Felt Car Playmat {rough draft take one}

Remember my shower curtain playmat I made like forever ago?  Well...it is still getting played with a lot. In fact it is spread out on the floor right now, rips and all, cars parked at IKEA. So once upon a time many months ago, I decided to use up my felt stash to make a really really cool one that would last longer, and I wanted to have it done for Christmas. Yeah...it didn't quite happen. In fact, one night, when my husband told me he was about an hour away from being home, I decided to pull out the felt and just start cutting and what you see is what I got done. And I thought- "I will get this done in 2 days for Christmas..." and of course it didn't happen. So next my goal was to get it done for New Year's- from the "New Year's Baby." Oops..not happening then either. See...other things are priority right now-as usual. I wish I had 50 hours everyday. ☻ So let me know what you think of my "rough draft" and maybe I'll get really motivated, and stay up until 3 a.m. for several nights and finish this thing! Then I'll share the "how-to" and all that with you all!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Fabric Scrap Rag Alphabet {& template}

This was a project I made for Christmas. I was in love with this idea- I am in love with all things ABC lately. ☻ (see links below for various fabric abc's) I don't know who loves these more, me or my pre-schooler. I plan to make at least one more set - so we can make more words with these.

How to Make a Fabric Scrap Alphabet:
First,  I made a template using my computer.  You can download it here. I folded my fabric, so that I could cut each letter twice, by cutting out the letter one time. I cut one out of warm and natural batting to go between the fabric. One thing I would add next time, is that I would put a different fabric on the back of the letters that must face a certain direction. On the letters where the orientation does not matter, like "X" or "T", I would use the same fabric on both sides. This will help with learning correct letter orientation.
After cutting out, I simply sewed all the way around each letter, at about 1/4 inch. The edges I left raw. I trimmed them up and I was done!
There are some similar alphabets out there, some with magnets, some sewed a little different or with different fonts. Here are some links to other alphabets you can make-(you have to see just how cute these all are):
Happy Together Rag Letters - provides a tutorial
Purl Bee Fabric Magnet ABC's- tutorial plus a list of the fabrics they used
Prudent Baby DIY ABC magnets- different look using Purl Bee Tutorial (listed above)
Chez Beeper Plush Alphabet- plush abc's w/ magnets inside
Martha Stewart Felt ABC Pillow felt abc pillow with button on and off letters (I'm making some version of this one later)

Edible Snowball Treats {on a stick}

Here is an easy and yummy treat you can make with your kids, for your kids, or if you are like me, for yourself...☻ o.k. just kidding-but I did enjoy this treat too.
You need:
large marshmallows
lollipop sticks or popsicle sticks will probably work
white chocolate chips (1 cup for about 10 marshmallows)
coconut, sprinkles, or crushed candy canes
Melt one cup of the chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then stir. Every microwave is different so be careful to not burn the chocolate. I did 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, and then when it was almost melted I did 15 seconds. When melted, dip the marshmallows (with stick in it) into the chocolate. Then dip in one topping. We did sprinkles and coconut, and crushed candy canes. Place on wax paper until chocolate is hardened. Enjoy your treat! (I'm not a big marshmallow fan, but the combination of coconut and white chocolate with marshmallow- was pretty good. I think I ate more than my kids did. And my husband loved these too. )

A Glimpse into the Future

Today we sweet 4 year-old boy informed me, "When I turn 16, I am NOT going to be a bratty teenager."

Can I get him to swear on that ?

Just sayin' I think I'll remember this one and remind him of it later.

Merry Christmas {in photos}

WE

WISH YOU A

Merry Christmas!

Hope you have a joyous and safe holiday! Merry Christmas!

WINNERS! All Modern Baby Toys Give-a-Way

Here are the results according to RANDOM.ORG.
The winner of the BLOCKS {that I must purchase for myself-as I LOVE these}
is
Tierra who said
"I want both giveaways. What cute items they have in their store. I am really liking your car cozie. I have been thinking of what I could make my son and this would be perfect."



The winner of the traffic signs is {must purchase this and several other car toys they have-for my boys}:
Jennifer who said
"Cute toys! I love the play sets and just may need to get some for my boys."
Leave a comment with your email (won't be published) and I will contact you so we can get you your prize!

Thanks for entering everyone and Have a Merry Christmas!
Be sure to check out allmodernbaby for some cute stuff!

Softie Toys made from Scarves

Make sure you check out the toy give-a-way --one post below....it ends Friday.

Many months ago, I found some scarves in the dollar section at Target. I bought a bunch, thinking I'd make baby leggings or something....well instead I made a few softie toys for Christmas for baby . ☻

I am working on a template and instructions for the penguin...but I am new to making a template. Let me tell you, it sure makes it easier to have one.

About a month ago I made this zebra.I didn't love it, so I cut it apart and fixed it up. Now these are both wrapped and under the tree. ☻

Instructions coming soon!

Give-a-way!! Toys from All Modern Baby

I am excited about this little give-a-way! I have two different products you can win, from a company called
All Modern Baby, part of the CSN stores division. They have over 200 stores and you can find many of their unique products here.  You have to live in the U.S. or Canada to enter this give-a-way. Shopping for online toys is something I do quite often, and this company has some super cute and unique products available that you cannot find in the stores.  They also carry some great brand name items.  I really like their toys and found many that I LOVE...so we'll give-a-way two different toys that I am loving right now. ☻
Here are the two different items you could win today. There will be two winners- one for each product.

These blocks by notNeutral. I am {in love} with these! These would look so pretty on a coffee table, yet the kids could play with them and not break them. They are made out of wood, and how can you not love the pretty modern designs? Love these.

Or...if you have a son, and he loves cars, and he has a car cozie, or you made/bought him one for Christmas,  you may need this cute item:

Plan Toys City Set of Traffic Signs.

Aren't these so cute? I know my 4 year old would love them. Not only are these fun, they are educational too- teaching recognition of street signs. These are perfect to go with your child's matchbox car driving/playing! They also carry many cute car-type toys for boys- all of which I love. ☻

So if you would like to win, take a look at any of the above links, and leave a comment.

Want extra entries?  Blog about it and link it back to this post.  (5 extra)

Give-a-way closes on Friday December 18th. Good Luck!

Photo Matching Game {Tutorial}

This is one of those ideas that has been out there in blogland for a while. In fact, I bought the stuff to make this last year and never got around to it until this year. Such is life. ☻ I loved how this turned out, and thought it was a great way to preserve memories from the past year, and make something fun for my boys for Christmas.

I found the perfect size wood rectangles (2 1/2 inches by 31/2 inches) at Hobby Lobby. They came in packages of 4, and I used about 8 of them or so. ($8 total cost if you don't use a coupon) Michael's carries ones that are 2 inches by 3 inches.

I used acrylic paint to paint them. You don't need to paint the entire surface, since it will be covered. It is also helpful to sand the edges a bit- to prevent splinters- my edges were quite rough. Lightly sanding them solved the problem.

I just used some paper I had already. You will want to use the same paper for each one, since it is a matching game.

I printed wallet sized photos from this past year, of different memories, and of all the kids.  You need to print 2 of each photo. I think I have about 20 matches total.

Make a cute drawstring bag to store your game in.

When using modge podge, make sure to let it dry completely, so that the cards won't stick together when stacked.

AND speaking of cute matching games for kids, here is one I found at Oriental Trading. They had free shipping on any order after Thanksgiving, and this game was around $5. It has a ton of cute cookie cards, and it is very sturdy. You could make your own cookie matching game using chipboard. What child doesn't love cookies? ☻ I see many "pretend moments" at our house with this one.

The game doesn't come with a case or bag, so I just made another drawstring bag for it.

Aahhh...a few presents are ready to go under the tree. I think I only have 559 more to do....

Check out some fun projects at The Girl Creative

Seven Layer Bars with a Brownie Mix

Several weeks ago, I found this recipe off of a Ghirardelli brownie mix box. These are so incredibly simple, delicious, and fun to make. Similiar to Seven Layer Bars-which uses a graham cracker crust,  this recipe uses a brownie mix instead, and this is just about the easiest and richest bar cookie there is to make. ☻

Seven Layer Brownie Bars

1/2 cup melted butter

1 box Brownie Mix (Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix recommended)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1/2 a cup milk chocolate and 1/2 a cup semi-sweet)

1 cup chopped pecans

1- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat bottom of a 13 by 9 by2 inch pan w/ melted butter. Top with the brownie mix- just the stuff from the box, not prepared. Next top with coconut, butterscotch chips and chocolate chips and pecans. Carefully drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the top. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are all bubbly and brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!  

Homemade Christmas Decor

I've been making a few things to get our place ready for Christmas...and while I planned originally to have lots of separate fun posts during this holiday season, it isn't going to happen. ☻ I'll have to show you what I get done ...during 2010. But for now, here are a few little projects...to view....

I made a table runner from Moda's Merry and Bright Christmas Collection. I don't know if you can still get this fabric collection, but I love it. I used the 10 inch squares (layer cake squares I think) and cut them in half. I have a quilt all cut out and ready to be sewn, but I want to take my time on it and do a good job...so it will have to wait. At least I can enjoy these pretty fabrics on my table ;)

Using up some vinyl lettering, and paper scraps I made a few Christmas banners-some for gifts. I wanted to put it together simply and quickly, so I used some ribbon I had and sewed the paper to the ribbon! Easy ☻

Using some felt, heavy interfacing, black wire, and paper clips, with a little hot glue, I created this card holder that looks like Christmas lights. ☻ I saw something similiar at Picture People.  I didn't want to pay for theirs, so I made one. While I planned to make a template for this, and tutorial, time is slipping away, and I don't have the time. However, if you want, leave me a comment and I'll get it to you. ☻

Now for kid's crafts, we made some pipecleaner sphere ornaments. Similiar to our pipecleaner pumpkins, put with different colors, and twisting two colors together first. Instructions are at the link above.

And lastly, our sweet little guy goes back to the hospital for more testing this week and hopefully more answers. And because I'd rather be making cookies with my kids, while listening to Christmas music, and watching Christmas made for T.V. movies with my husband while folding laundry...I think I will try to do more of that this season and less of this stuff. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Car-n-Road Christmas Ornaments

Every year, we get our kids a new ornament. I actually do two ornaments- one is just a photo of them that year-in a frame, and the other is something that reminds us of them during that year. Well... I can't tell you how many car ornaments we have. ☻ What can I say...my boys are happy with cars, cars, and more cars.

So I made their ornaments this year. I put the number of cars on their ornament that reflected their age this year. (Their name and the year are also on the back of the ornament.) Here is what you need if you would like to make something similar:

Car-n-Road Ornaments

  Heat-n-Bond or Wonder Under,  or fusible webbing material (that binds two fabrics together)

 felt or flannel (I used flannel

some cute car fabric (or you could make your own cars)

a little Warm-n-Natural batting

 some ribbon

 hot glue

Cut two rectangles of flannet for the road. Using a piece of Heat-n-Bond in the middle and your iron,  bind the two pieces together to make the road stiff. Cut some road strips, and attach them with the Heat-n-Bond.
Cut some cars out of your car fabric, or make your own. Attach a piece of batting- such as Warm-n-Natural to the car piece. Using your Heat-n-Bond, attach your cars to the road. Hot glue ribbon on the back.
Hang and enjoy!
**Can you tell I like Heat-n-Bond? I actually use Wonder Under (same thing)  and always have it on hand. I guess you could glue your ornament or sew it together, but using the Wonder Under product is so much cleaner and easier! I love the stuff. :)

Christmas Tree {Show-n-Tell} ☻

I love Christmas Trees! When I lived in UT, I went to the Festival of Trees  almost every year, from the time I was 12, until I married my husband. ☻ It benefits Primary Children's Medical Center, and I always wanted to do a tree for it. ☻ Well, that didn't happen...yet...but this year I finally got a pretty tree of my own- I call it a "MALL TREE." - the pretty kind you see everywhere else but your own house. ☻ But not this year! Thanks to my diligent shopping of after Christmas sales last year, I scored some 90% off deals, including my pre-lit 7 and half foot-800 light tree for under 50 dollars! I love a  great deal! So here is all the show-n-tell:

I got most of my ornaments at 90% off also, except for some I bought from Costco this year- they have a great deal ($27.99 for 84 ornaments)  And I added a few I got from Target this year...and a few I made.

My sweet husband cut me over 30 pieces of wood, which I spray painted silver, white, or red, and added vinyl lettering and ribbon. I love how these look on the tree- and there are so many with so many different words. ( note: silver spray paint is really cool- all sparkly-but vinyl lettering does not stick well to it- you have to sand it after painting and then add the lettering)

Another thing I did, was I found these cute silver frames for $1 at JoAnn's so I bought about a dozen of them, and added black and white photos of my kids and our family. I hot glued some ribbon on the back to hang them up- a little Pottery Barn like- for a fraction of the price. I love photos on my tree. ☻

I bought all this fun red and white fabric to make a tree skirt-and - it probably isn't going to happen. I'll have to work on it this coming year for next year- but a piece -or several pieces of fabric works for me-for a tree skirt.

Surpisingly enough, my kids have not attacked the tree! I gave them a little 5 foot tree for their room and they redecorate that instead. Below, is the tree I have had for the last 10 years at least, and it is our "Memory Tree." We hang all our ornaments from years past on it. Like many families, each year our kids get a new ornament or two too, and we get a family ornament also.

And yes, those are stockings hanging from my window. We don't have a mantel, and I have the stuff to make this nice stocking hanger-thing-but it might not happen this year either-so they hang from the window for now...and I still have to make one more for the baby ;)

OK...now I want to see your tree- since I love some pretty Christmas trees...so if you would like to share, leave a comment w/ a link to your Christmas Tree.

Hope you are enjoying the month of December! I love it!