Paper Bead Necklace

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. What better gift than something you’ve made and can personalize for your Mom? It’s almost as good as those kindergarten drawings that hung on her fridge for so long. This is one of the easiest pieces of jewelry you will ever make. It take a bit of time, you have to let the glue and Mod Podge dry, but it’s very easy and inexpensive. You can personalize it in your mother’s favorite colors, add beads, or not, use beading wire, a pretty thin chain or just cotton string. The only limits are your … Continue reading →

Little Girls Tutu Shirts

It’s almost Valentines Day, a perfect excuse to make cute little tutu dresses for my favorite girls! These are pretty simple and you can embellish them more if you would like. Materials 2 1/2 yards of tulle in two different colors a t shirt a size bigger than they normally wear ( I got these at Walmart and they are the softest things!) scrap of fabric if you want to applique the heart on the front. *Cut a heart to fit the shirt out of paper, use this as your pattern for the fabric, trace around the paper leaving about … Continue reading →

Aprons, Aprons Everywhere!

When I was growing up my grandmother always wore an apron and there were always goodies in her pockets. It’s one of my fondest memories as a child, so now that my sister is a grandma I made her an apron. Aprons are great first sewing projects because they are so forgiving. I’m not good at following a bunch of directions and with an apron you can get the basic shape and wing it! All you need is some material, less than half a yard. I like to use contrasting material for the pockets and sash. *Measure from hip to … Continue reading →

Repurposing A Sweatshirt

I really don’t like to throw anything away. Part of it is just that I hate waste and part of it is being kind to our planet. I have some clothes that are too good for the rag bag but too stained or something to donate. Today I am going to tackle one of the things in that bag and repurpose a sweatshirt. I’ve always seen articles about taking a dress and making it into something completely new but I’m afraid that’s a little bit more of a challenge than I’m up for. I believe in starting small and working … Continue reading →

Design Your Own Backpack

A couple of years ago, my boys were at that awkward age when the character backpacks looked a little babyish to them, but the plain backpacks looked boring. They didn’t want to buy any of the backpacks at three different stores. And yet, they really needed backpacks for school. I talked them into some sturdy canvas packs, but they weren’t happy. We came across the solution accidentally while wandering around the craft store looking for the bathroom. I’m not much of a sewer, so we rarely visit the fabric section. I’m so glad we did that day. Because hanging on … Continue reading →

Easy Tie-Dye T-shirts

Last weekend, my family made tie-dye shirts – the easy way. We are very pleased with the results and the ease of the spray method. I have made tie-dye shirts before where you dip the shirts in dye. The results are beautiful, but it’s a messy and complicated project to do and to clean up from. Last week I noticed spray tie-dye bottles at the craft store. We bought red, blue, and yellow, thinking that the primary colors would mix. We also bought orange, because it’s my husband’s favorite color. The colors didn’t mix, but the results were still great. … Continue reading →

Printing T-shirts

A few years ago we made gifts for the kids’ grandparents with Hanes T-ShirtMaker. Creating your own shirt design is really fun and the possibilities are endless. You can make your own design on the computer, using the software provided. The design is printed on special transfer paper using an ink jet printer. You heat set the design on the shirt by using an iron. What’s really fun is that you can incorporate your own photos into the design – you can frame a photo or crop it into different shapes. The t-shirt transfers work on more than t-shirts too. … Continue reading →

Key Chain Crafts for Kids

Even if your kids don’t really need key chains yet, they may still like to collect them. At our elementary school, the trend seems to be having as many key chains as possible hanging from book bags, backpacks, purses, and jackets. Laura Torres shared a zipper pull craft a while back that can also be easily adapted or used as is for a key chain. You can also make a similar style using plastic tops from soda bottles. You can find plain key rings at most any discount store, craft shop, or super center. Your kids can also make other … Continue reading →

More Easy Costumes with Sweats

Sweat pants, sweatshirts, and hoodies just make costume making a breeze. Here are a few more cute costume ideas made from sweats. Pumpkin Costume If you can find orange sweat pants and an orange hoodie, perfect. Pull up the hood and tie it. Paint your face orange. Stuff the belly of your pants and hoodie for some roundness. Pin felt triangles to the front of the jacket to make a jack-o-lantern face. You can also just decorate an orange t-shirt of sweatshirt and forget the pants and paint. This works great for little ones. Just add an orange knit cap … Continue reading →

Quick and Cute Costume Ideas

Here are some quick and cute costume ideas that you can put together, one for a boy and one for a little girl. Beauty Queen Your little girl can instantly become Miss (whatever state you live in). If you have an old formal, or pick one up at a thrift store, you can cut it down to the right length for her. Take it in if necessary with just a few stitches or with some carefully placed safety pins. Pick up a tiara at any discount store or make one yourself. Use a sparkly headband, but instead of putting it … Continue reading →