A Yellow Umbrella

2010-11-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

To Sew: fabric pumpkins

Instructions at Thompson Family-Life.

2010-05-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

To Sew: pillow with rosette clusters

Materials and Tools

Feather pillow insert, 10 x 18" (25 x 45cm)
For the pillow cover: 23 1/2 x 19" (57 x 47cm) orange felt or felted woven-wool fabric
For the folded rosettes: 20 x 18" (50 x 45cm) orange felt or felted woven-wool fabric
Matching zipper, 18" (45cm) long — optional
Matching sewing thread
Basic sewing kit
Sewing machine

1. If you wish to make a pillow back with a zipper, cut out three pieces of felt for the pillow cover — one piece measuring 11 x 19" (27 x 47cm) for the front and two pieces measuring 6 x 19" (14.5 x 47cm) and 6 1/2 x 19" (15.5 x 47cm) for the back. If you wish to make a sewn-in pillow back, cut the back panel to the same measurements as the front. To make the rosettes, cut out 60 felt circles with a 3" (7cm) diameter.

2. Pinch each felt circle in the middle, and fold the sides in to form a rosette. Hand-stitch the base of each folded rosette to hold it together.

3. Starting at one end of the front pillow panel, hand-stitch the rosettes onto the fabric, stitching neatly and securely through the base of each one.

4. Continue adding rosettes, positioning them very close together to form a dense, wide row of rosettes through the center of the pillow panel. Make sure that the row of rosettes is straight and that there is the same amount of undecorated base fabric on either side of the row.

5. Make up the pillow back and join the front and back following one of the two options below. Insert the pillow form into the finished cover.

Sewn-In Pillow Back

This is a really easy and quick way to apply a pillow backing, and it requires only a small amount of hand-sewing. The back panel of the pillow is cut in one piece, to the same size as the front panel. The front and back panels are pinned together, with right sides facing, then machine-sewn along three sides using a 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance. Once the cover has been turned right side out and the pillow form inserted, the seam is turned in along the fourth side and closed with invisible stitching. The drawback to this method is that, once sewn in, the pillow cover cannot be easily removed for washing, and would require picking out the seam and resewing.

1. Cut a piece of fabric for the back of the pillow cover to the same size as the front panel, including the same 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance (or as specified). Place the two panels with right sides together, and pin along the seam allowance on three sides, leaving the fourth side open.

2. Using matching thread and a small to medium sized straight stitch, machine-sew along the three sides to join the front and back panels together, removing the pins as you sew. Cut off the corners on the diagonal, being careful not to cut through the stitching — this will produce neater corners on the finished pillow.

3. Turn the pillow cover right side out and insert the pillow form. To close the fourth side of the cover, fold the 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance to the inside and pin the edges together.

4. Stitch the two sides together, keeping the stitches as invisible as possible. To do this, work from right to left if you are right-handed and from left to right (as shown) if you are left-handed. Knot the end of the thread, and bring the needle and thread out through one folded edge. Slip the needle through the fold of the opposite edge for about 1/4" (5mm); bring the needle out and draw the thread through. Continue to slip the needle and thread through the opposing folded edges.

Pillow Back With Zipper

Although sewing in a zipper requires a degree of technical skill, this is still not a complicated way to make up the back of a pillow cover, and it is the method that I would recommend using, as it does mean that the cover can be easily removed for cleaning. The back panel of the pillow cover is cut in two pieces, which are joined together in the middle by the zipper, running horizontally. You will need a metal or nylon closed-end zipper in a color that matches your pillow cover. The zipper should be the same length as the pillow form.

1. Cut two pieces of fabric for the back cover. Both should be the same width as the front cover (adding a 1/2" [1cm] side-seam allowance, or as specified); one should be 1 1/2" (3cm) longer than half the length of the front cover, and the other should be 1" (2cm) longer, giving a 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance along the top and bottom edges, and a 1" (2cm) and 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance along the inner zip edges respectively. With the fabric wrong side up, fold in 1" (2cm) along the inner edge of the larger back piece, and press.

2. With the zipper wrong side up, pin one side of the zipper tape along the cut edge of the fold, with 1/2" (1cm) clear at each end for the side seams. Open the zipper. Using the zipper foot, machine-sew the tape in place along the folded edge.

3. Pin the other side of the zipper tape along the inner edge of the other back piece, with the fabric right side up. Machine-sew in place.

4. Fold the edge over to form a neat fold aligning with the zipper's teeth. Machine-sew in place.

5. With the zipper half open, pin the front and back covers with right sides together. Using a 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance, machine-sew around the edges. Cut the corners (shown in step 2 opposite); turn right side out, and insert the pillow form.

From Etsy's Handmade Blog.

2010-05-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

TO SEW: hedgie

I have an old friend to share today.. in the form of a softie pattern. I think he's my very most favorite softie to date. I was positively beside myself when he was coming together. This was one of those rare times where the mental vision matched with the final outcome!

Here is a quick share on how to put this little dumplin' together!

I start every softie pattern with a muslin version first.
He was a tad on the lumpy side...
...and covered in pen marks...
...but I knew he would work his curves out once he was put together properly!
Properly meaning... MomChops would come over and sew him up MC Style!
THANKS MomChops!

After I had cut my pattern out in fabric I then cut out the dart areas
on the paper pattern so I could trace them onto the fabric
(I used vellum to print my pattern cause I seriously heart vellum).
That was the easiest way for me to get the exact placement of the darts.

The way you sew darts together is by lining up the point of the triangle and pinching them together.
You then sew down that line.

Here is a little bit better view.
Leave enough string (of both pieces) from the sewing machine
at the top of the point so you can tie a little knot.
This keeps dart from coming apart.

Here are both darts sewn on one side. The two fabric pieces are ready to be sewn together.
I actually cut out the rest of the paper pattern (along the dotted line)
...and then traced that shape onto the fabric pieces. This gave me the exact place to sew the seam.

Once you have your seam sewn you are going to want to clip your curves
(which is pretty much around the whole Hamie body.. he's a round sorta fella)

Trim your excess seams
(leave the opening part a little longer so you can tuck it in all nice and tidy)
NOTE: We changed the location of the seam opening to right under his snout
(it's correct in the pattern - this pic is showing the wrong location for the opening).
We found that when it was along his bottom it caused a major cause of the humpty dumpties!
We cannot have that now can we?

I used a leaf shape for the Hamie Back Spikes.
Sew pretty. Sew Hamtastic.

Here is a close-up of the leaves on Hamie.
I placed them with simple head pins for now.
But as soon as I am done typing up this little post I am going to tack them all down.
I already have about 8 tacked down now and it's going rather Hamtacularly.
I'll share the details of how I am doing this Wednesday!

Sew that's it! You can download the Hamie the Hedgie pattern below.

Hamie the Hedgie

From Lollychops.

2010-05-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

TO SEW: ruffle shirt

I have been a big fan of Down East Basics and Shade for a few years now. I wear Wonder tees from Down East all the time. They are comfortable, modest (hide everything I need to hide and when I bend over it doesn't flash people) and since it is not baggy, I wear it under a cardigan all the time.

There is only thing I was hoping for... I wanted the same shirt, but with a little bit more feminity and flare.

Then, one day I was at a Down East store, and going through their sales rack and found this...(The folded shirt on the left is my old shirt, I am going to use this too.)

I couldn't believe my eyes, yes, I know, it was a $1!!! I asked if there are more in the back, but he said this was a left over from two summers ago, and there is no more... oh well, lucky me! I have a perfect plan for this shirt.

1. Cut the side of one shirt and open it up. Use the picture as a guide and cut up 6 peices of 2 1/2" X 12" and 2 peices of 1 1/4" strips.

2. Using big stitches, sew 2 1/2" strips a 1/4" from the edge. Pull one thread to make the ruffles. I made the the top of the ruffles 7" wide.

3. Sew the 1 1/4" strips together and make longer strips. Using big stitches, sew
the middle, pull one string to make ruffles.

4. First, pin the long strips around the neck line. Don't forget to leave the front part for the other ruffles.

5. Then, attach the front ruffles. Make sure that the center of the shirt and center of the ruffle lines up.

6. To add the second row of ruffles, measure 1 1/2" from the edge of the first row of ruffles and line the top of the next row to it. Sew. Repeat the process to complete the shirt.

You can stop here. The shirt look perfectly ok... but I added a corsage. If you want to do so, keep reading...

7. To make the fabric string: cut one 1/2" string and strech it. To make the corsage, cut 1" strips, sew the center with big stitches and make ruffle first.

8. Take the ruffle you made at step 7, and fold it in half.

9. To start sewing the corsage, roll up the end, and start sewing the folded part, and keep spinning and sewing...

10. There, you have a flower...Now, sew them onto your desired place and the only thing left for you to do is enjoy.

That is what I did today.

Except, Rachel kept telling people, "There is an American flag hiding!" and she tried to lift up the ruffles... shhhh, naughty girl.

Found here.

2010-05-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

TO SEW: gathered flannel scarf

And it will happy you right up on a gloomy day.

First, pull out some flannel from your stash, pick some up from the store, or cut up an unused blanket.

Next, the length is totally up to you but I cut out two main pieces that were 60 x 8 inches, making a front and back piece to the scarf. Then I cut off 4 inches from both ends of the front piece.

Next, I cut two strips that were 20 x 3 inches. Then I sewed a basting stitch along the long edges of each strip, 1/3 of an inch away from each edge.

Then gather your fabric strips until they're as wide as your scarf front piece. (use this tutorial for a better explanation on gathering)

Pin the gathered edge along the bottom of your scarf, with right sides together.

Then sew into place using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Now, line up the 4 inch piece you cut off at the beginning with the bottom of the gathered section...

Then sew that into place as well. Do the same to both ends of your scarf.

Then sew your front and back pieces together. (You may have to trim some off of your back piece so that they are the same length.) Make sure to leave an opening along the side of your scarf to be able to turn it right side out. Then trim your corners.

Turn right side out, poke out your corners with a pointy object, and press flat.
(then hand stitch the opening closed)

Now you're ready to brave that fierce winter out there.
(or mild in my case...)

Found here.

TO SEW: knit dress alteration

2010-05-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed all of the long Maxi dresses out for summer?

Like this one at Target?

They're everywhere this season.

And I love so many of the colors and styles.....

But I decided that I wanted one that was a bit shorter and breezier.

With some fun little extras on it.

So I turned the Maxi dress from the link above, into this:

With sweet little rosette's below the bust line.

And a simple ruffle towards the bottom.

Nice and cozy.

**And just a bit below the knees.

An easy transformation to make your summer dress a little cooler.

Hey, I'm in GA now.

It's hot.

How to transform your own Maxi Dress.

If there is no ruffle along the bottom, just cut it off however many inches shorter you want it, but make sure to leave a little extra for a hem.

But if yours does have a small ruffle along the bottom, cut about an inch above the seam where the ruffle is attached to the dress.

An up-close of the cut above the ruffle.

Then cut several inches off the dress, making it however long you'd like it (and keep in mind you'll be adding your ruffle back.....so factor that into your length.) Then place the raw seam of the ruffle together with the new bottom edge of the dress with right sides together. See how the main section of the dress is still right side out but the ruffle has been turned inside out and upside down, to be placed together with the bottom of the dress?

Then I used this technique to stitch those sections together, using about a 1/2 seam allowance. You can also use a zig-zag stitch, which works great too. (And make sure to iron and steam that seam flat. See how you can barely see the seam?)

And see the stitch under there?

(That serged seam is from the original dress, where the ruffle was added to the bottom of the dress. The one I made is the line above it.)

Then, I used the material that I cut off of the dress and sewed 1 inch wide strips together to create a piece that was twice the length of the dress around the bottom. So if the bottom front of your dress is 30 inches across and the back is 30 inches across, that is a total of 60 inches around. So you would need a piece that was 120 inches long, to create a nice ruffle Then I used the the same technique as the one here, but made a basting stitch right down the center of my strip. Then I gathered my strip and pinned it to the bottom of the dress, covering the seam where I attached the dress back together. Then I sewed a seam right over top of that basting seam, attaching the ruffle to the dress.

And then I used more of the extras to create little rosette's like the tutorial here. I only used thread though, and not hot glue, to create the rosette. And then attached them to the dress with more hand-stitching.

And that was it.

Pretty simple and perfect for those hot months.

Enjoy.

Found here.

TO SEW: t-shirt bib

2010-05-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is by far my favorite kind of bib, and my neighbor who has six kids confirmed they were the best in her mind too. They are tight enough around the neck that the food dribbles don’t slip through, long enough that they catch the ones that get away. Plus your two year old can’t rip them off like they can with velcroe and snaps….they’re the best! And easy to make…

Just take an old t-shirt or onsie that fits over your child’s head (this is a great way to use those onsies that aren’t long enough anymore) and making a straight line from the side seam cut off the sides. This will make it so you are leaving part of the sleeve.

Now cut off the back about an inch under the sleeve.

You will do the same thing on a onsie, but you will also cut off the snaps in the front.

At this point you can be done! They should wash up fine, the edges just might curl up a bit, no biggie. Put it on them and let ‘er rip! But if you are worried about the edges curling, or just plain bored…

You can do a zigzag stitch around the perimeter, or if you’re cool enough to have a serger, you can do your thing with that.

***UPDATE*** The bibs that I stitched around actually curled up when washed and the ones I just cut and left alone didn’t all! Lesson learned…leave well enough alone! Just cut ‘em.

Four new bibs in five minutes, perfect!

Found here.

TO SEW: cargo pant bag

2010-05-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

This......

From that......

Directions here.

felt ball garland

2010-05-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

i saw these adorable felt ball garlands on etsy (by seller Made Mary) and thought that they looked easy enough to make myself...

so here is my simple weekend project...
*buy some felt balls: (i bought these from ornamentea.com. they are the 2 cm spectrum. 50 for $10.50. there are different color combinations of balls so you are sure to find a combo to match your nursery.)

*buy some embroidery floss and a small needle, but big enough to thread all the strands of embroidery floss. (i used white):

simply string the balls on the floss using your needle. you don't even need to put knots around them. you can slide them around later for spacing. they move easily on the floss but will stay put once you have them spaced as you like:

....and VOILA! find a cute place in the nursery to hang your new garland! (i just hung this Ikea LACK shelf in the new nursery over the weekend...best shelves ever!)

Found here.

printing on fabric

2010-05-01T11:31:00.001-07:00

Here’s the short story for you skimmers: Freezer paper + fabric + inkjet printer = banner.
And now for the slightly longer version: When thinking of how to make a banner for my brother’s wedding, I contemplated the freezer paper stencil method which I have used before (seen here, forgive the bad photos) with some success. The idea of cutting out intricate letters wasn’t thrilling me though. Suddenly I remembered reading that you can use freezer paper to stiffen fabric enough to feed through an inkjet printer so you can print directly on the fabric. I was skeptical but I had a bit of freezer paper lying around and a designer to help execute the idea (he wasn’t lying around mind you, but kindly offered to help with the type. Thanks, hon!).

All you do - and it’s really deceptively simple - is iron the glossy side of the freezer paper onto the wrong side of the fabric and then cut it down to fit in the printer (8.5″ x 11″). Then just print on the fabric side, and peel the paper off.

This example (above) shows the heart with the backing on the left, and the same heart sans freezer paper on the right. I love how pulling the backing off pulls at the threads and warps it ever so slightly.

For the banner part, I cut the letters down to the same size and folded and sewed over the tops to make a pocket for the twine. The whole project - from start to finish, from layout to threading the letters onto the twine - took less than an hour. Easiest banner ever.
I recommend checking out this instructable, which goes over the process in better detail and discusses what to do to make the fabric washable.

Found here.

patching jeans

2010-05-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

It doesn't matter what brand of jeans I get my boys, without fail they will have put a hole in the knees within weeks of wearing them. Okay maybe not WEEKS, but pretty close. And if you're saying outloud right now, "My kids do the same thing!" then you're going to love this post.

So what do we do with a perfectly good pair of jeans that are holy?

Patch them up of course!

This is the way I have found to be the fastest, easiest, cutest way to patch jeans and you don't even have to use a straight pin....yeah!

Cut a patch out of some old jeans that are in your Goodwill pile. (I use an old pair of my husbands) Make sure the patch is wider and taller than the hole by about 1.5" - 2" on the top and bottom

2. Turn the holy jeans inside-out. We will be patching the underside of the jeans, not on the outside where it's visible. Line the outside of the patch with iron-on tape. (You can get this at most craft stores.) Put the tape in between the patch and the jeans and then using a very hot iron, "glue" the patch to the jeans.

3. Now slide the pant leg onto your sewing machine and get it oriented any way you can. Just make sure you are only sewing through one side of the jeans and not two. Then begin sewing down the patch in a zig zag pattern. Make sure you sew past the hole so it's nice and secure.

4. There...you're done! Wasn't that easy. Now stand back and admire your work because you just saved yourself $20+ and a trip to the store. Plus the end result is kind of cute don't you think?

Found here.

rustic candles

2010-05-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Melt down the dregs of burned-out candles to make new ones in old flowerpots. You'll give both items a new lease on life. 1. Scrub the inside of the pot only, leaving the outside aged. 2. Use a coin to cover the drainage hole in the bottom. 3. Insert a ready-made stiff cotton wick (sold at craft stores) or make your own wick out of cotton twine. To hold the wick upright, tie one end loosely to a pencil laid across the top of the pot. 4. Melt chunks of old candles in a pot set over a low flame or in a double boiler. Pour the liquid wax into the flowerpots. 5. Let set overnight and then trim the wick. Cost: about $2

Found here.

TO CELEBRATE: cowboy birthday party

2010-05-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

Found here.

To Create: wooden block figures

2010-05-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

While glancing through Grain Edit, I came across the work of Sweden-based illustrator Ingela P Arrhenius. One of her pastimes is creating characters from painted wooden blocks. Completely charming! A bag of blocks...

...becomes little animals and people transported through a mid-century time machine. To meet more of Ingela's characters, visit the wood figures section of her blog.

(Images by Ingela P Arrhenius)

Found here:

2010-05-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

To Celebrate: paper medallions

I felt like making something pretty.

We're going on an official date tonight, so to set the mood, I've stuck these in secret places for Mr. Jones to find when he gets home from work. Granted, he's not the sort of guy to get wildly excited about small, cute paper things, but I hope he will at least appreciate the sentiment. I don't have the ability to handmake him an iPad, so this will have to do.

To make make a mini medallion:
1. Cut a 3/4" strip off a piece of 6" origami paper and accordian fold it to create tiny pleats.

2. Join the ends together with a bit of glue or double-stick tape.

3. Cut a couple sizes of cardstock circles to layer for the center.

4. Press the pleated circle flat and glue your center circles onto it. It will want to pop back up, so set a quarter or something lightweight on top until it dries. Or hold it down with one hand while you surf the internet with the other, my chosen method.

5. Cut more paper into ribbon tails and glue them to the back.

To make larger medallions, cut wider paper strips and splice several accordian-folded pieces together.

Found here.

2010-04-30T22:54:00.000-07:00

To Celebrate: 'where the wild things' are party

i finally got all of the invitations done for the big where the wild things are party.

i ended up printing them on textured cardstock, and i was happy with how they turned out!

i decided to tie the brown kraft envelopes with garden twine, i thought it would be a perfect "wild things" touch!

i hand addressed them in a wild font, and got them all delivered!

i think i may have gotten carpel tunnel, but it was worth it all in the end.

i'll post more party details as i finish them up!

FRONT:

BACK:

Favors:

i put together these party favor boxes for all of ezra's cousins for the where the wild things are party.

i basically went out and bought as many green packaged items as i could find.

my friend caitlin let me use the labels she made for her sons party last year. i tweeked them a bit and used them to label the bubbles and party poppers with, "a magic trick to tame the wild things."

i also made labels to attach to some glassine bags with candy in colors to match the theme. the label says, "wild treats to gnash your terrible teeth on."

i finished off the boxes with some green and white bakers twine, stickers with their names on it, and some darling where the wild things are pins i found on etsy, from the shop, pin back attack.

hopefully the kids will like it!

"welcome wild things"

crowns and wands for all the wild things

the wild guests {ezra + his cousins}

the food: green apples with caramel dip, green veggies with ranch dip, palm tree cupcakes, chips and dips, and "wild thing" water

the "max" cake

games: pin the wolf tail on max

crown walk : we put the gold crown numbers in a circle, when the music stopped we would call out a number, and the person on the number won a prize!

we also had a reading of the book at the beginning of the party. and, the small guests helped act out the book.

"thank you" mints for the older guests that said, "thanks for coming to the party ... wild thing." and, of course the party favor boxes for the kids

the birthday boy

of course, i can't believe this little guy is three?!

he absolutely loved the party, which made all the hard work worth it. it was a lot of fun to see him so excited for his birthday this year!

until next year...

oh, and before i forget.
here are some great wild things inspiration i found on the web, from...
kristin eldridge
party perfect
kitchen dough dough
caitlin creer interiors
metro baby
the beaz hive
my rumpus
hostess with the mostest

Found here.

2010-04-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

To Decorate: modern mobile

This bright mobile project is perfect for a daytime wedding reception or shower! (expert advice)

photo by Jordan Ferney

This bright and modern mobile project is perfect for a daytime wedding reception or shower and can be done in any color scheme. It will transform the room and make a big impact!

The best part is this whole project can be made on the cheap--for under $25! Let's get started:

Materials:
Vellum paper (we used 14 shades) 56 sheets of paper total $17
A sewing machine
Fishing weights (not pictured) $5
An exacto knife and straight edge (or a stack cutter)
Artist tape (for hanging)

Step one. Cut the sheets of vellum into one inch strips. You can do this with an exacto knife or have it cut all at one time with a stack cutter. (If you decide to go the stack color route organizing the paper in the order you want it to hang in will save you some time.)

Step two. Measure the height of the space where the mobiles will hang to figure out how long you want them. Keep in mind you'll want to keep the eyesight of the guests clear of any obstruction.

Step three. Once you know the length of the mobiles, layout the different colors in the order you want. Repeat until it is close to the length of mobile you want. Then put it into a stack and it is ready to sew.

Step four. Leave a 12" tail of thread at the beginning and start to sew down the middle of the first strip. (I found it is easiest to put a piece of tape on the sewing machine at the end of the strip as a guide to mark where the vellum should be sewn.) Continue feeding each addition strip into the sewing machine. At the end leave another long tail of string. As you are sewing try to be consistent on the amount of space between each strip but if its not perfect its ok, this design is very forgiving. Our mobiles were about four feet and the actual sewing took about 10 minutes for each mobile.

Step five. If left by itself, the bottom paper will curl up, add a simple fishing weight at the bottom to prevent this from happening and to add a nice polish to the project.

Step six. Hang the mobiles at varying heights over the center of the table with artist tape.

Found here.

2010-03-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

To Eat: hot chocolate on a stick

Oh how I love when the weather turns cold enough for hot chocolate. Something about a good cup of hot chocolate makes the world feel like a gentler place.

This idea is something I’ve been wanting to try for a couple winters now. I’m glad I finally took the time to puzzle it through and do a little taste testing, because it turned out to be so simple, and the results so delightful. Stir one of these sticks into a cup of steaming milk or cream and in two minutes you will have transformed it into a cup of rich hot chocolate, the blessed stuff. I can’t help feel that the act of stirring adds to the experience, soothing you over while building up the anticipation for that first sip.

First things first: what chocolate to buy (see a whole post dedicated to this here)
The trick to making the best hot chocolate on a stick is using good, serious chocolate that melts easily. A chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter will do that. More cocoa butter means quicker melting. A bag of every-day chocolate chips won’t melt as fast. You can also find fake chocolate (like a bag of Wilton’s candy melts), which uses vegetable fats instead of cocoa butter. It will melt well, but the resulting cup of hot chocolate won’t be as transcendent. And we’re going for transcendent here. The candy melts are great for coating the outside if you like, because they stay pretty and shiny even if you don’t melt them just right.

If you really want to go gourmet, use couverture (made for dipping truffles, which has up to 39% cocoa butter, such as this), and don’t just melt your chocolate, temper it. But any pure chocolate will do. Try a bag of real-chocolate wafers made for a chocolate fountain or for fondu or a good baking chocolate bar (make sure it’s sweetened, not unsweetened). You can often go to a grocery store and find pieces of giant slabs, which is what confectioners use. Following are some good brands: Callebaut (which is what I buy at the Winco bulk section), Ghirardelli, Dagoba, Michel Cluizel, El Rey, Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, Lindt, and Guittard.

Word of warning: no water!
There is one thing you need to know before working with chocolate if you don’t already: never let water or alcohol touch it. Not a drop. You can be stirring a potful of smooth, decadent melted chocolate, then get one drop of water in it and the whole thing will get grainy and seize up. It’s a sad experience. (If this happens to you, try Tiffany’s tip below. Or use the chocolate for a recipe like brownies or ganache that uses chocolate and liquids).

So then, if you’re planning to introduce vanilla, use a vanilla bean or vanilla paste, not vanilla extract. If you want to add food coloring, use a gel or powdered form, not the liquid stuff.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Yield: 10 cubes of hot chocolate (ice-cube-tray size)
(use 1 oz. hot chocolate on a stick per every 1 cup milk or cream)

Equipment:
Ziplock bags or piping bags
A double boiler or pan with a glass bowl that can sit over the simmering water
Some kind of chocolate mold, ice trays work great
Stir sticks or a bag of wooden craft sticks like I used (like these, available at any craft store)

Ingredients:
8 oz. chocolate (see note above), bittersweet, semisweet, milk, and white chocolate all work
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

6 cups milk and 2 cups heavy cream if you plan to enjoy these right away

Method
(read a whole post about melting chocolate, including how to melt in the microwave, here)

If your chocolate is in a block, chop it into even-sized meltable pieces. Simmer a couple inches of water in a pan, then turn down the heat so the water is below a simmer. I like to remove the pan from the heat, but if you keep it on, keep that water below a simmer. Place glass or stainless steel bowl over the top to make a double boiler. If the bowl touches the water it’s alright, as long as your water is mildly warm, not hot. Dump chocolate into the clean, dry bowl and stir as the chocolate melts. (If you are patient and let those chunks melt slowly, keeping them from getting over 90 degrees F or 88 degrees F for milk and white chocolate, the chocolate will stay “in temper” and will still be nice and pretty when it cools.)
Once the chocolate is 2/3 melted, with just some pieces of the chocolate unmelted, remove the bowl from the pan, dry the bottom with a towel and continue stirring until chocolate is fully melted. This is just one more step to keep the chocolate from getting too hot.
Add cocoa, sugar, and salt and continue to stir until combined. The chocolate will be thicker, as thick as frosting, but stir on. If it looks and feels grainy it’s possible you’ve accidentally gotten a drop of water in the mixture. If it has gotten water in it and has seized up, it will still taste alright, it just won’t be as pretty or smooth or melt quite as fast.
Scoop chocolate into a ziplock bag and clip off the corner.
Pipe the chocolate into your chocolate mold, tapping the mold on the counter to make sure all the chocolate settles into the mold. Add a stir stick and you’re done. The stir stick should stay upright without any trouble. If the chocolate bursts through the bag in places you don’t want it to, just put the whole thing in another bag. If the chocolate starts to get too thick to squeeze, just put the whole thing in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or so at half power.
Let the chocolate cool either at room temperature or in the fridge if you’re in a hurry. I find the chocolate pops out of the mold nicely if it’s been in the fridge. It’s okay to cool chocolate in the fridge, just don’t store it there, because chocolate soaks up the odors of other foods pretty quickly.
If you don’t like the look of the chocolate once it is removed from the mold, you can dip the cubes into a new batch of plain melted chocolate for a shinier finish (again, try to keep chocolate from heating over 90 degrees, or use candy melts, which don’t need to be in temper, they will stay shiny and pretty even if you go above 90 degrees). This also lets you add sprinkles or crushed candy or just lets you dip in fun patterns. I like dipping at an angle into a different color of chocolate.
In order to enjoy these, heat up any combo of milk, water, half and half, or cream. I like 6 cups milk with 2 cups heavy cream. One ounce of chocolate on a stick should be melted into one cup milk or cream. So a standard ice cube-tray block, which is 3/4 an ounce, should be melted into a mug with 3/4 cup milk or cream in it.

Troubleshooting: A few of you have had trouble with your chocolate seizing. Tiffany provided this great note to help out (thanks, Tiffany!), “if the chocolate begins to seize (since for some reason, both of my batches seized, I’m thinking it’s the humidity in the air where I am) you do not have to throw it out. Just put the bowl back over the hot water and add a little bit of vegetable oil (I used somewhere between a tsp and a tbsp) after stirring over a little heat, the chocolate will get smooth again. Also good to note, chocolate can seize if you add any cold ingredients.”

How to store it: Dark chocolate will keep in an airtight container for up to a year, milk and white chocolate for several months. Remember, don’t keep it in the fridge because it is really good at absorbing odors.

Variations: Try adding a pinch of cardamom, anise, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, malted milk powder, or cayenne pepper, depending on your mood. We tried adding a little extra punch by lining the outside with red hots. Very fun. You can also leave out the cocoa and sugar all together and replace it with 8 servings of your favorite packaged hot cocoa. Have you ever had so much fun? I love playing with chocolate.

As you can see, we played around with a few different molds, like this water bottle ice cube mold from IKEA. The classic ice cube mold was my favorite though. It works best for submersing the entire block of meltable chocolate in a standard mug.
UPDATE: Love Prince Pi’s suggestion of molding these in shot glasses. Also love how the Kitchn (yea!! they tried my recipe!!) made do with a single pan. TinaMarie also made the great suggestion of using small Dixie cups. And finally, check out this beautiful version Sprinkebakes made using a chocolate transfer sheet and birch spoons. You will love it.

Found here.

2010-03-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

To Create: boys messenger bag

A couple of months ago, a really cool Swedish military-style backpack had been making its rounds on the design blogs. In love with the looks, but not with the price tag, I sought a way to replicate the style and military-aesthetic. Recalling a certain army bag I toted around in high-school, my ideas fell into place.

So you know how there’s Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade? I like to think of this project as semi-handmade. No shame in that, especially when it’s done affordably.

Materials:
Military ammo bag (different colors available)
Cotton canvas
Fabric paint
Paint brush
Craft knife
Tweezers
Cutting mat
Freezer paper
Ink jet printer

Project time estimate: 1-1.5 hours

The idea is simply this: purchase ammo bags (perfect size for little boys!) from a military surplus store, then sew on a customized patch.

To get started, either design your own stencil, or download and print my Clone Trooper illustration (PDF) or sword and arrow (PDF) onto a piece of freezer paper cut down to 8.5″x11.” Make sure the paper side gets printed and not the shiny, waxy side.

Note: I’ve successfully ran freezer paper through two different types of inkjet printers, and never, ever had a melting issue. Jamming yes, but melting, no. Just wanted to forewarn you as I have heard this is a risk, though I’m guessing this is an issue with laser printers since there is no heat involved in inkjets. So please don’t try to run waxy paper through a hot laser printer!

Trim out your paper stencil, then cut out a piece of canvas. This will be your patch. For a frayed patch (like the Clone Trooper one above), trim out your circle 1/4″ larger than the stencil (example two pictures down). For a smooth-edged patch (like Dax’s sword + arrow one), cut exactly to the size of the stencil.

Set the canvas aside to prepare the stencil. Using a sharp craft knife, carefully trim out the white parts of the design. This will be the negative area, the parts that will not be painted. Set these tiny pieces aside (a tweezer is very useful here) until everything is cut out. Then reassemble everything onto the canvas patch. Heat up your iron to low, and iron down each itty bit, pressing just one piece at a time. The heat from the iron melts the wax side of the paper, adhering it to the fabric. When the entire stencil is assembled, run over the whole design with the iron to make sure the paper adheres to the canvas.

Using a brush, paint the exposed areas, dabbing fabric paint a bit at a time. Allow to dry. If using the sword + arrow design (no frayed edge) make sure to paint along the edges of the patch to ’seal’ in the loose fibers. Carefully peel away the paper, using a tweezer for the smaller pieces, to reveal your design:

To fray the patch, rub edge with your fingers and pull off loose fibers. Then take your patch and bag to the sewing machine, stitch patch directly onto the bag flap, and call it done and cheap. Or “rocket pack” as Kai likes to call his new bag.

For a a more in-depth tutorial on stenciling, read my post here.

Found here.

2010-03-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

To Celebrate: abc party

Alphabet magnets in a bag (spray paint to get desired colors) for the child to unscramble the word party.

Download Vicky’s free label here.

Other ideas for an Alphabet Party

Optional ideas for an invite

Cut up paper instead of magnets, make the birthday child’s name in a different color for them to find.

Food

Make sandwiches from alphabet cookie cutters
Serve alphabet pasta
ABC Cupcakes would be fun! Like these on Nick Jr.

Game

Family Fun has a cute DIY Fishing For Letters Game idea.

Party Favor

Here is an alphabet crayon tutorial by One Charming Party

Found here and here.

2010-03-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: Mario party

Our Mario birthday party was a hit, and I collected my pictures over the weekend to share with you. We had rain, so we gave up our plans for bike racing and stayed indoors to party. But it was pretty fun having five little Marios running around my house hunting for Yoshi eggs and dodging balloon bombs.

Invitations are my favorite part of planning a party. (Forget the party itself!) We included a gold coin and invited each Mario to come earn more. (I found the question block idea from here and here.)

Toad has got to be my favorite character, so we decided to make the cakes in his honor. Do you like the cloud garland? I’m pretty proud of myself for that touch.We had invincible Marios fighting our ghosts all party long. (I saw the idea here.)
I went a little crazy and made each boy a hat. I just couldn’t resist. I promise I kept it simple other than this.
In case you were wondering what a Mario hat pattern looks like, here you go. It took me a couple tries to figure out the right pattern, but once I did i was very happy with the result. This pattern also works for an artist’s beret if you leave off the bill.
Everyone wanted to give the pinata a Mario punch before we really got serious about picking up the stick and breaking it open. It was filled with, you guessed it, gold coins.

Found here.

2010-03-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: Oscar/movie party

I love movies and with the Academy Awards coming up I thought it would be fun to make an DIY Oscar party. Here’s everything you need to throw your own! From invitations and ballots to popcorn and treat bags, just print, cut and enjoy!

Invitations Download
Print onto 8.5×11″ card stock, trim to size then use a 3/4″ hole punch to notch the corners.

Envelope Liners Download
Print onto 8.5×11″ paper, trim to size and afix with glue stick to the inside of an A7 envelope.

Popcorn Bags Download
Print directly onto white 5×7″ bags, available in my Etsy shop. If you don’t have an Ink Jet or if your printer doesn’t allow you to print odd formats, you could always print the label onto sticker paper (found at office supply stores) and post apply it to the bag.

I thought a candy tray would be a fun way to serve your guests and what Oscar party would be complete without a ballot! Mine are designed to let guests make their predictions and keep track during the ceremony. There is a place on the back to record the final score to help you pick a winner if you’re awarding a prize. Also note, not all categories are represented due to space constraints.

Candy Bag Toppers Download
Fill 3 5/16″x5 1/8″ cellophane bags (buy) with candy and staple in the center. Print out candy bag toppers onto solid sticker paper (found at office supply stores), cut to size, fold in half the long way and affix toppers to cellophane bags. Don’t have sticker paper? Just print onto cardstock paper and affix with double-sided tape.

Candy Tray
Inspired by the candy girls at Alt, I thought a candy tray would be a perfect touch to the party. All you need is a white tray and a length of red ribbon. Tie the ends of the ribbon together. The knot should rest behind your neck and the ribbon should go under the front of the tray. Then just fix the ribbon in place with strong tape or thumb tacks!

Ballot Download
Print double-sided onto 8.5×11″ card stock and fold in half length wise. Coordinate with red pens.

Found here and here.

2010-03-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

To Bake: shortbread buttons

download and print your very own copy of recipe here.

Found here.

2010-03-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

To Grow: terrariums

Need:

containers: containers specifically for terrariums or jars and bottles from around the house.

plants: HERE is a whole list of terrarium appropriate plants....none of which could be found at Home Depot in February, so...I winged it. I found some "succulents" , like aloe vera--you'll find them with the cacti. I'm not a fan of the word cacti.

moss. (optional)I could do 100% moss terrariums....I LOVE the look of moss! But, again, it's february, so I found what I could (thank you go the guy at the nursery who let me go pick it out of their potted trees:). And this spring I fully intend to find GOBS of moss and redo these silly little things.

rocks: for the bottom of the container to help with drainage.
active carbon: to help keep the air clean (in the containers with lids.) You can find it with aquarium supplies.
dirt. self explanatory.

I found this site to be helpful for terrarium care.
I kill every single plant....I am really very bad at the whole plant thing. But these seem like they'll be fairly easy to maintain, just a mist here and there.....way easier than children! wish me luck!

Found here.

2010-03-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

To Embellish: diy stamps

Using a sheet of craft foam and adhesive....

Found here and here.

2010-03-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: flower party

Our little girl turned four a few weeks ago and we wanted to throw a party to celebrate! Bee decided all on her own that she wanted a "flower party", and I quickly remembered this story we did at Martha Stewart Kids about making flowers out of tissue.

I had such lovely dreams for Bee's fourth birthday party. A flower theme, out in the backyard. Children running around the backyard on a scavenger hunt to find various flowers in the garden, potato stamping flowers onto goodie bags, planting their own flowers to take home in little pots, a flower pinata, etc. And then it rained. Again. (Remember C's party this summer?) So we moved the party inside. Again.

At least the kids had cute hats to wear. I made these out of paper I had around, and then fashioned a few more tissue flowers to staple to the side. (I'm pretty fast at making those now!) The kids looked awfully cute in their party hats.

And we somehow came up with enough games to entertain them. Do you remember that great party game where you tie a balloon onto everyone's ankle and then you try to stomp on everyone else's balloon? I remember it being great fun.. the three and four year olds felt otherwise. Bee was the first to cry when her balloon got popped.

But they all perked up for cake. Bee wanted cupcakes this year, with flowers on them. We piped frosting into little petals and laid a Necco wafer in the middle. I cut out a few leaves for them to sit on.

And then the pinata. I hoped to find a pretty flower pinata at the party store, but there were none. So we bought a soccer ball pinata that was white with bits of black tissue on top. We pulled off the black tissue and then covered the entire thing with rows of tissue paper petals. (Special thanks to JR who did most of the work.)

Here it is almost finished. We were hoping it would look like the camellias that have just bloomed in the front yard. I think we came pretty close. We were a little sad to have the kids bash it into a million pieces.

Found here.

2010-03-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: knight party

How was your weekend, Friends? The weather here in Denver was gorgeous with a capital G and we enjoyed every bit of it. Saturday morning was Oscar's birthday party. Oscar's requirements for the party: knights, cupcakes and a pinata. Done and done.

We couldn't find a good-looking, knight-related pinata, so we used papier mache boxes from the craft store to build a castle pinata. We filled the containers with goodies, wired everything together and used packing tape to secure.

When the guests arrived, they went to work immediately covering the pinata with strips of silver tissue paper, gold stars and gold wire garland.

Balloons, cupcakes, party favors (a knight dress-up set with shield, breast plate, helmet and sword) and paper goods were all in gold and silver.

In the middle of the party, the Black Knight (big brother Ralph dressed in a black cape) arrived on the scene and stole the castle pinata. Luckily, we had a group of brave knights on hand. They were able to follow the clues and save the castle. At the end of the party, they used their knight swords to break the pinata.

Oscar thought this party was heaven on earth.

Found here.

2010-02-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

To Give: a kiss in your pocket

Does your loved one run after you for a kiss the second you walk out the door? Do they call you at 1 am begging you to come over and kiss them goodnight? Do they stand on the train platform and blow you kisses 30 minutes after your train already left? If so, then this is the perfect Valentines day gift idea for you!

Introducing a kiss in your pocket.

First, take a picture of yourself blowing a kiss.

Then print a bunch of little pictures and use a red marker to draw one heart on the first picture, two on the second and so on..

Punch holes on the end and tie it together with ribbon. You've just made a kiss flip book!

No longer will your loved one feel clinically depressed when you're away since they'll have your kiss right in their pocket.

Problem solved! ;)

Found here.

2010-02-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: raggedy ann party
I've been dying to post these pictures ever since I shot them back in October. Talented Brittany from One Charming Party created this Raggedy Ann Party that included homemade Raggedy Anns! Every detail was so perfect -I couldn't wait to show you! If I lived in UT, I would definitely be hiring her for my next party. Check out her site for more amazing parties. (thank you tabitha for assisting!)

© nicole hill gerulat

Found here.

2010-02-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

To Sew: recycled wool LOVE pillow

Found here.

2010-02-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

To Say "I Love You": t-shirt

Found here.

2010-02-13T14:51:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: woodland fairy party

I love planning birthday parties with my kids. I really do :) It can take awhile to come up with a meaningful theme together, but it's always worth the effort. My daughter was really into fairies this year, thanks to a sweet grandma and auntie gifting her some beautiful fairy books; but when this same grandma sent toadstool candles from Belgium for Christmas, I knew it couldn't be just a Fairy Party, but rather a Woodland Fairy Party :) They really are the cutest little things ever (Love that Dille & Kamille). You could really go crazy with this theme, especially if the outdoors were an option; but I kept things as simple as possible, using things from around my home as props. Plus, it kept costs down :)

I spotted these invitations on Etsy but found them too late :( I procrastinated on sending out invitations so there was no time for them to travel from Australia. I asked the seller if I could purchase the pdf of the invitation given the issue of time and she was gracious enough to say "yes". I hit Roberts and bought wooden spools, rounded tops, some red spray paint and a small container of white acrylic paint. Using a glue gun I adhered the spool and rounded top together and once those dried, I applied one coat of spray paint. Then, using the end of a paint brush we put little dots on the toadstools. The toadstools were so much fun to make I could've easily made 20 without blinking!

During the party we played simple old-fashioned games like "pass the pine cone" and spoon relays (while balancing a pine cone on the spoon). Since these were 8-year-old-craft-loving-girls we decorated star paper mache wands with glitter, jewel stickers, markers and ribbons. Besides eating the above-pictured treats, I also served a plate of veggie sticks. I'm always surprised at how many takers there are when it comes to eating healthy options too.

As far as party favors go, I am a big fan of gifting something meaningful and simple that doesn't cost more than $2. In the past I've found little wooden toys in the dollar aisle at Target, but this time I was able to put together a necklace for just $2 thanks to OTC and Ebay. After my daughter and I put the necklaces together I wrapped them in tissue paper and placed inside a muslin bag. The girls seemed pretty excited about them!

Found here.

2010-02-13T14:35:00.000-08:00

To Say "I Love You":

It was as simple as getting a picture of the girls with their hand in a fist outstretched. Overlaying some "Happy Valentine's Day" text in Photoshop and having them printed as a 4x6.

Then I simply cut with some sharp-pointed scissors, a slit at the top and bottom of their hand and slid the sucker in. I also used a piece of scotch tape on the back to make sure the Tootsie Pop didn't fall out.

Done. Total time spent, maybe one hour?

Found here.

2010-01-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

To Decorate: name snowflakes

2010-01-16T17:32:00.000-08:00

To Create: snow globe postcards

Kremlin in Winter. The castle is a collage I created and the snow is iridescent plastic left over from a previous Christmas project. (the pink arrow thingie is the universal symbol for "TO ACTIVATE SNOW, SHAKE ME, FLIP ME, TURN ME OVER").

THE TUTORIAL:

1. Supplies to gather:

- colorful card stock paper, transparent plastic film, scissors, glue or glue stick, tape or double stick tape, and your preference of fake snow (confetti, glitter, plastic snow, etc.) and xacto knife for adults only.

- Cut out an 8" x 6" piece of card stock that will be folded in half. Once folded, this size is a standard 4" x 6" postcard.

- On one side, cut out the dome shaped window with xacto knife.

- Cut plastic film to be approximately 1/2 centimeter larger than the window itself. Tape down edges securely.

- Create or glue down snow globe backdrop as well as foreground image directly unto the opposite side of window. Any medium would work as you can clearly see above. It can be a photograph, magazine picture, a child's drawing, collage, painting, etc!

- Place your choice of fake snow on top of artwork on in between the folds. (We used confetti, glitter, cut paper and plastic iridescent snow). You will always need to put down more "Snow" than you think because some of the snow will tend to get stuck in the corners of the postcard so be generous here.

- Using glue or double sticky tape, fold and press down the two parts together.

- You are done! They are ready to be mailed, but because they are heavier than the average postcard, they will require standard letter stamps as opposed to postcard stamps.

Found here.

2010-01-09T22:34:00.000-08:00

To Count-down: advent calendar

This looks sweet and simple--buttons on the tree and loops of thread on the felt ornaments.

Found here.

2010-01-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: New Year's table

How perfect for white--a blank slate--to represent the new year.

seen: new years table (via {frolic!})

2010-01-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

To Embellish: felt gingerbread folks

Don't you think these Felt Gingerbread Ornaments by Lottakind are even sweeter than the real thing! Just imagine the fun you'd have making your own version. It looks like brown felt, white puffy paint, and a needle and thread (for the loop at the top to hang it by) are all the supplies you'd need. Inspired!

Found here.

2010-01-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

To Embellish: paper (or felt) ornaments

Here's a Christmas ornament you can make with colored papers or magazine pages. I'm not sure what to call it. A funnel ball? The instructions:

1. Cut out 10 paper circles (any size, as long as they're all the same). Text weight paper will be easier to work with than cardstock.
2. Cut each circle along the radius.
3. Put a small piece of double-stick tape on each side of the cut near the edge of the paper.

4. Flip the circle over so the taped side is down; then pull each flap across the circle toward you and twist to form a cone. Press the taped ends down to secure. You should end up with two cones that look vaguely like a fortune cookie. Do this to each of your 10 circles.

5. String the double cones together with a needle and thread. Make sure they're gathered snugly in a ball and tie a knot. Use the trailing ends of the thread to make a loop for hanging.

Here's one made from magazine pages. If you like recycled crafts, give it a whirl.

.......and felt. Equally cute, I think.

Found here.

2010-01-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: bus birthday party

This was planned for adults, but could be a super cute, field trip kind of a party for kids. (parks of the city, anyone?)

Last month my good friend Rebecca Gholdston turned 31. Rebecca plans the best parties (remember this one) and this party was no exception. First off she managed to find a friend that owns a big old white bus. (Can you imagine the possibilities if you had access to a big bus? It kind of blows my mind.) Then on a Saturday she filled the bus with friends and took them on a "tour" around the city. Everyone was taken to three different parts of the city and given homemade maps of lesser noticed, easily overlooked sites and encouraged to explore. Also, at each stop people were given challenges (à la Miranda July.) It was so fun to take the time to explore the city with a big bunch of friends. Go here to read more about the challenges.

Exploring Chinatown

Beautiful people on the bus

Found here.

2010-01-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

To Embellish: pine cone garland

My mother in law, Marilyn, had this idea last year but I never had the time to make one. I had completely forgotten about it until last week when I saw (and smelled) those cinnamon scented pine cones that pop up this time of year. Well I bought a bag of them and the rest of the materials on the spot and I’m just thrilled with how it turned out! It was so easy to do and now the house smells like cinnamon! See below for instructions on how to make your own!

Also, I spotted this door decoration that uses the same materials that would make a lovely companion to the garland. Instead of stringing the pine cones to the ribbon simply tie a ribbon to each hook then tie all the ribbons at the top and hang!

What You’ll Need:
Pine Cones
Ribbon
Screw Hooks
Hole Punch
Scissors

Instructions:
1. Begin by measuring your mantel or space that you’d like to hang your garland and cut your ribbon. Remember to leave extra for hanging. Once you’ve determined the length, space your pine cones out as you like on a flat surface. The pine cones I used were fairly large so I kept about 4 inches between each one. On the back of the ribbon discreetly mark where each pine cone will go, then punch a hole with a small craft punch. I used an 1/8″ round circle punch like this one.

2. Once you know how many pine cones you’ll need, screw in one screw hook into the top of each pine cone. This takes a little practice and you may need a little elbow grease but once you get the hang of it it goes pretty quickly.

3. Poke each hook through the hole you’ve made in the ribbon and hang! Easy as pie and something that will last for seasons to come!

Found here.

2010-01-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

To Embellish: felt ornaments

All you need to do is cut out ornaments shapes (you can create your own or download my shapes here) from the felt then stitch patterns to your hearts content! I used a sewing machine but I think using embroidery thread and stitching by hand would look just as good. In addition to ornaments, these would be nice gift toppers too! The sky’s the limit as to what you can do, so have fun and happy crafting!

Found here.

2009-12-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

To Embellish: Bows (magazine & felt)

In gift wrap emergencies when you've got the present but need some wrapping, here's an idea for turning a magazine page into a bow. (There may be better ways to stick this thing together, but I used what I had on hand: staples and adhesive glue dots. Double stick tape would work, too.)

Cut a magazine page lengthwise into 9 strips, 3/4" wide. Leave 3 of the strips full length. Cut one inch off 3 of the strips. Cut two inches off 2 of the strips. Cut the last strip down to 3 1/2" long.

Twist each strip to form a loop at both ends and staple it in the center. Shape the last, short strip into a circle and secure it with a glue dot.

Layer the 3 longest pieces on top of each other, spacing them evenly and securing each with a glue dot. Add the next two groups of pieces, doing the same. And finally, stick the loop into the center.

Use other papers, like a map of your city. Here's Chicagoland. Anybody see your street?

Or, use felt and hot glue for this:

Found here and here.

2009-12-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

To Bake: Cake in a Jar

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix or any cake recipe
8 straight-sided wide-mouth pint canning jars with lids and rings

Directions

Prepare the cake according to package instructions, or use any cake recipe.
In pint size, straight-sided wide-mouth jars, put 1 cup of batter in each greased jar. Make sure to keep the rims of the jars clean. Put in preheated oven 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place jars on a cookie sheet to keep from tipping over while baking.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
While they are baking, have your jar lids boiling in a pan of water. When the cake is done, take one jar out at a time and add the hot lid and screw on your jar ring and let set and cool.
It will seal as it cools. Place the jars on the counter and listen for them to 'ping' as they seal. If you miss the 'ping', wait until they are completely cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn't move at all, it's sealed.
After it cools it will pull away from the jar and when you are ready to eat, open and pop out the cake and enjoy.
Unsealed jars should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks. Sealed jars may be stored in a freezer.

Found here.

2009-11-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

To Create: Felt Finger Puppets

These felted finger puppets are sure to entertain little children of all ages.

Tools and Materials
Fleece
Bowl filled with hot, soapy water (4 tablespoons of dye-free liquid dishwashing detergent to 6 cups of water)
Bowl filled with cool water
Felt
Scissors
Hot glue
Finger puppet template

Felted Finger Puppets How-To
1. Wrap fleece in layers around finger. Use the index finger on the hand you don't write with. The wool should be snug but not tight. Add wool until you can't feel your knuckles through it. (The soft wool should be about 1/8-inch thick when pressed.)

2. Dip your wool-wrapped finger into hot, soapy water, and press with the fingertips of your other hand; dip and squeeze until the fibers seem to hold together.

3. Rinse in cool water when done; let dry.

4. Ears, wings, and similar pieces can be cut from store-bought felt; use the finger puppet template, enlarging or reducing them if necessary. You may need a lot of glue to make these features stick, since felt is absorbent.

Found here.

2009-11-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

To Sew: Felted Animals

These petite stuffed animals-a Fair Isle lamb, a cable-knit chicken, and an argyle pig-are so cuddly and simple to make, you'll want a menagerie. The toys, which range in height from 5 to 8 inches, are each assembled from a few basic felt pieces and plumped up with batting. Appendages, such as floppy ears or wings, are easily added during sewing. Wrap up the woolly creatures to give to your favorite tots, or use them as stocking stuffers.

Instructions found here.

2009-11-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

To Sew: Felted Mittens

These adorable mittens made from an old sweater are sure to make an extra-special holiday gift. Craft a matching hat as well!

Tools and Materials
Felted sweater
Pattern paper
Scissors
Needle and thread
Iron

Felting How-To
1. Before starting these mittens you will need to felt your sweater. Simply wash and dry a sweater-using hot water in your washing machine, and a hot dryer setting to dry. The soap, water, and heat will cause the fibers to felt. You may need to repeat this process a few times since every sweater is different.

2. Test your sweater for felting by snipping the edge. It should not fray. If it does, wash and dry again.

Mitten How-To
1. Place your hand on the pattern paper and trace around.

2. Add 1/2-inch seam allowance around the pattern. Cut out your mitten shapes from the paper. Place your pattern on the sweater, with the wrist at the bottom edge of the sweater.

3. Stitch edge with 1/4-inch seam allowance.

4. Turn mittens right side out and steam with an iron to finish.

Found here.

Keep little ones toasty with this winsome felt hat. The cap shown at left consists of two pieces of heathery merino-wool felt sewn together with a zigzag stitch in vivid orange thread. We attached ties made of braided worsted yarn to the earflaps.

Felt Hat How-To
1. Measure or approximate the circumference of the recipient's head and divide the number by two. Enlarge the template on a photocopier so that its length, front to back, measures 1/2 inch less than the halved circumfrence; cut out. Using template as a guide, cut out another hat piece from felted wool; flip the template, and cut out another hat piece that's the mirror image of the first. With a zigzag stitch and contrasting thread, stitch the dart closed on each hat piece.

2. With a zigzag stitch and contrasting thread, stitch together the 2 hat pieces. Thread a tapestry needle with 3 strands of worsted yarn, and pull it through one earflap (X on template indicates placement) to yarn's midpoint.

3. Divide the resulting 6 strands into 3 equal sections, and braid. Knot at ends, and trim. Repeat on other earflap.

And here.

2009-11-28T21:15:00.001-08:00

To Create: Money Soap

Ever hear of Money Soap? Make your own bars of novelty soaps for a whole lot less.

1.Melt solid clear glycerin soap (in a heat-resistant measuring cup) in a double-boiler or microwave. Fill your molds half way; allow to cool.

2.Re-melt remaining soap. Pour a small amount of melted soap on top of cooled soap in molds. Position money (or plastic toy, glitter, etc.) in melted soap, and let set 15 minutes to lock into place.

3.Pour the remaining soap into molds. Allow soap to cool until hardened (1-3 hours).

4.Pop out your soap and package it nicely!

You can also melt your soap into plastic bags to make these little take home fish.

2009-11-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

To Create: Homemade Crayons

Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl. With this in mind, we chopped up crayons and baked them in shaped mini cake tins, making large blocks that are easy for toddlers to hold and will surely inspire older artists. Encourage kids to come up with combinations: A blue-and-white blend for drawing the sky, for example, and a mix of reds and oranges for sunsets.

Tools and Materials
Kitchen knife
Old crayons
Mini-cake tins (we used pans with heart- and circle-shaped pockets)

Crayon How-To
1. Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like.

2. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs.

3. Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop out.

Found here.

2009-11-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

To Create: Snow Globes

The shimmering magic of snowfall is always transfixing, whether it's outside your window or inside this classic toy. Homemade globes let you create a wintry scene straight out of your own imagination.

Almost any jar works for this project: Baby-food, pimiento, and olive jars are good choices. Look for plastic or ceramic figurines (metal ones are prone to rust) at flea markets and hobby or model-railroad shops. Synthetic evergreen tips are available at many floral-supply stores.

If the jar lids are not in seasonal colors already, paint them with oil-based enamel paint. Sand the inside of the lid until the surface is rough. With clear-drying epoxy, adhere the figurine to the inside of the lid, and let the epoxy dry.

Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water; add a pinch of glitter and a dash of glycerin (available at drugstores) to keep the glitter from falling too quickly. Don't add too much, or the glitter will stick to the bottom of the jar when it's flipped. Screw on the lid tightly, being careful not to dislodge the figurine. Turn the jar over and back again -- and let it snow.

Found here.

2009-11-28T21:06:00.000-08:00

To Create: Pocket Scarf

A muffler with sewn-up compartments offers all kinds of possibilities. Objects can be stockpiled, cleverly hidden, or simply toted along, like the dog on the left, for a very warm ride.

This is an easy project that older kids can do with adult supervision; all that's needed is pins, yarn, and a needle. Work with a scarf that's long and wide enough to accommodate the size pockets that kids would like.

Pocket-Scarf How-To
Kids should decide whether they want two pockets or three, and if they want them to be equal widths or not. Fold one end of the scarf up to the desired depth.

Pin the sides, and then pin the middle to correspond to the desired widths; you can use a ruler to make sure the pins are in a straight row, or follow the rib of the scarf itself.

Make a running stitch with a darning needle and yarn through both layers, using the pins as a guide. Reinforce top of seam with a cross stitch or a double stitch and tie off, hiding the ends inside.

Found here.

2009-11-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

To Create: Play Dough

Uncooked Play Dough

2 cups of plain flour
4 tablespoons of 'cream of tartar'
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 cup of salt
2 cups of boiling water
food colouring

*Just pop it all in a mixing bowl and mix!

*It looks as though it is not going to mix well at first but hang in there and throw it onto the bench to knead, and it will come together really nicely.

*Then add some fun-- such as glitter or sand. Just be careful you don't put things in like rice as they tend to go mouldy.

*Add peppermint oil for a great smell and even longer lasting playdough... Essential oils or cooking extracts make for some fun variations! (Rootbeer playdough, anyone?)

2009-11-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

To Create: Pom Pom Creatures

Learn how to make a ladybug, a baby chick, and the caterpillar shown here, but by varying the color, size, and placement of the pom-poms, you can create just about any animal. Before you begin, study the physical characteristics and postures of the animals you plan to make, taking inspiration from nature magazines, encyclopedias, children's books, or even a trip to the zoo. Since the pom-pom parts are simply joined with a needle and thread, it's easy to experiment until you get the right look.

Instructions found here.

2009-11-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

To Create: Alphabet Pillow

Children acquire skills at an astonishing rate, and even more so when they can benefit from the guidance of adults. In fact, many of the activities parents undertake with their children are not only entertaining, but also educational. This easy-to-make pillow -- cleverly embellished with buttons and felt letters -- provides a perfect way to help toddlers develop their motor skills and learn how to spell their names.

Tools and Materials
Felt
ABC Pillow Letters Template
Small boudoir pillow (ours measures 12 by 16 inches)
Buttons
Sewing pencil
Ruler
Strong thread

ABC Pillow How-To
1. Download and print the template, and select the letters your child's name comprises. Pin a letter to a piece of felt, fold the letter in half lengthwise, and snip the buttonhole. Unfold, and cut out the letter. If your child has a very long name, reduce the size of the letters before printing. (You can also help your child learn the alphabet by printing all the letters out, cutting them from felt, and creating a pouch. To make the pouch, sew two smaller pieces of felt together on three sides.)

2. Create a slipcover, measure the pillow, and add 2 inches to the width and length. Cut a piece of felt to these dimensions. For the back of the slipcover, cut two pieces of felt to the same length as the front piece and half as wide plus 2 inches.

3. Pin the front and back pieces together, and sew around the perimeter, leaving a 3/4-inch seam allowance.

4. Mark the position of the buttons (they should be about 2 3/4 inches apart). Use a sewing pencil and ruler to make a mark where the center of each buttonhole will sit. Sew the buttons on very tightly, using a doubled length of the strong thread. You can also add a button and buttonhole in the back to hold the opening closed.

Found here.

2009-11-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

To Create: Felted Balls

Do you know you can transform shapeless wool fibers into colorful felt balls that really bounce? Making a felt ball is incredibly easy; simply wind wisps of wool into a blob, dip it in hot, soapy water, and gently roll it into shape with your hands. Colors and patterns can be added to make the results resemble marbles or Super Balls. Smaller versions can be used to make necklaces and barrettes.

Materials
-Felting wool (Available in a wide range of colors, felting wool is prewashed and carded, or brushed straight.)

-Pitcher of hot soapy water (A formula of 4 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent to 6 cups of water enables the wool fibers to cling together and become felt. Use detergent that does not contain scents or dyes.)

-Baking tray (to catch excess water)

-Sponge (to sop up the water so it can be reheated)

-Kitchen scale (To make several same-size balls, you'll need to weigh the wool before you start.)

Making Felt Balls
Photo 1: Begin with a small wad of wool, then wrap lengths of wool tightly around it. Keep adding layers until your fluffy ball is approximately twice the size you want it to eventually become. Saturate the ball in the hot, soapy water, and then gently roll it from hand to hand without squeezing. Keep doing this for about ten minutes, dipping it in the hot water as it cools. The wool will seem like a wet, scraggly mess, but don��t worry. Soon the ball will begin to harden.

Photo 2: Now add designs. To make stripes, work strips of wool into the ball with your fingertips. To make dots, wind some wool into a disk, like a cinnamon swirl, then dip it and work it in with your fingertips. After adding designs, roll the ball in your palms some more, dipping if it cools. Stop when it has shrunk to the size you desire. Rinse with cool water, and let dry.

Making Felt Beads
Photo 3: Make felt balls the size of large beads, and use a toothpick to poke a hole through each one before it hardens. To make a necklace, thread balls on embroidery floss, tying a knot on either side of each bead to space them apart. To make a barrette, pierce the bead off center; and slip a bobby pin through the hole.

Found here.

2009-11-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

To Create: Pipe Cleaner Creatures

This Pipe Cleaner Creature fits comfortably into a pocket or pencil case, won't make a peep during class, and is easy to take care of: It doesn't need food or water, and it never gets fleas. All the creatures were made by forming the head out of one pipe cleaner, then slipping a coiled pipe cleaner over it to create the body.
For features -- ears, eyes, a bushy tail -- you can use snippets of other pipe cleaners or of felt. Pipe cleaners were invented to clean the inside of tobacco pipes but, naturally, they'd rather avoid that sooty career, so they're extra loyal when given the opportunity to serve as pets.

Tips and Tools
Each animal starts with a looped pipe cleaner for a head and a coiled one for a body. You'll also need short pieces for limbs; a marker; felt; glue; and small scissors to cut pipe cleaners and felt, and to trim fur-to make a pointy nose, for instance.

Basic Head How-To
Make a loop in the middle of a pipe cleaner. The size and shape of the loop determine the size and shape of the head. Wrap head from neck to nose.

Basic Body How-To
Coil pipe cleaner around a marker (the thicker the marker, the fatter the animal) and slide off.

Tiger
How does a tiger get its stripes? From a permanent marker, naturally.

Tiger How-To
1. Slide his body over the backbone.

2. Slip back legs over the tail, and twist to secure.

3. Slip front legs behind the first coil, and twist.

4. Unfold one ear, slide through the top of the head, and reshape. Bend tip of tail; bend paws; cut face from felt.

5. Use scissors to trim fur on face and ears. Add stripes with a permanent marker.

Squirrel
This squirrel likes to wave his tail around, which really cracks up the nut.

Squirrel How-To
1. At the end of the backbone, make a hook.

2. Hook a fluffy pipe cleaner onto it; Make a short body.

3. Shape ear. Slip through top of head. Cut felt eyes.

4. Place legs over front and back coils, and twist.

5. Curl tail.

Chamelon
This lizard began his life as a few skinny pipe cleaners. With help from the kid who shaped him, he grew into a lovable pet.

Chamelon How-To
1. Leave his tail extra long for curling.

2. Slip legs between coils, and twist.

3. Bend knees and feet.

4. Cut a skinny pipe cleaner for tongue.

5. Cut felt eyes. Glue on.

6. Draw pupils with a permanent marker. Slide tongue into the face, and curl end.

Monkey
It's a monkey swinging from pigtail to pigtail as he chomps on a fuzzy yellow banana! Instead of giving him a wrapped pipe-cleaner head, we left it open, for a more outgoing look.

Monkey How-To
1. Bend tail up

2. Form a short body.

3. Leave his face loop unwrapped; Slip long legs in front and back of coils, and twist.

4. Curl tail; Twist ends of ears onto head; cut a short, yellow piece for a banana.

5. Curl his paw around the banana.

Deer and Fawn
A quiet woodland clearing is a wonderful place for a mother-daughter outing. Here, Mom keeps watch while the felt-spotted fawn stretches her hind legs.

Deer and Fawn How-To
1. Hook a tan pipe cleaner tail onto the backbone.

2. Create a medium-size coil for a body.

3. Make long legs.

4. Use black felt for face, white felt for fawn's spots.

5. Turn up tail. Bend ears back, and trim into points. Trim face fur with scissors.

Found here.

2009-11-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

To Create: Felt Board

A felt board can be both a pretty addition to a young child's room and an educational tool. Using felt for both the face of the board and the shapes that adhere to it, you can create an alphabet; use stencils or cookie cutters to trace out shapes, or make simple games like tic-tac-toe. Requiring only a few materials, the felt board is simple to make and can be hung on a bedroom wall or carried easily around the house.

Tools and Materials
Large picture frame
Piece of adhesive felt slightly larger than the frame
Cardboard or mat board
Kraft paper
Packing tape

Felt Board How-To
1. Remove the glass from the frame. Cut a piece of felt that is about 1 1/4 inches larger than the frame on all sides. Cut out the corners so the felt can be folded over the cardboard or mat board without becoming bulky.

2. Tape felt around the board, and place it into the frame, felt side out.

3. Add a second piece of cardboard over the back of the board, and secure it with a sheet of kraft paper and several lengths of packing tape.

Found here.

2009-11-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

To Create: Monster Mittens

On chilly days, slip kids' hands into mittens you've decorated to look like ferocious beasts. Try a pair of fire-breathing dragons for maximum toastiness. If it's bitingly cold, however, our shark works best. Lion mittens are especially good when the wind roars. To create them, simply sew features cut from felt to fleece mittens. Buttons and embroidery will complete the face.

Mittens How-To
Download and print the monster mittens template. Attach felt pieces to fleece mittens with all-purpose thread and a sewing needle. Use embroidery floss to create nostrils, and sew on buttons for eyes.

Mr. Shark
Cut out three felt fins; sew on. For teeth, sew white rickrack to front curve of glove.

Senor Leo
For mane, cut 2 wide felt pieces to cover the top 3/4 of mitten. Crease felt lengthwise down the middle with an iron. Pin pieces together, and cut a fringe on each side with pinking shears. Sew to mitten along the crease. Glue pink and orange felt triangles together for ears, and sew on; cut a felt tongue, and sew on underside of mitten.

Flames McGee
Cut two same-shape felt pieces for scales. Stack; slide top piece down. Pin; crease down the middle with an iron, and sew to glove. Sew on a notched rectangle for a darting tongue.

Found here.

2009-11-24T22:22:00.000-08:00

To Inspire:

How creative.....

2009-11-24T22:11:00.001-08:00

To Inspire:

The ABC's of Aging Gracefully.

2009-11-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

To Create: Vanilla Goodies

Vanilla Extract Recipe
We found great recipes at both Instructables and Andrea's Recipes. Some recipes call for Everclear. We used Svedka and Smirnoff vodkas.

16-ounce jar or bottle with tight-fitting lid
16 ounces vodka, top-shelf brands not required
6 vanilla beans

Cut the six vanilla beans in half lengthwise, leaving about 1 inch connected at one end. Put the beans into the jar and pour in the 16 ounces of vodka. Cover tightly and store in a cool, dark place for about 8 weeks. Give it a gentle shake about once a week.

Vanilla Sugar Recipe
From Food Network. We used spent beans from making vanilla. Dry them a couple of days before adding them to the sugar.

1 vanilla bean, whole or scraped
2 cups granulated sugar

If vanilla bean is whole, slice down side of bean with back of knife and scrape seeds into airtight container with the sugar. Bury bean in sugar and seal tightly with lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 weeks. Use as you would regular, granulated sugar.

Spiced Nuts Recipe
From Cooks.com. We substituted vanilla for water. Also, we recommend only 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice — 1 tbsp. is too much).

1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 tsp. water
4 c. mixed nuts (or all pecans)
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Combine egg white and water, add nuts and toss to coat. Combine sugar, pumpkin spice. Toss in mixture. Place in single layer on slightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and cool on wax paper and break up large clusters.

Edit: It gets even better! Lisa just sent me the pdf links where you can download the beautiful labels she designed. Is she the bestest friend ever or what?!:
Vanilla Extract Label
Almond Label
Sugar Label

Links to Other Sources
Vanilla beans
Amber bottles
Gusseted poly bags (outer)
Reclosable bags (inner)
Brown satin ribbon (outer):
Pink ribbon from Hobby Lobby
Labels

Found here.

2009-11-24T21:55:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: Rock Climbing Party

Maude's birthday party invitations came out just right. It turns out Maude is a natural and excellent and fearless rock climber. And there can't possibly be a better time to show-off than your birthday party, when the focus is supposed to be all about you anyway. So Maude's birthday will be hosted by the local climbing gym this year.

I printed the invitations 3-up, length-wise on 8.5 x 11 paper, with party details on the back. I used some spare earthy sheets I had on hand, and one pink sheet for the girliest invitees. The invitations say: It would really rock if you came to Maude's birthday party. Invitee names were added with Sharpie.

The gym requires waivers, so I printed those on yellow sheets taken from a legal pad. I thought that was a cute touch (the legal on legal paper) and practical for two reasons: 1) it will stand out from general papers and hopefully won't get lost, and 2) when I went to print the waivers, I was out of regular paper.

The waivers were folded in thirds, stacked underneath the invitation strips, and then attached to rocks (gathered in the backyard) with some twine we use for yardwork. Since most invitees live within walking distance from our house, delivery should be a cinch.

The party favors turned out wonderfully. My original vision was wide-mouth Nalgene bottles that I could fill with rock candy and a bandana. The final version was a variation of this, but still very cute — and coordinated with the invitations.

I picked up the water bottles at Target. I liked their sporty straps, but the mouths were too narrow to stuff the favors into. No biggie, the kids just received an empty water-bottle with their other favors on the way out the door.

I found an excellent online source on the rock candy, but because I didn't order until the last minute, I couldn't get the candy delivered in time with out paying more than the candy was worth in shipping charges, so I used Gold Nugget Bubble Gum instead and repackaged it as Rock Bubble Gum.

Instead of bandanas, I packaged up bags of 5 sticks of sidewalk chalk renamed as Climbing Chalk. And I attached the chalk and gum together with carabiners picked up in the Target sporting goods department. So each child went home with chalk, bubble gum, a carabiner, and a water bottle.

Round and Round Party

2009-11-24T21:52:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate: Round Party

I asked Oscar what kind of party he would like. His answer involved blue cake and circles. So we decided "Round & Round" would be a good theme. This is the invitation. I sent it out via email instead of snail mail — because I had procrastinated.

View gabbyblair's map

Taken in (See more photos here)

The decorations: Circles of course. My older kids helped me make circle garlands. We hung them all over the place. Oscar started adding circle to the door, so we went with it. Maude remembered we had a few round lanterns in our holiday storage bin so we added those too. We added colorful round confetti to the table.

For the garlands we used construction paper, curly ribbon, glue sticks and two borrowed oversize hole punches (thanks laura!). We used regular hole punches to make confetti from the scraps. The garlands were easy to make and turned out wonderfully, so after the party I wrapped them up for storage on a spare piece of foam board. (These would be great for other parties as well — you could make them more sophisticated by using origami paper with subtle patterns.)

The round menu was geared toward 3-year old appetites: round pb&j, cucumber & carrot rounds, circle crackers and pineapple rings.

Blue cupcakes with circle sprinkles.

View gabbyblair's map

Taken in (See more photos here)

The party favors: bags of super balls in pretty marbelized colors.

For activities we did "round" things. Danced to "You Spin Me Right Round, Baby Right Round". Walked around a hula hoop while singing "The Big Black Bear" song. Sat in a circle with our feet together and rolled a ball around. Plus lots of free play so they could build with the duplos and try out the puppets in the playroom.

The 3 year old birthday party is always my favorite one. It's the first year they really get it. How to unwrap a present. What a present is. How to blow out candles (they're not very good, but they know how to try). They have no expectations and are just delighted with the whole thing. I recommend keeping it small and short. 6 or 7 kids for an hour and a half is just about right.

You can see a bazillion more pics here.

Found here.

2009-11-24T18:19:00.000-08:00

To Remember:
(You know, that first year of marriage, when it somehow WAS enough? Bring it on back.)

Good Fortune This Year

2009-11-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

American New Year's is not the same day as Chinese New Year's, but with the common thread of good luck, several traditions can be crossed over. Serve Chinese takeout for dinner, then celebrate by opening fortune cookies together and reading your fortunes for the new year. If you want to guarantee that your fortunes are meaningful, print off your own and insert them into homemade fortune cookies. Recipe here.

A Grape New Year

2009-11-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

In Spain, revelers mark the new year by quickly eating a dozen grapes at midnight. The fruit is said to be a predictor of the year ahead: Each sweet grape represents a good month, each sour grape a less-than-lucky one.

Adopt the tradition by threading grapes onto skewers, and serve each in a glass of Champagne just before the countdown.

While you're toasting the New Year with champagne, let kids celebrate too. Fill a champagne flute for every child older than 3 with a dozen grapes; they can eat one for every chime as the clock strikes midnight.

Found here.

Ice Cream Soda

2009-11-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Jordan Ferney's brilliant wedding concept for an Old Fashioned Soda Bar, I set out to create these fun, retro-inspired label designs for soda bottles that hark back to the glorious era of soda fountains! These can be used for your party or wedding to create your own Soda Shop or to add a gorgeous beverage stand to your Ice-Cream Parlour theme. Guests can select from a brightly coloured array of flavoured sodas to make their own delicious Ice-Cream Sodas!

For those who don't know, the Ice-Cream Soda, also known as a 'Spider' down here in Oz, is a mixture of flavoured soda and Ice-Cream. The carbonated soda causes the Ice-Cream to 'float' and also creates a foam on the surface (similar to beer). It is essentially a dessert beverage, and a very delicious one at that!

I've created labels for Root Beer, Sarsaparilla, Raspberry, Blueberry, Lemon, Lime, Orange and Cream Soda. You can download these below!

WHAT TO DO

Buy cheap, no brand, plain soda water bottles. Empty out a portion of the contents and replace with cordial or syrup using a funnel. You will have to experiment with the ratio of soda to syrup to find out what works best for you. You could even make your own syrups! This article, for example, has a good recipe for homemade soda syrup. You can find many like this on the web. If you're going with pre-made syrups- there are many available including for Root Beer, Sarsaparilla and Cream.

Once you've filled your bottles, soak them in boiling water for a couple of hours, peel off their labels and re-label them with the retro designs. I've printed them on photo quality semi-gloss white A4 paper, cut them out using a guillotine and taped them on the sides with double-sided tape before attaching to the bottle.

^{NOTE: This file is over 2mb. It may take some time to download. If you are having issues with downloading. please right click on the button and save the file to your computer.}

IMPORTANT INFO

These labels are purely decorative, so if you get any liquid on your label, the ink on the labels may run or smudge or stain and destroy the design. If you use a photo quality paper there is less chance of this happening but I would still make sure you've filled the bottles with your syrup or cordial and wiped the bottles off before putting any of the labels on. Obviously, this also means you cannot store your bottles in ice! I haven't tested storing these in the fridge to see whether the condensation would affect the labels. However, an easy solution would be to avoid cold storage altogether and simply add ice to your soda glasses instead.

^{NOTE: This file is over 2mb. It may take some time to download. If you are having issues with downloading. please right click on the button and save the file to your computer.}

TIPS FOR LARGE WEDDINGS OR PARTIES

If you're having a large party or wedding and re-labelling vast amounts of bottles is too time consuming and costly an excercise, a much easier alternative is to re-label only one of each flavour and use these purely as a display, as a sort of visual menu, for guests to choose their flavour. Have somebody serve the soda, behind the bar, into old-fashioned soda glasses with soda that you have bought in bulk. You will still have that feel of a Soda Shop but without the time and expense.

I've also created these bottle top labels that are handy to hide any branding from your original soda bottle. I've provided two font options for each soda flavour. You can choose your favourite or you can use both and mix and match.

The circles in these bottle top designs are 2.5 cm in diameter. Either cut out very carefully by hand with a scissors, use a circle cutter, or a circle punch of a similar size. Attach to lid with double-sided tape.

Enjoy!

Found here.

Party cup

2009-11-05T20:35:00.000-08:00

Whether used for favours or simply as a cup that guests can use to collect their own selection of treats from your party's candy buffet, the festive colours in this cup design allow for use at any occasion- parties, weddings or even the upcoming Christmas and holiday season. "La Dolce Vita" - Italian for "The Sweet Life" is a somewhat fitting title for a cup with a solitary life purpose to contain lots of delicious candy- No? Continue for more pics, ideas and to download your free paper cup cover design!

WHAT TO DO

Print out the design onto plain white 80 gsm paper, cut out with scissors and wrap around a standard 9 oz paper cup. (I've acquired mine from Spotlight. It is preferable to opt for a light coloured cup so that it doesn't show through the cover.) Use double sided tape to attach. Puncture two small round holes in each side for your string or ribbon handle.

If you're using the cup to complement your candy buffet perhaps place a tiny wooden scoop inside for guests to collect their own selection of sweet treats.

To personalise the cups, I've made tiny manila swing tags which I recycled from manila folders. They're so simple to make! Cut out your shape with a scalpel, attach a mini white dot sticker (available at most newsagents) and punch in the center with small round craft punch. Use your tag to write a little message to your guests.

For presentation at your party consider hanging your cups along rope or twine.

Italian String purchased from Est Australia in Hawthorn. Tiny wooden scoops from Market Import in Armadale. Mini pegs from Kikki K. Red and White Peppermint Bullseyes from The Original Lolly Shop in Canterbury.

An alternative presentation idea is to hang your cups off some decorative branches.

Found here.

Cashmere BatBaby Hat & Beddy-Bye Beast

2009-11-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

As promised, I am back with another little tutorial for you--this one on how to make a cashmere BatBaby Hat and accompanying Beddy-Bye Beast. This is from a very early design I made when I very first started making plushies--of course, the design has evolved and been improved upon about 143 times since that first attempt (yes, 143--some of us just cannot seem to get it right the first time or about 142 more times thereafter...).

And one of the loveliest things about both of these designs is that they are made with cashmere--and not just any old cashmere, but cashmere gleaned from reclaimed sweaters. What do I mean by reclaimed? Well, for me that generally means thrifted--or sometimes, old sweaters my lazy friends dump on me so they do not need to bother with the GoodWill donation. Also, what you should know about the hat is that it is reversible--and it will fit a 6-18 month old baby. And what you should know about the Beddy-Bye Beast is that I put a little packet of calming herbs inside of it (equal parts chamomile, lavendar, roses, and hops)--but that is optional really. And also, I have included the designs for all 5 beasts pictured above in the tutorial .
And now you should go make your own. For sure. This makes a superduper baby gift and the hat really is freakin adorable on a baby. Like, squeal-worthy adorable. Get your own copy of the tutorial with patterns right here:
DOWNLOAD BATBABY HAT AND BEDDY BYE BEAST TUTORIAL

And one other thing? I started a Chez Beeper Bebe Flickr group where you can show off your own interpretation of one of my designs/projects--but mostly I started it because I am nosey and would love to see what any of my readers out there are doing with these tutorials and stuff. Humor me. Please. You can find the Flickr group here.

Found here.

2009-10-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

Red Candy Apples

Apples that come pre-bagged tend to be smaller than those you pick from the display; the smaller ones are a better choice for candy apples. Make sure they are well washed and dried before you begin.

about a dozen small apples
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
several drops red food colouring

lollipop sticks, wooden popsicle sticks or small bamboo skewers

Wash and dry your apples; insert lollipop sticks, wooden popsicle sticks or small bamboo skewers into the stem end and set aside; line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.

Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar (this is important – it will prevent crystallization, just stop stirring once the mixture comes to a boil). Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until the mixture reaches 300F.

Immediately dip the apples by holding them by the stick and submerging them completely in the candy; tilt the pan as you need to in order to coat them well. If you would like to add candies or other toppings, sprinkle them over the apples (or dip their bottoms into a shallow bowl before the candy sets), then set them stick-up on the lined baking sheet. Set aside to harden and cool.

Once completely cooled, wrap each candy apple in cellophane. Makes about a dozen.

Sponge toffee was my favorite treat (OK, one of many) when I was a kid – my Mom would buy little blocks of it wrapped in cellophane for my sisters and I at the grocery store, and when we went skiing we’d always stop in Banff for chocolate covered chunks of it. (My sisters were always lured in by the candy apples.)

Sponge Toffee

For something similar to a Crunchie bar (but far better), dip cooled chunks into melted chocolate and set on waxed paper until set.

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 tsp. baking soda

Line a 9″x13″ pan with foil.

Combine the sugar and syrup in a heavy medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. (Make sure there is lots of room in the pan for the mixture to foam up when you stir in the baking soda.) Stir until the sugar begins to melt. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until the mixture turns a deep amber. Watch it carefully – sugar burns fast!

Remove from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda. It will foam up like a science experiment! Quickly pour it into the pan and set aside for an hour, or until set. Peel off the foil and break into chunks to serve. Serves about 10.
Found here.

2009-10-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were once invited to a Halloween Party.
Always ready to spend a Friday night with red-hot plans, we mustered up a few costumes and stopped on by.
Upon entering there was a mist of smoke weaving its way into our nostrils.
Just inside the front threshold lay a bungled mess of cobwebs, through which we crawled.
Our hostess greeted us with a verry Transylvanian accent.
All was going well. Mightily, mightily well.

Until...
I saw the food table.

Upon it lay Severed Hot-Dog Fingers and Kitty Litter Cake.
Eyeball Stew, Pickled Brain Meatballs and a punchbowl of soda suffering from the Bloody Flux.
Standing there, leaning on the supportive arm of my handsomely costumed hubby, I decided:
I'm too much a foodie to accept a gross-out Halloween.

Which is why, when it came time to host a celebration on your behalf,
I simply couldn't proffer a plate of utterly indigestible digital images.
Instead, I hoped to elevate Halloween from the typical frights and horrors and unpleasantries we've come to expect this time of year.
What better way to do it, I thunk to meself, than with a
Grimm All Hallows Festival?

As in...The Grimm Brothers Cinderella.
The original version of the story is tremendously full of frights, you know.

There's a dead mother. A solemn grave. Dirt and filth and wee amount of blood. And, birds. There are all sorts of birds. Even the kind that peck out the eyes of two certain stepsisters. Isn't that hideously halloweenie?

But, there's also enchantment. A hazelnut twig planted upon Cinderella's mothers grave which, after being watered with the tears of a heartbroken child, grows into a tree. A white pigeon attends this tree always, throwing down gold and silver, and all manner of wishes to the humble kitchen maid.

It is upon that note with which I invite you to join me. For, a very Grimm Halloween...

A rich man's wife became sick, and when she felt that her end was drawing near, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said, "Dear child, remain pious and good, and then our dear God will always protect you, and I will look down on you from heaven and be near you." With this she closed her eyes and died.

Caramel Apple Soda Sippers
Simple to make, and sweet to sip, these quick non-alcoholic mixers bring to mind all the flavors of the season in golden style.
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
2 packets apple cider mix
2 liters ginger-ale
Half & Half, if desired

In a large water bottle or ziploc container, add caramel, apple cider mix and 2 cups of ginger-ale. Seal tightly. Shake vigorously until cider mix is dissolved. Pour a small amount into the bottom of several large glasses. Add ice. Fill remainder of glass with ginger-ale. Top with a small amount of half-and-half, carefully poured (if you desire the flavour of an Italian Creme Soda). Sip and Enjoy.

"Why should that stupid goose sit in the parlor with us?" the step-sisters said. "If she wants to eat bread, then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid!"

Pumpkin, Prosciutto & Basil Tea Sandwiches

The only sort of finger sandwiches allowed at my fall festival are these lil' dainties. Packed with the subtle flavor of honeyed pumpkin and the salty hello of prosciutto, this here is a combination that can't be beat.
4 oz. mascarpone or cream cheese
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 T. honey
8-10 slices prosciutto
12-15 leaves fresh basil
1 loaf sourdough bread

In a small bowl, combine mascarpone, pumpkin, and honey. Whip together.
Spread pumpkin mixture on slices of sourdough bread. Top with prosciutto and basil. Slice crusts off of sandwiches, then cut into thin, vertical strips. Serve immediately.

After showering gifts of jewels and fine clothing upon the step-sisters, Cinderella's father gave her a hazel twig. Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother's grave, and planted the branch on it, and she wept so much that her tears fell upon it and watered it. It grew and became a beautiful tree.

Ladyfinger Sandwiches made with Nutella Spread
Oh! How the children devoured these. And, so easy to make. Just spread and serve.

The stepmother said, "It's no use. You are not coming with us, for you have no clothes, and you don't know how to dance. We would be ashamed of you...." Cinderella went to her mother's grave beneath the hazel tree, and cried out: Shake and quiver, little tree, Throw gold and silver down to me. Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver.
*
Golden Gnocchi with Caramelized Carrots & Onions
in a Clarified Butter SauceThis delightful recipe is so beautiful, no one will believe how simple it is, either. Fellow festival mom, Becki kept sneaking bites off of her children's party plates. You'll want to, too. I promise. This recipe is really worth a whip up.
1 stick butter + 1 Tbsp.
1 package of gnocchi
(I used mini gnocchi, available at WalMart)
1/2 c. sweet yellow onion, sliced
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. dill
Salt to taste
*Boil gnocchi according to package directions. Place in a large bowl, set aside. Over medium heat, begin cooking stick of butter in a medium saucepan. Stir often to keep from burning. Cook until butter begins to bubble and foam. Skim off foam with a spoon, discard. Pour the clear yellow butter over gnocchi, being cautious to not pour the bottom dregs of butter in, as well. In medium saucepan, heat remaining butter and add onions, carrots, brown sugar, ginger and dill. Cook until onions are well softened. Toss into pasta. Salt to taste. Serve warm or cold.

*Her stepsisters and her stepmother did not recognize her. They thought she must be a foreign princess, for she looked so beautiful in the golden dress. They never once thought it was Cinderella, for they thought that she was sitting at home in the dirt, looking for lentils in the ashes.

*Fancy festival decor doesn't have to be hard to make, hard to come by, or hard on the budget. Here's a few of the tricks we used to make our feast frightfully fantastique:

Tables & Tuffets

Frame a full or queen sized sheet in a large picture frame, to create a simple, sophisticated and portable table for eating upon. We set ours upon giant blue rubbermaid buckets, but you'd never know because the ends of the sheet flow over to hide the supporting props underneath. Set thy heinies upon pillows for quick, comfy seating.
*The Pleasantest of Party Favors

The wedding area of your local dollar store will likely hold Grimm decor, aplenty.

For our party, a mere five dollars purchased:

$1-"Glass" slippers which sat upon sugar cookies.

$2-White doves which decorated cupcakes.$3-Golden Rings for the Lentils & Ashes Game$4 & $5-White boxes and buckets, perfect for toting home party favors *

The next day when the festival began anew, and her parents and her stepsisters had gone again, Cinderella went to the hazel tree and said:
Shake and quiver, little tree, Throw gold and silver down to me. Then the bird threw down an even more magnificent dress than on the preceding day.

Wish-Granting Wands
The dollar store also (already!) offered a plentiful Christmas supply, from which were crafted these simple centerpieces. Feathered white birds glued upon golden-glittered wooden dowels. Placed in a glass vase, filled with a bouquet of brown twigs and a bottom-full of golden-wrapped candy, they were absurdly adorable and ever so welcoming.

The children were told these wishing birds would make all their dreams come true. After which, McKay and Andrew (the preteens in our group) most cheekily spat forth a slew of their deepest desires. None of which were immediately granted by their wishing birds. "See! They don't work," the big boys called out to the teensy toddlers. Alas, if only they knew I'd already used my bird to wish for their nearly teenagers hearts to be humbled through poverty and extremely hard work. Yestereve, Andrew swept our floors and washed dishes in our home, hoping to earn a mere sixpence of allowance. See, boys?! Wishes do come true.

The stepmother said, "You may go if you are able to pick two bowls of lentils out of the ashes for me in one hour," thinking to herself, "She will never be able to do that."
The girl went through the back door into the garden, and called out, "You tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather:
The good ones go into the pot, The bad ones go into your crop."

Pigeons & turtledoves came in through the kitchen window, nodded their heads, and began to pick, pick, pick, pick.

*Lentils & Ashes: The Game

For our Grimm Halloween, we decided to play a single game, though the story offers inspiration for a good many others. We could have blindfolded the guests like the blinded wicked step-sisters and led them through donut-eating on a string. We could have invited guests young and old to partner up and find the pair of shoes that matched their companions feet. Instead, we celebrated simply with Lentils and Ashes. Everyone adored this miniature version of digging for candy in a Haystack.

In a large bowl or pot, place several bags of dry lentils. Stir in a multitude of small treasures: golden rings, small candies, and other teensy party favors will work deliciously. To play, invite guests to take a handful and sift the lentils back into the pot. Any prizes retrieved can go into their own favor bag. The catch? They must give back one prize for each lentil placed in their favor bag...so be cautious, else all thy winnings shall be lost!*

The prince insisted on it, and they had to call Cinderella. She first washed her hands and face clean, and then went and bowed down before the prince, who gave her the golden shoe. She sat down on a stool, pulled her foot out of the heavy wooden shoe, and put it into the slipper, and it fitted her perfectly.

When she stood up the prince looked into her face, and he recognized the beautiful girl who had danced with him. He cried out, "She is my true bride."

Found here.

Owl Invites

2009-10-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Scare Mail
Frightening fetes call for equally spirited invitations. This Halloween, tempt nocturnal visitors with a menacing wide-eyed owl.

The creatures have movable body parts, attached with miniature brads, which make them compact to send and spook-tacular to receive.

Invitation How-To
Get the Owl Template.

1. Color-photocopy templates at 125 percent (or download images and print) onto white heavyweight matte paper. Cut out parts with scissors. (For thicker invitations, affix copies to black card stock with spray adhesive, then cut out parts.)

2. At joints, make holes using a microhole punch. Secure wings behind body with black miniature brads.

3. Write details using a pen. Fold in parts; enclose card in an A6 envelope.

Found here.