Drop Cloth Ruffle Pillow

 I enjoy making pillows and this easy ruffle drop cloth pillow was no exception. I love the drop cloth's texture and oatmeal color combined with the shabby chic-ness (if that is a word) of the frayed ruffle edges.

The first thing to do is measure your insert pillow, mine was 19x19. By adding 2" to the width and doubling the length and adding an additional 8" my fabric piece to cut out was 21x46 (Kim from Restoration House shared these measuring guidelines which I am so thankful for, as I was always guessing before).

Adding the extra 8" allows for a fold over flap in the back of the pillow making it easy to change up the pillow's cover when the seasons change (or your tastes for that matter); something that I am always doing.

Once you have your cut fabric, iron a small hem on each short end and stitch along it for a nice, finished edge.
  

There was a flaw in the fabric so I used this spot to place the ruffles.  

The ruffles were strips of drop cloth 2" wide and were as long as I could get them. If you want to know how to make the ruffles (it's super easy), check out my picture tutorial here. As a side note, ruffles made from drop cloth material will have loose, frayed edges.  While I love this "distressed" quality be prepared for lots of strings.


















Pin the ruffles in place across the width of the fabric, then stitch right down the middle of the ruffle. Repeat this for each row of ruffles you have; for this pillow, I chose to do three rows of ruffles.























Once your ruffles are sewn to the fabric, it is time to sew up the case.  Taking the length of your rectangle, fold down your top end around 6" or so (this will be the flap in the back).  Bring the bottom  end right up to meet the top of the pillow case.

Pin sides in place then stitch down the length of each side using a 1" seam allowance.  I like to sew back and forth over the area where the flap is just to make sure nothing rips when removing or inserting the pillow forms.  Don't forget to trim your corners (close to the stitching) then turn right side out, wiggling your corners into perfect points.  

Fit your pillow form into the case and you are finished - a lovely, simple ruffle pillow!


















- Kristin -

I'll be linking to some of these awesome parties this week:

shabbynest.blogspot.com,myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com, madincraft.blogspot.com, craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com, thegirlcreative.blogspot.com, makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com,sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com, craftomaniac.blogspot.com, skiptomylou.org, creatingawesomefreethings.blogspot.com, betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com, dittledattle.blogspot.com, Not JUST A Housewife, craftedition.blogspot.com, todayscreativeblog.net, bellabeforeandafter.blogspot.com, sewchatty.blogspot.com, somedaycrafts.blogspot.com, bluecricketdesign.net, somewhatsimple.blogspot.com, firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com, theshabbychiccottage.net, simplydesigning.blogspot.com, funtocraft.blogspot.com, justagirl.blogspot.com, lovelycraftyhome.com, tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com, iheartnaptime.blogspot.com, alittlelovelyblog.blogspot.com, www.whipperberry.com and http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com
 

Easy Sew Ruffles - A Picture Tutorial

Pull on the top thread and gently slide the fabric down.  Stop, smooth out and repeat until you have your ruffle to its' desired "ruffledness" (a new word for sure).   This step will take a few minutes.  Apparently if you have a gathering foot on your machine you can just let it "gather" the fabric for you and you can skip this thread-pulling step :o)






















Here you can see the difference in length between the original strip and the ruffled strip - so don't forget to take this into consideration when planning your projects :o)























Happy sewing!

- Kristin -

5 Easy Steps to the Perfect Mom Cave

image taken from http://www.homegoods.com/momcave.asp

The "Mom Cave" is all the rage right now and I have decided that I want need one.  In this house full of boys, I need a retreat, a sanctuary, a place to escape from the dinosaurs, trucks, pirates and dirt, a place to be creative.  It is perfect timing too since we are in the process of building a playroom for the boys in the basement...

I'm going to carve out a little space for myself! I need it, I deserve it, how about you?  Do you have a "Mom Cave", a space of your very own?  Everywhere I look I am inspired by amazing “Mom Caves”.  Some are beautiful, others clever and others still are just plain cool but how to get started?

  

Take this definition of a Mom Cave (from the Home Goods’ website):

/mom keyv/noun

a spare room or designated area in the home

that is transformed into a personal space 

where a woman can re-energize through 

the activities she loves.

Elaine Griffin, author of "Design Rules: The Insider's Guide to Becoming Your Own  Decorator" says that “when you open the door, you should go, ahhh.” *  Ok, so I need to make the space a refection of all things I love - crafts, art, music, books, the colour white ... a space where, when I open the door, I want to go in and um, never come out?

image taken from http://www.homegoods.com/momcave.asp

 5 Steps to the Perfect Mom Cave **  

• Carve Out Your Space: a little closet, guest room or even a corner of your bedroom can become a perfect mom cave.  Really any spot will do but aim to incorporate natural light or use mirrors to reflect light to make the space seem bigger.  Natural bling :o)

• Separate Your Space: doors are great but room dividers, curtains or bookcases can also work to section off your area from the things around it.

image taken from http://www.homegoods.com/momcave.asp

•  Color, Color, Color:  think carefully about how you are going to use the space. Choose soft hues of blue or green if you are looking to create a meditative or relaxing space.  Intense colors like oranges and yellows ignite creativity.  Think of what color you are most drawn to and start from there and don't forget to choose an accent colour - think Tiffany's teal blue with chocolate brown for example.   

• The Comfort Factor: an accent colour is important to adding layers of visual interest into your space.  You can do this by adding throw pillows, a comfy chair or wooly blankets – items that bring in texture and softness to your space will make it more relaxing 

•  Add Personality: adding momentoes, accessories and art work all help make that space your own.  Choose things you love to look at and things that make you happy, after all it is all about you!

For my Mom Cave "inspiration board" click here!

- Kristin - 

PS - Are you lucky enough to have a Mom Cave?

*http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/2011-01-22-mom-caves_N.htm 

** loosely based and modified from http://shine.yahoo.com/event/lifeslittlepleasures/5-steps-to-make-your-own-mom-cave-2406034

A Custom Sign from Adhesive Blackboard Paper

I can’t remember where I found it or who wrote it, but these few simple lines make me smile every time I read them.  They also serve as a constant reminder of how truly blessed and thankful I am to have my little boys. 

I wanted to put this quote up in the mudroom for a while now, but was at a loss as to how I should go about it.  Vinyl wall letters were too expensive and briefly I considered going the subway art route that is so popular these days, but the message is so simple that I didn’t want it to get lost in the typefonts.

I happened upon this blackboard sticky paper for a dollar at the dollar store and knew right away that it was the perfect medium!  If you haven't tried this adhesive blackboard yet you should; it's great stuff!   Apparently you can also get adhesive white board now too for about $4.99 at Michaels .... ah, the potential!

I dug out an old gold frame that I wasn’t using and painted it white. 

Then I cut the blackboard adhesive paper to size using the glass from the frame as a template. This cutting was made even easier by the grid markings on the back of the blackboard paper.  No math, no tracing … my kind of project!

After cutting the blackboard adhesive to size, I carefully peeled the backing paper away and pulled and pressed it firmly to the piece of cardboard that belonged in the back of the frame to smooth out any bumps or lumps.  That took all of, oh, one minute.  

Placing the mounted blackboard in the frame, I made small marks to indicate the dimensions of the chalkboard that would show through once framed as I didn’t want any of my quote to be covered up by the frame.

Now the fun part – the lettering!  I could have used chalk here but I didn’t want it to get wiped off by those little inquisitive hands, so I used a white pencil crayon for the lettering.  The pencil crayon provided that streaky/distressed/chalky look that I wanted.  Emulating that look with paint would have been time consuming (but definitely a medium to consider along with vinyl letters if you were going for a more “solid” look).

I sketched out my quote then went back over the letters more thoroughly so that it would be easy to read.  Now it isn’t perfect – some letters are bigger than others and I didn’t use a ruler for straight lines (any erasing you do on the blackboard paper will always be visible), but I don’t mind that, it just adds character :o)

I popped the new chalkboard message into the frame, secured the tabs in the back and voila, a simple and easy custom piece for our home. 

Why I like this adhesive blackboard paper :

•     Peal and stick application
•     No messy painting or clean up
•     Easy to use

 

What do you think?  Easy and inexpensive ... my kind of art!
I hope you are enjoying your day!

- Kristin -

Linking to some of these places today:
madincraft.blogspot.com, craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com, thegirlcreative.blogspot.com, makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com, sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com, craftomaniac.blogspot.com, skiptomylou.org, creatingawesomefreethings.blogspot.com, betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com, dittledattle.blogspot.com,todayscreativeblog.net, craftedition.blogspot.com/

bellabeforeandafter.blogspot.com, sewchatty.blogspot.com myuncommonsliceofsuburbia

How to Make a Simple Blog Button for Free

Until a short while ago, I had no idea how to put a button on my blog (that is, without paying someone else to do it for me) and I really wanted to see if I could make my own.  Something very simple and graphic free was all I was looking for.   

Step 1: Creating Your Button

There are plenty of sites out there to help you make a blog button.  I found Cool Text, a logo and graphics generator website to be easy and free.  They have many generic buttons to choose from - I wasn't sure at first about using them UNTIL I figured out that I could totally manipulate them to create my own custom button.  

So, select a generic button from the "Choose a Button Design" section on the site to get started.  This is the button I chose to work with:

After playing around with the font, shape, text and colours of the "girly" button, I ended up with my very own customized grab button for my blog:

After you have created the button you want for your blog, click the "render button" at the bottom.  From there you can a) download the image and b) generate the HTML code.  Copy this code into a word document and proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Creating the Button Text Box 

This is the text box that will appear under your blog button.  It is the "code" that people copy and paste into their blog and add to their sidebar.  Clicking this button on their blog will bring them directly to yours.  

I followed the easy instructions I found here to create my text box.  Make sure to skip directly to step #3 since you have already generated your HTML code.  

As for my button, it is exactly what I want: plain and simple.  It's definitely not as "pretty" or as eye catching as many of the buttons I have seen, but I like it and for now it's perfect.  Of course there are many sites that give an easy explanation of how to make a button using the graphics from your blog too.  So go ahead and give it a try if you haven't already!

- Kristin - 

Incentive Charts for Kids

Have you ever stepped on a Hot Wheels car or tiny lego pieces?  I'm telling you that that is some serious kind of pain, especially if it happens in the dark when you are half asleep!  

Last week, my three year old had a bad nightmare and in my sleep deprived state I stumbled on/through what seemed like a bazillion lego pieces that had been left strewn across his bedroom floor.   Oh, the pain!  I had to suck it up of course 'cause the little guy was in tears, but I was bound and determined to avoid having lego ever meet the bottom of my feet again!



















Thus these incentive charts.  I sketched out a set of trains for my six year old and some cars and trucks for my three year old.  When I introduced these charts to the boys the next evening, they were very excited to start using them.

This is how we use them:

• Before bed the boys are reminded to put away the toys in their rooms.  
• When their room is deemed "tidy" (we're not aiming for perfection here), they can choose either a sticker or have me draw something in one of the vehicles/train cars.  So far, the weirdest things I have been asked to draw are stacked tires and a coconut which aren't exactly in my everyday repertoire :o)
• When a given number of vehicles/train cars are filled in, they get a treat like an extra story at bedtime, or 5 extra minutes of play before bed...

The boys keep these charts in their rooms on their craft display boards that I made for them.  They are responsible for seeking me out for the sticker/drawing on their own, and so far we have had great success!




Incentive charts are a great way to encourage kids to drop a bad habit, brush their teeth, do their homework or complete household chores.  The dessert chart above was one I made at the request of a friend who wanted something that would encourage her little girl during potty training.  What a great idea!

If you want fun, free pdf incentive charts to download check out abcteach.com - that is where I got the idea for the train; I just made my own version :o)


- Kristin -   


Linking up with:

Our Cake Decorating Results

On a whim, my sister and I decided that we would like to learn how to decorate cakes.  We signed ourselves up for the Wilton Cake Decorating classes offered at Michaels.  We ended up doing Level I and Level II in the series and we LOVED it!    We learned tons of little tidbits along the way, things that I have come to rely on when making even the most basic of cakes.

For each class we were to bring a cake, already iced and ready to decorate.  It soon became pretty clear that we couldn't continue with the "bring a cake" thing.  Between the two of us, we were bringing home two decorated cakes each week.  Finding enough people to eat these practice cakes was beginning to get really tough (while they tasted great, we all just got tired of eating cake)!  

Our solution was to bring two iced upside down 8" round pans to class - they looked exactly like cake and no one was the wiser ... no more cakes to bake/eat/giveaway/freeze - perfect!

Our final cake for the Level I class was to make this daisy cake with the bow.  While we don't totally dig the bow, it was a pretty good copy of the cake we had been assigned.




















For the Level II class (which was much more fun and challenging), our final project was to construct a two-tiered cake of our own design.  My sister and I were really taken with those "jester" styled cakes we were seeing everywhere and thought that we would try our own version.  It ended up being a lot more structured than the jester ones, but we really excited to reveal our latest masterpiece.
 




















We even went as far as making our own fondant icing which really is easy and tastes SO much better than the bought stuff because you make it out of marshmallows (I'll post the recipe soon)!  The trickiest part is the rolling out, because it has to be super smooth.

Our close friend has since decided that we are to make her wedding cake.  Oh. My.  We thought that she was just joking at first, but it turns out she is dead serious and won't hear of us not doing it.  Her wedding is a low key affair and informal and she is not in the least bit concerned about the possibility of failure, after all, she told us, there is always COSTCO.

I'm positive that we can do better than COSTCO ... just watch us!  Stay tuned for the wedding cake reveal :o)

- Kristin -

Infarrantly Creative Feature

Oh boy!  This is very exciting!  I don't think my smile could get any bigger!

I love creating things, especially for my kids.  Every once in a while though I take the time to do something that I love and this magnet project was one of them.  Still, it is awfully nice when other people let me know they have enjoyed or liked what I have made :o)

Beckie from over at Infarrantly Creative left me a comment to say that she is featuring my little 'ole magnet DIY on her blog today!  Really?  Are you sure?  I had to check, and yup, there I am!  I'm SO flattered!

Beckie's blog was one of the first ones I started reading back in 2009.  She always has inspiring crafty ideas and I am always in awe of what she can create.  To launch her new "5 Ways Saturdays" series on her blog, she chose to feature magnets and my little happy faces are one of them!  Go here to see it (if you want).

I'll be wearing a smile on my face all day today!

- Kristin -

  

Oh, so I'm not the only one!

I don't normally read the comics, but I did yesterday ...  Lynn Johnston's "For Better or For Worse" is a classic and I couldn't help but cut this one out and put it on the fridge.

I freely admit that I am totally guilty of letting things like this happen so that I can be productive  - as long as I know where my little guys are a what they are doing of course :o)