easy fabric flower tutorial

Having a baby girl brings with it lots of pretty dresses and pink EVERYTHING (and worries about those teenage years!) it seems but despite all of this there are still occasions when we’re out in full girly effect and someone will say 'what a cute little boy’ or ‘he’ on occasion.  And while I KNOW that she doesn’t look like a boy with her long eyelashes and dainty ways and that sometimes people just aren’t really looking, it makes me cah-razy.

As a result, anytime I can buy or make a cute flower for headbands or her outfits I jump at the opportunity.  Most of my purchases have been made at Katie’s Etsy shop, but with all of the fabric and felt, buttons and crocheted flowers I have laying around, I’ve recently started making them as needed when I have an outfit that needs some embellishment.

I LOVE this fabric flower from kelly joy boutique, and while the price is really decent, I wanted to attempt my hand at it first.  The seller may make them in a different way from how I’m going to show you, and mine is MUCH simpler that hers, but I think it turned out pretty well!

 

Materials:

Scrap fabric
Buttons
Needle & Thread
Hot Glue Gun

1. Cut out 5-8 circles of your desired fabric(s).  You can use a different fabric for each petal, alternate two, or use one for the whole thing.  I went the extra classy route and used a martini glass to trace my circles.

2. Fold the fabric in half and then in half again with the right side of the fabric facing out.  Iron the now quartered fabric so that it lays flat.

3.  Stitch along the cut end of the folded fabric, ensuring that you start and finish on the same side of the fabric on each petal.  Does that make sense?  Here’s a photo that hopefully helps clarify.

4.  Using a single (well doubled up) strand of thread, stitch through all of the petals in the same way, scrunching them up.  Once you have your desired amount of petals, stitch your final petal to your first petal to form a circle, tightening it up.

5.  Pick a fun, coordinating button and hot glue it to the centre of your flower.  You can pick which side of the flower you’d like to have facing out.

6.  Attach it to a headband, a pin to wear as a broach, or to your favourite purse.  Enjoy!

 

Not knowing how it would work out, I decided to try it out on one of my least favourite fabrics and picked a button that matched it’s vintage feel, but I actually really like how it turned out!  I think next time I’m going to try it out with the leftover fabric from the car seat cover, or in some pretty hued solids to match her summer outfits.

gift ideas: chocolate cake in a mug

I posted this last year, but it deserves a repost and some updated pictures!

Also known as The World’s Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake (because of it’s convenience I’m assuming), all it takes are some simple pantry ingredients and you’ve got a great gift or late night snack!  Give one to your kids’ teachers, use it as a stocking stuffer, or even give one to any college students you know who are studying for exams.

Gift Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Flour
4 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

On a sheet of saran wrap or cellophane (or in a ziploc bag), mix or layer the above ingredients, gather into a small packet, and the place in a large decorative mug.

You can wrap the entire mug in cellophane and ribbon if you desire.  Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Empty satchel into mug and add in: 1 egg, 3 Tbsp milk, 3 Tbsp oil, and a splash of vanilla.  Stir until combined.  Microwave on high for 3 minutes.  *Cake will rise above the rim of the cup – do not stop cooking!*

Here’s a (crappy) photo of the cake cooking in the microwave:

And the finished product!

 

Note: I used a splash of my still-extracting homemade vanilla extract.  Check out how dark the bottle is getting!

 

Don’t miss out on other great money saving gift ideas coming in the next few weeks!  Subscribe to my feed or become a follower.

Check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom for more great ideas!

diy gift ideas: vanilla extract

From now until Christmas I will be posting DIY gift ideas that can help you stretch your holiday budget.

First up is a bit of an experiment on my part.  I’ve read around the internet about creating your own vanilla extract, so I’m giving it a try and hoping it’ll be ready in time for some baking compilation gifts.

Every recipe I read online was a little different, so I don’t have specific measurements for you.  If you don’t mind flying by the seat of your pants a little bit, this is a great recipe for you!

 

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Vodka (or rum) - 1L
Vanilla Beans
Glass container (I used the bottle the vodka came in).

1.  Cut vanilla beans in half leaving a small portion attached near the top of the bean and add to bottle of vodka.  Some instructions online said to scrape the vanilla ‘caviar’ into the bottle first, but I didn’t.

2.  Leave vanilla extract to do its thing for about 8 weeks, shaking frequently (or whenever you remember).

 

That’s it!  You’ve got just enough time until Christmas to get this done, although I’m sure a week or two early wouldn’t hurt too much, especially if you throw extra beans in there!

Vanilla beans can be very expensive to purchase, but I picked up 50 beans on eBay for $13. You can purchase the same here and I’d say I used half of the beans in the Vodka.  I’m going to be decanting it into smaller containers to give (and keep the rest for myself!) and will put a fresh bean or two in each container with the instructions to add more vodka whenever the beans are exposed to extend the life of the extract.

Uses for leftover beans:

If you’ve still got leftover beans, 1 bean =1 Tbsp of store bought vanilla extract,  however many recipes may not allow the caviar to reach it’s full flavour potential.  Use your leftover beans in recipes you are cooking on the stove; you may not taste much vanilla if you bake with it.  To use a bean, cut it in half and scrape out the ‘caviar’ inside.  Use just the caviar in your recipes.

You can put the scraped bean shell in some sugar and in a couple of weeks you will have vanilla sugar for your coffee or tea (or baking)!

 

I’ll post a weekly update on how the extract is coming alone in the future Christmas gift posts.  Make sure to check back!

diy baby leg warmers

Emily seems to love when she has her pants off during a diaper change, assumingly as it lets her kick her little legs free of any restraint.  As the cool frigid winter months approach, I wanted to find something that would cover her little legs but still give her the same range of motion whenever we’re lazing around the house.

Leg warmers seemed the logical option, but have you seen the prices?  They’re not astronomical but why would I pay $10+ when I can make them at home for less than a quarter of the price.  I searched the web high and low and found this to the best at home version.

First, pick up some socks at Walmart or the dollar store.  Mine were around $2 a pair but I’m sure you could find them cheaper.

My first pair I used girls knee high socks.  I cut them up so that I could utilize the straight parts of the leg and sole of the foot. 

Next, I turned the small piece from the bottom of the sock to form a cuff by folding it in half so that the ‘right side’ is on the inside and outside.  If done properly you should have two cut edges together.  Line the cut edges of the cuff up with the cut edge of the leg portion as shown below.  If you need a better description, check out the original tutorial here.

Now, just sew around the warmer about a 1/4 inch from the cut edges.  Stop every 1.5 inches to make sure your 3 layers are still lined up properly.  Try not to stretch out the cuff as you are sewing around it as it will lead to a too loose warmer.

Here’s what the finished warmer looks like when you flip up the cuff:

Next, I used a pair of ladies crew socks and followed the above steps.

And here’s the finished product:

Here is a comparison of the two.  The girls knee high’s are longer and skinnier, good for Em’s long, petite frame (but still enough room for her chubby thighs!), while the ladies crew socks turned into a slightly wider, shorter leg warmer.  The second ones won’t fit her legs for long; live and learn.

The warmers are also useful for under the baby gowns.  Em tends to kick her legs out at night so I like the extra layer on her legs while still making diaper changes easy.

So for less than half of the price of a pair in stores, I made 2 pairs of my own and got to pick my own patterns.

breastfeeding in the baby wrap

If you’ve got a moby wrap or you’ve used my diy baby wrap tutorial, you may be interested to know that it is possible to breastfeed hands free while using the wrap.

I put Emily in the wrap when she got hungry and fussing while shopping in IKEA, and I continued to walk around the store, push that annoying cart, and grab glass canisters and coffee tables for my cart.  All while breastfeeding. Impressed yet?  It’s all in the wrap!

I explain things as I am going in the video, but if you need it I’ve included a written description below.

First, decide which side you’d like for the baby to nurse on while you’re getting your tasks done.  This is important because whatever side you are going to use, make sure that the fabric coming over your shoulder on that side is closest to your body when they cross at the front.  Make sense?  Otherwise, tie your wrap in the normal way, folding the fabric in half first so that you have two sides edges facing up in the tummy panel and you have two pockets at the front cross. The first half of the video shows how to do this.

Next, hold your baby on the side you’d like to nurse them on.  Open up the fold in the fabric on that side and lower the baby in gently.  Make sure the fabric is pulled up on both sides of them so they are in securely.  Next, position the outside fold of fabric underneath the baby’s bum so that they’re held in that position and they don’t slide down while feeding.

Finally, pull up your tummy panel of fabric (the ‘seat belt’) and cover the baby with it.  The baby’s feet will probably stick out the bottom if you’re pulling it up enough to cover your breast while feeding.

When I am going out to do some shopping with the baby, I like to tie the wrap on at home and wear it there so that the long arms of fabric don’t get dirty on the ground.  If I am wearing a t-shirt or tank covered by a zippered or buttoned shirt or sweater, I put it on over my first layer and then wear my second layer over it.  When I put the baby in I open up the outside layer so that she’s closer to my skin and warmth, and when I position her for nursing, it makes it all the more discreet.  If you’re wearing a t-shirt, it’s best to use one you can pull DOWN as you’ll otherwise be showing a bit of tummy if you don’t have another layer on top.  Nursing tanks work the best!  I like to bring my nursing cover around with me everywhere, and I find that really helpful to wear over her while feeding her and walking around with the wrap.  People may just think you’re carrying the baby and try and get a peek without it!

Once the baby is done nursing, I just put one hand in her armpit and another under her bum, and just slide her up a bit in the wrap.  I do this because 99% of the time she has fallen asleep b/c she’s so comfy and gets a good feed in this position, and I want her a bit more upright for her breathing and to help her burps float on up as I pat her back.  Make sense?

 

Please leave a comment or email me if you have any questions or need a better description.  I would be happy to do additional videos to help people understand specific parts of wrapping or positioning the baby.

 

P.S.  She totally farted LOUDLY half way through putting her in and you can see me laugh in the video if you listen and watch closely.  What a munchkin!

5: pacifier clips

Ribbon pacifier clip

I have not yet perfected the art of the pacifier clip, however I made a few attempts the other day that I think are post worthy. I couldn’t find any alligator/sheet clips for under $20 for 4, so I made due with the clips that are on the curtain rings I’ve got lying around.

Beaded pacifier clip

Materials:

Beads (preferably hardy plastic – glass beads are heavy!)
Elastic thread (jewellery grade)
Clip

Directions:

1. Thread the beads onto your elastic thread, keeping the length to approximately 9”.

2. Attach one end of beaded string to clip, making sure to use a slip knot to ensure it doesn’t come loose.

3. On the other end of the string, create a loop so that the pacifier clip can be easily attached to (and removed from) a pacifier.

4. If desired, embellish the clip end with felt or fabric shapes or bows.

Ribbon Pacifier Clip

Materials:

Grosgrain ribbon
Needle & thread
Felt
Clip

Directions:

1. Measure out approximately 9” of ribbon, with a little extra for your hemmed ends. Hold ends near (not in!) a flame to prevent fraying

2. Fold over and stitch both ends. Use a contrasting thread if desired.
3. Attach a small loop of narrow elastic to one end of the ribbon.
4. On the other end of the ribbon, attach with elastic or thread to clip.
5. To create felt flower: Cut out petals from one felt sheet and a contrasting centre from another. Sew together in desired shape and then sew on to clip end of pacifier.

It’s easy enough to create a fabric strip or find a solid ribbon that will match any outfit you’ve got for the baby and it’s definitely a quick craft. If you’ve got a special event and outfit you’re planning, what could be cuter than a matching pacifier clip!

6: painted wall letters

I have been searching FOREVER for all of the letters of her name, and I finally checked the small non-franchise dollar store that is downtown in my town. They had every single letter of the alphabet in stock AND they were under $2 each. Yay! I also picked up some more craft paint in cute colours.

I have resolved to not share her name on the blog (which has been HARD because we decided on her name way back in March), so I can’t show you complete photos of the project or you clever people would be able to figure it out!

Just your plain old pine (birch?) wood letters.

I chose these colours because they were cute and sorta babyish but not so much that I’d have to repaint them in a year or two. In fact looking at them now, she could even use them in her room as a teenager depending on the colour she paints it!

Oh gosh, I wish I could show you all of it. I really, really like how the letters look just painted solid colours (I was going to do some mod podging or paint on some dots or stripes or something), but as well I am so, so happy with the name we have picked for her. It is classic and simple, and it’s cute for a baby and well suited for an adult.

You’ll just have to wait though. Hopefully we’ll be holding our baby in our arms in less than a week, and can introduce her and her beautiful name to the blog world!

19: handmade gifts for the wine-o in your life

Perhaps a strange post for a pregnant lady who hasn’t seen a drop of wine since Christmas (we found out just before New Years), I’ve got a great little project that can be whipped up in a short amount of time and could even be attempted without a sewing machine.  My friend Shannon (blog-less for now) made it for a housewarming party she is going to this weekend – she knew the new homeowners enjoyed wine and wanted a creative way to present it to them.

I don’t have a tutorial for it, as I’m sure you could find one online easily (check this one out at Gina’s 12 Days of Christmas in July), however I did a little Facebook interview to learn more about how she completed the project.

 

Fabric: .5 yards french dot taffeta on sale for $5/yard at Wal-Mart (I made some of that up, we don’t know what the fabric is called) and she used about half of it.

Time spent:  25 minutes of project labour; a couple hours fixing her machine before hand!

Tips: 
- Sew your top hem before completing the side seams
- Sew your ties wide enough that you can turn them right side out without too much struggle
- Have a stitch ripper on hand; it’ll come in handy if you sew your seams wrong or you need help pulling those ties through!

Would she make another one?  Yes, with a few changes, and hopefully fewer interruptions and mechanical problems!

And even if you don’t have any wine lovers in your life, I’m sure you could find something else to store in the bag….a sparkling cider, champagne bubble bath, or even some homemade lemonade syrup in a nice bottle.

The possibilities are endless!  Keep this gift idea in mind as it gets closer to Christmas and you’re needing a last minute hostess gift.  Using fabric you have around the house you could easily throw one together in minutes!

23: citrus body scrub

 

Falling in line again with my love of citrus, I threw together a body scrub that would give my feet some needed lovin’.  I’ve been feeling annoyed and self-conscious about them lately as more shoes and sandals get too tight for comfort, so I figured I would try a little pampering and start treating them a little better.  I’ll have soft feet if nothing else!

The beauty of this recipe is that I can (almost) guarantee that you have these items lying around the house – easy pampering!

 

Citrus Sugar Scrub

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
Approx. 1 Tbsp citrus zest

 

Mix and put in pretty jar.  Done!

 

Notes:

- I picked grapefruit for my zest as I had some in the fridge, but you could use whatever appeals to you or you have lying around the house.

- In this hot weather, it might be nice to keep your scrub in the fridge so it’s cool and refreshing when you rub it on!

 

28: fancy pouch sling and nursery lament

Tonight I got to sew another project AND get paid for work – what a great combination!  I ran a ‘craft social’ for the women I work with, and had them come to the Centre with any sort of craft projects they are currently working on at home (i.e. sewing, scrapbooking, crocheting, etc.) so they could socialize while getting some crafting accomplished.  All of the chatting meant it wasn’t the most successful night for completing projects, but everyone seemed to love it, so we’ll be running one again at the end of the month (well, I won’t because I only have 9 more days of work!).

I was trying to figure out what I could work on during the night and I decided I might as well put together that extra pouch sling that I could wear when I’m dressing up.  The fabrics I used are less sturdy than the stretch twill of the other one, so I made it a little less deep expecting to only use it when I’m carrying around a tiny baby.   It still turned out really cute!

I put a rolled up blanket inside to check the sizing…

Check out the instructions on the other page.  These are SO easy to make, although again I made it more difficult than necessary by adding an extra step with the hemming.

I didn’t want the brown fabric to be really visible along the edges of the sling, so I sewed it with the eyelet side slightly wider than the brown side, and then ironed it flat so there was a white band running along both edges.  I then topstitched it down (with a triple stitch for good measure!) to keep the hem in place there.

With all of this sewing I’ve been doing this weekend, I haven’t had a chance to make much progress on the nursery (other than the curtains and bunting) and in fact it is looking a little worse for wear.

Anyone else feel sometimes that they’re taking one step forward and two steps back?

On a positive note, I’ve finally gotten the crib all cleaned out (hence the mess everywhere else above…) and now it’s ready for her mattress and crib sheet and we’re baby ready in the crib department!

Her first stuffed animal is in there waiting, but don’t worry, it will come out of there when she goes in.  Craig bought it for her in California when he had to go down there a few days after we found out we were ‘unexpectedly expecting’.  It says “I ♥ the Army”.

 

Tomorrow I’m heading to a big farmer’s market with the women at work, so I’ll make sure to take photos of all the great deals and wares I see.  I’m hoping to pick up some produce for my freezer cooking week, but with the humidity and all of that walking, it won’t be very foot swell friendly. :S  I’ve gotta be up at 5:30am, so I best be heading to bed!

Looking for more baby crafts?  Check out my tutorials page for more great ideas!

30: quick pouch sling

I had some fabric left over from making the ring sling a few weeks ago, so I decided to get back to the sewing machine and create another useful tool for baby wearing this summer and fall.

A lot of the steps are actually the same as creating the ring sling, as I was hemming a single layer of fabric as opposed to sewing together an inner and outer fabric (which I think I’m still going to try, lol). I don’t have a hemming foot for my sewing machine, so it requires me to iron a double fold and sew it down. It’s a lot more time consuming than sewing two fabrics right sides together then turning them right side out!

Anyways, start out with a bolt of fabric, about 2 yards worth and preferably 45” wide. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise and cut down the length. You’ll have enough for 2 slings OR for a lining if you’re using a thinner fabric.

Next, fold your fabric in half lengthwise again and then fold down the opposite way like so:

To get the custom measurement of your sling, measure the length of your torso from one shoulder to opposing hip . Mine was around 25” (it was hard to get a good measurement with a bump!) and I added a couple inches for seams.

I cut the doubled over fabric at my measurement mark (giving me 54” total) then opened it up and hemmed the long edges. Below are photos of how I hem pretty much everything. You may need to click and enlarge them to see the detail.

The last step is sewing in the pouch of your sling. Fold it in half lengthwise again, then fold down the opposite way. Cut a half smile shape into the raw end of the fabric. Mine went from about 27” at the folded edge to 25” at the hemmed edge.

Open your fabric up and match the edges of the curve together with WRONG SIDES TOGETHER. Stitch along the edge of the curve.

Next, turn it right sides together and sew along the seam again, encasing the raw edge. Finally, iron the seam down and sew it down, creating a french seam.

You’re done! Turn the sling right side out then fold it in half lengthwise to create the pouch.

Here’s my completed pouch:

I have some white eyelet material and some brown lining in my sewing box, so I think I might make another sling for when I’m “dressing up”. Update: done!

Happy sewing!

Posted at Transformation Thursday. Check out the other great projects!