Clip-on bow-tie for GIRLS (or boys)!!

 

I really should have a better "Introducing baby Luca!" photo for you all, but if you really care about seeing my adorable, now 2 month old baby boy who weighs THIRTEEN POUNDS, we are probably already friends on instagram. If you follow me on there then you already know how super cute and pudgy he is, how he looks just like my husband, and how the reason I haven't blogged in 2 months is due to trying to cope with 3 kids 3 and under, and a week long stay in the hospital that lead to 2 more weeks of double vision. <----not at="" computer....="" for="" good="" p="" staring="" the="">
I am now getting into the swing of things and am better adjusted to this crazy crazy life of mine. It is NO JOKE taking care of three baby/toddlers! Just taking them somewhere is a workout. Getting three kids buckled, un-buckled, into strollers etc is killing me. I don't like having to go too many places because I'm sweaty and worn out! But one day they will all be able to walk themselves, unbuckle themselves, and get themselves situated in the car and life will be a tad easier in that department. For now I am just trying to focus on how cute they all are (when they aren't screaming at each other or coloring on the walls of course). I love being a mother, more than I ever imagined (I always thought I didn't want kids--HA!), but its also even harder than I imagined. Luckily I have a really great, helpful partner/husband who gives me lots of rest on the weekends. Only 3 more months left til that's over and he starts his Ob-Gyn residency! ahhh!

Okay, so on to the subject for today: BOW-TIES! Yes, tutorials are all over the internet, and in fact one of my most popular posts of all time on pinterest, is the Big Bow Tutorial. Which you can use to make the bow-tie itself. This tutorial is for making it work on girls, women, and baby boys with crew neck instead of collared shirts.

 

Materials needed:

a bow, large or small, fabric, leather, felt, crochet/knitted, whatever you want!

2 snap clips as shown below

hot glue/gun

I love bows and bow-ties, but the traditional way to make one has a band around the neck, or a clip that goes sideways, and both require a collared shirt to be worn. I originally came up with this solution when a friend of mine asked me to make some felt bow-ties for her baby who mostly wore onesies, but I figured out it works for adults as well.

 1. hot glue the two clips on to the bow, at the width apart that works for the wear-er/ bow. Okay, now you are finished.

Attach to yourself, your baby, your son or daughter! I love love love mine, and made 3 at once.

 And if you happen to own one of THESE adorable collars, then you can attach it for another look! Eek! (note: she didn't make the collar shown above, hers are higher quality (I own quite a few), this was an attempt at making a rectangle that I somehow accidentally made into a curved rectangle, much like a collar!!)

projects only seen on my instagram! (some of what I've been making this month)

 a pom-pom garland I finally strung and hung in my girls' new shared room! (I made the pom-poms almost a year ago)

 and the felted ball garland I strung after buying the balls a year ago to make a wreath (but discovered what I had bought would only have filled a 1/4 of a wreath form).

 a Gold posterboard triangle bunting/garland for my tree!

 died (food coloring) and glittered (spray adhesive+glitter) pasta garland (I re-strung onto twine and tied each pasta bow on, rather than gluing which didn't work well).

 Made stockings for my family (and made 3 extra just.in.case.) out of a felted wool blanket, antique doily trim, and turkish (antique) wool felt coasters! All things my mom had so nicely passed on to me as she cleaned and organized all her vintage finds.

  spray-painted the front of Amélie's new $2.50 shoes (on sale) from H&M.

And bleached a bunch of bottlebrush trees that I bought  last year for this very purpose!

 The last trimester of pregnancy (plus not having to do a fab.com sale this year) really helped me kick my butt in gear! And this is only maybe 40% of what I have actually made and done. I don't like to be TOO obnoxious on instagram or this blog so I try to leave some of it out... or spread it out:)

Magnetic DIY Nativity Advent calendar

I made this advent calendar the last week of November, and somehow I didn't get around to posting about it until a week before Christmas. Sorry peeps. That is just the lame kind of blogger I am! My family and real life take priority over this little space, and so I make and do a million projects that never get posted on here! I guess you could always pin this one for next year:)

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Metal serving tray, or the like (I used a vintage t.v. dinner tray!) that magnets will stick to.
Magnetic "Canvas" (available where you find the magnets at Michaels or JoAnn's)
Acrylic paint/brushes
kitchen scissors (or scissors you don't mind cutting the thin magnet canvas with)
Felt, or fabric to make a pouch for storing the pieces (I used felt of course)


PIECES TO PAINT:
Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, hay for the manger, the manger,  mouse (cow, or other barn animal), donkey, 3 wisemen, 3 gifts, large Shepard, small Shepard, 2 sheep, 3 angels, 1 large star, 2 small stars, the stable logs (there are 4 of them-used all for one day of the advent)

These are the pieces I chose to paint so that we would have enough to last 24 days. You can do it differently, those are just my suggestions. I had a hard time figuring out 24 different things to put up there that would all fit on my tray!!

 I first created a basic envelope with velcro closure to store the pieces.

2. I then painted directly onto the magnet canvas little cartoonish figures. I wanted this to be a fast and easy project so I didn't stress about how they looked, just on having different colors, and having them be small enough to fit the tray. Make this simple. Paint circles for their heads, and a solid shape of color for their bodies. It doesn't have to be a work of art!

3. Once they were all very dry (I let them dry over night), I cut them out with my kitchen shears.

 4. I then took an paint marker and marked them all on the front with their number for the day they should be put up.... before realizing I could've just done it on the back.... duh

You are finished! My daughters have been so excited to take a magnet out of the pouch each day and put it up on the board. It was so simple and easy to make this nativity advent calendar and I am so glad I did. I hope it gets entered into their memories of childhood Christmases as we do it year after year:)

The Frances Collar Tutorial!

 

(Olivia insisted on wearing that clip even though I know its a little much with the shirt....)

My little cutie-pies have a lot of plain shirts that need to be snazzed up, so I came up with this faux-collar recently. You can check out the full tutorial (and pattern) for this "collar" over at Leafy Tree Top Spot for her TOP-TOBERFEST (there are lots more great top-re-do's over there!) Go check it out!

(P.S. Amélie's shoes were made using this tutorial)

Bat Silhouettes for Halloween! With free pdfs.

 This year Olivia is 3 (not pictured) and old enough to be super into Halloween. So I finally decided to do some real decorating. I've been waiting for the day I had kids old enough to make the holidays magical again! I can't wait to be an awesome holiday mom, like mine always was! (Speaking of... check out her shop for high-quality, beautiful paper holiday decor (including some sweet large crows for Halloween!)

 So here are my flying bats. I need to cut out more so I can continue them onto this wall.... (and the little circles on those wood things are actually skulls).

 So, if you want to make some of these bats yourself, here are the ones I drew, which you can print onto cardstock, and then cut and trace them onto black posterboard! So easy (though it takes awhile).
BATS 1    BATS 2   BATS 3

And here are the decorations (the only ones) I've been putting out for the past 3 years. Still love these skeletons, and this year olivia and I made fingerprint spiders. She was so proud of her "spooky" spiders, she kept trying to show and scare her daddy (and when he feigned fear, she told him not to worry, "they are just cute daddy, they aren't real").

Reconstructed Boy Pants: DIY

The finished product. Not quite as cool as the pants below (which are about $60 each), but if you are short on time and have a stash of hand-me-down boy clothes (or girl!!), here is a quick and easy way to give those basic baby pants a little character.

 links to these and more boy ideas found here. P.S The above pants/leggings could also be easily made from scratch, but this is the revamp-your-hand-me-downs version.

Materials needed:
some basic cotton pants
stitch ripper
fabric similar to the pre-existing pant

1.fold your pants in half and cut at an angle (or straight across)
2.Fold your new fabric in half and cut 2 of the same shape as you just cut off the old pants. MAKE SURE YOU ADD IN A SEAM ALLOWANCE for all 4 sides, and extra for the bottom, which you will be rolling up (see the image in #3?--that shows the difference in size for the one I cut off and the one that will be replacing it).
3. see above
4. Use your stitch ripper to undo about an inch of stitches up the inside seam of the existing pants' legs.
5. fold and pin the bottom of your new pant leg bottoms so they equal the same size as the old piece you cut off and top-stitch the  cuff (one line across the top of the cuff, and one across the bottom).
6. pin right sides together and sew the new pant leg, but don't close up the leg on the inseam. (see below #7).

7. You see how we left those inseams open? Now turn the entire pair of pants inside-out and sew up the new inseam so that everything lines up. Clip your strings and you are finished!

Pin it! Do it! Woo hoo! We can make baby boy clothes cool too!!

Little Boy Shirt Re-Vamp. (DIY)

For those that don't know... I found out I'm having a boy!! Yes, I have been a TERRIBLE blogger the past month, but there has been a whole lot going on in my life. Some good, some bad, but either way the blog is not as important as real life. You all with me? Anyway, when I found out I was having a boy I was not really surprised, since I thought I was having one anyway, BUT the reality of it set in once I saw that little guy up on the screen. I am having a boy. WHAT????

I know everyone thinks girls are "so much harder!.... so much drama.... " etc etc. I really resent those comments, being that A. I AM A GIRL. B. THE PEOPLE SAYING THIS ARE GIRLS!!!! what? Don't hate on your own sex! Anyway, I have loved having girls a ton. And I must say the thought of having a boy scared the crap out of me.  Anyway, on to today's topic. BOY CLOTHES. Not alot of cute stuff out there. And the cute stuff is a little boring sometimes. I need my boy to wear some color, have something to compete with his sisters' clothes! Haha. So I bought a bag full of clothes from my neighbor and got to re-vamping some of them.

And now you can follow me on my journey towards making a cool wardrobe for my little boy. (Some homemade, some re-done.)

RE-VAMPING A BOY'S OXFORD SHIRT:
Materials needed:
bias tape (double fold)
possible: cool buttons
contrasting fabric that coordinates with buttons or bias tape (scrap)

ADDING NEW TRIM TO THE SHIRT:

1. open and attach your bias tape exactly how I did mine (if you have never sewn bias tape and are confused, google it, its simple) so that the tape is on the under part of the collar (the part that will actually end up on top when folded down), and the inside of the button hole side of the front of the shirt. Sew in the ditch. (DON'T FORGET TO FOLD YOUR ENDS UNDER.)

****** DO NOT SEW AT THE CORNER OF THE COLLAR, WHICH IS A RIGHT ANGLE. stitch up to the part where the fabric is folded and creased and then stop. Drag the fabric (without cutting the strings) to just after the corner onto the next section going down and begin sewing again. This is so important, because otherwise when you go to flip the bias tape over you won't be able to! There is probably another way to do this, but I don't know and this worked for me!

2. once you have finished sewing that, flip the rest of the bias tape over to the other side and secure with LOTS of pins.
3. Begin sewing on the part of the collar that will show when folded down (when its flipped up its the inside of the collar). When you get to the point where I drew an arrow (where the collar ends and the shirt front begins) backstitch and cut your strings. Begin sewing again on the TOP of the shirt/bias tape (the shirt front). This way all of the exposed parts of the bias tape look good where you have stitched!!!!

Done (with the bias tape part). You might like it just like that, or you might want to do more.... follow me.

CHANGING OUT THE POCKET:

Now its time to add a punch of color.
1. carefully use your stitch ripper to remove the original pocket. Undo the folds and lay it out on the new fabric.
2. trace or pin and then cut. (I didn't undo the top of the pocket, I just left extra room when I cut it, don't forget that part!!!)
3. Fold and sew down the top of the pocket (The part that will be left open to stick stuff in).
4. Take the new pocket and fold &iron the creases exactly like the old pocket.
5. Pin the new pocket onto the shirt in the exact spot as the old one! Sew! easy peasy.

Here are the 3 pieces I re-did  and two (of the 5 I've already made) pairs of pants I made from old shorts and shirts of mine! I am in love with these boy clothes!

Here is the pattern/tutorial I used to make the pants, and here is one for larger pants. Seriously, pants are the easiest thing to make for your little ones! I had no idea!

And this is a super easy way to take those cheapy onesies (the ones with unfinished sleeve hems) and make them slightly hip-er:

 

I just took the sleeves and rolled them inward and sewed them down to make a muscle shirt! Bring it on.

DIY Painted Leggings (Herringbone pattern)

 This is the most simple pattern, and it takes no painting skills! Just some good eyes, and a foam brush. I even let Olivia help me with some of the lines!

 MATERIALS:
Acrylic craft paint (1 or more colors--I used florescent pink martha stewart and gold (some other brand)
foam brush (Pay attention to wideness, as it will help you not have blank areas on the pants. you can do more rows with a narrower brush and less with a wider brush)

1. Put just the tip of the foam brush into the paint. Dab onto the leggings in a herringbone pattern (at a slight angle), one row at a time, changing direction with each row (and/or color).
2. let the first side dry and then turn over and do the other side!

 I was inspired by these people. Seriously, its a husband and wife art school grad duo and if I had more money I would be all over their stuff (adult and kid).

 Don't make my mistake and put lines near the crotch area.... err. oops.  The super cool stays-in-place wired American Apparel knock-off headband she is wearing can be made using THIS tutorial!

 Here is where a wider foam brush would've come in handy, so there wouldn't be that space on the butt. Not too big a deal, but if you are a perfectionist...

I think toddler and baby legs-slash-buns are the cutest things ever. And I love Olivia's new leggings! Okay now go make some for yourself, I know I will be.

Bull-wrap!

 I am over wrapping things in yarn as of yesterday.  

 I also have no idea where to put it. I originally thought Olivia's room but it is so packed with stuff right now, I am not sure! Anyway,  here is my finished product. I just papier-machéd over the bull skull (wrapped in saran-wrap), cut it off, and then taped and re-papier-machéd it. I then wrapped it in yarn with hot glue. Don't you love how I accidentally reattached the horns going two different directions?? WHOOPS! It drives my husband crazy, but I kind of think its funny and I don't care enough to fix it.

Oh yeah, and there are my wrapped and braided cords that have no covering for the lightbulbs. Eventually.

DIY dotted kid shoes

Okay so this is not really a new tutorial for my blog, but the last one was so long ago that I thought I'd do a new post!

I saw the above photo on pinterest (of course....) but it happened to be from one of my favorite bloggers! Nina makes amazing things and clothes her adorablely Dutch daughter in AMAZING clothes. If there is one blogger out there who's child wardrobe I covet, it would be hers. hands. down.

Anyway, she has these shoes on her wish list. First thing I thought when I saw them was "dream kid shoes" and then next thing I thought was "I can make those polka dot ones." And so, after finding these pink pleather high top baby shoes at H&M I set out to make some "dream shoes!"

Materials:
Acrylic Paint (I used the art kind, but I think you can use house paint or craft paint as well)
paint brush or cotton ear swab!

1.paint the shoes. done.

I hand-painted mine and I think that A. I chose the wrong color (it dried much different than the burnt sienna it started out as) B. I should've used a cotton swab so the dots were all the same(ish) diameter. Oh well. I almost drove the 45 minutes back to H&M to get another pair and do it over and then realized I was just being silly and vain. So these will work fine. Can't wait for Amélie to fit into them!

Easiest leather bracelet ever. DIY

I painted mine, but they are also beautiful left plain! This super duper simple leather cuff is made without glue, scissors (unless you want to cut it differently), sewing, or any hardware.

And let me give credit where it is due. I came up with this cuff while doing THIS tutorial from Freshly Picked which I absolutely fell in love with and became addicted to doing!

FIRST: Buy some of this tooling leather remnants from Tandy.  (and I found a discount code online which made it the same price for me to get TWO of these bags for the price of one:)

SECOND: take out a long, slender, already cut strip of the leather.

THIRD: spray it with water or quickly run it under water in your sink.

FOURTH: curl it into a cuff, smaller than your wrist (but not SUUUPER small, duh). I used a straight bobby pin to keep mine in position, but its totally not necessary. Let it dry for 24 hours (if it feels moist at ALL then leave it, it still has more drying to do before its really set).

DONE! Except if you want to do what I did, and take some acrylic paints to them.

been wearing them every day.

Bobo Choses for my kids' clotheses

I've been eyeing Bobo Choses kid clothes for a long time, but I certainly couldn't fork over the dough for something they will grow out of so quickly. So I used Easter as an excuse to finally make something inspired by their awesome prints (the collar is definitely not bobo choses-esque, that's just my favorite clothing accessory).

Here we are again on Easter... (side note: my husband is in desperate need of better fitting church pants. I told him as soon as he graduates we are getting him to a tailor).

 

 (the two pieces that inspired this dress)

I did a freezer-paper stencil for the triangles on the fabric.
I traced a dress for the pattern (and cut the pattern out of 4 pieces of fabric so I could do lining by sewing them together in twos, turning inside out, and then sewing the back and front pieces together).

 I did a detachable collar by sewing large stitches on two long rectangles, and then pulling the thread. (And I scalloped the bottoms using my fancy sewing machine function). (Other collar tutorials of mine here and here.)

I added my own seam binding made from the same material as the dress, and sewed on a velcro closure! I love that the collar can be put with anything, but I am sure my friends are already sick of seeing this collar on my girls...

Hope you find something in this to be inspired by! Or maybe you all just think I'm crazy.