naptime post: make your own sewing cards/lacing cards

My kids are napping - woo hoo!  A few weeks ago I posted about a sewing kit I put together for my oldest daughter for Christmas.  (To refresh your memory you can reread that post by clicking here.)  I spent far too long looking for sewing or lacing cards at store after store and on the internet, and I could not for the life of me find exactly what I was looking for.  So . . . in a moment of frustration paired with just the right amount of creativity, I decided to make my own.  I orginally thought of using cardboard, but as I watched the fate of other cardboard items in the hands of my kids, I realized cardboard would have a short shelf-life . . . hence the foam sheets.  You might be able to think of other materials that would stand up to the lifestyles of toddlers and preschoolers.  Let me know if you do. 

A friend of mine asked me how I made those sewing/lacing cards that I included in the kit.  To be honest, it's so easy that I probably don't need to put these instructions together.  However, in the chance that there is someone reading this who is as craft-clumsy as I am, I will describe how I did it . . . a little lacing card tutorial, if you will.  Before I begin, I would like to take my metaphorical hat off to my oldest daughter who helped me with this tutorial.  We actually did this together.  She made her own cards alongside me as I made mine (which were for her too, so she really won on this deal).  This is a great activity to do with your kids . . . or go borrow somebody else's children for this particular project - make sure you get permission first though!

Supplies - Only three?  How easy can you get.

• craft foam sheets - 5 1/2 by 8/12
• an extra long reach hole punch - They make these in a variety of hole shapes.  I just used the circle, but it would be fun to try different shapes in your design as well.
• permanent markers

Steps - Again, only three?  This keeps getting better and better.

1. Pick color and design. 

2. Draw carefully onto foam sheet.  Keep in mind that even though you are using permanent markers the marker will come off onto your hand, clothes, other foam sheets, etc. for a minute or so until it dries.  Trust me . . . I know this from personal experience and enjoyed some colorful blue and purple marks on my hand for a few days.
3. Use 2 inch reach one-hole punch to punch a design in your drawing.  A young child may need help applying the extra force necessary to punch the hole. 

We are using these at our house to teach my oldest daughter to sew using a (plastic) needle and craft thread.  However, the holes are big enough to use shoelaces or even ribbon.  In fact, I would recommend using shoelaces until your little one masters that skill first. 

I have made these cards with shapes, a kite, a house, a birthday cake and my daughters favorite - a girl's face with a variety of hair-sew-ons.  (As much as I am not an experienced crafter, I am even more so not an accomplished artist, so don't laugh at my drawings.  Okay . . . do laugh, but don't tell me about it.)

I made a small pouch for the hair accessories and a larger pouch to fit everything in.  I guess I was feeling especially ambitious that day, but you could just buy one of those fabric/tulle gift bags or keep everything in a gallon-sized ziplock bag.  This is a great gift to include in a kid's sewing kit, and I highly recommend this as a quiet toy for eating out, church, rest time when your child outgrows nap time, etc.

Enjoy this easy craft, and let me know if you make these cards.  I would love to see pictures.  You can post them on my flicker link to the left or e-mail to lizbeth694@aol.com.

Craft on!

saturday spotlight - mara's chair goes from drab to fab

This weekend I'm shining the spotlight on a true inspiration.  In fact, watching Mara transform this dilapidated old chair from drab to fab, inspired me over the course of the last year in my meager sewing attempts (i.e. the aprons, potholders, bean bags).  Mara and I became friends eight years ago, and she has always had a good eye and artistic/creative flare.  However, she decided to try her hand at something completely different, and she enrolled in a class to learn how to upohlster a chair. 

She took this chair on a journey of destruction to recreation.  She did an absolutely amazing job!

The finished product - a stunning chair!

Craft on!

thinking about taking a two year old to a fabric store?

DON'T DO IT! 

Now, most of you probably already assumed that would be a disastrous combination.  For those of you who, like me, think that a very curious and stubborn two year old would be able to handle a ten minute visit to the fabric store to pick up say . . . four buttons . . . PLEASE THINK AGAIN!

Here's my tale . . .

Every other Friday morning my youngest daughter, who I affectionately call Chucko or Monkey, and I have quality time together . . . just the two of us.  Typically, our time involves chasing around the house, coloring, chasing around the house, cars, chasing around the house, laundry, chasing around the house . . . well, I think you get the picture.  This particular Friday morning I had two items on my to-do list: 1) get potatoes from the grocery store 2) find four buttons.  Sounds manageable, right?  I loaded Monkey in the car with pretzels in hand and began the 20 minute drive to the fabric store.  Now, Monkey isn't a sitter or a stander; she's a runner, twirler, spinner, climber, etc. - hence the name Monkey.  So after twenty minutes sitting in the car, she wasn't interested in being carried or standing next to me as we looked for the buttons in the store.  Let's just say that after picking up the fat quarters (What's up with this name? I don't get it.), the spray bottles and the thread spools; stopping the button rack from spinning; and gathering her shoes and socks out of the display window, the sales clerk was thrilled to check us out and get us on our way with four buttons in hand.  

Getting potatoes at the grocery store went much better . . . in case you're wondering.

Anyway, I'm so excited to share what my second craft till Christmas is going to be!  Look for me to post about that on February 1.      

Craft on!

why didn't i think of this?

The crayon roll just got way easier!  Check out my friend Amanda's tutorial on making a crayon roll from a placemat.  This is genius for many reasons:
1) no rotary cutter necessary
2) bye-bye fusible interfacing . . . yippeeeee!
3) only two supplies needed - cheap placemat and ribbon
4) she uses lined placemats which makes sewing straight lines soooo easy
5) super fast - she said that she was able to make the crayon roll in 30 minutes . . . woohoo . . . that's my kind of project

So check out her tutorial by clicking the blue words above or copying and pasting this address into your browser http://onweb.net/amanda/. You are on your way to mastering the crayon roll. 

Craft on!

the transformation of the laundry basket

Lately at our house, the most popular toy hasn't been Littlest Pet Shop or Legos, Dora or the dancing tutu.  The most popular and beloved toy has been this . . .

. . . no, not the doll . . . the laundry basket.  This laundry basket has been a crib, a house, a boat in the river, an airplane bound for Hawaii (if only), a scooter, a shopping cart, an animal kennel, a sled and probably a few things I'm not even aware of.  I'm amazed with the creativity of kids.  They can take a laundry basket and transform it into a whole new world.  I wonder when I lost that ability . . . when did a piece of orange flannel turn into a plain old piece of flannel rather than a carrot, a teddy bear, a basket, a puppet, an outfit for a doll?  

My kids, this blog and my twelve crafts challenge are all helping me recover some of that creativity.  Over the past three weeks, I can't walk through a store, look at my pile of clothes to give away, see things lying around the house without being inspired to make something.  I'm super excited about that.  It's like finding the kid inside of me that was lost . . . or at least covered up by the pile of clothes that should have been in that laundry basket . . . a long time ago.  If only I had the time to actually make all the things whirling around in my imagination. 

What do inspires you to be creative?

Craft on!    

saturday spotlight - patricia's dancing chickens

The best part of blogging is hearing from people who are crafty and are busy making their own unique creations.  In the past two weeks, I have heard from a handful of people who have made bags, doll clothes (even chicken clothes), crayon rolls, and so much more.

I thought it might be nice to share some of those creations with you because they are so inspirational to me, and they may just inspire you too. 

For the first Saturday Spotlight, I want to showcase these very creative little chicken outfits by Patricia.  Patricia bought this dancing chicken as a gift for someone, and she felt inspired to add a little pizzazz by creating a few outfits.  The first picture shows the chicken dressed in a stylin' mail carrier outfit - complete with tiny little cards and envelopes inside the mailbag (not seen in picture).  The second outfit gives the chicken a little Christmas flare.  Patricia put a lot of attention into the little details to make these the best dressed dancing chickens around.  Just goes to show . . . anything can be the source of creative inspiration - even dancing chickens!

Let me know if you have a project you are working on or have finished, I would love to see it and even share it with others on this blog as inspiration. 

Craft on!

third time's a charm!

I wasn't planning on posting anything tonight, but I 'm so excited!  I made a crayon roll in a reasonable amount of time, and I like it.  That's huge for me!  After the girls were snuggled in their beds, I intended to sit and veg in front of the TV.  I made it about 15 minutes, and heard the fabric that I had cut out (with a rotary cutter) last night calling my name.  So . . . here it is my third roll . . . drum roll (no pun intended - honestly) please . . . 

I also found some mini gel pens at Target for a dollar.  They fit perfectly in the roll made for crayons, and they won't mark up the fabric like crayons do when you slide them in and out.  I'm so excited that I feel a little giddy! 

Before I sign off and head to bed, I have to give a little credit to my new friend - disappearing ink - without whom none of this would be possible.  I met disappearing ink while exploring the sewing department at Hobby Lobby, and I thought it sounded like a wonderfully helpful tool.  So . . . thanks for making my life just a little easier and my seams just a little straighter.