RE-FURB, RE-CON, RE-PURPOSE: hood removal

I can't say that I love the look of a hoodie or hooded sweater; but, last year I was enticed by the quarterly half price sale at one of my favourite thrifty shops....  I was coaxed into purchasing this sweater for the low-low price of $3.00....

A great deal, I know.... But, was it?  Really?  I hate wearing it....  It's the hood.  It screams teenager to me.... and we all know, a teenager I. am. not.

Anyhow, I've been meaning to remove the hood for a loooooong time, and have finally gotten around to doing it.  So, here's what I did....

I took the thrifty, hooded sweater.... Trimmed off part of the hood, being sure to leave the ribbed band intact....

Re-pinned it back into place, starting from the centre out....

Being sure to mitre the corners....

Sewed it into place with a straight stitch, then went over it with a zig-zag to hold down any unfurling edges....

AND, VOILA! 

I like it so. much. better.

Have a great day  ;)

HOW-TO-TUESDAY: t-shirt bracelet tutorial

So, there's no science or secret formula here.... the t-shirt bracelet is one of the quickest and easiest crafty projects one can do....  All you'll need for this project are:

- old t-shirts
- needle (sewing machine optional)
- coordinating (or not) thread
- scissors
- safety pin

Lots of fun to make.... and always an endless supply of t-shirt yarn.... 

Have a great day everyone  ;)

REFURB-RECON-REPURPOSE: the super-easy-blink-and-you'll-miss-it-cowl-tutorial

No need for words here, my lovelies.  Now, quick, go through your closet and pull out some shirts you no longer wear and get cuttin'!  Think of all the colourful cowls you'll be wearing this season....

Have a fantastic day  ;)

HOW-TO-TUESDAY: the sock bun

I came across this amazing hair tutorial on Pinterest a few days ago and I'm hooked!  It's the sock bun.... a.k.a.  Princess Leia buns (kinda)....  Here's the tutorial for the buns....

I have done this twice now; once like Leia's hair with two buns, and last night just one on the middle top of my head.

So you may be asking yourself; Why would one want to sport Leia buns?

Well, I'll tell ya, it's definitely NOT for the look of it.... I look TOTALLY ridiculous with these things in my thick hair!

Bu-ut.... you knew there was a but, right?  They make the prettiest curls in your hair.... and the best thing is, you don't need heat to make them!  I whip the hair up in a pony or two, spritz with a little water, make the bun, sleep and VOILA!  A messy bun in the morning....   No, silly, that's not where it ends.... once you take the bun out, your hair will have the biggest, bounciest curls you never had!

I am in love with this method for several reasons; 1.  My hair is so thick that my arms get cramped trying to use a curling iron on it.  B.  I don't like using too much heat on my hair, it damages the ends too easily.  Thirdly, I like the occasional curl.  And, D.  I'm lazy, and like the option of not washing my hair for two or three days.... I know, now you're saying; Eww, she doesn't bathe for two to three days at a stretch!  Not true.  I just don't wash my hair everyday.... it's thick, course, dry, native hair (you know, like Tonto?).... I don't have troubles with oiliness, so my hair can literally go days without a washing and still look fresh.  I can go as long as waiting to wash on the third day, and no longer.... after that I feel gross!

Aaaanyway, here's the tutorial for how to make curls with the sock bun....

Enjoy!  I hope you try it in your hair too.  Have a great day  ;)

Interesting.... no, Pinteresting....

I am in love with Pinterest.... if you don't know what it is, check it out, it's pretty self-explanatory....  Think brainstorming-idea centre-organizing thoughts.... Ahhh, all in one place....

Anyhow, I've been having a great time browsing everybody's idea's and adapting them to my own life/home/what-have-you....  Just thought I'd share some of the Pinteresting things I've found of late....

Organization - Pinterest

Peacock tutu tutorial - via Pinterest

Fairy lights - found on Pinterest

Headband tutorial - Pinteresting

Chocolate chips and raspberries - via Pinterest

10 things to make with cereal boxes - found on Pinterest

Pinterest is for anyone looking to organize and share their thoughts.... have a look, you may be inspired to do something you didn't even know you wanted to do....

Have a great day everyone ;)

Little lady hip-sack tutorial....

You know how all kids collect things when they're on a walk or a hike or just outside in general?  Well, in my earlier Mommy days, I would just give the boys Ziploc sandwich bags to do their collecting.... then I realized how much we actually walked and hiked and were outside in general.... not very cost efficient or environmentally friendly to be using so many plastic baggies.

Anyhow, when my husband decided that his pair of camo cargo work-around-the-house pants were no longer fit for working around the house,  I snatched them up very quickly and ripped off those big, bulky cargo pockets and made hip-sacks for my boys.... they use them for everything!  Collecting, taking toys to Great-Grans, helping Daddy with working-on-type-projects.... they have been one of my most successful D.I.Y. sewing projects.

I figured it was high time I got around to making a girlie version for the mini-monkey....  Only this time, instead of using a cargo pocket (as I was told to "Stay away from my pants!"), I used a cut-off denim pant leg....

Here it goes....


What you'll need:


- cut off pant leg (demin or any other sturdy fabric leg)
- woven trim
- webbing for the strap backing
- hook and loop... aka velcro
- thread
- sewing machine
- button
- thin elastic for button closure
- embellishments (or not, totally your choice)

Cut an 8-10" length from the bottom of one pant leg.

At this point, decide which embellishments you would like to be sewn to the front of the hip sack.  This should be done before you sew the bottom of the sack closed as it's easier to slip the pant leg over the free-arm on your machine and maneuver it with ease.


 For this hip sack I created a ruching (pronounced roo-shing) effect on the front.  I cut a length of denim about twice the width of the pant leg from side seam to side seam. and roughly 2.5" wide.  I chose not to zig-zag the edges or do any kind of finishing hems to this... I want it to fray on the raw edges.  Sew a gathering stitch down the centre of the denim strip, causing the strip to ruffle.  Iron it flat and pin it to the front of the pant leg.  

Sew it on down the middle using a loose zig-zag stitch, then attach the raw edges to the sack using the same loose zig-zag roughly a 1/4" in from both edges. 

At this point, or when you're done with your embellishing, zig-zag the raw edges of the bottom of the bag then sew the bottom closed.  Use the finished jean/pant hem as the top opening of your hip sack... it's just easier that way, is less work, well, and makes sense :)

To create a wider bottom to the sack, push the side seam of the sack toward the bottom seam to create a point.  Sew across the point about 1" in, do this to both sides of the bottom of the sack... this will create a flat-ish bottom to your hip sack.

Sew the webbing to the back of your woven trim.  This will give you a stronger and more structured belt-like strap.  Cut a length of hook and loop closure about 4-5" long.  Sew the loop side of the hook and loop to one end of the strap on the woven trim side; sew the hook side onto the webbing side of the strap at the opposite end of the strap.


Attach the sack to the belt/strap in the middle of the strap, making sure to sew along the entire width of the back of the hip sack, this will ensure that it lays against your child's body nicely and doesn't sag in an odd manner.   Attach a loop of elastic to the middle back of opening of the sack and a button to the middle front about 1/2" down from the top; this will create a closure for the top of the hip sack.

And voila!  You're done!  Give it to your little lady and let the collecting begin!

Usually, the three hip sacks in our house get filled with rocks from one of our many hikes, then once home, they all get added to our rock garden.  It's a good thing we all have an affinity toward rocks.... I say, in the next 5 years or so, our little rock pile will be a mountain at my front door :D 

Aaaanyway, give it a try.... I highly suggest using a cargo pocket, if you can, as it will cut out the creating the flat-bottom pocket step and the button closure step as well, as most cargo pockets already have a flap closure.  Either way, your children will love these great little hip sacks.


Have a nice day all    ;)

Toy soldier costume tutorial....

As usual, I did NOT take pictures through the process of putting together my handsome little M's soldier costume.... but I have detailed the steps to reach the end result....


Co-designed by M and me.... He was so proud when he put it on when it was finally-finally finished.... he automatically puffed up his bony little chest and stood straight as a board, wanting so badly to look as regal as Princes William and Harry.... He chose the "golden" for the trim, and specifically asked for the "shoulder golden" (lanyard) like Prince Harry; but sadly, wanted a red jacket like Prince William; unfortunately, all we could find was a navy pinstripe boys suit jacket (which SCORE! was only $3.99 at Vallue Village - yay Mommy!)

And! Thanks to the evolution of the glue stick and hot glue gun, this baby was a *SNAP*! The hat (with very clear and stern instruction that the chin strap "has to sit right here on my chin, Mommy") was crocheted with black chunky yarn, trimmed with more "golden", and lined with cardboard to keep it nice and tall, and neat and tidy like any good soldier.... I'm thinking these hats would be a great addition to any special little someone's tickle trunk, so don't be surprised if they end up in my etsy shop.... fun, fun, fun!

So quickly, some steps to create this jacket (with some very "professionally hand-drawn illustrations"... sorry).
You'll need:

1 boys suit jacket
a few yards of various trims in "golden", or your preference
8-13 buttons to match trim
glue sticks and hot glue gun
black or white velcro, enough to back 4 buttons

To begin, lay the jacket flat on your table, folding the lapels in toward the centre front, overlapping one over the other. This causes the collar to stand up like a soldiers collar.

Decide how far apart you want your buttons, visually, I used the width of the collar as my guide (see above photo). So once you've determined your button width, you can cut the trim that will run between the buttons. Hot glue the trim to the back of the buttons, so you'll end up with something that looks like this; ok, so not cartoony-like, but you get the point....



Once the button trims/closures are glued together, decide where you'd like them on your jacket. We've evenly spaced ours between M's collarbone and waist. So you'll be gluing just one side of the button trims/closures to the jacket. The other button will act as the closure for the jacket; it requires that half of the velcro to be glued to the button back and the other half to the jacket. You'll need to trim down your velcro so that it sits nicely behind the button. And here's a tip: If you can't find velcro that matches closely to your suit jacket, use white and colour it with a sharpie marker that matches the colour you want. Here's another totally awesome drawing....


Again, I apologize for my very crude drawings, but I know how smart you are my friend and I know this is all you require to get a great picture in your mind's eye.

So, now you just need to attach the remainder of your embellishments. We've added a loop at one of the shoulders for our lanyard to run through.... and this too, is just glue gunned into place. And trim was added to the collar and sleeves.... the extra buttons can be placed at the ends of the collar trim, used as cuff links, and one can be placed on the shoulder loop that holds the lanyard.

You can add any hat you like, or you could keep the fun going by making one like ours using black construction paper and trim, or just go hatless.... it's totally up to you!

This project is so simple and so much fun to do with your little soldier. You can embellish as much or as little as you'd like.... I say the more "golden" the better! I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial, and if you have any questions, please-please don't hesitate to leave me a comment!

Have a great day everyone ;)

Basic fort kit tutorial....

This is something that I am in no way passing off as my own idea. I mean, come on, when you really think about it, kids have been making these things all on their own since the day that sheets and blankets were first invented....

Us modern day mom's and crafty people just tweaked an already great idea and made it more of an actual 'kit'....

So here's what you'll need for your Fort Kit:


~double sized or larger flat bed sheet
~bias tape, ribbon or velcro
~sewing machine or needle & thread
~variety of clips or clothes pins
~rope
~flashlight
~storage bin or bag


Take your bias tape (ribbon or velcro) and cut desired length.


Sew one on each corner and a few evenly spaced on each sides (I think all totalled I ended up attaching 16 loops) and be sure to reinforce your stitches, I did two rows of zig zags about a 1/2 inch apart.... and it's also up to you about how many loops/ties you attach and what type you use. I used loops on mine for the rope to run through, kinda making it like a camping tarp. In hindsight, I would have actually attached a loop to the middle top of the bed sheet as well, just in case the fort builders wanted to 'tent' their sheet.... the more options the better.... And once the sheet/tarp part is complete, you just need to fold/roll it and tie it into a neat little bundle....


I also went ahead and made a little pouch to hold the clips. I used the back pocket of an old pair of cargo pants - easy-peasy! I'll do a tutorial for the pouches at a later date.... they're a TON of fun and great for boys! I've made them into hip-sacks for my guys and they use them whenever we're hiking.


So, here's everything all ready to go into the kit storage bin.... I struggled with bag or bin, and settled with bin. I thought a bag would be too fiddly for small hands and also that a child would be more apt to pull it out and play with it if they could actually see everything inside the bin.... I know in my home, kids are visually stimulated first, which I believe is true for most kids....


And, everything neatly tucked into their new home just waiting to be stretched out and hid in! And, of course, I had to attach my own personal touch by adding my 3 monkeys inc tag to it.... it was lots of fun to put together and give as a birthday gift to a special little friend.... who I hear has been enjoying the kit already!

This is just a basic kit. You can totally add to it and make it bigger and better.... the possibilities are endless!

Have a great day everyone ;)


I've linked this tutorial up at Polly Want A Crafter?

Makeover complete and a tissue paper pom pom....

I finally took a picture of my dresser and nightstand with the freshly painted hardware attached.... and now, they truly are a happy pair.... this is what they should have been dressed in from the day they were born....


I love the way they turned out. And needless to say, I am now addicted to the idea of spray painting EVERYTHING! Watch out little thrifted lamp.... you're next!

And today, I even dragged my friend Sherry to a thrift STORE.... not the THRIFT STORE of the same name that I adore; but, one that I have been meaning to venture to for some time now. And I was NOT disappointed. The pricing was exactly what I expected, which is to say it was inexpensive and, dare I say, thrifty.... just the way I like it!

I came away with a pair of capri pants, and 3 books for just over $8.... and for a mere $2. and change, Sherry purchased a new-to-her summer skirt and an easter book for my little Hammy (Hammy says thanks).... All-in-all a FaNtAsTiC thrifty day....

And, in other news.... while surfing the wonderful-world-wide-web for inexpensive centrepieces for the THINK PINK Tea Fundraiser that my teammates and I are hosting in May, I remembered this great tutorial for tissue paper pom poms from Martha Stewart. I picked up some tissue paper today to do a mock-up of this pom pom, only I left one side flat so that it would sit nicely in the centre of our tables.... can you picture these in the right shade of pink, THINK PINK pink????


What do you think? Too simple, or simply fun?

Baubles for the babe: a flower tutorial....

I know I said I was going to post this a few days ago; but, you know how sometimes LIFE gets in the way? I am a mom.... enough said :)

Aaaanyway, here's what's been crafting up around here, between family, chores and everything else....


Pretty little necklaces perfect for bringing a little spring-y sunshine into any little lady's life....

Here's a quick little pattern for the flower, and seriously, I can bang off about 20 of these in an hour, that is, if I'm not watching something good on tv ;) So that just goes to show really how easy this is....

FLOWER TUTORIAL
As with all of my patterns/tutorials, you can adapt them to suit your own materials.... use whatever hook size you like that works well with whatever yarn you have on hand. I like this little project for using up odds and ends of yarn that are left from other projects.... AND, I have a lovely sister who sometimes hands-down some of her yarn leftovers.... makes for some interesting little flowers.... LOVE IT!

Chain 2, 4 single crochet into second chain from hook, slip stitch into first chain to form foundation ring (you could also use the magic loop method, which I prefer and do use for my own work-in-circle projects; but for those who are not familiar with the magic loop method, this method here works fine)

Chain one and turn. 2 single crochets in next 3 single crochets, 3 single crochets in next single crochets. Slip stitch into first single crochet. (9 single crochets)

Chain 3, 3 double crochets into first single crochet space, chain 3 and slip stitch into same single crochet spot. This forms one petal. *Slip stitch into next single crochet then slip stitch into next single crochet and chain 3, 3 double crochets into same single crochet, chain 3 and slip stitch into same single crochet spot. Repeat from * 3 more times, creating 5 flower petals. Slip stitch and bind off.

Make as many flowers as you like! You can join them to make necklaces, bracelets, headbands, scarves, pillows, purses.... your only limitation is your own imagination!

Have a fantastic sunny sunday everyone ;)