LOVE Banner

As many of you know, I've been off my feet (and subsequently, my rear as well) for the past 11 days now, with a broken tailbone. It's allowed a lot of time to read, watch movies, grow increasingly antsy, with bouts of cabin fever, and, lastly, nurse my creative bones.

For instance, when I craft, I normally handle almost all my stitching by machine. I'm not a patient girl. But, I've discovered over the past week- if there is no other place pulling me to be, nothing else that needs to be done, I can be a very patient girl.

And thus started "The Great Banner Project" of 2010. It's not all that grand, or large, and certainly, if I had been up to long bouts at the machine, I probably would have done a lengthier word than LOVE. However, doing it by hand means it takes longer. I must say, though, that I love the look of the contrasting thread stitches. They look folksy, or countryish.

So here it is, the hand made (by actual hands) LOVE banner. I only used the sewing machine for a frustrating 30 minutes last night to stitch all the pieces to the ribbon. Frustrating because my machine was acting out. Probably feeling ignored and petty. Pfft. It's such a child.

I used felt in red, white, and light pink. I used red and white thread, and added red and white pom poms to the tips of the triangles and the hearts. I tried to add sequins, but they glitz did not look right, so I ripped em off.

I stitched it all to a length of light pink satin ribbon, and on the ends, I added a length of wider red satin ribbon for the hang-downs. To hang it up, I used clothes pins to pin it to my curtain.

All in all, this project is easy, and inexpensive. I used about 2 sheets of red felt, 2 sheets of white felt, and half a sheet of pink felt. The ribbon was a cast off left over I had on hand. The pom poms were left from Christmas projects. All in all, it was done with on-hand items. Price wise, I got the sheets of red & white felt in large packages from DT. I used 2 of the sheets each, and there are 14 sheets to a package. Those sheets were $.07 each, or $.28 for the red & white I used. The pink was $.47 a sheet at Walmart, but I only used half, so $.24 for the pink. The poms were in a package of around 30 of them for $1 from DT, and I used 7, so roughly $.23 for 7 puff balls. The ribbon was from a $1.99 roll of 9 yards, but I only used about 2 yards, so about $.44 for that.

Total cost would be roughly $1.19 for the banner. This project can be made with a variety of on-hand items, and the length can be adjusted up or down. I could have used less ribbon and felt had I left out the hearts, for instance.

 

 After taking a few photos, I decided to add the Ribbon & Tulle wreath I made last week behind the banner. I love it! It's so festive! Later this week, I'll photograph my new, hand decorated place mats I made while laying in bed.

 

I am hoping to be out of bed for longer periods of time this week, and to try and tackle some decoupage. I have some wooden hearts, and 1 fiber-board heart plaque I found at DT, and I want to get them done soon. I'm itching to do more crafts, and it's bothering me that I'm fairly limited in just what all I can do from bed.

 

This post has been shared at the following websites. If you have a craft project you want to share, these sites are a great way to share them, and get your blog seen!

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Invalid Craft Time

I'm really surprised at how much it hurts to do little things. Sitting up. Walking. Standing up. Wiggling around. Scooting a chair. It all hurts! I've been spending way too much time in bed, and I just want to DO something! Yesterday, I assembled a bucket of craft items to use while I'm laying down.

I've watched my fill of movies. I've read 2 books, cover to cover, and finished a 3rd. I'm bored.

While none of my Invalid Crafts are what I would consider genius or something totally outstanding, they are, at the very least, giving me something to do.

Last night, I attempted to make a Valentine pocket to put treats in. It was cute, but small. Today, I found a cute basket in my back room, and decided to make it a Valentine's Basket, and found something to do with the little pocket I made.

This was easy enough to do. For the pocket, I started off with 1 heart shape, and I whip stitched it to a piece of plain red felt. Well, the felt puckered a bit, and pulled, and all together did not lie flat, so I cut it into a larger heart shape, and whip stitched it to a piece of white felt.

I decided halfway through stitching it to make it a pocket, instead of a full applique, so I only stitched the sides of the heart to the white. Once done, I opted to cut the white into a heart shape. The very last thing I did, which really should have been the very first thing, was sew a dark red button to the middle of the heart.

For the basket, I started by just winding thin pink ribbon around the edge of the basket. I like it- it's cute! Then, I opted to cut two slits in the back of my little pocket, and string it up, then attach it to the basket. I think it looks darling, but in my slightly drug dazed stupor, I think most things are darling. (I don't write that to mean I'm totally off my rocker and drugged out, but I do have a sensitivity to most medications, and while I do try to go as long as possible without them, my body aches badly even just laying down when I haven't taken them, and things like tylenol, heating pads, motrin, and ice are not helping much yet)

Lastly, or not, I wound what little tulle I had on hand around the handle. Maybe I'm not so in love with that. I imagined it puffy. It looked odd puffy, so I tugged it tight. I don't love it, so it may not stay. Probably it won't stay. Apparently, aforementioned slightly drug dazed stupor does not make all things darling.

As I said, it might not have been the last step, because the real last step was by far my favorite. I loaded it down with left over Christmas candy in red, silver, and oddly, purple. The purple is my favorite, and it's a nice Valentine type color.

All in all, not a bad little fix up for a basket I paid $.79 for at Goodwill. If you have baskets as part of your decor, this would be an easy way to fix them up for various holidays- a cute felt shape and some ribbon, which is all easily removed, but adds just a touch of holiday to the decor.

Easy Peasy Valentine Wreath

In my invalid state (read that with a bit of sarcasm), I can't do much crafting. I can't sit at my craft desk, because the chair is a wood dining room chair. My computer chair, which is easier (but not pain-free) to sit in doesn't fit at the craft desk. So, I'm limited. And of course, the post-Christmas craft laziness had come to an end. All I've wanted to do the past few days is craft, craft, craft!

Today, I finally tried something, which I did while laying down. It kept my fingers busy, but alas, I didn't take any tutorial photos. It's really easy, though- just fold the ribbon, lay it on top of the hanger, and pull the ends through the loop. Simple.

You'll Need:

1 Wire Hanger (On hand)

2 rolls of White Tulle (Dollar Tree rolls- I used about 1 and a half, though to make it fuller, you could easily use up to 4 rolls)

2-3 rolls of various red, pink, or white ribbons- I recommend using wired ribbon.

1. Bend the wire hanger into a heart shape. Easier said, than done. The hanger kept wanting to sort of fold in half.
2. Start cutting 3-4" lengths of ribbon & tulle. For my tulle, I used 40 total, 20 for each side of the heart. However, if you want a full tulle heart, you'll want to use about 4 rolls of tulle. 40 loops didn't quite fill an entire side, and was about 1 & 1/2 rolls worth of tulle. For the ribbon, I used about 14 ribbon loops per side. Again, the more full you want it, the more ribbon you'll use. You could do 20 per side, so it alternates between tulle & ribbon.
3. I did not tie the ribbon and tulle in place. Instead, I used the folding method where you pull the ends around something, and pull them through the loop at the end of the ribbon. Did that make sense?
4. Fluff the ribbon- I used 1 roll that was not wired, and it kept wanting to droop, so I sort of tucked it behind tulle, so it was being held in place.
5. I added a small ribbon bow to the middle with the non-wired ribbon I had left over.

All in all, I used 1 whole bolt of white sheer ribbon with red hearts (3 yards), and 1 whole bolt of red non-wired red & silver ribbon (4 yards), 1 whole bolt of tulle, plus half to 3/4ths of another roll (each roll is 8 yards), and about 3/4ths of a roll of red & silver wired ribbon (this roll was 5 yards).

I had all of this stuff on hand, but you could get all the stuff needed at the dollar store for $5-6, so it's a cheap craft. And best of all- when Valentine's Day is over, just remove the ribbon scraps & tulle, and set them aside for another project

Linked up at the parties listed here.

I Made It, You Made It!

I haven't had my blog all that long, just since October. In that time, I've learned a lot of craft projects from other blogs, and found some amazing blogs out there. I've posted tutorials of my own projects, and ideas, and wound up with an amazing batch of followers!

It really does amaze me that I have people who actually read my blog. ;) I treasure you all!

If you have ever tried out a craft you've found here, I would love to share it with my readers! Either post a comment with a link, or send me an email with pictures at:

herberkids3(at)yahoo(dot)com

I'll feature your projects here on my blog!

I hope to bring you more great ideas in 2010. My goal right now is to post at least 1 craft per week in 2010!

Emily tried out my Scarf to Socks, and made these great socks:

Aren't they just the cutest?


Trish over at My Daily SAHM Life made a Valentine's Day Wreath from my Easy Peasy tutorial:

I love it!

Leah at Silly Little Sparrow also made her own Valentine's Day Wreath this week:

I just love this- so cute!


At Rosie's, another version of my Ribbon & Tulle wreath was made, in conjunction iwth a cute ruffled fabric wreath to make this darling little Valentine's Day garland.




Just so sweet!



Katie works for a campus ministry called Chi Alpha, and made this for the girls who live there. Instead of using scrapbook paper, she mod podged dictionary pages- isn't it great? It's based on my monogrammed "H" sign!

It's just perfect for a college campus!

Michele over at The Daily Nusz saw my Top O' The Morning St. Patrick's Day wreath, and made her own super cute variation.

Isn't that just the cutest? I love the addition of the tulle and the shamrock!

Home Sewn Socks in 2010

Last week, as I sat shivering in the cold Michigan winter, I lamented how quickly soft fuzzy socks lose their fuzz, and shape. They are made for 1 size fits all, but let's face it, they get stretched out quickly, because they are made to stretch up to a size 10 foot, which my feet are not.

I marveled at how soft and warm and cozy my scarf arm warmers were, and was struck by inspiration. Surely these dollar store scarves would work for socks, too, right?

I had some scarves left over from my Christmas projects (and, I'll admit, I'm contemplating picking up 2-3 more to have on hand for next year's crafts, in case they don't get them in again), and started to think. Of course, today was my first day kid-free (though, Nick took today off as one of his floating holiday days, so I wasn't husband free), and I decided a few minutes ago to try my hand.

My first idea was to cut the material at an angle, so there was a definite foot section, and definite leg section. I wasn't sure just where to perform the cut, though, so I opted to first sew a tube, with one end sewn shut. I'm glad I didn't cut it.

I worried that without elastic, there would be nothing to hold my new socks up, but the stretch around my legs did that just fine. I worried that it wouldn't fit, but a quick check with my actual arm warmers showed that it would indeed stretch enough to fit around my feet.

And, here I sit, warm and cozy with my 10 minute home made fuzzy socks that cost me just $1.

How did I make them? See below.

Homemade Fuzzy Socks

You'll need:
1 skinny, fuzzy scarf from Dollar Tree
Sewing Maching
Feet, to try them on

1. Cut the scarf in half. The ends of these scarves have a solid block of color, where as the in betweens of the scarf are striped. I opted to make the solid block of color my toe section. Forget measuring the scarf, as it will become shorter when it stretches as you pull it on.
2. Fold the scarf in half. Yes, this makes it appear impossibly skinny for a human, adult foot, but I assure you, this is what you want. Pin it into place, then decide where you want the seam. I choose to have my seam run along the side of my foot, not under it, and I barely notice it. 
3. Once you've decided where the seam will go, sew one end of the sock shut, rounding it off, and trimming the excess (otherwise, you get boxy toes).
4. Sew straight down the open side, pulling the fabric to stretch it slightly as you do. This gives it a bit of elasticity for stretch.
5. Trim the seam as closely as you can, along with the threads. Turn it inside out, stretch it open like you would a pair of tights, and start pulling it on. 

 

 These fit me snuggly, like no other socks ever do. They feel custom made to my feet! They are warm, and cozy, though maybe not as fuzzy as socks you buy for $3 a pair in the winter. I love them!

I wear a size 8 shoe. These fit me great, and have some extra stretch. I don't think anyone would have a problem with these fuzzy tube socks with size, because they stretch all the way around.  I did not stitch up the raw edge at all, because I didn't want it to constrict how wide the sock would open for me.

I have 1 scarf left. Maybe 2. My next plan is to make 1 scarf and some fleece into two pairs of slipper socks. It might not work for 2 pairs. We'll see!!

Linked up at:

http://thepersimmonperch.blogspot.com/2010/01/made-it-monday-label-those-keys.html

Crafting Wishlist for 2010

In 2010, I want to expand my horizons, so to speak. Here are a few items on my wish list for this year.

1. An electric sander- I want to try my hand at refinishing furniture
2. A real power drill- I have a rotory tool, but it doesn't have the UMPH or size a drill can provide.
3. A staple gun- this goes hand in hand with number 1, though honestly, I only want to use it for doing fabric on wood, like turning a coffee table into a bench for the entrance way, etc.
4. Some wood- to finish off the back of a huge shelf we have, which is almost bare. It has 1 support beam, which makes the shelf sit 2 inches from the wall, so things fall off the back. I will then take the shelf hostage for my craft area storage.
5. A better storage system- this goes hand in hand with number 4, I suppose.
6. More mod podge- looove it!
7. A million dollars- to fund the above, and more.

Specifically, I want to turn a coffee table into a bench for the back door. I've been looking for a bench for 2 years with no luck. Now, I'm skipping the whole bench idea, and making one, since old coffee tables are pretty easy and cheap to come by. It want to sand it down, paint it, add foam to the top, and cover the foam with a nice fabric. This will serve to let the kids have a place to sit when they take shoes off, and give them a place to stash said shoes under it.

We have a bookshelf I found at Goodwill when we moved into our house. We needed movie storage badly. It's about 6 feet long, and probably 5 feet tall. The back is wide open, except one board running from top to bottom right in the middle. It's a thick board, and means the shelf sits an inch or two away from the wall. I want to remove that, and affix plywood to give it a full back, then sand down and paint the entire shelving unit.

I have 2 dressers in our back room that we use for storage. Both are such fantastic units, though, and rather old. Both would look fabulous in my bedroom, when I get it done. But, both have layers and layers of paint on them. So, they need to be sanded down, primed, and painted. I tried painting one of them, but the paint bubbled up. In retrospect, I didn't think to sand down the top where it has a laminate like finish. I have some cool scrapbook paper, so I want to mod podge the tops of both dressers, to make them match.

I want to get a bed frame for my bed. Yes, our bed is on the floor. We had a frame for it. Three years ago, we relocated from up north to down here. The night we moved in, we didn't set the frame up, we just dumped the mattress and box frames on the floor. It was a lot more comfortable. We kept it that way. Now? It feels a little like a college kid's first apartment.

I have never repainted our bedroom. It was high on the priority list when we moved in, but still has never been done. I am NOT good with home projects. It needs paint. It's pistachio green. The closet doors have other children's hand and feet prints painted on them. In hot pink, teal, and yellow. Clashes horribly with the walls, but also, it's kind of creepy.

So, for the bedroom-

• Empty the room, pitch 50% of the stuff "stored" (but really just stashed) in ther.
• Paint the room dove gray or tan. Not sure which yet. Paint the master bath the same color.
• Get a bed frame, use it. Put on the lovely bed set.
• Make a scrapbook paper headboard.
• Swap out the old & busted dressers, and put in the new hotness dressers.
• Organize the closets much better.
  
• Decorate the room with candles, picture frames, etc.
• Sit back, and bask in your awesomeness.

These are my goals. I hope to have that room done by December 31st, 2010.

What are your goals for 2010? Add your list of projects for 2010, or projects you completed in 2009 in the MckLinky below, and add the code below to your post!

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2009: A Year in Memories

My Favorite Memories of 2009, number 2.

With 3 kids, 1 income, and not much time off from work or raising kids, Nick and I rarely get to do anything together. Now that Raegan is older, and can watch the kids in small spurts, we escape to the grocery store once in a while together. Not often.

This spring, we planned the impossible... a weekend get away in May for Nick's birthday. We had some money set aside from when our taxes came in, and I was able to miraculously wrangle up 3 different sitters each willing to take 1 of our children for the weekend. It was, simply, a miracle.


One of our favorite locations to go is Cedar Point in Ohio. We rarely go. In fact, the last time we had been was back in 2005. Before that, it had been 2002, roughly. It's something we enjoy, but the cost prohibits an entire family sojourn down there, especially as the long drive means it's an over night stay.

I still believe that up until the morning we left, that it was not going to happen. I figured something cosmic would swoop down to deny us the trip. Thankfully, nothing did happen, and we were off. I even found us a great deal on a hotel room with a jacuzzi in the room- score!

The drive is long, as I mentioned, taking just around 4-5 hours to get there, factoring in a few stops for food & bathrooms along the way.

We had an amazing time in the park, and I even upped my nerve level and rode several rides that had scared me witless before. I love -some- roller coasters. The big ones terrify me. Prior to this trip, I had not ridden:

Power Tower (ride that drops you)
Demon Drop (ride that drops you)
Wicked Twister (coaster)
Top Thrill Dragster (coaster)
Maverick (coaster, though it was new to the park for us)
Magnum (coaster)
Millennium Force (coaster)
Mantis (coaster)
Sky Hawk (swing ride)
MaXair (a swinging pendulum ride)

I out and out refused to do Magnum, Millennium Force, and Top Thrill Dragster, as those three are lap bar coasters, and BIG ones at that. I hate lap bars. Give me an over the shoulder harness any day.

The others, though, they were on my list to accomplish. I planned to be a "big girl" on the trip.

The park wasn't very busy, due to the early date when we went. No schools to contend with or summer vacationers. Most rides had a 10 minute or under wait time. Most coasters were 15 minutes or under. We opted right away to check the Demon Drop off my list. I'm glad I did, as they removed the ride from the park this fall after the park closed for the season.

It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't horrible. We quickly made our way through the park, hitting all sorts of rides and coasters along the way. All in all, I only decided against going on the Magnum, Millennium Force, Power Tower, and Top Thrill Dragster.

Nick and I had a great time, but by the end of the day, man were we tired! Right before closing, we hopped in line for Maverick for a second ride, so we were able to ride that one again, and I got some neat photos as it was backlit by the sun setting on Lake Erie.

By the time we got to the hotel, we were exhausted, and going to order dinner in, but the only place they had menus for didn't answer the phone. We went and found a Pizza Hut, ate, and came back. And man, was I ever glad for the jacuzzi tub. We just laid in it for what felt like hours, but it really helped the achy muscles from walking around all day.

The only down side to the room, is that it was a smokers room, and they didn't air it out. It was HORRIBLE smelling. We tried turning the AC on, and it only got 10 times worse. It smelled worse than a bar. It was just horrible, so we did complain about that, and recommended frequent filter switches in the AC, along with a thorough cleaning of the room to help get rid of that smell.

There was a great free breakfast the next morning, though, which was nice. The hotel had a swing set, and a pool, though the pool wasn't open yet for the season. It was also very close to the park's entrance.

On the drive home, we stopped briefly at an outlet mall to shop a bit, then came home. It had been raining on and off on the drive, and we didn't have to get the kids till the next day, so we went and saw a movie that night.

It was nice, being able to get away with Nick for a few nights, and have fun together.