Make and Take Project at Michael's- Saturday, December 5th from 10 am -1 pm

Make and Take Project at Michael's- Saturday, December 5th from 10 am -1 pm

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December Blog and Challenge

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday filled with family, friends, good food, and memory making!

My goal for the month of December is to post at least one new craft idea each day up until Christmas Day. So you will have lots of choices for your holiday and many options to create a present that can be both a keepsake and memory for your family. :)

I welcome any and all questions from you; if something isn't quite clear, or if you would like to ask "what can I/you make with these items I have around the house?" then pass them on to me. I will try to answer all of your inquiries and questions as soon as possible, if I get too many, then I will answer them in the order I receive them. :)

Have a great day, and I look forward to sharing ideas with all of you this holiday season! :)

Boo boo Bag

I saw something kinda like this at a craft fair a few years ago. I have since modified it, and it has become one of the best things to have around my house. It fixes everything from a bruise that needs some ice to a fever or even the occasional owwie that needs a little TLC.

This boo boo bag is my take on a bean bag, in that it is a small remnant of fabric that is filled with long grain rice. You can put it in the freezer (that's where we keep ours) until you need it, but it can also double as a heating pad for your little one. To make this a heating pad, simply remove the cover and microwave the inner bag at 50% in 30 second intervals, until you get it to the desired temperature.

Have your little one pick out the fabrics to make it fun and exciting. My daughter has her own princess themed one; while my son has a NASCAR themed one. We have made several for other people too, and they love to pick out fabrics for them too.

Supplies:
1 1/4 cup long grain white rice can not be instant
1 remnant of flannel fabric
1 remnant of cotton fabric




Step 1- Cut (2) 6 1/2" squares from the flannel fabric.
Note: You could cut (1) 13" x 6 1/2" piece and fold in half.



Step 2- Sew the two edges together completely, and for the top, leave about 2" open.
Note: The opening will allow for you to turn the bag right-side out.



Step 3- Turn bag right-side out.



Step 4- Fill bag with 1 1/4 cups of rice.
Note: This can be a little tricky- I put all of the rice into a sandwich bag, and then snipped a corner off and placed that snipped corner into the opening at the top and let all of the rice fall in.

Step 5- Fold rough edges of bag in (so you can't see them) and pin. Sew.
Note: The bag is easier to sew together if you pin it in the middle to keep the rice from shifting while you sew the edge shut.



Step 6- Cut (2) 8 1/2" squares from the cotton fabric remnant.
Note: Again, you could cut a single piece 17" x 8 1/2" and fold.



Step 7- Fold 1" on one end of each piece. This is the hem for the case of the boo boo bag. Pin and sew each piece.

Step 8- Pin and sew the remaining edges together. The cover will look like a mini-pillowcase when completed.

Step 9- Turn cover right-side out. A little helper can do this for you.

Step 10- Place rice-filled bag inside of cover.

That's it! Ready for you to place in the freezer for when your little one might need it.

Another option to this, is adjusting the size of the bag itself. You can make a longer rectangular one and it becomes a bag for an adult to use for an achy back. You can make a smaller rectangular one and put a few drops of essential oil in it for fragrance and it becomes soothing to your eyes at the end of a long day- or for giving out for Christmas. :^)

Dishtowel Apron

Hey everyone! With Thanksgiving just 2 days away, I'm going to give you 2 crafts today! :)

This one is surprisingly simple to make, and can be completed in about 20 minutes! :)

Supplies:
1 dishtowel (I purchased mine at IKEA for 49 cents!- if you don't have IKEA near you, any dishtowel will work just fine. :)
1 piece of 1 1/2" grossgrain ribbon 72" long
1 piece of 1 1/2" grossgrain ribbon 36" long

Sewing machine with thread
Pins to hold material while sewing

Note: This could be sewn by hand, but would take longer than 20 minutes to complete.




Step 1- Fold bottom of towel up 1/4 of the total length of towel to make a pocket. Pin in place.

Step 2- Sew edges closed with a straight stitch. Sew in middle of towel to split this pocket in half. (I used dark thread so you could see what I did.)

Step 3- At the top of the towel, fold edge over 2" to create a sleeve. Pin in place. Sew.

Step 4- Take the 72" piece of ribbon and center it along the top of the pocket. Pin the ribbon along the top of the pocket; you will have 2 tails on either side of the apron (they will become a tie for the back of the apron).

Step 5- Carefully stitch ribbon in place.

Note: You can sew your pocket shut if you don't do this correctly. You can also use a no sew product for the ribbon if you like. Make sure to sew the ends securely to the apron to enforce it.

Step 6- Thread the 36" piece of ribbon through the sleeve at the top of the apron.

That's it! A brand new apron for your little one to help out in the kitchen or while they craft. :)

Link to the Studio 5 segment with Kristine McKay

As promised, here is the link to the Studio 5 segment that had my mom's autographed tablecloth idea in! :)


http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=54&sid=8734158

A Timely Tradition

Today on Studio 5 (KSL channel 5 in Salt Lake City) creative contributor Kristine McKay of KMcKaydesigns (http://www.kmckaydesigns.com/) will be discussing different ways to take the holiday festivities "Beyond the Meal." She asked a while ago what types of family traditions does your family do during the holiday, and I instantly thought of my mom's autographed tablecloth! I will post a link to the segment later today- so those of you that can not watch Studio 5 will be able to see it too!

This family tradition started in 1997, when my mom created a plain white linen tablecloth that she then instructed all of us (both friends and family) who ate Thanksgiving dinner to autograph and date it any where we wanted to. After the meal was completed, my mom hand embroidered every one's 'autograph' in their favorite color to permanently showcase every one's name for that year. This tradition has happened every year since then for all holiday gatherings; Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas and will happen again in a few days on Thursday afternoon.

Each year we look at the names and remember fun times with the person who signed it. Some of the autographs are of family members who have passed away, couples that weren't married at the time of their first holiday meal that has now become a family tradition, signatures of parents who now have little ones of their own signing the table, and friends who have stopped by for a bite of turkey or dessert to celebrate the holiday with us. Below are just a few of the pictures of this keepsake.


A full view of the tablecloth with all of the signatures from '97-'09.



A close up of some of the original signatures two of my sisters and one of my brother from '97, and my cousin's from '00.



My signature from '97 and later my husband's from '01, and also a family friend from '01.

My grandfather's signature from '01, my daughter's, aunt and uncle who visited from Missouri this past Easter.

My mom's autograph is in the center of the tablecloth.

My mom with her creation.

I hope that your holiday is full of family, friends, good food, and traditions that make great memories that will last a lifetime.

Streamer Barrettes

My daughter Katie has called these "Streamer" barrettes, she is 6 years old and can make these after I start them for her- since I don't let her use the hot glue gun yet. They are really simple to make, and can be made in any color combination, school colors, or if you would like to coordinate with a special outfit. These can also be a great little girlfriend gift your daughter can make for her friends for Christmas or as a birthday present.

Streamer Barrette
(this will make 1 barrette- double supplies and repeat all steps to make a matching pair)

Hot glue gun- pre-heated and ready to go
4 feet 1/4" ribbon (grossgrain, satin, sheer, etc.) color A (royal blue)
4 feet 1/4" ribbon (grossgrain, satin, sheer, etc.) color B (white)
6 tri-beads color A
6 tri-beads color B
1 barrette

Note: for this post I used a Goody Asha Snap Clip; but I have also used the double bar barrette pictured at the end. If your child has thin hair the Goody clip won't fall out, the double bar barrette works best with thicker hair.




Step 1- Place a dot of glue on the underside of the barrette.



Step 2- Fold color A ribbon in half, and place the half-way point on the glue dot. (Work quickly so the glue doesn't dry before you do this)




Step 3- Flip over barrette, and place another drop of glue on front.




Step 4- Weave ribbon end through opening on barrette, going to the opposite side. (e.g. left-right or right-left)

Note: Choose either left first or right and then cross them so you will end up with a chevron design, you will have to maintain this weave pattern for the rest of the barrette or it will not work out smoothly.

Step 5 - Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Color B.

Step 6- Weave ribbon end through opening on barrette, going to the opposite side. (e.g. left-right or right-left)

Step 7- Alternately finish Step 4 and Step 6 until you reach the end of the barrette. I had to complete Step 4 five (5) times, and Step 6 four (4) times.

Step 8- Place a drop of glue in the middle of front of the barrette.

Step 9- Cross color B ribbon into glue, to hold it in place, but appear to continue the weave pattern.

Step 10- Repeat Step 8 and Step 9 for color A.

Step 11- Place a drop of glue on the underside of barrette.

Step 12- Take the left side and wrap it under the barrette so it comes up and over to the right, and take the right side and wrap it under the barrette so it comes up and over to the left.

Note: In essence you are tying them to keep them in place for the next step.

Step 13- Flip barrette over, and tie a double knot in the middle of the clip. Secure with glue if desired.

Step 14- Take 1 tri-bead of color B and thread it on to 1 ribbon of color A. Then thread 1 tri-bead of color A. Finish with 1 tri-bead of color B. Shown below.

Step 15- Repeat Step 14 for remaining color A ribbon.

Step 16- Take 1 tri-bead of color A and thread it on to 1 ribbon of color B. Then thread 1 tri-bead of color B. Finish with 1 tri-bead of color A. Shown below.

Step 17- Repeat Step 16 for remaining color B ribbon.

Should look like the picture below.



Step 18- Tie a knot at desired length in ribbon. Repeat for all 4 of the ribbons.

Note: you might have to make a double knot to keep the tri-bead from falling off.

Step 19- Trim excess ribbon ends off. (I left about 1/4")

What it looks like in Katie's hair.

These are the other clips that I have made Streamer Barrettes from, and are better for thicker hair.