DIY Valentine's Day Cards

My little mama wanted to make some special Valentine's Day cards for her new classmates this year.  We came up with a super fun tutorial, so easy a 9-year-old could (and did!) follow!

Here are the materials we used:

• Plain white card stock
• Colorful patterned card stock
• Funky edge scrapbook scissors
• Sewing machine
• LOVE stamp
• Pink stamp pad
• Aqua colored pen/marker

Step 1: Trace a heart shape on the back of the patterned card stock

Step 2: Cut out the heart using the funky edge scrapbook scissors

It should look like this!

Step 3: Sew (or have Mom sew) along the edge of the heart
to the piece of white card stock.

Step 4:  Add a fun stamp to the card.

Step 5: Add your friend's name on top and your name along the bottom.

Easy peasy and too cute for words! 

Click here to see where this and my other posts are linked!

Upcycled Paper Bag Cape

My 'lil guy just turned 4! He chose the theme for his party: Heroes v Villains. It was so much fun!

One of his requests was that all party goers be able to make a cape and a mask. My response? "Perfect!"

The capes were so simple and fun to make I couldn't help but share. So here you go.

Start with a paper grocery bag. Open it up completely and start cutting at the side seam.

Continue to cut across the bottom and all the way around to the other side seam.

Cut a semi-circle in the middle of the bottom flap (this is where the cape will fit around the child's neck)

Next, open the edges of the circle where they are glued together and trim the ends so they are even.

Then, gently peal off the handle and your cape is almost done.

Finally, punch holes at the sides of the neck and tie ribbon through the holes. 

Now the kids are free to decorate and get creative!

One of my favorite little crafters, hard at work!

These were so much fun and totally FREE to make. And you know us Aqua gals adore a bargain. 

Fit for a Superhero and a great Halloween craft as well!
I know what you're thinking, "I can do that." Know what? You can. And you should. Because we also discovered that if you turn it around to your front it makes an awesome adult-sized bib for eatin' lots of BBQ!

DIY: Pretty Laundry Bag

God bless the laundry room! If you have ever lived without one in your home (as I did for years),
I know you feel me. I am not one who is going to put a chunk of change toward beautifying a laundry room. I keep it organized and whatnot but I don't ever think anyone will stop to "oooohh and ahhhh" over my laundry room. That being said, I DID need SOMETHING to jazz it up a bit.



Rather than a regular old basket to toss dirty clothes, I opted for a pretty little bag I could hang by the washer. It was super simple, so I thought I would share how you can make one of your very own!

Here we go.

To make this size* bag you will need:

(fabric A) 34" x 31"
(fabric B) 6" x 31"
sewing machine
thread
iron
ribbon
ruler
clothes pin
scissors

*you can adjust the fabric size to suit your needs

Step 1:

With wrong sides together, match fabric A and fabric B along the raw edges along the 31" cut. 

Pin, sew (5/8" seam allowance) and press seam open. 

Step 2:

Now roll the top edge of fabric B over 1/4" and press (fig A). Then roll it over once more, this time 1" and press (fig B). This will be the channel for your ribbon tie.

Step 3:

Sew along the bottom, inside fold of your 1" channel. Next, edge stitch (or sew along the top folded edge of your channel.) Clip the ends of your sewn channel with pinking shears to prevent fraying.

Step 4:

Fold your joined pieces of fabric in half right sides together and sew from top to bottom, using a 5/8' seam allowance. Your bag should now be a circular shape. Keep the bag folded, sew along the bottom edge, using a 5/8" seam allowance.

Step 5:

At the bottom corner, where the side seam meets the bottom seam, pull the fabric away from itself and match up the seam lines. It should form a triangle (see below).

Use a ruler and pencil to mark a 3" line from one side of the triangle to the other. You will use this as your guide to sew along.

Sew along your drawn line, then clip the excess fabric 1/4" from the seam.

Repeat this step on the opposite side of the bag. Note: Since you folded the bag in half there will be no seam along the this side so you will have to use your judgement on where the seam would be.

Step 6:

Turn the bag right side out.

With your ribbon still on the roll, attach a clothes pin to the free end of the ribbon. Insert the clothes pin into the channel at the top and begin to tread the ribbon through the channel. Once the ribbon is out of the opposite end of the channel, pull it out far enough that you will be able to tie it in a bow and clip off roll with scissors.

You are finished!

For a touch of fun I stamped the words clean and dirty on clothes pins and used them to clip the bag to the shelf in my laundry room.

 

Want to see more fun ideas for you home? Scroll down and visit the fabulous parties that we link this and other projects to!

Bar Stool Slipcover Tutorial

These bar stools have taken a beating. They are solid, well made stools but the leather is scratched and torn and not lookin' too hot these days. After considering reupholstering, I decided it would be easiest (and most practical) to make slipcovers. This way I can remove and wash them as needed.



Here is the plain brown stool. Desperate for some color - I picked up some graphic upholstery fabric at IKEA for $7.99 a yard. It is so sturdy!



So how did I create this simple little cover? Glad you asked...

First I draped the fabric over the back of the chair and cut it to fit. Make sure to give yourself an addition 1/2" on each side for seam allowances. 

I decided to give myself a 1/2" seam allowance on this slip cover because it is going to get a lot of wear and tear; there will be a lot of pulling with all the sitting taking place.

Next, I made a pattern for the seat from a large piece of paper. Simply lay your paper on top of the seat, trace with a marker and cut on the line.

After you have made your pattern, place it on the wrong side of your fabric and cut out.

Once again, give yourself an extra 1/2" all the way around for your seam allowance.



With wrong sides together, sew the back piece and seat piece together. Once they are connected, place the joined piece back on the stool to make sure it fits. Leave the piece there for the next step.

Next, measure the side pieces on the back part of the stool. Use those measurements (adding 1/2" to each side) and cut out 2 from your fabric. Attach the side pieces to the back and seat pieces with right sides together and using a 1/2" seam allowance.



Turn the cover right side out and check for fit. Make adjustments if necessary.

Next, measure your front and side panels for the skirt of the seat. Start at the edge of our seat piece and measure down as far as you would like the skirt to go. Then ad 1/2" to each side and cut out of your fabric.



Attach each panel and..



Give the cover a final fitting and make adjustments if needed. Finally, turn the cover wrong side out and turn the bottom of the fabric under 1/4" for your hem. Sew all the way around, pressing when complete, for a nice crisp finish!



Remember to make this your own!

Ideas for Skirt Variations:

ruffled
pleated
one continuous panel with box pleat corners
none at all - extend your seat piece all the way down, wrap around bottom of seat and staple to secure

Happy Creating!

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