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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

Birthday Fortunes In a Jar

In Life, Tutorials on February 8, 2010 at 9:00 am

First birthdays are special, even though Elle will never remember it. I took ample pictures then made her a fortune cookie jar full of birthday fortunes, or wishes, from her loved ones. The fortunes are to be kept unopened until a later moment in time, like her 16th birthday party. Similar to the concept of a time capsule. And fortune cookies because her birthday party was based on a Chinese theme.

The intention was to set up a table where guests would write birthday fortunes to Elle as they entered the party. Great idea, but it didn’t go as planned. Majority of the guests arrive an hour before party time, while we were still in the process of setting up decorations and cooking the meal. Oh well. Plan B. I had everyone email me their fortunes to Elle, including all of Nathan’s family who lives everywhere but here.

Supplies:

cardstock paper
glue
something circular as a template (3″ diameter)
scissors
rubber band (optional)
jar

1. Gather your paper. Use something circular and at least 3″ in diameter (depending on how big you want your cookies to turn out) to trace circles on the back of your paper. I used a coaster.

2. Cut out the circles and the fortunes. I printed the fortunes then cut them into strips.

3. Make a crease at the center of your circle about 1 1/2″ with the wrong side out (the paper patterns are on the inside touching each other when you fold to make the crease. Don’t fold the entire circle in half, just make a crease at the center.

4. With the crease pointing at you vertically, put glue at the edge of the circle going only about 1/3 of the circle. Make sure your crease is at the center point of where your gluing.

5. Place your fortune paper, folded, in the middle of the circle.

6. Fold circle in half touching the no-glue side to the side with glue. But don’t press down at the fold. Use laundry pins to hold the sides down.

7. This is where the crease comes in handy. Puff up your paper by pushing down on the crease and it should bend in the middle at the crease line. And it will open the holes at the two corners (see second picture below). Continuing to bend the crease until the paper takes shape of a fortune cookie.

8. If your cookie doesn’t hold it shape, put a little bit of glue at the middle of the crease line then use a rubber band to hold the cookie at the bend together. Allow for the glue to dry then remove rubber band.

9. Put it all in a jar then you can label or decorate the jar.

Linked A Soft Place.

Tags

children, design, gifts, ideas

▶ 9 Comments

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

DIY Mounting Knobs on Walls

In Home, Tutorials on January 6, 2010 at 9:01 am

I think knobs can be such great decorations on the wall, especially antique knobs. We have knobs in the children’s playroom to hang their artwork. The ones in this tutorial were for our master bedroom room to hang frames above our bed. There are so many other decorations you can hang on these knobs mounted on walls. But first, let’s learn how to mount them. It’s easier than you think. Don’t forget about the tutorial on how to reuse frames to make ribbon hanging wall frames.

Supplies:

cabinet knobs or any types of knobs that uses screws
strong bolt cutter
screws (most store bought knobs come with screws)
wall anchors that fits screw size
electric drill
hammer

1. Use the bolt cutter and cut off the closed end of the screw.

2. Measure where you would like to hang the knob and drill a hole. Look on the wall anchor packaging to see what size drill bit you need.

3. Place the wall anchor in the hole and hammer it flat into the wall.

4. Screw the knob into one end of the double open ended screw.

5. Screw the other end of the screw into the anchor all ready in the wall.

Tags

decorating

▶ 6 Comments

DIY Ribbon Hanging Wall Frames

In Home, Tutorials on January 6, 2010 at 9:00 am

I decided to make hanging wall frames and the knobs as two separate posts. These are the frames that hang over our bed substituting a headboard. A cheap and simple solution that can decorate any plain walls in the house. Having worked as a custom framer for four years in college, I knew how to do the frames pretty easily. I knew exactly what to look for in a good sturdy frame as I searched the thrift stores. And don’t forget the tutorial on how to mount knobs on the wall for the complete look.

Supplies:

wooden frames
screw eyes (2 for each frame)
ribbons
spray paint
paint primer or a sander if the frame has a seal on it.
measuring tape
awl
hammer

1. Take out the glass, backing, artwork and any matting that were in the frame.

2. Wipe the wooden frames with a slightly dampened cloth or paper towel. Allow to dry completely.

3. If the frames have a sealant on the wood, you will need to cover it with paint primer or sand it down to the original wood. And if you sand it, make sure you wipe off all the dust with a clean damped cloth or paper towel. Then let it dry completely.

4. Spray paint the frames. I used Krylon’s spray paint and it worked great getting the sides and creases of the frames.

5. Remove any staples that held the glass and backing of the artwork using a flathead or pliers.

6. Measure and mark where you want the screw eyes to go. Since you will be tying ribbon to it, you will want it closer to the top corners that will hide the ribbons better. Do to both sides of the frame.

7. Use the awl and hammer to punch a small hole in the back of the frame. It doesn’t need to be very deep, but deep enough where it can hold the screw eye while you screw it in the frame. Do to both sides of the frame.

8. Screw the screw eyes into the holes. Do to both sides.

9. Cut and tie ribbons through the screw eye holes. Do to both sides.

Finished! And with the finished product, you can put artwork in them, or put vinyl lettering on the walls within the frames or hang other items or decor within the frames. The ideas are endless. What would you do?

Tags

decorating

▶ 7 Comments

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

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

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

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

▶ 16 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

▶ 27 Comments

Thanksgiving Garland Tutorial

In Holidays, Tutorials on November 16, 2009 at 8:21 pm

I love this time of year when we reflect on the many things we are grateful for in our lives. The last couple of years, I wanted to teach my 3-year-old Kaye to express gratitude for the many blessings in her life. Thus began the tradition of our Thanksgiving countdown. A little tradition that began with construction paper chain links a few years ago. The main idea: Write down one thing we are grateful for each day in November. Each member in the family participate in writing down things they count as blessings. Then we display it somewhere visible as a daily reminder of the things appreciate in our blessed lives.

This year, I upgraded the construction paper chain links to a leafy garland. Here is a simple tutorial for you to count your blessings in November with a garland.

Supplies:

paper – white, scrapbook, paper bags, construction, printer, etc.
scissor
pencil
pens
raffia

1. Draw your leaf pattern. If you need inspiration, collect some fallen leaves outside then trace. You will want to make the stem about 1″ long. Then cut out the pattern.

2. Trace the leaf pattern on various different types of paper. Trace 30 leaves for each day in November.

3. Crumble the paper with the tracing on it. Then smooth out and cut.

4. Give each family members a few leaves and have them write their blessings.

5. This is an optional step, but it makes the garland look fuller. Cut out smaller size leaves to put in between the large leaves. Luckily, I had a large leaf punch.

6. Gather about 6 or 9 strands of raffia then tie a knot on one end.

7. Begin braiding. Braid about 3-4″ before adding leaves into your braid, sticking the stem of the leaf into your braid.

8. If you are using the small leaves for a fuller garland, insert the small ones into some of the braids between the larger leaves. Keep going until all the leaves are gone or you have reached your desired length. Make sure to do 3-4″ of plain braids before ending the raffia with a knot. If you need a longer length, add more raffia into the braid.

A back and finished view of the garland.

If you make this garland this Thanksgiving, please leave a link to a picture of it so I can check it out!

Tags

children, decorating, families, ideas, lists, thanksgiving

▶ 27 Comments

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

▶ 10 Comments

Fake Mustaches On a Stick Tutorial

In Tutorials on September 28, 2009 at 9:00 am

I follow a few photography and wedding photography blogs. And I have seen photo booth photos using fake mustaches. What a fun idea that I must try. Searching online, I found fake mustaches within pretty reasonable price range. However, top it with the shipping and handling fee, it’s more than what I would like to pay for fake mustaches. How about some DIY ones. Probably a good idea for Halloween, too. Super simple and cheap.

Supplies:

paper
pencil
scissors
black felt (I used a large sheet of stiff felt)
glue gun
thin dowels (1/4″ or thinner)
black permanent marker

1. Fold your paper in half lengthwise. Then sketch half a mustache. And cut them out.

2. Lay mustaches on your felt and trace each mustache pattern twice. I used a regular pencil.

3. Cut out the felt pieces.

4. Color one end of the dowels with black permanent markers so it matches the felt.

5. Use the glue gun to glue the dowel to one side of the felt mustache. I like to have the stick at an angle so it doesn’t block the person’s face.

6. Use the glue gun to glue the second piece of felt to the first piece and dowel.

Tags

ideas, photos, toys

▶ 16 Comments

Crochet Pansy Flower Tutorial

In Tutorials on September 8, 2009 at 9:00 am

Here are the instructions to make the crochet pansy if you missed out on the giveaway.

Ch. 3, sl st to make a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch. 2, 9 dc into ring, sl st to 2nd st of the ch. 2. 10 sts.

Rnd 2: ** sc and 2 tr in the first st, then 2 tr and sc in the next st ** repeat ** 4 more times. Sl st and fasten off. 5 petals.

At first, your petals will be a bit scrunched, just flatten out with fingers. Yup, it’s that easy.

Adorn the flower with buttons, sequins, beads, whatever you can find around the house. Put it on a clip, headband, pin, or sew it onto a purse or shirt.

Tags

crocheting

▶ 6 Comments

Camera Strap Cover with Pockets Tutorial

In Tutorials on August 18, 2009 at 9:00 am

I wanted to personalize my camera and take care of a problem I often had when taking pictures – no pocket to put the lens cap. I had some scrap fabric leftover with the ever so popular Apples and Pears fabric. I was figuring this out myself, so it took me a couple tries. Luckily it was with scrap fabrics. Anyway, here I go with another tutorial.

1. Grab some scrap fabric. It’s fun to mix and match for the pockets or the inside of the strap.

2. Measure your camera strap. Different brands have different sizes. And I think the newer straps are longer. My strap was 1 1/2″ wide and 27″ long. If you have a different size strap, you’ll have to adjust the measurements below accordingly.

3. Draw your pattern. The dotted line is the fold at the halfway point for the strap. Please note that the pattern below is not actual size. You will need to draw your own with those measurements if you have the same size strap (1 1/2″ x 27″) and same size lens cover (2 1/4″ diameter). Also, this strap cover is wider than the actual width of the strap to fit the pockets.

cover pattern

4. Trace the pattern on to the back of your fabric and cut out. Make sure you have two strap pieces.

5. Put the two strap pieces together with the right sides facing each other. At the middle crease of the pieces, draw a line 2 1/2″ long and 3/8″ in from the bottom edge. Make two 3/8″ cuts, one on each end of the 2 1/2″ line. That’s for the opening to put the strap through.

6. Iron the small flap that you just cut, the tips on both strap pieces, and the top and bottom seams of the pocket, all 3/8″. I wanted two pockets for my strap to carry the lens cap and memory cards. Plus, I’m right handed and my husband is left handed. With a pocket on each side, it provides easy access for right handed and left handed persons.

7. Sew the tips and the flaps down on both strap pieces. I sewed at about 1/4″ from the edge.

8. Sew just the top seam of the pocket for now. Then place the pockets where you want them on the strap. I like it closer to the end of the strap. You may want to try the strap around your neck to get a feel for where would be a comfortable place for the pocket. Pin the bottom of the pocket to the strap. If you are only doing one pocket, decide whether you want it on the left or right end of the strap. Then sew the bottom of pocket to strap piece. Make sure it’s the piece you want as the outer side of the strap. And the pocket piece should flap open at the top because only the bottom is sewn down.

9. Once the pocket is on, put the two strap pieces together again with the right sides facing each other. Make sure your openings at the bottom of the strap pieces match up and the pockets are flat. Sew a 3/8″ seam all the way around the strap, but not the end tips (where the camera strap comes out) and the opening (where you put the strap in).

10. Flip the strap right side out through the bottom opening. And iron flat. I ironed the seams open before flipping it right side out then iron again on the outside to make it a cleaner iron.

11. Pin the beginning and end of the opening where you put the strap into the cover so you don’t sew it close by accident.

12. Sew a straight line all the way around the strap except the tips and opening.

13. Put your strap in the cover through the opening at the bottom. You can also hand stitch or sew the opening close if desired. Or leave it open to make it easy to change covers or take off to wash.

Tags

sewing

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Have Ice Cream Cake & Eat It Too Tutorial

In Food, Tutorials on August 12, 2009 at 9:00 am

Ice cream cake sounds good to eat in August, but it’s not as fun to make this time of year. But here it is, a simple ice cream cake tutorial. This was for Kaye’s 3rd birthday as she requested a pink castle cake with princesses on it. Luckily, my amazing friend, Julia, found Disney Princess cake toppers at the grocery store on clearance. She gave them to me, wouldn’t even let me pay her for it. What a dear friend.

I’m not a cake decorator by any means. So you’ll have to excuse my design. This is mainly a tutorial about how to make a layered ice cream cake. It’s easy, but time consuming because of the freezing and refreezing time.

Ingredients:

1 boxed cake mix (with ingredients for the cake on the box)
1 box of ice cream for middle layer of cake (make sure it’s in a rectangular cubed paper box that can be ripped apart)
1 container of ice cream for frosting
(Optional) Cake decorations and toppings – ice cream cones, homemade/pre-made frosting, sprinkles, candy

1. Make a cake. In my case, I used a boxed cake mix. Quick and easy. I divided the batter into two 8×8″ pans and baked as directed on the box. Make sure to grease and flour the pan before pouring in the batter.

I had my assistant who came with her own equipment.

2. After baking, allow cake to completely cool. Remove from pans and wrap each layer in wax paper. Freeze the layers for at least 2-3 hours. It makes it easier to trim the cake and insert the ice cream layer.

3. For a delicious frosting, I prefer vanilla ice cream. After you freeze the cake, prepare the frosting. Scoop the ice cream into a mixing bowl and mix with a mixer until ice cream is a frosting consistency. Careful not to mix too much where the ice cream turns soupy. In this instance, I put red food coloring in the ice cream to make it pink.

4. Trim the cake layers so both tops are flat.

5. Take your boxed ice cream and rip off the box. Cut slices of ice cream to lay on top of bottom layer of cake. My ice cream layer is usually about 1 1/2″. I like a lot of ice cream to balance out the two layers of cake.

6. Frost the cake with the ice cream frosting you made in step 3. Use it to fill in the discrepancy in the layers. Do it quickly as the ice cream will melt (especially in the summer). Refreeze the cake overnight (about 8 hours). You don’t need to cover it with anything.

7. Sketch the designs with a toothpick. Then trace over with frosting.

8. Decorate cake as desired. Refreeze until ready to serve.

This cake serves 16 since it’s so tall. Tastes best the first couple days of making the cake. This cake doesn’t keep longer than 3-4 days.

Tags

cooking, recipes

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Passion Patrol Applique Onesie Tutorial

In Tutorials on August 3, 2009 at 9:00 am

Our friends, Taylor and Julia, are expecting their second baby girl. We have been friends with them since college and now they live only 6 hours away from us. To celebrate baby #2, I designed and made a applique onesie just for them.

In college, Taylor fashioned retro shirts with fun sayings such as “Passion Patrol” or “Let’s Get Physical” or “Gettin’ Lucky in Kentucky”. Then the thought came to me, How fun would it be to put “Passion Patrol” on an onsie?!

So here I go with my first tutorial: applique Passion Patrol onesie.

Materials:

onesie
scrap fabric
trans web
iron
letterings

1. I designed my own letters on paper then cut it out.

2. I used Lite Steam-A-Seam2 trans-web sheets, they are amazing and so simple to use. I used the lite weight trans web for the onesie so the letters won’t be too stiff. The Steam-A-Seam2 is easy to use because you only iron once and you can readjust the applique until you iron it on. It is also machine washable or dry cleanable.

Follow the direction on the packaging for your trans web you are using. When using Steam-A-Seam2, the webbing is protected by paper on both sides. So trace the letters on backwards on one side of the trans web. Peel off the paper on the other side and stick it to the fabric.

For most trans webs, you iron the webbing side to the scrap fabric then trace the letters backwards on the paper side of the trans web.

3. Cut out the letters. To get the little holes in the middle of the letters (P, O, A), I folded the letters in the middle of the little hole and used a pair of sharp fabric scissors. You could also use an extremely sharp Exacto knife and a cutting board.

4. Measure and pin the onesie to mark center and straight, or just eye it if you’re that good.

5. Iron the letters onto the onesie. Check the trans web packaging for iron setting and duration of ironing. Some trans webs require a cloth or damp cloth over the fabric when ironing. But also check the type of fabric you are using for the correct iron setting. If you are using Steam-A-Seam2, make sure you peel off the second layer of paper before ironing.

6. Stitch the letters onto the onesie using the zig zag stitch on the sewing machine. Or in this case, I hand stitched because the letters are so small. I used running stitch because I wanted the edge to fray a bit.