins. A quick and simple makeover and now it is hanging in Kaye’s room.

Tags

decorating, reuse

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Lace On

In Crafts on July 22, 2009 at 9:00 am

I bought a dress from Target on clearance for $6. However, the dress was a bit too short for my liking. And come to find out, a dear friend of mine bought the same dress but a different color. To fix that, I whipstitched a lace trimming to the bottom while watching reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond. Love that show!

Tags

sewing

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Animal Series: Rabbits & Carrot

In Crafts on July 15, 2009 at 9:00 am

This one turned out super cute. I love the little boy bunny in a super hero costume. Since I hand stitched all the animals in theses animal series using felt. The carrot has a zipper.

There is one more set to the series, baking bears in a cupcake. That is the hardest one and that’s why I haven’t finished it yet. Maybe one day I’ll get around to it.

Tags

sewing, toys

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Animal Series: Elephants & Peanut

In Crafts on July 14, 2009 at 9:00 am

Nice little zippered peanut to hold these circus elephants. Unlike the mice and cheese where the cheese were made out of felt, I sewed the peanut. Then easy blanket stitch for the elephants.

Tags

sewing, toys

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Animal Series: Mice & Cheese

In Crafts on July 13, 2009 at 9:00 am

My grandma made these for her grandchildren years ago. Many of them still have it saved for their children to play with. I got the patterns from her to make them for my kids. There are several different types… hence the series part of my title.

They work well because it comes contained. Great quiet toys for the car or church. My Kaye loves playing with them. Lately, she has been pretending the mice are Jaque and Gus from Cinderella.

Tags

sewing, toys

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Wild Wild West

In Crafts on July 9, 2009 at 11:05 am

I’m not the Western type of gal. So I wasn’t sure about making bandana skirts since the only thing I have used bandanas for was to blindfold in games. I thought I would give it a try since I found bandanas for 50 cents each. I think they turned out pretty cute and not too Western-ish. I used a white bed sheet from the thrift store as the trims. The only thing I forgot to do was prewash the bandanas. Oh well, they still turned out fine after I washed it. Kaye loves the yellow one and wears it all the time.

P.S. I got the idea from Vanessa’s blog. She has the cutest stuff.

Tags

sewing

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Crochet Hair Clips

In Crafts on July 2, 2009 at 8:00 am

Dipping my toes into crocheting, I learned I love crocheting cute flowers. It was so easy to make and only takes a few minutes… if it’s uninterrupted minutes. I attached the flowers onto alligator clips for my girlies. Then I made matching pink and white ones for Kaye and Elle’s matching Easter dresses back in April. Elle thinks they are great chew toys.

Tags

crocheting, fashion

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My New Excitement

In Crafts on June 30, 2009 at 10:57 pm

Last week Hobby Lobby had McCall’s patterns on sale, 99 cents each. I had to check it out. I was a pattern virgin, but I quickly figured out the works – look in the catalogs, write down pattern number, look for it in the drawers. It took me a few minutes to come to the conclusion that although the catalogs had different covers by the same brand, it had the same contents.

I also had the privilege that day to shop by myself, without two curious kids in tow. So I took some time to browse through the catalogs, then narrow down my choices. I felt this was a beginning of something great in my life. I was going to learn to sew with patterns and learn a bit about how clothes came together. First I had 12 patterns on my list, then eliminated half. However, only five were in the drawers. They sold out on a cute purse pattern. Luckily, my next stop was JoAnn and they matched prices. I got the last pattern for the same price as the others.

Of course, when I got home, I called my grandma for an appointment to take Pattern Reading 101. I’ll list my patterns on this week’s Friday 5 at 5.

Tags

sewing

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It’s Going Around

In Crafts on June 30, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Back in April Dana from the Made blog posted a tutorial for turning men’s dress shirts into adorable dresses for girls. What a fabulous idea. I had to try it out for myself. I am amazed by the things people can come up with. I absolutely loved the idea of reusing men’s shirts.

The shirt I used for Kaye was a $2 XL shirt from the thrift store. I had to find a pink shirt since she will only wear pink. Kaye’s dress was also my first attempt at applique. Not bad, but not good either.