Grandmother's Gift

I found this lovely gift idea on pinterest, but it was just a photo, and no link to a blog, so I'm sorry I can't post my source. 

(If it's you, please let me know, and I'd be happy to link it up!) 

I decided to change it up a bit.

 

Here's what I used for my own version...

-a picture frame
-clothespins
-hot glue gun/glue
-ribbon, buttons, any type of decorations for your clothespins
-word printout of Grandkids Make Life Grand

Decorate clothespins in any style you want, and then hot glue the clothespins to the frame.  My mom has 10 grandchildren, so I put the clothespins around the frame symmetrically.  (And there's room to add more, if the time comes!)  Photos can be changed as often as you'd like.

So pretty!

And a quick shout out to my mom-
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Refashion that old t-shirt!

This turned out better than I thought it would!  When I saw the idea here, I thought, "well that looks adorable, but is it really as simple as she is making it out to be?!"

YES!  It is!

It's so simple, in fact, that I don't even need to give you instructions.  You can see exactly what I did from the pictures.  Well, ok, maybe just a few instructions are needed.  ;)

I started with hubby's old, size Large, t-shirt.

Cut off the collar and sleeves.

Fold the top cut edge down about 3/4" to make a casing for the straps.  Sew.

 From the scrap pieces, cut 2 straps the same length, and thin enough to fit through your casing.

They don't have to be identical, because you won't see the imperfections once it's inside the casing and tied together as straps.

Put a safety pin on the end so you can feed it through the casing.  Repeat with other strap.

Tie straps and you've made yourself a cute little tank!  I also wanted to add a little flare to it, so I thought I could do something creative with the collar of the original shirt.

First I cut it out.

And cut through one time to make 1 long strip.  Then I started rolling it, with intentions of making a rosette.

It started off nicely, but I wasn't impressed with the final product, so I unrolled it and tied a simple bow.  Much better.

Adds a nice touch, don't you think?

Decorative Door Hanging

It's almost June.  And I still had this on the front door.  Embarrassing, I know.

But not anymore!

Check out this personalized door hanging I painted!

Want to make one for yourself?  Here's how!

Materials:
Wood Plaque(s) - I used two.
Paint and Paintbrush - I needed 2 different sizes
Wood Glue
Ribbon

Paint the plaques in your desired shade.  I got one of those paint sets that had coordinating colors.  Let dry.  I had to apply 2-3 coats in some areas.

Here you can see the different steps in order.

Apply a clear varnish.  Remember to go outside for proper ventilation!  Allow to dry completely.

Add a pretty bow, and a strap to hang it on.

Hang it on your door, and admire!  So pretty!  This would make a great gift, too!

The Reusable Swiffer Cover

When I saw this over at Cami's Blog, I thought it was such a great idea!  No more spending money on those wasteful disposable swiffer pads! 

I threw this swiffer cover together in less than 30 minutes.  I had everything I needed already in my craft closet, but you may need to find a few things at the craft store:

-terry cloth fabric (or any fabric that's sturdy enough for cleaning floors)
-elastic
-scissors
-thread/sewing machine

I laid my swiffer on top of my fabric.  You want to cut it out about 2 inches larger than your swiffer, so it has room to stretch around it.

Finish the edge by sewing a zigzag stitch (or serging) all the way around to prevent fraying.

Now it's time to sew on the elastic onto the wrong side of the fabric.  If you're using terry, there's really no "wrong" side.  (Remember to use a zigzag stitch to keep the elastic stretchy!)  As you sew, pull the elastic so it's as stetched out as possible.  This step is a bit tricky, so take it slow.

By the way, I should probably let Dritz and Swiffer know about all the free advertising I've given them.

And that's it!  Put it on your Swiffer and you're ready to clean! 

The Taggy Blanket

This is C's little Taggies Blankie, the fancy, expensive "name brand" that we bought when she was a baby.  You know, the days when we had extra money to throw around.  (Let's just say we're much more thrifty these days!  )

B LOVES cuddling with it.  The only problem is, it's very girly.  Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with a boy playing with "girly" things, it's just I thought it would be nice for him to have his own.

And so it begins... double the amount of stuff because you need both the girl AND boy version.  By the way, this is one of the first things I thought of when I first found out we were having a boy.  OH MY, we're going to have twice the amount of toys, clothing, STUFF, etc....


But I digress.

Here's how I made this Daddy-approved taggy blanket.  Go Phillies!

Materials:
-2 pieces of coordinating fabric (I used 1 fleece and 1 flannel)
-matching ribbon, cut into small strips
-straight pins
-thread
-sewing machine

This blanket is not very big.  It's just enough for your little one to snuggle up with.  Cut 2 pieces of coordinating fabric about a square foot in size.  Place pieces right side together.

Take a piece of ribbon and fold it in half.  Place the folded side inside the two layers (so the cut ends go slightly past the edge of the fabric.)  Do this around all 4 edges.

Here's what it will look like when the blanket gets turned right side out....

Sew all around the edges, leaving a small opening to turn right side out.

Turn it right side out, and top stitch around the whole blanket, closing the hole.

And here's your finished blanket!

And now both kiddos can cuddle with their own blankies!