Happy Hair Clips part 3

Here's the 3rd Clip in this series: "T-Shirt Blossoms"

Materials Needed: Old Knit T-shirts, hot glue, metal clip (alligator clip)

Steps: 

1. Fold a strip of knit fabric (about 4 inches wide) into 3-4 layers

2. Cut out a few stacks of different sizes of circles on the layered fabric

3. Cut a thin strip of fabric- about a 1/2 inch wide and 4 inches long

4. Make the little rosette bud for the middle by slowly rolling, twisting and glueing the fabric strip.

5. Put a small swirl of glue on each of the layers all the way up to the little rosette '

6. Glue on the metal clip

How to make the center of the blossom or the "rosette"

Start by folding and glueing one end

Gradually keep twisting and wrapping the fabric around the center glueing often. Keep the glue toward the bottom of the wrap to avoid extra glue squishing out through the top.

ta-Da!

Thank you, Madeline for being my model once again. ;)

linking to:  SugarandDots and SewMuchAdo

house paint continues...

Well, i'm happy to say that the bulk of the house has been painted. All that is left is the trim and a few touch-ups here and there. However, i'm going to wait to show you what color we chose until after the trim is finished. For now, here's how it looked last week. We first primed the brick using Zinser latex Primer (not the oil-based version that we often use on stained furniture) I primed the dark bricks first so that they would get two coats. This worked well when we painted our fireplace bricks inside See Here for pics.

Our house was speckled like this for a better part of the week, which garnered several comments from the retired neighbors that surround our house and other On-lookers.  Here are two of my favorites.
1) Neighbor: "So, what are you doing with the brick?" Us:"Well, we're going to paint it. "
Neighbor: "Where did you get that idea?" hmmm.
2) Me: "i just finished priming all the dark bricks! now we're ready for a full coat." On-looker: "Oh, i thought maybe you were trying to insulate certain bricks or something." WHAT!!??   :)

This picture shows the patchwork of colors we were trying out.  Paint is just plain tricky we decided.

Once again, here's our "before" We affectionately called the old color "swine".  SO happy its gone.

thrifty thursday: summery yellow stripes

Here's my super cool thrifty find for the week: 1 huge yellow and white striped duvet cover. I bought it on a 1/2 off day for $2.50 thinking i could use it to make more fort kits but now i just love it so much i don't really want to give to a any little kids to destroy. It's in great shape- doesn't have any spots or worn places so i'm thinking maybe pillow covers? blanket? quilt back? tons of little skirts for the girls? chair slip cover? or...i could use it as a duvet cover. :)  Do you have any ideas??  Anyway, there's some great stuff in the bedding isle of our local ARC! You should check it out.

Happy Hair Clips part 2

Here's the 2nd Clip in this little series: "Felty Flowers"

Materials Needed: assortment of colored felt, beads, embroidery floss, hot glue, metal hair clip

Steps:

1. Cut out several different sized circles, then cut out lots of petals (the bigger the better, in my opinion)

2. Layer the flowers then sew through the bead to secure all the layers

OR just Hot glue each layer together and glue on a button/bead on top

3. Sew on the metal clip

4. Put a dab of hot glue under the clip where you have just sewn

5. Put a dab of hot glue on the the other tip of the hair clip to secure to the flower

Once again, clip onto a little girl or onto your own hair and enjoy and if you'd like one of these clips, i'd be happy to send one to you, just  let me know! :)

linking to: Blue Cricket Design, TrendyTreeHouse, SewMuchAdo, Lollipops

"super hero' Fort Kit

I was so thrilled when i came across this great birthday gift idea a few months ago. When Will got invited to a "Super Hero" birthday party this last weekend i knew we had to make one for his friend.

It was pretty easy to put together once i located the right places to get all the stuff and thrifty too!

Here's a run down of what's included:

-2 Twin sheets: ARC for about $2 each

-Ties on the Sheet: old XL T-shirt 

-Rope: Hobby lobby for about $2

-Flash Light: Dollar Store $1

-Clamps: Dollar Store $1

-Glow Sticks: Dollar Store $1

-Clothes Pins: Dollar Store $1

-Suction Cups: Dollar Store $1

-Lightening Bolt bag: Some cheap gray fabric, yellow felt $2

TOTAL: $13.00

And thanks to  SISTER who printed out this tag for me.  I discovered that my printer was out of ink 15 minutes before we needed to leave for the party. :)



linking to: Skip to My Lou and SugarBee

too much? (a picture card idea)

Ok, so i seriously hesitated posting these in fear you all might think i purposely try to make my children cry just to get a good picture. Well, i don't and i really wouldn't let them suffer (for too long) no matter how cute. ;) That said, here are a few pictures i took this week for a birthday card for my mother in law. While i was editing i couldn't help laughing, but then the little munchkin looked so pathetic it almost made me cry too. :) 

Well, anyway, it made for a memorable card!

Oh, but one more thing, for the record, Ben really, truly is still the best, happiest, sweetest little baby the world has ever seen. I just happened to document his 2.5 sad minutes of the day. for the record. ;)

Alright already, that's my last apology. enjoy! ;)

 hey! maybe life isn't so bad?!
 look! that's almost a smile! Ben might be pulling it together...

 well......

 nevermind.

 sweet big brother gives a little notice to the sad munchkin

 look at that lip!

 come on, buddy! life isn't so bad!

awwww, all done. hugs and kisses comin' your way Baby Ben!

Happy Hair Clips part 1

Well hello there, this is the first in a little series of hair accessory ideas. I plan to share several variations of hair clips throughout the next week or two. Keep checking back!

**Oh, and since only one of my girls will allow any fun clips in her hair, i'd love to pass on a few to YOU. If you'd like one, just leave a comment and i'll see how many i can make and send out as the series goes on. :)

Here's the first one: "Color Burst Clip"

Materials: tulle, thread, small piece of fabric, poly-fill, metal hair clip

1. Fold tulle in half twice so it is has 4 layers, then cut a strip about 18 inches long and 3-4 inches wide
2. Gather the tulle by hand or machine leaving about a 1/4inch edge
3. Tie the ruffled/gathered tulle to form a tight circle
4. Cut a 3x3 inch square of fabric
5. Roll a big chunk of poly-fill into a tight ball
6. Wrap the fabric around the ball and sew to create a little pouch-type ball
7. Stuff the little fabric ball through the hole in the tulle circle and hot clue the edges to keep it in place
8. Sew the metal clip onto the back, hot glue the top to make it more secure.

Tie the two ends together tightly

Push the bundle all the way through the center of the tulle

Hot glue around the edges and squish the tulle into the fabric bundle

Trim the tulle if you'd like and trim the extra fabric

Sew the metal clip to the back, through the little hole in the hair clip.

Put a dab of hot glue on the back to make it extra secure.

Clip onto a little girl and enjoy!

{linking to Lollipops, the trendy tree house, sew much ado, somewhatsimple}