DIY Summer Wreath

 I had this wreath in my head for the past several weeks. So last week, instead of taking a nap,  I finally made it! I'm so glad I did! I am loving the colors and it makes me happy for summer- even if we get to the 100's here in AZ
 I used fabric scraps from Riley Blake's Sugar-n-Spice collection, along with a few other fabrics I had at home. I made this similar to my SPRING sign tutorial here.
Here were the things I used to make this:  {plus some hot glue and modge podge}

 My porch, here in the desert, needed a little color. There isn't much here- but it has enough color and things for me. (We get lots of snakes, lizards, and unmentionable bugs here- so I did not want to put too much outside...)

                            The flowers you can't see are pink and red- gerber daisies and geraniums.
Funny story: when I was making this, I made the pennants, and my son said, "is that a CARS wreath? Can you make it for my room?" ha ha :) I love my boys!

Hope you have a Happy Memorial Day!

Easy Outstanding Oreo Cookies {using a cake mix}

Sometimes you need something sweet.

Sometimes you don't have all the ingredients to make what you really want to make.

So you make something else.

We have made lots of types of homemade oreos in the past-- here are the ones we made today. ☻

Easy Outstanding Oreo Cookies

1 package Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup butter/margarine softened
Mix all together. Form into balls and drop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350  oven for 7-9 minutes. Cool.

Frosting: (or you can use any kind you like)
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
 2 TBSP vanilla
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together. Add powdered sugar. Spread on top of cookie, and then top with another cookie.
Makes 2 dozen. (I kept mine in the refrigerator.)
Of course, if you add sprinkles, your kids will think they are even more delicious, plus they look prettier. ☺ ☺ ☺

What the Cuteness-Friday Finds- Via Pinterest

I am loving Pinterest! Not that I am on there everyday, (which is a good thing), but when I do look- there is so much eye candy it makes me about drool! Here are some fun things I have found in the past week via Pinterest.

Cute ZigZag quilt for a boy from Empty Bobbin Sewing

You have to see the back- it is really really cute!

This is just amazing! I wish I had a wall to do this to in my house.

This is from A Mountain Bride

Nutella Cookie Recipe-- need I say more? We could live off Nutella in this house. :)

From the archives of Centsational Girl she had this idea in her files! Clever clever!

There are so many good ideas out there! I love Pinterest- because it gives me a way to catalog them by photograph! OH....I love pretty photos and ideas :) Now if I had like a 1000 hours a day, I could attempt some of the great ideas I've found on Pinterest....

Happy Pinning! If you want an invite, shoot me an email :)

Coffee Filter Flowers and Banner

Chances are, you have made coffee filter flowers before- if you are a diy/crafter. Well, I made them a few weeks ago for the first time. Loved them!! I ended up making a lot more afterwards. They are so easy to make and so pretty too!

I used a combination of two tutorials- one for kids and one for adults- with some minor changes.

KIDS coffee filter flower {using Crayola markers}

Adult coffee filter flower {using food coloring}

I did some with my preschoolers. I gave them 4 coffee filters, and had them draw on the top one. Then using a spray bottle, we wet them so the colors ran together. When it was dry, I folded them like snowflakes, and cut the edges and a hole for threading through the stem which was a straw.

I attached the coffee filters to the straw using masking tape. When done, I covered the straw and masking tape with pipe cleaners.

I used the tutorial above to make these. I used food coloring to dye the coffee filters. I used about 7-9 filters per flower. I had some chopsticks, so I used those for the stem. It was easiest to attach each filter with masking tape, and then go back and use green floral tape afterwards to cover it up.

Since I had some leftovers, and it was our preschool program/graduation, I made a fun little banner- granted this was at 1 in the morning.....but it worked. :)

I am really loving coffee filters lately- for crafts that is!

Happy Crafting!

AND thanks for reading- I have loved the sweet comments/emails I have been getting lately. ♥♥

Pinterest?

I know a lot of you are on pinterest. I have several friends on it....and I need it. Yes, I need another thing in the internet world to spend my time on - ☺
I think this is the answer to helping me organize all the cute things I see you creative people do and allowing me to share them with you! {since I'm not so skilled w/ linky parties, and posting the cute stuff I find. done by you...}
And I guess you need an invite to join in on the fun!

So who wants to send me an invite? I will be your best blogger friend and follow you back on pinterest :)
THANK YOU- I got an invite and started pinning :) (STILL wondering why my sisters and sister-in-laws that are on there never sent me one but I forgive them for forgetting about me - ha ha)

If you want an invite, send an email to me and I'll be happy to send you one!!
send email to littlegemscrafts {at} gmail {dot} com

THANK YOU!!!

Another Milestone

My oldest graduated from kindergarten today! Another milestone!

I don't know about you, but I don't want my kids to grow-up.

"Let them be Little" I say.

Now I'm off to prep for preschool graduation! I might be pulling an all-nighter....

Hope I have some shows on the DVR to keep me company. ☺

Thanks for reading and Happy Graduation to everyone!

Another Furniture Makeover {Free Desk Before}

I see so much potential in this desk! My friend (a super sweet preschool mommy) was trying to get rid of it, and we actually really need a desk with drawers! I loved it. It is a little wobbly and needs quite a bit of work, but those lattice pattern drawers- seriously- you can't find drawers like that for free!  So even though I promised my husband- "no more furniture projects"- I acquired a new one. oops...

We are still working on this from last year! Here it is in progress:

Thanks to my awesome husband who has helped with so many of these projects... a pregnant girl really shouldn't be breathing all those fumes!

DIY Decorating: Adding Fabric to Bookshelves

If you read this blog regularly, you know I am obsessed with fabric. It is not a good thing to be obsessed with, because it cost a lot of money. SO... I am asking for your thoughts and ideas on this one! 

I am a do-it-yourself- person- most of the time and I don't like to spend a lot of money- O.K.- with the exception of fabric. ☺☺☺

So here are my bookshelves before- as seen above. I think it has too much stuff on it, and I don't like the plain walls in the back. . We had very limited space for shelving in this room- due to the fact that my big-fat-treadmill has to sit in the corner where you would usually put the shelving/TV unit. These were found at IKEA for a very affordable price. {Love that darn IKEA!} Sorry for the bad photo- it was taken months ago.

HERE is the bookshelves with some chevron fabric behind them. It wasn't the plan to use this fabric for this, but when I put it up, I kind of liked it. And as I left it there, I started to really like it. 

My husband suggested maybe it should have a larger print or something- he was fine with it-but just not on board 100% with it- but then again- I just have to tell him to trust me and I'll make it all work. ☺

SO after I got my cream couch covers, this fabric -being white and black was really bugging me-white,cream,white, cream.... So I found some similar stuff but with cream instead of white-as seen below: 

It is a slightly larger chevron print, with cream instead of white. I like it lots better. 

So what do you think? I am pretty indecisive at this time in my pregnancy- and it is probably not the best time to redecorate everything- but that is what I am doing anyway- darn nesting hormones. I'll show you the whole room later- it looks better w/ everything else- I think.

I'm also changing up the throw pillows- another thing I love - throw pillows. The husband doesn't like them at all- but I love them- so I win. {ha ha}

Here is the before: (minus the Valentine's Day decoration)

AND here is the what I'm thinking of doing or something like this- but obviously I might spread those out over 2 sofas....so you can sit on the sofa! (Those are not finished- just fabric wrapped around pillows- as I am deciding which fabrics to use....)

I know the white and light and bright colors are really in...but I love a little red, and color-at least in some areas of the house. {The white/bright/light thing is going is some other rooms...}

Send me your thoughts, please pretty please. I will still love you even if you hate everything I have done here and think a circus exploded in my house. With brown walls and brown carpet, I really did not want brown everything else....boring brown. ☺☺

Thanks for being a nice reader and reading this lengthy post!

More decorating posts to come...love it, even if it never ends and I'm always changing it up. ☺

Linking up to Get your Craft On - at Today's Creative Blog

Easy Peasy Fabric Flowers {turn them into magnets or something else}

 Do I dare join in on the biggest fabric flower trend ever? Well I did-in my own way. I might even make a wreath using fabric flowers. {gasp!! everyone is doing it...} For preschool, we made our moms a cute fabric flower pin. At least I thought they were cute! I also made some into magnets (shown above) which I like even better. There are so many things you can do with fabric flowers besides put them in your hair...(which most of the time I am not going to do because I am OLD....ha ha- but occasionally I give in and wear one.)
Below are the ones the preschoolers made for their moms last week. I gave them 4 circles that were 4 different sizes, and they had to put them in order from largest to smallest. Then I hot glued them. They picked out their own button. I already had pins glued on little pieces of felt for the back.

 IF you want to make the magnets, which is my favorite, I used a small wooden square from the craft store- you can buy bags of wooden cut out shapes for a few dollars- get the lightest ones you can- and then hot glue a round button magnet to the back. These can also be purchased at the craft store, or at Walmart in the craft section. Everything is hot glued together.

What else can you do with fabric flowers like these?

These truly are easy peasy. There are so many great fabric flowers out  there- I can't even begin to list them! If you have a good one -on your blog or a blog you have found- please list and share!

THIS POST on Tatertots and Jello had lots of good ideas for fabric and paper flowers! Jen always finds the best ideas out there in the ever so huge and amazingly creative world of blogs!

Have fun!

Happy Mother's Day !

PROOF you can have a Happy Mother's Day even if you look and feel like a gigantic whale....

I might be HUGE, but I am having my fourth healthy pregnancy and for that I am GRATEFUL!!

Only about 9 weeks to go....

I might only have BOYS but I have cute, handsome, smart, healthy ones!!

I love being a mom. I am truly blessed.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, and women out there!

Perspective

Sometimes I think craft blogs are totally SILLY. Seriously, who is sitting home all day making stuff?
I certainly am not. I squeeze it in every chance I get, but  I have three little ones that take most of my time and attention. And I love those crazy little boys more than anything!

I DO have some super cute things to show you, and I am obsessed with decorating and redecorating my house. and I know I have a few things to fix up on here...sorry. I'll get to it when I get to it. :)


But this week has given me so much more perspective on my life. I read about this sweet family, who I happen to know, and their tragic loss. If you read it, you will want to make sure you have plenty of tissues, because I am sure you will cry and cry and cry, and rethink your life. I did. I am still crying, and praying for this little family.
My heart breaks for them.
I also am pregnant with my 4th, and have 3 children the same ages at theirs. I can't imagine the heartache they are going through at this time.
They share my faith, which gives me so much hope and provides me with so many answers.
But it is still a difficult time.
If you find yourself wanting to help, and able to do so, there is a fund set up: The Wendy Kimball Mack Memorial Fund at any Wells Fargo location.

I'm going to hug my kids and husband a little tighter, a little more often, and let the projects and the cleaning go.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!!!

Here is a picture of one of my sweet boys...:) Just because. I love being a mom.

Child's Art Supply Totebag Tutorial {for coloring books & crayons}

Before I post this tute, I just have to ask...is anyone reading this lately? Somebody please say something!! As in leave a comment....won't you please be a nice reader...please??? My stats tell me there are readers..but I don't know...{sigh} ☺☺☺

AND NOW...

Here is the tutorial many of you asked about here.

Tutorials take time and work and I want it to be successful and useful for you. So if you do not understand something or have a question please let me know. AND if you end up making this I would LOVE to see your creation-please send me a link or leave me a comment and let me know! I love seeing what you are creating too!

NOTE ADDED AFTER: I am pregnant. Half of my brain goes out the window when I am pregnant. I goofed a little on this tute. PLEASE READ the typing underneath the photos- that clarifies the instructions for cutting out the pieces. AND just a note to myself: don't write tutorials when pregnant because you lose 1/2 of your brain....:)

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CUTTING FABRIC: The main pieces of the bag FOLD so they are 14 by 14 inches. IF you open up these pieces, you will be cutting a piece that is 14 by 28 inches!!!
THIS IS FOR THE OUTSIDE PIECE OF THE BAG AND THE LINING PIECE OF THE BAG. THE POCKET PIECE IS 14 by 9 inches, when open and not folded. Hope that makes sense.

THE 14 by 14 inch pieces are FOLDED IN HALF. Opened up flat they will measure 14 by 28 inches!!

The ironed folded lines help me to line eveything up. That is why I suggest ironing the fold on the bottom of the bag. 

From here you are going to flip the pocket up, so that it is now sewn onto the bag in the right place. The seam you just sewed, will not show from the outside of the bag. Now you will topstitch the bottom of the pocket- (sew on top of the pocket along the bottom edge.) Then you are ready to mark off and sew the individual pockets for the crayons.

Now you are ready to attach the handles.

TIP: I use an iron to put a crease in my fabric when I have to measure something like this. I folded the bag into thirds, and made a crease using my iron, at each third. I attached the handles at each third so that they were evenly spaced on the bag. When you are done with the handles, place this aside and pick up the lining /inside of the bag piece.

I'd love to see your project- please send me a link! I'd also love to know if you use this and it works for you, or if you have any questions! Thanks a bunch! Happy Sewing!