Attemping to be Crafty

So, I was home alone the other night (Aaron was out on the range for the night.) bored out of my mind. I decided to search through all the craft blogs I had saved in hopes of some inspiration for Kinley's room. I came across a fun tutorial from Little Birdie Secrets and thought I would give it a try.

It didn't require a whole lots of skill, thank goodness! I don't have a lot of crafting skills to go around but here is the final result. I didn't have a cutter for the letters so I just purchased wooden letters at Michael's and painted them.

The lady doing the tutorial did one letter for each of her boys but I decided to do all Kinley's initials.

Click here to see the pros tutorial.

See below for mine...

If anything, it gives the room a few more colors and visual textures. I must have taken this picture at an angle because it looks crooked. It isn't in 'real life' I promise.

I have another project in the works from the same blog site. (If I remember correctly!) So I will post that one soon!

The Pop Top Can

My friend, Adrienne, over at Some of A Kind, posted the blogs she enjoys reading. And because I was finding it hard to sleep, I went through her list for fun late last night. I came across the website CraftsOnAWhim.com and found lots of fun crafts to try.

I came across the Pop Top Can (click here to see tutorial). Basically, you open the bottom of a can, clean out food held inside, add candy (or whatever you choose to put in it), glue the bottom back on and decorate the can. Make sure you use a pop top can so it is easy and fun to open.

It was an easy and fast craft to make because I had almost all of the supplies needed to create it. I got started this afternoon because I had a fun BBQ to attend tonight and thought it would be a fun gift to bring to the hostess!

Here is the final result of my Pop Top Can:

I filled the can with peanut butter filled Dove candies. I encourage anyone to try this tutorial. I had a lot of fun making it and have even thought of more occasions that would call for such a treat!

The tutorial used a much smaller can. It used a snack size can filled with fruit. Wouldn't something like that make a great wedding/baby shower favor or birthday party favor? The possibilities are endless.

Have I ever mentioned I love crafts!?!

Mini Tote

My friend, Elizabeth, asked me if I could make a tote for her daughter Megan. Megan is already developing a love of purses at a young age! I thought why not!? I knew how to make a regular size so what was the harm in trying to scale down the pattern.

(photo courtesy of At Home with the Cunninghams)
Isn't she so cute!

I had extra fabric from my tote so I decided to see if I could make a practice tote. (My niece Sydney will end up with the finished product.) It came out much better than I thought. I didn't make a liner (I will going forward with every tote no matter the size.) and I thought the pocket would be cool on the outside. It isn't perfect but I am still pretty excited!

Tote #2

I finished my second tote! I must say it wasn't much easier the second time around, although I did try a few new things just to torture myself. :o)

I added extra fabric on the bottom this time to add some more color. Also because I knew that white in fabric tries to cling to everything around it. And the bottom would definitely get the most dirt. (I just noticed I didn't fully push the fabric to the bottom, causing the right bottom to look uneven in the picture. I assure it doesn't look that bad in person.)

I attempted a pocket this time. It was actually a pretty easy addition! I have decided that all my future tote creations will have pockets. Because seriously, who doesn't love pockets?!

5 Things

Here are five important things I have learned about sewing (so far):

1. The stitch remover thingly is the best invention ever!
2. I waste a lot of thread. I need to work on this problem.
3. I am not a fan of measuring things.
4. Not always following the pattern can be a fun experiment!
5. Don't get thread that matches your fabric too well because if you make a mistake, you can't tell if you have removed the stitches or not!

I have also been working on some homemade cards. I got the idea from Crystal over at The Longest Year. She has such great ideas! And I love the fact that they are not super advanced. Here are a few cards I have made so far:

Those of you who know me, know I love to send cards! There doesn't even have to be a special occasion. I love sending cards to let people know they are in my thoughts. And who doesn't love getting mail? Hopefully, it makes their day a little brighter. I like the idea of making my own cards because not only is it easy but it is a lot more personal. Don't get me wrong, if I see a card I like at Hallmark, I will get it! But this will help my card spending budget a lot.

I have found fabric for all occasions and I usually get about a quarter yard of fabric. I got about 5 fabrics for what I would have paid for 1 card. Cool huh? And I have found buttons to use for embellishments. Can you see the ladybug button? The possibilities for these cards are endless!

Babies Galore

I seem to know quite a few ladies who are expecting bundles of joy. So, I decided to use my new love for sewing to help me think of gift ideas. I once again went to my trusted source, My Longest Year, (click to see pattern) to find some patterns. There I found a pattern for burp cloths and a swaddle blanket. I decided to try the burp cloth first.

Isn't this pattern so cute? I found a pale yellow to sew for the back. (I don't know if you will be able to make out the yellow in the pictures to come).

Pinning is officially my least favorite part of sewing. I remember making a pillow for a friend in high school and bleeding all the awhile. I am ashamed to say, pinning has not gotten easier with age.

Here are two finished burp cloths (both sides). Rounding the corners wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. But I managed, none the less. I plan on making more cloths but I think I may make them a bit bigger.

I just read the instructions again and realized I didn't notch the edges! I am sure that would have helped my corner sewing. I will be sure try it on the next ones. I am sure the babies won't mind. After all I am making a nice soft place for them to throw up if they have too. What is there to be picky about?

I've Been Boo'ed!

"The air is cool, the season fall,

soon Halloween will come to all.

Ghosts and goblins, spooks galore,
tricky witches at your door.

The spooks are after things to do,
in fact a spook brought this 'Boo' to you!

The excitement comes when friends like you,
copy this note and make it two.

We'll all have smiles upon our faces,
no one will know who 'Boo'ed who's places!

Just two short days to work your spell,
keep it secret, hide it well.

Please join the fun, the seasons here,
Just spread these "Boo"s and Halloween cheer!"

I received this 'Boo' last night filled with little treats and this neat poem. Isn't this a cute little idea? I looked around today and I noticed lots of boo signs around. I got stuff today to make my two. I will be sneaking around tonight find a house to 'boo'. What a fun little project for any neighborhood!

One Tote Down

This weekend Aaron was away on a fishing trip, so I thought it would be a great time to try and make a tote. I used this pattern from My Longest Year as my guide. I laid everything out on the table and took a deep breathe.

Here is my progression:

Just to prove I really did sew it!

I will admit that I poked myself many times! Pinning is not my friend.

I used this fun little stitch because 1. I thought it was more fun than the regular stitch and 2. because I was hoping it would help to hide my inability to sew in a straight line. And I think it helped a lot!

My bright red lining.

The finished product! I didn't iron it yet so it is looking a little rough.

For my first try I thought I did pretty good. I can't wait for Aaron to get home so I can show someone! My tote isn't perfect but I am really excited to have finished it. (My mom will be so proud!) I managed the liner but I didn't attempt pockets. I figure I will tackle the pocket on the next one.

I can't wait to see how my next one turns out!

A Bummer

I went back to Joann Fabrics today to find more buttons. They had more orange but not the ones I bought before. They had some orange ones there that looked like their color had been washed out of them. Bummer!

Note to self: "If you really like something, buy a few more than you think you would need." I guess I will just keep checking back.

Here is the newest pumpkin. I really like the green ribbon. It gives it a little something extra!

Who Knew?

In case you thought my path had veered, have no fear, I am still walking down the crafting road. I have gotten most of my project ideas from other blogs. There are a lot of very talented ladies out there! And I for one am grateful they are willing to share their projects/patterns and directions for those of us who are less talented.

I came across this Button Wreath Ornament by clicking around on a craft blog. It looked my speed... simple! I didn’t have any buttons at home, so I just saved the link in my favorites thinking that I would try it out someday. I was walking around Joanne Fabrics the other day and came across a bunch of buttons on clearance. My mind immediately went to the button wreath and I bought a few different colors for less than a $1.00. I love sales!

Anyway, I knew Aaron was going to be a little later at work tonight so I decided to give the button wreath a try. I started out making it for my sister for Christmas (don’t tell her!) because she loves the color orange. But I may keep it for myself. :o)

As I was finishing up the wreath, I noticed how much it looked like a pumpkin. All it needed was some green ribbon. Who knew!? I started out making a Christmas ornament but I think I like the idea of pumpkins better. It's my way of adding a twist to the project!

Rockin' Gratitude

I recently finished another scarf for my niece. She likes purple and wanted a softer one than I had made her the last time. (Although, I will tell you that she picked out the yarn and I warned her it was scratchy. But I think the florescent obnoxious colors were more appealing to a 6 year old than comfort.) I sent the newest scarf out to her last week. Here are two of the pictures I received from my sister over e-mail.

She makes me feel like a pro. If she only knew... If I can get this kind of reaction from the purl stitch, imagine how happy she will be when I master the tassels!

Still Trying to be Crafty

Since I managed to create a key chain with relative ease , I thought I would move onto a project that involved fabric. I found this tutorial for Rag Ball Ornaments on-line and so I gave it a try. I will admit that although it required fabric, there wasn't any sewing involved. Baby steps for me remember?

My interpretation of her tutorial:

I still have to create one more ball. And I also have to find something to fill the basket with to make it look more full.
And instead of making them for the Christmas season. I added sayings that will allow me to keep them out all year round.

It isn't as great as the tutorial but I must say I feel I did an OK job!

I still have no idea where I am going to put these in our home. I know what you are thinking Karen, very country! :o) But I still like them. Maybe I will give them away as a gift. I guess with crafting the possibilities are endless.

Up next...a tote bag! Wish me luck.

Start Simple

I started my craft train today! I hope I can keep it running. I have so many ideas in my mind that I want to try. I started out simple with a keychain. I followed this tutorial (somewhat) : The Super Easy Keychain Tutorial.

I really like her ribbon. I had a hard time finding something I thought was really cute. I ended up using ribbon I already had. That figures, right!?

Here is my new keychain:


I know it doesn't look like much but a lot when into this little guy. First, I had to find all the materials needed, then I had to thread the sewing machine and the bobbin. I am not a fan of the bobbin, let me tell you. Then I had to master a straight line. I did pretty well with the lines. (Don't look to close!) I even remembered how to put the machine in reverse which made me proud. I think it came out ok for my first try!

Next, I am going to attempt this Quickie Luggage Tag tutorial from My Longest Year. After these two simple sewing projects, I am going to try and sew an apron. I think I am one of the few women on the planet who doesn't own one. I can't wait to give it a try.

I will keep you posted on my progress!

Princess Crime Fighters

How did I not know before how cool Jo-Ann Fabrics could be? I went today after work to get one more thing so I could start my key chain. I walked around for at least a 1/2 hour. It seemed more like 5 minutes. I just wondered around thinking about all the cool stuff they had and how if Karen were there she could give me some great ideas.

Along with my supplies for the key chain, I purchased a yard of fuzzy fabric for Boone. I had been trying to find another great deal on a blanket for him but couldn't do it. I didn't want to pay $10 for a blanket that the dog would just drag around the house and slobber all over. I found in the corner of the store fabric that was 50% off so I grabbed some. The fact that it had dalmatians and fire hydrants all over it is a bonus! Although, I am sure he doesn't care about the print. He got a new blanket today for $4.00. He was happy with gift and I was happy with the price!

The best part of the trip was when I took my fabric up to get cut. In line ahead of me was a mom and her two little girls. The little girls were telling the sales lady that they were making capes out of the fabric to fight crime and do good around the street. Have you ever heard anything so cute!?! They were so excited that their mom was buying them a yard of pink fabric each to make them into princess crime fighters!

It put a giant smile on my face instantly! And then I wished more people would bring their children to the fabric store to spark their imagination. I guarantee a yard of fabric and a little imagination is less expensive then buying one video game. I hope someday to be able to take my child to the fabric/craft store. Who knows what great childhood memories could come out of it!

Beware...

For awhile now, I have been reading craft blogs. I find it very interesting that they can create such cool things on their own, from scratch. I always look at the finished product and figure I could never replicate it. Well, last week I found a blog that had a lot of fun crafts featured on it. I decided to try a few, a few of the easy ones of course. But I was so excited I went right out to Jo- Ann Fabrics to find supplies.

Beware, attempt to craft at your own risk!

Don't worry all those supplies are not for the same project! I will let you know how my attempt at making a few things goes. I am starting with a homemade key chain. Sounds easy enough, right!? Let's hope so. It will involve using my sewing machine. And the girls know how bad I am at straight lines on that thing! If it comes out well I may post it for you and if you're lucky, I might even share with you my disasters!

And if you see nothing on the blog, well...that means my attention span wasn't long enough to complete a project. ;o)