box = playhouse

Today I took on the long-awaited task of clearing out the under-the-stairs-closet which has sat plumb-full and untouched since we moved in over a year and a half ago (go ahead, gasp, I did as I typed this!). I was able to empty three large boxes. Since any hint of a craft project can derail any cleaning plans I have, I got right down to the business of making a playhouse for my son.

One of the other boxes from the closet was a receptacle for stuff for the thrift store. I had a bunch of contact plastic in there that had seen better days, but was still very usable. I yanked it out and used it to cover the door, cut out the letters for "H-O-M-E" and made a "frame" for inside the house.

I also got to use up some of my not-so-loved scrapbooking paper for details like the flowers, tree and birds.

I used the Home Depot design as my guide for the window shutters. I decided to not cover them in contact plastic for the sake of time. I just edged them with dotted tape.

I took two of my son's star shaped blocks and a shoestring and made door knobs for the inside and outside of the door. However, as you can see, my son decided he preferred the peep hole as a handle.

Pup tried to get in too, but he is too big. I think he was sad because he kept trying to get in there - and he misses his crate which we never set back up when we moved into this house.

All in all, a quick project--less than an hour--taking photos included. AND it was made from all junk I already had that was headed to the trash (except for the star blocks which I will take off when it is time for the garbage can).

felt watch

I saw a post on a craft blog a few months ago about a felt watch for kids and thought I would make one at some point. Well that point was a few evenings ago. I have searched and searched for the post, but to no avail, so I am sorry I am not linking.

This was a very simple project, which does not even warrant detailed directions. I simply hand sewed black ric-rac on to a strip of green felt, embroidered the face of a clock on the yellow felt (with the blue behind it) and sewed the blue felt down to the watch band with invisible thread. The only part of the watch I sewed with the machine was the velcro fastener. Quick, fun and easy. I didn't even worry about getting the stitches perfect since who knows how long it will last on the arm of a busy toddler.  The hard part was getting a photo of it on my son's arm! He finally sat down on the dog's bed after snatching daddy's calculator of his desk!

This is what most of the photos looked like!

oh whatever to do with a spotted shirt?-make it dotted!

I bought a plain blue shirt at Target not too long ago and when I took it out of the dryer the other day it had little oil-looking stains on it. This has happened to me before. Am I the only one that thinks that liquid fabric softener leaves marks???

Anyhow I decided that an experiment was in order.

So I cut out a bunch of white circles or "dots" from another t-shirt using the bottom of a glass as a template. I used one of those markers where you spray it with water and the lines disappear like magic! I got one a few months back and have used it for loads of projects! Love it!

Then I pinned them on like so...

...in an order I found pleasing. To make the pinning a little easier (so as to not catch the back layer of fabric) I put a laminated placemat in between the fabric layers. A piece of carboard would work just as well. I happened to be watching TV in the family room while pinning this, which is next to the kitchen, so I snagged it off of the kitchen table.

And sewed three vertical lines down the middle of each line of dots. However, as you can see in the above photo, some of the dots wanted to curl up. To prevent this, on either side of each dot, I made a little tack stitch.

This is what it looked like after washing it. I knew it would crumple up a little, which it did, and one of the little tack stitches came out in the wash.  I just tacked it back in place this morning before work –which partly explains the poor photos. I was running around getting ready for work and I ran into the backyard with my socks on to take photos since I hadn't posted in a while and wanted to get a post up this evening and wanted to get the good light. (Yes, I agree, too much to do before 7:30am! My hair was still soaking wet.)

I wore it today to work but I am not so sure I like the end result. I told myself I would wear it once to "feel it out" but I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Maybe it will grow on me...and maybe not....hhmmmm....

oh and please don't mind the patch of dirt in the background. We're working on landscaping this spring/summer :)

shower gifts

This weekend I went to my high school friend, Abbey's shower for her 2nd baby girl. Since she is crafty herself, I thought she may enjoy some homemade gifts. I made her a bird mobile (can't get enough of these) and a recycled mooshy belly bunny which I learned to make from Chez Beeper Bebe. (I made a monkey too, in this same fashion, which is not as cute for my son. But it still needs one ear sewed on. Not sure if he will make it to the blog...stay tuned).

I used my son's old receiving blanket (the recycled part) since I love the print so much. It is an Amy Coe blanket. Here is my little sweet pea laying on the blanket when he was itty bitty teeny weeny.

 I may make some more of these if I ever get around to it. It turned out very cute!

This time for the bird mobile, I decided to go with doves. Abbey is such a gentle soul, I felt that doves were the way to go. I liked the way the colored stitching looked so much on these bluebirds, that I decided to do it again, but with pastel colors (pink, green and yellow since it is hard to tell from the photo). (And yes, if you go to that link and see the title, I obviously lied!). I also changed up the stitch and used a blanket stitch instead of the overcast stitch. I did not do this consciously, it just happened! I think I even like it better!

I hope you and your new baby girl enjoy your mobile and bunny, Abbey!

ruffle scarf

Amazing Dana from MADE strikes again with another amazing beautiful project!!! This is the one I made yesterday and wore today for Mother's Day. I took Dana's suggestion of running down the scarf twice instead of just once.

I made this one for my mother-in-law (hope she does not see this before tomorrow when I give it to her!). It is actually my favorite! This was the best fabric I have found to make these scarves from since it is so breezy and thin, the print shows through almost equally from either side. Upon my mom's advice, I zig-zagged the edges instead of hemming them since it is so thin it is really hard to do nicely. I liked the rough-edge look a lot, actually!

freezer paper stenciling ~ fox & chicken

This is soooooo cool! I have seen this on several craft blogs and have been wanting to try freezer paper stenciling out for some time now. I found some images I wanted to try out and printed them on regular paper--a fox and a chicken. I am going a Chicken Festival and Craft Fair in September, so I wanted to make some chicken themed shirts.

Note: For the fox, I used Photoshop to take out some of the inside black area in order to save on black printer ink--'cause I'm frugal like that!

This was the first project I did when we got back from vacation and I was so excited to try it! The hardest part about the whole bit? Waiting for the paint to dry—really!   I bought this little apron for my little man for $2 at Michaels. I was planning on making him a crafting apron, but thought, “Why would I spend my precious time making an apron when the whole purpose it to get it messy?” So I just enhanced the 2 buck apron instead!

Rather that giving you a lame tutorial, I will leave it to the experts: For a really great video tutorial, please visit I am Momma, Hear Me Roar. It is a wonderful way to learn how to do it—and realize it is soooo simple that you may want to try it this weekend (if you can wait that long)!  

I do however have some tips—well just one really. Wait until the paint is COMPLETELY dry before ironing it. I made the mistake of ironing it too soon and it made an iron circle imprint in the paint-can you see it below (on the lower left side)? Boo Hoo! Oh well, live and learn.

Okay, I do have one more tip—save the “outline” image that you cut and then make a circle from freezer paper to do a reverse image, like this. 

Two for the (cutting) work of one!

Oh and instead of buying special paint, I used this:

You just mix 2 parts regular acrylic paint with one part of this medium and VOILA! You have fabric paint. I have used it for other projects, but not T-shirt and you have to wait 7 whole days before washing it, so I'm not sure yet how it will turn out after washing, but I think it will be okay.

I am pretty happy with the results. I think I will get better at this as I make more--which I am sure to do and will post them when there are done!

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i'm back!!! and ready to craft!

As stated above, we are back from vacation and very tired, but I am soooo ready to craft! We got back late last night from the East Coast and I could not wait to get back to crafting. I am not even done with the laundry and I could not get our son to nap today--or sleep last night--or pretty much any night for the past 2 weeks we've been on vacation, however tired I am though I am filled with the creative spirit.  I tried my hand at freezer paper stenciling today and the paint is upstairs drying as I type. I will try to get that post up soon. It is very fun and easy--the hard part is waiting for the paint to dry! I pray that tonight will be a kinder night to all of us and we can all get some sleep so I have energy to create!!! My project list is as long as my arm!

Please stay tuned for more projects to some!