Tooth Fairy Pillow Tutorial

My oldest son is almost 6 years old and he has lost three baby teeth so far!  Right before Christmas he was working on his first tooth with all expectations of the tooth fairy delivering big time!

I had seen all kinds of tooth fairy pillows and I thought it was an excellent idea.  I also wanted to make it easier on the poor tooth fairy!  Let me show you what I came up with!

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Cat in the Hat Crochet Hat & Bow

In case you didn't know, March 2 was Dr. Seuss's Birthday.  Ryan's (my oldest) elementary school was having a day filled with fun activities for the kids to celebrate Dr. Seuss and his birthday.  

One of the activities that occurred was a school parade.  Any child, teacher, or staff member who dressed as a Dr. Seuss character could walk in the parade.  Ryan begged and begged for me to help him dress like The Cat in the Hat.  He actually thought I would make him a whole tuxedo like outfit.  He was dreaming on that one.  I did however crochet him a hat and bow-tie that mimicked The Cat in the Hat's attire.  

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More Valentine's Day Ideas

Here's another repost!

I've been busy!  Anyone who knows me knows I am ALWAYS busy.  My children and husband are a full time job!  My crafting is another job that's pretty much fulltime.  Luckily, I love my jobs. I  just wish I had more time for all of them.

I got this idea from the Idea Room.  I used an ancient frame I found in my husband's stuff.  It was an antique gold color. I  dry brushed it with white paint.  It toned down the gold.  I used a darker pink cardstock for the lettering.  I found that hot gluing the actual letters and then placing them on the scrapbook paper was the easiest way to go. It was a challenge to use the cardstock to make letters but the three dimensional effect is great!  Instead of crepe paper rosettes (oh, that's a story for another entry), I used a soft pink fleece to make a rosette (here's a tutorial for that: http://www.oursevendwarfs.com/2011/02/valentines-day-celebrated-with-burlap.html?utm_source=BP_recent). It was so easy and so sweet.  I really like the way this turned out and appreciate the Idea Room's idea!

Jill and I are getting into making hair clippies.  You may remember the Christmas tree clippies I made for one of our giveaways.  Then we gave away some Valentine's Day clippies.  http://www.oursevendwarfs.com/2011/01/weve-reached-over-100-facebook-friends.html 

I've also started making cupcake clippies.  Here's one I made for my friend Aubrey.  She turned 2.

Here's the one I made for my daughter's second birthday. It matches her birthday shirt. I've got lots of clippie ideas! Stay tuned for some neat ones!

My friend Lesli made these treat bags, for her daughter's second birthday party.  They were filled with Hershey's kisses. The kids (and parents) loved them!  What a great idea!

Believe it or not, we still have many projects in the works. Stay tuned!

A "Love" Sign-A Tutorial

This is something I created last year. I just love it! It's a perfect post for today because today's my youngest daughter's third birthday. Happy birthday, Sweet Mariella!

I needed a craft fix.  I wanted to do something that I could finish in a reasonable amount of time (Something I could finish in a night!). I wanted to do something I hadn't seen before.  Finally, I wanted another Valentine's Day decoration.  I love what I came up with!

I got a black from at WalMart for $3.  It was for 2-4x6" photos.  I used a piece of red scrapbooking paper.  It says LOVE on it.  I got some flowers from a scrapbook store that look like they were made from pages out of a book.  I used distressing ink and a blender stamp.  I had black fuzzy vinyl and transfer tape.  My tools were my paper cutter, a glue gun, and my Silhouette.

First, I cut the scrapbook paper to fit the entire frame.

Then I cut, "Daughters" out of my black fuzzy vinyl. I used the font, "Waterfalls" 170pt. I pulled away the excess vinyl so I was left only with the word I needed.

I used transfer tape to lift the vinyl.  This does not work as well with fuzzy vinyl.

I placed the transfer tape, in position, on the scrapbook paper and peeled it away. The letters were attached to the scrapbook paper.

Here's a close up of the print on the scrapbook paper.

I went around the edges of the paper with the distress ink.  I put the ink on with the blender pad and lightly distressed it.

I put the paper in the frame.  I just discarded the mat that was included with the frame.  I hot glued 2 flowers directly on the frame.

It's done! My daughters make me think of love so it's all relevant to me!  I love it!

Ladybug Tutu

Yesterday was my sweet Anna's first birthday.  I can't believe she is 1!  Where did time go?

We are so very blessed to have Anna in our family.  She brings added sweetness and joy to all our lives.  All my boys (husband included) adore Anna.  How could you not love a little girl who smiles all the time?

I've had quite a few people tell me lately with amazement, "She is such a happy baby!"  I am confused by this as I would think all babies are happy, but I guess that isn't the case.  Thankfully, God has blessed us with three very happy and friendly kids.

Enough about how much I love my kids, on to what I made Anna!

Anna has a ladybug room, ladybug slippers, the nickname Anna bug, a ladybug birthday cake and now, a ladybug tutu!

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Baby Sling Tutorial

When I had Evan, I found it increasingly hard to carry him, tend to Ryan and do anything else.  A friend of mine (who also showed me the nursing cover) was carrying her son in a sling.  I loved the idea of the sling as it was much easier to get your child in and out of versus one of those fancier contraptions.

 The only thing I didn't like about the sling was the cost.  When I looked on the internet, most slings were at least $30-50.  That was way out of my price range.  After examining her sling, I knew I could figure out how to make one especially with a bit of google research.

Now that I've had another child, the sling is an essential and I have perfected how I make them.  This is a very simple tutorial and will get you a sling for the cost of 2 yards of fabric and some matching thread!

I made this one for my friend, Henri and her precious baby girl, McCall.  Here she is modeling it for me. Thanks for the picture, Henri!

Baby Sling Tutorial

Supplies Needed:

• 2 yards of fabric of choice (width should be at least 44 inches)
• Matching thread
• Sewing machine
• Measuring tape and/or measurement gauge
• Fabric Marking pen (or light pen to mark small measurements)
• Iron
• Scissors

1.  Prior to making your sling, you will need to get some measurements from the person you are making it for.  Measure from the right shoulder to the left hip bone (where the baby will sit).  Here is an example of how to measure yourself or a friend from a sling company.

2.  Unfold your fabric and cut it lengthwise.  It will measure 2 yards by 22 inches.  Put one piece aside for future use or another sling.

3.  Fold your fabric lengthwise once.  Then fold it in half widthwise.  Make sure the open sides are facing up and to the right. See picture below.

4.  On the top, open side, measure from the fold to your hip to shoulder measurement.  Henri is a petite little lady so her measurement 22 inches.  You want to add a 1/2 inch to this measurement.  Therefore, this top measurement is 22.5 inches.  Mark this with a pen.

Now measure along the bottom from the fold to the next measurement (keep reading) and mark.  Take the original measurement and adding three inches to it.  In Henri's case that is 25 inches (22 plus 3).  See picture below.

5.  After marking both measurements, you will want to cut from the bottom to the top with a curve.  See picture below.

6.  Unfold your fabric and heat up your iron.  It time to use that dreaded iron and do some finishing details.  Measure a 1/4 of an inch fold using your measuring gauge on the length of your fabric.  Iron this fold down on both sides.

7.  Fold this over again and iron down an additional 1/4 of an inch on both sides.

8.  Sew down the fold on top and bottom.

9.  With the sides sewn and finished, fold the fabric in half widthwise with the right side of the fabric facing up.  Make sure your adjust your stitch width to a tight stitch.  This will increase the strength of the seam. Sew along the curve a 1/4 of inch in.

10.  Turn the sling inside out.  You are going to sew along the curve above the seam you just made.  This will encase the previous seam.  Make sure you sew above the previous raw fabric or it will stick out the bottom of the sling (learn from my oops).  This is double protection from the seams opening up.

11.  Open up the sling and sew down this encased seam to the front or back of the fabric.  This makes a nice finish and you don't have the encased seam sticking out.

That's it.  A simple sew for an awesome sling!  Here is my finished sling.

I hope this tutorial helped you.  If you are new to baby-wearing and need help utilizing a sling.  Here is an excellent guide to the different wearing positions.

This is also an excellent gift to make for a little girl.  It is equally as fun to carry your baby dolls around in a sling.  I am sure I will be making one for my sweet Anna one day.

I hope you or a friend enjoys a new sling!

Happy Crafting!

My first Tutu & Tutorial

Well, I did it!  I made my first tutu!  My friend Henri, sent me an easy tutu tutorial video (see below) awhile back, so I thought it would perfect for a birthday gift.  Check it out!

I made this for sweet Antonia's Princess Birthday party.  Here are some pictures of beautiful Antonia in her tutu.  Thanks for the pictures, Karla!

Isn't she just precious?  I hug and squeeze her every time I see her!

I was very happy with how my first tut turned out!  It was very simple to make.

Here is what you will need:

• 2 rolls of 6 inch by 25" tulle of either one or two colors
• 3/4 inch Elastic for waist band
• Scissor or rotary cutter/cutting mat
• ruler or measuring tape
• needle and thread or a sewing machine to make it super fast
• coordinating ribbon to the colors of the tulle
• roll of paper towels and pins (this is to hold the elastic as you tie on the tulle

Here is the fantastic video I followed to make the tutu:




I did the slip knot technique and I used at least 60 strips for this 4T/5T tutu.  I used every bit of the two rolls of tulle. I like how full the tutu turned out.  Once I put on all the tulle, I tied on a ribbon and made a pretty bow.

I think my first tutu was a success!

Be on the lookout for my next tutu.  I am making a ladybug tutu for my sweet Anna's first birthday!

Happy Crafting!

Freezer Paper Stenciled Birthday Shirts

A few weeks ago, I sent this feature on Freezer Paper Stencil T-shirts to my friend over at Sarahndipities.  Sarah just had her fifth child and needed some guest posts while she was recovering.  I was more than happy to help her out and hopefully make some new friends for our blog.  Welcome to any new followers from Sarahndipities.  Our followers should check out her blog as well.  She has super cute crafts and crochet items!

Today, I will be sharing a tutorial for a Freezer Paper Stencil T-shirts.

Two of my children are having birthdays coming up.  Since I learned how to do freezer paper stenciling, I love to make personalized shirts for my kids.  They love showing off their age and/or their name and it is much cheaper than embroidery! Here is a picture of what I will be teaching you to make.

Needed Supplies:

• A T-shirt
• Fabric paint
• Foam paint brushes
• Freezer paper (found in the plastic wrap/foil aisle of any grocery store)
• Exacto knife
• Self-healing cutting mat
• Iron
• Pencil to trace number and circle
• Printed number and circle in your choice of font (I made a circle with the draw feature in Word).

Shannon and I both have a Silhouette and we love it!  Unfortunately, not everyone has a Silhouette, so I want to give you the tutorial for either way.  You can easily cut your letters on freezer paper using the Silhouette as well.  Shannon has done this many times and suggests selecting "Vellum" speed 3, thickness 25.  Make sure to use a mat that has plenty of stickiness left to it.  Rub the freezer paper down well to avoid any bubbles, which could cause the paper to tear.

If you don't have a Silhouette, here is the tutorial for you!

1.  Print off your number and circle or any design that you want to use.  Cut a piece of freezer paper larger than the size of your design.  With the waxy side down, trace your number or design.  

 2.  Here are all my designs ready to be cut out.  If you make the freezer paper too small don't worry, you can add more freezer paper to the shirt so that you don't get paint where it shouldn't go.    Also, don't stress if your tracing isn't perfect.  You can fix that when you cut it out.

3.  Now take your exacto knife and cut out the number and the circle.  Notice that I will need to add more paper to the five as I didn't center my 5 appropriately.

Here are the two designs I was working on.

I won't need the interior of the circle.  I am keeping this though as you never know what you might want to put a 5 on, right?

4.  Heat up your iron to the cotton setting.  Turn off any steam settings. Iron your t-shirt.  Then cut out a large piece of freezer paper that will fit the inside of your t-shirt. You want this piece to cover the entire inside so that you don't have paint bleed through.  Place the freezer paper waxy side up and iron your t-shirt again.  This will help the freezer paper to adhere to the inside.

5. Grab your circle.  Center the circle in the middle of the t-shirt.  Iron it down making sure it is flat and without any bubbles.  Then center the freezer paper with your number and iron it down too.

 I cut another strip of freezer paper as my one side was thin and I didn't want paint to bleed off the edge.

 Here is the shirt ready to add paint.

This is how your circle should look if you gave yourself plenty of space on both sides.  I did it right for the #3 shirt.

6.  Use a foam brush and fabric paint to paint your design.  Make sure not to use too much paint as it might cause the freezer paper to bubble and paint to bleed underneath.  Try to go with the lines of the shirt as well, not against the lines.  White paint is takes more than one coat to show up properly.  Most other colors can get away with one or two light coats. I did three coats for this design.  You can use a hair dryer to speed up the process if you get impatient between coats.  Just make sure that the first coat is completely dry before painting the second coat.

 After first coat of paint.

After second coat of paint.

After third coat of paint.  Notice the number has almost disappeared.

7. Again, allow the paint to fully dry.  Learn from my mistake on a previous project and let the paint dry for at least 24 hours before you machine wash.

8.  Peel off the freezer paper.  If you have any difficulty, use your exacto knife to get under the freezer paper.  You won't hurt the paint that is attached to the shirt.  Here are the finished shirts.

My little man Ryan loved his shirt and wore it proudly the day of his birthday.  He will wear it many more times throughout the year.  You can machine wash and dry without any problems.  Here is Ryan showing off his #5 shirt.  The second picture is of my little man Evan who turned 3 yesterday.  This was perfect timing to share the tutorial with everyone!

Shannon and I have made many gifts and other projects using freezer paper.  If you would like to see more, click here. Freezer paper stencils are fantastic and let you make inexpensive personalized gifts.  If you have any questions, please let me know!

Happy Crafting!

Homemade Stuffed Teddy Bears

My mom planned our Bear Camp activities. For one of the activities, we decided to make stuffed bears.  The girls helped, where they could. GraciAnn knows how to sew buttons, from her Montessori schooling so she helped with that.  We also encouraged them to choose the dress style, the buttons, and help in any other way they possibly could. What they ended up with was bears they will treasure.

I used a brown paper bag to make a teddy bear pattern.  I folded the bag in half so the pattern was symmetrical.

Here's the pattern opened up. We traced the pattern on brown felt.  We cut the felt out. The girls selected the buttons they wanted for the eyes, nose, mouth, and accessories.  We made the bears dresses from flannel receiving blankets. Then, we sewed the bears, around the edges, by hand (we were at camp and without a sewing machine) until we got to a place to stuff the bear with cotton pillow fill. We filled the bears and then finished stitching them up. We added bows to the bears ears. We were done!

The girls loved their bears. These bears will remind them of their special time at Bear Camp!