All For This Penny Craft Blog

Ruffled Baby Jeggings

2012-01-31T11:35:00.000-08:00

Even though I've been very, very absent from the blogging world lately I've still been making stuff. Most of it I don't care to photograph and put up but this I just had to share; I think it is so cute.

the gift. ready to be packaged and sent.

My good friend of forever (seriously, we've been friends since elementary school, people) is having her first baby next month. A little girl. And I just had to send her a little package of homemade baby goodies. Included was a cute bib and some hair bows and... these baby jeggings.

They are so cute they kill me (trust me, they are even cuter in person... it was pretty hard to get good photos... darn winter). I found some jegging material (looks like jean/denim material but is actually stretchy spandex) in the remnant section that I couldn't resist and used a baby legging pattern I had on hand. My only concern is the crotch is super super long. I understand the length somewhat because the pants have to go over diaper butt but does it seriously need to be thaaat long? I hope they fit decently.

The ruffles on the ankles are my favorite part. I hope my friend loves these as much as I do. I love them so much I might have to make another pair for whenever we have a baby girl of our own.

Christmas Past

2011-12-07T12:46:00.001-08:00

I haven't really made any Christmas crafts this year so I thought I'd share one I've previously blogged about. I still use (and love) this wreath... but I'm all about decorating for Christmas in the traditional red and green. (Originally blogged about here.)

I originally made this fabric wreath years ago (in 2008?) and then later on added the holly and berries out of felt. Easy and cute. :)

Antlers

2011-11-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Over the past little while, I've seen a home decor trend that I wasn't completely sure about. The antler trend. (Don't know what I'm talking about? Check here, here, and here. Are we on the same page now? Good).

I liked it but at the same time I wasn't 100% sold. And who wants to invest in or kill an animal for the antlers when you aren't 100% sold? Not me. Well, I figured out a way to incorporate the antler trend into a home without actually having any antlers.

Ta-da! Embroidered antlers!

I'm actually not going to keep these, as I made them for a homemade gift exchange, but I really love how they turned out. In fact, I may make one for me... who knows. The larger one was embroidered with a coral colored floss while the smaller one with a blue. Both are on a blue-gray fabric I had hanging out in my fabric stash.

Two-toned Infinity Scarf

2011-11-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Guess who is posting a tutorial today? ME! Yay!

It is for this bad boy:

A two-toned infinity scarf! Pretty cute, amiright?

First off, you need two colors of knit fabric (mine each measured about 24x70ish inches).

my fabric is actually folded in half here so it doesn't look as long as it is

With right sides together, zigzag or stretch (if your sewing machine has one) stitch down the two long sides (so you get a long tube). Sorry, no picture...

Switch that tube right side out. Fold your long tube in half (hamburger style - so the open ends meet). Now, it might get a little confusing, but bear with me. I folded my fabric so that the light blue fabric was sandwiched on the inside. I started pinning my light blue fabric together (only through those two layers). Like so...

Keep on pinning. When you reach where the dark blue fabric is (or whatever color you have on the outside of your fabric sandwich), just readjust your fabric and only pin through the dark blue fabric. Keep on going until you have about a 4-5 inch gap from where you started. The bulk of your fabric might get bunchy, but just try to keep it out of the way.

And now start sewing where you just pinned (starting on the light blue or inside color)... again with a zigzag or stretch stitch.

with this picture you can also see what I mean by the fabric bunching up...

Once you are done sewing and you readjust your fabric, you will notice that gap we left open (so we could flip the seams we just sewed inside).

Now just hand stitch that opening closed and you are done!

Here is another way to wear this cute scarf:

I had extra knit fabric on hand, so I made another one! (I used less fabric on this one so it isn't as long).

Navy navy navy (beans?)

2011-09-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Guess what? It is another post about my house. Lucky you?

Last Christmas we got an awesome TV and since then it has been hanging out on a Lifetime folding table... which isn't so awesome. I knew what I wanted for a TV stand - a dresser with the top drawer removed and a shelf in its place. Nothing too specific right? Ha. But I am cheap and lazy so I never got around to finding what I wanted at a price I was willing to pay. But luckily I have awesome friends who, when they found out my TV stand dreams, sold me the dresser they don't really use.

It went from this:

To this:

I could have left it cream but it wasn't the prettiest against my yellowish-cream walls and I really was itching for something navy. So navy it became!

I wish I could have kept the original hardware as it was pretty and ornate but one of the handles was broken so I had to replace them all. Luckily brushed silver looks great against navy.

My hot husband installing the shelf.

It was a lot of fun to work on this project with my husband - he made the shelf, drilled holes in the back (so cords could be plugged in), and fixed problems with the drawers. I'm so so so happy to have a real TV stand!

The view from my couch. Awww... perfect! Well, except for the husband's backpack in my shot... :)

Color

2011-09-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

I really love color. It makes me happy. My house is slowly becoming a hodgepodge of color. Whenever I start a new project I always think of a new color I want to use... so basically my house isn't color coordinated but not-matching is totally in right now, right? Right?

Here is a chalkboard I made months and months ago (I'm really good at posting on this blog... obviously... *sheepish face*). Isn't it great? I love how big it is. It was originally intended to help my menu planning endeavors but since I just painted directly over a textured painting, it isn't the greatest at erasing... so I just leave it be. I still love it. Also, this is one of the aforementioned wall hangings in my kitchen/dining area.

See, here is what it looks like over my table.

Here are my coral and white curtains (also made months and months ago). I usually get sick of prints pretty quickly (as far as home decor goes) so I wanted these to mostly be solid with only an accent of a print in the hopes that I wouldn't get sick of them within 6 months. So far so good. I still love them. Also, half-off sales are the only way to buy home decor fabric. That stuff ain't cheap (or maybe I just am...).

Does anyone else have a really hard time photographing curtains?

Lastly (for now), is this awesome pillow cover I made only a few weeks ago (surprised it wasn't months ago? me too). If you saw this post you may have caught a glimpse of it in the background. Cute huh? I attached a doily to some mustard yellow fabric and had instant craft gratification.

Speaking of Chairs...

2011-09-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

I realized after posting my freecycle chairs that I never shared pictures of my kitchen chairs on this blog. I have a matching set of four, two of which are cream and slightly boring (one pictured below), but the two that I painted last summer are pistachio green and are awesome.

I promise there is a 4th chair, but I keep it in my sewing room.

I sure love color. And having chairs to sit on whilst eating my dinner and/or using my computer. Life is good. :)

Also, I promise my kitchen/dining area isn't as boring as it looks in this picture (I have two whole wall hangings... so it is slightly less boring than it looks). I guess my decorating style could be defined as: functional + simple + color + cheap (but not necessarily in that order). Plus, I can't be bothered with staging photos to make things look cuter than they appear.

I totally labored on Labor Day

2011-09-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Wanna see what I finally finished? These awesome chairs. Last summer we got them from freecycle but the seats were busted. I wasn't in a rush to finish them but didn't realize it would take me basically a year to actually work on them. But I totally finished them and I feel awesome about it.

First, I got those nasty broken seats off. Then painted the frames white and distressed them a little. I don't know why I always feel the need to distress painted wood, but I do. It might be because I don't like some things in pristine condition. Plus, it helps draw out details that would otherwise be masked by paint. And these chairs have some lovely details.

Some of the distressed details

Once the frames were to my liking, we (mostly meaning my husband) went and got some 3/8 inch thick plywood and had them cut down to size. Then I got my high-density foam (40% off coupons are the best as high-density foam is not the cheapest) and cut it down to size (I used my serrated bread knife - worked like a charm).

Then I used my super soft, light-gray pleather remnant I found at Joann's to cover my newly-made seats. My sweet husband stapled the fabric down and will eventually screw those seats down for me (so I guess they technically aren't finished but they are still functional so they still count as done... to me... ). And now I have beautiful and comfy new chairs that were relatively cheap!

Cost breakdown:

chair frames: $0
paint (cheap-o spraypaint): $8
clear topcoat: $3
plywood: $4
high-density foam: $8
pleather remnant: $4

Total cost for 2 chairs: $27

Tee Finale

2011-07-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd end my t-shirt week with other refashion ideas I've found.

Up first, another idea with lace from icandy handmade. Love the color.

I absolutely love ISLY and this tee refashion is no exception. I might have to make one for myself. Sweet and simple.

Welcome to the Good Life always has amazing clothing projects. Srsly. How cute is this top?! Made from t-shirts?!?!

And last of all, this one would make me feel like a ballerina. But maybe that is just me... :)

Are there any other t-shirt refashions that you've done or want to do? Let me know! :)

Random T-Shirt Past

2011-07-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

So now that you have seen all the tee refashions I've done lately, I thought I'd show you some I did ages ago. There are so so many ways to refashion t-shirts.

Remember the shirt I showed you on Monday? The ombre one? Well, the first time I refashioned it, it ended up looking like this:

I liked the shirt but every time it was washed the corsage part of it looked crumpled to heck and would need to be ironed. So while it was cute it was annoying.

Another one I did, I just chopped off the sleeves, took it in, and added a rosette.

And here is what it looked like on:

When a shirt is just too large, you could always cut off the sleeves, take things in, put the sleeves back on, and gather up the sides like I did on this shirt:

Also, why not sew two t-shirts together?

Stay tuned, there is still one more day to t-shirt week!

Sequins = Love

2011-07-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

Ready for another t-shirt refashion? I am! And guess what? This one cost me absolutely zero to make. Zip. Here is why: hand-me-down t-shirt and swapped sequin dress. Awesome right?

So this:

Started out as these:

My inspiration:

I simply cut the sequin fabric off of the dress and cut it down to two strips. Aaaaand sewed it down. Easy, easy. Oh, I also decided to add a strip of sequins to the pocket. Love it.

I'm thinking it would be super cute with a skirt. Yes, I like that idea. Consider it done.

Blue Lace Tee

2011-07-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Last summer (I think), I made myself a t-shirt from an extra-large shirt I had laying around. I didn't finish any of the edges (yay for knit fabric) so it was super duper easy to make. I wore it a few times and then stopped. It was boring. But not anymore!!

I took some lace and some royal blue Rit dye and got to work.

Once my lace was dyed and dry, I tried my shirt on and pinned the lace in place. I (very) carefully took the shirt off and sewed in place. Here was my first (and failed) attempt at sewing the lace straight. My advice, put more than 3 pins in to hold in place.

crooked... oops :)

And here it is after I unpicked and sewed that blue lace down.

This shirt has now been put back into my summer wardrobe rotation! Success! If you'd like to dye some lace of your own, pick up your supplies at Hobby Lobby! They have a great coupon promotion going on right now! Check it out!

I've linked up to:
Dittle Dattle
Craft-O-Maniac
Running with Glitter

Tee Week

2011-07-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Got a boring t-shirt that could use a little snazzy-ing up? Well, you are in luck! I am going to have a t-shirt refashioning week... starting RIGHT NOW! :)

Ombre is all the rage right now. Need proof? Well, here it is, and here, and here. Oh, and here.

Well, I had a boring white v-neck that used to be this t-shirt (I got sick of ironing the ruffle/corsage thing so I took it off) and I decided to jump on the ombre band-wagon. Luckily, C&C (LOVE her blog) had a tutorial on how to dye your own ombre shirt.

Originally I had wanted to do a navy blue (like the J.Crew shirt) but when I went to buy the Rit dye, my husband helped talk me into the bright sunshine orange. I think it turned out pretty cute but kinda wish I had still done the navy blue. Oh well. Next time. :)

Call For Help

2011-07-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

I've been getting sick of my header for a while now. I figured if I changed it then I might want to blog more. Here is my first-grade skill level attempt at making one. Anyone care to help or just make one for me? I can't pay you but I could make you something.

Tribal Belt

2011-07-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been loving fashion/style blogs. One trend that I've picked up on is that tribal prints are coming back. I didn't want to get too out of my comfort zone but thought I'd give the trend a shot with a belt.

I've had this ribbon for a few years now and had no idea what to do with it... I've also had this belt buckle-thingy for even longer. I don't even know what it technically is - it just came in a random assortment of buttons and notions I got FORever ago. But it works just great for what I had in mind.

Here is what you'll need if you want to recreate this belt (if you can even find a similar buckle-guy, but you could use a ring of some sort in substitution). Ribbon, buckley-thing, Velcro, and a sewing machine (or glue?).

First off, stick one end of ribbon through one side of buckle. Sew (or glue) down.

Measure the belt around your waist (or wherever you want it to sit) and add about 3 inches. Cut to length (it would also be a good idea to Fray Check your ribbon ends). Figure out where Velcro will go.

Sew Velcro down (on WRONG side of ribbon). Tip: I sewed the "hook" part of the Velcro (the scratchy side) on the very end. I did this so that when I am wearing the belt it won't accidentally scratch my clothes because when worn that part of the Velcro will face away from my body.

Wear belt and try not to feel stupid while posing for pictures. :)

Yes, I know I need to weed and throw away some cardboard. Thanks. :)

And here is another closeup.

Celebrate

2011-07-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Guess who finished his first year of medical school?!? My cute husband!! To celebrate, I made him a little sign.

Pretty cute, huh? I just used my friend's cricut to cut out the letters. I cut some patterned paper into triangles, used a little distressing ink on the edges, and then glued the letters on. After punching some holes in the corners, I strung the whole thing on twine. So easy. A bazillion times easier than medical school, I tell you.

I'm so proud of my husband. This past year hasn't been all rainbows and cupcakes for him and he has really had to work his butt off, but he did it! Congrats, my love!

Exposed What?

2011-06-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Over a month ago I made a pillow for my couch. And I'm just barely blogging about it... cause I'm lazy.

Pretty cute as is, right?

But wait a second... what is on the other side? An exposed zipper?!

Nice! (I promise the pillow isn't as lumpy as it appears... there is a down pillow form inside that I didn't take the time to properly plump up.)

I got the idea from the awesome Freshly Picked blog. She even has a tutorial if you want to copy. Anyone else love the exposed zipper trend going on? I'm thinking of making a skirt with an exposed zipper down the back. It is really cute in my head but we'll see if I'm able to make it as cute as I imagine.

It's Magical

2011-06-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

Guess what? I actually made something! With leather, no less. And it was easy. And super cheap (I got the leather for practically pennies at a yard sale).

Can you tell what it is?

It is a magic braided bracelet, tutorial c/o of ISLY. I didn't actually print her pattern piece (I don't have a printer), I just guessed cut and it worked out ok. See, here is what it looks like on. I guess after time it will relax and lay flatter.

I know it looks black but it is actually "nautical blue"... This bracelet may have been my first step into all things leather but it was also my first time using snaps (and not the kind you sew on...). They are super easy to use, especially if you use an eraser to help poke the prongs through the fabric, like the instructions recommend.

Also, I wanted to show off my nails (the bracelet is kinda in the picture... so it is somehow related to this post... right?). Aren't they cute? My friend's little sister painted them for me. Hot pink with a gray crackle polish on top. They are my favorite.

Bibbity boppity

2011-05-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to a baby shower and made some bibs to give the mother-to-be. She is having a little boy so I used what boyish fabric I had for these cute little guys:

While I was going through my fabric stash for her gift and since I had bibs on the brain, I kept on seeing fabric that I thought would be super adorable as baby bibs (for little girls...). I simply couldn't resist and had to make more bibs. If I'm already making 2 bibs, why not make 6?

I seriously think they are so cute. But I'm probably biased.

I have absolutely no use for these cute bibs so I decided to list them on etsy to sell (from a shop I opened forever ago and haven't really used). I figure if they don't sell, I can always save them for future baby gifts. Sounds good to me.

Spring Top Sewalong

2011-04-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

Blogging hasn't been my top priority lately. I haven't really felt like it... so I haven't. But, I definitely wanted to blog about a top I just finished. Why? 1) I think it turned out super super cute and 2) I'm going to add it to the Spring Top Sewalong contest on Made By Rae (remember how I did that last year?) and 3) it gives me a good reason to brag about how my awesome husband got me a serger for my birthday earlier this month.
And here is the awesomely cute top:

I recently visited my family in Utah and while I was there my sister gave me tons of fabric that she wasn't using. In the pile was this cute white fabric with small navy polka dots on it. I knew I wanted to make a shirt with it so I went through my patterns and found one I thought would work. I changed A LOT of things and the only thing that really ended up like the pattern are the pleats in the front and the closure detail in the back. Everything else I altered to my little hearts desire.


button closure in the back

close-up on the pleats

better view of the sleeve detail

I love it. I really, really do. Having a serger really made a difference in this top. I won't having any fraying edges and it'll hold up better in the wash. Thank you, cute husband and awesome sister for contributing to the making of this shirt.

MIA

2011-03-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

So... I haven't even looked at this blog in months. Whoops. Oh well. Life happens. Winter isn't my most productive time of the year. BUT now that spring is on its way, I've got a few projects in mind.

First, I want to turn this very large picture and frame (I left my husband's shoes in the picture so you could get an idea of how big it is) into a chalkboard for my kitchen. I have grand ideas of it containing our menu for the week. I'm thinking of painting the frame either a happy blue or plum color... probably plum. Oh, and guess how much the frame cost? $5. Thank you, Salvation Army.

Also, here is another thrift store purchase (this time it cost me less than a $1). I started wrapping it with some gray yarn I already had on hand but got bored. I'm planning on finishing it eventually. But maybe it won't be gray... not sure.

Yay for cheap plastic Easter eggs. I'm planning on paper mache-ing these little guys, painting them in an array of Easter-y colors and attaching them to a wreath form (with hot glue, of course), maybe with some moss... in my head it looks awesome. I guess I really love wreaths... yup, I do.

Also, remember last year when I posted regularly and made candy corn embroidery hoops? Well, here is what is currently hanging out in those embroidery hoops. So springy and cheerful!

Dollar Tree... Trees!

2010-11-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

So, yes... I dropped off the face of the crafting planet. Why? Carpal Tunnel. It hurts... therefore crafting is usually out of the question. BUT, I did manage to make something a few weeks ago and finally took pictures of it today.

I saw some cute glitter trees made from styrofoam trees about a month ago that I thought were super cute. Unfortunately, my husband has a no glitter policy that I kindly obey. I still wanted to make something similar, though. I headed to the Dollar Tree (in my opinion, the best dollar store out there... just ask my husband, I LOVE the Dollar Tree) and picked up 2 styrofoam trees, 2 packages of "decorative container filler" (small colored styrofoam balls; one red, one green), and 1 candle stick.

I painted my trees with some craft paint I already had on hand and let them dry. Then I hot glued away. On one of the trees I glued the candle stick to the base to add some dimension.

And here are my Dollar Tree trees. Not bad for a $5 project.

Anthro Inspired Lamp Shade Tutorial

2010-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

This tutorial has been sitting as a draft for weeks now. I've been hesitant to post it because I had hangups about whether or not I liked the very tippy top of the shade... but I think I'm finally ok with it now.

Remember those lamp bases I painted black a bit ago? Well, they needed some shades. But I'm cheap. Like realllly cheap. So I bought some ugly lamp shades at the Goodwill for about $2/each hoping I could make them cuter. For a few weeks I was stumped on what to do with them. It hit me one evening to check out lamps at Anthropologie and once there I had my answer: the Mariemont Shade.

I knew I didn't want my shade to be identical but here is my version (that looks more like a slightly ruffled shade). I wanted my layers to have a clean finish and as little fraying as possible so this is what I did. If you don't mind the frayed look you could cut out a few of these steps and save yourself some time.

First things first, I went through my fabric stash and found various shades of white, off-white, and creams. I cut them into various lengths but they were all 2 inches wide. As for how many to cut, your guess is as good as mine. I happened to be very lucky and cut the exact number I needed.

Then I spent some quality time with my iron. For each strip I ironed down about a half inch on the ends. Then I ironed the strips in half (hot dog style).

After that I sewed the strips shut (as close to the raw edge as possible) so they would be easier to attach to my shade.

Then I went outside (because the spray adhesive I was using had a very strong warning about it being flammable and dangerous and yadda yadda) to start attaching my strips.

I'm not sure how many people have used spray adhesive before but be warned that it is sticky. Your fingers will be tacky for a bit (even after washing them). I had to peel and rub it off for about 5-10 minutes after I was finished. Because of how tacky and sticky it is, make sure to cover your work area completely or go outside (like I did!).

Start at the bottom of the shade. For the first layer I grabbed 2 strips that would fit around the base with as little overlap as possible. I sprayed directly onto the base, a little at a time, and quickly attached the strips (overlapping the edge a little) by simply pressing the fabric to the shade.

After that it was easier to spray the back of each strip (one at a time) and attach as you go, randomly picking which color to use. I used my stitching as a guide of where the bottom of my next layer of strips should go. Don't be afraid of this part. The spray adhesive allows some flexibility so if you don't like where or how it attached just peel it back off (but you may need to respray it if it is no longer very sticky) and start over.

You'll find that at some point you'll have an area with a gap and all of your strips are either too big or too small to cover the gap. Here is how I solved the problem. Once the gap has been closed, just continue to coil the layers up and around.

Soon, it'll look like this with only the very top left to cover.

For that I went back inside and cut a new strip of fabric 4 inches wide and long enough to wrap around the circumference of the top of the shade. I ironed down the ends like I did with the other strips but instead of ironing it in half, I folded the sides in to meet in the middle. Like so:

Then I went back outside and used my spray adhesive to glue my folded-in sides down (so they wouldn't flap about and would be easier to attach to the shade).

Now here was the part I wasn't so sure about. At first I just sprayed one entire side of the strip and folded it over the edge of the shade and pressed down.

Well, I finally finished the shades to my satisfaction. Instead of using a spray adhesive I used my glue gun and just glued down that last piece of fabric. Let me tell you, I sure am glad I didn't use my glue gun on the whole shade (using spray adhesive was a lot faster). But now I am happy.

And here are my completed lamps (not bad for $4 a piece eh?):

Candy Corn Hoops

2010-09-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

Blank wall before:

The cute and festive after:

I love how quickly this project came together AND how it didn't cost me a thing. Luckily I had all the supplies on hand. It is probably easy enough to figure out on your own but I put together a tutorial anyway.

Grab a bunch of embroidery hoops (check thrift stores!) and various white, yellow, and orange fabrics (check your stash, thrift stores, and the remnants section). Lay out the fabrics until you get some combinations you like and cut (or rip like I did) fabric to size.

Iron the fabric (if it needs it... mine obviously did). Layer fabric in desired pattern over the bottom ring. Assemble hoop. Pull fabric taut.

Trim excess fabric (I left about a 1/2 - 1 inch).

Either hot glue (to the inner rim on the back of the hoop) or tape fabric to the back. I chose to tape because I want to reuse these hoops in the future. Yay for cute and noncommittal decor!

I used a few more pieces of tape after I took the picture... but you get the idea

Hang on wall and admire. I seriously love how fun, subtle, and festive this is. Even my husband loved it. To paraphrase him: "It works great for Halloween since it is candy corn but it can be left up for the rest of the fall because of the color scheme." So true! :)

Linked to Craftaholics Anonymous Fall Frenzy party.

WIP

2010-09-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Back when I was still blogging with Floral Showers, I started crocheting granny squares for a someday afghan/blanket. I was using yarn I already had on hand and thought I had enough to make a checked pattern baby blanket. Oh how little I knew about making a blanket from granny squares...

Fast forward to over a year later and I'm still not finished (part of that might be due to the fact that I stopped working on it for months and months). Oh, and I ran out of the pinkish color of yarn that is no longer sold (yeah... it had been in my yarn stash for a looong time before I started making my squares). My solution: change my desired pattern and buy more yarn. Here is basically where I'm at now:

It's progress. Plus, all the squares look really pretty in a basket.

Twiggy Inspiration

2010-09-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Being poor and unemployed, I have been trying to come up with completely free craft/decor projects. It isn't that easy for me but I have come across a few ideas that I love. It seems they all have one thing in common (besides being freeeee): sticks.

The first idea came from V and Co. She doesn't have a tutorial or anything for this bundle of sticks (that I know of) but I think it is adorable. I lurve it. But I also love pretty much everything about this photo.

Shortly after the bundle of sticks idea (very technical term, I know) I came across this Starburst Twig Wreath from The Painted Hive. Such a fun idea for the fall. Good thing I've already got some twine in my stash.

And then today, what popped up in my greader? This amazing Spooky Tree from Delia Creates. Seriously, how awesome is this? I can't wait for Halloween!!

So now that I have some free ideas up my sleeve, I just need to go collect some twigs in the wooded area down from my complex. That might take longer than expected, though. The last time we walked near there we discovered the domicile of a vagrant and now I'm too freaked out to go by myself and my hubby is busy studying for his first ever medical school exam... maybe over the weekend? :)

Give Me the Bird

2010-08-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

Last night I was looking in my hall closet (I don't even remember why) and saw a random board from an old abandoned project and some cork I bought a few weeks ago. As my eyes went from one to the other, I had the sudden urge to put them together and make myself a cork board. So I did.

First I painted the edges of my board a pretty blue (I mixed North Sea blue with some white to get the color I wanted). It took 2 coats.

(This is not what the blue actually looks like... but you get the idea)

Then I grabbed some brown craft paper, drew a bird and cut it out.

I used some spray adhesive on the back of the paper to stick it to my cork.

(I decided to flip my image)

Then I grabbed my stencil foam brush and dabbed on my white paint.

I should have let the paint dry a little first before I peeled off my paper, but I didn't. Fortunately the paint didn't smudge much.

Once everything was dry, I pulled out my rotary board and ruler and an exacto knife (NOT my rotary cutter, I didn't want to ruin it by cutting cork) and carefully (and slowly) cut my cork to my desired size.

Then I used my glue gun and glued on my cork (I hear wood glue would also work well for this part). I worked from one side to the other so the glue wouldn't cool before I was able to attach the cork.

And ta-da! Here is my adorable new cork board.

To finish it off, you can always add some cute button push pins like I did.

Also linking to:Making the World Cuter, C.R.A.F.T., and Keeping It Simple

The Power of Spray-Paint

2010-08-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

I love spray-paint. It can transfer something cheap and ugly into cute and updated. Here are a few before and afters of some of my recent spray-paint projects.

Napkin holder ($1)

It wasn't so much ugly before but that blue sure didn't match my kitchen decor. But now that it is black it is oh so perfect!

Mail organizer ($.50)

We were in desperate need of something to organize our mail and this was just the right price. The problem: it was a very, very dated brown. Problem is now fixed (I might even mod podge some cute paper on it later).

Lamp bases ($2/each)

I love the shape of these lamp bases. Now that they look just how I want them too I need to get some cute lamp shades made.

I guess I really like black spray-paint. Good thing it goes with basically everything! :)

Mirror/Key Holder Thingy

2010-07-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

This is the first "craft" project I have finished for our new place and I looove the way it turned out. Plus, my husband helped so it was a lot of fun, too.

In our many thrift store visits this past week, I found this framed mirror for less than $2. The instant I saw it I knew what I would do with it (my husband had mentioned in passing that he would like a place to hang our keys).

After forking over the <$2, we took it home. I cleaned up the wood and taped up the mirror with a cut up grocery bag and masking tape.

I spray painted it white (it took a few coats). After it dried overnight, I took some sandpaper and went to town. At first I was worried that I was a little too sandpaper happy but in the end I didn't care and just had fun with it. :)

Once that was done, I marked (with a pencil) where I wanted my hooks.

My husband pulled out his drill and bits and made some pilot holes to screw in my hooks. (My husband compared the length of the screw to the hook and placed masking tape on the bit at that point to prevent the drill from drilling too deep. Does that make sense? Let me know if you have questions.)

We screwed in the hooks, took off the tape and plastic, cleaned the mirror, and ta dum: we have a cute and handy dandy key holder. I hung ours by the front door (a convenient spot if I do say so myself).

And now you know how to make one, too! Hooray!

Oh, and because I can't resist sharing... Here is a "sneaky" pic I got of my husband going up the stairs. I hate to see him go but love to see him walk away. ;)

I'm Baaaaack....

2010-07-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

Or, at least I should be soon (if I'm not lazy... which I might be). We have officially moved to Ohio and I am so excited! We still need to settle in and find a place for everything and put everything in its place but hopefully the crafties will be coming soon! For now, here are some recent items I have thrifted for my new place that will soon be refinished and lovely.

Brassy lamp with pleated shade = $6

Matching lamp bases for our nightstands = $2/each

Solid wood end table = $16

Speaking of the end table, I'm torn on what to do with it. To paint or not to paint? I think it is beautiful as is and I wouldn't want to ruin it...

Rockin' the 'Stache

2010-06-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

So Father's Day was over a week ago, but my husband and I just barely gifted these bad boys to our awesome dad's yesterday (better late than never right?).

When I ran across the tutorial for these mustache mugs a few weeks ago on Tortoise and the Hare, I knew I had to make them for our dads. My husband was quickly on board, because what man doesn't love a good mustache? :)

Apparently I'm not very good at drawing so my crafty-supportive husband drew the 'staches for me and then I painted them. And I didn't do a very good job (don't look closely... please) but I still think they made fantastically awesome gifts once we filled them with pistachios, because what man doesn't love a good nut? (Wow... that wasn't meant to be dirty, I promise...).

GPS Felt Case

2010-06-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Because of our impending move across the country (and my driving anxiety) my husband and I invested in a GPS. Our move out date is drawing closer and closer (NEXT MONTH!!) so I figured I'd better hurry and make our GPS a handy-dandy case for when it isn't being used.

I had the hardest time deciding what style of case to make and finally settled on a long felt sleeve. I couldn't just make a plain case (or else I wouldn't be me) so I embroidered a little car on the front.

I sewed some elastic to the back in a circle (a hair elastic would also work) to wrap around the front to hold the flap down. I sewed a piece of felt on top of where I attached the elastic to hid the excessive stitching (I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be coming off anytime soon).

I like it a lot and am glad to have something to protect what will soon be my best friend.

Linking up to:
Metamorphosis Monday
DIY Showoff
Making the World Cuter

Skinny Jeans

2010-05-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

I didn't jump on the skinny jeans band wagon until early this year (when two of my sisters showed me the light) and now I adore them. I only had 1 pair and realized I ~~needed~~ wanted another... and most of the skinny jeans I found in the stores (that were cheap enough that I would consider buying them) are too... well... skinny. I don't like the look of painted on skinny jeans (or the kind that create a muffin top or draws too much unwanted attention to my birthing hips). To solve my predicament, I went to the thrift store and found a pair of jeans that fit perfectly up top, took them home, washed 'em, and turned them into skinny jeans.

Before.

During (I used my other pair as a guide).

After.

I love the way they turned out. Skinny but not too skinny. And if I decide later that I want to make them even skinnier, I can! Win-win-win. (Oh, and I'll try and wear makeup next time I show my face around here... but no promises.)

Hair Pretties

2010-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lookie what I made!? Aren't they pretty?

For the first rosette I used a purple (I promise it looks purple in real life) satiny fabric and a sparkly tulle. I just wrapped them together and hot glued to my hearts content. I also covered a black button with the tulle (a couple of times because I didn't want the button to show through) and glued it on. I also added a sparkly tulle tail. So cute. Then I glued some felt and a hair clip on the back.

I heart it.

For the white rosette, I used a soft cotton and added 3 lace folds to the underside (my 8-year old sister-in-law thought it looked like toilet paper without it) and added a button on top.

So simple and pretty! Yay for cute hair accessories (too bad they aren't for me...)!

Better Late Than Never

2010-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am so so behind on making birthday presents this year. Last year I was awesome and so on top of things... and this year (so far) is the exact opposite. Oh well...

Anyway, I just barely finished my sister's birthday gift (her birthday was in February... yeah... I'm officially the recipient of the bad sister award) and I love it! She wanted me to refashion a shirt and I kept on putting it off because I didn't know what I wanted to do with it. I needed to be inspired and that inspiration finally happened a few weeks ago.

The shirt started as just a regular sweater. I cut up the middle and added some hem tape and lace (I sewed the lace and the tape on at the same time). It needed a little closure of some sort so I hot glued a button on to a broach back and pinned it on.

In case she wanted to switch things up, I also made a white one. I only took a picture of the back but you get the idea...

Also, if this shirt is familiar to you, it may be because I refashioned one back in December for another sister.

Nativity

2010-05-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes I know. It is May and NOT December but I made these last weekend and had to show them off.

Last Christmas I went the Festival of Trees gift shop and saw the cutest wooden nativity. I fell in love and wanted to pick one up but had already exhausted my budget. Plus, I knew I could easily make one. Later on I started thinking about how I loved the few Christmas decorations we received as wedding gifts (despite the fact that we got married in August) and how they came in so handy that first Christmas together. So with those 2 thoughts in mind I decided to make these sweet nativities as wedding gifts this year.

They were pretty easy to make (especially since my cute husband helped with the cutting of the wood and the sanding) and I love their simplicity. Plus, if you make a few at a time, they end up being super cheap!

I'm (Pretending to be) Competitive

2010-04-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

I've known about Made By Rae's Spring Top Week contest for quite a while now... and with Friday being the last day to enter, I thought I better hurry and get something submitted. So last night I sat myself down and whipped this baby out. I have to admit, I like it.

I made the shirt from an extra large plain t-shirt I had in my sewing stash and some sweet trim I got from the thrift store awhile ago. I got the basic idea from a shirt I already own and love and modified it to be a longer, tunic-style shirt with cap sleeves.

Here is a close-up of the pretty, pretty trimming. I heart it.

The trim that goes around the waist is only attached to the front center and then ties in the back. Like so:

Easy peasy and perfect for spring! I feel so accomplished! :)

Old Favorites

2010-04-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

So basically I've dropped off the face of the crafting world. Sorry. In my effort to inspire myself (for when I finally have the time to craft) I decided to re-post some of my favorite craft projects (ya know, from the good ol' days when I had more than enough time to craft).

Can I just say how cute I think appliqued baby onesies are? And this one? I loved it. You can't tell but the blue has tiny white polka-dots all over it. So cute.

A birthday crown and garland. I made this for a giveaway a while ago and I still love it (I even had to go back and make some of that garland for myself). So many bright and happy colors.

Every time I pull out this scissors case it makes me happy inside. I heart embroidery. And felt.

See? Embroidery = love.

Ribbet

2010-03-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Remember those cute crocheted bootie patterns I bought a while back? Well, I finally made more and this is hands down, my favorite pair (so far...). Why? Well, because they ended up looking like little frogs. Little froggy footies.

Bah! I think they are so cute! I wish I had a little boy to put them in!

I Miss Crafting...

2010-03-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Yes I do! I wish I had more time... but hopefully I will in a couple of months when we move to Ohio. In the mean time, here are some projects I have been drooling over:

This amazing Ruffle Shirt. Amazing. She even gives a tutorial.

This beautiful petticoat.

Doily T-shirt.

This ruffle bib would make an adorable baby shower gift. Love it!

I LOVE Easter decorations and this egg wreath doesn't disappoint.

Button Push Pins

2010-03-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

My cubicle at work is, I'll admit, a little boring. As I was pondering my predicament the other day, I decided I needed to remedy this by adding a crafty touch or two.

I had a bunch of these at home:

So I turned them into these:

Button push pins! It is the small touches that make a big difference and I absolutely adore them! They help me remember that while I don't have as much time to craft right now that I am still a crafter at heart.

Coin Purse Tutorial!!

2010-02-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Lately (and partly due to the influence of my adorable sister-in-law) I've been obsessed with coin purses. They are cute. Like really, really cute. A while back I saw a tutorial for this gorgeous glitter coin/clutch purse refashion, but my husband is anti-glitter (like really anti-glitter) so I had to rethink my options.

On a trip to the thrift store I decided to pick up some coin purses and go to town trying to make them cute. Well, here is my first attempt (and it took me a looooong time to finish this cutie - not because it was hard but because I wanted to make sure it was what I really wanted).

First, I detached the fabric from my frame and made a pattern (just on regular paper... I simply traced around the frame and then drew my chosen shape for the rest of it).

Then, I used that pattern and cut fabric for the outside layer (an adorable gray with polka dots) and for the inside (a sturdy cream corduroy). I also cut some iron-on interfacing at a later stage, realizing it would probably be a good idea to have the added stability.

Next, I decided I wanted a ribbon embellishment. So I grabbed some double-sided fusible interfacing (the no-sew kind because I felt lazy) and attached my ribbon to both sides of the outer fabric.

Then I took a shorter piece of ribbon, folded it in half and hand-stitched it (just in the center) to one-side.

Then hand-stitched a button on top of that.

This was the point when I realized I should add some interfacing, so I attached it to the back (wrong side) of just the outer fabric.

With right sides together, pin the outer pieces to each other. Repeat with the lining. Mark where to sew and sew pieces together.

Clip the curves (just in the seam allowances) and turn right side out. Fit the lining inside the outer fabric.

Match up the openings and baste stitch (your machines longest straight stitch) to keep them together (not all four layers... just thought I should clarify in case anyone is confused).

At this point I took a monthish long break because I was unsure of how to attach my purse to the frame and then I moved and didn't have time. I'm still not sure if I did it the best possible way but here is what I came up with...

Using a toothpick I dabbed some E-6000 glue (a thickish layer) into the frame (I did one side at a time).

I pushed my fabric into the frame (starting at the center and working my way to the sides). My fabric was pretty thick and stiff so it was easy to work with. If yours is flimsy try using a piece of flat plastic cut to shape to help you get it in. Then, I used some hemp and pushed it into the gap. I used the flat part of a can opener in a multi-tool and pushed the hemp in as far as it would go.

Then I used some pliers to squish the metal together (with fabric between to prevent scratching of the metal).

Repeat on the other side. Remove excess glue from the frame (I used my fingernail...) and let dry completely.

I am so happy with how it turned out!!

Linking up with:
Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap Up
Metamorphosis Monday
The DIY Show Off
Making the World Cuter
Keeping it Simple : Motivate Me Monday
It's So Very Creative

Clementine's Crate

2010-02-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

This project has been mostly done for the better part of a month and I finally got around to finishing it and taking pictures...

I LOVE clementines and how plentiful they are during the winter. Yum, yum, yum. We always get them whenever they are on sale and in December some of my clementines came in this cute little wooden crate.

For some reason I couldn't throw it out. I kept it around and one day decided to spray-paint it, add some distressing, and put it to use.

It is now in my bedroom holding my makeup and a flat-iron. Yay for recycling!

Guest Post: Floralshowers Craft Blog

2010-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to have Anne guest posting today! She is fantastic, so enjoy! --Jess

Hi Everybody! I am so excited that Jessica has asked me to be a guest blogger on All For This Penny! My name is Anne and I can be found over at Floralshowers Craft Blog. I am a big fan of everything crafty: crocheting, sewing and hot glueing (this is a new one since I just barely became a proud owner of a glue gun). I love finding crafty inspirations around the web and I love creating new things.

A few weeks ago Jessica came over to my house and taught me how to applique. (Jessica and I have actually been friends for quite awhile...we met in High School, where we had drivers ed and a sewing class together...and after graduation we were roommates for our first year of college. Ah, the memories! =) Anyhow, I had a project in mind that was inspired by Next To Heaven's idea to make Handprint Towels. When I saw the little towels she made, I just HAD to make some myself...but since I didn't know how to applique Jessica kindly came over and taught me and now I will teach you...he he.

For this project you will need:

* Fabric

* Hand Towel

* Heat n' Bond Light iron-on adhesive

Step 1: Trace your child's hand onto the adhesive paper. (Remembering that the fabric will be attached to the back side so your image will be reversed when you are done.)

Step 2: Iron your adhesive paper onto the WRONG side of your fabric, following the directions on the package. After it cools, go ahead and cut out the hand print.

Step 3: Now you can peel the paper off. The adhesive will be stuck on the back side of your fabric and it will look all pretty and shiny but it wont be sticky. (I think this is the coolest part of this adhesive stuff...I know, so technical here.)

Step 4: Now you can lay your handprints out on your towel to decide where you want them to go. Then iron them into place.

Step 5: Now you can just do a tight zig zag stitch around your applique. (You can do a decorative hand stitch if you want...but I am kind of impatient) I also sewed some ribbon, and ric-rac along the bottom of my towel.

And then you are done... and it is all ready for your child to run over to it and wipe their dirty chocolate covered face all over it---- not that I would know that from experience =)

Floralshowers

2010-02-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

Check it out - I'm being featured on Floralshowers Craft Blog today. Thanks Anne!

And for those of you who need a little visual stimulation (I'm one, too), here's a little sneakpeak...

Fashion Show at Lunch

2010-02-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Remember how I started a new job? Well, for the past few weeks I have been carrying around my lunch in a very unattractive grocery sack. And feeling lame all-the-while. So, I finally came around to whipping me up something cute to carry my lunch around in. Here is what I originally came up with:

Huge huh? I don't know what I was thinking. And I couldn't bring myself to carry around a monster lunch sack. So I cut it in half and now have this:

Muuuuuch better! I love, love, love it! The fabric. The ruffle. The bright, happy yellow lining (which I don't have a picture of...).

I'm so glad I don't have to use a grocery sack anymore!

Linking up with Today's Creative Blog, My Frugal Family: Talented Tuesday, and Creative Itch

Embroidery Love

2010-02-11T17:59:00.000-08:00

I have to give myself a huge pat on the back. I made something! Hooray for me! And what did I make? Oh, just a little something to celebrate Valentine's Day with.

I saw the idea months and months (possibly a year or more so) ago to embroider initials in a heart (in the vein of carving your initials on a tree). I started out with that idea in mind and then once I got started I had to add more happy colors and fun stitches.

I was going to surprise my husband with it, but about a week ago he caught me making it. Oh well. It is still cute and I'm not very good at surprises anyway. :)

And yes, I did paint my embroidery hoop purple. It just needed a little something to make it pretty.

I'm linking up with:
Floral Showers - Creative Craft Thursday
Treasures for Tots - Thursday's Treasures
Today's Creative Blog

Update

2010-02-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Things may be slower around here for a little while. Some big changes have taken place over the last couple of weeks and I probably won't have as much time to craft in the next couple of months.

I got a full-time job (big change from my part-timer lifestyle) that also resulted in a move. Because of the new job I have decidedly less time to craft to my hearts content. I'm not planning on stopping altogether (I don't think I could) but things will be a little sparse for a while. Hopefully once I adjust to my new life things will pick up some. In the mean time, please be patient with me.

And because no post should be without, here is a photo. Sure, it has nothing to do with crafts but it still makes me happy.

Twine Trivet

2010-01-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love to crochet. It's true. The other day I randomly thought of crocheting twine. And it worked out better than I thought it would.

I just grabbed my biggest hook and got to work, crocheting in the round. I admit, it might be a small trivet (I think - I don't actually know the normal size of a trivet... because I didn't own one [before now]... but I think they are basically the sizes of hot pads, right? if so, this isn't that small) but it is still a cute one! I tried making it bigger but it wouldn't lay flat so I kept it as is.

Oh the things you can do with twine! :) And yes, this last picture is with a piggy bank. We were in the middle of moving and lots of things were packed but I needed a picture for perspective... plus, the little piggy is cute!

Minnie Mouse Skirt

2010-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've had this adorable red and white polka dot fabric in my stash for a couple of years now. I've always hesitated cutting into it because I had to save it for the perfect project. It finally clicked one night when I was dreaming about this jersey skirt tutorial from Ruffles & Stuff. Yes, I know it looks like something Minnie Mouse would wear but I think that makes me love it even more. I think it turned out super cute. My only regret is that the weather is too cold for me to wear this whenever I want. Dang snow.

I did a few things different from Disney's tutorial, the main one being I shirred the top of the pockets so they wouldn't stick out so far. I love the extra touch of ruffles. Perfect.

Baby Moccasins

2010-01-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been stuck on what to give as shower gifts. I know lots (and lots and lots) of people who either just had a baby or will be having a baby soon. I used to give adorable appliqued onesies but those have since caught on in my circle of baby-making friends and family. I think I finally solved my problem. Let me introduce to you my solution:

Yes, baby booties. I scoured the internet looking for the perfect (free) pattern and I wasn't able to find anything I was in love with. I finally broke down and *gasp* spent money on crochet patterns when I ran across this little shop. I may have gone overboard and bought 3 patterns. So far I've made the moccasins (aren't they so cute?!) and the two-strap mary janes and I can't wait to try the ankle boots (LOVE them!).

To go along with the mary janes I also made a cute little flower hair clip. Love the button center.

I'm linking up with:
FloralShowers: Creative Craft Thursday
Treasures for Tots: Thursday's Treasures
Today's Creative Blog: Get Your Craft On

Twine Vase

2010-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

I know these jute twine vases are old news but I finally made one and I think it turned out pretty cute. I used an old bottle (of the olive oil variety - don't worry, I cleaned it really well) and just hot glued my twine all around the bottle.

Easy and cheap! I gave it as part of a gift so I might just have to make another one to keep... and yes, those are dowels in the vase. It had to hold something (for photographing purposes) and all I had were dowels.

Queen of Hearts Garland Tutorial

2010-01-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

Last year around Valentines Day I cut out and embellished a few felt hearts, not exactly knowing what I wanted to do with them. And then they sat. In a bag. Forgotten. Until now.

I finally took the time to make something out of these cuties. And I'll show you how to make it, too.

Supplies:

felt
embroidery floss
ribbon (both to embellish with and to hang garland from)
buttons
safety pin

First, cut out a heart template from card-stock or thin cardboard.

Now cut out double the # of hearts you want on your garland. For the first half (the tops), embellish. Use whatever you have. I used felt, ribbon, buttons, and embroidery floss.

For the second half (the bottoms), cut 2 parallel lines on the upper portion of the heart. Only cut long enough for your width of ribbon to fit through. Like so:

Now attach the hearts together with embroidery floss (meaning a top and a bottom).

Put your safety pin on the end of your length of ribbon and weave through the back slits, tying knots around the openings (so the hearts don't slide around).

Now hang up your garland (preferably not on a brick wall with packing tape... I do what I have to for lighting) and enjoy!

Here are some close-ups of my favorite hearts:

Ruffled Neckline Refashion

2010-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

I think it is safe to say that I LOVE refashioning clothes. Love it. And in my mind, the queen of refashioning is Alexis from My Mama Made It. Seriously, she is amazing at refashioning. Whenever I am stuck on how to refashion something I go through her archives to find inspiration. It never fails.

Recently, my sister gave me an old shirt of hers that she didn't wear anymore (because of a very obvious stain). I was more than happy to take the shirt because I knew I could do something to it to make it wearable again. I went to My Mama Made It and found this awesome tutorial and here is my finished result:

Cute huh? And no stain in sight. Success! Thank you Alexis for sharing all of your brilliant refashioning ideas!

Linking up with:
Blue Cricket Design: Show and Tell
The Shabby Chic Cottage

Love Burlap + Blue

2010-01-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

I don't often win blog giveaways (although I enter quite a few) but about a week ago I won one of the cutest giveaways I've seen in a long time. Burlap + Blue is an excellent blog I've been following for about a month now (go check them out!) and I won some adorable number coasters. I got them in the mail Friday and I've been admiring them all. weekend. long.

Aren't they so so cute?! I pretty much love them.

Linda was also super generous and added a few extras:

Thanks Burlap + Blue!

Ribbon Necklace

2010-01-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Remember this post of awesome crafty ideas? Well, the other day I sat myself down and made this super cute bead and ribbon necklace from Samster Mommy. I used supplies I had on hand so my total cost came out to a big fat zero! Pretty sweet huh?

I think it turned out pretty cute.

After I finished I had to take a picture of myself wearing my brand spankin' new creation. And yes, I am wearing a shirt I altered a while back. And yes, I still love it.

Benny's Hat

2010-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

My nephew just had his 3rd birthday (ok, it was a few weeks ago... but still) and his mom (my super cute sister) asked me to make him a hat after she saw this one. Here is the toddler-sized version I made from this pattern. I think it is super cute and super soft (does anyone else love Vanna's Choice Lion Brand yarn as much as I do?).

Zipper Rose Tutorial

2010-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love making hair accessories. Not sure why. I don't really love wearing them but I sure love making them and giving them to my sisters or friends. I have seen zipper flowers popping up here and there and for Christmas I decided to make one for my sister. It was easier than I thought it would be so I wanted to share how to make them.

What you need:

metal zipper (or thick toothed zipper) at least 7 inches long

glue gun

felt scraps

headband

First, take your zipper and separate the sides/tapes by removing the bottom stopper. I tried using pliers but ended up just pulling it apart. Just make sure to not rip anything.

Next, dab some glue onto the extended part of the tape and fold over. Dab and fold one more time. This will be the center of the rose.

Now work in small sections. Dab a thin line of glue along the bottom edge and then wrap around the center keeping the shape round.

Keep on going until you get to the other end of the zipper tape. Add a thicker line of glue and attach it to the underpart of the flower. You are now done with one zipper rose.

(For some reason this picture won't rotate... but you still get the idea of what the back looks like)

Repeat all steps for the other half of the zipper.

Now, if you want to make a headband out of your roses, here is what I did. I cut 2 small rectangles of felt. On the first glue both roses. Keep them close together so a lot of felt doesn't show through.

Next, figure out where you want the roses positioned and glue directly onto the headband.

Use the other piece of felt and glue on the underside. Make sure to fill in any gaps between the pieces of felt.

And if you're cheap like me and got headbands from the dollar store, you might want to include this last step. I cut 2 smaller rectangles, added a thick line of glue on one side (down the center is fine - the glue will squeeze out towards the sides), and sandwiched each end of the headband (to add some cushion so it is more comfortable to wear). And you are done!

Linking up with Skip To My Lou Made By You Mondays, The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up Monday, Cottage Instincts Make It For Monday, and at Making the World Cuter.

2009 Projects

2010-01-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

I already posted this picture on my personal blog but thought it would be fitting on this blog as well. Here is a collage of most (but definitely not all) the craft projects I made last year. I'm proud of myself. I've come a long way in the past year (pretty much because of this goal) and can't wait to see what I come up with this year!

(click photo to enlarge)

Jackpot!

2010-01-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

The other day I ran to the local thrift store looking for a metal zipper (for a tutorial I'm planning) and found the lace and trim jackpot! Seriously, look at the loot I picked up for only $5 (and there is more there than meets the eye)!

Plus, I got 3 large embroidery hoops for $1 (not a $1/each but a $1 total!). Yay for the thrift store!

When I showed my husband he asked what I was planning on making with all that lace and trim. My response: pretty things. I'm so excited for all the pretty things in my crafting future! Happy New Year everyone!

Embroidered Monogram

2009-12-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I like doing an embroidery project. I've done a monogram before and I love the way it turned out. I thought I'd give it another go for my sister-in-law's birthday present. I believe this stitch is called the satin stitch. I know it isn't perfect but I still liked the way it turned out.

I'm also pretty proud of this frame. It was one I already had on hand and just spray-painted black. I've never really done much with spray-paint before but I think I could very easily become addicted... I'm already thinking of the different things that could use a shiny coat of black paint.

Linking up with Blue Cricket Design's Show and Tell

Sweaters to Cardigans

2009-12-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas is over I can share a gift I did for my cute sister. Fortunately she isn't picky and luckily she doesn't have expensive tastes and all she wanted from me was to refashion a few of her sweaters. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. She provided the most expensive part so this was a gift of love and hardly any money was involved.

Both were sweaters she wanted turned into cardigans (just cut up the center and add some bias tape). This one I added some vintage lace along the front and buttons on the sleeves.

I love the addition of the buttons. It really ties in the lace. So cute.

For the other sweater my sister wanted something along the lines of this sweater she found at Anthro (no longer available on their site):

Here is what I came up with. Navy bias tape with some navy roses sewn onto the collar. I promise, in real life the blues are more similar in color than they appear here.

I'm happy with the results and (hopefully) my sister is, too!

Linking up with Just Something I Whipped Up with The Girl Creative, Christmas Show & Tell with Tip Junkie, and .:Sumo's Sweet Stuff:. Market Yourself Monday.

Floral Showers

2009-12-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the sweet comments on my Christmas wreath (and everything else). I love getting comments! This will (probably) be my last post of the week so I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

Here are some favorite posts of mine from Floral Showers (confused on what I am talking about? check here and here). Make sure to keep on checking Floral Showers - Anne is one super crafty lady (plus, she has adorable kids)!

Ruffle Pillow. Little did I know that this cute little tutorial would be such a big hit.

Circle Pouf Tutorial. I sure looooove felt.

I still think these fabric flower headbands (tutorial) are super cute.

I LOVE refashioning and these cardigans are some of my favorite that I've done.

I still think these Star Wars finger puppets are adorable. Especially R2D2.

And lastly (I could probably keep going but I won't) are my tips on simplifying gift giving. It may not be a craft but I'm still proud of it.

Linked up with Blue Cricket Design Show and Tell.

Christmas Fabric Wreath

2009-12-20T21:04:00.000-08:00

I made a fabric wreath last year for Christmas when I was desperate for decorations but I didn't want to spend any money. I used an embroidery hoop and scraps of Christmas fabric. It turned out ok but not something that I've ever loved. I hung it up this year and after staring at it for weeks I finally decided to make it cuter. I pulled out my felt and embroidery thread and came up with this fun holly and berries embellishment. I think it turned out pretty dang cute and now I like the wreath a whole lot more (still not sure if I love it, though).

For the berries I cut small circles and hand-stitched 2 together at a time with a little batting in between. For the holly I cut out leaves and stitched 2 together down the center. Once done I simply hot glued them to my wreath. Simple but cute.

I'm participating in Make it For Monday at Cottage Instincts and Just Something I Whipped Up Monday at The Girl Creative and Get Your Craft On with Today's Creative Blog.

Christmas Stockings

2009-12-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas but this year I haven't done much decorating (*gasp*) because our basement apartment is small and doesn't really have enough room for a lot of Christmas cheer. I did put up our Christmas stockings from last year, a wreath, and a nativity and that is about it (don't worry, next year will be better - we'll be moving at some point and any apartment will be bigger than this one).

I do love our stockings, though. So. Much. Pretty much anything with covered buttons makes me swoon. And these stockings are made from super soft fleece. Yummy.

Inexpensive Gift Wrap

2009-12-17T06:56:00.000-08:00

My husband and I try to get the most for our dollar (or penny...) and that's a part of the reason we choose to give (mostly) homemade gifts... plus, I LOVE making things. Win, win.

With our desire to be ~~cheap~~ frugal I didn't want to buy any gift wrap stuff this year. We used what we had... and what we had: brown wrapping paper.

For this first gift I made the gift bow from a magazine page. Pretty cute huh? You can find the tutorial here (except I used wayyyyy less glue dots/tape and more staples).

And for this one (which is for a girl) I used some tulle and one of my crocheted hair bows as the topper. Cute and reusable (the bow part). Find my tutorial for the crocheted hair bow here.

Crocheted Bow Hair Clip: Tutorial

2009-12-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

I love the look of crocheted hair accessories. They are so cute! Lately I've made quite a few hair clips from crocheted bows. Want some of your own?

First off, crochet the bow (tutorial for that found on Creative Yarn). Then grab your clip, some felt, and your hot glue gun.

Determine how big to cut your piece of felt by measuring the back of your bow and the size of the hair clip. Here is how mine looked (make sure your piece of felt isn't wider than the center of the bow):

Then, cut a little snip in the upper middle of the felt. Cut it just wide enough for the clip to slip through.

Slip the the upper prong of the clip through the piece of felt. It should look like this:

(the top side -- will attach to the bow)

(the bottom side -- goes next to your head)

Now get your glue gun and go to town (but work semi-quickly). Make sure you glue the top side, where the top prong of the clip is visible.

Once you've got enough glue attach to the back center of the bow. Press into place and let cool.

And you are done!

Wondering how to wear these? Try these ideas or wear underneath a messy bun (not pictured).

FloralShowers Creative Craft Contest

Earflap Hat

2009-12-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else find it hard to make gifts for guys? I rack my brain and hardly anything creative comes out. This earflap hat is about the only thing I've been able to think of this year. I do like the way it turned out, though. Plus, it is such a tight crochet it'll definitely keep the soon-to-be-owner's head warm.

Crafty Ideas

2009-12-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of projects I am absolutely drooling over. I wish I had the time and money to make all of them.

This amazingly beautiful ribbon necklace by Samster Mommy. I'm basically in love with it.

These glitter clutches by Happy Together. I ~~want~~ need one. Now.

This pleated pillow by Presser Foot is to die for!

Paper mache ornaments by Blue Cricket Design. So fun and I love how they are being displayed.

Knock Knocking's yarn wreaths are amazing. I know if I make one it won't turn out nearly as gorgeous as hers but I still have to try.

These super cute paper covered pencils by Design*Sponge.

Neighbor Gift Ideas: Tissue Holder

2009-12-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

On FloralShowers I had started sharing ideas for neighbor gifts and here is my last (for the season) idea: travel tissue holders. This is actually the gift I'm giving this year (sorry, no surprises). I used this tutorial and fabric I already had on hand. The tissues come in packs of 8 for about $3 so this gift is very inexpensive (roughly .35/each, depending on where you bought your Kleenex... expect to spend more if you have to buy fabric).

We are adding cute little tags to ours that say "We tissue a Merry Christmas" (clever huh? my cute husband thought of it).

My other ideas: altered soap bottles, embellished kitchen towels, and tile coasters.

Refashioning

2009-12-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of refashioning. Huge in fact. I love taking clothes that I no longer wear (or clothes my sisters no longer wear) and make them new again. This pink cardigan my sister gave me but I didn't like it as is... it was a little boring. So I cut out about 8 flower shapes and sewed them on in a cluster to create a rosette embellishment. Easy peasy and it adds a little more excitement to an otherwise plain cardigan.

For this next refashion I'm still on the fence on its outcome. It was cuter in my head. I took 2 shirts I didn't wear much anymore and made them into one (which I love) and then added a ruffle bib (the part I'm not sure of) with 3 gold buttons (which looked even weirder going down the middle - I promise). So, yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about it but the more I try it on the more I like it. Sounds promising.

If you need/want anymore refashioning ideas, look here, here, here, and here.

let's give this a try...

2009-12-12T16:52:00.001-08:00

So, I've been blogging with FloralShowers since it started earlier this year but I thought I'd try having my own craft blog on for size. For now I'm just experimenting, but if I get attached this might be a permanent move. We'll see.

Christmas is on it's way and with it I have been getting presents ready left and right. A month or so ago I ordered some cute temple block kits from Scribble It (love that shop!!). Here is one of my finished blocks. I simply love the way it turned out.

If you are wondering whether or not you should purchase from Scribble It (I'm not sure if they are taking any more orders for Christmas... you may need to wait until after the holidays), I highly suggest you do. I had a wonderful experience plus she included a free vinyl decal with my order! Mine was a sweet "Joy" decal that I attached to a mirror I got at the dollar store (yay for cute and cheap Christmas decor!).

Let me tell you, taking pictures of mirrors isn't the easiest of tasks. This was seriously the best I could do. Most of the pictures had more than just a random branch being reflected. Oh well. :)

I've Been Featured!!

2009-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for all the link love! Thanks to everyone who has featured me!