Cute {EASY} Magnets

I had to come up with a cute {easy} project for the Beehive girls in our Stake {church girls 12-13}. My mom had a set of these super cute magnets in the Young Women value colors. We made them with about 30 girls. It was fun and super easy. {I forgot to take pictures that night, so I made some more and took pictures for you! You're welcome!}

First start with these marbles with flat bottoms. {I got them at hobby lobby in the floral department}



Then punch out any kind of paper....colored, patterned, flowers, anything you want...you could also use pictures instead of paper. {I used a 3/4" circle punch}



We then used this Glossy Accents glue {also from Hobby Lobby in the scrapbook adhesive isle}. I put a thin layer on the marble and then pressed it firmly onto the paper. Press down to get all the bubbles out and spread the glue evenly on paper.





Then put a thin layer of glue on the magnet and press onto the back of the marble. And that's it! Super EASY! Let dry for 15min-1hour. It dries really fast. We were able to let the girls take theirs home in about an hour.



I took mine home and sanded the extra paper off the bottom of the marbles...but I'm a little OCD.

You can make more in the value colors....or flowers or halloween....or stars...or a million like I did!

Baby Burp Cloths

I am getting really close to having this baby.  Actually unless she comes early I only have 18 days left until my scheduled c-section.  So I have been doing a little bit of nesting.  I really don't need cute burp cloths but I saw some on the web and decided that I would make some.  I really should be finishing up other projects that I need to get done before she gets here but these are super easy and took just a little bit of time.  It also used up some of my scraps and ribbon I have been collecting.  I bought the cloth diapers at Walmart and then cut the fabric to cover the center section.  Because I am lazy I just pinned on the fabric and then when I added the ribbon or ric rac I just sewed across both hoping I would catch the fabric underneath.  I folded the ends in to make it look nicer and serged the edge under the ribbon to help it be more finished.

Here are some of the other ones I made.  I just love some of the color combinations.  Although I really loved my collection of brown, pink and white.  (Please ignore that I didn't iron them before I took the picture. I figured I would probably have to wash them before I could use them and so what's the use of ironing them?)

Aren't they cute?  I love that I have so many cute options when this baby spits up.  Which if she is like her siblings we will need more then this set of 12. :(

Wooden Names By Amy's Sister Ariane

I saw these on my sister's personal family blog and thought  "I want to feature those on my craft blog."  They are soooo cute, and will be wonderful for the kids rooms when they are able to get into their next home.  Right now she is living with my mom while her husband finishes basic training.  He will be done next week and she is coming to visit me after his graduation.  I am super excited.  But enough about me and my family. 

Here is basically what she emailed me about how to make them:

Kate's I did with Modge Podge and just tore up pieces of paper and glued them on the letters. I found the letters at Michael's, already painted white, with the stands. Otto's I just cut out the letters in the paper and glued them on. Kate's flowers are just wound on the pegs and Otto's wooden truck and helicopter are glued on. I found the truck and helicopter at Michael's also and painted them myself. It was a really easy job. Took me about an hour once I started, minus the time drying. The kids love them.

I'm pretty lucky to have creative sisters.  They always inspire me to want to try something new.  Hope these cute name signs make you smile.

Beautiful Blessing Dress

It's done (well almost).  I need to find some buttons and serge the inside of the sleeves and then it is done.  It has turned out so beautiful.  I love it.  I just can't take a picture to show you how beautiful it is.  I have worked long and hard on this, hoping to get it done before the 1st of October and I'm proud to say except for a couple of last minute things it is done.

Here is a closer picture of the top.

I love the pintucks.  They turned out perfect.  I chose to move them closer together then in my original trial run.  I ran the diagonal lines at 3/4 of an inch.  The sleeves are just soo cute all puffy and fun.  The lace just adds the finishing touch.

Here is a close up of the hem.  I bought this lace at a garage sale and it is just so pretty.  I love the 5 rows of pintuck that I added.  It just gives it that finishing touch.

Can you tell I love it???  I am so proud of myself even more so since it isn't the day before she is being blessed.  Here is the link to the original post if you want the pattern I used.  I got my inspiration from Homemade by Jill for the pintuck.

FaLL{ing}

Really....I do feel like I am falling.....farther and farther behind.....I've got to catch up.... I have hardly done anything "creative" this fall....

I did make this wreath this morning. I found the idea HERE.



Just to get your CREATIVE JUICES going....or maybe mine....I pulled out some of my projects from last year, and I thought I would share some cute fall decorating ideas.....First of all, get some vinyl. It's super easy to decorate with and very inexpensive! I cut mine out with my Cricut.

Trick-Or-Treat Blocks {Designed my me} Using 2x4 Scraps and Scrapbook paper



Next you can make a "Happy Haunting" sign...From www.writings-onthewall.com again with scrap 2x4's. {don't ever throw out your scraps!!}




Then you can add cute spiders to your walls.....



Or, if you want more wood....make pumpkins out of 4x4 fence posts.... Just paint orange and attach stems {branches} and raffia. Super fast and easy.



And, if you are feeling very adventurous....and want to sew here are a few sewing projects....

Fabric Pumpkins found at THE IDEA ROOM



Or a Halloween Table runner....{tutorial found HERE}



Or maybe a cute fall wall hanging....



Hope you have been inspired to use your creativity!!!

...baby tutu...

I could just eat this little one up. She is a DOLL. While I was in Utah, we made her this tutu for her 1st birthday party. The theme is Mickey Mouse. We used red, white and black tulle, ribbon and elastic. I followed this tutorial from the Idea Room and added the yellow ribbon by weaving it through the tulle around the elastic.



Seriously, look at those little legs. Oh so cute!



And of course, she needed a bow for her hair. Such a cute little princess, all ready for her party. {too bad she has to wait until November!}

The long awaited Onesie Dress Tutorial

So here is my Tutorial.  I have not been feeling myself the last week or so and have not felt up to sitting at the computer and writing up this tutorial.

It all started with this find at the local thrift store.  It was soooo cute and I bought it saying - I CAN MAKE THIS.  At the time I had not seen a tutorial for it but since then I have done a little research and have found similar ones.  Most put the skirt up really high and don't have the cute applique.

Enough about the inspiration.  I measured and figured out what you would need to make it.  After I got it all done I realized one thing that I will mention at the end, that might make it not work on a chubby baby.

TO BEGIN:  (I made this using a 0-3 month onesie, so you may want to lengthen the skirt for a bigger size)

Materials:
Onesie - size 0-3 month

Skirt material - 5 1/2 inches by WOF (width of fabric = 44-45 inches)

Ruffle Material -Three pieces 1 1/2 - 2 inches by WOF  (total about 120 inches)

Applique - Left over material

Wonder under or Heat n Bond

Stabilizer

Instructions:

First off you have to choose what you want to applique on the front.  I went to my photoshop files and some of the fonts I have that have images rather then letters and looked through them.  I choose a handful since I couldn't choose just one at the time.  Plus I have my cute daughter that likes to think I let her make all the choices.  So here are some of the things I found.

My daughter wanted the cute butterfly or the lady bugs but I really like the cute flower in the lower right corner,  I made the circle about 3 inches and used the other flower since I didn't feel like sewing around the cute flower in the center.  I took out the heart and used just a plain circle.  I traced them on to my Heat n Bond and cut them out before ironing.  You could just cut around them and iron them on to the fabric.  It is personal preference.  If you are doing any letters, remember it will be backwards when you iron it on.

I chose 3 scraps and ironed the heat n bond on to it and then cut them out.  (see why I think it might be better to do it by just cutting out after - I don't always think things through.)

Once you decide about where you want them, iron on to the onesie.  If you want you can iron each piece to the next piece if you don't take the backing off first.  I opted to just put them all on there and iron all the pieces together.  I guess it could have moved and so to be safe maybe just do each piece by itself.  Unless you are only putting on one piece.

Next you need to stitch around the applique.  First I find it best to put a stabilizer behind my applique.  It helps the stitches not bunch and the whole thing to go more smoothly.  There are many different kinds, the one I use you can pull off after you are done, some wash out after one use.  Second about the stitch,  I find that a satin stitch - which is a zigzag that has a very small length works best.  My machine has a specific stitch that is designed to do this.  You may want to play around with your stitch.  In cases like this I also decrease the width to about half so that it looks nice.   I decided to do it all in pink.  You could do the brown pieces in brown or the pink flower outline in brown.  I also used a rayon based thread that has a bit of shine to it. Doesn't it look cute?

Don't look too close.  My stitches aren't perfect.  I think it is the combination of the knit and the cotton.

On to the construction of the skirt.

Pick up your 3 pieces of the ruffle and sew together the short edges.  I used my serger because I like the finished edge on my seams.

Next I serge on one edge and then do a rolled hem on the other.

 I serge the edge that I am going to ruffle so I don't have to deal with serging when I am finished or any fraying as I am trying to gather up the ruffle.  If you don't have a serger you will want to do a narrow hem on the finished edge of the ruffle.  In that case you may want to use a 2 inch ruffle rather then a 1 1/2 inch.

Take your skirt material and sew together the short edges to make it all one piece.  Again I serged both edges to finish the edge.  ( you can see that better in the next picture.)

Now run 2 long straight stitches for your gathering of the skirt.  I do two so that in case one breaks I don't have to start over again.  I also find about 1/2 way and stop and start again.  I would rather do it that way then try and gather the entire width of the skirt.  It is your preference.  Do not gather at this time.  We will do that later.

Next we will gather the pink ruffle that will be added to this piece.  Because of the length of the fabric I use a little different technique to gather the 120 + inches.  I actually use a thicker cotton yarn/thread and a zigzag stitch.  Here is the yarn I use.

The technique is pretty simple.  You begin by placing the yarn under and over your presser foot (see next picture).  Trying to keep it in the middle of the zigzag is the key.  My foot has a handy divot in it that makes it easy to keep it in the right place.  Then you zigzag the entire ruffle length.  Do not stop in the middle like I suggested on the skirt.

Then you will need to attach the ruffle to the bottom of the skirt.  I always attach the two pieces before I start pulling on the gathering.  I pin at half and then half again over the entire piece.  It makes it easier once you start gathering the ruffles and makes it look more even.

Here is a picture of what I am trying to explain, but I don't think it makes any more sense.

Find the middle of your ruffle and the middle of your skirt and match together.  Do it again so you don't have too big of gaps in between.  Then pull on the yarn/thread you used to gather the ruffle in.  Adjust around so that it looks even.

Then pin in between the pins you already have holding on the ruffle.  It just makes it easier to keep all the cute ruffly ruffle together while you sew.  Then sew about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the edge.  Making sure that you are catching both layers.  I think I usually go about 1/2 inch but I usually just go along the outside of my original gather so I don't have to unpick the gathering stitches when I am done.  (Now you can see why I serged both of the pieces before I put this together.  I really don't love serging over ruffles or taking the chance that something might get cut with my serger blade.  It is just easier and has a finished edge.)  If you have not serged then you should probably sew a zigzag along the edge to finish this edge.

This is where my mother (who does read this blog occasionally) would say - you need to iron this part.  Uhm, I was so excited to get to this part that I forgot, but Mom is right and I should have ironed mainly to makes sure that my seam was straight when I started the next stitch.  (LOVE YA MOM)  Now we need to top stitch along the edge about 1/8 to 1/4 inch (basically catching the ruffle underneath

See how it looks behind where I am sewing in this next picture?

This will hold the ruffle down and not let it go flipping up.  And it adds that extra touch you see in the store bought items.  (That is one of the other things my mother taught me, do the finishing touches and it looks so much better.  I am a firm believer in this one.  This is what makes my stuff almost look store bought and gives it those loving touches.) Details, details, details.  Don't just throw it together, but make sure you do the details and then not only others will love it, but you will too.  (Sorry - I'll get off my soap box)

Now we need to determine where we want the placement of the skirt.  I drew a line on the onesie and also marked the center (and on the back center) to let me know where to place the seam of the skirt.

I kind of eyeballed this by putting my unfinished skirt at this level and saw if it was going to go below the snaps in the front.  I figured it would cover the bum pretty good.  Plus it is going on a new baby and she probably won't be getting out and showing her bum too much.  Plus you have the onesie there underneath like all babies do to cover those ugly diapers.  I also looked back at my original one and saw that it was above the sides about 3 inches or so.  Either way it is going to look cute.  The ones I have seen online have put it a lot higher and those looked way cute too.

SO here is where I am in a pickle.  The next part I did the whole gather thing and pinned it to the onesie  (I forgot to take pictures - I was so excited I was almost finished) and then sewed it with a very small zigzag stitch on my machine that is designed to be used with knits to keep them from stretching too much and breaking.  But I'm not too impressed with this.  I know this is going on my newborn, but if I were giving it to someone else I would be worried that by the time I got it to them it wouldn't fit their baby is she was at all chubby.  So I have done some research and you can decide what you would do.  I think I would do a larger zigzag to attach the skirt to the onesie.  One tutorial by barefoot in the kitchen uses an elastic (in step 8) to help it to stretch. and then sews the skirt on with a zigzag stitch.  In Cut Out and Keep she does much the same but uses the size of the onesie as her guide for the elastic in step 4.  I think my method might work better if I used a larger zigzag so that the fabric and onesie stretched together with out that popping sound.  You may chose to do it how you want. Lila Tueller Designs put that elastic "thread" in her bobbin and gathered it that way (see her tutorial in step 5).  That might be the way I try it next time. 

But then you are done!!!  Put it on a cute little girl (which I can't wait to do in a month and half) and see how cute she looks.

Here are some pictures of closeups and the final product.