Simple, Embroidery Hoop Pumpkins

Here's a fast and super simple project you can finish just in time for Halloween! And the best part is you can keep it up through Thanksgiving to give your house that great, fall feel! Chances are also good that, if you're a craft nerd like me, you probably have all or most of the materials required to create this project! Check out the tutorial below to get started...

Materials:

-embroidery hoops-I used three different sizes, 6", 8" and 10"

-fall or orange fabric cut into squares slightly larger than the corresponding hoops

-green raffia

-2 feet of ribbon or fabric strip

-glue gun and sticks

Instructions:

1. Place the fabric square on top of the inner ring of the embroidery hoop (aka, the one without the metal parts) so that it is completely covered.

2. Place the outer ring on top of the fabric and inner ring and tighten using the screw at the top so that fabric is taut.

3. Repeat this process for the two remaining rings.

4. Trim the excess fabric from around the ring so that no extra fabric remains.

5. Tie about 4 strings of raffia around the tops of each embroidery hoop into a bow.

6. Lay the fabric strip or ribbon across the backs of the embroidery hoops with 2-4" in between each hoop. Leave about 5" above the smallest hoop to create a loop from which to hang the decoration. Glue the fabric strip or ribbon to the backs of each hoop and at the bottom of the loop.

P

Hang and enjoy!

Happy Halloween, goblins and ghouls!!!

Autism Awareness Rag Wreath

April brings the promise of Spring...flowers that have waited all year to bloom, children's laughter when it is finally warm enough to play outside, enjoying friends and family at Eastertime, just to name a few. For myself, and for the incredible families and staff members I have the pleasure of working with, it brings awareness to a cause very near and dear to our hearts...Autism Awareness month! As a special education teacher in an Autism Support classroom, I can say with complete confindence that it is, by far, the most challenging job I have ever held. With that being said, I also find it to be the most unbelievably rewarding and fulfilling job a girl could ever ask for, as it creates in me such a sense of pride in the progress my students continue to make, in spite of the obstacles they encounter every minute of every day. Going into teaching, I assumed I would be doing exactly that...teaching; however, I find myself humbled each day in how much these students teach me and will take those life lessons with me into the future.

Here is my first (of a few) projects to celebrate Autism Awareness, along with how to make one of your own...

Materials:

-wire clotheshanger

-puzzle piece fabric (to learn the reason for the puzzle pieces, check this out!) I used about 1/2 a yard in total

-scissors or a rotary cutter and mat

-wooden puzzle pieces (most thrift stores sell them very inexpensively)

-acrylic paints (I used red, yellow, blue, and green to go along with the color scheme)

-black ribbon

-glue gun/glue sticks

Instructions:

1. Using a rotary cutter or scissors, cut strips that are 1" in width (typically, once a small cut is made, the fabric can be ripped the remainder of the way)

2. Cut long strips into 4" strips.

3. Bend the wire hanger into a circular shape for the wreath form.

4. Double each strip of fabric and place under the wire hanger (as shown in the picture)

5. Thred the open ends of the strip through the folded end and pull to form a knot (pictured below)

6. Continue to repeat step 5 with 4" strips until the wire hanger is covered

7. Paint 16 wooden puzzle pieces using acrylic paint (I made four of each color)

8. Once the puzzle pieces have dried, use hot glue to place 12 of them around the wreath)

9. Cut ribbon into 2-6" pieces and 1-8" piece. Hot glue one puzzle piece to the end of each 6" ribbon and two pieces at the end of the 8' piece.

Interested in a wreath you can make with your child? Check this out! For more information on Autism, please check out the Autism Speaks website, an incredible resource that I would highly recommend!

Mustache 1st Birthday Bash

The sweet, handsome birthday boy

My sweet nephew turned one in September, and it has taken me until now to take the time to edit, post pics, and give this post the props it deserves. The theme of this particular party was "Mustache Bash!" I mean, does it get more amazeballs than that?!?! Here are some handmade highlights from the partay-hey!

Here's the cutie patootie birthday boy, himself in his "throne." My sissybabes ordered his onesie (complete with mustache tie on the front and "Well, if you (mustache) I'm ONE!" on the back) from Etsy.

Royce also had a mustache-shaped cake that he (obviously, from the picture just below) made quick work on chowing down!

The rest of the guests got to nosh on cupcakes embellished with...you guessed it...mustaches, courtesy of my Cricut machine and the "Mustaches and Glasses" cartridge and toothpicks

My sister had been dying to purchase personalized M&M's and couldn't resist buying them for her little man's big day. If you look closely, you will see that the candies are labeled with a mustache, the phrase "Royce is ONE!!!" and his sweet little face! You KNOW you're big time when your face is on candy, am I right???

This might have been my favorite mustache-ification of this party. We used a contraption found online called a "Crustache," which cuts one sandwich into three superb mustache shapes. Who woulda thunk? In the case of Royce's party, the little ones were able to enjoy their ham & cheese and pb&j sammies in style!

Using mustache duct tape (man, I love that stuff), water bottles were wrapped to match the theme

My crazy aunts, mama, and grandparents participating in Photo Booth funsies

Certainly, the most entertaining portion of the party was the photo booth. Mustaches and other assorted props were displayed for people to use and pose for the camera that had been set up on a tripod. Good times!!!



Even my little munchkin was not immune to mustachery!



Simple Superhero Cape Designs

The son of one of my co-workers recently had unexpected brain surgery to remove a benign (thank goodness) tumor on his brain. All of the reports that we received from my co-worker and his wife mentioned how unbelievably positive and brave their son was throughout the entire process and that he was, without a doubt, their hero. While shopping at Target one afternoon, I came across some superhero capes in the party favors section. I quickly snatched two of them and came home ready to carry out my plan (Mua ha ha ha!!!).

I used blue and yellow felt to cut out two large shapes (a diamond for one and an oval for the other) and some letters (SG for Super Gideon and SC for Super Corbin, Gideon's little brother, who I thought might also like one) and hot glued them to the capes. I found matching masks at my local party store and sent them off to their brave recipients.

Fabric Bow Ties

It feels as though this project was completed ages ago, as it was one of my "crafts to complete before baby" way back in June for my nephew Royce's first birthday, which just happened this past weekend (and allow me a minute to just brag that he is the sweetest, most adorable one year old EVER)! Pics from his "mustache bash" party to come! Anywho, here is the first of two projects for my sweet little nephy! Happy birthday, Roycey! We love you!!!!!

I found the BEST tutorial on creating simple, fabric bow ties.  Here are pics of some I made myself, along with the link containing the directions:

Sock monkey bow ties for my nephew and his daddy (if he can be convinced to wear one!) Stay tuned for the matching vest!

Use a clip-on earring clip to attach the bow tie to any shirt...Genius!



Another pair of fabulous bow ties



Here is the awesome link I found!

Interchangeable Accessories for Baby



My sweet little accessories model


While I don't claim to be a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination, with the birth of my little sweetheart, Claire, I am now starting to live vicariously through her wardrobe! The options for baby girl clothing are truly limitless...Unfortunately, the money in my wallet is not! This project allows me to fashionably and affordably dress my little sweet pea to my heart's content!



Dollar Store Items purchased





Flowers created using ribbon



Rolled flowers created using the ribbon lining of the tutu



Bows created courtesy of green and white scarf and ribbon



Organza flowers made using tutu fabric



Fabric flowers made using scarf material

 
Materials:

-baby onesie
-green and white, striped scarf
-purple ribbon
-baby tutu
-headbands (sold in set of four)
(items above were all purchased at my local Dollar Tree)
-scissors
-glue gun
-Velcro (iron-on or sewable)
-needle and thread

Instructions:

1. Wash and iron onesie

2. Adhere a small piece of soft Velcro to the area on the onesie you wish to be embellished. Do the same to the corresponding headbands.

3. Adhere a small piece of rough Velcro to the back of each bow and flower embellishment. Note: The embellishments I created came from a variety of online tutorials, projects I have created before, and simply playing around with the materials I purchased. The sky is the limit, as far as the type of embellishments you choose to make!

4. Here comes the fun part...Mix and match embellishments to create multiple, adorable outfits and accessories! Add a cute tutu or skirt to complete the look (check out the "tututorial" for a simple baby tutu like Claire's in a former blog post)!




One of many possible onesie/headband combinations





Claire modeling outfit number 2! She was waaaay too wiggly for a really good shot of the accessories, but you get the idea!






Another shot of my wiggly wonder!