DIY Mickey Mouse T Shirt

We have an upcoming Disney vacation planned, so I've opted to DIY a few clothing items...

...this is a first time attempt for me and so far, I'm quite pleased:)

This project is for Jonah so I started with a basic white T shirt.  These can be found anywhere including craft stores- I found mine, brand new at our favorite resale shop for $2:)

Next I used a coupon for some cotton, iron on sheets that are printer compatible...

...downloaded the free image from Disney Movie Rewards, printed and got my iron ready...

...no fuss and in approx 30 seconds, the shirt was complete!

One of the easiest DIY projects I've attempted and I can't wait for him to showcase it while enjoying the Magic Kingdom:)

Next I'll be sharing Livy's DIY Minnie Mouse skirt:)

Thanks for stopping by,

Tiffany

DIY Vintage Flamestitich Pillow

You may have noticed the bright pillow nestled next to my DIY Limoncello for "Aunt Tole's" birthday...

...that was another part of her handmade birthday gift:)

While shopping for a few items designated for "Aunt Tole's" birthday, Livy spotted this bright purple flamestitch fabric and insisted that we get it for "Aunt Tole"...

...which resulted in some more late night sewing:)

I made a simple 'flap' pillow case.

Directions:

1. Wash & iron your fabric.

2. Measure your pillow insert.

3. Cut fabric1 inch wider than width of pillow insert and 6 inches longer than twice the length...make sense?

 My pillow form was 18 x 18 = 19 width x 42 length

4. Iron over each short edge (twice) to desired width for enclosed hem and sew- mine were approx 1/2 inch.

5. With RST, measure & pin the flap to correct placement & sew long edges- serge edges, zigzag or use pinking shears (my BFF!) & be sure to clip the corners too!

 

6. Turn right side out and insert pillow, smoothing the finished flap- done!

Now this "special pillow" for "Aunt Tole" can be washed when needed, ensuring some sweet relaxation:)

Have fun sewing your own "special pillow" for a special someone:)

Tiffany

Homemade Piggy Crayons

In preparation for Livy's 3rd birthday, which will arrive in just 6 short weeks (aaahhhh!), I made another "to do" list with specifics, outlining exactly what I need to work on...since it was getting a bit fuzzy:)

Task 1: Make Piggy Crayons.

Yes, we're doing a fun farm theme for Peanut's birthday this year & I can't wait!  I recently confided in Sweet Stamper that I could happily plan a farm party every year!  There's so many ideas & fun things to do with decor, activities, games....sigh.  And as much as I want to do almost all of them, I'm having to temper my creativity with practicality- we're in the midst of a move.  Need I say more?  Oh, and my little M's are wild.  That about sums it up!

So, back to the crayons.  I made a decision to forego the typical treasure laden goody bags this year due to cost, time, and lifestyle convictions and opted for something more "old fashioned"- a simple handmade favor, thanking guests for attending.  There's a growing trend towards simplicity in party favors and I was instantly drawn to it, leaving more time for cake decorating, game construction, decor etc...yippee!

I hatched a plan to make piggy crayons (think Pinterest helped inspire this project...), picked up a candy mold from Amazon and some crayons at Hobby Lobby with my 'handy dandy' coupon and set to work finding a good tutorial....that helps when you don't actually know what you're doing:)

I looked at several tutorials and then just decided to jump in as there was a lot of variance in technique.

First, Livy helped me sort the crayons into colors and then I took a knife (exacto works well too) and sliced along the wrapper- this allows the wrappers to come right off, vs digging & scraping for millions of hours:)

 

Next I took a clean sour cream container, placed the crayons (broken into pieces) inside and microwaved until melted.

TIP: I used a 'handy dandy' chop stick to stir the crayons- "green" & free!

My first batch wasn't hot enough which I discovered as I began to pour lumpy wax into my molds- I was petrified that the wax would explode in the microwave and thus erred on the conservative side...

The next batch was heated more thoroughly, allowing a cleaner entry into the molds and a nicer appearance once cool:)

Practice makes perfect and on & on until I had piggies in multiple colors.  I didn't clean out the container after each color as I was fine with some shade contrast & streaks- I've come a long way.

TIP: Due to my little M's getting antsy, I rushed in taking several rounds of crayons from the mold and discovered they lost some of their luster.  The pigs allowed to cool more completely in the mold look a bit nicer but oh well.  They're done!

Livy tried out one of the initial 'duds' and was thrilled!  She did request some chocolate piggies too though...how did she know that was next on my list?!!!

Project Costs:
Candy Mold: $5.99
Crayons: $1.58 ($5.40 for 192- I only used 56 to make 35 pigs)
Total: $7.57

I plan to include 3 pigs in each favor bag & I'm making 10 favors=  $0.14 per favor, minus the cost of the mold.  I'll be using the same pig mold to make the chocolate pigs, maximizing my investment:)

Thanks for stopping by & stay tuned for more party details & homemade projects,
Tiffany

DIY Stitched Felt Hair Clips

Last Friday, the Ricardo's (minus 'Ricky') participated in a little Valentines bash in our Moms & Tots group- it was great to see the tots marching around in their pink & red 'lovey' attire, celebrating this holiday:)  Did I get just one pic of this?  Sigh.  Alas, I didn't, even with my camera stowed in the diaper bag with such an intention- never happened.

There were fun snacks like popcorn bedazzled with red sugar, pink strawberry cake & caprese skewers...

Heart crazy straws for the tots and of course Valentines from my little Ms:)  For Eli, Livy crafted this and then helped create something special for the girls:)

These custom hair clips were quick & easy and I love them!  Each stitched felt piece is slightly unique and Livy helped decide which pieces should be allotted to Rose & Lily:)

I grabbed my handy dandy glue gun to whip these up and of course made one for Livy too!

And they fit into our Valentine boxes perfectly!

There's just enough time to make some of these Stitched Felt Hair Clips for V day so here's what you need:

• Felt applique pieces (mine were from a previous Stampin' Up! mini catalog)
• Glue gun
• Barrettes of choice

Thanks for looking,

Tiffany

DIY Rice Therapy Pillow

I'm so glad to be sharing this with you today- I loved how this project turned out:)

That's me feeling chuffed after finishing these at O dark thirty one night...and yes, I am often running around in one of Ricky's old shirts, sans maekup these days...sigh.

So, after scrounging online for specifics on dimensions/materials/design for rice pillows, I came to the conclusion that this is based on personal preference:)  So, I chose a natural linen for the pillow and then made a removable cover from cotton &/or flannel.

There were ALL kinds of contradicting info on what to use as a filler too- I chose rice with the condition that I kept it in the freezer for 3 wks before using and recommended to recipients to store their pillows in the freezer, avoiding any potential 'bug' issues.  The filler can be scented with essential oils but I opted not to- the 'naked' rice evokes a nuttiness when warmed that I find quite pleasant and also keeps it neutral:)

First I made a small "boo boo" pillow for dear friend, Sylvia and found a funnel very helpful for filling approx 3/4 full; I didn't notate my dimensions for this (surprise, surprise!) but I believe it was approx 5x7 inches (minus seam allowances).

 




Then I set out to make neck pillows for Granddaddy & Chef Timmy, approx 16x6 (minus seam allowances)- I made the pillow the same size as the cover and had no problem fitting them together, as I wanted a snug fit:)

For the neck pillows, I filled just 2/3 so the rice could spread & conform more comfortably:)

 For Chef Timmy's pillow, I got very creative and made one side cotton and the other flannel.  This seemed appropriate since the pillow can be used for hot or cold therapy!  Flannel for the hot and cotton for the cold...we'll see if he can figure that out:)

This lovely polka dot cotton print is one of the fat quarters from the Stampin' Up! Essentials Designer set and it matched my random flannel plaid beautifully!

There are lots of tutorials online for this project- I found this one helpful:)

These therapy pillows make lovely gifts and can be made in countless shapes & sizes- have fun!

Thanks for looking,

Tiffany

Candy Cane Lane Wreath

As promised, here is another lovely fabric project featuring the Candy Cane Lane trio of fat quarters- a wreath, made for Sweetstamper in honor of her birthday and another year of crafting success:)

The full instructions are included on the illustrated foldout provided by Stampin' Up! when you order the fat quarters- I just made mine super duper big!

 You'll start with lots if strips- sew a basting stitch down the middle of each, ruffle and pin all around the wreath form, overlapping slightly.  I just love how the ruffles look like little petticoats, all piled together:)

Then you'll cut a bunch of circles using the Big Shot or tracing around a glass, like I did...TIP: since I was making this wreath larger than the original, I upped the size of my embellishments to compliment the overall scale:)

Then grab your handy dandy hot glue gun and plop a dot in the center of the circle and fold in half.  Do this again, folding into quarters and here's what you get:

After whipping up a bunch of these little petals, they're arranged into 'flowers'- I did add some extra glue & twisting action here and there to make my 'flowers' fan properly:)

 

 Next are the yoyos, topped with buttons- I have a pet peeve about buttons not being threaded.  The end result is ALWAYS worth the time so get that thread ready!

 And here it is, all done!  I loved making this!  I hadn't ever attempted a fabric wreath before & discovered it was way fun, but I especially reveled in making something unique & special for my Mom:)  Should look pretty in her stamping studio:)

Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany