explorer vests!

Thanks to all who entered Tuesday's giveaway!  I am really enjoying reading through everyone's crafting memories.  It is so hard to narrow down favorites, but I'll choose my top five over the weekend and post the winners on Monday.

This week I've kept busy sewing birthday presents for Oscar's friends.  He is in a playgroup with kids that have birthdays all within about a month and a half of each other.  It is wonderful, but makes for an extremely busy birthday party season!

Oscar has two little friends who are especially adventurous and love the outdoors.  I knew the Explorer Vest from the book Oliver + S: Little Things to Sew would be just perfect for them. 

I made the first (khaki colored) vest with the simpler flat pockets, but couldn't resist adding the pocket bellows the second time around.  I used the lining fabric, so the bellows would really stand out.  It was fun to add bright touches in hidden places, too.  Hello, colorful pocket flaps!  Sewing for boys does not have to be boring.

I think my favorite part is the giant back pocket.   Not sure how easily a toddler will get his treasures back there, but I'm sure it will be entertaining to watch him try.  :)

Oscar keeps asking when I'll make him an explorer vest (he wants the accompanying bug-catcher box), so I'm sure you'll see more versions in the future!

Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts - review and giveaway!

It's no secret that I love Martha - everything that comes from her company is pure perfection.  Today she is releasing a new book, Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts: 225 Projects for Year-Round Celebrations.

 

From Easter eggs, to Father's Day gifts, to Christmas decorations, the book offers dozens of crafts for every holiday.  It feels like a collection of all the best "Good Things" projects and special holiday issues of the magazine, all bundled in one spot.

Of course, there is a fabulous Halloween section (Martha's favorite holiday), which is the perfect jump-start I needed to get started on Oscar's 3rd birthday party, a Halloween extravaganza (at least in his eyes).

I am excited to try the Jar-o'-lanterns, featured in the Halloween section.  (Photos by Eric Piasecki. Reprinted from the book Martha Stewart’s Handmade Holiday Crafts. Copyright © 2011 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.  Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.)

Jar-o'-lanterns

Tools and Materials
Clean glass jars
Paintbrush

Oil-based enamel paint (black and orange or yellow)
Extra-wide masking tape

Jar-o-lantern template (marthastewart.com/holiday-crafts-book-extras)
Marker
Craft knife
Plastic-covered 20-gauge wire
Needle-nose pliers
Wire cutters

 1. Working in a well-ventilated area, coat the inside of a jar with orange or yellow paint. Apply a square of masking tape to the outside of each jar. Press out any air bubbles. Use a marker to draw face on tape. Cut out features with a craft knife to form a stencil. (Alternatively, download and print jar-o’-lantern templates, cut out features, and secure over the tape; cut around them to form stencil.)

2. Using black paint and a brush, fill in the features of the stencil. Let paint dry completely, then carefully peel off and discard tape.

3. For a handle, loop one end of the wire with pliers. Make a lasso shape to hug the neck of the jar. Bend remaining wire over for a handle. Cut wire; make another loop to hook onto ring. Slip ring over jar's mouth; tighten as necessary.

How cute are those?  All I need is some orange paint and I'm set to start.

Ok, onto the really fun part.  Would you like a copy of the book?  Today I'm giving away 5 copies of Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts: 225 Projects for Year-Round Celebrations!

I'm going to run this giveaway a little differently, just for fun.  To enter:

• Leave a comment telling me your favorite crafting memory!  It can be anything - a success, a funny failure, just the sweet memory of crafting with someone special.  I'll choose my 5 favorites for the winners.  Make me smile.  :)
• One comment per person please.  If you accidentally leave duplicate comments, please delete the extras.
• Please leave me a way to contact you, either with an email address, or a public profile that leads to your blog.  Thanks!
• This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  So sorry, international friends!

This giveaway is open for 24 hours only!  Get your comment in by 9 a.m. PST, on September 28th.

One of my favorite crafting memories is when I got to meet Ms. Martha herself and talk to her about something I made.  It was October 2008, just 11 days after Oscar was born, and I had submitted a pair of baby booties to the MSLO employee art show.  She loved the shoes (I about passed out on the spot), but even more she loved Oscar, and took his picture.  The shoes and Oscar's little newborn face even flashed briefly on the show the next day.  My tiny celebrity!   It was a thrill.

Good luck!  I'm really looking forward to reading your crafting memories.

yarn-wrapped letters - made cheaper than cheap

I love the yarn-wrapped letter trend that seems to be so popular these days, but I can be a total cheapskate.  So when I went to make some word art for the kids' playroom, I made my own from scratch.

Instead of buying cardboard letter forms from the craft store, I cut my own out of foam board.  To make a template, simply find a font you like in MS Word (or a similar program), and print it out as large as you'd like your letter.  I used the font "Rockwell," in bold (not to be confused with "Rockwell Bold", which was a little too chunky for my taste). To get really big letters, you can print out multiple pages or get them blown up at a copy shop.

Then wrap, wrap, wrap your letters in yarn, until they are completely covered.  Use dabs of hot glue in the corners and around edges to keep the yarn in place.

As a bonus, the foam board letters are really thin and lightweight, and which helps them hang flat against the wall.  I hot glued round picture hangers I had on hand to the back of each letter to hang.

My letters got a lot tidier with practice, so if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  I made this big letter G for our mantel using a thinner yarn and a little more patience.

So far, I've used less than a full piece of foam board and all other materials I've had on hand ... so this project is coming in under $2.   Not bad for a bit of DIY decor!

Wee Wonderfuls Mermaiden Doll

A (long) while back, I received a copy of the book, Wee Wonderfuls, 24 Dolls to Sew and Love.  It is a very charming book - I immediately bookmarked a bunch of projects.  Somehow, they got knocked down the to-do list, but with many toddler birthday parties in the coming months, I pulled the book out again.

Last night I made the Mermaiden Doll.  Hello, beautiful!

It is a small-sized doll, only about 7 inches tall, perfect for little girls who like to take things on the go.  All of the stitching details add a lot of personality.

If you are planning to make dolls for holiday gifts, this book is a great place to start.  I love how diverse each of the projects is.  There really is something for everyone (even little boys!).

Up next on my dolls to make list are the Hansel and Gretel wooden spoon puppets, doxie necklace, and Little Miss Storybook (pictured below, left to right).

This little mermaid was hard to say goodbye to, but she'll be in good hands.  The birthday girl has such a love of swimming, she is practically a fish.  I'm sure these two will get along nicely.

Have you started thinking about handmade holiday gifts?  What is on your to-do list?

vinyl wipes case template

You asked for it, so here it is ... a template to make your own vinyl-decorated wipes case.

Supplies needed:

• Hard plastic travel wipes case (my template is made to fit the Huggies brand cases)
• Cut vinyl, contact paper, or scrapbook paper and mod podge - I'm going to show you how I used the vinyl
• scotch tape
• scissors
• wipes case template

First, print and cut out the pdf template (please select the "fit to printable area" option to get the correct sizing).   Get the template HERE.

Prepare your vinyl - I used my Silhouette machine to cut a design (for Silhouette users, this design is called "Butterfly Floral Lace Square").  You could also buy pre-cut vinyl, cut it by hand, or substitute pretty contact paper (there are some great contact paper patterns out there these days).  In my last post, a reader suggested using scrapbook paper and mod podging it to the wipes case.  I've never tried this, but I'm sure it would work!

Lay the template pieces on top of the vinyl, and using small pieces of scotch tape to hold them in place. 

Cut around each template to get one back piece and two front pieces.

Apply the vinyl to the wipes case, according to the material's instructions.  If you are using an intricately cut design, I would strongly recommend using transfer paper.

I used some of the leftover scraps to apply little pieces to the center case flap.

Make sure you firmly adhere the vinyl to the case, smoothing down all corners, and you're done!  Enjoy your one-of-a-kind wipes case.

And one more time ... here's another link for the wipes case template, in case you missed it.  :)

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p.s.  if you want to buy a vinyl decorated wipes case, check out Starr Designs on etsy.  She makes a variety of decorated and personalized wipes cases, including this butterfly lace design.

Just Bunch Designs giveaway winner

Congratulations, Tiff - your comment was selected as the Just Bunch Designs giveaway winner, and you will receive three prints of your choice from the Just Bunch etsy shop.  I'll be in touch!

Stephanie is also offering Homemade by Jill readers a 15% discount on all orders for the next two weeks, using the code JILL15.   Happy Shopping!

retro homemaking night

Sorry to be so absent this week!  I've been prepping non-stop for another ladies event at my church, which was held last night.  I no longer have as much responsibility as I've had in the past (phew), but these things are always a lot of work.

 We had a retro-themed homemaking night, complete with classes about pressure cooking, making apple pies (in a jar - cute!), and sewing an apron.

Our tables were decorated with a fun assortment of vintage items, and a sweet bouquet of flowers in a can (idea from Rachel Ray, which I saw on Pinterest).

 I love my blue Singer.  I don't actually use it, but it sure is pretty, right?

My favorite part of the night (besides the fun activity, delicious food, and wonderful company, of course) was definitely getting all dolled up with retro hair and make up.

As a mom who is admittedly frumpy and often sports a wet french braid and no makeup, I felt fabulous last night!  How weird would it be if I started rocking a retro look more often?  Because it was kind of awesome.  I found really helpful hair and makeup tutorials on YouTube.  Is there anything you can't learn on YouTube?

I lead the apron sewing class (with lots of helpers - thanks Holly & Lori!), and we made the apron in a hour that I posted about previously.  Since we are always on tight budgets for these types of things, we had to find a great deal on fabric ... which last week lead me here:

the Fabric Barrel in Solvang, CA.  I kid you not, this was one of the nuttiest places I've ever been.  Crazy, I tell you!  There are two buildings, two stories each, plus a separate cafe, all manned by one lady.  On the bottom floors are several rooms of fabric, some on giant bolts, others just piled in bins, like the photo above.  All the fabric is 99 cents a yard, and you cut it yourself.  There is not an employee to be seen (she is busy in the cafe, cooking burgers).

My friend Lori and I went together, with four toddlers in tow, and it was an adventure to say the least.  When we first walked in, I was so overwhelmed, I didn't think we would find a thing.

Fifty yards of fabric and 20 zippers later (zippers are 5 cents, buttons only a penny), we hauled our kids and our spoils over to the cafe for hot dogs, burgers, and root beer floats.

There were so many great knits ... and 99 cent fabric makes me kind of dizzy with excitement.  I can't wait to go again, but definitely without kids!

Anyway, that's what I've been up to.  I haven't forgotten about the vinyl wipes case template - I'll post it next week!

p.s. today is the last day to enter the Just Bunch Designs giveaway.  Don't forget to leave a comment if you haven't already.  :)

celebrating baby: Just Bunch Designs giveaway

I've been keeping a little secret from this blog, but I think it's time to spill the beans ... I'm 30 weeks pregnant!

I've spent most of this pregnancy feeling excited but also kind of scared to be the mom of three little ones (this will make 3 kids in 3 years).  It is going to be a big adjustment and will call for significant changes around here ... namely, I will have very little time (if any) to blog.  But I have two months to go, so in the meantime, let's celebrate!

Today I'm excited to offer a giveaway from Just Bunch Designs, an etsy shop that sells beautiful, original nursery collage prints.   Being a mom of two herself, Stephanie definitely has an eye for colorful children's art.  I love the way she mixes patterns and colors.  Here are a few of my favorites:

birds on a croc

 happy whale

I can fly elephant with balloons

I also love the kid's art for the bathroom.  My kids might need one of these reminders:

brush

Stephanie sent me a set of number prints, and they look so great in our new little playroom.  Oscar loves to count the objects in each picture.

Visit the Just Bunch blog, where Stephanie posts fun crafts and recipes.  I love her easy superhero mask (which comes with a free template!).

The giveaway this week is for three nursery prints of your choice!  If you'd love to win, please leave a comment on this post by midnight (PST), Friday, September 16th, and tell me your favorite print (or set of prints) from Just Bunch Designs.  

Giveaway Rules:  

• Only one entry per person.  If you accidentally enter more than once, please delete your duplicate comment(s).
• Contact information must be provided.  Either your profile must link back to a public blog, or you must include an email address on your comments.  Anonymous comments will be deleted. 
• One winner will be selected via random.org and announced on September 19th. 
• This giveaway is available to U.S. and international friends (yay!)

an even easier diaper wipes case

There is no fooling you guys - most of you were spot on with your guesses about Ruby's costume in the last post.   I'll wait until I've actually sewn something wearable before I make a reveal though Snow White or Wonder Woman?  I'm sure you'll lose sleep over the anticipation.  :)

This week I made a diaper wipes case for a friend's baby shower,  but I wasn't in the mood for hot-gluing (every once and a while I like to save my fingertips).

Instead, I got out my vinyl and cut an all-over pattern using my Silhouette machine.    The front had the pattern only, fudged slightly on that center flap.

The back has the same pattern repeated, and the mommy-to-be's last name in the center.  I doubt she'll ever grab the wrong case at the playground now.

You don't need a Silhouette to make one of these (although that certainly makes the process quicker and more precise).   Vinyl can always be cut by hand, and I think even Contact Paper would work well.  I recommend using a premium or outdoor vinyl if you can get your hands on it, since the adhesive is stronger and hold up to more abuse.

I saved my template pieces for the front and back of the case, so let me know if you'd like me to post them!
UPDATE:  You can find the wipes case template posted HERE.

any guesses?

The fabric for Ruby's Halloween costume arrived today (yes, I know it is early, but with Oscar having an October birthday, I'm trying to get a jump on things).

Lots of metallic spandex, a bit of sequined knit, and a splash of gold faux leather, just for good measure.

Any guesses?

chalkboard contact paper

Here I go, jumping on the chalkboard bandwagon ...

We recently moved into a new house, but since we are still renting, I can't really go crazy with the chalkboard paint.   We did, however, purchase the refrigerator, so I went ahead and ordered a roll of chalkboard contact paper, hoping it would do the trick.

It is so easy, and really works like a real chalkboard.  And did I mention it is easy?  You literally peel and stick (you can also pull it off and reposition).

I cut off a big piece for the kids to doodle on for the bottom of the fridge, and used my Silhouette to cut a smaller, prettier shape (you can run contact paper through the machine just like vinyl) to make notes on up top ... grocery lists, love notes, or whatever else springs to mind.

For best results, prep the chalkboard by rubbing a piece of chalk all over the surface, then erase, and repeat.   Now you're ready for maximum doodling!   My kids love it, and I love not having them attached to my leg while I'm trying to fix lunch.

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