Santa's Workshop #3: Butterfly Barrettes and More Korker Bows

I do love Korker bows, so I couldn't miss an opportunity to make more.  (Check out the Korker Tutorial if interested.)  But I have also discovered a whole new world... ribbon sculptures.  I saw cute butterfly barrettes around around but couldn't find any free tutorials, so I ended up having to create my own.  Continue reading if you are interested in making some as well.
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Embroidery Hoop Food Guards

I can't claim credit for this idea.  It came from the ever-fabulous Martha Stewart.  The only thing I can claim credit for is spray painting the hoops red to match my birthday party.  However, I am now a huge fan and will be using this for all outdoor gatherings.

Cost... minimal. Effort... minimal.  Keeping bugs off your food... priceless.

Supplies:

• Embroidery hoops
• Red spray paint
• Cheesecloth

Instructions:

• Remove the screw from the embroidery hoop
• Spray paint both hoops, covering completely
• Replace the screw
• Cut two pieces of cheesecloth larger than the embroidery hoop.
• Place the cheesecloth, double layered, between the two hoops and tighten until secure

It's that easy!

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Apple Red Beauties

I have a current love affair with red.  Just look at these Apple Red beauties.  They are part of a project coming up soon.  I had great fun spray painting them this afternoon.  And after enjoying the glorious red of the clothespins, I found myself looking for even more red around me.

This is an easy project.  Just spray paint one side, let dry, flip and paint the other side, let dry, and done.  Loveliness to enjoy in so many ways... maybe hanging clothes, maybe for other purposes.

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And more strawberries... long-lasting ones

For my budding chef... a few more strawberries for her to enjoy.  I really liked how these turned out.  And watching her play with them bring back memories of her first strawberry picking experience last year when I kept catching her squatting in-between the rows, eating more berries with the juices running down her chin.  She was a strawberry lover at an early age.

Want to make your own?

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More Strawberries... and Barrettes

May the strawberry festivities continue.  Let's keep embracing the glory of the season.  We've already celebrated with strawberry jam and with rosemary and strawberry shortbread cookies.  Now it's time for another "sweet" treat, but with a longer shelf life.

Now you knew that I couldn't resist the opportunity to make more barrettes.  It's an addiction.

Want to make your own?  There are lots of different tutorials available.  However, here's the tutorial for how I decided to do it.

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A Guitar Man

Have you noticed that there are a lot of clothes out there with electric guitars?  Only problem... we're an acoustic family.

It's one of Daddy's hobbies.  It's something that his little girl loves to help with, and something I imagine that his little man will want to share in as well.

So here's a special onesie for our future musician....

This was by far the most complex freezer paper stencil I have done to date.

Oh that little man of mine!  Doesn't he have a great smile!

Definitely a guitar player on our hands, and a little cutie.  Want to do your own freezer paper stenciling?  Check out the tutorial below.  But be forewarned... it's addictive.
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Korker Tutorial... New and Improved

Like I mentioned in the previous post, I've been on a kick with making korker bows to match my daughter's outfit.  And per my friend's suggestion, I now have an improved way of making these.  And this method even fixes my daughter's recent love for pulling all the curls out (a flaw with tying them into a bundle).

So, without further adieu...

KORKER HAIRBOW REVISED TUTORIAL
Reminder:  Do not use Nylon blend ribbon.  Use 100% Polyester or 100% Cotton.

Supplies:

• 100% Polyester Ribbon
• Clothespins (the small type work well)
• Wooden dowels, cut to fit in the oven
• Scissors
• Fray check
• Thread and Needle
• Hot Glue Gun
• Alligator Barrette Clip

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Use a clothespin to hold one end of your ribbon on the dowel and begin to wrap the ribbon. Once you reach the end of the dowel, cut the ribbon and use another clothespin to hold it in place.

3. Place the wrapped dowel on a baking sheet. Make sure it is clean since you won't want grease transferring to your ribbon. You can also put a sheet of aluminum foil on the sheet to make sure the ribbon stays clean.
4. Put the baking sheet in the over and "bake." My oven takes 30 minutes. However, you may want to start with 20, make sure the ribbon isn't browning, and then try another 10.  Once the ribbon seems universally hot and set, take the baking sheet out of the oven and allow to cool.
5. Pull the cooled ribbon off the dowel. You should now have a coiled strand.

6. Cut the ribbon into 3-inch lengths and apply fray check to the ends.

7. Thread the needle and knot the end.  Run the needle through the center of each ribbon segment until you have the number you want threaded.  (I tend to do 8-10 since I am making two barrettes for a toddler's pigtails.  I would recommend more for the ponytail of an older child.)  Once you have threaded all the ribbon segments, run the needle back through and pull it tight.

8. The next step is to cover the barrette clip.  Hot glue the ribbon to the barrette starting with the inside and wrapping your way around.

9. Next tie your korker bow to the top of the barrette.  Because my daughter can be rough on the barrettes, I also add a bit of hot glue to secure the bow.

10. Voila!

This is linked with...

Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff Thursday
Fireflies & Jellybeans: Show Off Your Stuff Party
KoJo Designs: Friday Fun Finds
Tatertots and Jello: Weekend Wrap Up Party
Under the Table and Dreaming: Sunday Showcase
Chocolate Sundaes: Sundae Scoop
Keeping It Simple: Motivate Me Monday
The Persimmon Perch: Made it Monday
The Girl Creative:  Just Something I Whipped Up
Making the World Cuter Mondays

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May Day and Flower Wreaths

I love May Day!  I think it is a remnant of my childhood years in Hawaii.  At my elementary school, May Day was a big deal.  The whole school would prepare for the celebration, always the first Friday in May.  Each grade level performed a different dance... hulas, stick dances from the Philippines, Zulu dances.  And of course, there was the Hawaiian Royal Court.  As one of the "good kids" I had the opportunity to be the princess of the Big Island, wearing red and adorned in flowers.

I remember sitting with my mother the night before the program stringing plumeria blossoms into leis and head wreaths.  We'd pick the blossoms from our own tree and from a friend's and then bring them home, heaping them into piles on the floor.  We'd sit on the floor watching a movie, our fingers getting sticky from the blossoms' milky substance.  I loved wearing the flowers and being engulfed in their scent.  It was one of the best parts of Spring.

As I wrote in my previous post, I was recently inspired by a trip to the Farmers Market.  After looking at the flowers, I was reminded that May Day is Saturday and wanted to recreate that flower wreath experience for my daughter.  Thus...

a floral wand (reminding me of a May Day Pole)...

and flowers to adorn her golden locks

(my attempt at poetry there).

While I would have loved to have made these of real flowers, the flowers in my yard are too fragile and my Tomboy Princess is too hard on them.  Thus, these are made from artificial flowers.  I'm sure there are tutorials all over the blogosphere for these types of creations.  However, I've included my method below.

I'm giving these to my daughter today.  If I can get a picture of her playing that doesn't show too much (I'm squeamish about posting pictures of my children), I'll post an updated shot.

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Mortar Board Ornaments

Have a graduation coming up?  How about whipping up a few of these?

Maybe favor giveaways for a party?  Or hanging around as a decoration? 

Or as a package topper for a gift for that special graduate?  Or to dress up a celebration for a grown-up grad?

Or to play with a not-so-grown-up?

Or maybe just to hang from the rear-view mirror?

In our house, we love to collect ornaments.  Then every December we reminisce as we decorate... places we've traveled, gifts from friends, weddings, special events in our own family.  So a special mortar board ornament seems appropriate to remember such a momentous occasion.  And this is so easy and inexpensive that you can whip a bunch up if you want to share the memory.
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Baby Shower: Owls & Books, Part I

This was baby shower weekend and I am utterly exhausted.  It was my first experience hosting an event while working full time, having a toddler and a baby, and having my husband out of town.  Coming right off of Easter, I felt really behind going into this past week.  Thankfully I have a great family that helped with the kids so that I could get things ready.  And despite some last minute changes due to lack of time, the event really came close to reflecting what was in my mind's eye.

Given the lack of time, I did consider just doing a basic shower.  But in the end I couldn't bring myself to do it.  (1) It isn't me.  (2) I wanted this shower to be special.  This one has been a long time coming.  It was for a very special couple who has found out that they are adopting a baby very soon.  I know it is risky to have a baby shower before the adoption.  However, we decided to do one beforehand to help them get the basics for the first weeks.

The colors of the nursery are brown and green, so we went with those as the colors.  The parents are avid readers, so I chose to go with a book theme.  However, books by themselves seemed too grown-up.  We needed an animal.  Owls... they're cute, a little different, whimsical, and give the impression of being wise.  Thus, this became our "Owls and Books Baby Shower."

Since I have a ton of pictures and need some time to process everything, I'm going to break this down in a few parts.  Part 1... the Invitation.

I think Invitations set the mood for an event.  They are a great indication of things to come.  For this occasion, I designed a brown and green invitation (8 1/2" x 3 1/2").  It started with a little story:

Once upon a time… there was a couple preparing for their family to grow from two to three. So their family and friends showered them with love… and diapers, bibs, bottles, and other gear to get them ready for their new adventure

Invitees were encouraged to bring a book instead of a card.  I included in the invitations a bookplate for guests to fill out and place in the book as a lasting memory.  The invitation and bookplate both reflect the owl motif that will be seen repeatedly in the shower.

For the final touch, I lined the envelopes with a green print paper.  If you are interested in doing this, I've included a tutorial below.

Come back later this week to see the rest of the details behind the party.

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Donuts, donuts, and more donuts

I can't believe that Easter is coming up so quickly.  I am definitely running behind in getting together goodies for the kids.  I decided this year that I wanted to make some homemade items for them, and you are welcome to come along on the ride.

I've already shared with you my obsession with Felt Food.  I am fighting the desire to make more cookies, though little spring sugar cookies would have been so cute.  Instead, I decided to tackle donuts.  I am a Dunkin' Donuts girl.  Thankfully, they aren't convenient to get to from our house so donuts are only an occasional treat (meaning we are in that part of town).  Now, though, we will have these calorie free alternatives to play with.

I wanted to make a diverse collection.  After all, who picks just one kind of donut?  You need the variety to keep things interesting.  That and I just like so many different types. 

For Easter, my daughter will be getting...

• two donuts with chocolate icing and pink and green sprinkles (because pink and green matches her room)
• one boston cream donuts (Mommy's favorite)
• one chocolate glazed donut
• and maybe a few more if I end up with some spare time before Easter

These are easy to make and easy to customize.
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Korker Bow Tutorial

I love korker bows.  In fact, they are the biggest draw for me to Gymboree.  I bought two pairs on sale last Spring just as we were beginning the pig-tail hairstyle for my daughter (she finally had enough hair to do something with, even if they were just 1 inch tufts sticking in the air), and fell in love with them.  I haven't always had success finding them in the colors I wanted, so when I came across tutorials on how to make these last Fall, I had to try it.  Several tries later, I have definitely learned some things.  I have a fantastic tester who puts her hairbows through their paces.  Here's what I have come up with that actually hold their curl.

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Monkey Hairbow Holder

Last Summer I came across this cute little barrette holder while at a local craft fair.  It had a little monkey - perfect for my little monkey - and was the solution for our ever-growing hair bow selection.  At only a few dollars, I scooped one up.  Then not long ago I was exploring the aisles of Michael's and, lo and behold, came across the same little monkey figure as was on my daughter's bow holder.  I realized exactly how easy that little holder was.

Given my obsession with barrettes for my daughter's pigtails, I've been running out of space for hair bows.  So, I decided to make a little partner monkey to go along with our current one.  The result... two little monkeys hanging on the wall.  (The one with the yellow ribbon is the original.  The one with the pink ribbon and flower is the new one.)

The instructions are really simple.  I was able to do this in less than an hour while watching a movie with my husband.
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Felt Brownie Tutorial

Here it is.  I finally put together the Brownie tutorial.  Thank you to Julie and Maria for encouraging me to get this up.  (Yes, I have been reading your comments.)

For those of you new to my blog, this is the tutorial for the brownies featured in the Tea Party gift set.
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Happy Pancake Day

I learned in researching Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) that many countries refer to it as "Pancake Day."  A day where you eat pancakes. That is my kind of holiday. I love the idea. So, our family celebrated tonight by eating Macadamia Nut Pancakes with Ginger Syrup for dinner. (I'm pretending I am somewhere warmer.  Our snow is melting so now it is just cold and gray and dreary.)

Pancake Day also seemed like another great excuse to add to my daughter's felt food collection (see more on this felt food addiction here and here and here and... well, you get the picture).

Pancakes with syrup and bananas... Yummy.  To make your own, check out the tutorial below.
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Mardi Gras Onesie and Pin

Given that Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday, I decided to put together some fun Mardi Gras-inspired outfits for the kids.  And given my current obsession, that means felt.  Laissez les bons temps rouler.

I love the fleur-de-lis.  There is just something about it that I find beautiful and appealing.  It might have to do with watching Musketeer movies as a kid and the whole romanticism of the debonair swash-buckler.  Then again, I have a thing for Robin Hood, King Arthur, Ivanhoe, Mr. Darcy, Zorro... need I go on.

Back to my little man and his new threads.  I went with the fleur-de-lis design and used the traditional purple, green, and gold.  (As a side note, I looked this up.  According to wikipedia, Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch Romanoff of Russia chose the colors during a visit to New Orleans in 1872.  Then in 1892 the colors were given official meanings... Justice (purple), Power (gold), and Faith (green).  Yes, I am the nerd that looks up the history of holidays and symbols.)

I made the fleur-de-lis as a stand-alone emblem and lightly stitched it to the onesie.  After Tuesday, I'll cut it off and save it to be sewn on a new shirt next year.  My daughter liked looking at her brother's onesie so much that I made her a pin to wear on a cardigan.  She has a cute purple plaid shirt that she can wear with it, and of course we'll add some bead necklaces to complete her ensemble.  (Sorry... couldn't resist)

I also made her a set of purple and green barrettes (same way as the valentine barrettes).  I considered making them fleur-de-lis as well but ended up opting for flowers.

If you are interested in making your own onesie, here's how:
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It's All About the Tea

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.

~Catherine Douze

Here it is... the tea bag tutorial.  This is such a fun project to make and give.  My daughter loves the tea bags I made her, so much so that it inspired me to make a tea party set for her friend's birthday.  Now it is my pleasure to share these with you as well.  (And a special thank you to Julie of St. Louis for encouraging me to get this tutorial posted.)

The great thing is you can customize these for the recipient.  For the first bags I created for my daughter, I made pink bags with bright pink stitching (middle image above).  Having learned my lesson that the contrasting stitching shows off the "homemade" nature of my stitching (in this case being code for sloppiness), I used a thread that matched the felt for the tea set tea bags.  They still have that sweet girliness (left image above).  Now I am working on a set for a friend's daughter.  In this case I chose to do white bags with maroon stitching (right image above).  What I love about this latest version is that it is a bit more gender-neutral.

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Simple Valentine Votives

I have a confession.  I'm not really all that into Valentine's Day.  That may seem odd given the number of Valentine posts that I have written and that I dedicated this week to Valentine's Day crafts.  But I have really never celebrated it much.  It always seemed like a commercialized holiday meant to guilt men into buying jewelry and flowers.  Personally, I prefer my husband to bring home flowers on a random Tuesday than on the day that the media tells him he should.  So, we have always had under-stated Valentine's celebrations... a special meal, time together, etc.

But with a 2-1/2 year-old, I suddenly have a desire to make the holiday special.  I remember my mother fixing special valentine's treats and surprises.  One year it was a cute little clothes-pin doll with a red and white pattern dress that she had made to look like me.  It's funny how those things stick in your memory.  My mother is an amazingly talented woman and I find myself wanting to create those same types of memories for my daughter.

Most of these posts have been about crafts for my daughter.  However, with this renewed interest in Valentine's Day, I have also found myself wanting to do a little decorating.  These votives were a simple and cheap (i.e. free since everything was in the house) option to add an extra touch.  I used these two love quotes that I found, both related to food since I planned on putting the votives on our kitchen table.

"Life is the flower

for which love is the honey."

~ Victor Hugo

"Love is a fruit in season at all times,

and in reach of every hand."

~ Mother Teresa

Here are the instructions, though I admit that this is so easy you don't even need them.
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