Is it too late for Valentines?

My daughter loves any and ALL holidays. She thinks she needs to have a new outfit or some kind of party for like every day of the year!! So I know this is kind of old... But these would be great for birthday parties or even St. Patty's day coming up. This year for Valentines me and my little girly girl stayed up late poking holes in gum balls and stringing them up for her class room Valentines. I think they turned out absolutely darling!!! So easy and so fun! I got the idea from tip junkie and when I saw them I knew I would be making them. You can buy gum balls in bulk or by certain colors at different party stores. We lucked out and just raided Grandmas gum ball machine! Easy enough free and free!!!

The boys got blue green and yellow ones and the girls got the girly ones. The arrows were big tootsie roll cupid arrows for my Max man's joy school group.

Nothing like a new skirt from grandma to help celebrate the day of love! The necklace just made the whole outfit right??

Monster rice bag tutorial

I was pretty Bored tonight so I decided to play with some felt! And I came up with a little monster rice bag for my little man to snuggle up in bed with. You know those rice bags that we all have and love, you pop them in the microwave and then they heat up your feet or heal your sore back. Last year for Christmas I made me and a bunch of my girlfriends some, now my little boy just loves it. So I decided I would make him his very own and one that was maybe a little more his style!

This project is way simple, and so fun because there is NO WRONG WAY! and any mess ups don't matter at all because it just adds character to the little guys.  

Step 1. This took the longest for me! Trying to decide the shape of his body! I ended up drawing this shape and you are more then welcome to print it if you want! But really look at it??? NO PERFECTION HERE! just draw some weird shape and you can make it into a monster body!  After you have decided on the shape cut two pieces of that shape out of the felt. I just layered my pieces and cut them at the exact same time.

STEP 2. Next use your other felt pieces and give the guy some personality. Do what ever you please!! One eye, no eye, hair etc.

Step 3. Sew all of your little pieces to the top part of your monster. I have seen this done hand sewn or by machine. I used black thread because I thought the contrast would be a little fun but I don't think I love it! I also tried a new stitch on my machine around the eye balls, again not sure if I love it but whatever, it was fun to try out.

I sewed my little claws up into the body so that when I turned the monster inside out they would stick out... Does that make sense? Look at the pic...

Step 4. Sew right sides together all the way around. I left an opening on his foot to pour in the rice you can leave your opening where you think will be easiest to sew back up or to hide the opening.

Step 5. For some weird reason I store my rice in 2 liter bottles so I already had a funnel shape for the rice stuffing, so you can pour in your rice however you want!! (make a paper funnel or something) But go ahead and fill that bad boy up!

Step 6. Sew up your opening, Plop the guy into the microwave and give him to your buddy to snuggle up to to keep warm! Depending on how big you make your monster depends on how long to keep it in the microwave. For my normal one I usually do 2 min but that was too long for this little guy, I'd say 1 min to 1 1/2 min is good.

I think this is a fun little boy gift idea, I might make them for my little man to give to all of his little buddies. This monster is kind of small, I think next time I will make a bigger one, but this would be great for pocket warmers and just a little warmer for bed! Have fun! Send me pics if you make one!

P.S. what about cute flowers or hearts for girls?? or Valentines gifts!

Finger Puppet Stocking Stuffers!

SERIOUSLY!! You know me I LOVE a good etsy shop, and I also love CUTE AND CHEAP!! Check out these darling finger puppets! I don't know about you and your kiddies but my kids Love love love to hear stories especially when we use picture books, flannel boards, or puppets. My cute friend Marie (you should check her out too) emailed me and introduced me to this shop. I love this idea for my kids Christmas stockings. Marie was able to actually meet these cute shop owners and said that they had all kinds of story sets such as the three little pigs, little Red riding hood, and even the nativity set. How darling! I can't wait to put my order in. The best part is that each puppet is only $2.00 each. Or if you are able to attend a boutique I guess their boutique prices are only $1.00 a piece! So if you live in UTAH (woo wooo) check out these boutiques and you find these darling puppets in person! (oh how cute would this be for a gift with the puppets and the actual book!!)

They will be displayed at:


Country Barn in Kaysville 3-6 November

Blue Goose in Lehi 4-6 November

Simple Treasures in Ogden 10-13 November

Candy Cane Boutique in Spring City 11-13 November

Holy Cow in Pleasant Grove 17-20 November

Sweet Tweets in South Jordan 18-20 November

Booth Barn in Pocatello 26-27 November

Beary Unique in Woods Cross 26 November- 4 December

Simple Treasures in Farmington 1 -4 December

Battlecreek in Pleasant Grove 2-4 December

Heartfelt in SLC 2-4 December

PS they do custom orders too!

Don't you just love these fun spooky witch fingers??? I don't think a year goes by that my sweet mama doesn't make at least 2 batches! They are so fun for parties or neighbor treats!!

Witches Finger Cookie Recipe

Yield: 5 dozen

1 cup sugar


1 cup Butter, softened


1 Egg


1 tsp Almond extract


1 tsp Vanilla extract


2 2/3 cups Flour


1 tsp Salt


3/4 cup whole Almonds, blanched


2 squares of melting chocolate, or chocolate bark


Combine the sugar, egg, butter, almond extract, and vanilla in a bowl. Mix in the flour, and salt. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, or until it’s firm.


When you’re ready to shape the cookies, only take out a small portion of the dough at a time. Shape the cookies into fingers by rolling and working with your hands. Score the top of the cookie with a knife or spatula to make it look like the wrinkles in your knuckle. Press an imprint into the tip of the cookie with your finger to make a spot for the almond finger nail. Press an almond into the tip of each finger to look like a fingernail.


Placed on a cooking sheet lightly coated with no-stick cooking spray and bake at 325` for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cookies are a very light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on a drying rack.

Use melting chocolate to go around the outside of the almond nail, giving a ghoulish appearance. Just melt the chocolate, put it in an icing piping bag, and cut a very small hole in the tip. Then pipe around the nail.

If you use red melting chocolate the look will be even more dramatic, you can also make small drops of chocolate blood, or chocolate cuts on the cookies if you really want to gross out your guests.

Not a fan!

So this wasn't even a planned post, but thought I would share my opinion! For mothers day a couple of years ago I had my kids make my mama and my MIL garden stones with their names and feet print on them. Ever sense then my little Madi has been dying to do one for her own playhouse in our backyard. So this last weekend I saw these kits on sale at Target for $8.00, it said enough for 4 stones and very kid friendly. The kits I had bought for my mom's was a little bit pricier (18.00 but if you use their 40% off only like 11.50 or something.) so I thought this was a great deal. So we pulled the kit out today to make the stones and I was very disappointed!! NOT A FAN!! If you are going to do this project then you have to pay the extra money and get a kit like this one from Hobby Lobby Really it is not that much extra with the coupon and it is well worth it. The Target kit came with one tiny bag of decorations for the stones. Like maybe enough for one stone rather then the 4 it says on the box. It only had one tray in it with a butterfly stencil so we couldn't even do a normal flat one for my boy. The mix dried WAY TOO FAST! You think that would be a good thing but when you are working with kiddies they need a little time to place everything. And I have a feeling that this one might shatter easier as well! The Hobby Lobby one had TONS of tiles, and jewels. In fact I even had some left over that we used with this cheap set. It had two trays, and basically it was just easier and better!! Both mom's loved their garden stones. In fact both still have them in their flower beds so it is a fun, good gift idea for your kids it's just the matter of getting the right kit!

PS

I know some people don't even use kits, I have a friend who does these all on her own and they are so cute! I just needed a quick and easy set! So if you are looking for a short simple garden stone go with a kit!

Craftin with Grandma!

So my crafting buddy (my mama) recently moved many miles away from me, (ok maybe just like 35) but still she used to live right around the corner and let me tell you there were many late night projects going on around here!

A couple of weeks ago the hubman was gone fishing so me and the kiddies went and played with grandma. I was working on some of my own projects and the kiddies wanted to make something with grandma. So grandma came up with these cute bracelets. They are pretty simple so here's how it goes...

First: Cut a rectangle about 2 1/2 inches wide and measure your baby's wrist. Make the length of the rectangle about an inch and half longer then his wrist measurement.

Then: She folded about a half inch over on the width end, like the picture, and ironed it down.

Next:  fold it in half length wise and press it again. She then sewed it together like a tube, with right sides together so that your tube is inside out. She left one short end opened and sewed one end up, so she could turn the bracelet right side out.

Turn the bracelet right side out and sew the other short end closed. Then embellish it however you want. We used this iron on beading and iron on diamond strip for my Madi girls. But we also did a button and a batman for my other two kiddies. There really is no wrong way. let your kids get involved and let them choose.

  Last step is to hand stitch your snaps on both ends so that they can wear these. 

I think these are simple and fun! A great way to get your kids involved. Also I was thinking how cute these would be as those little rattle bracelets for babies. Maybe sew a felt heart or something full of beads for the rattles and just attach the heart to the bracelet. I just might have to try one!

Your little Sleeping Beauty

I have come to terms with it... Yes my daughter is a little Diva. What 5 year old begs for a sleeping mask? Mine does!! Funny thing was that her little friend had been begging for one too. And then a third little friend was kind of feeling left out because she didn't have one of these silly masks. So one day while the girls were playing here, I thought heck I could make one for this little friend of ours and I could not believe how easy this was!

I should have taken more pics but I didn't!  Here is what I did though. I traced Madi's original mask, (you wouldn't need one to trace just look at this shape and free hand it.) Then I cut a bottom layer, a top layer, and a layer of batting for the middle all that same shape.

Then I embellished the top layer. I just ironed on a B (for bailey) and added some diamonds. Pretty simple, but you could go crazy! Next I took the really thin elastic and measured it about 12 inches and pinned it to both sides.

And last I took double folded extra wide Bias tape and used it to finish the edges and hold the whole thing together.

This was so fast and something a little different. I think they would be so cute for a slumber party or something! If your little girl is a diva you gotta make her one!

Another version of the Fabric Flower

Sooo I learned how to make these paper flowers  awhile back and as I was sewing for my friends baby girl I needed to make a flower for this little hat. I instantly thought of these paper flowers and thought Heck, fabric would work too right??? Right!! So here's how they turned out!

**Cut weird little scalloped circles out of your fabric. I chose three different fabrics and I folded them like three times and cut them all out at the same time so they would be the exact shape. Remember they don't have to be perfect, that's what makes them unique and fun!

** Next I took two "flower shapes" and sewed the wrong sides together around the edges. This was just so the ugly side of the fabric wasn't showing when we put the flower together. See I told you they don't have to be perfect, pretty ugly shapes huh!

** Next fold your flower petal in half once and then again and stitch right along the bottom. A sewing machine is the quickest for this but you could also hand stitch it.

** Last you are going to just layer your petals all together inside and outside of each other until you get your desired shape. I recommend hand stitching this part because it's easier to shape your flower into what you want it to look like but I took the lazy way out and just hot glued them together. On the back I always glue a felt circle and glue a pin to it so I can attach this baby wherever I want.

** This particular flower is going on a corduroy baby hat. and I think it is fantastic! (I was sad my baby's head was to big to model this!! I guess she is not a newborn anymore!)

An easier way to do the ruffle bum

When my mama and I first started our little etsy adventure one of the first few things that went in the shop were ruffle bum onesies. They were so much fun! I love being creative with them and thinking of different things to put on the front of them. Well one of my bestest friends in the whole entire world is having a baby girl this week so I have been busy putting together all kinds of girly things for a gift basket for her. I have been making tutus, hats, a car seat cover, hair bows, onesies, burp cloths, and tights! (girls are so easy!!)I'll have to post them all slowly. But as I was making her a ruffle bum today I thought of  a different way for the little ruffle bum!!!! I usually make the ruffles in strips and sew them on separately this time I did one gigantic ruffle and only sewed one on. I love the way it turned out and it's a lot faster. I don't feel like this picture gives it justice! But here is a little tute of how I did it.

First: Start picking a color theme and fabrics. I liked pinks Imagine that!!

Second: Decide what you want the front to be. I chose Hearts. I don't really know why usually I am not a heart fan. But I really like the way this turned out. So I got some pellon, and Ironed my heart fabric to that and then I cut out two hearts. One a little bit bigger in pink corduroy fabric, and one a little smaller in a different print. Then you peel the back of that pellon off and place your shape on your onesie wherever you want. And Iron that baby away! Sometimes I take a scrap piece of fabric to put over my onesie while I am ironing just to make sure I don't leave marks.

Third: I stitch the hearts into place. Because I have already ironed the heart on technically I don't HAVE to stitch the hearts on, but I do because I like the look. I usually try to use a different color of thread just to add color.

Fourth: I wanted some bling on this heart. So I made a little bow. To do this I simply chose some tulle and ric rack and sewed them all together right in the middle. Then I picked out some buttons and sewed them on to. After the little bow was all done I hand sew it to the onesie. I usually just make sure I stitch it really good so that it can be washed and not fall off.

Fifth: It's ruffle time! I had never tried it this way before so I wasn't sure how it would turn out. But this is what I did. I took 4 fabric rectangles  and 2 tulle rectangles and placed them on top of each other. Each rectangle got smaller in width as I went. And then I did my gather stitch right down the middle of all of them at the same time. (Remember to gather stitch you set your stitch at the longest setting and sew without back stitching. Then you pull your bobbin thread and watch it all gather) After it was gathered, I pinned it on the bum of the onesie where I wanted it and I pinned the ric rack right over my gathering stitch and sewed it all to the bum.

I am kind of mad at these pictures because I don't think it gives it justice! It really is adorable. This picture almost looks like the ruffle is too wide or doesn't fit the onesie well. But it is darling! Give it a try let me know what you think, or if you have questions!