Thru My Peepers

Sweater Bracelet

2012-02-15T21:04:00.000-06:00

Last year I made a LACE BRACELET using this simple tutorial.

This year, I made a Sweater Bracelet... I love it even more.

Thanks, Karla

Kisses 25c - Start Saving Your Quarters

2012-02-09T06:52:00.000-06:00

Hi All, I whipped up this Valentine's shirt this past weekend during the Super Bowl. Let's face it, since the Packers weren't playing (BOO HOO HOO) I was only half watching it. So I was half munching on appetizers and half working on this shirt.

I had not really planned on making Peepers a Valentine's Shirt this year, but I found a red 3T shirt stashed away (I'm sure I intended on doing something with & just never got around to it). So I thought I better make something with it & quick before he grows out of it. I came up with a simple shirt that I knew I already had everything I needed to make it.

Striped fabric
Silver fabric
Cross stitch thread
Scissors, thread, needle, pins etc...

I used the Reverse Applique technique that I have used on many projects.

Here is a back view.

As a last minute addition, I added sleeves to the shirt by just following one of his existing shirts for the size. I pinned the sleeve on & stitched it to the shirt following the existing hem sleeve.

I used the psychedelic silver fabric to cut out a coin (I used a spool of thread as my circle template). I've had the silver fabric in my stash for about 15 years & just knew there would be a need for it someday.

I free handed the word "KISSES" and used Back Stitch technique and cross stitch thread to hand embroider the word.

Finished!

I had to bribe my model for a few photos.

Thank you, Karla

Key To My Heart Necklace

2012-02-02T20:00:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone,

Valentine's Day is getting close... are you ready?

I was inspired by these glitter keys to make a Key To My Heart Necklace.

Glitter Key tutorial

I actually do not use any keys. I have a GDO (garage door opener) to my house & a RKE (remote keyless entry) to my car. I don't even need a key for the ignition. The only key I use is to my file cabinet at work. I don't think my employer would appreciate me bedazzeling their property...unless it was the corporate logo :)

We do however have a "junk drawer" in our house that has a boat load of keys. We have no idea what these keys open... but we are too afraid to throw them away for fear we may actually need them some day. Like for this craft!

My version is much simpler... in digging out my Mod Podge, found that I had some Elmers Glitter Glue & Diamond Glaze that I thought would save me a step or 2 + I would not have to work with Glitter. I LOVE GLITTER, oh the sparkle, but oh the mess!

Step 1:

Clean key

Step 2:

Add Glitter Glue, Use a tooth pick to spread around to get nice, even coverage. Let Dry.

Step 3:

Add a coat of Diamond Glaze (or clear nail polish). Let Dry.

Step 4:

Add ribbon, chain or leather to keys to make your necklace.

I also added a charm & a button for a little extra cuteness.

There are a ton of cute and inspiring Valentine's out there in blogland to make for your kids (or honey). These are 2 of my Favorites!

Love is a Battlefield

Super Hero Sucker

Enjoy! Karla

White Forest

2012-01-28T21:45:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I posted an inspiration photo of some

sweater trees that I wanted to make from Betz White.

Here is the finished product. I made 3 cream colored trees to use in my "Winter Decor" that I put up in November & take down in April.

I absolutely adore them!

Thanks, Karla

Birch Wreath

2012-01-22T10:30:00.000-06:00

Hi All, I have actually had this idea in my head since summer, but you know how that goes...

I was aiming to get this post ready for Christmas, but that didn't happen either. So here is it January & I'm finally getting around to editing the photos to post.

You may not know this, but I'm a little obsessed with Birch Branch Bark. Almost as bad as I was with Crackle paint in 1998 - I'm trying not to take it quite that far (FYI - I'm still living with some crackle furniture that I can't afford to replace & an not sure if I can paint over it).

Here are some things I have made from birch:

Birch Ornaments from my blog from 2010.

So on to the Birch Branch Wreath...

You'll need:
Large Wreath:
Heavy Gauge wire (I used 16 gauge from JAF)
40 2" Birch Branch discs with a 1/4" hole drilled in the center (Thank you Bradford for all the cutting of a Birch Branch for this project!)
4 1.5" wool felted balls
ribbon (or something to hang wreath with)
pliers

Here is an easy tutorial to follow to make Felted Wool Balls if you do not want to buy them pre-made.

Small Wreath:
Heavy Gauge Wire
20 1" Birch Branch discs with a 1/4" hole drilled in the center
8 jingle bells
ribbon
pliers

When I first rec'd my box o' wood from my Brother In Law Bradford, it was still pretty damp from being freshly cut.

So I spread then out on a window screen to dry for a few days.

Then drilled 1/4" holes in the center (sorry no photo, but I think you can visualize).
For the Large Wreath, I grouped 40 2" birch discs together in 4 piles of 10.
I then put 10 birch discs on the heavy gauge wire thru the drilled hole...

Followed by a wool felted ball & kept repeating that pattern until I had used up all 40 birch discs & all 4 wool balls.

For the Small Wreath, I grouped 20 1" birch discs together in 4 piles of 5. Placed 5 on the wire followed by 2 bells & repeated pattern until all 20 birch discs & 8 bells were on the wire.

Using my pliers, I bent the 2 ends of the wire into a little hook, looped them around each other & pinched the hooks closed. I tried to close the entire hook as much as possible so that the wire would fit thru the 1/4" hole & not be seen.

Tie on some ribbon, raffia, twine or scrap fabric.
Hang & Enjoy

Thank you, Karla

Today Is My Birthday

2012-01-15T11:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, Today is my Birthday. However, the miracle of my birth is not the only reason for celebration. The real miracle & cause for celebration is the fact that there is there is NO SNOW this year in MINNESOTA.

Yeah, we have had a few dustings, like the 1" we rec'd yesterday. But we have had unseasonably warm weather & it pretty much melts in a day.

Here is my front yard.

There are a few spots that don't get much sun, where there is still a thin layer of snow, but the grass is still poking thru.

So in the 40+ years of my life, this is the first Birthday that I can remember with no snow, zilch, nada, none!

And let's be honest, after last year's horrendous winter, a mild, snow free Christmas & Birthday is just fine with me. Happy Birthday to Me!

Karla :)

Boo Boo Buddy

2012-01-10T11:09:00.000-06:00

This weekend I whipped up some Boo Boo Buddies.

Here is the super easy step by step Tutorial for Hot/Cold Pack from Rubber Punkin

Thank you, Karla

Play Tent

2012-01-07T19:48:00.000-06:00

Hi all,
I was so inspired by this cute little play tent, I had to make of for Anders. The winters are long & I knew this would be a great creative outlet for him to play in & even have a place to "escape" to.

The instructions are super simple to follow A FRAME TENT . I was lucky enough to find a sheet that works perfectly for this project at GW (the sheet is actually from the Company Store & has cute blue & yellow stars).

I added a bit of extra zing to my version by adding flags left over from the FLAG BANNER project a few years ago (Have I mentioned I'm somewhat of a hoarder?)

It is great outside...

And great inside... we pretend we are "camping" every weekend".

Plus, it easily un-assembles & stores away.
Thanks, Karla

VALENTINE'S GARLAND

2012-01-02T21:10:00.002-06:00

Hi All, As soon as we take down the Christmas decorations at our house, We put up the Valentine's decorations (which are quite minimal in comparison, but I try to do a little decorating for every Holiday).

The below decoration is made up of primarily Christmas Clearance. I found these felt heart ornaments at Target for 70% off. 3 ornaments for 30 cents... I couldn't pass it up. I bought 8 packs.

So RUN to your nearest Target & hope there are some felt heart ornaments left for you.

Other things we used: assorted ribbon & rickrack from my stash, icicle lights also on hand. I bought white tinsel on Christmas Clearance & found some Red Heart tinsel at JAF for 30 % off.

String your hears on a ribbon.

I alternating heights tieing some short & some long...

And some upside down.

Then add to your stair railing with lights & tinsel.

Thank you for looking, Karla

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:42:00.002-06:00

Hope you & your family have a wonderful Christmas

& Happy New Year!

Spiderman Christmas Ornament

2011-12-13T20:08:00.009-06:00

Every year I make Peepers a ornament for Christmas.
His First Christmas I used Fimo clay & made a hand print ornament. I'm no Fimo expert... In fact this was the only time I've ever used it... so here is a TIP I'll share with you... to soften the Fimo clay up enough to work with it, I put it in a zip lock bag & stuck it on the front pocket of my pants while I went on with my day. My body heat warmed the clay up & made it easy to work with.
His Second Christmas I made a Photo Block ornament.

His Third Christmas I made a Birch Branch Photo ornament.
This year, while we were decorating the little tree for his bedroom, he requested a "Spiderman Tree".

In trying to surprise him , I thought I would at least get him a Spiderman ornament from Santa for next year. I was very disappointed with the selection for a 3 yr old (or any age for that matter). There were hand blown glass ones (NO THANK YOU) or nice resin ones that were $15.oo (Also NO THANK YOU).

So out of necessity, I had to come up with a home made Spiderman Ornament (actually semi homemade, but it still counts in my book).
You'll need:

a pre-made non-shatter proof ornament - I got this one at Target. I like the shape of it (kind of like an M&M) & thought it would be easy to add my idea to the back of the ornament.
Photo of Spiderman (or icon of your choice). I just googled some images & scaled them to be smaller that the ornament
Scissors or Exacto knife
marker - I used a sharpie
Mod Podge - I used Glitter Mod Podge... it is a Christmas ornament after all!
Brush
.

First I drew on a spiderweb with the marker - I also added his name & year

Then I cut out Spiderman using the scissors & Exacto knife for the small detail.

Lastly, Mod Podge Spiderman on the ornament & let dry.
Super simple & only $2.00

I do have some ideas for next year if he still wants a Christmas tree decorated entirely in Spiderman. We'll see...

Thanks for checking in, Karla

Twirling Trees

2011-12-07T18:58:00.004-06:00

I'm always looking for a "Project'' that I can involve Peepers in making.

This is a great/simple project for little ones who enjoy cutting.

You need: paper (green, yellow & brown), scissors, sewing machine, (or ribbon & clear tape for a no sew version), star punch (optional).

Cut Stars out of the yellow, tree trunk out of the brown & large tree triangles out of the green paper. On the trees I drew horizontal lines about 3/4" apart for cutting.
I let Peepers cut (as best he could) along the lines. I then sewed the trees back together. Starting with the star at the top & tree trunk at the bottom. I used red thread for this. For the no sew version you can cut a piece of ribbon & tape the paper pieces on.

Play with your twirling trees.
( yes, those are drawn on pants... what can I say!)
Hang your twirling trees for all to enjoy.

Peepers really enjoyed this quick project & actually suggested to make twirling snow men.

Think of the fun possibilities of using fun Christmas scrapbooking paper for your trees...

They could be fun to make out of white glittery paper for a

decoration to hang all winter long.
Thank you, Karla

Holiday Ideas to get the juices flowing

2011-12-04T16:37:00.003-06:00

Card Board Tube Ornaments over at Don't bother me, I'm Reading

Button Snowmen & Santa’s at Rubies & Pearls

Melted Snow Man at Flexible Dreams

Felt Candy Cane Garland at PurlBee

Sweater Tree by Betz White

Felt Pine cones by Betz White

Yarn Wrapped Star at Live Laugh Rowe

Also there is a collection of 20 Holiday Ideas at Tater Tots & Jello

and Crazy Christmas Crafters at I heart Nap Time

Enjoy!

Neck Gator

2011-11-30T21:35:00.001-06:00

Hi All,
Here is a little project I worked on a few weeks ago when the weather started to get cold because my little man said "Don't zip my jacket up - it is buggin' me." I thought he needs a way to keep warm with out his jacket bugging him, so I made him a neck gator. I let him pick out the fabric... John Deere fleece.

Cut a piece 20" x 10" (for an adult version I cut the fabric 28 " x 16"). I made it long enough so it could be pulled up over his nose, like a mask, if he wanted to wear it that way.

Fold your neck gator in half, I used a plate to shape the bottom edge. Measure 4" down & 4" in along the unfolded edge & cut your curved shape.

Your neck gator should look something like this...Fold the long straight edge over 1" & sew a casing for the elastic - the elastic measured 18" - so it has a little give to stay up over your nose.

Sew on a piece of hook & loop along the short edges - this is also how I secured the elastic in place.

Thank You, Karla

I'M TOTALLY JEALOUS

2011-11-17T22:17:00.006-06:00

One of my BFF's just put this up on her back yard.

For those of you from Minnesota, you know what it is...

for those of you not from the frozen tundra, it is an outdoor ice skating rink.

With twinkle lights - isn't it cute?

Just add water & freeze!
Thank you, Karla

Halloween crafts

2011-10-12T17:30:00.004-05:00

Hi All, Here are a few Halloween crafts that caught my eye out in Blog land...

thought I would share with you. Hope to make a few for myself.

TP Pumpkins from THE SWEET LIFE

Fishnet Pumpkins from THE IDEA ATTIC

Candy Corn Painted Bottles at the SWELL LIFE BLOG

Candy Corn Yarn Cones at THE MOMMY DIARIES

Thanks, Karla

Cacoon Jacket

2011-09-30T16:21:00.008-05:00

I picked up this little flyer from JAF for a Cacoon Jacket & thought I would give it a try with some sweatshirt fleece I had hanging around. The directions were pretty easy & only 1 seam + some hemming.

This is what it looked like all cut out.

You add a few gathers (I did pleats).

Note: the pattern called for it to be cut 36", when I tried it on it was way too long for me.

(it hung hung way below my butt)

I altered it, by cutting the center back to be 26" and then slowly tapered

to cut off zero up by the neck.

Ta Da...

Super cozy for the weekends (or casual Friday at work).

Thanks for looking, Karla

2 quick (and cheap) fall crafts

2011-09-15T21:38:00.001-05:00

Hi All,
Are you ready for fall? Seriously, I'm not - I want another month of summer, But I have a few decorating ideas to help me get ready for a beautiful MN fall & brace myself for a not-so-beautiful MN Winter.

Candle:

You'll need: Mod Pogde, empty glass pickle jar, colored tissue paper, leaves &

candle (we use an flameless one with the boy running around) Tear up the tissue paper into random size pieces & Mod Podge on to the jar.
I found these cool leaves,I think they were all chewed up by Asian Beetles, But I loved the lacy look of them & thought light flickering thru them would be beautiful.
Mod Podge them on to the jar over the tissue paper - I used a super thick coat.
* word to the wise, store your leaves flat, not is a crumpled ball will make this project easier*
I tied on a little birch branch disc with some raffia, dropped in a candle & Done!

Pumpkin Banner:

I found these felt pumpkins at Dollar Store in WI. I was not sure what I would do with them, but I had to have them. My Mom suggested this project & I turned out super cute!

I punched some holes, ties them together with some raffia (just something about fall makes me want to decorate with raffia... must remind me of hay).

Hang it above the porch french doors with some little Command Hooks
DONE!
Each of these crafts took about 15 minutes & cost virtually nothing.

Plus I was lucky enough to have most of the craft supplies on hand.
Thank you, Karla

Halloween Wreath revisited

2011-09-10T21:46:00.021-05:00

Remember my LY Halloween Wreath ???

It is still cute & one of my Fav Projects. But this year I stepped it up a bit.

I added this big guy...

And this glittery little lady spider...
+ a few scary cob webs & I'm all ready for Halloween.

A much more impactful wreath - I'm making another for my sisters classroom because everyone was so generous to keep saving bags for me.

If making wreaths is up your alley, here are 2 blogs that you have to see for ideas...

Tatertotsand&Jello

Nesting Place

Can you guess which one is my Favorite???

Click HERE to see

Thank you, Karla

Peepers Growth Chart

2011-08-25T00:00:00.021-05:00

Do you ever have one of those lingering projects? I finally crossed one off my list.
I literally started this Growth Chart last October & just finished it last night... actually it is done, but not even hung up in the house yet.

It's super simple to make & even the steps I did can be simplified if you don't want a weathered board.

You'll need:
house numbers (these were really wimpy & cheap, but work great for this project)
Board (I used a 1 x 6 x 7)
hammer
paint
Sharpie
ruler & tape measure
optional: chain, screw, sand paper, stain & a second color of paint.

Step 1 (optional):Beat up your board... swing the chain on it, hammer the corners good, put in a few nicks with the claw.

Step 2: paint your board. I used a mocha brown for the under color. If you are only doing one color of paint, I recommend 2 coats.
Step 3 (optional): Paint second coat of paint in second color (I used a burnt orange, left over from my last house).

Step 4 (optional): Sand your board to rough it it a bit more & have some of the first
paint color show thru.

Step 5 ( optional): Put a coat of stain on your painted/sanded board giving it a more weathered look. Wipe off excess stain with an old rag. I actually added a few more hammer marks the other night, It just didn't look beat up enough!

Step 6: Add you house numbers:

Step 7: Mark your increments with a Shaprie. I went back over my lines a few times so they were nice & thick.
Step 8: Measure your little one. I went back to his baby book & added all the milestone heights that I had previously recorded only on paper.

Thanks, Karla

Tank Dress

2011-08-14T15:00:00.018-05:00

I was inspired by a Green Mossimo Dress from Target to make this tank dress. I used a rib tank I had & knit fabric from my stash - So in my mind if cost nothing.

The inspiration was a simple silhouette, wrap skirt, bust darts, empire waist, lined bodice with pleats etc. Very flattering fit!

So I started with my tank & cut it off about 17" down from the shoulder. I tried it on & marked it where the waist should be - I compared it to the waist position from the green dress, but know it is was from a rib and it it would stretch more, I wanted to allow for that.

Then I cut the skirt length of 24" - for this too I followed the green dress. I wanted it to hit just above the knee. I used a plate to trace the curved corners. I used the full 60" width of the knit for the skirt for a full front wrap.

Double turn & hem along the front of the wrap edges & bottom hem.
Enlist a helper if you must.

Then pin & stitch the skirt on to the tank. This has a full front wrap in that the under wrap extends all the way to the opposite side seam of the front wrap edge. I pinched 3 pleats at the outer wrap (like the green dress).
And added few gathers to the CB of the skirt (I was afraid it would look too blousy in the back).
This skirt portion has NO seams except for the hem. Just literally wrapped around with a few pleats & gathers.

Super Easy!

Thank you, Karla

Blog Redesign

2011-07-30T00:06:00.011-05:00

Hi All,
You may have noticed a new look to my blog - I have been wanting to update it for a while, but just have not had the chance. So here I am at Midnight on a Friday Night blogging about it - What a life!

With the help of BGPatterns, I created the background... super simple. Just add this to personalize your blog using this tutorial from Blogger Buzz.

Then last night Peepers & I went to a field close by our house to take a new photo for the header.

Today Made had a tutorial on how to create a blog header today using Photoshop Elements (which is what I use for all my photos/headers). I did not create a collage look like the tutorial, just used some fun photo effects.

I'm really please with how it turned out :)

My Little Monster, the Tee version

2011-07-13T23:20:00.005-05:00

Don't we all have a little monster at home? I was inspired by these 2 projects

Love Monster & Tooth Fairy Pillow here to create a monster tee out of some scrap fabrics, felt, rick rack & a plain toddler tee.

PS - don't you just love rick rack? it if fun to say, spell & use for embellishment!

I cut a 6x9 piece of jersey from an old tee of mine & folded it about 2/3 of the way down so that it is now a 6x6 square for the face. This fold forms a little pocket, but also is my monsters under bite. At the top edge of the fold, I stitched the rick rack. Then I stitched the square on to the center of the tee.

Here is the pocket.

I cut some circles out of felt for the eyes. I played with them a bit to determine what expression I wanted the monster to have.
I simple stitched the eyes on to the tee thru all layers of felt at 1 time & the tee was done!

Now, If I could only get my other Little Monster to model it on for a few photos!

Karla

Tale of 2 white Tees - striped painted lace

2011-07-09T08:25:00.008-05:00

Don't you just love clearance white Tees? I bought 4 - 2 for next winter & 2 to make something fun. I cut off the sleeves of these two & hemmed them. Then I taped lace from HERE
between 2 large sheet of paper.
The lace is 4" wide - I marked every 7" with pins down both sides of the tee pinning thru both front & back layers of fabric (the first row of painted lace will be positioned just below the neck line & the bottom row of painted lace is just above the hem). Measure & pin carefully, you don't want your lace stripes to be crooked.

I worked outside on this project... working with spray paint, you need good ventilation. I laid the tee in the grass & laid the lace/paper over the tee. The top edge of the lace is positioned at the pin - make sure you can just see the pin on both sides of the tee.

Then spray lightly with spray paint...I went over it with a few light strokes for a subtle lace effect. I used a silver spray paint - I wish I would have used a fluorescent pink spray paint. Move paper/lace overlay, line up with next set of pins & spray again.

Flip tee over & spray stripes on back side. Hang to dry.
Thank you, Karla

Laney, My Niece

2011-07-06T21:59:00.006-05:00

Could she be any cuter? I Love you!

Auntie Karla

4th of July Wreath - the flip side

2011-06-26T20:50:00.012-05:00

Do you remember the EASTER WREATH ???
Well flip those clothes pins over & Mod Podge the other side with RED, WHITE & BLUE scrap book paper & you have a fun 4th of July Wreath.

Instead of spelling out your celebration - I added family photos from this summer.

Happy 4th of July - Hope you all have a safe & fun Holiday!

Karla

Hooded Towel

2011-06-21T22:20:00.003-05:00

We stared swim lessons last week & I realized we (the boy) needs a hooded swim towel. We have one for bath time, but need something fun to wrap him up to be my "Baby Burrito". We loved the hooded towels as a baby & they still work out great for us, we just need more.

You'll need one large towel & 2 wash cloths. Target has some wonderful towels colors... I had a hard time choosing, but settled on this beach blue.With right sides together, sew 2 sides of the wash cloths together.
This makes your hood

Find the center of the long side of the towel, line up the center back of the hood with the center of the towel.

Pin & stitch the hood on the towel.
A little added feature: take a few inches of ribbon & sew a loop at the center back of the towel to hang up on a hook.

Stitch down the seam allowance at the top of the hood & where the hood joins the towel.

TA DA... a few simple seams and about 15 minutes & you have a cute hooded towel.

I made a few...
in fun colors.

Last year, I made Peepers a hooded towel for bathtime - I tricked this one up a bit... with just a few simple steps.

After you have made the hooded towel, use a dinner plate as a guideline for rounding the top edge of the towel. This just makes appling the binding easier. I used 1 pkg of contrast binding (the really wide stuff) to bind the edge of the hood & towel.
I them used scrap fabric to monogram the towel. There are tons of cute applique ideas (shark, star fish, waves, race car, flowers or fruit) or you could make fun animal ears on the hood.

Thanks, Karla

Peepers Three Year Photos

2011-06-14T10:05:00.008-05:00

These are Peepers 3 year Photos... I took them beginning of May at some abandoned rail road tracks by our house... I thought he would be super excited to see real train tracks, but the sucker actually was a bigger hit in trying to get him to cooperate for a few photos.

Thank you, Karla

Felt Play Money

2011-05-18T19:49:00.006-05:00

There is a craze out there for cute Felt food. I'm jealous of those that make this for theirs kids. It looks absolutely amazing, but I just don't have the patience or time for hand sewing small pieces together. Here are 2 fun sites to check out. Felt food Here or Felt Food Here.

So, instead of making Felt food, I made Felt Play Money. I Googled it to see what was out there & really only found this one site Felt Money & thought... I can do better that that. Then I had a bit of a brainstorm & was inspired by a former boss who made "Pete Bucks" as an incentive for us (It was a dollar bill with his face on it, it had no monetary value... just bragging rights over who had the most)... And "Anders Bucks" was born.

What you'll need:
3 sheets green felt
1 sheet white felt
1 sheet tan felt
1 sheet dk grey felt
1 sheet lt grey felt
T-shirt iron on transfers (had this in hand)
Fabric paint (had this on hand)
Coins: First I found shapes to trace... the largest coin shape was from the Fisher Price piggy bank, I traced this on the light grey for the quarter.

I used a coin from New Orleans (from a girls weekend before hubby & baby) for the nickel on the dark grey felt.

I used an actual quarter for the dime on the light grey felt & penny on the tan felt. I would not recommend going smaller than a quarter to trace as I found it difficult to get a nice circle. I folded the felt so the coin would be double thick, pinned & traced. I then sewed the circles that I had drawn, keeping the pins in place so the felt wouldn't shift. If you are making these, you could use Stitch Witchery between the layers of felt. I then used my fabric paint & free hand the coin value.
I let the fabric paint dry for 48 hours before cutting out. If you wanted, you could cut numbers out of felt & again used Stitch Witchery to iron them on to the coin.

Dollars:I was able to cut 3 dollars out of each sheet of felt. I used a real dollar to trace the size. Again the dollars are a double layer, so cut sizes per photo. I used print shop & funny faces of Anders for the different dollar amounts. Photos from when he was 2 days old are on the one dollar bill. I cropped & resized them so the height of the oval was 2". Print them out on the T-shirt iron on transfer sheet per the directions.
Cut out the oval face & iron it on the white felt. Then cut out the faces from the felt.

Stitch the faces on the a single layer of green felt. I sewned some in the center & some off center (you know, it makes them less likely to be counterfeit). Then fold the felt dollar in half & edge stitch.
Again, I used fabric paint for the dollar amount.
Come on Mom, let's go ... I have my purse & my money - let's go shopping.

Thank you, Karla

Lace Skirt (from a pillow case & a wedding dress)

2011-05-01T23:20:00.026-05:00

Hi all,
Another project I made out of my sister-in-law’s wedding dress lace & a pillowcase… is A LACE SKIRT. This is the ultimate up cycle project – it was totally free. Do you think the Duchess of Cambridge will ever re-use the lace from her wedding dress for anything? (After it is off of display of course).

One cold spring night in MN, I decided to bite the bullet & I tore all the lace off of this dress to save for future projects. I thought I was done with lace for awhile, but I was inspired by a few lace skirts I've seen here, here & here that are fun & Expen$ive!

I cut off the hem/opening of the pillow case & opened up the seams. I left the bottom of the pillow case seam intact (this is now one of the side seams). I cut the pillowcase to be my hip measurement +2.5” (for ease & seam allowance). The length was good as is at 16’’. I made a small double turn hem along the one edge & merrowed/serged the top edge where the waistband will be.

Then I cut may lace the length of the pillow case (err… skirt lining) & stitched it on. I let the scalloped edge hang below the skirt hem about 1.5”. I stitched it on straight along the top of the lace, meaning I did not follow the top scallop shape for my sewing line. I trimmed off the top edge of the scallop & repeated 5 times.

Each time I made sure the bottom of the scalloped lace edge covered the stitching of the lace layer below it by about ½ an inch. I then basted the edges of the lace down at the sides. I try not to pin much when I sew, basting is just faster. This way when I sewed the side seam, I made sure I caught all the lace edges.

For the waist band I used a 4x2 rib fabric that I had on hand. It was not my first choice, but it was what I had. The waistband was 4” x hip measurement. I sewed this in the a circle, folded in half lengthwise.

I then quartered it (fold it in half & in half again & mark it with a pin). I did the same with the skirt (making sure a seam was one of the points). Then I pinned the waist band rib & lace skirt together (right sides together) matching up the points I have marked. I then sewed on the rib, stretching it slightly.

I left a 2” opening & fed elastic thru the waist band (using a large safety pin). I secured the elastic ends together (stitching them in place 2 times) and closed up the hole. This sounds more complicated than it really is, I should have taken more photos of this… next time.

Forgive… these photos were taken on a brisk 42 degree day in MN. I was freezing – so no smile. FYI – I realized I could never be a swim suit model…I can’t stand to be scantily clothes in cold weather. Yes, that is the sole reason why I will never be a swim suit model – the weather. HA HA.

I really dig this skirt & how it dresses up a casual cardi nicely – I hope to wear it a lot when the weather warms up!

Thanks, Karla

3rd Birthday shirt

2011-04-26T21:46:00.019-05:00

The Big Fry! The past 2 years I've made Anders a Birthday shirt special for his day & have to carry on this tradition for as long as he will let me. I feel like a saw a shirt similar to this some where but cannot find it - So I recreated it off of memory & much research (that is code for eating lots of McD's french fries).

I bought a toddler T- shirt at JAF & used scrap knit material. Then looked for clip art that I liked ( the carton clip art was separate from the fries - I liked that the fries looked more 3 dimensional).
Enlarge clip art to suit your needs & cut out of scrap fabric. Also cut out the pieces in Stitch Witchery. I trimmed the Stitch Witchery to be just a hair smaller that the fabric so it would not ruin my iron.

I used reverse applique to add an "A" to the fry carton.

I then ironed on the fry carton (the Stitch Witchery goes between the T-shirt & the carton fabric).
I used rulers to measure from each side seam to make sure the carton would be centered on the T-shirt.
Once cool, stitch the outline of the fry container & then stitch the detail. I used black thread & went over it 2 times to just make it "pop" a bit more.
Iron on your fries & stitch the edges. Then stitch the detail to make them look 3 dimensional. I used a orange-ish tan color thread to make the edges look crispy ( Thanks to all my research).

Finished!

Peepers thought this T was a big hit - Especially since he likes French Fries so much!

I had to get in a few tickles while we were taking these photos...

Thank you, Karla

Colored Rice (and noodles)

2011-04-12T21:57:00.001-05:00

Last week Peepers was a downtown school & there was colors rice at the sensory table. He loved it! So I found instructions for colored rice. I also found instructions for colored noodles. I thought the noodles would be fun for making necklaces. I thought, as long as I'm going to make a mess, I would mix'em & make both. I concocted my own instructions.

2 cups uncooked instant rice

1 cup uncooked penne pasta

1/4 cup vinegar

10 drops food coloring

Mix well in zip lock bag

Let set for 15-20 minutes. Spread out on a layer of paper towels on a cookie sheet & let dry for a few hours (or overnight).

CRAFT FAILURE: the rice got all stuck in the penne, so if you decide to make this, do not mix Rice & Pasta in the same bag. Also, the pasta did not take the color as well as the rice did.

When you are all done, you have a container of colored rice that look like...

Peepers had a ton of fun with this.

Another warning: Some spillage may occur...

If your looking for a fun Easter project for colored rice, check out what DANA MADE.

Thank You, Karla

Easter Wreath

2011-04-02T14:26:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big Easter decorator... but thought I would make a little something to bring some spring into the house. I started with pastel cardstock, clothes pins, & Glitter Mod Podge & a large brass ring (no clue where I got this ring from... I think it moved with me from Ohio) but you could probably find one at JAF or other craft store. I cut the scrap book paper to the size of the clothes pin & Mod Podged it on... Careful not to touch (some kids just don't listen!)

Let it dry & clip them on to the ring.

Then I used heavy weight scrap book paper in fun pastel prints & patterns to cut egg shapes. I have a little cutter tool that I used, but you could easily print on out from on-line OR

if you are lucky enough to have a Cricut, you could cut them out in a jiffy. I used a glue stick to glue on letters on to the egg. Again, I had these letter in my scrap booking stash. You could use a stencil or your Cricut to cut them out.

Then just clip the eggs in to the cloths pins on the Wreath to spelling out HAPPY EASTER & add a bow.

Thank you, Karla

Tooth Fairy Pillow - The Girl version

2011-03-28T21:24:00.011-05:00

Hi all, I have a few lace crafts that I just did not get around to posting... So bear with me on a few more. Last month I made the BOY Tooth Fairy Pillow, now I've made a Girl version. You'll need: 1 piece of fabric 7"x9" (I used light pink satin fabric that I had on hand) 2 pieces on 3"x 9" satin 1 piece 3.5" x 9" of gathered satin (this measures 18" before gathering) 1 piece 4"x5" satin for the pocket 2 - 9" of lace 1 - 9" piece of ribbon a scrap of white felt cut into the shape of tooth Gather the longest piece of satin, sew it between the 2 skinny pieces. This is the start of the front of the pillow. Sew the lace over the skinny side pieces of satin... I let the scalloped edge lay over the seam of where the satin was joined. I trimmed off the excess from the outer edge. This is what the front & the back of the pillow look like before sewing together.

Follow the same steps from the BOY Pillow & you end up with a cute girl version of the Tooth Fairy Pillow.

Thanks, Karla

Happy Birthday Kari

2011-03-24T06:17:00.004-05:00

Today is my little Sister's Birthday. These are photos of her & her Hubby that I took this fall.
I love the ones against the ranked wood... it is just so "them".

Happy Birthday!!!

Karla

Little Boys Jammie Pants

2011-03-17T20:54:00.005-05:00

Hi All, Sorry I had to take a bit of a break for blogging ... somedays there is just too much going on in life & something has to move to the bottom of the list.

Last weekend I had a few minutes to myself while the boys ran to the grocery store & I whipped up these pants. I downloaded the pattern from MADE for the Boy Series.

Yes, I know I could have drafted the pattern myself... But I thought I could either spend my time drafting a pattern or sewing & personally get more satisfaction from sewing.

It is actually a pattern for wovens so I tried if out in some scrap polar fleece for Peepers. He calls them "jammie pants" and it is all he wears. Overall they were really fast & simple to make & don't fit too bad. I have made some adjustments to the pattern for next time... straightened out the leg opening, added a bit more to the top edge to better accommodate a wider elastic & scooped the back rise a bit more.

I think he likes them!

Thanks, Karla

Lace Corsage/Belt

2011-02-23T22:50:00.000-06:00

This weekend I went to a girls craft day - It was wonderful to get away & be with fellow crafters... although more chit chatting went on than actual crafting.. but it was all good! So more lace projects... this one is pretty easy. I've really been enjoying wearing belts... I feel like a actually have a waist! So for this project I'm making a lace corsage that you wear on a ribbon belt.

I followed the directions from Martha to make the lace corsage, but hot glued a small circle of felt & a pin on the back & sewed a nice rhinestone button in the center of the flower.

Then on a piece of ribbon 1.25" wide x 5 ft long, I sewed on a piece of matching felt to give it a little stability to support the pins. The felt piece was the same width as the ribbon & about 3" long. This I put at the center of the ribbon lengthwise.
The I added a few other corsages to the ribbon belt that I made from here & here.

I like them so much, I have to make two!

Thank you, Karla

PS: Thank you Anna for hosting & Bethany for taking the photos :)

Lace Tee (AKA fixing a hole)

2011-02-18T20:12:00.002-06:00

Hello crafters, family & friends~

Are any of you frustrated by getting little hole in the front of your Tee??? I'm not sure the reason for these mystery holes... because no matter where I buy the tee or how much a spend, I still get a hole. I blame it on my belt buckle (it is square, with a nice pointy corner) & on my seat belt that rubs on aforementioned belt buckle. So during my lace month, I decided to fix a hole in my tee & decorate a shirt.

First, I stitched the little hole shut, you can do this by hand of by machine. Then cut a strip on lace long enough to go from shoulder to hem + a few (4) inches for turning back. My lace is about 4.5" wide, so I used 2 strips down the front.

Pin the pieces of lace in place so that the scalloped edges overlap at Center Front (so where one strip of lace curves in, the other curves out to look like one piece of lace).

I then used a large zig zag stitch to stitch down the lace. You'll do this along both outer edges of the lace & once down the center where the 2 pieces overlap.

I then hemmed the lace that hangs past the shirt along the bottom edge - I just flipped it to the back side of the shirt & again used a a large zig zag stitch.

I did the same thing along the neckline - this tee was a v-neck so it was easier to just fold the extra lace to the back side & zigzag in place. If the neckline would have been curved, I would have clipped the lace in about 1/2" ever 1/2" along the curve & tuck it under & stitched it instead of folding it to the back side.
Finished & no more hole!

Thank you for stopping by my blog to see my latest projects.

PS: Yes, we have twinkle lights up in our porch... we keep them up all year :)

Karla

Lace sachet

2011-02-14T19:45:00.001-06:00

This lace craft is so easy, It's like cheating...
I started with the lace from the sleeve of the wedding dress, used a few scraps of ribbon & some lavender (or potpourri).

Cut lace to your desired shape, sew into desired shape (rights sides together) . Loop ribbon & tuck between the 2 layers. Leave a 3" opening to fill with scented (or stinky stuff as my Husband calls it).Carefully fill with stinky stuff & hand stitch opening closed.

Happy Valentine's Day! Karla

* Note: I used another layer of wedding dress fabric (chiffon) under the lace to help keep the stinky stuff inside the sachet.

Tooth Fairy Pillow - Boy Version

2011-02-10T22:06:00.010-06:00

More wedding dress crafts - this one is a Tooth Fairy Pillow.

If you just google it - there are a ton out there that I drew my inspirations from ... But I still needed to make it look masculine & use lace... I know know... the word masculine doesn't exactly come to mind when you think of lace.

You'll need:
2 pieces of fabric 7"x9" (I used light blue flannel)
1 piece 4"x5" for the pocket
9" of lace
3 - 9" pieces of ribbon
a scrap of white felt cut into the shape of a tooth
Sew the tooth on the pocket & the pocket on one piece of fabric - this will be the back of the pillow. I sewed the tooth on a bit crooked, but centered the pocket on the back of the pillow.

I positioned the lace down the center of the front of the pillow. Then positioned the ribbon on each side of the lace. Pin it & sew down the inside edge of the ribbon.

Since the lace is scalloped, I trimmed off the excess...

Then stitched down the outer edge of the ribbon.

Stitch down the ribbon handle along the top edge. I went is 2" from each side.

Now, put the back & the front together (RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER) Something you should have learned that from 7th grade sewing class. And sew the 2 pieces together, leaving open one short end. Then stuff your pillow, and sew the opening shut.

Put your tooth in the pocket, hang on the door & wait for the Tooth Fairy to exchange it for a dollar. PS: Peepers is years away from needing this... I just need to be prepared.
Plus, I love to take photos of him sleeping.

For more fun boy crafts check out THE BOY button to the right - a full month of boy inspiration starts Feb 15th.

Enjoy, Karla

Lace Bracelet

2011-02-03T19:58:00.000-06:00

Hi All, this is my first post about all the fun ways you can re-use a wedding dress & lace.

Today, I am making a bracelet.

You'll need: Lace, clothes pins, a plastic bracelet & glue. The glue I borrowed from my Mom, we made a bracelet like this a few years back using a crochet doilies. It turned out really cute, so I Thought a lace one would be nice & easy. This glue is wonderful!

Spread the glue all over the bracelet, I did about 2" at a time on the outside & inside of the bracelet.

Apply the lace to the outside of the bracelet, wrapping & pulling tight to the inside of the bracelet & hold in in place with clothes pins.

Let sit & dry...

And dry...
And wear!

Karla :)

Heartbreaker shirt

2011-01-29T10:32:00.000-06:00

Hi All,

I whipped together a quick Valentine's shirt for Peepers using a old shirt of his & a scrap of red fabric. I used the REVERSE APPLIQUE technique from previous shirts.
And totally cheated with iron-on letters (on sale this week at JAF).
Cute little shirt for him to wear on Valentine's day... or any day because the shirt doesn't lie.

PS: The sleeves on this tee totally bug me... they are not paired & balanced!

Thank You, Karla

Easy Bookmarks

2011-01-23T13:40:00.009-06:00

Take some odds N ends of scrap book paper, a paper cutter (or scissors) clear packing tape, magnetic tape ( I've used this on other projects). I cut the paper about 1 1/4" wide and the length can very... I made some 6" long for myself , some shorter 4" for Peepers out of fun paper.

Fold paper in half, I use my scissor handles to get a nice crease.

Use Clear packing tape (aka : Poor Man's Laminating) to cover the back & front of the paper. Trim off the excess tape leaving an 1/8" edge.

Then fold in half again on the same crease line & add your magnetic tape. If you don't have magnetic tape, you can use small magnets or cut up one of the many advertisement magnets you get in the mail & glue it on the inside of the folded bookmark.

Finished book marks that will not fall out of your book.

Next month

2011-01-16T23:05:00.008-06:00

Next Month is all about LACE & the 27 things (OK, I may be exaggerating a bit) you can do with lace upcycled from a wedding dress.

I've been making a ton of stuff, just no time to post anything these days :( I hope to have some things to show soon.

Update: This is not my wedding dress - It was given to me by my sister-in-law Debbie :)

Karla

Calendar Puzzle

2011-01-06T21:33:00.000-06:00

So it is 2011 & you all have 2010 calendars to toss or recycle. I chose to upcycle a fire truck calendar into a puzzle for my little man.

I purchased 15 3" x 3" squared from JAF in their pre-cut wood section. The number will vary depending on how big of a picture/calendar you have. I think they were .29 each.

I then measured off my puzzle into 3" x "3 squares

Cut the picture up & Modge Podged it on to the squares. There was a little trimming of the edges that needed to be done as either the wooden squares were not perfectly 3x3 or my cutting was a little off. (I'm blaming the wooden squares).
I did one photo on one side & another photo on the back. The pictures were completely different so it is pretty easy to see what side goes with what puzzle.

Does any one have any other suggestions for upcycling an old calendar?

Thank you, Karla

Craft room organization

2011-01-03T22:41:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

I typically do not make resolutions (mainly because I have no will power to keep them). HA HA But this year after a re-do of my craft room I vow to keep it looking nice & organized (and also hope to tackle the last room in the house to be re-done)!

Here are some things I've used to organize my craft room... from THIS POST

These containers are Gerber wagon wheels with scrap book paper Mod Podged on them. I have done a bunch... these hold trinkets but I also have one for crayons, one for markers & one for chalk. I even have some by the phone in the kitchen for pens, scissors & other stray items.

Puffs Containers work great for pipe cleaners & paint brushes.

Can't go wrong with a few extra Command hooks to keep things neat & tidy.
Dollar Store plastic baskets in my rooms color scheme keep thread, Velcro, glue & wanna-be-projects out of sight, but with in easy reach. The Chocolate polka dot container is from baby formula. (I just couldn't bare to keep throwing those things away... I had to do something with them.)

Seriously, I use everything... these turq. containers are from Swiffer Wet cloths. They are fairly sturdy, work with my colors & don't have any holes for little things to slip out (or tiny fingers to poke thru).

I labeled everything with simple black card stock & chalk.Cork board for Miscellaneous keepsakes - works for pinning up pattern directions ( not that I use patterns much anymore... but once in a blue moon).
Blue Ball canning jars hold buttons... and these rope baskets are left overs from my craft/sewing room an my Bloomington House. I keep my yarn stashed in a hanging unit from IKEA.

And last but not least, If you have one of these...
You'll need some of these to keep your area tidy.

Thank you, Karla

PS - unlike the reality show room make-overs, I should check back with you in 6 months & see how I'm doing.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T18:28:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

May next year be filled with blessings.

Birch Tree Gift Tags & Ornaments

2010-12-19T14:34:00.000-06:00

Hi All,

I almost feel guilty about posting this to my blog as it is a repeat craft from literally over 15 years ago. So to my family, you will be seeing these again on your presents this year, but to some of you, it hope it is new & you enjoy!

Start out in the fall on a nice walk & look for a fallen birch tree with a branch about the size of your forearm and peeling birch bark. Collect the bark & branch & save it in a nice place until you need it for adorning presents.

GIFT TAGS:
Take your peeled birch bark & tear or cut it into smaller pieces about (no smaller that 2"x x3")

Then use what ever you have laying around the house to start decorating. On sturdier pieces of bark you can use them with out additional support like here ... just start hot gluing your trims to the bark & glue it on to your package. (Side note the first time I made these I collected the cutest little pine cones & hot glued then to the birch bark... it was just not possible to find pine cones this year in Minnesota with 30+" of snow).

On thinner pieces of birch bark, I first glued the bark to a piece of scrap card stock, then added ribbons, scrap fabric, buttons, stickers to decorate.

Not all have to be "Christmasy" they can be for any occasion

Make a bunch...GIFT TAGS/ORNAMENTS:

Start out with a birch branch about 2" in diameter & saw then into 3/8" discs.

Drill a small hole thru the disc.
These go really fast & are pretty easy, so make a bunch.

Then start decorating... ribbons, raffia (hello 1980's... I told you this craft was an oldie but a goodie) stickers, charms, markers or Mod Podge a photo on one side.
It is an ornament on one side
And a gift tag on the other side.
On this gift tag, I double stick taped a gift card to the back.

Here I just hot glued it right to the wrapping paper.
My presents are all wrapped up & ready for Christmas Eve.

Thank you, Karla

Wooly tree in my red forest

2010-12-15T21:12:00.002-06:00

Hi all,

I saw this tree made up here & thought - I need one of those. I made mine a little different that their instructions. I found this nifty blazer this summer at GW (Good Will) and thought the classic red plaid was perfect.Out of the back panel of the blazer I cut out a cone shaped tree. I wanted this tree to be super tall so I made it 28" long... make sure it is the same length on the sides of the cone as it is down the center (this will give you the curve edge along the bottom).
Sew the sides of the cone & stuff it with batting.
This next step is probably the hardest step... I sewed a circle of matching fabric
on to the bottom of the cone so the batting wouldn't fall out. I left the raw edges on the outside, since it is just for decoration & shouldn't get too manhandled, it should not fray too bad.

I have a few other red trees that I have collected over the years + this one I just made. They are now on display on top of our entertainment center with some other holiday decorations.
I have plenty of more ideas for red trees, but won't probably get to them all this year.

Thanks, Karla

One red wool sweater

2010-12-10T23:20:00.001-06:00

I love working with Felted wool... I've had these projects on paper since last Christmas & thought "You've got months to work on them!" Well, here it is December (it totally snuck up on me) & I'm just working thru my "TO DO list".

I started with one red wool sweater & washed it in HOT water & dried it in HI. The One Sweater will easily give you the following 3 projects:

TREE: Out of card stock, I cut 14, yes 14, circles (the largest circle was 6" diameter, the smallest circle was 1.5" diameter). Each one is about 1/4" smaller ... Don't worry if they are not perfect.
So I'm anal (if you did not know that already) & I punched a hole in them & put them on this handy little ring for safe keeping.
I then started cutting circles from the felted sweater. I cut 2 of every size & 4 of the smaller circles for a taller tree... 38 circles total.
Everyone loves to help with this project - Also save your scraps - we use every little bit.
I used some craft wire & a button for the base & started threading the largest circles on to the wire.

Just keep stacking them up & topped it off with a bell ~ This tree ended up being about 10" tall.

Peepers thougtht this was a fun little tree for him to play with.

WREATH: Cut up your scraps pieces into squares roughly 3/4" x 3/4"
Thread 10 squares on to a 12" piece of craft wire. The add a bell.
Continue with 10 more squares and a bell until you have used 40 squares & 4 bells. Twist the ends of the wire to create a hook

MITTENS: You probably want to do these before you do the wreath. I found this pattern in the latest FAMILY FUN magazine. Download the template from there & cut out your mittens.

I used an 11" ribbon & strung them together

And hung them on the tree.

From this one (Size Small) red wool sweater I made 1 tree, 4 wreathes & 7 pairs of mittens.

I have a bunch of felted sweaters just waiting to be made into something beautiful!
Hope you are inspired to make some Holiday crafts ~ Karla

Musical Garland

2010-12-07T22:12:00.001-06:00

This year I thought about having a musical themed Christmas tree - I look at every thrift store in my neighborhood to find an old music book (with nice yellowed pages). But alas, could not find one, so I resorted to printing off music sheets from on-line.

I printed them double sided for this project & cut them in 1.5" x 1.5" squared with an old school paper cutter. I then took 2 squares & sewed them together from point to point - stitch length set to as long as it can go (basically a basting stitch).

*** make sure change back to a new needle after this project - sewing on paper is just like cutting paper with your fabric scissors... they will never be the same again.

I sewed 25 squares together in a chain about 3" apart. Then pinch open the squares to form a little star like shape.

I then wrapped this musical garland around the stairs in our front entry.

Super simple craft & it was basically free.

I made a few strands of 3, 4 & 5 squares and hung them from the chandelier over our dining room table... here I intermixed some red paper squares with the musical paper.

Fun for Any Holiday, not just Christmas!

Oh... I made a JOY banner just like I did a BOO banner.

Thanks, Karla

Tina's 3

2010-12-05T13:35:00.001-06:00

These photos were taken back in October... I just can't believe how big N,L & J are getting.
All 3 were very cooperative & photogenic ( I think their Mom bribed them).

Thanks, Karla

Chalkboard Wall

2010-11-30T22:04:00.003-06:00

I've been wanting to do a chalkboard wall FOREVER! I've read some on line reviews & they all said they loved having a chalkboard wall, but it was a huge pain to paint over. So I had my Hubby cut a 1/4" piece of MDF board down to fit where I wanted the chalkboard wall to be.

It took 4 coats...I then had to condition it by rubbing chalk over it.

And Hubby mounted it to our half wall.

Peepers really enjoys it...

He wipes it off & starts all over...

It works out great to be right by his desk.

Thanks, Karla

Rhinestone Bracelet knock off

2010-11-24T21:55:00.001-06:00

There are so mane great rhinestone bracelets out there ( but some of them are ridiculously expensive).

I made one using all stuff I had on hand: existing cuff bracelet, rhinestone bracelet, rhinestone trim (from a sample same 13 years ago... the trim card is even yellowed), glue, bias cut silk & some clothes pins.

Using super glue I glued the rhinestone bracelet on on the center of the cuff bracelet.

I then glued the rhinestone trim to either side of the center rhinestones.

Pretty as is right?

I then added a drop fabric of glue & wrapped the silk fabric around the bracelet.

Held it in place with a few clothes pins & made a bow to conceal the clasp.

The Finished Product...

Thanks & Happy Thanksgiving! Karla

Wine Bottle Cozy

2010-11-21T11:21:00.008-06:00

Hi all, You may have seem these from other craft blogs, but here is my version.

I went to a party last night & I took a bottle of wine as a gift - But it needed to look more "gifty" that just a bottle of wine, so I made a wine bottle cozy.

Take an old sweater that you no longer plan on wearing (if it is wool you can felt it by washing it in HOT water & drying it on HI HEAT). Cut off the sleeve & stitch up the bottom (can be done with a sewing machine or by hand).

Tie a fun ribbon around the neck of the bottle. Voila - a fun little wine bottle cozy for FREE!

Or you can embellish it with other things if the wine is only part of the gift.

I made a fun SCRUNCHED BELT to go with my wine so my friend can show off her figure.

" Hubba Hubba "

Love, Karla

Fall Wreath

2010-11-16T21:35:00.004-06:00

I had enough newspaper bags left over from THIS WREATH that I was able to make a fall wreath.

Thank you, Karla

Easy Art Wall

2010-11-11T20:40:00.003-06:00

Here is how I did an easy art wall in our new craft space. This way I don't have to have all of Peepers lovely keepsake art hanging on the front of the refrigerator.
I used Command Hooks (seriously, I don't know what I did before this invention came along... they are literally the best thing since sliced bread & we use them in almost every room & closet in the house!!!) That can be a lazy day blog post...Hmmm... Maybe I should be a paid spokes person for these.

I had plans for this to wrap around on to 2 short walls so I figured out I needed 6 hooks ( 3 for each row). Since I planned to have the table nestled into that corner. So I measured how high up from the floor they should be (allowing room for the art to hang down).

I them measured the length of the walls & cut my ribbon a little longer (about 6") to allow for slack & the loops. At first I was going to use clothes line rope, but I liked the though of the thought of the extra pop of color (Plus it was left over from our wedding). I sewed the loops, but you could tie a knot if you want (allow extra ribbon/rope for knots).

Once hanging, I just started placing clothes pins & art along the ribbon.

From this photo you can see I folded my ribbon in half width wise so that it stayed on the hook. Once I had enough art & clothes pins hanging from the ribbon the weight kept in in place better.

I love this art wall... this could be fun way to display Holiday or Birthday cards too.

Thanks, Karla

Autumn & Winter Blocks

2010-11-07T13:32:00.008-06:00

Hi All,

Remember THESE BLOCKS???

Well, here is the Autumn/Winter version is hot off the of craft room table. I did the the exact same way as before & really think they turned out well.

This is in our kitchen above the sink.
For the Winter blocks, instead if using a brown ink pad to make them appear aged, I used GLITTER MOD PODGE for a glistening snow effect. Of which by February I will not be able to stand the sight of another snowflake. Don't get me wrong, I love snow for Christmas & for my Birthday, but if it melted away 3 months earlier & I would be happy as a clam!The glitter Mod Podge was fun for this project - give it a try.

Karla

Sewing/Craft Room Makeover - Finally

2010-11-02T22:24:00.022-05:00

Hi everyone,

You may remember my blog post from 6 months ago about the disaster my sewing/craft room was in. Well, last week I took off a week from work (sent Peepers to day care) & finally did something about it! Most of the stuff for the room had already been purchased, it was just a matter of getting it done. Here is the BEFORE POST

First off, I need to thank my Hubby for helping me sort thru all kinds of CRAP (I mean treasures) before the magic could happen. We had a keep pile, a toss pile & a Craig's List pile.

Two years ago I had Artie ( My handy guy) install new task lighting... it is wonderful & a must for a room in the basement. I started out by painting the ceiling. It was very dingy and judging by how much @#$%! popcorn ceiling texture came off, I suspect it was the first time it was ever painted (see nice white square).

I painted the upper half of the exterior wall Light Lichen (left over paint from the porch). I also used this for the toddler table & chair set that goes in the craft room. Four years ago I bought the paint that I wanted to use for this room. So I had to take this back to the store & get it shook. I can't tell you the color because it was a "mistake paint" for $5.00.

DURING

AFTER

The wonderful wall of shelving.

the Closets ( I painted the trim too). What lies behind these doors still needs to be sorted thru & purged.

Anders Art Wall
Chalk board door, cork board wall & hooks.

Filing cabinets

Peepers & I are already enjoying the sewing/craft room. I'll post more photos about everything that is going on in the room soon. I just LOVE how it turned out. The color is pretty intense (yes, you feel like you are underwater) But, I like to think of it as being in a different world.

Thank you, Karla

Long Sleeve Flower tee

2010-10-28T22:25:00.010-05:00

I started with 2 tees, one was a super sheer shirt that I had to have (but never wore). The other was a long sleeve shirt in almost that identical color.

I cut flowers from the sheer tee... 21 larger flowers - these measured approx. 3.5" across (note they are not perfectly shaped).
Then cut 33 1 1/2" flowers.
Each flower cluster has 3 pieces. I positioned the small flowers so the petals alternated & then sewed them long the right side of the shirt along the neckline.

5 flower clusters were at the neck rib seam, the remaining 4 clusters were nestled in between the first row of flowers 1 row down. These ran over on to the left side of the shirt for a non-symmetrical look.
Instead of just tacking them, I stitched them with an “X”. So when I wear the shirt, this stitching holds the flower open a bit more for a fuller look.

The Larger flowers I positioned the same alternating fashion so no petals were fully overlapped. I grouped these flower clusters starting where I left off with the small flowers and extended the large petal clusters on to the left shoulder. I used the same “X” stitch here.
I just sewed all the flowers on & trimmed all the loose threads when I was done. I love the way this shirt turned out & have worn it once & received many compliments on it.
Karla

Melissa's Girls

2010-10-26T21:58:00.005-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Thanks, Karla

Upcycled Halloween Wreath

2010-10-21T21:55:00.013-05:00

Do you ever have a seasonal craft idea that you thought of just after the season passed???

Welcome to my Halloween wreath... I thought of this craft last year & have been working on it ever since. Well... not really "working" on it, but "collecting" for it for year. AND... I still probably would not have it complete except for my Hubby's family who was helping me "collect" for this project. Special SHOUT OUT to Walter, Deb & Denny for their help on this project :)

So Collecting what you may ask??? Well, OPNB's (Orange Plastic Newspaper Bags) from our local paper... delivered weekly.

I used these bags & a metal wreath frame from JAF to make an Upcycled Halloween Wreath. I like the fact that this wreath frame had 4 layers to it, so the wreath will be nice & full.

Take your bags & lay them flat, you can stack a bunch on top of each other to make this go faster. Cut off the top & bottom so the edges are even.

Then cut the bag in half.
Once you get a nice stack of cut bags, you can start assembling your wreath.

Just fold the cut bag in half,And loop it thru the wire wreath frame & pull the tails thru.Do this all the way around the wreath on all 4 layers. Push them close together, so the wreath is nice & full. When the bags arrive on your doorstep, they don't appear to have much color, but scrunched all together, it is a fun Halloween orange.

Once the wreath is complete, I added a few spiders (twisted into the wreath with a fine wire).

I added a burlap black bow (I love the frayed edges).Here is the finished wreath.

For 2 other fun upcycled Halloween crafts look HERE and HERE.

Thank you for stopping by to see my Blog, Karla

Erin & Josh

2010-10-15T20:12:00.001-05:00

Hi - I recently had the opportunity to take some photos of my Niece Erin & her Fiance Josh for a print with a large mat for guests to sign at their wedding. The day was perfect... not too sunny.. these were just taken in our back yard.

Thank You, Karla

Baby Elliott

2010-10-12T21:15:00.000-05:00

Could he be any cuter???

Thanks, Karla

Mommy & Baby Photos

2010-10-03T23:22:00.006-05:00

My Sister in Law took these when we were in Wisconsin a few weeks ago. These are some of my of my favorites. Thanks Jobi & thanks to Reid who made silly faces to get Anders to smile.

Karla

Chalkboard Paint Pumpkins

2010-09-21T21:54:00.003-05:00

HI All,

I had this wonderful idea (or at least I thought it was a wonderful idea) to paint a few pumpkins with chalk board paint for Peepers to draw on. Peepers is still too little to get into carving pumpkins & let's face it, the guts are gross (who wants to touch that icky stuff)!

Get yourself a few nice pumpkins & clean them off. If you are going to paint the whole pumpkin, tape off around the stem. Or tape off a square for your spooky/fall message to go.

Then paint. The instructions said a roller works best for applying the paint, but I used a brush & it worked fine. A roller would probably work best for a wall or flat surface. Let it dry & apply a second coat. It is wet in this photo... it is matte when it dries.
Wait 24 hours before drawing on it. The directions also said you need to "condition it" by rubbing chalk all over it & them wiping it off. Again, I did not do this on the pumpkins, but probably would on a wall. Cute huh? Peepers really enjoyed drawing on it too.
One Warning: After I wiped it down to start fresh, noticed that the paint " flaked" off in a few spots. I suggest that you draw gently on the pumpkin & make sure they are at room temperature before you paint them. I want to try this on a artificial pumpkin that you can buy at a craft store & see how well it washes/wears.
Here are 3 links for more painted pumpkin inspiration...

9 0'clock Dance of Joy

Keep Home Simple

Trinkets & Treasures

Thanks, Karla

BOO BANNER

2010-09-10T22:49:00.017-05:00

So I have the fall/Halloween decorating bug already. A few cool days & I'm ready.

I'm already dreaming of what Peepers can be this year... This may be the last year I get to dress him in what I want to be for Halloween :(

This is a super simple craft to get the season started.

You need paper (Halloween theme card stock), scissors, ribbon, a hole punch, double stick tape or glue & a few minutes.

1) Cut out your letters - mine are 4" tall. I punched these at Achiever's but you can print off a letter in a a scary font & trace it on to paper.

2) Cut a rectangle bigger than your letter. I think this was 4"w x 5"h. I used paper edger scissors & a ink pad to make them look old and worn.

3) Use double stick tape or glue to adhere the letter on to the rectangle, punch some holes, weave some ribbon (be sure to leave long tails if don't know where you want to hang it.)

Hang in in the mirror in the dining room

Or hang it here (notice the classy masking tape holding it in place)

I think this will look great with a few cob webs over the vintage window.

For a SERIOUSLY CUTE Halloween Banner that involves some sewing go here. I will have to add this to the "TO DO list". I love this!

Thank you, Karla

It's Apple Season

2010-09-05T21:02:00.002-05:00

These were taken at my Mom's house a few weeks ago.

We can't wait to go to an apple orchard this fall & have Peepers experience all the fun.

Thank You, Karla

Photos with Grandpa N

2010-09-01T21:12:00.005-05:00

Thanks, Karla

A few more Grandparent's Day gift ideas - there's still time.

2010-08-29T14:21:00.001-05:00

Hi All,

There are still a few days if you are thinking you want your kids (OK, You) to make a craft for Grandparents Day.

SHRINKIE DINKS:I LOVED these as a kid & remember making Christmas tree ornaments one year with Aunt Charmaine. I found this special Skrinkie Dink paper that works with a printer. I made key chains, but this could be cute for a necklace or charm bracelet too. These were from last year... look how chubby Peepers was!

I purchased these Shrinkie Dink Computer Paper from Joanne Fabrics & Crafts, but I have not seen it there lately at my store. HERE is a place it is available for purchase.

PHOTO MAGNET:

Do you get these magnets with every new sports season or in January? What do you do with them after? I feel guilty throwing them away. So I tried this easy craft.

Trim the magnet to the size of the photo OR trim a piece of fun scrap book paper to the size of the photo frame.
Glue the photo or paper on to the magnet. I set them under a heavy book to dry flat for a few hours. Then Mod Podge over the photo or paper & let dry. You may need to trim it up a bit, if the edges didn't line up perfectly.

ART PROJECT:

I love this IDEA for easy storing of art projects. This would be great to make one for yourself & one as a gift. Scanning in your kids art also works great for making cards.

OTHER CARD IDEAS: thumb print art... here are 2 links for a kids craft idea

HERE and HERE

This was one Peepers did at School using a thumb print for Lady Bugs. I just love it & have used it for many cards (I keep the original , of course)

Enjoy!

Karla

Super Simple Travel Flash Cards

2010-08-26T23:06:00.009-05:00

Hi All, I'm a back to school supply shopping junkie... I love all the new markers, fun pens & erasers. There are so many new fun things to get.

Anders & I have been working on shapes & colors. He knows circle, triangle, star & blue & orange pretty good. So when I found these at the One Spot with all the back to school stuff, I had to get them.

I would love to have the time & patience for making these flash cards, but let's be real... these are much faster, simpler & less expensive. There were 36 cards in this set, so I made 3 sets (one set for each car & one set for home). I used clear packing tape to "laminate" one corner of the flash card. I could have " laminated" the whole card (and might yet if these are a hit) so they will last longer.

Punch a whole in that corner, not too close to the edges. Them I use the first card as a template for the hole location for the remaining cards.

Slips a ring on it & away you go.

Thanks, Karla

Decorated Tank

2010-08-23T22:39:00.002-05:00

HI~ Before summer is over, you still have time to make one of these tanks. Take a tank (I like the Long & Lean from Target) and some coordinating scrap fabric (I used a woven, but you could use a knit too).

I cut my fabric 10" x 4" on the bias... By cutting on the bias, I won't have to finish the edges, I can leave them raw & they will fray just a tiny bit. It you use a knit accent fabric, you do not need to cut on the bias.

Use a basting stitch to gather the short edges, you can do this by hand or by machine since it is such a short piece.Gather the edges so that they are the same width as your tank shoulder strap, pin in place. to determine the position, I measured down 6" from the shoulder seam on the front of the tank, then 4" wraps around to the back of the tank. Do the same to the back with the gathers & pinning.

Sew in place (stitch over the basting stitch that you used - remember to reset your stitch length from basting & always backtack!!! Trim loose threads.I actually tacked the accent fabric at the shoulder seams, to better cover the tank straps and keep the gathers nice.

Thank you, Karla

Grandparents day is 9/12

2010-08-18T22:33:00.005-05:00

Have you started working on your gift? If you haven't, it's not too late to start.

Here are a few ideas from past blog posts of mine.

Family Photo Album

Puzzle Blocks

Note pads

OR if you are looking for something a little less intense (in case you are not a big crafter)

Try on-line ordering ideas... for the next few days Walgreen's is having deal of the day. FREE photo gifts (you still have to pay for shipping) ~ but hey... you can't beat Free!

Thanks, Karla

Another Flower Tee...

2010-08-16T22:48:00.006-05:00

Start with 2 identical tees, cut flowers from one.
I cut 14 larger flowers - these measured 4" across (note they are not perfectly shaped).
Then cut 14 2 1/2" flowers
Each flower cluster has 2 larger flower pieces & 2 smaller pieces = 7 flowers total.
I positioned the flowers so the petals alternated & then sewed them in a cluster on the left side of the tee.
Instead of just tacking them, I stitched back & forth across the flower. So when I wear the shirt, this stitching holds the flower open a bit more. I also used silver metallic thread for a bit of subtle glitz.

I used an elastic piece a few inches shorter then the sleeve/shoulder measurement. I pull the elastic when sewing it to the inside of the shirt to create a bit of rusching.

I cut off the neck trim from the shirt I sewed the flowers too... made it kind of a boat shaped neckline. You can just leave it a raw edge, knit will not fray.

I added a few "stems" under the flowers, using just strips of left over fabric. I sewed down 3 & left 3 hang loose.

Thanks for stopping & checking out my Blog,

Karla

Treasure Bag

2010-08-10T21:55:00.001-05:00

Hi All, I made this a while ago, but am just getting around to showing you.

If you have a little one who likes to drag a few toys with him out of the house everyday (not mentioning any names), This may be the ticket for you so they do not get lost in your car or in the store.

Start with 2 pieces of woven fabric 7" x 10"
Sew the 7" side together to form the bottom of the bag, finish the raw edges on the sides.

Fold wrong sides together along the bottom seam & pin 1" up. Do this on both sides.

The flip so that rights sides are together, this will form a 1" pleat on the bottom of the bag. If you are making a larger bag, you probably want a 2" pleat at the bottom.

The use pins to mark 3/4" from top edge & 1/2" further. Start at the bottom of the bag, at the pleats, sew up your side seams. When you reach the first pin, back tack a few stitches. Do not sew between the pins & start stitching up the last 3/4" back tacking each end.

Again, you will do this on both sides of the bag.

That little 1/2" you are not sewing shut will be just enough room to serve as a casing for your drawcord.

Nice Pleat!

Double turn the top edge of the bag and stitch around, making sure the opening for the drawcord is between the top fold & your casing stitch.

The use a Bodkin or safety pin to thread thru your drawcord.

Tie a knot at the ends of your drawcord. I used a 1/2" piece of jersey for the drawcord, the raw edges roll on to itself & create a nice drawcord.

Make a bunch! They are fast, I made them in an assembly line fashion.

Let your little one stuff them full for the next time you leave the house.

Thanks, Karla

Necklace do-over

2010-08-06T16:10:00.000-05:00

I have this necklace that I love, but it was cheap (inexpensive) and tarnished. So I had the idea to give it a new life.

I spray painted it Yes, spray painted it! (I hung it from a clothes line in the back yard with paperclips - It needed a few coats & I jiggled the chain to make sure I had decent coverage with the paint).

The I added a pin that I made from scrap fabric & a button

Then I took some photos of myself in the back yard & edited them with a fun technique.

Thanks, Karla

Baby Kenji

2010-08-02T22:35:00.000-05:00

Adorable! Need I say more? His hair just naturally forms a little Mohawk.

He truly is a gift & a very loved little baby.

Thanks, Karla

Scrunch Belt

2010-07-27T20:42:00.007-05:00

Hi ~ This is not my idea, I cannot take credit for it.

It is from Disney's Blog (I have linked to her blog before because she has so much great stuff!) I came across some scrap fabric already cut into 3" strips & knew its destiny was this project.

She did full tutorial on how to make this belt. I constructed mine a little differently, but I think I turned out just a nice. It took under an hour to make & minimal supplies, so it is a perfect project for instant gratification.

I foresee myself wearing this a TON & will probably making another.

Thanks, Karla

E A T

2010-07-23T23:18:00.009-05:00

We have vaulted ceilings, I feel there are spaces that are harder to decorate. What to hang? How high do you hang it? I have felt there is this one skinny wall in my kitchen that has been begging for something more.

You see vintage signs & letters all over that are $$$. At first I wanted the word "delic" Or "delis" See, I can't even figure out how to spell it! Plus, it would not fit on the wall.

After much deliberating, I decided upon a word. I went to my local JAF & purchased my goods. The 12" letters were on sale for 2.99 each (reg 3.99). I then found 3 sheets of 12x12 scrap book paper that would coordinate with the kitchen, convey the vintage feel & had a "foodie" flair.

Trace the letter on to the paper & cut it out.
Paint the sides of the letters (2 coats). I used a color called "Coffee Bean". I made sure to get the edges real good in case my paper cutting was not spot on.

I used my brown ink pad to antique the cut out letter & Mod Podged them on the letter shapes. After it dried, I used an exacto knife to trim off any excessive overhang of paper. Then I had to do a few spots of touch up paint on the edges where a few nicks occurred.

I used Command picture hanging kit to place letters on wall. This stuff is awesome if you have not tried it. Especially if you are not sure where you want something to go or need to re-position it to be just perfect.

Strategically place the word in kitchen above messy cork board. My husband keeps teasing me we should spell TEA or ATE, depending on the time of day. But he thought they looked nice. (Not that he has any decorating say as part of the pre-nup). HA HA

I did something similar to Peepers room with 6" letters, I just used paint on these, but will someday redecorate (when he gets a big bed... tear) and can repaint or Mog Podge these letter to match his new decor.

FYI the "silly monkey" lettering is from Upper Case Living & the bananas & Monkey are from Michael's

Thanks, Karla

Tim, Shannon, Olivia & Baby Jake

2010-07-08T21:32:00.005-05:00

Sponge Balls

2010-07-04T14:10:00.000-05:00

HI all, I saw these a few years ago in the Family Fun Magazine & knew I had to make them some day.

I ran to the dollar store a few weeks ago so I could make these as soon as we busted the pool out. I bought multiple packages of sponges, making sure I had enough fun colors for at least 5 balls.

Step 1: Pry sponges out of hands of little one

Step 2: Gather up materials: sponges (I used 3 sponges per ball) , scissors & pony tail binders (or string).

Step 3: Using moistened sponges, cut them lengthwise into 5 even stripes.
Step 4: Repeat with 2 more sponges (remember 3 sponges per ball)

Step 5: stack the sponges alternating colors in 3 layers like so...

Step 6: Place hair pony in center of sponges ( I wrapped it around 2 times to hold it tight)
Step 7: Fluff & Enjoy!

An inexpensive/green alternative to a water balloon or a fun pool toy.

Enjoy! Karla

4th of July Pom Pom

2010-07-02T22:33:00.000-05:00

Very Sad Day

2010-06-30T23:33:00.006-05:00

Today we had to say goodbye to our dear friend Chloe.

Ode to Chloe by Anders

The house seems so empty without you, but you are at a better place now.

Rest Well Sweetie Pie.