One reason is that I know some of you are only interested in my crafts and some of you are only interested in my family and do not want the two mixed, so I’ve decided to have two different blogs: one public blog for crafting tutorials and selling those crafts and one private blog for talking about my family.

The second reason is that I’ve watched enough Law & Order: Special Victims Unit not to be concerned about what I write about my children.  So, I’ve decided to make a private blog (within the next few months) with a new URL.

If you would like to know that blog address to keep up with my family, leave a comment, and I’ll let you know the URL after I get it up and running.  I do want all of you to continue reading my family blog (I just don’t want weirdos who search for google images to be able to see our pictures).

Thanks friends.

Related posts:

1. Toddler Dress from Adult Shirt Tutorial

This was my gift to J for last year’s Valentine’s Day.  Here are the cool things about this gift:

1. It’s FREE.
2. It lasts all year long.
3. It is also a gift for me.
4. You really learn to show love for each other better.

I covered some canisters with paper and stickers.  I used decoupage, but you could use double sided tape, too.

Here are the rules:

His & Hers Requests (aka Love Bucket)

-Write 46 things (since there are 46 weeks left in the year) that we want our spouse to do with us or with us.
-Put those sheets of paper in your canister, and then we will swap canisters.
-On Sundays, we will each pull a strip of paper out of each other’s jar, and we’ll have to do whatever the spouse asked for.
-We will have the whole week to do the request.
-We will put the papers (with the writing hidden) on our bathroom mirror as a reminder.

On Sunday, J and I each drew one strip of paper (his were blue; mine were pink). Some of his said things like: Create a new meal without a recipe; compose a rap song for me; invite 3 couples over for games; iron 4 shirts for me.  Mine were requests like: Bring me a candy bar home from work; rub my feet; take care of Abs on Saturday morning so I can sleep in; write me love notes around the house.

I got this idea from an article I read, and I was happy that J was super excited about this project.  Yea for a good, free gift!

Do you have any good, cheap ideas for gifts??

Related posts:

1. Our Vday Project for the Year
2. Freezer Paper Stenciling
3. How To: Make Wall Letters for Baby’s Nursery

You need:

• Scrapbook paper (any square size: 12×12, 9×9, etc)
• Hot Glue Gun
• Adhesive Wall Putty

Directions:

1. You want to use two pieces of scrapbook paper that are the same square size.  I used 12×12, 9×9, and 6×6.
2. Fold the up and down, like a paper fan.
3. Crease each folded piece of paper in half.
4. Glue the outer strips to each other to make a semi circle.  Do the same thing on the other piece of paper.
5. Next, glue them together on the outsides.
6. Get adhesive wall putty, and roll it into a ball about the size of a ping pong.  Put it on the wall.  Stick the middle of the decoration into the putty, and you’re done!

Have you done any neat wall art you want to share?

Related posts:

1. How To: Make Wall Letters for Baby’s Nursery
2. How to Make: Baby Legwarmers (Tutorial)
3. Toddler Dress from Adult Shirt Tutorial

I made Baby Legwarmers in two different ways.  The first way: a knee high sock went from this to this.

This way took less time than the second way, but it didn’t look as good, and the

legwarmers kept sliding off Abs’s thighs at church.

So, the tutorial is going to be how to make legwarmers that look the top 3 legwarmers in this picture:

Supplies

• Ladies Knee High socks
• Thread

Directions

1. Cut the sock right above the heel.
2. Then cut off a 3 inch section of the heels.  Then cut off the toes.  You don’t need those anymore.
3. Using the middle pieces: turn them inside each other, wrong sides together.  You’ll use this for the bottom cuff.  I liked mine to be about the side of the existing cuffs, so, I cut the middle piece to about 3 inches.
4. Now just place the leg pieces INSIDE each cuff, raw edges lining up.
5. Pin together and sew around the raw edges with a zigzag stitch for stretch.
6. Turn them out the correct way, and you’re done!

Related posts:

1. Inexpensive Wall Art for Baby (Tutorial)
2. How to Make: Fabric Headbands
3. How to Make Baby Burp Cloths

Abs comes home from church each Sunday and Wednesday with at least two sheets of art work that she made in bible class.  We’ve run out of magnets and fridge space.

I think I’d like to “display” her paintings on her color block wall, but I’m not sure how to do that.  Any ideas?  What do you do with your kids’ art?

Related posts:

1. Inexpensive Wall Art for Baby (Tutorial)
2. How to Make: Baby Legwarmers (Tutorial)
3. Abigail’s Big Girl Room

So far, I’ve made these two dresses from old shirts I had.  They are definitely not perfect, but Abs likes them, so I guess that’s what matters.

This was a super simple project.  Can’t believe I didn’t make one sooner.  Here’s a tutorial for you:

1. Lay a dress or shirt of your toddler’s on top of the shirt you’re going to cut.  Make sure the necklines match up and fold the sleeves in on the toddler shirt.
2. Draw around the top item with disappearing ink pen, and then, cut around the lines.
3. Cut around the neckline.
4. Then cut the back side of the dress to be closer to the neckline
5. Sew up the sides with a straight stitch and then a zigzag stitch.
6. Then sew around the arm holes and stitch the back part, too.
7. Then, cut the neckline in the middle on the back part (where the tag used to be), and sew the ends onto the back of the dress, to make spaghetti straps.

You’re done, unless you want to embellish more.  The first one, I decided to make some flowers with the left over fabric.  (I was a little worried that the flowers wouldn’t hold up in the wash, but they stayed perfectly intact!)

For the second dress, I made ruffles.  I’ve cut out 4 other shirts, but I haven’t gotten around to sewing them into dresses, yet.  Any ideas for other ways to dress up the dresses??

Oh, I learned from making the first one that I should’ve make the bottom part of the dress more like an A-line.

I also made these bows to match the dress themes:

Let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any questions.

Related posts:

1. How to Make: Baby Legwarmers (Tutorial)
2. Inexpensive Wall Art for Baby (Tutorial)
3. How to Make: Fabric Headbands

I’ve been asked several times how I made the following projects:

The answer is with Freezer Paper Stenciling.  It’s super easy.  I’d say the hardest part is cutting out your design with an exacto knife.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Freezer Paper (I got mine at Walmart in the section that has Aluminum Foil, Wax paper, etc.)
• Exacto Knife (also purchased at Walmart, in the sewing section)
• Fabric Paint (I got mine from Hobby Lobby and Walmart.)
• Iron
• Paint sponge/brush
• Cardboard

I’ve made up a video to describe the process for you.  One thing though, at about 50 seconds into the video, I gave the wrong info. . . .  You actually put the middle sheet of paper waxy side UP (not down, as said in video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axlMyRlJziE

Some extra information . . .

• ****I’ve been told by one person that she had a problem with printing her image (the paper got really stuck).  Sooo, you might wanna be on the safe side and trace your image onto the paper side of the freezer paper.
• Freezer paper is rolled up like wrapping paper.  I like to cut mine in 8.5×11 inch sheets, so they can go directly in the printer.  If you don’t want to print onto the freezer paper, you can print onto a normal sheet of paper and then trace the image onto freezer paper.  Regardless of how you print, you want your design on the freezer paper to be on the paper side because you want the waxy side to be ironed onto your fabric.
• Also, cut the image with an exacto knife on top of cardboard, cutting board, or a rotary board.
• I open the shirt and insert a cardboard in the middle, so the paint won’t bleed.
• You can use tweezers to remove the small bits of freezer paper after you’re finished painting.

Any questions?

Related posts:

1. How to Make: Fabric Headbands
2. How To: Make Wall Letters for Baby’s Nursery
3. Inexpensive Wall Art for Baby (Tutorial)

After trying some of my friend’s Cinnamon Bread that was so yummy, I asked for the recipe.  She told me there was a starter and she’d bring it over with the instructions.  Anyway, the basic recipe involves eggs, oil, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla pudding, etc.  It’s called friendship bread because you’re supposed to give away the starter to 3 friends and continue baking a starter that you keep every 10 days.

Thinking that the bread might get a little time consuming, expensive, or boring, I went looking for variations.  Here are some good ones . . .

Ways to Save Money

• Instead of 3 eggs, you can use 2.
• You can substitute applesauce for the vegetable oil.
• You can substitute water for the milk.
• And you don’t have to include the pudding.

The cinnamon bread is awesome!  Love it, but I found these other ways to make the bread . . .

Other Flavors, instead of cinnamon and/or vanilla pudding

• add 1-2 cups of blueberries
• add box of instant chocolate pudding, 3 tsp. cocoa and 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
• 1 box of butterscotch pudding and 1 cup of butterscotch chips.
• lemon pudding and add 1/4 cup of poppy seeds.
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, 3/4 cup macadamia nuts and used cheesecake pudding
• 1 small box of strawberry jello, 1 c. thawed strawberries
• see more here
• you could also bake in a 9×13 pan for 35 minutes.

When You’re Tired of Baking

• You can freeze the starter for up to a year.  Thaw it for 3 hours at room temperature when you’re ready to start baking again.
• It can be 1-2 days off schedule, early or late.
• If you wanna say goodbye to the starter but don’t want to throw it out, you could bake all the starter by dividing it equally into 4 bowls.  Then, add the ingredients.  Each bowl would make 1-2 loaves each.  Then, you could give away some of the baked bread.

Soooo, who wants some of my starter?

Related posts:

1. How to: Make Peanut Butter Cake
2. How To: Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Bites
3. Yummy Fruit Salad Recipe

Several women have commented on Lyds’s car seat tent, so I’m finally getting around to doing the tutorial.  It’s SUPER easy!

I remember going out with Abs and getting frustrated, trying to keep the sun completely out of her eyes with the car seat sunshade.  And don’t even get me started about when it would rain.  Also, the wind, oh the wind where I live is killer and blankets would always blow off, and it was a hassle to hold her car seat, while trying to keep a blanket over her.  So, thank goodness I discovered an awesome way to cover up your newborn with a car seat tent.  Here’s what you need to have on hand to make one yourself . . .

Supplies

• about 2 yards total of fabric (if you want it to be reversible, you can use 1 yd of one color and 1 yd of another color, or you can simply use two yards of the same fabric)
• thread
• velcro (not the adhesive kind; buy the kind for sewing)

Okay, so I started typing up a tutorial for this but erased it all, but I don’t have the patience to remember what all I did, since it’s been about 4 months since I made this.  So, I’ll just leave you some links to some car seat tent tutorials that will be helpful.  Also, here are some of my measurements that might help you (keep in mind that this won’t make sense to you until you look at the tutorial links):

• I cut 2 inches off the bottom; it left my fabrics to be 36 L x 42 W (35 long when sewed)
• For my velcro straps: soft side up, facing back (velro down, facing front) 7-8 inches long
• When I measured the cloth front to back, I sewed the straps directly in the middle lengthwise (21 inches) and measured side to side; 12.5 from outside (7 ¼ in b/t each other).
• 

Related posts:

1. How to Make a: Crinkle Square Mini Blanket with Taggies
2. How to Make Baby Burp Cloths
3. How to Make: Fabric Headbands

Okay, here are two pictures I found of the day we started doing the redo.

And here are the “after” pictures

I made her wall letters.  Here are instructions of how to make your own.

We painted a block wall (I talked about it here).  Eventually, I’ll do a tutorial for you.

J painted her doors; they used to be a nasty brown wood.

The window treatments are made from tulle.  A friend made the bow holder.

J and his dad made the clothing rack.  The shelf has picture of Abs at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 weeks old.

Still lots of work to be done.  I want to make tissue paper flower pom poms.  We need to convert her crib to a toddler bed.  And we need to get new door hinges and knobs.  And I want to make a wall decal and vinyl lettering.  Oh, and J’s going to build her a low play table that we can put her baby doll house and barn on top and store her toys underneath.  But overall, we’re pretty satisfied with her room, and she loves it!

Related posts:

1. Update and a Sneak Peek at Abs’s Big Girl Room
2. Inexpensive Wall Art for Baby (Tutorial)
3. Art Work Display Options???