I’m back and Last Minute Quilts

I’m back from vacation. It was great to spend some time with family. I was so happy the everyone liked the gifts I made, although for next year I really need to start making them much earlier so I’m not stressed for time. My one brother-in-law and my sister’s fiancé both loved the marshmallow guns we made (my husband did most of the work on those). I wish I had taken some pictures of them playing with them.

The last few items I had to finish up before Christmas were three quilts. I made an I-Spy quilt for each of my kids and a patchwork quilt for my husband. Patchwork quilts aren’t to sew but they are quick and easy.

As I piled flannel bolt after flannel bolt into my cart I received all sorts of looks and then was questioned by the associate what I was making when I asked for only 1/4th of a yard of each. It was so fun to find the fabrics. Oh and if you plan to do this don’t forget to check the remnants racks for a good deal. I backed both quilts with two microplush throws (they were only $2.99 at JoAnn’s on Black Friday). I had enough of the microplush fabric left over to make matching pillowcases.

I used boyish printed flannels for my son’s quilt.

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and I used girlish printed flannels for my daughter’s quilt.

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Then for my husbands quilt, I just pieced the quilt blocks together and then printed off the letters and pinned them onto a strip of grey fleece. I then separated the letters (not actually cutting the letters out) and then pinned the letters and grey fleece onto the quilt. I then did a straight stitch around the letters following the lines on the printed paper. After I sewed them down I was able to remove the paper and trim the excess fleece close to the stitching. It was pretty easy!!!

Hope everyone has had a Wonderful Holiday Season!!!

Holiday Gift Extravaganza: GiFTS FoR CHiLDReN (Updated)

Here’s for Day #2: Gifts for Children!! (click on picture to go to tutorial)

Don’t forget to leave a comment to enter into the Giveaway!!!

Hooded Doll Blanket

Tie Onsies

These little guys are different in that only the top part of the tie is attached to the onsie making them more real looking!

Placemat Apron

Guitar Appliqué Shirt

Baby Legs from Socks

Crocheted Bracelet

Satin Wrapped Tutu

Alphabet Flashcards

These flashcards are made by taking pictures of things around your house that your child sees often.

Silk Flower Clips

Toy Tool Belt

Sock Animals

Daisy Chain Beanie

Lacing Cards

Faux Makeup

Purse Notebook

Bean Bags

Doll House

Train Table

My 2 year old son loves to destroy the train track on his train table almost as fast as I can build it.  Well this was frustrating me and my 4 year old daughter.  I decided I wanted to mount the track down to the table, but I didn’t want to ruin the originally table top, so I made a new top for my kids’ train table.

BEFORE:                                                   AFTER:     

 

I went and purchased a large piece of particle board and had it cut to size.  Then I spray painted the entire board brown and after it was dry I laid out the train tracks and took a picture of the table.  Then I printed the picture off and drew the streets and parks in on the paper first. 

When I got it how I liked it I then went to town painting everything on  while the train tracks were still on the board.  I then took the tracks off and applied several coats of varnish.  After the varnish dried, I nailed the track down or glued where nails weren’t possible.  The trees, benches, and buildings are not glued or nailed down.

   

Now, when my kids are old enough to build their own train track, I’ll just remove the little nails from the tracks and the new table top and they can play with the original one again.

Pom Pom Turkey

All you need is a large pom-pom, one medium pom-pom, orange pipe cleaner (chenille stem), orange mini pom-pom, wiggly eyes, 3 feathers, and hot glue.

Glue the medium pom-pom onto the large pom-pom.  Then glue the wiggly eyes and the mini pom-pom on the medium pom-pom.  Then glue the 3 feathers to the backside of the large pom-pom.

Take about a 4 inch strip of pipecleaner and fold it to make three toes for the feet.  Now glue the feet onto the bottom of the large pom-pom.  A fun and quick little craft the kids can help with to dress up your Thanksgiving Table or you could even use these for place holders just have the piece of paper with the guest’s name rest on the feathers.

Dry Erase worksheets

I made my own Dry Erase Worksheets so my daughter can learn to write her letters.

They have the Upper Case Letters on one side and the Lower Case Letters on the other side.

All I did was open a new document in a program called Gimp but you can use Photoshop or something similar.  I made it 8.5 x 11 in size.  Then I used digital scrapbook papers (star one) or papers I had that I scanned into my computer (flower one) as the border.  I went on the internet and did a google search for the letter worksheets and pasted the picture in the center. 

I printed the picture onto white cardstock paper.  Then I used Glossy Laminating Sheets to cover them.   You don’t have to use dry-erase markers as I found the Crayola Washable Markers worked great too.

 

I’m going to make another set but put her name on it.

Are Cute Spiders possible?

YES they are and your kids can help to!!!

Here they are:

What I used:

Plastic cups for the body

Pipe cleaners for the feet(chenille stems)

Buttons for the eyes

Fabric Flowers

Colored Foam for the neckties

Red Yarn for the mouth (for the spider above I used a red paper clip)

Black Paint (for the spider above I used a sharpie)

Hot Glue

Tutorial:

Paint the cup

I only painted the bottom portion. Cut the cup down in size keeping the bottom portion.

Cut the Pipe cleaners in half and the fold them in half. Hole punch 4 holes on each side of the cup for a total of 8 holes. Feed the Pipe cleaners through two hole at the same time.

Put a little hot glue around the Pipe cleaners on the inside of the cup to give the legs more stability.

Bend the legs to your liking.

Add the eyes, mouth, and flower or bowtie.

Here’s where they have invaded for right now!!! Just an FYI I think I like the way the spider that I used the sharpie on the best (the spider in the very first picture). I like how it’s shiny.

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