Posts Tagged ‘how to’

I found this necklace tutorial on Pinterest and thought it would be just perfect to make. (I’m having technical issues with Pinterest right now so I can’t find the link… I’ll try again later.)

Here’s what you need:
~ Necklace with a round charm/pennant (I got mine at the 99 Cent Store and it had a little heart charm on it which made it perfect for Valentines Day which is when I made it… they still have them right now!)
~ Small piece of knit red fabric, mine was about 3×5” (You can buy a tee shirt at the dollar store and have enough fabric for like 100 necklaces)
~ Toothpick
~ Hot glue gun
~ Pen
~ Scissors

1. Use the charm to trace about 8-12 circles on the knit fabric. Cut out the circles on the inside of your tracing line. The circles don’t have to be perfect!
I traced 6 circles then folded my fabric in half so the cutting would take half the time. EASY!

2. Fold the circle around a toothpick to make a nice point for gluing.

3. Use a small dab (is that a word?) on the fabric and glue it near the center of the charm. Work your way from the center to the ends.

4. Shape the pom pom with scissors by cutting off any areas that stick out.

Now wasn’t that simple? I think it turned out just peachy too. This is another fun one to do in a group. Easy, inexpensive and the outcome is super fun! A lot of my friends made them for their daughters for Valentines Day. They would be great to do in green for St Paddy’s Day… maybe even a teacher giftie!

Happy Monday!

I learned how to make this simple fabric strip banner at a Pinterest Party around Christmas time.
I LOVE it!
Making this banner is so darn EASY, I’ve made one for every holiday since. And I find that making them is quite therapeutic.
Seriously.
I’ve still got a bit of the baby blues and I think the cure just may be making these banners, eating chocolate, and HGTV.
Seriously.
Some of the great things about this craft…
You can start and stop this craft without much thought. It’s easy to watch TV, supervise kiddos and plan dinner all while you are knotting away at the banner. You can even use fabric scraps you already have! So it’s totally a green project. Basically if you do this craft you will end world hunger… OK… not that last one.

You’ll need:
~1 yard of fabric total
~1.5 yards of twine
~cutting mat, cutting ruler & rotary cutter (optional)

1. Cut fabric into 1”x9” strips. Layering the fabric and using a rotary cutter makes this step super easy! 
90-ish strips makes perfect for a doorway or single window. 140-ish is perfect for a mantel or double window.

2. Start about a foot from the end of the twine.
Make a loop behind the twine. (center of the fabric at the top of the loop)

3. Pull the tails around the twine and through the loop. (Be sure to wear a polka dot band aide for extra flare)

4. Pull tight to form the knot.

5. Slide the knots together.

6. Hang and enjoy!!

Fun tip:
This is a PERFECT project to do with a group of friends because you can work on the banner while chatting and eating. It’s also a bit cheaper because you need multiple different color fabrics. (In the Valentines banner I used 5 and in the St Patty’s day banner I used 6… but I think 3 or 4 colors will look great too.) Just buy one yard of fabric for each person coming, and divide it up equally. I try to get fabric at about $5 a yard (with a coupon or on sale) so it makes it easy for collecting $$ too!

(Mondays I like to share something I got. We all like to share a good deal, splurge, unique find or fun activity. If you got something awesome (or lame) recently and blogged about it, be sure to leave me a link to the post in the comments!)

A few people have asked me how Cy was able to use a straw and not a sippy cup (I mentioned it in his health update post), so I thought I would share!

My neighbor, who I have also known since birth, was an occupational therapist for autistic kiddos. I told her how Eli and Cora Jane both had trouble learning to drink from straws. She suggested the Honey Bear Cup, then loaned me one!

Cy learned in one sitting.

It went something like this…

So I totally recommend it!

I asked my friends for fun 4th of July crafts and my friend Monica shared this sweet canvas she made with her daughter last year.

Adorable!!!

It’s perfectly imperfect, don’t you think??

(both pix above from Monica)

Earlier that week I had been in Joanns and picked up one of those super tiny canvases (I think it’s 3.5” x 2.5”) just because it was cute.

Total impulse purchase… but it was only $1.99 so I don’t feel bad.

Then fate brought me Monica’s canvas… or that’s what I’d like to think!!

I modified Monica’s larger canvas and used Cy’s finger prints to make a lil’ flag. I had intended to use his whole finger to make the stripes but uncurling 1-year-old’s finger, even with the help of Hot Hubby, was impossible!

The flag is little and so darn sweet looking. I can’t wait to pull it out every 4th of July and remember how tiny Cy’s little fingers were.

I saw this craft in Family Fun magazine, fell in love and made it (with some modifications). I think it would be perfect for the front door, sliding glass door or where ever!

You’ll need:

7/8-inch wide grosgrain ribbon in red, white, and blue

12-inch-long strip of wood (I used a paint stirrer)

1/8 yard of white fabric OR lace OR silver pom-poms

13 pennies OR 13 buttons

Hot glue gun (or tacky glue)

Lighter

Scissors

 Instructions (copied word for word from the Family Fun site with my additions in bold and underlined)

1. Cut four red and three white 14-inch-long strips, and three red and three white 24-inch-long strips.

2. Cut seven blue 10-1/2-inch-long strips.

3. Run lighter lightly across one end of the the blue ribbon to keep from fraying.

4. Use tacky glue or hot glue to adhere the blue ribbons to the shorter red and white lengths, overlapping the ends a half inch with the burned blue end on the top.

5. Glue all 13 ribbons to a 12-inch-long strip of wood, such as a ruler or paint stirrer, then cover the wood with blue ribbon. Be sure to match up the overlapping blue line so it runs straight across.

Tip: I found the a 12 inch piece of wood was just a bit too short even as I overlapped the 13 ribbons. I used a 5 gallon paint stirrer. It’s thicker and leaves about 6” on either side of the width of the flag. I might cut it down eventually but the extra weight and length makes secure mounting!

6. Trim the bottom ribbon ends evenly and run the lighter across to keep from fraying.

7. For the circle of stars, glue 13 silver pom-poms to the field of blue. Nothing against pom-poms but I was looking for less of a kiddo decoration. I happened to have exactly 13 little white flowers left over from my 4th of July wreath making. (Was that God ordained or what??) Again here is the tutorial I used for the twisted flowers. I also think squares (or a wad) of vintage lace would be really cute! Very Betsy Ross-ish, right?

8. Glue a button to the back of each end for weight. I thought pennies were a lil’ more appropriate for this craft. (And cheaper!!!) Don’t you agree?

One more VERY EASY craft coming tomorrow. It’s cute and little and drool-worthy!

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Cy update:

The nurse called today about the test results. She said levels of certain things were a little high or a little low but not to worry over the weekend. I’m super happy about that! Prayer works!!

But I also think, REALLY??? So we were stuck in the hospital for 3 days for nothing?? Doctors appointment on Wednesday should tell more.