Jack-O'-Latern Jars

Did you know "jack-o'-lantern" had an apostrophe after the "o?" Hmmmmm...I did not realize this until this day. :-P

This is a fun (and easy!) little thing the boys and I did the other night with tissue paper and olive jars.  I just *knew* those olive jars I was saving would come in handy. ;-) And, since Marin and I eat lots and lots of olives...pretty sure there will be many more jars to come!  Baby food jars would work great, too...but, sadly I dumped my stash a lonnnnng time ago. :-(

Start by cutting orange tissue paper into various small pieces:

Then, Mod Podge away!  It's best to apply the Mod Podge on the jar, not the tissue paper. :-) The boys tended to get some holes in the tissue paper because they were heavy with their brush...but I think that just adds to each jar's character.

After you've Mod Podged your pieces to cover the jar, apply a thick coat of Mod Podge over the whole thing.

Hmmm...looks more like a mummy to me.

Once dry, cut some shapes for your jack-o'-lantern face. We used the Cricut with vinyl, but normal cardstock and scissors would work fine, too!

You can cover your jar lid with fabric by cutting a circle slightly bigger than the lid, and then cutting slits around the circle. Apply Mod Podge to the top of the lid and set down onto the fabric. Press fabric around the lid. 

So easy and so fun!  I remember making a Christmas jar at school with tissue paper when I was in kindergarten. My mom still puts it out each year. :-P

Glittered Acorn Wreath

My friends think I'm nuts. And I feel squirrley like an acorn-hoarder. :-P

Acorns!

When we went camping a few weekends ago, the boys and I started collecting acorns. They were huge and beautiful, and well...if you're *my* son, apparently you can't resist collecting them. My mom and dad's oak trees are producing bountifully this year so we collected some more...and I was bound and determined to actually DO something with them instead of letting them sit in a plastic grocery bag for a few years.

Some of these dandies were HUGE!  Love it.

I've collected so many now, I've become picky. Only choosing the BIG ones...or just the caps....

Caps!  Are you on acorn-picture overload, yet?

...Because...with a little styrofoam, paint, Mod Podge and glitter...look how pretty those acorn caps turn out!

You can make a wreath, too.

Here is what you need: Styrofoam wreath, brown paint, acorn caps, hot glue gun, Mod Podge or glue (optional), glitter (optional) and ribbon. 

Step 1 - Paint your Styrofoam wreath brown. You don't need perfect coverage since it will mostly be covered.

Step 2 - Start pressing the acorn caps into the wreath. Some of them would stay just fine without glue, but it is best to just go ahead and hot glue every single one. :-)

Continue, continue, continue!...

...until you have the whole wreath covered. I went as far down with the caps on the inside and outside of the wreath as I could go without disturbing the wreath's ability to lay flat. Did you know that wreaths have abilities? Ha.

Step 4 - Glitter, baby! Apply Mod Podge or glue just to the top edges of the acorn caps and sprinkle away. Small children are helpful in this endeavor.

I debated whether to add glitter or not. I think the wreath is very pretty and natural-looking without it and could be finished off beautifully with some flowers, grass, and ribbon...but I went for glitter!

Step 5 - Add a ribbon hanger and bow, and wish you still lived with your mother so she could tie a pretty bow for you.

I can't decide if I like the wreath better hanging on the door, or inside the house. :-)

Some Chevron Love

I painted our kitchen a couple weeks ago...and then I painted Marin's room, too.  Her new color is called, "Silver Leaf," and it's a beautiful light gray (you can see the pic later in this post!).  I love how it turned out.  So, since I fussed with the kitchen AND Girlie's room....why not the bathroom, too?  Was thinking green, but then I pulled out the current paint can to discover I still have half of a gallon left. So, no new paint for the bathroom....but a new shower curtain works for me!...in gray inspired by Marin's room...

Marin insisted her deerie and blankie lay on the floor in the bathroom...screamed if I removed them.  I don't like lovies on the bathroom floor...not even our own bathroom floor.

It's amazing how much a simple change, like a shower curtain, can change a room completely.  The one that was hanging in our bathroom we received when we got married eight years ago.  Relax!  I change the liner a couple times a year.  ;-)

Before

Did you know that this curtain from Bed, Bath and Beyond was seen on That 70's Show???  Not quite the look I was going for... :-P

I used an old sheet my grandma gave me and some old gray fabric that I grabbed at a quilt club one time.  :-) The sheet was in its original packaging, and by the label...I dated it to the late 1960's or early 1970's.  Yikes. It certainly smelled old when I ironed it.  Although...the packaging said NO IRON IS NEEDED because of the new fiber that was used.  For the first time in my life---I ironed sheets!  Ha.  I am thankful that ironing our bed sheets is no longer expected today.  :-P

I used 9" x 9" squares to make the chevron pattern.  The curtain measures approximately 72" x 72" so I needed 81 squares (half of them gray, half white...okay...so I cut 82) to cover the pattern (the seam allowances cut the size down).

And here's how to make the block:

Start by drawing a straight line with pencil from corner to corner of every single one of your white squares.  Draw the line on the wrong side of the fabric.

Place one white square on top of one gray square (with right sides of the fabric facing each other).  Sew a line 1/4 inch to the right of your pencil line, and 1/4 inch to the left of your pencil line.

Cut down your pencil line.

Open them up and you have two triangle blocks.

Then you can assemble your smaller squares into a big block using four squares like this:

Or, like this:

Then sew your big four blocks together in strips to make the curtain.  I needed to add an extra column of small blocks to complete the size of the curtain.

Top-stitching the seams is a good idea since the shower curtain is likely going to get tugged on from time to time.  Likely...pffft.  Inevitable!

Ha...I slacked at the end of this "tutorial."  You're smart you can figure it out.  Just use a note pad.  ;-)

Here's a picture of Marin's old room.  Slime green from when the boys had it:

And her new color Silver Leaf:

Ribbon Table Runner

I have been wanting to do something crafy with these ribbons for sooooooo long.  I found a whole bunch of "Barnesville Cheerleader Clinic" ribbons in my sister's old dresser at my parents house from when she and I got our cheer on (think seven and four years old).  Also included were a few field day ribbons (yikes), Fourth of July games on the square participant ribbons, and a Christmas parade participant ribbons.  Wheels turning...wheels turning...my vision was a table runner for summer time, but I needed a few more ribbons.

A-ha!  Nick.  I dug through a couple boxes of his old sports awards and found some ribbons from his track and field days.  When I told him what I wanted to do with them, he said, "I don't want food getting all over my track ribbons!"  Ha.  Well...I think this is a better thing to do with them than to have them hidden in a box rarely to be seen again.  :-)

Anyhoo...take a bunch of these...

And a bunch of scrap strips...

Remove the tag and eyelet of each ribbon...go ahead...let it rip!

Then, I trim the ribbons and strips to seven inches, or whatever length works...



I've never claimed to be a runner.


Sew three ribbons together with two white strips in between them.  (I sewed as close to the ribbon edge as I could to preserve the writing on the ribbon as much as possible. Examine each piece to see if you've caught both fabrics, if you missed...fix it real quickly.  Don't be too concerned because you will topstitch the quilt later which will secure the ribbons further). Trim your blocks and lay them all out to look nifty...



Can I help?


Add another seven inch strip between two of your blocks (I went vertically here)...

Measure the length and add a strip on the right side (I know, white on white is kind of hard to see on my white table).  Add a strip to both sides of the ribbon blocks that are the farthest to your left when looking down upon them.



This one *has* to be for me!

Make your quilt sandwich and sew together.  I used a zig-zag stitch on top because I liked the look and it made the ribbons extra secure with the white strips.  Add your binding and you are done! 


Here's the back.

And on the table with some summer-looking things.  Ha.

I think it'd also look cute on the wall if that was your style.  :-)

Capri Sun Lunch Bag Tutorial

I am so thrilled when I can actually use something I've been collecting for a while.  I always say about those items or potential throw aways, "I could do something with that!"...but you know how that goes.  :-P  Sooooooo....I broke out my grocery bag full of Capri Sun pouches. 

Before you do anything with the juice pouches, wash them first.  I puff up the empty bag in my hand and cut a slit in the bottom of the bag with an exacto knife.  A good rinse and a little soap does just fine.  Keep them puffed up and stand them up to dry.  Flatten them out to store or use for sewing when they are devoid of moisture.

Here's what to do to make a lunch bag:

1) Select 14 juice pouches for your bag.  Keep in mind, four will be on the front, four on the back, two on each side and two on the bottom.  Group them this way.  I try to avoid putting two pouches of the same flavor by each other.

2) Turn over two pouches you will be using for the front.  Using the line on the side of the pouches, place one bag just slightly over the other and secure with a piece of tape (you can remove the tape after you stitch if you'd like).

3) Turn the pouches over so that you are sewing on the front of the bag.  Select your zig-zag stitch and sew all the way down.

4) Repeat for the other two pouches to be used on the front.

5) Turn both pairs of sewn pouches over, and place them slightly on top of each other and secure with tape. 

6) Turn to the front side and sew together so that you now have four bags sewn together for your front.

7) Repeat steps 2-6 for the back side of your lunch bag.

8) For the sides, sew two pouches on top of each other in the same manner as you sewed the pouches above.  Do the same with your two bottom pouches.

9) Turn your bottom piece and line up its seam with the center seam of the front of your lunch bag.  Stitch to attach.

10) Add the back piece to your bag so now your lunch bag looks like this:

11) Turn the lunch bag over, and fold up the bottom piece that sticks over the edge.  Place a side piece standing up on your work space, and flush against that flap.  Secure with tape.  Turn over and sew to attach.  Do the same thing for the other side.

12) Now your lunch bag looks like this:

13) Add a velcro hook and velcro loop strip to the front of the bag.  This is so your lunch bag will fold down.

13) Add another piece of velcro on the back of the top piece of velcro that is on the front of your bag and on the inside of the back side of your lunch bag.  Make sense?  This is so your lunch bag will close.

14)  Pinch an edge of the front piece with the edge of a side piece together and sew together like you'd sew two pieces of fabric.  I still like to use the zig-zag stitch as it completes the look.  Repeat with the remaining edges.

15) Done!

I'm thinking this lunch bag will go to one of my Pay It Forward girls.  I really had it in my heart to make this person something else...not sure what...but, she did say she wouldn't mind having one of these a long time ago.  :-)