Valentine's Bags for chairs

Aren't these bags so cute?!
I've seen similar style bags online that were over the top adorable, but so pricey.
(Click here for my inspiration. Her tutorial was great, but I wanted to go way simpler)

These are super cheap, about $1.25 a piece, and you can finish them in a nap time.

Perfect for a few Valentine's treats!

All you need is 4 sheets of standard size felt, 6-8 inches of velcro, and
any coordinating felt for embellishments.

Here's the inside so you can see how it's joined.

Here's the straps

(I was out of felt, so I had to make the tutorial with paper -- pretend)
Felt Sheet 1: leave full size for the back

Felt Sheet 2: Measure down 3 inches and cut off. 3" piece will be the bottom, the bigger piece will be the top front flap.

Felt Sheet 3: (Sorry it's sideways)
Measure down 3 inches and cut, just like felt sheet 2. The skinny piece will one of the sides. The bigger piece will be the front. If you want, go ahead and cut out a heart shape from coordinating felt.

Felt Sheet 4: Measure down 3" for the last strip on the side.

Fold down the bigger piece and cut in half. These two larger pieces (3.5") will be the straps.

Take one of the 3 1/2" pieces and fold it into thirds.

Sew down the middle to hold it together.

Sew the straps on the back. These were my measurements.

Be sure to skip down 1/2" so you don't catch your straps when you add your top flap

After you finish these steps go on to:

1. Sew your side pieces on to the bottom strip. So you'll have three 3" rectangles in a row. Be sure to pay attention to how the seams connect so they'll be right when you assemble the bags.

2. Sew on the front bottom flap (with the heart) to 3 side/bottom strips.

3. Sew on the back to the other side of 3 side/bottom strips.

4. Sew on the front flap to the back side so it flips over to the front.

5. The sides will be a little long at the top. I folded it over into a triangle shape and sewed down. Then I cut off the excess fabric.

6. Add your velcro so that your strap rolls around and connects.

7. Add your embellishments. Ric Rac or ribbon would be so cute!

You could really have go crazy with decorating these, but I was trying to keep cost down, and keep them easy.

The Teacher's Apron

Adam's teachers wear these aprons around school. How great are these? Now they have a place to stick a nurse's pass, band aids, pens, or whatever kids may give them throughout the day. Make one for your kid's teacher, they'll love it!
Materials:
1/2 yard of fabric
1 leg of a pair of adult jeans (avoid skinny leg & excessively flared jeans. Straight leg & men's work best)
denim sewing needle
denim colored thread
thread to coordinate with your fabric

Keep your fabric folded in half
Cut:
-selvage while fabric is folded in half. You'll end up losing a smidge extra of good fabric on one side, but it makes your life easier if you can keep the fold crease.
-two 5" strips to the edge of your fabric
-two pockets 6 3/4" (h) x 6" (w)
One one 5" strip cut at the crease to separate into two pieces. Keep on strip together. You should end up with 2 pockets, 2 strips about 5" x 21" (approx) and one strip 5" x 42" (approx) (Don't worry if you strips are a few inches shorter or longer -- it won't make a difference)
Jeans -
-Cut one leg of jeans below the knee, or below any hole in the knee. Mine is 14"
- Seam rip the interior seam open carefully, and you'll be able to use the factory serged seams on the sides.
- This is where I learned flare jeans are not the best, it's workable, just not as tidy at the end. There is extra fabric on one side, I just folded it under at the crease on the right side, and have a little extra fabric on the back of one side. Whatever you choose, fold under raw edges 1/4" ish, and sew in place. You can cut & square up the sides so they are even all the way down. Then fold under the raw edges and sew. It's really forgiving, so just do what works for you.
- Note -- Be extra careful anywhere you have multiple layers of jeans folded. It's a nightmare for your needle. I stopped sewing just before I got to the bottom of the jeans because I didn't want to sew through the factory hem.

The waistband strip. Take your 42" piece in the middle. Sew one 21" strip to the right side, and one 21" strip to the left side. You should end up with a very long strip, approximately 84" minus seam allowances. (You could absolutely skip the step above of cutting the one section in half, and just sew two 42" pieces together. You will see a seam in the middle, front of your apron if you do it that way. In this method seams are more hidden tied behind you.)

On this next part - -I'm sure there is an easier way to get the strap to the denim, but I was copying a friend's apron and this is the way it was done. Use what method works best for you.
Open up your long strip of fabric. Use the factory crease to help you find the midpoint. Then make a mark on the wrong side of fabric (I used pencil) where the edges of the denim end. I stuck pins to show you, but you can barely see them. (You don't really want pins in it.)


With wrong sides together, start at one end and sew 1/4 inch until 1" of your pencil mark. Flip it around and do the other side. You should have an open section in the middle. Now pull the the right sides out of each "tube" until all of your fabric is right side out.

Iron your tube flat. When you get to the open part, sew edges under 1/4". While you've got the iron work on your pockets. Fold under 1/4 inch under all side and iron. Set those aside for later.

Stick your denim into the open hole of your strap. Pin in place and sew closed. Check to make sure you caught both sides of the strap.

Pockets:
-Sew across the tops only to hold down the fold.
- Pin in place (where ever you like them) & sew them down.

Trim your threads, you are done!

Mario/Luigi Hats

Can you tell what Adam wants to be for Halloween?

"It's Luigi time!"

I know it's early for Halloween, with back to school and all, but I wasn't sure I could make these hats. Luckily, my friend Natassia sent me this awesome tutorial on the Groovy Kids blog. (Thanks Tassia!)

Go check it out now, I'll wait. These were quick & easy. I was able to make two during nap time.

I'm not going to retype up everything she did. However, I made a few changes that made it work better for us.

For the hat: For the kid hat, I went smaller and used a 10 inch dinner plate for the circle of the hat. I used a 12 inch bowl for the grown-up hat. Stick with the 4 1/2 interior circle -- seriously, the fleece stretches like crazy.

I wanted the brim a little larger than the tutorial. I traced the brim of a hat onto a cereal box and cut it out for the foundation inside the brim. I also used this as my template on the fleece fabric. I cut the cardboard about a quarter inch smaller than the fleece all the way around.

Then I gently curved by bending it through my fingers.

For the circle: (I just just used the inexpensive white felt rectangle, instead of buying white fleece. It was a bit see-through, so I used wonder under to double the layer.) I cut a rectangle of white felt. I traced a cup that was about 3 1/2 inches diameter. Then iron on a square of double sided fusible webbing/wonder under to the back side behind the circle I traced.

Have you noticed wonder under can be a beast to remove?! Open your scissors and score an X into the paper backing. It should come off easier for you. Don't go too hard or you'll go through your fabric. Fold over your white felt, and iron so the wonder under seals in place. You should have a double thickness now. Cut out the circle.

Use some of your scraps to make the letter. Iron a piece of wonder under on the back side. Draw your letter. Remember since this is the back, you'll want to draw the letter backwards for Luigi's "L." Luckily, Mario's "M" is the same both ways. Go ahead and cut out the letter. Remove the paper backing, and center it on the white circle. Iron it in place. This should hold it long enough for you to sew.

Sew around the M as close to the edge as you can get.

Okay, moving on to the rest of the hat. I'm going to assume you read the tutorial from above, and you have cut out and sewed everything else like she said. Go ahead and stick your curved cardboard into the brim of the hat. Trim the cardboard if it sticks out anywhere.

Sew the back of your brim closed.

Now for the M: Line up the bottom of your circle with the bottom of the line of the hole of the hat. Pin in place. Make sure not to catch both layers of hat. You should be able to put your hand in between the two layers of hat.

Switch to white top thread. Move the rest of the top of your hat aside, so you aren't sewing your hat together. Sew around the edge of your circle.

Now, put center the brim of your hat with the circle. Pin in place. Sew around the edge of the brim to secure it to the hat.

Supplies:
1/2 yard of green or red fleece
1 white rectangle of felt
1/4 yard of wonder under/double sided fusible webbing - medium weight
thin cardboard (cereal box)

1/2 yard & 1 white felt will make two hats. I think I could have folded the fleece differently to use 1/4 yard...but I couldn't do the math in my head with two busy kids at the store.

Making Fake-Up

Hadley loves my make-up. She is ruining it, as I find her sneaking if it is anywhere in her reach.

I found this great tutorial for pretend make up on the Playing House blog.

I got some cheap make up at the dollar store,
cleaned out the cases, and put glitter foam in the holes.

Since I'm inpatient, I used hot glue because
I knew I wouldn't have to wait for it to dry.

Hobby Lobby has a 5 pack of glitter foam that I loved!

You can make a lot of make up with this pack!
In fact, I have a ton left...anyone need some?!?

Baby Shower Gifts

Here's a ballerina piggy bank I made for a friend's baby shower. It was super simple! I lucked out and found everything at Hobby Lobby.

I should have planned ahead and took tutorial pictures, but I didn't, so imagine.

You need:
- 1 painted piggy bank
- 1/4 yard of tulle
- ribbon 7/8th inch thickness
- 1 bow (I'm good at making hairbows...but Hobby Lobby had these already pre-made, and with a 40 off coupon, it was too tempting to go the simple route. I just broke off the clip & hot glued that sucker on.)

For the tutu:

1. Fold the tulle in half (so you have a long skinnier piece.)
2. Use a needle and thread on the open ends and sew a running stitch from one end to the other (start with a knot.)
3. Gently pull the thread to create a gather. Measure against your pig's belly to make sure it's the right distance. Adjust gather as needed & then tie off with a knot.
4. Use your glue gun to glue the tulle, sewed side closest to the slot. (I went right at the end of it, so that it doesn't block any of the hole -- I'm feeling a lot of "that's what she said jokes" in this post.) Then glue gun a ribbon to cover up thread. Glue a hairbow on one ear & you are done! So easy!

I finished it all of with a paper mache gift box!

You need:
mod podge
5 sheets of 12x12 scrapbook paper
tulle - optional
paper mache box

Directions:
1. Measure one side of the box without the lid.
2. Cut paper 1/4-1/2 inch shorter than measurements.
3. Mod podge the paper on the box. Use a light coat. When dry, add a 2nd light coat.
4. Repeat steps for lid.
5. Let box & lid dry separately overnight.

Monogram Dish Towels

My good friend Summer (who seriously needs to update her personal blog because I am tired of checking in to read about her son's booger) is so creative! She made some decorative dish towels in the spring that were so cute! I took it one step further and added a monogram with matching fabric. This was seriously so easy! 15 minutes and I was done.

Here's the instructions:

Supplies:
Dish towel
1/4 yard fabric or a fat quarter (just check measurements of directional fabric)
1/8 yard Wonder under/double sided fusible webbing (will make 3 letters)
Thread in coordinating color
Basic sewing supplies & machine.

Directions:
1. Cut fabric rectangle measure the length of your towel and add about 1”. Mine was 4” x 16”
2. Cut about a 4” x 4” piece of coordinating fabric for your letter.
3. Print off a letter from your computer to trace.
Suggested font & size:
Cambria (BOLD) 400 font or about 3.75” x 3.25"
Bookman (BOLD) 400 font or about 3.75” x 3.25”
4. Cut this printed letter out. You can free hand, or use a different font. You just want something
that has thick edges because you will have to cut the letter out, and letters that are too skinny are harder to sew.
5. Fold down edges of rectangle fabric and iron under about 1/4” inch. Sew into place near
bottom of dishcloth.
6. Iron on wonder under to wrong side of fabric square.
7. Looking at the wrong side of square: take your cut out letter and turn it over backwards. Trace
it on the smooth side of the wonder under. Cut out the letter and remove paper backing from
the letter. Note: it will probably be a challenge to get it off, and it usually comes off in pieces for
me. It’s okay if it the backing paper tears—it’s going in the trash.
8. Lay your letter down where you want it to go on the dish towel, right side up. Iron into place. This is not a permanent hold, but should hold it into place so you can sew it easier.
9. Sew your letter into place. Trim your strings.

Notes:
You can switch your top thread to whatever coordinates with your fabric. Make sure your bobbin thread matches your dish towel.

You can get a 2 pack of microfiber dishtowels for $3.50 at Walmart.

Unless you use a close zig zag stitch your letter will fray over time with washing. This gives it a nice, lived in look. If it bothers you then you might want to use a zig zag stitch. You will be sewing a lot longer if you use this method.

Wood Block Nativities

This project was shared with me from Pam S. who made about 50 of these with help from some tall elves. She shared the photo with me and I love it!

Here's a tutorial to make your own with your favorite picture. Leave me a comment with your email address if you want me to email the picture to you.

Supplies:
2 x 6 wood, cut at 7 1/4” lengths
Craft paint
Brush
Mod podge
Scrapbook paper
Tulle approx. 1 yard length x 6” thick (Hobby Lobby sells 6" spools of tulle in the fabric dept.)
Sandpaper—optional
Favorite 4 x 6” picture

Directions:

1. Cut 2 x 6’s into 7 1/4 inch lengths. Just a note wood sizes don’t really follow real measurements. Don’t be surprised when your 2 x 6 is really closer to
1 1/2” x 5 1/2”.

2. Paint wood desired color. Use 2 coats and let dry. Sand edges if desired

3. Cut out background scrapbook paper: 6 3/4” x 5” Pay attention to
direction of paper before you cut.

4. Cut inner scrapbook border: 4 1/8” x 5 5/8” (Or if you want an easy way, slap your photo down and visually estimate 1/4” border on all sides.)

5. Mod podge your background scrapbook paper to the wood. Use very light coats to prevent bubbling. Several light coats work much better than one heavy coat.

6. Mod Podge 2nd paper centered on the first paper. Same as before, light coats.

7. Mod podge picture on top of border paper, and then mod podge a light coat over all papers & photo. Let dry and repeat with a 2nd coat. If desired, mod podge over the entirety of the block.

8. Let dry overnight. Wrap tulle around block and tie in decorative knot at the top. Trim off extra tulle.

Halloween Trick or Treat Bags

Here's Hadley's Trick or Treat bag. I got the idea from the Livin' Life Patino Style blog. I don't know her, but I stalk her blog! I am totally impressed by her fun projects!

This was really easy to make. You can get the bags from any craft store. Use double sided fusible webbing on the back of the fabrics, and sew around the letter and the circle. I traced a dinner plate to get the circle. I have some cutesy ribbon for the handles, but Hadley keeps untying them. I'll just wait until the big day to put them back on.

Halloween Pillowcases

Jared told me that his mom always had Christmas sheets & pillowcases that they would get to use during the month of December. He told me how excited he would get as a kid because he would know that Christmas was coming soon.

Adam's birthday is the day before Halloween. We love the fall, the cooler weather, the pumpkins, and the colors of the changing leaves. October is my favorite month for all of these reasons.

I thought it would be fun to make Halloween pillowcases for us to use during the month of October. My mom treated me to a fabric spree, and I whipped these up. They were super easy & fast.

(Measurements for a standard pillowcase is 20" x 26")

- Cut 2 pieces of fabric 22" x 33" (This should allow for some shrinkage after washing the finished pillowcase.)

- The short open sides are folded over 1/4" and ironed under. Then fold the same side over 3 1/2" and ironed in place. Sew seam in place. Do this for both pieces.

- Place right sides together. Sew a 1/2" seam allowance around the three "closed" sides.

- Turn the pillowcase right side out and you are done!

FABRIC: If your fabric is directional, you'll need more fabric. I used 1 & 1/2 yards for Adam's skeleton one. If your fabric is non-directional, you can get away with less because you can fold it the other direction (meaning the pattern won't be upside down on the back side of the pillowcase.)

Although I'm making the kids trick or treat bags, these would be great to use on Halloween night to collect candy.

Oh So Sassy Evalyn Dress

During nap time I sewed my 2nd pattern from the Oh So Sassy off Etsy. This is the Evalyn dress, which is very similar to a pillow case style dress. If I were to make this again, I would shorten it. I originally imagined this to be something she could wear in the fall with leggings over a plain shirt. It's longer than I imagined, so we'll see if I leave it as is, or modify it later.

Don't mind Hadley's red face, Jared took the kids to the park while I finished the straps. This is right after they came back all hot & sweaty, and right before her naked dance off.

Note to self: One shoulder tie makes this dress easy for a 14 month old to remove.

Oh So Sassy Dress

I made this adorable dress for Hadley last night.

I ordered the pattern & fabric from Oh So Sassy on etsy.

She is really affordable, and she already has perfectly coordinated fabrics cut out for you. There was very minor cutting. The directions were easy to follow if you are paying attention. I made a mistake and grabbed the wrong piece for the bottom, and then had a skinnier strap around the waist. It worked out since Hadley is small anyway. The pattern is fairly forgiving, so if you have sewing experience it will be easy to follow.

From start to finish took 3 hours. I did make a few mistakes & I could never get the size perfect for Hadley's petite frame. That had more to do with a wiggly 14 month old, than the pattern. I've decided not take out the straps again, but to just let her grow into it. (Mainly because I don't think she'll let me try it on her a 4th time.)

Cheap Crochet Headbands

A few months ago I did a post on how to modify these crochet headbands if you have a Sam Moon nearby. I found an easier, cheaper, & better quality way that I thought I'd share. Hobby Lobby now carries crochet ribbon in their ribbon department. It cost .99 a yard, and is available in pink, black, & white. The ribbon was 30 percent off this week, so each headband cost me about 30 cents to make.

Step 1: Cut ribbon. Fold right sides together. Sew edges together.

I sewed up and down this about 3 times.

Step 2: Open up the headband, and sew down the edges that kind of want to stick up.

Be sure to use a coordinating thread. Trim the threads & your done!

Sizes:

These sizes are very forgiving. To get the best fit, measure your child's head, and subtract 1-2 inches. Cut your ribbon that length & then sew.

Or estimate:

15" fits a 9 mos. old with plenty of room to stretch. The 15" size also worked well on a toddler.

14" is a good fit for a 9 mos. old.

11-12" is perfect hospital newborn size.

This was a super easy project. I made 8 of them in less than 15 minutes total. Which was great because I needed a break from the minky hell of another project. You can hot glue a ribbon strip to the center to add a bow on, but I found with experience it's just as easy to skip that step and use the holes in the crochet head band.

It's not perfect, but it's done

Hadley's other hairbow holder could not hold all the ones I've made for her. I decided a back up hairbow holder was in order. (Don't judge me, I've waited for a girl for a long time!) She has a lot of mini bows that won't work until she grows some more hair! This will hold those until we put them back into the rotation.

I've been trying to challenge my creativity by only using things that I have around the house instead of buying new stuff. Other than the frame I got at a church yard sale for only 50 cents, I used fabric, ribbon, & paint that I had on hand. I probably wouldn't have picked all this if I went out and bought supplies for this project, but it made for a cheap project using leftovers. The pink paint matches the pink ribbon much better in person.

This was really easy to make. I painted the frame with a few coats of craft paint. I was out of spray sealer, so I just put a coat of modge podge on top to give it a slight shine. I wrapped the cardboard backing with fabric & ribbon and hot glued it in place on the back only. Then stuck it back in the frame, and got rid of the glass.

Hadley has a crooked wall behind her door. I thought this would be a great place to hang this, out of the way. I completely under-estimated the amount of space that was on the wall, and there is no way this will fit! So it's not perfect, but it's done! I'm thinking of attaching it to the inside of her closet door instead.

Another Hair Bow Holder

This one is for my sweet niece Elizabeth. I've got a few new bows on it already for her!

Girl's Night Out Craft Class

Our annual Girl's Night Out Craft Class will be Friday, Dec. 4 6:30-9:30 pm.

Deadline to register is Tues. Nov 17.

A always feel free to invite any crafty lady you know. This year's crafts are super easy (aside from the lap board) Please no children.

Wooden Advent Calendar: $7.00/$6.50 for 2 or more

Merry & Bright Charger Plate: $5.50

Tis the Season Frame: $5.50 Please bring an 8x10 frame.
Price includes vinyl & ribbon. Frame not included.

Tis the Season Glass Block: $15

Flower Mirror: $6.50. Contact me for more color options/embellishments available

Monogram Hair Bow Holders: $8.50. Contact me for more color/embellishment choices

Fabric covered Lap Board: $12

This is the most difficult project.

Fabric choices: Camo (boys), Zebra Print (girls), or Mod Dots (girl)

Marshmallow shooters: $5.50/2 or more $5 each

Paint colors may vary.