Colors Quiet Book- {Sewing & Craft Project using scraps from your stash}

Confession: I made this back in January. It has only taken my 8 months to share it with you.  I had the letters for about 2 years before I finally  used them. Yes it is taking me a long time to get things up on the blog to share with you these days- - but I'm still here. :)

Today at church, my 2 year old, went through this book a few times, and named all his colors! I have never had a two year old know all their colors when they could just barely talk. The color songs, have really helped, along with this little book, and - I confess- an awesome DVD called Preschool Prep. Colors.

This is a really fun little book, and I put mine together a little differently from some I've seen, so I'll share that with you.
First, here are all the pages:

HOW I MADE MY COLOR QUIET BOOK:

I bought the letters from Everyday Celebrations Etsy shop. You could make your own if you have a cutting machine. I attached them with Wonder Under- any iron on adhesive will work.  Then I used scraps from my stash. I just cut scraps- no hemming - just zig zag the pieces onto the pages.
The pages- are fabric cut from a sheet- but you could use muslin. I put some lightweight batting in between the fabric. The pages are two cut together- so that they form a large rectangle. I zig-zagged around the edges, attaching the pages together with the batting in between. BEFORE doing that, I sewed all the color scraps to the page.  The cover: I added scraps to the back, and front, and then made some binding (very unperfectly) from some scraps. I did this before sewing the pages together. To make the book, I laid all the pages on top of each other (two pages were attached together already by the way I cut the pages) and stitched down the center, turning it into a book. If you have ever made those pre-printed fabric books, it is very similar to that. The book tucks easily into a diaper bag or purse. My boys have loved it, and I think it has really helped the younger ones learn their colors.  The finished size is about 5 by 7 inches.

What fun things have you made lately for your kids?

Thanks for reading!

Scrabble Tile Wipe-Off Menu Board

 In case anyone is still reading this blog...I thought I'd finally share something with you I made a while ago...a {caute} menu board. I actually made this wipe-off board years ago using an old picture frame- that I spray painted and added fabric behind the glass. I wasn't really using it though and wanted a menu board in my kitchen- - that would perhaps- urge me to plan better meals for my family. I had a paper calendar I was using- but sometimes I'd plan and sometimes I'd just pull something out of the pantry. Anyone know what that is like?

So here is how I did it: I used this picture frame-and added some fabric and ric-rac behind the glass. Then I used Gorilla Glue to glue on the scrabble tile pieces. To weigh it down-which you have to do with Gorilla Glue- I just put lots of books on it. It worked but moved the tiles a little- so they weren't as straight as I would have liked. Oh well.

 The little letter holder from the Scrabble game, works for a pen holder, but you could also spell out today's meal on that- like use the letters and put up "PIZZA" or whatever you are eating.

Another thing I have been doing to simplify meal planning, is planning from certain categories on specific nights- you can see that on the right of the board- I change it every once in a while- so I did not want to put it on there permanently. I attached the menu board to the side of the fridge using Command Velcro Strips. I love those things, but can they please make them less expensive?

That is it. It is fun- my kids love looking up to see what we are eating. The bright colors and fun look makes meal planning a little more exciting for me- so it is a win-win.

Find more Menu Board Inspiration here.

Thanks for reading!

My {DIY} Car Play Mat + cute car mat links

I think I may have finally convinced my husband that I NEED a Silhouette.   Here is my big fat sewing project for my boys- which might be a more appropriate title for this post.  Drum roll please...

This was seriously a huge undertaking and a labor of love. I had to recruit my husband and my mother-in-law to help me cut out the letters a few days before Christmas. And then I was up until 3:30 A.M. on Christmas Eve working on it. Since I originally started this TWO years ago, I decided it was time to just get it done! I would estimate I spent around 30-40 hours on it, possibly more.
You can see when and where I started on this thing HERE and a shower curtain version I made years ago here.

I orginally intended for this to be much larger, but it ended up being about 60 inches by 50 inches. I made 4 panels, and pieced them together with my road, which is 5 inches wide, finished. I used felt for the panels and flannel for the roads. If I were to do it again, I would use the same fabric for roads and panels but I would probably NOT use felt. Felt is not really washable, so I think I would use a canvas or denim fabric,  something washable. Flannel tends to stretch slightly so that is why I would use the same fabric for both the panels and the flannel. Since I already had a lot of it done on felt and flannel, I decided just to keep it the same. It was a learning experience!

I cut out all of the buildings, mostly designing them myself using basic shapes and also looked at some photos when I wanted something more than just a square or rectangle. (Many thanks to the wonderful people who share their great photos- which gave me lots of inspiration.)  I also used Wonder Under on just about everything to iron it to the main fabrics, and then I stitched around the buildings after that. To cut out the letters, I printed them off from the computer, then traced them onto Freezer Paper, and then ironed that onto the felt. From here, I cut them out, and then cut them out of Wonder Under. Yep, that is how  I do it when I don't own a fancy cutting machine. The freezer paper peels right off the felt when you are done cutting and you don't have any marks on your fabric/felt.

 I backed this with the same car fabric  that I used over the gas station. I also added a piece of white flannel between the mat and the backing, which acts like a thin batting. I stitched in the ditch around all the roads, after safety pinning the thing together, trying to avoid any wrinkles or bumps in the fabric. Next time, I would use spray adhesive, as in the kind for basting quilts...but I was tired so we just pinned it.   I then made some binding and quickly machine stitched it on--so it is far from perfect. When you are up on Christmas Eve sewing in the middle of the night, you just want to finish!

Since my boys spend a large amount of time on the floor pretending with their cars, I knew they would love it. And I think I was right. I love seeing my children so happy about something I created for them. I love seeing them happy, period.

Here are some fun links to some super cute car mats out in blog land. Some of these ladies used glue guns to make theirs. Since I am the queen of glue gun burns, I opted to sew mine. But these are all super cute-so take a peek at some amazing cute car  play mats.

Girl and a Glue Gun
Homemade by Jill
Living the Sweet Life
Just Sew Sassy
Oopsey Daisy

Happy Holidays everyone! I'm spending mine taking car of sick children....but at least they can play with their cars inside while they recover! Thanks for reading.

DIY Christmas Decor & Gift Idea: Save the Date Blocks

 In October, I made up these little blocks for the holidays. (excuse the boring photos...but you get the idea.)  There were some 2 by 4's or 2 by 6's sitting in the garage, so I had my husband cut them up for me. I painted them a solid color, and then printed out the dates on my computer. I found a font I liked and played around with it until I got the right size. These are LARGE. I think I used the font at size 300. Here is the fun part. I applied the letters 2 different ways. I did some using freezer paper stencil. BUT an even easier way, was to print the letters, and use a sharp item- such as a ball point pen. Place the paper on top of the painted wood, and trace the letters onto the wood pressing very hard. When you are done, you have the outline of the letters in the wood. Now you just have to fill it in with paint. (I will try to do a tutorial on how I did this is if I just confused you...)  This is how I did the OCTOBER one. The other two are freezer paper stencils.  Of course you lucky people who own a fancy cutting machine, can just use that to make something like this.

 I thought it would be fun to make a few of these, Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's and the 4th of July, and give them as a gift-- to that person who likes holiday decor.  The best part of this is that it was FREE (already had the wood and paint) and EASY. After painting the dates on, I sanded the blocks lightly. This helps you to hide any mistakes, and give it that "old  shabby look." (don't ask me what it is called...)

Thanks for reading!

Ikea Hack: Spice Rack turned Book Shelves

I love love love Ikea. Problem is I live like 100 miles away from it. Last year we wanted to get some shelves like this up in the preschool room. This year, we finally did!And I love it so much, I want it in every room in my house. (hee hee)  I saw this idea on Ikea Hackers using this spice rack shelf. I had a whole plan to build some just like this- but this was so much easier!

We decided that the shelf alone was not too great for holding books, since the books could slip out of the bottom, so we added a front piece-made from a yard stick:

 We bought some cheap yard sticks, and cut them down to fit the front of the shelf. I love it- it would look cute unpainted (but has some company's name on it- so we painted it...) It worked best to prime and then paint.

So if you live in Arizona, and want to make these too, well I need some more.... and live pretty far away from Ikea, so save me some- it might be a few months before I get there! hee hee... I love IKEA.

Thanks for reading! oxoxo

DIY Lego Table {from an old Coffee or End Table}

For my son's birthday, I decided he needed a Lego table. I was pretty sick of stepping on those dang Legos. After doing a little research, it turned out that most Lego tables, were around $100. No thanks. So we made one instead for about 1/2 of that.

Here is what we did:
DIY LEGO TABLE:
We found the perfect table for $20 at our local thrift store. While this was more than I wanted to pay- I only wanted to pay like $5- this was the perfect table, that hardly needed any work. It had a set in glass top, and an edge around the top; it had solid wood legs- just what we wanted to add wheels to the bottom. It was also solid wood, not like the cheap-o Lego tables you buy- this was much sturdier.
SAND, PRIME, PAINT-we sanded it down and removed the criss-cross stuff and glass from the top.
We primed it wish spray primer- Krylon brand. Next we spray-painted it also with Krylon paint. We used 2 cans primer and 2 cans paint- total $12.
ADD LEGO PLATE TOP- I purchased 4 Lego plates- that were 10 by 10 inches each. These were about $5 each. ($20 total). My husband used Gorilla Glue to attach them- lining up the little Lego dots- which is very important- so your child can attach their Legos anywhere on the the table top. It is also important to use something heavy- and apply even pressure to the top while the glue is drying.
ADD WHEELS-My husband wanted it to have wheels so it could easily be moved around. The 4 wheels were a total of $6. He also purchased a few screws to attach them.

That is it! It was really rather easy, and quick! It cost us $58. I'm sure you could find a cheaper coffee table- or use one you already have and save more money.  Since we have almost 4 boys, I'm sure we'll be using this for years to come- as long as they can share! {We don't have room for 4 separate Lego tables- ha ha.}

And although there are LESS Legos on the floor, for some reason- some still end up on the floor.... now to get the right containers to store the things in..... right now we are using plastic bins w/ lids- that never get put on...

thanks for reading! oxoxo

The Hutch is finally Finished! {another furniture make-over}

First of all, thank you for your comments and stories from my last post. It is comforting to know I am not alone! I enjoyed reading each one-thanks for sharing. ♥

I am thinking about folding the laundry, and putting it away, so my husband doesn't have to spend his free time helping me with it.... {yes, he is like that}, but before I think some more about it, and maybe even do it, I thought I'd post a project we finished some time ago. {finally!}

Here it is BEFORE:

It came with another piece on top, that we used to make a bookshelf for our boy's room.

For only $50, it was a great deal! It is solid wood, and from the 1960's or older, as I found a piece of paper inside of it dated, 1967,when we bought it. How fun is that? (Well I think it is fun!)

Here is the SPACE before and after:

Now if we could just afford the nice T.V. to go with it... {sigh} someday soon....

Can't wait to show you the rest of the room! It is almost done- and then I might actually enjoy spending some time in the loft!

Thanks for reading! Hope you are enjoying SUMMER!

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!

Child Art Supply Totebag {a sewing project}

This weekend, I made three of these. I know there are probably dozens of tutorials out there on how to make something like this....so this isn't a tute. BUT if you would like a tutorial for this, please leave a comment and I'll be happy to post one. :) 

(update: The tutorial will be posted on May 2nd. I will add the link to this post when it is up! Thanks)

 There were two reasons for making these this weekend. One was for a birthday gift for a little girl, who loves art! And the second reason, was that my boys -who think they have to have toys at church- were just being too darn noisy! So I made them each their one little "quiet coloring bag" to make coloring fun again.  And guess what? It worked. Everyone sat in their chairs, and was really pretty quiet! A miracle! Truly- if you need your kids to be quiet somewhere- you need this. :)  (My youngest one played with his car cozy, but all he does it take the cars  in and out of the pockets-then drive them all over my body- he must like all the "hills" I have going on these days---- so he was pretty quiet too!)

 The bag fits coloring books and art paper, and the crayons fit in the pockets on the front of the bag.

I think I'll be making more of these for birthday party gifts!

It is simple, fun, kids love it, and you know -no one else will be giving the same thing :)

Easter Bunny Craft from Cardboard Tubes

Sometimes, I look at lots of super cute craft blogs, while my children are present.

And sometimes, we see a really cute craft, and my children beg me to make it.

And so we did.

Crafts by Amanda had a very similiar bunny from a cardboard tube. It was really cute, so we made our own version with things we had on hand.

Cardboard Tube Easter Bunny Craft:

We used:

Cardboard tubes from toliet paper

Acrylic paint (I let my kids paint and then I touched it up

Buttons

Staples and stapler

Brads

Ribbon

marker

Elmer's glue

Hot glue gun

This is a pretty straight forward easy craft, you can do with your kids or family members. And it is super cute too.

First-cut the tubes in half.

Paint both pieces. One will be the bunny, and the other part will be for the ears.

  I used colors I had already.

Cut out bunny ears for one piece.

When the paint is dry, use Elmer's glue to glue on the ears.

When that is dry, use a stapler that will fit inside of the tube, and add staples for the bunny whiskers. Next add brads or buttons for the eyes and nose. Using my scrapbooking tools, I just punched a hole first for the brads, and then inserted the brads.

Using a hot glue gun, (don't let the kids do this part!) glue on the button. You can add ribbon or even a cute cotton bunny tail on the back or whatever you like.

AND another reason these are cute- they double as holders for your Easter Eggs!

The eggs these ones are holding are from this post. I think these would be cute with a delicious chocolate egg...for a small gift for a friend, etc. :) Bring on the Cadbury!

Here are some more cardboard tube Easter Crafts and others:

Kids Craft Easter Bunny

Family Fun Cardboard Tube Crafts

Cardboard Tube Bunny by Amanda

Cardboard Tube Lamb at Crafts by Amanda



Last Minute Valentine's Idea-100 Things I Love About...{YOU}

 This is one of those crafts from the past- that perhaps you have already made- - years ago. However, I think it is one of those that still has some charm, - even years later. {these pics are blurry on purpose- to preserve some privacy}

To Make:

1. Think of 100 things and list you love about your spouse, your family, growing up a {insert last name}, your grandparents, your child, etc. These could be anything from traits about the person, places, events, activities, etc. 

2. Make a list, and then type them in a variety of different fonts, different sizes. Make one that is larger that has the title-example-- "100 things I love about Grandpa and Grandma......"

3.Pick a color scheme- use about 3 colors.

4.Using some 12 by 12 scrapbook paper as a base, layer at least 2 sheets- cutting the top sheet down 1/4 of an inch on both sides. I then stitched the two sheets together-using my sewing machine.

5. Next, you will need lots of charms, small items to add that personalize your 100 things. You can find these at scrapbook stores, or even small sewing notions- like buttons,etc. might work.

6. Cut up your 100 things. I inked the edges of many of them.

7. Start compiling your 100 things. Lay it out and arrange it so it is just how you like it. Then you are ready to glue it all down. I believe I used a glue stick, and glue dots for the charms.

8. Frame! Find a 12 by 12 frame, frame it, and give it as a very thoughtful Valentine's gift. This works for any occasion-of course- but I thought I would share it with you! It has been treasured for many years by grandparents, great-grandparents, and my husband.

Have Fun!