Crafty Crafts

Cards for The Holiday House

2011-11-10T12:49:00.001-08:00

I'm getting excited for The Holiday House coming up next week. It is a craft bazaar being held in someone's home, and they have a ton of awesome vendors lined up. I will be selling handmade cards, and other paper crafts if I can get them together. Lol! I took some quick snapshots of a few of the cards I have done. PLEASE let me know if some of them are really, really bad or ugly. Since I will be selling them I want to represent myself the best I can. My feelings won't be hurt if you think they are lame. :)

2011-03-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this tutorial forever ago, and every time I see my kids' bag of clothes that are too small for them I want to dig in and make one of these dresses. I thought I had saved the tutorial on this lil' ole' blog, but for some odd reason I hadn't! Gasp! So, I {finally} found the tutorial again, and I am posting it this time!!

This dress look SO easy and SO cute!!

image from I Am Momma, Hear Me Roar

2X4 Turkey

2010-11-15T17:12:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of Craft Goodies

Okay, this turkey is seriously cute and looks way easy to make! I wish I'd seen this earlier!

Free Christmas Cards!

2010-11-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

So, I've started thinking about Christmas cards for this year, although I am horrible about sending them. But, "This year is going to be different", I told myself. Then I came across this AMAZING deal.

You can get 50 FREE photo cards from Shutterfly, just by doing a post about it on your blog. Can you believe it?! Pretty awesome, right? Sounds like I'm going to have to send cards this year!

I love the look of this one. It's called Modern Bliss. I think the little circle in the corner is so simple, but so cute. (By the way...these are not my kids, just in case you were wondering what the heck was going on.)

I also love this one. It's called Joy Sage Story Christmas. It just looks so classy to me.

And, if you're wanting to put more than one picture on your card, I think this one is darling. Actually, this one would work really well for us, 'cause there is a spot for 4 small pictures and one big family picture. Just put in a pic of each kid, one of the hubs and I together, and one pic of the whole family. Voila! (It's called With Love Chartreuse Christmas, if you're wondering.)

So, there you have it, folks. If you are wanting to some really cute Christmas cards, and get 50 of them FREE, just head on over to Shutterfly. They also have a bunch of fun gift ideas, too. I made Scott a book for our anniversary a few months ago and he loved it.

Follow this link to get the details-
Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up:http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Have a great day!!

"Vinyl" Thanksgiving Subway Art Printable

2010-11-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

courtesy of Craftily Ever After

Check out this super cute, free download at Craftily Ever After. Just print it out, throw it in a frame and "Voila!".

Giving Thanks Journal

2010-11-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of Creativity Prompt

I thought this was such a neat idea- a Giving Thanks journal! The post also includes a how-to video, as well as free downloadable cover and inside pages.

The Train to Crazy

2010-10-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

I found an awesome new website. Well, new to me at least. It is called The Train to Crazy. She has a slew of great tutorials on there. I found her blog while searching for a ladybug wings tutorial for my daughter's ladybug princess costume. Isn't it funny what ideas 5 year-olds come up with for costumes?!

I really like the look of this little dress, as well as the skirts she has on her blog.

Ruffled Flower Rag Quilt Pattern

2010-10-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of I am Only 1 Woman

Okay, seriously...this quilt is SO stinkin' cute! If I ever a) finish a sewing project I start and b) have a good reason to, I am definitely making one of these!

Cute Apron

2010-09-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of Just Between Friends

A friend of mine turned this clearanced romper from Target into a super cute apron. AND, she's giving one away! Check it out over at Just Between Friends.

Envelope Back Pillow Cover Tutorial

2010-09-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about making some pillow covers to change things up in my living room a little bit, and this tutorial on A Pretty Cool Life is just the ticket!

Emery Board Holder

2010-09-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of Sherry's Simple Blog

Thought these were really neat and look pretty easy to make. What a fun little gift! I bet you could use the same idea to make a little to-go sewing kit. Eh, eh?

Die Job Chart

2010-09-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of Poppies at Play

Saw this awesome idea on Poppies at Play and had to post it here for safekeeping. It's a job chart die!! How fun is that?!

Monogram Table Settings, Etc.

2010-08-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

Saw this awesome idea. Had to capture a link to it. Use a porcelain marker to personalize plain plates, etc. Awesome!!

A couple of pages

2010-08-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post a couple of scrapbook pages I've done that I found recently. They aren't super-dee-duper exciting, but that's okay. One I made several years ago, and the other I made a couple months ago. As you can see, my scrapbook style is *really* simple.

Quick and Easy Fabric Flower

2010-07-23T01:29:00.000-07:00

Love this tutorial. It shows you how to make fabric flowers really easily, and also has lots of great ideas for different uses for the flowers.

Skirt Tutorials

2010-07-23T01:20:00.000-07:00

I liked THIS tutorial for a comfy looking skirt. I really want to add more casual skirts to my wardrobe.

And HERE is a link to her whole Skirt Week, with lots of great skirt tutorials for both kids and adults. Yay!

Gift Bags from Newspaper

2010-07-23T00:43:00.000-07:00

HERE is an awesome tutorial for making a gift bag out of newspaper! Now I will be able to whip up a gift bag at my leisure!

Oh, wait...that would require having some leisure time, wouldn't it?! Oh, well. Still a cool tutorial. :D

Hanging Storage Baskets

2010-07-16T17:12:00.001-07:00

I thought these hanging storage baskets were so great. You could stack several rows of them on a wall if you were short on space.

Paint Chip Reading Game

2010-07-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

Found this AWESOME reading game using paint chips. Now I need to pick up some paint chips pronto!

Links to 12 Free Tote Tutes

2010-07-14T10:25:00.002-07:00

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2010/05/12-free-bag-and-purse-tutorials.html

Antique Spoon Plant Markers

2010-07-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

Use old spoons to make plant markers. I thought this was such a cool idea! A really cheap craft, too! Check out the tutorial HERE.

Insulated Lunch Tote

2010-06-26T18:06:00.001-07:00

This could come in handy someday. http://jembellish.blogspot.com/2010/05/insulated-bag-tutorial.html

Flowing Skirt

2010-06-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

Found this tutorial for making a flowing skirt that looks really easy. I like tutorials that have you just measure the person, add seam allowances and sew, 'cause I don't feel super comfortable yet with paper patterns.

Root Beer Sampler

2010-06-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of homemade by jill

When I saw this idea on Homemade by Jill, I just knew I'd have to save it for later use. My hubby {loves} root beer, so this would be perfect!

Pillowcase Dress Tutorial.

2010-06-20T20:26:00.001-07:00

Right now I am working on making my girls pillowcase dresses using THIS tutorial. I let you know how it turns out. :D

Giveaway Winner Announced!

2010-05-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all those who entered our fabulous giveaway sponsored by Simple Serendipity! She has so many cute things in her shop, and the prices are awesome!

According to Random.org, our winner is...

Number 9

Mrs. Jaime R

She chose the simple black mum earrings. How exciting!! Enjoy those little beauties!!

Thanks to all those who entered. Maybe you will win next time!

Paper Fans

2010-05-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of Blue Cricket Design

Found a tutorial for these cute paper fans. I never would have thought to make these and put them on the wall, but I think they are really cute!

Simple Pajama Shorts Tutorial

2010-05-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Found this really easy tutorial over at MADE. She says this is a tutorial for pajama shorts, but look how cute they are! I would wear those all day! And, it only uses a yard of fabric. I definitely need to add some shorts to my wardrobe for the pleasantly mild summers we have here in Arizona. ;)

First Quilt Ever Tutorial

2010-05-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

There is a great tutorial for making your First Quilt Ever over at Obsessively Stitching. It's broken down into a bunch of smaller steps and she answers questions throughout. There are a lot of other fun projects on that site, as well.

One Crafty Thing Week #3 & A GIVEAWAY!!

2010-04-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone! Last week my computer decided to crash for a few days, so I got behind in my blogging. But, I'm back and excited about this week's One Crafty Thing because I am hosting my very first GIVEAWAY!!

Sara at Simple Serendipity will be giving one of my lucky blog readers an item of their choice from her Etsy shop!! Hello, awesome! Check out some of the beautiful items available.

To enter, "simply" visit Simple Serendipity, then leave a comment here telling me which item you love, along with your e-mail address so I can contact you when you win! Contest ends next Monday at midnight AZ time. (same as Pacific. I think...)

Want to boost your chances of winning? Okay. You can earn extra entries by:

1. Telling your friends about the giveaway via Facebook or on your blog, then leave a comment telling me you did so. (2 extra entries possible here)
2. Linking a project to this week's One Crafty Thing.

Speaking of One Crafty Thing...last week was sad, folks. Only ONE person linked up! A BIG THANK YOU to Ginger at Super Stinky Boys for the projects she contributed. I really appreciate it!

SO...it's a new week. Let's hop back onto the crafty bandwagon and see some great projects linked up!

Remember:
* When linking up, enter the link to the actual post and not your blog's home page
* Grab a One Crafty Thing button for your post so we can all see each others' projects.
* In the spot where it says "Name", write in the name of your project & blog.

copy and paste:

Thanks a million. And don't forget to enter the giveaway, which will end next Monday! Mwah!

Flower Clippies

2010-04-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

So, I finally got my craft on and made my girls some flower hair clippies! Once you get your supplies out, they really aren't that difficult to make. I can't believe I waited so long to make some! I even made a few as gifts.

Here is the whole bouquet.

I took a picture of each set separately, because I did the back a little different on each set. If you have questions about how I did any of them, just ask in the comments.

So, do you like them?! If you have never made these, you should definitely try it! They are so fun!

And don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY and join our LINKY PARTY!

I'm linking to:

One Crafty Thing

2010-04-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our second week of the One Crafty Thing Challenge. Last week we didn't have a lot of projects linked up, so hopefully this week we can at least DOUBLE the number of links!

Last week we got to see Sarah's beautiful nursery reveal. I love the wall art!

We also saw several awesome projects from Super Stinky Boys, including this super cute denim monster. She has a whole series on her blog dedicated to things you can make out of old jeans.

I'm excited to see what projects you guys can come up with this week! And, stay tuned for our first ever giveaway coming up in a few days!!

When linking, be sure to grab a button so everyone reading your blog can see all the great One Crafty Thing projects.

copy and paste:

"Planket"

2010-04-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

image from The Crafter's File Box

Aren't these awesome?! I've decided I need to make each of the kids one before our road trip in a few weeks. I made something similar to this once, but never thought to put an actual pillow inside and use fleece for the blanket part. Check out the tutorial HERE.

Long Sleeve Shirt Refashion

2010-04-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of Craftopia

I have a long sleeved, button-up shirt that I have been wanting to refashion, and THIS might be the perfect tutorial for it.

Activity bag for the car

2010-04-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

Found this great tutorial for making an activity bag. A little teaser...you put a cookie sheet inside of it!! Check it out here:
Fireflies and Jellybeans: How to make an activity bag for the car

Flower Shirt

2010-04-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last night I had some girlfriends over for a "re-fashionista" party. Everyone brought their old shirts, fabric & sewing machines and we worked together to refashion some of our boring clothes. It was my first experience with refashioning, and I'm excited to try my hand at it again.

For my shirt we decided to make a flower and attach it to the top left-hand side of the shirt. I don't know where the flower pattern came from, but it was really cute. (Pam, can you enlighten us with its source?) Here is the final product!

And here is a close-up of the flower. We used brown and pink fabrics that have a little give to them, so as the shirt is washed the petals will curl up and fray a little. Don't you love things that get better with time?

It's nice to get together with friends when refashioning, because they can give you ideas, nix bad ones, and cheer you up when the creative juices just plain dry up! Not that I *personally* experienced that. I'm just sayin'...

Okay, who am I kidding?! The brain train completely derailed and I would have been left in a heap of fabric and tears if not for the help of my friends.

Everyone's projects turned out really cute. (Yes, even the blanket!) I'm excited to see all of them! (nudge, nudge. wink, wink) I'm linking up with :

Project: Beautify!

2010-04-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

My "entertainment center" (I put that in quotation marks because it's just a bunch of shelves) has been in a sad state for a long time. The DVDs weren't contained into one area, there was clutter on all the shelves and basically, it just wasn't that pretty to look at. SO, I decided to remedy that situation.

Unfortunately I didn't take any 'before' pics, but here are the 'after' pictures. What do you think?

Here is a closer shot of the area above the TV. Notice...you don't have to have a lot of money and fancy stuff to make an impact. I just grabbed 3 glasses and a tray out of my kitchen, added some branch clippings from the backyard and voila--flower arrangement. Oh, and there's some pretty high-tech equipment holding up the "Family" sign. Can we say "baby food jars"? Ha ha ha!

Here is a closer shot of the left side of the shelving. That birdcage, believe it or not, was in our backyard when we bought the house. It was buried behind a bunch of overgrown plants, so when I found it I was pretty excited! I wanted to put something on the bottom shelf, but nothing too breakable, so I looked through my kids' books to find a couple books with a neat looking cover that were in my color scheme.

So, there you have it, folks. What can YOU beautify around YOUR home?

Oh, and I'm linking to ONE CRAFTY THING, Mad Skills Monday & Tackle-It Tueaday.

One Crafty Thing

2010-04-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

Remember THIS post, when I challenged you to do ONE CRAFTY THING a week and then post all about it? Then, remember how you didn't hear about it again for over 3 weeks? That is the very reason I need this challenge! It is time to get this crafty ball rollin'!! Several of you showed interest in participating. Others felt it was too big a "craftmittment". ( I love that word!) That's what's so great about this. If you do it one week, link-up. If you don't do it one week don't beat yourself up. Just join us next week. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Well, now is the time for us to start! Welcome to our very first linky party! Throughout the week as you do your crafty thing, post it on your blog and link-up here. If you don't have a blog to post it to, but would still like to participate, feel free to contact me and we could feature your project on the blog as a post.

The main thing is to HAVE FUN & CREATE!!

And, we have a shiny button you can add to your blog to let the world know why the heck you are posting crafty stuff on your blog. Pick one of these babies up! They're goin' fast! (Okay, not really. I just had to add that in 'cause it sounded like the right thing to say.)

copy and paste:

Remember, it doesn't have to be something super fabulous, we just want to see you flexing your creative muscles! Annnnnd....GO!

"Book" Bag

2010-04-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of Remodelaholic

My friend, Janelle, alerted me to this craft and said I should post it on my blog. So, Janelle, this one's for you!!

I Found It!

2010-04-11T18:08:00.001-07:00

A while ago I did a post about how I wanted to make an old looking 'fresh eggs' sign for my kitchen. I FOUND IT!! I found a sign that looks just like the one I want to make, and it is SUPER DUPER easy!!! Woo hoo!!

image courtesy of V and Co.

HERE is the tutorial at V and Co.

Blue Jean Mending

2010-04-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of Adventures in Dressmaking

Want to salvage those jeans that have gotten a hole or two in them AND make them look 'stylish' in the process? Then check out this tutorial on how to repair them!

Child's Pool Robe

2010-04-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of Sew, Mama, Sew

I love these little pool robes! What an awesome thing to have in the summer, especially here in Arizona where you spend a lot of time at the pool! And, it's made out of a towel!

Crafty Blog Chain

2010-04-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

So, my friend Pam told me about a cute blog I hadn't stumbled upon yet called

which led me to find her that blogger's sister's blog

which then led me to

on which I found a tutorial for these

and a CUTTING TUTORIAL

I think it's time to stop craft blog surfing for now.

Bunny Finger Puppets

2010-04-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

image from The Purl Bee

I saw these little bunny finger puppets and thought to myself, "These are actually something I could make for the kids' Easter baskets!" They look SO easy and SO cute. You should definitely give them a try!

Or would that be SEW easy? Har har har...

Barrettes

2010-03-27T01:01:00.001-07:00

I really need to do more 'girly' things for my girls, I've decided. One of those things is making cute things for their hair. Here are links to several darling barrettes and such to get me on my way.

Felt Rose Barrettes by The Purl Bee

image courtesy of The Purl Bee

A couple of cute barrettes over at Homemade by Jill

images courtesy of Homemade by Jill

Ribbon Flower Headband

image courtesy of Get Your Craft On

HERE is the link to a whole forum full of links to hairbow/hairclip tutorials. For example, there are instructions for making a bow like this:

I'm sure my girls would love for me to learn how to do these!

My "Crafty" Idea

2010-03-20T13:35:00.001-07:00

I often look through crafting blogs, drool over the projects and think to myself, "I should make one of those. I could do that!" But, I never do. My craft blog is full of other people's crafts and not my own.

So, I have come up with a great idea to remedy that situation. I call it "One CRAFTY Thing". One Crafty Thing (OCT) is a challenge to make ONE crafty thing every week and post it on the blog.

"That sounds fabulous, Jillian! I have a lot of projects that I never get to, too. I wish I could do something like that." Good, because I am challenging YOU to do the same thing! Every week do ONE CRAFTY THING and post it on your blog. Then we will have a 'linky party' at the end of the week to share the crafty thing we did.

"But, I don't always have time to do crafty things/I don't have the money to do that many projects/I have too much organizing & cleaning around my house that needs done to justify spending time to do a project/I'm not a crafty person. How can I participate?"

Well, I'm glad you asked. See, there is more than ONE definition to the word "crafty". Let's see what the good 'ole dictionary has to say...

Crafty : \Craft"y\ (kr?ft"?), a. [AS. cr?ftig.]

1. Relating to, or characterized by, craft or skill; dexterous. [Obs.] ``Crafty work.'' --Piers Plowman.

2. Possessing dexterity; skilled; skillful.

A noble crafty man of trees. --Wyclif.

So, you can demonstrate any way that you used some kind of skill, whether it be baking, organizing, doing a craft with your kids, folding the huge pile of laundry on your couch (unless that's just me who has one of those), sharing your talents with others, or finally mastering the perfect 'pat-head & rub-tummy at the same time' technique. Whatever it is, we want to see it!!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that there is a THIRD definition for crafty. It is:

3. Skillful at deceiving others; characterized by craft; cunning; wily. ``A pair of crafty knaves.'' --Shak.

With anxious care and crafty wiles. --J. Baillie.

Syn: Skillful; dexterous; cunning; artful; wily; sly; fraudulent; deceitful; subtle; shrewd

Now, I don't want to see a post about how you swindled someone out of 50 bucks or cheated at your weekly game of Canasta. Think more along the lines of "righteous craftiness". For example, you use your cunning wiles to find out your neighbor's favorite treat and leave it on their doorstep without a note, or sneak a love note into your hubby's wallet disguised as a $5 bill.

Won't this be fun?!?!

If you think so, leave a comment and we will get this crafty ball rollin'!!

Click HERE to view our most current linky party.

Counting Bean Bags

2010-03-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

image from Chez Beeper Bebe

Another great tutorial from Chez Beeper Bebe! I thought these counting bean bags were so great. Very cute, and very easy. I need to make some for the kiddos to help them learn their numbers.

Paratrooper Softie Tutorial

2010-03-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of Chez Beeper Bebe

Oh.My.Goodness. This little paratrooper is SO awesome! I could see my little guy having hours of fun with one of these! Check out the tutorial HERE.

Baby Tights

2010-03-19T21:38:00.001-07:00

image from Made by Rae

Found this awesome tutorial on Made by Rae on how to make baby tights! I wonder if I could pull some of these cute tights off for my 4 year olds? 'Cause they definitely need more tights! Aren't the striped ones cute?!

Vintage Labels- Free Download

2010-03-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

image from iDIY

On iDIY she has a post about these awesome vintage labels that are available to download for free on Flickr. Some of them would go with my kitchen quite nicely. And, what a cheap way to add some extra punch to your decor! I mean, everyone has empty tin cans, right?!

Ribbon Storage Idea

2010-03-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

image from The Cottage Home

Did you ever think to use one of those multiple pant hangers to store your ribbon?! When I saw this I thought, "It's perfect!!" I think I even have one of those hangers around the house here somewhere. When I get my crafty stuff organized I will have to use this idea. I'm planning on turning the office closet into my crafty stuff home, so then I will be able to just hang the ribbon organizer from the closet rod.

Making a Silhouette in Photoshop

2010-03-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

image from Positively Splendid

I am planning to implement some silhouettes of the kids in a collage of frames for my living room wall, so when I found this tutorial I was pretty excited.

Birdie Shirt

2010-03-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

image from Lemon Tree Creations

I love the 'bird' trend that's going on right now. And this shirt is so darling! I love that she took the long sleeves up and added some lace. Makes the shirt a bit more girly. So 'tweet'!

Cute Websites

2010-03-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

In my crafty blog stalking I come across a lot of really cute sites. Here are the links to a few I have found. Enjoy!

This one is written by a friend of a friend. Thanks for the heads up, Janelle!

http://justacountrygirllostinthecity.blogspot.com/

A friend of mine from high school writes a feature on this site, Poppies at Play, called "Think About it Thursday". Also, every Friday it has a linky party called "Creative Cats". There are always a ton of really cute crafts linked up.

Last night I discovered Young House Love, which is so fun. It is especially fun if you love looking at houses.

Another great one if you like houses is Hooked on Houses. (Janelle tipped me off on that one, too!)

And I'm sure you've all seen this site, but I'll throw it on here anyways...Homemade by Jill! I love her stuff. She is so creative, and makes me want to hone my sewing & other crafty skills every time I go on there.

There you go! Now, go feed your crafty, bloggy addiction!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2010-03-17T01:36:00.000-07:00

from My Frugal Lifestyle

Whoa! This looks like something worth trying out! She was able to make a 5 gallon bucket of laundry detergent (yield 75 cups, and you use 1/2-1 cup per load) for....$2!!! Awesome! That's got to be cheaper than Costco. And, she said it is safe to use in HE washers as well, which is good because that's what we have.

DIY Cheap Topiary

2010-03-17T01:29:00.000-07:00

image from Cleared for Takeoff

I have been wanting a topiary for the shelves around our TV, and THIS might be the right tutorial for me. Dollar Tree, here I come!

Old-Looking Sign

2010-03-16T02:10:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of Lemon Tree Creations

I want to make a sign for my kitchen that says "Fresh Eggs 23 cents a dozen" or something like that, 'cause I have kind of a 'farmhouse/country kitchen/old-time market' theme going in there. Here is a "Welcome" sign oen girl made that looks a lot like what I have in mind, finish-wise, etc. Here is the link to her post about it.

Ballard Design Inspired Home Decor

2010-03-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

image from trash2treasure

I think it's so smart when people think to glue two or three things together and paint them to make something new and different. Check out these crafty things that look like they stepped out of a fancy catalog. You, too, can have cute home accessories for only a couple of bucks!

Felt Flower Hair Clip

2010-02-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

image found at Skip to my Lou. Came from Make it Do.

I need to add to my girls' hair accessories stash, and these look really cute. I think I'll make some with a different flower than a poinsettia, now that Christmas is over.

Monogram Plaques

2010-02-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

I have seen this done is many different ways. It's such a cheap & easy craft, and would be a good way to add a little extra 'umph' to your decorating if you have a space that needs filled. (You know how that goes...you're looking at your arrangement and think, 'I just need one more thing, but what can I put there?')

image from Southern Hospitality

Here is a tutorial for monogram plaques to refer to, and also to jog my memory about their existence. ;)

Placemat Pillows

2010-02-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

image from Cheri Quite Contrary

Did you ever think to transform a placemat into a decorative pillow? What a smart idea! See the tutorial HERE.

Ribbon-Tied Necklace

2010-02-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

image from Get Craftin'

HERE is a great idea for adding new life to old necklaces. I have so many necklaces whose chains have been broken, and this would be a great way to be able to wear them again, as well as stepping up their "cute" factor!

(by the way, there is a lot of cute stuff on this girl's blog, not just jewelry)

Stockings + Pearls = Fab Necklace

2010-02-16T21:41:00.001-08:00

image courtesy of Get Craftin'

Saw a tutorial for this dang cute necklace. SO easy to make and SO cute. It would match a lot of things, too. I should totally make one of these.

President's Day Shirts

2010-02-15T23:54:00.000-08:00

image from MADE

I thought these shirts were so cute. They are festive, but not your traditional 'red, white & blue' shirt. I especially love the George Washington one. Too funny. And, the freezer paper stenciling looks awesome! I *have* to try that sometime!

Child's Apron

2010-02-15T23:28:00.000-08:00

image from Sew Liberated

This is a neat tutorial for a full-size child's apron with velcro (instead of a tie in the back), so that the child can put it on & take it off themselves. I know my girls would love one of these!

Sweet Pea Pilot Cap

2010-02-15T23:21:00.000-08:00

image courtesy of Sew Liberated

Follow THIS link to download the tutorial for making this 'sweet' baby cap! It also includes some great tips for sewing with knits and sewing in general.

Family Rules

2010-02-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

image from Fingerprints on the Fridge

Here is a tutorial for a really cute piece of wall art with the "family rules" on it. Here's the link.

Fun Website

2010-02-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun website- Living Locurto.

Hobo Sack Tutorial

2010-02-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

image from MADE

What an adorable little bag!! One thing I love about all her tutorials is that she gives you the steps to make sure it looks like a professional, finished product.

Well, you know, if I ever make a project. Ha ha ha!

L.O.V.E.L.Y. Strawberry Bread

2010-02-07T21:38:00.001-08:00

This bread looks DEVINE! She also makes strawberry butter to go with it. I definitely need to make some! Wouldn't that be a cute Valentine's Day gift for your friends?!

image from The Gaines Gang

Ruffles Ribbon Headband

2010-02-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

image from Ruffles and Stuff

I thought this headband by Blue Cricket Design looked SO cute and pretty easy to make. It's a headband I think I might actually (maybe) be able to pull off wearing. Ha!

Doodle Chalkboard

2010-02-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

image from Ruffles and Stuff

On Ruffles and Stuff she has this cute chalkboard with a tic-tac-toe board and little girl outline painted on it. She had the fun suggestion to make several of them to hang on the wall as art that you can take down & play with. Such a good idea!

Girly Skirts

2010-02-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

image from MADE

Found a tutorial for a really cute market skirt that I'm itching to make.

image from I Made This!

My friend, Breanne, has a bunch of really cute skirt tutes on her craft blog, as well. I want to make the Rick Rack skirt and Mara's 5 tier skirt (shown above).

Lima Bean Wreath

2010-02-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

I love having a wreath on our front door, but it can be pricey to buy one for each season. But, I could easily make this one for much cheaper!

Recycled Tote Bags

2010-02-05T16:33:00.000-08:00

This tutorial shows you how to make really cute bags out of plastic grocery bags that have been deconstructed and ironed together.

"Industrial" Candlestick

2010-02-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

image from Alchemy Junk

Over at Alchemy Junk she made a candle holder out of stuff she found browsing the plumbing department. What an easy and awesome idea! Doesn't it look so 'chic'?!

Pottery Barn "Clock" Wall Art

2010-02-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

image from Alchemy Junk and Pottery Barn

Here is the tutorial for a really neat piece of wall art that looks like an huge old clock with the hands missing. It looks pretty easy to make, too. One o' these days...

Home Decor Balls How-to

2010-02-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

I always like those balls in the home decor aisles at the store, but have never been able to justify buying them, knowing they will be a) lost b) broken or c) both within 5 minutes of putting them on my coffee table. Here is a tutorial for making some of them yourself. Since they are so dang cheap to make I wouldn't feel quite so bad if they didn't last a long time.

image from That's So Cuegly

Here is another tutorial for some other styles of decorative balls. Need.to.make.some!!

T-shirt to Toddler Dress tutorial

2010-02-05T15:31:00.001-08:00

Found a tutorial for a really cute girl's dresses made out of an adult t-shirt. One has ruffles down the front, and the other has cute little roses along the bottom--both made out of scraps from the t-shirt!
I'll have to try this sometime!

http://ohsohappytogether.blogspot.com/2009/07/roses-and-ruffles-t-shirt-to-toddler.html

Wrap Skirt Tutorial

2010-02-02T14:07:00.001-08:00

Found this fun wrap skirt tutorial on Sew Mama Sew. Here is it.

Typewriter Letters Art

2010-01-30T23:09:00.000-08:00

image from pottery barn

I saw this in the PB catalog forever ago and thought it was so cute. I found a tutorial on how to make one. Woo hoo! Here's the link.

Corduroy Skirt for Little Girl

2010-01-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

I found this tutorial on Tea Rose Home a while ago and just fell in love with it. I love corduroy, and you always seem to be able to find it in the 'cheap/clearance' fabric section. The flowers on this skirt really put it over the top. I can't wait to make it!!

Knock Off Wood

2010-01-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine tipped me off to an awesome blog--Knock Off Wood. It is the blog of a stay-at-home mom in Alaska who figures out how to build really cute furniture from {expensive} places like Pottery Barn, Land of Nod, West Elm, & Restoration Hardware, then puts the simple plans on her blog for FREE. She makes the plans really easy to follow, and includes photos and animations to help you along. She also has plans for play kitchens, a little town & a playhouse/loft bed of her own design. Now I'm itching to make furniture!!

Interior Color Personality Quiz

2009-11-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

I just took this quiz to find out my personal interior color personality. Here are the results. Something to keep in mind and reference as I decorate my home. You can take the quiz HERE.

Your Personal Color Profile

Sun-Kissed

: 13-10 Indian Buff

: 25-14 Monsoon

: 13-11 Golden Burma

: 16-9 Spark of Youth

: 7-16 Red Orange

: 12-15 Deluxe

: 20-22 Fern Lane

: 14-9 Golden Glimmer

: 8-15 Orange Berry

: 18-11 Herbal Garden

: 14-16 Yellow Strength

: 9-13 Gold Maize

These colors have all the elements of energy, friendliness and ease. They create a warm and cozy environment. The person who chooses this palette is generous and wants their home to be welcoming and friendly. Comfortable and casual furnishing reflect their desire to entertain and spend more time at home with their family and friends.

Card Sets- "Hi", "Thanks", "Friend" & "You're Doggone Nice"

2009-09-11T01:32:00.000-07:00

I made a bunch of cards for our Relief Society Service Auction. I think they turned out pretty nicely, thanks in part to the super cute paper I got from my sis-in-law. I made a total of 10 cards, 2 of each kind, and ended up splitting them into 2 sets of 5, so each set had one of each kind in it. I have a picture of each set together, then each one by itself.

* * *
* * *

* * *

* * *

Thrifty Decor Chick

2009-08-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Found a fun website, and the name says it all-- Thrifty Decor Chick. I need this. (thrifty decor, that is.)

The Tortoise and the Hare

2009-08-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Michelle and her sister just started a new craft blog called "The Tortoise and the Hare" Check it out!

Upolstered Toddler Beds

2009-08-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about toddler beds for my kids, and this may be the solution--Upholstered Toddler Beds!! These can be found on Design Sponge.

Photo Clips

2009-07-16T17:33:00.001-07:00

For my friend's b-day I made these little Photo Clips that I saw on SugarDoodle forever ago. I thought they turned out really cute, and the possibilities on these are endless! I decorated both sides of them so she will have several options when displaying them.

Tote Bag

2009-06-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

I found this site called "homemade by jill" which is so fun. One project on her site is a tote bag made out of tea towels.

http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2009/03/spring-tote-tutorial.html

Recycled Cakestands

2009-06-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

This is such a neat project, and makes it so that I might be able to actually afford a cute cakestand, which I've been wanting for quite some time!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/05/diy-project-kates-recycled-cakestands.html

Flower Notecard

2009-05-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

I made this card for a bridal shower, but it could be for anything. I just dug through my scraps box and a couple of strips of paper jumped out at me. Then I cut the flowers out of another scrap of paper, added brads to the center of the flowers and "Voila!". All done. And always, always, always ink the edges of everything. It makes it look like a much more finished product. I was looking back on some cards I made when I first started and it's amazing the difference that makes!

Card Party

2009-05-22T23:45:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to a post on my family blog about a card party I had a couple of months ago and a picture of the 'thanks' card we made.

Thinking of You cards

2009-05-08T16:10:00.001-07:00

I was looking through some old photos and ran across these cards. I had completely forgotten about them. I love the ideas of outlining the box with a fine-tipped marker, and ripping the paper underneath. I also love using staples. They are cheap and give some nice texture.

Baby shower card

2009-05-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a card I made for my friend's baby shower. I just used a die-cut with the big "W" stencil on it. Underneath it has a definition of the word "wonderful". I love that argyle paper. I could just eat it up! One new technique I tried was sanding the edges. I have never tried it before, but I think it ads a nice touch to the die-cut.

Mother's Day Cards

2009-05-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

Today I whipped out these two Mother's Day cards. I plan on making more, but here are the first two. They could easily be "Thinking of You" cards, or anything else. They just happen to say "Happy Mother's Day" on them. They would work nicely to be given in a set. If you can't tell in the pictures, the solid colored paper is dark purple. I love green & purple. So fun.

Both together:

The vertical one alone (my fave of the two):

On this card I just drew on the flower stems with a brown acid-free marker. I was debating whether or not to put buttons on the flowers, and my kids decided I should definitely go with the buttons. Being almost 4 years old they practically know everything now, so it's a good thing I followed their advice.

The horizontal one alone (not the best picture in the world, but it will have to do):

The flower embellishments on these cards are just flowers I cut out of the patterned paper. It's a nice little trick, because you save money on buying extra embellishments, and the flowers match perfectly!

* Oh, and the cards really are the same color, same papers, etc. The coloring is just way off in all the pictures. Imagine all the greens are the same.

Easy Easter Cards

2009-04-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to a slideshow of 20 Easy Easter Cards at Scrapbooks, etc.

http://www.scrapbooksetc.com/ideas/holidays/easy-easter-cards_ss1.html?sssdmh=dm17.373086&esrc=nwscrap41_09&email=1734236228

Some of them are really cute.

A couple of fun sites

2009-03-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.makesandtakes.com- great craft and other fun ideas

http://youcanmakethis.com- really cute crafts and sewing tutorial videos!

More Card Ideas

2009-02-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some more card ideas I came up with. Again, I don't know if I actually came up with them, or they were just floating around in my head from other things I've seen, but here they are anyways.

Sites with Scrapbooking Freebies

2009-02-16T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of websites where you can find great digital scrapbooking freebies:

www.storeide.se/gunhild/index.htm
ikeagoddess.blogspot.com
www.digitalarts-cafe.com
www.tootlebugz.com
www.lifeisnotacereal.com/digidesigns/freebies.asp
www.digitalscrapbookfaves.com/
digifree.blogspot.com
efies.blogspot.com
she-devilblog.blogspot.com
kikkinkreations.blogspot.com
www.yourpix.com

Have fun!