How To Make A Memory Board

Who knew that ribbon and batting could be sooo dang cute. I have been in love with these boards for years, but never could get myself to get one.

Not only are these uber cute... but they were surprisingly easy and fast.... I'm serious. I was asked to teach a group of girls, ages 12-14, a decorating craft that they could use in their bedroom and I taught them this. Theirs was as good as mine.

All you need is...

A board to hold everything (either plywood, cork board, art canvas, any piece of wood really)
Quilt Batting
Fabric
Ribbon
Stapler (normal or staple gun)
Decorations for embellishment: buttons, flowers, jems

First find a board and size that you like. I used a plywood board that I got cut from Lowe's, they had a 4x2 piece for $9 and they cut it in half for free, so I had two nice 2x2 boards. Once you have the size of board that you want, you will want to go to a fabric store and pick out how much fabric and batting you will be needing.

Now you can take your board and lay it down on fabric and batting. Make sure that you lay the fabric face down (pattern on the floor), then batting and then the board. You can use as much batting as you want. I used a medium thickness and double layered it.... I like the look of the fluffier boards. You will want to trim the batting at this point... the batting should almost be the same size as the board, but the fabric needs to be a few inches larger on all sides.

Now that you have everything laid out, pull and tug the fabric to make sure that it is nice and smooth. When you feel that you have everything in place you can begin to staple one of the sides. You can either use a staple gun (that has not too deep staples) or you can use a normal home stapler..... I tried both and actually preferred the home stapler.

Remember to only staple ONE SIDE, and try to keep it even and smooth. Place your staples 2-3 inches apart and not too close to the edge.... you will want to give yourself a little bit of space from the edge so you can correct any mistakes. Once you have a side completed start stapling the opposite side. Now make sure that you don't pull too hard and pull the fabric which might tweak it. Repeat these steps with the top and bottom sides as well. Now you should have a completely secure board.

Now you can start to place your ribbon. Flip the board over and make a large 'X' from corner to corner with two ribbons and staple them firmly in place on the back of the board. These will be the guidelines for the rest of the ribbons. Go ahead and lay as many ribbons as you like down.

When all your ribbon is layed down and placed where you like it start to staple them in place on the front of the board.... where the ribbons crossover and connect. When all the ribbon is stapled down, you can flip the board over and start to staple down loose ends.

Now your board should look almost complete. All that is needed now is to glue some embellishments to hide the staples that are securing the ribbon down. I used buttons to hide the staples, you could also use flowers, jems, or bows. Once dried and finish you should have one beautiful and custom made memory board.

This has been one of my favorite crafts that I have done... I want to do more, but honestly... how many memory boards does a family need? :)

Toy Bag Tutorial

Oh it feels so good to be back blogging again, it's bloggerific! So I am going to ease back into the blogging world with a nice easy craft, plus hopefully posting something that is simple will tempt you non-crafters out there to finally jump in on this.
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I made these cute bags to help with Lucy's toys from over flowing and taking over the house. I swear, I think they were plotting against me and on the move! I finally sat down and start pouring a few out to help keep blocks, books, puzzles, and animals in their place. I even made a few to help keep her laundry separated. They are really easy and need a minimal amount of sewing, cutting, and time. All you need is...

1 foot of fabric

1 yard of string or ribbon

Take your foot of fabric, fold it in half and trim it so it will be 11 inches wide and 18 inches tall. Measure 3 inches from the top and mark it on the right side of the fabric, THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE FOLDED SIDE! Cut at that 3 inch mark a little less than 1/2 an inch into the fabric.

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Unfold the fabric so it is now 22 inches wide and the back of the pattern is facing up towards you. You should have two little cuts on both sides of the fabric. Now go ahead and fold the 3 inch slits inward and pin them, do this on both sides. Sew these flaps down, when you are done it should look like the top three inches are thinner.

You can now fold the top down about 2 inches down. You can now place the string in the flap and sew it shut. You will want to make sure that the line you sew will line up with the edge of the 22 inch wide part of the fabric. Now fold the fabric so it is back to being 11 inches wide and have the back side of the fabric facing out, which means that the patterns should be inside and facing each other. Pin the edges together. Start to sew the fabric together, when you start sewing make sure that the line you are sewing also lines up with the top folded edge, so this should be about a 1/2 inch seam on the side and also do a 1/2 inch seam on the bottom. Once done, go ahead and turn the bag right-side out. Go ahead and tie the strings together which will be the final step for this wonderful bag.

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These are cute bags to make and really cheap, you can pump out 3 bags with 1 yard of fabric. So go ahead and make some, I would even love to see some of the bags you make and what you add to them. Happy sewing!

Crafts Projects and Tutorials

I always have more on my plate than I can handle. I am always wanting to start something new, learn a new hobbies, or start some crazy idea I have. I have gone from learning to scrapbook, to knitting, sewing, baking, quilting, decorating, to wanting to make jewelry... that is all in a few months. But some I have really stuck with more and others, well, I learned and got too excited for the next project... so I moved on. So, here is a list of crafts I am wanting and hoping to do here soon.

Homemade Apron

This is from the Martha Stewart website and has a tutorial, written instructions, and even other readers reviews of the craft. But does that just scream, "Oooober cute!"?

Shopping Bag

These are the cutest shopping bags that I have ever seen... heck... I would use it for an everyday purse! So whether you are looking to make a fashion statement or an environmental statement, then you might want to check out these bags.

Diaper Case

I have been dying to buy or make one of these. I saw one in a magazine ad and ever since I have been looking for some tutorials. Besides just being cute they are also convenient. Keep diapers and baby wipes close and all together.... honestly, what mom isn't look for things to make their lives a little easier?

Growth Chart

Looking for a cute growth chart? Here is one that would look good out of the kid's bedrooms and if you are looking for one that is more suited for a kid's room, then in a couple simple changes it could be done. I am going to try to change this one into a more tropical theme chart for my daughter's room... maybe a palm tree or a flamingo.

Silhouette Frame

This is a beautiful one of a kind home treasure. Simply take a favorite photo of a child, use it to cut out fabric and make a heart melting work of art. What a wonderful gift for grandparents or even a cute nursery decoration.

Reusable Sandwich Bag

Yep... that is right. A reusable sandwich bag! A cute project that will always spruce up hubbies or the kids' lunch bags. Plus, save some good money on zippy bags.

Crayon Case

This one seems a little more complicated and a little more work than you would have to do, but it could be made easier by not sewing on the trim. I think this craft is creative and a great way to keep crayons in your bag for trips and maybe the crayons wont break as afteb in the soft fabric.
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Sock and Glove Animals

These are some cute and fun stuffed animals that you can make from left over sock or gloves that are just laying around the house. There is a book called, "Sock and Glove" by Miyako Kanamori and it is just wonderfully cute! I just bought a copy of it and am excited to get started, but recently she was on Martha Stewart and they posted step by step instructions to make a dog and bunny.

Framed Collage

This is a very simple and interesting craft. By taking a scrapbook punch and using it with different paper, you can have your self a fun work of art. Easy to make for child's room, office, or fun kitchen decor.

Fun Toy Bag

I always have toys laying around and I only have 1 kid... so I don't know about you other moms... but I need a place to put them. Here is a cute, homemade toy bag that has endless possibilities.

Nursery Collage

Okay, I just can't get enough of this. Check out this LOVELY tree collage that I am just dying to make. If you don't think this is cute...well then, I just don't know what to do with you :)

Hydrangea Tray

What a gorgeous breakfast tray that is really one of a kind. This is a functioning tray or a beautiful decoration or even a nice gift.

So hopefully there is something here that will tickle your fancy and if it doesn't, at least I have a small list of things that I need to complete and do. I probably wont be doing any at least until hubby's payday :) Soooo, hurry up Friday!

Children's Piggy Bank - Minus The Pig

A lot of you have seen a bit of my ideas for what you can do with all your old formula cans and/or coffee cans; and here is another thing that I made with a can that I thought turned out really cute, if I do say so myself :)

My little niece had a birthday last week and she has really been into the Angelina Ballerina mouse stories. So, I decided that I would make her a little ballerina bank. It was really simple, all I used was...



Formula Can
Scrapbooking Paper (2 different patterns)
Acrylic Paint
Ribbon
Alphabet Stamps
Ballerina Stickers



First, I removed the label from the formula to measure so I could measure what size I should cut from my scrapbooking paper to place as my back ground. I would then hot glue the paper on however I liked it. Once I got the papers glued on I then took the ribbon and glue it along the edge where the two papers met.


At this point I would start to paint the beginning layer of the lid. Don't make the first layer too thick or else it will take a long time to dry. Also make sure you let the layer dry completely or else the next layer you paint will peel up the layer before.


After painting the lid and set it aside to dry, I then placed my pretty ballerina stickers on the can where ever I thought best. I did save a couple stickers for the lid, to place when it finished drying.


I then took my alphabet stamps and stamped my niece's name and the word "bank". Once stamped, I cut out each letter individually and glued them on at different heights and angles. Now the can is done, but continue putting a few more coats of paint on the lid... but again, remember not to paint the next layer till COMPLETELY dried... it will peel on the layer before and you wont be able to smooth it out.


Your little girls will love them!

Shadow Boxes

Who doesn't love the look of shadow boxes? I love how simple and creative they can be. There are so many things you can use them for. I used some for Lucy's room to help tie in the tropical theme that I was going for. All you need is some...

Shadow Boxes
Back ground paper (scrapbooking paper)
Hot Glue Gun
Objects to Glue In (I used star fishes)

First take out the back of one of the shadow boxes and lay it onto your scrapbooking paper that you have picked for the back ground. Trace, then cut out.

Then take you items (starfishes) and glue them onto the paper in a nice layout. Once you have them glued and dried to the paper, glue the paper to the backs of the shadow boxes. If you want to, you can even fill the shadow boxes part way with sand to help give a more fun beachy look.

I bought the shadow boxes over at IKEA and got the starfishes and scrapbooking paper from Joanne's. Shadow boxes can run any where from $3 (IKEA) to $20, but it really depends on where you buy them and what size you are looking for. I believe the starfishes cost about $2.99 per bag; make sure you buy a bag that doesn't have broken pieces since they can be fragile. I used the same starfishes for my shadow boxes as I did for Lucy's wood letters, to help tie them together.

But, you can have all sorts of fun with these boxes. You can get a larger sized frame and place the outfit that you brought your baby home from the hospital in or their first day of school. You can even place some of your child's favorite toys in them... well their OLD favorite toys that they don't play with anymore.... you don't want the kids crying and screaming that they can't play with they beloved doll and why is she on the wall! You don't have to stick with children's rooms either. Every time we go on vacation we save things from the trip; maps, hotel keys, ticket stubs, cheesy souvenirs. You can take those items and place them in a box nicely arranged. Then over the years you will have this wonderful wall of memories that will have cherished items from every family trip that you have taken together.

So comb through you old family memories and heirlooms. Find ones that are in need of showing and place them in a shadow box to be displayed!

Wood Wall Letters For Your Kids Room

I love the wooden letter look in nurseries and kids room. I think it looks just ohhh sooooo cute and savvy. So, since I didn't want to drop 30 bucks at Babies R Us for some hinky dinky letters ... I made my own. They were really simple and easy, plus I loved how I could adjust them to look perfect in my little Lucy's room.


All you need is...

Wood Letters of what ever you are spelling (kids name/families last name/favorite sport/theme/ verbs like Dream, Dance, Wish)
Paint
What ever items you wish to have on the letters (I did star fishes)
Double Sided Tape


I just simply painted the letters and then hot glued the star fish on, to help them match Lucy's tropical room theme. I then placed double sided tape on the letters and BAM stuck it on the wall....real rocket science. :)


If you like them simple that will work great for you. But if you are wanting a little more pizazz with your letters; then instead of using double sided tape find a really cute ribbon. Tie a bow and make sure you have left enough space on each end to either staple or glue the ribbon to the back of the letter, then hang them with a nail or anything you might think will work.


Okay...now get this.....there is another option. Sorry, hope I am not over whelming you out there, but if you are a real challenge seeker, you can even bump it up another notch! Find a cute wooden frame or frame box and place some matching scrap booking paper as a back ground lining. Then glue your letter in the middle, take some ribbon and attach it to the top...this is probably my favorite look. If you can't find a wooden frame box you can either glue the letter on a circle plaque or paint the letters right on the plaque, but painting the letters directly on may take a real steady hand and you will probably need a stencil.
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I was able to get all the items at Michaels. The wood letters can cost anywhere from .50 cents to $4 bucks each, depends on finish and size. You can get some frames or boxes for .99 cents to a few bucks. The square or circle plaques are usually around $2-4 each. So get your creative minds thinking and try one, or several, of these ideas.