my favorite bear

When Hallie told me she wanted to be a bear for Halloween this year, my first thought was, "But bear costumes aren't cute!" Of course I didn't say this out loud. I nodded my head, smiled, and knew it was only a matter of time before she would change her mind. It was bound to happen, right? Wrong. 

Instead of going the traditional route of a bulky, baggy bodysuit animal costume, I came up with something a little more comfortable and...let's be honest...a lot cuter. I wasn't sure what exactly Hallie had in mind when she imagined herself as a bear and was nervous about her reaction when she saw the finished product, but she loves it. Phew! 

Of course there are always a few bumps in the road when it comes to anything dealing with Hallie. She was really upset about her hair - because bears don't have long hair and they don't wear pigtails or ponytails. She also refused to wear underwear with her costume because, hello mom, bears don't wear underwear! After a few discussions we agreed on a ponytail and underwear. Wonderful. 

Though I wish I could take credit for coming up with the entire ensemble on my own, you know Pinterest had a hand in it all...

The ears were based off of this awesome tutorial. 

The idea of a girly bear costume was based off of this panda costume. 

The sweatshirt was purchased here and the quality and price are both super. I'm thinking about buying some more in other colors. 

And that fur skirt? That idea was mine and I seriously want to make one for myself. Sooo soft!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween! And don't forget to sneak some of your kids' chocolate in my honor. You know you want to. 

quick decorating tip / st. patty's day

One thing I loved as a little girl was helping my mom pull out decorations for each holiday and finding places to display them around the house. My mom has always been a clever crafter. I love her take on this St. Patrick's Day decoration: a terra cotta pot-turned-leprechaun hat. Paint the pot black and turn it upside down - simple as that! She used gold paper, shamrock fabric, and a few ribbons to complete the piece. Now that March is here (how did that happen?!) it's the perfect time to get going on this cute craft.

diaper wreath

I had the opportunity last week to help throw a baby shower for one of my dearest friends. She has two boys and is pregnant with a little girl so we were all excited to shower her with pinks and pretties and all things darling. I also jumped on the chance to make a diaper wreath. I've had them on my mind since spotting one on Pinterest a while ago. It ended up being a lot of fun to make and took less than an hour. Here are a few tips I learned throughout the process:

-Have the back of the diapers facing front. That way you don't have to worry about whatever image or character is distracting from the whole look.

-I was afraid my 9" wreath form wouldn't make a very big wreath. It was plenty big. In fact, I think anything larger might have been a bit obnoxious.

-After tying the diaper around the wreath form, fan that baby out to get a lot of volume. Don't be afraid to squish and spread and manipulate the diapers for a fuller look.

-Don't forget to tie a few baby toys to the wreath. They not only complete the look but also double as gifts.

-Be prepared for the men who see it to question your sanity for wrapping perfectly good diapers around a wreath and hanging it on the wall. Don't worry though - the women will love it.

CHRISTMAS CHAIN

Every year at Christmas time I plan on making a big fancy advent calendar for our family, and every year it gets pushed back in the someday file. Either my time is already spread too thin or the budget won't allow that big of an undertaking or my creative juices have all but evaporated. I still, however, want to do daily activities with my daughter to celebrate the season. Luckily my vast supply of scrapbook paper that has been begging to see the light of day for far too long was perfect for a quick and simple paper chain. There's always time for a paper chain, right? 

Our list of this season's activities:

1. Make a Christmas paper chain.

2. Make and hang paper snowflakes.

3. Make a cotton ball snowman.

4. Make hot chocolate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and candy canes.

5. Watch a Christmas movie and eat popcorn.

6. Call Grandpa and Grandma and Papa and Nana and sing a Christmas song.

7. Decorate sugar cookies and give to friends or neighbors.

8. Make gift tags for presents.

9. Read a Christmas book.

10. Drive around to see Christmas lights.

11. Make a Christmas card and send it to someone you love.

12. Color a manger scene coloring page.

13. Make Christmas wish lists and display somewhere.

14. Open special ornaments and put on the tree.

15. Ride the Santa train at the mall.

16. Make a toilet paper roll tree.

17. Listen to a Christmas album - Hallie's choice.

18. Make caramel chocolate pretzel sticks.

19. Get peppermint milkshake from Chick-Fil-A.

20. Buy and donate a gift to Toys for Tots.

21. Make Butter Mints.

22. Write a Christ-centered goal for the new year.

23. Color or paint special wrapping paper out of butcher paper.

24. Read the Christmas story out of the Book of Mormon and Bible.

The result is perfectly imperfect. And aren't scalloped edges just the cutest thing? We had a fun time putting it together, which really gets me excited for all of the other festive activities we have planned throughout the month. Happy December indeed!

Don't forget to enter the Christmas Mix giveaway! Comments close on Sunday night.

sewing

I'm not sure when or how I signed up to be one of those moms who sews Halloween costumes for their children, but apparently that's what I do now. I'm such a beginning sewer it isn't even funny. I cried over the sleeves, unintentionally skipped a few steps on the pattern, and made about a dozen trips to the fabric store. But I finished it, which is all I wanted. The fact that it is actually wearable and kind of cute shocked me silly. I have a few tweaks to make but what's most important is that Hallie loves it. She's the proudest pirate I've ever seen. And that makes my heart melt a little.

Recently I've had a strong desire to be good at something. I've dabbled in many, many hobbies and interests over the years but have never felt like I'm truly good at any one thing. I would like sewing to become something I'm good, maybe even great, at. Making this costume taught me that it will take a lot of time, patience, phone calls home to mom (aka "the expert"), and the ability to laugh at my mistakes. It won't be easy, but I'd sure like to give it a try.

Spill it: What do you wish you could be good at? What hobbies and interests have you put time and effort into being good at?

Linking here.

star garland

Father's Day is coming up, which means my birthday is coming up, which means Clay's birthday is coming up, which means the 4th of July is coming up. It's a busy few weeks around our house.

I made this easy 4th of July decoration to kick off the summer holiday season. I haven't quite decided where to put it so for now it is livening up the big white wall in my craft room. Nice. It'll find its way into the main area of our home in a day or two, I'm sure.

To make:

1. Gather red, white and blue paper.

2. Cut paper into stars using preferred cutting tool. (I used my beloved Cricut.)

3. Feed stars through the sewing machine one at a time to create garland.

4. Glue smaller stars over stitched stars.

5. Marvel at the beauty of finished project.

sunday bag

I've been working on a special Sunday book for Hallie to take to church each week. (More on that later.) And after lugging my heavy bag to church week after week I thought it only appropriate that Hallie have her own Sunday bag to carry her new book in, along with some other quiet toys and odds and ends.

I used this tutorial for the bag and then saw this flower and knew it would be a darling embellishment - perfect for a little girl in her Sunday best.

I love this lining. Anything with polka-dots is a guaranteed hit in Hallie's book.

Now if I could only get her to carry her own diapers and wipes.

rocking-horse re-'do

We went to Goodwill earlier this week and within 30 seconds of walking through the front door Hallie found this old guy.

She instantly fell in love and with a $7.99 price tag I figured we could give him a new home. But the hair? Yeah, that had to go. And quick.

I believe at one point it was yarn. That must have been a long time ago.

We brought him home and got to work. I tore out his mane and tail (which was a less-than thrilling process...so much dust and yuck!) and got started on a new 'do. This is what I came up with.

I like it because he still looks old fashioned, but not dirty. He's got a bit more personality, too.

Here's how I did it:

Step 1: Tear out old so-called hair. This nice little slit down the middle of his head reassured me a new mane was totally doable.

2. Cut strips using desired fabric. I used a linen-feel cotton fabric. It just flops ever-so perfectly.

3. Layer strips of fabric slightly overlapping one another. Sew a straight stitch down the center.

4. Fold a few pieces over the center stitch to give hair more mess and volume. Yes, I'm still talking about a horse.

5. Pour hot glue down the slit on horse's head and, using a high-tech tool like a pencil or screwdriver, push the center stitch of the mane into the glue. Let cool.

I did this in three or four different chunks, with shorter strips at the top and bottom and longer in the middle.

I think he's a lot happier now. I know I am.

table runner

My dining area needs help. It always has. It has been neglected for far too long. My first move was to buy a table that all three of us could sit at together and enjoy. Thanks to a right place, right time purchase from Goodwill we got a darling IKEA table for an excellent deal. But it wasn't enough. We needed color, we needed something bright. Enter the table runner.

I spotted this fabric and instantly fell in love. The color + pattern combination was perfect.

After buying the fabric I was too impatient to track down a pattern or tutorial, so I kind of went crazy all on my own. I kept telling myself, "This will be so dang cute if it actually works out." And it did.

1. I cut out each piece for the top of the runner. I didn't use a measuring tape, which could easily have caused a problem. Luckily it didn't...this time.

2. With right sides together, I sewed the top pieces to each other. I started with the white blocks at each end, then the strips on each of the long sides.

3. Iron the seams down, towards the center.

4. I cut out the back piece using the measurements of the finished top. With right sides together, sew both long sides and one end side together. Turn inside out, iron end edges in, and sew closed.

Want to hear a big fat secret? The white fabric is from an unused cloth shower curtain from Target. I've been waiting to use it on something good. Though the fabric is hard to de-wrinkle, I love the texture and weight of it for this runner.

I'm still not finished with the dining area, but it sure is nice to have a bit of color greeting us there.

[i link]

ruffle fabric flowers

Ruffle flowers are one of my favorite things to make. They take about two minutes each and can be used a hundred different ways.

Materials needed:

fabric scraps

scissors

needle and thread

twigs (for this specific project)

Step 1: Cut fabric into a circle and then spiral-cut to center. When pulled apart the fabric will look somewhat snake-like.

Step 2: Starting at the center, hand-stitch along the cut edge, pulling and gathering fabric along the way.

Step 3: By the time you reach the end of your spiral, the gathers will look like a hot mess. Don't panic. Play around with them and move the fabric around the center until you like what you see.

Step 4: Stitch through ruffles three or four times to keep in place.

Side notes ::

These flowers also turn out excellent when made with felt. I love making ruffle felt flowers for headbands and hair clips. Put two or three of different sizes side-by-side and you can't go wrong. Yes, even I wear them. They're that cute.

And how darling is that initial block? My sister-in-law Sami Jo made it for Hallie for Christmas. Sami has no idea, but she's on her way to becoming an arts + crafts maven.


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pony artwork

Sometimes I forget that even though I have an "old school" Cricut (don't bash - it's my crafting pride and joy) and it will be ages before I get my hands on a fancy Silhouette (ahhh if only), I can still cut things out with my own two hands. And, here's the kicker, it looks pretty good!

Hallie loves horses so I wanted to incorporate one into her new room decor. I went to my trusty search engine and found a perfect pony silhouette, printed it off, and cut it out with - yep - nothing but my hands and an old pair of scissors. 

I then traced the cutout onto a piece of patterned paper and cut it out (again). Add a painted frame and some more patterned paper, and I was done. Easy breezy.

It adds the perfect little touch to the room. The best part is that it took less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Not nearly as easy as pressing a button and letting a crazy-cool machine do all the work, but still pretty simple.

I dare you to put away your high-tech crafting toys and see what you can make with your own hands. Yeah, that's a challenge. But you might be surprised at what you end up creating.

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cinch bag

The moment I saw this cinch bag tutorial I knew I had to make one. 

While planning our flight to Austin and realizing I'd have my hands full, I found my perfect reason to make Hallie her bag.

I tweaked the bag a bit, which was fun for a beginner like me. The "H" had to be on it. It was too cute of an idea to leave on the cutting room floor. I love the result.

Woody ("the cowboy doll") thinks it's pretty cool too.

tags

Who doesn't love a pretty present?

 I am notorious for my terrible wrapping ability, so I have to make it up elsewhere. Now, if I were a master wrapper like my dad (not to be confused with master rapper -- although, who knows, he might also be great at breaking down a beat), I wouldn't have to worry about using ribbons, bows, and tags to distract from the two-feet of tape on each side of the box. But I do.

I love making special tags for Christmas gifts. They're almost like an additional miniature gift...just for the eyes!

Special thanks to my Cricut and the George and Basic Shapes cartridge for providing me with the perfect tag every time!

christmas sign

I made this simple Christmas sign for our living room last week. It was a nap-time project, meaning I started and finished it during one afternoon nap, which is my very favorite kind of project.

I used my Cricut to create stencils, making sure to use the thickest paper I had on hand. Then, starting with the middle line to ensure it was centered correctly, I used acrylic paint and a piece of an old t-shirt as my stencil brush.

I love how it turned out. It's very simple but can be jazzed up with surrounding accents. And what a wonderful message to display in our home throughout the holiday season.

spiderwebs

One thing I love about being in a house after years (and years and years) of apartment living is decorating for holidays. And as soon as the first fall wind blows I am ready to start crafting for Halloween. Usually I steal -- I mean borrow -- ideas from other bloggers and the Pottery Barn catalog (do they ever run out of darling ideas?), but this year I decided to create something all my own.



I started with a bunch of sticks I cut off of our lilac bush in the backyard. I took four of the sturdiest sticks and tied them together to make the foundation, then hot glued other sticks while weaving them around each other on all four sides.

The rest was even easier. Black spray paint, a cute spider cutout, and a bag of spiderwebs. And, just like that, you're done!

I kind of want to make more stick frames and use them for other decor ideas. I think the possibilities are endless.