Class of 2030

Happy New Year Everybody!

2012 is going to be a very exciting year - in just a few weeks my sister is having her first baby, which means I get my first niece or nephew! I'm so pumped. She and her husband want the gender to be a surprise - for everyone including themselves, so I'm getting busy making gender-neutral baby crafts! I don't know how they can stand the suspense ...

Last night I made this sweet little onesie. It was so simple: a onesie, sharpies, a ruler and a button (for tracing).


I had seen this idea several months ago on Pinterest from a blog called La-Dee-Da Creations. I personalized it by adding the last name (don't know the first yet!) and DOB (it's a scheduled C-section so the date is a pretty safe bet). I freehanded the writing, which was nerve-wracking, but I think it turned out pretty nice.

According to La-Dee-Da, the sharpie ink will not run in the wash but will fade over time. If it fades before the baby outgrows newborn-sized onesies, I will just trace over the original markings.

Can you believe a baby born today will graduate from high school in 2030?!

Happy Crafting!
Amanda

Amanda the Copycat

Hello F&F! Long time no post!

Well I'm just getting settled and back to crafting after a long hiatus. My husband and I recently made a 500+ mile move from Oklahoma to Iowa, and as anyone who has ever moved understands, it takes a while to get back on your feet! The new house is clean, the boxes are unpacked, my craft area is set up ... now I can breathe!

So this past weekend I decided to try my hand at Katie's Jewelry Organizer project! I have the perfect spot for one in my new bedroom. So I headed to Hobby Lobby, but alas, they didn't have any shadow boxes on clearance. So, I picked up a frame instead and my wheels started turning ...



I was going to need a piece of plywood (I had to beg the husband to cut it for me), some batting, some black velvet, and some cute little knobs, all of which I could get at Hobby Lobby. Except the plywood - for that I went to Menards.

So, Jon cut the plywood and drilled four holes in it for me. Then I put a layer of batting on the front of it and wrapped it with velvet, securing it with staples.

I pushed the screws up through the holes from the back and snipped the fabric a bit so they could sneak through. Then I twisted on the knobs (with a little help!). Oh yeah, I hadn't thought about how the plywood would STAY in the frame, so back I went to Hobby Lobby where I purchased some "turnbuttons" from the framing ladies.


Ok, so once that was done, I was ready to hang it on the wall, right?! Wrong. Jon had to add some little eye hooks and a wire to make it wall-ready. Did I mention my husband was a huge help during this project?!?! I really didn't mean for it to become so involved ... it just snowballed out of control!


NOW it was ready for the wall! Yay! So I hung it and took a bunch of pictures. Here's one:


Then I realized it would make more sense to photograph it WITH JEWELRY. Duh, Amanda. So here is the final product, hung and doing it's job:


I really love the way it turned out, but it was a lot of work, especially for Jon! So, if I had to do it over again, I would rethink my strategy. And hang the knobs a little closer to the top. Craft and learn!

Hmmm ... what will my next project be?

Amanda

Super Easy Gift Card Holders

Hello Feathers and Fingerprints!

Today I want to show you how to make a super easy gift card holder. They are cuter than anything you can buy in the stores ... in my humble opinion!

You start with a 4x6" piece of cardstock. I used paper from a scrapbook stack I had leftover from a different project:



Using a ruler, I marked the long side of the paper at 2" and 4.5". To make this most visible for a picture, I put some bright paper behind the project and made a dark pencil line.


Then I folded the paper on the lines! This would be easier and make a cleaner fold with a scoring tool, but I don't have one. Looks like I need to shop!


Next, I glued the edges of one of the 2" sections up to the middle section. I used tacky glue because I had it on hand. Any paper glue would work! I held it in place with some paper clips as it dried.


While the glue dried, I used some fun scissors to make the top edge fancy!



When the glue dried I tucked a gift card inside!


Then I folded down the top and tied it closed with some twine! Skinny ribbon would work too.


Ta-Da! Super easy! I'll never buy a gift card holder again!

Have a great day everybody!

Amanda

Baby Craft Bonanza!

Good morning F&F! Amanda here ... reporting from frigid NE Oklahoma where the temperature plummeted to -27 degrees F overnight (yes, you read that right: negative twenty-seven degrees). I hope everyone in our area remembered to drip their faucets overnight, or else they'll likely be dealing with frozen pipes this morning! So thanks to the terrible temperatures and piles of snow, I'm cooped up and suffering from cabin fever. The only prescription is more cowbell crafts.

So, I don't have any kids, but I love all things baby! Therefore, when one of my friends is expecting, I go crazy making cute, teeny-tiny, colorful baby goodies! Today's post: fun baby crafts for gifting, aka Baby Craft Bonanza.

Craft #1: Carry-Along Cuddling Blankies

Years ago I came across some cute cuddling blankies at a specialty gift store. Instead of paying big bucks for one, I made my own:


With input from my friends who have babies, I decided that 13" x 13" is the perfect size blankie for carrying along in the car or stroller. Babies love the texture of the satin ribbon loops, which are also great for attaching the blankie to a stroller or diaper bag so it doesn't end up on the floor. Recently I found this Sleepy Owls fleece at Hobby Lobby and knew it was the start of another blankie. I used solid bright green on the opposite side and polka dot ribbon. I think the end product is great for a little boy or girl!

Craft #2: Fancy Baby Burp Cloths

Inspired by a post a few months back at How Does She?, I recently made these burp cloths as a baby shower gift!


I bought a package of coordinating pre-cut fabrics meant for quilting. They were the perfect size at 12" x 18". I used pink chenille as the backing. I thought this project was going to be super easy, but quickly became frustrated because the chenille was stretching as I stitched, but the cotton quilting fabric was not. I did a quick google search on "sewing with chenille" and learned that I needed to adjust my presser foot pressure. I set my presser foot to "0" (zero) and the problem was solved!

Craft #3: Ruffle Butt Onesies

I can't remember now where I got this idea, but I've seen it all over the blogging world many times. Basic concept: embellish a simple baby onesie! When I found a package of onesies on clearance at Walmart, I decided to give it a try.


I don't have a ruffle foot for my sewing machine, so I did it the manual way: sew a long basting stitch and pull! I used grosgrain ribbon so I wouldn't have to finish the upper and lower edges. I can't wait to see these ruffles on a little diapered baby butt!

Craft #4: Crocheted Baby Booties

With new found crocheting confidence, I downloaded a crochet pattern for these adorable baby booties! You can purchase the pattern on Little Birdie Secret's Etsy page. It took a few tries but I figured out how to make them! Here's how they turned out:


The pattern uses three basic stitches: Slip Stitch, Single Crochet, and Half Double Crochet. I learned these three stitches by watching tutorial videos by theknitwitch on YouTube. Once you're there, click on "Uploads" and use the search box on the right to find the stitch with which you need help.

In conclusion, baby crafts are small, which makes them do-able. They don't require a huge amount of material or time, so if they don't turn out, you haven't wasted much of either! These crafts make great gifts, because they are handmade and handmade=heartfelt! And, making baby crafts inside sure beats shoveling snow outside!

Amanda

Goodbye Halloween, Hello Valentine's Day!

Hello F&F Fans!

I'm Amanda, aka Hooker #2! I'm really excited to contribute to Katie's blog!

Like Katie, I'm a teacher. And like most teachers, I LIVE for snow days! I might as well rename them "stay at home and make stuff days" because that's what I do. And take naps. With my cats. This week Mother Nature gave Oklahoma a snowy kick in the pants, and thus today is our third "stay home and make stuff day" in a row! Woo hoo!

These days off gave me the opportunity to finish some Valentine's Day projects and get them up on my mantel. The pathetic thing ... I had to take down my Halloween mantel! That's right, Halloween. I'm a little behind! You see, this year my husband and I were out of town for the holidays, so I decided not to put up Christmas decor, and the fall stuff never came down. Each time we've had friends over I've had to explain. I tell people Halloween is my favorite holiday - HA! So here's what my mantel looked like from October to yesterday:

So on Tuesday I got busy finishing my Crochet Hearts Garland that Katie and I started at our last craft date. I used 15 hearts and strung/hung them on a chain I crocheted with some random cotton stuff the hubby had in the garage. I had some mini-clothes pins on hand and they were perfect for attaching the little guys:


Next I made my first attempt at Subway Art! And that's just what it was ... an attempt. I created a major craft fail. The plan was: download a free V-Day Subway Art printable (found at Sprik Space), print it on transfer paper, iron it onto some pretty pink fabric. Everything went well until the final step:


The transfer paper didn't adhere to the swirly "damask" parts of the fabric. Sad! So, Plan B. I printed again and ironed it onto a different fabric. But the fabric was too busy and it was too hard to read the cute words:


So I moved to Plan C: print something new on cardstock (found this cutie at it is what it is), cut out with fun scissors, and glue to pretty fabric. Then the final step I'd been planning on all along - wrap fabric around an art canvas! Here's how it turned out. Not as polished looking as I had hoped, but I'm happy:


Then I made a V-Day wreath! I was inspired by a fun post over at tatertots & jello. I used a heart shaped foam wreath, red spray paint, about 100 cupcake liners and my hot glue gun:


When the wreath was finished I was ready to put it all up on the mantel! Wreath, garland, subway art, plus red, pink and white candles equals festive Valentine's Day decor! I'm pleased with the way everything turned out!


Now I will sum up everything I've learned with a Crafty Valentine's Day Poem:

Crocheting is fun,
Iron-ons are scary,
Glue guns solve problems,
Hope your Valentine's Day is merry!

Amanda