Holiday Gifts

I realize my last post was about Halloween and now I'm writing about Christmas, but I came across some great handmade holiday gift ideas and couldn't wait to share them with you.

Please check out this post here at Simple Organic for more details.

And for those of you that like to sew, check out Sew Mama Sew's blog here. There are great handmade gifts you can create for teachers, students, pets, etc.

Hope your Holiday season is off to a great start!

A Blog I Love

I recently came across this blog here and instantly became inspired. This woman designs furniture based on stuff you'd find at Pottery Barn and other retailers. She then builds each piece herself and encourages you to do the same by providing you with detailed instructions and a list of supplies to purchase.

She makes it sound so easy that I'm convinced I might be able to make this storage bed (with a little help from my husband, of course). :-)

You can browse her designs by piece, room, estimated cost, and skill level. And she shares her expertise and know-how for free. You can't beat that!

Oh, and there's also pictures from people everywhere that have built her items. So you can see the finished products and get even more inspired.

It's so great to see someone that has found her passion and loves to share it with others.

Hope you enjoy it!

Learning Experience

My kids have been learning a lot about money this Summer so I thought it would be fun to collect the different quarters from each state. Not only would it be like a great treasure hunt, it would help them become familiar with the name of each state and its spelling.

Only I didn't want to do it with a traditional folder that holds the quarters in specific slots (of course I've got to make things difficult!). I wanted the kids to actually see the United States map and where each state is compared to us, each state's size and match up its spelling. Visuals just seem so much easier, especially to a young child.

So I had been on the search for a great technique to teach all of this and thought a placemat or piece of fabric that actually displayed our map with each state spelled out would work out great. Now where to find this!

One of my great friends finally found this United States placemat for us at Walmart. And it's worked out great!
Now the kids get so excited whenever we get quarters and try to figure out which state it is and then try to locate it on the placemat. We just put some double-sided tape on the quarter and that's it.

It's been a great learning tool and I can't wait to see it all finished. Just thought I'd share something that's been working for us!


Have a wonderful weekend~

Fun with Tie Dye

Camille turned six this month, and she had a couple of friends over to celebrate. It was very laid back and casual. The girls mostly played but we also made tie dye pillow cases. It was our first experience with tie dye and I was surprised at how easy it was. It probably helped that it was a beautiful day and we were able to do the project outside.




We used this kit here but bought it at Joann's. They always have 40 or 50% off coupons so it's very inexpensive.

We let the dye set in overnight so the colors would absorb as much as possible, then just stuck the pillow cases in the washer & dryer the next morning.

The kids were so excited about their new pillow cases! And I even made one for myself!

Free Amy Butler Patterns

This is for all you sewers and crafters out there. Click here to download tons of free patterns from Amy Butler.

I especially love the hourglass pillow and duvet cover. And how about this love and peace wall art???? This would be so cute in a girl's room using her name.

Hope this gets your creative wheel turning!

Repurposed

It's very hard to say goodbye to your favorite jammies.

The ones that you've snuggled and cuddled in.

The ones that have kept you warm and comfy for the past two years and fit just right.

Not to mention that they're fun and funky with bright polka dots.

So, what do you do when they don't fit "just right" anymore??? Camille couldn't handle getting rid of them so I suggested we repurpose them.

I was able to cut out some pieces that were still in good shape along with the elastic waistband that had the cutest teal ribbon tie. I combined them with some of my fabric scraps and ta-da!!

Camille now has a new travel pillow! What's best is that it holds a part of her past, a piece of comfort for her, and it was made with love from her Mom.

My Latest Find

I love crocheting and have tremendous respect for people that are able to use this craft in a modern and intricate way. I found this great Etsy shop, namolio, that does just that. She also uses linen (one of my favorite fabrics) in her fresh, natural designs.

Now, I know I can make a pincushion for myself, but hers are just so beautiful. Mine wouldn't even compare.

If you know anyone with a sewing passion, you must get one of these as a gift. You will be much loved!

Valentines Fun

One of my very good friends gave us a gigantic stack of cardstock in a rainbow of colors. As soon as Camille saw it, I swear she started drooling. She's my crafty girl!

This morning, she burst that stack open and went to town. She traced and cut and was set on making a Valentines banner for her bedroom.

Ta-dah!

Her room really is purple (please forgive the poor lighting).

I helped with the yarn ties, but she did everything else. What do you think, future Martha or what??? :)

Great Gift Idea

I came across this fantastic photo project recently and loved it. Super creative and easy. While it was done for Christmas gifts, I thought this might be a great present for Valentines Day, birthday or even better, how about for yourself! Everyone loves family pictures. I've been looking for a creative way to display our vacation pictures at the ocean. Jackpot!

Click here for the link. And if you get a chance, check out some of her other papercrafting ideas, they are super cute.

I'm in Love With

I.must.have.these.

I had big aspirations last Winter and decided to crochet my own slippers. I'd gone through so many store bought versions only to be disappointed. They'd fall apart, rip at the seam, you name it. I got one slipper done after a lot of cuss words and restarts. All I can say is Ronald McDonald was missing his slipper and I had it. The sucker was huge. And then when I finally got the stinkin' thing right, I couldn't remember what I had done so that I could repeat it on the other slipper. Ugghhh!

I don't think I want to go through all that again. I don't have the kind of life where I can crochet in peace and quiet and count my stitches and keep track (or maybe I'm just a little craft challenged???). I'm usually multi-tasking so I need a simple repetitive pattern. I have yet to accomplish this so I'm thinking I should just surrender myself to the fact that some things should just be bought.

These are from Natalya's Studio - check out her Etsy shop here. You might fall in love with a pair yourself. Double-cushioned soles, warm and cozy yarn, and stylish designs. These are sooo much better than the mass-produced slippers at chain stores.

One Dish at a Time

Aren't these the cutest dishcloths ever?? I'm almost afraid to use them because I don't want to destroy their texture or bright colors, but I'm gonna give them a try. Time to toss out the old sponge!

I love to crochet and once again, with Fall drawing near, my fingers are getting the urge to create. My latest project has been these dishcloths. Not only do they save you money, but they're also easier on the environment. Plus they don't house all that nasty bacteria like a sponge does because you can throw them in the washing machine and reuse them again. My sister yells at me all the time about how sponges are dirt and filth infested. Well, Melissa, I finally decided to do something about!

So starting tomorrow we are using these to clean our dishes. I only hope they will clean my stainless steel pans. That should be a bit interesting. I'll keep you posted on how this all turns out.

Another Project

While visiting in New Jersey over the holidays, I went to this great yarn store with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. I had no projects in mind or specific yarns to look for. But it's just asking for trouble to take me in a yarn shop and not expect me to walk out with something. So I got this idea to make legwarmers for Camille. This was the perfect yarn ~ super soft, sock weight, and all the colors of the rainbow. So I set to work on a pattern I found online and tweaked it a bit. And ta-da. . . . .

I love the way they turned out, and they have become very useful for dance class (especially when it's only 10 degrees here!). I'm now working on a pair for Camille's cousin in New Jersey. She wanted some as well, and of course, they have to be rainbow colors. It must be a four-year old thing!

New Find

I recently found a local, independent yarn shop just down the road from our house. You'd think I was a kid in a candy store. The funny thing is that it took me almost three years to make this great discovery, and it happened by noticing a small ad in the local newspaper.

This yarn shop is on a woman's sheep farm and is called "The Fold". Not only does she spin & dye her own wool and teach classes, but she had bins and shelves stacked from floor to ceiling with yarn of all kinds. Bright, luxurious, soft, pillowy and so much more. I was in there for an hour until Doug and the kids had enough. I soon realized this was definitely a place I need to visit on my own when I can peruse at my own pace without being tugged on.

Here's one of the wool yarns I bought. It's so soft and almost spongy-like with varies of thickness. It was one of my most favorite yarns to work with and has beautiful muted colors throughout. This scarf is for sale in my Etsy shop, and I hope to add others when I have time (hopefully after the holiday rush).

Happy December 1st!

Yay, I did it!

I'm so happy that I made my first hat, and Camille loves it. She's worn it every day proudly (even when she's inside). I let her pick out the yarn and of course, it had to have some pink in it. And it fits perfectly.



Here's a picture of Camille with her new hat and Jonas with his latest love ~ "glubs" (as he calls them). He wears them as much as he can, even to sleep at night. We've had to sneak in his room later on and peel them off. He wasn't a happy camper either when we wouldn't let him wear them while eating. You gotta draw the line somewhere!

Toasty Roasty

When I was crocheting several weeks ago, Camille asked if I could crochet something for her. I thought, why not a scarf? She loved the idea and so I set to work. She picked out the leftover yarn from my stash and was super excited. Well, then she waited and waited and waited for the cold weather just so she could wear it. And it finally came today ~ cold, damp, and gloomy. Nothing to celebrate, but for her it was reason enough. Now I just have to make a matching hat. . .it will be a first for me so it should be interesting. I'll let you know how it goes!

Handmade Christmas

I know Christmas isn't for several for months, but it's already on my mind. I really don't look forward to the shopping, trying (key word here) to find the perfect gift, and then spending so much money. I realized early on that this is going to be a somewhat "tight" Christmas for us this year and others in our extended family due to career changes, family additions, and the increase in gas & groceries. So my sister, mom and I have decided to make this a "Handmade Christmas".

Each of us loves to make things and can use our talents in different areas. For example, my sister is awesome at scrapbooking and papercrafting, my mom is a great sewer and crafter, and I love working with fabric and crocheting. I'm so excited about gift giving this year and already have lots of ideas in my head for what I'm going to make (sshhh. . .it's a secret though. I can't share them in case they read my blog).

I'm also making a lot of handmade gifts for my kids, nieces/nephews, and godchildren. I know my daughter will love a handmade blanket for her bed (anything pink, purple, or with princesses!). I've also spotted some great fabric hair accessories on Etsy that I can't wait to get for her. And what kid wouldn't love a handmade pillow with their favorite characters on it. They can snuggle with it while laying down and watching a movie.

I truly believe the gifts will be so much more meaningful. In addition, I'll be supporting other handmade artists on Etsy which is a wonderful thing.

New Home Accessories Line

I always have customers ask me if I design and sew home accessories or tell me how great some of my fabrics would look in their family rooms or bedrooms. So. . . . . . . I've decided to branch out and offer home accessories using all the great fabrics that are also available on my handbags. So versatile!!

Here are some of my new cushions that I've introduced on my Etsy site. They're super inviting, comfy & modern. They can be used on your bed, sofa, or even as floor seating when entertaining. So many uses!

There is more in the works as well. Keep checking back to see my new line of fabric wall art. A wonderful way to draw a room together and put a pop of color on your walls.

Beth