4th of July Ideas

I've been neglecting this blog, I know, but what better reason to post than a holiday worth celebrating with friends and family? These beautiful, festive pictures make me want to throw a festive, domestic party! We'll probably just settle for a bbq. Maybe next year.

Appliqued Onesies

Remember when your baby is just too tiny to put in real church clothes? I've seen these on a couple babies and think they are just darling! My little man is definitely going to be sporting this darling piece!

This is perhaps the easiest little project I have ever done. Seriously you could make a whole package of onesies in less than 10 minutes! And you can do this project even if you don't have a sewing machine... isn't that awesome? And the price to make these is under $2/shirt.

What you need:

1. Onesies
2. Fabric (use your scraps, you just need a little!)
3. Fabric Fusion Applique Paper (1 yard will go for ages...)
Note: There is non-sewable applique paper, and sewable... this depends on whether you want to sew a stitch around the edge of your design for a more finished look. The non-sew is a little more stiff and harder to sew through.
4. Scissors
5. Iron

Directions:

1. Follow the instructions on the Fabric Fusion Applique paper. Basically, you lay the applique paper over the back side of your fabric, with the paper side up. Iron it on low for 2 seconds until it sticks.
2. Cut out your design.
3. Peel the paper off the fabric and place the design on your onesie. Iron for 8-10 seconds until it sticks to the onesie. Done!

Here is the pattern I used to do the tie: (Just click to enlarge, and then print.)

Jelly Bean Carrot

I thought this was a perfect gift idea to give the kids in my church class, or if you have a big group of kids you need to hand out gifts to. Here is how you do it.

Tools and Materials

Plastic pastry bag
Orange jelly beans
Green rickrack or ribbon
Easter basket, optional

Jelly Bean Carrot How-To
1. Fill a plastic pastry bag 3/4 of the way with orange jelly beans.

2. Tie bag closed with a green rickrack or ribbon.

3. Include the carrots in an Easter basket or fill a basket with them and set them out as favors for a party.

Easter Centerpiece

Isn't this a darling way to decorate an Easter table? I love the pastel buckets with ribbons to serve treats- what a cute and creative idea! And the simple easter eggs hung from the chairs is just darling too. I wish the Easter holiday was warm and blooming with flowers here in Utah. All our Easter pictures are in winter coats! I will dream of spring.

Nursery or Kids Room Art

This project is just calling my name...

What you need:

• Three 5 x 5 Paper Mache art boards ($2.99 at craft supply stores)
• Ribbon for hanging
• Scissors
• Acrylic paints and paint brushes
• Card stock for printing your design
• Permanent spray adhesive

Handmade nursery wall art

Steps:

1. Remove rope strands from the boards and discard.
2. Choose a style of ribbon and cut 3 strands the exact same size.
3. Apply your base coat to cover the brown paper mache. Paint everything, including the back side.
4. Start painting! It helped me to sketch out my design on the computer before diving into painting. I used acrylic paints and paint brushes. All three boards were given a different pattern in the background.
5. I drew the elephant in Adobe Illustrator and chose two colors for the elephants. Then I printed them out on card stock and cut them out, leaving a little white border to help them stand out against the painted backgrounds.
6. I tested out the placement before adhering the paper elephants to the boards. Using permanent spray adhesive, I adhered the elephants to the boards. Tie on the ribbon to hang and your done!

Thanksgiving Place Cards

Hopefully I am not the only one that finds holiday place cards DARLING! I think these personal touches are just precious. Maybe one day when I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner... but for now, I enjoy being the guest! Is that bad?

Thanksgiving Craft Project 4 Kids

I thought this was a darling little craft idea to do with your kiddies. With the cold weather arriving, any new indoor projects are greatly appreciated, right?

This wreath makes a very pretty and colorful piece to hang on a door or wall in your home. You will need: Autumn-colored construction paper, scissors, glue, a good-sized piece cardboard, one large paper plate and one small paper plate, and a black marker. The children can make their own, or they can make one together. Basically, you are gluing rolled strips of construction paper onto a circle shaped piece of cardboard. Then at the bottom you add the face of a turkey. The turkey will be the traced foot of a child. Eyes, wobbler, and beak will be cut out using scraps. If you are a teacher, it would be creative to have each student write one thing they are thankful for on a strip of construction paper before you glue it to the cardboard.

holiday entertainment will never end

the halloween festivities are nearly over. after all of the pumpkin patches, hay rides, corn mazes, carving pumpkins, roasting pumpkin seeds, modeling costumes, family/friends/church parties, and trick-or-treating... whatever are you going to do with the kids besides eat all of that candy? well, here are some fun ideas to keep you busy and excited for yet another holiday.

easy do it yourself project

i love home decor pieces like this that you look at and say "oooh... i could make that!". and wouldn't this be a great piece to add around thanksgiving time? although i have to admit that i think it would be cute all year long.

carving pumpkins- inspirations

spooky, unique, cute... take your pick. here are some cute pumpkin carvings that i have been inspired by from over at martha stewart. love her site. another cute one i saw was carving your house number into pumpkins.

fall foliage part 2: kids project

while you are having fun arranging fall foliage into beautiful vases, put the kids to work. with the leaves they collected, have them create these fun projects shown below. another great idea is to have them draw the trunk of a tree and the branches, and glue the leaves to their tree. top off this fun activity by making cookies with leaf shaped cookie cutters. who says you can't be super mom?

fall foliage

**sorry for the few days of slacking! i just came from southern california... warm beaches, hot sun, bathing suits and sunscreen.... and i'm back to to crisp mountain utah air! fall is HERE!**

in the next couple weeks as the leaves are changing colors, i am going to take my little boy and collect some leaves. we are going to do a fun project for him (post coming soon), and we'll find even more leaves, branches to be exact, to do this project for me. not much to the project, just some pretty arranging, but i love the outcome.

fall wreath

what you need:
foam wreath
hot glue & spray adhesive
moss
about 20 small plastic pumpkin gourds
satin black ribbon

what you do:
DAY 1- place your foam wreath on a flat surface, and secure plastic gourds to the wreath with hot glue. allow the glue to dry and the gourds to settle over night.
DAY 2- using spray adhesive (or hot glue) place moss around the gourds and any visible foam. let dry overnight.
DAY 3- attach a satin black ribbon, and display!

another option:
you can also leave out the ribbon and place it on your table as part of your centerpiece. a vase or platter would fit perfectly in the middle.

nursing cover

I love the new nursing covers that women are using now-a-days. The ease and privacy of nursing your baby without worrying about your blanket falling, or your baby pulling it free is peace of mind to any new mother! I couldn't believe when I saw one in a local boutique for nearly $50! Most women would say it is worth the investment, but I say, why not make an alternative version for cheaper? This is how you can make a nursing cover with items you already have around the home. I plan on making the blanket and the apron straps myself. Wouldn't this be a darling gift idea for an expecting mother?
Step 1

The top part of a nursing cover looks like an apron, so it comes in handy when you are trying to make a nursing cover. Use your scissors to cut off the apron strap.

Step 2

Find a baby blanket that you are not planning on using. It should be wide enough to cover the baby and your chest. A baby blanket made out of 100% cotton will be the right type of blanket to use because it will keep your baby cool in warmer weather.

Step 3

Place the blanket on a flat surface and sew the two buttons in to the middle of the blanket about eight inches apart from each other. Cut a small slit on each end of the apron strap that is large enough for the buttons.

Step 4

Attach the strap to blanket and out it on just like you would an apron. Enjoy nursing your baby in public without having to hold up a blanket!

little girl's tutu's

i made these cute tutu's last year during the christmas season. this past weekend i was with some friends at a boutique and we saw halloween tutu's. they suggested i pass along the tutu instructions for all the mom's out there. these are the easiest things to make. if you can tie a knot, you can make a tutu. this would be a darling addition to your little girl's costume- whether she is a ballerina, a princess, or even a witch!























All you need is some elastic, scissors, and a 6-inch roll of tulle (my roll had 65 yards).







1. Use your sewing machine to sew a 1-inch band of elastic into a circle. Then put your sewing machine away, that is the only sewing you have to do. No joke.
2. Cut the tulle into 21 inch strips until it is gone. (21 inches makes a shorter tutu - a great length for 3yrs and under. If you are making it for an older child I would do 23-24 inch strips.)
3. I put the elastic band around my thigh, and then I take a strip of the cut tulle and place it under the elastic so that there is an equal amount on each side of the elastic. Then I tie a double knot.
4. Then continue to tie each strip of tulle, keeping them close together until you have a full tutu. (You can do multi-colored, I did some cute two-colored ones, like the 1st picture. If you want, on the last tie, you can string satin ribbon through the knot and make a cute little bow to top it off.)

I buy the roll of tulle from WalMart in the wedding section near the floral. It is $5.95 and makes 2 tutu's. The total project time to make a tutu is about 20 minutes.

kids framed art

when i was pregnant with my little boy, my mom and i began the exciting chore of creating a nursery. we picked out the perfect furniture, adorable bedding, and all the nick-knacks needed for my wee one. we felt that we needed some type of art on the wall. while we were at our local TARGET i began looking at the art. simple kids art was $29.99, and i was looking for 4-5 pieces. me, being the cheap-o i am thought that was way too much. so mom and i came up with a cheaper solution that turned out darling.

this is what we bought:
1. 8x8 white frames at IKEA ($7/frame)
2. 1 package of receiving blankets that matched the crib bedding ($9.99 for 4 blankets)
3. wooden emblems from michaels/roberts craft store ($0.50/pc)
TOTAL COST: Less than $10 per piece

this is what we did:
1. we cut the fabric of the receiving blankets to match the size of the frame, and hot glued it to the backing of the frame to create a background.
2. then we hot glued our emblem to the center of the fabric
3. we reassembled the frames, and hung them on the wall

why this is so cool:
if i had bought the more expensive TARGET art it would no longer be usable if the next baby was a different gender or when my child grew out of his nursery. with the art we created, i can simply remove the fabric and re-design new art work for the next baby's nursery. or as my child grows, his art pieces can grow with him.

jazz up the staircase!

this is a darling idea to decorate your staircase for the fall/halloween/thanksgiving season. i would suggest using some orange ribbon to tie the wheat to make it even more seasonal. i love this idea, the only thing i am unsure of is where to buy wheat like this? if anyone has some ideas, please, enlighten me!

Table Console

this is a great project for anyone on a budget, or for those of us that get a thrill out of a great deal! time to hit up the garage sales and thrift stores- your mission is to find a round table that has a broken or missing leg. you should be able to score a great price on the damaged table, and transform it into a front entry piece! can't find a damaged table? well, purchase a cheaper functioning table and make two console tables; place them in different places in your home. i thought this was a very clever idea, worthy of sharing!

here is what you do:

1. Unscrew the extension mechanism from the bottom of the table. Remove the part of the table you won't be using.

2. Sand the remaining part, then prime and paint it.

3. Nail or screw a two-by-two-inch piece of wood to the wall at the height of the tabletop so that the edge of the table rests on the wood support.

4. Screw through the top of the table to the wood support; fill the holes with wood filler, and paint over them.

for your childs room

**this idea was inspired by some spring blocks that i did with my neighbor** there is a trend right now in nursery rooms/ kids room where you get the wooden letters and put your child's name on the wall. sometimes people attach ribbon and hang them. you know what i am talking about. well, here is a cute way to dress up the wooden letters so that it looks like you bought it from a boutique instead of an obvious "do-it-yourself" project. it would also be an adorable baby gift. here is how you do it:

supplies:
1. wooden letters
2. wood stain
3. nail file
4. paint brush
5. mod-podge
6. assortment of coordinating scrapbooking paper
7. scissors
8. embellishments, optional

instructions:
1. purchase wooden letters (found in roberts/michaels) and stain them with a wood stain
2. with a nail file, file the edges for a more rustic look, revealing some of the true wood.
3. place your letter face down on a piece of scrapbook paper, and trace out the letter. cut the paper out.
4. using mod-podge and a paint brush, apply a thin layer of mod-podge to your letter, and carefully stick the cut out scrapbooking paper to the letter. allow to dry.
5. using nail file, file away any excess paper.
6. apply another thin layer of mod-podge on top of the paper, and the entire wooden letter. dry.
7. embellish with buttons, ribbon, or leave plain.

fall porch decor #2

the image on the left is my second porch decor idea that i would love to implement on my porch this year. unfortunately, i think buying a bunch of lanterns would get pretty expensive. fortunately my porch is smaller so i think i can get away with fewer. i also think it would look lovely to have a couple pots of fall mums out. one of my favorite ideas from this image is the double wreaths hanging from the door, with ribbon. not something you see everyday. i thought this was a great idea worth sharing.