Easy DIY Elmo Apron

My niece loves Elmo.  I try to make them aprons every year for Christmas (yes, this post has been in the queue for quite some time).  I didn't like any of the licensed fabric (okay, so maybe I didn't like the price of the licensed fabric...) and wanted something really fun for her.  So I decided to make my own Elmo template.

Photo from my sister-in-law

You will need:
Red apron
Small pieces of orange, white, and black fabric (thanks to our school mascot for being a tiger, I had scraps of all of these)
Some iron-on backing, whichever you prefer




1. Start with a print out of Elmo- I did a Google image search for Elmo and used the search tools to find a line drawing of just his face.  I copied the image to a publisher document and stretched it to fit an 8 1/2 x 11" piece of paper.  It's okay if the sides of his face are cut off.  You only need his eyes and mouth on one piece.





2. Cut out the pieces of Elmo's face. Fuse your backing to the pieces of black, white and orange fabric, ensuring you have enough space for each of the pieces on their appropriate color fabric.  You really don't need much.

3. Trace the pieces onto the backing.  Note: I did not flip the pieces when I did this- it didn't make a difference for Elmo, but might make a difference in other characters.  Remember you are tracing to the BACK of your material, so if you decide to do letters or something else with this same technique you will need to flip your paper over before tracing (or if you're tech savvy, flip it  on the computer before you print it).

4. Line up your pieces.  I used the white cutout to make sure the eye and nose pieces were centered.

5. Iron on according to your fusing material's instructions.

That's it!  I thought about stitching along the edges, but the fusing material held pretty well.  Another option would be to use puffy paint to outline it, but I thought it looked just fine without any extra work.  So easy and my niece was soooo excited about the apron!

Baby Bouquet

A little while ago (okay I guess it's been a couple months now) we had a baby shower for a coworker.  We had food and games (and adorable cookies!) We wanted to give her something in addition to the awesome food and excellent company and fun games. Something simple and yet cute. Enter the baby bouquet.

To make a baby bouquet you will need:
Baby washcloths (I also used some burp cloths but I liked the flowers made by the washcloths better)
Tape
Greenery (and Skewers- optional) (the skewers were really helpful with the heavy burp cloths.  I got this particular greenery from Dollar Tree and it eliminated the need for floral skewers for the wash cloths)
Vase
Tissue paper


Directions:
Fold baby washcloths

These ones actually were folded pretty nicely to begin with.  They ended up being folded in quarters.

Do as I say not as I do: tuck in the tag before rolling...

Place the skewer (or greenery if yours is able to act as a skewer as this one) at one end of the wash cloth.  I moved the greenery down so it would be out of the way while I rolled the flower.


Roll the washcloth slightly toward the lower edge to layer the rose.

...or begin rolling at the end with the tag.

Tape the end to hold the flower in place. Cover this tape with floral tape and push up the leaves closer to the flower.

Place the flowers in the vase (if your vase is plastic you may want to put something weighted in the bottom to keep it from being top heavy and tipping over). Add greenery to fill out the vase, particularly if using skewers.

Add tissue and add a bow to the vase if desired.

And now your mom-to-be has a lovely bouquet to remind her of all of the love and support in this new and exciting role she will have!

Stumped Shopping? Things the Crafters on Your List Never Knew They Needed

Christmas is rapidly approaching, and if your shopping is anything like mine, it's getting to be crunch time.  Or perhaps you're just not sure of what to ask for- you have everything you need, right?

Well, here are a couple ideas for the baker/crafter on your list.  Or maybe some new items you just didn't know you needed.

Counter-Saving Cooling Rack

No matter how much counter space you have, you can always use more.  My sister got these cooling racks for me last year for Christmas and I don't know what I would do without them!  I have two, and sometimes even then I wish I had a third.  Such a great space-saver, and folds flat for storage when not in use.  Sometimes the bottom one is a little difficult to fold, but the effort is worth it.

Measure-All Cup

This measuring cup is amazing.  Just push up to the amount you need, fill, and pop it out!  Get every bit of that peanut butter, corn syrup, or shortening you were using without the hassle of scraping it out of the measuring cup.  I like the Pampered Chef one ($10 for the two-cup, $6 for the smaller one-cup)- the Pampered Chef one is unique because it allows you to flip the cup over and use it as a liquid measuring cup and both imperial and metric units (with increments as small as 10 mL and 1 teaspoon).

Fabric Tube Turner

This Dritz Quick Turn turns the pain of making straps into a breeze.  The first time I used these I couldn't believe how simple it was.  I had been trying to turn a strap for an apron for my niece, and finally went searching for a tool to help me.  For under $5 at JoAnn's (in our store, not shown online), it made me want to make more aprons.  I know they say you can't buy love, but give this to the crafter on your list and you'll automatically become their favorite person ever.

Stamps - you can get many stamps for $1 at JoAnn's, Pat Catan's, Michael's, and sometimes even the dollar store.  They usually change with the seasons, so there's always something new and different in the dollar section.  If you want to spend more you can get great sets of stamps.  I prefer clear stamps, but still get excited over any stamps I get.

If they already have stamps, how about some cool ink pads?  The glue ink pad with glitter to sprinkle on is on my list this year.

What's on your wish list this year?



Blogger's note: I was not asked to give reviews for any of these products, nor compensated for these reviews.  They're just some of my favorite products that I wanted to share!

Kids' Book Nook: Making a Pillow for a Bookcase Bench

Earlier I talked about my niece's first birthday and my need to provide somewhat practical gifts- something they won't outgrow quickly- as well as the need for it to be somewhat creative and very personalized.

When my sister-in-law mentioned that they'd like a bookshelf for my niece's room, I began searching the internet for just the right one.  I wanted to make it personal in some way.  They had adorable princess bookshelves and really beautiful maple bookshelves.  Then my creative/practical sides (a dichotomy that surfaces in me quite often) started to voice their opinions.  What if she hates the color pink?  What will she think of this bookcase in five years?  In ten?  If I do anything to personalize this beautiful bookcase I may end up ruining it.  She's a climber- is she going to try to climb to the top shelf?


And then it hit me (okay, maybe browsing at Target helped)- what about a bookcase that's meant to be climbed on?  I liked the one at Target, but I was also attracted to the other cube furniture there that could be used vertically or horizontally, thinking it would be nice to give her something that could be turned upright when she got older and inevitably acquired too much stuff (it happens to everyone, right?).  I began looking for bench bookcases, and it looked like Bed Bath & Beyond had something reasonable, but reviews discussed it needing no tools for assembly, and I became concerned about how sturdy something held together by some two-way tape and a few wooden pegs could be.  I wanted to buy a longer one, but Target only had these in stock, so I bought two (and assembled them myself!).

Then I set off to make the cushion. (I made two)  (More split back pillow and standard pillow case ideas here)

For two ~11 x 23 cushions I used:
1 yard patterned fabric
1/2 yard muslin (I bought the very wide, high quality muslin)
2/3 yard batting

Cut the fabric
For each pillow
Cut two pieces of the muslin 1 1/2 inches longer each way than you want the pillow to be (for mine that was 12 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches)

Cut one piece of the patterned fabric (the front) 1 inch longer than you want the pillow to be (12 x 24 inches)
Cut the back pieces of the pillow- each side will need a half inch seam allowance to hem the seam.  You will also want another inch or two to overlap, so my pieces ended up being 12 x 13 and 12 x 14.
Cut two pieces of the batting to the size you want the pillow to be (11 x 23)

You can cut these on your rotary board if you hold the ruler down tight to the board.

Sew
Fold under and press 3/8 of an inch on one of the shorter sides on each piece of muslin.

With the folds on the outside (your pillow inside out), pin and sew the three remaining sides together with 1/2 inch seam allowance.  Trim the corners and turn the pillow casing right side in.  Put in both thicknesses of batting.

Pin and sew the folded sides together with 1/8 inch seam allowance.

Tack the pillow to keep the batting from sliding while in use.  This can be done by machine or by hand.

I liked the tacking done by hand better because it wasn't as tight.

Back pillow- machine; front pillow- by hand

For the pillowcase
To make the finished edges of your overlapping pieces, fold under 1/4 inch on a shorter edge of each piece of fabric.  Fold under again and press.

Sew along the inner edge of this hem, about a 1/4 inch seam.

Pin these pieces to the front piece, right sides together and overlapping the back pieces.  Sew all four edges with 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Trim the corners and turn right side out.

Put the pillow in the pillow case and place on bookcase.  Tada!  A bench!

And she finally climbed up on it earlier this week.

Growing Like a Weed: DIY Instructions for a Growth Chart

Buying things for babies always proves difficult for me.  I have a need to be somewhat practical, but also a desire to give something creative and meaningful.  What do you buy them when they already have everything they need?  Do they really need another toy that they'll outgrow in six months?  What does another outfit really do for them?  But I don't want to give overly practical gifts like savings bonds (although I'm sure would be much appreciated about fifteen years down the line).

When these children are my nieces, all of these needs are heightened.  I want to give something cool, but nothing that just anyone would give them.

Then, scrolling through a friend's facebook I found my solution: a growth chart.  It was simple, inexpensive, and something that is meaningful.

To make your own growth chart you will need:
6" x 6' board - I used pine (did you know that a 6" board is actually 5 1/2"?)
Sand paper
Spray paint
Ruler, yardstick, or tape measure
Acrylic paint
Paint brushes

For lettering and numbers:
Printed text and tracing paper (or a stencil)

First sand the board.  Next, spray paint it- first adding a sparse coat to help the paint stick to the board.  Then spray an even coat over the board.

A light, sparse coat will help the paint stick the the board.

 

Once the board dries, use a tape measure to mark the measurements.  I marked both sides of the tape measure, then went back through making each line an inch long (the ruler I use to cut fabric with was great for this).  Mark enough lines to start the measurements just under a foot (so that the number 1 will be on the board) and to finish just over six feet (or if you're using a 4 foot board you could start the board around a foot and a half and go to around five feet).

Print out the name and numbers, and trace them using graphite .  (I liked this way better because I wasn't limited to the fonts and sizes at the craft store, but it was more time consuming and took a very steady hand when painting).

Paint the lines, making the lines at each foot slightly longer than the other lines.  Paint the numbers and name.  Add a design if desired (I used a design based on a fabric I used for another project for her birthday- more to come on that project later).

Voila- growth chart!  A great baby shower gift, first birthday present, or Christmas gift.