Trip to Home Depot...

Any of my friends know how much I *LOVE* going to Home Depot. Yes, I'm a dork, but I love that place! So many things that can be used in so many non-traditional methods- gotta love it! ;)

Anyhoo... on my way there in a few, and hope to have a super cool project to share with y'all later. :)

Coffee Filter Wreath

As promised, I am posting pics of my wreath. Sorry didn't take any pictures of the process of making it. :/

Overall, this project was very easy (time consuming) and very inexpensive. I only used about 50 coffee white coffee filters, about a yard of 1 1/2" black satin ribbon, some food coloring, a dash of salt and a piece of cardboard from the recycle bin. Total cost of this project $1.50- and I have enough coffee filters left for another wreath. :)

I found that dying the coffee filters worked best by boiling 3 quarts of water with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt in the water, after the water is boiling add the food coloring. Keep in mind the water has to be much darker than what you would expect. My water actually looked black and the filters as I took them out looked almost indigo, but then when they came out of the oven were the lavender color. I just love the way it turned out! So pretty! :)

Alright, now how to make your own wreath...

Supplies:

White coffee filters (natural/brown ones didn't hold the dye right)

Cardboard cut into the wreath shape you want (e.g. round, square, rectangle, etc.)

1 yard of 1 1/2" satin ribbon (or any type you have on hand)

Hot glue gun

Salt

Stew pot

Food coloring

Stove/Oven

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F.

Step 2: Boil 3 quarts of water with 1-2 teaspoons of salt.

Step 3: Add food coloring to desired color. (You might want to test out a filter- you can dye it darker, if you don't like your result. For the lavender color I ended up with, I used a concoction of 25 drops of pink, 30 drops of blue, 35 drops of purple and 20 drops of red.- No wonder the water was black!) ;)

Step 4: Submerge 6-8 coffee filters at at time in your stew pot. Let them soak for about a minute. Keep the pot on low heat to keep the water hot.

Step 5: Carefully remove the coffee filters from the water, and lay them flat on your oven rack.

Step 6: Bake your filters for 2 minutes. Remove from oven. (Your filters should be dry- if not, keep them in for another 30 seconds until they are completely dry.)

Step 7: Repeat Steps 4-5 until you have all of your filters dyed and dried.

Step 8: Take a filter and scrunch it to make your "flower." There is no "right" or "wrong" way to do this, it is a piece of art, and really you can't mess it up. :)

Step 9: Repeat Step 8 until you use all of your filters. (This is the time consuming part.)

Step 10: Take your ribbon and find the center of the top of your wreath, and glue in place. (This will become your hanger and bow later.)

Step 11: Take your cardboard wreath shape and start hot gluing your filter flowers to cover it entirely. (The amount of filters used will vary depending on size.)

Step 12: Tie the ribbon from Step 10 in a knot, then a bow on top of it for decoration. (or just have a ribbon hanger without the bow- whatever you like.)

That's it! :)

6 cups of coffee so far... to kick start a great weekend!

Waking up at 5am this morning, the need for having a hot cup of coffee in 90+ degree weather seemed like a good idea. ;) So, as I pulled the coffee filter out of the packaging, it hit me. I also had the need to make a coffee filter wreath.

(Ahhh... the season of crafting is about to get fun and exciting over here. Not that it isn't usually, but with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in quick succession, the need for seasonal craftiness is prime.) ;)

Now, what shape of wreath should I make? Square? Round? I'm thinking of either orange or deep purple with a raven, skulls, etc. Depends on what happens to jump into my cart at Dollar Tree later. ;) I'll post pics once it is done. ;)

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Envelope Saving System

Living on a budget is a fact of life for many of us lately, but who says you have to look like it?? ;)


I found a great tutorial a few months ago when we decided to use Dave Ramsey's envelope system. Kelleigh has made it even easier for your envelopes to look super cute and stylish. You can download her FREE envelope template and labels to make your own customized envelope system here! :) She also has some amazing templates to make just about anything out of paper! You've gotta check her templates out! :)



Photo from Kelleigh Ratzlaff.com

She shows how you can make it fit right into your wallet, but I personally made mine look more like a book. I tied ribbon through it and it has worked well, although it is pretty worn out now and I am going to make it differently this weekend; I will post those pics later. ;) I've also seen where you can put the 1" metal hoops (you can find them at an office supply store like Office Max, Staples, etc.) where your envelope system is like a binder.



This project is very simple with Kelleigh's envelope template and several scrapbook paper pages from your local craft store- sometimes, you can score 4 or 5 pieces of paper for $1! What a deal!! Grab yourself some ribbon scraps, ric rac (wouldn't that be cute!), organza, buttons, trims - whatever you have around and get crafty! :)

Another state, another move...

Since it seems that we have a knack for moving every year or so (don't know why- guess we're lucky like that) we are moving again to another state. Although, this time, we've actually lived there before and like it a lot. We're moving to Arizona, so for my loyal readers I will begin posting when the boxes of crafts are unloaded and bring some wonderful-ness to you all. I am thinking of even doing a giveaway that will be really cool- promise. :)

On that note, I will sign off for now, and see you all in about 10 days.

Craziness of Life

I've been officially "offline" for almost 2 months with a nasty computer virus that I have finally been able to contain, but also officially off of my foot for most of that time too. Why? (in case you want to know) I broke my right tibia and fibula on April 28th and had to have surgery to repair it. One titanium plate, eight screws later, complete cabin fever, and lots of hours of physical therapy; I'm hoping to be able to craft and blog here again very soon.

Since I haven't been able to drive either (hopefully I'll get cleared in 9 days) I haven't been able to get supplies; a lot of stuff that needs just a bit more to complete. Drives me crazy- or maybe that's the cabin fever talking. Regardless, I will do what I can to get some projects up for the summer for some fun and excitement- I know my kiddos can't wait.

I hope that all of you are having a great summer and enjoying the nice warm weather, and I will post again later.

On-line Coupons through retailmenot.com

This isn't a crafting project today, but I have to share this with you all. I am always looking for a good deal, and it has become a sort of game for me to see how much I can save- trying to beat my last purchase- yes I know I'm a dork. ;) I put the "saved" money in a fund and we as a family use it for vacations, unexpected costs, and other items, etc.

In the last 2 weeks this site has saved our family over $200! We bought our stuff online, and got free shipping, heavily discounted prices (even from the ones they have one the merchandiser's site- which are lower than any store in town) and have been extremely happy with the products when they got here. :) All you have to do is search for what you're either buying online or locally (just enter your zip code for local deals) and it will populate a list from their database of over 50,000 retailers!

So... I was poking around the site and found they also do grocery coupons, online coupon codes, printable coupons for just about anything you can think of (I haven't navigated through this part entirely) and it is a great resource to save some extra cash! :)

So before you confirm your purchase online, enter a code (sometimes you can enter more- we have entered 2 before- free shipping *and* 25% off for 1 purchase- saved us over $145) or print up some coupons before you head to your local retailer. Easy peasy- less than 10 seconds could save you a bunch of money- now I'm starting to sound like a reptile on TV... ha ha :)

Have a great weekend!

Something new is about to begin! :)

Lately I've been busy making baby shower presents for some of my girlfriends, so I haven't been able to craft with the kiddos as much. I know, that isn't much of a reason, but I have to get my "To-Do" list down to a few instead of a couple of pages long. ;) I promise to share at least one super cute project for Mother's Day. :)

Anyhoo... as for the something new about to begin? I'm setting up an Etsy shop to sell some of the quilts I've made. Right now, I only will have custom baby quilts - larger sizes will be available later or by request.

I will keep you all posted, but I'm really excited and can't wait to share with you all! :)

Spring Purse! :)

Yesterday, I was inspired by the warm spring (finally!) weather we've been having to make myself a purse. So... I surfed the web and came across several tutorials on how to make one for yourself. Finally I settled on a cute little bag that I found the pattern for FREE here on the blog Made by Rae.


She has some great stuff on her blog, and her pattern is super easy to follow. I do recommend you look through the pattern before you begin, and have her pictures handy to make sense of some of her wording. :)



This project was relatively inexpensive too! *Bonus* :) You will need 2 fat quarters one for the exterior and one for the lining (or you can buy 2/3 yard of fabric). Jo-Ann's has their fat quarters on sale for 99 cents until tomorrow (didn't realize the sale ends tomorrow- but even so, fat quarters are max $1.99 there) and all of their Dritz hardware is 50% off too- so you can get two magnetic snaps for about $2.50 which makes 2 purses with a final cost about $7! :)





Yay!! Not bad for a unique bag for the spring. :)








The finished dimensions of my bag are 11" x 7" and has a 10" drop. :)

Groupon!!!

This place is awesome! If you haven't checked out Groupon yet; you *have* to do it! You can get some screamin' deals on stuff you would normally buy anyway- but for about half the price or better in some cases!! *Bonus* :)

If you're not sure if they are in your area, you can click on the tab that says "Visit More Cities" to see if they are near you or near a city you might be vacationing in this summer - if they aren't you can always send them an e-mail requesting they come to your area! :)

Hope you all have a great week! :)

Egg-cellent project for this weekend

Sorry couldn't help myself with that comment. ;)

I am procrastinating, no wait, I'm diligently preparing my house for my out of state guests... ;)

Well, I am going to share with you another blog idea, from Char she has some really creative stuff and tutorials on her site. When you have a few minutes, or if you're just procrastinating (unlike me- lol) look around her site. Click on the picture or here to go directly to her egg project.

Her latest creation is super easy and should be fun for you to do with your kiddos this weekend in time for Easter egg hiding on Sunday. :) I love the way her eggs turned out; the contrast between the colors and white is super cool. You could probably even dye them one color, apply the rubber cement and dip them again for a two-tone/multicolored egg. So much fun! :)

Have a great day!

What to do, what to do...

I am going to *try* and put up some projects this week; however, I have family coming to visit from out of state tomorrow and several other appointments that will make it difficult to do any crafting of greatness. :/



With that disclaimer, I will really try to get some crafting done, because:

a. I will need to do something to keep me busy

b. I will need something to keep the kids busy for their spring recess

c. both a and b



Yeah, the correct answer is "c"... I will try to post, but not promising it will be done at a decent hour. ;)



Have a great week everyone!

Winner! :)

The contest has ended and we have a winner!! :)


**drum roll please **

(sorry for the grainy pic, screen capture sized down to fit)

The lucky winner is commenter #2- Stacie

Congratulations!!

Thank you to all of you who participated. This was so much fun! I am going to have another giveaway soon!

So keep checking back to find out when! :)

A family tree of a different kind...

I saw this project on a blog that I follow and just *have* to share it with you. You can either click on the picture above or here to see how to do this fun project!

You all know I love any project that incorporates kids, and this project couldn't be done without them! :)

I have some canvas pieces, burlap and some fabric that has just found its new inspiration. I'll post pictures of our family trees later this week. :)

Have a great day! :)

Last day for contest!! :)

If you haven't signed up already, today's the last chance to do so before the contest ends tonight at 11:59 MST.



Even if you have posted a comment, if you post again, I will give you another entry. This contest is super easy to enter, and your chances are good if you have multiple entries! :) Just click here and leave a comment! :)



Good Luck! I'll post the winner tomorrow!

Dollar Tree + Hobby Lobby +$3 = 2 unique pieces of art!

Not that I need any excuse to go to Dollar Tree, but... I have found several picture frames there that just needed some where to go, and it might as well be my wall. ;)




I was inspired by so many of the blogs out there that have silhouettes, and thought that I could do something a little more colorful than the traditional black and white silhouette; with that thought that's exactly what I did with the following project. This project seriously only cost me $3 between Hobby Lobby's 50% off sale on scrapbook paper and Dollar Tree's frames- even if Hobby Lobby didn't have the sale, it would only have been $4. :)



Well... here they are- compliments of Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby -which I can't believe I *haven't* been there before today. That place is awesome! So many possibilities! ;) I even bought some fabric there for a wallet that I'm going to post here in a few days- as soon as I finish my 4 sewing projects in-progress that are in front of it... ;)




Supplies:
1 sheet of black scrapbook paper
1 sheet of red print scrapbook paper
2 birdhouse picture frames
2 pics of kiddos (silhouettes)

Roll of Masking tape (not pictured)
Scissors (not pictured)


Step 1: Cut out most of picture surrounding your kiddo (or whatever else you are silhouetting). Note: Leave some border, for the next step, you can see what I mean in the photo shown in Step 2.


Step 2: Tape picture to black scrapbook paper by making a loop with the tape then sandwiching the picture and black scrapbook paper together.



Step 3: Carefully cut out your kiddo's silhouette. (I don't have the expensive cutting machine, so I did mine the old fashioned way. ) ;)






Step 4: Cut the background paper to fit the frame. (I used the glass to measure it for an accurate fit.) Forgot to take a picture of this step. :/


Step 5: Center your black paper silhouette on your background paper.



Step 6: Put in frame. Enjoy your unique one of a kind piece of art! :)


That's it!

Two more days left!

I'm really excited about the amount of people checking out the blog. Here is a picture of what you're signing up to win!



You will get 3 of these adorable hair ties for you or any special little girl in your life. All you have to do is comment on the link below by tomorrow (Saturday) by 11:59pm MST and you're entered! It's that easy!



Let me know what color(s) you would like for your prize! If you have your friends come over and comment have them let me know that too, because that becomes a *bonus* entry for you!! Also, if you post it on your Facebook, Twitter, your own blog you get *bonus* entries for each of those too. Just remember to post a comment on the link below also to let me know so you get credit for them. :)


Here's the link to the contest.


Good luck!! :)

Check out another giveaway! :)

Kristen's Custom Creations is giving away a necklace and book combo. It is one of my favorite books to read to my kids. I love this book, it is so precious. The link is here to her site, check it out and make sure to tell your friends too! :)

Bonus entry for first giveaway!

Several more ways to get entered into the contest...

Option 1:
If you get a friend to post a comment on here *and* have them mention who they heard about my blog from (gotta give credit where credit is due!) you will get an additional entry (per friend)for the hair tie giveaway!! :) This one is fun, because both you *and* your friend get an entry! :)


Option 2:
If you link my blog to your Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, you will also get an additional entry per media method!! Make sure to leave a comment letting me know what you've done (Facebook, Twitter, etc) so I can have it counted properly. :)


The potential to have several entries is very easy and simple... which means more chances to win! :)

Here's the link to the giveaway for easy posting. :)

Have a great evening everyone!!

If I can get 50 followers by this weekend March 28th...

Contest has ended. Come back soon for another giveaway!

**** Freebie Alert!! ****

I will give away 3 hair ties for your little girl or for yourself!

Follow me on here and leave a comment with the color combinations you would like.

I just had someone let me know of another option for this freebie... they can be made into a headband if hair is too short for a hair tie or barrette. We can figure this out if need be with the winner later! :)

I will post the winner on this Sunday, March 29th. :)

Good luck!!

Super easy dress

I am really excited to share this project with you! This is a dress that I have been making for my daughter for years. I have modified it as she has grown and will do my best to let you know what you will need for each size up to a girl's size 8- if the size you want isn't listed, let me know and I'll let you know what amount of fabric/cuts you will need. These are so easy to make, they take about 1 hour-uninterrupted ;) so you can make a few of 'em to match for Easter, pictures or just playing around during nap time. :)

The hair tie is a newer idea that I found a similar idea on another blog, but hers was for a pin and you had to sew the layers; like I said similar, but different. The tutorial for the hair tie is posted here.


Make sure to read through the directions first before beginning, if you have any questions let me know and I'll clarify. Some of the steps do not have pictures, because I was unable to capture it properly. I'm also assuming you know how to sew a little bit to do this project.

Alright enough writing... ready to make a dress like this?






Here are the supplies you will need:

1 t-shirt/onesie in child's size (long or short sleeved- I used long sleeved today, but have made it with short sleeves and tank tops for summer)

Coordinating fabric (amount will vary on size of dress- see chart below)

Size Chart/Yardage needed: **Note: this will make your skirt 1 solid color/print **
0-6 months: 1/2 yard
6-12 months: 2/3 yard
12-24 months:1 yard
2T-3T: 1 yard
4T-5T: 1 1/4 yards
6-6x: 1 1/3 yards
7-8: 1 1/3 yards



Not pictured:
Sewing machine

Scissors or rotary cutter

Cutting mat (optional but used if you have rotary cutter)

Measuring tape/ruler/Shape cut- plastic guided cut ruler (not sure the technical name, but this is what I used- see photos below)

Iron

Here we go!! :)

Step 1: Cut your fabric for correct size listed below. Save your remnants for hair tie, if desired. **Note: I usually cut the widths 7", 8", 8", 10, 10" , etc. first the entire width of the fabric along the length of the fabric and then trim them to size. **

Size Chart/Layer width & length and amount needed of each:
0-6 months: (1) 2"x 25", (2) 3" x 22", (2) 5" x 24"
6-12 months: (1) 3"x 25", (2) 4" x 22", (2) 6" x 24"
12-24 months:(1) 4"x 25", (2) 5" x 22", (2) 7" x 24"
2T-3T: (1) 5"x 25", (2) 6" x 22", (2) 8" x 24"
4T-5T: (1) 6"x 25", (2) 7" x 22", (2) 9" x 24"
6-6x: (1) 7"x 25", (2) 8" x 22", (2) 10" x 24"
7-8: (1) 8"x 25", (2) 9" x 22", (2) 11" x 24"





You will end up with 5 rectangles when completed: (1) small/top layer, (2) medium/middle layer and (2) large/bottom layer.

Step 2: Sew with 1/2" seam the (2) medium pieces (short sides) together to make (1) long continuous piece.

I am making a size 6-6x dress, the length of this piece is now 8" x 51". **Actual length will vary due to size of dress.**

Step 3: Sew with 1/2" seam the (2) large pieces (short sides) together to make (1) long continuous piece.

I am making a size 6-6x dress, the length of this piece is now 10" x 77". **Actual length will vary due to size of dress.**

Step 4: Prepare to cut your shirt. Read chart below photo before proceeding to Step 5.

Size Chart/ length needed:
0-6 months: 4"

6-12 months: 5"

12-24 months: 6"

2T-3T: 7"

4T-5T: 8"

6-6x: 9"

7-8: 10"

Step 5: From top of shoulder, measure down (from chart above) length and cut shirt. Set shirt aside for Step 12. *Save remnant for hair tie, if desired. **

Step 6: Take your largest width rectangle (10" in my case) and your medium width rectangle (8" in my case). Line up your width edges as shown below. Pin in place. Repeat for opposite end.

Step 7: Pleat your longer/bottom layer to the medium/middle layer. (This will make the lower part of your skirt.) Pin in place. Sew with 1/2" seams.

Step 8: Take your smallest width rectangle (7" in my case) and your medium width rectangle (8" in my case). Line up your width edges as shown below. Pin in place. Repeat for opposite end.

Step 9: Pleat your medium/middle layer to the small/top layer. (This will make the upper part of your skirt.) Pin in place. Sew with 1/2" seams.

Step 10: Fold skirt in half, pin in place. See photo below for clarification.

Step 11: Sew edge of skirt. You should now see what your skirt to the dress will look like. :)

Step 12: Take your t-shirt from Step 5, and place neck first into your skirt. **Note: The bottom of your shirt is going to be sewn to the top of your skirt. ** See photos below for clarification.

Step 13: Pleat your small/top layer to the t-shirt or onesie. (This will make the upper part of your skirt.) Pin in place. Sew with 1/2" seams.

Step 14: Turn dress right side out. Hem and pin bottom layer to desired length. Iron to hold crease.

Step 15: Sew bottom hem.

That's it! :)

*******

You can make this with 2 different colors of fabric with a coordinating fabric in the middle; the yardage chart for that is below. You make the dress exactly the same way, except your fabrics are different colors.

Two-color Option:
Size Chart/Yardage needed (top/bottom, middle): **Note: this will make your skirt different colors: top and bottom layer match with different/coordinating print for middle layer **

0-6 months: 1/3 yard, 1/6 yard
6-12 months: 1/2 yard, 1/3 yard
12-24 months: 1/2 yard, 1/3 yard
2T-3T: 2/3 yard, 1/3 yard
4T-5T: 2/3 yard, 1/2 yard
6-6x: 1 yard, 1/2 yard
7-8: 1 yard, 1/2 yard